Czech champion opens World Cup campaign on home soil
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Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) takes her fourth consecutive victory(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Nash wins a very muddy second USGP race.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Reigning Czech Republic national cyclo-cross champion Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) is hoping to finish on the podium in the first two UCI Cyclo-cross World Cups, held in her home country on October 16 in Plzen and on October 23 in Tabor.
She will arrive at the World Cups in top form having already won five consecutive US events.
"It is exciting and I know both of the places where we will be competing," Nash told Cyclingnews. "Both the races being in the Czech Republic makes it really easy travel. I will be staying with my family for the week in between.
"We just had a mountain bike World Cup in the Czech Republic this summer and it was amazing as far a spectators and support," she said. "I feel like the Czech fans are really into cycling right now. It is really exciting to race at home and I am looking forward to having the hometown advantage and support."
Nash opened the season with her first victory at CrossVegas in Las Vegas. She went on to win StarCrossed p/b Stanley and the Rapha-Focus Gran Prix held in Washington. She then won bothdays of racing at the Exergy US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Planet Bike Cup in Wisconsin last weekend.
"Every race you win is great and I felt like there have been quite a few during the last two weeks," Nash said. "I also had good fitness coming into the ‘cross season from the mountain bike season. That is why I want to do as many ‘cross races as I can now in the early season. After the two World Cups I will go back to training later on. But, winning is good and I can't complain."
Nash will travel to the Czech Republic next week to compete in the two opening World Cups in Plzen and Tabor near her hometown. She is unsure how her form will compare to other European competitors who she has not raced with since the world championships held last winter in St Wendel, Germany.
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"I will be hoping for good results in front of my family and friends," Nash said. "I placed on the podium quite often in the last two years and I don't race that often. With a good start I know I can be in the game for the podium and so that is my focus.
"Having said that, you just never know because we haven't seen the European ‘cross racers since January and you never know where people start at. I definitely want to have a good race. It doesn't really matter what everyone else is doing, I just have to do my best. If that is winning or getting fourth place, that is all you can really do."
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
