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USGP of Cyclocross: Wells, Gould lead going into Portland finale

By Patrick Malach
Published: Dec. 5, 2008
Oregon homeboy Ryan Trebon would love to repeat his '07 victory, but he'll need a perfect weekend to get there.
Oregon homeboy Ryan Trebon would love to repeat his '07 victory, but he'll need a perfect weekend to get there.
Photo: Action Images (file)

The Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross returns this weekend to Portland, Oregon, the scene of 2007’s epic finale, when snow, rain and heavy winds battered spectators and riders alike.

This time around, the racing is expected to be equally fierce, but the weather should be a little less so, says KOIN meteorologist Bruce Sussman.

“It's going to be a lot drier than last year,” Sussman said. “In fact, Saturday looks dry. Then on Sunday a system from the north will bring some rain at times, but nothing major.”

The course for the 2008 Portland Cup presented by Stanley, at Portland International Raceway — featured in both the 2007 U.S. Gran Prix and the 2004 national championships — includes plenty of trees and roots, and can become quite difficult in foul weather.

But Brad Ross, promoter of Oregon’s eight-race Cross Crusade series and the USGP’s local organizer, isn’t too concerned about the course.

“The pro men and pro women can handle whatever we throw at them,” he said. “The mud out there, there’s no clay in it. It’s nice mud. You kind of slice through it. It’s not the kind of mud that piles up on your bike and makes it weigh 100 pounds.”

Johnson likes it nasty; Trebon’s watching Wells
The relatively mild forecast doesn’t necessarily please national champion Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale), a renowned mudder who’s sitting third overall behind Todd Wells (GT) and Jeremy Powers (Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale).

“I like it nasty,” said the Massachusetts native.

Johnson won Day 2 of the series opener in Kentucky and claimed the overall lead three weeks later with a win on Day 1 in Mercer, New Jersey. But he lost that lead to Day 2 winner Wells when he was unable to start because of a bruised knee suffered in the previous day’s win.

Now, he says, the knee is ready to go.

“It’s much better,” Johnson said. “I’ve been riding and training on it recently. It’s a bone bruise, so the pain sticks around a little longer but the damage is already done. It’s just up to me to deal with it.”

Johnson said his hopes for an overall win are buoyed by the series points system, which scores the final overall results on the best five finishes in the six-race series. Looking at the riders’ best three scores out of the past four races, Johnson leads Wells by three points and Powers by 21.

“Hopefully I can keep things going this weekend,” Johnson said. “I still have a chance if I have two very good days. I can hope for Todd or Jeremy to have a tough day. But Todd is a (former) national champion and Jeremy is my teammate, so I’m not counting on that. It’s up to me to have a couple of good days.”

Johnson said he also isn’t counting out last year’s overall winner, local favorite Ryan Trebon (Kona). The Bend resident won last year’s finale in Portland despite snow and brutal winds.

“Ryan is one of the most dynamic riders in the States,” Johnson said. “It all depends on whether Super Ryan shows up or just normal, human Ryan.”

And which of the two does Trebon expect to appear this weekend? "I've been training a lot," he said. "More so to get ready for nationals, and then I'm headed over to Europe. But I still think I can do a good race this weekend.”

The Kona rider thinks the comparatively dry conditions might give him an edge over Johnson, whose knee problem makes him something of an unknown quantity.

"It'll be a pretty big change from the last 400 years of Portland weather to be dry in December," he said. "It will make the race faster, which tends to favor me a little more. But who knows? I've never really ridden that course when it's dry.

“Todd's racing really well right now. With Tim being injured, I don't really know how well he'll be able to ride. Jeremy's been doing some pretty consistent races also. I think Todd will probably be the one I'll be looking out for most this weekend."

Meanwhile, Powers said he’s looking forward to his teammate Johnson’s return to the series, adding that his main goal for the weekend is to beat Wells, the overall leader.

“The gloves are definitely going to be off. Everyone, Ryan and Tim, is going to be going for it,” he said. “Most of all, I’d just like to have a strong weekend and put some finishing touches on my form for the nationals.”

Meanwhile, it’s Wells — a two-time cyclocross national champion who took the series lead for the first time in his career after finishing second on Day 1 in Mercer and winning on Day 2 — who sits squarely in the driver’s seat going into the finale.

Georgia Gould has seemed unbeatable this season.
Georgia Gould has seemed unbeatable this season.
Photo: Action Images (file)

Gould looks golden, but Nash is near

After starting things off with a modest third-place finish on Day 1 of the opening weekend in Kentucky, last year’s elite women’s USGP champion Georgia Gould (Luna) has looked unstoppable in her quest to repeat, racking up three consecutive wins coming into the Portland finale.

Nevertheless, she isn’t taking anything for granted.

“I’m feeling good, and I’ve been racing well,” Gould said. “But I never like to be overconfident. I have a really strong teammate (Katerina Nash) and there are a lot of other strong women in the field. I’ve found that it’s best not to count anybody about.”

Indeed, Nash has been Gould’s toughest competition. She finished in the top spot on Day 1 in Kentucky, but has had to settle for second the past three races.

Gould said she and Nash work well together.

“Katerina and I, we race together a lot,” she said. “We are pretty similar in fitness, which is an advantage. We can ride together, and if we do manage to get off the front together, it’s sort of everyone for themselves then. Once you finish racing everyone else, then you’ve got to race each other.”

Under the best-five-of-six scoring system that will determine the series winner, Nash could pull off the overall win — but she’ll need some help. She has to win both races and then hope Rachel Loyd (California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized), Maureen Bruno Roy (MM Racing-Seven Cycles), Sue Butler (Monavie-Cannondale.com) or Deidre Winfield (Velo Bella-Kona) can bump her Luna teammate into third place or worse.

And given Gould’s dominant performances the past three races, that looks like a very long shot indeed.

Stay tuned to VeloNews.com for coverage of this weekend’s Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross finale in Portland, Oregon.

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