USA Cycling announced, today, the 25 athletes that will represent the U.S. at the 2020 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, which take place in Dübendorf, Switzerland, February 1-2.
According to USA Cycling cyclocross team manager, Jesse Anthony, ” The primary purpose of USA Cycling fielding a team at the Cyclocross World Championships is to win medals and stand on the podium.”
Anthony added that “This year, we will fully fund more athletes than ever before, and have been able to also lower the fees for athletes who did not qualify for full funding. We are only able to do this with the support of the MudFund.” The MudFund is the arm of USA Cycling’s Foundation that specifically raises money to support cyclocross development.
USA Cycling is fully funding 10 athletes this year, up from seven athletes, last year. The supplemental ground fee for the remaining 15 athletes is $1000 this year as opposed to $1600 last year.
The size and make up of the contingent traveling to Worlds has raised questions in the past. Asked about this year’s team, Anthony noted that only four Junior Men and three U23 Women qualified to the team. “USA Cycling ‘sends’ or supports all the athletes who qualify to the team and are confirmed by the selection committee,” Anthony clarified. “If more athletes in those categories had qualified according to the criteria, then they would have been named to the team.”
Anthony noted that USA Cycling has a secondary purpose of providing a developmental opportunity for athletes who show the potential to stand on the podium in the future, but “the World Championship is not ideal as a development race.” He added that “the World Championships is the most competitive race in the world, and USA Cycling fields the athletes who prove themselves to be most competitive at that level.”
When asked specifically about unfilled spots in non-elite, development categories, Anthony said that “USA Cycling, with support from the MudFund, is providing more true development opportunities in cyclocross. Some of those opportunities were provided domestically and some in Europe.”
The qualification criteria is written to best support the performance level for each category at the World Championships, “and it will continue to be adjusted in the future to allow the most competitive athletes to qualify to the World Championship team,” Anthony explained. “Essentially, we are revamping the cyclocross program to best develop our athletes to win medals at the World Championships and achieve viable careers in cyclocross.”
The 2020 U.S. Worlds Team:
Junior Men:
Magnus Sheffield (Pittford, N.Y.; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld)
Andrew Strohmeyer (Mount Airy, Md.; CXHairs Devo)
Nick Carter (Minneapolis, Minn.; KCCX)
Jared Scott (Boulder, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling)
Junior Women:
Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling)
Lizzy Gunsalus (Dudley, Mass; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld
Michaela Thompson (Longmont, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling)
Cassidy Hickey (Parker, Colo.)
Bridget Tooley (Frisco, Tex.; Giant-Easton p/b Transitions)
Tea Wright (Boulder, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling)
U23 Men:
Gage Hecht (Parker, Colo.; Aevolo / Donnelly)
Eric Brunner (Boulder, Colo.; Blue Stages Cycling)
Lane Maher (Harwinton, Conn.; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld)
Alex Morton (Saint Clair, Mich..; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld)
Caleb Swartz (Madison, Wisc.; Linear Sport Racing Team)
Sam Noel (Shelburne, Vt.; Competitive Edge Racing)
U23 Women:
Katie Clouse (Park City, Utah; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld)
Hannah Arensman (Brevard, N.C.; J.A. King)
Shannon Mallory (Bellingham, Wash.; Northwest Women’s CX Project)
Elite Men:
Kerry Werner (Advance, N.C.; Kona/Maxxis/Shimano)
Stephen Hyde (East Hampton, Mass.; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld)
Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y.; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld)
Elite Women:
Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.; KFC Racing/Trek/Knight Composites)
Clara Honsinger (Portland, Ore. Team S&M)
Rebecca Fahringer (Concord, N.H.; Kona/Maxxis/Shimano)
*Note: Kaitie Keough and Lauren Zoerner also qualified to compete but declined their spots.
This seems to be a fair application of the criteria against a background of a much better and well organised CX strategy. Think there’s a chance of a medal in all categories except elite men. Hecht, Clouse and Munro are near podium certainties while Junior men and elite women should be at the pointy end. If men manage top 10 that will be outstanding!
I am confused by the Junior men and U23 Women statement. The World Championship qualification document on USA cycling states that the USA cycling may select additional riders under Discretionary Selection if the quota was not achieved under the Automatic Qualification. While it is the Organizations choice not to use the discretionary selection process, it should for transparency state this fact. Anything else puts the selection process into question.
The fact that we could send 6 or 7 men to the elite men’s race but are only sending 3 just shows how disingenuous USAC is. Think of the message they’re sending all the up and coming juniors…. work real hard so you can be excluded. Pettiness at it’s height. Shame on USAC.
The juniors have been to Europe and know the challenge. The criteria are fair and have been applied as far as I can see. The U23s and Juniors need to be the focus and are where resources should go. I imagine watching US pros finishing at the back of the field would be far more demoralising. Curtis, Kerry and Stephen have earned their shot but will do well to crack the top 20. Hecht, Munroe, Clouse are where the resources need to be. I would be surprised if any US pro complained who isn’t selected – Kaitlin Keough even turned her spot down. I’d be amazed if the Juniors/ Under 23’s don’t get someone on the podium – based on races so far even a jersey could be possible.