You can’t always be the windshield. Some days you’re the bug.
It happened to Katie Compton yesterday at U.S. cyclocross nationals in Tacoma. She never looked quite herself, barring one stellar, gutsy, downhill pass early on. But she never quit — she hung grimly on to finish third behind Clara Honsinger and runner-up Rebecca Fahringer.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed, but mostly I just didn’t feel that great, and it’s always hard to not have your best day, but that’s OK,” Compton told Cyclingnews. “It’s good to see Clara and Becca riding as well as they are.”
And it’s good to see the 15-time national champ gutting it out to the finish, clawing her way back onto the podium when it looked like a lost cause, and praising the two riders who finally dethroned her. She may have lost the jersey, but she’s still a champion.
Tags: Katie Compton, USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships
Mad Blog Media 
December 16, 2019 at 6:18 am |
Katie’s definitely a class act, role model, and true champion!!
December 16, 2019 at 7:31 am |
She is that, JD. Living in B-burg I occasionally saw her and Mark on rides, and they were always approachable and down to earth. Likewise Alison Dunlap, another great champ.
December 16, 2019 at 6:48 am |
i was surprised to see her racing this year because i thought she retired. she’s still hard to beat.
December 16, 2019 at 7:32 am |
I haven’t really been paying attention this year. Actually, for quite a few years now. I sort of parachute in to watch nats and sometimes worlds.
December 16, 2019 at 7:07 am |
Classy! I am guessing that she has always been this way,
December 16, 2019 at 7:43 am |
For me it’s all about how you lose, not how you win.
I’ve seen a few pros (mostly guys) act like utter shitheels when they take a beating. It’s an unpleasant thing to watch.
For Katie this must’ve been like being the fastest gun in the West for 15 years. You know that one day you’re gonna step out in the street with some young pisser and it won’t be you who clears leather first. But you keep stepping out.
December 16, 2019 at 7:34 am |
Good for her. A class act.
December 16, 2019 at 7:53 am |
She seemed to be having breathing issues again. Spent a lot of time blowing snot, and seemed to be suffering big-time on the run-ups, which were slightly insane. And those younguns really took the fight to her instead of hanging back.
Helluva race, all in all. The elite men’s race, too.
December 16, 2019 at 8:47 am |
We saw her on TV here earlier in the season at various Euro races doing pretty well. Maybe she’ll have better luck at the World’s? I still have a t-shirt from 2002 when they were sold to raise money to send the USA ‘crossers to the World’s. It’s a long-sleeve so gets worn only when it’s cold – which is I guess why it’s not quite worn out yet.
December 16, 2019 at 9:30 am |
I saw her last summer in the Janesville, WI stop on the Tour of America’s Dairyland. She wasn’t interested in the win, but obliterated the field to get the lion’s share of the lap primes. She walked away with a serious four figures worth of cash. Very impressive.
December 16, 2019 at 10:58 am |
I have fond memories of Janesville. I had a girlfriend that lived there right before I got drafted. Her sister always makes me think of this song.
December 16, 2019 at 1:25 pm |
At the risk of thread highjacking, gotta question completely unrelated:
How did I just now listen to the Dec 16th edition of Radio Free Dogpath via Overcast when I can’t find it on the Apple Podcast app?
December 16, 2019 at 1:40 pm |
Beats the hell out of me. I know Apple has been futzing around with this, that, and the other since I last cranked out a podcast. It’s been published on Libsyn, and after that, well … round and round and round it goes, and where it stops, nobody knows.