There he stood on the podium, about to receive the flowers for finishing second overall in the Tour of Wallonie, with the purple points jersey as an added reward. It should have been the greatest moment of his career.
But Riley Sheehan wasn’t smiling. In fact, he was in pain — both physically and emotionally. His shoulder and head were still hurting from the crash that had happened just minutes earlier, but emotionally, it hurt even more. Much more.
After all, just a fraction of a second before that crash, he was on the verge of the biggest victory of his career. No — something even more impressive.
The most dramatic showdown. The most aggressive race. The race in which he had been the man from start to finish.
First came Stage 1, where a cruelly timed puncture cost him victory. Then Stage 2, where he was passed in the final meters. On the third he crashed. On Stage 4, an incredible solo attack earned him the race lead, putting him atop the general classification with a three-second advantage.
But today was shaping up to be the best chapter of all. With sheer determination and aggressive racing, he had successfully defended his lead, collecting five valuable bonus seconds at intermediate sprints.
Now, heading into the final sprint with a dozen riders around him, he carried tremendous momentum. All he had to do was finish the job. Nobody was going to take it away from him.
But suddenly, from nowhere, chaos erupted. Far to his right, two riders contesting the sprint touched shoulders. One of them — Ben Oliver (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) — managed to stay upright, win the sprint, and ultimately win the race overall.
Sheehan paid the highest price. Unable to avoid Kim Heiduk (Netcompany INEOS), who crashed directly in front of him, the American slammed violently into the barriers.
To his credit, Sheehan recalled the incident later with remarkable calmness and composure:
He says: “It was quite fast. We came down this descent. I mean, if you’re coming down into a final at 80kph and there’s a sprint for bonus seconds, it’s going to be chaos. And it was. There were guys coming from every side. I was coming out of a good run on the left side.
“I had an open gap, but something must have happened on the right side, because before I knew it, I was into the barriers and had a bunch of guys on top of me. I wish I had been able to sprint at the end, but here we are.”
There is no doubt it was as cruel as cycling can be. Yet the American was determined not to let disappointment overshadow what had been an outstanding week of racing. Instead, he chose to focus on the positives.
“Everything worked great until that happened,” he adds. “The guys rode amazingly. We went for the bonus seconds, we got them, and then they set me up perfectly for the finish and what could have been a great final sprint. It came pretty close to being a great day.”
It could have been perfect. And it would have been deserved — not only for the 25-year-old, but for the entire team.
Sports Director Dror Pekatch was quick to praise his riders, adding: “I couldn’t have asked for more — not from Riley, and not from his teammates.
“For five days, I witnessed seven riders giving 101 percent of their dedication, commitment, and aggression. This is team NSN’s DNA. As for Riley, if you puncture at a crucial moment, crash twice, lose opportunities that looked like winning sprints, and still finish second overall, that says everything.
“For me, Riley was the strongest rider in Wallonie, and we were the strongest team in the race. I couldn’t be prouder.”
At the end of the day, Sheehan will need to digest it all, and he certainly started the process while licking his wounds in the bus.
He adds: “Of course, I am extremely disappointed, frustrated, and full of emotions. I was feeling extremely well, and I was confident all day, especially with the team. I am really, really proud of the team; everyone was truly exceptional, and it was pure joy to try and win with this team.
“It’s quite heartbreaking to lose a race like this. I am proud of my efforts and did everything I could in my control.
“It’s a shame that three of the five days I was thrown out of contention. I must now focus on the 95% of the race, which was really amazing from all the staff and riders, and now move on to the next races.”