University of Texas Dallas student Flora Yan recently won the Division II women’s individual time trial at the 2016 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships in western North Carolina.
The win came after some tense races, one of
which saw her bike break and another which saw her come in fifth using a
neutral support bike provided by the competition organizers. Feeling
uncomfortable on substitute equipment, Yan drove two hours to Charlotte, where
she could find replacement parts for her own bike and have it repaired. She won
the individual time trial with a 30-second lead on her nearest competitor.
Yan has helped build the UT Dallas Cycling
Club and has been riding since her teen years. While she will be reducing her
riding time due to a heavy upcoming course load, she will continue with the
sport.
“Riding my bike keeps me sane,” Yan said.
“I really can’t function without it. I’ll probably be riding on the trainer
more often, doing more high intensity work with less available time, and I will
definitely have to be more selective about races, because of all the travel
time…I came to UT Dallas for the biology program, but I didn’t know how much
I’d be involved in the cycling club. It’s really been incredible seeing the
club develop and seeing people grow as riders and individuals.”
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