Greg Daniel of Axeon Hagens Berman is the new American Road Race Champion
The American National Championships culminated in a 187km race road race over twelve laps in Winston, Salem and saw Eric Marcotte (Team Jamis), Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare), Ben Wolfe (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis), Griffin Easter (Team Illuminate), Bryan Lewis (Lupus Racing Team), Greg Daniel (Axeon Hagens Berman), Rob Squire (Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team), Brad Huff (Rally Cycling), and Daniel Eaton (UnitedHealthcare) in the first break
Chased by the likes of Ben King (Cannondale Pro Cycling), Jesse Anthony (Rally Cycling), Oscar Clark (Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team), Hunter Grove (Cylance-Cannondale Pro Cycling), Danny Summerhill (UnitedHealthcare), Tanner Putt (UnitedHealthcare), Jonathan Hornbeck (Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team), and Barry Miller (Lupus Racing Team), the break never got more than two minutes clear and the peloton was back together with six laps to go.
With four laps remaining, a forty six strong group formed on the front and got just over a minute clear but it was not to last and those in the front changed a number of times with a twenty strong group and then Logan Owen (Axeon Hagens Berman) attacked with Taylor Shelden (Jelly Belly) were left going into the final lap.
They too were caught and it came down to a sprint which saw Greg Daniel break away and take the win in 4:21:34. five seconds ahead of Alex Howes of Cannondale Pro Cycling and Travis McCabe of Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team.
"I tried not to look back but I had to give it full gas as I couldn't really sprint," Greg Daniel said to the media after his victory. "I got in the final break and felt like I had good legs, and I was really surprised I was able to do that.
"Going into the final five kilometers, the group wasn't working together anymore. "I looked back and didn't see anyone, but I didn't know how big the gap was, but it was 5k to go, and I was like, 'I think we should keep working together until the climb'. I was just kind of watching everyone watch each other. In the final climb, I was watching for who was going to make the move on the climb. Oscar Clark was going pretty hard on the climb, and I was waiting for a counter attack that never came. I decided to test my legs and see what I could do."