After a 3 month hiatus from bike racing, local pro, Georgia Gould will return to competition this weekend at the Colorado State Cyclocross Championships. The Olympic medalist made a halfhearted attempt to race the Boulder Reservoir last weekend but a car that refused to start in the frigid temperatures squashed that idea.
Georgia plans to use the Colorado State Championships, CX at Bush Acres and the Altitude Adjustment races in Longmont on Jan. 4th and 5th as preparation for Cyclocross Nationals in Boulder on January 12th. Realistically, cross nats are being used for preparation for her 2014 mountain bike season.
Currently, with few USAC points, Georgia will be starting near the back of the grid. Wins at these upcoming races could help her start position dramatically.
Although she admittedly hasn’t been doing any structured training you can tell by speaking with her that she’s starting to get that fire in her eye again. Her Strava account shows a marked increase in riding starting on Nov 17th. While winning the 2014 Cyclocross National Championships may seem like a long shot, winning a Mountain Bike World Cup doesn’t. For the Olympic and World Championship medalist, that is currently ultimate goal.