When it comes to National Championships, there are few who can claim as much success as Katie Clouse. After her successful week in Lakewood, the 18-year-old has 31 National titles to her name and shows no sign of slowing down.
After claiming the Collegiate Varsity individual title and contributing to Colorado Mesa’s win in the Collegiate Team Omnium on Friday, she went out hot from the start in the U23 Women’s race on Sunday to take her third title of the week.
Katie Clouse celebrates her victory in the Collegiate Varsity Women’s race. Collegiate Varsity Women. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Katie Clouse was dominant as a first-year U23, and took yet another Nationals title. U23 Women. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © D. Mable / Cyclocross Magazine
Clouse spent several years on the Alpha Bicycle-Groove Subaru development team before joining the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com program before the start of the season. We caught up with Clouse to take a look at the new wheels she rolled to three more Stars-and-Stripes Jerseys in Lakewood.
Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Katie Clouse’s U23 Title Winning Cannondale SuperX
Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com rides the SuperX, Cannondale’s marque cyclocross frameset, with components from SRAM and subsidiary Zipp.
As one might expect with a successful cyclocross program, we have seen a few team SuperXes this season. We profiled Curtis White’s bike after his Day 2 win at the Rochester Cyclocross weekend, and we looked at Stephen Hyde’s then-national-champ SuperX before Nationals.
Last season, Clouse was on the Moots Psychlo-X, which we profiled after her win in the Junior Women 17-18 race at Louisville Nationals.
In previous years, Stu Thorne’s team stuck with the mechanical Force 1 groupset, but this year, riders moved to SRAM Red eTap AXS. Close ran a 1x drivetrain with a 38t X-Sync 2 chain ring mounted to the SRAM Red 1 crankset.
Clouse used a 38t chainring in Lakewood. Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
In the back, the Red eTap AXS derailleur shifted over her Force AXS 10-33t cassette. Earlier this year, we learned the team is running the 10-33t cassette and switching front chain rings based on conditions.
The AXS road derailleur can accept up to a 33t cassette cog, which the team uses full time. Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
While the team uses 1x AXS drivetrains, that does not mean the SuperX wastes its front derailleur mount. The team equipped Clouse’s bike with a 3D-printed chain keeper that mounted to the frame’s braze-on. The team did not have the chain keepers when we saw White’s bike earlier this season.
Clouse’s bike was equipped with a 3D-printed chain keeper that mounted to the front derailleur braze-on. Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Clouse ran the team Zipp 303 Firecrest carbon tubulars in Lakewood. She mounted 140mm 6-bolt SRAM Centerline rotors to help with her braking.
Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com uses the Zipp 303 Firecrest tubular. Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The 2019/20 season marks the second with Vittoria serving as the team tire sponsor. Clouse opted for the Vittoria Terreno Wet mud tire for the conditions in Lakewood.
Clouse used the Vittoria Terreno Wet in Lakewood. Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Zipp also provides cockpit components. Clouse used an aluminum Service Course SL stem and handlebar, wrapped in Zipp Service Course tape. Her seatpost was a carbon Service Course SL topped with a carbon-rail Fabric Scoop saddle.
The Service Course SL seatpost is the only carbon cockpit part on Clouse’s bike. Katie Clouse’s U23 Women’s winning Cannondale Super-X. 2019 Cyclocross National Championships, Lakewood, WA. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
The Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com team does not have a pedal sponsor and instead allows each rider to select their own. Clouse chose top-shelf Shimano XTR M9100 SPDs.
Clouse is now over in Europe for Christmas racing in Belgium. Clouse suffered a dislocated shoulder at World Cup Namur on Sunday; we wish her a speedy recovery and return to racing for the U23 National Champion and her SuperX.
For a closer look at Clouse’s bike, see the photo gallery and specs below.
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