Shooting

USA Shooting Shotgun National Championships Begin in Ft. Carson, Colorado on Monday

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Many of the best shotgun shooters in the US will make their way to Ft. Carson, Colorado on Monday for the Shotgun National Championships. Competition begins Monday in the trap events for both men and women and will continue through Thursday. The overall competition in Ft. Carson will continue through next Tuesday.

In the women’s trap event 2016 Olympian Corey Cogdell will take part as will the top three from last year, Ashley Carroll, Kayle Browning-Thomas, and Janessa Beaman. On the men’s side the runner-up, Dustin McGowen, and third place finisher, Alex Rennert, from last year will be back to try and win the title this year.

In both events there will be three rounds of shooting on Monday, two on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, and two more on Thursday before a final to end the competition on Thursday.

Previous 2016 USA Shooting National Championships Coverage:
Pistol/Rifle Recap

Cycling, Mountain Bike, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

Aaron Gwin Adds to Series Lead With Second at Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill Event

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Aaron Gwin delivered when it counted on Saturday finishing second in the downhill event by less than a tenth of a second. Gwin’s finish means he now leads by 208 points over the winner on Saturday, Great Britain’s Danny Hart. With just two races remaining on the season series Gwin can lock up the title with a strong finish in the next event in Mont-Sanite-Anne, Quebec at the start of the Olympics on August 6th and 7th.

Luca Shaw also had his best finish in a while as he was 7th, about five seconds back. Shaw jumped up a spot to 11th in  the season standings. Other finalists for the US were Eliot Jackson in 30th, Charlie Harrison in 45th, Max Morgan in 64th, and Luca Cometti in 77th.

On Sunday Lea Davison will lead a group of four American women into the cross-country event. Davison has finished in the top 20 at all three stops so far this year including the only top 10 finish by an American when she was eighth in Albstadt, Germany. Chloe Woodruff is the only other American to notch a top 15 finish when she was 13th in Cairns, Australia but she was 35th in the most recent race in La Bresse, France. Georgia Gould is also in the field coming off her second top 20 finish of the year when she was 19th in La Bresse. No American men will be competing on Sunday in Lenzerheide.

Previous Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill Coverage:
Lenzerheide Preview
Friday Update

Previous Mountain Bike World Cup Cross-Country Coverage:
La Bresse Recap

Cycling, UCI Men's World Tour

Tejay Van Garderen Moves to Eighth After Eighth Stage of Tour de France

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Tejay Van Garderen was able to rebound up the standings at the Tour de France on Saturday as a 12th place finish, just 13 seconds behind the stage winner, allowed him to move up four spots into eighth in the overall standings. Christopher Froome of Great Britain took the stage and the lead though Van Garderen only trails him by 23 seconds, far less than the 5:57 he trailed the previous leader by. Peter Stetina had his first top 50 finish of the event as he was 44th, but 13:25 back. Stetina moved up 15 spots to 43rd and now trails the leader by 27:26. Lawson Craddock fell outside the top 50 overall and is now 68th while Alex Howes slipped to 95th.

Sunday is a 115-mile mountain stage as the Tour de France closes nine straight days of racing to start. Monday will be a day off before seven more days of racing. After a second day of rest the races ends with five final days of racing. There are two time trials, one in stage 13 for 23 miles and one in the mountains in stage 18 for 11 miles.

Previous Tour de France Coverage:
Preview
Stage One Update
Stage Two Update
Stage Three Update
Stage Four Update
Stage Five Update
Stage Six Update
Stage Seven Update

Cycling, UCI Women's WorldTour

Large Peloton as Megan Guarnier Maintains Lead at Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile

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The chances to catch Megan Guarnier may be gone as a large peloton on Saturday prevented anyone from making up any ground on the leader. Guarnier and the other five Americans competing all finished in the large group. Evelyn Stevens was 26th, Alexis Ryan was 28th, Liza Rachetto was 38th, Mara Abbott was 44th, and Kristabel Doebel-Hickok was 88th. Going into the final stage Guarnier leads Stevens by 34 seconds while Abbott is 2:07 back in fourth. Doebel-Hickok moved up to 32nd, 43:09 back, with Ryan up to 66th overall.

Sunday will wrap up the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile with a 65.1 mile stage.

Previous Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile Coverage:
Preview
Prologue Update
Stage 1 Update
Stage 2 Update
Stage 3 Update
Stage 4 Update
Stage 5 Update
Stage 6 Update
Stage 7 Update

Cycling, UCI Women's WorldTour

Evelyn Stevens Wins Again, but Megan Guarnier Keeps Lead at Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile

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Two straight days now Evelyn Stevens has won the stage at the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile though it hasn’t been enough for her to jump into first place. Her problem has been the ever-present challenge of Megan Guarnier who held onto her lead by finishing fourth, 29 seconds back. The lead is down to 34 seconds for Guarnier, so another day or two of wins might bring her the title. Mara Abbott had been second but finished 12th on the day, 1:50 back, and slipped to fourth overall and quickly has fallen 2:07 behind Guarnier overall. It was a good day as well for Alexis Ryan who finished 2:52 back in 23rd and Amber Neben who finished 2:56 back in 27th. Neben is now 53rd overall with Ryan in 70th. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok finished 55th on the day and is still 34th overall, 43:09 back.

Saturday will be a 61.7 mile stage, the second to last as the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile wraps up on Sunday.

Previous Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile Coverage:
Preview
Prologue Update
Stage 1 Update
Stage 2 Update
Stage 3 Update
Stage 4 Update
Stage 5 Update
Stage 6 Update

Cycling, UCI Men's World Tour

Tejay Van Garderen Finishes 24th in Seventh Stage of Tour de France

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Tejay Van Garderen was 24th on Friday as the Tour de France hit the week mark and finished 3:37 behind stage winner Stephen Cummings of Great Britain. Van Garderen slid a spot overall to 12th and dropped 40 seconds on the leader, now 5:57 back. Van Garderen was joined in the top 50 by Alex Howes who finished 41st and 4:09 back, his best finish of the race. Howes jumped up from 129th to 82nd in the overall standings with the good finish.

Lawson Craddock was outside the top 50 for the third straight stage as he finished 67th. Craddock moved up a spot to 49th overall and now trails the leader by 17:56. Peter Stetina made it four Americans in the top 100 as he finished 72nd and is now 58th overall.

Saturday is a 114-mile mountain stage as the Tour de France opens with nine straight days of racing followed by a day off and seven more days of racing. It is the first mountain stage of the race. After a second day of rest the races ends with five final days of racing. There are two time trials, one in stage 13 for 23 miles and one in the mountains in stage 18 for 11 miles.

Previous Tour de France Coverage:
Preview
Stage One Update
Stage Two Update
Stage Three Update
Stage Four Update
Stage Five Update
Stage Six Update

Cycling, Mountain Bike, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

Aaron Gwin Leads Six Americans Into Final at Mountain Bike World Cup Event in Lenzerheide

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Luca Shaw was the top American in qualifying finishing just under five seconds behind the leader in 12th place as a nice contingent of six Americans advanced to the final. Aaron Gwin was an unspectacular 19th but did pick up six points for the season standings. The other Americans advancing to the final were Eliot Jackson in 43rd, Max Morgan in 51st, Luca Cometti in 61st, and Charlie Harrison in 77th.

Gwin has finished in the top five of all four events so far this year and has a big lead in the overall series but a finish in the final like he had on Friday would open the door for others to cut into that lead. In addition to the downhill event Saturday there will be a cross-country event on Sunday.

Previous Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill Coverage:
Lenzerheide Preview

Cycling, UCI Women's WorldTour

Megan Guarnier Takes Lead Again at Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile

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It’s a game of musical chairs at the top of the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile as the third American in three days has the lead. Passing Evelyn Stevens on Wednesday and Mara Abbott on Megan Guarnier regained the lead for the first time since Saturday with a second place finish in the sixth stage. Guarnier actually lost the stage to Stevens by six seconds but still maintained her advantage. Abbott fell behind by 53 seconds and finished fifth which allowed Guarnier to get back into first overall with a 46 second lead. Stevens is 1:03 back in third as part of the American trio at the top.

Kristabel Doebel-Hickok was 22:44 back in 41st while three other Americans finished in the top 100, Amber Neben (51st), Alexis Ryan (78th), and Liza Rachetto (97th). Doebel-Hickok slipped to 34th, 39:33 back, while Neben (56th) and Ryan (75th) continue to sit in the top 100 overall.

Friday will be the 13.6 mile individual time trial. The rest of the stages will be regular until the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile wraps up on Sunday.

Previous Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile Coverage:
Preview
Prologue Update
Stage 1 Update
Stage 2 Update
Stage 3 Update
Stage 4 Update
Stage 5 Update

Cycling, UCI Men's World Tour

Tejay Van Garderen Up to 11th After Sixth Stage of Tour de France

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Most of the field finished within five seconds of the winner in the sixth stage of the Tour de France including American Tejay Van Garderen who was four seconds back in 39th. Van Garderen was actually able to move up a spot to 11th overall and didn’t lose any time on the leader, still 5:17 back. Lawson Craddock was the only other American in the top 100 and he just barely got there in 99th. Craddock did move up a spot to 50th overall and trails the leader by 14:13. Peter Stetina is 57th overall.

Friday is the 101-mile medium-mountain seventh stage as the Tour de France opens with nine straight days of racing followed by a day off and seven more days of racing. After a second day of rest the races ends with five final days of racing. There are two time trials, one in stage 13 for 23 miles and one in the mountains in stage 18 for 11 miles.

Previous Tour de France Coverage:
Preview
Stage One Update
Stage Two Update
Stage Three Update
Stage Four Update
Stage Five Update

Cycling, Mountain Bike, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

Aaron Gwin Will Go For Back-to-Back Wins at Mountain Bike World Cup Event in Lenzerheide

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Aaron Gwin goes for his second straight win on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup tour when the downhill portion begins on Friday in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Gwin opened the season with a win and hasn’t looked back en route to a 160 point lead over Troy Brosnan of Australia going into the fifth of seven races. Gwin won his second race of the year last month in Leogang, Austria and will be going for two straight this weekend. No other Americans were in the top 30 in Leogang but Luca Shaw finished 6th in Fort William, Scotland and Eliot Jackson was 14th in Cairns, Australia.

In addition to the downhill event Friday and Saturday there will be a cross-country event on Sunday.

Previous Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill Coverage:
Leogang Recap

Covering America's Athletes