*My brain*
Don’t say it
Don’t say it
Don’t say it
Don’t say it
Don’t say it
Slow and steady wins the race.
Amity Rockwell (Easton Overland Gravel Team) was certainly not slow at Saturday’s Dirty Kanza 200, but she was definitely steady. The Californian survived the start, and then after sitting outside the top 10 early on, she methodically started making her way forward through the Women’s field.
Halfway into the 202-mile race, she had moved up to 4th place. Then, in the last 40 miles, her patience and a near flawless ride really paid off.
Flats played a huge role in the Open Women’s race, with Olivia Dillon’s (Velocio) lead erased after a flat with about 40 miles to go. After passing Dillon, Rockwell caught then-race-leader Alison Tetrick (Specialized) to take a lead she would not relinquish.
“I tried not to look behind me. My cross country coach in high school never let me look back, and I think about that all the time,” Rockwell said about being in front. “I tried to just put my head down, and then every so often I was asking myself, ‘Can I go harder right now? Can I move my legs a little faster?’ I felt like the answer was always ‘Yes.'”
After a difficult 18th-place finish in 2018, Rockwell bounced back in 2019 to become the newest Queen of Kanza.
Amity Rockwell won the 2019 Open Women Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine
We chatted with Rockwell right after her win when she was still in a state of excitement, disbelief and delirium. You can watch the interview below.
For more from Emporia, see all of our coverage of the 2019 Dirty Kanza 200.
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