US Cyclocross Nationals: Vida Lopez de San Roman's gamble to compete in elite women's race pays off with victory

Vida Lopez de San Roman wins elite women's race at 2024 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships
Vida Lopez de San Roman wins elite women's race at 2024 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships (Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)

Vida Lopez de San Roman (Bear CX) rode away former two-time U23 champion Katie Clouse (Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) on the final lap and won her first elite women's title at USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals on Saturday afternoon.

For most of the six-lap race, Clouse and Lopez de San Roman dictated the pace. Clouse, who was second in the elite race last year, suffered cramping in her hand on the last half lap. She could not match an acceleration by the 18-year-old Lopez de San Roman, who opted to jump into the elite contest rather than defend her women's junior 17-18 national title from last year.

Jackie Tyson
North American Production editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).

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