Published April 24, 2018 09:00AM
Guarnier, Compton to wear stars and stripes at Tour of California Women's Race
The USA Cycling Team will field a lineup of five riders from diverse cycling backgrounds, with Megan Guarnier targeting the GC.
Megan Guarnier won the opening stage at the Tour of California Women's Race last year. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | <a href="http://www.cbgphoto.com">www.cbgphoto.com</a>
Megan Guarnier and Katie Compton will headline the USA Cycling Team at the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race empowered with SRAM next month.
Guarnier won the 2016 edition of the race and triumphed in its opening stage last year. Now 32, she also was victorious in the 2016 Giro d’Italia Femminile.
Compton, on the other hand, has won 14 consecutive cyclocross national titles and has four silver medals and one bronze in the cyclocross worlds. She will jump on a road bike for the May 17-19 Tour of California donning a USA Cycling Team kit.
“I am excited to start for the USA Cycling Team at this year’s Amgen Tour of California,” said Guarnier, who will compete for the overall victory. “It’s my home race and always an amazing event, and I’m proud to be able to support cycling in America.”
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Said Compton, “Being part of the USA Cycling Team for the Tour of California is a huge honor and one I’m looking forward to. It’s the biggest road race I’ll do all year and I’m excited to race on a team of talented and strong women. I’m happy that USA Cycling has provided me an opportunity to take part in a race that I wouldn’t have the option to do otherwise.”
Rounding out the roster are Christina Birch, Samantha Schneider, Skylar Schneider, and Jennifer Wheeler.
The Schneider sisters represented the U.S. squad at last year’s Tour of California. Birch and Wheeler joined Compton at a USA Cycling talent ID camp last month, where Compton focused on track cycling. Birch rode for Team USA at this year’s UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
Kristin Armstrong, an endurance performance director at USA Cycling who placed second in the 2016 Tour of California, highlighted the U.S. lineup’s diverse group of riders.
“USA Cycling is excited to bring together a team of women from several different disciplines in support of one goal, to help Megan Guarnier bring home the yellow jersey on home turf just as she did in 2016,” Armstrong said. “We are pleased USA Cycling can provide Megan the opportunity to compete in America’s most important race.”
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Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race, May 17-19
Stage 1: Elk Grove, 123.5km
Stage 2: South Lake Tahoe, 108km
Stage 3: Sacramento, 70km