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Trebon overpowers star-studded field to win second 'cross crown

Published: Dec. 14, 2008
2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Trebon tests his medal.
2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Trebon tests his medal.
Photo: Brad Kaminski

Ryan Trebon (Kona) proved himself the strongest man on the course Sunday in Kansas City, powering to a second national cyclocross championship on a bitter cold but dry day.

Trebon's win on a course that many said suited his strengths to a T was impressive but not a huge surprise, and continued the run of national titles held by just four men since 2000; Trebon, Jonathan Page, Todd Wells and Tim Johnson have passed around the stars and stripes jersey like an Illinois Senate seat.

This year some new faces showed up on the podium, if not on the highest step. Most remarkable was Jamey Driscoll, in his first year out of the U23 ranks, who earned a second place on a tough day, ahead of three of the four former national title holders in the race.


Elite Men Cyclocross National Champions
1994 Seattle, Washington Jan Wiejack
1995 Leicester, Massachusetts Jan Wiejack
1996 Seattle, Washington Frank McCormack
1997 Lakewood, Colorado Mark McCormack
1998 Fort Devens, Massachusetts Frank McCormack
1999 San Francisco, California Mark Gullickson
2000 Kansas City, Kansas Tim Johnson
2001 Baltimore, Maryland Todd Wells
2002 Napa, California Jonathan Page
2003 Portland, Oregon Jonathan Page
2004 Portland, Oregon Jonathan Page
2005 Providence, Rhode Island Todd Wells
2006 Providence, Rhode Island Ryan Trebon
2007 Kansas City, Missouri Tim Johnson
2008 Kansas City, Missouri Ryan Trebon

Driscoll, usually riding in the shadow of his Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale teammates Johnson and Jeremy Powers, was providing routine team protection services when he chased after Jesse Anthony (Jamis) on the fourth lap, while the favorites — Trebon, Wells, Johnson and Page — were watching each other.

2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Driscoll rode powerfully to maintain his silver medal placing.
2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Driscoll rode powerfully to maintain his silver medal placing.
Photo: Brad Kaminski

Driscoll and Anthony (in his second season out of the U23 ranks) worked up a gap that eventually delivered them both to the five-man podium, even though Trebon eventually rode past the pair to a dominating win.

2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Anthony was an early animator and held on for fourth place.
2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Anthony was an early animator and held on for fourth place.
Photo: Brad Kaminski

Tense start

The chilly start was delayed a few seconds when Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW) realized with seconds to go that he was still wearing about four layers. He quickly removed the clothing, tossing a jacket over the other racers and onto the head of Anthony, who looked none too pleased. That taken care of, chief referee Diane Fortini blew the start whistle but only one rider could hear it over the wind and generator noise. She changed her location and tried again and the race got underway.

2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Page was wicked fast for the last two laps, but couldn't catch Trebon and Driscoll.
2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Page was wicked fast for the last two laps, but couldn't catch Trebon and Driscoll.
Photo: Brad Kaminski
Related Video: VeloNews.tv

Page (Planet Bike) grabbed the hole shot, dogged by freshly minted 30-34 champ Andy Jacques-Maynes (Specialized-KMC-California Giant) and Wells (GT).

The train leaves the station

Jacques-Maynes briefly took the lead, and then Trebon asserted himself, moving to the front and lining out the field up the course's long climb with Page glued to his wheel and another nine riders following.

Trebon kept the front but declined to give full effort with all the favorites on his wheel. Besides Page, Wells and Jacques-Maynes, he was followed by all three of the Cyclocrossworld.com-Cannondale riders, teammate Barry Wicks, Anthony, Chris Jones (Sonic/Jittery Joes), and Bishop.

2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Trebon fighting the wind all alone.
2008 Kansas City Cyclocross Nationals: Trebon fighting the wind all alone.
Photo: Brad Kaminski

Some feeler attacks by Wells, Trebon and Page helped the freight train drop Powers and Wicks. In the first few laps Trebon spent a lot of time looking back at the train to see who was still with him.

Anthony's attack

Near the end of the third lap, as the train rolled back down toward the start/finish line, Anthony launched a huge attack, opening up a 15-second gap quickly. As Trebon led the rest through the flat, paved finish area, he shrugged and raised his hand, inviting the others to chase.

It was about then that Johnson told Driscoll to go for it.

"Jamey was right next to me and I said 'go! go!'" Johnson said. "That gap that he got right there over Jonathan, myself and Todd was the gap that got him the second place ... if the four of us, the four favorites, are watching each other and you can get 10 seconds, that means a lot on a course like this."

While Driscoll and Anthony looked strong off the front, the four favorites cruised for another lap before Trebon attacked on the pavement, quickly closing the gap and riding past the two escapees. Driscoll managed to stay close to Trebon up the hill, while Anthony dangled back in no man's land, ahead of the remaining favorites: Johnson, Wells and Page.

Trademark Trebon

Trebon came into the race with a bit of a health scare — he felt a cold coming on late in the week and skipped two days of training — but arrived Sunday feeling great.

"I wasn't really sure if my legs would respond today. They did, but they weren't going over easy. It was hard out there. It was like doing a circuit race on the road, it was just so much climbing," he said.

Once clear of the others, Trebon looked at ease, powering up the long climb and recovering on the descent. Driscoll settled in about 20 seconds back. Farther back, Page attacked Wells and Johnson with three laps to go, bridging to Anthony and sitting in for a half lap before surging in a late-race attempt to reel in Driscoll and Trebon.

Page's late race speed secured him third place, while Anthony was fourth and Johnson fought off Wells for the final spot on the podium.

Looking ahead

Trebon started his domestic season with a win at CrossVegas, but was at less than top form for much of November due to a lingering illness. He is headed to Europe Tuesday, where he will live and travel with Powers and Driscoll, racing several World Cups in a build up toward the World Championships in late January.

Trebon will, for the second time in his career, enjoy racing in Europe with the stars and stripes jersey. The depth of young talent showed in Kansas City promises that before the decade is out someone other than the Fave Four will likely get a chance to take the jersey overseas.

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