Sixteen years after his last track competition, Taylor Phinney returned to the velodrome on Sunday afternoon and won the team pursuit at the US National Track Championships.
The quartet of Phinney, Anders Johnson, Colby Lange and David Domonoske qualified first in the event with a time of 4:03.688 in Carson, California. They then went on to win the final after only five of the 16 laps, having caught their rivals with just over a minute on the clock.
“Honored to rep the jersey once more,” Phinney posted on Instagram.
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Prior to Sunday, the last time the 36-year-old competed on the track was at the UCI World Championships in 2010, when he won the individual pursuit world title and placed third in the omnium.
He announced his comeback this April, with his sights on making the US track squad for the LA Olympics in 2028.
“What started as a return to gravel racing has delicately snowballed into a full on Olympic dream,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.
“The track was where I first found love and success in this sport, it was even the first discipline to break my heart when my specialty event, the individual pursuit, was removed from the Olympic program, which prompted me to swiftly abandon the track and go all in on the road.
“Recently the USA boys have been making huge strides in the Team Pursuit, and I couldn’t be more stoked to be joining them in the chase for the Olympic Dream.”
After dropping track cycling in 2010, Phinney stepped up to the WorldTour in his road career, first joining BMC Racing, and then EF Education First. He retired from road racing in 2019, aged 29, but has competed in gravel events in recent years.
The Olympics in LA carry sentimental value for the Phinney family; Taylor’s mother, Connie Carpenter-Phinney, won gold in the inaugural women’s road race at the LA Olympics in 1984. His father, Davis Phinney, won bronze in the individual time trial.
“Regardless of whether I make the official team for LA28 or not, I’m honored to be in the running and will look forward to making some World Cup teams to elevate the team to its highest potential and Olympic qualifying position,” he wrote in April.
A full list of the winners at last week’s US National Track Championships is below.
US National Track Championships 2026 winners
Men’s
Team pursuit – Anders Johnson, Taylor Phinney, Colby Lange, David Domonoske
Individual pursuit – Anders Johnson
Omnium – Colby Lange
Scratch race – Aaron Beebe
Elimination race – Colby Lange
Points race – Aaron Beebe
Team sprint – Joshua Hartman, Dalton Walters, Sterling Reneau
Sprint – Dalton Walters
Keirin – Dalton Walters
Kilometre time trial – Dalton Walters
Women’s
Team pursuit – Bethany Ingram, Anna Hicks, Olivia Cummins, Ella Sabo
Individual pursuit – Anna Hicks
Omnium – Anna Hicks
Scratch race – Kimberly Zubris
Elimination race – Chloe Patrick
Points race – Anna Hicks
Team sprint – Emily Hayes, Kayla Hankins, Hayley Yoslov
Sprint – McKenna McKee
Keirin – McKenna McKee
Kilometre time trial – Mandy Marquardt
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