On August 26, USA Cycling announced the athletes representing the United States at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia, on September 18-25, 2022. Since that announcement, there have been several changes to the team. Between the UCI points chase for the WorldTour teams, riders being fatigued and injured from an extremely packed season, and the last-minute logistics with VISAs, getting a team to Australia is proving to be very challenging.
Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) and Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Trek-Segafredo) are two riders that declined consideration to the team after deciding to end their seasons early after the strenuous World Tour schedule. In addition, Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Movistar Team), Kevin Vermaerke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Team DSM), and Sean Quinn (Sherman Oaks, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost) are all part of the UCI World Tour Team relegation points chase and need to help their trade teams secure valuable points in the upcoming races, making them unable to travel to Australia.
These absences left several spots open for top domestic riders, including Volta Portugal stage winner Scott McGill (Fallston, Md.; Wildlife Generation) and off-road phenom Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles).
USA Cycling’s CEO Brendan Quirk commented on the Road Worlds selection. “This has proven to be an unusual year for World’s team selection. Between the WorldTour relegation battle and the daunting trip to Australia, our selection pool is far smaller than normal. I’m a big fan of the phrase ‘let no good crisis go to waste.’ And that’s why the selection committee decided to add Keegan to our Elite Road team. We know he has a world tour engine; we know he’s not intimidated by anything or anyone. And we know that the most incredible phenomenon going on in road right now is crossover riders diving in from other disciplines. This is an amazing opportunity for Keegan to show how talented he really is,” said Quirk.
In the U23 category, the two additions to the roster are 18-year-old Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Jumbo-Visma Development Team) and 22-year-old Finn Gullickson (Colorado Springs, Colo.; CR4C Roanne).
Unfortunately, broken collarbones have plagued the Elite Women’s team. Coryn Labecki (Tustin, Calif.; Team Jumbo-Visma) is missing her eighth World Championships with Team USA after a crash in the Simac Ladies Tour. Most recently, Krista Doebel-Hickok(Marina Del Rey, Calif.; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) abandoned the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta after a crash in the peloton resulted in a broken clavicle.
Labecki and Dobel-Hickok’s accidents opened up two spots on the women’s team, adding returning Team USA member Lauren Stephens (Dallas; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) and newcomer Heidi Franz (Seattle, Wash.; InstaFund Racing). Franz, along with Skylar Schneider (Milwaukee, Wis.; L39ion of Los Angeles), have both been nominated to the World Championships team after spending part of their season racing with USA Cycling’s new women’s development program with Cynisca Cycling.
The finalized roster is as follows:
Lawson Craddock (Houston; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Scott McGill (Fallston, Md.; Wildlife Generation)
Kyle Murphy (Washington, D.C.; Human Powered Health)
Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost)
Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers)
Keegan Swenson (Park City Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles)
Veronica Ewers (Moscow, Idaho; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Heidi Franz (Seattle, Wash.; InstaFund Racing)
Emma Langley (Richmond, Va.; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Skylar Schneider (Milwaukee, Wis.; L39ion of Los Angeles)
Lauren Stephens (Dallas; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo)
Finn Gullickson (Colorado Springs, Colo.; CR4C Roanne)
Luke Lamperti (Sebastopol, Calif.; Trinity Racing)
Matthew Riccitello (Tucson, Ariz.; Israel Premier-Tech)
Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Jumbo-Visma Development Team)
Patrick Welch (Northfield, Minn.; Kelly Benefits Strategies)
Alex Gustin (San Diego; LUX Cycling Development Team)
Viggo Moore (Feldberg, Ger., LUX Cycling Development Team)
Artem Shmidt (Cumming, Ga.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling)
Makala Jaramillo (Black Forest, Colo.; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24)
Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.; Serious Cycling)
Katherine Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; LUX Cycling Development Team)
Samantha Scott (Boise, Idaho; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24)
Lawson Craddock (Houston; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers)
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo)
Patrick Welch (Northfield, Minn.; Kelly Benefits Strategies)
Alex Gustin (San Diego; LUX Cycling Development Team)
Artem Shmidt (Cumming, Ga.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling)
Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.; Serious Cycling)
Katherine Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; LUX Cycling Development Team)
