Podium Sweep at US Track National Championships

Elite Individual Pursuit

Gold - Anna Hicks (USA) — UCI CTW Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Silver - Ella Sabo (USA) — UCI CTW Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Bronze - Bethany Ingram (USA) — UCI CTW Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28



U23 Individual Pursuit

Gold - Ella Sabo (USA) — UCI CTW Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28

The Individual Pursuit is one of track cycling’s purest tests: a race against the clock that demands not only power, but precise pacing, discipline and the ability to hold an aerodynamic position at speed. To be fair, we had not yet had the opportunity to properly set the athletes up and test them in pursuit positions on their STROMM bikes, but with some last-minute adjustments, we were ready to go.

Three of our riders lined up and they swept the podium. Bethany Ingram, still recovering from a bee sting to the face, powered her way to bronze. Ella Sabo, riding only the second individual pursuit of her career, delivered an impressive silver. Anna Hicks put together a beautifully paced ride to take the national title and gold. A pretty special 1-2-3 for the team.

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Back in Roanoke for two days with the Blue Ridge in view again, I’ve had a little time to reflect on another USA Cycling Track National Championships and why this event still matters so much to our program.

Track has been part of this team’s DNA from the beginning. Before we were a UCI road team, we were a UCI track trade and development team, working with young riders like Ruth Winder, Coryn Rivera and Jennifer Valente. Jennifer joined us as a junior and returned to Track Nationals year after year on her way to becoming one of the most accomplished track cyclists in American history.

That legacy is about more than medals. It is about showing up, supporting the championship, investing in the discipline and helping create the next generation.

This year Anna Hicks, Bethany Ingram, Olivia Cummins and track newcomer Ella Sabo took on the Velo Sports Center in Carson, future home of the LA28 Olympic track events. They also rolled onto the boards aboard our STROMM Trakk bikes, purpose-built for the demands of the velodrome: stiff, responsive and designed for speed. Each rider arrived with different experience and goals, but all four gave everything they had. Ella’s first real dive into championship track racing was especially impressive: two U23 national titles, an elite national title and an elite silver medal. And rumor has it, she had a pretty good time doing it. :)

Women’s track cycling has been one of USA Cycling’s strongest Olympic medal-producing disciplines, and we believe there is a responsibility that comes with that success. There is real momentum at the grassroots level, especially among junior girls. Now we want to help build the bridge between discovering the bike and discovering the track.

The velodrome can look intimidating from the outside, but once a young rider gets on it, a whole new side of cycling opens up: speed, tactics, teamwork, skill and opportunity.

That is why we keep coming back. Yes, we want to race fast and win championships. But we also want to keep growing the discipline that has given so much to this team and to American women’s cycling.

Full story here: https://conta.cc/3SaM5vm