ROAD
Faun-Ardeche Classic: France
(February 24) – Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) sprinted to 6th place at the 168 kilometer Faun-Ardeche Classic, which featured a series of steep climbs throughout the race. It was Vermaerke’s third top-10 finish in French road races this month.
Complete results here
Clasica de Almeria: Spain
(February 25) – Lauren Stephens (Cynisca) came out ahead in a one-on-one sprint to win Clasica de Almeria, a 102 kilometer road race with three categorized climbs. It was the second race of the season for Stephens, 37, who’s the current Pan-American Games women’s road race champion.
Complete results here
Omloop van het Hageland: Belgium
(February 25) – Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) launched an attack with 55 kilometers to go, and quickly found herself alone in the lead, then soloing across the finish line at Omloop van het Hageland. It was Faulkner’s first race of the season.
“I think that since this race normally wouldn’t suit me, I came in feeling really relaxed and I was totally willing to take a risk,” said Faulkner, 31. “I took a risk and it worked.”
Complete results here
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Belgium
(February 25) – Luke Lamperti (Soudal Quick-Step) placed 7th at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, a 196 kilometer Belgian road race. It was the 21-year-old’s third top-10 finish in one-day road races in the past month.
Complete results here
UAE Tour: UAE
(February 19-25) – Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech) placed 4th in the Youth category and was the top-placed American at the UAE Tour, coming in 12th on GC. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), the US elite men’s time trial champion, won the Stage 2 time trial.
Complete results here
Women’s World Tour, Strade Bianche Donne: Siena, Italy
(March 2) – Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) battled to sixth place at Strade Bianche, the 137 kilometer race that traverses Tuscany’s white gravel roads.
“It was pretty hard during the last loops,” she said afterwards. “There were a lot of attacks on the gravel sections. It was just so important to be in front the whole day, even if you were with a small group, because even if it was 15 people there were attacks off the front and with the narrow roads and the gravel it was just so hard to chase if you weren’t positioned well.”
Complete results here
Trofeo Oro in Euro: Italy
(March 3) – Ruth (Winder) Edwards (Human Powered Health) placed third at the 106 kilometer Trofeo Oro in Italy. Edwards was in the final chase group of six sprinting for a podium spot behind the winner, Elisa Longo Borghini.
It was the second top-four result this season for the former US National Champion, who spent the previous two seasons racing gravel and MTB.
Complete results here
Paris-Nice: France
(March 3-10) – A team time trial win on Stage 3 sent Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) into first place overall at Paris-Nice. UAE Team Emirates avoided the rain and blasted to first place on the 26.9 km course, holding a 15-second lead with a time of 31:23.
McNulty won the individual time trial stage two weeks ago at the UAE Tour. There are five stages left to go at Paris-Nice, which ends March 10.
Complete results here
BMX FREESTYLE
BMX Freestyle World Cup, Rounds 1 and 2: Enoshima, Japan
(February 24-25) –Team USA earned two podium spots in BMX Freestyle World Cup racing in Japan, with five-time World Champion Hannah Roberts taking gold in the Elite Women’s event. Enoshima was the first BMX Freestyle World Cup of the season, with wind, rain, and chilly temps making for super-challenging conditions and shortened time on course.
Nick Bruce took 3rd in the Elite Men’s race, with Marcus Christopher placing 8th.
The next rounds of the BMX Freestyle World Cup are May 8-12 in Montpellier, France.
Complete results here
BMX RACING
BMX Racing World Cup, Rounds 3 and 4: Brisbane, Australia
(February 24-25) – Team USA earned two bronze medals in Rounds 3 and 4 of BMX Racing World Cup action, held in Brisbane. Jeremy Smith made his first main event and first podium on Saturday, taking third in the Elite Men’s race. Kamren Larsen was 5th. In the Men’s U23 race, James Cutter Williams placed 4th.
The next day, Alise Willoughby captured 3rd place in the Elite Women’s race, her first podium of the season. Felicia Stancil was 7th. James Cutter Williams took 4th for the second day in a row in Men’s U23.
Next up: Rounds 5 and 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 27-28.
Complete results here
