Salt Lake Criterium ACC Race Preview
Written by: Zach Nehr
You can see the bowtie-style course from a mile up in the sky. Sitting at 4,300 feet above sea level, the new course in Salt Lake City is about to host one of the most unique criteriums in the country. Hundreds of the world’s fastest crit racers will flock to SLC for the Mayer Brown Criterium in the heart of downtown.
The Wasatch Mountains will serve as the backdrop, a fitting metaphor for the peaks and valleys these racers have endured. Some have crashed, others have triumphed. But over time, they have grown and gotten stronger. But timing your peak – another mountain pun – is difficult at this time of year. The fatigue was already hitting some riders hard at Race #4 of the American Criterium Cup at Chicago GRIT, so much so that they took a mid-season break. The first part of the calendar was tightly packed, but there was an extra week of rest between Chicago GRIT and the Mayer Brown Criterium. That gave the ACC leaders plenty of time to ponder their defense, while also granting their rivals time to form an attack.
After four rounds of racing in the American Criterium Cup, the peloton has traveled from Tulsa to Milwaukee, and Boise to Chicago. Now it’s time for Salt Lake City where the air is thinner and the legs are heavier. With two rounds left in the American Criterium Cup, every single point counts.
This is Race #5 of the American Criterium Cup, sponsored by Renaissance Financial. It’s the penultimate round of the ACC, and the fight for the win has never been closer.
This is the Mayer Brown Criterium in Salt Lake City.
—
Race #5 Preview: Mayer Brown Criterium in Salt Lake City, Utah
ACC Race Day: August 15, 2026
Salt Lake City, Utah
The second and fourth rounds of the American Crit Cup came after more than a week of consecutive crit racing. Tour of America’s Dairyland and Chicago GRIT are the two longest crit series in the country; but Mayer Brown Criterium in Salt Lake City is completely different. Race #5 of the ACC comes on the first of two days of racing. The legs will be fresh, which means the elbows will be out, and eyes fixed on the prize.
Some races feel like they've been around forever. Others are still finding their identity, growing year by year and adding something new each edition. The Mayer Brown Criterium is firmly in the second category, coming back for its seventh edition in 2026, this time in the Granary District of downtown Salt Lake City. The event is a nonprofit, which puts it in rare company on the American crit racing circuit. Every dollar generated goes back into the event, as well as rider development programs and Utah's cycling community as a whole.
This year, the Mayer Brown Criterium is more than just an ACC race. In addition to the pro criterium, the weekend now includes The Ultimate Challenge, a Gran Fondo that locals know well from the Tour of Utah era. Presented by The Phoenix Project, a peer-funding program that supports sober active communities, the Gran Fondo takes place on iconic Utah roads while raising money for a great cause. Riders who raise $500 or more get to ride alongside celebrity guests Andrew Talansky and Christian Vande Velde — two legendary names in American cycling — and attend a VIP dinner the night before the ACC races. There is also a kids' race, 5K run, and one-mile run to round out an action-packed weekend in the Granary District.
The Course and Atmosphere – Mayer Brown Criterium in Salt Lake City
New in 2026 is a brilliantly designed course that could create some of the trickiest racing in the country. In the heart of the Granary District, the crit course is made up of two one-block boxes connected in the center. From above, it looks a bit like a bowtie – is it the pasta or neck accessory? That’s up to your imagination.
Every piece of road on the Mayer Brown Criterium course is one block long. None of them are two blocks, not even half a block. That means that every straightaway is exactly the same but different. Riders could be swinging left, right, or middle, taking an inside line or sweeping around the outside. There isn’t much time to move up or organize a leadout train. In many ways, it’s the perfect course for a breakaway.
The Mayer Brown Criterium is not a race where you want to start cold. It’s been a few weeks since Race #4 of the American Crit Cup, and the Mayer Brown Crit takes place on the first day of racing in Utah. Anyone who finds themselves crusty or overcooked on the start line will spend all day at or off the back of the field. At 4,300 feet of elevation, you can feel Salt Lake City in your lungs. Riders unaccustomed to altitude will immediately feel the difference, and some will never be able to recover. Keep your eye on riders who are from or have lived at high altitude.
The fast and compact circuit in the Granary District rewards bike-handling skill as much as raw horsepower. We have yet to see a major breakaway win the ACC, but the opportunity has never been better in SLC. Up next: who wins in Salt Lake City? Watch for results on the ACC website – The women's Pro 1/2 race starts at 5:45pm MDT, with the men's Pro 1/2 following at 7:15pm MDT. Both races are 75 minutes in length.
Who Wins at the Mayer Brown Criterium?
The altitude, course, and late-season fatigue create an unpredictable race in Salt Lake City. This is not a race where the fastest sprinter automatically wins. Those who balance rest with fatigue, acclimation with rest, and panache with speed will have the edge at the Mayer Brown Criterium.
In the women's race, Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) comes to Salt Lake City with a 30-point lead over Aline Seitz (HigherDOSE | Renova) in the ACC Overall standings. Schneider has been the most consistent rider in the series, winning two races so far and finishing on the podium in all four races. L39ION’s team will try to control the race at altitude, but anything is possible on a new and technical course. Seitz has also been on the podium in every race, and HigherDOSE | Renova will be looking to finally deliver her to the win. Paola Muñoz (Fearless Femme p/b The Beasley Firm) sits third in the overall standings, but there are a few more key riders to watch. Bryony Botha (Fearless Femme pb The Beasley Firm) won the Downer Classic at the Tour of America’s Dairyland, while American Crit Champion Kendall Ryan (Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) has been knocking on the door of a win all season.
In the men's race, Justin Williams (L39ION of Los Angeles) leads the ACC Overall standings, but only by two points over Lucas Bourgoyne (Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing). The latter found his best form at Chicago GRIT, taking the win after so many near misses this season. Bourgoyne's post-race quote said everything: "When they let me do my thing, we fly, baby."
However, Bourgoyne just had surgery to have his appendix removed on August 6th, less than two weeks before Race #5 in Salt Lake City. While the ACC is on the line, recovery will likely be the #1 priority for Bourgoyne at this time.
Team Cadence Cyclery p/b Waldo Racing will be looking for the win with more than just Bourgoyne, and there are plenty of other contenders with a chance at the top step. Ian Williams (Stellina Racing) has been flying under the radar all season, but he sits third overall and always finds his way into a good spot in the finale. One of the most impressive riders of the season is 18-year-old Dylan Haynes (Boulder Junior Cycling) who is tied on points with Ian Williams in third overall. Perhaps the sneakiest and most underrated rider in the field is Sebastian Brenes-Mata (Good Guys Racing NYC) who often has the ability to sprint from 15th to 3rd in the final 300 meters of a race. Keep an eye on Brenes-Mata, no matter what position he is in.
The ACC Junior Series, supported by Renaissance Financial, continues in Salt Lake City. The next generation of American crit racers are chasing their own leaders' jerseys from MUMU Apparel. Sprint Prime and Overall jerseys are available across four categories, and racing kicks off at 12:55pm MDT on August 15th.
—
What’s At Stake in the American Crit Cup
After Salt Lake City, there is one stop remaining in the American Crit Cup: The Bommarito Automotive Group Gateway Cup in St. Louis. Every ACC point is critical at this point in the season, leaving no room for mistakes.
The women's title is a two-rider race between Schneider and Seitz, with Muñoz and Kendall Ryan still mathematically in range. The men's title is a similar story: a two-up race closer than anyone predicted, with Justin Williams and Bourgoyne separated by just two points. However, Bourgoyne’s surgery could spell the end of his season. We will have to wait and see who is on the start line in Salt Lake City.
The Davis Phinney Foundation Sprint Prime competitions could come down to the final sprint in St. Louis. Both the men’s and women’s standings are incredibly close, with a tie atop the women’s leaderboard. Holly Breck (L39ION of Los Angeles) took the lead at Chicago GRIT, pulling on the green leader’s jersey from MUMU Apparel. Former leader, Andrea Cyr (HigherDOSE | Renova) is tied on points with Breck at six, while Breck’s teammate, Alexi Ramirez, is only one point behind in third.
Owen Gillot (Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria) leads the Davis Phinney Foundation Sprint Prime classification in the men’s ACC, having 10 points compared to Ben Boroff’s 7 points in second. The Velovit rider has made a mid-season move to Project Echelon Racing, which means he may have to miss out on the final two rounds of the ACC. That opens the door for Ide Schelling (RNRNYC Racing p/b r1) who racked up big points in a solo breakaway at Chicago GRIT. Gillot will be wearing the green jersey as leader of the Davis Phinney Foundation Sprint Prime competition in Salt Lake City.
L39ION of Los Angeles leads both the Men’s and Women’s Team Classifications, but nothing is guaranteed at this point of the season. After finishing 1-2 in Boise, L39ION of Los Angeles took a commanding lead in the Men’s Team GC. While they didn’t dominate at Chicago GRIT, they did strengthen their lead over Chaney Windows and Doors Big Shark pb Pastaria to 31 points, with Team Cadence Cyclery p/b Waldo Racing a further 16 points behind in third.
In the women’s Team GC, L39ION of Los Angeles leads HigherDOSE | Renova by 35 points, with Fearless Femme pb The Beasley Firm another 38 points behind in third. A big win could reset the standings, or lock things up for L39ION of Los Angeles in Salt Lake City.
Opening the day of racing in SLC is the ACC Junior competition sponsored by Renaissance Financial. There are a total of eight jerseys from MUMU Apparel up for grabs across four categories, and the competition has never been tighter.
Jackson Clary (Cleveland Cycling Academy) leads the Junior Boys 17-18 by a single point, with Diego Duran (DDP Elite Cycling Team) in second, and Aiden Wyant (Cura Racing) another point behind in third. The Junior Girls 17-18 are led by Tessa Beebe (BYRDS Cycling) who has 18 series points, ahead of Isabella Kroutil (TWENTY28 Aevolo) who has 15 points in second. Adeline Hamilton (Boulder Junior Cycling) is in striking range of the overall lead with 14 points in third.
The most dominant Junior in the entire ACC series has been Finnley Sonnemann (CXD Trek Bikes) who leads the Junior Boys 15-16 with nearly double the points of second place. Joe Boroff (BYRDS) has 18 points compared to Sonnemann’s 34, and Khanh Truong (dcdevo racing) followed in third with 15 points. Wearing the MUMU Apparel red jersey as leader of the Junior Girls 15-16 series leader is Bristol Albright (Fount Cycling Guild) who has 17 points in total. Camille Culbertson (TWENTY28 Aevolo) sits in second with 11 points, while Lilliana O’Donnell (Competitive Edge Racing) rounds out the podium with 10 points.
For a detailed breakdown of the ACC series standings, check out the Pro Results and Junior Results.
—
The Big Picture: Storylines We’re Watching in the 2026 ACC Season
After each race, we’ll return to our season-long storylines, checking in on the world’s best crit racers
America vs The Rest of the World: After New Zealand riders came out in force at the Tour of America’s Dairyland, American riders were firmly back on top at Chicago GRIT, winning both the men’s and women’s pro races. L39ION of Los Angeles is always aiming for the top step of the podium, but they will have to contend with strong international competition for the rest of the season. A few international riders have flown home, but many have stayed to compete in the final two rounds of the American Crit Cup. Watch for the international contingent to take a statement win in Salt Lake City.
Youth vs Veterans: Dylan Haynes is 18 years old and third overall in the ACC Pro Men's standings. Justin Williams is 37 and leading it. That is a 19 year age gap, longer than Haynes has been alive. That is part of what makes the American Criterium Cup special. Schneider and Seitz are in their late 20s at the top of the women’s standings, but not far behind is Paola Muñoz. Sitting third in the ACC overall standings, Muñoz turned 40 this year, and actually raced with her daughter at Chicago GRIT.
The Multi-Discipline Crossover: In 2026, we have seen gravel pros and track stars line up at the American Crit Cup. After landing on the podium many times at the Tour of America’s Dairyland, the track stars struggled to earn a top result at Chicago GRIT. But in the men’s race, Michael Garrison went on a solo break that nearly got him the win. The multi-discipline Georgian has been flying around the world all season, and he found his best legs in Chicago. Watch out for another multi-discipline rider to go on a solo break in Salt Lake City.
The Overall Title: Only two points separate Justin Williams and Bourgoyne at the top of the men's standings, but the bigger story may be the question of whether Bourgoyne can make it to the start line post-surgery. 30 points separate Schneider and Seitz in the women's standings, a gap that is more than closeable with two rounds of racing to go. The ACC has been building momentum since Tulsa Tough in June, and Salt Lake City is where the epic finale begins. The new course in the Granary District will test every contender one more time before the season finale in St. Louis, and there is more than $150,000 on the line.