Team USA Recap: AJ August Earns First Pro Road Win; Riccitello Takes Tour of Provence

(February 4-8) – Americans captured three of the top 10 spots at the five-stage Tour of Valencia in Spain. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) placed 5^th, Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) was 6^th and Riley Sheehan (NSN Cycling Team) placed 9^thoverall to kick off their road race season.

AJ August (INEOS Grenadiers) won stage 3, a 158-kilometer battle that marked the 20-year-old’s first professional win. 

Results here

(February 13-15) – Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) won the first race of the season with his new team, winning the overall title by four seconds at Tour de La Provence. The 23-year-old climbing specialist also won stage 2 of the three-day race. 

Two other young Americans also competed. AJ August (INEOS Grenadiers) placed 13^thoverall and was 3^rd in the Youth category, while Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost) captured a podium spot on day one’s stage, taking 3^rd. 

Results here

(February 13-15) – More than 800 cyclists in 25 pro and amateur categories competed over three days in and around Phoenix in time trial, road and criterium. 

The elite men’s overall title was won by Tyler Williams (L39ION of Los Angeles), followed by Cory Lockwood (L39ION of Los Angeles) and Jack Diemar (Kelly Benefits Cycling Team) in 2^nd and 3^rd.

The elite women’s overall title was won by Marjorie Rinaldo (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24), followed by Ella Sabo (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) and Ellexi Snover(Speedblock p/b Terun) in 3^rd. 

The race also served as a stop on both the Junior Road National Series and Paracycling National Calendar.

In the Junior 15-16 races, Josh Tyers (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team) took the overall win for the men, with Lilliana O’Donnell (Competitive Edge Racing) winning the women’s overall. In the Junior 17-18 events, Jack Klau (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team) won the men’s overall, with Sofia Tripcevich (Monarch Racing) taking the women’s overall. 

25 men and women across 14 different para-cycling classifications competed together in each of the three events. Factored times were used to determine placings and GC.

In day one’s time trial, Ryan Pinney (Your Jubilee) was 1^st, followed by Alfredo De Los Santos (Semper Fi Fund), Dennis Connors, Barry Wilcox (Possabilities) and Josue Barronin 2^nd-5^th.  

Day two’s road race was split between two groups. Group one’s winner was Alfredo De Los Santos, followed by Ryan Pinney, Dennis Connors, Todd Key (Velo Track Cycling) and Panagiotis Ampelas (CAF).

Group two’s race was won by Justin Mathers (Pinarello Performance), followed by Broden Ala, Gregory Quarles (Rusty Dogs of War/Ride on Bikes), Michael Murphy (505 Cycles presented by Fat Tire/Grit to Greatness) and John Sonnenschein.

Day three’s criterium was also split between two groups, depending on rider classification. Ryan Pinney won group one, followed by Dennis Connors, Barry Wilcox, Todd Key and Joe Pomeroy (BaseCamp Explore Team).

Group two was won by Justin Mathers, followed by Gregory Quarles, Michael Murphy, Kai Luan (Indigo Cycling), and Ala Broden. 

Ryan Pinney placed 1^st on GC, followed by Dennis Connors, Justin Mathers, Alfredo de Los Santos, and Gregory Quarles.

Results here

(February 16-22) – US National time trial champion Artem Schmidt (INEOS Grenadiers) placed 7^th on the Stage 2 time trial at the UAE Tour. Sporting his Stars and Stripes, the 22-year-old came in 29 seconds behind the winner, Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) on the 12.2 kilometer course on Al Hudayriat Island. The week-long race ends Feb. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

Results here