Compton wins her 15th consecutive title in Kentucky
On a muddy course in Louisville, Kentucky, Katie Compton put on a dominant performance in the women’s elite race to take home her 15th straight national title.
Winning number 15 after a tough season of not feeling well and having some asthma issues in too many races, it feels really great to pull off another championship win on such an epic course. Maturity, strength, and perseverance definitely helped earn that result.
Compton had a slow start but quickly regained her composure and was able to catch and pass front-runner and fellow Trek sponsored athlete Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing) halfway though the first lap.
“I had a bit of a slow start and then got caught in some traffic through the first turn but managed to relax and just start pedaling and picking the best lines through the mud as I could,” explained Compton. “I was able to catch Ellen on the first downhill after the start and then make a pass on the second downhill and keep my gap from there.”
Compton was never challenged on the difficult mud-bogged course that wreaked havoc for most of her competitors. She gained time each lap to win by a margin of over two minutes.
The race went great for me. My bikes, tires, pressures, and pit crew were dialed for the race and I enjoyed the mud so I just needed to be smooth, keep it upright, and push as hard as I could.
“The course was heavy and broke down a lot from the all the races previously run through the week, so the mud was pretty thick and hard in spots,” continued Compton. “The running may have looked slow but it’s hard to move heavy feet uphill quickly! I felt okay and my skills were good, and I think that helped the most.”
While Compton may have been enjoying a flawless ride – and run – through the mud, behind the battle for the remaining podium steps was a close race between Ellen Noble, Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano), and Sunny Gilbert (Van Dessel Factory Team).
Gilbert’s strength in running proved beneficial in the mud as she eventually caught and passed Fahringer and Noble to finish in second. Noble held off Fahringer for the final podium spot landing two Trek athletes on the podium.
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Video interview with Katie Compton by Cyclocross Magazine
