Jorgensen joins Vingegaard and Van Aert in skipping Worlds
The United States will be without some big names at the World Championships in Rwanda next month as Brandon McNulty, Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless and Kristen Faulkner have all declined selection.
Brandon McNulty, Matteo Jorgenson, Neilson Powless and Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner have declined their nominations to ride for the United States in the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda next month.
In Faulkner’s absence, the USA will line up with just two riders in the elite women’s road race, Chloe Dygert and Ruth Edwards. Both Dygert and Edwards will also participate in the individual time trial.
Quinn Simmons will lead the line for the USA in the elite men’s road race. The American champion will be joined in a six-man team by Will Barta, Magnus Sheffield, Luke Lamperti, Kevin Vermaerke and Larry Warbasse. Sheffield and Barta will also double up in the individual time trial.
USA Cycling confirmed that McNulty, Jorgenson, Powless, Faulkner, US women’s time trial champion Chloe Patrick and under-23 riders Owen Cole and Gavin Hlady had all declined their nominations to participate in the Rwanda Worlds.
The on-form McNulty won the recent Tour de Pologne but the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider confirmed to Domestique in Poland that he would not ride the Worlds. His season will end at the CRO Tour in October. Jorgenson is currently in action at the Vuelta a España for Visma | Lease a Bike. Faulkner hasn't raced since she abandoned the Tour de France Femmes due to fatigue.
The United States will line up with just two riders in the under-23 men’s road race – Evan Boyle and Cole Kessler – though they will have four in the inaugural under-23 women’s road race, including Ella Sabo.
The United States is the latest nation to confirm a reduced delegation for the Rwanda Worlds after Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Ireland.
McNulty, Jorgenson, Powless and Faulkner, meanwhile, join the long list of top riders who have opted against making the journey to Rwanda. Mathieu van der Poel, Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert are among the riders to have ruled out racing in Kigali, though Tour de France Femmes winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot this week backtracked on her decision not to race. Tadej Pogacar has signalled that he will defend his world title, while Remco Evenepoel is also set to compete.
The first road World Championships in Africa will take place from September 21-28 in Kigali on a demanding parcours. The elite men’s road race features some 6,000m of total elevation, while the women’s race has 3,676m across its 164.6km.
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