On the eve of the Worlds

It’s less than 12 hours until the Cycling World Championships are underway in Richmond, Virginia. Having spent the day watching trade teams and individuals recon the TTT and TT courses alongside local spectators, I’m not convinced that Richmond fully understands and appreciates what is going on in their front yard.

“So this is, like, a big deal, right? All these cyclist people?”

I answered variations of this question a few times before I found a response that struck a chord. Imagine if the Superbowl was played in Malaysia. They’ve probably heard of the Superbowl but don’t know the sport well enough to identify the athletes or know all the rules.

“Oh…wow! This is a big deal!”

The beautiful thing about cycling is that you don’t need to know all the nuances to recognize the dedication and heart that the riders display at an event like the Worlds. And with that in mind, I think Richmond is more than ready to cheer on the hundreds of cyclists over the next 8 days.

BMW presented by Happy Tooth Dental.

Jelly Belly.

Jamis Hagens Berman

Tinkoff Saxo.

Boels Dolman.

United Health Care.

Hincapie Racing Team.

Cannondale Garmin.

Lotto Soudal.

Movistar.

Giant Alpecin.

BMC, the team to beat.

Sep Vanmarcke and Robert Gesink relax after a practice lap of the TTT course.

Gatis Smukulis made a local friend.

Katusha.

Traffic.

Sky started with 6 but finished with 4 after a crash on course.

Rui Costa.

The peloton.

Tony Martin.

Etixx Quick Step.

In the afternoon, riders had the opportunity to preview the ITT course.

I’m thrilled that for the third consecutive year, I plan to be at every race during the Worlds and will bring you photos and race reports daily!