PHOTO: Katie Compton at the Carmichael Training Systems International Classic at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in July.

By Brian Holcombe

VeloNews

BEND, Ore. - Katie Compton (Planet Bike) collected her seventh cyclocross national championship on Sunday in Oregon, riding away from Luna’s Georgia Gould on the second lap of a heavy, muddy course. Meredith Miller (Cal Giant-Specialized) returned from a slow start that had in out of the top 25 to earn a bronze medal.

Thousands of animated race fans looked on as Compton diced the equally technical and power-sapping course, which she called World Cup caliber.

Compton missed her pedal at the start and went backward through the second row as LadiesFirst’s Andrea Smith grabbed the hole shot only to see Sue Butler (Hudz-Subaru) replace her out front. But the defending national champion quickly moved up, jumping out of a five-rider chase and latching onto Gould, who had stormed up and into the lead on the first lap of a wind-whipped 1.8-mile circuit at the Old Mill District in Bend.

“I was in traffic at probably 15th or so for the first couple turns and then I finally could move through traffic,” said Compton.

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