Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles) leads USA Crits with victory at Sunny King Criterium, shown here wearing the Sunny King crown(Image credit: Sunny King Criterium/USA Crits)
Sunny King Criterium women’s podium: second place Alexis Magner (L39ION of Los Angeles), winner Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles) and third place Harriet Owen (DNA Pro Cycling)(Image credit: Sunny King Criterium/USA Crits)
Sunny King Criterium men’s podium: second place Bryan Gomez (Reign Storm Racing, winner Alfredo Rodriguez (Reign Storm Racing) and third place Roderyck Asconeguy Diaz (MC Cycling Team)(Image credit: Sunny King Criterium/USA Crits)
Alfredo Rodriguez (Reign Storm Racing) leads USA Crits series with his Sunny King Criterium victory(Image credit: Sunny King Criterium/USA Crits)
The 2024 Sunny King Criterium was a race of redemption for Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles) and Alfredo Rodriguez (Reign Storm Racing), who both went from runner-up finishes last year to victories this time out.
The victories for Ryan and Rodriguez were also significant as they earned top points in the season opener of USA Crits, a collection of six races across three states with a base prize purse of $200,000 for elite riders.
It was all sunshine and sizzling speed for the four-corner races at the 22nd edition of the Sunny King Criterium in downtown Anniston, Alabama on Saturday. Both races saw attacks try to stick, only to be reeled back by the high pace. For the women, it came down to the uphill sprint off the final corner, Ryan riding ahead of Alexis Magner, neé Ryan for a L39ION one-two finish and Harriet Owen (DNA Pro Cycling) closing fast for third.
“Today I really wanted it to come down to a sprint. My sister [Alexis Magner] really piloted us to the last corner. It was a good spot for me at this race. That was the winning move for me.
“The biggest competition in the race for me was definitely Harriet Owens. I worried about her in the sprint especially. They [DNA Pro Cycling] had one more rider than we did, so they might do a pretty good lead out and get her there. We were just worried about positioning for the sprint and just make sure we were in a good spot. I felt her coming up on my right and they were right there.”
Last year Kendall Ryan ushered her L39ION of Los Angeles teammate Lizbeth Salazar to the line for the sprint victory, and this year the team followed their plan to move Kendall Ryan to the top step of the podium.
On the men’s side, last year Rodriguez thought he had the win for his then Miami Nights team, but was pipped at the line by Cade Bickmore (Project Echelon Racing). This year, the Reign Storm duo of Rodriguez and Bryan Gomez went one-two a the line, leaving Roderyck Asconeguy Diaz (MC Cycling Team) in third, and Michael Garrison (North Georgia Cycling Association) in fourth from the small lead group.
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“I was really nervous today at the start. Michael [Hernandez, teammate] told me, ‘hey don’t worry’, but I was really nervous because last year I was like five meters to the line,” Rodriguez said about remembering how he was overtaken at the line by Bickmore last year. “This year it’s a good team. They give you really good support in the race and give you confidence.
The Reign Storm had been part of a small breakaway that began to lose companions and a large gap with just seven laps to go. Garrison and Asconeguy Diaz were able to accelerate away with Rodriguez and Gomez to make it a foursome at the front for the final three laps, and Rodriguez getting the win this year.
"When he [Garrison] connected, it changed the whole plan. Before, Bryan and I were talking in the breakaway and he covered one guy and I covered the other, then ButcherBox dropped and [Garrison] connected. We were like, ‘who covers this guy’? Bryan said ‘I’ll take this guy and you take the others, and pay attention to the finish’. This win is for the team. Bryan was really good tonight, really strong."
The next stop for USA Crits will be April 20 at Rock&Road Criterium in Newnan Georgia.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Pro Women top 10
1
Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles)
0:59:01
2
Alexis Magner (L39ION of Los Angeles)
0:59:02
3
Harriet Owen (DNA Pro Cycling)
0:59:02
4
Luisa Parra (Kingdom Elite Racing)
0:59:03
5
Erica Carney (Rally Pro Cycling)
0:59:04
6
Rachel Langdon (Zone-6 Endurance)
0:59:04
7
Brittany Parffrey (SCAD Atlanta)
0:59:05
8
Sara Rains (Happy Tooth Women's Racing)
0:59:05
9
Shannon Koch (Kingdom Racing)
0:59:05
10
Samantha Clark (Team Louisville)
0:59:05
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Pro Men top 10
1
Alfredo Rodriguez (Reign Storm Racing)
1:07:05
2
Bryan Gomez (Reign Storm Racing)
1:07:05
3
Roderyck Asconeguy Diaz (MC Cycling)
1:07:05
4
Michael Garrinson (North Georgia Cycling Association)
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.
