Compton dominates US cyclo-cross nationals to win record 15th consecutive title

Katie Compton (KFC Racing) added a record 15th consecutive elite women's national cyclo-cross title to her long list of achievements in the sport at the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in Louisville on Sunday. She won the race by over two minutes ahead of a surprise runner-up Sunny Gilbert (Van Dessel Factory Racing) and third-placed Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing).

"To win today it feels really good, and it's still emotional," said Compton, who now heads into the second half of her season as she looks toward the World Championships in Denmark.

"I was really excited about today. This season has been really rough, and I've had a lot of downs this year. I just tried to come to this race rested and feeling as good as I could. The other races before this haven't gone great, so I thought I should rest before this one.

"Then I've got a lot of racing in front of me. I'm heading to Belgium tomorrow, and I'm there until the end of February. Right now, I feel like my season is just starting so hopefully I can start training hard and racing. I'm coming around for Worlds again.”

Compton, who just turned 40 this month, is still racing at the top her game and currently ranked second in the world behind world champion Sanne Cant.

She was the out-right favourite heading into the championships race, in part because of her strength and previous success at the event, but also because the thick, muddy conditions suited her perfectly.

"This was pretty perfect," Compton said. "There was quite a bit of running, and I'm not as great as some on that, but luckily with the technical bits, I can carry speed. The running wasn't bad but it was tough uphill. I did the best I could."

She unclipped from her pedals at the start, but stayed calm and moved what seemed effortlessly through the mud to catch up to her rivals.

She orbited the circuit and gained a handful of seconds each lap on Noble and Gilbert. She finished the race over two minutes ahead and secured her 15th title on what she called the most epic course of all.

The race for second was a little more unpredictable as Kaitie Keough (Cannondale) was nowhere to be seen, but Gilbert, Noble and Rebecca Fahringer battled for the silver and bronze.

Gilbert's running background might have given her an advantage through the mud, and she surged ahead of Noble on the last lap and crossed the finish line in second place.

Noble crossed the line a disappointing third while Fahringer faded and finished fourth.

How it unfolded

Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing) sprinted off the pavement and into the hole-shot followed by Kaitie Keough (Cannondale), while Katie Compton (KFC Racing) struggled with her pedals and started on the grass ten riders back.

Noble cleared the field through the first half of the first lap, charging through the mud and staying well ahead of the chaotic start.

Compton found her rhythm and raced her way forward through the field. She quickly caught Noble Keough lost ground in the opening lap.

Rebecca Fahringer (Kona-Maxxis-Shimano) trailed the two leaders; Noble and Compton, by just a few seconds over the first significant hill.

Compton charged passed Noble on the steep descent, and weaved through hay-bale obstacles, pushing through to the front of the race.

Noble fought to stay as close as possible to Compton but lost several seconds, and by the time the pair raced through the mechanic's pits and back onto the pavement to start the second lap, Compton was a comfortable 10 seconds ahead.

The 14-time national champion showed her experience over the very challenging mud sections riding very smooth. She transitioned from the riding sections to the running sections with ease and opened her lead further on each passing lap.

Noble, also a World-Cup mountain bike racer, used those skills to handle the technical sections. However, she struggled a little more than Compton through the thick mud and along the running sections.

With two laps to go, Compton pushed her lead out to over a minute. The race for second place heated up as Fahringer caught up to Noble, and passed her through the mud, and Gilbert closed in on the pair.

Gilbert, who comes from a running background, used her lengthy stride to run ahead of Noble on the muddy uphill. Fahringer might have burnt too many matches to catch up to the front and began to fade.

Gilbert and Noble raced neck-to-neck through the last lap, with Noble struggling to stay on Gilbert's wheel. Gilbert opened a gap through the last lap, and despite a crash on the descent, she held off Noble to take second place.

 

Full Results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Katherine Compton (USA)0:52:23
2Sunny Gilbert (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team0:02:12
3Ellen Noble (USA) Trek Factory Racing0:02:38
4Rebecca Fahringer (USA) Amy D. Foundation0:03:24
5Kaitlin Keough (USA) Cannondale0:04:58
6Regina Legge (USA) Green Line Velo driven by Zipca0:06:00
7Lily Williams (USA) The Pony Shop p/b KPMG0:07:16
8Sarah Sturm (USA) Specialized - Tenspeed Hero0:08:02
9Courtenay Mcfadden (USA) Washington State Bicycle Associ0:08:34
10Erica Zaveta (USA) Garneau-Easton p/b Transitions0:08:54
11Jennifer Malik (USA)0:09:31
12Raylyn Nuss (USA) Gateway Harley-Davidson Trek0:09:44
13Beth Ann Orton (USA)0:10:25
14Crystal Anthony (USA) New England Bicycle Racing Asso0:11:26
15Cassandra Maximenko (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team0:11:46
16Carla Williams (USA) Deschutes Brewery0:12:09
17Arley Kemmerer (USA) Fearless Femme Racing0:12:46
18Jane Rossi (USA)0:13:14
19Caroline Nolan (USA)0:15:08
20Samantha Runnels (USA) Texas Bicycle Racing Associatio-1 Lap
21Kristen Legan (USA)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Taylor Kuyk-White (USA)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Anne Usher (USA)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Elizabeth Sheldon (USA) Crosshairs CyclingRow 23 - Cell 2
25Anna Megale (USA) Team UpCycleRow 24 - Cell 2
26Caitlin Bernstein (USA)-2 Laps
27Anna Dorovskikh (USA) Boulder Cycle SportRow 26 - Cell 2
28Laurel Rathbun (USA)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Meghan Owens (USA)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Rebecca Gross (USA)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Rachel Rubino (USA)Row 30 - Cell 2
32Emily Werner (USA) Amy D. FoundationRow 31 - Cell 2
33Emily Curley (USA) Corner Cycle Cycling ClubRow 32 - Cell 2
34Amanda Nauman (USA)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Gabriella Sterne (USA) Vanderkitten CXRow 34 - Cell 2
36Chelsea Weidinger (USA)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Taryn Mudge (USA) Mathletes RacingRow 36 - Cell 2
38Leslie Ethridge (USA) ORNOTRow 37 - Cell 2
39Erin Faccone (USA) B2C2 Cycling ClubRow 38 - Cell 2
40Katrina Engelsted (USA) Petunia Mafia CyclingRow 39 - Cell 2
41Susan Livingston (USA) Amy D. FoundationRow 40 - Cell 2
42Avanell Scales (USA) Deschutes BreweryRow 41 - Cell 2
43Kelly Paduch (USA)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Natalie Tapias (USA) JAM Fund / NCCRow 43 - Cell 2
45Alexandra Campbellforte (USA) Mid Atlantic Bicycle Racing AssRow 44 - Cell 2
46Natalie Smith (USA) Bicycle Heaven / PVARow 45 - Cell 2
DNSKathryn Cumming (USA) Jalapeno CyclingRow 46 - Cell 2
DNSDanielle Arman (USA) Bicycle Racing Association of CRow 47 - Cell 2
DNSBrittlee Bowman (USA) RSCX - House Ind - DWR - HermanRow 48 - Cell 2

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

Latest on Cyclingnews