USA Cycling far from medals in Hoogerheide

Team USA battled with the best but finished far from the podium across the weekend of racing at the UCI world cyclocross championships.

Madigan Munro was the best of the U.S. cycling contingent, with 11th in the U23 women’s race.

National champions Curtis White and Clara Honsinger finished 27th and 16th in the elite races.

There were high hopes for the junior men’s race, with six riders at the start line. Daniel English battled through traffic to finish 13th in a crash-filled race.

Junior men:
1. Leo Bisiaux (FRA) 43:48
2. Senna Remijn (NED) +0:11
3. Yordi Corsus (BEL) +0:17
13. English (USA) +1:02
16. Thompson (USA) +1:27
20. White (USA) +1:31
21. Mattern (USA) +1:39
22. August (USA) +1:41
29. Stokes (USA) +2:19

U23 women: Munro close to best

The U23 women’s race had 32 riders with 14 nations represented. Lizzy Gunsalus had a front row start with Madigan Munro just behind, both racing for Team USA. Munro got caught in a crash on lap one, but she picked off riders one by one to make her way through the pack and finish 11th.

U23 women:
1. Shirin van Androoij (NED) 45:53
2. Zoe Backstedt (GBR) +0:33
3. Kristyna Zemanova (CZE) +1:32
11. Munro (USA) +3:40
15. Gunsalus (USA) +4:16

Elite Men: White the lone starter

Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y.; Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) was the lone American in the elite men’s race. White started on the second row and was off from the gun. His fastest lap of the day was his 10th, and he finished the day racing to the top 30.

Results elite men’s:
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) 1:07:20
2. Wout van Aert (BEL) +0:01
3. Eli Iserbyt (BEL) +0:12
27. White (USA) +3:45

Junior Women: All finish in top-20

All representatives of Team USA finished in the top-20 of the Junior Women’s race. Vida Lopez de San Roman (Sebastopol, Calif.; Bear National Team) stayed in the front group for the first two laps with Canadian sisters, Isabella and Ava Holmgren, charging the pace.

Kaya Musgrave (Littleton, Colo.; Bear National Team) stayed consistent and held on to her position in the top 15 with Samantha Scott (Boise, Idaho; CompEdge Racing) finishing 20th.

Results junior women:
1. Isabella Holmgren (CAN) 42:13
2. Ava Holmgren (CAN) +0:20
3. Celia Gery (FRA) +0:47
11. Lopez de San Roman (USA) +2:09
15. Musgrave (USA) +2:49
20. Scott (USA) +3:11

U23 Men: Wet course creates challenges

Andrew Strohmeyer (Mount Airy, Md.; CXHAIRS Devo Trek Bikes) was the lone rider from Team USA to start the U23 Men’s race. The rain eased up for this race making the course extremely slick in spots. Strohmeyer rode a strong race and would end up finishing in 42ndplace.

Results U23 men’s
1. Thibau Nys (BEL) 50:42
2. Tibor Del Grosso +0:04
3. Witse Meeussen +0:04
42. Strohmeyer (USA) +5:31

Elite Women: Honsinger close to top-15

The Netherlands led the charge from start to finish, sweeping the podium. National U.S. champion Clara Honsinger (Portland, Ore.; EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) and Pan-American Champion Raylyn Nuss (Lawrence, Kan.; Steve Tilford Foundation Racing) were both off the back on the first lap.

The American duo fought their way through the pack picking off riders one by one. Honsinger would end up finishing 16th with Nuss in 21st.

Results women’s elite:

1. Fem van Empel (NED) 54:02
2. Puck Pieterse (NED) +0:39
3. Lucinda Brand (NED) +1:11
16. Honsinger (USA) +4:42
21. Nuss (USA) +5:49

The team performed well in the inaugural mixed team relay, finishing sixth.

The six-rider team of Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y.; Steve Tilford Foundation Racing), Daniel English (San Ramon, Calif.; Bear National Team), Lizzy Gunsalus (Dudley, Mass.; Steve Tilford Foundation Racing), Vida Lopez de San Roman (Sebastopol, Calif.; Bear National Team), Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing), and Andrew Strohmeyer (Mount Airy, Md.; CXHAIRS Devo Trek Bikes) represented the United States.

White took the first lap, battling it out to have the team in fourth, setting up junior rider English to push the tempo on the second lap. English kept his lap time consistent with White’s moving the team into second. Gunsalus, Lopez de San Roman, and Munro maintained a pace of roughly 7:40 for each of their laps. Closing out the event, Strohmeyer put in a solid run, putting the team into sixth overall.

Madigan Munro and Dan English raced to top finishes on the last day of #CXWorlds. #Hoogerheide2023

Read More: https://t.co/X9HUqeQrPa pic.twitter.com/EwOfk083Gh

— USA Cycling (@usacycling) February 5, 2023