Danny Summerhill leads the 2013 Boulder Cup men’s elite field at Valmont Bike Park
Last weekend two UCI cyclocross races visited the Boulder area. Here’s three take-aways from studying the elite women’s and men’s races.
C is for composure
A rider’s reaction to bad luck or a mistake can make a big difference in his or her final result.
Colorado Cross Classic onlookers who thought a minute’s delay in the opening turns would cost Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) the podium received a big surprise. Seemingly unruffled, Powers dismounted, waited for the traffic behind him to clear – he had won the holeshot – pulled over next to the course tape, and nudged the chain back onto its teeth. Then he rode off and picked his way through all but one of 67 riders to finish second.
Katie Compton cleans up Boulder Cup scrapes
Powers wasn’t the only one with first lap troubles at the Colorado Cross Classic.
Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective) crashed not long after the start. She crashed not once but twice in the Boulder Cup the next day. In both races, like Powers, she did what helps her win races. She kept her cool and focused on the next task: hit the apex of the next turn, stay supple in the sand, and don’t let up on the gas even if you’ve got what looks like a winning gap.
Staying calm in the moment can make all the difference.
C is for champion
After both days of Boulder UCI cyclocross racing Compton mentioned what she hadn’t done right – she’d crashed, braking in the corners wasn’t dialed in, and she didn’t always find the fastest line. As of early October she was still building up after an unhealthy summer and yet she won both Boulder contests handily and alone.
Barring illness or injury, it looks like a tenth national cyclocross championship for Compton is taking shape on the January horizon.
C is for catch me if you can
Men’s elite podium, 2013 cyclocross nationals. Danny Summerhill 4th, Zach McDonald 2nd, Jonathan Page 1st, Jamey Driscoll 3rd, Tim Johnson 5th.
Remember last January how Jonathan Page (ENGVT) and Jade Wilcoxson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) surprised many with their first and second places respectively at ‘cross nationals? Wilcoxson hadn’t raced ‘cross for five years before last year’s season.
Who expected Chloe Woodruff (Crankbrothers Race Club), a mountain biker first and foremost and a previous national champion in that discipline, to outdistance every female elite rider except for Compton at both the Colorado Cross Classic and the Boulder Cup after starting in one of the back rows? Woodruff, who rode a considerable number of ‘cross races in 2011, said on Sunday she plans to enter 2014 nationals.
It will be worth the time to check the start lists prior to the elite races at nationals and speculate about which riders with little or no UCI points or those who have been off the radar racing regionally or in Europe could come away with a top five result.
On Saturday Gage Hecht (Specialized Racing Team) won the junior men’s 15-16 category at the Colorado Cross Classic on the Boulder Reservoir. He took his prize on the podium and then he waited.
Gage Hecht wins junior men 15-16 at the Colorado Cross Classic
A few hours later he took a look into his future as he watched the elite men’s race, taking notes on what he saw. Then at 9 p.m. he took a break from homework in constitutional literacy and shared some of his observations.
“In the beginning it looked like a normal start. They stayed together because of how dry and smooth the course was.” The 3.5 kilometer course didn’t require a lot of dismounting. It had a set of barriers, a log almost all of the elite men bounced over, and a sandpit that forced some riders to run.
Elite men’s field in lap 1 at Colorado Cross Classic
“It was amazing how Jeremy Powers made it up to second. I don’t think any of us expected that,” Gage said.
Jeremy Powers (Rapha Focus) tries to get his chain back on
Powers slid out in one of the next turns after the holeshot and dropped his chain. By the time it caught back onto the chainring the entire field had waved goodbye. But he steadily moved up and finished second.
How do I not get run over?
“They stayed together. It was pretty tactical compared to most cross races,” Gage said. “The top 7 were together most of the race, worrying about who was up front and attacking more so than regularly.”
As the guy at the front of the lead group switched from Danny Summerhill (K Edge/Felt) to Ryan Trebon ( Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com), or Ben Berden (Raleigh-Clement) or Todd Wells (Specialized Factory Racing) and back to Summerhill again, they had to keep an eye on each other.
Danny Summerhill at the front in the pump track
“Berden’s move was smart, he knew he had to sprint. But it backfired, he crashed in sandpit.”
Ben Berden in the sandpit by the Boulder Reservoir
“It was pretty cool for Ryan to win. I saw him win at Boulder Cup last year. He had a great ride, really deserved it.” What Gage felt Trebon did right – “He was composed. He let everyone fight out their places, waiting until he knew he could get away and stay away.”
Ryan Trebon (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com) sharing the work at the front
“It was really cool how the top 17-18 [and U23] from last year are now top 5-6 in pros — guys like Zach McDonald (Rapha Focus) and Logan Owen (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized).”
Logan Owen (Cal Giant/Specialized) finished sixth
What did Gage find surprising? Aside from Berden not winning, “It was pretty surprising where local riders like Robin Eckmann placed. It’s not like he was far from the leaders, just that he’s been doing so well in local Colorado races.”
The UCI field rode more strongly than local riders in general, and it was odd to see them out of the running for the podium they typically stand on most weekends. They were not contacted to determine if they experienced mechanicals.
Chris Baddick (Gear Movement) won local races last weekend and finished out of the top twenty.
A big thanks to Gage Hecht for sharing his wisdom.
Women’s open lineup at Primalpalooza. Eighteen in the field. Many wore a blue armband remembering Amy Dombroski.
Boulder Cycle Sport’s Kristin Weber won Sunday’s hotly contested Primalpalooza women’s open race which began with a silent lap around the course in honor of recently deceased rider Amy Dombroski.
Larry Grossman
Race announcer Larry Grossman had heard about a similar pre-race memorial lap at Providence Cyclocross Festival the day before.
He proposed the idea to race referee Tim Madden who presented it to the women.
Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement) took the holeshot with an aggressive group including Ksenia Lepikhina (BMC XC Racing Team), Kristin Weber (Boulder Cycle Sport), and Margell Abel (Tough Girl)
Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement) hit it hard from the whistle. Weber led over the barriers at the start of lap two.
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Kristal Boni (Rapid Racing) in the twisty section before heading into the muddy chute on the back side of the course in lap two
Kristal Boni (Rapid Racing) rode near the back of the field 25 seconds behind Gross and Weber in lap two. She described the first two laps as “just awful. I think I felt kind of dead after yesterday.” She took second place in Frisco Cross the day before where temperatures hovered in the low 20’s Fahrenheit.
“But I felt better as the race went on,” she added. “I had one good race now my next step is to put two good races back-to-back in a weekend. It’s still a good day out there.” The Rapid Racer came in tenth.
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Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement) led on the moderate uphill out of the finishing straight in the beginning of lap three
As lap three began Gross charged at the front of the leaders again; she wanted this race.
Jess D’Amato (Evol Foods) carried a handup prize
The fast group included Rebecca Blatt (Van Dessel Sports), Weber, junior Ksenia Lepikhina (BMC XC Racing Team), and Caitlyn Vestal (Feedback Sports).
“I had high hopes for today,” Gross said after finishing fourth. “I’ve been doing a lot of fourth places this year. It’s time to get on the program.”
Evol Foods’ Jess D’Amato chased alone about ten seconds behind them.
Race for the women’s open top ten in lap three at Primalpalooza
Kate Powlison (Evol Foods), Margell Abel (Tough Girls), Melissa Barker (GS Boulder/Studio 1 Dental/Organic India) and Laurel Rathbun (ExergyTWENTY16) raced for the top ten, each separated by a bike length or two, twenty seconds after D’Amato.
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In lap three Kristin Weber (Boulder Cycle Sport) passed Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement) on the long hill before the descent down to the bottom of the course
What Weber called a “battle royale” took a turn in lap three. Gross said she double-flatted when she cut a corner aggressively going up the hill on the back side. Weber passed her there. “I went up flat and then I had to chill out on the downhill so I didn’t wreck a wheel, and then I couldn’t find the door to the pit,” Gross said post-race.
Another shake-up occurred in lap four. Lepikhina crashed out of the race, injuring her ankle. According to Gross, she hit a fence post near the pit.
Coming down from the pit onto the lower section of the course Weber held a slight gap to Blatt. Vestal had moved up to third with about a ten second gap to fourth on course D’Amato. Gross followed in fifth with the Powlison group next.
“Weber, Blatt, Vestal – these three women are absolutely burying it with a little extra motivation today,” Grossman shouted as he called the race. Referring to the blue armband in memory of Dombroski, he continued, “You see that patch on the shoulder of some of these riders? If you don’t think that’s a little extra motivation out here today you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
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Boulder Cycle Sport’s Kristin Weber wins Primalpalooza
After Weber won the ladies commented on the last 37 minutes-plus of racing. “That,” second place finisher Blatt said, “was a cross race.”
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Primalpalooza women’s open podium (l-r) Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement) 5th, Caitlyn Vestal (Feedback Sports) 3rd, Kristin Weber (Boulder Cycle Sport) 1st, Rebecca Blatt (Van Dessel Sports) 2nd, Jess D’Amato (Evol Foods) 4th, Kate Powlison (Evol Foods) 6th
“It could have been anyone’s game,” Weber later said. For full results see the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado’s website.
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Rebecca Blatt (Van Dessel Sports) third on course in lap two, followed by Ksenia Lepikhina (BMC XC Racing Team), Caitlyn Vestal (Feedback Sports), and Jess D’Amato (Evol Foods)
While waiting for the Primalpalooza podium ceremonies Blatt said the ladies maintained silence in the pre-race turn around the course to honor Dombroski. Tears ended her sentence when she said, “In fact a lot of the girls were crying and couldn’t really ride very well because…She’s very special to all of us.”
Blatt was sideswiped by a car while commuting to work in the morning last week, a day before Dombroski died in a training accident on the road.
“I think he just couldn’t see me with the sun being out,” she said. “But he stopped, gave me his information. I was OK, just a little scraped up and my bike for the most part was OK. So I was really really lucky.
“And after hearing about Amy this past week it just hits home so much harder because I was just there. And I was so lucky.”
Rebecca Blatt (Van Dessel Sports) post-race at Primalpalooza. She rode a carbon frame Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie.
This is Blatt’s second year racing for Van Dessel Sports, a New Jersey-based bike manufacturer run by Belgian Edwin Bull. Van Dessel’s line includes ‘cross, mountain and road bikes and the recently released Aloominator cyclocross frame. Laura Van Gilder also races ‘cross for the Van Dessel women’s team.
Chris Baddick wins ahead of Ken Benesh at the 2013 Primalpalooza
[updated 10/10/2013]
Did Chris Baddick (Gear Movement Pro Cycling Team) outmuscle or outwit the men’s open field to win as Colorado’s top cowboys on bikes galloped around the rodeo grounds at Primalpalooza?
Both aspects of the 25 year-old’s performance counted. He’s on top form as he readies for collegiate mountain bike nationals. When he’s not racing bikes he studies for a Ph.D. in neurophysiology.
His tactics in the thick of the hot moments on course reflect more experience than a rider typically accumulates in his first season focusing on ‘cross.
On Sunday at Primalpalooza at one point in the race “…then it was just a matter of trying to use my brain and work out where to get into the front,” he later said.
He chose the descent that led down to the front side of the course for his move. “I knew if anyone was going to go past me on the bottom section of the course,” he explained, “they’d have to burn a lot of energy to go around me.”
That worked. He outfoxed four strong riders that found the fastest away around the Jefferson County Fairgrounds course while avoiding significant mechanicals.
His tactical prowess, he said, is likely due to the sport he practiced from childhood until the age of 19 – running, especially the 800 meter event.
An 800 meter track race is “a lot about thinking, being in the right position. Because when you’re running on the track it’s all about being on the right person’s shoulder and accelerating at the right time,” he said. Planning where to be in a cyclocross race, he thought, “kind of comes naturally from that.”
Baddick and Robin Eckmann (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) traded the lead over eight laps. Eckmann raced hard from holeshot to finish, chased by Evol Foods riders Ken Benesh and Spencer Powlison, Boo Bicycle’s Skyler Trujillo, and Chris Case.
Race action
In the narrow chute next to rodeo arena fencing
Eckmann led the 38-man herd into the first turn after a modest climb from the start grid. Boulder Cycle Sport’s Chris Case and Brandon Dwight shadowed him as they left pavement for the gravel-strewn dirt that characterized the circuit.
From there the riders hurtled double barriers and then funneled into turns that sorted them into single file before they entered a muddy narrow chute bordered by concrete and permanent corral fencing.
Robin Eckmann pushes the bike in a set of sharp turns
After a grid of tight turns that demanded running the riders paced through the rodeo arena stadium. Eckmann shot out of the ensuing track with a gap and continued uphill behind the stadium to the top of the course.
Case pursued followed by Powlison, Pete Webber and Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport), Baddick, Michael Burleigh (Primal Wear-McDonald-Audi), Gear Movement’s Sam Morrison, and Benesh with Trujillo several riders back. Baddick said he began Primalpalooza feeling tired, in particular after racing hard in Frisco the day before where he led from start to finish. “I was just trying to keep my powder dry, really,” he said about Sunday, “not waste too much energy.”
The riders next descended to the bottom front side section where off-camber S-turns on the grassy hillside flowed into stairs that led up to the finishing straight and a paved return to the back side.
All that in seven minutes.
Sam Morrison’s crankset post-race
By lap two Baddick had moved up to second, glued to Eckmann’s Zipp wheel. The lead group which now included Trujillo had dropped Burleigh and Morrison. The latter pushed on a few seconds behind and rode well until his crankset split into pieces.
The first half of the race continued with Baddick and Eckmann switching off at the helm and maintaining a slight gap over the other leaders.
That front posse lost Case with just over two laps to go when he pitted due to a broken front wheel and puncture. By that time the lead group had shed his teammates Webber and Dwight.
Robin Eckmann and Chris Baddick on the stairs with one to go
In the next to last lap Baddick grabbed the lead from Eckmann who fought to hold onto second, just one step below Baddick on the stairs. Then on the bell lap the British rider flew into a turn with a small gap as the group came off the back side.
Spectators enjoyed a thrilling contest for the top five places when Baddick popped out onto the finishing straight with Benesh on his tail followed by Eckmann, Trujillo, and then Powlison. While Benesh almost appeared to sit-up, Eckmann and Trujillo bent low to sprint to the line.
Baddick won with a second’s cushion over Benesh, handing the tall Evol rider his third second place in one week. A former teammate of Benesh later suggested Benesh was worn out from chasing down a late attack on the front side.
Eckmann studied his rear wheel after winning the sprint for third and said it had started deflating with three laps to go. “I thought of attacking earlier and then switching bikes,” he said, “but on this course it’s too fast.” Despite his strong showing, he rated the race below average in terms of how good he felt, saying he still couldn’t shake off a cold.
Trujillo got fourth. Powlison, who said his season “is starting slow,” claimed fifth ten seconds off the winning time in one of his best outings so far this fall. Case and Webber rolled across the line just over one minute later.
Next challenge
As the Colorado cowboys prepare to wrangle with the best on the national ‘cross circuit this coming weekend at the Colorado Cross Classic and Boulder Cup, two questions beg attention.
First, can Benesh settle the score with the new sheriff in town Baddick and best him, particularly on the flatter, sandy set-up along the Boulder reservoir at the Classic? Last year as a member of the Feedback Sports team he performed well at the reservoir venue.
Second, will Baddick patrol the front of a UCI cyclocross race?
“I’m confident,” he said after Primalpalooza. “I don’t have any expectations for results on the national scene….I’m confident with my bike handling skills. I feel comfortable on my bike and I think my fitness is there, so it’s just going to be an experience.”
{See the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado website for full results.]
Ken Benesh remounts in the turn grid at Primalpalooza
Gallery
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- Chris Baddick remounts
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- On the bump leading to the stairs with one lap to go
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- Chris Case bike change
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- Chris Baddick wins 2013 Primalpalooza
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- Chris Baddick leading through the chute
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- Drew Christopher finished the men’s open race on a mountain bike
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- Drew Christopher started the men’s open race on a townie
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- Sklyer Trujillo in civies after Primalpalooza
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- Ciro Zarate finished 26th
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- Riding through the rodeo arena stadium
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- Spencer Powlison
The Gear Movement’s Chris Baddick led the race from holeshot to finish
[updated 10/9/2013]
While the bone-chilling cold became the formidable adversary in the Frisco Cross women’s open race yesterday, the men’s prime adversary appeared in the shape of Chris Baddick (Gear Movement Pro Cycling Team). The British rider won by 23 seconds over Ken Benesh (Evol Foods) after racing at the front of the field for sixty minutes at an elevation above 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
The Evol Foods Elite Racing Team made a strong showing with three riders finishing in the top ten.
In a note sent after the race, Benesh wrote about Baddick, “Chris B. is really strong and seems to excel at altitude (which I have seen before while racing him in the mtb circuit).”
But Baddick said he does feel the altitude; he’s just found a way to manage it. “…I have to rely on sustained power rather than short sprints,” he wrote after returning from doping control procedures on Saturday evening. “The course really suited a mountain biker, with the big climb and a steep descent…I felt super smooth on my cross bike; the first time I’ve felt good on that bike this season.” Baddick rode on a Cannondale CAAD10. Benesh and teammate Josh Whitney were also chosen for drug testing after the Frisco event.
Baddick attributed his current fitness to the time and effort he’s dedicating to training for the mountain biking collegiate nationals which take place the end of this month. Preparing for that event has siphoned time away from riding his ‘cross bike; Frisco was his third ‘cross race this season. He wanted to do well there, he wrote, to build confidence going into next weekend’s Boulder Cup where he’d like to capture a good result.
Skyler Trujillo hops over Frisco obstacle
At age 21 Skyler Trujillo, riding for Nick Frey’s Boo Bicycles, is a former world cyclocross championships participant. He earned third place on the day. Trujillo also earned the spectators’ admiration by hopping over the barriers. He later said he performs well at altitude as he’s raced at high elevations since the age of twelve. Even so, he didn’t have huge expectations coming into Saturday’s contest; his cyclocross season is just getting underway.
Race action
Baddick led the pack as it left the long paved climb and turned onto dirt, followed by Evol’s Spencer Powlison. By lap three Baddick established a gap that he held and extended.
Benesh and subsequently junior Gage Hecht (Team Specialized) led the chase group behind Baddick. Trujillo pedaled a few bike lengths later. Boulder Cycle Sport’s Brandon Dwight and Chris Case and Evol’s Whitney followed.
When asked why he opened a gap so early in the race, the Brit wrote, “I wanted to take the holeshot to avoid being held up on the first technical descent. From there I had a small gap, and when I looked back I saw no-one wanted to pull the group up to my wheel. I didn’t have much choice but to go for it from the beginning. It paid off, as I could focus on my own race, rather than stressing about other riders around me.”
With about four laps of the eight total remaining Benesh moved into a clear second position on course.
“…after I had been pulling for a while I let some of the other guys take a pull on the long climb,” he explained in a note. Then Case put in a stiff attack and according to Benesh only he could answer it. “At the top of the climb I could tell he [Case] was into the red pretty far and decided to attack and was able to get a gap and sustain it until the end” of a course Benesh described as “super fun.”
Case, who won the Cyclo-X race last Sunday, finished fourth. To maximize his chances for a high place he had to find a way to mitigate the Evol team’s strength.
“I didn’t want Josh Whitney to get in front of me and slow down to let Ken [Benesh] get away even farther,” he said, “so I would kind of sit back on this climb but at the top I’d make sure to get in front of them.” And like Baddick, Case said he’d rather pick his own line through the ruts that had formed on course as the ground warmed up under the sunny skies that had replaced the early morning clouds and snow flurries of the women’s open race.
Gage Hecht followed by Ken Benesh took up the chase after Chris Baddick
In the final laps the top ten sorted itself out as Trujillo moved up into third position. Hecht and Dwight drifted back in position; the former made a bike change and the latter slipped on the run-up. Whitney, Steven Stefko (Fort Collins Cycling Team), Powlison who had worked earlier for Benesh, and Jon Tarkington (Natural Grocers) also finished in the top ten, a result Trujillo had set as a preliminary goal before the race.
“I figured if I was able to pull off a top five I’d have a really, really great day,” Trujillo said. So he was surprised and pleased by his third place, adding, “And there were a few points where I was battling for second and that was really unexpected for me.”
Case on the other hand didn’t feel great yesterday. “I didn’t feel terrible, but I just didn’t find a good rhythm…” he said. It was hard to pin down the reason. Maybe the long drive through the snow the night before left him tired. Or maybe the altitude was having its way with him.
Speaking about racing at Frisco’s altitude, Frey said, “…the limiter is just being able to breathe. You’ll hear the leading guy [breathing heavily] the whole time…it’s a different environment up here.”
However yesterday the chasers seemed to breathe harder at Frisco Cross than the lead guy. Baddick has lived in Boulder, Colorado at about 5,450 feet (1,661 meters) elevation for approximately three years following a study abroad period there in 2008. In 2010 he started to race bikes “seriously” and he’s currently studying for a Ph.D.
Find full Frisco Cross results on the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado’s website.
Frisco Cross men’s open top ten
- Chris Baddick, The Gear Movement Pro Cycling Team
- Ken Benesh, Evol Foods Elite Racing Team
- Skyler Trujillo, Boo Bicycles
- Chris Case, Boulder Cycle Sport
- Josh Whitney, Evol Foods Elite Racing Team
- Steven Stefko, Fort Collins Cycling Team
- Spencer Powlison, Evol Foods Elite Racing Team
- Brandon Dwight, Boulder Cycle Sport
- Gage Hecht, Team Specialized
- Jon Tarkington, Natural Grocers Cycling Team
Chris Baddick finished first in Frisco 23 seconds ahead of Evol’s Ken Benesh
More photos coming
Frisco Cross women’s open podium (l-r) Kristin Weber 3rd, Karen Hogan 1st, Kristal Boni 2nd, Rebecca Gross 4th, (Jess D’Amato 5th, absent)
[updated 10/11/2013 with photo gallery]
Hand-rubbing began in the minutes before the start. The temperature lurked in the low twenties Fahrenheit this morning at Frisco Cross, leaving several of the women’s open contenders with frozen fingers and thoughts of racing into the warmth of the day lodge after about twenty minutes of cutting into the wind.
But they all persisted and in spite of the cold, the racing ran hot with a group of four vying for first place until the end. The fresh loss of pro cyclist Amy Dombroski motivated the group as well. They wore decals to honor Dombroski which read, “We ride fast because of you.”
Race action
“It’s time to remember Amy,” one of the women said, as they lined up on the glistening asphalt to begin their early morning effort. Thirty seconds later they sped off up a long gradual paved climb before veering onto frozen ground. Icy in places, course conditions changed throughout 45 minutes of racing as wind gusts filled center lines with snow.
Kristin Weber (Boulder Cycle Sport) and then Kristal Boni (Rapid Racing) took the early lead on a challenging loop that unwound predominantly over hard pack that had been covered in a few inches of snow overnight. A front group opened a gap early to the rest of the field; Weber, Boni, Karen Hogan (Team Kappius), and Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement) maintained their dominant position through the final lap.
Jess D’Amato rode to 5th place in Frisco
Jess D’Amato (Evol Foods) rounded the group up to five for the first lap. After a good start, she got “a little too over-excited,” she later said, lost ground after some slips and slides, and completed her ride solo. “I tried hard to get back on but then I couldn’t,” the Evol rider said.
Just behind D’Amato another group of four worked together for the first half of the 5 lap race. They split apart as Rebecca Blatt (Van Dessel Factory Team) pulled away; Blatt would claim sixth place. This group also included junior Ksenia Lepikhina, Tracy Yates (Tough Girl), and Kristen Peterson (Evol Foods).
“We had a small pack of four of us which was nice because a lot of times in the middle it just stretches out and you’re kind of in no-man’s land,” Peterson said after finishing seventh. “So this time it was fun because we actually got to have a race with ourselves and battle for position; it was a lot more fun than usual in the middle of the pack.”
Hogan’s winning move came with two laps to go. “The second to last lap we were all together going up the hill,” she said, “and right at the top I decided to see if I could make a push and get into the single track first and I did and then I was able to put a little gap on them…” She won with a ten second lead.
The downhills proved challenging for Hogan, but she found a way around that bit of trouble as she pulled away. “…the ladies were going downhill a lot faster than I was on all the other laps; so I thought, ‘they know something I don’t know,’ if I could just trust my equipment a little. And I did and I was able to get a little bit more of a gap and then just rode free and I think that helps when you’re riding by yourself.”
None of the three leaders could match Hogan’s speed when she attacked.
Weber quoted a male pro sprinter (possibly Mark Cavendish) when asked about Hogan’s move. “’When the ice breaks you have two seconds to respond; you either can go with a group or you can’t,’” Weber said, “and none of us could. She [Hogan] just laid it down really strong.” Weber came in third, and Boni second.
Gross finished fourth, having conceded her third place on course to Weber in the next to last lap when, according to Weber, she tripped on the run-up. All of the ladies ran that steep hill which was located half-way through the course. Riders also ran over two barrier sections.
D’Amato rolled in fifth, the decal honoring Dombroski on her lower back and still firmly in place.
Remembering Amy Dombroski, who would have ridden fast
Gallery
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- Frisco Cross women’s open race started at 9 a.m.
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- Brushing off the frozen bits at Frisco Cross
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- Amy D rememberance decal held by Rebecca Gross
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- Properly dressed for Frisco Cross’ 20 degree temperature
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- Evol Foods’ Jess D’Amato in the winterized trees
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- Kathryn Judson won the SW 35+ race in Frisco
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- Junior Ksenia Lepikhina races in the women’s open category
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- Rebecca Gross ventilates her winter shoes with a straw
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- Thawing out in the day lodge (l-r) Kristin Weber, Jess D’Amato, Kristal Boni
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- Tracy Yates is new on Tough Girl this year
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- Boulder Cycle Sport’s Kristin Weber on the final lap
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- Raleigh-Clement’s Rebecca Gross finished fourth in Frisco
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- The sky began to clear in Frisco, CO at 9:30 a.m.
Chris Case never seemed under pressure at Cyclo-X Flatirons
[updated 10/1/2013]
Circumstances have a way of overturning expectations in a bike race and true to form a collection of nixed “supposed-to’s” dished out disappointment and opportunity in Sunday’s Cyclo-X men’s open contest.
A rescheduled date forced by heavy rain earlier in the month placed the start on the heels of the series’ second race which ended Saturday evening. Consequently, some worked-over bodies showed up for Sunday’s start. Chris Case (Boulder Cycle Sport) arrived early to warm-up so he could assess the knee that bothered him on Saturday and decide whether to race. His victory hours later on the hillside at the edge of Flatirons Crossing Mall would come as “a huge surprise.” Robin Eckmann (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) started with a bandaged left hand, another Saturday evening casualty.
Robin Eckmann
The new date also rearranged Sunday’s start times. Expecting the usual later line-up for the men’s open race, Eckmann missed call-ups. He would work his way through a field of thirty on a sub-six minute lap course with lots of off-camber sections and short climbs and descents.
Ken Benesh (Evol Foods) watched a chance for his first win in the series evaporate when his chain dropped on the final ascent, providing an opening for Case to surge past him and take his first win in two years.
It was a frustrating loss for Benesh. Clearly one of the strongest on Sunday, he animated the race with Case and Taylor Carrington (Feedback Sports) who had made his way quickly to the front after lining up at the back of the start grid. Together they engaged in a three-way fight for first in the final laps while Eckmann rode a 60 minute ‘cross time trial behind.
Ken Benesh took first position on course early in lap 3. Chris Case and Gage Hecht follow.
Race action
Gage Hecht (Team Specialized Juniors) assumed the lead in the first lap followed by the Clif Bar Devo Team’s Ian McPherson. A sharp dip that funneled into a ditch on one side jolted McPherson off his bike and slowed the following riders as he crossed to higher ground to collect himself.
Case and Benesh made their way past McPherson and formed the first group of leaders with Hecht. They created a small gap to Boulder Cycle Sport’s Peter Webber and Brandon Dwight, Carrington, and Michael Burleigh (Primal Wear / McDonald / Audi). The next set of chasers included Spencer Downing (Clif Bar Devo Team) who later pulled out of the race.
Lower section of the Flatirons hillside grass and pavement course
By the beginning of lap three on the flat paved section under the finish line Benesh took first position among the three leaders. Carrington joined them as well as Burleigh, Webber, and Dwight. But that large group divided mid-way into the ten-lap contest as Benesh, Case, and Carrington proved strongest ahead of just two chasers, Webber and Dwight.
Natural Grocers’ Jon Tarkington picked his way to sixth place on the day by passing Mike Friedberg (Service Course), Andrew Clemence (Cycleton), Horizon Organic/Panache’s Josh Yeaton, and then Hecht and Burleigh who had dropped off the fastest pace.
Meanwhile Eckmann continued to make his way through the field. On the final lap the announcer would say he completed laps 25 seconds faster than the guys he passed, on a “cruel and usual course.” After the race Eckmann said, “I was just trying to have a good push at it and see where I can go with the amount of time I have left…” His left thumb wasn’t 100 percent and sometimes hampered braking in descents, he said, adding, “But who brakes loses.”
Taylor Carrington works ahead of Chris Case in lap 6
While Eckmann careened around corners, with one lap to go the lead threesome became two as Carrington struggled to maintain contact and a fresh-looking Case worked in first position on course with Benesh on his wheel.
“Taylor [Carrington] did a ton of work,” Case explained post-race. “I had Pete [Webber] and Brandon [Dwight] behind me so for a little while I stretched out the lead but then Taylor took over, sat on the front, and I was happy for him to sit on the front. If Pete and Brandon came back that would be good for us…”
When Case crossed the line to win he defeated his former teammate by less than a second. He and Benesh both rode for Feedback Sports last year and moved to new teams this season. Feedback’s new recruit Carrington came in third six seconds later.
Benesh couldn’t hide his disappointment; he slammed his fist hard onto his handlebars as Case won less than a second ahead of him.
He recounted what happened in the last lap after dropping his chain. “I was sitting there spinning for 20 seconds on the downhill and then finally caught [the chain]. I bridged back up on the run-up and then I just knew he’d [Case] be able to get into his pedals faster and he’d outsprint me. But I was bummed because I was leading into that first section. I thought I had it but you can only do so much.”
Eckmann finished three minutes off the winning time in tenth. While he didn’t expect to catch the leaders on a course like Sunday’s, he later said he raced a fraction below his limit, capturing enough points to stay in contention for the overall series lead and turning a foiled start into “a good workout on a closed course. Even though you can train you never go so hard for so long in training.”
Sure thing
One thing’s certain. With several stand-out riders and others improving as the season matures or returning from other race commitments, the Shimano Cyclo-X series should deliver more exciting racing.
With lap speeds about the same as Case and Benesh, Eckmann showed he’s still one of the strongest in the eight-series event which Case now leads overall by just one point over Benesh. Webber holds third and Eckmann fourth.
The Cal Giant rider leads the Colorado Cross Cup, a season-long competition of the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado that includes two dozen races. He said he’s focusing more on ‘cross this year and aims to collect UCI points at the Boulder Cup and Colorado Cross Classic to carry into nationals at Valmont.
Benesh’s efforts last year earned him the overall lead in the Boulder Cyclocross five-race series. This year’s Cyclo-X series is an important goal for him. He’s juggling that ambition with work and his first child who is not quite four months old. Case described the new Evol Foods rider as consistently “super strong;” Benesh will be a tough adversary when the series continues with race four later in October.
The men’s open field will likely see a super strong Case as well. Teammate Dwight said Sunday’s winner put in lots of miles over the summer, taking on 100 mile “epic rides” on gravely roads. “With so many miles in his legs he’ll be strong as he builds intensity,” Dwight noted, “and will only get stronger.”
Shimano Cyclo-X – Flatirons Powered by Boa top ten men’s open race
- Chris Case (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Ken Benesh (Evol Foods)
- Taylor Carrington (Feedback Sports)
- Pete Webber (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Brandon Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Jon Tarkington (Natural Grocers Cycling Team)
- Michael Burleigh (Primal Wear – McDonald – Audi)
- Gage Hecht (Specialized Racing Juniors)
- Josh Yeaton (Horizon Organic/Panache)
- Robin Eckmann (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)
Full results with lap times are available via the Without Limits Productions website.
One of two sets of uphill barriers at Cyclo-X Flatirons
Christopher Case (right) wins Cyclo-X Flatirons men’s open race ahead of Ken Benesh; Taylor Carrington lost contact with the pair and came in third.
[updated 10/2/2013]
Today Kristin Weber and Chris Case won the women’s and men’s open races respectively at the third Shimano Cyclo-X series race which took place at Flatirons Crossing in Broomfield, Colorado.
In the men’s open category Case, Evol Foods’ Ken Benesh, and Taylor Carrington (Feedback Sports) pulled away from the group of leaders in the second half of the race. A close battle for first ensued. Case won by a bike length over Benesh who had dropped his chain in a crucial moment on the last hill into the finish. Carrington lost contact with the pair and finished third.
Case’s win moved him into the eight-race series overall lead in a close contest between the Boulder Cycle Sport rider, teammate Pete Webber, and Benesh. Robin Eckmann (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) had led the series after two races but lost that top spot after a late start today. By riding close to his limit he clawed his way back to tenth place, completing laps on par with Case’s winning speed.
Weber came into today’s women’s open competition after opting out of last night’s second Cyclo-X race and winning the first race in the series. She established an early lead today and won by 16 seconds over second place Karen Hogan (Team Kappius). Masters world champion Kristal Boni (Rapid Racing) placed sixth to maintain a healthy overall series lead going into race number four on October 26th.
The grass and pavement cyclocross course, which ran along the side of a hill, included many off-camber sections and short climbs and descents. Two uphill barrier sections tested riders’ fitness as they ran or shouldered bikes for a good distance uphill before remounting.
Overall series standings are based on individual race results as of this report.
See a detailed report on the men’s open race, with photos.
Shimano Cyclo-X – Flatirons Powered by Boa top ten women’s open race
- Kristin Weber (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Karen Hogan (Team Kappius)
- Ksenia Lepikhina
- Rebecca Gross (Raleigh-Clement)
- Jessica D’Amato (Evol Foods)
- Kristal Boni (Rapid Racing)
- Lisa Hudson (Feedback Sports)
- Kate Powlison (Evol Foods)
- Kristen Peterson (Evol Foods)
- Beth Fisk (Natural Grocers Cycling Team)
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Shimano Cyclo-X – Flatirons Powered by Boa top ten men’s open race
- Chris Case (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Ken Benesh (Evol Foods)
- Taylor Carrington (Feedback Sports)
- Pete Webber (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Brandon Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport)
- Jon Tarkington (Natural Grocers Cycling Team)
- Michael Burleigh (Primal Wear – McDonald – Audi)
- Gage Hecht (Specialized Racing Juniors)
- Josh Yeaton (Horizon Organic/Panache)
- Robin Eckmann (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)
Gallery
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- One of two sets of uphill barriers at Cyclo-X Flatirons
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- Lower section of the Flatirons hillside grass and pavement course
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- Taylor Carrington works ahead of Chris Case in lap 6
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- Ken Benesh took first position on course early in lap 3. Chris Case and Gage Hecht follow.
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- Robin Eckmann
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- Chris Case never seemed under pressure at Cyclo-X Flatirons
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- Christopher Case (right) wins Cyclo-X Flatirons ahead of Ken Benesh; Taylor Carrington lost contact with the pair and came in third.
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- The manly Lucas Clarke
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- Boulder Cycle Sport new triumverate (l-r) Pete Webber, Chris Case, Brandon Dwight
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- Clif Bar Shot Blok handup from Maxx Chance to Ian McPherson
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- Gage Hecht finished 8th
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- Garrett Gerchar is a new addition to the Clif Bar Devo Team this year
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- Jon Tarkington’s efforts landed him 6th at Flatirons
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- Ian McPherson recovers from ditch dive in lap 1 at Flatirons
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- Brandon Dwight tucked in behind Pete Webber
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- Junior men 17-18 waiting for the whistle at Flatirons
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- Joe Christiansen on his way to win the junior men 17-18 at Flatirons
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- Mina Anderberg won at Flatirons in the junior women 15-16 category
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Damien Howson (center) at the front in the Cedar City, Utah finishing circuit, 2013 Tour of Utah stage 1
Damien Howson’s bio on the UniSA-Australia Team website indicates he practices at least one race day ritual: wearing “a brand new pair of socks before time trials.” He pulled on a new pair in early August in Cedar City, Utah, but for a different reason. Howson had joined Orica-GreenEDGE as a stagiaire at the Tour of Utah, a prelude to beginning his first professional year as a member of the team in 2014.
Assuming this ritual holds, he will put on another set of new socks on September 23 in Pistoia, Italy where he’ll represent Australia at the U23 time trial UCI Road World Championship race that ends in Florence.
Utah teamwork
The afternoon before Utah’s stage 4 in Salt Lake City, Howson described the days before the race with his new teammates – including Aussie legend Baden Cooke and others he hadn’t raced with before, as a “relaxed and enjoyable” environment. With that atmosphere he started stage 1 carrying only the weight of his personal expectations to perform well on his shoulders. The opportunity to do just that quickly surfaced; the day’s finish suited teammate and sprinter Michael Matthews.
“Stage 1 was a tough one spending a lot of time on the front there bringing back the break or two,” he said in Salt Lake. Howson had entered the first of three finishing circuits in Cedar City crouched low over his handlebars, pulling at the front of the field with teammate Sam Bewley to try to catch two riders ahead of the bunch.
Three days later Howson appeared extremely composed and focused on the task at hand – helping Matthews cross the finish line first on stage 4. “The start of the tour’s been tough the last three days,” he said, “but I have a job to do tonight in the crit around Salt Lake City and I’m looking forward to the challenge…I’m really enjoying my time with the team and obviously learning a lot as well on the way.”
Riding on a World Tour team differs from the U23 racing he’d been immersed in until Utah.
The primary difference? Teamwork. Howson noticed his teammates riding together and communicating about how they saw a race unfolding as the kilometres ticked away on the road. The stagiaire described objectives as more team-focused as well. In Utah that meant aligning the team’s resources behind Matthews for stage wins. By contrast, Howson said, U23 riders focus more on general classification results in a tour.
Damien Howson’s blue-laced Giro shoes in Brian Head, Utah
Howson found a personal way to express the meaning of team in Utah. He rode with silver Giro Empire road shoes. Blue laces crisscrossed the tops of the shoes, which likely means he swapped out the stock neon green ones. The shoe’s new color accent combination – the neon green brand decal and blue laces – coordinated with the blue and green stripes on his new Orica-GreenEDGE socks. Every piece of clothing reflected the new team he now represented.
Talent times two
Competing in Utah in his first professional kit was a big experience for Howson, but the realization of his dream began months prior with the completion of his first professional contract.
“Signing for the team earlier in the year was a big step in my career,” he said, “something I’ve been aiming for the last seven years ever since I started riding a bike…”
Howson’s first choice in sport before first racing a bike at age 14 was basketball. After playing in the national basketball championships, the South Australia talent ID program tested his physical capabilities. As Howson explained, “the State Institute of Sport recognized that I had potential to become something big I guess in cycling. So I gave it a go and persisted with two sports until I enjoyed cycling enough to let the basketball go and try to see how far I could get in the sport of cycling.”
He’s come a very long way since the C-grade contests in his hometown of Adelaide. Just recently 21 years-old, he won the Oceania U23 time trial championship three years in a row. This year he won the Oceania road race as well as the national U23 time trial championship. More victories followed: first at Trofeo Alcide Degasperi and then in the Thuringen-Rundfahrt U23 prologue.
Florence beckons
In an update on the Orica-GreenEDGE website, Sport Director Matt Wilson called Howson the strongest climber of the seven riders going to the Tour of Utah. Wilson’s comment points out Howson’s versatility as a rider, because he excels in the race against the clock. But he didn’t always, he said. As a younger rider he focused solely on climbing.
“Over the years I’ve slowly progressed in my time trialing to now saying that’s probably one of my stronger areas,” he said. Strong enough to net a bronze medal last year for the six foot one inch (186 cm) tall man in the U23 world championship time trial. “That’s another focus for me at the end of this year, to try and win that and wear a rainbow jersey for the first time.”
Working on climbing as a young boy may pay future dividends. He hopes to compete for the GC in a grand tour, in particular the Tour de France. “It would be a massive honor to win that one as well as world championships and Olympic titles,” he said. “They’re all huge.”
But other races rank high too. “I guess being a part of the team,” he added, “any race along the season is a big success if you can get across the line first.”
Now, late in this season, a line in Florence is calling him, together with a new pair of socks.
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This story is the third and last in the ProVéloPassion stagiaire series. See also the story about Fu Shiu Cheung.
Fu Shiu Cheung before the Tour of Utah’s stage 2
[updated September 13, 2013]
He’s come a long way since riding up and down the Hong Kong hills as a kid on his first bike, a Pinarello.
Fu Shiu Cheung, now 21 years-old and going by the English name Thomas, rode well enough to get noticed by and onto the Hong Kong national team. Only after pulling on the national team’s kit did he begin to dream about turning professional and riding on what he called a “big team.”
In August Cheung took another step up. He joined the pro-continental Champion System Pro Cycling Team as a stagiaire and competed in his first professional race at the 2013 Tour of Utah. Cheung came to Utah after winning the 2013 Tour of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong national track championship in the team pursuit earlier this year.
Combining his first pro race with competing outside of Asia for the first time, he finished Utah’s stage 1 about two minutes and 25 seconds behind the winning pace in the 179 kilometer road race; however, the last placed finisher came in over eight minutes later.
Speaking through an interpreter the next morning before the start of Utah’s stage 2, Cheung said he felt a bit nervous the day before, but thought that was to be expected. “It’s my first professional race, and such a big race,” he said. “I’m feeling better now after the first stage.”
It’s a good thing he sounded optimistic then, because that day would feel, in Sport Director Burke Swindlehurst’s words, like “baptism by fire.”
Swindlehurst later explained that Cheung came off the back of stage 2 early with a couple of riders from the Funvic Brasilinvest team. After fighting for an hour to rejoin the field the stagiaire finally caught on at the bottom of the next climb.
But by the time he made it up and over and into the feed zone, it was clear he wouldn’t make the time cut. That’s when the decision was made for Cheung to exit the race. “It was brutal,” Swindlehurst added, “rainy and windy. He was a lone soldier with the field clipping along ahead of him.”
Keeping at it
Cheung remained in Utah, traveling up to Salt Lake City. Swindlehurst stocked him with maps for three to four hour training rides.
“That’s fearlessness,” Swindlehurst said. “He has no English but still goes out and rides.”
Cheung’s next appointment was with the USA Pro Challenge later in August. He dropped out of the race on the second day. The previous day on stage 1 he completed the grueling Aspen circuit race in good company, with guys like Timmy Duggan (Saxo-Tinkoff) and David Millar (Garmin-Sharp), a compatriot of sorts. Millar knows the same Hong Kong hills that Cheung trains on, having ridden there as a teen.
Just coming off DNF’s at two August races, it must have taken a bit of courage for Cheung to line up in Edmonton for the Tour of Alberta. He hung in there through the prologue and subsequent two stages. Stage 3’s results show him not finishing.
One of the Champion System team’s most important goals is providing the opportunity for talented Asian cyclists to experience racing at the sport’s highest level. For Cheung, that was mission accomplished. “Until now opportunities for Asian racers to compete in major international competitions have been rare,” a statement on the team’s website says.
The 2013 Tour of Hong Kong, for example, is not a UCI Asia Tour race. Cheung came to the U.S. and started three UCI America Tour races in the space of four weeks. If he doesn’t make the 2014 Champion System roster, it won’t be for not trying.
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This story is the second in the ProVéloPassion stagiaire series. See also the story about Julien Taramarcaz.
ProVéloPassion 