As expected, the battle for the U.S. national cyclocross crown amounted to one between master and apprentice — between Powers and his protégé.
And on Sunday, in Asheville, North Carolina, it was Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) in command, deftly warding off his friend and former apprentice, Stephen Hyde (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), to take a fourth career title.
In the women’s race, Katie Compton overcame the most difficult off-season of her career to win a twelfth straight national cyclocross championship Sunday in Asheville, North Carolina — but it was her hardest-fought title yet, battling against Georgia Gould well into the last of five laps.
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- Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) celebrated his fourth career national cyclocross title in five years.
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- Satisfaction: The 2016 title was the closest of the four battles Powers has won to take the stars and stripes jersey.
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- Ellen Noble (JAM Fund) rode a flawless race to win the U23 women’s championship.
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- Curtis White (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) struggled with crashes while Tobin Ortenblad (California Giant) rode a smooth race to take the national U23 men’s title.
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- Courtney McFadden (American Classic) led the women’s elite field onto the dirt.
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- Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) and Elle Anderson (SRAM-Strava) could not match the early acceleration by Georgia Gould (Luna) and Katie Compton (Trek-Factory Racing).
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- Georgia Gould (Luna) moved past Katie Compton (Trek Factory Racing) shortly before the first run-up on the second lap.
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- Compton celebrated a 12th consecutive national title.
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- An even dozen! Katie Compton takes championship number 12.
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- Covered in mud, Meredith Miller (Noosa) finished 8th.
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- At the start of the elite men’s race, Logan Owen (Cal Giant) and Dan Timmerman (Stan’s NoTubes) led the field.
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- Early into the first lap, three men slipped away, and were gone for the rest of the race. From left: Logan Owen (Cal Giant), Stephen Hyde (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), and Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus).
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- Kerry Werner (Raleigh-Clement) chased hard to reach the leaders, and finished fifth.
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- Logan Owen chased for second place as snow began to fall on the final lap at 2016 U.S. national cyclocross championships. He finished third. Photo by Wil Matthews.
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- Tobin Ortenblad (Cal Giant) dropped in while leading the U23 men’s race.
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- Crowds lined the course at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
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- The calm before the storm, in the Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com tent. From left: Ryan Trebon, Kaitlin Antonneau, Stephen Hyde.
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- Katie Compton looked relaxed as she warmed up for the women’s race.
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- Allen Krughoff (Noosa) at the start line; he would finish 14th.
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- Massive crowds lined the forest section on the far end of the course, a twisting, muddy descent filled with roots and rocks.
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- Close friends and competitors, Jeremy Powers and Stephen Hyde hugged after finishing 1-2 in the elite men’s race.
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- Four-time national champion Jonathan Page (Page-Fuji) finished fourth on the day.
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- Kerry Werner (Raleigh-Clement) put in a hard effort to finish fifth.
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- The 2016 US national cyclocross championships elite women’s podium. From left: Georgia Gould, Katie Compton, and Kaitlin Antonneau.
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- The elite men’s podium at the 2016 U.S. national cyclocross championship. From left: Stephen Hyde, Jeremy Powers, and Logan Owen.