Kate Courtney is crowned U.S. Road Champion

The world champion of XCM and one of the great references of American MTB, Kate Courtney, has just added a title as unexpected as it is prestigious to her collection. The She Sends Racing rider was crowned United States road champion after defeating Lauren Stephens in an exciting finish between two riders in Charleston (West Virginia) this Sunday.

Kate Courtney conquers the United States Road Championship and adds an unexpected national jersey to her palmarès

Courtney, who barely debuted on the road a few weeks ago, surprised the specialists of the discipline with a very solid performance and perfect tactical resolution in the final kilometers to take the victory after 113.8 kilometers of competition.

The race was decided after a long chase of Paige Onweller (Trek-Driftless), a gravel specialist who was the protagonist of the day's great escape. Onweller managed to ride solo for more than 77 kilometers and had a lead of over three minutes on the peloton.

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However, the final selection began to form in the last laps of the Charleston circuit, where the Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment team intensified the race. Courtney personally responded on the most demanding climbs to reduce gaps and provoke a selection that ultimately left Lauren Stephens, Grace Arlandson, Jamie Chapman, Ashley Frye, Kira Payer, and the MTB rider herself at the front.

In the final ascent to Bridge Road, Stephens launched a decisive attack that only Courtney could follow. Both finally caught up with Onweller with 11 kilometers to go and then began an intense tactical duel towards the finish line.

The American MTB champion knew that in a classic sprint she had few guarantees against such an experienced rider as Stephens. Therefore, she decided to surprise by launching her effort much earlier than usual.

With about 700 meters to go, she took off, taking advantage of a series of curves she had studied during the previous laps. She gained a few meters of advantage and was able to maintain them until the finish line.

“I thought that playing cat and mouse would probably benefit her more. She is a very smart rider, and you should never underestimate her moves at the end. So I decided to take off early, take advantage of the curves, and not stop pedaling for a single moment until I crossed the finish line,” Courtney explained after the race.

From MTB to national road champion

The victory has a special meaning for Courtney. Although she is one of the most successful mountain bikers in the United States, having been World XCO Champion, the current World XCM champion, and having won several World Cup events and overall titles, she had never managed to conquer the absolute national championship on the road.

“This is very special. I think I have seven or eight silver medals in national mountain bike championships. Being able to win a national championship again and wear this jersey once more is something I can't describe in words,” she declared excitedly.

The American debuted on the road a few weeks ago in Czechia where she won as part of her national team, an experience that seems to have yielded immediate results.

Top 10 United States Road Championship 2026 (elite women)

1. Kate Courtney (She Sends Racing) – 3:02:30
2. Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) +5”
3. Grace Arlandson (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) +9”
4. Kira Payer (SpeedBlock-Terö Elite) +13”
5. Ashley Frye (Competitive Edge Racing) +18”
6. Paige Onweller (Trek-Driftless) +22”
7. Alexis Magner (EF Education-Oatly) +4:42
8. Anna Hicks (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) +4:42
9. Andrea Cyr +4:43
10. Katherine Sarkisov +4:43

With this victory, Kate Courtney once again demonstrates the enormous versatility that has made her one of the most complete cyclists of her generation. While she continues to be a world reference in mountain biking, she will now also be able to wear the United States road champion jersey for a year.