'Mindset that I have to win' produces sweep at Armed Forces Cycling Classic races for Marlies Mejías

Marlies Mejias (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28/Deloitte) swept both days of elite women's races at the Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic presented by Events DC for the omnium title. With a victory on Saturday and second place on Sunday, Dario Rapps (DCC) secured the men's omnium at the longstanding pair of one-day races in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia.

Formerly the Crystal Cup, Saturday's rebranded Capitol Cup races, and an amateur Challenge Ride, were held on city streets between the National Mall and the US Capitol building. It was the first time pro racing took place in the popular Washington, D.C. area in 24 years.

After the women got underway at 11:30 a.m. EDT from the start/finish line on 3rd Street, across from the Capitol Reflecting Pool as a backdrop, the pace was high, but they couldn't outdistance the dark clouds that produced a heavy rainstorm. A total of 76 of the 102 starters finished the race, with no one catching the red-hot Cuban rider, coming fresh off wins at Winston-Salem Cycling Classic and Tour of Somerville the week before. 

“Armed Forces is my favourite criterium - I always come into it with the mindset that I 'have' to win. The first day, the Capitol Cup, threw everything at us. The rain, intense braking, and slick corners completely changed the race dynamics," Mejias told Cyclingnews, who won the Crystal Cup the last two years and was second to Kendall Ryan in the Clarendon Cup.

"Wet conditions are always a challenge for me, but my teammates executed flawlessly and kept me protected when it counted most. Despite the chaos, I was able to take the win with confidence after an incredible lead-out from Emily Ehrlich."

Image 1 of 3

Just two weeks ago Ehrlich won the elite women's US Pro road race championship, but in the criterium did not wear the stars-and-stripes as that honor went to three riders in the fray - elite national champion Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles), U23 winner Cassidy Hickey (CCB p/b Levine Law Group/American Systems) and junior winner Katherin Sarkisov (CCB p/b Levine Law). All three national champions finished in the top 10, Hickey second, Ryan fifth and Sarkisov seventh.

Now in its 27th edition, the Clarendon Cup returned to nearby Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday. Mejias fought off a late acceleration by Ryan to win the two-rider sprint. Odette Lynch (Fearless Femme Racing p/b Robertet) edged Rylee McMullen (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) for third.

"Day two at the Clarendon Cup was an emotional rollercoaster. The competition was the strongest I’ve seen in years, with a wide range of skill levels in criterium racing, which made the win even more rewarding," Mejias said.

"My teammates were absolutely impeccable. I’m so proud of how far we’ve come and how strong we are as a team. It was a phenomenal weekend, and I truly hope we can return and do it all again next year.”

The eight riders with CCB p/b Levine Law Group pressed Mejias' seven-rider squad, as well as Fearless Femme and L39ION of Los Angeles, both starting with rosters of four. While Rylee McMullen factored in the leadout for Mejias this time, Lynch had two other teammates in the top 10 for her podium, but could not overcome the strong surge by Ryan for second place.

Image 1 of 3

On the men's side, the field included 142 competitors each day, with German Dario Rapps (DCC) dominating with the win at the Capitol Cup and going second to Briton Matthew Bostock (Tekkerz) at the Clarendon Cup. Another British rider, Jim Brown (Golden State Blazers), scored two podiums - second on Saturday and third on Sunday - to finish second in the Omnium standings for elite men.

"It was super important, and after the win on Saturday, our main goal was to defend the lead overall. We did well," Andreas Mayr of d3stroycyclingclub, also known as DCC, told Cyclingnews.  "Dario knew the main competitors in the end on Sunday. Of course, we're also proud he was second on Sunday."

The four-rider team of Tekkerz stepped up Sunday with Alec Briggs in the main breakaway, which eventually swelled from behind from chasers and eventually all of the main group. Then 2022 Team Pursuit world champion Ollie Wood used his track skills to deliver teammate Bostock to the victory on Sunday.

"With only a few laps to go, I decided to just keep it fast enough to stop anyone rushing Bocky, as he was already positioned well with a few laps to go. Thankfully over the line with one lap to go, Oliver Wood used him pursuit power and speed to drop Bostock off to finish the job off like we planned from the start, so happy days," Briggs told Cyclingnews.

Full results are available at the Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic website.