In any sport or organisation, there comes a time when the older and more experienced must move aside and make way for the younger generation to take the reins. US women’s road cycling at the moment is undergoing its own changes, with several of its top stars on their way out.
Kristin Armstrong, Mara Abbott and Evelyn Stevens have all hung up their racing wheels, while the future of Shelley Olds remains uncertain. Carmen Small will still be racing in 2017, but it won’t be full-time as she begins her transition into a director sportif role. Amber Neben is also due to take a bit of a step back from racing, targeting fewer road races in 2017 as she focuses on other challenges.
Between them, Stevens, Abbott, Small and Neben contributed 1,714.5 UCI points to the US total of 2,900.5, which saw them take second in the rankings for the first time. A strong Giro Rosa and team time trial success with Boels Dolmans at the World Championships boosted Stevens into the top 15, while Small was just a few places behind, despite missing selection for the Olympic Games.
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While she didn’t contribute to the team’s final total [as only the top five riders can] in 2016, Armstrong also enjoyed a strong season that included second overall at the Tour of California and culminated in her third consecutive Olympic time trial gold. She hasn’t officially used the retirement word but said ahead of the Olympics that she planned to focus on her job as Director of Community Health for Saint Luke's Hospital in Boise, Idaho next season.
All of them have during their careers helped push the country up the UCI’s nation standings. The departure of so much knowledge in one-fell-swoop is bound to leave a bit of a hole, so who does USA Cycling have to look to on the road in 2017 and beyond?
All the experience isn’t totally disappearing, with 31-year-old WorldTour winner Megan Guarnier continuing to lead the way for the North American nation. Guarnier dominated the 2016 season from almost start to finish with overall victories at the Tour of California and the Giro Rosa, and one-day wins at the US national championships, the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.
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