WATCH LIVE: Best of US ready for road championships

By Sarah Muench

Road’s heavy hitters will throw down in Tennessee Thursday through Sunday for an onslaught of national championships.
Olympians, defending national champions and members of the new USA Cycling National Team will vie for titles at USA Cycling’s Pro Road, Individual Time Trial and Criterium National Championships.
“I think it only makes sense to have all three disciplines of the sport together at the same time and place this year,” said Travis McCabe (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), defending criterium champion and third at the 2016 road race. “The guys who are contesting each title are fully capable of racing the crit and the road race within the same weekend. As for myself, I will be coming to Knoxville with big goals. Ultimately, I would love to be able to wear the stars and stripes in both disciplines and I fully believe I’m capable of doing so.”
UHC Leah Thomas
Leah Thomas (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), third in the 2017 national time trial, said she is eager to better her podium placing from last year in the time trial.
“I am excited to race nationals time trial again this year in Knoxville,” Thomas said. “Nationals is always a hard race and with many good time trialists in the U.S., there are a strong handful of contenders who can make a run for the national title.”
Noticeably absent from the crit will be last year’s champion, Erica Allar (Rally Cycling), an ever-present podium threat. Allar broke her ribs in a crash at Tulsa Tough earlier this month and is recovering.
“This is the first injury I’ve had in all my years racing that has sidelined me from racing,” Allar said. “I’ve never even broken a bone before now. The timing couldn’t be worse, but I’m confident in the Rally girls to go after it and make nationals an animated and dynamic race. Of course I wanted to try and defend the title – it was a goal this year – but keeping the jersey in the team would be just as good. At the end of the day, injuries happen. I’ve got to accept that I’ve got broken ribs and do what I can to get back in the peloton as soon as possible.”
Allar, Lauren Stephens (Cylance Pro Cycling) and Irena Ossola (Mellow Velo) made for one of the most exciting races in U.S. crit nationals history last year.
Allar crit nats

Championship details

Individual Time Trial: Racing begins on Thursday, June 21 with the U.S. Pro Individual Time Trial Championship, referred to as the “race of truth.” This is a new seven-mile course in Oak Ridge, Tenn., along the banks of Melton Lake and the internationally-acclaimed Oak Ridge rowing venue. Races begin at 9:15 a.m. ET.
Criterium: The U.S. Pro Criterium Championship will take place Friday, June 22 under the lights in downtown Knoxville, with the women’s contest beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET and the men starting at 7:45 p.m. ET. The 1.1-mile closed-loop circuit will feature six turns with one steep climb.
Road Race: Sunday, June 24, brings the signature event: the U.S. Pro Road Race Championship has a similar course from 2017. Pro cyclists will ascend Sherrod Road on each lap, nine times for the women and 15 times for the men, and will face the new punchy climb at the end of each lap. The women take the course at 9 a.m. ET and the men race at 1:15 p.m. ET.

How to view

Start-to-finish webcasts will be available for both races on Sunday, available on USA Cycling’s YouTube and Facebook channels. Regional broadcast coverage will be provided by WATE-TV, the ABC-affiliate station based in Knoxville. WATE Six On Your Side will broadcast the men’s road race live on Sunday afternoon, and provide highlights and interviews from all other competitions.

Who to watch

Women
  • Megan Guarnier, 33 (San Mateo, Calif./Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team) – Three-time (2012, ’15, ’16) U.S. Pro Women’s Road Race national champion; 7th at 2017 U.S. Pro Road Race; winner 2018 Tour de Yorkshire; member of USA Cycling National Team.
  • Amber Neben, 43 (Lake Forest, Calif./PX4 Sports) – winner 2018 U.S. Pro Women’s ITT and Road Race national championships; gold medal at 2018 Pan American ITT championships; member of USA Cycling National Team.
  • Coryn Rivera, 26 (Tustin, Calif./Team Sunweb) – Three-time silver medalist at U.S. Pro Women’s Road Race championship (2015, ’16, ’17); points classification winner Internationale Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour; stage winner 2018 OVO Energy Women’s Tour; member of USA Cycling National Team.
  • Skylar Schneider, 20 (West Allis, Wisc./Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team) – 4th at 2017 U.S. Pro Women’s Crit championship; winner 2016 U.S. Junior (17-18) Women’s Crit and Road Race championships; winner 2018 Glencoe Grand Prix; member USA Cycling National Team.
  • Lauren Stephens, 32 (Dallas, Texas/Cylance Pro Cycling) – Second at 2017 U.S. Pro Women’s ITT championship; silver medalist at 2018 Pan American ITT championships; 6th at 2017 U.S. Pro Women’s Road Race championship; member USA Cycling National Team
  • Emma White, 20 (Delanson, N.Y./Rally Cycling) – top U23 finisher and 5th overall at 2017 U.S. Pro Women’s Road Race championship; 6th at 2017 Women’s Pro Crit championship; member USA Cycling National Team.
Men

McNulty Tour of California TT

  • Travis McCabe, 29 (Denver, Colo./UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling) – winner 2017 U.S. Pro Men’s Criterium national championship; 3rd at 2016 U.S. Pro Men’s Road Race championship; points classification winner 2017 Colorado Classic and 2017 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.
  • Brandon McNulty, 20 (Phoenix, Ariz./Rally Cycling) – winner 2017 U.S. Men’s U23 ITT national championship; member USA Cycling National Team.
  • Neilson Powless, 22 (Roseville, Calif./Hagens Berman Axeon) – winner 2017 U.S. Men’s U23 Road Race national championship; 2nd at 2017 U.S. Pro Men’s Road Race championship; 3rd at 2017 U.S. Pro Men’s ITT championship; member USA Cycling National Team.
  • Joey Rosskopf, 29 (Decatur, Ga./BMC Racing Team) – winner 2017 U.S. Pro Men’s ITT national championship; 11th at 2017 OVO Energy Tour of Britain; member USA Cycling National Team.
  • Larry Warbasse, 28 (Traverse City, Mich./Aqua Blue Sport) – winner 2017 U.S. Pro Men’s Road Race national championship; named Most Aggressive on Stage 4 2018 Tour de Suisse; member USA Cycling National Team.

Ages listed reflect racing age for 2018 USA Cycling licenses.
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