Pfeiffer Georgi chasing rainbows at Road World Championships
	September 20th 2018         Pfeiffer Georgi celebrates a stage win on route to the overall at the Healthy Ageing Tour Photo: Velofocus           British rising star Pfeiffer Georgi will line up at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Austria chasing rainbows in her final year under 19. The 17-year-old has been a dominant force on the road in the Under 19 Nations Cup series this year winning Piccolo Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Heathy Ageing Tour and finishing second at Omloop van Borsele. Backing up her results from 2017 where she won Gent-Wevelgem and finished second at Omloop van Borsele. It is not just in junior races where Georgi has impressed, riding the Tour de Yorkshire with the British National Team, she put herself in the mountains jersey after the first stage. Something she had targeted but when racing against some of the best in the world an even more impressive achievement. Success on the road has come while juggling a busy track program. The elite British Madison Champion added the under 19 points race national title to her name, as well as world championship bronze in the team pursuit. Despite not securing a bunch race medal falling just shy of the podium with fourth in the points race and fifth in the Madison, she has turned her focus back to the road. Georgi's final preparation for the Road World Championships came at the Watersley Ladies Challenge, in the Netherlands in early September. A solo victory on the opening stage by 30 seconds after escaping from a four rider break and second in the time trial earned her the overall title and confirmed her form. Sixth in the road race and seventh in the time trial a year ago, Georgi heads to Austria with high ambitions of a time trial medal and the ultimate dream of rainbows in the road race. You started riding when you were four how did you get started? I used to live in Herne Hill, just a couple of miles from the velodrome, so would go there with my family. I would ride round with my brother Etienne and would do a few club sessions. After 14 years cycling what do you most enjoy about the sport? I would say that I enjoy the excitement of racing the most, and the places it takes you. This year I've been able to go many different countries, including Italy, Switzerland and Austria and had the opportunity to ride in some beautiful scenery. Off the bike who is Pfeiffer Georgi? What do you like to do away from cycling? Off the bike, I spend most of my spare time doing school work, as I'm heading into my last year of A levels, studying Maths, Biology and Psychology. However, I really enjoy cooking and drawing when I have time, and I hope to do more when I finish school. Have had a successful two years in the Under 19 Nations Cup winning Gent-Wevelgem in 2017, Trofeo Da Moreno and Healthy Ageing Tour in 2018 and finished second at EPZ Omloop van Borsele twice. What do those wins and successes mean to you? Winning at Gent-Wevelgem was completely unexpected for me and I was very shocked after the race because I hadn't really thought that I could win. It was only my second Nations' Cup and the course lent itself more towards a bunch sprint, so I knew I was just going to attack, but didn't think I would actually stay away. It was pretty crazy after the race because I was rushed to Wevelgem for the podium with the winners of all the races and got to stand there with riders including Greg van Avermaet. After that, I felt a bit more confident in the other Nations' Cups as I knew that I was capable of racing with the best and managed to come second at Omloop van Borsele. This was a bit disappointing at the time because we worked hard as a team to get the jersey on the second day but ended up losing it on bonus seconds at the end. Is there one result that stands out as the most significant or you are most proud of? I think I am most proud of Trofeo Binda this year, as we worked so well as a team, and the GB girls fully supported me trying to win. I was so surprised when I crossed the line first, because we had been very close to getting caught and I had been stuck on the front for the last couple of kilometres coming into the finish. It was also really exciting to have the Women's World Tour race there on the same day as ours, and made the event seem bigger. Healthy Ageing Tour was also really special because we had to work very hard to get off the front, as we became quite marked in the peloton. It was also the first time I had raced in proper crosswinds in Holland, which made the racing really exciting. Raced the Tour of Yorkshire this year against some of the biggest names in the sport. What was the experience like? What did you learn and what did you find challenging? I really enjoyed riding Tour de Yorkshire because it was race where I felt I had no pressure to perform. I had thought about going for the QOM jersey on the first day, so just attacked early on to try and get the points and managed to just hold on. It was really cool being able to wear a jersey on the second day, but I didn't expect to keep it, as it was a really tough race. I think what I found most challenging was trying to hold position in the bunch, as the pros weren't afraid to push you out the way, and the teams have much more of a presence than in junior racing. Claimed bronze in the team pursuit at Junior Worlds your first World Championship medal what did it mean to you? Claiming bronze in the TP at the Junior World Championships was very special to all of us as we'd had some ups and downs during the three rounds. We didn't do as well in qualifying as we had hoped, but then came back and broke the national record twice in one day, managing to go three seconds quicker in the final. It was the first worlds medal any of us had had, so really meant a lot. Also finished fourth in the points race and fifth in the Madison just missing medals in both how did the races go for you? Were you happy with how you raced? Personally, I was quite disappointed with my fourth in the points race because my legs didn't feel the best, and it was a really hard race. I found myself close to medals during the race but just made a few mistakes and was positioned too far back a couple of times, so missed out in the end. Then in the Madison we just didn't have a good race and made quite a few mistakes, which was disappointing because we felt like we were capable of much better. Headed to Austria after Junior Track Worlds what did you think of the terrain? Very hilly course for the road race and undulating route for the time trial how do you think they suit you? I like the look the road and TT courses in Austria and think that they will provide some exciting racing. I always prefer hillier terrain as I think it suits me better than the flat races. You were seventh in the time trial and sixth in the road race last year how important do you think that experience will be this year? I definitely learnt a lot from the World Championships last year, including how to deal with such a big event and the pressure that comes with it, and think this will help me when preparing for this year. What are your goals for Road Worlds? My ultimate goal for this year's worlds would be to win the road race and to podium in the time trial, however these are set quite high. With your results last year and success in the Nations Cup do you think you head in to Road Worlds as a rider everyone will be watching? I'm not sure if I will be a rider that everyone is watching as there are lots of other strong riders that have shown their strength on this type of terrain. There are also riders from further away that haven't competed in any Nations' Cups who may also be a threat. Beyond Road Worlds have you started thinking and looking to 2019 or are you fully focused on Road Worlds? I haven't thought too much about next season yet as I'm still focused on my last races of this year and trying to perform as best as I can in them. You have successfully combined road and track how do you find switching between the two and going forward do you plan on continuing with both? This year I've enjoyed doing a combination of road and track racing and have found it fine switching between the two. I hope to continue with the track next year alongside the road as I step up into senior races.