Team USA Initiates Action Early On Day 3 In Imola

September 26, 2020

Stephens is the top American finisher in eleventh place. Wiles and Doebel-Hickok Finish in Top 30 at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Six Americans competed in the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in the Elite Women’s Road Race on Saturday in Imola, Italy. This was one of the most challenging courses for a World Championship road race. After five laps of the course, totaling 144km, Anna van der Breggen (NED) doubled up on her rainbow stripes for the event, after winning the Time Trial just days before.

The race began at a steady pace with teams eyeing each other, wary to attack early. Krista Doebel-Hickok (Marina del Rey, Calif.; Rally Cycling) would make the first attack of the day. The next major move in the race came from American rider Tayler Wiles (Fairfax, Calif.; Trek-Segafredo) breaking away with a group of nine at 85 kilometers left in the race, where they were able to separate from the peloton by over two minutes. With roughly 50 kilometers to go, the breakaway was caught, but Wiles did not fade. Not long after, Lauren Stephens (Mesquite, Texas; Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank) saw herself at the front of the peloton with Doebel-Hickock still in the mix as well.

On the last climb of the penultimate lap van der Breggen, along with teammate Annemiek van Vleuten and Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini would attack, with the eventual champion pulling away. She would increase her lead to almost three minutes at one point. With van der Breggen far off the front, Longo Borghini would attack again during the final lap, and only a handful of riders were able to react. Stephens rode across the finish line in the next group back finishing in eleventh place, clocking a time of 4:13:05. Wiles and Doebel-Hickok rode through the Imola Speedway finishing straight in 26^th and 29^th, respectively.

Final Results

1 – Ana van der Breggen NED 4:09:57
2 – Annemeik van Vleuten NED +1:20
3 – Elisa Longo Borghini ITA +1:20
11 – Lauren Stephens USA +3:08
26 – Tayler Wiles USA +3:08
29 – Krista Doebel-Hickok USA +3:08
37 – Coryn Rivera USA +10:16
69 – Amber Neben USA +15:08
DNF – Ruth Winder USA

Racing continues tomorrow with the Elite Men’s Road Race starting at 1:00am PT / 4:00am ET

The roster is as follows:

Lawson Craddock (Houston, Texas; EF Education First Pro Cycling)
Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Ariz; UAE Team Emirates)
Sepp Kuss (Durango, Colo; Team Jumbo Visma)
Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education First Pro Cycling)

You can watch all the racing live on the Olympic Channel. Follow @USACyclingLIVE on Twitter for live updates throughout the race along with @USACycling and @UCI_cycling. For more information on start times and who to watch, click here.

Photos By Rob Jones

Please direct all media inquiries to Angelina Palermo at apalermo@usacycling.org

For all on-site media inquiries, please contact Jim Miller at jmiller@usacycling.org

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Within the United States, USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to seasoned professionals. The organization not only identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing.

USA Cycling is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020. In 1920, the organization began as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved to become the United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling’s 100,000+ members are comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.