Alexey Vermeulen has been angling for a time trial spot on USA Cycling's UCI Road World Championships teams for years, but the 21-year-old American never expected his first shot at the race of truth would come in the elite men's race.
That's the case for Vermeulen this year, however, as the LottoNL-Jumbo rider caps his first WorldTour season with starts in both Wednesday's individual time trial and Sunday's road race.
"I've been trying my whole career to get a spot in the Worlds time trial, so I just think it's kind funny that my first professional year I get to do it," Vermeulen told Cyclingnews by phone last week. "Every year I was like, 'Hey, Billy Innes [USA Cycling Junior program director – ed.], I want to do the junior time trial, I want to do the U23 time trial.' And always I was first reserve, so it's kind of funny that this is my first Worlds time trial."
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Vermeulen could have competed in the U23 race because of rule changes that made younger WorldTour riders eligible for the U23 race if they've never before competed in the elite events, but the USA Cycling selection committee chose him as a discretionary pick for the elite race instead. Vermeulen said he wasn't really surprised by their decision.
"I knew there was a chance for a while because every Olympic year there are some guys who might want to opt out or are less motivated to go that late in the year," he said. "After nationals I knew I was on that long list, so I just kept working and I'm really happy to get the nod."
Vermuelen got "the nod" for the road race last last week when Kiel Reijnen dropped off the US roster as he and his wife await the birth of their first child. Vermeulen said he wasn't surprised by the late call-up.
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