Making history at the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships is something Katie Compton has been doing since 2009, the year she won her sixth-consecutive title and cemented her own reign at the top of the US scene after Alison Dunlap had won five titles in a row and six in seven years.
Compton had never been on the podium at nationals before she won her first title in Portland, Oregon, in 2004, beating Gina Hall and Ann Knapp. But since then she's put together an incredible string of titles that has seen a generation of riders pass into retirement while she takes on an ever-changing cast of contenders.
"As I think back on it," Compton said during a telephone interview from her home in Colorado Springs last week, "like the amount of years and the amount of times I've had really good days, and some days they weren't so good but I could pull it out - yeah, it's pretty great, pretty amazing.
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"I just took one year at a time, and then they kind of kept on accumulating," she said. "Then it's like, 'I've got a good streak, I'm going to keep it going.' But, you know, it's got to end at some point, so I celebrate each time it happens again."
Compton, who turned 40 on December 3, hopes to celebrate her 15th consecutive title Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky, when she takes on the latest up-and-coming threats to her throne at the 2018 US nationals.
Changing challengers
Over her 14-year run, Compton has seen multiple challengers come and go. In the early years, the riders pushing Compton were Knapp, Hall, Meredith Miller, Rachel Lloyd, Mo Bruno Roy, Amy Dombroski and - especially - Georgia Gould, who finished second to Compton four times at nationals.
Challenging season so far
Once more into the breach
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/katie-compton-40-going-on-15
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