Temps in the teens, icy conditions, and a tight, technical course made for some painful spills Friday morning at Cyclocross Nationals. Jordan had a 2nd row start in the Junior 15-16, a very strong, deep field. Conditions favored strong technical skills, along with a good helping of luck. The course was a maze of turns, with tons of off camber riding.
Jordan didn't have a good start, then a crash and dropped chain left him sitting back in 15th or so. Hey, that's cross. Anything can happen, and you just have to deal with it. The tight course made passing riders a challenge, and there were no sections to really open it up and try to make up ground. Jordan pushed hard as he could, but every time he seemed to be making progress, another crash. At one point, his bike even got tangled up in the tape.
With 1 lap to go, Jordan was sitting 11th, in striking distance of 3 riders. He dug deep, and was able to get by all 3, finishing a respectable 8th. This is significant because the top 8 riders get call-ups to the front line for next year's nationals. Way to stay tough Jordan, and salvage the race with a great finish.
The riders in front of Jordan are a who's who of USA Junior Cross Racing. Logan Owen came from behind late in the race to win his 5th consecutive National Championship. Team Clif Bar put 3 riders in the top 6 with Zane Godby (2nd), Curtis White (3rd), and Nate Morse (6th). Michael Dessau, the rider who beat Jordan in the 13-14 Jr Road Nationals this summer was 4th. Congrats to everyone on a great ride.
The Planet Bike Juniors team scored 2 National Championships with Ian Haupt (1st - Jr13-14), and Sarah Huang (1st - Jr 15-16). Kaitie Antonneau finished a strong 2nd in Jr 17-18. Well done!
Kaitie, Jordan, and Sarah warming up.
Jr Boys 15-16 Start
1 comment:
congratulations on a fantastic season !
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