The top-ranked women’s under-23 cyclocross rider in the world lives in Westhampton.
UMass student Ellen Noble, who is originally from Maine, is No. 12 in the UCI cyclocross women’s rankings, the only U23 rider in the top 15. Noble graduated from JAM Fund, Powers’ development program.
She won last season’s U23 national championship and will defend her red, white and blue winner’s jersey at 10 a.m. Sunday in Hartford.
Since winning last year, she’s topped the podium at the Pan-American championships in the U23 category and finished in the top-10 in three of the six World Cup races against an elite field, including a fifth-place finish at Jingle Cross in Iowa City, Iowa.
“I’m definitely racing exponentially better than I was last year. I’m conserving energy in a more intelligent way. I’m racing with my head,” she said. “I think my skills have improved a lot, as has my power. I think I’ve really just grown a lot in all aspects in the last year.”
Repeating is Noble’s goal but it won’t make or break her season. She won’t put that kind of pressure on herself.
“I thrive under pressure but only pressure of being at a big event and having really fast people around me,” she said. “Putting that toxic ‘you have to do this or else’ pressure on myself is very negative, and I know that it limits me.”
The field she’ll be racing against includes Emma White, a fellow rising star, fellow world championship team member Hanna Arensman and recently crowned collegiate champion Emily Shields.
“There’s a rivalry with her and Emma White. They’ve been going head to head for the past couple years, and the rivalry is very strong,” said Jeremy Powers, who is teammates with Noble on Aspire Racing. “You put (Noble) in the race, a four-time national champion and it’s technical enough that her technique and her ability to handle the bike is going to shine through in a way that some of the other girls aren’t able to compete with right now.”
Noble is excited to be racing on home soil. It’s a rare opportunity for her to spend time around family and friends after flying to Europe and around the country to race so often. The comforts have challenged Noble’s focus at times.
“I’ve struggled with it a little bit because being home for me is so relaxing that sometimes I’ve almost forgotten how high-pressure this race is,” she said. “I would personally consider (New England) the best cyclocross region in the country. To have the national championships here, as well, it’s almost unfair how great it is.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.