Jonathan Devich/Epic ImagesRobin Farina, center, and her team finished nationals with just three riders, making her title even more improbable.Robin Farina, 34, stunned the cycling world on June 26 by winning the road race portion of the USA National Cycling National Championships in Augusta, Ga. She finished the 120km race in 3 hours, 16 minutes and 34 seconds, beating out some of the top women in the sport along the way and qualifying for the world championships in Denmark. espnW caught up with Farina to hear more about her race.
espnW: How far did you finish ahead of the second-place competitor?
Robin Farina: I ended up beating her by a wheel. It was tight.
espnW: Were you ahead the whole time?
RF: There was a group of five of us who got ahead of the pack. We worked together really well. With politics, you don't always have that. Then, with about 1km to go, three of us broke away. Right near the finish, I decided I was going to kick it and sprint around the other two.
espnW: What did it feel like to cross the finish line?
RF: When I crossed the line, I didn't really think about that the fact that I'd won. I was in shock.
I am the captain for our team [NOW and Novartis for MS], but we lost our sprinter Friday because she broke her arm. Another member of the team fell and went to the hospital -- she got a big divot taken out of her knee. We went to nationals with five riders and finished with three, so it's amazing our team was able to pull it off.
espnW: Did you eat and drink during the race?
RF: I went through six or seven bottles of water and also dumped some on top of me to cool off. I had liquid GU [energy gel] during the race, but no solid food. However, I did wake up at 5:30 a.m. the day of the race to go to the Waffle House. I had the All-American breakfast.
espnW: What's in the All-American?
RF: Two eggs, toast, grits, sausage and a waffle.
espnW: Now that you've had a chance to soak up the win, what does it feel like to be the USA Cycling national road race champion?
RF: Its overwhelming -- in a good way. For me, it's the biggest accomplishment you can have in USA cycling. It is a dream to win it. It's why everybody races.
espnW: Of the great moments in your life, where does this win rank?
RF: It's definitely one of the top. I'm thrilled I can wear the stars and stripes to represent our country. I'm on cloud nine.
espnW: To win a national title must require a lot of time and effort. What's your training regimen like?
RF: I own my own business -- a bike shop called Uptown Cycles. I also run a coaching business and a training facility. I work my own training in around the business.
Because professional women's cycling is still not at a level where we make equal pay, nine times out of 10, female cyclists have to have a part-time or full-time job to be able to race. It's a Catch 22.
espnW: So what needs to be done to make the playing field more even?
RF: The sport needs to request more money from sponsors. I think the media is actually doing a great job in helping our sport. I finally feel like we're getting more exposure. People are recognizing we train just as hard as the men do.
espnW: How'd you get into cycling?
RF: I've been riding for 10 years -- really seriously racing for six. I had a knee injury, and the doctor said I could swim or cycle. I chose cycling. I started out racing mountain bikes and then quickly got into the road because there's a big support system for women on the road. Slowly, I worked my way up to the regional and national level.
espnW: So you probably wouldn't even be a cyclist had it not been for your knee injury?
RF: I don't know, probably not.
espnW: What do you think it means for women in sports that you were able to win as a slightly older rider?
RF: I think it shows that you can't count us out. Just because we're not in our early 20s doesn't mean that we can't compete at the highest level. Women in their 30s and 40s have just as much drive and determination to win. It shows you can get into the sport later in life and not miss the boat.
espnW: Will we be seeing you in the Olympics?
RF: Anything is possible. It's every cyclists dream.
espnW: In terms of cycling, what's your biggest goal?
RF: To help grow women's cycling. If I were to retire from my sport with the result from nationals, I'd be content, but I want to help create an equal playing field for women in cycling.
