Day Two of Cyclocross Nationals: Alexis Ryan Wins 17-18 Title, Mark Noble 2nd
12/11/10 – Dominating performances punctuated the second day of Stars-and-Stripes competition at the 2010 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. Seven junior national titles and three masters Stars-and-Stripes were awarded in Bend’s Old Mill District on Friday.
Junior Women
The revelation of the day was the performance of the top two 15-16 women, who after starting approximately one minute after the 17-18 women in a combined race, eventually passed the entire field of older competitors. Reigning national champion Sarah Huang (Kenosha, Wis./Planet Bike) went off hard from the gun, but was chased down by Corrie Osborne (Mequon, Wis./Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.). Osborne held off Huang to cross the line ahead of both sets of fields and earn the Stars-and-Stripes jersey.
Alexis Ryan (Ventura, Ca/The Team Socalcross) took home her third national championship after dominating the 17-18 women’s race. "I knew if I went fast enough I could hopefully drop everyone, so that's what I did," explained Ryan, whose sister Kendall is also a multi-time national champ.
Earlier in the day, Emma White (Delanson, NY/Capital Bicycle Racing Club-NYCROSS.com) captured the junior women’s 13-14 crown. Following that race, Ashley Zoerner (Highlands Ranch, Colo./International Christian Cycling Club) nipped Veda Gerasimek (Transfer, Penn./Project Velo Racing-One Call Now) at the line to claim the 10-12 race.
Junior Men
In the junior 10-12 men’s race, Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, ID/Boise Young Riders Dev Squad) earned a Stars-and-Stripes after out-riding the rest of the field. “I was second wheel going into the puddlely, muddy section,” recalled Jorgenson. “I decided to make an attack on the grass. On the pavement I just drilled it and tried to get the biggest gap I could.”
Gage Hecht (Parker, Colo./International Christian Cycling Club) edged out runner-up Karch Miller (El Macero, Calif./Davis Bike Club) to win the junior 13-14 race. “It was a very tough race, so slick, and the competition was amazingly hard,” said Hecht.
Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash.) claimed his sixth straight national title after winning the junior 15-16 event. “Got a good start – clean – and after that just rode away,” said Owen after the final race of the morning session.
Women’s Masters 30-34 and 35-39
The 30-34 masters women led off the afternoon, with Devon Haskell (Santa Cruz, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) taking a 10-second win ahead of Amanda Carey (Victor, ID/ Kenda).
“I got off to a good start,” said Haskell. “It was a back and forth battle with Amanda, but it was a good race to the end.” On the final lap, Haskell nearly let victory slip away. “I came into the barriers and had a bit of a stumble, but I was able to regain control and kept going to the win.”
The women’s 35-39 race saw less lead changes. After Sally Annis (Nashua, NH/Northeast Bicycle Club) shot off at the start and led from pavement to dirt, Nicole Duke (Boulder, Colo./Hudz-Subaru), dubbed “the one to beat” by race announcers during intros, claimed the lead through the end of the first lap and never looked back.
“I just tried to stay with Sally at the front,” recalled Duke. “Usually I try to get the hole shot. Sally had a bobble on an early turn so I took advantage.” Duke established a sizable lead over the field during lap two, but Barbara Howe (Berkeley, Calif./Ibis and the Danger Twins) sought to close the gap. Howe pulled within 10 seconds during the third trip over the flyover, but wasn’t able to rein Duke in any further.”
Duke, a former professional mountain biker, will join Haskell in the women’s elite race on Sunday. “Now I know where I can recover, where I can attack, what lines I can take.”
Men’s Masters 45-49
The final race of the day started off in dramatic fashion, but soon became a one-man show. Jonny Bold (Marston Mills, Mass./Corner Cycle) led the more than 120 competitors over the first stairs, but Donald Myrah (San Jose, Calif./Ibis) was able to pass him during the second lap.
Bold had Myrah in his sights, but took a corner too hot after his second trip over the flyover and crashed. It was all Myrah needed. He gradually added to his lead over the next several laps, winning by more than two minutes.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better race,” said Myrah, who represented the U.S. in mountain biking at the 1996 Olympics. He was greeted at the finish line by his daughter who raced earlier in the junior women’s 10-12. “It was a blast just jamming through the mud. I was a little nervous at the beginning, but once I got that gap going I could relax.”
Bold, who injured his wrist in the crash, soldiered on to finish third behind runner-up Mark Noble (Ventura, Calif./METALMTN Cycling).
