The riders

Meet the riders

Both riders are ranked by USA Cycling among all U23 women in cyclocross, racing against women up to age 22. Rankings as of October 22, 2026.

U-19 women · 2027USA Cycling & UCI

Juliette Dennedy

36thUSA Cycling U23 women’s cyclocross, ranked at 15

Juliette races up an age group and a category most weekends, and wins there. She is known for fighting back from difficult starts, consistent lap times and negative splits.

2026 so far: USCX Series winner, U19 Junior Women; U19 wins on both days at Charm City Cross (Baltimore) and on day two at USCX Rochester; 2nd in the Women’s Open 1/2/3 on day two of the Major Taylor Cross Cup (Indianapolis); U19 and Category 3 wins at Kings CX; Category 3 wins at Lionhearts CX and Carter Park.
2025: 23 races, 17 podiums, 6 wins, including both days of the Kings CX junior races, Brookside Cross, Harbin Park, Devo Cross and Riverside Rumble.
National level: called up 10th of 37 in Junior Women 15–16 at the 2025 Cyclocross Nationals.
In the media: featured with her teammates and the team RV in Cyclocross Social’s Inside Cyclocross #94: Charm City CX (October 2026).

U-23 women · 2027USA Cycling & UCI

Claire Thonnerieux

112thUSA Cycling U23 women’s cyclocross

Claire raced the UCI Junior Women championship at the 2025 USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals and moves into the U23 ranks in 2027 with eight seasons of cyclocross, road, mountain bike and gravel racing behind her. She and Juliette have trained and raced together for about eight years.

Nationals: started the UCI Junior Women race in Fayetteville, AR (2025); called up 12th of 32 in Junior Women 15–16 (2024).
Cyclocross: junior win at Carter Park CX (2025).
Road: six junior wins from 2021 to 2025, including the Newmark Center Classic (2024 and 2025) and the Orbital Crit Series (2024).
Mountain bike: won a NICA Ohio league Women JV round (1st of 12, 2024).

Where they started

Lionhearts Junior Racing

Both riders came up through Lionhearts, Cincinnati’s grassroots junior program, which has produced a USA Cycling champion and collegiate scholarship athletes. They still race with Lionhearts, mentor its younger riders, and ECD gives $1,500 a year back to the program.