As the pro’s race the Spring Classics in Europe, the best junior riders throughout the world compete in the Nation’s Cup races that accompany them. These races not only give young riders a valuable opportunity to race in Europe, the standings at the end of the series determines the amount of starting slots each country will get at that year’s World Championships with the top ten teams receiving the maximum amount of five slots.
USA Cycling sent a team of six promising riders, Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lux Cycling) Michael Garrison (Decatur, Ga; Lux Cycling); Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Hot Tubes), Luke Lamperti (Sebastopol, Calif.; Lux Cycling), Seth Callahan (Monroe, Ga.; Lux Cycling); and Nolan Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Lux Cycling). After stand out performances at Gent-Wevelgem and Paris Roubaix, the U.S. is currently ranked first in the Nation’s Cup standings. The last time they ended the season ranked first was in 2015.
At the first Nation’s Cup of 2019, Quinn Simmons became the first American to win the junior race at Gent-Wevelgem, winning with an attack 2km from the finish to drop British rider Lewis Askey.
“The trust in a team is integral to any success,” said Junior Program Manager for USA Cycling, Billy Innes, after the win, “Quinn had the full support of his teammates, sacrificing their own chances at glory for his, and it all paid off. All the planning and preparation was a team effort and it was amazing to see the team execute so well. I’d have been proud of them win or lose, they rode extremely well.”
After Gent-Wevelgem, the team set their eyes on the Paris-Roubaix Junior race. As the race progressed, Michael Garrison rolled off the front with 70km to go to set a teammate up for later in the race. He spent 65km in a solo break, eventually being caught by a Dutch and French rider with 8km to go.
Quote from Michael Garrison:
“65km off the front of Roubaix was arguably the most physically demanding day of my cycling career. The move wasn’t meant to stick. I assumed I’d stay up the road for a bit, force other teams to chance and soon a smaller bridge group would form up. That wasn’t the case.
Eventually the gap was a minute and a half and I was rolling. Entering every sector solo at the head of the race was like a dream. Riding through constant crowds didn’t feel like real life. When I was caught by 2 with about 8km to go, I was already spent. I was caught by another and rode into the velodrome fighting for third. We sprinted, I lost, but I had no complaints. Yes, I missed the podium but I’ll cherish this day for the rest of my life.
After the race was over I was destroyed. I could barely talk straight when giving interviews. It was my brother’s [fellow cyclist Ian Garrison] birthday and he told me he was riding there so I was really just looking for him. I kept scanning the whole velodrome looking even as some journalists were asking questions. When we got back to the cars, he hopped out of the back. This was the best part of my day. I almost broke down in tears as it had been months since I had seen him.”
Quote from Billy Innes, Junior Program Manager for USA Cycling
“With Michael off the front for so long we were set up for a good finale in the velodrome at Roubaix, but the stones always take prisoners and make victims of those that are tired. We suffered a bit as a team in the last 30km, but we were awarded an award for the best team of the race as well as continuing our lead atop the Nations Cup, Michael won the John Degenkolb trophy for best rider on the cobblestones, and ultimately three riders in the top 15 is an excellent result for this program and one that we'll carry over into next weekend and the near future. Not so bad for a group of kids who didn't grow up with cobblestones to ride on every day.”
The Junior Men will continue their Spring racing in Belgium with Ster van Zuid Limburg April 19-22, 2019.
"Entering every sector solo at the head of the race was like a dream. Riding through constant crowds didn’t feel like real life. When I was caught by 2 with about 8km to go, I was already spent. I was caught by another and rode into the velodrome fighting for third. We sprinted, I lost, but I had no complaints. Yes, I missed the podium but I’ll cherish this day for the rest of my life."-Michael Garrison
Other U.S. Riders had other top performances in Europe and back in the U.S. this weekend.
Megan Jastrab claimed another Nation’s cup victory at the Junior Healthy Ageing Tour this weekend helping to cement the U.S. Junior Women’s first place ranking in the Nation’s Cup Standings.
At the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, Calif., USA Cycling National Team athlete, Christopher Blevins, racing for Specialized Factory Racing, scored his biggest victory on U.S. soil winning Thursday’s HC race and continues to sit atop the ProXCT Standings for Men while World Champion Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) continues to lead for Women.
The third race of the Pro Road Tour, the Sunny King Criterium also took place over the weekend with Summer Moak of Rally-UHC Cycling taking the top step for the women and National Team Member Eric Young claiming the men’s gold while racing for Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling.
In the Pro Road Tour, Rally-UHC Cycling is leading the team standings on the Women’s side with Chloe Dygert-Owen (Sho-Air Twenty20) leading the individual standings. On the Men’s side, Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling is leading for teams while Stephen Bassett (First Internet Bank Cycling) leads individually.
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For more information, please contact Kelly Fox at apalermo@usacycling.org.
