Bigger, Badder USGP of Cyclocross Announces 2009 Portland Dates

The U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross, this country's premiere 'cross series, will return for a third year in 2009 and expand to a fourth weekend.

Along with the races in Louisville, KY, Mercer County, NJ, and Portland, OR, the USGP plans to add a fourth weekend of racing with the Planet Bike Cup in Madison, WI.

The 2009 USGP schedule boasts eight days of professional and amateur racing. The series kicks off Sept. 26 and 27 with the Planet Bike Cup in Wisconsin, followed by the Derby City Cup on Oct. 25 and 26 in Kentucky. The USGP will continue with the Mercer Cup in New Jersey Nov. 14 and 15 before returning to Portland Dec. 5 and 6 for the traditional series finale.

The Portland Cup weekend will start a big month of top-notch cyclocross in Oregon; the USA Cycling National Championships follow a week later in Bend.

Trebon Powers To National Championship

(UPDATED BELOW With More Oregon Rider Results)

Bend's Ryan Trebon (pictured here at the USGP #5) won the Elite Men's race of the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships today in Kansas City.

Trebon (Kona), who a week ago won the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross #6 in Portland, finished ahead of Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale's Jamey Driscoll in second and third-placed Johnathan Page (Planet Bike), a three-time national champion who races mostly in Europe.

Trebon previously won the Elite Men's U.S. Cyclocross National Championship in 2006. Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale), who won the USGP #5 in Portland and the overall series crown, won the national championship race in 2007.

ELITE MEN'S TOP FIVE
1. Ryan Trebon (Kona)
2. Jamey Driscoll (Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale)
3. Jonathan Page (Planet Bike)
4. Jesse Anthony (Jamis)
5. Tim Johnson Cyclocrossworld.com/Cannondale)

ELITE WOMEN'S TOP FIVE
1. Katie Compton (Spike Shooter)
2. Georgia Gould (Luna)
3. Rachel Lloyd (California Giant Berry Farms)
4. Laura Van Gilder (C3 Sollay)
5. Amy Dombroski (Velo Bella-Kona)

OREGON FINISHERS
MEN
13. WICKS, Barry, Corvallis (Kona)
16. TONKIN, Erik, Portland (Kona)
17. WORAS, Solomon, Winthrop, WA (Vanilla Bicycles)
27. DECKER, Carl, Bend (Broadmark)
28. CAMERON, Molly, Portland (Vanilla Bicycles)
34. BABCOCK, Sean Corvallis (Team S&M)
54. HULICK, Kevin, Portland (Gentle Lovers)
61. YEATER, Davy, Portland (River City Bicycles)

WOMEN
9. BUTLER, Sue, Portland (MonavieCannondale.com)
12. MAZZA, Rhonda, Portland (Vanilla/Team S&M)
13. WILLIAMS, Wendy, Portland (River City Bicycles)
18. VAN METER, Emily, Portland (River City Bicycles)
34. FLAHERTY, Colleen, Portland (Veloce)

Veloce's Sheagley Third In Kansas City

Portlander Eric Sheagley (Veloce-Felt) took third today in the Men's Masters 35-39 age-graded division at the U.S. Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City.

Oregon Bicycle Racing Association state cyclocross champion Kevin Hulik just missed the podium, coming across the line in fourth. Sheagley finished 1.21 behind winner Brandon Dwight (Boulder Cycle Sport). Hulik was 2.24 behind.

Sheagley (pictured here at the Kruger's Crossing race on Sauvie's Island) is the OBRA Men's Masters champion in the time trial (35-39), the criterium (30-39) and the track 1k TT (35-39) at Alpenrose Velodrome.

Sheagley's podium place follows on the heels of Friday's win by OBRA member Wendy Williams (40-44) and a second place finish by her River City Teammate Emily VanMeter (30-34).

Find A more complete list of Pacific Northwest finishers HERE.

Cross Nats For Oregon Next Year?

Don't mark your calendar yet, but Oregon just may host the nation's top cyclocross weekend in 2009.

As first reported at cxmagazine.com, Cross Crusade promoter and local USGP organizer Brad Ross hinted Sunday that Oregon could be hosting the 2009 National Cyclocross Championships.

"Next year the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships sound very much like it's going to potentially be in this state," he told the cheering crowd gathered for the USGP awards ceremony Sunday evening at Portland International raceway.

CX Magazine reports that Bend has put in the Oregon bid.

Cyclingnews.com broke the news that there are actually two bids from the Pacific Northwest.

"Another bid has been submitted from eastern Washington, giving the Pacific Northwest a strong chance of hosting the national championships next year," according to the website.

Can't Wait!