Prevailing in hard-fought battles against their closest rivals, Tom Zirbel and Carmen Small grabbed the stars and stripes national champions’ jerseys yesterday in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Optum/Kelly Benefit Strategies rider Zirbel scorched around the course in a time of 38 minutes 16.03 seconds, beating BMC Racing Team’s Brent Bookwalter by 17.28 seconds and Nathan Brown (Bontrager Cycling Team) by 41.10.
Brown’s team-mate Lawson Craddock (Bontrager Cycling Team) was less than a second further back in fourth.
Zirbel was understandably delighted to finally win the race. “It's been on my list since 2006, my first year as a pro,” he said afterwards. “I got close a lot of times and now I'm really excited to be able to wear the Stars-and-Stripes for a full year. This is definitely a career highlight. Getting this jersey pays off all the hard work from the team. It's their victory as well.”
Bookwalter said that he did everything he could to take the title, but that Zirbel was too strong on the day. “I went out aggressively like I had planned and was a little bit down after the first lap, but I was feeling good,” he stated. “So I was confident I could pull it back. I really emptied the tank and gave it everything I had on the second lap, but obviously Tom did too.”
Still, while it was frustrating to miss gold, he enjoyed the experience and appreciates the result. “No matter what the event is or what the discipline, the national championships are special,” he said. “I had more than a national championship-worthy spectator crew and cheering section. I was inspired by that and motivated.”
As for Brown, he had no regrets about bronze. “I knew these two guys [Zirbel and Bookwalter] had set faster first splits so I was just holding on hoping one of them messed up, but they both had great rides. I'm just happy to be up there with them. Third place is an honour.”
While Zirbel was one of those expected to contend for gold, Specialized lululemon rider Small admitted that she had some surprise about winning the women’s event. However she has made steady progression and taking the title is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication.
She edged out Kristin McGrath (Exergy TWENTY16) by 1.25 seconds and was 12.42 ahead of the bronze medallist, Alison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS).
Her team-mate Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), who had been impressive in winning the recent women’s time trial at the Tour of California, had to be content with fourth.
“I was so surprised to actually win today,” Small stated afterwards. “I knew I was ready to have a good ride and I hope I'd make it on the podium but I've never won gold before at Nationals and its really exciting.
“It was a beautiful course which suited me perfectly. The uphill drags were hard for me but the flat sections and downhill parts allowed me to hold my own. I've had a hard spring in Europe with the team. I did a lot of time on the front and in the gutter in the hard Dutch races which really prepared me for the power course that USA Cycling and VW put on for us today. I'm honoured to be able to wear the Stars and Stripes for the next year in time trial events.”
The men and women will be in action again on Monday for the road race championships.
USPRO national championships:
Men's Time Trial
1, Thomas Zirbel (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) 31 km in 38 mins 16.03
2, Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team) at 17.28
3, Nathan Brown (Bontrager Cycling Team) at 41.10
4, Lawson Craddock (Bontrager Cycling Team) at 41.88
5, Chad Haga (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 46.07
6, David Williams (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at mins 48.89
7, Matthew Busche (RadioShack Leopard) at 53.92
8, Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (Jamis-Hagens Berman) at 1 min 24.16
9, Scott Zwizanski (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 1 min 38.60
10, Joseph Rosskopf (Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) at 1 min 40.64
11, Ian Burnett (Jelly Belly Cycling) at 1 min 41.28
12, Nathaniel English (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at 1 min 46.78
13, Carter Jones (Bissell Cycling) at 1 min 57.84
14, Adrian Hegyvary (UnitedHealthcare) at 1 min 57.92
15, Benjamin Wolfe (Jelly Belly Cycling) at 2 mins 0.43
16, Robert Sweeting (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at 2 mins 5.16
17, Jason McCartney (Bissell Cycling) at 2 mins 14.60
18, Julian Kyer (Bissell Cycling) at 2 mins 16.42
19, Philip Mooney (Jamis-Hagens Berman) at 2 mins 17.80
20, Adam Farabaugh (Equipe Garneau - Quebecor) at 2 mins 27.82
21, Taylor Shelden (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at 2 mins 28.67
22, James Stemper (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at 2 mins 30.85
23, Phillip Gaimon (Bissell Cycling) at 2 mins 36.57
24, Andrew Baker (Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) at 2 mins 50.79
25, Mac Brennan (Bissell Cycling) at 3 mins 2.24
26, Oscar Clark (Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) at 3 mins 4.96
27, Christian Parrett (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at 3 mins 28.89
28, Benjamin Zawacki (Hincapie Sportswear Development Team) at 3 mins 49.17
29, Gregg Brandt (5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) at 5 mins 36.47
30, Robert Squire (Ceramica Flaminia - Fondriest) at 5 mins 40.61
Women's Time Trial
1, Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon) 31 km in 42 mins 37.70
2, Kristin McGrath (Exergy TWENTY16) at 1.25
3, Alison Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 12.42
4, Evelyn Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) at 41.14
5, Jade Wilcoxson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 44.53
6, Jacquelyn Crowell (Exergy TWENTY16) at 45.64
7, Janel Holcomb (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 1 min 1.33
8, Tayler Wiles (Specialized-lululemon) at 1 min 10.81
9, Jessica Cutler (Vanderkitten) at 1 min 26.33
10, Brianna Walle (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 1 min 37.34
11, Molly Van Houweling (Metromint Cycling) at 1 min 37.74
12, Robin Farina (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 1 min 47.28
13, Jamie Bookwalter (Colavita-Fine Cooking) at 1 min 53.25
14, Kaitlin Antonneau (Exergy TWENTY16) at 1 min 55.10
15, Megan Guarnier (Rabobank Liv/Giant) at 1 min 58.28
16, Amanda Miller (Team TIBCO/To the Top) at 2 mins 0.38
17, Mara Abbott (Exergy TWENTY16) at 2 mins 1.64
18, Alison Tetrick (Exergy TWENTY16) at 2 mins 26.91
19, Andrea Dvorak (Exergy TWENTY16) at 2 mins 30.62
20, Jessica Prinner (CARE4CYCLING p/b Solomon Corp) at 2 mins 33.25
21, Maura Kinsella (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 2 mins 34.93
22, Lauren Hall (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 2 mins 45.89
23, Ruth Winder (Vanderkitten) at 2 mins 52.70
24, Devon Gorry (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 3 mins 4.75
25, Ally Stacher (Specialized-lululemon) at 3 mins 8.78
26, Amber Gaffney (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) at 3 mins 43.95
27, Elizabeth Newell (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 3 mins 54.65
28, Amy Charity (Vanderkitten) at 4 mins 18.82
29, Kirsten Sass (Team Gran Fondo) at 4 mins 25.89
30, Katie Ryan (Team Belladium) at 4 mins 36.71
31, Irena Ossola (Team Kenda p/b RACC) at 4 mins 39.38
32, Amy Phillips (Hub Endurance Women's Cycling Team) at 4 mins 40.27
33, Sara Clafferty (Pinnacle p/b Argon 18) at 4 mins 43.52
34, Addyson Albershardt (Pasta Zara-Cogeas) at 5 mins 19.44
35, Kathryn Donovan (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 5 mins 28.91
36, Melinda Spratt (Louis Garneau Factory Team p/b Fuji) at 5 mins 45.96
37, Rebecca Clark (Healthy Living/Lakeland Endurance Company) at 5 mins 58.35
38, Amanda Ragle (Team Belladium) at 6 mins 27.51
39, Alexis Ryan (NOW and Novartis for MS) at 6 mins 32.60
40, Catherine Dewberry (Team Belladium) at 7 mins 20.23
41, Christina Birch (I AM Racing) at 8 mins 6.84
42, Jennifer Schuble (I AM Racing) at 8 mins 18.53