Europe Part 1
We're close, but there's work to do
This Cyclocross season I took a different approach with one goal in mind: results in Europe. This meant I had to essentially push back the start of my season so that I could arrive in Europe, building into the races instead of holding on like years past. To achieve this I continued my base training throughout the whole first part of the US season, up until the Pan American Championship. This was the day I marked as the “start” of my cyclocross season.
Getting Settled
I arrived in Europe shortly after Pan Ams to give myself as much time as possible to acclimate before the big races started. The importance of this would be highlighted at the X20 round in Hamme, which I jumped into 3 days after arriving. This was definitely a shock to the system. It was my first time riding mud in a year, first time riding my Dugast Rhinos, jet lag was in full effect, and the course was as Euro as they get. The race was rough, and I even forgot to keep riding hard halfway through, but it was nice to ride around a muddy Belgian field again and shake everything out!
High’s and Low’s
A week after arriving in Europe we headed to Tabor, Czechia, for the first round of the Cyclocross World Cup. I really enjoy racing in Tabor; the atmosphere, the location, and the track make for a really nice race. This is also the place that is home to some of the most defining moments in my career to this point. In 2023, I had my first World Cup top 10 on this course, finishing 6th. This came after a rough couple of races at the US World Cups with a 29th and a DNF. This result was the motivation I needed to push through a really tough time and come out stronger.
The next year, we raced the World Championship in Tabor. I had just come top 5 in the Hoogerheide World Cup 1 week prior, my preparation was flawless, and I was ready to show what I was capable of, aiming for the podium. I had a great start sitting 2nd as we came off the pavement, then my back wheel caught a frozen rut and sent me straight into a fence, game over. When I stood up, I was dead last. I decided that all the work I had done shouldn’t be for nothing, and I rode through almost the whole field, making it within sight of the top 10 before blowing up in the last lap and finishing 16th. This was perhaps the best ride of my life at this point, but the result doesn’t show it.
That brings me to this year, after months of consistent training and preparation for these races in Europe, I was confident going into this race that I could compete for a top 10, so that’s how I rode. Always moving forward and putting myself where I needed to be to make that happen. At the end of lap 1, I found myself in the front group, and I felt like I belonged there. The race was flat out for the full hour, and I rode in the top 10 for 7.5/8 laps. Unfortunately, though, I blew up a little in the last lap with a big group breathing down my neck, I got caught halfway through the lap and finished 12th. However, in what was essentially my first real cross race of the season, and certainly my first time riding 1 hour full gas this year, I am happy with the result, knowing I have more to give!
Learning
The second round of the World Cup brought us to Flamanville, France. This was a new course and part of the world for me, so I was quite excited. The race was super cool with a course around a 1600s chateau, and the atmosphere was electric, but my race was nothing to write home about. In the days leading up to the race, I had some fatigue in my legs, which carried over into the race. On a power course that felt like riding on velcro, I didn’t have the legs to ride where I was the week before, but I was technically riding well and able to stay in groups and compete for a top 15 result, in the end, finishing 16th. Still a good result, but I know I am capable of more. I just need to put the pieces together.
I’m in uncharted territory now. I am strong enough to ride with the best guys in the world, I just haven’t been able to unlock my full potential in a race. The Europeans have a very specific way of going about Cyclocross; they grow up surrounded by the sport, and there are no questions about how to prepare for it. However, for me as an American, the situation is much different. We prepare the best we can with the knowledge we have, but it is completely different than what they do here. Now that I’m over here, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the people who know the most about this sport. I have learned a lot, which has made me realize that I still have a way to go to reach my full potential. Now that I understand the ways they train and race, I can implement that myself, but it is going to take some time for that to set in. It’s scary to try new things, but I am excited to see how things unfold over the next couple of months.
Nationals
Finally, that brings me to my last point: I decided not to return home and defend my National Championship title this year. I feel that to give myself the best chance of success in Europe, I need to stay here and focus on dialing in my training and racing in this setting. The good news is the World Cup in Namur is the same day as our nationals! This is probably my favorite cyclocross course and one that suits me very well, so even though it will be tough to watch the jersey go, I am super excited to see what is possible at the race I haven’t done since 2022!
It was great to see you up with the leaders in Tabor and congrats on a solid start to your European season. It would be super interesting to know more about the differences in how the European riders train vs what we do in the U.S.