Between September 21-22, I found myself at the start line more times than I had from July 19 to September 20 combined. Why I spent so much time on the sidelines, don’t ask me. I trained incredibly hard, my numbers were good, and each week I received the message, ‘You weren’t selected this time, but the next race is coming up, keep training!’ Sometimes the team cited logistical reasons, while at other times, I didn’t have any information at all. But come September, I finally got my chance to race.
Next up was the VIII. Kecskemét Two-Wheel Criterium, held the day right after the Mountain National Championships. After finishing at Misina-tető, near the TV tower, we even went out for coffee and cake. It was there we came to know two of our teammates would be dropping out of the race, leaving just Zsembery Boldi and me for the Sunday competition.
This also meant that discussing pacing and teamwork for the race was pretty much pointless. We would just have to improvise.
In the evening, we discovered that we would be competing in not one, but two races: the U19 event at 13:20 and the prize money race with the U23 and Elite categories at 15:00.
We got up at 5 AM to help set up the barriers and ribbons for the race. After a brief breakfast break, we stayed outside for a while to monitor a section of the course and ensure that pedestrians didn’t step in front of the competitors.
We were originally scheduled to start at 13:20, but at 12:00, they announced a change, moving our start to 12:20. At that moment, I was eating the rice dish I should have had an hour earlier, but I just found time for it. I still needed to change clothes, refill my water bottles, and, not to mention, warm up. The remaining 20 minutes for warming up felt tight.
We didn’t even go back to the team car; I changed on the street, just like Boldi. We quickly grabbed water, refilled our bottles, and rushed to warm up. Then, 15 minutes later, we were informed that the start had been moved again to 12:50. So, I could have eaten my food after all, but now I wouldn’t have time for that. At least we could get a proper warm-up in.
If you’re competing at a high level, you have to learn to improvise, and I’m getting quite good at it.
We started on time. The race consisted of 27 laps on a 900-meter urban circuit. Every third lap featured a sprint for points: the first to cross the line earned 5 points, the second 3 points, the third 2 points, and the fourth 1 point. Double points were awarded at the finish, with 10, 6, 4, and 2 points available. The winner is determined by who collects the most points.
Boldi got off to a great start and successfully made a breakaway. He even secured the first sprint but then got a bit caught up in the barriers. Fortunately, he managed to save the situation without any major issues, although this set him back.
He was able to come back to our group. I took the lead for him, allowing him to slipstream and make another breakaway later.
From that point on, Boldi had a flawless race and was able to secure the win, which was good news for me as well.
I was with a group of four, following Boldi. I struggled to maintain consistency during the sprints, it was hit or miss. At one point, while launching into a sprint, I entered the finishing straight too wide, missing the ideal line. I didn’t crash into the barriers, but that sprint slipped away from me.
I managed to grab 1 point three times, but couldn’t secure any more. In the end, that was enough for fourth place in the standings. Still, I was glad to see Boldi take the victory.
Our second race was the prize money criterium. It was open to anyone over U23, and U19 riders could also register for U23. Additionally, there were Elite, Master 1, and Master 2 categories.
The commentator was mistaken when he announced that I was the youngest in the field (he even thought I was U17), while in fact, I was only the second youngest.
Boldi made a strong break after the start and battled Gergő Gönczy for the first sprint, which he won.
I also made a solid effort; I performed better than in the previous race, but I couldn’t secure any points.
Then Gergő found his rhythm while Boldi started to fade, allowing Gönczy Gergő to execute a powerful sprint, first lapping the back of the field and eventually overtaking everyone except Boldi.
I was lapped after 12 laps. I decided to withdraw because that’s the rule in criterium racing. While it would have been unreasonable for all lapped riders to exit (as only two would have remained in the race with Boldi), I had no chance of scoring points. So, after being lapped, I got off the track and found a good spot to watch what was happening at the front.
Gönczy Gergő lapped everyone, with the exception of Boldi. He won dominantly, adding this victory to the national championship title he claimed on Saturday. I was really happy for him. He truly deserved it, and after such a remarkable year, he had earned himself a splendid weekend.
Although this weekend didn’t go well, at least the season is over. Training will continue, but I won’t have the burden of racing on my shoulders or the constant, often futile anticipation of whether the team will choose me. There’s also the disappointment of receiving last-minute news that, despite everything being in order, it somehow turned out that someone else is going. Finally, my training plans won’t be disrupted by upcoming races (or the lack thereof).
I’ll also have a short break, and I’m looking forward to traveling where I can actually see something of the place I’m going to, not just the hotel, the team bus, and the course.
I’ll still need to keep an eye on my racing weight.
So, the training doesn’t stop; in fact, I’m going to ramp it up even more. In 2025, I’ll be a second-year U19 rider, which is a significant turning point. For most U19 riders, this year will determine whether they become university students or elite athletes. You can always pursue university later, and some manage to do both, but everyone understands what I mean: it’s the year when you need to be in the right place at the right time, as the following year you’ll need to sign with a professional team.
And that requires hard work, along with support from family and the team.
I also need to reflect on this year, plan for 2025, and set goals that will lead to securing a spot on a professional team by the end of 2025, no matter how the journey takes me there.
By the way, I’ll also need to graduate in 2026. But most importantly, I’ll be focusing on cycling.
