November 2/12 23:07 pm - Cyclo-Stampede/Cincy3: Day 1 report and results

Posted by Editoress on 11/2/12
 

Trebon and Compton Stampede to Wins at Day 1 of Cincy3 CX Festival

Ryan Trebon (Cannondale/CyclocrossWorld) and Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross) soloed early to take their wins at the Cyclo-Stampede across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati in Covington Kentucky's Devou Park.  While it took Trebon 5 laps to break free, Compton turned the screws to pull away from Katerina Nash (LUNA) in 3 laps.  The race of the day ended up being between Ben Berden (Raleigh Clement) and Travis Livermon (Mock Orange), a photo finish behind Trebon's teammate Jamie Driscoll for third.  The Cincy3 Cyclocross Festival continues tomorrow under the CX After Dark Series lights and over the LED lit barriers with the C2 Lionhearts International at Kings CX in Mason OH p/b Toyota and Siemens. 

Elite Women
The start of the Elite Women's race left some scratching their heads.  Where was Caroline Mani (Raleigh-Clement)?  After her win, Katie Compton explained that even though Mani took practice on course, she wasn't feeling well after the travel from Europe to Denver to Cincinnati and retired to the team tents prior to the race.  Compton thought Mani would return for Saturday's and Sunday's events.

With Mani out, it was teammate Nicole Duke who took the fast downhill holeshot from pavement to grass, followed by Nicole Thiemann (Team CF), Katerina Nash (LUNA) and then Compton.  After a furiously fast first lap on the steep hills and zippy descents, Compton and Nash pulled clear with a gap back to the duo of Amanda Carey (Volkswagen Boise) and Thiemann.  Duke faded from the front to the third group with Andrea Smith (LadiesFirstRacing) and OVCX Series frontrunner Katie Arnold (Bob's Red Mill.)  On the 3rd lap, Compton broke away from Nash on the steeply hilled backside of the course near the pit.  The move split the front four completely.

All went through the fast but windy paved start/finish straightaway solo.  With Compton gone and Nash and Carey solidly in 2nd and third respectively, the podium was decided 20 minutes into the race.  Behind, the battle was on for the remainder of the UCI points.  With Thiemann solo in 4th, the trio of Arnold, Smith and Rebecca Gross (KCCX/Fuji p/b Challenge Tires) worked together to close the gap.  On the 5th lap, they made contact as Thiemann began to fade.  Gross came around with Smith in tow.  Arnold couldn't answer.  Smith would muster the energy at the bell to take 4th.  Thiemann held on for 6th behind Gross. 

Elite Men
With Jeremy Powers taking the weekend off to recover from his efforts in Europe, Trebon stomped out of the start grid with authority.  Behind, riders were 3-4 wide through the soft downhill holeshot.  In all the previous races, the riders stacked up on a short punchy climb as the course turned back toward the start/finish.  The Men's Elite race was no different with an early crash rearranging the middle of the field and sending Ray Smith (Bob's Red Mill) running to the pit. 

Trebon came out of the melee clean with Ben Berden (Raleigh Clement) on his wheel.  Behind it was a loose group of six containing Trebon's teammate Jamie Driscoll, Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus), Chris Sheppard (Rocky Mountain), Ryan Knapp (Pony Shop), Andrew Dillman (Bob's Red Mill) and led by Travis Livermon (Mock Orange Racing).  Livermon must have felt good, because he drove the chase behind Berden and Trebon for nearly 2 laps, cleanly hopping 4 big logs in a row strung out in front of a band shell at the bottom of the hill to the roar of the crowd.  Late on the 4th lap, Trebon drilled it hard on the long climb from the band shell up to the barriers, which sprung him off solo for good and left Berden alone in no-man's-land.  Driscoll was the first to smell Berden's blood and attacked to bridge up on a steep off-camber climb after the logs.  The move was short lived.  While it sent Knapp packing, a new chase quickly gelled with Driscoll, Livermon, Jones, and a new face, Bradley White (Moms in Tow Cyclocross) who wasn't on the radar screen the first 4 laps.  Sheppard pulled off the course on lap 5 saying he got to the venue late and wasn't feeling it.

With 6 to go, Driscoll and Jones weren't ready to let Berden take the 2nd step so easy.  Driscoll continued to turn the screws with Jones in tow; and the duo of Livermon and White close behind.  They caught Berden on the climb before the barriers, but Driscoll paid the price for the hard effort and was left dangling behind Jones and Berden through the hilly backside of the course.  He eventually caught his breath.  With 4 to go, a five-strong group of Livermon, Berden, Driscoll, White and Jones rolled through the start finish well behind Trebon.  Livermon was the first to attack on the same climb to the barriers.  The move split the group.  Behind Livermon, Berden was solo; Driscoll and White were together, while Jones went down on a slick off camber.  It wouldn't last. 

With three to go, Berden dug deep again, closing the gap to Livermon and bringing Driscoll with them.  He kept the pressure on, again attacking and going clear on the same climb.  To the amazement of the announcers, Livermon brought it back together,  and shedding White and Jones for good.  The last two steps of the podium would be sorted out on the bell lap.

Bam!  Just before the bell rang, under a dark cover of trees Driscoll charged out from behind Berden and Livermon through the windy start/finish.  The move, so completely unexpected, left Berden and Livermon without an answer. Berden tried in vain to put the pressure on through the logs, but Livermon answered on the last climb, bringing it down to the sprint.  At the line it was a photo finish for 3rd…Berden by a Belgian nose.


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