Kendall Ryan wins women's criterium title at US Pro Road Championships

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Kendall Ryan (L39ION of Los Angeles) secured the title in the elite women's criterium at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships in Knoxville on Friday. Ryan sprinted early over last hill and through the final corners to secure the victory by a large margin ahead of Team DMS teammates Megan Jastrab in second and Coryn Rivera in third.

“I came out here with a mission, I didn’t make the Olympic team, so I just wanted to prove a point. And I think I did that. My teammates hung out a lot. It was super-hard competition out there and everyone came out to destroy us [L39ION of Los Angeles]. I’m just really happy and it was a really good day," said Ryan, who last won the criterium national title in 2015.

“It’s been a while since 2015, to be exact, so I’m really proud of this one. Everyone showed up with their A-game. It was a really hard race, with really strong riders. I’m super proud of my team and super proud of myself."

How it  unfolded

The women's criterium took place on a 1.7km (1.1 mile) course in downtown Knoxville. The six corners and punchy climbs on wide roads made for a technical and fast course on the 70-minute race.  

At the front of the peloton were some of the big names of the peloton, including all five riders for Rally Cycling and the duo from Team DSM, Coryn Rivera and Megan Jastrab, both headed to the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

Crashes were few and far between, with the first mishap taking place about 10 minutes into the race on turn three, which involved Sara Rains (Colavita/HelloFresh Women’s Pro Cycling) and Sinead Miller (Nashville Local Cycling), and both were able to rejoin on the next lap. 

Sixteen minutes into the race Morgan Aguirre (Fount Cycing Guild) took the first solo attack on the field, and after two laps without more than 10 seconds as a gap, she started to look around, a sign that the move would not stick. 

Michelle Howe, another Fount Cycling Guild rider, along with Debbie Milne (Supra Functional Food Bars) were next to take a turn out front 25 minutes into the race. The gap started to open and develop into a dangerous move.

However, five minutes later into what appeared to be a powerful twosome, Milne pulled up and was absorbed back into the peloton, leaving Howe to bear now in the heat by herself and try to hold a 37-second gap.

Once the peloton swallowed Milne, Skylar Schneider of L39GION of LA began to push the pace at the front of the race, leaping off the front on Gay Street under the start/finish banner.  

Halfway through the contest, the peloton still did not look very organized in pursuit of the 33-year-old Howe, who raised some eyebrows on Thursday with a fifth-place finish in the ITT, however her advantage was beginning to shrink. 

With 10 laps to go, the advantage was 20 seconds, but the peloton had her in their sights as they passed the Tennessee Theatre on the long straightaway on downtown Gay Street.

Beginning the chase was Krista Doebel-Hickok (Rally Cycling), Rivera and Alexis Ryan (Canyon-SRAM) at the front of the peloton, but no other splits in the pack.

With nine laps to go, DNA Pro Cycling Team, down to three riders in the event, took a turn out front, but did not make a dent. Two laps later, the pace in the field stepped up a notch, with riders beginning to line out led by Rivera, Kendall Ryan (L39ION of LA) and Alexis Ryan.

The catch of Howe was finally made as the riders set off on the sixth lap, though Howe resisted but her team launched Stephanie Poole to the front on an attack. 

Poole was chased down with four to go by Colavita, L39ION of LA and Team DSM, but all the top riders and teams were still together, including Howe still near the front of the pack. Riders slowed the pace a bit to regroup and set up the springboard moves.

Again on Clinch Ave, attacks were made by two riders with Fount Cycling Guild, but closed down by Rally Cycling as they set off with three to go.

With one lap to go, it was LA Sweat at the front with Fount Cycling Guild and riders spread out all over the road. 

Jennifer Wheeler opened a five second gap, but when Kendall Ryan launched her attack she hit the final corner alone and rode away from the storming Team DSM duo to take the title.

“I was going for the elite win, the U23 win wasn’t really a target for today," said Jastran, who took the under-23 title. "It didn’t play out in the final turn, but it was fun racing. I haven’t raced my bike for 630 days, I did the math the other day, since I was a junior at Worlds.”