Less than 24 hours after Zoe Ta-Perez (Lux-CTS p/b Specialized) won the U23 Stars and Stripes jersey in the elite women's time trial at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, the world's top junior world champion, Zoe Ta-Perez (Lux-CTS p/b Specialized), was in the top three in the elite women's time trial.

The 20-year-old Tapeles, the reigning junior world champion on the track, smiled as she thanked the under-23 honorees for the honor, but said it may have been overshadowed by the bronze medal she won in the overall elite women's standings. This was her first elite medal in cycling.

"I knew I was going pretty fast, so I tried really hard to hold on until the end. And then in the last 500 meters I thought, 'Okay, I can't lose here, so I'm going to keep my foot on the gas,'" Tapeles said at a Friday morning press conference hosted by the Knoxville Sports Commission and USA Cycling.

"I really wanted to race my race and focus on execution. So to come in third really means a lot."

Faster than Tapeles on Oak Ridge's 23.2km time trial course were World Tour veteran and new national champion Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo) and four-time US time trial champion and two-time TT world champion Amber Neben. Not bad company.

Using both power and speed, Tapeles finished 1:53 behind Thomas. Behind Ta-Perez in the final results were US Pro Road Champion Lauren Stephens (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) and US Track Olympian Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), who were unable to match her time, There were another six accomplished women who were more than 27 seconds slower.

"Personally, I think time trials require a little more regular mental focus. I stick to my routine and schedule," the California native said of her preparation for Thursday's event.

"Road racing is a little more relaxed. We are a developmental team, but I think the girls have some cards to play. In road racing, we take it one lap at a time. We just have a flexible plan and will see how everyone runs, how hot it is, and how the race unfolds."

She said.

Sunday's elite women's road race is 109.4 km (68 miles) with ten 10.9 km (6.8 mile) circuits. The small circuit includes an uphill climb on Sherrod Road, a tough one-mile climb that, combined with the sweltering heat, will last until late in the morning.

"Honestly, I want to focus on the crit right now," added Tapeles, who said she will concentrate on supporting her teammate Olivia Cummins, who is only 18 years old, for her next chance at the national champion's jersey. Cummins has three top-10 finishes in the elite women's criterium event at Saint Francis-Tulsa Tough this year and finished third overall in the omnium.

"I run to support Olivia. She had a great run in the Tulsa Tough. Crit is exciting. But I love racing. Anything on the bike is good. Whether it's track or road, it brings out a side of me as a competitor."

Roy Nickman, who coached the junior national team and men's road for USA Cycling, has been Lux's team director for over eight years. The long weekend in Knoxville has already been successful, with Tapeles winning the elite medal and U23 championship in the time trial, and Cummins taking the U23 silver in the TT.

He told Cycling News that his development team serves as a step in her development, and his goal is for teammates like Tapeles and Cummins to send her to the World Tour team.

"We are part of the development pipeline. Unlike other professional teams that have to produce results, we believe that by selecting young talent well and supporting them appropriately, we can produce results. Then, as soon as they get to that level of results and take the next step, we can make the call and try to move them up. I don't want to be a marketing machine. If I'm doing my job, it's worthwhile."