The mountain bike portion of the USA Cycling National Development Program kicked into high gear with a pair of events. A World Cup in Canada and an event in Switzerland yielded strong results while the road racers contested national championships back in the United States.
Mountain Bike
At the RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup p/b Shimano in Mont Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada, Keegan Swenson (Cannondale Factory Racing), who was riding for his trade team, finished third in the juniors men’s race. In the 2012 World Cup season, Swenson has two third-place results and four top-10 finishes.
Lucas Newcomb (Whole Athlete) posted the best result among riders in the USA Cycling National Development Program, placing 13th, 10:13 behind winner Anton Cooper (NZL) in the junior men’s race. Jacob Albrecht (Whole Athlete) finished in 23rd while Skyler Taylor (Ritte Elite U23 Development Team) was 25th. Neither Tyler Coplea (BMC Mountainbike Development Team) nor Casey Williams (Whole Athlete-Specialized) completed the contest.
In the U23 men’s race, Russell Finsterwald (Subaru-Trek), riding for his trade team, finished 10th. Cole Oberman (Guys Racing Club) was 42nd. Howard Grotts (Specialized Racing) had the best result of the USA Cycling contingent, placing 27th, only 9:22 behind the winner, Michiel Van der Heijden (NED). Skyler Trujillo (Niner Stans Ergon) placed 35th, Cole Oberman (Guys Racing Club) was 42nd and Seamus Powell (Giant Mid Atlantic Off Road Team) did not complete the contest.
AliciaRose Pastore (BMC Mountain Bike Development Team) finished 18th in the U23 women’s race. Riding for their trade teams, Jill Behlen (Tokyo Joe’s-Whole Foods-Primal) and Kaila Hart (No Tubes Elite Women’s Racing) placed 14th and 15th, respectively.
Each of the three junior women riders contesting the race in Quebec placed within the top nine. Shanya Powless (BMC Mountainbike Development Team) finished fifth, 3:14 behind the winner Frederique Trudel (CAN). Kate Courtney (Whole Athlete-Specialized) was in sixth place, 3:53 behind, Kaylee Blevins (Durango Devo) was 9:18 in ninth place.
Three men — one junior and two U23 — competed in the Argovia Geax-Fischer Cup in Lastdorf, Switzerland on Sunday.
Junior Men
Luke Allen (Matrix Cycling Club) finished sixth in the junior men’s race, 9:42.3 behind winner Gisele Bertolini.
In the U23 men’s race, Graham Aldredge (Carmichael Training Systems-Specialized) and Travis Glysson (AZ Devo) were 18th and 20th. Aldredge was one lap behind winner, Nicola Rohrbach, while Glysson was two laps back.
BMX
The second USA Cycling BMX Junior Development Program series camp was held from June 18-23 with 13 of the country’s top riders at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
A program was developed by camp directors Brian Fell, Jerry Bradford, and elite rider Tyler Brown.
Riders attended seminars and had hands-on instruction in many different areas, such as nutrition, recovery, dynamic warm up, exercise and more. Riders were tested to help develop training programs and address rider-specific areas of improvement. They were also on the Supercross track for a pair of training sessions each day of the camp.
Friday was a time trial for each rider to qualify for a mock race on Saturday. They were given two chances to complete the track; the faster of the two times would be used to seed the racers for the motos for Saturday race.The following riders attended the camp:
Matt Chism (Bike Alley-Redline-Rocks)
Carlie Ferree (Redman-Rockstar)
Collin Hudson (Crupi)
Justin Knapper (Answer-Rennen)
Caleb Minthorn (Profile Racing)
Cameron Moore (Answer-Rennen)
Gavin Nelson (Dirty 530-Supercross-Tan)
Hunter Pelham (Texas)
Shealen Reno (Texas)
Tucker Rice (Florida)
Luke Roarty (Maryland)
Tyler Wagner (Ohio)
Ryan Zinzow (Answer-Ssquared-TLD)
The winner of the men’s mock race was Hudson, followed by Moore and Rice.
“The future of BMX in the USA is very bright,” Pete Dylewski, strategic partner & marketing manager of the Bicycle Racing Group said. “The Juniors Development program is helping guide the young riders to the top of the Supercross podium in the future.”
ROAD
Many riders who compete with the USA Cycling National Development Program vied for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys at the 2012 USA Cycling Elite, U23, Juniors & Paralympic Road National Championships in Augusta, GA.
Among the victors in Augusta who also ride with the National Development Program were: Evan Huffman (California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized), who won the U23 men’s time trial, Greg Daniel (Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development) won the juniors men 17-18 time trial, Ty Magner (BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) won the U23 men’s criterium, Alexis Ryan (Team TIBCO II) won the juniors women’s 17-18 criterium and road race and Robert Bush (Chipotle-First Solar Development Team) won the U23 men’s road race.
COMING UP
The following contingent of riders are slated to compete at the RockyRoads.net UCI Mountain Bike World Cup p/b Shimano in Windham, N.Y.
Junior Men
Jacob Albrecht (Whole Athlete)
Connor Bell (Rocktown Racing)
Tyler Berliner (VT)
Forrest Conrad (Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA)
Tyler Coplea (BMC Mountainbike Development Team)
Bryan Duke (Ritte Elite U23 Development Team)
Lucas Newcomb (Whole Athlete)
Michael Sampson (Pemi-Baker Cycling Club)
Shane Skelton (Whole Athlete-Specialized)
Skyler Taylor (Ritte Elite U23 Development Team)
Casey Williams (Whole Athlete-Specialized)
Junior Women
Grace Alexander (BMC Mountainbike Development Team)
Kaylee Blevins (Durango Devo)
Kate Courtney (Whole Athlete-Specialized)
Shanya Powless (BMC Mountainbike Development Team)
U23 Men
Cameron Dodge (PA)
Howard Grotts (Specialized Racing)
Payson McElveen (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Devo Sweet Elite)
Cole Oberman (Guys Racing Club)
Seamus Powell (Giant Mid Atlantic Off Road Team)
Skyler Trujillo (Niner Stans Ergon)
U23 Women
AliciaRose Pastore (BMC Mountain Bike Development Team)
