Faulkner and Simmons reclaim U.S. national road titles

Kristen Faulkner in the Stars & Stripes jersey.

Kristen Faulkner successfully navigated a tactical finale to win another American National Championship road race title in Charleston, West Virginia.

The race stayed together until 50 miles to go, when a small group gained some separation up the climb. Emma Langley (Aegis) attacked over the top of the Bridge Road climb and gained about 20-seconds by the time she got to the flat part of the course.

Cynisca took up the chase, followed by Fount Cycling Guild as well as EF Education Oatly’s Kristen Faulkner. By the bottom of the Wertz climb, Langley had extended her lead to 40 seconds.

Tess Edwards (Cynisca) launched a bridge attempt over the top of the climb, but Langley had pulled out a 1’10” gap by that point, and it was too much for the Cynisca rider, who was soon reabsorbed by the peloton.

The next bridge attempt was from former rower Jamie Chapman (Speedblock), who remained in between the reduced peloton and the leader by the top of the next climb. Chapman finally reached Langley with 21 miles to go, and the two leaders motored on with a one-minute gap. Cynisca continued to take up most of the chasing behind.

Langley dropped Chapman on the Wertz climb, but the Speedblock rider came back on the flats. Behind, Cynisca forced the peloton in action with its riders taking turns to throw attacks and lead a steady chase, with Faulkner and Fount joining in.

Allison Mrugal (Cynisca) launched an attack from the peloton heading into the final lap of the course, looking to bridge to Langley and Chapman. Langley again dropped Chapman when things got steep, and the Speeblock rider got caught by the riders behind. Then, Faulkner led a chase group with Alia Shafi (Fount) and Lauren Stephens (Aegis).

Langley was finally caught over the top of the climb. A group of three, consisting of Faulkner, Stephens and Katherine Sarkisov (CCB) now leadering the race.

Behind them, a group of three hoped to join them, but they were absorbed into a group of 15 racers.

Stephens attacked heading up the final climb with Faulkner grinding her way back and Sarkisov dropping off the pace. However, the CCB rider bridged her way back to the leaders on the flat river road.

Five chasers were closing in on the three leaders with two miles to go. Stephens slotted into third wheel as Sarkisov led the leading trio through the final turns. Stephens jumped to the right, and Faulkner came around to win the stars and stripes jersey for the second year in a row.

Elite Women's Road Race Results

1. Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly)
2. Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation)
3. Katherine Sarkisov (CCB p/b Levine Law Group)
4. Galen Bolard (Competitive Edge Racing)
5. Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling Guild)
6. Emma Langley (Aegis Cycling Foundation)
7. Ashley Frye (Phase 1 Cycling)
8. Nicole Steinmetz (Eneicat-CMTeam)
9. Alexis Magner (Cynisca Cycling)
10. Katherine Rusch (CCB p/b Levine Law Group)

Simmons claims a second title

(Image credit: Josh Croxton)

Early in the men’s race, a touch of wheels caused a crash as the peloton crossed the river, but no one appeared to be seriously injured. The peloton then split after a fast climb up Bridge Road, which initially led to a group of seven riders going up the road with another group of six chasing behind.

The lead group swelled to nine riders after Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and AJ August (Ineos Grenadiers) bridged across. Also represented were Michael Garrison (MGR), Robin Carpenter (L39ion of Los Angeles), and Sam Boardman (Project Echelon Racing). The group quickly gained a gap of more than a minute, and it appeared that this group may contain the day's winner.

But the peloton behind wasn't going to let that happen without a fight. A chase soon formed, consisting of Project Echelon’s Hugo Scala Jr. and Brendan Rhim, Colby Simmons (EF Education-EasyPost) and Ian Lopez De San Roman (EF Education-Aevolo).

Five laps into the 10-lap race, the leaders were down to a group of six riders with Sean Christian (Team Skyline) and Henry Neff (Kelly Benefits Cycling) holding strong with Carpenter, Boardman, Quinn Simmons and August. An acceleration on the climb from Quinn Simmons broke that up even further, with only August and Neff matching the pace. Behind, Carpenter was riding solo 33 seconds back from the leaders.

During lap seven, Quinn Simmons once again attacked during the Wertz climb, and none of his breakaway companions could match his watts. By the time he crossed the start/finish to head out for the next lap, he was 45 seconds ahead of August and Neff. Behind them, Tyler Stites (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Evan Boyle (Hagens Berman Jayco) were chasing together and eventually caught the two ahead of them to form a chase group of four.

Quinn Simmons successfully stayed away to reclaim the elite men’s national championship road race jersey he first wore in 2023. Boyle was the only survivor of the final chase group, finishing 2:52 behind Simmons. Gavin Hlady outkicked the third group on the road to take third for EF Education-Aevolo.

1. Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
2. Evan Boyle (Hagens Berman Jayco)
3. Gavin Hlady (EF Education-Aevolo)
4. Tyler Stites (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
5. Marcis Shelton (Team California p/b Verge)
6. Richard Morris (Team California p/b Verge)
7. Owen Cole (Team Winston Salem)
8. Cole Kessler (Lidl-Trek Future Racing)
9. Colby Simmons (EF Education-Easypost)
10. Richard Arnopol (Project Echelon Racing)