Team Winston-Salem Leaves a Mark on Speedweek 2025

Team Winston-Salem Leaves a Mark on Speedweek 2025: Breakaways, Grit, and Podiums

Team Winston-Salem entered Speedweek 2025 with a mission: to race aggressively, ride for each other, and show the country what this team is capable of. Over nine days of elite criterium racing across the Southeast, the team delivered—animating races, landing on podiums, and leaving a lasting impression on fans and sponsors alike.

Will Hardin Laps the Field and Lands on the Podium

The men's team lit up Athens with a gutsy move that stunned the field. Will Hardin launched into an early two-man breakaway with Clever Martinez that the peloton underestimated. As the laps ticked by, the gap only grew. Before the race had even reached the halfway point, Hardin and Martinez had lapped the field—a rare and bold feat at one of the country's most iconic criteriums.

Once back in the bunch, the TWS squad mobilized. Teammates like Eli Woodard stepped in to guide Will through the field, helping him recover position and prepare for the final sprint.

"At Athens, I was conveniently located near the back of the field trying to hang in there and move up when I could," said Eli Woodard. "Even without a race radio, I knew Will was off the front—but I had no idea who he was with. When he lapped the field and came up behind me, I put in my best 2-lap dig to make up as many spots as I could. Once Will shot around me, I knew he had the motor to get up there."

Will held his own to take second on the night, and followed it up with consistent performances throughout the week, ultimately securing 2nd place overall in the Speedweek series.

Rebecca Lang Attacks Relentlessly Before Heartbreaking Crash

On the women's side, Rebecca Lang spent the week asserting herself at the front of every race. She was a fixture in the breakaways and racked up sprint points, primes, and podium threats day after day. With support from teammates Sierra Sims and Jen Malik—who played critical roles countering moves and disrupting chase efforts—Rebecca held 2nd overall in the series standings going into the La Grange Cycling Classic.

"I was feeling very fit and excited coming into Speedweek. I had great form all week, mostly from winter training and also I was trying to maintain from Redlands," said Rebecca Lang. "I was confident in my handling and power, so I was focused on getting some breakaways and splitting the field apart."

But racing can be cruel. With 7 laps to go in La Grange, Rebecca launched an attack from an elite front group just as rain began falling. On slick painted road lines, her bike slid out and she hit the ground hard. The crash left her with a broken collarbone and unable to finish out the series. Though she didn’t start the College Park finale, her strong performances still earned her 9th place overall, a remarkable result considering she missed an entire race.

"The third corner had gotten significantly more slick since we had last taken it about 2–3 minutes prior. I didn't realize at the time, but the oil had started to come up and run off the road with the rain," Rebecca said. "I actually came into the corner decently slow, or at least I thought. It didn't look wet enough to be very slippery, but next I knew I was on the ground. I'm honestly very disappointed to miss the finish of La Grange and College Park, but the week shows I have what it takes to be competitive in the pro women's US peloton."

Team Tactics and Exposure Across the Week

Speedweek isn’t just about results; it’s about presence, exposure, and racing with purpose. Across all of the races, Team Winston-Salem riders could be seen attacking off the front, snagging primes, and animating every major move.

"My role during Speedweek was to help make sure Rebecca had a good placing in each race and to support whatever plan she wanted to run," said Sierra Sims. "We countered each other’s moves, played it tactically, and the announcers definitely noticed our effort.”

Jen Malik also stepped into the mix with energy and optimism after returning to crit racing for the first time in years:

"It was super cool seeing how well the team worked together and how supportive everybody was as I was navigating and learning the crazy world of crits," said Jen.

From livestreams to the sidelines, the Haro bikes and aggressive racing style of TWS riders were impossible to miss.

Looking Ahead

Speedweek proved that Team Winston-Salem isn’t just showing up—they’re shaping races, defining their results, and leaving a mark. With a podium in the men’s overall and a top-10 finish in the women’s despite devastating setbacks, the team leaves the series with momentum and motivation heading into the summer race calendar.

Thank you to our sponsors and all of the support from the city of Winston-Salem!