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Ryan Trebon and Katie Compton win CrossVegas cyclocross race in Las Vegas
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In front of an enthusiastic crowd of thousands, 2006 U.S. national cyclocross champions Ryan Trebon (Kona) and Katie Compton (Spike) won the CrossVegas UCI cyclocross race Wednesday night, held under lights in conjunction with the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas.
After surging ahead of a persistent Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) with just under two laps remaining, Trebon finished alone in front of a field that included riders such as Jonathan Page (Planet Bike), Florian Vogel and Thomas Frischknect (Swiss Power), and surprise competitor Lance Armstrong (LiveStrong).
Compton won in similar fashion, surging ahead of Katerina Nash after Nash's Luna Chix teammate Georgia Gould clipped a pedal on a barrier and lost contact in the closing laps.
The second annual CrossVegas event, attended by thousands of cycling industry insiders, received a boon when Armstrong arrived after a day spent in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative, followed by a cross-country flight to Las Vegas on a private jet.
Rolling at the front of the pack over the grassy terrain of the Desert Breeze soccer field, Trebon led a select group that contained Johnson, Page, Vogel, Frischknect, Jeremy Powers (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com), Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), Adam Craig (Giant), Matt Shriver (Jittery Joe’s), Jonathan Baker (Vitamin Cottage) Christophe Sauser (Specialized) and Todd Wells (GT).
Lap by lap the group whittled down, particularly after Kabush launched an ambitious solo move with three laps to go. Though the Canadian was eventually reeled in, the move caused a panic in the group, particularly after a frustrated Trebon sat up.
“The only ones who really wanted to ride hard were Tim and (Page), and I wasn’t going to be the only person to chase,” Trebon said. “It came to a point where I said, ‘If no one else wants to work, Geoff is my friend. I’d be happy to see him win.’”
But Johnson and Powers, both winners ahead of Trebon last weekend in Seattle and Tacoma, contributed to the pacesetting that eventually brought Kabush back to the fore. That allowed Trebon some time to recover, and in the final laps Trebon launched a trademark attack that no other rider could match.
The lanky Kona rider finished less than 10 seconds clear of the national champion. Craig, who wowed the crowd by bunnyhopping the course’s barriers, finished third to round out the podium, with Page in fourth.
“People said I was racing smart, and I don’t know if I would agree with that,” Trebon said. “That was kind of an insane move, and Tim was chasing really fast. I honestly didn’t know if I could hold it, and didn’t know I had it won until I crossed the line.”
With no UCI points, Armstrong received no special treatment, positioned in the fifth row as the first starter behind ranked riders. He missed the initial selection of a dozen riders, and finished mid-pack. Asked about his decision to race after flying across the country, Armstrong answered, “I slept on the plane. I wanted to race. I just love racing my bike.”
Armstrong finished well off the winning pace. Afterward, he said he had a new respect for the speeds the front group held.
“I didn't have any grand ambition or big dreams that I would ride away,” Armstrong said. “These guys are strong and clearly it is their time of year. But it feels good. I come as a cyclist first and foremost, and as a bicycle shop owner as well. It's great to see the support out there.”
Armstrong joked that he was “reevaluating” his plans to race 'cross at the elite level this season.
Cross Vegas also marked the final competitive event for Frischknect on North American soil. The Swiss rider, the only man to compete at every world cross-country championship since its inception in 1990, is closing out a career of mountain bike and cyclocross racing that spans three decades. Frischknect finished an admirable fifth place.
“I wanted to represent well, and go out on a positive note,” Frischknect said. “It was important to me to have a good showing here in front of so many friends and sponsors.”
Women's race
In women’s racing Compton, Nash and Gould broke away from the field early. Though Luna had the numbers, Compton stayed in control and took advantage of Gould’s mid-race mishap to keep the Luna riders separate. Compton then powered away from the Czech rider in the final decisive moments of the race.
“We had a good situation, but Georgia crashed and Katie was just too strong,” Nash said. “I had one moment where I clipped out of my pedal, and Katie was gone.”
Compton, who won a UCI World Cup event last season and finished second at the world cyclocross championship in 2007, said she would be focusing her 2008-09 efforts on European racing.
“It’s early in the season, but winning tonight is a nice way to start things off,” Compton said. “I’ll be racing a few events in North America, but most of my season will be spent in Europe. I want to win World Cups. I want to win a world championship.”
Stay tuned to VeloNews.TV for video highlights from Cross Vegas.
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