“Fierce” is the prediction by two-time US U23 ladies’s cyclocross champion Katie Clouse concerning the competitors she’ll face in just a few days to attain a seventh consecutive podium on the USA Biking Cyclocross Nationwide Championships. She earned the silver medal on the high stage final 12 months in Louisville, Kentucky and on Saturday she will probably be a part of a star-studded subject for an additional try at her first elite ‘cross gold.
Clouse returns together with her Steve Tilford Basis Racing teammate Raylyn Nuss, who was third in 2023, for a robust one-two punch at Joe Creason Park. The gold medal, stars-and-stripes jersey and UCI factors are up for grabs for a brand new winner, as five-time champion Clara Honsinger lately retired.
At simply 23, Clouse has not often, if ever, completed off the rostrum at US Nationals in any self-discipline. She has been driving off-road and highway since she was 10 years outdated, profitable 25 gold medals as a junior throughout mountain bike, highway and cyclocross disciplines, plus 10 extra as a U23 and collegiate rider. This season the Park Metropolis, Utah native had a robust ‘cross season, ending sixth or higher in 14 US-based UCI races. She has focused her first win of the season to be one other gold at ‘cross nationals.
“I’m so excited to be heading to nationals and clearly, a win can be one thing so particular, however total simply excited to be there wholesome and joyful,” Clouse instructed Cyclingnews, noting that she missed a visit to the Dublin World Cup due to sickness.
“We received in a stable two months of some fixed racing with Pan-Ams being my final racing. The plan was to go to Dublin for myself however sadly, I ended up getting fairly sick the few days earlier than and opted to overlook it and keep house. Coaching has been nice and I’m feeling 100% once more.
“With Vida [Lopez de San Roman] and Lizzy [Gunsalus] registering on the final minute, these younger weapons will carry some fierce competitors.”
The elite subject has been spiced up with the addition of reigning U23 nationwide ‘cross champion Lizzy Gunsalus (CCB p/b Levine Legislation Group) and final 12 months’s junior ladies’s champion Vida Lopez de San Roman (Bear CX Nationwide Group) anticipated to line up.
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Gunsalus, a 21-year-old from Massachusetts, has a prolific historical past as a junior and is an U23 rider with three nationwide titles throughout cyclocross and mountain biking plus 9 podiums, together with a collegiate silver on the highway.
Lopez de San Roman, who turns 19 in January, made historical past in December 2023 profitable the first-ever junior ladies’s World Cup race for the US, taking the victory in Hulst. This 12 months she centered on mountain biking, profitable junior titles on the US and Pan-American championships, and completed fourth on the MTB World Championships, all in cross-country. In simply two ‘cross outings, she gained each UCI C2 races at North Carolina Grand Prix in late November.
“Stoked to listen to Vida is racing up – it should add some good spice to the beginning line,” Nuss, who owns and operates the Steve Tilford Basis Racing staff, instructed Cyclingnews.
Wild playing cards and wild climate
Among the many wild playing cards anticipated within the combine on the entrance of the sector are Natalie Quinn (CCB p/b Levine Legislation Group), veteran Crystal Anthony (Liv Racing) in addition to a shock entry from two-time US gravel champion Lauren Stephens.
Quinn was one spot off the elite ladies’s podium final 12 months in Louisville as a 21-year-old. This 12 months she added extra cyclocross races after her highway season with EF-Oatly-Cannondale, the place she gained the U23 highway title in 2023, going fourth at Pan American Championships in Montana and including 4 different high 10s.
Anthony has not competed in cyclocross because the 2022-2023 season, transitioning to different off-road pursuits together with the Life Time Grand Prix, the place her greatest total was eighth in 2023. Final month she was third on the epic Iceman Cometh mountain bike race in Michigan.
Stephens was a late entry however has the multi-discipline expertise to drag off an upset. She is often suited to highway or gravel races a number of hours in size, so a 50-minute dash at Joe Creason Park might not be a bonus.
Nuss is aware of Anthony particularly properly, as they’ve confronted one another repeatedly at cyclocross races and gravel occasions. Nuss, 33 years outdated, gained back-to-back Pan-Am championships for elite ladies in 2021 and 2022 and gained the silver medal at CX Nationals in Hartford in 2022. She was on the rostrum final 12 months in Louisville, enhancing 13 spots from the 2018 outing on the same course.
“It has been a little bit of an off-year for me and racing. Coping with some intestine points I’ve by no means handled previously, and nonetheless climbing out of the outlet from final 12 months – doing the Life Time Grand Prix and a full season of CX,” Nuss stated earlier this week.
“Every week I really feel extra assured in my prep for Nationals and actually assume I am prepared to offer it a go! Greater than something, profitable the celebs and stripes is my final objective.
“I actually just like the Louisville course. Hoping for muddy and slippy circumstances for positive so as to add to the drama – particularly since we’ve not had a lot mud within the US season this 12 months.”
Nuss’ observations are spot on, as the vast majority of the UCI-sanctioned cyclocross races within the US this 12 months have been dry and dusty. The forecast for Louisville this week requires extra of the identical for the collegiate and masters races at Joe Creason Park on Thursday and Friday. Rain is anticipated on Saturday for the Junior 17-18, U23 and elite competitions, however will not be anticipated to create the quagmire of mud that enveloped all the park in 2018.
“I might completely love for it to rain for our race! Fingers crossed,” Clouse added. “I believe they do a superb job at including technical options in addition to energy options within the course.”
Regardless of the end result on Saturday, the Steve Tilford duo will fly to Europe from Louisville after racing this weekend and concentrate on a full schedule of World Cups, starting immediately with a weekend at Hulst and Zonhoven.
“I am notably excited to see how Katie does getting again into the World Cup subject. I believe Katie’s future and potential to be again on the high finish of the game is actually motivating for me because the staff proprietor and once I put on my staff supervisor hat (as her teammate and good friend as properly). I am keen to assist do what it takes to get her there,” Nuss stated.
