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Cyclists pack their luggage and get dropped off on the airport dozens of instances per yr as touring is a part of our sport. Flying out of Good-Côte d’Azur airport so usually, I had my rituals of easy methods to examine in, get via safety, and keep comfy whereas ready for the aircraft to board. In early August 2004 my flight plan was from Good, France to Athens, Greece and every part felt acquainted as I used to be simply on one other flight to a different bike race.
Because the aircraft gained altitude, we broke via the clouds and an excellent ray of sunshine got here via my window which felt like a faucet on the shoulder. It was the second that I spotted that I wasn’t simply going to a different bike race however as a substitute was headed to the Olympic Video games and was about to turn out to be an Olympian. I used to be overcome by emotion because it has been a purpose of mine for a very long time, and it was about to turn out to be actuality.
Stepping off the aircraft and strolling via the airport in Athens in every single place you appeared you noticed one thing associated to the Olympic Sports and you can really feel the thrill within the air.
Earlier than coming into the Olympic Athletes Village I needed to decide up my Olympic credential. I needed to fill out tons of kinds previous to my arrival however should admit I used to be nervous that I had made a mistake on the administration aspect and can be denied entry.
After a couple of nervous minutes after handing over my passport and watching a number of folks enter my identify of their laptop and examine a couple of lists, my image was taken, and I used to be handed my credential and lanyard that may be my all-access move to the Olympic expertise. Now all I needed to do was discover the Group USA Biking home within the village.
The hub of the Athletes Village is the principle cafeteria. This took some navigational recon the primary few days as there have been so many decisions that you simply wanted to see all of the choices previous to piling meals onto your plate.
The cafeterias had been additionally an awesome place to fulfill athletes from different sports activities and commerce pins. This was my first Olympics, so I went all in with the pin buying and selling sport and got here away with a pleasant assortment over the few days that I had within the village. Every interplay was not simply in regards to the pin itself, however the story of the individual you had been buying and selling with. I wore them proudly on my lanyard and it’s certainly one of my most valued possessions to today.
As cyclists, we had been allowed to exit the village to go coaching on the encompassing roads outdoors the village. Each the lads’s and girls’s groups skilled collectively, so it was fairly cool to maneuver in every single place as a crew. Some riders elected to experience of their regular commerce crew clothes for coaching, however I used to be so pleased with making the Olympic crew that I wore the USA package daily with satisfaction.
Because the roads across the village had been restricted, we frequently encountered different groups whereas out coaching. We’d wave to them and maybe have a fast change of pleasantries in passing but it surely was a bit awkward. After all, many of those different riders had been buddies or teammates the remainder of the yr, however for these few days they had been the competitors.
We had been allowed to do a full recon of the highway course a couple of days previous to the race with closed roads for about an hour. The vibe across the begin/end was jovial, but it surely was a wierd feeling pedaling across the course, which in a couple of days would choose the riders worthy of an Olympic medal.
Race day arrived and though I used to be excited, I wasn’t very nervous. I used to be by no means a one-day specialist, so didn’t put any stress on myself. My focus was extra of participation reasonably than putting and I used to be going to simply waft, which I did for many of the race.
There aren’t any race radios within the Olympic highway race and communication was tough because of the noise going via the feed zones, however with about two laps to go, I turned conscious that there have been two guys up the highway with a large benefit. Many riders from many various nations chipped in to shut the hole, however the 2 riders in entrance had been too sturdy.
The one factor that issues within the Olympics are medals, so after cresting the climb for the ultimate time the racing quickly turned a race for the bronze medal and an actual tactical battle began.
All of the sudden I used to be now not inquisitive about simply collaborating within the race as there was a bronze medal up for grabs and I wished to win it! There was a lull within the group and Michael Berry from Canada attacked laborious with a couple of kms to go. I figured this was my likelihood, so I jumped on his wheel. For a second I assumed that this transfer may work and we had caught the sprinters off guard however circled to see everybody on my wheel.
This provoked one other lull within the group as we had loads of good sprinters within the group and so they had been simply attempting to save lots of as a lot power as doable. Then Axel Merckx attacked laborious up a slight rise, and nobody reacted. This was the same transfer to the one which I had simply made with Michael however might inform by his pedal stroke that Axel can be laborious to deliver again.
The ultimate km was a blur as now we couldn’t solely see Axel, but in addition Paulo Bettini and Sergio Paulinho (eventual gold and silver medalists) barely additional up the highway. The sprinters tried to maneuver themselves into place and shut the hole, but it surely was too late.
Ultimately, I had wound up simply collaborating within the race, ending in twenty ninth place. Axel was a very good good friend of mine and I keep in mind watching him tower above Paulo and Sergio on the rostrum. All of them appeared so completely satisfied and chic up there with olive department wreaths on their heads and medals round their neck. The course round Athens had chosen the three riders worthy of turning into Olympic medalists and the remainder of us might solely dream about what that should really feel like.