Devo Wrap: Rhim rockin’ in Canada

Devo Wrap: Rhim rockin' in Canada

There were two contingents of riders competing for the USA Cycling National Development Program (NDP) last week. A group of juniors men competed in Canada with tremendous success while a contingent of women road racers performed well in France.

Juniors
Brendan Rhim (Norwich, Vt./KMS) won the overall classification at the 2013 Tour de l’Abitibi Desjardins. Rhim’s teammate, William Barta (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS), earned top honors in the Best Young Rider classification.

Brendan Rhim tops the podium, with William Barta on the right. (Photo by Hugo Lacroix, Tour de l'Abitibi Desjardins)

Barta took the lead of the Best Young Rider standings after placing second in the stage 3 individual time trial, which also moved him up to third in the general classification at the time. He would eventually finish fifth overall.

Also competing for USA Cycling’s National Development Program squad were Ansel Dickey (Truro, Mass./KMS), who placed third in stage 1 and stage 6, Geoffrey Curran (Tustin, Calif./Get Crackin'), Justin Oien (Escondido, Calif./MRI Endurance) and Philip O'Donnell (Suwanee, Ga./Hot Tubes).

In addition to this team, USA Cycling also sent three teams of six riders to the event after they qualified through one of our regional talent ID camps. Rhim follows in the footsteps of several USA Cycling riders who have won the race, including T.J. Eisenhart (Lehi, Utah/BMC Racing Team) last year.

WOMEN'S ROAD
A USA Cycling contingent competed in France from July 18-21, in the Tour Féminin en Limousin in France.

Beth Newell (Oakland, Calif./NOW and Novartis for MS) posted the squad's best result, placing 14th in the general classification, 2:22 behind the winner Katarzyna Pawlowska (POL). Nineteen-year-old Alexis Ryan (Ventura, Calif./NOW and Novartis for MS) finished fifth in the Best Young Rider classification and 29th overall, 5:21 behind Pawlowska.

Ryan placed fifth in the third stage of the race, a rolling 120-kilometer road race. The field stayed intact throughout the stage. The Americans tried to organize a breakaway, but it did not work. The Americans were able to deliver Ryan in good position for the final sprint, in which she placed fifth.

Sunday's stage saw the peloton stay together again as two Americans recorded top-10 finishes. Ryan finished sixth in the final sprint while Heather Fischer (Boulder, Colo./Exergy TWENTY16) was ninth.

Kaitlin Antonneau (Racine, Wis./Exergy TWENTY16), Amber Pierce (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pasta Zara-Cogeas) and Elizabeth "Scotti" Wilborne (Little Rock, Ark./Mellow Mushroom) also contested the race as part of USA Cycling's contingent.

COMING UP

U23
The following group of U23 men's riders resume their season by riding in Kreiz Breizh Elites from July 27-29 in France:

Sam Bassetti (San Geronimo, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized
Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colo./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Alex Darville (Santa Barbara, Calif./Bontrager Cycling Team)
Stephen Leece (San Luis Obispo, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)
Jeffrey Perrin (Lakewood, Colo./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)
Torey Philipp (El Dorado, Calif./ California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized)

MTB
The following Americans are slated to compete in the cross-country mountain bike races in Vallnord, Andorra, at the Cross-Country Mountain Bike World Cup #5 from July 26-28:

Cross-Country
Elite Women
Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized Racing XC)
Judy Freeman (Littleton Colo./Crankbrothers Race Club)
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team) *also riding in Women's Cross-Country Eliminator

U23
Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale-Factory Racing)

Juniors Men
Liam Earl (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Development Squad))

Want to be part of USA Cycling’s Development Program? The first step is getting on USA Cycling’s radar. One of the best ways to do this is by attending a USA Cycling Regional Talent Identification Camp. The primary goal of the Talent ID Camps is to recognize athletes who, at an early age, show signs of potential future success in cycling. Receiving instruction from some of USA Cycling’s finest coaches, the camps also provide the necessary framework to improve the athletes skill set thus progressing their talent development. In some cases, the Regional Talent ID Camps assist in selecting riders for international competition and/or a national development camp.

For more information and the full 2013 schedule of USA Cycling’s Regional Talent ID Camps, please click here.

USA Cycling's National Development Programs are supported by the USA Cycling Development Foundation. Support the future of American cycling with an online donation now.

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