Trebon heads for Europe

By Steve Medcroft

Ryan Trebon (Kona) will be joining Americans Jonathan Page and Jeremy Powers on the European cyclocross circuit starting in mid November. “I'm leaving right after the Highland Park race next week (Highland Park, New Jersey, November 6 th ),” Trebon said after racing the two US Gran prix of Cyclocross series races in Gloucester, Massachusetts this past weekend. “I leave Monday morning, come back the Tuesday before nationals, and then go back the Monday right after.”

Trebon says he has been working on arrangements for the trip all year. “We have a good manager who set up a bunch of start contracts. I'm doing something like thirty races. It's quite a bit of racing but they're spread out quite a bit. Except during the holiday season; you can race twelve times in fourteen days (in the Christmas and New Year's weeks). I'm not going to do every race available to me - I've been trying to pick races that suit me, races at which I feel I can do well but also get enough rest before the next one.”

Trebon says he feels his form is returning after taking six weeks off late in the MTB season due to a broken wrist sustained in a crash at the International Tour de ‘Toona. And his results in the USGP series show it (two wins and currently leading the series on points). The fact that he pulled out of Saturday's race and took a DNF rather than finish shouldn't be taken as a sign of weakness, he says. “On Saturday I was frustrated because I was caught behind a bunch of crashes and I just wasn't feeling it. I was getting frustrated on the course and it was really cold and I just felt like it wasn't worth me getting sick before I go to Europe . It's important for me to race well out here because I really like racing in the NorthEast but it was just too much to ask of my body right now.”

Asked what race on the European calendar is he most excited about, Trebon, who'll be staying at Belgium-based Noel Dejonckheere's U.S. Development team house said “I'm actually looking forward to all of them but the one I've seen a lot of video of is (Vlaamse Duinenveldrit) Koksijde, Belgium (November 26 th ). It's a ridiculously hard course; all sand. Well, it's not all sand but it's probably the sandiest course you'd find and I've never raced anything like it. There have been World Cups, GVA and Superprestige races there.”