January 26/13 22:43 pm - Kings Int’l CX: Harlton 4th Garrigan 12th in Cincinnati

Posted by Editoress on 01/26/13
 

Albert and Nash Win World Championship Warm-Up at Kings Int’l CX in Cincinnati

Perhaps the biggest story of the day at the Kings International Cyclocross (C2) in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason wasn’t the handy win by World Champion Niels Albert, but the gap between him and teammate Wietse Bosmans in 2nd and the gap back to Jeremy Powers (Rapha Focus) in 3rd. Surely on World Championship Sunday, those gaps will be filled and the victor will emerge much closer to the finish line.

In the absence of Helen Wyman (Kona) and Katie Compton (Trek Cyclocross Collective), Katerina Nash and teammate Georgia Gould put on the Luna show in the Women’s Elite race, finishing 1-2 with Swiss Champ Jasmin Achermann (Rapha-Focus) in 3rd. Despite temperatures below freezing, the sun came out to melt the snow, turning the frozen course of the morning frozen into slick but not too sticky mud throughout the afternoon.

The Cincinnati Cyclocross race benefited the Lionhearts Junior Cycling Program and was presented by Toyota, Reece-Campbell General Contractors, United Dairy Farmers, Magnum Ice Cream, DeFeet and Enzo’s.

Elite Men
The fans came to see the World Champion in Cincinnati and that’s exactly what Niels Albert (BKCP Powerplus) gave them. After graciously signing autographs and posing for pictures, he took to the front from the start and turned the screws. Stringing out the group over the camel-hump switchback feature, the rubber band snapped. Albert led the front group with Vojtech Nipl (Czech National Team), teammate Wietse Bosmans and US National Champion Jonathan Page (ENG VT) on his wheel coming down the flyover. Surprisingly Page was not wearing the Stars and Stripes jersey, but rather his team kit with stars only on his blue leg warmers.

Within two laps however, Albert’s power was too much for the others and he rode off the front with a 9 second gap to the chasing trio of Nipl, Bosmans and Page. At the halfway point, Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) after being stuck in early traffic, finally showed his face near the front only a few seconds behind the Page, Nipl and Bosmans group.

Then the wheels came off for Nipl. As he faded, the rest smelled blood. Bosmans and Page dug hard in an effort to solidify the podium. Meanwhile, with 3 laps to go, Ryan Trebon (Cannondale-CyclocrossWorld) and Powers found Nipl and worked together on the soft climb to the pit.

With two to go, Page began to lose his grip on Bosmans. Seeing the fading Page, Powers dug hard and broke free of Trebon. The effort gassed Nipl, who would drop to 7th behind Radomir Simunek (Kwadro-Stannah). While it may have been a day at the office for Albert, it was a stellar ride for Jeremy Powers and, finishing ahead of Page, perhaps a little redemption from the US National Championships. Ohio Valley Local Andrew Dillman (Bob’s Red Mill) who will represent the US at the World Championships in Louisville next week had a stellar ride and finished 10th.

Elite Women
Who’s that Rapha Focus girl? Jasmin Achermann was a new face to many of the fans at the Kings International Cyclocross and for good reason. In a post race interview, the Swiss Champion confided it was her first visit to the United States. Behind Katerina Nash and Luna teammate Georgia Gould, she put on quite the clinic.

From the gun, and much like Albert, Nash took to the front of the field and broke a 4-5 second gap on the first lap, up and down the camel-hump feature and over the flyover. A chase group never materialized. Gould remained in 2nd the whole race with Achermann in third. Behind, Canadian Pepper Harlton (Juventus Cycling Club) impressively rode the barriers in 4th.

Making a great comeback after an early race crash, Meredith Miller (Cal-Giant) worked her way through traffic and began to knock on Harlton’s door. With mud all up her back Miller made the pass, but it didn’t last long. Harlton turned on the jets, and took 4th place back in the closing laps.



Results - Cincinnati, OH