Rider Report: Caroline Nolan Races her First World Cup at Jingle Cross
Rider Report: Caroline Nolan Races her First World Cup at Jingle Cross
Words: Caroline Nolan
Photos: Angel Perez and Dan Brock
Wow! What an incredible weekend racing the Jingle Cross World Cup! The atmosphere, the competition, the camaraderie -- everything about the weekend was amazing! Jingle Cross was my first UCI race back in 2014, and it felt fitting that it was now my first World Cup race. I would be lying if I said I felt prepared or ready for racing my first World Cup. My nerves, pre-race, were out of control. But I also know that I had worked hard to get to this level and am capable of riding with the best.
The start of the race was chaotic with so many racers fighting for the same lines. I realized I wasn’t as aggressive as I should have been, but I think that was my way of staying composed and focusing on my own race rather than the race around me. The Jingle Cross course is brutal. Over the course of the 6 laps, we climbed Mt. Krumpit 18 times - totally over 1000 ft in elevation in 10 miles. For a cross race, that’s a ton of elevation gain!
I felt confident in my riding and my equipment on the technical off-camber descents and fast rolling terrain. But maybe a little too confident and decided to make friends with the ground on lap 2. Unfortunately in the process, a burbed my front tire and had to pit on the next lap. That being said, I didn’t let my mistake derail my race and kept fighting forward. I may not have had my best race ever, but I finished on the lead lap, inside the top 30, and with a smile on my face. I know I have the potential to break into the top 20 and will be gunning for that result in the Trek World Cup race this Sunday.
Saturday night, we had the most incredible thunder storm which dumped 2-3 inches of good ol’ Midwestern rain on the course. We woke up Sunday to rising temperatures, humid air, and sloppy, muddy conditions. I was excited for the day’s C1-- mainly because my nerves subsided and I had my eye set on a top-15 finish. My start was so much better than Saturday and I went out aggressive and hungry. I was excited to be in the mix and sitting around 15-18 for the majority of the race. The mud kept things interesting and my equipment performed flawlessly in the conditions. I was happy with my 17th place finish on the day against a World Cup field.
Read her full World Cup rookie report on CXMagazine.com.
Words: Caroline Nolan
Photos: Angel Perez and Dan Brock
Wow! What an incredible weekend racing the Jingle Cross World Cup! The atmosphere, the competition, the camaraderie -- everything about the weekend was amazing! Jingle Cross was my first UCI race back in 2014, and it felt fitting that it was now my first World Cup race. I would be lying if I said I felt prepared or ready for racing my first World Cup. My nerves, pre-race, were out of control. But I also know that I had worked hard to get to this level and am capable of riding with the best.
The start of the race was chaotic with so many racers fighting for the same lines. I realized I wasn’t as aggressive as I should have been, but I think that was my way of staying composed and focusing on my own race rather than the race around me. The Jingle Cross course is brutal. Over the course of the 6 laps, we climbed Mt. Krumpit 18 times - totally over 1000 ft in elevation in 10 miles. For a cross race, that’s a ton of elevation gain!
I felt confident in my riding and my equipment on the technical off-camber descents and fast rolling terrain. But maybe a little too confident and decided to make friends with the ground on lap 2. Unfortunately in the process, a burbed my front tire and had to pit on the next lap. That being said, I didn’t let my mistake derail my race and kept fighting forward. I may not have had my best race ever, but I finished on the lead lap, inside the top 30, and with a smile on my face. I know I have the potential to break into the top 20 and will be gunning for that result in the Trek World Cup race this Sunday.
Saturday night, we had the most incredible thunder storm which dumped 2-3 inches of good ol’ Midwestern rain on the course. We woke up Sunday to rising temperatures, humid air, and sloppy, muddy conditions. I was excited for the day’s C1-- mainly because my nerves subsided and I had my eye set on a top-15 finish. My start was so much better than Saturday and I went out aggressive and hungry. I was excited to be in the mix and sitting around 15-18 for the majority of the race. The mud kept things interesting and my equipment performed flawlessly in the conditions. I was happy with my 17th place finish on the day against a World Cup field.
Read her full World Cup rookie report on CXMagazine.com.