Road nationals conclude with four final champs crowned

Bend, Ore. (August 2, 2009) – An aggressive day of criteriums closed out racing at the 2009 USA Cycling Junior, U23, and Elite Road National Championships on Sunday. Jacqueline Kurth (Palm City, Fla./Team Kenda Tire), Samantha Schneider (West Allis, Wis./Team Type 1), Max Durtschi (Sun Valley, Idaho/Hammer CMG), and Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Felt Holowesko Partners/Garmin) claimed the final Stars-and-Stripes jerseys as the juniors 17-18 and U23 riders contested their criteriums on a rectangular course in downtown Bend.

The final day of national championship racing started out with a very aggressive criterium put on by the women in the junior 17-18 group. A group of four went off the front pretty early on in their 20-kilometer contest, setting a pace that caused the rest of the field to spread out over the course. Jacqueline Kurth bested the rest of the lead group at the finish line while Kaitlin Antonneau (Racine, Wis./Nova iscorp) picked up the silver medal and Maura Kinsella (St. Louis, Mo./Measa Cycles) rode in for the bronze. Cinthia Lehner (Greer, S.C./Hincapie Development Team) and Shelby Reynolds (Cypress, Texas/Sugar Cycles-Specialized Women) rounded out the podium in fourth and fifth.

Next up was the U23 women’s contest, which was taken over quite early by the Team Type 1 duo of Samantha Schneider and Jacquelyn Crowell (Maitland, Fla.). The two teammates broke off together, a tactic that was unexpected by the rest of the field.

“I really do think it caught a lot of people off guard so it worked out well,” said Schneider.

“We couldn’t have done it without each other,” Crowell went on to explain. “That’s the whole nature of bike racing. You rely on your teammates and when you trust your teammates, you can pull off a win like this.”

After Schneider and Crowell crossed the line for the gold and silver medals, Lauren Hecht (Atherton, Calif./Webcor Alto Velo) won the sprint for the bronze while Kendi Thomas (Walla Walla, Wash./Hagens Berman) and Arielle Filiberti (Worchester, Mass./Hot Tubes) were fourth and fifth.

In the junior men’s 17-18 contest, Max Durtschi went off the front with Alex Battles-Wood (Tulsa, Okla./Team Power Train) in the first few laps. With about eight laps to go, Battles-Wood was reeled back in by the field. Durtschi was on his own until Morgan Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Major Motion) and Steven Black (Vienna, Va./National Capital Velo Club) bridged up to him to form a powerful trio at the front.

“I don’t think I could win a sprint, but we were all working well together,” Durtschi said after attacking the leaders around the final corner to solo in for his second national title of the week. “Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to stay away.”

Ryan ended up in second while Black rode in for the bronze. Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass./CL Noonan Coast to Coast)and Austin Arguello (Beaverton, Ore./Hammer CMG) claimed the last two spots on the podium in fourth and fifth.

The Men’s U23 event closed out the final day of racing with Alex Howes riding into his second Stars-and-Stripes jersey of the week. The competition got underway with a group of three setting a front pace that the rest of the field couldn’t match. The trio included Howes, Bjorn Selander (Trek Livestrong), and Bobby Sweeting (Gainsville, Fla./Landrover/Obera). When the men were only ten laps into their 60-lap contest, they had already formed a 13 second advantage over their nearest threats. As they rounded the final corner coming into the start/finish, Howes attacked hard and took it all the way to the line. Sweeting then outsprinted Selander for the silver medal. Jacob Keough (Sandwich, Mass./Kelly Benefits Strategies) and Joey Rosskopf (Decatur, Ga./Jittery Joe’s U-23 p/b Kudzu.com) beat out the rest of the pack for fourth and fifth respectively.

The 2009 USA Cycling Junior, U23, and Elite Road National Championships are officially in the books.

Click here for video from the event on USA Cycling’s You Tube channel.

Click here for a photo gallery from the event.

Click here for complete results.

2009 USA Cycling Junior, U23, Elite, Paralympic Road National Championships
Bend, Ore.
July 28-Aug. 2, 2009

Junior Women 17-18 Criterium
1. Jacqueline Kurth (Palm City, Fla./Team Kenda Tire)
2. Kaitlin Antonneau (Racine, Wis./Nova iscorp)
3. Maura Kinsella (St. Louis, Mo./Measa Cycles)
4. Cinthia Lehner (Greer, S.C./Hincapie Development Team)
5. Shelby Reynolds (Cypress, Texas/Sugar Cycles-Specialized Women)

Junior Men 17-18 Criterium
1. Max Durtschi (Sun Valley, Idaho/Hammer CMG)
2. Morgan Ryan (Ventura, Calif./Major Motion)
3. Steven Black (Vienna, Va./National Capital Velo Club)
4. Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass./CL Noonan Coast to Coast)
5. Austin Arguello (Beaverton, Ore./Hammer CMG)

U23 Men Criterium
1. Alex Howes (Boulder, Colo./Felt Holowesko Partners/Garmin)
2. Bobby Sweeting (Gainsville, Fla./LandRover/Obera)
3. Bjorn Selander (Trek Livestrong)
4. Jacob Keough (Sandwich, Mass./Kelly Benefits Strategies)
5. Joey Rosskopf (Decatur, Ga./Jittery Joe’s U-23 p/b Kudzu.com)

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