The Race: Speed Week NCC Downtown Walterboro Criterium
The Course: 25 laps
The Field: 1/2 women
The Finish: Upright
I won Walterboro in a 2-rider breakaway last year, so it felt good to come back here and revisit the scene of such a great experience. That confidence lasted until the first corner of the race, when I realized I was riding like a hot mess. My legs were fine, but my head wasn’t in the right place – instead of sitting strong at the front of the field and railing corners, I felt unsteady and sloppy. Corners that would normally have been nothing felt ungainly, and I kept losing ground and ending up in the gutter. An early crash caused by a bad rut in the pavement before turn three took down one rider hard and neutralized the race, which didn’t do much for my unsettled nerves. After the restart, I pulled my shit together somewhat but never really found a rhythm. The team launched a number of attacks, but nothing stayed away. I tried to do my job of providing leadouts for the points sprints and at the end, but it wasn’t my best performance. We all came away from the race with a clearer idea of how to be more effective together going forward, so I suppose that’s a win in its own way.
riding second wheel?
It means sitting second in the line of riders.