KFC Racing still has red, white, and blue in its kit, but 15-time U.S. National cyclocross champion Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b TREK/Knight Composites) will be the star of the elite women's this Sunday at Merksplas No stars and stripes when she takes the start line at the Superprestige.

Compton, who won bronze at the U.S. National Championships in January and finished fourth at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in February, will begin her 2020-21 international campaign in Belgium, competing in all five World Cup events of the coronavirus-shortened season, beginning November 29 in Tabor, Czech Republic He told Cycling News that he plans to play.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the World Cup has been reduced from 14 events to five, three of which will be held in Belgium: Namur, Dendermonde, and Ovelisse. Compton arrived in Belgium earlier this week and will use it as his home base for the UCI Cyclocross World Championships, which will be held at the end of January.

"The paperwork to enter Belgium is very difficult. The paperwork to get into Belgium is very difficult. I have to fill out proof of race contract, a letter from USA Cycling, a letter from my employer, my whereabouts information, proof of my return airline ticket, travel medical insurance, etc." Mainly, you have to prove that you need to be there to do the job.

"Even with the proper paperwork and permits, it is still a risk we have decided to take. I want to be smart. I don't want to be sick. My husband does not want to get sick. I don't want to make other people sick. This is a very contagious virus, and we are going to take all the safeguards we can."

"But the actual bike race portion of the race seemed pretty safe. After racing resumed, not that many COVID-infected people have been identified in the bicycle racing community. People seem to be smart and doing the right thing."

The 42-year-old American's schedule includes four races in the Telenet Super Prestige Series starting Sunday, three races in the X2O Trophy starting with the Urban Cross in Kortrijk on November 28, the Schelde in Antwerpen on December 12 Cross, and the GP Sven Nys in Baar on January 1.

The US Nationals, originally scheduled for December 8-13, was cancelled in September, so there is no need to return home this year. With most, if not all, live races in the US this summer and fall cancelled for the pros, Compton found several local cyclocross events near her home in Colorado and reintroduced her body and bike to the match day experience.

"I decided to do a few local races and have some fun with it, work on my race fitness, hone my skills, and dial in my bike. At least I have a race in my legs. It's not a World Cup race, but it's about racing hard, riding hard, and being technically smooth," Compton said.

This weekend's C2 race will be for elite men and women only. Organizers recently changed the competition from Saturday to Sunday and stated on their website that due to coronavirus safety measures, spectators are not allowed: "Stay in your room, have fun on TV, and stay fit." In Belgium, the event will be broadcast on Telenet Play Sports and Proximus TV, and in the Netherlands on EurosportNL.

Among the top 12 riders on the start list alongside Compton are fellow American Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano) and reigning national champion Clara Honsinger (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld Pro Team), and three Dutch women who kept Compton off the podium at the World Championships in February: Lucinda Brand (Telenet Baloise Lions), Annemarie Worst (777), and current world champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado ( Alpecin Phoenix).

"It was very close. I was really happy to be the first to break the Dutch record of first to fifth," Compton told Cycling News about his performance at the last World Championships.

"It was just hard. It was a tough race, a hard course. I got caught up in two crashes at the start and had to start from the back. But then I got back on track and was really happy to have a strong run. If Seirin (22) had raced in her category, I would have finished third. The young riders are getting so much faster."

With great support from Trek and Knight Composites, Champion Systems will be the new sponsor for the 2020-21 season.

Compton remains cautious about playing a full schedule, but is ready to roll.

"Based on the current COVID restrictions, it's hard to travel back and forth between countries, so I'm leaning toward racing and traveling a little more realistically right now," she says. 'If I feel any symptoms, I need to stay home and try not to see anyone.'

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