USA National Road Championships: Artem Shmidt earns first U23 title with time trial victory

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Troy Fields edges Owen Cole for silver with four-hundredths of a second separating the two

Artem Shmidt rode his first year at the Continental level with Hagens Berman Axeon in 2023
Artem Shmidt rode his first year at the Continental level with Hagens Berman Axeon in 2023 (Image credit: Hagens Berman Axeon)
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Artem Shmidt (Hagens Berman Jayco) secured his first U23 national title Wednesday as he won the individual time trial at USA Cycling Pro Road Championships in Charleston, West Virginia. 

The 20-year-old Georgia native completed the two circuits on the flat 20.9-mile (33.7km) course in 38:52. He was a full one minute faster than Troy Fields (Team Califonia p/b Verge) and Owen Cole (UAE Team Emirates Gen Z), with Fields taking the silver medal by four-hundredths of a second. 

Colby Simmons (Visma-Lease a Bike U23) finished fourth from the 29-rider field, seven seconds off the winning time. 

"Super blessed for the opportunity to put on the Stars and Stripes jersey once again. It’s been a while … so a relief to finally win the TT title in the U23," Shmidt told Cyclingnews. 

"I had no expectations going into today. All I wanted to do was give it my best effort, put it all on the line, and whatever the result from that is, then it is what it is. Luckily enough, it was a win.

"I have put in a lot of work this winter and recently spending time on altitude for this event. I can say that my training wasn’t all TT focused, I did a lot of training in the mountains but very blessed nonetheless."

The 2024 road nationals marked the first time the U23 men's events were hosted alongside the Pro divisions, as the under-23 men previously raced on a different calendar date and course as part of USA Cycling's Amateur National Championships. 

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Jackie Tyson
Jackie Tyson
North American Editor

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.

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