Team USA Recap 24 Road Worlds 1130x600
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Team USA Recap: Chloé Dygert Earns Silver and Bronze at UCI Road World Championships; Christopher Blevins takes Silver at Marathon MTB Worlds

By: Anne Stein  October 02, 2024

We recap the latest in American bike racing from the past two weeks (September 17-October 1)

ROAD

UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships: Zurich, Switzerland

(September 21-29) – There were plenty of top-10 placings for Team USA at the UCI Road World Championships along with two medals, both earned by Chloé Dygert (Canyon/SRAM Racing), who took bronze in the elite women’s time trial and silver in the 154 kilometer elite women’s road race. 

While reigning time trial world champion Chloé Dygert’s bronze was the highlight of the elite women’s time trial, Team USA’s Amber Neben placed 10th. On the elite men’s side, Brandon McNulty placed 10th while Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) came in 10 seconds later for 13thplace.

Lidia Cusack (dcdevo Racing Academy) placed 11th in the junior women’s time trial, while Ashlin Barry placed 10th on the junior men’s side. Artem Shmidt (Ineos Grenadiers) placed 8th in the U23 men’s race.

In the middle of the week, Team USA raced in the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay taking 6th place, which featured Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), Emily Ehrlich (Team Twenty24), Amber Neben and Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling). 

In junior road racing, Ashlin Barry (EF Education-ONTO) sprinted for a podium spot and took 5th in the junior men’s race, which featured 159 riders from 60 nations. Alyssa Sarkisov (dcdevo Racing Academy) was the top-placing American in the junior women’s race, taking 13th in the field of 120 women competing. 

The elite women’s road race was thrilling as Chloe Dygert continuously pushed through break after break to set herself up for a sprint finish for the World Title. She ultimately finished second, scoring another medal for Team USA. 

The final day’s event featured the 274 kilometer elite men’s road race and Team USA did not disappoint, capturing three of the top-20 spots. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) placed 9th overall for the best USA placing, coming in 2:18 behind winner Tadej Pogačar. Brandon McNulty placed 17th and Kevin Vermaerke was 19th.

Race recaps: Elite TTJunior/ U23 Men's TTJunior Women's TTMixed Team Relay | Junior Road RacesU23 Men's Road RaceElite Women's Road RaceElite Men’s Road Race

Complete results here

Tour de Luxembourg: Luxembourg City

(September 18-22)Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) had two top-10 placings at the five-stage Tour of Luxembourg, a race that in part was designed by former pro and Luxembourg native Andy Schleck. Simmons was 7th in the Youth category and 13th overall. It was the 84th edition of the race, which traverses more than 700 kilometers over five days with a start/finish at the nation’s capital.

Complete results here

Tour de Gatineau: Gatineau, Quebec

(September 21)Shayna Powless (DNA Pro Cycling Team) placed 8th at the Tour de Gatineau road race. The three-day elite women’s event includes a time trial, criterium and the 117 kilometer road race.

Complete results here

MOUNTAIN BIKE 
2024 Marathon Mountain Bike World Championships: Snowshoe, WV

(September 21-22)Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) earned silver at the Marathon MTB World Championships, coming in just 10 seconds behind winner Simon Andreassen after a grueling 68 miles and 6,500 feet of climbing around the Monongahela National Forest. Blevins sprinted for silver to earn the medal by two seconds. Cole Paton (Giant Bicycles) placed 9th.

Marathon Mountain Bike National Champion Alexis Skarda (Santa Cruz Bicycles) placed 9th in the elite women’s race. It was the first time that the championships had been held in the U.S. or North America. 

Roundup story here

Complete results here

UCI MTB World Cup: Lake Placid, NY

(September 27-29) – Day one of World Cup MTB racing at Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY, kicked off with men and women’s U23 XCC. Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing/Pirelli) placed 5thafter a crash on the last lap and Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing/Pirelli) took 7th on the women’s side. 

Saturday’s racing featured U23 XCO and elite men and women’s XCC. Riley Amos placed 4th and maintained his number one overall in the men’s U23 standings, while Madigan Munro took 4th on the women’s side and currently stands 3rd overall among the U23 women. 

Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) placed 6th in elite women’s XCC, and went on to finish 7th in the XCO on Sunday. She sits second in the overall with one more race left in the series. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) battled to a sprint finish also finishing 6th on the day. 

Complete results here

Fox US Open, National Downhill Series: Killington, VT

(September 26-29) – The fourth and final stop of the National Downhill Series came to Killington Resort, where New Zealand rider Lachie Stevens-McNab (Union) took the elite men’s victory and German Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate) won the elite women’s race in dominating fashion. As the final race of the season, Americans Dante Silva (Canyon-Pirelli) and Aletha Ostgaard won the Pro Downhill Series Overall Standings. 

Series standings here

Complete results here

CYCLOCROSS
USCX Series, Rochester Cyclocross: Rochester, NY

(September 21-22) – Rochester Cyclocross was the site for races 3 and 4 of the 2024 Trek USCX Series, and stop number 3 of the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Series

In Saturday’s C1 races, Americans Andrew Strohmeyer (CXD Trek Bikes), Scott Funston (Cervelo Orange Living) and Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz/SRAM) swept the top three spots in the elite men’s event.

For the second week in a row, Katie Clouse (Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) was the top American in the elite women’s race,  placing 6th behind repeat winner Hélène Clauzel. Benjamin Bravman(Bear National Team) won the junior men’s race for the second week in a row, followed by Aidan Vollmuth (Finkraft Junior Cycling Team) and teammate Jack Bernhard (Finkraft Junior Cycling Team) in 2nd and 3rd. Ada Watson (CXD Trek Bikes) placed 2nd and Liliana Edwards (Baltimore Youth Cycling) was 4th in the junior women’s event. 

Sunday’s C2 racing saw Andrew Strohmeyer take first again for elite men, followed by Marcis Shelton (Bear CX)  and Tobin Ortenblad in 2nd and 3rd. Katie Clouse placed 5th in the elite women’s race. 

Jack Bernhard placed first in junior men’s racing and Benjamin Bravman was 4th. Ada Watsonplaced 2nd in junior women’s, followed by Alyssa White (Finkraft Junior Cycling Team) and Liliana Edwards in 3rd and 4th place. 

Complete results here

USCX Series, Charm City Cross, Baltimore, MD

(September 28-29) – Races 5 and 6 in the 2024 TREK USCX Series took place at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, MD at the long-running Charm City Cross. Serving as stop 4 of the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Series, the weekend included professional and amateur races, with UCI C1 racing on Saturday and UCI C2 on Sunday.

In Saturday’s C1, Andrew Strohmeyer (CXD Trek Bikes) continued his winning streak, crossing the line first in the elite men’s. Scott Funston (Cervelo Orange Living) placed 2nd, followed by Eric Brunner (Competitive Edge Racing) in 3rd. Katie Clouse (Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) was the top-placing American in the women’s elite race, taking 4th behind repeat winner Hélène Clauzel. 

In Sunday’s C2 racing, the podium stayed the same, but Eric Brunner (Competitive Edge Racing) took the win, Strohmeyer in second, and Funston 3rd. In the Elite Womens’ race, Clouse was the top placing American once again taking 4th

Nathaniel Gervez (Competitive Edge Racing) placed 1st both days while Ada Watson (CXD Trek Bikes) and Alyssa White (Finkraft Junior Cycling Team) went 1-2 in the junior women’s race on Saturday, with White taking the win on Sunday. 

The series concludes next weekend with the Trek CX Cup, October 4-6 in Waterloo, Wisconsin.

Saturday’s C1 results here

Sunday’s C2 results here