Flying back to the States from Nice, France, I felt prepared and genuinely excited to start the season. Meeting the team the day before the race was a great experience—the environment was positive, supportive, and honestly refreshing. It felt good to be around people who were focused and motivated in the same way.
Stage 1 was an individual time trial at Perris Lake, a course that suited me well. My warm‑up felt smooth, and I was confident in the plan I had built for the day. I had a detailed schedule for warming up, eating, and getting to the start, and everything was lining up the way it should.
Then the unexpected happened.
A crash involving the lead moto delayed the start by over an hour. I did my best to stay loose and focused, went back out for a shorter warm‑up, and tried to adapt. While finishing my last lap on the warm‑up road—which was closed to traffic—a car unexpectedly turned into me. Hitting the ground, my first thought was disbelief. It was a tough moment after putting so much into preparing for this race.
Thankfully, I wasn’t seriously injured, but my bike was damaged. The next half hour was spent with medical staff and filing a police report. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking—if I missed my start, I’d be out of the entire four‑day race. My team director worked quickly to secure me the final start slot of the day, and the team found a bike I could use. It wasn’t my setup—wrong saddle height, no custom bars—but it allowed me to start. I gave everything I had and finished 34th. Considering the circumstances, I was proud to salvage the day.
The rest of the stage race was challenging, especially with knee pain lingering from the crash, but I finished. And finishing meant something after the way the week started.
Reflecting on the race is tough, but it’s also just the beginning of the season. After Redlands, I headed to Sonoma County for Levi’s Gran Fondo, and soon I’ll be flying back to Europe for World Cups 2 and 3. I’m genuinely excited for what’s ahead. I still need to sort out the situation with my damaged bike, and the timeline is tight, but I’m grateful I’m healthy enough to keep racing and that I have opportunities coming up.
Even with the setbacks, I’m moving forward—and I’m ready for what’s next.