Around the Worlds: The Hills Are Alive

Tuesday brought us more time trial racing at the UCI Road World Championships, in the form of the Junior Men’s Individual Time Trial and the Elite Women’s Individual Time Trial. The talk of the course was the climb up Governor’s Street, past the Governor’s Mansion (I’m guessing that has something to do with the name of the street) and back onto Broad Street for a ‘false flat’ to the finish. A ‘false flat’ is apparently the term for a stretch of course that looks flat but is actually a slight incline. And if you have never heard that term before, then you are not alone. But that’s the beauty of hosting global sporting events – you are always likely to learn something new.

There was plenty of encouragement for riders making their way up Governor’s Street, with fans positioned at the bottom, in the middle, and at the top of the climb. And there was extra encouragement for riders named Tom, Ellen, and Anna, as messages of support for those names were spray painted on the asphalt leading up the hill. But it doesn’t appear that those names were picked randomly, particularly in the case of Tom Dumoulin, a Dutch cyclist considered to be a rising star in world cycling. I would also be willing to bet that Anna and Ellen are Dutch cyclists as well. That should come as no surprise, as there are plenty of Dutch fans here in Richmond, decked out in orange and cheering their riders on.

    

So you’re probably wondering, what’s the verdict on this hill? Well it’s a pretty long and steady climb, and from the looks of it, a challenge for the riders – but the crowds in the Fan Zone waiting at the top provide a lot of motivation, especially on the second lap of the circuit, when the finish line is only about 700 meters away. I didn’t have much trouble walking it, but that’s because I took numerous breaks. And even if I had been on a bike, I still probably would have taken numerous breaks. So if you get a chance, be sure to check it out, and make sure you shout some encouraging words to the riders out there, climbing the hill and striving for a world championship.