Kendall Ryan and Richard Holec Sprint to Victory in the Windy City
eL tracks, the Sears Tower, and hot sprints provide a perfect cap to Chicago Grit
CHICAGO — Under the shadows of the iconic Windy City skyline, Kendall Ryan (L39ion) and Richard Holec (Team Cadence Cyclery) delivered explosive final sprints to take the wins in race five of the American Criterium Cup (ACC), capping off a high-octane finale to the Chicago Grit series.
For Ryan, it was a second straight win at the Fulton Market Grand Prix and her third victory in the ACC this season. For Holec, it was the exclamation point on a dominant week, clinching both the race win and the overall omnium title at Chicago Grit.
Kendall Ryan Keeps the Streak Alive, Seitz Stays in Control
Kendall Ryan didn’t just win — she owned Fulton Market. With a lethal finishing kick and the support of a high-powered L39ion leadout, the U.S. national champion surged to a commanding win, outpacing Aline Seitz (UTC ButcherBox) and Bryony Botha (Fearless Femme Racing) in a fast and furious sprint finish.
“I knew if the time came, my teammates were ready to throw down,” Ryan said. “I got swarmed a bit, had to come from far back — just ticked riders off one by one.”
The women’s race wasn’t short on drama. A deep 65-rider field fought tooth and nail on the technical Fulton Market circuit, dodging tight corners, surging primes, and even a race-neutralizing fire truck midway through.
After a full-field regrouping, the action reignited. The Virginia’s Blue Ridge/ Twenty28 duo of Rylee McMullen and Olivia Cummins capitalized on mid-race point sprints to boost their standings, while a solo escape from Emily Herfoss (Unattached) pushed the pack to its limits before L39ion and LA Sweat reeled her back with five laps to go.
A final move from Shannon Koch (Kingdom Elite Racing) and Elizabeth Dixon (Fount Cycling Guild) forced L39ion to use up their final match, burning leadout rider Holly Breck to bring it all back together for Ryan’s textbook finish.
The win marked Ryan’s second straight at Fulton Market and her third ACC win of the season. But despite her undefeated streak in the races she’s started, she sits third in the overall standings due to a limited calendar.
Seitz, meanwhile, tightened her grip on the red leaders jersey with a runner-up finish that virtually seals the individual ACC crown heading into next month’s series finale in St. Louis at the Gateway Cup. We spoke with her recently to ensure that she was set to return from Switzerland in time, and she assured us that she has a ticket booked.
In the team standings, UTC ButcherBox overtook Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty28, thanks to Seitz’s podium.
Women’s results:
Kendall Ryan— L39ion of Los Angeles
Aline Seitz — UTC Butcherbox
Bryony Botha — Fearless Femme Racing
Claudia Marcks — Ccache x Bodywrap
Skylar Schneider — SD Worx Protime
Women’s ACC overall standings:
Aline Seitz — UTC Butcherbox Cycling — 160 points
Andrea Cyr — Fount Cycling Guild — 134
Kendall Ryan — L39ion of Los Angeles — 110
Rylee McMullen — Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty28 — 103
Makayla MacPherson — CCB p/b Levine Law — 82
Women’s team standings:
UTC Butcherbox Cycling — 242 points
Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty28 — 233
Fount Cycling Guild — 173
Holec Seals Chicago Grit Title, ACC Fight Heads to St. Louis
On the men’s side, the script was more chaotic — and the stakes even higher.
Richard Holec came into the Fulton Market Grand Prix as the in-form rider of the week, dominating the Chicago Grit omnium but sitting further back in the ACC standings. That didn’t matter Sunday. The Cadence Cyclery rider unleashed a devastating late sprint to edge out Danny Summerhill (L39ion of Los Angeles) and take the biggest win of his season — and the Chicago Grit crown.
“Last year I crashed out on day six with a concussion,” Holec said post-race. “So to come back and win five stages and the GC — it’s been amazing.”
The race was filled with fireworks from the gun. Summerhill, Owen Gillott (Chaney Window and Doors Pastaria), and Holec all featured in a massive mid-race break that briefly threatened to reshape the overall standings. Summerhill took top honors in the mid-race sprint, keeping his green jersey hopes alive, but the group eventually imploded and was brought back.
From there, it was a game of inches.
L39ion set up perfectly on the final lap — Carpenter to Williams to Summerhill — but Holec was lurking. Tucked in the draft, he launched at 200 meters, slicing through the headwind and past Summerhill to take the win in front of a roaring crowd.
Holec’s win was the third of the ACC season for Cadence Cyclery — each with a different rider — locking up the team title before the final race. Bourgoyne’s sacrifice to support Holec takes him out of the individual fight, but it’s a trade they’ll happily make for the series win.
Maurice Ballerstedt (Rose Bikes) still holds the red jersey with one race to go, but with Summerhill and Brody McDonald (Golden State Blazers) within striking distance, the title is still up for grabs.
The final showdown comes in St. Louis. Until then, the talk of the peloton is clear: Kendall Ryan is untouchable in a sprint, and Richard Holec just owned the Windy City.
Men’s results:
Richard Holec — Cadence Cyclery
Danny Summerhill — L39ion of Los Angeles
Maurice Ballerstedt — Rose Bikes
Brody McDonald — Golden State Blazers
Lucas Bourgoyne — Cadence Cyclery
Men’s ACC overall standings:
Maurice Ballerstedt — Rose Bikes — 153 points
Danny Summerhill — L39ion of Los Angeles — 150
Brody McDonald — Golden State Blazers — 146
Lucas Bourgoyne — Cadence Cyclery — 138
Dusan Kalaba — Parks Law Firm All Stars — 124
Men’s ACC team standings:
Cadence Cyclery — 268 points
Golden State Blazers — 164
L39ion of Los Angeles — 150
Logan Jones Wilkins contributed to this story. Photos by Ethan Glading Courtesy of the ACC.