Wisconsin riders Huang, Schneider add national titles

While local cycling fans focused on the pro races at home, Sarah Huang and Skylar Schneider raced to five victories in the USA Cycling Junior National Championships, in Augusta, Ga.

Huang, from Kenosha, swept the road race, time trial and criterium races in the 15-16 group, in a three-day run that started on Wednesday. Riding for Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc., she built her collection of stars and stripes jerseys to seven, including wins in cyclo-cross and track racing.

She got her start on the Washington Park Velodrome and showed the sprinter skills honed on the banked oval, particularly in the five-lap criterium.

The 28 starters rode mostly together for the five-lap affair, with a lead bunch of heavy hitters separating themselves with around a kilometer remaining. Huang found herself second-wheel after the final turn and was able to punch it up the slight incline to take home the stars and stripes.

Another local rider, Corrie Osborne of Mequon, followed Huang across the line to take a silver medal.

Schneider, 13, from West Allis, took gold in the road race and the criterium, and kept pace with her older sister, Samantha, a multiple national champion.

Samantha added another stellar showing, with a 10th place in the elite women's road race and a victory in the U23 category.

Like Huang, Skylar Schneider has already developed a veteran's knack for finding the line first.

"I really focused on my sprint, where to start, where to kick it in and I think that really helped out a lot," Schneider said. "(Each of my national titles) feel good because I trained a lot, really work hard with my sister, Sam - she's helped a lot, my Team TIBCO and my mentor Meredith Miller."

After the criterium, "it means a lot for me to win another national title," explained Schneider, who has lost only one national championship race entered. "I do a lot of training against women, and then you come here and the juniors are just as good, so it's a feat."

Also at the junior nationals, Jordan Cullen, from Hudson, took home a silver medal in the time trial in the 15-16 group.

Skylar Schneider wins the USA Cycling Nationals 13-14 Road Race. Photo by Johnathan Devich/USA Cycling

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