December 13, 2009. Team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com Newsletter. Bend, Oregon was the backdrop for the biggest weekend of racing action on the American cyclocross calendar. Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll headed to the United States National Championships as strong title favorites, and the team did not disappoint. Johnson, Powers and Driscoll were among the day’s main protagonists from the get-go, setting the stage for Johnson to emerge from the scrum with his fourth career National Championship.

Team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com entered the weekend of the United States Cyclocross National Championships as three of the favorites in an Elite Men’s race that featured one of the deepest talent pools of all time. The team came in with high expectations heaped upon them after finishing up the regular season with twenty-one wins as well as the overall victory in the North American Cyclocross Trophy series. All of their prior results would go out the window, however, when Johnson, Powers and Driscoll hit the line for one last time in America.

It did not take Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com long after the starter’s gun fired to open up the throttle. As has been his trademark all season, Jeremy Powers grabbed the holeshot and shifted the pressure onto his rivals. “I wanted to take off from the beginning,” said Powers. “I saw in the earlier races that that was the way to go. I saw guys taking off and holding on to the race, so that’s the plan I wanted to follow.” Powers quickly opened up a gap over an elite chase group that quickly formed behind. As Johnson bided his time, waiting patiently for the right time to strike, the chasing was left to Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) and Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA). Just behind, Jamey Driscoll was working his way through the field, closing in on the action at the front. The team’s tactics allowed Powers’ gap to extend, as Powers continued to press his early advantage. Jonathan Page was first to exit the chase group, as he headed to the pits to grab a bike with better tire pressures.

Noting the absence of one of his rivals, Johnson decided the time was right to open up his race, inching both closer to Powers and away from Trebon. Before long, Johnson’s pace had pulled him up to Powers’ wheel, and Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com was firmly in the driver’s seat of the biggest race of the season. Johnson made sure that when he got to Powers, he did so alone. “There was very little drafting out there, so when I went across to Jeremy, I went across clean, and there wasn’t really any pulling going on at that point.” Not far behind, Driscoll was hard at work keeping tabs on Page and Todd Wells (Specialized), ensuring that the dangerous pairing did not make inroads into his teammates’ advantage. “I rode a pretty smart race and went as hard as I possibly could. I’m pretty pleased with how I did,” said Driscoll of his day.

Powers was having the best Nationals ride of his career, and looked like the only man who could challenge Johnson for the title. Disaster struck midway through the race, when a slick, off-camber corner sent Powers to the ground, allowing Johnson and Trebon to ride away and battle for victory. Powers, however, was determined not to let the crash faze him, as he remounted and charged off to salvage his day. “On that course, 15 seconds was an eternity. I left it all out there, and I know other guys did too.” Powers found Driscoll for company, fighting amongst Page and Wells for the final podium spot. A trip to the pits to switch back to his original bike for Powers, and accelerations by a resurgent Page and Wells saw Powers and Driscoll left to fight for fifth. Driscoll and Powers remained together for much of the race, with only a sprint for the line separating the two. “We were both trying as hard as we possibly could,” said Driscoll of racing with Powers. “We were racing our brains out because it’s the National Championships, and that’s what you do.” Powers managed to out kick Driscoll, finishing his day in fifth, with only meters separating Driscoll in sixth.

Up ahead, Johnson had eked out a four second advantage over Trebon, and had lost himself in the task of holding off the motivated Bend native. Johnson’s only goal for the remainder of the race was to ride as smoothly and safely as possible while keeping himself and the rest of the field at bay. “I really just kept my head down and tried to steer my own bike, and not really think about anything else.” As the laps melted away, Johnson was able to extend his lead little by little, but the race never looked as it had a clear winner. “If you got too out of control or too aggressive, you’d pay for it by dabbing or crashing. I kept an eye on the field and I knew that if I got a little bit of a gap and was going as fast as I could, the chances of holding on got better.”

Johnson never took his foot off the accelerator, and as he entered the final meters of the day, the realization that the National Title was his finally became apparent. “I really couldn’t believe it. Within the actual race, I actually lost track of how many laps I had left because I was so focused on riding as fast as I could and not crashing. When I came through with one to go, I didn’t believe it! Then I started thinking, this is awesome, and I might actually get this!”

Behind, Powers’ sprint for fifth place matched his best ever finish at the National Championships, but the manner in which Powers animated the first half of the race speaks volumes to both Powers’ ability and his potential. “I’m happy that I was able to throw down, and give myself an opportunity to win. We rode strong all year and it’s a great way to cap the year.” Driscoll’s sixth place finish, too, signals that the best things are yet to come for the young man from Vermont. Finishing the day in first, fifth and sixth met and far exceeded the expectations put on team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com.

The twenty-five seconds that stands as Johnson’s victory margin does not tell the story of how hard Trebon pushed Johnson throughout the race. In the end, however, Johnson emerged with his third Elite Men’s United States Cyclocross National Championship – adding to the Elite titles he won in Kansas City in 2000 and 2007 – and his sixth National Title overall – having won Espoirs titles in Fort Devens, Massachusetts in 1998 and Presido, California in 1999, as well as a Junior title in 1995 in Leicester, Massachusetts.

Johnson described the win among the biggest of his career thus far, saying, “I’d say this win ranks at number one, maybe number two. In 2007, I only got the lead with one lap to go, but this one I led for so long. The longer you lead, the more chance you have to lose it, so it was pretty exciting to be able to hold on for that long. I was thinking this morning that I didn’t want to get too nervous, because I realize just what it feels like. All I wanted to do was give myself the opportunity to win.” Johnson will not be satisfied to end his season with his Nationals victory, and will now turn his sights to the year’s biggest goal: a top ten finish at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic on January 31. “I want to be top ten at Worlds, and that’s not going to change. The course is pretty similar to this weekend, and I think if I’ve got some good training, I’ll be in a good position.”

All three Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com team members will head across the Atlantic this week, arriving in Belgium on Thursday. Jamey Driscoll will be the first of the team to open up his European campaign at the season’s next World Cup in Kalmthout, Belgium on December 20th. Shortly thereafter, Powers will join Driscoll in the European peloton at the Noordzeecross in Middelkerke, Belgium on December 23rd. Johnson will take some time away from racing and put in a hard training block before heading to Europe on January 20, tackling the World Cup in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands on January 24 to begin his European season.

December 6, 2009. Team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com Newsletter. The team traveled to the West Coast to tackle the Portland Cup, the final weekend of racing in the 2009 United States Gran Prix of Cyclocross series. The team was eager to confirm their form ahead of the U.S. National Championships as well as grab a podium or two in the last major weekend of American cyclocross before Sunday’s National Championships. For more information, head to www.cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com.

The Portland Cup is one of the most prestigious races on the American cyclocross calendar, and a win that every rider wants to add to their trophy case. As if the competition wasn’t stiff enough, the Portland Cup is also the final test for America’s cyclocross elite ahead of the National Championships, with every rider eager to cement themselves as a title favorite. Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll each headed to Portland rested and ready for battle.

The muddy conditions that have become synonymous with racing in Oregon were notably absent when Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com arrived in Portland. The loose mud was replaced by frozen, fast conditions. As has been the case many times this season, Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com were present at the front end of the race, and it was Jeremy Powers who was best placed of the team’s three riders. Powers was one of the day’s main protagonists, emerging from the early fray in an elite group containing Todd Wells (Specialized) and Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA). Only one group behind, Johnson and Driscoll were desperately chasing the leading group. “The first few laps, before the gap was established, we were going all out to get there. Once we knew they were gone, we started to focus on holding where we were.

Powers, Wells and Trebon continued to trade attacks amongst themselves, and it was Powers’ tenacity that kept him in the mix. Powers found himself distanced by Wells and Trebon at times, leading many to believe he’d have to settle for third, only to see him claw his way back into the mix. “Todd was closing down a bunch of gaps, and Ryan [Trebon] took me off the back one time and it was a really hard day. Trebon was taking pulls that were tearing our legs off,” said Powers. As the race continued, the team began to find their legs, with Powers composed at the front, responding to the attacks thrown at him, and Johnson and Driscoll attacking out of their chase group to chase the leaders. Johnson reflected on his race by saying, “For the first forty minutes of the race, I was really struggling. I was trying too hard, trying to force things. The legs weren’t really responding. The last twenty minutes I came alive a little bit more.”

Heading into the final meters of the race, Powers and Wells, had escaped from Trebon, but the race would come down to a final sprint. Wells was able to get to the race’s final corner in the lead, and despite turning himself inside out to prevent it, Powers could not nip Wells at the line. Thanks to their strong riding in the race’s second half, Johnson and Driscoll managed to hang on to fourth and fifth place, respectively.

As day broke on Sunday, the Powers, Johnson and Driscoll were all looking to improve on their performances from Saturday. Powers was particularly eager to upgrade his Saturday finish, and shot out to the holeshot as soon as the starter’s gun fired. Johnson was not far behind, and quickly a leading group of Powers, Johnson and Todd Wells had established itself. Powers and Johnson were keen on dictating the pace at the front; both trying to distance Wells and ensure that no more riders made the selection.

Powers and Johnson were in constant contact, picking strategic locations to launch stinging attacks, and making sure that the other wouldn’t be dropped when the first attacked. “We had a good race. Tim and I played of each other. We were just on the same page all day, making sure one guy wasn’t off the back, making sure one guy was ready to attack,” said Powers of the team’s tactics. Powers and Johnson managed to hold off any chasing competition, but Wells was resilient, and the three-man group entered the final lap together. “We had to do pretty much everything we could to handle Todd,” said Johnson of the team’s efforts on Sunday. “Todd was the strongest in that group. If we hadn’t been attacking early in the race, that last lap would have been totally different.”

Powers and Johnson continued their assault, and heading into the final turn of the race, it was Powers who had established a small but significant gap over Wells and Johnson. “The finish was crazy! I went for it, then Todd came around me, I went back around him. It was bananas,” said Powers of the lead up to the finish. From there, Powers continued his acceleration through the finish line, reversing the final result from Saturday. Wells sprinted home for second, while Johnson improved his Saturday result and stepped onto the podium. Driscoll rode a solid race, after battling through a sickness during the week, finishing up seventh on the day, and securing a third place finish overall in the USGP standings. “The course wasn’t muddy and slow like you’d expect, it was just blisteringly fast. I definitely could have gone better, but I was feeling pretty smoked. Luckily I’ve got a week to work those things out.”

For Powers, Sunday’s win was his ninth of the season, and his second win in the USGP series this year, following his victory in Wisconsin in September. Powers upped the team’s win total to 21. Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com finished up the USGP season with five victories, as well as two spots on the USGP overall podium, with Johnson finishing just ahead of Driscoll in second and third.

Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com has only one more weekend of domestic racing left on their agenda, as they head to Bend, Oregon for the U.S. Cyclocross National Championships. America’s elite talent has been peaking for strong performances in Bend, and Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com are no exception. All three members of the team are confident in their form and have established themselves as favorites for Sunday’s main event. Johnson is ready to battle for nationals, saying, “I think next Sunday, it’s going to be game on. I can’t imagine it being an easy race for anyone. Whoever wins is going to have to really fight for it.” Driscoll, too, is ready to repeat and improve on his second place performance from last year, saying, “I definitely think I can do it. I’m looking forward to trying to do that again.” “I’m there and I think I have a shot, and that’s all anyone can really ask for going into next weekend,” said Powers of his form and his chances in Bend. Regardless of the outcome, Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com promises to be among the key favorites next Sunday in Bend, Oregon.