After breaking former teammate Sarah Hammer's world record of 3:22.26 by a full two seconds at sea level, Dygert contemplated her effort. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.comPhoto: Casey B. Gibson
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USA Cycling announced the formation of a National Team in December of 2017. The program would support the development of riders for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and beyond, supplying monetary support, additional coaches and staff, access to athlete services at the Olympic Training Center through the US Olympic Committee, and other benefits. The UCI World Track Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands last week provided the first opportunity for the track cycling riders to demonstrate their progress. The women’s program continued to excel, providing two gold medals in team and individual pursuit, a silver medal in the points race and a bronze medal in the individual pursuit to go along with the gold for Chloe Dygert. The men’s program, nearly non-existent in the past, fielded riders in the men’s team and individual pursuit, points race, omnium, and Madison. While the men didn’t earn any medals, progress was made and vital experience gained on the international level.
The men’s team pursuit squad was led through the corner by Eric Young, normally a sprinter for the Rally Cycling team. Young was brought onto the track squad when USA Cycling started recruiting riders for the national team program. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
USA team pursuit, down to three riders, finished its 4km ride in the Omnicenter. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Endurance coach Gary Sutton watched calmly as the USA women’s squad took the start. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Gary Sutton kept the USA squad on schedule in the women’s team pursuit. Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Chloe Dygert led the women’s team pursuit to first place in qualifying, setting up a repeat battle with Great Britain, in 2018. Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Women’s team pursuit members Kim Geist and Jen Valente relaxed in the team cabin after their first place qualifying ride. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
The new brain trust at USA Cycling with the national track program. Jamie Staff added to his duties as BMX director to become the sprint coach, and Greg Henderson retired from the UHC road team to become the track endurance performance director. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Henderson is one of the new additions to the national program as the endurance performance director. Henderson won several medals in the Commonwealth Games on the track and was the world champion in the scratch race in 2004. He is better-known for his road career, riding on Team Sky and Lotto-Belisol. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Madeline Godby led Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania in the 1/8 finals, but would be caught just before the line. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Sprint coach Jamie Staff went over video of Godby’s first sprint with her in the cabin. Staff brings impressive credentials to the coaching staff, having won Olympic and world championship gold medals in the team sprint and Keirin with Great Britain. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Kim Geist usually rides the first few laps of the team pursuit, then drops out to leave Kelly Catlin, Jen Valente, and Chloe Dygert to finish the final 2-3km. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Dygert led the USA women’s team pursuit in the final. Dygert went to the front when the team was behind Great Britain by half a second, and within a few laps put the USA team back in front by almost the same half-second. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
As the USA riders finished first and won gold in the team pursuit in the background, Gary Sutton checked their time on the scoreboard. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Gold medal winners again. The USA Team of Kim Geist, Chloe Dygert, Jen Valente and Kelly Catlin after winning their third consecutive gold medal. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Kim Geist (second from right). Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Ashton Lambie is another new rider for the national team, specializing in endurance events like the individual and team pursuit. Lambie finished seventh in the men’s pursuit at his first world championship. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Daniel Holloway warmed up for his next ride in the men’s omnium. Holloway has extensive experience in track racing, participating in multiple six-day events in Europe. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Daniel Holloway led the points race during the men’s omnium. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Bob Stapleton, chairman of the board of directors of USA Cycling and member of the UCI Management Committee, was on hand to present medals on the podium. Stapleton was one of the driving forces behind the development of the national program. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
The Team USA rider in the points race, Eric Young, in a tight pack with Australia’s Cameron Meyer, who dominated the race, lapping the field twice to win the gold. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
After Jen Valente was involved in a crash in the women’s omnium, Sutton pushed her back into the field. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Endurance head coach Gary Sutton talked strategy with Valente before her points race. Sutton was a longtime coach with the Australian Cycling team, leading the women’s endurance program to seven world championships. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Jen Valente and Kirsten Wild battle at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Photo: Casey B. Gibson
The Madison is characterized by the handsling swap over between active teammates. Photo: Casey B. Gibson
Kelly Catlin of the USA finished in third place in the women’s individual pursuit, adding a bronze medal to her gold in the team pursuit. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Dygert’s combination of power and technique enabled her to break the world record in the women’s individual pursuit. She held the bike right on the black line in the corners, one of the keys to a great pursuit. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
After breaking former teammate Sarah Hammer’s world record of 3:22.26 by a full two seconds at sea level, Dygert contemplated her effort. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Logan Owen, a professional road rider for EF Education First-Drapac, was there to congratulate his wife, Dygert, on her world records and another gold medal ride in the women’s individual pursuit. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
Team USA took two of the three spots on the women’s individual pursuit podium in Apeldoorn. Annemiek van Vleuten of the Netherlands took silver between Dygert’s gold and Catlin’s bronze. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com
