Emily Ehrlich stunned a strong field at the 2025 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in Charleston, West Virginia, powering to victory in the elite women’s individual time trial and holding off Olympic road race champion Kristen Faulkner to pull on the stars-and-stripes jersey.
Racing over a flat and exposed 33.4-kilometre course, Ehrlich, riding for Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24, set the fastest intermediate split and maintained her advantage all the way to the line. She stopped the clock in 43:04, with Faulkner of EF Education-Oatly finishing 27 seconds down. Alia Shafi of Fount Cycling Guild claimed third with a strong ride that briefly put her in the hot seat before the final two riders finished.
“This is everything for me,” Ehrlich said. “When I started cycling, this was the one thing I wanted to do. It really feels like a culmination of it all.”
Consistency rewarded
Ehrlich came into nationals off the back of time trial wins at both Valley of the Sun and Tour de Bloom, and her form showed. Clocking 21:23 at the intermediate checkpoint, she had already put over two seconds into Faulkner. On the return leg, she stretched her lead, using her pacing strategy to perfection as light winds and intermittent rain affected later riders.
Faulkner, fresh from a stint at the Vuelta Femenina in Spain and riding her first individual time trial of the season, gave chase but couldn’t match Ehrlich’s consistency. For the second year running, she claimed the silver medal in the discipline.
Ehrlich, meanwhile, showed her upward trajectory and TT specialism were no fluke. “I’ve been working really hard the past few years to improve at this discipline. It kind of felt like things were finally starting to come together this season, and now I can say it really is.”
Shafi steps up, Hasse moves into elite ranks
Alia Shafi continued to rise through the ranks, delivering a composed effort to finish in 44:36, which stood as the benchmark until Ehrlich’s ride. Lisa Becharas of Real Triathlon Squad set the early best time of 45:19 from the first wave of riders before being bumped down the standings.
Betty Hasse, last year’s U23 national champion, finished sixth in her elite debut with Hess Cycling Team, while defending champion Taylor Knibb did not compete this year.
The race used a two-lap format on a flat, out-and-back course along the Kanawha River, with start and finish lines situated near Haddad Riverfront Park in downtown Charleston. With winds building throughout the day, it was a challenge of aerodynamics, control and pacing.
But for Ehrlich, it was the day everything clicked. “I’m just so happy. If there was one thing I ever wanted in this sport, this was it.”
2025 USA National Championships Time Trial result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Snowy Mountain Photography
