Magner, Ganzar win USA Cycling criterium championships

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, June 23, (AP): Ty Magner didn’t need to go very far to get some wisdom and encouragement before starting the men’s criterium race as USA Cycling’s national championships.

One teammate, Brad Huff, won two years ago. Another, Eric Young, is a former two-time champ.

So when the pace picked up in the final laps of the 1.1-mile circuit in downtown Knoxville on Friday night, it made sense that Magner looked to his teammates to keep him out of trouble.

And after navigating a sketchy final five laps, the Rally Cycling rider had enough to win the event for himself.

Magner held off Young in a sprint to the finish to make it a 1-2 finish for their team, while Samuel Bassetti of Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling finished fast to take third.

In the women’s race, former collegiate runner Leigh Ann Ganzar pulled off a massive upset when she joined Kelly Catlin and Jennifer Luebke in a breakaway on the penultimate lap. Ganzar then held off Catlin in a side-by-side sprint to win the biggest race of her young career.

USA Cycling decided to move the criterium championships to the same venue and time as time trial and road race nationals this year, creating a packed weekend of racing. The time trial on Thursday got things going, and the road race beginning and ending in downtown Knoxville concludes the weekend Sunday.