Took a few days to reflect—here’s a recap of my road race DNF at the World Masters Games 🫥
I missed the cutoff by 6 minutes (I finished in 1:30; the main peloton clocked 1:13:42, and the rule was: if you’re more than 10 minutes behind, you’re out. So the slowest you could finish and still be counted was 1:24). To make up that 6-minute gap, I’d need at least 1.5x more training volume and way more experience racing in pelotons. And that’s just to avoid getting cut—keeping up with the lead group is a whole different level 🫡.
My strategy was simple: hang on for dear life with the main group. No draft? You’re done.
When I actually rode in the group, I fully realized it’s not just about hitting the wattage—you also need the guts and skills to fight for position and hold your line. I went all out to the very end, until the lead group crossed the finish line and a marshal pulled up to say:
“The race is over. You can either ride to the finish or exit here.”
From there, I saw them marking down bib numbers of every DNF’d rider.
This disqualification came without regret. I had nothing left in the tank.
It was a total reality check—a powerful one 🫨👍🏻.
For the first time, I understood what people mean by a “zombie train” 🚄 — blasting at 57 km/h like it’s nothing 🤯. If it weren’t for those beasts up front pulling the group, there’s no way I could ride like that on my own. Strava was popping PRs non-stop. Luckily, I had my GoPro rolling (registered with the officials and mounted as per the rules).
Most importantly, I’m grateful I made it through safely 🙏🏻. Cloudy skies, no rain—thanks to the weather gods. Massive thanks to my all-star crew:
@j_ack0831 and @dann_huang for the constant support,
@supertenor18 for the ride,
and finally racing alongside @rayray_racing for the first time—an unforgettable experience ❤️.
With the World Masters Games officially behind me, I’m deeply satisfied with everything—both the process and outcome. Some things, like weather or rules, are beyond your control. I initially only signed up for the road race, and added the half marathon later on.
The only thing I had full control over was my own preparation—and I gave it everything.
The rest? Let it go.
Now it’s time to pause and reset—not rushing into the next goal, but taking a moment to reflect on how I want to balance life and training in the next chapter. #canyonaeroad #canyon #canyonbikes #Bleed #bleedkaga #CyberFormula #Bleed #cyclinglife #cyclist #cyclistlife #cycle #bike #cycling #mvdp #凰呀 #凰呀オーガ #selleitalia #alpecindeceuninck #alpecincycling #wmg #WorldMastersGames #wmg2025
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