CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two Junior category athletes are taking home gold on the Opening Day of the 2024 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships currently underway in the Capital City.
The championship cycling races kicked off on Tuesday afternoon. It began with the Junior Women’s and Junior Men’s Time Trial races where over 50 athletes from around the country completed 16.9 kilometers through downtown Charleston.
A little rain didn’t delay the Junior Women who were the first riders to hit the course Tuesday, which took them up against the clock starting from Haddad Riverfront Park along the Kanawha Boulevard to Daniel Boone Park and back. 
Lidia Cusack of Chevy Chase, Maryland and the dcdevo Racing Academy came in first place in the Time Trial race, crossing the finish line with a time of 22:55.63. Her teammate, Alyssa White is from Elkins. She finished in second, followed by Helena Jones of Boulder, Colorado and the Twenty24 Aevolo Racing Academy who finished in third.
Cusack plans to compete in the Criterium and Road Race portions of the championship later this week.
Ashlin Barry of Toronto, Canada, EF Education-Onto took the first place win during the Junior Mens Time Trial race Tuesday with a finishing time of 20:39.21.
Following behind Barry in second place was David Lapierre of Hebron, Connecticut and Hot Tube Development Cycling. Noah Streif of Boise, Idaho and EF Education-Onto finished up the race in third.
All three riders will be competing in the Criterium and Road Race.
The Time Trial races will continue tomorrow, May 15 with the U23 category and the Elite Men and Women. The Elite category winners of the Time Trial will automatically be nominated to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 
The Criterium race will take place Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17 as part of the championship. This is a 1 mile race that starts along the Kanawha Boulevard, makes its way up Court Street, down Lee, up to Summers, to Quarrier, to Hale and back to the boulevard.
The big race, the 13 mile Road Race will round out the championships starting Saturday, May 18 through Sunday, May 19.
This race starts along the boulevard, makes its way across South Side Bridge and ascending up Bridge Road, goes down Loudon Heights before heading back to the boulevard. Then, it proceeds up Greenbrier Street/ Oakridge Drive, looping around to descend Wertz Avenue and to return once again to the boulevard.