USICX: Season closes with great racing at nationals

The United States International Cyclo-cross Calendar (USICX) rolled to a close on Sunday after sensational racing at the 2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships at Badger Prairie Park outside Madison, Wisc. With national championships up for grabs, there was no shortage of intensity throughout the week’s races.

MEN

The top two riders in the USICX men’s standings,Jeremy Powers (Easthampton, Mass./Team Rapha-Focus) and Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./LTS-Felt), further solidified their top spots by finishing first and second at the 2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. Trebon finished the season ranked second in the standings, 112 points behind Powers. Ben Berden (BEL/Ops Ale-Clement) placed third overall, 106 points behind Trebon and 136 points ahead of Jamey Driscoll (winooski, Vt./Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), who finished seventh in the race in Wisconsin. Justin Lindine (New Salem, Mass./BikeReg.com-Joe’s Garage) rounds out the top five, 38 points behind Driscoll, after finishing 11th in the national championship race.

Powers attacked the lead group of five riders with two laps remaining in the eight-lap contest and managed to hold off a charging Trebon to win the Stars-and-Stripes jersey and further solidify his spot atop the USICX men’s standings.

WOMEN

Laura van Gilder (Cresco, Pa./C3 p/b Mellow Mushroom) topped the final USICX women’s standings, 52 points ahead of second-place rider Katerina Nash (CZE/Luna Pro Team). Meredith Miller (Boulder, Colo./California Giant-Specialized) placed third in the standings, 55 points behind Nash and 44 points behind a surging Sue Butler(Portland, Ore./River City Bicycles-Ridley). Andrea Smith (Somerville, Mass./LadiesFirst Racing) rounds out the top five, four points behind Butler and 27 points ahead of the winner of the elite women’s race at the 2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships.

In the elite women’s race, Compton bolted to an early lead and grew her advantage, eventually winning the race by nearly two minutes to earn her eighth consecutive national title.

JUNIORS

Andrew Dillman (Fairdale, Ky./Red Zone Cycling), who clinched the top spot on the nine-eventUSICX junior men’s standings on Nov. 14. Dillman finished 167 points ahead of second-place riderZane Godby (Louisville, Colo./Clif Bar Development Cyclo Cross Team) after those two riders placed fourth and sixth, respectively, in the national championship race. Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Clif Bar Development Cyclo Cross Team) closed the calendar 33 points behind Godby and 34 points up on the junior men 17-18 national champion Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash./Team Redline). Owen, who won the last three USICX races to close the season in fourth, 14 points ahead ofRichard Cypress Gorry (Payson, Ariz./Whole Athlete-Specialized).

Check out the full results:

2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships

USICX standings

For more information on United States International Cyclo-cross Calendar, visit www.usacycling.org/cnc.