Hall headlines USA Cycling long list for Colorado Classic team

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UnitedHealthcare's Katie Hall celebrates winning the 2018 Amgen Women's Race(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)

Defending champion Katie Hall could return to the Colorado Classic in August despite her Boels Dolmans team not being on the start list for the the August 22-25 UCI 2.1 race. Hall, who won the race last year with UnitedHealthcare and then signed with Boels Dolmans in the off season, was one of eight riders USA Cycling named to the long list for the 'Collegiate All-Star Team' that will compete alongside 15 other squads at this year's race.

"We are happy to have another opportunity to showcase the talent of our up-and-coming American riders like we did earlier this year at the Amgen Tour of California," said Jeff Pierce, USA Cycling director of Elite Athletics. "USA Cycling’s Collegiate program is a great avenue for young riders to develop and has produced great champions in the sport. We are pleased to give these athletes the opportunity to race against a talented international field in a top UCI race."

"I’m so excited to be selected to race the Colorado Classic with the national team," said Runnels, who represented USA Cycling at the 2019 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. "Being able to represent my country in a UCI race is such a special opportunity. When I first started riding bikes I had no idea I’d ever make it to this level. I’m thankful to all my friends and supporters that have helped me along the way."

The Colorado Classic started in 2017 as a men's four-day race and a women's criterium and road race. The women's race jumped to three stages last year, and organisers announced in the off-season that they were dropping the men's race to focus solely on the women's event in 2019. Organisers RPM Events Group LLC are offering a prize purse nearly four times the 2018 women’s purse and more than the men’s 2018 purse, along with support for team expenses.