Americans Abroad: Podium finishes at women’s Fleche

Welcome to Americans Abroad, our weekly check-in with the American pros in the European peloton. VeloNews will publish these updates every Monday throughout the season.

Evelyn Stevens and Megan Guarnier, both of Boels – Dolmans, finished second and third at Flèche Wallonne Féminine last Wednesday.

The American duo was in the leading group coming toward the final ascent of the Mur de Huy, the day’s finishing climb, when Stevens and Anna van der Breggen rode away from everyone. Stevens battled with van der Breggen up the Mur, but the Rabobank – Liv rider was the strongest.

Stevens crossed the line eight seconds back, while Guarnier was 22 ticks behind van der Breggen to round out the podium. Both Americans have had success at Flèche in the past: Stevens won the race in 2012, and Guarnier took third last year.

Ian Boswell (Sky)

Boswell spent the week in Italy racing the Giro del Trentino. He rode in support of winner Mikel Landa and finished 22nd himself. His efforts helped Sky place second in the stage 1 TTT.

Holly Breck (Team USA)

Breck raced Dwars door de Westhoek Sunday and came in 84th.

Nathan Brown (Cannondale)

Brown raced his second career Ardennes classic Wednesday at Flèche Wallonne. He finished the 77th, 3:30 behind winner Alejandro Valverde of Movistar. He was also part of a large contingent of Americans racing Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he finished 121st.

Chris Butler (Cycling Academy)

Butler raced the six-day Tour of Croatia last week. He did not finish the race, withdrawing after the stage 5 team time trial. His team finished 14th in the TTT.

Lawson Craddock (Cannondale)

Craddock raced the last two Ardennes races in Belgium. In Flèche he was 121st at 7:08 back after helping teammate Michael Woods ride to 12th place. In Craddock Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Craddock came across the line in 37th.

Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (Cylance)

Doebel-Hickok raced in Belgium last Wednesday at La Flèche Wallonne Féminine. She was 54th across the line, 4:29 behind van der Breggen.

Caleb Fairly (Giant – Alpecin)

Fairly was in Belgium for Flèche Wallonne but did not finish the 196-kilometer race.

Chad Haga (Giant – Alpecin)

Haga raced at Flèche Wallonne, his fourth race of the year following his training crash in January. He came in 103rd.

Sara Headley (Podium Ambition)

Headley raced Dwars door de Westhoek on Sunday with her trade team, not Team USA. She came in 19th, 3:05 behind winner Christine Majerus of Boels – Dolmans.

Alex Howes (Cannondale)

Howes also rode for Cannondale in Flèche, finishing 82nd overall at 3:30 back. At Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Howes was the top American finisher with a 21st-place result.

Ben King (Cannondale)

King rode on the Cannondale squad in the Ardennes races. In Flèche he finished 123rd at 8:02 behind Valverde. He finished Liège as well but was not given a final result.

Gavin Mannion (Drapac)

Mannion raced the Giro del Trentino in Italy this week. He ended the four-day race 37th overall, 14:37 behind Landa.

Amber Neben (Bepink)

Flèche Wallonne proved to be a difficult race for the 41 year-old Neben, as she was unable to finish.

Kiel Reijnen (Trek – Segafredo)

Reijnen raced in Belgium twice this week. Wednesday he raced Flèche Wallonne and Sunday he raced Liège-Bastogne-Liège. On Wednesday, he finished 163rd after riding into a breakaway earlier in the race. He was 151st in Liège, 14:44 behind the day’s winner Wout Poels of Sky.

Laurel Rathbun (Team USA)

Rathbun also raced Sunday at Dwars and came in 64th overall.

Alexis Ryan (Canyon – SRAM)

Flèche Wallonne Féminine was one of Ryan’s best results of the season. She came across the line in 32nd place as the fourth American. Ryan then raced Omloop van Borsele Saturday and finished 30th. Sunday’s Dwars door de Westhoek was her third race of the week, and she placed eighth.

Carmen Small (Cervèlo — Bigla)

Small was the third American across the line in Fleche, as she finished 12th at 53 seconds behind van der Breggen.

Peter Stetina (Trek – Segafredo)

Stetina was the top-placed American at Flèche Wallonne with a 35th-place showing, 40 seconds behind Valverde. Liège was a much tougher race for him, as he finished 85th.

Gretchen Stumhofer (Colavita – Bianchi)

Stumhofer raced Dwars on Sunday and came in 58th.

Alison Tetrick (Cylance)

Tetrick finished Flèche Wallonne in 71st place, 5:06 back.

Team USA

Holly Breck, Aliya Traficante, Madeline Boutet, and Laurel Larsen raced Saturday’s Omloop van Borsele. Breck was first across the line in 95th, followed by Boutet (97th) and Larsen (114th). Traficante did not finish.

Alexey Vermeulen (LottoNL – Jumbo)

Vermeulen was LottoNL’s American in the peloton for Flèche. He finished 131st, 8:02 back. He did not finish Liège on Sunday.

Larry Warbasse (IAM Cycling)

Warbasse raced Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He was 95th Wednesday and 116th Sunday.

Tayler Wiles (Orica – AIS)

Wiles had one of her best overall results this season at Flèche Wallonne, finishing 34th — 2:15 behind van der Breggen. On Sunday, she raced Dwars and came in 25th