Cooperstown’s Brian White won the USA Cycling National Championships in Frederick, Md., on Sept 20.
White, a doctor at Bassett Medical Center, not only won the national championship for men 60 to 64, but he also placed 35th among all competitors.
The 85-mile Gran Fondo Road Race took place on a windy, mountainous route with repeated grueling, steep three-mile uphills and speeds up to 50 miles per hour on some of the downhills. The event included the National Championship group with more than 250 riders representing multiple age groups from across the country, as well as a non-championship Gran Fondo event with more than 700 riders.
The Gran Fondo format included five timed segments, and the winning rider had the lowest combined time for the segments, unlike a traditional cycling road race, which culminates in a sprint for the finish line.
White said in a media release he wasn’t sure exactly how he captured the title.
“I didn’t feel great on the first climbing segment which was actually quite hard, I lost some time to the younger, faster riders and had no idea how I was doing against others in my age group,” he said. “After the race, I went back to the hotel to clean up, and I started getting congratulatory messages from friends around the country who were able to see the live feeds with results before I saw them.
“I went back to the finish corral about an hour after I had finished, and yeah, I won,” he continued. “I have ridden five national championship events in the past 14 months and been on the podium three times. It is a real treat and sense of accomplishment to make it to the podium in a National Championship, but to take the top step on the podium today was great, a true honor.
“I now get to wear the National Champions jersey for the 2027 season,” he said.
White also qualified for the 2027 UCI Masters World Championships in France in August.
“The chance to compete for the U.S. at the World Championships is fantastic, I am really excited about the opportunity,” he said. “Now I just need to figure out how to get there, but I look forward to wearing the U.S. National Champions jersey as I train around Otsego County in preparation for next year’s World Championships.”
