Regardless of crashing 4 instances in a rain-soaked Paris Olympics time trial, Taylor Knibb was surprisingly jolly when she described herself as “in all probability the worst bike handler” within the subject.
The American, higher recognized for her triathlon profession, completed nineteenth out of 34 riders on Saturday, in what was solely her third-ever time trial occasion.
After the race, Knibb walked by way of the media zone with a towel round her shoulders, two bandaged knees, and an sudden smile on her face.
How had she discovered it? “It was an expertise,” the 26-year-old advised Biking Weekly. “The primary third was nice. The center one, that is the place all of it went fallacious. After which the third one it was extra survival than the rest. I used to be absolutely blind, my Garmin fell off on the primary one. I am like, ‘Nicely, right here we go!'”
Rain fell all through the day within the French capital, making the already bumpy roads much more treacherous to navigate.
Knibb’s first crash got here across the 14km mark, on the identical roundabout the place Denmark’s Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig hit the ground moments earlier than. The massive screens by the end line on Pont Alexandre III then saved slicing again to the American, every the sufferer of a unique tumble.
Even Knibb herself was not sure about what number of instances she crashed throughout her effort. “We are able to rely them,” she mentioned. “Primary, I went across the roundabout, I acquired up, went into the bike instantly. Is that one or two [crashes]? I went round on a flip, then I believe I got here down a fourth time, I suppose, after which I modified my bike.”
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“On the primary one, my left brake was gone, again brake wasn’t actually working. So each time I would go right into a flip, it will sort of fishtail. Then at that time, I used to be like, ‘This is not protected for me to experience.’ I used to be scared to cease, however it’s a must to decelerate, I suppose.”
Knibb then went on to disclose some recommendation her coach had given her, which, in hindsight, she discovered “very ironic”.
“He mentioned, ‘Taylor, you don’t want to attempt to go across the nook too quick and find yourself falling down, as a result of that may make you go slower, clearly.’ So I did not actually heed his recommendation tremendous, tremendous nicely,” she laughed. “However you stand up and you retain going.”
The American will now take that angle into Wednesday’s triathlon, an occasion for which she is among the many favourites. Pointing down at her bloodied leg, she smiled and mentioned: “This can check out the water high quality [of the Seine].
“No matter what occurred immediately, hopefully I am going to proceed the game [of road cycling]. However who is aware of, I may not be allowed again.”
