Compton wins 11th US cyclo-cross title in Austin

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The delayed start of the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships might have been worth the wait for Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing), who secured her 11th elite women’s national cyclo-cross title in Zilker Park in Austin on Monday. Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) crossed the finish line in second place ahead of Rachel Lloyd (California Giant-Specialized) in third.

Compton went into the race as the defending champion and the overwhelming favourite. She had a slow start and was forced to close a gap, and then work her way through the long line of riders to get back into a top position.

“Honestly, I had to be a lot more conservative today because I haven’t been feeling awesome,” Compton said. “I wasn’t quite sure that if I went out too hard that they would come back and get me. I wanted to sit in a little bit, but I may have sat in a little bit too much, and I had to be patient and wait.”

Ellen Noble (Jam-Fund) took the hole shot followed by Courtenay McFadden (GE Capital), Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Cycling), Arley Kemmerer (PB2 Pro Cycling), Rachel Lloyd (California Giant-Specialized), Crystal Anthony (Optum), Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld) and Amanda Miller.

Kemmerer led the race during the first lap, but it wasn’t long before Compton was back in the race and at the front of the field. She opened a gap on the women’s field right away and showed her world-class ‘cross skills through the mud on the technical course.

“I knew I couldn’t go too deep too soon, so I just waited for a good spot and then halfway through I got to the front and tried to time trial,” Compton said. “It was so easy to make mistakes or lose time, and you never know, with mechanicals, how the conditions will change, so if I had a gap I was going to keep it.”

Lloyd started the race having just recovered from being sick for 10 days, which may have played a factor in the final laps of the race for her. After Compton, she led the women’s field just barely ahead of Antonneau.

Antonneau caught up to Lloyd mid-race and moved ahead into second position. The young rider dominated the under-23 ranks in recent years and was racing in her first attempt at securing the elite women’s title.

Lloyd lost her position when she crashed hard mid-race and that allowed Antonneau to almost solidify her silver-medal position on course.

With one lap to go, Compton held a commanding lead and crossed the finish line to secure her 11th elite women’s national title. Antonneau stormed through the finish line in second place and Lloyd held on for third place ahead of a charging Gould in fourth.

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