Marlies Mejias (Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty24) wins 2024 Momentum Indy on Mass Avenue ahead of Paola Muñoz and Skylar Schneider(Image credit: American Criterium Cup / @joe.vond)
Elite women's podium after 2024 Momentum Indy Mass Ave Crit (L to R): second-placed Paola Muñoz, winner Marlies Mejias Garcia and third-placed Skylar Schneider(Image credit: American Criterium Cup/ @joe.vond)
Alfredo Rodriguez (REIGN Storm Racing) wins 2024 Momentum Indy Mass Ave Crit ahead of teammate Jordan Parra(Image credit: American Criterium Cup/ @joe.vond)
Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24) won the elite women’s race at the IU Health Momentum Indy criterium this past weekend, while REIGN Storm Racing went one-two with winner Alfredo Rodriguez and runner-up Jordan Parra.
Both Friday night races under the lights in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana came down to bunch finishes, with points on the line for the fifth of eight stops on the American Criterium Cup series.
Mejias crossed the line several bike lengths ahead of second-placed Paola Muñoz (Goldman Sachs ETFs Racing). The women’s peloton stayed together for the majority of the 70-minute race, only Skylar Schneider (Miami Blazers) making a big attack to reel in the mid-race ACC sprint points. She then stayed close to the front and finished in third place, earning her fifth podium in the American Criterium Cup series.
Skylar Schneider retained the lead in the individual standings for women, two DNA Pro Cycling riders - Rylee McMullen second 23 points back and Makayla Macpherson third 9 more points back. McMullen has a one-point lead over Schneider in the sprint competition.
“It was very exciting and I had to be very patient,” Mejias said after the race. “It's also a very technical race so you have to be at the front. The plan was to only spend energy at the key moments of the race.”
Last year’s winner Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles) was not on the start line, but reigning US criterium champion Coryn Labecki (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) took part in only her second ACC race this season and finished one spot off the podium in fourth.
The men’s race on the Mass Ave crit course was focused on the solo breakaway of Josh Burnett (Mitoq-NZ Cycling Project), to see if he could stay away after going clear in the first 10 minutes on the twisty,‘bow-tie-shaped course. REIGN Storm went into serious chase mode with 10 laps to go and caught Burnett, who at one time had a 40-second margin, on the bell lap.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“We were really calm the whole race,” Rodriguez said after the race. “We had to put the whole team on the front for the chase to get the guy back. [Burnett] was really strong, we were really pushing.”
Summerhill, who extended his sprint classification lead, led out his teammates for the one-two finish. It was the fourth victory in five races for REIGN Storm, the trio on the Indy podium holding strong in the men’s overall standings - Parra first with 56 points, Rodiguez second at 10 points back and Summerhill third another four points back.
The next installment of the ACC takes place July 27 at the 12th annual Northwestern Medicine Lake Bluff Criterium outside Chicago, Illinois. It is part of the 10-day Chicago Grit collection of criterium races, formerly branded as Intelligentsia Cup.
Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Top 10 elite women
Pos.
Rider (Team)
1
Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24)
2
Paola Muñoz (Goldman Sachs ETFs Racing)
3
Skylar Schneider (Miami Blazers)
4
Coryn Labecki (EF-Oatly-Cannondale)
5
Rylee McMullen (DNA Pro Cycling)
6
Makayla Macpherson (DNA Pro Cycling)
7
Regina Doty (LA Sweat Racing)
8
Heidy Praderas (Kingdom Elite Racing)
9
Sofia Arreola (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24)
10
Ashley Beimert (Coalition Cycling)
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Top 10 elite men
Pos.
Rider (Team)
1
Alfredo Rodriguez (REIGN Storm Racing)
2
Jordan Parra (REIGN Storm Racing)
3
Ben Oliver (Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling p/b Bike World)
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.
