Junior Road Races See Working Together Make For Winning Big

Day 2 of the 2021 USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships saw six groups take to the road race course on Fort Blanding in Clay County, Fla. on Friday. The morning events had warm temperatures and humid conditions, while the afternoon events were cooled off by rain. Riders throughout the day honed in on their determination and grit to get through a tough day in the saddle.

Our first race of the day was the Junior Women ages 17-18. They competed on the 19.6-kilometer course and did a total of four laps. In the first half of the race, several riders set off in a break that never got caught. Makayla MacPherson (Corona, Calif.; Lux/Sideshow p/b Specialized) and her Lux/Sideshow p/b Specialized teammates swept the podium in an epic sprint to the finish. The team “went in with a plan,” according to Macpherson. All three riders ended sprinting into the finish together and leaving their competitor’s several bike lengths back. In our Junior Women ages 15-16 category, the theme of “work as a team” reigned true yet again. Maize Wimbush (White Plains, Md.; TeamTwenty24 Devo) threw down an incredible sprint along with her fellow TeamTwenty24 Devo rider to take the top step. Wimbush had one of the most fantastic sprints of the day. When asked about her future aspirations, she said, “In 2028, I plan to be the first African American female cyclist [to represent the United States]… hopefully even by 2032, I can be in the Olympics, and then my dream will be complete”. Wimbush becomes the first African American woman to win a U.S. Junior National Road title with her win.

The Junior Men 17-18 race came down to a bunch sprint and ended with Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lux/Sideshow p/b Specialized) winning gold. When asked about his finish, he stated, “I just spun my legs a little faster than everyone else and crossed the line first. Huge thanks to my team.” Next year Simmons will be entering the U23 field, so winning this year’s race was a perfect way to set him up for the future. In the Junior Men’s 15-16 race, one rider risked it all to take home the stars and stripes jersey. Jack Makohon (Heath, Texas; Rockwall Racing) got away from the group in a solo breakaway and held it to the finish line. Makohon said, “I knew I didn’t have much of sprint, so I was just all in. I was just going to see what happens”. He plans on one day going pro and is looking forward to more racing.

Junior Women ages 13-14 and ages 11-12 took to the course later in the day. These ladies

competed on an 8-kilometer course with the 13-14-year-old’s riding four laps and the 11-12-year-old’s riding three laps. In a show-stopping performance, Lidia Cusack (Chevy Chase, Md.; dcdevo Racing Academy) went solo off of the front of the Junior Women’s 13-14 race. With her eyes focused on the win, she pedaled her heart out to win the race. In our Junior Women ages 11-12 race, Sarah Vargas (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.; TeamTwenty24) sprinted her way to a win and even managed to do a bike throw to take it at the line!

Join the racing tomorrow back on Camp Blanding for the last of the road race events. The Amateur Men kick off the day at 7:00 a.m. E.T. They’ll be followed by the U23 Men, Junior Men 13-14, and the Junior Men 11-12. You can check out the full event schedule here. We’ll be live-tweeting on @USACyclingLive and posting the stories on USA Cycling’s Instagram.

Complete results are listed HERE.