Team USA Recap: Three Podiums for Team USA at MTB Worlds; Jimenez Palos Wins Gold and Two Silvers at Junior Track Worlds
MOUNTAIN BIKE
UCI MTB World Championships: Val di Sole, Italy
(August 26-30) – The world’s top mountain bike riders competed for rainbow jerseys over 5 days of racing at this year’s UCI MTB World Championships. Team USA’s squad included 25 cross-country athletes and 25 downhill racers who vied for titles across Cross-Country Olympic (XCO), Cross-Country Team Relay (XCR), Cross-Country Short Track (XCC), Downhill (DH), and E-MTB.
Team USA kicked off day one with a bronze in the mixed elite XC team relay. Nicholas Konecny (Lexware Mountainbike Team), Noah Scholnick (Bear National Team), Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing), Aida Linton, (Bear National Team), Bailey Cioppaand Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) each tackled a 3.5-kilometer lap, with Amos wrapping things up to secure 3rd behind Italy and Switzerland.
Day two featured short track and another medal for team USA: Makena Kellerman sprinted to bronze in U23 women’s XCC. In the U23 men’s race, US men grabbed two of the top-10 spots: Nicholas Konecny placed 5th and Jack Spranger was 8th.
Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) captured 4th in elite men’s XCC and Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing) placed 10th in the elite women’s race.
Downhill action saw Team USA capture one medal and a number of top-10 spots. National champion Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) earned silver in junior women’s DH, improving on her bronze medal performance from last year. Winter Bush (Outlaw Bike Team) was 4th. Boston Bryant (Outlaw Bike Team) and Luke Mallen (Outlaw Bike Team) earned 8th and 10th in the junior men’s DH final. In an incredibly tight elite men’s final, Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) placed 4th and Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was 6th. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/TRP) placed 10th in the elite women’s race.
On the final day of racing, Savilia Blunk and Haley Batten captured 9th and 10th in elite women’s XCO.
Recaps: Relay | Short Track & Junior XCO | Downhill | XCO | Results
UCI MTB World Cup (XC, DH): Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, France
(August 20-23) – In the final World Cup race leading into MTB World Championships, Team USA came away with two bronze and one gold medal, plus eight top-10 placings at a challenging and often muddy, wet Les Gets.
Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) won the junior women’s DH, making it seven podiums in seven World Cup races (including four wins) for the junior women’s national champion.
Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing) had a double-bronze medal weekend, capturing 3rdin elite women’s short track and XCO.
Top-10 placings: Richard Rude, Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) placed 4th in elite men’s DH, followed by Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) in 6th and Ryan Pinkerton(Mondraker Factory Racing) in 10th. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/TRP) placed 5th in elite women’s DH. Zanna Logar (Frameworks Racing/TRP) was 5th in junior women’s DH.
Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Racing) placed 9th in elite men’s XCC. Makena Kellermanwas 6th in U23 women’s XCC. Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek-Unbroken XC) placed 9th in elite women’s XCO.
Results here
ROAD
Vuelta a España: Spain
(August 22-September 13) – After eight days of racing at this year’s Tour of Spain, Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) is the top-placed American, sitting 4th overall behind the Tour’s leader, Spain’s Enric Mas.
Four other Americans are competing at the Vuelta: Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), Larry Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Will Barta (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), and Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). The race wraps up on September 13 in Granada.
Results here
Tour of Britain Women
(August 19-23) – Barely a month after signing a contract to race in the pro women’s peloton, Kate Courtney (FDJ United-SUEZ), placed 11th overall at the Tour of Britain Women, six seconds off a top-10 spot. The Marathon MTB World Champion and reigning Road Race National Champion also placed 3rd in Queen of the Mountains category.
Courtney has spent the past decade gravel and mountain biking, including earning world champion titles in 2018 (XCO) and 2025 (XCM). She jumped into the road scene this year at Tour de Feminin, winning one stage and placing 13th overall.
Results here
Philadelphia Cycling Classic: Philadelphia, PA
(August 30) – The UCI sanctioned Philadelphia Cycling Classic returned to action after being off the race calendar for a decade, attracting cyclists from around the globe. Pro men traversed the 14.4 mile circuit for a total of 120 miles, while pro women completed 62 miles of the circuit, which featured a 17 percent grade climb up the infamous Manayunk Wall.
More than 100 women were on the start line for the pro women’s race, with 20-year-old Ella Sabo (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) placing 3rd and Kristen Faulkner (EF Education – Oatly) 4th for the top US spots behind the winner, Italian Chiara Consonni, in a sprint finish. Jamie Chapman (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) and Megan Guarnier (CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Firm) rounded out the top-10 in 9th and 10th.
Riley Sheehan (NSN Cycling) was the top-placing American in the elite men’s race, which boasted 125 starters. Sheehan came in 4th behind the winner, Germany’s Tim Torn Teutenberg. Luke Lamperti (EF Education EasyPost) was 5th and Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) was 9th.
Results here
Giro Toscana Int. Femminile: Italy
(August 27-30) – Katherine Sarkisov was the top-placing American at the Giro Toscana, placing 10th overall at the four-day race. She also placed 4th in the Young rider category. Grace Arlandson placed 11th overall and 9th in the points competition, and the USA team of Sarkisov, Arlandson, Emmi Gilbert, Allison Mrugal and Alyssa Sarkisov placed 4th in the team competition.
Results here
UCI Gran Fondo World Championships: Niseko, Japan
(August 26-30) – Fifty-four American cyclists ages 19-78 competed with amateur cyclists from around the globe in time trial and road races in Niseko, Japan, at this year’s Gran Fondo World Championships. Riders took on 140-kilometer (Gran Fondo) and 80-kilometer (Medio Fondo) road race courses, along with time trial and team relay competitions.
Top Road Race Results:
Women: Susan Haid, bronze (60-64 Medio Fondo); Betsy Hard, silver (65-69 Medio Fondo); Patricia Caldeira, gold (70-74 Medio Fondo)
Men: Andrew Knight, bronze (45-49 Gran Fondo); Douglas Pomeranz, gold (65-69 Medio Fondo)
Top Time Trial Results:
Women: Patricia Caldeira, gold (70-74); Betsy Hard, silver (65-69); Jane Despas, silver (60-64); Karla Antonio, silver (55-59); Molly Van Houweling, gold (50-54)
Men: James Dickerson, gold (70-74); Tim Stone, bronze (65-69); Brendon Sullivan, bronze (60-64); Andrew Knight, silver (45-49); Christopher Pulomenia, bronze (35-39)
Results: Road race | Time trial
TRACK
USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships: Carson, California
(August 20-23) – Elite track athletes from across the US vied for national titles over four days of racing at this year’s USA Cycling Elite Track Nationals, held at the VELO Sports Center, the future LA28 Olympic & Paralympic track cycling venue.
For a complete rundown of each day’s races and winners of Stars and Stripes jerseys, see race recaps below.
Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Results
UCI Junior Track World Championships: Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
(August 19-23) – Emma Jimenez Palos (City Bikes Miami Racing) won three medals over four days of racing at this year’s UCI Junior Track World Championships, held at Belgium’s Vlaanderen Heusden-Zolder Velodrome. Junior cyclists ages 17-18 vied for 22 titles. Team USA was represented by two junior women: Jimenez Palos, who won gold (Scratch race) and silver (Individual Pursuit) at last year’s World Championships, and Rue Tomko (Jerry Baker Juniors), making her World Championship debut.
Jimenez Palos defended her world championship title on day one, winning gold in the Scratch race. On day three she competed in the Omnium and after a tight battle, earned silver. And on the final day of racing, Jiminez Palos earned silver in Individual Pursuit.
