Trebon gets better of Powers in Derby City Cup

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Ryan Trebon (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) beat Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) in a finish line drag race to win the first day of racing at the Derby City Cup in Louisville, KY. Ben Berden (Raleigh-Clement) finished third, and Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com), whose Mud Fund was one of the races sponsors, finished fourth.

It was a close race to the line, and Trebon didn't feel confident he was going to win until he was within spitting distance of the finish line. "I had visions of 2011 where we came onto the pavement together, and I go to shift, my chain falls off, and Jeremy wins," said Trebon. "I'm excited, it's a good race, and always fun when you can leave more out there. It was really good, hard, clean racing."

Trebon started things off fast, grabbing the hole shot, but it was 19-year old Tobin Ortenblad (California Giant-Specialized) who surprisingly took over at the front of the field, and led for most of the first lap. Powers decided to get up front heading into the second lap, and his attacks proceeded to whittle the field down to a more manageable size.

A group of sixteen riders that included Powers, Berden, Johnson, Logan Owen (California Giant-Specialized), and Danny Summerhill (K-Edge-Felt Bicycles), formed into the lead group, and began to trade attacks through the next several laps.

The fast pace and technical sections took their toll, and riders began to drop out of the lead group each lap. With five laps to go Trebon, Berden, Powers and Owen jumped away and formed the race-winning move. Notably absent was last weekend's double winner, Tim Johnson. Johnson had gotten tangled up with Danny Summerhill mid-race, and was forced to chase back up to the race leaders. Though he got close, Johnson was never able to make contact.

Berden looked especially smooth riding through the long sand pit, but was unable to lose Trebon or Powers. "I know I was really good at the sand, but I didn't have it for the whole lap to push it," said Berden. "It's what I love to do, but being good at one section isn't good enough, you have to be flawless the whole lap."

Powers continued to attack the remaining laps, and though he was able to gain three or four seconds at a time by hopping the stairs, or blasting through the sand, Trebon and Berden answered him every time. With three laps to go the trio began to run into lapped riders in the sand pit, and Powers had to step out of his pedals to avoid a collision. "I was trying to force it and create a gap, and I just ran into lapped traffic," said a disappointed Powers.

Unbowed by the temporary setback, Powers attacked again with one lap to go. Trebon jumped across the gap, but the move finally cracked Berden, who was left behind. Trebon and Powers traded the lead multiple times the last lap, each trying to find an advantage in the remaining corners and technical sections.

Trebon was the first to hit the pavement, and Powers was unable to come around him in the sprint to the finish. "I didn't think I had it till 20 feet before the line," said Trebon. "If we were at like 20 miles an hour, I think he would outkick me. But from a standstill, which is pretty much what we came to the pavement with, I knew I had a chance to stay ahead of him."

Ben Berden held on for third, Tim Johnson finished fourth, and Logan Owen, finished fifth.

The Derby City Cup continues on Sunday November 10th at Eva Bandman Park in Louisville, KY. The women take the line at 3 PM EST and the men start at 4 PM EST.

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