USA Cycling has announced the riders who will wear the stars-and-stripes at the upcoming UCI Road World Championships September 22-29 in Yorkshire, UK, with recent Colorado Classic stand-out Chloe Dygert-Owen (Sho-Air Twenty20) heading the women's line-up and Giro d'Italia stage winner Chad Haga (Team Sunweb) taking up the men's banner.
In total, 27 riders will represent the US in the junior, U23 and elite categories throughout the Individual Time Trial and Road Race events.
Dygert-Owen, who swept all four stages at the Colorado race, will be joined in the Elite women's time trial by two-time world champion and reigning US champion Amber Neben (Cogeas-Mettler) and Leah Thomas (Bigla Pro Cycling).
Joining Haga in the men's elite time trial will be EF Education First's Lawson Craddock, who recently finished fourth in the Pau time trial at the Vuelta a España. Haga found success earlier this year when he won the final time trial at the Giro d'Italia.
In the road race, Haga and Craddock will get company from US champion Alex Howes (EF Education First) and Neilson Powless (Jumbo-Visma), who is currently supporting overall leader Primoz Roglic at the Vuelta.
The elite women have seven spots for the road race, with Dygert-Owen and Thomas being joined on the line in Yorkshire by recent Lotto Belgium Tour prologue winner Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo), Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb), Tayler Wiles (Trek-Segafredo), Katie Hall (Boels Dolmans) and Leigh Ann Ganzar (Hagens Berman-Supermint).
"The team is filled with some of the strongest riders the US has, who complement each other’s strengths," said Scott Schnitzspahn, USA Cycling vice president of Elite Athletics. “We have very solid group of Juniors, U23s and Elites who have won over 10 World Championships. With the recent success from our riders, we’re in a good position for a medal finish in multiple races."
In the U23 ranks, Brandon McNulty (Rally UHC Cycling), who recently signed with UAE Team Emirates for next year, and Ian Garrison (Hagens Berman Axeon) will compete in the time trial.
The duo will then join a strong road race team that includes U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner Kevin Vermaerke (Hagens Berman Axeon), Lance Haidet (Aevolo) and Matteo Jorgenson (Chambery Cyclisme Formation), who won the points classification at the Tour de l'Avenir and has been riding as a stagiaire with AG2r LaMondiale.
Junior stand-out Megan Jastrab (Rally UHC Cycling) and Zoe Ta-Perez (Cascade-Slocum Center) will compete in the junior women's time trial, then join Ava Sykes (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized), Zoe Ta-Perez (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized), Katie Clouse (Colorado Mesa University) and Gabrielle Lehnert (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized) for the road race.
Former 7-Eleven pro Roy Knickman's LUX-Sideshow p/b Specialized team will also be well represented on Team USA in the junior men's road race, with four of the five starters coming from his program.
On the start line in that race will be LUX's Quinn Simmons, Michael Garrison, Gianni Lamperti and Matthew Riccitello. Hot Tube's Magnus Sheffield will finish out the roster. Simmons and Michael Garrison will compete in the Junior men's time trial.
"Our Juniors and U23 riders have been racing in Europe all summer and have dominated many races," said USA Cycling Director of Elite Athletics Jeff Pierce. "Both our women’s and men’s junior programs are in the top-three in the Nations’ Cup rankings. Combined with the Elite team, we are looking forward to seeing our red, white and blue kits race aggressively in Yorkshire."
The UCI Road World Championships begin Sunday, September 22, with the team time trial mixed relay. The junior individual time trials are September 23, followed by the U23 and elite women's time trials on September 24. The elite men's time trial is Wednesday, September 25.
The road races begin September 26 with the junior men. The Junior women and U23 men race on September 27, followed by the elite women on September 28 and concluding with the elite men on Sunday, September 29.
Individual time trial
Elite Women:
Leah Thomas (Bigla Pro Cycling)
Amber Neben (Cogeas-Mettler)
Chloe Dygert-Owen (Sho-Air Twenty20)
Elite Men:
Lawson Craddock (EF Education First)
Chad Haga (Team Sunweb)
U23 Men:
Brandon McNulty (Rally UHC Cycling)
Ian Garrison (Hagens Berman Axeon)
Junior Women:
Megan Jastrab (Rally UHC Cycling)
Zoe Ta-Perez (Cascade-Slocum Center)
Junior Men:
Quinn Simmons (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Michael Garrison (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Road Race
Elite Women:
Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb)
Tayler Wiles (Trek-Segafredo)
Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo)
Leah Thomas (Bigla Pro Cycling)
Chloe Dygert (Sho-Air Twenty20)
Katharine Hall (Boels Dolmans)
Leigh Ann Ganzar (Hagens Berman-Supermint)
Elite Men:
Alex Howes (EF Education First)
Lawson Craddock (EF Education First)
Chad Haga (Team Sunweb)
Neilson Powless (Jumbo-Visma)
U23 Men:
Brandon McNulty (Rally UHC Cycling)
Kevin Vermaerke (Hagens Berman Axeon)
Lance Haidet (Aevolo)
Ian Garrison (Hagens Berman Axeon)
Matteo Jorgenson (Chambery Cyclisme Formation)
Junior Women:
Megan Jastrab (Rally UHC Cycling)
Ava Sykes (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Zoe Ta-Perez (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Katie Clouse (Colorado Mesa University)
Gabrielle Lehnert (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Junior Men:
Quinn Simmons (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Michael Garrison (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Gianni Lamperti (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
Magnus Sheffield (Hot Tubes Development Cycling)
Matthew Riccitello (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized)
