Caroline Mani's amazing Cyclocross journey!

The past two weekends of racing have been some of the most unforgettable of my career. I’m beyond grateful for my incredible team and their infectious positive energy, which has made every challenge feel worthwhile.


This journey is far from easy, but I can genuinely say it’s been an honor to lead this team and share my deep love for the sport with them.


Spending time with Kerry, Jim, and the rest of the team has been nothing short of amazing—you can probably feel the joy in our photos. Our bond is strong, and it’s reflected in our results, which showcase the dynamic and beautiful spirit of this team.


This weekend also marked my final race as a rider for Groove Off-Road Racing. I am deeply thankful for the support and trust over the past two years. It has been a privilege to represent this team and grow alongside such inspiring people.


But this is far from the end. Our mission continues. We will find new ways to mentor, inspire, and help the next generation fall in love with this incredible sport. The future is bright, and I’m excited for what’s to come.

Kerry and Jim are getting ready for US Nationals in December!

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Here’s to the journey ahead!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Much Love. 


Caroline

Maddie Fisher Pan American Championships, UCI U23

 The Pan-American Cyclocross Championship was an amazing experience for me this year. I focused on staying chill and being fully present in the moment the days leading up to the race.  This mindset allowed me to approach race day with a calm and ready attitude, free from unnecessary stress. Having a U23 specific category separate from the elites was so exciting, I

was finally able to race my own age group. I was able to channel that confidence into the race, which turned out to be one of the most fun events I’ve ever competed in. The trip wasn’t just about results; it was about enjoying the process and the thrill of racing, which made the experience unforgettable. Going into my next block for the Ireland World Cup and nationals, I’ve learned a ton from the season so far. Enjoying the traveling, hanging out with your race support and friends, and appreciating the moment you are in now can take you a long way, and on race day it leaves you feeling more relaxed and positive. Going forward into these next two races I hope to learn more little lessons as always, and enjoy the journey.

Catching up with Nicole Blog talking about her cross season.

The North Carolina Grand Prix in Hendersonville had always been my race. The course

suited my skills, the environment was good, and it was on my home soil. Prior to the race, I had

not had a very good 2023 season. I wasn’t really enjoying myself, I wasn’t racing as much, and I

wasn’t getting the results I wanted. I also found out I was anemic, which means the iron levels in

my blood were too low, making it harder for oxygen to get transported into my bloodstream. I

felt tired at every single race, as if I was surviving rather than actually racing and strategizing.

However, I thought Hendersonville will be good, Hendersonville is always good. We pulled up

to the venue to ride the course the day before, and one of my favorite features on the course was

gone. The part of the course I was so good at, where I made some of my best passes… gone. The

course had been rerouted. Disappointment washed over me, and I had this feeling of dread that

the race would be different this year. It was silly that one thing got to me so much, but after a

string of disappointment, small things were weighing on me more. But, my dreaded feeling was

right. I didn’t do how I wanted at all, and after a season of constantly not doing how I wanted, I

had had it. We came back to our Airbnb and I told my parents I didn’t want to race anymore. My

dad reiterated what he had always told me, that he knew that I was great, but I just needed to flip

this switch. But, I felt like I would never be able to find it, so I was done. I started to believe I

couldn’t do it anymore. I raced the next day and my result was the same, and I was just as

disappointed. That year, I didn’t race nationals, and that was my last cyclocross race of the

season.

Around that same time, I started to work with a mental strength coach. It took a few

sessions for things to really sink in, but within a few weeks I started to notice a difference.

Mountain bike season went by, and I felt like I was bouncing back from bad results a lot faster.

The iron supplements I was taking started to do their job, and I was feeling less tired. I was

training more hours, and was enjoying being on my bike again. Going into the 2024 cyclocross

season, I was extremely motivated. I was ready to get off the mountain bike and start a new

season. It also helped that I was now old enough to get a shot at racing internationally, and I was

ready to soak up whatever advice and mentorship I could get to be able to race overseas. I

attended the Eurocross Academy summer camp, which is a student athlete program designed to

help develop junior cyclocross riders on their journey from national to international racing. I also

attended my own team camp, which was filled with some great learning experiences as well. I

went into the season feeling ready and excited. I felt like a completely new racer, and I was ready

to do whatever I could to achieve my goals.

My first race was the Blue Ridge GoCross. It is generally the first UCI (Union Cycliste

Internationale) cyclocross race of the season, so it was my season opener. I woke up that

morning, ate my breakfast, and headed to the course, nervous, but ready to race. I warmed up,

staged, and lined up to start the race. The whistle went off, and my immediate thought was oh no,

I can’t do this for 45 minutes. I could tell something was wrong. I was redlining fast, I felt tired,

and was getting tunnel vision. I finished the race and felt like I couldn’t stand up. I was dizzy,

hot, tired, but mostly disappointed. I felt like it was about to be another season of disappointing

results. I started to have those same feelings I had the previous year, but instead of it consuming

me, I focused on the facts. Something I had learned from working with my mental strength

coach. I knew that even on a bad day, I didn’t have tunnel vision, something was clearly wrong,

and we just needed to figure out what. My mom diagnosed it as low-blood sugar. So we decided

that I would eat more breakfast, and see what happens. I ate more, and was ready to give things a

second try. The whistle went off again and I knew right away things were better. I felt strong, I

felt different, and I felt good. When I finished my race I was almost in tears. I was laughing and

smiling and hugged my dad. To add to my excitement, I was four minutes faster and 5 places

higher. But even bigger, I knew something had changed. I started to think I had finally flipped

that switch. It wasn’t just a good race, it was a change in character. I proved to myself I could do

it, and I knew this season would be different.

So far in the 2024 season, I have had some more of some of the best races of my entire

life. Don’t get me wrong, there have been bad races too, but they don’t affect me like they used

to. I don’t feel like I’m just surviving anymore. I have thoughts during my races now of I think

I’m actually having fun, even if it is a twisted, cyclocross, muddy, messy kind of fun. Even if it

was just 24 hours, that race showed me the difference a day truly can make.

With Hadley Molnar at King Cross.

Hadley Molnar: Try (Kings Cross)

I had my first UCI race of the season at Cincinnati, Ohio. This race was not supposed to

be my first and I was supposed to be prepared for it. However, four weeks prior to Kings

Cross I crashed. During those weeks I was not able to bend my knee. I couldn’t walk

right, and I couldn’t pedal a bike even if I tried. It was hard to miss out on the other

races because I had been preparing for the cyclocross season all summer. It was

disappointing to put it in a kind way. I understand now though that waiting let’s time

pass and time can be healing. So, after some time passed, I was mostly healed and I

thought I would try to race at Kings Cross.

When you are not prepared for something, it is scary, and I was not prepared to race. It

felt a little like when you forget to study for a test, so you have it in your head that you

are going to fail. I wasn’t concerned as much about failing because what is wrong with

failure? You make the effort to try, and you get it wrong. Is that failure? I think a bigger

mistake would be that you didn’t even try. Perhaps failure is when you don’t give

yourself the chance to learn and grow. So, I guess my goal was to learn that weekend. I

just wanted to feel what it felt like to race again, and I didn’t want to miss out anymore.

I had raced at the Cincinnati venue twice before. It has always been one of my favorites

because it has a cool name, Kings, that’s not the only reason it’s my favorite but it’s

definitely a contributing factor. Kings as in royalty, but the day that I arrived I didn’t feel

like any form of royalty. I remember being able to smile because I was happy to be

there, but I also remember holding back the feeling of embarrassment. My mind kept on

asking me, why am I here? Like I said, I was unprepared. I knew I was not going to do

as well as everyone else, but I wanted to. I wanted to be ready. I wanted to be on the

same level as everyone else. I was embarrassed and I was upset that I couldn’t be at

my best.

Being physically not ready and mentally not ready is hard when showing up to anything.

In spite of that feeling, I thought to myself, well, I am here. I am at this race right now. I

am at Kings right now. I made it to this point. Four weeks ago I was unsure if I would

heal in time to make it, but I did.

When I finished the weekend of racing I felt embarrassed, slow, and a bit of a failure,

but I tried. I think I also learned a few things. I learned that a setback doesn’t stop you

from moving forward, and I learned that it is important to understand that the choices

one makes are what determines their future. I think now I will choose to keep training

and keep trying because I want to be ready for the rest of the year to come. Kings was

one of the first races back and it was most certainly not one of the last.

I am always more than grateful that I get to do this amazing sport.

Camille Talked about this season and her first European Campaign.

Camille Culbertson:

This season my best race was at Go cross. It was the first race of my season and so I

was super hyped for it, I waited all summer for this. I had practiced race starts with one

of my Miller School coaches just before the race weekend and I learned how to get out of

the red zone. During the race I got to a point where I was really hot, my legs were

burning, and I was breathing too quick, so I used the new skill I had learned earlier. I

relaxed my hands, arms, and face and slowed my breathing and focused on still keeping

up the watts on my bike. Eventually, I couldn’t feel the burn and I was flying. I felt so

amazing at GoCross, like I could have kept doing laps for ages. 

What I learned from this race is that you can always push harder, and go faster, you just

have to want it, and you have to have the mental strength to do it.

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