Katie Compton became the first two-time world championship medallist in American cyclo-cross history after she finished in third place at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Holland on Sunday. Compton won bronze behind Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and runner-up Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) in a final three-up sprint finish.
The trio had separated themselves from the remainder of the 35 finishers. Compton took control early on, mounting a 17-second lead on her competitors just one and a half laps into the four-lap event. But, by the end of the third lap, a determined Kupfernagel had closed the gap while Vos hung tightly to the German's wheel. Entering the final, paved 200-meter stretch to the finish, Vos led out the sprint and managed to keep ahead of Kupfernagel and Compton.
For Compton, the bronze medal caps off perhaps the most successful season for an American cyclo-cross racer. Throughout her 2008-09 campaign, she won three UCI World Cup races, placed second in another and won the USA Cycling elite women's national championship - all before finishing on the podium in Hoogerheide.
As the silver medalist at the World Championships in 2007, Compton entered the race as one of the favorites, along with Kupfernagel and Dutchwoman Daphny van den Brand. But as Vos emerged as a contender throughout the day, the orange-clad Dutch squad developed an advantage in numbers. With van den Brand in the first chase group behind the leaders, Vos was largely able to conserve her energy in the breakaway and save it for the finishing sprint.
"It was frustrating, but it was a good ride," Compton said afterwards. "It's been a good year, and the bronze is nothing to be disappointed with. There were tactics, but I rode a good race."
Compton's finish was the best of the American women, who all finished in the top 20. Despite miscalculating the finishing lap, Rachel Lloyd placed 11th. Mountain biker Georgia Gould crossed the line in 13th place and Sue Butler and Laura Van Gilder finished 17th and 19th respectively.
