Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) taking the win at Devou Park(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Meredith Miller (Cal Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) warming up on a perfect autum day(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Emily Shields (Mock Orange Bikes Pro CX) on the front row(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The Elite Women getting underway on the pavement(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) taking the hole-shot(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Meredith Miller (Cal Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) leading early in the contest(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Niclole Duke (Marin Bikes/ Spy Optics) riding with the leaders on lap one(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Rebecca Gross (Raleigh Clement) riding one of her best races ever(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The Elite Women together on lap one(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
It appeared that a classic Compton/Nash battle was forming on the first couple laps(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) leading Compton through some S-Turns(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Emily Kachorek (#Ghetomoto) was a fan favorite due to her colorful kit(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) alone on lap four(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Bethann Orton (Team S&M) riding in the top ten late in the race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Baumsteiger (Team Rambuski Law) getting ready to remount her machine(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Mo Bruno-Roy (Bob’s Red Mill p/b Seven) on a steep climb(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Europeans Katerina Nash and Caroline Mani on the front row(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Newly engaged Meredith Miller was all smiles today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) is coming off a world cup win in Tabor, Czech Republic(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Nicole Duke (Marin) seems to light up when Ben Berden is around(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) wasted no time going to the front(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) leading Nash on lap two(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) and Nash were in a different league from the rest of the field(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kaitie Antonneau (Cannondale/ Cyclocrossworld.com) leading Meredith Miller(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Nicole Duke (Marin Bicycles/Spy Optics) riding in fifth position(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Rebecca Gross (Raleigh Clement) brought her A-Game to the race today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Sunny Gilbert (Michelob Ultra) rounding a corner on one of the few muddy parts of the course(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) alone at the barriers after Compton dropped out(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) running triple barriers(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The beer garden was small but vocal today(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kaitie Antonneau (Cannondale/ Cyclocrossworld.com) running barriers at the bottom of the course(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Bethann Orton (Team S&M) was having a fantastic race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Sunny Gilbert (Michelob Ultra) sprinting over the barriers(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Meredith Miller (Cal Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
The previous night's rain did not slow riders down on the hilly course laid out for the first day of racing at the Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival, with Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) taking her fourth UCI race of the season in the women’s event.
Nash took an early lead and pushed her gap to almost two minutes by the end of the race. Nash’s main rival, Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective), was laid low early in the race by an asthma attack, and did not complete the race.
"I had a really good ride. I really enjoyed this course," said Nash. "All the hills, they are hard but I think that being a mountain biker, and doing it all summer long, is a little bit of an advantage."
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Nash has been on fire this season after winning CrossVegas and both days of the Providence Cyclocross Festival. Dispelling rumors of her retirement as the by product of a poorly translated article, Nash intends to focus on domestic races this season.
How it happened
Meredith Miller (California Giant-Specialized) jumped off the start line first to grab the hole-shot after the start. Miller led early in the first lap and was closely marked by Nash and Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com.) Katie Compton deftly moved through traffic and joined early leaders along with Nicole Duke (Spy-Marin). Compton and Nash separated from the lead group on one of several long, slippery hills and by the end of the first lap the duo had opened up a gap of 30 seconds.
Over the next lap Nash and Compton started testing each other. Nash, who was out of the saddle attacking every corner and hill, emerged with a 10 second lead over her rival. Compton, was unable to respond, and lost ground quickly. Then with three laps to go Compton never crossed the finish. Laid low by an asthma attack, she had pulled out of the race, unable to compete.
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"It was a tough day at the office," said Compton. "I just had bad allergies, and had an asthma attack. Tired, not enough warm-up, and the trees, and the weeds, kind of got to me today. It's unfortunate but I'm okay, and I deal with it enough, so I had to drop out. I'll definitely race tomorrow and Sunday."
Nash continued to hammer over the hills and the soft, rutted turns, to build a lead of almost two minutes during the remaining laps. Behind Nash the battle for second place was tightly contested between Miller and Antonneau, who both recently completed successful World Cup campaigns.
"Little Katie and I were together, and I was mostly just following her," said Miller. "Then I finally came around her and opened up the gap."
Nash crossed the line in first, followed by Miller, and then Antonneau. Mo Bruno Roy (Bob's Red Mill-Seven Cycles) used her legendary experience to fend off a late charging Emily Kachoreck (#Ghetomoto) to finish fourth. Known mostly for her exploits on the road, Kachoreck slotted in fifth place, her first UCI cyclo-cross top ten.
Racing continues on Saturday November 2nd at the Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival as riders head to the Cincy3 Kings Cross After Dark race at Kingswood Park in Mason, Ohio. Elite Women start at 7:00 PM EST and the Elite Men start at 8:10 PM EST.
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Full Results
1
Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team
0:41:37
2
Meredith Miller (USA) Cal Giant Berry Farms-Specialized
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