Curtis White's Process Pays Off with 12th-Place Ride at Fayetteville Worlds
White bounces back from a tough Nationals with an impressive ride in Arkansas
Curtis White has been racing ‘cross long enough that he raced the 2013 Louisville World Championships as a Junior. Even though he was able to enjoy that experience, he still had Sunday’s Fayetteville Worlds race circled on his calendar for a long time.
White came into Fayetteville with perhaps a bit of a chip on his shoulder after finishing 2nd behind Eric Brunner at U.S. Nationals in mid-December. The past is the past, and Sunday’s race provided him with an opportunity to move forward while putting on a good show for the large, supportive crowd that came out all weekend.
White seized the opportunity, racing perhaps a bit out of his mind at times, dangling close behind the lead group early in the race and then joining up with a group to race for potentially a top-10 spot. White came up a bit short of a top 10 spot, finishing 12th, but he was still stoked about his ride and the entire experience when I caught up with him 30 minutes after the race.
Zach Schuster: Tell me about today.
Curtis White: It was awesome. 12th, I am really really happy with it. The start wasn't great, but I think there were opportunities to move up and kind of ride the group well. It was a really fast track, the atmosphere was amazing, and for several laps I could see the front of the race.
Zach Schuster: That was wild. I could see you could see the front of the race.
Curtis White: I think that was kind of how the course rode, but that was also one of the best races I've put together in a very long time, the highest level I've been at. I was really happy with the training I put into it. All the focus, all the sacrifices I made, 12th at a World Championships. The Belgians brought their A team. The best Dutch riders were here, the best French guys were there. Everyone brought their A game. I'm very happy with it, and I took a lot of pride in competing on home soil. This was something I was looking forward to for a very long time.
Zach Schuster: You had to know it was going to start fast. How did that affect your preparation and hitting the start line? We've seen all weekend people have been done two minutes into the race.
Curtis White: Looking back at the World Cup, the pre-ride day was bone-dry, and then it turned really muddy. We knew the weather would be the biggest factor in how it would race. At this point in the year, you're training to be as sharp as you can be. I tried to pick a good spot, got a little pinched, wasn't in a good position, but after one lap, I knew there would be a little bit of a regrouping. It's a long race, it's hard, it was a little bit warm out there, and I knew there would be a chance to reconnect. It was important to just be patient and ride the course well. I made good decisions during the race.
Zach Schuster: Watching, it was like holy crap, Curtis is there. What was going through your mind?
Curtis White: It was a lot of not getting too excited because you needed to ride the course well and use that slingshot affect. It was very easy to be out into the wind too long. I think the long straightaway going into the hump into Pit 2, no one wanted to do any work there, but everyone wanted to carry momentum up over the hump. The long power line climb too, pacing that well and rolling over the top past Pit 1 was the most critical part of the course. That's where groups were made. Coming into those composed and well-rested, and knowing when to punch it and being ready for those accelerations.
If I'm going back and trying to think about what happened in Lap 3 or Lap 6, I don't know if I can remember, because it was just such a blur. I was just in that flow state and reacting as well as I could.
Zach Schuster: Nationals sucked for you.
Curtis White: Yep.
Zach Schuster: I think for American riders, especially the Elite Men, Nationals is a pretty big goal. How did you leave Chicago and regroup. Walk me through the last month and a half since I last saw you.
Curtis White: It's kind of funny where it's always one day of the year, but most of your value is derived from that one day, that one effort. But I trusted my training. I knew I had a lot of depth going into November, and I felt like I had a pretty consistent season in Europe. I was really bummed out to leave early and not do the French World Cup, but looking back on that, I think that was a smart move because I was able to deal with the travel and the potential to have to deal with COVID. There were athletes who couldn't come over due to positive tests. Quinten Hermans said he has no symptoms and feels fine, and yet he still had a positive test. That would have absolutely ruined our chances.
I was at training camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I drove in because I didn't want to deal with anything. I committed to this process, I was living for sport, doing every thing I thought was right in that moment, and just to see it all come together on a day like today is what I trained for. This ride shows a lot of potential. It raises my standards for going back to Europe. The wheels I can and should follow. Again, after Nationals, I think I was able to show some consistency and growth.
Zach Schuster: I was really nervous about how many people would show up. We saw a lot of readers cancel their trips and stuff. Were you nervous? I mean, this is U.S. cyclocross. This was our chance to show the world that we can do this.
Curtis White: Totally. I think if you stuck to what you read online, you'd think no one would be here.
Zach Schuster: You're right.
Curtis White: Through going to training camp and this week leading into the event, I tried to stay offline as much as I could. It was distracting, and being an athlete it's a bit selfish, but we had to perform on a day like today. To see the crowds and experience it was incredible. Even doing an easy lap of course recon up the power line climb, I got chills.
Zach Schuster: Friday was unreal. There were so many people here.
Curtis White: I got chills every single lap I did, whether it be in the race or an easy lap of recon. There were people I haven't seen in 10 years. There were people who got me into the sport. My family was here, my closest friends. The amount of support I felt was unreal. And then of course people I've never met before were here to support us. To have that atmosphere and see that impact on U.S. cyclocross, I hope we're able to carry this momentum.
Zach Schuster: Finally, you had some ups and downs this season. I think it was kind of a rollercoaster. Give me the overall takeaway of Curtis White's cyclocross season.
Curtis White: Physiologically this is the highest level I've been at. Technically I am more comfortable than I have every been. Of course, there are things that are out of your control. Thinking back to starting the season off right with a clean sweep in Roanoke to almost going to the line with Vinny Baestaens Day 2 of Charm City.
Zach Schuster: I definitely remember that one.
Curtis White: And then several strong performances in Europe. There were a lot of things that didn't go right, there were some mistakes. There were some things that were out of my control. But that's sport, that's life, and that's cyclocross.
Continuing to dedicate myself to this craft, I think I still haven't reached my potential, and I want to continue to learn as much as I can and reach a higher level. I'll do what I can through the spring and summer. I'm racing on the road with Best Buddies.
Zach Schuster: Crit guy.
Curtis White: Yeah, and we're also able to do some high-level stage racing as well. The last couple of years I haven't been able to get a strong racing program in the spring and summer. These guys kind of talked about it in the press conference. I'm a bike racer. I love racing my bike more than anything. Yeah if things don't go right I'm pissed, but I love preparing for it and living for that process. I'm really excited to see how I react to it and what I bring into next season.
Zach Schuster: Cool man. It was pleasure to be a part of this journey this season. I hope stuff comes together for the full year next year for you.
Curtis White: Me too. I appreciate it man.
I am a big fan of CW and love following him in Europe. Can’t help wondering though if he should put more focus on CX Nats and peak for that as opposed to Worlds? He would do the stars and stripes proud.