Sabo and Cummins National Collegiate Champions
I’m a little behind on this Collegiate Nationals update — house projects have kept me busy. In November, I bought a 100-year-old home just half a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway, on the border of Roanoke City and Roanoke County. It’s quiet, peaceful, and a welcome contrast to the high energy of race weeks. Not sure it’s a forever home (what is?), but for now, it’s just right.
It’s a privilege to run a bike team — a space where women and girls pursue bold goals, build camaraderie, and learn to navigate the personalities that come with high performance. College cycling mirrors that environment. Just 20 minutes from my doorstep, Shelley Olds is doing an outstanding job leading the Roanoke College Cycling Team, where student-athletes juggle academics and training — not an easy balance in a sport that demands so much time. Roanoke College claimed the top spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s A Division, led by Aunika Kemp, and secured second place in the Men’s A Division with a strong season from Jensen Cervati — finishing as the top overall varsity program in the conference. Whether run as varsity programs with institutional support or as student-led clubs, collegiate cycling teams are essential in developing the next generation of riders. This year’s Collegiate Nationals showcased just how much talent is emerging through these channels. You find out more about collegiate cycling head to USA Cycling
Meanwhile, our Zwift esports team continues to lead. We were the first UCI team to enter the Zwift Pro-Am scene in 2019, and six years later, Kristen Kulchinsky is still dominating leaderboards — and setting real-world hill climb records, too. A perfect example of virtual racing complementing elite performance.
Next up: U.S. Pro Road National Championships in Charleston, WV, where we’ll see a separate U23 women’s category for the first time. We’re also supporting our 17-18 juniors, while three of our international riders head to Gears and Guitars in Winston-Salem. After Nationals, we’ll regroup in Roanoke for training and community before heading to the Armed Forces Classic in Arlington, VA.
Ella Sabo Race Notes
Gold Team Pursuit - COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY
Bronze Varsity Road Race - COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY
5th Individual Omnium - Ella Sabo
“I’m very happy with how my first collegiate road nationals turned out! We kicked off the weekend with the Team Time Trial—a notoriously grueling event—but my teammates and I dug deep and rode our hearts out to take the win!
The road race started off chaotic, with several crashes early on, but I managed to find myself in the winning break alongside two teammates. We rode hard and my teammate and I sprinted to second and third.
In the crit, I had the dual role of sprinting for omnium bonus seconds and helping lead out the team. Although Olivia went down in a crash, we still secured the win for another teammate
By the end of the weekend, I placed 5th in the individual omnium, and CMU claimed both the team overall title for the weekend and the season-long overall across all disciplines. It was a great experience, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished!”
