The second day of the 2025 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships began Tuesday morning with the Junior Time Trial races and wrapped up with the Para-cycling Time Trial events in the afternoon.
The Junior Men and Women each raced 16.7 kilometers on a flat, fast course. Liliana Edwards (Washington, D.C.; dcDevo Racing Academy) set a blistering pace, finishing in 22:53.63 to claim the National Title. She crossed the line more than 36 seconds ahead of her teammate Alyssa Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; dcDevo Racing Academy), who earned the silver medal. Emma Louise Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.; TWENTY28 Aevolo) finished two seconds off second place to claim the bronze medal. Reigning Junior Women’s National Champion Lidia Cusack (Chevy Chase, Md.; dcDevo Racing Academy) was one to watch heading into the event. Unfortunately, as she entered the start hut, a flat tire delayed her start, and she ultimately finished fourth.
“Honestly, it was a bit unexpected,” said Edwards. “I was pretty nervous going in since I didn’t get a chance to really ride the course beforehand, and the turnarounds had me a little sketched out. But the weather turned out perfect - not too hot - and I ended up feeling really awesome!”
On the men’s side, Enzo Edmonds (Brooklyn, N.Y.; Hot Tubes) was the first rider to break the 20-minute mark, stopping the clock at 19:58.59. He held the top spot in the hot seat until Ashlin Barry (Milwaukee, Wis.; Jeff-Skil-DJR p/b Visma Lease a Bike) crossed the line in 19:45.09, ultimately taking the win by over 10 seconds. Texas local Beckam Drake (Amarillo, Texas; Hill’s Sport Shop) put down an impressive ride, taking the bronze medal with a time of 20:02.02.
“I felt strong on the TT bike, felt good on the turnarounds, and was able to just execute everything to plan,” said Barry. “I couldn't be happier with my ride and how the day went!”
1. Liliana Edwards (Washington, D.C.; dcDevo Racing Academy)
2. Alyssa Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; dcDevo Racing Academy)
3. Emma Louise Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.; TWENTY28 Aevolo)
1. Ashlin Barry (Milwaukee, Wis.; Jeff-Skil-DJR-p/b Visma Lease-A-Bike)
2. Enzo Edmonds (Brooklyn, N.Y.; Hot Tubes)
3. Beckam Drake (Amarillo, Texas; Hill’s Sport Shop)
The third wave of the day belonged to the para-athletes. The Men’s B, and Men’s C3-5 completed a total of 33.4 kilometers while all other para categories completed 16.7 kilometers. In the Men’s B tandem event, Michael Murphy and Joseph Matta (Rio Rancho, N.M.; The Veloflö Projekt) claimed gold with a time of 48:10.72. CJ Howard (Sacramento, Calif.; Pacos/Shriners Racing) delivered a dominant ride to win the Men’s C4 title.
In the Men’s C5 category, Michael Smith (Prosper, Texas; Project Echelon Vanguard) rode to victory, stopping the clock at 55:05.48. He said, “What an amazing race. There’s not much to say other than it was a phenomenal course and a phenomenal city. Charleston, WV, you guys outdid yourselves.” He continued on to show his appreciation for the sport, “I'm extremely grateful to represent this country not only as a soldier, but as an athlete. I had great competitors, competing against some good friends of mine… To come here as a cyclist and pursue my dreams, I can't ask for anything better. I’m super emotional but just honored and grateful for the opportunity.”
Justin Mathers (Fayetteville, N.C.; Project Ridgeline p/b Irish Cycles) had a standout day, clocking 49:53.08 to win the Men’s C3 race and securing his second National Title of the week after winning the Road Race the day prior. After the race, he said, “It was an amazing course, super fast. The wind kind of died down for us. It started sprinkling off and on, but it wasn’t too bad. I started in the back, and sometimes it’s actually a good thing. You start making catches, and it’s encouraging – it pushes you to go further and faster.”
In the women’s events, Elizabeth Neag (Medina, Ohio; Cleveland Cycling Academy) took top honors in the Women’s C5 category. Shawn Morelli (Leavenworth, Kan.; DNA Cycling) earned gold in the Women’s C4 race, and Tracy Lamarche (Easley, S.C.; Greenville Cycling and Multisport) captured the Women’s C2 title.
On the handcycle side, Dustin Baker (Fletcher, N.C.) won the Men’s H4 race with a time of 27:09.58. Daniel Dewitt (Durham, N.C.) claimed gold in the Men’s H3 category. In the women’s handcycle events, JoAnn Outten Kenton (Harrington, Del.) secured the win in Women’s H4, while Gabrielle Platt (Tulsa, Okla.) took the top step in Women’s H3.
In the tricycle events, Steven Peace (San Diego, Calif.; Peace Cycling Performance / CAF) won the Men’s T2 title, and Mandy Kloepfer (Rockford, Ill.; Peace Cycling Performance / CAF) earned gold in the Women’s T2 race.
1. Michael Murphy & Joseph Matta (Rio Rancho, N.M.; The Veloflö Projekt)
1. Michael Smith (Prosper, Texas; Project Echelon Vanguard)
2. Chris Grant (Lake Placid, N.Y.; High Peaks Cyclery)
3. Erik Olsen (Bridger, Mont.; CAF Cycling/Allard Team Up)
1. CJ Howard (Sacramento, Calif.; Pacos/Shriners Racing)
2. Mitch Brekke (Hartland, Minn.; Gray Duck Racing)
3. Ricardo Alanis Saldivar (Mission, Texas; Bikes & More)
1. Justin Mathers (Fayetteville, N.C.; Project Ridgeline p/b Irish Cycles)
2. Denis McGrath (Chicago, Ill.; Dare2Tri)
1. Elizabeth Neag (Medina, Ohio; Cleveland Cycling Academy)
2. Kelly Worrel (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
1. Shawn Morelli (Leavenworth, Kan.; DNA Cycling)
1. Cahin Perez (Christiana, Tenn.)
2. Adrian Wright (Dillon, S.C.; WrightStrong Elite Cyclists)
1. Tracy Lamarche (Easley, S.C.; Greenville Cycling and Multisport)
1. Dustin Baker (Fletcher, N.C.)
2. Jared Fenstermacher (Bloomsburg, Penn.; Team Skyline Cadence)
1. Daniel Dewitt (Durham, N.C.)
2. Kevin Hillery (Alexandria, Va.; Paralyzed Veterans of America Racing p/b First Nation Group)
3. David Randall (San Antonia, Fla.; Alive Day Apparel)
1. JoAnn Outten Kenton (Harrington, Del.)
1. Gabrielle Platt (Tulsa, Okla.)
1. Steven Peace (San Diego, Calif.; Peace Cycling Performance / CAF)
2. Justin Caine (Holt, Mich.)
1. Mandy Kloepfer (Rockford, Ill.; Peace Cycling Performance / CAF)
This marks the end of the National Championship for the para-athletes. Matta commented on his time in Charleston. “I'm super happy to be here. Charleston has been amazing. It’s a beautiful place. When you're racing right next to the river and you're in the zone, you can glance to your right or left and see the water, the mountains, and the houses on top of the ridgelines. It really is a beautiful city, and I’m so grateful to be here.”
Tomorrow, the event continues with the Time Trials for the U23 Men and Women, as well as the Elite Men and Women. Click here for the full event schedule.
Follow along throughout the week on social media @USACycling, along with the live timing and livestream on FloBikes. Learn more about how to watch the events here.
USA Cycling's supporting partner for this event includes HOVERAir, the Official Flying Camera of USA Cycling, who shares our mission to elevate the sport and inspire the next generation of cyclists.
