USA Cycling announces road race team for Paris that will try to end 40-year Olympic medal drought

Magnus Sheffield and Matteo Jorgenson will join Brandon McNulty on the USA cycling team for the Paris Olympics, giving the American contingent perhaps its best chance in four decades to win a road race medal.

McNulty had already qualified for the team by winning the national time trial championship earlier this year. The big question was who would join him. USA Cycling had to weigh which of its potential riders would be on the starting line for the Tour de France on June 29, then choose the team best suited for the Olympic course that begins and ends in Paris.

The announcement came on Friday, five weeks before the opening ceremony.

“Going to the Olympics was one of my biggest goals growing up,” Sheffield said. “I’m incredibly proud to represent the USA in Paris, as well as all the people who have helped me along the way. I don’t think it will fully sink in until I get there.”

Chloe Dygert and Taylor Knibb have already secured their two women’s spots on the team. Dygert won the world time trial title to earn an automatic nomination, while Knibb was a surprise winner of the US time trial championship to earn his spot.

Both will be busy in Paris. Along with the road race and time trial, in which Dygert will be heavily favored to win gold, she will later compete in the velodrome at the Olympics as part of the US pursuit team. Knibb had already qualified for the Paris Games in the triathlon before making the cycling team; she finished 16th in the event at the Tokyo Games.

“I am very honored, grateful and excited for the opportunity to represent Team USA with USA Cycling,” said Knibb. “It would not have been possible without the support of my amazing family, friends, coaches, manager, sponsors and USA Triathlon.

“Cycling has a very steep learning curve,” she added, “and I’m both excited and nervous about what’s to come.”

The US has struggled in the road race since the 1984 Los Angeles Games, when Alexi Grewal won the men’s race and Connie Carpenter and Rebecca Twig went one-two in the women’s event. Meanwhile, European countries dominated the medals table, although Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz used a stunning attack to win a surprise gold in Tokyo.

But the UCI, which governs international cycling, has changed its quota system for the Olympics in a bid to achieve gender parity in all events. That means a much smaller number of riders in the men’s race – 90 instead of the 130 that started in Tokyo – and that increases the possibility that a team like the USA will make a statement at the finish.

Anyway, McNulty almost did it in Tokyo. He attacked with Carapaz with about 15 miles (25 kilometers) left in the race, although he was unable to stay with him. Carapaz pulled away from him with about three miles to go and McNulty moved up to sixth.

“This top result – sixth in the road race – motivates me even more,” said McNulty. “The race was super aggressive. I relive it all the time. At home, in Arizona and Girona, (Italy), I’m already training, focusing 100% on Paris.”

McNulty had a strong season. He was the overall winner at a race in Spain, won time trial stages at the Tour of the United Arab Emirates and the Tour of Romandie and finished third overall at the prestigious Paris-Nice race which Jorgenson won.

Sheffield, 22, is the least experienced rider on Team USA, but already has some big results to his name. Two years ago, he won the Brabantse Pijl, one of Flanders’ premier one-day races—a first for an American in more than a decade.

Jorgenson made a name for himself at last year’s Tour de France, where he was active in several breakaways and almost won on the summit of the Puy de Dôme. The 24-year-old was even better this year, winning the Dwars door Vlaanderen and finishing second in the Criterium du Dauphine against a field that included some of the biggest names in the sport.

“The Olympics have always been a part of my childhood,” he said. “I remember spending entire summers watching sports I had never heard of and admiring the athletes. It definitely had a big effect on me and was one of the reasons why I decided to pursue a career as a professional athlete. the race in Paris, especially after the best year of my career, is a dream come true.”