It’s 15 for Katie Compton!

They call her Katie Fn Compton for a reason.

After what she called the toughest season of her professional career, there was a sense in the cyclocross world that this could be the year Compton’s magical streak of consecutive cyclocross national championships would end.

Early on in the thick, muddy race at Joe Creason Park, Compton reminded everyone just why she is so good at what she does.

After a fast start by the hottest U.S. rider of 2018, Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing CX), Compton worked her way to second heading into the first descent. As the two headed up the limestone steps together, it looked like a second 2018 Nationals duel between the master and the apprentice was on the afternoon’s schedule.

Then, as Katie Compton often does, she made a baller move on a technical descent. As Noble cautiously cut one of the slick, muddy chicanes on the inside, Compton went out wide and dove into the next corner to take the lead. It was a move reminiscent of the skilled pass she made on Noble earlier this year at Reno Nationals.

“That kind of descent, you can’t be on the front brake,” Compton said about the move. “You’ve just got to steer the bike you can back brake into the ruts. Carry your speed the best you can. It’s very fast.”

The gutsy move put Compton in the lead. As she powered and ran through the thick Kentucky mud, her first-lap lead on Noble grew. At the end of one lap, Compton’s advantage was 17 seconds.

From there, Compton rode and ran to her 15th-straight National Championship.

“It feels really good to be done honestly,” Compton admitted after the race. “It feels good to win again. I like wearing the jersey in Europe.”

Content courtesy of cxmagazine.com