Skylar Schneider secures road race gold at Pan American Championships

Skylar Schneider earned the gold medal for the United States in the women's road race at the Pan American Road Continental Championships in Panama on Saturday.

"I'm absolutely so happy. Alison [Jackson], with the win in Paris-Roubaix, was definitely one to watch, but there are so many strong riders in Central and South America, so we had to stay focused and go for the win," Schneider said.

Schneider formed part of a five-rider team that also included Kaia Schmid, Zoe Ta-Perez, Lauren Stephens and Amber Neben.

Neben had already earned a gold medal for Team USA in the women's time trial held on Tuesday and went on to finish 50th in the road race after supporting Schneider to the win.

Schneider won the bunch sprint in the elite women's 102km road race held across seven laps of a circuit in Panama City. 

She out-sprinted Canada's Alison Jackson, who earned the bronze medal in the time trial earlier in the week and won Paris-Roubaix also in April. 

Chile's Catalina Anais Soto earned the bronze medal after finishing third in the sprint.

The Continental Championships is an important qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. 

There are only 88 places for the men's and women's road races, and allocations are based on the UCI Road World Ranking by nations for the year before the Olympic Games.

Schneider came into the Pan American Road Continental Championships is promising form after winning the final stage 4 and stage 5 at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.