Making Team USA for the Paris Olympics has been an uphill battle for Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale), however the Alaskan isn’t giving up but.
On Wednesday, Faulkner got here in need of incomes an computerized bid for the Olympics within the particular person time trial when she got here second to triathlete Taylor Knibb, who claimed the ticket to Paris, by 11 seconds.
Knibb will be part of world champion Chloé Dygert within the Olympic Games time trial, and, usually, each would additionally compete within the highway race. However, Knibb has by no means competed in a global highway biking occasion and solely met the requirement to have at the least 10 UCI factors by her victory within the time trial.
Given Knibb’s lack of expertise racing in a peloton and her concentrate on two different occasions, particular person and blended relay triathlon, she is probably not your best option to symbolize the nation within the highway race.
There remains to be a small probability Faulkner or maybe Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) could possibly be on the beginning line for the highway race in Paris, based on USA Cycling Chief of Sport Performance Jim Miller, who instructed Cyclingnews that Knibb may decline her place within the highway race and get replaced by one other athlete already chosen for the Olympics in biking, both for the monitor or mountain bike occasions.
To make the group, Faulkner has taken to the boards to attempt to get on the ladies’s group pursuit squad.
“I’d prefer to go for both monitor or roads. So only one factor at a time proper now,” Faulkner stated after profitable the highway race title in Charleston, West Virginia on Sunday.
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“I am going to a monitor camp for Team Pursuit in Belgium on the finish of the month, and I’ll be there for 2 to 3 weeks. And then after that, they’re going to choose the ultimate group that they are taking to Paris.”
Faulkner has been making ready for the problem all yr, doing her first group pursuit on the Nations Cup in Adelaide with Olympic Omnium gold medalist Jen Valente, Lily Williams and Olivia Cummins, ending fifth.
“It went rather well,” Faulkner stated. “It wasn’t the entire members that may go to Paris, as a result of it was some had been lacking due to harm and stuff, however there have been positively folks there who’re prone to be on the ultimate group.
“I preferred it much more than I assumed I’d,” she stated of racing the monitor. “This season, my form of sub-five minute energy has actually been my energy, and I believe that actually comes throughout within the group pursuit effort.
“I additionally spent quite a lot of time on my TT bike this yr, which actually helps with Team Pursuit, and so I really feel prefer it actually performs to my strengths, and I’m simply getting higher and higher.”
Knibb’s computerized choice knocks riders like nationals silver medalist Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health), bronze medalist Coryn Labecki (EF Education-Cannondale) or fourth-placed Lauren Stephens (Cynisca), who aren’t making an attempt to make the monitor group, since a substitute for Knibb has to come back from an athlete already on Team USA in one other occasion.
“We solely have two spots for the US this yr, and I am unable to complain about that, as a result of I’ve not been racing the previous few years to assist safe extra spots for the US,” Edwards stated.
“The approach that USA Cycling selects the athletes is a bit completely different each single yr, and there was rather a lot weighted on that point trial,” she stated, having taken fourth within the TT.
“I’m not precisely certain what is going on to occur subsequent, as a result of there’s quite a lot of athletes which might be doing monitor. The Olympics are at all times a aim, however I’m fortunate sufficient that I’ve been earlier than twice. I’d have liked to go once more this time, however at this level, I’m undecided what it is trying like.”