SoCal Riders Sean Quinn and Gavin Hlady
Win National Road Race Championship Titles
USA Cycling Reports on the Road Race National Championships:
The 2024 USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships concluded-on Sunday with the Elite/U23 Women’s Road Race and the Elite Men’s Road Race. Competing on a 13.1-mile course, riders had to battle two race defining climbs for multiple laps. Each climb had an average grade of 5.5%.
ELITE/U23 WOMEN’S ROAD RACE – Faulkner Wins Title
The Elite/U23 Women completed a total of 127-kilometers. The first climb up Bridge Road was just a few kilometers from the start which meant riders needed to move to the front early. Heading up the climb, the peloton immediately shattered apart leaving an opportunity for Veronica Ewers (Moscow, Idaho; EF Education-Cannondale) to push the pace on the downhill. Approximately 42 riders settled in to form a group at the front. On the second lap it dwindled down even further to less than 30.
With four laps to go, Lily Williams (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Human Powered Health) put in an attack. The group chose not to respond knowing that the climb would bring it all back together. On Kanawha Boulevard, the group split again but reconnected headed into the feed zone. Heidi Franz (Seattle, Wash.; Life-plus Wahoo) then launched a separate attack with just under 30-kilometers to go. Five riders joined her up the road. Lauren De Crescenzo (Atlanta, Ga.; Factor/TheFeed/Castelli/Maxxis/Perc) fought hard and was able to bridge up to that same group.
With 16.7-miles to go, Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF Education-Cannondale) attacked on the downhill heading into the city with Ruth Edwards (Nederland, Colo.; Human Powered Health) right on her wheel. The chase group became Nicole Steinmetz (Loomis, Calif.; UCI CTW: Cynisca Cycling), Lauren Stephens (Dallas; UCI CTW: Cynisca Cycling), Coryn Labecki (Tustin, Calif.; EF Education-Cannondale), and De Crescenzo. Without a rider up the road, Stephens increased the pace hoping to reconnect with the two leaders. Labecki reacted and hopped on her wheel. At seven kilometers to go, the two leaders were 1:50 ahead of the chasers. Faulkner strategically gave it everything she had on the final climb to get a gap on Edwards. At just over four kilometers to go, Faulkner’s gap had grown to 35-seconds. Crossing the line first after a tremendous effort, Faulkner earned the Stars and Stripes jersey. Edwards finished in second, and Labecki sprinted in for third. When Faulkner was asked about how it felt to win, she said, “I have never won it [a national title] before. I love riding in pink, but if there’s one thing better than pink, it’s the Stars and Stripes.”
Nicole Steinmetz (Loomis, Calif.; UCI CTW: Cynisca Cycling) was the first U23 rider to cross the line. She also ended up sixth overall. Kaia Schmid (Marblehead, Mass.; Liv-Alula-Jayco) placed second, and Kayla Davis (Hidden Hills, Calif. Serious Cycling) earned third.
Elite Women’s Results:
1. Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF Education-Cannondale)
2. Ruth Edwards (Nederland, Colo.; Human Powered Health)
3. Coryn Labecki (Tustin, Calif.; EF Education-Cannondale)
Under-23 Women’s Results:
1. Nicole Steinmetz (Loomis, Calif.; UCI CTW: Cynisca Cycling)
2. Kaia Schmid (Marblehead, Mass.; Liv-Alula-Jayco)
3. Kayla Davis (Hidden Hills, Calif. Serious Cycling)
ELITE MEN’S ROAD RACE – Quinn Wins Title
In the event finale, 133 Elite Men lined up on the start line to complete their 212-kilometer race. The temperature hit its forecasted high of 81-degrees for the day, and riders were being fed ice socks as early as the second lap. By the end of the third lap, the field had dwindled down to 67 riders.
In a race-defining move at the top of lap five, Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) put in a massive group splitting attack across the bridge before the climb up Bridge Road. This group eventually caught up to leaders Colby Simmons (Durango, Co.; Team Visma | Lease a Bike u23) and Robin Carpenter (Norwood, Mass.; L39ION OF LOS ANGELES) at the bottom of the Wertz Avenue descent. The pack of twelve riders created a two-minute gap and became the peloton of racers in contention for the National Title.
With 37-miles to go, Scott Mcgill (Forest Hill, Md.; Project Echelon Racing), Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost), Sean Quinn (Sherman Oaks, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost), Gavin Hlady (Riverside, Calif.; Aevolo Cycling), and McNulty broke away. Heading back into the downtown stretch with 27.1-miles remaining, Quinn’s race came to a halt when he realized he had a front flat. His team mechanic was able to quickly fix it and get him back up and running. After a massive effort up Bridge Road he reconnected with the leaders.
It all came down to a battle between Quinn, McNulty, and Powless in the final lap. When asked about the final few kilometers Quinn said, “I actually felt really good, I felt like I had a lot of power left in the legs, but it was more worried about cramping, ‘cause I started cramping with like two laps to go. Just tried to catch my breath, stay calm. I knew in the end I could use my final kick to win.” In an all-out sprint to the line between the three riders, Quinn earned the Stars and Stripes jersey with an extraordinary photo-finish win. McNulty finished in second and Powless earned third.
Elite Men’s Results:
1. Sean Quinn (Sherman Oaks, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost)
2. Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates)
3. Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost)
Hlady Wins U23 Men’s Road Race
The 2024 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships continued-on Saturday morning with the U23 Men’s Road Race. With this being the first road race of the week, riders were on course early to scout it out. Two different courses were used in today’s championship events. The U23 Men competed on the 13.1-mile course that included an additional loop up Bridge Road, while the Junior Men and Women competed on a nine-mile course that looped around the outskirts of downtown Charleston.
UNDER-23 MEN’S ROAD RACE
The U23 Men had 91 athletes line up on the start line Saturday morning. With dense fog settling on the course, the first few laps of the 148-kilometer race were slick which made riders cautious on the steep descents. With over 1000-feet of climbing per lap, the field dwindled early due to the elevation gain. The first move to stick was made by Evan Boyle (Niskayuna, N.Y.; Hagens Berman Jayco) and Riley Wrightsman (Wauwatosa, Wisc.; First Internet Bank Cycling). After multiple exchanges, it was Boyle who remained out front all day. Focused on controlling the front of the chase group, the Aevolo squad kept their eyes on every move and wouldn’t let anything get away unless one of their riders was involved. It ultimately came down to a sprint finish where Gavin Hlady (Riverside, Calif.; Aevolo Cycling) sprinted against the main field to earn the National Title. Teammate, Brody McDonald (Escondido, Calif.; Aevolo Cycling) crossed the line inches behind Hlady in second and Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Team Visma | Lease A Bike U23) rounded out the podium in third.
Results:
- Gavin Hlady (Riverside, Calif.; Aevolo Cycling)
- Brody McDonald (Escondido, Calif.; Aevolo Cycling)
- Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Team Visma | Lease A Bike U23)
JUNIOR MEN’S ROAD RACE
The fog had lifted, the heat began to intensify, and the Junior 17-18 Men took center stage after the completion of the U23 Men’s race. 75 athletes were called up to complete six laps on the nine-mile course. Attacks were exchanged throughout the race, but the climb up Wertz Avenue is what really separated the field. With one lap to go, the EF Education-ONTO team stayed focused on controlling the front and pushing the pace on the climb. In a final-lap update from the announcer, Ashlin Barry (Toronto, Canada; EF-Education ONTO) had a 15-second solo lead ahead of the pack. Barry widened that gap and crossed the finish line 1:16 ahead of the group, earning his second National Title of the week. When asked about his win, Barry said, “I can’t even explain it, it feels incredible. I didn’t know how I was going to feel today but my teammates worked really hard to make the race difficult and to try to get one of us up the road. On the last climb my legs were just really good, and I was able to go over the top. Yeah, it feels incredible.”
It was a sprint for silver as the peloton raced around the last turn. With a final push, Braden Reitz (Carmel, Ind.; Decathlon-AG2R LA Mondiale Newgen) earned second and Adrian Groman (Bethesda, Md.; dcdevo Racing) rounded out the podium in third.
Results:
- Ashlin Barry (Toronto, Canada; EF-Education ONTO)
- Braden Reitz (Carmel, Ind.; Decathlon-AG2R LA Mondiale Newgen)
- Adrian Groman (Bethesda, Md.; dcdevo Racing)
JUNIOR WOMEN’S ROAD RACE
The Junior Women raced a total of 72-kilometers on Saturday afternoon. 26 athletes battled the hills of West Virginia, but only one would earn the Stars and Stripes jersey. In a race of attrition, the main field dwindled lap after lap, leaving only eight riders in the main field with just a couple laps to go. In the last kilometer of the race, a rider attacked the group but was reeled in by dcdevo Racing Academy. In a strategic move, Lidia Cusack (Chevy Chase, Md.; dcdevo Racing Academy) led Alyssa Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; dcdevo Racing Academy) out in the final stretch which gave her the momentum she needed to cross the line first. When asked about winning the National Title, Sarkisov said, “It honestly feels surreal. I can’t really believe it. I keep thinking, oh is this like a dream? It’s actually amazing. It’s an amazing community here, it’s an amazing course, it was a super fun race, and I’m just super happy.” Jorja Bond (Louisville, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling) rolled through in second and Cusack rounded out the podium in third.
Results:
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Alyssa Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; dcdevo Racing Academy)
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Jorja Bond (Louisville, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling)
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Lidia Cusack (Chevy Chase, Md.; dcdevo Racing Academy)
Criterium National Championships Report
Top Photo of Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) © EF Pro Cycling
