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Katerina Nash took her fourth win in 10 days. © Amy Dykema

Katerina Nash (Luna) took her fourth win in 10 days. © Amy Dykema

Cool and slick cyclocross conditions greeted Sun Prairie, Wisconsin for the first day of the UCI C1 Planet Bike Cup, the opening weekend of the 2011 Exergy USGP Cyclocross series (see Troy Wells’ course preview video here). While some key racers on the women’s side were missing (Katie Compton, Amy Dombroski and Helen Wyman), the men’s field brought some top European talent into the mix, with Bart Wellens and Rob Peeters (Telenet / Fidea) continuing their American campaign. 

Nicole Duke (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) put her downhill racing skills to good use, flying off the line to take a commanding holeshot.  But it wasn’t long until Katerina Nash (Luna) showed that she really means business this cyclocross season, assuming the lead and not looking back (see Katerina Nash’s winning Orbea Terra TDR cyclocross bike profile). Her Sun Prairie win has her record at four-for-four in UCI races in a ten day stretch.  She escaped early and kept her gap, while teammate Georgia Gould kept Meridith Miller (Cal Giant) in arrears to make it a Luna one-two. Luna teammate Georgia Gould explained her second place finish over Miller, saying, “with two to go I just found a spot I was a little faster and took off.”

Miller added, “I’m not nearly as fast as these two in the corners. I just try to catch back on the straights.”

Post-race, Nash said she felt, “Pretty good last two weeks of racing,” and, “I just like to win whether it’s beating my husband in a bike ride or here.”

Powers opted to always stay on his bike, while Trebon ran the barriers and stairs. © Amy Dykema

Powers opted to always stay on his bike, while Trebon ran the barriers and stairs. © Amy Dykema

On the men’s side, tight, dramatic racing prevailed, with Ryan Trebon (LTS / Felt), Jeremy Powers (Rapha Focus) and Bart Wellens (Telenet Fidea) showing early on that they were the strongest of the day. Powers won Avid Shorty ultimate holeshot. Trebon and Powers escaped midway through the race, but Wellens caught the leading pair after the two bumped each other heading into the stairs and run-up.  The leading three took turns attacking off the front, and Powers looked the strongest and in command, but surprisingly was the first to drop off with one lap to go (see Powers’ Focus Mares Team bike).

Ryan Trebon takes his first UCI win of the season over Wellens. © Amy Dykema

Ryan Trebon takes his first UCI win of the season over Wellens. © Amy Dykema

Accelerating out of the corners, and powering through the straight, power grass sections, Trebon leveraged his strengths and opened the race-winning gap over Wellens before the run-up. Wellens sprinted up the stairs and hopped on his bike much sooner than Trebon, and looked like he might have the speed to close the gap, but it was too late. Trebon had daylight, and would take his first UCI win of the season and the USGP leader’s jersey. The Euros showed perfect class when Wellens clapped for Trebon as he crossed the line.

The US riders had a rough race: Jeremy Powers finished third after crashing attempting to bunny hop te stairs on the hillside strangler hill, and National champion Todd wells ripped off his rear derailleur on the first lap but fought back to finish 16th.
After the race, Trebon said, “we are all pretty evenly matched. I pushed the pace in the woods and once I saw I had 10 feet I punched it. Jeremy and I stepped up game and it’s encouraging to see us improve. (The Europeans) like to race and that makes us better when we go to Europe.”

Wellens, who finished in second, agreed, saying, “l already knew Americans go fast. Today I felt it again. The level is almost higher than in Europe. I have respect for the US guys for sure.”

The podium at USGP Sun Prairie: Trebon, Wellens and Powers Amy Dykema

The podium at USGP Sun Prairie: Trebon, Wellens and Powers © Amy Dykema

Full results below the photos.

Photo Gallery by Amy Dykema:

Photo Gallery by VeloVivid:

Photo Gallery by Aaron Johnson:


Full Results:

Elite Men & U23 Results, 2011 Planet Bike Cup Day 1

PosBibNameTeamU23NatTimeGap
18TREBON RyanUSA58:59:00-
21WELLENS BartTelenet Fidea Cycling TeamBEL59:01:00s.t.
33POWERS JeremyRapha/FocusUSA59:21:0022
45PEETERS RobTelenet Fidea Cycling TeamBEL59:38:0039
57DRISCOLL JamesCannondale pb CyclocrossWorld.cUSA59:39:0040
64JOHNSON TimothyCannondale pb CyclocrossWorld.cUSA59:58:0059
718BERDEN BenOps Ale-ClementBEL1:00:43s.t.
82HEULE ChristianCannondale pb CyclocrossWorld.cSUI1:00:45s.t.
911KABUSH GeoffTeam Maxxis / Rocky MountainCAN1:00:47s.t.
1014MATTER BrianGear Grinder / Clif BarUSA1:01:002:01
116PAGE JonathanPlanet Bike/Blue BicyclesUSA1:01:25s.t.
1216WELLS TroyTeam CLIF BARUSA1:01:32s.t.
1328BATTY MarkSpiderTech Powered By C10CAN1:01:332:34
1443WHITE BradleyUnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling TeUSA1:01:462:47
1526HOKE MitchellTeam Clif BarUSA1:01:593:00
169WELLS ToddUSA1:02:023:03
1767ECKMANN* YannickPearlizumi/Shimano*GER1:02:023:03
1830MORKA AdamTrek CanadaCAN1:02:213:22
1922BABCOCK SeanKonaUSA1:02:25s.t.
2017KNAPP RyanBob's Red Mill CyclocrossUSA1:02:263:27
2124KAISER* CodyCalifornia Giant Berry Farms/Sp*USA1:02:47s.t.
2234STEVENSON russellRaleighUSA1:02:59s.t.
2364LASLEY JacobTeam SoundponyUSA1:03:124:13
2421WELLS JakeStan's NoTubes Elite CyclocrossUSA1:03:27s.t.
2513SCHOUTEN tristanISCorpUSA1:03:394:40
2631KERSTING mitchellSchellersUSA1:03:42s.t.
2712WICKS BarryKonaUSA1:03:544:55
2833WOODRUFF TravisTrek-Boulder/MomentumEndurance.USA1:03:564:57
2947ALLEN TimUSA1:03:57s.t.
3049STELLJES CoreyWilly BikesUSA1:03:57s.t.
3119WEIGHALL NicholasCalifornia Giant Berry Farms/SpUSA1:04:115:12
3237CAMERON MollyMetafilter-Portland BicycleUSA1:04:17s.t.
3315MCDONALD* ZachRapha/FocusUSA1:04:26s.t.
3453MCCONNELL kevinmercy-specializedUSA1:04:28s.t.
3566COLE BradMercy Elite Cycling TeamUSA@1Lap
3642ROBINSON JustinCal Giant / SpecializedUSA@1Lap
3741REARDON AndrewBob's Red Mill CyclocrossUSA@1Lap
3820TISZA zoltanChampion System RacingHUN@1Lap
3923FAWLEY BryanORBEA USAUSA@1Lap
4052FISH* KevinKCCX/Fuji by Challenge TireUSA@1Lap
4151MCLAUGHLIN ScottSRAMUSA@2Lap
4232WONDERGEM EricHup UnitedUSA@2Lap
4327SHERER MikeThe Pony ShopUSA@2Lap
4470NEFF IsaacUSA@2Lap
4546PARMELEE MarkCycletherapyUSA@3Lap
4658GLASSFORD PeterTrek CanadaCAN@3Lap
4740HARTLEY chadKenda Pro Cycling P/B GEARGRINDUSA@3Lap
4850HEMME MichaelCHICAGO.CXUSA@3Lap
4939JOHNSON* JoshBikeReg.comUSA@3Lap
5068MILLS AdamUSA@3Lap
5162FOWLER DallasKuhl MidWestUSA@3Lap
5254BUTCHER WilliamTeam MagnusUSA@4Lap
5335STROTHMAN jayRokkit racingUSA@4Lap
5459JACOBSON KyleISCorp/Nova Cycle SportUSA@4Lap
5572GANTZER JeremiahDouble I Cycling Experience (DIUSA@4Lap
5648GEROW* DanielWolverines/ACFSTORES.COMUSA@5Lap
5744HAUGH SpencerBehind Bars/LGRUSA@5Lap
5863UNWIN LeeSpecialized/CycleOpsUSA@5Lap
5938MACKAY ChrisRealCyclist.comUSA@6Lap
DNF25VAN NUFFEL TimDCM-GB vorselaarBEL
DNF45TILFORD SteveTradeWind Energy/Eriksen CyclesUSA
DNF55REMO* ThomsonTeam Wheel & SprocketUSA
DNF61SCHMALZ* JosephKCCXUSA
DNF71SUNDT JohnnyUSA
DNF36JAMES* michaelAttitude SportsUSA
DNS10JONES ChristopherRapha/FocusUSA
DNS29KAPPIUS BradyTeam Clif BarUSA
DNS56STREET BillKuhl Midwest Regional MTB TeamUSA

Elite Women Results, 2011 Planet Bike Cup Day 1

PosBibNameTeamU23NatTimeGap
11NASH KaterinaLuna Pro TeamUSA40:34:0040:34:00
25GOULD GeorgiaUSA40:51:0017
34MILLER MeredithCalifornia Giant CyclingUSA41:02:0028
423FORSMAN ChloeRace Club 11USA41:09:00s.t.
52MANI CarolineFRA41:11:00s.t.
68DUKE NicoleCannondale pb CyclocrossWorld.cUSA41:11:0037
720BATTY emilySubaru-TrekCAN41:24:0050
83BUTLER SueRiver City/RidleyUSA41:30:00s.t.
912STETSON-LEE TealCalifornia Giant Berry Farms/SpUSA41:48:001:14
1013HARLTON PepperJuventus Cycling ClubCAN42:12:00s.t.
117ANTONNEAU KaitlinCannondale pb CyclocrossWorld.cUSA42:22:001:48
126BRUNO ROY MaureenBob's Red Mill pb Seven CyclesUSA42:28:001:54
139SHERWIN KatherineStan's NoTubes Elite CyclocrossUSA42:28:001:54
1421BINGHAM KelsyUSA42:54:002:20
1517KOROL MeghanBob's Red Mill CyclocrossUSA42:55:00s.t.
1616DALLAIRE AnnaJeanRacin' for Riley p/b Alderfer BUSA42:55:002:21
1718SONE Lindacycle-smart.com/flandersUSA43:08:00s.t.
1836GAERTNER JenniRaleigh AmericaUSA43:49:003:15
1911JAMES AshleyKCCX EliteUSA44:05:003:31
2010CURTIS KatyCAN44:11:003:37
2119SMILEY MarneBob's Red Mill CyclocrossUSA44:33:003:59
2226HUANG SarahIS CorpUSA44:42:004:08
2337GILBERT SunnyUSA44:53:004:19
2429FLECK JeanneVELO Duluth - Twin Ports CyclerUSA45:16:004:42
2522GIBSON ShannonStan's NoTubes Elite CyclocrossUSA45:27:004:53
2624MCCONNELL brittanymercy specializedUSA45:46:005:12
2732COOGAN CISEK CoreyTeam Plan C p/b StevensUSA45:52:005:18
2833SEVERN alyssacyclocrossracing.comUSA46:03:005:29
2930BEALL AllisonTeam RepUSA46:19:005:45
3035OSBORNE CorrieISCorpUSA47:17:006:43
DNF25BENJAMIN KellyKCCX/ Verge Elite Cyclocross TeUSA
DNF28HINTON PamDogfish RacingUSA
DNS14FLYNN KimberlyUSSC-Trek p/b VantaggioUSA
DNS15STUDLEY KariTeam RedlineUSA
DNS27THOMAS KimFusion ITUSA