Elite triathlete Taylor Knibb, who was slated to compete for the U.S. team in the women’s road race at the Paris Olympics, has given up her spot in said race. U.S. National Road Race champion Kirsten Faulkner will ride in her place.

The United States earned a pair of spots in the road race, which was initially intended for Knibb and Canyon-SRAM’s Chloé Dygert. Knibb, 26, who rides for Trek Factory Racing, will compete in the other three races she was slated for: the time trial, the triathlon, and the mixed triathlon.

“Cycling has a very steep learning curve, and I am simultaneously excited and nervous for what lies ahead,” said Knibb after qualifying for the team following the National Championships in West Virginia back in May.

The decision is reportedly due to Knibb’s busy schedule in Paris. Abandoning the road race will allow her to focus more on the time trial and the pair of triathlon events she’s scheduled to compete in. Knibb enters the Olympics with some pedigree, having won silver in the mixed triathlon in 2020’s Tokyo Games.

Alaska native Faulkner, who races for EF Education Cannondale, won the national road race in May and finished second to Knibb in the time trial.

“I dreamed of competing in the Olympics ever since I was eight, and I saw it on TV. This is the biggest dream I've ever had, and it's finally come true,” Faulkner said when she was named to the team. “I am beyond excited to represent the USA alongside such a strong group of athletes. I will do my best to bring home a medal for Team USA.”

Unlike Knibb, who has no international experience in mass-start races, 31-year-old Faulkner counts stage wins and a mountains classification victory at the Giro Donne and a stage win the Vuelta Feminina. She also finished second at the Tour de Suisse in 2022 and third at that year’s Itzulia Women.

In addition to the road race, Faulkner will compete in the velodrome as part of the team pursuit squad that consists of Dygert, Human Powered Health’s Lily Williams, and Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24’s Jennifer Valente.

The women’s time trial will take place on Saturday, July 27, at 8:30 AM EDT. The road race will take place on Sunday, August 4, at 8 AM EDT. Qualifying for the women’s team pursuit is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, at 11:30 AM EDT. The first round and finals will follow the next day, Wednesday, August 7, at 7:50 AM EDT and 12:50 PM EDT, respectively.