The calendar has turned to May, and that means that National Championship season is upon us. This past weekend, USA Cycling held Collegiate Road Nats in Augusta, GA and Marathon Mountain Bike Nats in Canyon, TX. As always, cyclocross and gravel racers were among those taking home some hardware from the respective race weekends.
First up is Collegiate Road Nats
Collegiate Road Nationals
The Collegiate Nationals weekend featured a road race, crit, time trial and team time trial for both Club and Varsity programs. Here, we recap ’cross and gravel racers who finished in the top 20 of their respective racers. Please let us know if we forgot anyone!
Road Race
Marian’s Cade Bickmore took home the Men’s Varsity Road Race Stars-and-Stripes.
In the Women’s Varsity Race, Sammi Runnels (Lindenwood) finished third, and she was followed closely by Emma Swartz (Marian) and Laurel Rathbun (Marian). Hannah Arensman (Brevard College) also finished in the top 10 in 9th.
Eric Brunner (CU-Boulder) followed up his 2018 road race win with a Club 10th-place finish. Sam Noel (University of Vermont) finished 11th and Skyler Mackey (University of Arkansas) took 14th.
Criterium
Brunner did not get the Road Race title, but he did come away with a Stars-and-Stripes jersey from the Men’s Club Criterium.
Noel followed behind in 10th, Mackey finished 11th and Grant Ellwood (CU-Boulder) took 14th.
In the Women’s Varsity Criterium, gravel racer Judah Sencenbaugh (Savannah College of Art & Design) took third. Runnels finished 6th, Swartz 8th, Arensman 14th and Turner Ramsey (Colorado Mesa University) 20th.
Time Trials
Last year, Lauren de Crescenzo (CU-Denver) took third in the Road Race. This year, the gravel racer took home a title in the Individual Time Trial.
Stars-and-Stripes were also in order in the Women’s Varsity race for the Marian University team that included Swartz and Rathbun.
The CU-Boulder Men’s team that included Ross Ellwood won the Men’s Club TTT, and the Marian Varsity Men’s team with Bickmore finished second.
Full results for all Collegiate Road Nats races are available from usacycling.org. Photos from the races are also available.
Marathon MTB Nats
Marathon Mountain Bike Nats has something in common with the popular Epic Rides Off-Road Series, with Elite riders racing for 45 miles at Texas’ Palo Duro Canyon.
Elite Races
Rose Grant (Stan’s Pivot Pro Team p/b Maxxis) took the Elite Women’s win, with Kaysee Armstrong (Liv Cycling) and Crystal Anthony (Liv Cycling) rounding out the podium. Masters 35-39 Cyclocross National Champion Holly LaVesser (Neff Cycle Service) finished sixth.
Russel Finsterwald (Clif Pro Team) took the Elite Men’s win. Stephan Davoust (Giant Off-Road Team) took second and Payson McElveen (Orange Seal Off-Road Team) took third.
Hector Riveros (Twenty2 Cycles) finished 4th, Zach Calton (Summit National Team) 5th, Alex Wild 8th, Tristan Uhl 10th, Drew Dillman (SDG – Muscle Monster) 13th and Merwin Davis (Cycle-Smart) 15th.
Masters Podiums
Big finishes were not limited to the Elites.
Bridgit Tooley (Garneau – Easton p/b Transitions LifeCare) won the Junior Women’s title.
Libby Sheldon (Crosshairs Cycling) won the Women’s 50-54 National Championship.
Kim Chance (RBM/Matrix Racing) won the Women’s 55-59 title.
Kim Bear (New Mexico Spokettes Racing Team) finished second in the Wonen’s 60+ race.
Brandon Melott (DNA Racing) won the Men’s 35-39 title. Chris Drummond (Soundpony Triad Bank) finished third.
Travis Brown won the Men’s 50-54 Stars-and-Stripes.
Emilio Cervantes took third in the Men’s 55-59.
Paul Curley won the Men’s 60-64 race.
Full results are available from usacycling.org. Photos from the races are also available.
Featured image: Casey Gibson / USA Cycling
