USA’s Alyssa Sarkisov pulled clear of her closest rival on the penultimate lap to claim the elite women’s title at the 2026 Pan-American Cyclocross Championships in Washington, DC, on Saturday. The victory marked a step up from last year, when she finished second.
With two laps remaining, Sarkisov and compatriot Lidia Cusack were locked in a battle for victory after breaking away from the lead group on the third lap. Sarkisov then delivered the fastest lap of the race, clocking 7:22, to open a six-second advantage by the bell lap. She maintained her lead to the finish, securing the victory after seven laps.
Cusack crossed the line six seconds later to claim silver, while newly crowned Canadian champion Sidney McGill, broke through the USA domination to take the bronze, finishing a further 36 seconds back.
After finishing seventh at the Cyclo-cross World Championships back in February, Sarkisov also raced on the road and placed third in the U23 time trial at the USA National Road Championships. The 19-year-old also tackled the U23 road race at the UCI Road World Championships in September.
For the second year, the Continental Championships were held on the historic grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, the site of President Lincoln’s Summer Cottage and a residential community for United States veterans since 1851.
After one lap of racing on the approximately 3.3km long course, Sarkisov, Cusack and McGill, along with USA riders Lizzy Gunsalus, Raylyn Nuss, Mia Aseltine, had a 21-second lead over Lauren Zoerner, with Amelia Shea, Emma Betual and Emily Shields chasing together, a further 10 seconds back.
One lap later, 2025 Pan Am U23 champion Aseltine fell off the pace, while defending champion Gunsalus, Nuss and McGill were dropped after another lap, leaving Cusack and Sarkisov to battle for the gold medal.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
With two laps to go, McGill was solo in third, a position she would keep until the finish. Nuss finished fourth, four seconds behind third place, while Aseltine was fifth.
All the riders in the field, apart from Canada’s McGill, represented the USA.
Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
