USGPCX Finals, the Stanley Cup in Portland

Despite uncharacteristic Portland weather—clear and cold instead of pouring rain and ankle-deep mud—the final round of the U.S. Gran Prix of ‘Cross Racing saw some of the best battles of the season, as well as the awarding of overall series crowns. And it was a nice preview of this weekend’s Cross Nationals in Bend.

Portland’s ’cross-racing heritage runs deep. Maybe it’s the mud. Maybe it’s the beer. Either way, it is the USGP venue that racers get up for each year. “I was so bummed not to hit any of the ’Cross Crusade’ races,” lamented Portland-based Cannondale rider Sue Butler, who spent her time racing everywhere else but at home. “Finally being able to race here this year is so awesome.”

Day One:

The Portland weather, usually gray, wet, and miserable—perfect for suffering through a ’cross race—was unusually clear, and a bit chilly. A spattering of rain the previous day had made for a bit of peanut butter on the course, but nothing like the conditions racers battled in New Jersey a few weeks ago. Bike swaps and technical handling were less of a factor than pure power. The course was routed through the moto whoops of the Portland International Raceway, and that offered some technical challenges. But the rest of the course suited riders who could pour on the gas in the straights.

The Elite Women’s race saw a plot line similar to previous races of the season. Luna’s Katerina Nash flat-out dominated the race, although Rocky Mountain’s Alison Sydor made a stab at the lead on the first lap and took hole-shot. By midway through the race, Nash—barring a mechanical or some sort of total melt-down, had a lock on the win, however, which left Amy Dombroski, Alison Dunlap, Meredith Miller and Alison Sydor battling for the remaining podium spots. Dombroski seized second, and a wily Sydor overcame a last-minute charge by Miller for the last step of the podium.

During the men’s race, it was another Rocky Mountain-Maxxis rider, Geoff Kabush, who seized the hole shot. But Ryan Trebon was able to get in some good licks before the moto whoops and seized the lead. With his long legs pounding the dry course, it looked as if Trebon was going to run away with the win. But he couldn’t shake a surging Todd Wells, who attacked with five laps to go, giving clear indication that his form is coming on strong heading into the nationals this weekend in Bend. Initially, only Trebon responded, but eventually Jeremy Powers of Cannondale bridged up to the Kona/Specialized duo. A critical bobble by Trebon on a steep run-up had Wells and Powers clear of the Kona rider for the last lap. In a spectacular finish, Wells took the win, edging out Powers on the finishing straight.

Day Two:

An arctic front had sagged down into the Pacific Northwest, flaying the course with bone-chilling winds. The unusual cold and the wind chill had course temps dipping into the teens at times, making for markedly less spectators for the second day of racing. The course, however, firmed up nicely and made the track even faster than the previous day—technical skills were required only for negotiating the frozen ruts from the previous day’s battles. Otherwise, it was again all about pure power on the pedals.

The women’s race began as business as usual: Alison Sydor with the hole shot, Luna’s Katerina Nash seizing the lead by lap two, and Amy Dombroski and Meredith Miller stalking. Then a rolled tire by Nash saw Miller, the U.S. road cycling champ, off the front and well clear of the rest of the field, with Nash in seventh.

“I was asking myself ‘is this really happening?’ It was pretty cool, and I was hoping I could hold it,” Miller said after the race.

Alas, the Cinderella finish was not to be. Nash, unwavering, put in a huge effort. Within a half lap she’d made the decision that she had the legs, and began the delicate process of moving up without blowing up. With only a lap to go, she’d caught Miller, and on the backside of the track she launched an attack that Miller simply could not respond to. She was however, able to hang on for second, with Dombroski coming in third.

For the men’s race, day two was definitely a day to keep a sharp eye on the racers with road cycling seasoning in their legs. Mountain bike races tend to be a one-day affair; road cycling has a lot more back-to-back efforts. You could almost see the Cannondale Trio of Jeremy Powers, Tim Johnson, and Jamey Driscoll licking their chops during warm-ups.

Wells, however, is peaking at a critical time. And he’s got deep miles in his legs, too. He drove the pace from the start, but he was never far from Powers and Johnson. Trebon, usually the man to watch in a situation like this, had a poor start, and he was unable to work his way up to the lead trio that continued to pour it on. Johnson and Powers launched small attacks during the race, but no one was able to get clear. On the last lap, Powers took a page from Wells’ playbook the previous day, moved to the front, and then launched forward with a quarter-lap remaining, holding off Wells for the win and Johnson taking third.

Overall:

Nash had won nearly every race in the series and was a lock for the overall title even before this weekend. Second place in the series went to Amy Dombroski, with Alison Dunlap taking third. For the men, Trebon was able to hang onto the leaders jersey with a fifth place in the final race, while Tim Johnson took second, and Jamey Driscoll took third.

Read a full preview of this weekend’s Cross Nats race in Bend, Oregon, HERE.

SYNDICATION

• RSS
• TWITTER
• FACEBOOK
• YOUTUBE