Ogden CX Attracted Top Pros, Offered Preview of UCI Racing, Possible Nationals

by Cody Phillips

With the Wasatch mountains in the background and waist high golden waves of grass filling the foreground, Ogden Cyclocross Park makes for quite a scenic place for a cyclocross race. Within an hour of this scenic venue reside some of the best cyclocross racers in the country. Cyclocross professionals including Jonathan Page, Jamey Driscoll, and Justin Lindine all live less than an hour from the Ogden area.

Ogden CX offers stunning views and challenging racing that should be worthy of a UCI event or National Championship. photo: Cody Phillips

Now imagine combining the dedicated, scenic venue with top notch talent. This was the vision when TRP Cycling Components approached race promoter Joe Johnson just a few months ago to combine forces on the event.

The venue, city and scene has also captured the attention of USA Cycling, as Ogden was listed as one of the final candidates for the 2019 or 2020 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships.

Fast forward three months and the race day began with category racing in the morning. As the course got burned in, the racing action heated up with the Elite races approaching. Both Elite men’s and women’s races paid $4,000 to the top ten finishers thanks to generous contributions from TRP Cycling.

First up would be the ladies, the race split up early in the first lap when Mindy McCutcheon and Friday night’s winner Sofia Gomez-Villafañe rode clear from the rest of the field. It wasn’t long into the first lap before McCutcheon established a solid lead over Villafañe, which she would expand on each lap to win by an impressive margin.

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Villafañe chased hard but would have to settle for second. Early in the first lap the final three podium spots were also sorted Caroline Lurgio claimed in third, Caitlyn Vestal took fourth, and Anne Perry rounded out the podium.

In the men’s race things were less clear early on. The lead group of four containing Johnathan Page, Jamie Driscoll, Justin Lindine, and Keegan Swenson each threw several attacks early in the race.

The first separation was created by Swenson with a first lap flier on Hyperthreads hill. Page was quick to match that move. Driscoll would shortly bridge up but neither he nor Page would stick around with Swenson.

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Once Driscoll and Page took off, race spectators were treated to a classic Wild West shootout that would go all the way to the line. Page,  the course designer, would narrowly edge out new father Driscoll to take the big money win in front of wife, kids and hometown crowd.

Keegan Swenson would wrap up third followed by Friday night’s winner Bjorn Selander in fourth and Justin Lindine in fifth.

After a successful 2016 event, rumors are circulating that this event may become a UCI event for next year and possibly host Nationals in years to come. Follow Ogden CX p/b TRP Cycling on Facebook to stay informed on what will be on tap next year.

Full results below.

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2016 Ogden CX p/b TRP Day 2 Results - USA Cycling Elite Women

2016 Ogden CX p/b TRP Day 2 Results - USA Cycling Elite Men