October 16/17 14:47 pm - U.S. Open of Cyclocross: Day 2

Posted by Editoress on 10/16/17
 

Windy conditions continued for the start of Sunday races at the U.S. Open of Cyclocross across Valmont Bike Park, Colorado. It would be the second full day of UCI Category 2  with USA Cycling’s Professional Cyclocross Calendar (ProCX) points on the line for Junior 17-18 Men, Under-23 Men, Elite Women and Elite Men.

Benjamin Gomez Villafane (Top Club CycloCross). went two-for-two in the  Junior 17-18 Men’s contest, out sprinting Henry Jones (Bend Endurance Academy) for the win. Scott Funston (Rad Racing NW) finished third with Tyler Clark (KMS Cycling Killington Mountain School)  4th.

“Essentially the race played out pretty interesting today. At first there wasn’t any wind, and then throughout the race it really picked up, especially at the end. The wind really kept the race together,” said Villafane about winds reaching 20-plus miles an hour, or more, for a second consecutive day. “At the front it was me, Tyler Clark, Torin (Bickmore), Scott Funston and Calder Wood. And we were at the front just hammering the whole time. Most of us are from sea level, so it was a level playing field. Towards the end it became more of a tactical race.”

Women
In the Category 2 Elite Women’s race, Courtenay Mcfadden (Pivot Cycles p/b DNA) pushed across the line as the winner in a three-rider sprint. Rising star Katie Clouse (Alpha Bicycle Co.)  grabbed the silver, with the bronze going to France's Caroline Mani (Van Dessel) Clouse and Mani switched positions on the podium on Sunday, as Clouse finished behind Mani the day before. It was the first UCI cyclocross win for ProCX points this year for Mcfadden, who came in to the weekend 15th overall in the elite women’s ProCX standings.

Men
The C2 Elite Men kicked up a dust cloud for their 8 laps on the dry course in Boulder, with Cody Kaiser (Lange Twins / Specialized) taking the hole shot. The field began to break apart midway through the race, with 23-year-old Keegan Swenson (Cannondale/3Rox) taking a turn at the front. The lead group also contained Canadian Michael van den Ham (Garneau Easton), Saturday’s silver medalist, Colombian Hector Riveros (Stan’s NoTubes), Australian Garry Millburn (Speedvagen X MAAP), and Americans Allen Krughoff (Krughoff Racing) and Jamie Driscoll (Donnelly Sports), who was Saturday’s winner.

Three riders would make a move on the twisty course with two laps to go, and the move would stick for the final podium. It would be the Australian Millburn crossing the line for his first ProCX win this year in five events. Riveros would finish one-tenth of a second behind for second place, and van den Ham would roll across the line in third. Swenson finished fourth, and Driscoll managed fifth.

Podium (photo by WithoutLimits)

“Today certainly had enough of a challenge. It broke up a little bit and we had a few gaps. I was just trying to stay at the front,” Millburn said about how the C2 men’s race played out. “ I knew the kind of group I was with. I was confident that I could get the sprint if I just positioned myself right. So I kind of went early on this back straight and into that final corner first. I pulled a pedal. Hector was coming, and I got my foot back in (the pedal), found a few more gears and got there in the end. A great way to cap off the U.S. season for us.”

Millburn was proud to be the first Australian to win a UCI race at US Open of Cyclocross. “Today was pretty good. My wife and I love Boulder,” he continued. “I’m from Sydney, Australia, so this is kind of small town, but enough of what we need. Sydney is just hustle and bustle. This is finishing off our U.S. block now. We did the two World Cups (Iowa and Wisc.), and went to KMC (Conn.), and Interlaken (Bloomfield, Colo.) last weekend. Tomorrow morning, back to Sydney.”

Results from the second day of the U.S. Open of Cyclocross in Boulder Colorado

Day 1