Official USCF-approved Race Report Template

Paragraph 1: Introduction
Today I drove to ______ to race the _______ (select one: criterium/tour/grand prix). Based on the way my rides have gone this week, and where I am in my training cycle, I was (aiming for the podium / not expecting much). Looking at the list of registered competitors, I saw that _______, ______, and _______, all of them very fast, were signed up, but I tried not to worry about it.

Paragraph 2: Warm Up
I (got on the trainer / pre-rode the course / found some back roads) and warmed up. My legs felt adjective . Before I knew it, it was time to line up at the start.

Paragraph 3: Start
The official gave the command, and we were off. It goes without saying that it was a crazy start. Why can't (people / I) clip in without swerving?

Photograph A - Warm Up

Choose a photo that is of awkward pain-faces
or of butts

Paragraph 4: Early Break
Needless to say, somebody tried to attack right away. I (jumped with them / sat patiently in the pack)
because (optional: even though) I knew the break would be caught, (and) I just wanted to wake the legs up.

Paragraph 5: Mid-Race
The other racers were so sketchy. How hard is it to hold a line through a corner? Anyway, it was that other dude's fault that he crashed. Not mine. I did nothing wrong.

Photograph B - Mid-Race Obscurity

It's okay if riders are all but indistinguishable from one another;
your family will find you

Paragraph 6a: Success
Having (made the race-winning / caught the last-ditch) breakaway, it was finally time to sprint. I tried to position myself towards the front, but we were flying! It sure is hard to move up when the field is going actual speed + 3-5 mph. At (2/3)00 meters, I opened up my sprint and was able to come around everyone (but the first 1 - 9 people [for 11th or lower, see 6b]).

Paragraph 6b: Failure
It was finally time to sprint. Some guy from team name totally (changed lines through the last corner / touched his brakes / boxed me in), so I couldn't unleash my massive wattage. I was pretty disappointed to finish mid-pack, because I know I could've done better if not for that guy.

Paragraph 7: Excuses
[Note: for use in case of 2nd or worse... or even if you won, if that's how you want to play it] Select at least one from the following list. Add transitions like "also", "anyway", and "of course" as necessary.

I...

• drank too much last night
• couldn't sleep last night
• got lost on the way to the race
• didn't get enough warm up
• had to close gaps that people were opening
  
• spent too much energy in breakaways
• didn't expect the last breakaway to stick
  
• nearly got crashed
• have been training too hard
• haven't been training enough
• hate this sport and quit forever

Paragraph 8: Waxing Philosophical
When all is said and done, I can look back on this race and honestly say I (gave it everything I had / had more to give). The result I got is satisfactory, but I still want more. On the other hand, it's just bike racing, and there are so many more important things in life! Even though I'll be reliving every moment of that race obsessively for weeks to come, I assure you: I'm not letting bike racing stress me out.

Paragraph 9: Sponsorship Obligations
I can definitely say that my (success was thanks to / mediocre finish was in spite of) the totally sweet bike I ride. It's a stiff and light ____ frame, with superlight ____ components. The guys at the ____ shop did a great job wrenching it, and of course all the fuel in my belly was provided by _____ energy supplements, which are as delicious as they are viscous.

Paragraph 10: Gender-specific Team Acknowledgment
As always, it was a ton of fun to race with my teammates, (insert list here, preferably with indecipherable nicknames), who are (male: awesome and strong / female: beautiful).