Courtney and Simmons Win Elite Road Race National Titles on the Final Day of the 2026 Pro Road National Championships
On the sixth and final day of the 2026 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, fans packed the course to witness the nation’s top Elite Men and Women battle for the Stars and Stripes jersey. Mirroring Saturday’s Under-23 course format, riders would first complete two laps of the junior course, featuring the Wertz climb, before transitioning to the expanded course, featuring the pivotal Bridge Road climb on the opposite side of the river for the remaining laps. The Elite Women completed six total laps, and the Elite Men followed with a ten-lap showdown.
Fifty-two Elite Women lined up Sunday morning for 113.8 kilometers of racing. With last year’s champion not in the field, a new national champion was guaranteed to be crowned. Last year’s silver and bronze medalists were back looking to go one step higher, but a strong group of contenders made it anyone’s race.
While the field split fairly quickly, the opening lap on the shortened circuit was relatively calm, with the established peloton staying intact through the first ascent of Wertz Avenue. Paige Onweller (Bella Vista, Ark.) was the first to make a decisive attack, breaking away on the Wertz Ave descent on lap two to become the solo leader. During lap three, the first lap of the expanded circuit, Jamie Chapman (San Francisco, Calif.; Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) launched a solo move to push clear of the peloton. She successfully gained ground, establishing herself as the solo chaser, sitting two minutes behind Oweller and over one minute ahead of the peloton.
Lap four marked a turning point in the race. As the peloton began their climb up Bridge Road, Kate Courtney (Portola Valley, Calif.; She Sends Racing) initiated an acceleration in pace, which ultimately shattered the field and established a chase group of five riders including: Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas; Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment), Ashley Frye (Boulder, Colo.; Competitive Edge Racing), Grace Arlandson (Boulder, Colo.; Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment), and Kira Payer (Durango, Colo.; SpeedBlock-Terún Elite). The group ultimately bridged to Chapman, and with two laps to go, Onweller had built a nearly three-minute advantage on the six chasers.
The chase group continued to push the pace and chip away at Onweller’s lead. With one lap to go, the five chasers were just over one minute back. On the last time up Bridge Road, Stephens launched an attack. Courtney followed her lead, and the duo broke away to put the pressure on Onweller.
Then, on the very final climb up Wertz, Stephens initiated another attack. Courtney was there to respond, and Onweller was dropped. After three hours of tactical moves and unforgiving climbs, Stephens and Courtney would go head-to-head in the downtown circuit. Courtney launched her sprint early, surged out of the last corner, and crossed the line solo to win her first road race National Title. Stephens powered through the line five seconds later, claiming silver. Stephens teammate Arlandson pushed it on the final stretch, securing a spot on the podium with bronze.
Courtney reflected on her incredible achievement, saying “This was a really special one. I think I have like 7 or 8 silver medals from Mountain Bike Nationals Championships at home, so to pull off a National Championship again and to pull on that jersey, its beyond words.”
Courtney started her own racing program this year and is channeling the mission she started with. “Part of the [She Sends] foundation and part of this team is inspiring people to go for it. I think for me, I really needed to give myself a chance to experiment and put myself in new, uncertain situations where I didn't have expectations, and I could really go for it,” she said. “I did that today, and it worked out.”
She had an all-star team behind the scenes like Skratch Labs Founder, Dr. Allen Lim, and long-time team director Rachel Hedderman in her ear helping with some of the road racing tactics Courtney was a little unfamiliar with. Courtney went on to explain her strategy going into the final miles saying, “I knew it was going to come down to a war of attrition and come down to that last lap. I was just trying to save enough and be smart but also keep the pace on, so we actually had a chance at it. And then of course, trying to play that final. I haven't been in many situations like that, so I was really glad to stick that landing.”
Results:
1. Kate Courtney (Portola Valley, Calif.; She Sends Racing)
2. Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas; Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment)
3. Grace Arlandson (Boulder, Colo.; Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment)
In the finale event of an exhilarating week of racing, 98 Elite Men lined up for their arduous 10-lap, 198.6-kilometer battle. The race was fast from the start, with riders trying to make moves early and keep the pace high. Modern Adventure brought a full squad of 12 riders, so they had a tactical advantage with plenty of manpower. Lap after lap, the race dwindled down. The tough climbs around Charleston did their damage early, splitting the field and creating the key selection points of the race. Modern Adventure kept the pressure on with repeated attacks throughout the day, but the peloton raced smart, responding to every move and refusing to let any breakaway get too far up the road.
The race-altering move occurred on lap nine when the seven leaders of the race made their way up Wertz. Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lidl Trek) launched an attack and rode away. A determined Kevin Vermaerke (Reno, Nev.; UAE Team Emirates XRG) found another gear to break ahead of Ashlin Barry (Boulder, Colo.: Visma | Lease a Bike Development) and Lawrence Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich.; Tudor Pro Cycling Team). With a two-minute advantage, Simmons crossed the line solo to win his third Stars and Stripes jersey. Even though Vermaerke had an advantage on the chase group, it came down to a sprint with Warbasse where they both gave everything they had to get to the line. Vermaerke won the sprint for silver, and Warbasse rounded out the podium with bronze.
Simmons will continue to wear the Stars and Stripes with pride, saying, “I knew as long as I could make it to the point where everyone else is tired, there was a good chance I could get away. It’s a special feeling. It’s really important for me to wear this jersey. It will be the third year that I get to wear the jersey in the biggest bike race in the world, and for me that’s super special.”
Results:
1. Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lidl Trek)
2. Kevin Vermaerke (Reno, Nev.; UAE Team Emirates XRG)
3. Lawrence Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich.; Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
