Phinney heads up USA team for World Championships

Image 1 of 5

Taylor Phinney (BMC) celebrates after crossing the line(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

USA Cycling today announced its full line-up for the UCI Road World Championships, which begin on September 20 in Richmond, Virginia, with Taylor Phinney named for both Elite men's races. Phinney made his return to competition last month following a 15-month layoff due to injuries, and quickly returned to his winning ways, taking a victory and the race lead on the opening stage of the USA Pro Challenge.

“It’s a technical course. I live an hour away from the course, I train and have family in Richmond. Obviously this is a course in the city, so it’s not necessarily roads you’d go ride on when the roads are open. I think it’s as tough or tougher than the profile indicates, because specially Libby Hill is so narrow and switchback and cobbled it’s going to be single file going up there. The descents are OK but the fact it’s going to be single file going through one of the more selective parts of the course anyway so close to the finish is definitely going to factor in.”

King is no stranger to the one-day races, but this will only be his second World Championships, having made the USA team in 2011. “I raced the Worlds in Copenhagen which was also kind of flat, I ended up working at the front with the Brits, riding the front for Tyler Farrar who placed tenth. But I think it’s more selective than at Copenhagen, the climbs are closer to the finish and there’s more of them.”