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Last week, USA Cycling announced the definitive list of cyclists who are bound for the Paris Olympics, July 26-August 11.
23 American athletes will don the Team USA kit this year across the five cycling disciplines. 13 women and 10 men will race against the world’s best in road, mountain bike, track, BMX racing, and BMX freestyle.
Of the 23 riders, 12 of them are returning to the Olympic Games. This will be the fourth appearance for 33-year-old Olympic silver medalist Alise Willoughby (Saint Cloud, Minn.; Team Toyota/ Daylight Cycle Co.) and a third appearance for Olympic medalists Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; CANYON//SRAM Racing) and Jennifer Valente (San Diego; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24).
Chloe Dygert of The United States sprints during the Women Elite Individual Time Trial a 36.2km race from Stirling to Stirling at the 96th UCI Cycling World Championships Glasgow 2023 (Photo: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
This year’s Olympic cycling team represents 18 states across the nation. Headlining the team are four current world champions – Dygert (Road – Time Trial), Valente (Track – Omnium), Willoughby (BMX Racing), and Hannah Roberts (BMX Freestyle).
Road – How to watch
Brandon McNulty and Taylor Knibb (Photo: Snowy Mountain Photography)
The men’s road team is represented by three riders who have all celebrated WorldTour wins or podiums this year. Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) and Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers) will both compete in the time trial and road race, while Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Team Visma – Lease a Bike) will represent Team USA on the road.
“The Olympics were always a part of my childhood,” Jorgenson said. “I remember spending entire summers watching sports I had never heard of and admiring the athletes. For sure it had a big effect on me and was one of the reasons I decided to pursue a career as a pro athlete. Being able to race in Paris, especially following the best year of my career, is a dream come true.”
On the women’s side, Taylor Knibb (Washington, D.C.; Trek Factory Racing) will be competing in two sports at the Games – cycling and triathlon. Knibb will join Dygert in the time trial race, while Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF-Oatly-Cannondale) and Dygert will represent Team USA in the road race.
Mountain Biking – How to watch
Riley Amos of United States competes in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Nove Mesto Cross Country XCC U23 on May 24, 2024 in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. (Photo: Piotr Staron/Getty Images)
The mountain bike team shows serious medal contention with four riders who have dominated the 2024 UCI World Cup series.
The women’s Paris squad is made up of Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Specialized Factory Racing) and Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon-Ford Racing Team). Batten has two World Cup wins already this year, while national champion Blunk has stood on World Cup podiums three times this season.
Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) and Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) will represent the men for Team USA. Amos remains undefeated in the U23 Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup events this year, while Blevins won the opening World Cup XCO race in Mairiporã, Brazil.
“The magnitude of the Olympics is one of the most special things to experience as an athlete,” Blevins said. “Being a part of Team USA is a celebration that extends beyond yourself, and there’s a whole team giving their best in the sport we love. I was proud to make it to Tokyo in 2021, and maybe even more so to make my second Olympic games, with the opportunity to give it everything for a medal on July 29 in Paris. The sport of mountain biking is growing at an exciting rate in the States, and I know this Games will be another step in that direction.”
Track – How to watch
UCI Track Cycling World Championships, August 5, 2023 (Photo: Casey Gibson)
On the track, Omnium olympic champion Jennifer Valente scored five Nations Cup podiums this year, two of which were in the Madison with teammate Lily Williams (Tallahassee, Fla.; Human Powered Health). With the help of Valente, Williams, and Dygert, the team has been hard at work building the Team Pursuit program with newcomers Kristen Faulkner and Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, Colo.; DNA Pro Cycling).
On the men’s side, Grant Koontz (Houston, Texas; Star Track Cycling) will compete in the Olympic Omnium.
“The Olympics has been a lifelong obsession of mine, and I’m incredibly grateful to be named to the team,” Koontz said. “I still can’t quite believe I’ll be representing Team USA in Paris this summer. It’s truly a dream come true, and I have a million people to thank for helping me get there. But for now, it’s back to training and keeping to the grind that helped me get here in the first place. See y’all in Paris!”
BMX Racing – How to watch
Alise Willoughby (Photo: USA Cycling)
In addition to Willoughby’s monumental BMX World Championship win in Rock Hill, Team USA had four women in the main event at the world championships, including Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa, Ill.; Factory SSquared/Answer) and Daleny Vaughn (Tucson, Ariz.; Biolab Sciences/ DK Bicycles).
Earlier this year, Kamren Larsen (Bakersfield, Calif.; Factory SSquared/Answer) scored his first elite World Cup podium in Tulsa while Cameron Wood (Bozeman, Mont.; Mongoose/USA BMX Foundation) qualified for several World Cup finals after returning from shoulder injuries.
“Blessed, honored, and proud is understatement after being named to the 2024 US Olympic Team in Paris,” Wood said. “There has been several challenges and a lot of adversity faced during the qualifying process. It feels rewarding to have faced those challenges head on, grow as an athlete and person, and ultimately earn my way in. It has been a dream of mine for a long time to represent my country in the Olympics and give it my all.”
BMX Freestyle – How to watch
Hannah Roberts of United States competes in the Women’s Park Cycling BMX Freestyle Qualification on day two of 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series Shanghai on May 17, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
The BMX Freestyle Olympic Qualifier Series was the ultimate preview of the Games. At the last round in Budapest, Roberts and Perris Benegas (Reno, Nev.; Haro BMX) finished first and second, along with 21-year-old Marcus Christopher (Canton, Ohio; DK Bicycles) taking silver.
The same group repeated their podium appearances at X Games Ventura shortly after. Roberts and Benegas competed in the first-ever women’s park contest finishing one-two again and Christopher won his first X Games gold. 2018 World Champion Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach, Va.; Hyper BMX) has been riding strong this year, automatically qualifying him for the Games through the Olympic Qualifier Series.
“I’m so proud of everyone and excited to be heading to Paris with this crew,” Benegas said. “It’s such an honor to make my second Olympic team and represent Team USA and BMX on the big stage. It’s even more special to be on this journey with Hannah by my side. I’m so excited for this opportunity. Paris, here we come!”
2024 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team
Road
Women:
Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; CANYON//SRAM Racing) – Time Trial and Road Race
Taylor Knibb (Washington, D.C.; Trek Factory Racing) – Time Trial
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF-Oatly-Cannondale) – Road Race
Men:
Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) – Time Trial and Road Race
Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers) – Time Trial and Road Race
Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Team Visma – Lease a Bike) – Road Race
Mountain Bike
Women:
Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Specialized Factory Racing)
Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon-Ford Racing Team)
Men:
Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing)
Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing)
Track
Women:
Jennifer Valente (San Diego; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) – Team Pursuit, Madison, Omnium
Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; CANYON//SRAM Racing) – Team Pursuit
Lily Williams (Tallahassee, Fla.; Human Powered Health) – Team Pursuit, Madison
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF-Oatly-Cannondale) – Team Pursuit
Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, Colo.; DNA Pro Cycling) – Team Pursuit
Men:
Grant Koontz (Houston, Texas; Star Track Cycling) – Omnium
BMX Racing
Women:
Alise Willoughby (Saint Cloud, Minn.; Team Toyota/ Daylight Cycle Co.)
Daleny Vaughn (Tucson, Ariz.; Biolab Sciences/ DK Bicycles)
Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa, Ill.; Factory SSquared/Answer)
Men:
Cameron Wood (Bozeman, Mont.; Mongoose/USA BMX Foundation)
Kamren Larsen (Bakersfield, Calif.; Factory SSquared/Answer)
BMX Freestyle
Women:
Hannah Roberts (Buchanan, Mich.; Hyper BMX)
Perris Benegas (Reno, Nev.; Haro BMX)
Men:
Marcus Christopher (Canton, Ohio; DK Bicycles)
Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach, Va.; Hyper BMX)
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Publish date : 2024-07-18 02:00:00
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Author : News-Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-19 00:47:21
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