(July 26-31) — Felicia Stancil (Factory SSquared/Answer) won her first elite world title by inches in a photo finish at the BMX World Championships in France. Olympic silver medalist and five-time worlds medalist Alise Willoughby took fourth. Stancil, a Tokyo Olympian who finished 7th in the 2021 World Championships, was just six months out from a crash that dislocated her hip and kept her off the track for nearly four months. Afterwards she said she was shocked by her win. “This is my first elite world title in my career and it’s incredible… This is the one thing I have always wanted.”
Kamren Larsen (Haro Bikes) and Cameron Wood (Mongoose/USA BMX Foundation) made it into Sunday’s race but both just missed out on the Elite Men’s main event. Spencer Cole made it to the U23 men’s quarter finals but crashed, while the sole U23 women, McKenzie Gayheart (Factory Full Tilt/Radio) placed 5th in the semis.
For complete results, go here
(July 29-31) — American racers made the most of World Cup racing at home by capturing four podium spots over a weekend of racing in Snowshoe, West Virginia. They also made history by taking the top spots in the elite men’s and women’s cross country short track race.
Competing in the Appalachian Mountains on a super-muddy course, newly-crowned U.S. National Champion Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and first-year elite Gwendalyn Gibson (Norco Factory Team) took gold in cross country short track. Blevins won his first-ever World Cup last season in Snowshoe, and Gibson showed she’s recovered from a broken knee cap suffered less than three months ago.
Americans also took podium spots on Sunday’s XCO course, with U.S. National Champion Bjorn Riley (Trek/Vaude) placing 2nd in the Men’s U23 race and national champion Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing) placed 3rd in the Women’s U23.
On the women’s elite side, Savilia Blunk (Orange Seal), Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing), Gwendalyn Gibson (Norco Factory Team) and Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) took 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th. Christopher Blevins took 4th in the men’s race, narrowly missing out on a podium spot after flatting.
Ryan Pinkerton (GT Factory Racing) took 5th in the Junior Men’s downhill, while Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) placed 9th on the elite women’s side.
(July 18-24) — Thousands of elite and age-group cyclists vied for National Champion titles over a week of mountain bike racing in Winter Park, Colorado. Dakotah Norton (Intense Factory Racing) and Kailey Skelton (KHS Factory Racing) both defended their downhill titles, while Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles) defended his XCO elite men’s title. For a full list of results, go here. Find the daily recaps here: Non-Champ, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7
Short Track XC
Elite Men: Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), Stephan Davoust (Giant Factory), Russell Finsterwald (Specialized Off-Road)
Elite Women: Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM), Savilia Blunk (Orange Seal), Kelsey Urban (Team 31)
U23 Men: Brayden Johnson (Bear National), Bjorn Riley (Trek/Vaude), Robbie Day (Bear National)
XCO
Elite Men: Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles), Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), Eric Brunner (Blue Competition Cycles)
Elite Women: Savilia Blunk (Orange Seal), Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM), Gwendalyn Gibson (Norco Factory Team)
Men U23: Bjorn Riley (Trek/Vaude), Braden Johnson (Bear National), Robbie Day (Bear National)
Women U23: Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing), Sofia Waite (WE Development), Michaela Thompson (Team Durango Segment 28)
Downhill
Elite Men: Dakotah Norton (Intense Factory Racing), Aaron Gwin (Intense Factory Racing), Austin Dooley (Commencal North America/Monster Energy)
Elite Women: Kailey Skelton (KHS Factory Racing/Monster Energy), Abigail Hogie (Beyond Racing), Mazie Hayden (Defiant Racing)
Enduro
Elite Men: Richard Rude, Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing), Mitch Ropelato (Factory Cannondale), Jack Brown (Yeti/Fox Developmental Team)
Elite Women: Amy Morrison (Polygon Bikes), Porsha Murdock (Specialized), Kate Lawrence (Yeti/Fox National Race Team)
(July 1- 24) – Three Americans finished in the top 20 at this year’s Tour de France, with Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) placing 13th, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) 18th and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) 20th. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), making his Tour debut, placed 21st.
McNulty and Jorgenson were 3rd and 4th in the Best Young rider competition, with tour rookie Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) taking 11th. Powless was 8th in the King of the Mountains competition. Along with Joe Dombrowski (Astana-Qazaqstan), this was the biggest group of U.S. riders competing in the Tour since 2014.
(July 24-31) – First-year pro Veronica Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) conquered gravel sections and a final mountain stage to place 9th overall at this year’s historic Tour de France Femmes, which began in Paris the same day that the men’s Tour finished. Six American women including Ewers were at the start line: Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco), Krista Doebel-Hickok (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), Emily Newsom (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo), and Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) contested the 8-stage race.
The 27-year-old Ewers took 4th on stage 4, successfully attacking on a gravel stretch, and took 11th on stage 7. The 2021 U.S. Road Racing bronze medalist took 7th on the mountainous final stage to move up two places and lock in a top-10 result. “It was all on me to kill myself on this climb,” she said after the race. “It was so steep with a little bit of gravel… and even when you’re standing up it feels like you’re gonna topple over,” she said. “I anticipated this last climb to be insane and it was and it far exceeded my expectation….I’ve got to say this women’s Tour de France has brought so many people to cycling in general.”
(July 30) — The seventh stop of the 10-race American Criterium Cup brought racers to suburban Chicago, where L39ion of Los Angeles took the top spots in the elite men’s and women’s races.
Elite Men: Ty Magner (L39ion of Los Angeles), Daniel Estevez (Best Buddies), Clever Martinez (Blazers)
Elite Women: Kendall Ryan (L39ion of Los Angeles), Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia’s Blue Ridge/TWENTY24), Paola Munoz (CWA Racing P/B Goldman Sachs ET)
(July 26-August 1) — Junior and Elite men and women vied for titles in more than a dozen individual and team events over five days of racing at Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Pennsylvania. Grant Koontz (Star Track UCI) and current UCI Nations’ Cup overall omnium champion Jennifer Valente dominated overall, with wins in the men’s and women’s Omnium. For complete results of every event, go here. Find the daily recaps here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5
Individual Pursuit
Elite Women: Bethany Matsick (Bike Works P/B Fred Beans), Leia Genis (The Shop Racing), Skyler Espinoza (Alto Velo)
Elite Men: Ian Anderson (Chaney Windows and Doors), Aaron Beebe (Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team), Spencer Seggebruch (Chaney Windows and Doors)
Time Trial
Elite Men: Jamie Alvord III (Edge Cycling), David Domonoske (Alto Velo), Dyllon Gunsolus (Project Echelon)
Elite Women: Mandy Marquardt (Team Novo Nordisk), Jennifer Wagner (Atomic Momentum), Emily Schelberg (Iamicaniwillido P/B Vita Performance)
Scratch Race
Elite Men: Grant Koontz (Star Track UCI), Eddy Huntsman (Butcherbox Pro Cycling), Lance Abshire (Chaney Windows and Doors)
Elite Women: Jennifer Valente (Virginia’s Blue Ridge/Twenty24), Kimberly Zubris, Skyler Espinoza (Alto Velo)
Omnium
Elite Men: Grant Koontz (Star Track UCI), Spencer Seggebruch (Chaney Windows and Doors), Lance Abshire (Chaney Windows and Doors)
Elite Women: Jennifer Valente (Virginia’s Blue Ridge/Twenty24), Kimberly Zubris, Elizabeth Stevenson (Marian University)
Sprint
Elite Men: Jamie Alvord III (Edge Cycling), Sandor Delgado (ASCP), Andrew Chu (Edge Cycling)
Elite Women: Mandy Marquardt (Team Novo Nordisk), Jennifer Wagner (Atomic Momentum), Stephanie Lawrence (Star Track)
Elimination Race
Elite Men: Eddy Huntsman (Butcherbox Pro Cycling), Ryan Jastrab (Star Track UCI Racing), Tristan Manderfeld (Chaney Windows and Doors)
Elite Women: Jennifer Valente (Virginia’s Blue Ridge/Twenty24), Chloe Patrick (Serious Cycling), Elizabeth Stevenson (Marian University)
Keirin
Elite Men: Andrew Chu (EDGE Cycling), Barak Pipkins (EDGE Cycling), Sandor Delgado (ASCP)
Elite Women: Jennifer Valente (Virginia’s Blue Ridge/Twenty24), Mandy Marquardt (Team Novo Nordisk), Jennifer Wagner (Atomic Momentum)
Points Race
Elite Men: Grant Koontz (Star Track UCI), Lance Abshire (Chaney Windows and Doors), Daniel Breuer (Chaney Windows and Doors)
Elite Women: Jennifer Valente (Virginia’s Blue Ridge/Twenty24), Chloe Patrick (Serious Cycling), Elizabeth Stevenson (Marian University)
