The second day of competition at the 2013 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships saw 31 different national titles awarded in the time trial.
Racing began this morning in the shadow of the Trek Bicycles headquarters in Waterloo, Wisc., with the U23 men and women – won by USA Cycling National Development Program riders Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team) and Kaitlin Antonneau (Racine, Wis./Exergy TWENTY16). Also competing on the 29-kilometer course was the men’s open race, won by Logan Loader (Pacific Grove, Calif./CashCall Mortgage).
Juniors between 15 and 18 years old contested a 20-kilometer course. Michael Dessau (Boulder, Colo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) and Hannah Swan (Alpine, Calif./Strive Racing) earned national titles in the 17-18 races. Adrien Costa (Los Altos, Calif./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) climbed the top step of the men’s 15-16 podium, and Emma White (Delanson, N.Y./Farm Team Elite Women’s Cycling Team) ascended the women’s 15-16 podium.
The youngest riders in the event took to the 9-kilometer course. Sean McElroy (Palmdale, Calif./Team Specialized Racing) and Megan Doherty (Boise, Idaho/ BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Dev Squad) posted the fastest times in the 13-14 races. The 10-12 categories were won by Luke Lamperti (Sebastopol, Calif./Team Swift) and Katie Clouse (Park City, Utah/Cole Sport).
Para-cycling Time Trials
The tandem duos in the blind or visually impaired category led off the para-cycling competitions. David Swanson (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino Cycles Racing) and Clark Rachfal (Annapolis, Md./Tachycardia Racing) covered the 26.5-kilometer course the quickest to take the men’s victory. In the BVI women’s race, Karissa Whitsell (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Paralympic) and Mackenzie Woodring (Belmont, Mich./Einstein Racing) took home the win.
Mark Gyulafia (Westwood, Kan./Guinness Cycling Team) won the C5 men’s race, Jonathan Copsey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Wired Athletes) the C4 race, David Rose (Calabasas, Calif.) the C3 event, Aaron Keith (Woodinville, Wash./U.S. Paracycling) the C2 race and Matthew Bigos (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./RIDE Cyclery) won the C1 event.
The women’s C5 win went to Greta Neimanas (Asheville, N.C./ExergyTWENTY16). Megan Fisher (Missoula, Mont./ Union Bay Cycling/Bikesale.com) earned the C4 win. Jamie Whitmore (Mount Aukum, Calif.) won the C3 event. Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo./Globalbike Racing) donned the C2 champion’s jersey.
In the men’s handcycling races, Alfredo de los Santos (Hopewell Junction, Pa./Paralyzed Veterans Racing) won the H4 race, Tom Davis (Fremont, Ind./Paralyzed Veterans Racing) won the H3 event, William Lachenauer (Reno, Nev./Team Roger C Peace) topped the H2 results, and H1 honors went to William Groulx (Portland, Ore./Paralyzed Veterans Racing) . Thea Rosa (Sacramento, Calif./Team PossAbilities) won the H3 race, and Marianna Davis (Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah Handcycle) took the H2 victory.
Steven Peace (San Diego, Calif./Hi-Tech Bikes) won the T2 para-cycling race, and Douglas Schneebeck (Albuquerque, N.M./ Sport Systems Mountaintop Cycling/Race Team) is the T1 national champion. Beth Hope (Santee, Calif./Paralyzed Veterans Racing) took top honors in the T2 women’s race.
Friday sees more road races as competition moves back to Blue Mounds State Park. The 17-18 men start things off, followed by the U23 women. The 15-16 men and then the category 1 men conclude the day.
Day 1
Three first-time national champions took home a Stars-and-Stripes jersey today after winning their respective road races at Blue Mound State Park as the 2013 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships got underway.
The men’s U23 race began the day with Tanner Putt (Park City, Utah/Bontrager Cycling Team) earning the win just ahead of fellow Bontrager Cycling Team and USA Cycling National Development Program rider Nathan Brown (Covington, Tenn./Bontrager Cycling Team). Tyler Magner (Athens, Ga./Hincapie Sportswear Development) outsprinted Sam Bassetti (San Geronimo, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized) to the line to earn the third spot on the podium.
The four were part of a five-rider breakaway, along with Robin Carpenter (Philadelphia, Penn./Hincapie Sportswear Development Team), that was at the front of the race in the final lap. The group built a lead over the peloton of close to two minutes before they hit the final climb toward the finish.
“The five of us rotated and worked really well. Everyone was pulling through, and we decided that we’d just get the gap up and keep it, and then race the last time up the climb,” recalled Putt. “On the last lap, I attacked at the bottom again and everyone went with me, and then immediately after that Nate Brown attacked and no one could follow him. I waited for him to get a little gap and then I went again and bridged up to him going up the top of the climb. And then he just rode his heart out for me to get to the finish. We crossed the line one/two, and I couldn’t ask for a better teammate.”
Junior Women’s 15-16 Road Race
Hannah Arensman (Rutherford College, N.C./ExergyTWENTY16) earned her national title after edging Madeleine Boutet (Anchorage, Alaska) in a two-rider sprint to the line. As in the men’s U23 race, it was the final hill that split apart a breakaway of five riders on the lead in to the finish.
“On the last hill we all were really tired and a few of us broke off,” explained Arensman. “And then when we hit the 1k to go, me and another girl just soloed away and it came down to the sprint, and I was able to get across first!”
Chloe Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind./Midwest Development Cycling Inc.) finished just four seconds down from Arensman and Boutet to take third. Emma White (Delanson, N.Y./Farm Team Elite Women’s Cycling Team) earned fourth and Emma Swartz (Madison, Wis./Brazen Dropouts) was fifth.
Junior Women’s 17-18 Road Race
The last race to finish, the women’s 17-18 event, seemed to be wide open as a group of eight riders led the field on the final lap. But ultimately it was Janelle Cole (Rockford, Mich./West Michigan Coast Riders) who crossed the line solo and into her first Stars-and-Stripes jersey.
“Coming up the last hill someone went at 1k to go; I went with them and tried to half-wheel the whole way up,” commented Cole. “And at 500 [meters to go] someone else went, and I just kept going after that. With about 400 meters — just sprint it out. It feels great to have all that hard work finally pay off!”
She was followed to the line by Kelly Catlin (Arden Hills, Minn./Gopher Wheelmen) at 12 seconds back. Hannah Swan (Alpine, Calif./Strive Racing) rounded out the podium in third.
Above Photo – Sean McElroy (Palmdale, Calif./Team Specialized Racing) posted the fastest time in the 13-14 race.
Photo © Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
