(Photo: Chris Henry)

American Katie Compton took her third World Cup win of the 2008-2009 cyclo-cross season today with a dominant performance in Roubaix, France. On a day typical of northern France, with the requisite cold, wind, and rain, the reigning U.S. champion recovered from a frustrating start to catch and pass all rivals, soloing to victory in the fabled velodrome where the cobbled  Paris-Roubaix ends each April. Trailing Compton were Hanka Kupfernagel and Daphny Van den Brand, who never threatened the American's lead once she went clear.

"I definitely like the mud," Compton said with a smile after her win. "When it's fast it's nice because it's easier... it's cleaner. But I like the mud. It's more fun."

"Today was the kind of course where it's so muddy and hard, it's not as if there's a lot of drafting going on," she added, "so you basically put your head down and go hard."

With her third World Cup of the season, Compton has placed herself squarely among the favorites for the World Championships in Hoogerhijde, Netherlands in two weeks time. Nonetheless, she's not overconfident, telling Road Bike Action that everything must go perfectly on the day.

Compton will skip next week's World Cup finale in Milan, Italy, preferring to stay in Belgium and train for two weeks to prepare for World's. Having better adjusted to travel and identified how best to manage her leg difficulties that plagued her early season, she appears ready to make a serious bid for the rainbow jersey.

"I always have high hopes coming into the season, and this year I definitely had better training and preparation," she said. "I think that's made all the difference."

1. Katie Compton

2. Hanka Kupfernagel

3. Daphny Van den Brand

4. Marianne Vos

5. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau