Three Portlanders earn top spots at US Cyclocross Championships

Portlander Clara Honsinger made it clear that she is the fastest female cyclocross racer in America. For the third year in a row. And she was just one of 33 riders who represented Oregon at the USA Cyclocross National Championships event held this weekend in Hartford, Connecticut.

Honsinger, who rides professionally for EF Education TIBCO-SVB, is an employee at Sellwood Cycle Repair when she’s not training or dominating cyclocross courses around the globe. According to reports, she won easily on Sunday on a snowy, slippery course. Here’s a dispatch from CyclingNews:

As the snow fell harder and began to stick on the grass, the two-time elite national champion hit the throttle as she extended her lead on the final two circuits. Most of the riders were clocking laps at 10-plus minutes while Honsinger had consistent laps between 9:33 to 9:55 after the opening round.

This makes it a three-peat for Honsinger, who got her first crack at the national elite field as a rider with Sellwood’s Team S & M.

Honsinger’s dominance wasn’t the only history-making moment for a Portlander at the event. Summer Newlands became the first-ever winner of the new Non-Binary category. Newlands, who you might recall from our interview with them from the 2021 Red R Criterium, lined up with three other riders and battled a difficult course to bring home the stars-and-stripes jersey.

Newlands, who also races for Team S & M, told Bicycling Magazine, “I’m looking forward to seeing more nonbinary competitors join this race in the future, as well as coming back next year to defend the title.”

UPDATE, 12/13: And we forgot to mention the third Portland-based national champion… Jenna Lingwood! Jenna, who we met over the summer, won the Women’s 40-44 category. Congrats Jenna!