Men’s Team Pursuit Finishes Fourth at the 2025 UCI Track World Championships
On the second day of the 2025 UCI Track World Championships, Team USA took on the Men’s Team Pursuit, Women’s Elimination, Men’s Scratch, and Women’s Sprint.
The Team Pursuit squad delivered an outstanding performance in yesterday’s competition, earning their place in the bronze medal final against New Zealand.
Ashlin Barry (Toronto, Ont.; JEGG - SKIL - DJR), Graeme Frislie (Paradise, Aus.; CCACHE x Bodywrap), Anders Johnson(Huntsville, Utah), and Grant Koontz (Nederland, Colo.; Star Track Cycling) were ready to line up once more for the final showdown.
The team rode with precision and power, executing smooth exchanges and holding New Zealand within reach throughout the race. With a kilometer to go, Team USA launched their final push but came up just short, crossing the line 1.03 seconds back to finish fourth overall.
While the team narrowly missed the podium, they left everything on the track and should be incredibly proud of their effort. Their result marks Team USA’s best finish in the event since 1995, when the program last earned a World Championships medal.
Results:
1. Denmark – 3:43.915
2. Australia – 3:47.258
3. New Zealand – 3:48.77
4. United States – 3:49.799
Grant Koontz (Nederland, Colo.; Star Track Cycling) was back on the track shortly after the Team Pursuit finals, lining up for the 10k Scratch Race.
The group was all together until 18 laps to go. Then it started to split in half with Koontz in the lead group. It came down to eight riders driving the tempo at the front. With three laps to go, Koontz was still leading, pushing the pace as others hesitated to take a turn on the front. The group eventually lapped the field, setting up a fast and chaotic finish. In the final lap sprint, the pace exploded, and Koontz crossed the line in seventh place after a hard-fought effort.
Results:
1. Moritz Augenstein (GER)
2. Yanne Dorenbos (NED)
3. Iuri Leito (POR)
7. Grant Koontz (USA)
Tokyo 2020 Olympian Megan Jastrab (Apple Valley, Calif.; Team Picnic PostNL) made her return to the track this week, taking on the endurance events. The Elimination Race is all about strategy and positioning, and Jastrab showcased both throughout the event. The race was neutralized twice due to crashes, but once underway, she maintained a strong presence near the front, staying out of trouble and in contention. As the field thinned and the eliminations grew tighter, many were decided by photo finishes. With ten riders remaining, Jastrab found herself boxed in with nowhere to go. In the final sprint for position, she crossed the line just inches short, ending her run.
Results:
1. Lara Gillespie (IRE)
2. Katie Archibald (GBR)
3. Helene Hesters (BEL)
10. Megan Jastrab (USA)
Emily Hayes (York, S.C.) and Kayla Hankins (Scottsdale, Ariz.) took on the Women’s Sprint tournament today. They started the morning off with their Flying 200m Qualifying effort. Hayes clocked a 10.852 and Hankins riding to a 10.812, moving both of them onto the next round.
In the 1/16th final, Hayes races against Germany’s Pauline Grabosch. Hayes started out strong turning over the pedals and getting into the sprinters lane first. Grabosch was able to come around on the final turn to edge out Hayes and get the advantage. Hankins raced against Great Britain’s Lauren Bell in a similar scenario. Hankins launched the attack first, but Bell proved to be faster, winning the heat and moving onto the round of eight.
USA Cycling’s participation in the World Championships is made possible through the support of dedicated donors and partners. To support the USA Cycling National Team, members can donate to the USA Cycling Foundation here. USA Cycling's supporting partner for this event includes HOVERAir, who shares our mission to elevate the sport and inspire the next generation of cyclists.
