Ruts N’ Guts: Anthony and Ortenblad take C1 victories on day one

After a holiday break for Thanksgiving, the cyclocross season jumped back into full gear at Ruts N’ Guts on a warm, sunny Saturday in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma with Crystal Anthony (Maxxis Shimano Pro Cyclocross) and Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz/Donkey Label) taking UCI C1 victories on day one.

Anthony went to the front early in the elite women’s race with Courtenay McFadden (Pivot Cycles DNA Cycling) and the two rode away from the very beginning.

“Awesome. [My] first C1 win ever,” Anthony said after the race. “I just got back from Europe, pretty hard racing over there. So I was pretty motivated to come back [to the U.S.] and use that experience on home soil. I felt good today. Courtenay and I kind of got away from the group. I got a little lead, then I messed up so we were back together. It was a good race.”

Anthony showed poise and patience, while McFadden just hung on her wheel. It was not until the last lap that Anthony would drop the hammer and ride away.

“After the first lap, Crystal put in an attack and I just couldn’t respond to her attack,” said McFadden, who finished 13 seconds behind Anthony. “And then it was literally like cat and mouse, I was the cat and she was the mouse. And then going into the last lap after those stairs, I don’t remember if (something) got in my cleat or my cleat twisted, I couldn’t clip in the whole last lap. My cleat wouldn’t go into my pedal, so I was just bobbling around on my pedal the whole time, and pedaling with one side. And then it randomly popped back in. But I did what I could. I was a little bit faster through the technical, twisty stuff. And Crystal was better at the power sections. It was a good race.”

Van Dessel Factory teammates Caroline Mani and Sunny Gilbert tried to stay with the leaders throughout the first two laps, but Anthony and McFadden were just too strong.

“I just didn’t have it today,” said Mani. “They were strong. I just don’t feel very punchy. Hopefully, it gets better tomorrow. I just kind of felt heavy and not really reactive. I still got a podium. I think Courtenay and Crystal rode really well.”

So I tried to come back, but when I realized I wasn’t really closing the gap. I managed to just ride smooth. I was hoping to get a win for the C1 because I need the points for the ranking. But that’s it. I am still happy with third. There were strong people in front of me.”

Mani would take the third followed by her teammate Gilbert. Amanda Nauman (SDG-Muscle Monster) fought hard to hang on to fifth over a hard-charging Katie Clouse (Alpha Bicycle Co.-Groove Subaru).

Elite women top-10

• 1. Crystal Anthony, MAXXIS SHIMANO PRO CYCLOCROSS, in 47:48.8
• 2. Courtenay Mcfadden, PIVOT CYCLES PB DNA CYCLING, at +00:03
• 3. Caroline Mani, at +01:09
• 4. Sunny Gilbert, VAN DESSEL FACTORY TEAM, at +01:37
• 5. Amanda Nauman, SDG – MUSCLE MONSTER, at +01:53
• 6. Katie Clouse, ALPHA BICYCLE CO. – GROOVE SUBARU, at +01:02
• 7. Emma Swartz, TREK CYCLOCROSS COLLECTIVE, at +02:19
• 8. Beth Ann Orton, TEAM S&M CX, at +02:29
• 9. Christa Ghent, AMY D FOUNDATION, at +02:46
• 10. Laura Winberry, SPEEDVAGEN FAMILY RACING, at +02:54

Ortenbald continues great season with another C1 win

Tobin Ortenblad took another C1 victory on Saturday, this time defeating Kerry Werner (Kona Factory).

Ortenblad, Werner, Gage Hecht (Alpha Bicycle Co.-Groove Subaru), Lance Haidet (Donnelly Sports), and Cody Kaiser (Langetwins/Specialized) separated from the field two laps in and shared the pace for most of the day.

“It was a pretty quick group all day, and a couple of super-decisive parts, mostly the sand,” Ortenblad said about the course and the competition. “The sand has a couple of rutted spots, with only one line through. Eventually, it came down to Kerry, Gage, Cody Kaiser, Lance Haidet and I. Cody and Lance were kind of back and forth on the back. Gage at the end had a mechanical. It was just Kerry and I. We were pretty pinned the last two laps.”

Kaiser was the first to crack, then Haidet, but the two were never very far off the lead trio. With three to go, Kaiser dropped his chain giving Werner and Ortenblad a gap. The lead twosome seemed to be alone, but a lap later the group was all back together with four riders, and Kaiser closing back in heading into the final lap.

“Gage eventually got on and coming through the finish line with one to go it came back to a group of four of us,” said Ortenblad. “It was Kerry, Gage, Lance and I. And I was on the back, not really where I wanted to be.”

I kind of had this move in my back pocket that I knew was good for a pass on two people, at least. So I got ahead of Lance. Towards the end of the lap, there is a big ditch. Everyone was going way outside and around it. I knew if I could just pin it, I could hop the ditch and pass two people. So I hopped the ditch and got past Kerry and Gage, and held it wide open to the finish line.”

With a small ditch just before a set of stairs a few hundred meters from the finish, Ortenblad made his move. Hecht battled back from his mechanical to take the last step on the podium in third, followed by Haidet in fourth, then Kaiser rounding out the top five.

“It was a good race,” said runner-up Werner. “That was a solid move by Tobin, it was just a little oversight on my side. I saw that line in practice and I tried it in practice, but [today] I was going way too slow to make it happen. I rode it and almost crashed. We were really cookin’ into it for the finish. He chopped me into the stairs and then there wasn’t much room to make a move here at the end of the course. And that was that.”

Ortenblad’s response to Werner saying he chopper him, “I got there first.”

It was a strong ride for 19-year-old Hecht, who had his first win in an elite men’s C2 race before Thanksgiving at Major Taylor ‘Cross Cup. He finished fourth in the elite men’s C1 race at Cincinnati Cyclocross earlier this season.

“It was a really fun day,” Hetch said. “I was kind of excited for this race because we raced it last year and I had a blast on this course. I started off really strong. I may have worked too hard too early trying to spread the group out, and seeing what I could do there.

“I felt pretty good in the end. I am still pretty happy about that. I just wasn’t as smooth going up over the stairs, riding up them, I dropped my chain on one lap. I just need to work on that. I am really happy to finish on the podium. It was a really good race.”

Elite men full results

• 1. Tobin Ortenblad, SANTA CRUZ / DONKEY LABEL RACING, in 01:00:35
• 2. Kerry Werner, KONA FACTORY CX TEAM, at 00:00
• 3. Gage Hecht, ALPHA BICYCLE COMPANY – GROOVE SUBARU, at +00:05
• 4. Lance Haidet, DONNELLY SPORTS, at +00:12
• 5. Cody Kaiser, LANGETWINS / SPECIALIZED, +00:27
• 6. Grant Ellwood, BOULDER CYCLE SPORT, at +01:11
• 7. James Driscoll, DONNELLY SPORTS, at +01:22
• 8. Jack Kisseberth, JAM / NCC, at +01:41
• 9. Maxx Chance, EVOL RACING, at +02:20
• 10. Troy Wells, TEAM CLIF BAR, at +02:33
• 11. Ross Ellwood, BOULDER CYCLE SPORT, at +02:33
• 12. Travis Livermon, MAXXIS/SHIMANO, at +02:34
• 13. Nicolas Gaurin, PACC RACING, at +02:47
• 14. Brian Matter, LINEAR SPORT RACING, at +02:53
• 15. Bjorn Selander, at +02:54
• 16. Caleb Swartz, TREK CYCLOCROSS COLLECTIVE, at +02:57
• 17. Garrett Gerchar, CLIF BAR DEVELOPMENT MOUNTAIN BIKE AND CYCL, at +02:57
• 18. Chris Baddick, BOULDER CYCLE SPORT, at +03:16
• 19. Scott Smith, JAM / NCC, at +03:28
• 20. Brandon Melott, OKC VELO BIKE LAB,01:04:17 at +03:41
• 21. Brannan Fix, ALPHA BICYCLE CO.-GROOVE SUBARU, at +03:47
• 22. Tristan Uhl, TEAM CCR ROOFING, at 4:49
• 23. Dylan Postier, GARNEAU-EASTON P/B TRANSITIONS LIFECARE, at +04:52
• 24. Josh Whitney, EVOL RACING, at +04:59
• 25. Tyler Cloutier, TRANSITIONS LIFECARE P/B GARNEAU-EASTON, at +05:05
• 26. Kyle Johnson, TEAM YACHT CLUB
• 27. Cody Cupp, GILLESPIE EYE CARE/SET COACHING
• 28. Mat Stephens, BICYCLES PLUS RACING
• 29. Terol Pursell, REDSPOKE RACING
• 30. Jonah Meadvancort, LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY
• 31. Jacob Lasley, SPCX PB RK BLACK
• 32. Ryan Hobbs, MATRIX/RBM
• 33. Steven Williams, RECYCLED CYCLES
• 34. Mark Rawlings, GS TENZING

Elite women full results

• 1. Crystal Anthony, MAXXIS SHIMANO PRO CYCLOCROSS, in 47:48.8
• 2. Courtenay Mcfadden, PIVOT CYCLES PB DNA CYCLING, at +00:03
• 3. Caroline Mani, at +01:09
• 4. Sunny Gilbert, VAN DESSEL FACTORY TEAM, at +01:37
• 5. Amanda Nauman, SDG – MUSCLE MONSTER, at +01:53
• 6. Katie Clouse, ALPHA BICYCLE CO. – GROOVE SUBARU, at +01:02
• 7. Emma Swartz, TREK CYCLOCROSS COLLECTIVE, at +02:19
• 8. Beth Ann Orton, TEAM S&M CX, at +02:29
• 9. Christa Ghent, AMY D FOUNDATION, at +02:46
• 10. Laura Winberry, SPEEDVAGEN FAMILY RACING, at +02:54
• 11. Christina Gokey-Smith, MATRIX/RBM, at +03:07
• 12. Raylyn Nuss, MAPLEWOOD BICYCLE, at +03:18
• 13. Luarel Rathbun, DONNELLY SPORTS, at +03:53
• 14. Rebecca Gross, ZERO D RACING, at +03:54
• 15. Katherine Santos, AMY D FOUNDATION, at +03:55
• 16. Susan Livingston, TEAM TOPO CX, at +04:04
• 17. Lauren Stephens, SPEEDY ACW TRAINING, at +04:38
• 18. Shannon Mallory, NWCX PROJECT, at +04:45
• 19. Natalie Smith, BICYCLE HEAVEN / PVA, at +04:50
• 20. Catherine Moore, TREK CXC, at +05:06
• 21. Erica Zaveta, EASTON GARNEAU, at +05:23
• 22. Meghan Newlin, at +05:32
• 23. Leslie Ethridge, TOPO DESIGNS CYCLING CLUB, at +06:48
• 24. Dana Gilligan, TRANSITIONS LIFECARE P/B GARNEAU-EAST
• 25. Heidi Wood, HIFI SOUND CYCLING COMPONENTS
• 26. Carol Seipp, ORION RACING P/B K’UL CHOCOLATE
• 27. Ellie Mitchell, NWCX PROJECT
• 28. Anya Malarski, TRANSITIONS LIFECARE P/B EASTON-GARNEAU