USA Cycling names team for 2021 UCI Road World Championships

USA Cycling announced today the athletes who will represent the United States at the 2021 UCI Road World Championships that will take place in the Flanders region of Belgium on September 19-26, 2021.

The nine days of racing will start with the Elite Men’s Time Trial. For the men, Tokyo Olympian and reigning Time Trial National Champion Lawson Craddock (Houston; EF Education – Nippo) and 23-year-old Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates), fresh off his sixth place in the Olympic Road Race, will be taking on the race against the clock. For the Elite Women,  Tokyo Olympian and multi-time World Champion Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif.; Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling) and fellow Tokyo Olympian Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Moviestar Team Women) will take to the course.

The USA will send a talented group to compete on a challenging course in the men’s and women’s road races. Thomas will be joined in the road race by 2021 U.S. Road Race National Champion Lauren Stephens (Dallas; Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank), 72-time US National Champion Coryn Rivera (Newport Beach, Calif.; Team Sunweb), Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo), and Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank). On the men’s side – in addition to Craddock and McNulty – 2021 Donosita San Sebastian Klasikoa Winner Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education – Nippo) will be joined by 2021 U.S. National Champion Joey Rosskopf (Decatur, Ga.; Rally Cycling), 2019 Junior Road Race World Champion Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Trek-Segafredo), and Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Moviestar Team).

Jeff Pierce, USA Cycling’s Director of Elite Athletics for Road and Track, is optimistic about the strong riders who were selected, “The (U.S. National) Team is filled with some of the strongest riders the U.S. has, who complement each other’s strengths. We have an excellent group of Juniors, U23s, and Elites who have won multiple World Championship medals. With the recent success from our riders, we’re in a good position for a medal finish in multiple races.”

Among the Juniors riders on the U.S. National Team are several 2021 National Champions: Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, Colo.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized), Makayla MacPherson (Corona, Calif.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized), Cole Kessler (Newbury Park, Calif.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized) and Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized). In addition, bronze medalist in the 2019 Junior Men’s Road Race World Championship and unofficial Junior Men 3000-meter record holder Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Rally Cycling) and 2021 U.S Elite Criterium National Champion Luke Lamperti (Sebastopol, Calif.; Trinity Racing) will headline the U23 Men’s squad.

“After a difficult year of racing, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’re excited to put forth a team that has had strong results recently. After the success we saw in 2019 with our development riders, we’re excited to see our riders take on the U23 and Junior World Championships after a two-year break for those races,” said Jim Miller, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance.

The Team USA roster is as follows:

Time Trial

Elite Men

Lawson Craddock (Houston; EF Education – Nippo)

Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates)

Elite Women

Amber Neben (Irvine, Calif.; Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling)

Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Moviestar Team Women)

U23 Men

Matthew Riccitello (Tucson, Ariz.; Hagens Berman Axeon)

Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Rally Cycling)

Junior Women

Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, Colo.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Makayla MacPherson (Corona, Calif.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Junior Men

Alex Gustin (San Diego; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Cole Kessler (Newbury Park, Calif.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

 

Road Race

Junior Men

Alex Gustin (San Diego; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Cole Kessler (Newbury Park, Calif.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Artem Shmidt (Cummingm Ga.; Mission Devo Cycling p/b Tyler Perry Studios)

Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

U23 Men

Luke Lamperti (Sebastopol, Calif.; Trinity Racing)

Sean Quinn (Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Hagens Berman Axeon)

Matthew Riccitello (Tucson, Ariz.; Hagens Berman Axeon)

Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Rally Cycling)

Kevin Vemaerke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Team DSM)

Junior Women

Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, Colo.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Makayla MacPherson (Corona, Calif.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.)

Kaia Schmid (Marblehead, Mass.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)

Elite Women

Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)

Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif.; Team DSM)

Lauren Stephens (Dallas; Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)

Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Moviestar Team Women)

Taylor Wiles (Fairfax, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo)

Ruth Winder (Boulder, Colo.; Trek-Segafredo)

Elite Men

Lawson Craddock (Houston; EF Education – Nippo)

Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Moviestar Team)

Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates)

Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education – Nippo)

Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Trek-Segafredo)

Joey Rosskopf (Decatur, Ga.; Rally Cycling)

Selection criteria can be found here.

 

Schedule

Sunday, September 19 – Elite Men’s Time Trial

Monday, September 20 – Elite Women and U23 Men’s Time Trials

Tuesday, September 21 – Junior Women and Junior Men’s Time Trials

Wednesday, September 22 – Mixed Team Time Trial Relay

Friday, September 24 – U23 Men and Junior Men’s Road Races

Saturday, September 25 – Junior Women and Elite Women’s Road Races

Sunday, September 26 – Elite Men’s Road Race

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