Skylar Schnieder Pan Am Gold 1130x600
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Team USA

Team USA Recap: Schneider and Neben Earn Pan Am Continental Titles; Valente Takes Silver and Bronze at Track Nations Cup

By: Anne Stein  April 26, 2023

We recap the latest in American bike racing from the past two weeks. (April 12-25)

ROAD

2023 Pan American Continental Championships: Panama

(April 18-23) – The US women captured two championship titles in Panama City, with Amber Neben winning gold in the individual time trial and Skylar Schneider taking first in the 102 kilometer road race.

Neben, 48, crossed the line 1:25 ahead of the next finisher. Lauren Stephens took 8th on the 25.6 kilometer course. Criterium/road specialist Schneider outsprinted the group to take the win ahead of Paris-Roubaix champ Alison Jackson, who placed 2nd.

Complete results here

Rutland-Melton International CiCle Classic: England

(April 23) – Two-time US criterium champion Luke Lamperti (Trinity Racing) won this 183 kilometer British classic, the UK’s only UCI-sanctioned one-day road race. Riders tackled farm tracks and gravel roads through rural Rutland and East Leicestershire, with Lamperti winning the final small-bunch sprint.

It was the 20-year-old’s third sprint victory this season, which includes a stage at Volta ao Alentejo and another at Circuit des Ardennes.

Complete results here

American Criterium Cup: Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight, Athens, Georgia

(April 22) – Bryan Gomez (Miami Nights) and Alexis Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles) took the wins at Athens Twilight Criterium, round one of the American Criterium Cup.

Now in its second season, the 10-race series attracts some of the quickest cyclists around the globe and runs through early September in locales across the U.S. Next up: Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, Alabama on May 6.

Men, Pro/1-2: Bryan Gomez (Miami Nights), Danny Summerhill (ACG), Robin Carpenter (L39ION of Los Angeles)

Women, Pro/1-2: Alexis Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles), Andrea Cyr (Miami Nights), Erica Zaveta (Denver Disruptors)

Men’s Pro/1-2 Results here, Women’s Pro/1-2 Results here

TRACK

Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup: Milton, Canada

(April 20-23) – Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Valente captured silver in the Elimination race and bronze in Omnium in the third and final round of the 2023 Track Nations Cup, held at Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Ottawa.

The US women’s team of Valente, Lily Williams, Olivia Cummins and Chloe Dygert took 4th in Team Pursuit, and a day later, Valente and Lily Williams combined to take 6th in the Madison.

Results from the series count toward Olympic quota rankings to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Complete results here

MTB

US Pro Cup Mountain Bike Series: Temecula, California and Fayetteville, Arkansas

(March 31-April 2; April 12-16) – The US Pro Cup returned to the race calendar after a three-year absence, with stops at Vail Lake, California and Fayetteville, Arkansas, featuring UCI and amateur short track and XCO races.

US women swept Friday’s opening short track race, with Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) taking first followed by Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing) and Ruth Holcomb (Bear National Team). Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) took 2nd on the men’s side.

The men’s and women’s C1 XCO races took place two days later, with Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing) taking first, followed by Bradyn Lange (SCOTT p/b Orange Seal) in 2nd. Haley Batten took first again on the women’s side, followed by Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek Factory Racing) and Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team).

Ten days later cyclists faced off in Fayetteville. Christopher Blevins captured 1st in Wednesday’s UCI C1 XCO race, followed by Riley Amos in 2nd. Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) took 1st 2:00 ahead of Savilia Blunk (Rockrider Racing Team) who placed 2nd.

Riley Amos won Friday’s (UCI C3 XCC) short track race, while Kate Courtney, Savilia Blunk and Gwendalyn Gibson swept the top three spots on the women’s side.

Christopher Blevins and Riley Amos placed 1st and 3rd at Saturday’s UCI HC race, while Savilia Blunk, Gwendalyn Gibson and Kate Courtney took first through third.

Complete results here

Life Time Grand Prix Series: SeaOtter Classic, Fuego XL 100K Cross-Country MTB, Monterey, California

(April 19-23) – The first race in the Life Time Grand Prix series was held at the Sea Otter Classic, with Keegan Swenson taking the men’s win for the second year in a row and Sofia Gomez Villafañe winning the women’s race. The 60-mile, two-lap course included nearly 8,000 feet of climbing.

On the men’s side, Russell Finsterwald came in three seconds later to take second, and Cape Epic MTB champion Christopher Blevins placed 3rd.

On the women’s side, the Argentine mountain biker Villafañe was followed by Colorado’s Alexis Skarda in 2nd and Cape Epic champion Vera Looser in 3rd.

The Life Time off-road endurance series has seven races including Leadville and Chequamegon MTB and runs through late October. Next up on June 3 is Unbound Gravel, in Emporia, Kansas.

Complete results here

UCI Mountain Bike Masters World Championships: Cerro Bayo, Argentina

(April 19-23) – Hundreds of Masters athletes ages 35 through 70-plus competed in downhill and XCO over three days of racing in Argentina.

US highlights in men’s downhill included Petr Hanak, 1st (M, 45-59) and Dave Melton, 4th(M, 65 and older). On the women’s side, Lindsey Harris was 2nd (W, 40-44) and Lauren Moser, 5th (W, 35-39).

In XCO, David “Tinker” Juarez captured silver (M, 60-64). In the men’s 65-69 category, Kevin Willson placed 2nd and Thomas Hayles placed 5th.

Complete results Downhill and XCO