While we’re missing Roanoke, VA, we’re laying the foundation for LA 2028—getting the hard work done at altitude. We’re in Colorado Springs this week for a special blend of racing and development: USA Cycling’s track development camp paired with a mini-camp for our international squad of Sofia Arreola (MEX), Rylee McMullen (NZL), and Marlies Mejias (CUBA). Add in the Friday Night Landis Tyson Cup Omnium (plus a 4k individual pursuit exhibition), and it’s been a full schedule rolling straight into the upcoming U.S. Elite National Track Championships.
But before all that action unfolded, race day threw us a curveball. During their pre-race spin earlier in the day, Rylee, Sofia, and Marlies hit a sandy patch of road and went down together returning with plenty of bruises and road rash. Marlies was unfortunately too banged up to start, but Rylee and Sofia lined up alongside their U.S. teammates from camp: Olivia Cummins, Bethany Ingram, Emily Ehrlich and Anna Hicks.
The evening began with what was billed as a exhibition IP “just for fun, I said to the riders…” —but let’s be honest, there’s nothing fun about a 4k pursuit at altitude! Still, it was the perfect way to get a pre-national’s test run in. Emily came out on top with a very small margin over Anna Hicks who raced her first individual pursuit. Bethany Ingram rode a solid race behind them. From there, the program rolled into a condensed Omnium: Scratch Race, Tempo Race, and Points Race.
On a personal note, it was such a highlight to reconnect with my friends and Olympic champions Jennifer Valente and Chloé Dygert as well as MTB stars Hayley Batten and Ruth Holcomb.
Up next Elite National Track Championships, Colorado Springs, CO
Race updates below! Thanks for reading, Nicola
Scratch Race – Omnium I
The Scratch set the tone for the evening, the pack rode a steady tempo and with 4 laps to go to Sofia found herself with a gap so she kept rolling. She was eventually reeled in but not before igniting the race. Olivia powered through to take the win, with Sofia hanging on for 3rd. “I just wanted to test my legs and see what I could make stick. Even though it didn’t go to the end, it felt good to race aggressively again,” said Sofia.
Results
- Olivia Cummins (USA) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Nafosat Kozieva (UZB) UCI CWT Sahand Pump Crown Tabriz
- Sofia Arreola (MEX) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Bethany Ingram (USA) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Laurel Rathburn (USA) L39ion of Los Angeles
Tempo Race – Omnium II
Next up was the Tempo, where every lap counts, and positioning is everything. The race strung out quickly, with Bethany and Anna riding aggressively to mark moves and pick up points. Rylee, nursing road rash, still managed to animate the chase and keep the pressure on, while Olivia followed an attack by the Kazakhstan rider, Nafosat Kozieva, the two stayed away for a number of laps. Olivia once again proved consistent in her lap-by-lap efforts and came out on top of the scoreboard.
Results
- Olivia Cummins (USA) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Nafosat Kozieva (UZB) UCI CWT Sahand Pump Crown Tabriz
- Sofia Arreola (MEX) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Bethany Ingram (USA) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Laurel Rathburn (USA) L39ion of Los Angeles
Points Race – Omnium III
The Omnium finale delivered fireworks. Sofia shook off the crash stiffness and attacked early to take points, while Rylee dug deep to cover counters. Anna Hicks launched an attack almost took the lap, but the race ran its course, while Anna crossed the line first the top points went to Olivia who again showed her consistency, scoring across multiple sprints and finishing the night as one of the standout riders of the program. Bethany also impressed, working to stay active and earn points in the closing laps.
“It was tough after the crash in the morning, but racing with this group gave me so much energy. We’re learning and building every time we hit the boards,” Sofia added.
Points Race Results
- Bethany Ingram (USA) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Rylee McMullen (NZL) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Sofia Arreola (MEX) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
- Omnium winner: Olivia Cummins (USA) UCI CWT Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
“I haven’t had much time on the track this year, so I didn’t go into Friday night with many expectations, I was just hoping to have fun racing again. I was excited and a little surprised to win both the scratch and tempo races, and in the points race I just focused on collecting points to try and hold onto the Omnium lead.” Commented Olivia. ” I managed to keep it and win overall. It was a great night of racing, and I’m looking forward to carrying the momentum into nationals later this week.”
Takeaway
Despite a rough start to race day, the squad showed resilience and fight—exactly what’s needed heading into Nationals. With international experience mixing alongside the U.S. development crew, the atmosphere in Colorado Springs has been electric. This block was the perfect steppingstone toward the U.S. Elite National Track Championships, and we’re excited to carry this momentum into the week ahead.
“For me, this week was a reminder of how much strength and determination these riders carry with them, even when the day doesn’t go as planned. Crashes, setbacks, and fatigue are part of the journey—but seeing them rise to the challenge together is what makes me so proud. This is exactly the kind of managing challenge experiences we’ll need on the road to LA 2028,” —Nicola Cranmer
U.S Track National Championships Daily Race & Awards Schedule
Spectators can expect four days of championship racing featuring the nation’s top cycling talent. The marquee events include:
- Thursday: Men’s Individual Pursuit, Women’s Keirin, Men’s Scratch Race, Women’s Omnium, Men’s Sprint.
- Friday: Women’s Individual Pursuit, Men’s Team Sprint, Women’s Scratch Race, Men’s Omnium, Women’s Sprint.
- Saturday: Men’s Time Trial, Women’s Team Sprint, Women’s Team Pursuit, Men’s Points Race, Women’s Elimination Race.
- Sunday: Women’s Time Trial, Men’s Team Pursuit, Women’s Points Race, Men’s Elimination Race, Men’s Keirin.
The full race schedule can be found here.
