The Monuments of U.S. Criterium Racing

There are some races that stand tall above the rest. Whether it be by virtue of the challenge of the course, the storied legacy of the race, or the love of the fans, there are simply podiums at some races that define not just a season but a career. We polled the community including top riders, team owners, cycling dignitaries, and humble fans to present this list of five criteriums that have risen to the level of monuments of the sport:

Athens Twilight Criterium

For nearly 40 years Athens has been the jewel of the early season criterium calendar. Nestled near the ferny confines of the University of Georgia, and held right around graduation, this race has always had the highest level of racing and fans ready to celebrate. It also comes complete with one of the most daunting courses that has shattered fields. On numerous occasions that winning break has lapped the field, sometimes twice, and with a race that is 40km for the women and 80km for the men, only the strong survive to win here.

Past Podiums

2025

1. Clever Martinez, CCB/Foundation

2. Will Hardin, Team Winston-Salem

3. Jim Brown, GS Blazers

2024

1. Thomas Gibbon, Automatic/ABUS

2. Danny Summerhill, REIGN Storm

3. Robin Carpenter, Legion of LA

2023

1. Bryan Gomez, Miami Nights

2. Danny Summerhill, American Cycling

3. Robin Carpenter, Legion of LA

2022

1. Bryan Gomez, Best Buddies

2. Ty Magner, Legion of LA

3. Liam White, ButcherBox

Tour of Somerville

The granddaddy of them all. Started in 1940, this race has survived a world war, pandemic, and hurricanes to become one of the most cherished weekends of our sport. The tree-lined streets of this gorgeous suburban New Jersey town have played host to some of the fastest and most intense racing the Mid-Atlantic can produce. The course was custom created for speed with wide-open stretches and plenty of room to maneuver. The fans turn out in force to celebrate, picnic, dog watch, and generally raise their voices. And with a men’s race of 80km, there is plenty of time for everything to play out and for the riders to actually be tested.

Past Podiums

2025

1. Lucas Bourgoyne, Team Cadence

2. Ben Oliver, MitoQ

3. Jordan Parra, Bikers

2024

1. Cesar Marte, Work Hard Be Humble

2. Alex Briggs, TEKKERZ

3. Alex Zapata, DCC

2023

1. Danny Estevez, Miami Blazers

2. Cesar Marte, Road Kings

3. Noah Granigan, Denver Disruptors

2022

1. George Jackson, MitoQ

2. Alfredo Rodriguez, Best Buddies

3. Scott McGill, Wildlife Generation

The Clarendon Cup

A race that began with a droopy banner hung across the road during the first official weekend of the summer, has now become the test of 500 corners. As jaw-dropping as that number is, it is often not the number of corners that does the testing either; but rather the temperatures often reaching well into the upper 90s with classic Virginia heat. Clarendon is the only remaining 100km race (50km for the women) left in America. That distance provides time and tests the riders so that the winner here is not just the person who can sit in and sprint; but rather is one of the best all-around bike racers in country. The weak need not sign up for Clarendon. If you aren’t ready you are off the back.

Past Podiums

2025

1. Matthew Bostock, TEKKERZ

2. Dario Rapps, DCC

3. Jim Brown, GS Blazers

2024

1. Brendan Rhim, Project Echelon

2. Marcos Mendez, Rocklands Devo

3. Sam Boardman, Project Echelon

2023

1. Andreas Mayr, DCC

2. Danny Summerhill, American Cycling

3. Alec Cowan, Legion of LA

2022

1. Brendan Rhim, Wildlife Generation

2. Tanner Ward, Best Buddies

3. Johnnie Clark, Wildlife Generation

Cry Baby Hill

The final Monument of the “early” season is the famed last day of Tulsa Tough at Cry Baby Hill. Believe it or not this is the baby of the Monuments which was started in 2006. One potentially apocryphal origin story for the name stems not from the pain that the riders feel while going up the hill but rather from the local residents who, in the first additions of the race, complained about the event taking place. Tulsa must have ignored them because Sunday has grown to be a local holiday, and the following Monday is a day off to recover. If you’ve never been you should go. If you’ve been, you should go again. What makes Cry Baby Hill so challenging for the riders isn’t what you see pictured here, it’s what comes next. Just when you think the hill is over, it kicks up again, then again. You only get a few seconds of rest before starting it all over again. Sitting in and waiting…nah that’s not Cry Baby Hill’s style and neither can it be for the winners.

Past Podiums

2025

1. Brody McDonald, Blazers

2. Alec Briggs, TEKKERZ

3. Evan McQuirk, United Cycling

2024

1. Luke Lamperti, Soudal Quickstep

2. Cole Davis, Ribble Rebellion

3. Noah Granigan, Blazers

2023

1. Sam Boardman, Legion of LA

2. Noah Granigan, Denver Disruptors

3. Jonas Schmeiser, DCC

2022

1. Luke Lamperti, Trinity Racing

2. Thomas Gibbons, Automatic/ABUS

3. Cesar Serna, Audi McKinney

Bucks County

The World Tour Monuments have their race of the falling leaves, so do we. Just outside of Philly, and running for the past 20 years, is the site of the final Monument and a true classic American criterium. It comes complete with corners, bends, uphills and downhills. All of those obstacles are made to obliterate fields and the past editions of the race have proven that the course’s design has succeeded. Another wonderful feature of this race is that it is long enough to be a race— 80km for the men (40km for the women). It is also co-located with an arts festival meaning worlds collide and fans are born.

Past Podiums

2025

1. Lucas Bourgoyne, Team Cadence

2. Cole Davis, Project Ecehlon

3. Nick Moulai, Good Guys NYC
   

2024

1. Marcos Mendez, Rockland Devo

2. Lucas Bourgoyne, Outlaws

3. Tyler Williams, Blazers

2023

1. Robin Carpenter, Legion of LA

2. Tyler Stites, Project Echelon

3. Kyle Murphy, Legion of LA

2022

1. Scott McGill, Wildlife Generation

2. Danny Summerhill, Best Buddies

3. Ethan Craine, Project Echelon