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Team USA Recap: Team USA, Amos, and Vermette Win Mountain Bike World Titles

By: Anne Stein  September 03, 2024

We recap the latest in American bike racing from the past two weeks (August 20-September 3)

MOUNTAIN BIKE 

 

2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships: Pal Arinsal, Andorra

 

(August 28-September 1) – It was a long weekend of gold, silver, and bronze, along with a slew of top-10 placings for Team USA at Mountain Bike Worlds in Andorra. Day one kicked off with the Americans earning their first-ever gold in the XCO Mixed Team Relay. Brayden Johnson (U23 Men), Nicholas Konecny (Junior Men), Haley Batten (Elite Women), Vida Lopez de San Roman (Junior Women), Madigan Munro (U23 Women) and Christopher Blevins (Elite Men) were chosen to compete in the six-lap race. They finished three seconds ahead of Team France and 1:30 ahead of bronze medalist Italy. Blevins recorded one of the day’s fastest laps to give Team USA the 3-second advantage and the gold medal. 

 

Day 2 featured two podiums in junior downhill, with Asa Vermette taking gold and the world championship jersey in the men’s junior final, and Bode Burke earning bronze. Kale Cushmanplaced 6th and Julia Lofqvist Traum was 10th in women’s junior DH. 

 

Day 3 was a one-two punch in Short Track, with Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) earning gold and Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) taking silver in U23 men’s XCC. Brayden Johnson (Santa Cruz Rock Shox) was 6th

 

Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing) placed 6th in U23 women XCC while Sofia Waite (BH Coloma Team) placed 11th.

 

Former Short Track World Champion Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) was edged out for bronze in a photo finish and took 4th in elite men’s XCC, while the American women packed the field, with Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing), Kate Courtney (SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing) and Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) placing 5th, 7th and 8th.

 

It was also the day featuring junior XCO racing, and Team USA captured several top spots. Nicholas Konecny (Bear National Team) placed 4th in junior men’s, just three seconds from bronze, and Henry Coote (Competitive Edge) was 9th. On the junior women’s side, Vida Lopez de San Roman (Bear National Team) placed 4th overall. 

 

Day 4 showcased elite men and women’s DH finals, with national champion Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing MTB) earning 6th overall and proving to be the fastest American on the day.

 

The final day saw numerous top-10 finishes in XCO for Team USA’s men and women. The elite and U23 women lined up together, with more than 100 women battling for titles. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Kate Courtney (SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing) placed 8th and 9th for elite women, while Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing) placed 10th in U23.

 

Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) earned his best result in Elite men’s world championships, placing 14th, while Bjorn Riley placed 5th and Riley Amos 10th in men’s U23 XCO.

 

Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Complete results here

 

ROAD

Vuelta a España: Spain

 

(August 17-September 8) – Four Americans continue to battle it out at this year’s Tour of Spain, which ends on September 8th in Madrid. Defending champion Sepp Kuss (Team Visma/Lease a Bike) had his best result, 8th place, on the brutally mountainous stage 15. Through Tuesday’s Stage 16, Kuss is the top-placed American in 12th overall.

 

Other top results include include Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), who won the Stage 1 time trial, and Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech), who so far has notched two top-10 placings on mountain stages. First-year World Tour pro Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech) is also on track to complete his longest-ever stage race.

 

Complete results here

Deutschland Tour: Germany

 

(August 21-25)Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step) placed 4th overall in the five-day Deutschland Tour, finishing just three seconds behind a podium spot. The three-time US Criterium National Champion also placed 2nd in the youth category. American Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) placed 10th

 

Complete results here

 

Women’s World Tour, Classic Lorient Agglomeration: Plouay, France

 

(August 24) – Time Trial World Champion Chloe Dygert (Canyon/SRAM Racing) placed 2nd overall at the 158 kilometer Classic Lorient Agglomeration, held in Plouay, France. The 2024 Olympic bronze (Time Trial) and gold (Team Pursuit) medalist broke away in the final few kilometers with several other riders, then finished 2nd in a sprint for the line.

 

Complete results here

 

Renewi Tour: Belgium

 

(August 28-September 1) – Two Americans, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Magnus Sheffield(INEOS Grenadiers), raced at the Renewi Tour, a five-day battle through Belgium and Holland. Sheffield placed 2nd in the stage 2 time trial and 7th overall in the Youth category. The race, which is sponsored by a waste management company, awarded medals made from recycled water bottles, while organizers drove only fully electric cars.

 

Complete results here

 

American Criterium Cup: Gateway Cup, St. Louis, MO

 

(September 1) –  Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) and Juan Arango Carvajal (Work Hard Be Humble Cycling) took the top spots at the Gateway Cup in St. Louis, the 8thand final race in this season’s ACC series. 

 

Skylar Schneider (Miami Blazers) and Alexis Magner (L39ION of Los Angeles) placed 2nd and 3rdin the elite women’s race. Lucas Bourgoyne (Austin Outlaws) placed 2nd and Alfredo Rodriguez(REIGN Storm Racing) was 3rd on the elite men’s side.

 

Skylar Schneider won the overall ranking for women for the series, followed by Rylee McMullen(DNA Pro Cycling) and Paola Munoz (Goldman Sachs EFT Racing). DNA Pro Cycling was the top women’s team overall, followed by Miami Blazers and Goldman Sachs EFT Racing.

 

Jordan Parra (REIGN Storm Racing) took the men’s overall title, followed by teammates Alfredo Rodriguez and Danny Summerhill in 2nd and 3rd. REIGN Storm Racing took the team title, followed by Austin Outlaws and Rockland Development.

 

Race recap

Complete results here

Season standings here

TRACK

 

2024 UCI Junior Track World Championships: Luoyang, Hunan, China

 

(August 21-25) – Four Americans represented Team USA in Luoyang, China at this year’s Junior Track World Championships: Ashlin Barry (EF Education-ONTO), Merrick Gallagher (Jerry Baker Juniors), and Alejandro Che (Hot Tubes) for junior men, and Reagen Pattishall (Edge Cycling) for junior women. 

 

Barry, the American junior road race and time trial National Champion, earned silver in men’s junior Omnium. He also finished 8th with partner Merrick Gallagher in men’s junior Madison.

 

Reagan Pattishall, a 21-time national champion, earned 10th in women’s junior Omnium.

 

Complete results here