but the Women ’ s World Trophy , that belongs to all of us .
Up on the podium , I hear the opening bars of the Star-Spangled Banner . Never in my life have I been that affected . I break out in goosebumps and once again , I have tears in my eyes . Brandy lofts the trophy overhead – a trophy I ’ m not scared to touch now , one that will have my name on it come this time next year . I look out at the crowd and feel a powerful surge of pride in our accomplishments and in my country . I will always hear our anthem a little differently now .
Every high has a comedown . Even world champions pressure wash their bike after the race . On our ride to the paddock , I can already feel the joy and power of the moment gently fading . But the sun is shining . I ’ m surrounded by my teammates … no , not just my teammates , my friends . What ’ s left as the euphoria fades is a deep sense of contentment . Going to the Six Days has always been a dream of mine , one I ’ ve gotten to live out six times now . But to stand up on that podium , flag around my shoulders , a world champion – that ’ s something I never even dreamed of . So , to say that the 2021 ISDE was an experience beyond my wildest dream is no exaggeration .
VOL . 6 ISSUE 10 - OCTOBER 2021 // PAGE 107