IN THE NEWS: Six Riders Added to USA Cycling’s 2022 Road World Championships Team

Since the initial team announcement, there have been several changes to the team heading to Wollongong this week.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – On August 26, USA Cycling announced the athletes representing the United States at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia, on September 18-25, 2022. Since that announcement, there have been several changes to the team. Between the UCI points chase for the WorldTour teams, riders being fatigued and injured from an extremely packed season, and the last-minute logistics with VISAs, getting a team to Australia is proving to be very challenging. 

Brandon McNulty (Phoenix; UAE Team Emirates) and Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Trek-Segafredo) are two riders that declined consideration to the team after deciding to end their seasons early after the strenuous World Tour schedule. In addition, Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Movistar Team), Kevin Vermaerke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Team DSM), and Sean Quinn (Sherman Oaks, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost) are all part of the UCI World Tour Team relegation points chase and need to help their trade teams secure valuable points in the upcoming races, making them unable to travel to Australia. 

These absences left several spots open for top domestic riders, including Volta Portugal stage winner Scott McGill (Fallston, Md.; Wildlife Generation) and off-road phenom Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles).

USA Cycling’s CEO Brendan Quirk commented on the Road Worlds selection. “This has proven to be an unusual year for World’s team selection. Between the WorldTour relegation battle and the daunting trip to Australia, our selection pool is far smaller than normal. I’m a big fan of the phrase ‘let no good crisis go to waste.’ And that’s why the selection committee decided to add Keegan to our Elite Road team. We know he has a world tour engine; we know he’s not intimidated by anything or anyone. And we know that the most incredible phenomenon going on in road right now is crossover riders diving in from other disciplines. This is an amazing opportunity for Keegan to show how talented he really is,” said Quirk.

In the U23 category, the two additions to the roster are 18-year-old Colby Simmons  (Durango, Colo.; Jumbo-Visma Development Team) and 22-year-old Finn Gullickson (Colorado Springs, Colo.; CR4C Roanne).

Unfortunately, broken collarbones have plagued the Elite Women’s team. Coryn Labecki (Tustin, Calif.; Team Jumbo-Visma) is missing her eighth World Championships with Team USA after a crash in the Simac Ladies Tour. Most recently, Krista Doebel-Hickok (Marina Del Rey, Calif.; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) abandoned the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta after a crash in the peloton resulted in a broken clavicle.

Labecki and Dobel-Hickok’s accidents opened up two spots on the women’s team, adding returning Team USA member Lauren Stephens (Dallas; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) and newcomer Heidi Franz (Seattle, Wash.; InstaFund Racing). Franz, along with Skylar Schneider (Milwaukee, Wis.; L39ion of Los Angeles), have both been nominated to the World Championships team after spending part of their season racing with USA Cycling’s new women’s development program with Cynisca Cycling. 

The finalized roster is as follows:

Road Race

Elite Men
Lawson Craddock (Houston; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Scott McGill (Fallston, Md.; Wildlife Generation)
Kyle Murphy (Washington, D.C.; Human Powered Health)
Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost)
Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers)
Keegan Swenson (Park City Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles) 

Elite Women
Veronica Ewers (Moscow, Idaho; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Heidi Franz (Seattle, Wash.; InstaFund Racing)
Emma Langley (Richmond, Va.; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Skylar Schneider (Milwaukee, Wis.; L39ion of Los Angeles)
Lauren Stephens (Dallas; EF Education-TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank)
Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo) 

U23 Men
Finn Gullickson (Colorado Springs, Colo.; CR4C Roanne)
Luke Lamperti  (Sebastopol, Calif.; Trinity Racing)
Matthew Riccitello (Tucson, Ariz.; Israel Premier-Tech)
Colby Simmons  (Durango, Colo.; Jumbo-Visma Development Team)
Patrick Welch (Northfield, Minn.; Kelly Benefits Strategies)  

Junior Men
Alex Gustin  (San Diego; LUX Cycling Development Team)
Viggo Moore (Feldberg, Ger., LUX Cycling Development Team)
Artem Shmidt  (Cumming, Ga.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling) 

Junior Women 
Makala Jaramillo (Black Forest, Colo.; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24)
Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.; Serious Cycling)
Katherine Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; LUX Cycling Development Team)
Samantha Scott (Boise, Idaho; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) 

Time Trial

Elite Men
Lawson Craddock (Houston; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers) 

Elite Women
Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; Team BikeExchange-Jayco)
Leah Thomas (Santa Clara, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo) 

U23 Men
Patrick Welch (Northfield, Minn.; Kelly Benefits Strategies)  

Junior Men
Alex Gustin  (San Diego; LUX Cycling Development Team)
Artem Shmidt  (Cumming, Ga.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling) 

Junior Women 
Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.; Serious Cycling)
Katherine Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; LUX Cycling Development Team) 

Visit USACycling.org for more information about athletes, events, and membership programs. Follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.For more information, please contact Angelina Palermo at apalermo@usacycling.org.  

ABOUT USA CYCLING
USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. USA Cycling’s mission is to champion accessibility, participation, and excellence in the sport of cycling to make more Americans healthier, happier, and better on two wheels while achieving sustained international racing success. USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to international caliber racers. The organization identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition through the support of kids’ and interscholastic programs, amateur bike racing and grassroots development programs, and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing. USA Cycling has a membership of 100,000, annually sanctions over 2,500 events, and is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).