Ben King: World Championships

Road Race: 266 km 36 km then 17×14 km circuit

Honored to be selected for the team, nervous and motivated to contribute to the team, and confident in our team leader, Tyler Farrar, I prepared for a battle against 210 riders which my coach, Jim Miller, claimed would cost 6000 calories. For an hour at 50 kph, I followed or helped neutralized every attack from the powerhouse teams. Teams without sprinters hoped to make the race hard, but there seemed to be a terminal velocity on the circuits which we held for most of the race, allowing the protected sprinters a comfortable draft and smooth pace.

Unsure of my ability to aid in the finale, I asked Tyler if I should pitch in up front. He said, “ask Sayers (our director).” I dropped back to the car and Sayers said to wait a lap or two. With 145 km remaining I slithered to the front and swapped steady pulls with GB and Germany. 15 km later Belgium, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, and Denmark started hurling guys off the front. We lifted the pace and lost the Germans. More than once I gave what I thought might be my last ditch effort. During one pull, I overshot a corner and barely held it up on the curb without causing trouble. I felt amateur and embarrassed. When I got back to the front, I apologized to the Brits. Back in the rotation they even offered a, “nice pull” or “good job” every now and then.

With 60 km to go, another flurry of attacks upset the rhythm, and I sagged off the front. With 3 laps to go, I tried to work again, took one pull, and fell back. Phinney did what he could for Tyler in the finish, but Cavendish (Great Britain) won motivated by his team. Farrar took 10th.

I managed to finish in the front group. It is the furthest I’ve ever ridden (170 miles including the ride back to the hotel) with an average speed over 29 mph. Tenth is a mediocre result for USA, but considering the young team we have here, it’s a result.