My first trip to Rhode Island also happened to be my first UCI event in New England. The KMC Cyclocross Festival took the sport to another level compared to other pro cyclocross events I have been to, save for the World Championships in Louisville, KY. Three flyovers, some stairs, barriers, and a box ramp that some people were jumping. Day one turned from dry to wet as the day went on. With a top notch field for the women’s event, including reigning 10-time national champion, Katie Compton.
Kemmerer leads the way early in the race.
Arley Kemmerer (PB2 Pro Cycling) took the holeshot, and led a strong domestic and international field out onto the course as the rain began to fall. Following behind, Rachel Lloyd (California Giant/Specialized), Gabby Durrin (Team Neon Velo), Courtenay McFadden (GE Capital/American Classic), and Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Racing), kept their eye on Compton, waiting for the move. It happened before the end of the first lap, and the national champion never looked back.
Lloyd, Wyman, and McFadden chase Compton.
Lloyd, Wyman, and McFadden organized the chase group, but it was soon apparent they were racing for second place. Compton continued to extend her lead, even with the changing conditions on the course. A second chase group of Durrin, Kaitlyn Antonneau (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld), and Meredith Miller (Noosa Professional Cyclocross) joined up and worked to bridge the gap to the next group. Miller, with 11 stitches in her knee from a crash last weekend at Gloucester, left the group in an effort to move up on her own. McFadden, on the other hand, lost contact with her group and started to drift back.
Compton takes the win.
On the final lap, Compton had plenty of time to zip up her jersey, sit up, and salute the crowd as she crossed the line for the win. Mean while, Lloyd was able to open up a gap on Wyman, and crossed the line 33 seconds later. Wyman rolled through another ten second behind. McFadden was able to hold on to fourth and Miller came in fifth.
With Gabby Durrin switching from Rapha-Focus to her new husband and wife team of Neon Velo Cycling Team, she had some new sponors and equipment at Nittany Lion Cross. I had a chance to catch up with #TeamAwesome, and was able to steal Gabby’s Boone 9 for a quick photo shoot.
Gabby Durrin’s (Neon Velo Cycling Team) Trek Boone 9. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Though Nittany Lion Cross is a relatively smooth course, Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler surely took the edge off of some of the chatter. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
50cm is the smallest size of the Trek Boone 9. And yes, it’s UCI approved. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Durrin ran SRAM’s Force CX1 drivetrain with a 42 ring. On a grass crit course like Nittany, she didn’t miss a smaller chainring. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
The Force CX1 rear derailleur brings many of the features from 1X, including the Roller Bearing Clutch to eliminate chain slap, and Cage Lock, which helps lock the cage and aid in wheel changes. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Easton is continuing on as a sponor for Durrin. The EC90’s she raced on look to still be a custom build with the brand’s M1 hubs. With a new EC90 SL Disk Tubular released, the blacked out look might soon continue to the wheels. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Durrin’s choice of tires were the Dugast Typhoon, which helped provide some extra grip in the corners over the file treads many of her competitors were running. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Easton also handles the cockpit duties. An EA70 aluminum bar is a durable choice for cross. Durrin also uses a SRAM Garmin mount for her Edge 500 series computer. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Durrin stays with aluminum for durabuility with a short Easton EA90 stem. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
Gabby runs a Fizik Aliante VS with k:ium rails. Photo by Scott Kingsley.
The UCI cyclocross calendar officially kicked off on September 6th with Nittany Lion Cross. The ladies took to the course in what turned out to be the most brutal race of the day. With 90+ degree temps, and the sun beating down, everyone was suffering in very un-cyclocross like conditions. They did a great job creating an exciting race.
A group of four riders went off the front early, and proved to be the decisive selection. Gabby Durrin (Neon Velo Cycling Team), Laura Van Gilder (Van Dessel p/b Mellow Mushroom), Ellen Noble (JAM Fund/NCC), and Arley Kemmerer (Pb2 Pro Cycling) road away from the field and traded punches at the front. Kemmerer dropped off from the group in the final laps as the pace picked up, but it was the final corner that decided the race.
As Durrin and Van Gilder approached the finish, Durrin took the inside line while Van Gilder tried to take the long way around. Van Gilder went to open up her sprint as they took the corner and prepared to drop in from the plateau to the finishing flat, when her bike slid out from under her. She slid head first like she was sliding into home plate to win the game, and her bike slid even further off the course. Durrin, with Noble on her wheel, launched down the short drop and pushed on towards the line. Noble tried to come along the inside, but Durrin was able to hold her off for the win. Van Gilder collected herself quickly and pedaled towards the line as Kemmerer sprinted towards her. Kemmerer was able to take third place at the line, leaving Van Gilder just off the podium.
Recent Comments