Portrait of Coryn Rivera by Ben Ross

Portrait from National Cyclocross Championships, Bend, OR
By Ben Ross for VeloNews

Friday morning’s premier event, the junior 17-18 women, was hard from the gun and proved to be a battle between two powerhouse riders. Ultimately Coryn Rivera (Proman Hit Squad) held off a tenacious challenge from Kaitlin Antonneau (Planet Bike) adding a 25th Stars-and-Stripes jersey to her wardrobe at the ripe old age of 17. Antonneau started strong and threatened throughout most of the race but ultimately gave way to the woman many consider to hold more junior national titles than any other.

“I took the hole shot and Kaitlin and I fought for the lead a few times,” explained Rivera. “I was able to ride the run-up and they ran it so I got some time from there. I put in a lot of work this year, so I’m happy.”