Cyclo-cross Nationals return to Madison on January 9

Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 28, 2012) — The 2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships are set to roll out at Badger Prairie State Park in Madison, Wis., from Jan. 9-13. The nation's pre-eminent cyclo-cross racers will toe the line in races for riders ages 10-and-up.

Jeremy Powers will look to defend his national title in Madison in January. (Photo by Matt Moses)

The elite men's contest is packed with a very deep field of powerful riders aiming to steal Jeremy Powers' (Easthampton, Mass./Team Rapha-Focus) crown as national champion. Leading that charge is two-time USA Cycling Cyclo-cross national champion, Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./Cannondale-Clement). Trebon will be seeking revenge after finishing second by 17 seconds to Powers in last year’s race. Also hoping to dethrone Powers are Timothy Johnson (Middleton, Mass./Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H./Planet Bike), Jeremy Durrin (Amherst, Mass./JAM Fund-NCC-Vittoria-Tenet Racing) and local rider Matt Shriver (Madison, Wis./Trek Cyclocross Collective).

The elite women's field features all of the heavy hitters, including eight-time defending national champion, Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Trek Cyclocross Collective). Compton, who tops the UCI's Cyclo-cross World Cup standings, has produced a stellar season thus far. She won four UCI World Cup races and appears to be in position to win her ninth consecutive USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championship.

Lined up to challenge Compton is an all-star lineup of American talent, including the winner of the U23 race at the 2012 USA Cycling National Championships, Kaitlin Antonneau (Racine, Wis./Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com). Also poised to attempt to dethrone Compton is the bronze medalist in the women’s mountain bike race at the 2012 Olympic Games, Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./LUNA Pro Team). Other viable contenders are the riders vying for the top spot of the USA Cycling Professional Cyclo-Cross Calendar (Pro CX) women’s standings, Crystal Anthony (Beverly, Mass./Cannondale Cyclocrossworld), Arley Kemmerer (Saylorsburg, Pa./C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) and Laura van Gilder (Cresco, Pa./Mellow Mushroom). Anthony is in third place with 592 points, 106 points ahead of Kemmerer and 147 points ahead of van Gilder, who sit in fourth and fifth, respectively. Meredith Miller (Boulder, Colo./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized), who is battling back from an early-season injury has been producing strong results lately.

Katie Compton seems poised to win her ninth consecutive elite women's cyclo-cross national championship. (Photo by Matt Moses)

Similar to the elite women’s race, the field is taking aim at a heavy favorite in the juniors men 17-18 race. Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash./Redline), who has collected seven consecutive national titles at different juniors levels – including the juniors men 17-18 in 2012 – is enjoying an extremely successful European campaign. Owen is currently sitting in second place in the UCI’s Cyclo-cross World Cup Juniors Men’s standings, trailing Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED) by 75 points. Owen has placed in the top five of each of four world cup races thus far, including a pair of podium finishes. Among the contenders to steal Owen's title are Stephen Bassett (Knoxville, Tenn./Bob's Red Mill CX), Maxx Chance (Boulder, Colo./Clif Bar Development Cross Team), Nathaniel Morse (Cohasset, Mass./Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.), Taylor Squillaci (Albuquerque, N.M./Get Out! New Mexico) and Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.). White has also enjoyed success on the international level, and is tied for 16th in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Juniors Men’s rankings with one race remaining.

The four collegiate races, slated for Sunday morning, also have a lot at stake. The two Division I races promise to be hotly contested between defending champion Marian University and perennial rivals Fort Lewis College, University of Colorado-Boulder and Lindenwood University, which continues to grow seemingly at each national championship. Riders from Rutgers University and Lees-McRae College should also be watched carefully. After two of the four events comprising the collegiate year-long omnium, Marian holds an 11-point lead on the University of Colorado-Boulder in the 2012-13 collegiate omnium Division I standings. Fort Lewis College is in third place, only five points out of second.

The competition in the two Division II contests should be just as exciting to watch. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will attempt to match their victory at the USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships, while facing stiff competition from last year’s champion, Mars Hill College. Colorado Mesa University will assuredly make a strong showing, though, and could be a major player, as well. At the midpoint of the 2012-13 collegiate omnium Division II standings, Colorado Mesa University holds a narrow 12-point cushion on Mars Hill College. MIT is in third place, only 14 points out of second place.

Course Description
One lap of the course spans almost two miles and features a run up, sand pit and barriers. The start line sits at 978 feet above sea level and the course climbs as high as 1,067 feet above sea level as it winds through Badger Prairie State Park.

Race Schedule
The event begins Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 9:30 a.m., with a non-championship women's race. An hour later, men 10-29 will compete in a non-championship race. At 11:30 a.m., the men 30-39 ride in a non-championship race before the fourth and final non-championship race featuring men 40-and-up begins at 1 p.m. The first national championship race begins at 2 p.m. when the women's singlespeed national champion will be decided. The first day's final race, the men's singlespeed, is set to begin at 3 p.m.

The second day of racing features masters men 50-and-up and women 40-and-up beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Friday's slate features three masters categories (men 45-49 and women 30-34, 35-39) and juniors men 10-16 and women 10-18.

Logan Owen coasted to his seventh consecutive national title last year in Madison. (Photo by Matt Moses)

Sunday marks the final day of racing beginning at 9:30 a.m. The Division II men begin the day, followed by the DI men an hour later. The elite races, slated to be streamed live on Youtube.com, complete the event beginning at 1 p.m. The elite and U23 women will race together beginning at 1 p.m. before the elite men cap the event at 2:15 p.m.

In addition to the racing, there will be a Bicicle Shanty competition on the grounds. The shanties will be judged in three separate categories: Best Overall, Most Bicycle-Themed and Most Wisconsin.

Sunday's elite races will be streamed live on USA Cycling’s YouTube channel beginning at 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. CST.

For complete details on this event, including a complete schedule, results, course map and a photo gallery, please visit the event web site. If you can’t make it out for the event, follow all of the action throughout the week of racing on Twitter using the hashtag #CXNats.