USA Cycling announces elite women's and U23 men's teams for road world championships
Men's team to be finalised later this week
Ahead of the 2014 UCI road world championships which will be held later this month in Ponferrada, Spain, USA Cycling has announced its its team that will compete in the elite women, U23 men, and juniors men and women categories.
The men's team will be finalised later in the week and announced accordingly.
"We are excited about the team that was selected for the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada," said USA Cycling Vice President of Athletics Jim Miller. "These are good, well-balanced teams, but most importantly, when I look at the roster, these teams are made up of fighters. In order to compete in a single-day world championship race, you need a team of athletes that wants to do battle and doesn't have the word 'quit' in its vocabulary."
The seven-rider women's team contains current USA road, time trial and criterium national champion Alison Powers who is joined by UnitedHealthcare teammate Mara Abbott.
Specialized-lululemon will be represented by Carmen Small and Evelyn Stevens with Shelley Olds (Ale-Cipollini), Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) and Lauren Hall (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) rounding out the team roster.
Stevens was the best placed American as last year's world championships in fifth place, 46 second down on winner Marianne Vos (Netherlands). The 31-year-old was fourth in the time trial and is one of three riders selected to race against the clock. Powers and Small have also been selected for the time trial.
The USA will field a five-man team for the U23 road race to be led by national road race champion Tanner Putt (Bissell Development Team). The 22-year-old will be joined trade teammate Logan Owen.
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Also selected for the team is BMC Development Team duo Alexey Vermeulen and Tyler Williams along with Hincapie Sportswear Development Team's Robin Carpenter who recently won a stage at the USA Pro Challenge.
T.J. Eisenhart (BMC Development Team) has been selected for the time trial with Carpenter the other rider selected for the event.
Elite Women
Mara Abbott (UnitedHealthcare)
Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team)
Lauren Hall (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
Shelley Olds (Ale-Cipollini)
Alison Powers (UnitedHealthcare) - competing in road race and time trial
Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon) - competing in road race and time trial
Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) - competing in road race and time trial
U23 Men
Robin Carpenter (Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) - competing in road race and time trial
T.J. Eisenhart (BMC Development Team) - competing in time trial only
Logan Owen (Bissell Development Team)
Tanner Putt (Bissell Development Team)
Alexey Vermeulen (BMC Development Team)
Tyler Williams (BMC Development Team)
Juniors Men
William Barta (Boise Young Rider Development Squad)
Jonny Brown (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.)
Adrien Costa (Hagens Berman U23) - competing in road race and time trial
Jack Maddux (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.)
Philip O'Donnell (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.)
Zeke Mostov (Hagens Berman U23) - competing in road race and time trial
Juniors Women
Madeleine Boutet (TWENTY16 Pro Cycling)
Janelle Cole (West Michigan Coast Riders) - competing in road race and time trial
Emma White (Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team, Inc.) - competing in road race and time trial
