Americans Abroad: Stevens set for hour record

Welcome to the first installation of “Americans Abroad,” our weekly check-in with the U.S. pro racers in the European peloton. VeloNews will publish these updates on Monday morning each week throughout the season.

The week’s big news is that Evelyn Stevens, an Olympian and five-time world championships medalist, will attempt to break the women’s UCI hour record on February 27 in Colorado Springs. (Yes, we realize this isn’t happening in Europe, but it’s big news.)

“While attempting to break the UCI hour record is exciting for me and my career, I’m also proud to help shine a light on women’s cycling,” Stevens said. “This will be a special day, and it’s an honor to make my record attempt under the new dome at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center Velodrome.”

Stevens is a two-time U.S. national time trial champion (2010, 2011) and also won the Amgen Tour of California women’s time trial last season. She finished sixth at the time trial worlds in 2015 and helped her Boels-Dolmans team earn silver in the team time trial in Richmond, Virginia.

Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing)

Bookwalter finished 65th in the wind-shortened Clasica de Almeria, his second race of the season.

Matthew Busche (UnitedHealthcare)

U.S. national champ Busche was at the Tour of Qatar with several other Americans on his new team, UnitedHealthcare. He finished 115th overall. “Obviously, this race in Qatar is not my cup of tea, but already in Oman I should be protected, and obviously in the U.S. at the stage races,” he said.

Daniel Eaton (UnitedHealthcare)

Eaton competed in the Tour of Qatar, his first race of 2016. His best result was 37th in the stage 3 time trial, and he finished 24th overall and fifth in the best young rider classification.

Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data)

After a swing in the Southern Hemisphere at the Santos Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race, Farrar raced in the Tour of Qatar. He was riding in support of eventual winner Mark Cavendish, and as such, he was 59th overall.

Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare)

Jones is well into his season, having raced at the Tour de San Luis in January. At the Tour of Qatar, he finished 38th overall.

Luke Keough (UnitedHealthcare)

Keough finished the Tour of Qatar 120th overall. His best finish was 56th in stage 4.

Joey Rosskopf (BMC Racing)

Rosskopf finished 24th in the Tour of Qatar’s stage 3 time trial and wrapped up the five-day stage race 64th overall.

Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing)

In his first race of 2016, van Garderen rode to seventh place at the Vuelta a Murcia, while his teammate Philippe Gilbert collected a win in Spain on Saturday. A day later, van Garderen finished 68th in the Clasica de Almeria.

Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare)

White finished 123rd overall in the Tour of Qatar. This year will be his fifth season with the UnitedHealthcare squad.

Ladies Tour of Qatar

Since this is our first weekly round-up, it’s also worth noting that several top Americans raced in the Ladies Tour of Qatar, January 2-5. Shelly Olds (Cylance) had the top American result, finishing 11th overall. “The Tour of Qatar is big on its own,” Olds said. “It’s both, it’s a high-level race and you have the best teams here, and of course, everyone wants to start her season on a good foot.”

Olds’ UnitedHealthcare teammates Lauren Tamayo and Coryn Rivera finished 59th and 60th, respectively. Cylance’s Alison Tetrick finished 78th overall.