Vida Lopez de San Roman represented Team USA at UCI World Championships Cyclocross, which were held from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Liévin, France. In the mixed team relay, Lopez, alongside Team USA, got fourth, missing the podium by three seconds. Two days later, Lopez competed again, this time in the Women’s U23 race, and placed 14th. She was the best American in that event.
“Walking away from Worlds wishing for more,” Lopez said in an Instagram post. “But more grateful than ever to experience such a great week.”
Cyclocross is a non-Olympic cycling discipline that combines road cycling, mountain biking, and steeplechase. Races take place on closed circuits in parks or open land, with multiple laps. The sport is popular during the September to February season, with riders navigating paved and off-road terrain, often dismounting to overcome obstacles.
In 2024, Lopez de San Roman demonstrated her talent by winning national titles in two separate disciplines: cyclocross and mountain biking. In December of that year, Lopez was part of Milligan’s most successful cyclocross nationals performance, including the highest overall team finish of all time in the discipline. She was the first individual USA Cycling Cyclocross National Champion in program history. The same weekend, Lopez de San Roman competed in the USA Cycling Pro Elite Cyclocross National Championship instead of the USA Cycling U-23 Championship. That choice paid off, as she went on to become the youngest rider in USA Cycling history to win a pro national title.
“She is a freshman, and she is only 18 years old,” said junior cyclocross teammate Samath Clark. “She was such a leader. Everyone looked to her because she is the fastest. We always had little practices, and she would lead them pretty much because she knew so much. She’s just had such a great impact.”
Lopez de San Roman is currently off campus racing in Europe, where she just won the U23 field in Chelva, Spain.
picture 1: podium Women A, North Carolina Grandprix Hendersonville by milligan cycling
picture 2: Samanth Clark by Emiliy Haas
About The Author:
Emily Haas is a freshman from Hildesheim, Germany. She is a journalism major and a member of Milligan’s swim team. She enjoys traveling, reading, and finding geocaches.