Three American Riders Finish in the Top 20 of the Elite Men’s Road Race at the 2024 UCI Road World Championships

ZURICH, Switzerland – September 29, 2024 – The 2024 UCI Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland, concluded on Sunday with the highly anticipated Elite Men’s Road Race. Riders faced a challenging 273.9 kilometer course, which included seven laps of the technical Zurich circuit. Team USA was represented by eight riders: Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Visma – Lease A Bike), Brandon McNulty (Phoenix, Ariz.; Team UAE), Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif.; EF Education-EasyPost), Riley Sheehan (Boulder, Colo.; Israel – Premier Tech), Magnus Sheffield (Pittsford, N.Y.; Ineos Grenadiers), Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lidl-Trek), Kevin Vermaerke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), and Larry Warbasse (Traverse City, Mich.; Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team).

Kevin Vermaerke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) finished 19th.

On the final day of the World Championships, Zurich finally saw clear skies and ideal racing conditions. 154 riders lined up to compete for the rainbow jersey. Early in the race, Poland initiated the first attack, which American rider Sheehan followed. The peloton quickly brought them back. Shortly after, a group of six riders – Silvan Dillier (SUI), Tobias Svendsen Foss (NOR), Rui Filipe Alves Oliveira (POR), Piotr Pekala (POL), Simon Geschke (GER), and Luc Wirtgen (LUX) – formed a breakaway, building a gap of nearly five minutes.

Riley Sheehan (Boulder, Colo.; Israel – Premier Tech) was an early animator.

With 126 kilometers remaining, 10 riders launched an attack on the climb, which included Vermaerke. The two breakaway groups merged just after the halfway point of the race. Simmons launched an attack on the Witikon climb in an attempt to reach his teammate. Race favorite Tadej Pogacar (SLO) responded, dropping Simmons. Pogacar then rode with teammate Jan Tratnik (SLO) and joined the break.

Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho; Visma – Lease A Bike).

At 77.6 kilometers to go, Pogacar attacked the break and rode off the front with one other rider. Back at the peloton, Powless put in a big effort to work his way to the front of the race, but Belgium quickly responded. The chase dwindled to 16 riders with Vermaerke, Simmons, and Jorgenson all still in it.

Quinn Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Lidl-Trek) was top American in 9th place.

The climbs continued to challenge riders, leading to the formation of multiple chase groups. With 12 kilometers remaining Pogacar maintained his lead, with a group of seven riders trailing him by less than a minute. By the time he had reached the finish straight Pogacar was confident he would secure the jersey. He crossed the finish line in first place, nearly 30 seconds ahead of Ben O’Connor (AUS), who claimed second, while Mathieu van der Poel (NED) sprinted in for third. Simmons was the top American finisher in ninth place, followed by McNulty in 17th, Vermaerke in 19th, Jorgenson in 34th, Powless in 39th, Sheffield in 47th, and Warbasse in 70th.

3. Mathieu van der Poel (NED)

17. Brandon McNulty (USA)

19. Kevin Vermaerke (USA)

34. Matteo Jorgenson (USA)

39. Neilson Powless (USA)

47. Magnus Sheffield (USA)

DNF – Riley Sheehan (USA)

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, gravel, BMX, and esports. USA Cycling’s mission is to grow participation and engagement with the sport of bicycle racing and achieve sustained international success across all cycling disciplines. USA Cycling supports cyclists of all levels and abilities, from those just beginning in the sport to international caliber athletes. The organization identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition through the support of youth and interscholastic programs, amateur and grassroots bike racing events, athlete development programs, and operational support for cycling clubs, racing teams, and event organizers. USA Cycling has a membership of 80,000, sanctions over 2,500 events annually, and is a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).