USA Cycling announce Doha World Championships team
Phinney, Guarnier and Adrien Costa among numerous medal prospects
USA Cycling have announced its team for the 2016 UCI World Championships with Women's WorldTour overall winner Megan Guarnier and BMC's Taylor Phinney leading the line. The elite men's team features several riders with a fast finish suited to the sprint friendly parcours in Doha with Eric Marcotte (Jamis) and Kiel Reijnen (Trek-Segafredo) likely to be protected riders in a youthful squad.
Phinney, the 2010 U23 world champion against the clock, will be targeting success in the time trial and is an important addition to the road race team. He is the only rider from the 2015 squad to be selected for Doha and makes his second USA appearance in 2016 having ridden the Olympic Games in August.
Neo-pro Alexey Vermeulen makes his first elite Worlds appearance with the LottoNL-Jumbo rider selected for the time trial only.
Chad Haga (Giant-Alpecin) has been selected for his first Worlds appearance and is one of several debutants in the squad. Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel) has been rewarded his with recent form and results that included victory at the Tour of Alberta, a stage win at the Tour of Utah and third place overall at the Tour de Beauce. BMC's Joseph Rosskopf completed the elite men's squad with the 27-year-old also making his first appearance in the elite Worlds.
UnitedHealthcare's Coryn Rivera has enjoyed a successful season and the 24-year-old will be aiming to better her 39th place on Worlds debut last year. Last year's bronze medallist in Richmond, Guarnier proved to be the most consistent rider in the inaugural Women's WorldTour this season and the 31-year-old will be looking to end her season on a high. Guarnier is also the only rider from the Olympic Games to be named for the Worlds.
Despite winning a third straight Olympic Games gold medal against the clock, Kristin Armstrong won't be making the trip to Doha with Carmen Small and Amber Neben the USA representatives in the time trial
The six-man U23 squad is an all Axeon Hagens Berman affair with national champion Gregory Daniel and Adrien Costa among those selected. Geoffrey Curran and Neilson Powless have been selected for the time trial and will also ride the road race.
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Last year's junior women's road race and time trial gold medallist Chloe Dygert has progressed the elite ranks but has not been selected having ridden the team pursuit at the Rio Olympic Games, winning the silver medal. Emma White, who was second to Dygert in both junior events last year has also aged out and won't be appearing in Doha. Having secured several wins and podiums this season, Skylar Schneider is likely to lead the medal hopes in the junior women's road race.
At the 2015 Worlds, the USA won three gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals to top the overall medal tally.
Team USA for the 2016 UCI World Championships
Elite men's road race
Robin Carpenter (La Jolla, Calif./Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Racing)
Chad Haga (McKinney, Texas/Team Giant-Alpecin)
Eric Marcotte (Scottsdale, Ariz./Team Jamis)
Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team)
Kiel Reijnen (Bainbridge Island, Wash./Trek Factory Racing)
Joseph Rosskopf (Decatur, Ga./BMC Racing Team)
Elite men's individual time trial
Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo./BMC Racing Team)*
Alexey Vermeulen (Pickney, Mich./Team Lotto NL-Jumbo)
Elite women's road race
Allie Dragoo (Grand Rapids, Mich./TWENTY16 Ridebiker)
Megan Guarnier (San Mateo, Calif./Boels Dolmans Cycling Team)*
Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./BEPINK)
Coryn Rivera (Tustin, Calif./UnitedHealthcare)*
Alexis Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Canyon SRAM Racing)
Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Cylance Pro Cycling)
Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas/Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Elite women's individual time trial
Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./BEPINK)
Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Cylance Pro Cycling)*
U23 men's road race
Adrien Costa (Bend, Ore./Axeon Hagens Berman)*
Geoffrey Curran (Tustin, Calif./Axeon Hagens Berman)*
Gregory Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Axeon Hagens Berman)*
Colin Joyce (Pocatello, Idaho/Axeon Hagens Berman)
Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./Axeon Hagens Berman)
Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif./Axeon Hagens Berman)
U23 men's individual time trial
Geoffrey Curran (Tustin, Calif./Axeon Hagens Berman)*
Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif./Axeon Hagens Berman)*
Junior men's road race
Cameron Beard (Bend, Ore./Team Specialized Racing-NCCF)
Ian Garrison (Decatur, Ga./Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Racing)*
Gage Hecht (Parker, Colo./Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team)
Bjorn Larson (Duluth, Minn./Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Racing)
Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Ariz./LUX-Stradling p/b Specialized)*
Tyler Stites (Tucson, Ariz./El Grupo Youth Cycling)
Junior men's individual time trial
Ian Garrison (Decatur, Ga./Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Racing)
Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Ariz./LUX-Stradling p/b Specialized)*
Junior women's road race
Hannah Arensman (Rutherford College, N.C./TWENTY16 Pro Cycling)
Megan Heath (Alpharetta, Ga./Frazier Cycling)
Summer Moak (Foothill Ranch, Calif./TWENTY16 Pro Cycling)
Skylar Schneider (West Allis, Wis./ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI)*
Junior women's individual time trial
Hannah Arensman (Rutherford College, N.C./TWENTY16 Pro Cycling)*
Skylar Schneider (West Allis, Wis./ISCorp Cycling p/b SmartChoice MRI)
*Automatic selection