USA Cycling today announced the five discretionary picks who will join Megan Guarnier on the Olympic Games road team later this summer in Rio, with Kristin Armstrong and Evelyn Steven slated to compete in the women's time trial, and Mara Abbott and Guarnier joining them to form a strong and experienced quartet for the road race. On the men's side, Taylor Phinney and Brent Bookwalter will compete in both the road race and time trial.
Guarnier earned an automatic selection by placing third last year at the world championships in Richmond. Olympic rules mandate that the riders who compete in the time trial must also compete in the road race.
“I think we have a really good team,” said Jim Miller, USA Cycling vice president of athletics. “We have really experienced teams with athletes who are at the age where they can realistically produce medals. We have a really experienced staff that has been together for a couple of quads, so I think we're in a good position to have the possibility of doing something exceptional. But this is the Olympic Games. Winning world titles is very difficult; winning Olympic titles is even more difficult. I think we're in a great position, but it is tough.”
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Following the withdrawal from consideration for the men's team by Tejay van Garderen and Andrew Talansky, Miller said, the selection process was fairly clear cut. Criteria established more than 18 months ago dictated that the time trial selections be prioritized over the road race, and with just two spots for the US, the time trial selections also comprised the entirety of the road race team.
“Had Tejay and had Talansky not withdrawn from consideration, then you have a serious conversation,” Miller said. “But when they do, then the conversation kind of goes away.”
Miller said USA Cycling began the selection process nearly two years ago under the pretense that it would have five spots for the road race, but that turned out not to be the case.
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