Seeing Stars: Ryan Collins Wins the Ultra Cycling National Championship
By Ryan Collins
Pro Cyclist
"Am I seeing stars, or are there actually stars?" Ryan Collins asked this to friends and family after winning the Ultra Cycling National Championships...and being hit by a car on course. Check out his full race report here.
It’s hard to believe that the national championships came up so quickly. All of the hours training in a hotel room were finally going to pay off. But who would have thought this would turn out to be a highly eventful race?!
Leading up to the race I stuck to my regimen of SwissRX Gut Defense, Nitric Oxide, and Sur Alt Red. My nutrition plan was straightforward, too: 2 x PH1500 every hour along with 1 x Amacx Turbo and 1 x Amacx Drink Gel. About 100g carbs. A few added Ketones here and there to finalize the total.
Since this was a solo TT event I was able to decide when I started within a specified window. The day was exceptionally windy, 25 mph avg wind with 40mph gusts! As a result, I decided to start 40 min after the start time to allow for the roads to dry and a bit more warmth. The wind made it cooler than the prior days which meant I drank less and probably could have had more carbs. But I stuck to my plan as I knew it would be sufficient and figured I could take this ride as a learning experience.
I set the fastest time of the day on the long course and then decided to go immediately to the short course. I figured smaller times with cross winds and head winds would allow for micro rests every 15 minutes. As the time came for my planned feeding stop I decided to press on as I had more fluid available for hydration and my next gel would come in 30 min, enough time for two more laps. Plus, I was feeling strong so why stop?
The car had other plans…
The frustrating aspect of open road races is that some people don’t understand what’s going on, get overwhelmed, and panic. In this case, the driver did just that, famously stating, “ I didn’t see him”.
What's worse, to me, is that my parents and my girlfriend (this was her first race) were literally right there. Maybe 10 feet away. They saw the whole thing happen and ran right out to me.
Check body Blood? None Bones poking out? None Who are you? Ryan Where are you? National Championship What are you doing? Racing to win Check bike…
I stood in the road for a minute just existing and then, despite my shaking, jumped on the bike and kept going. My hips and back hurt, it felt odd. The adrenaline helped through the next lap but then I was uncomfortable. I managed what I could but I knew I wanted to stop and for this to be over.
My biggest fear was how would this impact my race in two weeks, the European Championship. Time will tell. But I want that title very badly and I’m going in with full steam to take it.
After the dust settled (don’t worry the wind was still ferociously blowing) I won. Taking home the title and the jersey. Maybe some Stars and Stripes for the kit/Feed helmet in 2026! Fortunately, the new 2025 kit will arrive on Tuesday so I don’t have to race in the damaged 2024 kit again.
After crossing the finish line I was able to finally sit and enjoy my new favorite recovery mix: vanilla Ultragen. Now, I want nothing more than to enjoy some cookie dough but I know recovery is paramount and, with 2 weeks until the next big event, I need to optimize everything I can to ensure success.
No one has ever won both championships… but there’s a first time for everything.
- Ryan