(Photo: Bart Hazen)
KATIE CLOUSE
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? Yes, this was my first World Championship race and also my first European cyclocross race.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I was 16th ranked so I was the last person to make second row, which I was stoked about! I finished 25th after a brutal day of racing.
Was it the most challenging course you have ever raced?
Yes, absolutely. I have never raced a harder course than this Limburg track in my career. The combination of the running, the technical descents, and the thick mud made for a brutal race.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? Racing was for sure my favorite part. The crowds were amazing. So many people cheering “Go USA!” Being able to watch the U23 and Elite men race was great, too. There were so many spectators.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? I learned to not to take anything for granted, especially the racing and the support. Coming into the World Championships I didn't know what to expect. Now with a little experience under my belt I know how hard I need to train in order to be the best I can be next year at Worlds.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? Homework! Lots and lots of homework. Oh, and sleeping! My body needs a healthy break. In a few weeks I start ramping up for mountain and road bike season.
What tires did you use and at what pressure? I used the Donnelly PDX with 22psi in the front and back. I have been riding the PDX almost the whole season so it was what I was most conformable with.
GAGE HECHT
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? No, this was my fourth. My first was in Tabor, Czech Republic, then Huesden Zolder, Belgium as a junior. My first U23 race was last year in Biels, Luxembourg.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish this year? I started front row and finished ninth.
Was this year’s Worlds course the most challenging you have ever raced? It was. The combination of elevation, heavy mud, and the amount of running throughout the lap made it nearly impossible to recover.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? Rolling across the finish line was the best part of the trip. It was the moment that tied the whole season together for me. Getting a top ten result at Worlds was a big goal and it felt good to achieve it.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? My result verified how important the running training was that I did leading up to the race. I was still exhausted and I can't imagine how much worse the race would have felt without that fitness. I think one thing I could have improved on my race would have been reducing my fear of crashing. I think I missed out on some opportunities by racing too conservatively.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? I am taking some time to get caught up on school. I am also going to enjoy some outdoor activities I like, but I can’t do during the race season.
What tires did you use and at what pressure? It was a definite mud tire day. I went with the Donnelly PDX at 23psi front and rear.
GRANT ELLWOOD
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? This was my third trip to Worlds. My first Worlds was in Tabor, Czech Republic and then in Zolder, Belgium the following year.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I started as the first rider on the fourth row, but with how everyone lines up over there I was really on the third row. I ended up finishing 29th, which was not what I was hoping for, but I left it all out there.
Was this year’s Worlds course the most challenging you have ever raced? This was the most physically challenging course by far, but maybe not the most technically.challenging course. The mud and the super deep ruts made the course very challenging. Once we went down the sketchy ‘S’ turns it was all uphill from there with lots of long, slow heavy sections and run ups along the way giving us no time to rest at all.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? The highlight of the trip for me was getting to go race and ride around with a lot of good friends in some insane conditions. Over the years the racers have become very good friends and it’s always fun to be on these trips with everyone.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? This trip I learned to keep fighting. This course was demoralizing and you had to keep your head in the race because no one was feeling good.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? I have a few weeks off and then I am off to a road team camp with ‘The 303 Project’, which should be awesome. I see a lot of ice cream in the near future as well!
What tires did you use and at what pressure? I ran the Donnelly PDX at 21psi front and 22psi in the rear, which felt awesome. I felt comfortable on the tires and they were hooking up really well in the mud.
LAUREL RATHBUN
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? This was my second Worlds. I previously did the Zolder World Championships two years ago, which was the inaugural year for U23 women’s category.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I started fifth row due to not getting very many UCI points this year. I think I finished 39th. It was not a good day.
Was it the most challenging course you have ever raced? This was the hardest, most savage course I've ever done. There was so much mud, which led to a lot of running and a lot of pit exchanges. If it had been dry it might have been technically easier, but it’s a ‘cross race…they are all hard!
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? The highlight was just being there and experiencing my last race as a U23. The environment is incredible. I love it there. Plus, we got these awesome Dutch pancakes (pannekoeken) in Valkenburg on Sunday!
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? I reflected a bunch on the whole season while at Worlds. I realized this past year, and maybe my whole racing life, I've spread myself way too thin across all different disciplines and not really taken enough time off. It showed so much this season and especially at Worlds. I'm excited to be stepping away from road racing this year and spending the next 8 months getting ready for the next cyclocross season.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? I'm currently in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this semester doing a full-time accounting internship with Ernst & Young. It counts as 12 credits so I am still eligible for collegiate racing with Marian University in a few months. I am not planning on riding my bike for at least 5-6 weeks and then when I start. I will do a short collegiate road season ending at collegiate road nationals May 4-6th. When I'm not at the internship, I'll be riding dirt bikes at my aunt’s house!
What tires did you use and at what pressure? I used the Donnelly PDX and at 23 psi in the front and 24 psi in the rear.
KERRY WERNER
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? No, last year at Bieles, Luxembourg was my first Worlds.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I was the second call up on the third row and finished 28th.
Was it the most challenging course you have ever raced? Yes, by far. The mud caused ruts deeper than I had ever ridden, but also meant a ton a running, which is no my strong suit. The right balance of tire pressure was key. The hardest part of the race was gauging effort. I was never sprinting at full speed, but I was pinned the entire time. I was constantly trying to not go too far into the red zone because it took so much awareness and concentration to ride the ruts on the descents.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? The crowds were huge. There were tons of people and the Limburg course was pretty condensed. It made the crowd seem so much bigger. Plus, people are always cheering no matter who you are or what place you’re in. It’s a very motivating atmosphere.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships?Racing in Europe is always a learning experience. The efforts, techniques, and styles are so much different than the United States. Every year I seem to learn more from the European racers I get to know. I ask important questions about training then take that wisdom home and incorporate into next season. I need to work on my ‘tractor pull’ efforts, which means a lot low cadence, high muscle tension efforts are in my future. I’ll likely couple that with running as well, which always needs improvement because of the lack of it we have in U.S. races.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? Dirt bikes, mountain bikes, bike packing, hiking and getting married!
What tires did you use and at what pressure? I was on the Donnelly PDX at 22psi in the front and 24psi in the rear.
COURTENAY McFADDEN
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? Nope. Last year was my first Worlds event in Biels, Luxembourg.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I started on the third row and finished 26th.
Was it the most challenging course you have ever raced? With all the running and the climbing required after the running, the course was extremely physically demanding. I thought it was going to be a lot more technical than it ended up being. Don't get me wrong, it was still quite technical, but due to some of the sections not being rideable, thus having to run, it took out some of the technical bits of the course. The most technically challenging aspect for me was the deep mud ruts. We don't get those in the U.S. The ruts got me every lap!
Was it the mud that made it more challenging or was it the course itself? The mud. The mud was like clay. You would spit out as much strength on the pedals as you could and you wouldn't go anywhere. I feel the course being hilly was a factor, but I truly think it was the mud that added so much challenge to the course. Flat sections that without the mud, would have been ride-able became running sections because the mud was so soul sucking. I swear so many times I was doing everything in my might to move forward and I would come to a complete stop. If you let it, it very easily could have become demoralizing mentally!
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? Getting to Worlds was the highlight for me. I had hip surgery on Feb. 9th, 2017 and at the beginning of the season, the question remained to me on whether my season was going to be successful or not. To be able to go from crutches to racing at Worlds in less than a year made the trip a dream.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? I need to practice riding ruts more and run a lot more. Having had hip surgery, and needing surgery on my other hip meant I haven't been able to incorporate any running into my training. Once I'm healed up from this second surgery, I'll be running again. We don't get many deep ruts at U.S. courses, so I am going to have to find or make some ruts in order to practice.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? Left hip surgery, some downtime, a trip to Hawaii, yoga, recovery and hip rehab. I’ll be building back strength from surgery, and prepping once again for next cyclocross season!
What tires did you use and at what pressure? I ran the Donnelly PDX with 17psi in the front and 18psi in the rear. No flats!
ERIC BRUNNER
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? This was my second World Championship. I raced at Zolder, Belgium in 2016.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I had a second row start, but unfortunately was unable to finish due to a mechanical.
Was it the most challenging course you have ever raced? Yes, the mud was incredibly heavy. With more elevation change than I'd ever seen on a cross course, it was one of the most difficult I have ever done.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? I was very happy to be on the Worlds team. It’s an honor to be selected. I was also happy I showed some good form riding in the top ten on the first lap before my race-ending mechanical.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? On this trip I learned one can do all the preparation possible and still have bad luck, but that’s racing.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you?
I’ll have a couple weeks of rest and catching up on schoolwork. I’ll also start some strength training.
What tires did you use and at what pressure?
I used the Donnelly PDX 19psi in the front 20psi in the rear.
DENZEL STEPHENSON
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? I went to Worlds in Zolder, Belgium two years ago and Luxembourg last year. I also did track worlds this past summer in Montichiarti, Italy.
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I started on the fourth row and finished up 36th. Not my best race, but I my season has been a bit and up down. Unfortunately, this was a down day.
Was this year’s Worlds course the most challenging you have ever raced? It was definitely one of the most challenging courses I've done, if not the hardest. I think the combination of the mud and elevation made it incredibly difficult. The course would have been really hard even if it was dry. The mud took it up about 10 notches and made it insanely hard.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? The highlight of the trip was probably just getting to ride that course. It was definitely one of the most fun courses I've ridden with the deep ruts and fun off cambers and descents.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? The main lesson I took home is to make sure I do the proper preparation this spring and summer so I can be at the level I want to be at throughout the entire race season.
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? It will consist of resting, doing school work and catching up with friends I haven’t seen much during the race season. I'm also going to visit my girlfriend in Oregon so that will be nice.
What tires did you use and at what pressure? I used the Donnelly PDX with 21psi in the front and 22psi in the rear.
MAXX CHANCE
Was this your first Cyclocross World Championships? This was my fourth World Championship. I raced in the junior category in Louisville and Hoogerhiede, and as a U23 in Bieles and now Valkenberg
What row did you start on and what place did you finish? I started on the third row and finished 39th
Was it the most challenging course you have ever raced? Yes, it was the most physically, mentally, and technical tracks I've done. The mud made some sections impossible to ride and the deep ruts were super challenging. There was a significant amount of running which was tough, too.
What was the highlight of the trip/race for you? For me, just being at the World Championships was the highlight. It is such a big race that nothing we do during the regular season even comes close. It is amazing to be able to race in front of tens of thousands of people that love cyclocross.
What lessons did you learn at this World Championships? I was reminded of the level the Europeans are at, both physically and technically. I am going to take this into my off-season preparation for next year and try to build on the success of this year
Now that the cross season is over what does the off-season look like for you? It looks like school, textbooks, homework, and tests. I need to make up what I missed while I was gone. Then I'm going to try to explore the Colorado mountains a bit and do some of the fun things that I miss out on during the season.
What tires did you use and at what pressure?
I used the Donnelly PDX at 21psi in the front and 23psi in the rear. I opted to ride a bit more pressure than I might usually in the mud due to some places where the course had some flat potential.
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