White Makes Podium at Masters Road Race
MILWAUKEE—Dr. Brian White has once again found himself on the podium at the USA Cycling National Championship Masters Road Race. A Cooperstown local and chief of interventional pain management for the Bassett Healthcare Network, White finished fourth in the Men 60-64 race.
The event was held on July 1 in Fall River, Wisconsin. The five lap, 55-mile race was held on an 11-mile rolling course about 90 minutes northwest of Milwaukee and race day conditions were hot and windy. The Masters race was won by Californian Patrick Heaney, who is currently the number one ranked rider in the U.S. in the Men 60-64 age group. Last year’s winner, Oklahoman Chris Carlson, was second, followed by Guy Preston in third. White and Carlson were the only two riders earning spots on the 2026 championship podium to repeat after podium appearances in 2025.
Early in the race, White and Heaney were in a four-man break for about 15 miles. The breakaway built up nearly a one-minute lead according to White, but was caught by the field by about the 30-mile mark. Roughly 10 miles later, a second, two-man breakaway featuring Heaney escaped the field and built a one-minute time gap. Carlson made a solo attack from the field and was able to bridge the gap to the two-man escaped group and the three riders survived the heat to finish clear of the field.
With about eight miles to go, White also made a solo attack and fought to create a 30-second gap over the field, fighting with the heat, hills, and his pursuers to hold on and finish fourth.
“Those last eight miles were hard, really hard. This is the hardest fight I can ever remember for a fourth-place finish,” White noted after the race.
“I thought my day was done after the early break that Patrick and I were in got caught by the field,” White continued. “After that early break effort my legs seemed a bit cooked. I wasn’t convinced I had another deep effort left in me.”
Rolling into the last lap, White said, “I thought I would give it a go as we started the climbs on the back side of the course. I was able to get a good gap over the field and then worked really hard to build on that lead.”
“Given the level of effort today, I am really pleased with the result,” White reflected. “The guys in front of me have demonstrated time and again that they are the top guys in the country, so to be competitive with them is great.”
