Butler overcomes back surgery to prevail at cyclo-cross nationals
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Print Verona, Wis. (January 10, 2013) – Recent surgery to remove a bulging disc in her back wasn’t enough to keep Susan Butler (Portland, Ore.) from winning one of thirteen Stars-and-Stripes jersey awarded on Thursday at the 2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships at Badger Prairie Park in Verona, Wis. Chilly temperatures and frozen course conditions were prevalent throughout the day as the racers navigated around the nearly two-mile loop.
Susan Butler stands atop the podium Thursday in the Stars-and Stripes
Butler bested the field of 16 in the masters women’s 40-44 race, crossing the line in 41:08, 1 minute and 3 seconds ahead of silver medalist Katrina Dowidchuk (Wilmington, Del./Colavita Racing Inc.) and 1:28 in front of bronze medalist Linda Sone (Northfield, Minn./Crossniacs).
“I had no idea going into this how I would do,” said Butler. “I had surgery five months ago and had to give up my season. So I readjusted my goals and said I’ll just try for a master’s title and go to the master’s worlds. And not having raced all season, you have no idea how you’re going to know how you’ll do, so it just felt really good to get back on the bike. I love racing so it was just, it was pretty emotional just because it was so fun, and I actually had a really good race.”
Charles Townsend (Mendota Heights, Minn./Bianchi-Grand Performance-St. Paul Bicycle Racing Club) was the day’s first winner, taking the masters men’s 60-64 title with a time of 32:15, 23 seconds faster than runner-up Fred Wittwer (Charlottesville, Va./ALAN North America Cycling). Placing third in the category was D. Douglas Long (Chillicothe, Mo./360 Racing) who crossed the line in 33:12.
In the closest race of the day, Leone Pizzini (Avondale, Pa./First State Velo Sport) chased down leader Lewis Rollins (Salt Lake City, Utah/Contender Bicycles-The Contender Club) on the final lap of the masters men’s 65-69 race and nipped him in the finishing sprint, with both riders receiving a final time of 33:35. Robert Ogrin (Bloomington, Minn./Kenwood Racing) placed third in 35:04.
Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) took the masters men’s 75-79 title, while Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) dethroned defending national champion Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./NoTubes Endurance Racing) by 1:37 in the masters men’s 80-84 category.
In the masters women’s first race of the day, Kathy Sarvary (Manchester, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) raced to her seventh national title in the 55-59 age group, crossing the line with a time of 34:36. Patricia Kaufmann (Whitefish Bay, Wis./My Wife Inc.) was 24 seconds off the pace in second place, while Melissa Behr (Madison, Wis./MadCity Velo Club) took the bronze medal after finishing in 37:32.
“It's awesome,” said Sarvary, a defending world champion in her age group. “You never take these for granted. Every one is like the first time. Whether it's a little field or a big field, the competitors are really tough. The course is one of the big competitors, too, because it's a variable you can't control. On the last lap, I ‘endoed’ on one of the descents and the lead went down to about half so you have to hold yourself together. It was a great race.”
Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis./Trek Midwest Team) won the gold medal in the masters women’s 60-64 division with a time of 35:49. The silver medal went to Jane Geisse (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Spin), 2:31 behind Ostenso, and Carol Ruckle (Redlands, Calif./Team Redlands) took the bronze with a clocking of 41:41.
Julie O’Neill (Milwaukee, Wis.) won the masters women’s 65-69 crown in 47:23, while the 70-74 age group gold medal went to Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./Northeast Bicycle Club) with a time of 45:43.
In the masters women’s 45-49 division, Shannon Gibson (Durango, Colo./Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) bested a 12-rider field and crossed the line first with a time of 32:39. Placing second was Antonia Leal (Waukesha, Wis./Planet Bike) in 33:02, and finishing nine seconds after her was Stacey Barbossa (Rutherford, N.J./Colavita Racing Inc.).
Karen Brems (Redwood City, Calif./Team Rambuski Law) led from start to finish in the masters women’s 50-54 race, completing the three laps in 32:13. Twenty-seven seconds behind Brems was Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/The Contender Club) and winning the bronze medal was Lori Cooke (Pembroke, Mass./Cycle Lodge) with a time of 33:46.
Local racer Robert Downs (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) used his experience of racing in icy conditions to chase down and pass early leader Henry Kramer (Menlo Park, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) to win the gold medal in the masters men’s 55-59 competition. Kramer took a spill in the final technical section to enable Downs to cross the line first in 40:01, 28 seconds ahead of Kramer. Scott Paisley (Charlottesville, Va./ Blue Wheel-Monticello Velo Club) was third, 51 seconds behind the winner.
"It was unbelievable, awesome, especially to do it here in my hometown of Madison,” Downs said. “What a dream come true today. Henry (Kramer) is from the Bay Area and he's not used to this ice, so he was a little tentative through the technical course on the backside and I knew if I could stay with him and get in front of him after that last uphill that I had a good shot. I executed the plan, I sprinted through that last grass section and he overcorrected and fell down and I knew it was mine.”
Stephen Tilford crosses the line in victory formation (Photo by Dejan Smaic)
The final race on Thursday, the masters men’s 50-54 division, saw a familiar face don the Stars-and-Stripes as Stephen Tilford (Topeka, Kansas/TradeWind Energy Cycling Team) successfully defended his title, despite injuring his shoulder in a crash on the second lap. Tilford clocked a time of 50:11 in the five-lap race. The silver medal went to Jeffrey Appeltans (Philadelphia, Pa./GoCycling-Mid Atl Masters Bicycle Org) who was 1:05 off the pace, while Ron Huebner (Waterford, Va./Evolution Cycling Club p/b Long & Foster) finished 1:40 behind Tilford in third place.
The racing continues until Sunday, Jan. 13. Friday’s action features a mix of masters and juniors competition, with masters men 45-49 and masters women categories spanning ages 30-39 taking to the course along with juniors men age groups 10-16 and all juniors women age groups from 10-18.
Live Streaming of Elite Races
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.
2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships
Badger Prairie Park
Verona, Wis.
FULL RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY
Masters Women's 40-44
1. Susan Butler (Portland, Ore.) 41:08
2. Katrina Dowidchuk (Wilimington, Del./Colavita Racing Inc.) +1:03
3. Linda Sone (Northfield, Minn./Crossniacs) +1:28
4. Kristin Weber (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) +1:47
5. Margell Abel (Boulder, Colo./Tough Girl Cycling) +2:26
Masters Women’s 45-49
1. Shannon Gibson (Durango, Colo./Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) 32:29
2. Antonia Leal (Waukesha, Wis./Planet Bike) +0:33
3. Stacey Barbossa (Rutherford, N.J./Colavita Racing Inc.) +0:42
4. Jeanne Fleck (Proctor, Minn./Velo Duluth) +0:51
5. Geraldine Schulze (Cincinnati, Ohio/Bio Wheels Racing) +1:54
Masters Men’s 50-54
1. Stephen Tilford (Topeka, Kansas/TradeWind Energy Cycling Team) 50:11
2. Jeffrey Appeltans (Philadelphia, Pa./GoCycling-Mid Atl Masters Bicycle Org) +1:05
3. Ron Huebner (Waterford, Va./Evolution Cycling Club p/b Long & Foster) +1:40
4. John Paul McCarthy (Chicago, Ill./SRAM Factory) +2:39
5. Samuel Morse (Cohasset, Mass./Corner Cycle Cycling Club) +3:04
Masters Women’s 50-54
1. Karen Brems (Redwood City, Calif./Team Rambuski Law) 32:13
2. Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/The Contender Club) +0:27
3. Lori Cooke (Pembroke, Mass./Cycle Lodge) +1:33
4. Deidre Garvey (Boulder, Colo./Brac) +2:36
5. Diane Tanner (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) +3:19
Masters Men's 55-59
1. Robert Downs (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) 40:01
2. Henry Kramer (Menlo Park, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) +0:28
3. Scott Paisley (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello Velo Club-Blue Wheel) +0:51
4. Norman Kreiss (Orinda, Calif./California Giant Cycling) +0:51
5. Norman Shields (Winston Salem, N.C./Hearts Racing Club) +1:19
Masters Women’s 55-59
1. Kathy Sarvary (Manchester, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) 34:36
2. Patricia Kaufmann (Whitefish Bay, Wis./My Wife Inc) +0:24
3. Melissa Behr (Madison, Wis./Madcity Velo Club) +2:56
4. Beverly Enslow (Metamora, Ill./Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team) +11:01
Masters Men’s 60-64
1. Charles Townsend (Mendota Heights, Minn./Bianchi-Grand Performance-St. Paul Bicycle Racing Club) 32:15
2. Fred Wittwer (Charlottesville, Va./Alan North America Cycling) +0:23
3. D. Douglas Long (Chillicothe, Mo./360 Racing) +0:57
4. David Beals (Niskayuna, N.Y./Team Nycross.com) +0:57
5. Landon Beachy (Kalona, Iowa/Twisted Spokes Racing Team) +1:51
Masters Women’s 60-64
1. Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis./Trek Midwest Team) 35:49
2. Jane Geisse (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Spin) +2:31
3. Carol Ruckle (Redlands, Calif./Team Redlands) +5:52
Masters Men’s 65-69
1. Leone Pizzini (Avondale, Pa./First State Velo Sport) 33:35
2. Lewis Rollins (Salt Lake City, Utah/Contender Bicycles-The Contender Club) +0:00
3. Robert Ogren (Bloomington, Minn./Kenwood Racing) +1:29
4. Allan Marvin (Denver, Colo./Groove Subaru-Alpha Bicycle Co) +1:51
5. Rick Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Excel Sports Boulder) +4:03
Masters Women’s 65-69
1. Julie O'Neill (Milwaukee, Wis.) 47:23
Masters Women’s 70-74
1. Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./Northeast Bicycle Club) 45:43
Masters Men’s 75-79
1. Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) 46:33
Masters Men’s 80-84
1. Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) 42:23
2. Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./Notubes Endurance Racing) +1:37
Susan Butler stands atop the podium Thursday in the Stars-and Stripes
Butler bested the field of 16 in the masters women’s 40-44 race, crossing the line in 41:08, 1 minute and 3 seconds ahead of silver medalist Katrina Dowidchuk (Wilmington, Del./Colavita Racing Inc.) and 1:28 in front of bronze medalist Linda Sone (Northfield, Minn./Crossniacs).
“I had no idea going into this how I would do,” said Butler. “I had surgery five months ago and had to give up my season. So I readjusted my goals and said I’ll just try for a master’s title and go to the master’s worlds. And not having raced all season, you have no idea how you’re going to know how you’ll do, so it just felt really good to get back on the bike. I love racing so it was just, it was pretty emotional just because it was so fun, and I actually had a really good race.”
Charles Townsend (Mendota Heights, Minn./Bianchi-Grand Performance-St. Paul Bicycle Racing Club) was the day’s first winner, taking the masters men’s 60-64 title with a time of 32:15, 23 seconds faster than runner-up Fred Wittwer (Charlottesville, Va./ALAN North America Cycling). Placing third in the category was D. Douglas Long (Chillicothe, Mo./360 Racing) who crossed the line in 33:12.
In the closest race of the day, Leone Pizzini (Avondale, Pa./First State Velo Sport) chased down leader Lewis Rollins (Salt Lake City, Utah/Contender Bicycles-The Contender Club) on the final lap of the masters men’s 65-69 race and nipped him in the finishing sprint, with both riders receiving a final time of 33:35. Robert Ogrin (Bloomington, Minn./Kenwood Racing) placed third in 35:04.
Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) took the masters men’s 75-79 title, while Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) dethroned defending national champion Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./NoTubes Endurance Racing) by 1:37 in the masters men’s 80-84 category.
In the masters women’s first race of the day, Kathy Sarvary (Manchester, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) raced to her seventh national title in the 55-59 age group, crossing the line with a time of 34:36. Patricia Kaufmann (Whitefish Bay, Wis./My Wife Inc.) was 24 seconds off the pace in second place, while Melissa Behr (Madison, Wis./MadCity Velo Club) took the bronze medal after finishing in 37:32.
“It's awesome,” said Sarvary, a defending world champion in her age group. “You never take these for granted. Every one is like the first time. Whether it's a little field or a big field, the competitors are really tough. The course is one of the big competitors, too, because it's a variable you can't control. On the last lap, I ‘endoed’ on one of the descents and the lead went down to about half so you have to hold yourself together. It was a great race.”
Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis./Trek Midwest Team) won the gold medal in the masters women’s 60-64 division with a time of 35:49. The silver medal went to Jane Geisse (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Spin), 2:31 behind Ostenso, and Carol Ruckle (Redlands, Calif./Team Redlands) took the bronze with a clocking of 41:41.
Julie O’Neill (Milwaukee, Wis.) won the masters women’s 65-69 crown in 47:23, while the 70-74 age group gold medal went to Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./Northeast Bicycle Club) with a time of 45:43.
In the masters women’s 45-49 division, Shannon Gibson (Durango, Colo./Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) bested a 12-rider field and crossed the line first with a time of 32:39. Placing second was Antonia Leal (Waukesha, Wis./Planet Bike) in 33:02, and finishing nine seconds after her was Stacey Barbossa (Rutherford, N.J./Colavita Racing Inc.).
Karen Brems (Redwood City, Calif./Team Rambuski Law) led from start to finish in the masters women’s 50-54 race, completing the three laps in 32:13. Twenty-seven seconds behind Brems was Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/The Contender Club) and winning the bronze medal was Lori Cooke (Pembroke, Mass./Cycle Lodge) with a time of 33:46.
Local racer Robert Downs (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) used his experience of racing in icy conditions to chase down and pass early leader Henry Kramer (Menlo Park, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) to win the gold medal in the masters men’s 55-59 competition. Kramer took a spill in the final technical section to enable Downs to cross the line first in 40:01, 28 seconds ahead of Kramer. Scott Paisley (Charlottesville, Va./ Blue Wheel-Monticello Velo Club) was third, 51 seconds behind the winner.
"It was unbelievable, awesome, especially to do it here in my hometown of Madison,” Downs said. “What a dream come true today. Henry (Kramer) is from the Bay Area and he's not used to this ice, so he was a little tentative through the technical course on the backside and I knew if I could stay with him and get in front of him after that last uphill that I had a good shot. I executed the plan, I sprinted through that last grass section and he overcorrected and fell down and I knew it was mine.”
Stephen Tilford crosses the line in victory formation (Photo by Dejan Smaic)
The final race on Thursday, the masters men’s 50-54 division, saw a familiar face don the Stars-and-Stripes as Stephen Tilford (Topeka, Kansas/TradeWind Energy Cycling Team) successfully defended his title, despite injuring his shoulder in a crash on the second lap. Tilford clocked a time of 50:11 in the five-lap race. The silver medal went to Jeffrey Appeltans (Philadelphia, Pa./GoCycling-Mid Atl Masters Bicycle Org) who was 1:05 off the pace, while Ron Huebner (Waterford, Va./Evolution Cycling Club p/b Long & Foster) finished 1:40 behind Tilford in third place.
The racing continues until Sunday, Jan. 13. Friday’s action features a mix of masters and juniors competition, with masters men 45-49 and masters women categories spanning ages 30-39 taking to the course along with juniors men age groups 10-16 and all juniors women age groups from 10-18.
Live Streaming of Elite Races
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.
2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships
Badger Prairie Park
Verona, Wis.
FULL RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY
Masters Women's 40-44
1. Susan Butler (Portland, Ore.) 41:08
2. Katrina Dowidchuk (Wilimington, Del./Colavita Racing Inc.) +1:03
3. Linda Sone (Northfield, Minn./Crossniacs) +1:28
4. Kristin Weber (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) +1:47
5. Margell Abel (Boulder, Colo./Tough Girl Cycling) +2:26
Masters Women’s 45-49
1. Shannon Gibson (Durango, Colo./Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) 32:29
2. Antonia Leal (Waukesha, Wis./Planet Bike) +0:33
3. Stacey Barbossa (Rutherford, N.J./Colavita Racing Inc.) +0:42
4. Jeanne Fleck (Proctor, Minn./Velo Duluth) +0:51
5. Geraldine Schulze (Cincinnati, Ohio/Bio Wheels Racing) +1:54
Masters Men’s 50-54
1. Stephen Tilford (Topeka, Kansas/TradeWind Energy Cycling Team) 50:11
2. Jeffrey Appeltans (Philadelphia, Pa./GoCycling-Mid Atl Masters Bicycle Org) +1:05
3. Ron Huebner (Waterford, Va./Evolution Cycling Club p/b Long & Foster) +1:40
4. John Paul McCarthy (Chicago, Ill./SRAM Factory) +2:39
5. Samuel Morse (Cohasset, Mass./Corner Cycle Cycling Club) +3:04
Masters Women’s 50-54
1. Karen Brems (Redwood City, Calif./Team Rambuski Law) 32:13
2. Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/The Contender Club) +0:27
3. Lori Cooke (Pembroke, Mass./Cycle Lodge) +1:33
4. Deidre Garvey (Boulder, Colo./Brac) +2:36
5. Diane Tanner (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) +3:19
Masters Men's 55-59
1. Robert Downs (Madison, Wis./Planet Bike) 40:01
2. Henry Kramer (Menlo Park, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized) +0:28
3. Scott Paisley (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello Velo Club-Blue Wheel) +0:51
4. Norman Kreiss (Orinda, Calif./California Giant Cycling) +0:51
5. Norman Shields (Winston Salem, N.C./Hearts Racing Club) +1:19
Masters Women’s 55-59
1. Kathy Sarvary (Manchester, N.H./Blue Steel Cyclery) 34:36
2. Patricia Kaufmann (Whitefish Bay, Wis./My Wife Inc) +0:24
3. Melissa Behr (Madison, Wis./Madcity Velo Club) +2:56
4. Beverly Enslow (Metamora, Ill./Hammer Nutrition-CMG Racing Team) +11:01
Masters Men’s 60-64
1. Charles Townsend (Mendota Heights, Minn./Bianchi-Grand Performance-St. Paul Bicycle Racing Club) 32:15
2. Fred Wittwer (Charlottesville, Va./Alan North America Cycling) +0:23
3. D. Douglas Long (Chillicothe, Mo./360 Racing) +0:57
4. David Beals (Niskayuna, N.Y./Team Nycross.com) +0:57
5. Landon Beachy (Kalona, Iowa/Twisted Spokes Racing Team) +1:51
Masters Women’s 60-64
1. Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis./Trek Midwest Team) 35:49
2. Jane Geisse (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Spin) +2:31
3. Carol Ruckle (Redlands, Calif./Team Redlands) +5:52
Masters Men’s 65-69
1. Leone Pizzini (Avondale, Pa./First State Velo Sport) 33:35
2. Lewis Rollins (Salt Lake City, Utah/Contender Bicycles-The Contender Club) +0:00
3. Robert Ogren (Bloomington, Minn./Kenwood Racing) +1:29
4. Allan Marvin (Denver, Colo./Groove Subaru-Alpha Bicycle Co) +1:51
5. Rick Abbott (Boulder, Colo./Excel Sports Boulder) +4:03
Masters Women’s 65-69
1. Julie O'Neill (Milwaukee, Wis.) 47:23
Masters Women’s 70-74
1. Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./Northeast Bicycle Club) 45:43
Masters Men’s 75-79
1. Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) 46:33
Masters Men’s 80-84
1. Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) 42:23
2. Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./Notubes Endurance Racing) +1:37
Related Articles
- Cyclo-cross national championships underway in Wisconsin - Jan 09, 2013
- Cyclo-cross Nationals return to Madison on January 9 - Dec 28, 2012
- 2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Nationals Live Stream - Dec 28, 2012
This Article Updated July 9, 2013 @ 04:10 PM For more information contact:
