"Let's not select the guys who've been winning races" - Rider left out of USA team for World Championships blasts eight-man team selection
CyclingWednesday, 02 September 2026 at 13:03
The USA team for the 2026 UCI World Championships has been announced as eight riders prepare to fly the flag of the United States in search of the coveted rainbow jersey. However, one rider who missed out on selection for Montreal took to social media to take a dig at team selection.
With a close-to-home World Championships and an exciting roster of emerging and established riders starring at WorldTour level, USA have become a key team at World Championships in recent seasons. The 2026 Worlds is expected to be no different.
Matteo Jorgenson, Quinn Simmons, Neilson Powless and Brandon McNulty lead the team, with all four riding at the highest level in cycling and in the thick of action in 2026 and previous seasons.
With Jorgenson and Simmons, the team have two riders who featured heavily in Tour de France breakaways in 2026, while Brandon McNulty has proven a valuable teammate for Tadej Pogacar this season. Powless' season has been interrupted by injury, but he did take an impressive Tour of Austria breakaway win as he proved his winning touch is returning.
Riley Sheehan
USA name eight-rider team for World Championships
In support, Sean Quinn, Artem Shmidt, Kevin Vermaerke and Larry Warbasse got the nod, with all four demonstrating capable form throughout 2026.
But not everyone is in agreement with the eight-rider elite men's team as Riley Sheehan took to Twitter/X to criticise his own admission, while also implying that others have been left out while in-form.
He said: "Let's not select the guys who've been winning races".
The 26-year-old has taken two victories this season at the Czech Tour and Circuit de Wallonie, but also placed in the top ten on multiple occasions across the season.
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Riley Sheehan not happy with selection
He also seemingly implied that others have missed out on selection unfairly. Riders with the most amount of UCI points over the past year, and not included, are Matthew Riccitello, Sepp Kuss, Sheehan and Andrew August.
Both Riccitello and Kuss are amidst a Tour-Vuelta double, making them unlikely figures to feature in the team due to their packed team schedule. However, both Sheehan and August did not feature in a Grand Tour in 2026.
The USA line-up for U23 includes Ashlin Barry, Nathan Cusack, Gavin Sherry, Kade Kreikemeier and Marcis Shelton. The Elite Women's team is headlined by Kriisten Faulkner and Kate Courtney, and also includes Grace Arlandson, Taylor Knibb, Alexis Magner, Natalie Quinn and Lauren Stephens.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Can see that - why burn the matches in vain - it’s a long race, riders have other goals and ambitionsCrashjames02-09-2026
- Hah now it’s a race!Crashjames02-09-2026
- Stef Clement is an "analyst,"... with the BS he said? Really, are you serious? Does he know that crashes in numerous occasions are inevitable and unavoidable? No he doesn't. If he did, he wouldn't be spitting this #$"@§%&/()=* nonsense around. PS: Did Jonas, Van Aert, Remco, Roglič...etc etc. crash so many times because they knew they were the best and became careless? Answer this one Clement... just don't insult my intelligence. Capish?PogiSloFans02-09-2026
- What a stupid thing to say! Niki Lauda raced again 42 days after he burned out. If he's ready, he will race.MajorPayne02-09-2026
- So, based on that logic, there should be an asterisk next to every XC rider that is not Pidcock and ever cyclocross rider that isint van der Poel?Theleg402-09-2026
- Carapaz will ride for Carapaz and Carapaz only.jad2901-09-2026
- literally everytime visma has solid racing options that they table to 'ride for wout' to sprint it backfires.jad2901-09-2026
- My thoughts exactly.anonymouscyclist01-09-2026
- Yeah. This is his 10th GT and his first DNF in a GT. Relative to many riders he’s been lucky in avoiding illness. And lucky or skillful, or most likely a bit of both, to avoid race-ending crashes.mobk01-09-2026
- Forgot to mention that Michaelgate is cobbled
Rafionain-Glas01-09-2026
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