Ryan and Young make history at Armed Forces Cycling Classic

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Kendall Ryan (Tibco-SVB) and Eric Young (Elevate-KHS) have gone down in history for being the first two riders to win both the Crystal City Cup and the Clarendon Cup in the same weekend. The two events formed part of the Armed Forces Cycling Classic, held on June 1 and 2.

"With only four riders, we were outnumbered and expected a hard race," Ryan said in a team press release. "The team completely emptied themselves, and only [Sharlotte Lucas] and I finished. I also had to cover a lot of moves to keep the field together while trying to save for the final sprint. In the last lap, I was able to move up into position. I hit the last corner hot, hit the turbos and had eyes for the line.”

Ryan won the Clarendon Cup ahead of Harriet Owen (Hagens Berman-Supermint) and Maggie Coles-Lyster (Pickle Juice Pro Cycling) on Sunday. The victory came after winning the previous day's Crystal Cup ahead of Natalie Redmond (Fearless Femme Racing p/b Altam) and Owen.

"It felt great to deliver a win today and feel that speed back in my legs," Ryan after winning the Crystal Cup. "The team did a solid job covering moves, and we’re excited to race again tomorrow and go for more results at the Clarendon Cup. It’s one of my favourite courses – fast and technical."

In the men's races, Elevate-KHS went 1-2 at the Crystal City Cup with Young taking the win ahead of teammate Ulises Alfred Castillo Soto, while Hugo Scala (Gateway Harley Davidson) was third. The next day, Young took his second consecutive win ahead of Sean McElroy (Legion of Los Angeles) and Samuel Bassetti (Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling).

The Armed Forces Cycling Classic's Clarendon Cup has been running for 22 years, and is one of the premier races of the Washington DC area. Young spoke with local TV, Let's Talk Live, ahead of the Armed Forces Cycling Classic about the two events.