McElroy River Parks / Cry Baby Victory at St. Francis Tulsa Tough

Mejias wins final day after a rough start to the weekend

Roanoke, VA June 8, 2026 — My time in Roanoke is being well spent, catching up on life outside of cycling which, in reality, means paying bills, doing housework, and, of course, more team work! But that’s okay. The quieter moments at home are always a good reminder of how much goes into keeping this program moving forward, both on and off the race course.

Criterium season is now in full throttle, with the legendary Tulsa Tough taking center stage this past weekend. Our crit trio of Marlies Mejías, Sofía Arreola, and Rylee McMullen made a last-minute decision to head to Tulsa, and while the weekend started a little rough, with all three riders feeling under the weather, they rallied in true VBR TWENTY28 style.

By the final day, they had turned things around and delivered the win a great reminder of the experience, and determination this group brings to every race. Tulsa Tough is known for its electric atmosphere, passionate crowds, and fast, aggressive racing, and once again, it proved to be one of the most exciting weekends on the U.S. criterium calendar.

Next up, our American athletes head to Charleston, West Virginia, for the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, while Rylee and Marlies travel to Trinidad & Tobago for a UCI C1 track race. It’s another busy stretch for the team.

Virginia's Blue Ridge is also gearing up for US National Endurance Mountain Bike Championships in July 12-16. It truly takes a village to deliver an event of this scale, and volunteers are the backbone of the USA Cycling Endurance MTB National Championships. Elmwood Park course marshals are still needed and honestly, this may be the most exciting volunteer role of the week! You’ll be up close and personal for the Short Track National Championships, helping keep the course safe while watching some of the best riders in the country race right in front of you. From course marshals and aid stations to registration and finish line support, every volunteer makes a difference. Come be part of Nationals and help Virginia's Blue Ridge shine! Sign Up to Volunteer!

Thanks for reading,

Nicola

Photo above: Marlies wins McElroy River Parks/ Cry Baby Hill Criterium by Kai Caddy

Photo below: Cry Baby podium by Kai Caddy

Day 3 - McElroy River Parks Criterium - Cry Baby Hill

Tulsa, Oklahoma

1. Marlies Mejias Garcia (CUB) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
2. Tess Edwards (USA) Caldera Medical x AuREA Racing
3. Andrea Cyr (USA) HigherDOSE I Renova
4. Grace Arlandson (USA) Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment
5. Claire Abrey (USA) Team Winston-Salem

The River Parks Criterium, better known as Cry Baby Hill, is one of the most legendary races on the U.S. calendar and arguably one of the most prestigious to win. With grueling hill repeats through a sea of wild, passionate Cry Baby fans, the atmosphere is second to none. The party on the hill is equal parts pure cycling passion, complete insanity, and plenty of plastic babies on sticks.

The race settled in early before the attacks began to fly. Caldera Medical x AuREA Racing and L39ION of Los Angeles both threw punches, launching solo riders and trying to force the race open, but each move was brought back. Marlies Mejías was active throughout, keeping a close eye on the front and making sure nothing dangerous went without representation.

In the final laps, a break of six riders formed and looked to decide the race. On the last climb, the group split to five as they rounded the final turn. Marlies led the group into the finish, then turned on the afterburners, opening her sprint and powering clear to take a huge win on one of the most iconic stages in American criterium racing.

Rylee McMullen and Sofía Arreola were there to share in the celebration, making it a brilliant finish to the weekend and salvaging the trip to Tulsa in true TWENTY28 style.

“Tulsa Tough is always a different kind of race, challenging, intense, and unforgettable. Every year brings new experiences, but the final day is truly something special. The atmosphere is incredible, with thousands of people having fun, cheering, and celebrating cycling together." Commented Marlies. "What I love most is how it brings so many Latino riders and families together. The final criterium is by far the most exciting and entertaining race of the weekend, fast, energetic, and full of passion.”

Photo below: Rylee McMullen pre-race by Kai Caddy

Day 2 - FC Tulsa Arts District Criterium

1. Kendall Ryan (USA) Caldera Medical x AuREA Racing
2. Skylar Schneider (USA) L39ion of LA
3. Paola Muñoz (CHI) Fearless Femme Racing p/b Beasley Law
4. Marlies Mejias Garcia (CUB) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28
5. Aline Seitz (SUI) HigherDOSE I Renova

The Tulsa Arts District Criterium is a fun, fast course that races right past Soundpony, bringing yet another off-the-charts Tulsa party atmosphere to the weekend. Between the speed, the noise, and the crowd energy, it is exactly the kind of race that makes Tulsa Tough so special. Rylee McMullen and Sofía Arreola did a great job patrolling the front and keeping the race under control, while Marlies Mejías positioned herself well in the closing laps, ready to do what Marlies does best.

Marlies is a fine-tuned sprinter and rarely falls short, but unfortunately the same mechanical issue made sprinting properly a bit of an adventure. Unable to stand and fully unleash her sprint, she still managed to muscle her way to 4th place — which, for most riders, would be a fantastic result, but for Marlies is almost suspiciously far from the podium.

No excuses, just one of those frustrating race-day gremlins. The speed was there, the positioning was there, and the team rode well. Thankfully, there was still one more day to turn the weekend around.

"Every year Tulsa proves that the American crit scene is thriving. We gave everything we had each night, while we weren’t quite feeling like ourselves nights one and two. Marlies pulled through on the last day and showed her class. I’m so happy that our little crit squad was able to get out for this weekend! - Rylee McMullen

Photos below by Sofia patrolling by Kai Caddy

Day 1 - McNellies Group Blue Dome Criterium

Welcome to Tulsa.... The McNellie’s Group Blue Dome Criterium opened the weekend with exactly the kind of racing Tulsa Tough is known for fast, technical, aggressive, and absolutely not for the faint of heart. As an American Criterium Cup race, every team arrived hungry to get on the podium, and from the first laps it was full elbows-out racing.

The course demanded constant attention, quick reactions, and nerves of steel. Think running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain but on bikes, at speed, with corners, crowds, and a whole lot of ambition packed into every lap.

7th Marlies Mejias Garcia (CUB) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Marlies Mejías stayed in the fight and positioned herself well as the race came down to the final laps. Unfortunately, she was unable to stand and fully open up her sprint, which is a fairly important detail when your name is Marlies Mejías and your sprint is usually the part everyone else is trying to avoid.



No excuses, that’s bike racing but it did limit what she could do in the finish. Even so, Marlies fought through and finished 7th against a deep and aggressive field. It was not the result she wanted, but it was still a strong ride under less-than-ideal circumstances and set the tone for the team to keep fighting through the weekend.

Photo Below: Marlies Mejias pulls back a break on Cry Baby Hill by Kai Caddy

"Always a great crowd, even in the rainy days! Hundreds of cyclists from all over the country and so many people out cheering us on all weekend.

It wasn’t our best weekend of racing, but Marlies was absolutely on fire on Cry Baby Hill and that was awesome to see!" - Sofia Arreola

Tulsa Tough Omnium

1. Skylar Schneider (USA) L39ion of LA
2. Kendall Ryan (USA) Caldera Medical x AuREA Racing
3. Marlies Mejias Garcia (CUB) UCI CTW: Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Photo Below: Omnium Podium by Kai Caddy

Photo above: Rylee McMullen focused by Kai Caddy

Gratitude to our Partners

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge, Virginia is for Mountain Lovers, Zwift, STROMM Cycles, Cotton Sox Sports, Violich Farms, Domestique Foundation, Precision Fuel & Hydration , Vittoria Tires, Oakley, PACE Ranch, Velo Saddles, Training Peaks, Arundel Cages, Presta Cycle, Seasucker Racks, Sock Guy, SRAM, The Original Stick, USA Cycling Foundation, Victory Circle Graphix, KX3 Performance Coaching, Riverdale Roanoke. Pro Cyclist Foundation,

About TWENTY28 Pro Cycling

When the team was formed in 2005, the goal was to create a pathway for athletes to the 2012 London Olympics. In 2009 the team name became TWENTY12 changing every 4 year cycle, followed by TWENTY16, TWENTY20, TWENTY24 and now TWENTY28 representing the LA 2028 Olympics.

The TWENTY28 program is responsible for developing many of the most successful American female cyclists to date. Creating opportunities for elite, junior development and para-cycling athletes. TWENTY28 has established a consistent athlete talent pipeline for road and track cyclists and additionally providing opportunities for athletes who excel in the virtual world of Zwift eSports and the new dynamic discipline of gravel racing. 

What We Do

Develop high-performance athletes and the next generation of competitive cyclists. Success in aligning student-athletes with college scholarships through cycling. Support of the multi-discipline athlete. Adaptive, dynamic, versatile, resilient and committed to growing diversity in the landscape of women’s cycling.