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Aaron Bradford wins 2012 Singlepseed Cyclocross National Championships © Tim Westmore

Aaron Bradford wins 2012 Singlepseed Cyclocross National Championships © Tim Westmore

For full coverage, schedules and information on the 2012 Cyclocross National Championships at Badger Prairie County Park in Madison, Wisconsin, visit our 2012 Cyclocross National Championships homepage.

by Chris Bagg

Kapius takes the holeshot in the singlespeed race. © Tim Westmore

Kapius takes the holeshot in the singlespeed race. © Tim Westmore

VERONA, WISCONSIN—Aaron Bradford (Rock Lobster / Bay 101) improved upon his 2010 third place finish to take the 2012 singlespeed national championship today. With 2010 winner Adam Craig not attending this year, last year’s second place JT Fountain (Raleigh) entered as the favorite, and on a slick course, as the temperature dropped in Madison, Bradford and Fountain battled for 45 minutes before the Norcal racer escaped on the final lap with a jaw-dropping attack through the barriers. Brady Kappius (ClifBar) was an early force at the front before getting caught in course tape. Fountain’s fellow Idahoan Michael Gaertner (Coeur d’Alene Velo Racers) rounded out the podium.

Fountain leads Bradford and Gaertner up the hill with a lap to go. 2012 Singlespeed Cyclocross National Championships © Cyclocross Magazine

Fountain leads Bradford and Gaertner up the hill with a lap to go. 2012 Singlespeed Cyclocross National Championships © Cyclocross Magazine

“It was fast from the start,” Fountain said after the race, referring to Brady Kappius, who took the holeshot and pushed the pace on the first lap. “Brady was pushing a really big gear and I just wanted to stay with him.”

Brady Kapius rides with course tape caught in his crankset. © Cyclocross Magazine

Brady Kapius rides with course tape caught in his crankset. © Cyclocross Magazine

Kappius ran into mechanical difficult after the second lap, however, tangling some course tape in his cassette and falling from contention for the win. Taking up the reins was Aaron Bradford, who rode back to Fountain, beginning a back and forth battle that would last until the last lap. On lap three, Gaertner also joined the front group, setting the stage for a late-race showdown.

Beginning with the fourth lap, Fountain had established a small gap but crashed on his way up the long climb, allowing Bradford and Gaertner to join him. But Bradford himself went down moments later and had to push his bike up the hill. “We all went down at least once,” Bradford said afterwards. “That’s when I gave up,” Fountain said, referring to his crash. “We’d gone so hard early, and I was on my mental and physical limit.”

Still, Fountain established a gap beginning the final lap. Once again Bradford joined him on the climb and began to creep away from the Raleigh rider. Coming down from the course’s summit with just a few seconds lead, Bradford made a final big gamble that paid off: “On the first lap I thought to myself ‘I can hop those barriers,’ but I kept it in the bag of tricks for the final lap.” Hop the barriers he did, and it stretched his lead by five more seconds.

Fountain said that was the moment he lost Bradford for good, and the Rock Lobster racer soloed away to his first singlespeed National Championship jersey. Full results below the video and photos.

VIDEO: J.T. Fountain reflects on his second straight silver medal:
[youtube GU3gWvWWif8 580 380]

VIDEO: Aaron Bradford and his Rocklobster teammates start the celebration:
[youtube SJqF1KcSkgU 580 380]

VIDEO: Brady Kappius, 5th place, talks about his bad luck:
[youtube p4OWlYtwxqE 580 380]

See all of Cyclocross Magazine‘s 2012 USA Cycling National Championships video interviews here! Keep up to date on all of the action at 2012 Cyclocross Nationals on Cyclocross Magazine’s 2012 Cyclocross National Championships homepage.

Photo Gallery by Tim Westmore

Photo Gallery by Andrew Yee

Full Results:

2012 USA Cycling Men's Singlespeed Results

PlaceNameCity, StateTime BibTeam
1Aaron BRADFORD   Santa Cruz, CA44:47 708 Bay11/HRS/Rocklobster
2JT FOUNTAIN   Moscow, ID45:01 714 
3Michael GAERTNER   Coeur D Alene, ID45:03 733 Coeur d 'Alene Velo Racers (CDAVR)/Vertical Earth
4Scott CHAPIN   Santa Cruz, CA46:10 734 Bay 11/HRS/Rock Lobster Cyclocross
5Braden KAPPIUS   Littleton, CO47:52 738 Team Clif Bar
6Daniel CASPER   Northfield, MN48:15 715 Revolution Cycle and Ski
7Alex WORK   Santa Cruz, CA48:38 727 Bay 11/HRS/Rock Lobster Cyclocross/Bay 11/HRS/Rock Lobster
8Kristopher AUER   Baltimore, MD49:19 718 Charm City Cycling LLC
9Michael CURTES   Mequon, WI49:25 711 Twin Six
10Jeff CURTES   Menomonee Falls, WI49:28 721 
11Curtis BOIVIN   Rye, NH50:08 712 Cyclocrossracing.com
12Michael JAMES   Dahlonega, GA50:57 716 
13Scott SMITH   Knoxville, TN51:11 754 TVB Race/ Tomato Head
14Cole SPRAGUE   Bend, OR51:22 753 
15Mark BABCOCK   Marietta, GA51:52 752 Nouveau Velo Cycling Team/Deeds Publishing
16Gerald CHABOT   Bolton, VT51:56 751 Cyclocrossracing.com
17Cale WENTHUR   San Diego , CA52:19 720 Team Pegasus
18Greg HECK   Berwyn, IL52:31 745 
19Daniel STUDLEY   Bothell, WA52:37 737 Mafia Racing/Pabst/Felt/Mafia Racing
20Andy SWARTZ   Madison, WI52:57 743 Brazen Dropouts/Brazen Dropouts Cycling Team
21Rudy SROKA   N Royalton, OH53:15 744 Lake Effect Cycling Team
22Timothy WILLCOX   Madison, WI53:24 710 Magnus
23David PRICE   Madison, WI53:30 725 Brazen Dropouts/Brazen Dropouts Cycling Team
24David SCHUNEMAN   Duluth, MN53:37 748 Velo Duluth
25Ross GIESE   Lake Geneva, WI54:58 706 Team Velocause
26Christopher JENSEN   Chicago, IL55:17 747 ROBOTS <3
27Anthony (Tony) BILOTTA   Aiken, SC55:26 704 Van Dessel Factory Team
28Sasha RESCHECHTKO   Chicago, IL55:38 723 Team TATI
29Rory MURPHY   Champaign, IL55:40 750 Team TATI
30Ara OGGOIAN   Geneva, IL58:09 701 Team Bicycle Heaven
31Kip SPAUDE   Watertown, WI@1 Laps 756 ISCorp Cycling Team
32Jeff HUSER   Albuquerque, NM@1 Laps 736 
33Jon WIENANDT   Fond Du Lac, WI@1 Laps 742 Team Fond Du Lac/Oshkosh Cyclery
34Brian MILNICK   Bennett, CO@1 Laps 749 Routine Leg Works
35Robert OGREN   Bloomington, MN@1 Laps 717 Kenwood Racing
36Joshua ARENDS   Chicago, IL@1 Laps 719 
37Chad CHEENEY   Durango, CO@1 Laps 726 Durango Devo
38Keith ORTIZ   Chicago, IL@1 Laps 705 Half Acre Cycling
39Stephen DAVIDSON   De Pere, WI@1 Laps 740 Titletown Flyers Cycling Team
40John GROSZ   Waupun, WI@1 Laps 728 
41John MCNEILL   Belleville, WI@1 Laps 709 Team Pegasus
42Timothy STREGE   Racine, WI@1 Laps 746 Racers Against Childhood Caner
43Jonah THOMPSON   Albuquerque, NM@1 Laps 732 High Desert Bicycles Team
DNSRobert HIGGINS   Chicago, IL 755 Johnny Sprockets
DNSZach LAIL   Winston Salem, NC 739 Mock Orange Bikes/SmartStop / Mock Orange Bikes p/b Ridley
DNSWalid ABU GHAZALEH   Chicago, IL 730 The Pony Shop
DNSCharles VON ISENBURG   Winston Salem, NC 722 Mock Orange Bikes
DNSMichael SEAMAN   Mt Pleasant, MI 713 
DNSJay THORNTON   Fashion Island, CA 707 
DNSJon MILLER   Newbury Park, CA 703 Platinum Performance Cycling Team
DNFJoe CURTES   Milwaukee, WI 741 Twin Six
DNFAndrew TREWYN   Waupun, WI 735 
DNFTravis BRAUN   Madison, WI 731 Magnus
DNFTed BURNS   Madison, WI 729 Bell Lap Racing/Team Bell Lap
DNFDaniel WHEELER   St. Paul, MN 724 Gopher Wheelmen/Gopher Wheelman
DNFSean RUDZINSKY   Agawamagawam, MA 702 Competitive Edge Cycling