Gavin Hlady (Aevolo) claimed the men's under-23 title at the USA Cycling Road National Championships in Charleston, West Virginia, soloing out of the much-reduced peloton in the final kilometre, taking his second title of the week after winning the under-23 men's criterium.
His teammate Brody McDonald won the sprint just behind for second ahead of Colby Simmons (Visma-Lease a Bike Under-23), who narrowly bested another Aevolo rider, Sean Christian, for the final podium spot.
"It's unbelievable," Hlady told Cyclingnews. "Our team was insane today, and any of us could have had it. We had everybody. Everyone was riding so well, we knew we had it."
Evan Boyle (Hagens Berman Jayco) launched a solo move on the third of seven laps, building up a lead of almost two minutes. On lap four, Cole Kessler (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) tried to bridge but couldn't quite make it. However, on the next lap, Boyle got some company when Quinn Felton (Aevolo) made it across as the two had 1:15 on the field.
Coming into the last lap, Owen Cole (UAE Team Emirates Gen-Z) led a much-reduced peloton, closing the gap down to 42 seconds.
On the final lap, the escapees came back, and a flurry of attacks followed, but it was Hlady who made a move stick.
Having Felton in the breakaway, he said, helped the team save their legs for the final lap.
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"Quinn saved us the entire day. We basically had to do nothing the entire day. So, a huge shout out to Quinn. All the guys pulling everything back... We knew we had Brody [McDonald] in the finish, so that gave us the opportunity to send flyers and force people like Colby to attack, and, man, it's just unbelievable."
Hlady saw his chance after attacks started to come in the final kilometres before the finish in Charleston.
"I saw an opportunity, so I sent it around the outside and just gunned it. And they didn't get on quick enough," Hlady said. "Obviously, I knew that we had Brody behind, so I didn't have to hold anything back - I just went all out, and I had the gap. It's just amazing to see the guys up there - one, two and four for us. I'm super, super happy."
Hlady has another year in the under-23 field to show off his Stars and Stripes jersey.
"I'm excited for what's to come next year and to see what I can do. I stepped it up this year and I think I got one more notch in me. I'm just super happy."
Results
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Rank
Rider (Team)
Time
1
Gavin Hlady (Aevolo Cycling)
3:42:15
2
Brody Mcdonald (Aevolo Cycling)
0:00:02
3
Colby Simmons (Team Visma | Lease a Bike u23)
0:00:02
4
Sean Christian (Aevolo Cycling)
0:00:02
5
Marcis Shelton (SoCalCycling.com Team)
0:00:02
6
Luke Arens (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
0:00:03
7
Kellen Caldwell (Team California p/b Verge)
0:00:03
8
Garin Kelley (Team California p/b Verge)
0:00:03
9
Brockton Smith (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
0:00:03
10
Owen Cole (UAE TEAM EMIRATES GEN-Z)
0:00:04
11
Kade Kreikemeier (Brocar Rali ALE)
0:00:04
12
Ian Lopez de san Roman (Aevolo Cycling)
0:00:05
13
Kieran Haug (CS Velo Racing)
0:00:06
14
Samuel Smith (Bike Works p/b Fred Beans)
0:00:07
15
Quinn Felton (Aevolo Cycling)
0:00:07
16
Vaughn Veenendaal (Above and Beyond Cancer Cycling Team p/b Bike World)
0:00:08
17
Gabriel Shipley (Aevolo Cycling)
0:00:26
18
Evan Boyle (UCI CTM: HAGENS BERMAN JAYCO)
0:00:40
19
Alfredo Bueno (Aevolo Cycling)
0:03:09
20
Jonah Killy (X Speed United Continental)
0:03:09
21
Cole Kessler (UCI CTM: LIDL-TREK FUTURE RACING)
0:03:59
22
Julien Ruhe (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
0:04:00
23
Jack Makohon (TEAM SKYLINE)
0:04:49
24
Troy Fields (Team California p/b Verge)
0:05:03
25
Dylan Schroeder (Team California p/b Verge)
0:05:06
26
Anthony Hilligoss (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
0:05:06
27
Ethan Dunham (TEAM SKYLINE)
0:05:06
28
Connor Polenske (606 Racing)
0:05:07
29
Brooks Wienke (Aevolo Cycling)
0:05:07
30
William Henkhaus (Landis Cyclery - Trek)
0:05:07
31
Bennett Lamb
0:05:20
32
Mattheus Johnson (Team Mikes Bikes p/b Equator Coffee)
0:08:14
33
Orion Child (Rio Grande Cycling Team)
Row 32 - Cell 2
34
Lucas Stierwalt (DDP Elite Cycling Team)
Row 33 - Cell 2
35
Henry Neff (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
Row 34 - Cell 2
36
Ben Stokes (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
Row 35 - Cell 2
37
Braeden Sellinger (Bicycle Haus)
Row 36 - Cell 2
38
Darren Parham (UCI CTM: HAGENS BERMAN JAYCO)
Row 37 - Cell 2
39
Liam Baartman (Bear National Team)
Row 38 - Cell 2
40
Jules Van Kempen (Cervelo - OrangeLiving)
Row 39 - Cell 2
41
Andrew Strohmeyer (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
Row 40 - Cell 2
42
Paul Vrouwenvelder (Velocious Sport)
Row 41 - Cell 2
43
Asa Child (Velo Childeric)
Row 42 - Cell 2
44
Luke Pharis (TEAM SKYLINE)
Row 43 - Cell 2
45
Joshua Foley (Velocioius Sport)
Row 44 - Cell 2
46
Riley Wrightsman (First Internet Bank Cycling)
Row 45 - Cell 2
47
Samuel Finch (Road Crew Racing)
Row 46 - Cell 2
48
Sebastian Silberman (Precision Racing Corp)
Row 47 - Cell 2
49
Nathan Cusack (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
Row 48 - Cell 2
50
Nathan Surowiec (Precision Racing Corp)
Row 49 - Cell 2
51
Addison Kim (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
Row 50 - Cell 2
52
Sean Strachan (U.C. Pistoiese)
Row 51 - Cell 2
53
Jonas Woodruff
Row 52 - Cell 2
54
Shay Wright (Precision Racing Corp)
Row 53 - Cell 2
55
Samuel Akin (Apex Cycling Team)
Row 54 - Cell 2
56
Blake Macheras
Row 55 - Cell 2
57
Cassius Anderson (Marin Service Course)
Row 56 - Cell 2
58
Ian Williams (Expeditors)
Row 57 - Cell 2
59
Lucas Huesmann (Rio Grande Elite Cycling Team)
Row 58 - Cell 2
60
Coren Hendricks (Jacomo Racing p/b Minsky's Pizza)
Row 59 - Cell 2
61
Caleb Landgrebe (Work Hard Be Humble Cycling)
Row 60 - Cell 2
62
Luke Fetzer (Austin Outlaws)
Row 61 - Cell 2
63
Nicholas Salazar-garcia (Velocious Sport)
Row 62 - Cell 2
64
Eddy Huntsman (UTC – ButcherBox Cycling p/b LOOK)
Row 63 - Cell 2
65
Caedan Aveling (Expeditors)
Row 64 - Cell 2
66
Alexander Akins (Mustangs)
Row 65 - Cell 2
67
Ian Burt
Row 66 - Cell 2
68
Grant Feige (Red Peloton)
Row 67 - Cell 2
69
Eyan Hudson
Row 68 - Cell 2
70
Carlo Roche (Kingdom Elite Racing)
Row 69 - Cell 2
71
Lucas Ferguson (Elevate Racing)
Row 70 - Cell 2
72
Preston Eye (Work Hard Be Humble Cycling)
Row 71 - Cell 2
73
Judah Thompson (CUTTERS)
Row 72 - Cell 2
74
Patrick Bischof (University of Cincinnati)
Row 73 - Cell 2
75
Luke Mather (Primal - Audi Denver)
Row 74 - Cell 2
76
Joseph Pifel (Velocious Sport)
Row 75 - Cell 2
77
Lowell Pilliard (Razzi Sedalia)
Row 76 - Cell 2
78
Nicolas Goumas (Team Mike's Bikes p/b Equator Coffees)
Row 77 - Cell 2
79
David Decker (nine13sports p/b SingletonCoaching)
Row 78 - Cell 2
80
Noah Kushner (DDP Elite Cycling Team)
Row 79 - Cell 2
81
David Davenport (Velocious Sport)
Row 80 - Cell 2
82
Tyler Mlujeak (DDP Elite Cycling Team)
Row 81 - Cell 2
83
Daniel Alzate (Bike Works p/b Fred Beans)
Row 82 - Cell 2
84
Matthew Reynolds (Precision Racing Corp)
Row 83 - Cell 2
DNF
Luke Elphingstone (Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling)
Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
