EDWARDSVILLE - Olivia Reeve, a resident of Webster Groves, Mo., in suburban St. Louis, finished third in the women's Category 3/4/5 race at the BuseyBank Edwardsville Rotary Criterium Festival Saturday afternoon in Downtown Edwardsville, doing well in a strong field.
Reeve felt that she raced well in a tough and technical race and was very happy with her performance.
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"I did pretty well," Reeve said in a post race interview. "It was a tough race, it was definitely a hard one, very technical, lots of corners. But I was happy with my third place finish."
Reeve also enjoyed her experience both in the race and at the festival itself.
"I had a great experience," Reeve said. "It's a beautiful, beautiful day, happy the rain kept itself away from my race and it was a lot of fun people, a lot of fun girls and a tough race. A lot of strong girls."
Reeve first became interested in bike racing through her father, who was an avid racer himself.
"I've been racing for a long time," Reeve said, "since I was a little kid. My dad was super into it, he got me a bike when I was young and I just loved it. And I've raced for Washington University in St. Louis for the last four years, I just graduated and now I race for Road Crew."
Reeve majored in environmental analysis, minoring in business and social impact and will be working for Anheuser-Busch in the fall in the sustainability department for the brewery. She enjoys bike racing very much and loves the close-knit community of bike races in the area.
"It's a lot of fun," Reeve said. "I really love the community; it's a huge community in St. Louis. Everyone's extremely supportive from all different teams. And also just the fitness. It's very thrilling, very invigorating."
Reeve does have some ambitions and dreams as she moves along in her bike racing career.
"I'd love to be a pro," Reeve said. "I hope to be Cat 1; that's the ultimate goal. But definitely take time and work hard at it. But it's obviously room for improvement, which is wonderful.
Reeve hopes to race one day in a possible women's Tour de France or another major event.
"Oh, there you go," she said with a smile. "Maybe one day. It's a dream," she said with a hearty laugh.
As far as immediate and current goals, Reeve keeps them very straightforward.
"Right now, just to do a lot of races and to get better," Reeve said. "And maybe get some first place finishes; those would be nice. And I hope next year to travel more and do more midwest races."
Reeve, of course, is hoping to go further with bike racing and should see hit the pinnacle, such as the Olympics.
"That would be huge," Reeve said. "I mean, that would be like a dream. But work hard and hopefully one day."
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