Americans Abroad: Bookwalter in the break

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Americans Abroad,” our weekly check-in with the American pros in the European peloton. VeloNews will publish these updates every Monday throughout the season.

This week, Brent Bookwalter took to Italy for the 10th edition of the Strade Bianche. Fabian Cancellara won the race, while Bookwalter spent about half of the day in breakaway, trying to set up his BMC teammate Greg Van Avermaet for the win. Bookwalter broke away with three other riders, and they were able to gain a little over a minute on the rest of the field, which had been decimated by the race’s tough dirt roads. Bookwalter and his breakaway compatriots were eventually caught, but his efforts helped Van Avermaet earn a sixth-place finish, while the American finished the day in 12th place, 1:53 behind Cancellara.

Ian Boswell (Sky)

Boswell is among five Americans racing Paris-Nice. He was 85th after the prologue in the eight-day race.

Lawson Craddock (Cannondale)

Craddock is also racing Paris-Nice. After Sunday’s 6.1-kilometer prologue, he is in 47th place.

Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (Cylance)

Doebel-Hickok raced twice last week. On Wednesday, she raced Le Samyn des Dames, where she finished 43rd, 5:18 behind the winner. Her second race of the weekend was Strade Bianche, which she did not finish.

Daniel Eaton (UnitedHealthcare)

Daniel Eaton is one of four Americans racing at the Tour de Taiwan. After the first stage, he is in 18th overall.

Griffin Easter (Illuminate)

Easter is also in Taiwan, he is 26th after stage 1.

Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data)

Farrar is racing in France at Paris-Nice. After the prologue, he is sitting in 97th overall.

Phil Gaimon (Cannondale)

Gaimon was one of three Americans in the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen. He did not finish the third and final stage, but, out of the 164 riders who started stage 1, only 83 of them finished Sunday.

Megan Guarnier (Boels – Dolmans)

Guarnier raced Strade Bianche, looking to repeat as winner. Though she only managed sixth place, her day was a success as teammate Lizzie Armitstead won the inaugural Women’s WorldTour race.

Adrian Hegyvary (UnitedHealthcare)

Hegyvary is in Taiwan as well. After stage 1, he is the top placed American, in 12th overall, 1:08 behind teammate and leader Carlos Eduardo Alzate.

Lauren Komanski (Tibco – SVB)

Komanski raced in Italy at the Strade Bianche on Saturday and finished 27th.

Gavin Mannion (Drapac)

Mannion was among four Americans who completed the Tour de Langkawi Wednesday. He finished 59th overall and was the top American.

Shelley Olds (Cylance)

Olds was the second American across the line at Strade Bianche. She finished 17th, 1:45 behind Armitstead. She also raced Le Samyn, but did not finish.

Taylor Phinney (BMC)

Phinney was one of Van Avermaet’s helpers on Saturday in Italy. He finished 76th overall.

Kiel Reijnen (Trek – Segafredo)

Reijnen rounded out the Americans racing Strade Bianche. He finished in 59th place, working for his teammate, Fabian Cancellara, who won the day.

Joey Rosskopf (BMC)

Rosskopf also pulled double duty this week, racing Le Samyn and Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen. He did not finish the very wet and cold Samyn, but came in 66th overall at the three-day race in Flanders.

Alexis Ryan (Canyon – SRAM)

Ryan finished 43rd overall at Strade Bianche.

Carmen Small (Cervelo – Bigla)

Small completed her third race in two weekends at Strade Bianche. She finished in 22nd overall, the third American.

Lauren Stephens (Tibco – SVB)

Stephens raced twice this past week. Wednesday, she came in 25th at Le Samyn, 4:56 back. Saturday, she came in 28th at Strade Bianche.

Danny Summerhill (UnitedHealthcare)

Summerhill is racing in Taiwan. He is in 58th place after the first stage.

Andrew Talanksy (Cannondale)

Talansky is the final American in France at Paris-Nice. He is 28th after the prologue.

UnitedHealthcare

UHC completed the Tour de Langkawi last Wednesday. The team’s top finisher was John Murphy, who was 82nd overall. Murphy won the third stage in a bunch sprint. Murphy was joined by Tanner Putt and Ty Magner, who finished 106th and 91st overall respectively. Their teammate, Daniel Jaramillo, finished second overall in the eight-stage race.

Alexey Vermeulen (LottoNL – Jumbo)

Vermeulen was the third American racing Dreidaagse van West-Vlaanderen. He finished 77th overall.

Brianna Walle (Tibco – SVB)

Like a few of the American women, Walle raced on Wednesday, at Le Samyn and Saturday, at Strade Bianche. She finished 32nd and 53rd, respectively.

Tayler Wiles (Orica – AIS)

Wiles only raced Strade Bianche this week, where she finished 30th.