Laurel Rathbun (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) and Marcos Mendoz (Foundation Cycling New York) won the elite races at Sunny King Criterium on Saturday in Anniston, Alabama and top the leaderboard for the USA CRITS one-day race series.
Rathbun won the head-to-head sprint against breakaway companion Liza Ray (City Bikes), the duo lapping the field with four laps to go. Rathbun's teammate Kendall Ryan then earned third place in the field sprint.
The race marked the debut for Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing, a US domestic elite squad founded by Rathbun and Ryan.
"Since it was our first race, we wanted to come out swinging," Rathbun said at the finish on the live broadcast. "We have such an amazing team. We wanted to show how strong we were. It's going to be an awesome season ahead. And I think we just have a fail-safe with Kendall [four-time USPro criterium champion] being able to win any bunch sprint. It allows us to race really hard, be dynamic, make the race fun to watch and win."
Foundation Cycling New York went one-two in the early dusk shadows of the late-day race, with Clever Martinez second to Mendoz. Preston Eye (Team Flicker) took the final step on the podium.
With seven laps to go, USPro Criterium elite champion and last year's Sunny King winner Lucas Bourgoyne (Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing) attacked at the front but Foundation Cycling's Lucas Gaday and Martinez moved away in a breakaway with one Scottish Cycing rider.
The peloton, led by Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing, closed the trio with two laps to go. Foundation Cycling took over on the final lap with five riders in the mix and it was their race to win.
A new 1.1-mile, four-corner course was used this year for the 23-year-old race, with the finish line on an uphill section of West 10th Street just before Atlanta Avenue in downtown Anniston.
The next round of USA CRITS lands in Athens, Georgia on Saturday, April 18 for the Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium.
Results
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Laurel Rathbun (USA) Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
0:56:56 |
2 |
Liza Ray (USA) City Bikes |
0:00:01 |
3 |
Kendall Ryan (USA) Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
–1 LAP |
4 |
Heidy Praderas (Cub) Kingdom Elite Racing |
|
5 |
Javiera Munoz (Chi) Milligan University |
|
6 |
Tess Edwards (USA) Savannah College of Art and Design |
|
7 |
Yarely Salazar Salazar (Mex) Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
|
8 |
Andrea Cantu (Mex) One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
|
9 |
Ines Mendez (Gua) SCAD Atlanta |
|
10 |
Erica Carney (USA) Piedmont University |
|
11 |
Leslie Timm (USA) United Cycling Women |
|
12 |
Megan Lester (USA) Milligan University |
|
13 |
Monica Merced (USA) PIQUE Racing p/b The Meteor |
|
14 |
Emma Frost (USA) Piedmont |
|
15 |
Adonays Vera (Ven) City Bikes |
|
16 |
Stephanie Clark (USA) MACC Racing |
|
17 |
Lia Sprouse (USA) United Cycling Women |
|
18 |
Kala Garcia (Mex) One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
|
19 |
Irene Del Puerto (Par) Savannah College of Art and Design |
|
20 |
Esma Taylor (USA) Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
|
21 |
Amelia Cleathero (GBr) Savannah College of Art and Design |
|
22 |
Chloe Patrick (USA) Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing |
–2 LAP |
23 |
Elizabeth Harden (USA) Team Flicker |
|
24 |
Aylena Quevedo (USA) Kingdom Elite Racing |
|
25 |
Macy Lester (USA) Unknown |
|
26 |
Shanon Callan (USA) PIQUE Racing p/b The Meteor |
|
27 |
Shannon Koch (USA) Kingdom Racing |
|
28 |
Mallory Bryan (USA) Team Winston Salem - Flow |
–15 LAP |
29 |
Alex Christofalos (USA) CTH Performance Project |
|
30 |
Ruth Allen (USA) Team Flicker |
–21 LAP |
31 |
Emily Strange (USA) Unknown |
Position |
Rider (Country) Team |
Time Gap |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Marcos Mendez (Arg) Foundation Cycling New York |
1:09:47 |
2 |
Clever Martinez (Ven) Foundation Cycling New York |
0:00:01 |
3 |
Preston Eye (USA) Team Flicker |
0:00:01 |
4 |
Leonel Rodriguez (Uru) |
0:00:01 |
5 |
Lucas Gaday (Arg) Foundation Cycling New York |
0:00:02 |
6 |
Cade Bickmore (USA) Team Cadence Cyclery PB Waldo Racing |
0:00:04 |
7 |
Johan Gomez (Col) Arias Racing |
0:00:04 |
8 |
Carlo Roche (USA) Kingdom Elite Racing |
0:00:06 |
9 |
Cayden Whitehill (USA) South Chicago Wheelman |
0:00:08 |
10 |
Dillon Lee (USA) Gravity Collective |
0:00:14 |
11 |
Diego Galeano (USA) 305Cycle |
0:00:31 |
12 |
Justin McQuerry (USA) Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria |
0:00:31 |
13 |
Jordan Parra (Col) Foundation Cycling New York |
0:02:52 |
14 |
Bryan Gomez (USA) Foundation Cycling New York |
0:02:52 |
15 |
Alfredo Rodriguez (USA) City Bikes |
0:03:05 |
16 |
Seth Holland (USA) Shottenkirk KIA UBG Racing |
0:03:08 |
17 |
Archer Myers (USA) Houston Heat |
0:03:08 |
18 |
Michael Pincus (USA) Austin Outlaws |
0:03:08 |
19 |
Ruben Bacon (USA) The Racing Division p/b PACE Coaching |
0:03:10 |
20 |
Julian Azpeitia (USA) MOAB |
0:03:12 |
21 |
Edward Fritzinger (USA) The Racing Division p/b PACE Coaching Co. |
0:03:13 |
22 |
Sam Calvert (USA) Milligan University |
0:03:15 |
23 |
Carsten Baker (USA) Milligan University |
0:03:16 |
24 |
Owen Lloyd (USA) Piedmont University |
0:03:17 |
25 |
Louis Chandler (USA) Mustangs |
0:03:28 |
26 |
Nicholas Yates (USA) Mustangs |
0:03:29 |
27 |
George Frazier (USA) The Racing Division p/b PACE Coaching |
0:03:36 |
28 |
Tim Shoremen (GBr) Scottish Cycling |
0:03:37 |
29 |
Mateo Garcia Castaneda (Col) One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
0:03:37 |
30 |
Javier Lopez (USA) Savannah College of Art and Design |
0:03:44 |
31 |
Roderyck Asconeguy (Uru) Foundation Cycling New York |
0:06:25 |
32 |
Matt Winstead (USA) Texas Roadhouse |
–1 LAP |
33 |
Danny Summerhill (USA) Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing |
–1 LAP |
34 |
Lucas Bourgoyne (USA) Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing |
–1 LAP |
35 |
Carlos Perez Calzada (USA) Savannah College of Art and Design |
–1 LAP |
36 |
Gavin Weinstein (USA) DDP Elite Cycling Team |
–1 LAP |
37 |
Luis Ramirez (USA) MBO racing team |
–1 LAP |
38 |
Andrew Giniat (USA) UTC - ButcherBox Cycling |
–1 LAP |
39 |
Gabriel Payne (USA) Elevate Racing |
–1 LAP |
40 |
Andrew Dewar (USA) Clif Family Drifters Cycling |
–1 LAP |
41 |
Michael Zinkann (USA) |
–1 LAP |
42 |
Ian Mackeith (USA) |
–1 LAP |
43 |
Ben Kolbie (USA) Piedmont |
–1 LAP |
44 |
Spencer Weisgram (USA) MACC Racing |
–1 LAP |
45 |
Aaron Widman (USA) Newtype Cycling |
–1 LAP |
46 |
Dillon Geary (USA) Lindenwood University |
–1 LAP |
47 |
Cole Guest (Can) South Chicago Wheelmen |
–1 LAP |
48 |
Lee Salillas (USA) |
–1 LAP |
49 |
Matthew McDonald (USA) Cash Money |
–1 LAP |
50 |
Kellan Maxwell (USA) Marx-Bensdorf/BPC Racing |
–1 LAP |
51 |
James Sweeney (GBr) Scottish Cycling |
–1 LAP |
52 |
Zac Threatt (USA) Sh!ft |
–1 LAP |
53 |
N.N. 250002 |
–1 LAP |
54 |
Patrick Casey (USA) Clif Family Drifters |
–1 LAP |
55 |
Jonathan Crain (USA) |
–1 LAP |
56 |
Luke Pharis (USA) Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria |
–1 LAP |
57 |
Jura Gerlach (USA) Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria |
–1 LAP |
58 |
Gabriel Odreman (USA) Houston Heat |
–1 LAP |
59 |
Bryant Funston (USA) Marx-Bensdorf / BPC Cycling Team |
–1 LAP |
60 |
Zachary Rivenbark (USA) Velocious Sport NCC |
–1 LAP |
61 |
Jarred Stacey (USA) Newtype Cycling |
–1 LAP |
62 |
Johan Canaveral (Col) Arias Racing |
–1 LAP |
63 |
Timothy Killelea (USA) Nashville Local Cycling |
–1 LAP |
64 |
Matthew Bratcher (USA) Mustangs |
–1 LAP |
65 |
Oscar Eduardo Lopez Murquia (Mex) One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
–1 LAP |
66 |
Ronald Shindell (USA) Milligan University |
–1 LAP |
67 |
Simmons Maddox (USA) |
–1 LAP |
68 |
Gustav Johansson (Swe) MBO Racing Team |
–1 LAP |
69 |
Tim Smith (USA) Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria |
–1 LAP |
70 |
Ross Birrell (GBr) Scottish Cycling |
–1 LAP |
71 |
Evan Marsh (GBr) Scottish Cycling |
–1 LAP |
72 |
Luke Fetzer (USA) Team Cadence Cyclery p/b Encore Wire |
–1 LAP |
73 |
Matthew Amara (USA) Milligan University |
–1 LAP |
74 |
Nelson Fumero (USA) ANTELO racing team |
–1 LAP |
75 |
Brandon Feehery (USA) |
–2 LAP |
76 |
Hank Beaver (USA) The Paceline Project p/b LC Food |
–2 LAP |
77 |
Nicholas Luther (USA) NGCA Elite p/b Tyler Perry Studios |
–2 LAP |
78 |
Alejandro Carpio (Gua) SCAD Atlanta |
–2 LAP |
79 |
Guillermo Carpio (Gua) SCAD Atlanta |
–2 LAP |
80 |
Noah Kushner (USA) Kingdom Racing |
–3 LAP |
81 |
Mike Hefner (USA) UNATTACHED |
–3 LAP |
82 |
Alex Wieseler (USA) Nashville Local Cycling |
–3 LAP |
83 |
Samuel Frauenholtz (USA) Supra Performance Junior Development |
–9 LAP |
84 |
Chris Henderson (USA) bike world performance cycling |
–12 LAP |
85 |
Shannon Himstedt (USA) Piedmont University |
–14 LAP |
86 |
Jeremy Peavey (USA) |
–18 LAP |
87 |
Christopher Ames (USA) |
–19 LAP |
88 |
Juan Sebastian Tamayo (Col) One Hart Racing - Nashville Local Cycling |
–40 LAP |
89 |
Chris Hall (USA) |
–41 LAP |
90 |
Benjamin DeJarnette (USA) |
–42 LAP |
91 |
Travis Sherman (USA) MOVEDADDY/Retirement-Income.GURU Racing |
–43 LAP |
92 |
Oscar Jimenez (USA) One Hart Racing |
–44 LAP |
93 |
Jaun Gutieerrez (USA) |
–47 LAP |
