Ten U.S. riders set to contest 2012 Junior Track Worlds

Jennifer Valente will be looking to defend her title earned in the keirin at the 2011 UCI Juniors Track World Championships. (Photo by http://velostar.ru)

All but one of the riders qualified to represent the United States of America at the Juniors Track World Championships based on automatic criteria, including winning national titles in their respective events at the recent 2012 USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships in Breinigsville, Pa.

Headlining the contingent of riders are Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12), who collected a pair of medals, including a gold in the keirin, at the 2011 event, and Chloe Chepigin (Chappaqua, N.Y./Young Medalists-Team Rothrock), who will be Valente’s teammate in the women’s team sprint. In addition to the women’s team sprint, that duo will contest the women’s 500 meter, women’s keirin and women’s sprint. Valente also is slated to compete in the women’s scratch race. On the men’s side, Kaleb Koch (Glenview, Ill./Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.-ISCorp Cycling Team) earned an automatic spot in the men’s team sprint and the men’s kilo.

After their performances at the 2012 USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships, several riders earned automatic nominations in the endurance events. Among the automatic qualifiers are Alexander Freund (Davis, Calif./Davis Bike Club), who is slated to compete in the men’s omnium, Cesar Lopez (El Paso, Texas/Stage 17 Racing), who is scheduled to contest the men’s points race and Lucas Wardein (Naples, Fla./Florida Velo), who will contest the men’s scratch race. Two women earned automatic nods in endurance events as Tara McCormick (Long Beach, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12), who will compete in the women’s omnium and Valente, who is set to ride in the women’s scratch race. Nadia Latzgo (Fogelsville, Pa./Young Medalists-Team Rothrock), who will compete in the women’s points race, was a discretionary selection.

2012 UCI Juniors Track World Championships
Invercargill, New Zealand
Aug. 22-26

Men’s Sprint
*Calan Farley (Pittstown, N.J./Team Alliance Environmental) — men’s team sprint, men’s keirin
*Conor Klupar (Fall City, Wash./Revel Consulting-Rad Racing NW) — men’s team sprint, men’s sprint
*Kaleb Koch (Glenview, Ill./ISCorp Cycling Team) — men’s team sprint, men’s time trial

Women’s sprint
*Chloe Chepigin (Chappaqua, N.Y./Team EPS-CSS p/b Shebell & Shebell) — women’s time trial, women’s keirin, women’s sprint, women’s team sprint
*Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12) — women’s time trial, women’s keirin, women’s sprint, women’s team sprint

Men’s Endurance
*Alexander Freund (Davis, Calif./Davis Bike Club) — men’s omnium
*Cesar Lopez (El Paso, Texas/Stage 17 Racing) — men’s points race
*Lucas Wardein (Naples, Fla./Florida Velo) — men’s scratch race

Women’s Endurance
Nadia Latzgo (Fogelsville, Pa./Young Medalists-Team Rothrock) — women points race
*Tara McCormick (Long Beach, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12) — women omnium
*Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12) — women scratch race

* — Automatic qualifier