Kendall Ryan (L39ion of Los Angeles) and Dario Rapps (Destroy Cycling Club) were the winners of the opening race of the 2025 Tulsa Tough in Friday's Blue Dome Criterium, the first round of the American Criterium Cup.
Rapps started his sprint early on the final lap, jumping ahead of the second to last turn and holding his advantage up the hill to the finish. Jordan Parra (Bikers Cycling Team) and Ollie Wood rounded out the podium behind him.
"I can't even describe it, I never thought I'd win such a big race," Rapps said. "This atmosphere is so amazing, I never could imagine I could win a race like this. I don't know if I can do it again, but let's see what the next days will bring and I am so hyped for the next races."
Kendall Ryan on the podium with Alexis Magner and Cassidy Hickey (Image credit: Tulsa Tough/ACC)
In the women's race, Ryan unleashed her race-winning sprint after a two-rider breakaway was reeled in on the final lap, out-kicking her sister Alexis Magner (Cynisca Cycling) and Cassidy Hickey (CCB p/b Levine Law Group).
Bryony Botha (Fearless Femme Racing) and Grace Arlandson (Automatic-Abus Racing) escaped in the first 30 minutes of racing, and the pair gained 40 seconds before Ryan's team got to work reeling them back in.
"Basically when the two got 40 off the front we knew we needed to be the ones to bring it back," Ryan's teammate Holly Brock said. "One would go, it would lull, then another would go, and it would lull — there was never any cohesiveness to bring it back. Then, two started to go across and it was panic.
"Laurel [Rathburn] took a mega pull with three to go and then I just had to try to do what I could to bring it back. Thankfully we caught them just after one to go and then it was kind of 'Kendall you got to go do your thing.'"
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Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
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