KNOXVILLE, TENN. - - The USA Cycling Pro Criterium National Championship made its debut under the setting sun and summer showers in Knoxville, Tenn. on Friday evening. From the field of 57 riders in the Pro Women’s field, Leigh Ann Ganzar (Austin, Texas/Wolfpack p/b Hyperthreads) captured her first national title. Ty Magner (Griffin, Ga./Rally Cycling) dominated a field of 90 riders to take the Stars-and-Stripes jersey for the Pro Men. This was the second of three events held June 21-24 for the prestigious USA Cycling Pro Road, Individual Time Trial and Criterium National Championships.
Riding for a small Domestic Elite team from Texas, the 29-year-old Ganzar surprised the star-studded field with a sprint win in the 75-minute contest, crossing the line just ahead of Kelly Catlin (Wabasha, Minn./Rally Cycling). Two seconds behind the duo would find Jennifer Luebke (Bend, Ore./Hagens Berman | Supermint) finishing for the bronze.
“Elation! It’s really unbelievable,” exclaimed Ganzar, who came from a running background at Baylor University and began road racing four years ago. “A couple of weeks ago at OKC Pro Am I actually won. It was kindof the same move, attack on the penultimate lap and then hold it. So when the opportunity struck again on this course, I went for it. And so, when the time struck, I made a move and was kind of in shock to held on.”
Fourth place was taken by 21-year-old Emma White (Delanson, N.Y./Rally Cycling), who would take her second Under-23 title of the championships in as many days. She edged Skylar Schneider (West Allis, Wisc./Boels Dolmans Cycling Team), who finished sixth in the criterium, by one second for the U23 crown.
“The U23 jersey is really special. It’s a strong field, especially with so many WorldTour riders under 23,” said White, who finished third overall in Thursday’s Pro ITT National Championship for professional women. Her teammate Erica Allar (Demorest, Ga.) won the Pro Criterium last year in Louisville, Ky. “We (the Rally team) were trying to defend the overall win for Erica Allar, who’s out with some broken ribs this week. So, it’s a little bittersweet for us, but we have another chance on Sunday in the Road Race. We’re not done.”
The overcast skies and light showers gave way to some blue skies as the pro men took the course Friday night for a 90-minute battle on the 1.1-mile, six-turn circuit in downtown Knoxville. It would be Magner emerging from a three-man sprint for the national title. His teammate Eric Young (Boulder, Colo.) would secure second, followed by Sam Bassetti (Santa Rosa, Calif./Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling) in third.
“I am from Georgia, so this feels like home race,” said the 27-year-old Magner, a sprint specialist who was third in this event last year. “That was probably one of the sketchiest group sprints I have done in a long time. The roads are super wide and it was super fast all the way into that last lap.”
The final burst of speed on the final lap was made by Brad Huff (Cortez, Colo.) for Rally Cycling, giving way in the end to teammates Magner and Young. Breaking up any chance of a Rally sweep was Bassetti.
“It felt great out there. My team took care of all the hard racing before the end. I just really spent the race hanging out in the field, and enjoying the crowd,” said Bassetti, who has had a number of big wins this season, including criterium wins at Saint Francis Tulsa Tough and Redlands Bicycle Classic, part of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour. “It felt really fast. It’s a course where you can keep attacking and being aggressive. It’s really hard to control.
“On Sunday it’s a very different race, but I have been successful in races like that this year. I’m really looking forward to Sunday. I think it’s a good course for me and a good course for Elevate.”
Sunday, June 24, brings the signature event, the U.S. Pro Road Race Championship, back to Knoxville for a second consecutive year. Using a new start/finish on the popular South Gay Street corridor of Knoxville, the 2018 edition will include a return to Sherrod Road on each lap for climbing. The Pro Women will make nine laps for a total of 72 miles, and the Pro Men will race 15 laps for a total of 120 miles. The women take the course at 9 a.m. and the men race at 1:15 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live by WATE-TV in the Knoxville viewing area, and will be shown live as a live webcast, available on the USA Cycling YouTube channel and Facebook page.
For complete results, visit the event web page.
PRO 1/2 WOMEN
- Leigh Ann Ganzar, Wolfpack p/b Hyperthreads 1.14'22"
- Kelly Catlin, Rally Cycling 1.14’22" s.t.
- Jennifer Luebke, Hagens Berman | Supermint 1.14'24" + 2"
- Emma White, Rally Cycling 1.14'25" + 3”
- Coryn Rivera, Team SunWeb 1.14'26" + 4"
WOMEN U23
- Emma White, Rally Cycling 1.14'25"
- Skylar Schneider, Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 1.14'26" +1"
- Danielle Morshead, TWENTY20 p/b Sho-Air 1.14'35" +10"
- Summer Moak, Rally Cycling 1.14'36" +11"
- Hannah Arensman, Feed Hungry Kids Project p/b Happy Tooth 1.14'36" +11"
PRO MEN
- Ty Magner, Rally Cycling 1.27'44"
- Eric Young, Rally Cycling 1.27’44" s.t.
- Sam Bassetti, Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling 1.27’44" s.t.
- Michael Hernandez, Aevolo Cycling 1.27'45" + 1"
- Noah Granigan, CCB Foundation - Sicleri 1.27'45" + 1"
BROADCAST AND SOCIAL MEDIA
- The U.S. Pro Road Race Championships for women and men will be webcast on Sunday, June 24 on the USA Cycling YouTube Channel (youtu.be/t5VvWxLcYFI), and Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/usacycling/)
- The road races on Sunday will be broadcast live by WATE-TV in Knoxville. The men’s road race will also be broadcast by WATN-TV in Memphis, and by WKRN-TV in Nashville. Highlights and interviews from the ITT and Criterium championships will be included in this programming.
- Follow race updates on Twitter @usacyclinglive #USPro
- Follow other event updates on Twitter @usacycling and @knoxrocks
About USA Cycling
USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States and oversees the disciplines of BMX, cyclocross, mountain bike, road and track. The mission of USA Cycling is to develop the sport of cycling in the United States at all levels and to achieve sustained international racing success while fostering a shared commitment to safety, integrity, and the joy of cycling. USA Cycling works to identify, develop, and select cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, and also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing. USA Cycling’s membership is comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, clubs, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit usacycling.org
About Visit Knoxville
Visit Knoxville (Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official CVB for the City of Knoxville and Knox County. Visit Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private company that works together with the community, business leaders and local and state government to further develop Knoxville as a premier leisure, meetings and travel destination. The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission is managed by Visit Knoxville and strives to bring world-class sporting events as well as amateur sporting type events to Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Contacts:
Jackie Tyson, Peloton Sports Kristen Combs, Visit Knoxville
678-362-6228, sportsPR@pelotonsports.net 865-306-4341, kcombs@knoxville.org
