Coryn Rivera is the new USA road race champion after winning the sprint contested by a reduced group in Knoxville. The Team Sunweb rider beat Megan Guarnier Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team) into second with Emma White (Rally Cycling Women) taking third.
It was the first national senior road race title for Rivera, who has come close to the win in the past number of years, finishing second in 2015, 2016 and last year. This year, she was helped in her bid for victory by her Team Sunweb team-mate Ruth Winder and Rivera expressed her gratitude afterwards.
Rivera said: “This was a race of attrition and patience and the win means the world to me. I had a team mate here which made the biggest difference. At the end of the day this is a team sport and I couldn’t have done this on my own. I’m absolutely ecstatic; it’s been a long time coming and I’m really happy to take the win now. After all of the hard work that me and Ruth put in through the race it’s great that I could finish it off.”
Team Sunweb coach Hans Timmermans said: “Yesterday we had a meeting with myself, Coryn and Ruth to create the plan and we also had contact during the race. We had planned to stay calm, not to interfere too much during the race, and to wait until the final until we made the race. Ruth did a great job – she rode fantastically, was always in control and made sure Coryn didn’t have to do anything.
“In the final Coryn followed an attack and then counter attacked to take the win. It was a brilliant job with two girls in the race, we worked perfectly as a team together and we really have to compliment Ruth who sacrificed her own chances for Coryn and the team goal.”
1 Rivera Coryn Team Sunweb 50 10 3:17:30
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