For Logan Owen, the 20-year-old cyclo-cross phenom who decided to put his streak of 10 US championships on the line by forgoing his final two years in the U23 category and race in the elite men's division, the decision to move up was an easy one; he wanted to test himself against the very best riders in the country.
That decision will be put to the test this Sunday in North Carolina when the men's title is decided on the nationals course in Asheville. Relaxing at his home in Bremerton, Washington, watching a video recon of the course while recovering from a cold and waiting for his flight to North Carolina on Thursday, Owen (California Giant-Specialized) told Cyclingnews he's not really thinking about keeping his streak alive. He knows he'll be in a much tougher race this year, and he's focused on what it will take to win.
“It would be great to keep the streak alive,” he said. “But that's not my motivation. I go into every national championship as its own. I don't really think about the streak. I try to just focus on the race at hand and do the best I can in each race, and that's all you can really do.”
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Owen's run of stars-and-stripes jerseys dates back to the 2004-2005 season and continued through last season's win at the U23 race – his first year of eligibility in the age group. He figured 10 was a good round number, and it was time to step up to the next challenge.
Following a road season with Axeon Cycling that included trips to Europe and a stage win at the 2.HC Tour of Utah in August, Owen settled into his cyclo-cross season with a start at the Kings CX in Mason, Ohio, where he finished a confidence-boosting fourth behind three-time and reigning US champion Jeremy Powers, Stephen Hyde and Ryan Trebon.
He reached the podium again during the first day of the Derby City Cup, where Hyde upset Powers two days in a row. Owen pushed the pace during Saturday's C1 race and helped whittle the lead group down to himself, Hyde and Powers, but he slipped off the lead pace on the final lap and had to settle for third. The following day's effort was hampered by an early mechanical that knocked him out of the lead group, but he fought his way back to seventh.
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