Wells and Nash score wins in Portland

Race results

Fresh off of victory at the Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock, Todd Wells (Specialized) and Katerina Nash (Luna) rode to wins at the first day of the Portland Stanley Cup in Oregon.

The mighty but mini Amy Dombroski, riding for the Primus Mootry, Schlaam and SRAM conglomerate team, continued her steady rise to the top by finishing second, less than 15 seconds off of the winning pace.

Unlike past Portland rounds of the USGP, where mud has been the name of the game, the skies were clear and the ground was just slightly moist from a nighttime mist. Some riders even opted to ride gloveless, testament to the mild December weather.

Depth of field

In the elite women’s race, there was no obvious favorite during the first of five long laps. Former world mountain bike champion Alison Dunlap (Luna) took the hole shot, continuing a pattern she’s followed all season. Canadian mountain bike and cyclocross national champion, Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain-Maxxis) followed closely and would eventually score her best USGP finish of the year.

On the backside of the first lap, Sydor overtook Dunlap and drilled it on the front — giving her the chance to choose her own line in the technical sections.

During the second lap, Dunlap took a chance at a quick acceleration and built up a small lead, but it didn’t last, as Nash and Dombroski moved up quickly readying for the right moment to counter attack.

Indeed, by the end of lap two, Nash made her move and took over at the front, with Dombroski close behind. The two quickly built up a lead over a chasing group of Dunlap, Sydor and Meredith Miller (California Giant Berry Farms).

Nash would eventually gain a time advantage over Dombroski, but never more than 10 seconds. It was an impressive effort by Dombroski, as Nash typically leads by larger margins on U.S. soil.

Nash, the current USGP series leader soloed to the line with Dombroski not far off, and at almost a minute back, Sydor beat Dunlap and Miller to the line for the final podium spot. For her tenacity and determination to keep Nash within striking distance, Dombroski was awarded the SRAM most aggressive rider award for the day.

“I feel like every weekend I get stronger and stronger,” says Dombroski. “Last USGP I was on her [Nash] wheel for a lap or two. I was happy to stay that close towards the end.”

When asked about her steady improvement from last year, Dombroski replied, “I’m really happy with my coach right now. I think the biggest thing is schedule planning. I was trying to do too much last year and got the flu. The biggest thing about cyclocross is staying healthy. If you can stay healthy the entire season you’ll end up on the podium.”

Originally from the Czech Republic, Nash has built her season around the USGP series and the world cyclocross championship, slated for Tabor in her home country in late January.

“This might be my last race in the U.S.,” says Nash. “Maybe some local stuff in Reno, after that a good block of training and then I’m heading off to Europe. The worlds are a big goal. Wining the USGP was my other big goal, which is looking pretty solid.”

Battle Royale

Multiple time national Canadian mountain bike and cyclocross champ, Geoff Kabush (Rocky Mountain-Maxxis) began with a fierce sprint to take the holeshot, followed closely by Ryan Trebon (Kona-FSA). With Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com riders Tim Johnson and USGP series runner-up Jamey Driscoll caught in traffic, Trebon took over the front and drilled it, creating a difficult situation for the boys in black and green.

Eventually a lead group of eight riders formed, with Trebon, Wells, Kabush and Jeremy Powers (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) near the front. Wearing the current USGP leader’s jersey and the current national cyclocross championship colors, Trebon continued to drive the pace at the front and eventually created a gap over a struggling group that included Johnson, Chris Jones (Champion Systems), Driscoll and Barry Wicks (Kona-FSA).

Powers took a few shots at riding off the front, but an obviously hungry Trebon reeled him in with Wells and Kabush in tow. With three laps to go, Kabush rolled his front tire just after the bike pit. Forced to continue, the Canadian rolled his tire back on and rode lightly until he could get a bike change — a frustrating affair especially since he had been on his way to a top-four finish.

On the same lap, Trebon had a quick bobble atop a steep run-up and Wells took advantage by drilling it on the front. A second bobble lost Trebon valuable seconds and it soon became a race between Wells and Powers.

Wells continued to ride fast and smoothly during the last two laps, occasionally gapping Powers. Coming onto the final straightaway, Wells was able to hold off Powers in the sprint to take his first USGP win of 2009 — just in time for nationals. Trebon would eventually finish third, keeping the USGP series leader jersey, followed by Johnson in fourth.

A tired but elated Wells said after the race, “Trebon was drilling it for the first half of the race… I gave everything and he [Powers] came back to me on that last lap. I sat up when he caught me. After that I really hit it.”

“Today was a good race and I knew it was going to be a battle royal,” said Powers, the second place finisher. “Each of us had our own bobble Todd just rode really well through all the tough sections and rode a good race today.”

The freshman from the University of Washington, Zach McDonald (Classic Cycles) was awarded the SRAM most aggressive rider award for his success in racing from the back of the pack to the top ten. Most impressive was the youngster’s ability to ride side-by-side with Adam Craig, the seasoned Giant rider and current mountain bike short track national champion.

Check in Sunday to find out if Trebon can defend his USGP series title and find out who is on form to make a good showing at the elite national cyclocross championship, held in Bend, Oregon, from December 11th to the 13th.

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FILED UNDER: Cyclocross / News / Race Report TAGS: Cyclocross / Katerina Nash / Todd Wells / USGP-Stanley Portland Cup

Robbie Stout

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