27-05-2025
Who are Kristen Faulkner and Quinn Simmons? Winners of USA Cycling Pro Road Nationals
Kristen Faulkner and Quinn Simmons won Elite Road Race National Titles on the final day of the 2025 Pro Road National Championships.
Faulkner won the US national road championship in Charleston, West Virginia, for the second time in a row.
'I had a slow start to the season just coming back from an injury so this season started very differently from last year,' Faulkner stated, as per EF Pro Cycling Pro Team. 'This was the first race where I really felt strong and I really wanted to win. I've loved having the jersey, especially with the gold Olympic bands, and so I feel like this race was the first race where I could really come back and set the tone for the rest of the season.'
With no EF Education-Oatly colleagues in the group, Faulkner knew she had to race with strategy. For the first five laps, she raced cautiously and stayed with the group. She only launched an attack and caught the breakaway when the race was in its final kilometers.
Faulkner kicked in the final straight to get closer to Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation). The reigning champion triumphed by a bike length after charging to the finish.
After suffering a concussion during the off-season, Kristen's 2025 racing season began later than anticipated. Despite having less than a dozen racing days prior to the national championships, she maintained her confidence and understood not to take anything for granted.
She remarked, 'It's such an honor to wear the Stars and Stripes again.'
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Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly)
Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation)
Katherine Sarkisov (CCB p/b Levine Law Group)
Galen Bolard (Competitive Edge Racing)
Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling Guild)
Quinn Simmons led the US nationals in Charleston by himself on Monday, putting on an incredible performance to win gold.
The Lidl-Trek rider, who claimed the title in 2023, will wear the stars and stripes jersey for the upcoming year after a strong solo performance.
He was aggressive in the beginning of the race and was more than a minute ahead of a six-man group at the halfway point.
'I think the worlds highlighted that I was getting back to my level,' Simmons said. 'Then I had a really good spring this season, winning my first WorldTour race, and now I have my jersey back.'
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
Evan Boyle (Hagens Berman Jayco)
Gavin Hlady (EF Education-Aevolo)
Tyler Stites (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
Marcis Shelton (Team California p/b Verge)
