Reprinted from Podium Insight (view)
Mid-way through the USA Cyclocross National
Championships, it looked like Kris Walker (Conender) had
another Masters Women 50-54 title in the bag. The defending champion had a
substantial gap hovering around 30 second on a lone chaser until two things
happened, Walker – as did her chaser – had to contend with traffic on the
course, and the lone chaser was Catherine Wahlberg (Kenda).
Kris Walker (Conender) wins Masters
50-54
“There was a group of I think four or
five of us that got off the line ahead of everybody, and Cathering Wahlberg was
leading it out and then up the hill, three of us got away and Catherine was
leading down. And then we got to the stairs and I think I was a little bit
faster than her and got a teeny, tiny gap and then I built on that gap for the
first half of the race. But then I got up in the 45 riders, and I was just
having a lot of trouble, I kept getting forced off the course and having to get
off my bike trying to get around them, it was just a mess.” Walker explained
after the race.
The 50-54 field was on course at the
same time as the 45-49 field.
“We went through clumps of people. I
wish they’d had a minute in between, we both had traffic in the beginning. So
you went from clump of traffic, it wasn’t awful, it was okay. I honestly, I
thought well I’ll just hold on to second and then all of a sudden I realized
that she was there.” Wahlberg commented.
For three laps, Wahlberg chased hard,
improving as she went on and as the course conditions changed. the warmer than
usual temperatures and the shining sun was slowly melting the top layer,
leading to some greasy spots on the course. Spots in the descents especially.
Actually for me it got better, the
turns got more predictable but still just as slippery.” Wahlberg said about the
course. “I’m not sure if I got better or Kris started going backwards, I can’t
tell you. I think I just started taking better lines, a little more tight turns
and so on, and then I guess we really were fighting it at the end. I saw her,
of course that’s always motivating.”
Catherine Wahlberg (Kenda) is chasing
and closing in
Wahlberg was also remembering what
Steve Tilford had told her as they pre-rode the course together. “I was crazy
motivated. Steve is the best, I can’t even tell you enough about him. Coming
down those really fast descents, ‘Catherine no breaks’, and in the race, your
guts are there so that comes back to you and you let off. Of all the places he
helped me with, I think that’s where I made the time up. ”
“But, I just made a few mistakes and
Catherine got back in it. Catherine, she is so tough, you cannot make mistakes
if she’s in the same race as you.” Walker said.
The catch was made halfway through the
final lap before the barriers, and the duel was on for the Stars and Stripes.
“So she caught back up and just really
surprised me and I was like ‘oh my gosh’. So I hurried up and she passed me, I
hurried up and passed her back and then I made a couple of other little
mistakes in the sand and we were pretty even, I was just right there but she
was right on my wheel, up the little hill, I had a little bit of a gap, but
then she caught back up. ” explained Walker.
“Honestly what I should have done, I
could tell I was better through the twisty turn stuff but she knew it so she
jumped me and she got me, we both came off in the sand, and kind of fisticuffed
a litte there.” laughed Wahlberg, “But she got the lead into that next group of
trees. I just couldn’t get passed her, we ran into one girl and I don’t think
she realized we were going for first and second, she got in between us, it
wasn’t her fault, Kris got by her, I got by her a little later.”
Walker hit the pavement first, with 500
meters to go to the finish line and a small gap of 10 seconds.
“Coming onto the pavement, all I could
hear was just Steve Tilford yelling at her ’sprint for all your worth, you can
get her’. But of course, then I sprinted for all I was worth (laughs) and
luckily for me she didn’t get me. It was very exciting and scary, it was good.
She’s so tough, it’s so fun to race with her.” smiled Walker.
“That’s the thing about cross, it’s not
like a road race or a mountain bike race, ten seconds is miles. She got to the
pavement first and hats off to her.” concluded Wahlberg.
With that, Walker won her fourth
consecutive Cyclocross National title. “In fact Catherine is the only who’s
ever beat me. The first two that I ever did, she won, and then I’ve won the
next four in a row.”
“They’re all really special but anytime
I beat Catherine, it’s really special.” Walker added with a laugh. “I just
really respect her, she just is a tough, tough competitor. And she’s good,
technically she’s amazing.”
Masters Women 50-54 podium: 1. Kris Walker (Conender), 2.
Catherine Walberg (Kenda), 3. Karen Tripp (Blue Steel Cyclery), 4. Deirdre
Garvey (BRAC), 5. Susan Prieto
Top 5 Masters Women 50-54
1. Kris Walker (Pocatello, Idaho/Conender) 42:58
2. Catherine Walberg (Topeka, Kan.) 43:02
3. Karen Tripp (Deerfield, NH/Blue Steel Cyclery) 46:28
4. Deirdre Garvey (Boulder, Colo./BRAC) 46:48
5. Susan Prieto (Boulder, Colo.) 47:14
