Jelly Belly’s Jeremy Powers said it was the the block headwind that made stage four so hard, and with only four to battle to the finish they were ultimately swept up by the field. The young cyclocross superstar went with Lars Boom from the first kilometer, he is good friends with the Rababank rider and trusted that it was the right move. They tempoed up the first climb of Sierra Grade and never looked back until they approached the finish in Modesto, CA.

Jeremy talks breakaway…

Powers is one of the funniest and friendliest riders in the peloton and was excited about his effort. J-Pow spoke cramping for the latter half of the stage, skipping a few pulls towards the end, and finally being dispatched after a Lars Boom attack on the approach. The gap hovered around one minute for the last half of the stage and the breaks final survivor, Boom, was was reeled in with 2 miles left.

Shooting video and taking pics of J-Pow at the same time, the SRAM guys got skills

I caught up with Jeremy after the finish and after a few minutes to hydrate and clean up on the team bus:

I also caught up with him prior to stage two making some last minute fashion choices:

Before you pose wearing these duds, you get to drink in the crowd on the final straightaway…

We were fortunate witness Telenet Fidea’s Zdenek Stybar seal his perfect season of cyclocross from a great vantage point. I can’t imagine how special he must have felt performing-then-delivering in front of his home crowd. What a race!

(Photo courtesy of photopress.be & Telenet Fidea Team)

Zdenek Stybar (CZE) was the fastest man when it counted on Sunday and made history for SRAM by winning the 2010 Men’s Elite World Cyclocross Championships! Stybar capped a great season, and was certainly one of the favorites leading up to the race, wrapping up the World Cup overall title just last weekend. Certainly there were no guarantees and the 24-year-old had all the motivation he needed, twice finishing second on this same stage (’08, ’09). The course would certainly challenge any componentry with ice, mud, and lots of sand, which was put down to improve traction.

Stybar was riding a Ridley X-Night with a complete SRAM RED group set (BB30 cranks) and Avid’s new Shorty Ultimate brakes (soon to go into production). He, along with his trade team teammates, have been test pilots for the new Avid Shorty Ultimates, and now the new brakes wear the rainbow bands even before going into production! Post-race Stybar was elated with his result and expressed undeniable satisfaction with all of his componentry.

RESULTS

SRAM equipped racers continue the winning in 2010 by taking three cyclocross World Cup titles in Hoogerheide, Netherlands.  Teammates Zdenek Stybar and Tom Meeusen  (Telenet-Fidea) piloted their Red equipped Ridley X-Nights to the Elite and U-23 titles and Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR.nl/Destil) locked up the women’s title on her Force equipped Merida.  All three head into next week’s World Championship on the short list of race favorites.

Stybar was supported by teammate Kevin Pauwels during the race, both riders will be lining up on the new Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes on what could be an icy course in Tabor.  Van den Brand will also be able to count on her trade teammate Sanne Van Paassen, both have been chosen for the Netherlands women’s team.

American Cycolcross Champion Tim Johnson warms up in Hoogerheide (photo: McKenney)

The talk in the American pits was not only looking forward to the Worlds next week but a possibility of Louisville, Kentucky hosting the event in 2013.  Both Katie Compton and Jeremy Powers were excited at the possibility of racing for rainbow stripes on home soil.  Katie is hoping a week of rest will see her to good form in Tabor while the Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale trio of Jeremy, Jamey Driscoll and Tim Johnson used Hoogerheide as a final tune up.  US National Champion Johnson took 32^nd on his first race in Europe this season while Driscoll (40^th) and Powers (51^st) added to a solid European campaign.  Meredith Miller (20^th, California Giant Berry) and Maureen Bruno Roy (23^rd, MMRacing p/b Seven Cycles) rounded out a strong showing by American riders heading to the Worlds.

Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com team wrench Stu Thorne preps bikes for the final World Cup race in Hoogerheide

Pictures and post provided by SRAM’s man on the streets in Europe, Chris McKenney.

Cyclocross World Cup and World Championship contenders Daphny Van den Brand (ZZPR) and Zdenek Stybar (Telenet-Fidea) took wins in the cold conditions of Turveren, Belgium, this past Sunday. Stybar rides SRAM RED while Van den Brand won on SRAM Force. Stybar also rides Zipp 303 wheels.

The compact and powerful Van den Brand, the current Dutch National Champion, has likely taken over the World Cup Points lead from Katie Compton, who also rides SRAM. Van den Brand rode aggressivel and won by nearly two minutes.

Stybar won by a mere six seconds and claims that his form is improving. His team, Telenet-Fidea, had five of the top ten riders including Pauwels, Meeusen, Dlask, and Peeters.

Women:
1 Daphny Van den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida (SRAM)
2 Nikki Harris (GBr) AVB Cycling Team 0:01:40
3 Sanne Cant (Bel) BKCP – Powerplus 0:02:01

Men:
1 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team – SRAM 1:01:42
2 Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 0:00:06
3 Kevin Pauwels (Bel) Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team – SRAM 0:00:18

Katie Compton and Zdenek Stybar have put SRAM at the top of the UCI Cyclo Cross World Cup this season. Katie is leading the World Cup since race 1 and has a 10 point gap on fellow SRAM rider Daphny Van den Brand. Styby is equal on points with current World Champion Niels Albert. Albert will wear the World Cup leaders jersey this weekend in Zolder, as he has won 3 World Cups this year compared to Stybar’s 2 wins.

Katie and Zdenek will continue the battle for the World Cup in Zolder on Saturday and SRAM’s ‘The Road Diaries’ will be there to give an inside picture of the racing and the SRAM Teams.

Daphny Van den Brand (Ned) from Team ZZPR has won the Womens UCI World Cup race in Kalmthout, Belgium riding the 2010 SRAM Force.  The new SRAM Force has undergone significant race testing including riding the entire Tour de France, but Daphny’s win in a World Cup race takes Force to the next Level. Daphny has been riding SRAM since we began on the road around 3 years ago, she has consistently won major Cross races and World Championship medals during this time. 

Daphny defeated current World Champion Marianne Vos (Ned) and SRAM Red rider Katie Compton (USA), current leader of the Womens World Cup series. Daphny has hit form at the right time and will go into the National and World Championship time period in January as a favourite in every race she starts. 

Katie Compton’s (Planet Bike) talent on a cross bike is undeniable, the Planet Bike rider and six-time U.S. Cyclocross National Champion (consecutive) again rode away from her competition this past weekend and the Nationals in Bend, OR. She granted me a few minutes to talk about her race, the conditions on the day, and her equipment. The not shy once you know her world beater is one of the nicest and most geniune people you will ever meet. She is managed by her husband, Mark, who is also her wrench and training partner. These two make a great combination and complement each otehr really well in the difficult sport of bike racing.

We wish Katie and Mark the best of luck as they return to Europe this week for more World Cup Cross races. Katie remains the World’s number one ranked women’s cyclocross racer. She, of course, races SRAM componentry and Zipp wheels.

U.S. Cross Nationals in Bend, OR, featured moderate temps and ground that was a combination of ice, mud, grass, with conditions changing every lap. Huge crowds lined a classic cross course that most felt would benefit the more technical rider.

The 2009 version was expected to be a duel for the ages with past and present national champions on hand. Five-time winner Katie Compton (Planet Bike) was a favorite and expected to repeat despite a recent cold. The men had at least three former winners present in Todd Wells (Specialized), reigning champion Ryan Trebon (Kona), and two-time winner Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com). Compton, Johnson and Wells were SRAM and Zipp equipped.

The Women began late morning, just as the sun started to heat the frozen ground, and it was Katie Compton taking the holeshot and, literally, never looking back. The battle for second place came down to Amy Dombroski (Schlamm/Primus Mootry/SRAM) and Meredith Miller (Giant Strawberry Farms). The two battled back and forth and Dombroski went down on an icy pavement and gravel transition that was shielded from the sun, Miller took full advantage. They were separated by less than ten seconds at the finish. Compton’s title was her sixth consecutive, a record.

Compton looking cool but with a cold before winning her 6th consecutive U.S. Cyclocross National Title

SRAM swept the top three podium positions with Compton on RED and Zipp wheels, and Dombroski and Miller on SRAM Force. Miller also rode Zipp wheels.

The Men’s race was anyone’s guess with local favorite Trebon, on form Jeremy Powers (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com), Jamey Driscoll(Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com), Jones (Champion System), Jonathon Page (Planet Bike), Johnson, Trebon, and Wells.

The race saw countless shifts of position but Jeremy Powers, through the first half, was on a mission. He took the holeshot had a good size gap to Trebon and Johnson at nearly 10 seconds just before the mid-point of the race. After J-Pow decked it on a stair transition, his teammate had no choice but to take advantage and try and gap Trebon, which he did, taking his third title and having nearly 20 seconds to celebrate.

SRAM and Zipp athletes took both titles for the first time ever; we congratulate every competitor and National Champion. Stay tuned for a complete total of SRAM Cross National Championships when we do a componentry count back this week.

Elite Men’s National Cyclocross Championship results:
1ST – Tim Johnson (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) – SRAM RED /Zipp 303s
2nd – Ryan Trebon (Kona)
3rd – Jonathon Page (Planet Bike)
4th – Todd Wells (Specialized) – SRAM RED/Zipp 303s
5TH – Jeremy Powers (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) – SRAM RED/Zipp 303s

Elite Women’s results:
1st – Katie Compton (Planet Bike) – SRAM RED/Zipp 303s
2nd – Meredith Miller (Giant Strawberry Farms) – SRAM Force/Zipp 303s
3rd – Amy Dombroski (Schlamm/Primus Mootry/SRAM) – SRAM Force
4th – Alison Dunlap (Luna)
5th – NA

I was fortunate enough to bump into a four-time U.S. Masters Womens Cyclocross Champion in Bend, OR, today when she stopped by the SRAM tent to thank Jose from SRAM NRS, who helped her before her win on Friday. Julie Lockheart has been racing for many years with great success and is a perfect example of the dedication and committed atheltes you can find at the grassroots of cycling, something we at SRAM strongly support.

“Quick, simple, easy to shift” is what Julie said when asked about her SRAM componentry, which is what she equips all four of her bikes with. Her passion is evident and she absolutely represents the type of advocate companies like ours are lucky to have. Congratulations to Julie and we look forward to continued success and a repeat on SRAM in 2010.