Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) and Luke Fetzer (Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing) scored the elite victories at the WSCC Gears & Guitars Criterium on Saturday.
The North Carolina criterium, held on a figure-8-shaped 1.4km course that loops up and around Bailey Park, marked the eighth and final competition across seven weeks of USA Crits.
Liza Ray (Kingdom Elite Racing) and Leonel Rodriguez (MC Cycling Team) won the individual titles in the series of one-day races.
Mejias soloed to back-to-back victories in Winston-Salem, following her win on Friday night’s criterium held on a different course. The Cuban-born powerhouse attacked on the second lap and held off the peloton for two hours before raising both arms in celebration as she crossed the finish line.
In the battle for podium places, speeding towards the line 15 seconds later, Rylee McMullen (Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty28) took second by a bike throw ahead of Chloe Patrick (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing).
Ray took over the leaderboard following her dominating victory at LaGrange Cycling Classic, the third event of the series in Georgia. The battle for the final spots on the podium came down to the final race as Elizabeth Castaño (One Hart Racing-Nashville Local Cycling) moved up one spot to second overall, 263 points down. Elizabeth Harden (Kingdom Elite Racing), dropped to third place, a further 54 points in arrears.
In the men’s contest, which was hit by rain in the last laps, Fetzer launched a blistering attack on the final lap, just as he and his breakaway companion Bryan Gomez were about to be caught by the peloton. Fetzer, the U23 criterium champion, held on to claim his first USA Crits victory of the season.
In the chaotic finale, Foundation Cycling New York's Marcos Mendez took second ahead of his teammate Gomez.
Though he did not win any individual event, a consistent Leonel Rodriguez (MC Cycling Team) claimed the overall, with a slim 25 points on Gomez, and Mendez a further 3 points back.
The USA CRITS points system rewarded aggression throughout the race. Riders receive 50 start points, finish points based on final placing, sprint points at three designated moments, and one point per lap led.
Results - WSCC Gears & Guitars Criterium
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Marlies Mejias Garcia (Cub) Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty28 |
57:41 |
|
2 |
Rylee McMullen (Aus) Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty28 |
+15 |
|
3 |
Chloe Patrick Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
+15 |
|
4 |
Elizabeth Castaño One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
+16 |
|
5 |
Laurel Rathbun Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
+16 |
|
6 |
Andreas Cantu , One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
+16 |
|
7 |
Liza Ray, Kingdom Elite Racing |
+17 |
|
8 |
Lauren Zoerner, Team Winston Salem - Flow |
+18 |
|
9 |
Madison Gallagher, Team Winston Salem - Flow |
+18 |
|
10 |
Claire Abrey, Team Winston Salem - Flow |
+18 |
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Luke Fetzer, Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing |
1:23:58 |
2 |
Marcos Mendez, Foundation Cycling New York |
+01 |
3 |
Bryan Gomez, Foundation Cycling New York |
+01 |
4 |
Jordan Parra, Foundation Cycling New York |
+02 |
5 |
Leonel Rodriguez, MC CYCLING TEAM |
+03 |
6 |
Lucas Bourgoyne, Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing |
+03 |
7 |
Preston Eye, Clif Family Drifters Cycling |
+03 |
8 |
Johan Gomez, La Parrilla/Arias Racing |
+03 |
9 |
Mateo Garcia, One Hart Racing |
+04 |
10 |
Maddox Simmons, Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria |
+04 |
FINAL STANDINGS - USA CRITS
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Points |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Liza Ray, Kingdom Elite Racing |
1854 |
2 |
Elizabeth Castaño, One Hart Racing-Nashville Local Cycling |
1591 |
3 |
Elizabeth Harden, Kingdom Elite Racing |
1537 |
4 |
Rebecca Lang, Team Winston Salem - Flow |
1518 |
5 |
Shannon Koch, Kingdom Elite Racing |
1370 |
6 |
Andrea Cantu, One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
1287 |
7 |
Leslie Timm, United Cycling Women |
1248 |
8 |
Heidy Praderas, Kingdom Elite Racing |
1203 |
9 |
Emma Frost, Piedmont University |
1174 |
10 |
Amanda Alston, One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
1119 |
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Points |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Leonel Rodriguez, MC CYCLING TEAM |
1864 |
2 |
Bryan Gomez, Foundation Cycling New York |
1839 |
3 |
Marcos Mendez, Foundation Cycling New York |
1836 |
4 |
Preston Eye, Clif Family Drifters Cycling |
1776 |
5 |
Johan Gomez, La Parrilla/Arias Racing |
1483 |
6 |
Jordan Parra, Foundation Cycling New York |
1442 |
7 |
Mateo Garcia, One Hart Racing |
1431 |
8 |
Lucas Bourgoyne, Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing |
1429 |
9 |
Lucas Gaday, Foundation Cycling New York |
1344 |
10 |
Cade Bickmore, Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing |
1296 |
