American cyclists have been having a heck of a run for their various WorldTour teams of late. With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, some of those racers will soon have the chance to ride together wearing the same star-spangled cycling kit.
After much anticipation, USA Cycling finally announced the rosters for its men’s and women’s road, track, and mountain bike teams. The rosters include rising road stars Brandon McNulty, Magnus Sheffield, and Matteo Jorgenson on the men’s side and time-trial experts Chloé Dygert and Taylor Knibb on the women’s road selection. As well as powerhouse Kristen Faulkner at the track and Savilia Blunk and Christopher Blevins on the mountain bike, among others.
It’s as strong a roster as the United States has had in recent memory, owing in large part to the big-time successes these riders have captured over the last eighteen months or so. Continue reading to learn more about the final team selections in each discipline.
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Road Race and Time Trial
Arguably, no American has had a better year than Matteo Jorgenson. The 24-year-old Californian put his name on the map with a daring, if eventually fruitless, attack up the Puy de Dôme during last year’s Tour de France. Since then, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider won Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen and placed second in the all-important Tour de France warmup, Critérium du Dauphiné.
Twenty-six-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native Brandon McNulty, who rides for UAE Team Emirates, won a stage at last year’s Giro d’Italia, a stage at this season’s Tour de Romandie, and a United States national championship in the individual time trial. He also finished on the podium at Paris-Nice, netting third place.
INEOS Grenadiers’ Magnus Sheffield, a 22-year-old from Pittsford, New York, meanwhile finished in the top ten at the Tour of Flanders and took third in an individual time trial at the Giro d’Italia.
“It feels like a dream come true,” said Sheffield. “Going to the Olympics was one of my biggest goals growing up. I’m incredibly proud to represent the U.S. in Paris, as well as all the people who have helped me along the way. I don’t think it will fully sink in until I’m there.”
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Canyon-SRAM’s Chloé Dygert has had a quiet year, racing just three times. The twenty-seven-year-old Brownsburg, Indiana native’s best finish came in Classic Brugge-De Panne, where she finished sixth. She finished thirty-sixth at Gent Wevelgem and forty-third at the Tour of Flanders. However, amongst all the Americans, Dygert has the most robust Olympic resumé, with a silver and a bronze in the team pursuit events at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, respectively. She’ll return to the track as well, competing in the team pursuit event.
Like Dygert, twenty-six-year-old Taylor Knibb already has an Olympic medal. For her, it was as silver in the mixed relay triathlon event at the Tokyo Games. Earlier this year, she won the time trial at the U.S. Nationals, which cemented her spot on the team. In addition to the road and time trial races, Knibb will again compete in the triathlon.
“Cycling has a very steep learning curve, and I am simultaneously excited and nervous for what lies ahead,” Knibb said. “I’m very honored, grateful, and excited for the opportunity to represent Team USA with USA Cycling.”
Women
Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, IN; CANYON//SRAM) – Time Trial and Road Race
Taylor Knibb (Washington, D.C.; Trek Factory Racing) – Time Trial and Road Race
Men
Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) – Time Trial and Road Race
Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, NY; INEOS Grenadiers) – Time Trial and Road Race
Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, ID; Visma-Lease a Bike) – Road Race
How to Watch the Olympic Road Race
NBC’s Peacock ($5.99/month or $59.99/year) will stream all Olympic cycling events. If you’re looking for ad-free coverage, you’ll need a subscription to Peacock Premium Plus, which runs $11.99 per month or $119.99 for the year.
Full Streaming Schedule
Saturday, July 27, 2024
8:30 AM EDT – Women’s Individual Time Trial
10:24 AM EDT – Men’s Individual Time Trial
Saturday, August 3, 2024
5:00 AM EDT – Men’s Road Race
Sunday, August 4, 2024
8:00 AM EDT – Women’s Road Race
On Saturday, August 3, the men will travel a punishing 273 kilometers over a rolling course filled with punchy climbs, making it look very much like a Spring Classic. The next day, the women will experience a course much the same, though it will be much shorter, at 158 kilometers.
For the first time in Olympic history, the men and women will ride the same course in the time trial, both of which take place on Saturday, July 27: 32.4, almost entirely flat kilometers.
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Olympic Mountain Biking
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Off the road, the men’s and women’s mountain bike teams have equally impressive rosters.
Specialized Factory Racing’s Haley Batten, a native of Park City, Utah, won both the short track and XC events at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in addition to the 2024 Pan American Games, making her one of the heavy favorites heading into the games.
Inverness, California’s Savilia Blunk, who races for the Decathlon-Ford Racing Team, is the back-to-back U.S. National Champion.
Both men’s riders hail from Durango, Colorado. The first, Specialized Factory Racing’s Christopher Blevins, is a former short-track World Champion. His counterpart is Trek Factory Racing’s Riley Amos, who in 2021 became the first-ever American to win a U23 World Cup.
Women
Haley Batten (Park City, UT; Specialized Factory Racing) – Cross-Country (XCO)
Savilia Blunk (Inverness, CA; Decathlon-Ford Racing) – Cross-Country (XCO)
Men
Christopher Blevins (Durango, CO; Specialized Factory Racing) – Cross-Country (XCO)
Riley Amos (Durango, CO; Trek Factory Racing) – Cross-Country (XCO)
How to Watch Olympic Mountain Biking
NBC’s Peacock ($5.99/month or $59.99/year) will stream all Olympic cycling events. If you’re looking for ad-free coverage, you’ll need a subscription to Peacock Premium Plus, which runs $11.99 per month or $119.99 for the year.
Full Streaming Schedule
The mountain bike races will take place on Sunday, July 28, for the women and Monday, July 29, for the men.
Sunday, July 28, 2024
8:00 AM EDT – Women’s Cross-Country
Monday, July 29, 2024
8:00 AM ECT – Men’s Cross-Country
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Olympic Track Cycling
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The United States will compete in the following track events: Women’s Team Pursuit, Women’s Madison, Women’s Omnium, and Men’s Omnium. The final roster selection is as follows.
Women
Jennifer Valente (San Diego; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) – Team Pursuit, Madison, Omnium
Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, IN; CANYON//SRAM) – Team Pursuit
Lily Williams (Tallahassee, FL; Human Powered Health) – Team Pursuit, Madison
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, AK; EF Education-Cannondale) – Team Pursuit
Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, CO; DNA Pro Cycling) – Team Pursuit
Men
Grant Koontz (Nederland, CO; Star Track Cycling) – Omnium
How to Watch Olympic Track Cycling
NBC’s Peacock ($5.99/month or $59.99/year) will stream all Olympic cycling events. If you’re looking for ad-free coverage, you’ll need a subscription to Peacock Premium Plus, which runs $11.99 per month or $119.99 for the year.
Full Streaming Schedule
Monday, August 5, 2024 @ 11:00 AM EDT
Women’s Team Sprint Qualifying
Men’s Team Pursuit Qualifying
Women’s Team Sprint First Round
Men’s Team Sprint Qualifying
Women’s Team Sprint Finals
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 @ 11:30 AM EDT
Women’s Team Pursuit Qualifying
Men’s Team Sprint First Round
Men’s Team Pursuit First Round
Men’s Team Sprint Finals
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 @ 6:45 AM EDT
Men’s Sprint Qualifying
Women’s Keirin First Round
Women’s Team Pursuit First Round
Men’s Sprint 1/32 Finals
Women’s Keirin Repechages
Men’s Sprint 1/32 Finals Repechages
11:30 AM EDT
Men’s Sprint 1/16 Finals
Men’s Team Pursuit Finals
Men’s Sprint 1/16 Finals Repechages
Women’s Team Pursuit Finals
Men’s Sprint 1/8 Finals
Men’s Sprint 1/8 Finals Repechages
Thursday, August 8, 2024 @ 11:00 AM EDT
Men’s Omnium Scratch Race 1/4
Women’s Keirin Quarterfinals
Men’s Omnium Tempo Race 2/4
Men’s Sprint Quarterfinals
Women’s Keirin Semifinals
Men’s Omnium Elimination Race 3/4
Women’s Keirin Finals
Men’s Omnium Points Race 4/4
Men’s Sprint Race for 5th-8th Places
Friday, August 9, 2024 @ 8:00 AM EDT
Women’s Sprint Qualifying
Men’s Sprint Semifinals
Women’s Sprint 1/32 Finals
Women’s Sprint 1/32 Finals Repechages
12:00 PM EDT
Women’s Madison Final
Women’s Sprint 1/16 Finals
Men’s Sprint Final
Women’s Sprint 1/16 Finals Repechages
Saturday, August 10, 2024 @ 11:00 AM EDT
Women’s Sprint 1/8 Finals
Men’s Keirin First Round
Women’s Sprint 1/8 Finals Repechages
Men’s Madison Final
Women’s Sprint Quarterfinals
Men’s Keirin Repechages
Sunday, August 11, 2024 @ 5:00 AM EDT
Women’s Omnium Scratch Race 1/4
Women’s Sprint Semifinals
Men’s Keirin Quarterfinals
Women’s Omnium Tempo Race 214
Women’s Sprint Race for 5th-8th Places
Men’s Keirin Semifinals
Women’s Sprint Finals
Women’s Omnium Elimination Race 3/4
Men’s Keirin Finals
Women’s Omnium Points Race 4/4
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Michael Venutolo-Mantovani is a writer and musician based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He loves road and track cycling, likes gravel riding, and can often be found trying to avoid crashing his mountain bike.
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Publish date : 2024-06-24 12:23:00
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Author : News-Sports
Publish date : 2024-06-24 17:16:20
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