Across seven days of racing, fierce battles unfolded for women and men in the elite, under-23 and junior 17-18 categories at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, held for a second consecutive year in the Appalachian mountain town of Charleston, West Virginia.
Would Olympic road race champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) be able to defend her elite women's road race title or even take the gold in the individual time trial? Who would be the new elite men's road race winner, with Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) not able to compete due to knee surgery? And who would be the rising stars in the junior 17-18 and U23 divisions?
The under-23 women put on some serious shows last week as they had dedicated contests for the first time in the criterium and road races events. Cassidy Hickey (CCB p/b Levine Law Group) won her first U23 title in the criterium Thursday night, using an attack just 10 minutes into the 50-minute contest and her team controlling the field to hold the gap.
Two days later on Saturday Ella Sabo held off Hickey to win the U23 road race title, this time Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 doing the work to hold off challengers.
"Crossing that line first—it was surreal. My first national title. My first win in almost two years. I almost couldn’t believe it. The win was anything but solo," Sabo said about her victory in the women's first dedicated U23 road race.
It was an opportunity for riders from smaller teams to match up against riders on WorldTour squads, too. In the elite women's time trial, for instance, Emily Ehrlich of Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 won the gold going 27 seconds faster than Women's WorldTour rider Faulkner. And while Faulkner struck back to retain the road race title ahead of Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation), it was 21-year-old Katherine Sarkisov (CCB p/b Levine Law Group) who was in the thick of the action for the bronze.
And on the men's side, 22-year-old Gavin Hlady (EF Education-Aevolo) put on shows in the road races, winning the men's U23 crown then taking the bronze in the elite men's contest on Memorial Day behind winner Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek).
Road races at USA Cycling Pro Road Nationals began and ended on the banks of the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston, West Virginia
Cassidy Hickey wins the first stand-alone U23 women's criterium in a solo break.
Luke Fetzer (Team Cadence Cyclery p/b Encore Wire) wins elite men's U23 criterium at US Pro Road Nationals 2025
The women's elite criterium field wound through a crowded section of downtown lined with shops and restaurants. Kendall Ryan (L39ion of Los Angeles) earned another title ahead of Cynisca teammates Alexis Magner in second and Chloe Patrick in third.
In the men's elite criterium, Project Echelon Racing grabbed hold of the front like last year, but the ending was much different with any number of teams attacking at any point in time, making the racing chaotic and very fast. Lucas Bourgoyne (Team Cadence Cyclery p/b Encore Wire) overcame the Project Echelon team tactics and took the victory.
Stage announcers Rahsaan Bahati and John Hoopingarner kept the crowds appraised of all the action that happened in Charleston.
The U23 women had their first-ever stand-alone road race, and they made the most of it with a charging field catching a lone breakaway rider within site of the finish line.
A victory cry for women's U23 road race winner Ella Sabo of Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
Women's U23 rider Emily Gilbert celebrates road race victory by her Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 teammate Ella Sabo.
Gavin Hlady took his second consecutive U23 road race championship.
Kristin Faulkner was the consumate professional spending time signing autographs, taking photos, and having conversations with fans.
The Bridge Street climb stretched the women' field out every lap with the lower slopes peaking at a 21.7% grade within the first kilometre.
Emma Langley was the first rider to make a meaningful break in the elite women's road race, putting more than a minute on the field during the fourth lap.
Former US National Champion Lauren Stephens patrolled the front and tried to control things for teammate Emma Langley.
The race ended in a three-up sprint between two former champions and the relatively-young Katherine Sarkisov, who settled for third. Kristen Faulkner prevailed to defend her road race title while Lauren Stephens went second.
The heat started to build by the middle of the road race, but conditions were more mild this year than in previous years.
The shops at Bridge Street was the place to be in Charleston as a crowds gathered to celebrate Memorial Day and watch the bike racing on the giant screen.
The race was livestreamed on FloBikes with help of MediaMotos.tv.
A group of four riders attacked the field within the first few kilometers, past the capitol building of West Virginia the first of 10 times.
The break had established itself as a group of seven by the middle of the third lap.
Luke Arens (Above + Beyond Cancer Cycling Team) tries to pump up the crowd as he makes his way up the Bridge Street climb.
Robin Carpenter, Luke Elphingstone, and AJ August make their way down Louden Heights Rd, the fast descent off the Bridge St climb.
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and AJ August (Ineos Grenadiers) bridged a two-minute gap from the field to the lead group with the help of Luke Elphingstone.
With half a lap to go, Quinn Simmons was 2:40 ahead of Evan Boyle who was 25 seconds ahead of the chase group.
A solo Quinn Simmons passes the Robert C. Byrd courthouse having dropped his breakaway mates in spectacular fashion over the top of the Wertz Road climb and went on for his second road title in three years.
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