94th UCI win for Katie Compton at Boulder Reservoir

Katie Compton wins the Boulder UCI race at the reservoir, now named the US Open of Cyclocross, for the second year in a row

Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) claimed a repeat convincing win on Saturday ahead of solid rides by second and third Caroline Mani and Chloe Woodruff at the first of two Boulder weekend UCI races. On an off day, CrossVegas winner Meredith Miller (Noosa Pro Cyclocross Team) missed a pedal at the start and finished seventh.

Raleigh-Clement’s Mani started and ended fast; in a go-big or go-home move with one lap remaining, she attacked the chase group and held on to a gap until the finish line.

Woodruff, who recently won the Grand Junction Off-Road mountain bike event, returned to the venue at Boulder Reservoir where last year she surged into second as a relative newcomer to cyclocross. Now she’s racing as a new member of Stan’s NoTubes Elite Cyclocross Team.

Elite women’s holeshot

Mani took the holeshot at Boulder Reservoir. Compton was tucked in behind Kona’s Helen Wyman. Miller started in the front row, but lost about ten places to leader Mani after the track narrowed with the first few turns.

According to a report by the Noosa Pro Cyclocross team, Miller’s first lap was fraught with mistakes, including a flip over the handlebars. “I finally got my act together on lap two,” Miller continued. “I started to pick people off pretty consistently from that point. I got into a better groove and calmed down a bit. I was riding alone, so I could pick my own lines rather than follow wheels. As I passed riders, I was able to recollect myself and take a deep breath.”

Meredith Miller looking concerned at the beginning of lap 1

Caroline Mani leads near the end of lap one

British national champion Wyman, Woodruff, and Nicole Duke (Marin-Spy) chased Mani from the reservoir beach while Compton followed them in fourth on course. In the beginning of the second lap Compton gained the lead.

Katie Compton in one of several sand sections. “It wasn’t so bad. What made it hard were the turns in the sand. You just have to focus, stay on the rut and hit the line.”

Crystal Anthony (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) joined Woodruff and Mani in the chase group.

Chase group of three

Rachel Lloyd (California Giant Berry Farms / Specialized) steadily worked her way into the chase group to make it four. The effort cost her in the last lap when she couldn’t respond to Woodruff’s attack in pursuit of Mani.

Lloyd caught up to the chase group with two laps to go

Meredith Miller was closing in on fifth on course Anthony. Then she flatted in the last lap. Gabby Durrin (Neon Velo Cycling Team) passed her and finished fifth behind fourth place Lloyd.

Meredith Miller passed Gabby Durrin then flatted in the last lap and switched bikes

Courtenay McFadden (Gecapital/American Classic) finished ninth after Duke who placed eighth.

Courtenay McFadden

The Amy D. Foundation chose Erica Zaveta as this year’s scholarship winner. Zaveta will travel with the Raleigh-Clement team this season. She finished twelfth at the reservoir on Saturday after a successful ninth at CrossVegas.

Erica Zaveta with Nicole Novembre and Ksenia Lepikhina

Compton’s husband and mechanic, Mark Legg, said Saturday was Compton’s 94th UCI race win. He’s been counting since 2006.

US Open of Cyclocross women’s elite podium (l-r): Caroline Mani 2nd, Katie Compton 1st, Chloe Woodruff 3rd.

“I actually felt way better today [than at CrossVegas],” Compton said after the race. “Vegas is tough because it is the first race of the season. I’ve been doing a little bit of intensity but not enough. That grass is just so hard; there is no recovery.

“I definitely felt better today but also the course was way more fun.” After all the bumps on the reservoir course, Compton was grateful for the strip of paved start/finish.

For full results from the US Open of Cyclocross, see the WithoutLimits website.