Five riders with national championship victories this past season across road and track will anchor an 11-rider roster for Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 for the 2026 season. Cuban Marlies Mejías leads the way along with US riders Emily Ehrlich, Anna Hicks, Olivia Cummins and Ella Sabo.
Along with the roster confirmation, General Manager Nicola Cranmer confirmed to Cyclingnews that title sponsor Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge would continue for a fifth year to support the team which she founded in 2005 as a pathway to the Olympic Games each quadrennial period. Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 is the only US women’s UCI Continental-level team in North America for 2026.
“As I head into year 21 with this program, I’m filled with gratitude that we’re still able to grow a meaningful development pathway,” Cranmer said. “We’ve built something special here in Virginia’s Blue Ridge—where a young rider can see a clear line from their first local race all the way to a championship event. Our 2026 roster is one of the most exciting mixes of returning leaders and new talent we’ve ever had.”
Other returning riders include Sofía Arreola of Mexico, Rylee McMullen of Australia, and US duo Emily Gilbert and Bethany Ingram. Two new riders are both from the US, Kenna Pfeiffer, an under-23 standout from Aegis Cycling Foundation, and Marjorie Rinaldo, who spent the last three seasons with Fount Cycling Guild.
One of the most prolific riders on the team remains Mejías, who scored 24 victories in 2025. She also had an additional 20 podiums, including a silver at the 2025 Pan American Track Championships in the Scratch race. Now a US resident, she returned to Cuba for the first time in seven years and swept the road race and time trial national titles.
Known for her closing speed in one-day US races, such as Capital Cup, Clarendon Cup and Tour of Somerville, Mejías confirmed that the team would put a stronger emphasis on track events, with the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles inching closer.
“My season will look very different from the past,” Mejías said. “My main focus will be a strong track campaign, but we also have some talented new riders on the team like Kenna Pfeiffer, who is already a powerful sprinter. I’m looking forward to teaching her sprint tactics and race craft—and seeing how far we can go together as a team.”
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