Team USA Recap Feb 6 1130x600
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Team USA

Team USA Recap: Top-10s at CX Worlds; McNulty and Barta win in Spain; Valente earns three medals at Track Nations Cup

By: Anne Stein  February 06, 2024

We recap the latest in American bike racing from the past two weeks (January 21-February 4)

CYCLOCROSS

UCI CX World Cup: Round 14, Hoogerheide, Netherlands

(January 28) – In the final World Cup race of this year’s CX season, Andrew Strohmeyer placed 5thin the men’s U23 race. It was the 22-year-old’s third top-10 World Cup placing in 2023-24.

Complete results here

2024 UCI Cyclocross World Championships: Tabor, Czech Republic

(February 2-4)Vida Lopez de San Roman captured the top spot for Team USA at the 2024 UCI CX World Championships, placing 6th in the women’s junior race. Elite Women’s National Champion Clara Honsinger took 8th in the elite women’s race, battling her way to a top-10 finish in a five-way sprint.

The 16 athletes representing Team USA in Tabor captured a number of top-20 spots over the weekend. Andrew Strohmeyer battled back after getting caught behind a crash and placed 16th in the men’s U23 race. Miles Mattern placed 17th in the men’s junior race, while first-year 17-18 Lidia Cusacktook 17th in women’s juniors.

Lizzy Gunsalus and Keira Bond took 18th and 20th in women’s U23. In the men’s elite race, bad luck hit Team USA cyclists, with tough crashes slowing Eric Brunner and Scott Funston, while Curtis White broke a wheel that forced him to abandon.

Race Recap: Saturday

Race Recap: Sunday

Complete results here

ROAD

Women’s World Tour, Deakin University Road Race: Australia

(January 27) – After a two-year break spent gravel and mountain bike racing, Ruth (Winder) Edwards (Human Powered Health) returned to the road with a fourth-place finish in Australia, winning a chase-group sprint. The 141 km Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race was part of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race weekend of racing.

“I’m feeling super confident being back in the peloton and I’m excited to be able to push and try and race hard,” said the 30-year-old former US National champion, whose past victories include Joe Martin Stage Race, Tour Down Under, and a stage in the Giro d’Italia Donne.

Complete results here

Trofeo Calvia: Spain

(January 24)Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) kicked off his road season with a 3rd place finish at Trofeo Calvia, the opening race of the Challenge Mallorca series. The reigning US Elite Men’s Time Trial National Champion is in his fifth year racing pro.

Complete results here

Trofeo Ses Salines - Felanitx: Spain

(January 25) –Twenty-one-year-old Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step) made his World Tour debut at Challenge Mallorca, taking 3rd at the 181 km Trofeo Ses Salines. The three-time US criterium champion signed with his team in August, after spending the previous three seasons racing at home and in Europe in the U23 category.

Complete results here

Trofeo Serra Tramuntana: Spain

(January 26)Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) captured a podium spot again, his second in three days of racing at Challenge Mallorca. The hilly, 153 km race came down to a sprint and McNulty placed third. My form here this week has been good and the results are there too with two podiums, so things are pointing in the right direction,” he said afterwards. “I’m hungry for the first win.”

Complete results here

Trofeo Pollenca – Port d’Andratx: Spain

(January 27)Brandon McNulty (Team UAE Emirates) wrapped up his week of one-day Spanish racing with a 7th place finish at Trofeo Pollenca, a hilly 158 km road race.

Complete results here

Trofeo Palma: Spain

(January 28)Scott McGill (Project Echelon Racing) placed 10th at the 150 km Trofeo Palma in Spain. Project Echelon is a US-based Continental team that will race road, criterium, stage, and gravel in the US and Europe this season.

Complete results here

Volta Comunitat Valenciana: Spain

(January 31-February 4) – It was a double-win for the Americans on the final day of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana, which saw time trial specialist Will Barta (Movistar) get his first pro win ever, and race leader Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) wrap up the overall win.

McNulty vaulted up 22 places to the top of GC with a mountaintop win on stage 4, then held his 14-second lead on the final day for victory. It’s McNulty’s second pro stage race victory, having won Giro di Sicilia in 2019.

Tyler Stites (Project Echelon) placed 7th on the final stage with several top 10 finishes throughout the week.

Complete results here

TRACK

Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup: Adelaide, Australia

(February 2-4) – Team USA came home with five medals from the Track Nations Cup in Adelaide. The first of three days of racing saw two podiums for Team USA, with World Champion and Olympic medalist Jennifer Valente taking silver in Women’s Elimination and Grant Koontz taking bronze in Men’s Elimination.

On day two, Jennifer Valente and Lily Williams teamed up to capture bronze in Women’s Madison.

Valente earned her third medal on day 3, taking bronze in the women’s Omnium. Colby Langesecured 9th place in men’s Omnium. Cyclists are vying for Olympic qualification points and will compete next month in Hong Kong, March 15-17.

Complete results here

ESPORTS CYCLING

Echelon Racing League: Libby Hill After Party Road Race

(January 27) – Last in the six-race Echelon Racing League series saw cyclists battle virtually on the single-lap, 33 km Libby Hill course. Neil Fryett (43:44), J Bruhn and Watopia placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the elite men’s race. Elyse Gallegos (51:11) took 1st for the elite women.

More information at https://www.echelonracingleague.com/