UCI C2 Summer Slam Week 2 Continued Momentum

Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 headed to the second weekend of UCI C2 Summer Slam and the event delivered another important block of track racing, and we are grateful to Travis Smith and his entire team for hosting such a valuable weekend of competition. These race opportunities matter, especially as athletes continue building form, confidence, and UCI points through the summer. A big thank you as well to Doug Martin for capturing photos along the way and helping tell the story of the weekend.

Anna Hicks really came into her own this weekend, taking the win in the Omnium. Having only started racing on the track about a year ago, Anna is progressing quickly and showing just how naturally she is adapting to the discipline. It was a standout weekend and a strong sign of the exciting progress she continues to make.

Marlies Mejías was the picture of consistency, never missing the podium across the weekend. She took the win in the Points Race, finished second in both the Omnium and Elimination, and added third in the Scratch Race. While not every race was perfect, the consistency and point-scoring were exactly what we needed from this block.

Rylee McMullen was consistently at the pointy end of the field, racing aggressively and staying present in the key moments finishing in bronze position in the omnium, while Sofía Arreola battled through feeling under the weather before opting out of the final day.

Full story here: https://conta.cc/4y7Hgmx

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Day 2 - OMNIUM - VBR TWENTY28 Podium sweep

Gold - Anna Hicks (USA) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Silver - Marlies Mejias Garcia (CUB) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Bronze - Rylee McMullen (AUS) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

“The omnium marked huge progress for me! While I’ve been working on my bunch racing skills, I had yet to put it all together across an omnium. Last weekend I intentionally focused on improving weaknesses which showed in my results on Saturday. The racing was aggressive from the start, making the tempo race and elimination races fast which suited me well. I was leading into the points race and was able to protect my lead by securing sprint points. I was excited to take the win racing a different strategy than I’ve relied on in the past!” - Anna Hicks

“Of course I’m happy to come away with the silver medal, but I also know I made a few mistakes throughout the Omnium that cost me important points. In an event like this, every decision matters. With four races across the day and strong competition in each one, you have to stay focused, recover quickly, and make good tactical choices every time you line up. I was really happy to see Anna race so well. She has made incredible progress, especially considering this was only her third Omnium. She rode with confidence, stayed consistent, and really earned that gold medal. Rylee took the bronze medal. Sharing the podium with teammates is always special, and I’m proud of the results." - Marlies Mejias

“It was another great weekend of racing in Los Angeles. The racing was challenging, fast, and exactly the kind of environment where you continue to learn every time you line up. Track racing rewards experience, timing, and decision-making, and weekends like this are so valuable for continuing to build those skills. I was happy to take the bronze in the omnium behind two teammates. A big thank you to Velo Sports Center and everyone involved with Summer Slam for creating such a strong race opportunity.” - Rylee McMullen

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Day 3 - Points Race Final

Gold - Marlies Mejias Garcia (CUB) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Silver - Chloe Patrick (USA) Caldera Medical

Bronze - Reagan Pattishall (USA) Pickle Juice

“I definitely felt the fatigue after two full weekends of racing, but I was very happy to finish the block with a win in the Points Race. Track racing is such a complex discipline, and it is astounding how much there is still to learn every time you line up. There really is no substitute for getting out there, racing, making decisions under pressure, and continuing to build that experience. A big thank you to Travis and everyone at Velo Sports Center for creating the Summer Slam race series and giving us these important opportunities to race.” - Marlies Mejias