National championship bronze left two HTC-Highroad riders ahead of Olympic champion
Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12) has been replaced in the United States team for the World championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, next week after a protest from teammate Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad). The 38-year-old Olympic champion was due to be competing in both the road race and time trial, along with national champion Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad); Neben reportedly argued that, since she had finished ahead of Armstrong in the national championships – finishing just fractions slower than teammate Stevens – that it should be her that took the second place.
"After USA Cycling announced its team selection on September 2, 2011 for the Road World Championships in Copenhagen, a protest was filed concerning the selection for the women’s individual time trial," reads a statement from USA Cycling. "Following consideration of the protest USA Cycling's Selection Committee reconvened and, after further review, named Amber Neben as the discretionary nominee to compete in the women's time trial alongside Evelyn Stevens, an earlier announced automatic qualifier based on her time trial win at the national championships. Ms. Neben will fill the spot originally awarded to Kristin Armstrong."
Armstrong was World champion in 2006 in Salzburg, Austria, before winning the Olympic title in Beijing, China, in 2008. Neben took the Worlds time trial that year though, in Varese, Italy, beating Armstrong into fifth place, only for Armstrong to retake the title in Mendrisio, Switzerland the following year.
Having taken the time trial, Armstrong finished fourth in the road race a few days later, having been part of the winning move, and retired after the race. Having given birth to her first child last year though, Armstrong returned to the sport with the intention of defending her Olympic title in London next year.
"I landed in Denmark to only find out that I had been replaced," Armstrong told AP via email. "Three hours later in the airport I am on my way home."
Since she is now flying back to the US, the resident of Boise, Idaho, will likely not be competing in the road race either.
This season Armstrong has been riding an entirely domestic season with Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12, winning three stages and the overall at the Sea Otter Classic. Neben on the other hand, has had a far more international programme with HTC-Highroad; early in the season the 36-year-old won both the San Dimas Stage race and Redlands Classic, was a member of the victorious HTC-Highroad team at the Open de Suede Vårgårda World Cup team time trial, and recently finished third in the Memorial Fardelli time trial and second in the Chrono Champenois.
As a two-time World champion, and reigning Olympic champion, Armstrong was confident of taking a podium place in the Copenhagen time trial, which would have given her automatic qualification for London next summer. She will now be presented with the rather more complicated task of qualifying through races next season.