BAck 2 back

Alexis Ryan

Last year, I won Athens Twilight as a solo rider. Athens, my adopted hometown, felt a little bit closer to my heart after that moment. While the race may not be known internationally, it is one of the cornerstones of American criterium racing. It is also a cornerstone event of the Athens community. Thousands of Athenian fans line the circuit on a typically pristine spring evening every April.

Winning the event in 2023 cemented my name in Athens history. As special as that was, the moment also felt a bit lackluster. I missed sharing the win with my team, L39ION of Los Angeles. I missed seeing the joy on my teammates’ faces of a job well done. When I learned that the event would be a team race for 2024, with the help of our ever-supportive sponsors

SRAM, Factor, Assos, Giro, and more, I thought to myself, “Here we go, baby! BACK TO BACK.” It was the same move I made last year. Accelerate through the final corner, exit first, straighten out, sprint to the line. It’s long, but I don’t look back. I hit the line first, instantly enveloped in a cloud of smoke. As the cloud breaks, I’m met with a wall of screaming. Screams of joy, elation, excitement, and passion. Screams marinated in light beer and mixers. All those people screaming are people I know. They’re my family, my friends, my neighbors. My community. I turned to face my sister and my teammates, Yarely and Llori. They were beaming (and screaming). We’d done it!

Despite winning in 2023, I hadn’t been picked as a favorite to win. The competition was fierce—much more so than in previous years. What the cycling media failed to realize is the strength and motivation that a supportive community provides. I love you, Athens! And thank you, thank you, thank you to my team and our sponsors for making this little town I call home the center of the universe for a night.