COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Cycling announced today the roster for the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot. Eight women and seven men will travel to Pruszków, Poland, to vie for medals, including the three-time UCI World Champion women’s Team Pursuit squad that will be looking to defend the rainbow jersey. Racing begins on February 27 and runs through March 3, 2019, at the Pruszków Arena.
“We have a strong team of riders all heading into the World Championships with a lot of momentum,” said Jeff Pierce, USA Cycling director of elite athletics. “We’ve seen this team reach new milestones and have many top performances this track season, and we’re excited to carry that same energy to Poland and on to next year as we build towards Tokyo 2020.”
Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif.), Kelly Catlin (Arden Hills, Minn.), and Kim Geist (Allentown, Pa.) all return to the track, aiming to defend gold. The trio were members of last year’s winning Team Pursuit lineup that captured a third consecutive title in the event. Valente also enters the event ranked second overall in the UCI standings in the Omnium, winning three World Cup medals this season in the event; and she’s also ranked fourth in the Points Race, an event she captured silver in a year ago. Catlin carries a second-place UCI ranking into the Individual Pursuit and finished third in the event at last year’s World Championships.
“Competing for USA is always a privilege. The World Championships is one of the biggest arenas that we are able to do that and each year it brings something new with the highest level of competition. This year we have a big team with some new faces which is exciting,” said Jennifer Valente, USA Cycling National Team member, three-time World Champion and 2016 Olympic Silver medalist. “We are motivated to execute each performance in the lead up to Tokyo and this event is a big part of that.”
The U.S. men’s Team Pursuit squad concluded the World Cup circuit on a high note by capturing the silver medal in Hong Kong. The entire lineup of Ashton Lambie (Lincoln, Neb.), Gavin Hoover (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Eric Young (Geneva, Ill.), Colby Lange (Vail Valley, Colo.), and Danny Summerhill (Centennial, Colo.) are all on the World Championships roster. Lambie also ranks fourth in the UCI men’s Individual Pursuit standings and last year set the World Record in the Individual Pursuit. Teammate Adrian Hegyvary (Ashville, N.C.) had a strong finish to the World Cup schedule as well, claiming silver in the Scratch, and will be back on the track in Poland.
"I'm looking forward to representing team USA at the upcoming world championships! It's been a good season for the team, and we're excited to see the hard work pay off," said Ashton Lambie, USA Cycling National Team member and World Record holder in the Individual Pursuit.
TEAM USA 2019 UCI TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ROSTER
WOMEN
Christina Birch (Los Angeles)
Kelly Catlin (Arden Hills, Minn.)
Kim Geist (Allentown, Pa.)
Madalyn Godby (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Mandy Marquardt (Allentown, Pa.)
Kendall Ryan (Ventura, Calif.)
Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif.)
Emma White (Duanesburg, N.Y.)
MEN
Adrian Hegyvary (Ashville, N.C.)
Dan Holloway (Boulder, Colo.)
Gavin Hoover (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Ashton Lambie (Lincoln, Neb.)
Colby Lange (Vail Valley, Colo.)
Danny Summerhill (Centennial, Colo.)
Eric Young (Geneva, Ill.)
SCHEDULE
February 27-March 3, 2019, in Pruszków, Poland. Complete event schedule HERE.
The USA Cycling UCI Track Cycling World Championship selection criteria are available HERE.
For more information, please e-mail Kelly Fox at apalermo@usacycling.org
