Colin Rivera rolls with the punches.

Road
Colin Rivera rolls with the punches.

Colin Rivera had a tumultuous season, not only with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, but also with illness and concussions that forced him to take a break just as he was getting back on track. Rivera, who newly named his team DSM, spoke with Cycling News about what he learned from a difficult year, becoming a veteran on the team, and his goals for the Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 Flanders World Championships.

"There are definitely things to learn from a difficult year," Rivera said. For example, when COVID-19 happened in early March, nobody thought anything would happen. Then the calendar was created, races were held, and still some were cancelled. For the most part, the modified calendar ran.

"The key to staying motivated and focused is to roll with the punches and learn that sometimes you can't help yourself, even if everything is a big mess, and do your best in the situation. Sometimes I wasn't at my personal best, but if I could help the team win, I did."

The 28-year-old Rivera joined Sunweb in 2017 and is entering her fifth season with the German-registered Women's World Team. She has enjoyed success with the team, winning the women's Tour overall, four stages in Thuringia, a stage win at the Tour of California, and major one-day victories at the Tour of Flanders, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and Prudential RideLondon.

The calendar, reduced to 10 events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, did not go as planned for Rivera. Suffering from cramps at many races, he suffered a concussion in a training crash in August, survived the Giro Rosa and the World Championships, but a stomach virus at Ghent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Flanders ended his season.

"I suffered a setback just as I was getting better, and because the season was so compact, there wasn't enough time to get going again. In general, it wasn't the easiest year, and on top of that, there were a few extras," Rivera said. [I've struggled to find my top shape the last few years, so next year I want to tee it up a little better and get back to where I used to be.

Next year's Team DSM roster will feature a majority of riders between the ages of 18 and 25, with the youngest signed up as Junior World Champion Megan Jastrab. It's kind of weird because normally I'm the youngest on the team, and all of a sudden I've gone from being young and learning to being older and teaching. We're a relatively young team, but I'm now seen as an example," Rivera said.

Rivera hopes to participate in the Classics spring campaign next year, which is crucial to her chances of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. She will be joined by Chloe Dygert, Ruth Winder, Taylor Wiles, Leah Thomas, Lauren Stevens, Amber Neben, Krista Dobel-Hickok, and Katie Hall, who recently announced her retirement from cycling, as well as USA Cycling's road race She was one of the athletes named to the long team.

"The Classic will be my last chance to qualify," Rivera said. 'All the automatic qualifiers are closed, so it's still coach selection. I don't know what they are looking for in coach selection, but I think they probably have an ideal plan for how the race will unfold and which athletes will fit in."

The 2021 UCI Road World Championships will be held in Flanders in September, and Rivera is a major contender, having won the 2017 Tour of Flanders. She has represented Team USA in the elite women's road race for the past six consecutive events, with her best finish coming in 10th place at last year's Yorkshire event. He was also in great form in Innsbruck in 2018, finishing in a decisive breakaway and was part of the Sunweb team that won the world title in the team time trial in Bergen in 2017.

"Tokyo itself is important and I'm looking forward to the World Championships in Flanders," Rivera said.

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