Erica Carney is one of the all-time best American crit racers, but her goal of winning a pro national criterium championship took years of hard work to achieve. Tune in as we answer your questions about tactics, bike handling and more, and discuss what Erica did to improve her tactics and abilities each year to finally win the 2017 Women’s Pro Criterium National Championship.

More show notes and discussion in the TrainerRoad Forum.

Topics covered in this episode

  • 00:12 – Erica’s cycling achievements
  • 1:24 – Reflecting on working towards a national championship
  • 3:56 – Doubting her ability to win national crit championships
  • 5:50 – The lessons learned through experience
  • 8:30 – How Erica got started racing
  • 9:50 – How track racing helped with crit skills
  • 11:14 – Specific skills and the difference in training from track to road
  • 13:12 – Learning to train more effectively
  • 14:48 – Shifting responsibilities to be an effective teammate and mentor
  • 17:47 – Erica’s favorite courses
  • 19:14 – Team support vs. individual success
  • 22:06 – Training without power
  • 23:45 – Efficiency and her skills as a sprinter
  • 26:38 – Pre-riding the course and strategizing the finish
  • 27:28 – Practical training and Erica’s favorite workouts
  • 29:28 – Listener Questions: Body type and large fields
  • 32:46 – Being nervous in large fields
  • 34:21 – Tactics for small vs. large fields
  • 35:50 – Racing solo against teams
  • 38:01 – Racing multiple events in a day
  • 40:48 – Cornering, braking, and line choice
  • 45:46 – Training tactics and techniques
  • 47:35 – The ideal final 3 laps of a race
  • 49:29 – What does Erica wish she did more of during her career?

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