Catching Up with Worlds Silver Medalist Emma White
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The US elite men and women may have missed out on medals in the time trial at the 2015 UCI World Road Championships in Richmond, Virginia, but the US junior squad more than made up for it.
The US National Team fielded four riders, each of whom brought home a medal. Adrien Costa and Brandon McNulty went 2-3 in the junior men’s time trial, while Chloe Dygert and Emma White went 1-2 in the junior women’s event.
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The US hadn’t secured a podium spot in the junior women’s time trial since Jerika Hutchinson rode to a bronze medal in 2007.
We caught up with 18-year-old Emma White to see how it feels to bring home a World Championship medal on home soil, and what’s next for the New York native.
BICYCLING: Did you expect to be on the podium at Worlds?
White: I was fifth last year, so I was hoping to do well this year. I’m happy with second.
What was the prep like for the event? Being in the US, do you feel like you had a lot of time on the course?
We stayed in Charlottesville the week before, about an hour outside of Richmond. It has great country roads. We were able to drive in a couple times that week, but we didn’t get to Richmond until Friday before the races.
There were pre-ride days where all the roads were closed so we could ride without the cars. It was a little bit of a tricky course to ride beforehand because some of the roads went backwards on one-way streets, so you couldn’t ride them beforehand.
What was the time trial course like?
It was very technical. I think it was a perfect balance between leg strength and bike handling. There were a lot of corners and not too many climbs, but enough that you needed to have the power to get up and over them.
It was very windy on Monday. There was a bridge that went up and over. There was a tailwind out and a headwind on the way back and that was difficult for a lot of us.
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What helped you get through that headwind?
I had Billy Innes, the junior men’s coach, following me in the car. I’ve known him for a couple years and my brother [Optum rider Curtis White] has worked with him. I love having the radio because when you’re bogged down mentally it’s nice to have that voice inside your head to tell you to keep going. He was telling me to keep my cadence up and my head up. A lot of times you just want to put your head down, but then you start swerving. He kept me consistent for sure.
Are you expecting similar results in Saturday’s road race?
I think as a country we have similar expectations. We have some strong riders who didn’t race the time trial and are good at sprinting and climbing, so we’re going to see what we can do with that.
You’ve done a World Championship in Europe and now one in America. What’s the experience like in Richmond compared to Europe?
I raced in Europe last year, and that experience was incredible. It’s so much bigger being in Richmond because all the people are so on board with the event. It was really special, especially to go 1-2.
It’s huge for cycling, because the sport is so big in Europe and it really hasn’t been as popular in this country. It’s eye opening for a lot of people to show the development of the riders in the US the past couple years. I think the sport is really growing.
Did your parents get to come see you race?
My parents drove down from New York just for Monday morning and had to go back to work right away. They are so excited, my mom was crying at the podium. They’re really, really happy.
What’s on tap next for you?
When I go back I’m doing a quick transition right into cyclocross. With the new World Championship category 17-22, I’d really like to be racing in Europe a lot more and be there for the world championship.
I just graduated high school this past spring and I’m going to Union College in Schenectady, New York, in January. I’m undeclared, but I’m planning on doing something with science or technology.
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