"I was the first US woman to be consistently good in Europe and the first woman to medal at Worlds - to be in the thick of it and have success," she said, adding that other US riders like Kaitie Keough and Georgia Gould have also won World Cup medals.Ĭoncomitant with her success, the status of women in cyclo-cross has vastly improved over her 16-year career so far. I found it funny – US riders have been on the podium and it's pretty hard for us to do it – with jet lag, being set up in Europe and having all the support and equipment we need. Yeah, I haven't seen the podium as much but I'm also 42 years old. "I loved Clara's response in that interview - they forget quickly that I was actually on the podium in Nommay. It was one example of the measure of regard other riders have for Compton. When an interviewer asked Honsinger in Namur about being the first US woman "in a while" to step onto a World Cup podium, Honsinger was quick to correct the commentator that Compton was on the podium in Nommay just last season. She's one of the most decorated in the sport, with five Worlds medals, 24 World Cup race victories, twice the World Cup series winner and an estimated 130 UCI wins to her name. Compton has hardly even featured in the television coverage of the races but still commands ample respect as the most successful US racer, male or female, in cyclo-cross. I can't wait to see the sunrise and it's not just one shade of grey from nine in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon." RespectĪfter over a decade at the top of the sport, the attention has turned away from the 15-time national champion now that compatriot Clara Honsinger has taken both the stars-and-stripes jersey and the spotlight with two World Cup podiums. "When you can't leave and go to Spain for a couple of weeks to get some sunshine – let's just say I'm done riding in the rain. That wears on us." The pandemic has also meant that the usual breaks to have sunny mid-season training camps were off the table. "I think Colorado spoils us – I think we have seen the sun twice in one month here. As much as I enjoy racing I think I've had enough struggling and beating my head against the wall trying to get better," Compton said, adding that she's looking forward to getting back to Colorado sunshine after three months of dreary weather. That's my only idea of what it could possibly be."īefore last weekend's races in Hamme and the last World Cup, Compton was hoping to salvage the season with some good races, but ended with a 14th in the Flandriencross and a distant 42nd in an exceptionally hilly course in Overijse, but had already made her decision to head home after Worlds. "Health-wise I'm good, there are no excuses except maybe stress. But the pandemic, the summer of unrest and the contentious election in the US have been an emotional strain. In past years, Compton has struggled with various health issues but one up-side to all the coronavirus measures is that she hasn't gotten sick.
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