Winning the rainbow jersey has been the ultimate dream since the day I got into cycling.
Coming into this year’s World Championships, I was genuinely excited. Last year didn’t go the way I wanted after crashing in the TT while leading on the second lap, but I knew deep down that I had a real shot to finally pull it off this time around. Winning the Belgium World Cup TT in May gave me huge confidence. I was noticeably fitter, dialed into a much better aero position, and had done a massive block of heat prep to make sure I was ready for the brutal Alabama temperatures.
When I landed in Huntsville, the jet lag hit hard since I was the only US team member traveling in from overseas. Over the four days leading up to the race, I ended up scaling back the training volume more than originally planned. The heat was oppressive, and the roads were taking a toll. I kept it simple: short, punchy efforts directly on the course over the final 48 hours to open the legs up without roasting my engine.
The stress before a World Championship TT is intense. You pour an entire year of suffering, early mornings, and strict prep into what comes down to one single, all-out effort. Walking to the team pits on race day, the sun was already scorching. Ambient temperature hovered around 97°F with heavy humidity. In conditions like that, pacing your warmup, staying relentlessly on top of electrolytes, and keeping core body temps down with ice and cooling tricks is the difference between winning and blowing up.
Standing in the start gate, all the pre-race noise instantly vanished.
The first six minutes felt fast and fluid. When you lock into that rhythm, normal thoughts disappear and it’s just pure execution. The heat started biting sooner than I would have liked, but in a TT you have to remind yourself that every single competitor is suffering just as badly. I pushed the limits on a few corners, stayed as aero as possible through the first lap, and started catching some of the tandems ahead of me.
To be honest, during a TT you inevitably end up questioning your life choices and asking why you love something that hurts this much. But whenever the pain spikes, I consciously think about the months of preparation and the incredible support from Loma Linda University PossAbilities, Team ABC, and everyone back home. That gratitude keeps the cadence steady and keeps the power on the pedals.
Crossing the line, I was completely smoked and dropped straight onto the grass. The next ten minutes staring at live timing felt like an eternity. Rider after rider finished, and my name stayed on top. When the final time posted and it was official, the wave of relief and emotion was unbelievable. Standing on that podium in the rainbow stripes is a feeling I’ll never forget.
With the TT in the bag, the pressure came off and the focus shifted directly to the road race. My main objective was riding entirely for my teammate Grant, working to secure a top-five finish to lock in his spot on the national team for next year. Playing a role in him securing 5th was the perfect way to cap off the week.
A massive thank you to PossAbilities, USAC staff, my coach Zach, and all of you for backing me every step of the journey. We did it!
