American Criterium Cup: Skylar Schneider and Justin Williams secure titles with top 10s at Giro Della Montagna

L39ION of Los Angeles duo Skylar Schneider and Justin Williams sealed overall titles for the American Criterium Cup on Monday in St. Louis, Missouri, both finishing in the top 10 at the Giro Della Montagna one-day race.

Both elite fields provided exciting sprint finishes and first-time winners, WorldTour rider Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime) exploding past series favourites to win the sixth and final round of the series in the women's race, while Preston Eye (Clif Family Drifters) was the best in the men's sprint finish.

The St. Louis race, part of the long-standing Gateway Cup, provided the final round of the six-race series, with a hilly route and downhill sprint.

In the women's race, Claudia Marcks (Pedla Racing) used an effort in a two-rider breakaway with Holly Breck (L39ION of Los Angeles) to grab enough points in the Sprint Prime classification to move into the green jersey, which had been on Breck's shoulders. The duo created a gap that reached 35 seconds, but could not do more.

A consistent pattern of attacks kept the second half of the race interesting for the large crowds. Race winner Guarischi gave it a go with nine laps to go to check out the headwind at the finish to see what was possible for the final lap. And it all came down to the final lap.

HigherDOSE | Renova set the pace on a final pass of The Hill, Marcks was tucked in third wheel, while ACC individual leader Skylar Schneider was even further back.

Kendall Ryan (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) had clear sight of the finish line as she accelerated, but with 50 metres to go, Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime) pushed to the front for the win.

Ryan held for second, while Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) rounded out the podium in third. Skylar Schneider beat Marcks for fourth, earning more than enough points to seal the overall title in the American Crit Cup.

“I tried to position myself as best I could in the last two corners, and then I waited because I knew with the headwind it was best to stay covered as much as I can," the WorldTour rider said after the victory on the American Criterium Cup live stream.

“I was never really here to race crits, so really that’s my first time. I am a really good friend of Skylar, and she was in my team last year. So I said, 'Do you mind if I come and we race together?' She said it was super cool and I am welcome in the US."

The traditional four-corner course started and finished at the intersection of Marconi and Wilson avenues. The back side of the 1.7km course featured a punchy 200-metre climb that led to a quick succession of corners three and four, and this year also moved riders from a significant tailwind to a headwind for the final 300 metres.

A trio of riders in the men's race - Dylan Fluckiger (Velovit Elite), Clif Family Drifters' Christian Corsello and Tyler Williams (L39ION of Los Angeles) - used that tailwind to help them get away from the peloton for the first 50 minutes of the 67-minute contest. While top points in the Sprint Prime moved Fluckiger to second overall in that competition, he could not overcome a substantial lead retained by Owen Gillott (Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark p/b Pastaria).

The catch of the trio was made with seven laps to go, most of the work done by Gillott. Attacks flew, and failed across the next six circuits with the tailwind providing the push up 'the hill'. On the final approach to the final two turns, L39ION of Los Angeles and Cadence Cyclery p/b Waldo Racing took turns at the front to position their top sprinters, ACC overall leader Justin Williams for L39ION and Fetzer for Cadence.

From the final corner, Dan Holloway (Rollers) surged to the front, but was passed by Fetzer. In the blink of an eye, it was Eye who jumped next and edged Fetzer by a tyre width. Brown, who was second at Chicago Grit, completed the podium in third. Justin Williams finished eighth, which confirmed the ACC overall title.

"So much of my family is here, my family is from St. Louis, and it just means the world. I’ve been here since I was a junior, and today was finally my day,” said an emotional Eye in his post-race interview.

The 22-year-old race winner was eighth at his hometown race last year. This year's victory was significant as it moved him from fourth to second overall in the ACC men's individual standings. Lucas Bourgoyne (Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing) finished 11th in St. Louis and left with third overall in the ACC. Bourgoyne had missed the Salt Lake Criterium three weeks ago when he had surgery for appendicitis.

The final round of the American Criterium Cup was also part of a four-day omnium competition for the Bommarito Audi West County Gateway Cup, a set of criteriums on Labor Day weekend now in a 40th edition. Skylar Schneider won the elite women's omnium, while Fetzer used two wins to take the four-day title.

Guarischi competed at all four days of racing that comprised the Gateway Cup on a US holiday, coming away with one victory and a fourth place.

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Giro Della Montagna race results

American Criterium Cup final standings