USGP Sun Prairie Day 1: Nash Continues Win Streak, Trebon Escapes Wellens – Updated: Full Results, Galleries

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.”

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).

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.

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.”

Full results below the photos.

Photo Gallery by Amy Dykema:

Photo Gallery by VeloVivid:

Photo Gallery by Aaron Johnson:

Full Results: