KANSAS CITY - The USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships opened on Thursday with just over 50 master-aged riders tackling the demanding course at Kansas City’s Tiffany Springs Park. Gary Thacker (Louisville, Colo./Chipotle-Titus), Phil Bannister (Putney, Vt./Putney-West Hill), Rob Lea (Taneytown, Md./Team Fuji), and Walt Axthelm (Durango, Colo./Durango Wheel Club) won the first of 34 stars-and-stripes jerseys to be awarded at this year’s competition.
With sunny skies and temperatures comfortably in the 30’s the first national championship contest went off at 1:00 p.m. After the early week snow and the morning’s B races, the well-broken-in course made for a slow start to the master men’s 55-59 contest. The slick corners were however no problem for Louisville, Colorado’s Thacker who moved to the front on the first lap and never looked back. The 55-year old veteran mountain biker took up cyclo-cross only three years ago, but has quickly taken to America’s fastest growing cycling discipline.
