#national road championship

[womensworldtour]

While Spanish stage racing was wrapping up at la Vuelta a Burgos Fémina, the American national championships were held in West Virginia, and EF Education-Cannondale's Kristen Faulkner got in a break with Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) on a downhill section. Knowing Edwards had a serious kick, Faulkner launched in the final climb and soloed to victory.

Faulkner's teammate Coryn Labecki won the sprint behind.

[roadie1963]

Test Your Fitness With Lots of Elevation Gain at the Maryland Gran Fondo

Photo Credit: jp26jp from Pixabay.com When you think about Maryland or Washington D.C., great cycling doesn’t automatically come to mind. But the truth is that both states have large cycling communities. In the early Autumn, cyclists from those areas (and from other states around the country) come out in big numbers to test their summer fitness at the Maryland Gran Fondo, part of the Suarez…

[britishcyclesport]

2023 British National Road Championship Results

A tough course and hot weather made for hard racing at the 2023 British National Road Championship This year’s British National Road Championship took place on a 18.8km circuit, with 400 metres of climbing each lap. The women did seven laps of the circuit, while the men did ten. This meant the women would climb 2,826m and the men 4,073m, throw in hot weather and the riders were in for a hard…

[1337wtfomgbbq]

Guys I'm literally fucking crying over this❤️😭

[sixeyescurseuser]

Thinking about figure skater Gojo who tirelessly trains to qualify and compete at the next Olympic Games.

Gojo is such a legend in the skating world, very well known for his jaw-dropping, difficult performances, handsome looks, and charming personality! He was built for the spotlight.

Naturally, he has many global fans, fan accounts, and ordinary people who follow his career.

People who meet Gojo in-person after having only seen him on tv are shocked at how tall he is, yet manages to skate so well. All those triple and quad axels? And the amount of grace and power he skates with is insane considering his build. 

Once, an interviewer asks Gojo what other skaters he admires? Gojo talks about a few current big names, then sneaks in a mention of, “Oh, Suguru is also in my list , hehe.”

The interviewer chuckles alongside him, yet can’t help but ask, “Suguru…who?”

Later, Geto Suguru nearly spits out his water while watching the interview posted on Youtube. He doesn’t hesitate to text his boyfriend.

Geto: “Why do you keep bringing me up? I literally just skated in high school 😭”

Gojo sends back an old video of Geto’s skating routine from a regional competition: ❤️❤️

Geto: “WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE THIS?”

Gojo: “heyyy >:(“

Gojo: “It makes me happy 🥰 I loved watching you”

***

Growing up, Gojo and Geto skated at the same club.  But while Gojo continued skating as his professional career after, Geto dropped skating in order to focus on his academics in college.

Gojo often reminisces on the long practices they had where they would watch each other run through their routines and give each other feedback, when they would mess around and throw the craziest combinations just for shits and giggles.

He didn’t realize their time together on the rink would be so short in the long run, but they began dating when they were only sixteen, and have been going strong together since.

Gojo is still lucky to have Suguru to come home to after his long days at the rink.  

After college, Geto went on to become a marine biologist, where he does a lot of work in ocean wildlife conservation. He’s either on a boat collecting data for research or in the lab analyzing his sample results. 

Gojo is not only busy training in Japan, but he also frequently travels to train in different countries. Gojo receives lots of updates from Suguru in the form of selfies and blurry photos with ocean wildlife or results from the lab.

Suguru in the lab with his ppe (personal protection equipment). Suguru wearing his wet suit while investigating algae farms. Suguru smiling while holding a crab.  

Gojo makes the last one his lock screen. Suguru just looks so cute with his hair pulled back, and when Gojo holds his finger down on the live photo, he can hear Suguru’s voice talking in baby to the crab.

(Geto’s wallpaper is a selfie of them when they were teens.)

Geto gets super excited telling Gojo about his new findings, taking the time to explain different facts and technical terms. Gojo eagerly nods along on the phone and asks questions, commenting, “No way! The algae increased nearly double the amount with your XXX solution? That’s amazing!”

***

Gojo loves what he does, but it’s always a relief to come back home and find his comfort place in Suguru’s arms. 

Nothing beats taking a shower and raiding Suguru’s closet after, cooking dinner with his boyfriend, and then cuddles on the couch.

The first thing they see when they turn on the tv is a sports reporter announcing Gojo Satoru's third national championship title, and what it means for the road to the Olympics.

“Oh wow, this guy is on a roll. He should train for the Olympics or something,” Geto says.

Gojo simply buries face in Suguru’s neck and snickers: “Or something.”

***

Once, while getting ready to sleep one night, Gojo whispers in Geto’s: “Remember that one time you ripped your pants during the Junior Grand Prix?”

Geto doesn’t react at first.

Then, without warning, he tries to smother his boyfriend with his pillow.

***

One of the best memories is when Geto surprised Gojo by showing up in-person to one of the abroad competitions. 

In the middle of his post-win interview, still in his competition suit, makeup dewey and hair fluffy, Gojo suddenly spots a familiar face behind one of the paparazzi. 

Gojo is literally mid-answer when he locks in and SPRINTS to get his boyfriend in his arms.

“Suguru!!” Gojo shouts. He’s already leaping and oh, Suguru’s arms readily catch him. 

Geto laughs with his whole chest, squeezing tightly around Gojo’s middle.

“Hello, darling.”

Gojo has to finish the interview but he’s so bubbly now because teehee Suguru is right there and watching proudly. 

Gojo needs him in his bed immediately.

After the interview, Geto explains he got his lab assistants to cover their project for the next week so he could fly out and visit Gojo in Australia!

Gojo happily drags Geto back to his hotel room,  giggling and babbling about the plans they could have for the next week. The couple excitedly discuss outings to art and performance events, to the beach, even the zoo - which Geto is ecstatic for. 

Upon entering the hotel room, Geto quickly drops his luggage off in the corner. Gojo is still yapping when Geto suddenly walks him backwards to the bed. 

The back of Gojo’s knees hit the edge and he falls back with an “oof!”

Geto smoothly crawls on top to lay his whole body weight on his boyfriend’s. 

Gojo chuckles. He combs through Suguru’s hair and continues his talking, knowing Suguru is tired from traveling and this will help them both relax.

Gojo gradually runs out of things to say, and the soft breaths against his neck tell him yep, he unfortunately needs to poke his boyfriend awake so they can both shower and freshen up before bed.

Gojo pats Geto’s lower back. “Suguru, wakey wakey.”

No response.

Pat pat on the lower back again, then smoothing his hands up to pat the upper-back.

“Babyyy, wake up. We need to shower. And eat.”

Geto offers a protesting grunt, then nuzzles against Gojo’s neck.

This leaves Gojo no choice.

He sneaks a hand down to pinch Geto’s ass.

“Ouch- hey what the fuck?”

Gojo yelps when he feels Suguru pinch his nipple in retaliation, then rolls off Gojo’s body to head toward the bathroom.

Five minutes later, the couple shower together while casually recapping the results of the skating event.

“Any feedback for me today?” Gojo asks. Geto hums, more focused on massaging the shampoo into Gojo’s hair. He applies the perfect amount of pressure that makes Gojo moan in appreciation.

“The only feedback I have is that you look amazing out there, Satoru. All the hard work you put into training clearly pays off. I am so so proud of you,” Geto says, dropping a kiss to Gojo’s nape.

Gojo preens, and completely surrenders himself to his boyfriend's tender touches.

[thommi-tomate]

Translation :

It all started here in Pähl, on this sports field.

A huge enthusiasm for football.

When I played my first international match for the German national team over 14 years ago, I would never have dreamed of all this.

Great victories and bitter defeats, sometimes devastated, only to get up again to compete against the best players in the world.

Alongside fantastic teammates with whom I have experienced countless unforgettable moments.

After 131 international matches and 45 goals, I'm saying goodbye to the German eagle today.

I was able to take part in four World Cups and four European Championships, raise the World Cup trophy in the air and feel your affection on the pitch.

It has always made me very proud to play for my country.

We celebrated together and sometimes even shed a tear together.

I would like to thank all the fans and team members of the national team.

Thank you for your support over the past few years.

Take the enthusiasm and joy of this year's Euros with you and keep your fingers crossed for the team on the road to the 2026 World Cup.

That's what I'm doing now as a fan in the stands and no longer as a player on the pitch.

See you there.

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 21)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (21)

Masterlist (other parts here)

(*Mentions of mental health, suicide and domestic abuse. Take care with this chapter please x *)

Much to Lucy’s amusement, YFN was driving her car for the first time. YFN had first suggested that she drive to Birmingham to get used to the car and roads in the UK, and because Lucy had done all of the driving thus far. The first 20 minutes had been stressful, but eased with Lucy’s amused support.

“It’s just a car, little one. I don’t care what happens to it as long as you’re okay..” She’d said. That and how calm she was explaining the differences in the roads made YFN feel much, much more at ease.

When she was comfortable enough, Lucy insisted they ran through some of the information that was emailed through by Lumos, Lucy testing her knowledge.

“I only briefly skipped through that email, Luce.. it was our third date.” She groaned.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been doing research since the girls first told you about this job..”

YFN looked guilty. “I like to be prepared.”

Lucy chuckled. “I know. It’s one of the things I love about you.. and you might as well use me while I’m here, right? We’ll start slow.”

YFN groaned. “Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Okay, talk to me about the different tiers of women’s football in England.”

“Starting off slow, hey?” She pouted. Lucy was challenging her. “Okay… okay. There’s the top tier, Tier 1, the Barclay’s FA WSL. It has 12 teams, bottom team gets relegated to Tier 2 which is the FA Women’s Championship. Also 12 teams, the winners going into the WSL for the next season, while the bottom-placed team are relegated Tier 3, the FA Women’s Nation’s League. Then it gets a bit complicated because there’s the northern teams against each other and the southern teams against each other with the top northern and southern team in the final FA WNL Championship Play-Off, the winner moving up to Tier 2, FA Champions League.”

She looked over at Lucy who was grinning at her proudly. “I knew you’d been researching.”

YFN blushed under her gaze. “It’s important to you.. so it’s important to me. Regardless of the job.”

“God, you’re so cute.” She kissed her on her little cheek dimple, her face reddening further. “Try name the 12 teams in the WSL for me..”

“Okay… okay I can do it by location, might be easier. Around Manchester you have 2 teams, Man United and Man City. Around Liverpool there’s Liverpool and Everton. Around Birmingham there’s Aston Villa. Close to them there’s Leicester, in Leicester.. then there’s Bristol City by itself, and around London are the other 5 teams, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, West Ham United, Arsenal, and… Tottenham.”

“You’re so sexy when you’re talking football..” Lucy commented as she fed YFN a Malteser.

“Why do I feel like I’m being rewarded like a dog?”

“Who’s a good girl,” Lucy cooed and patted her head. YFN rolled her eyes. “Who are the current WSL Champions?”

“Chelsea, they beat Man United.”

“Do any WSL teams play for other titles?”

“Uh.. there’s the Continental Cup? Conti Cup.. it’s the Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams together, so WSL and The Championship.”

“And the current Conti Cup Champions?”

“Arsenal.. they beat Chelsea.”

“Any other titles?”

“The UEFA Women’s Champions League.. it’s basically the WSL of Europe. It’s where all the fun happens and there’s a chance for a team like Arsenal to go up against a team like Barcelona.” She turned to Lucy. “Is it your favourite?”

“My favourite is definitely playing for England… but when playing with Barca then yeah, I love playing against the UK teams.”

“Is it hard playing against friends?”

She shrugged. “It was at first.. but then I found it’s much easier if you just go at players like opposition and don’t look at who they are. Just do your thing. I always want to win so it’s easier for me, but I know some of the girls struggle with it.”

YFN nodded and stole another Malteser. “Barcelona are the current Champions, obviously because they have the best right-back in history… and it was against Wolfsburg. Aaaand I believe that was your… fourth Championship title? 3 with Lyon, 1 with Barca?”

Lucy looked impressed. “You really have been doing your research, you sneak. I’m really proud of that too. Almost missed the one with Barca though.. I had surgery on my knee about 5 weeks before the final.” She trailed off, getting a little into her own head.

YFN put her hand on her knee, stroking it to console her. She knew there wasn’t much to say about it. “I can’t wait to see you play for Barca.”

That worked. Lucy smiled. “Tell me again why you can’t live in Spain, if you already have a team for you to work with? And once you get a good schedule going, they’ll be going to the games for you.. There’s…” she took YFN’s phone to read the email. “…Samantha, Bridget and Emily, Ethan, Daniel, Ruby…” She trailed off as she kept reading. “Okay so they’ve hired 4 videographers and 4 photographers, then there’s your IT guy Noel who is an all-rounder..”

“Yes, love, but I need to make sure they’re all comfortable editing because a lot don’t have the experience. We also need a specific style to create so it helps to build our brand and keep it all homogenous almost.. and then what if someone is sick and can’t cover a game?”

“It’s only 2 hours from Barca to London.” She offered.

YFN let herself look at Lucy for a second. She needed to get her scepticism across. It worked. Lucy was intelligent, she knew that YFN would be busy in the UK for the next 6 months at the very least.

YFN patted the steering wheel. “I think we’re going to be doing a lot of driving! I should name him… any ideas.”

“Miles?”

“Ohhh.. like Miles Morales?”

She could tell from Lucy’s expression that she had no idea who that was. “Who?”

“Spiderman… never mind, I’ll add it to our movie list. Eminem? After Miles Morales? No… no I like Miles. Let’s keep it simple.”

“We have a movie list?” Lucy looked excited and longing, almost. “Miles it is. Also, Spiderman is Peter Parker.”

“How dare you.”

Lucy wiggled her eyebrows. “Well I still think when you get more comfortable and all fall into a good rhythm covering games.. you can maybe work from Spain…” She gave those big eyes of hers as she sat sideways in the seat, admiring her girlfriend.

“Well I am mainly working on my laptop. But it’s such a small company right now, so they’ll expand quickly with all of the coverage if we do it right. Plus, they have so much money. What they’re offering pay-wise and then expense-wise is ridiculous.” She stopped herself, realising she was getting excited about the job again, and eased Lucy’s worries. “I’m sorry.. I’ll let us live in a little happy bubble for now, hm? We don’t know what could happen.”

Lucy sighed and reached out, her hand finding YFN’s pocket. “Who knows, maybe I’ll end up back in the WSL.”

“Or maybe I’ll be fired on my first day.”

Lucy scoffed. “Not a chance. They’re lucky to have you.”

YFN could tell Lucy was struggling with her emotions a little. She assumed the dread for their goodbye tomorrow was creeping up on the footballer also. She saw her fall into that little Lucy space and she left her there for a few minutes before she spoke. “Tell me what you’re thinking. Right… there.” The took her hand off the steering wheel to poke her in the middle of the forehead. “I can see it sitting there.”

Lucy came back with a little smile. “I was trying to decide if I was a bad person or not by thinking that I’m partially hoping Martin can’t get that working Visa for you..”

YFN laughed. “You know he will have it approved by the end of the night. And also… no, it’s not a bad thing. It melts my heart because it makes me feel wanted and needed by you. So, thank you for the honesty. And I..” She stopped herself, eyes widening at the fact that three words almost rolled off of her tongue. Before Lucy could question it, YFN’s phone rang.

“It’s Ridley.” Lucy said, shaking the phone for her to see. Before YFN could say anything, Lucy answered on loudspeaker.

“Hey baby Blue, I miss you.” Ridley drawled, flirty as usual.

YFN looked over at Lucy, expecting her to be jealous and she wasn’t disappointed. She’d spoken to Lucy about Ridley before, but only the bare minimum, like she had with Jordan. Ridley was an enigma, and one of her favourite people on the planet. She knew it wouldn’t take long for Lucy to pick up her personality and understand.

“Hey Riddles, I miss you too. What’s happening?”

“Sitting in an airport, wishing it were a beach. Waiting for a man, as usual. I swear, you let men into your life, and you get this. Constant irritation. Must be so hard to drag your little dick around that you end up late for everything.”

Lucy chuckled beside her at that.

“I can guarantee you’re 15 minutes early. And by the sound of your irritation.. waiting for your coffee I’m assuming?”

“It tames my demons. And you are, as usual, correct on both counts.” She began speaking to who YFN assumed was the barista. “Thanks baby, I’ll definitely call you.”

YFN felt like she could hear the wink from across the phone. Lucy raised her eyebrows in question and YFN shrugged. This was normal.

“Okay I’m back. Fuuuck, that’s a good coffee.”

“Are you going to call her or were you just being polite again?”

“Did the ‘definitely’ give me away again?” She asked sheepishly. “She’s cute but very much the relationship type. You know I don’t do that.”

“Mmnhmn. Lucy’s here by the way, we’re just driving to Birmingham.”

“Ah, Lucia Roberta, we finally meet. Kind of. Hold up…” She switched to Facetime as she walked through the airport, coffee in hand. Ridley was drop-dead stunning. She was the only person who had more confidence than Lucy, and it was obvious with the way she spoke and carried herself. She liked to keep herself fit and tidy, besides the alcohol she always slammed when she was at a festival or picking up. Her jawline was godly, her hair was the perfect dark, dark brown shaggy bob, and she had a noticeable scar on her face that started on her cheek and rose to the bottom of her left eye. Typically, it made her even more attractive.

“Hey there, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Lucy said, trying to control her jealously that rose as she saw how fucking stunning she was.

“If any of it is good, then she was lying. She does that to be nice.” She chuckled and got a little closer to the camera. “But she wasn’t lying when she told me about you though. Fuck, you’re sexy.”

Lucy was caught off guard and looked at YFN. Yep, she understood now. Ridley was just… Ridley. Lucy grinned at the compliment and turned back to the camera, her cockiness coming out.

“What can I say… I’m built different.” Lucy quoted and Ridley got the reference, the two sharing a laugh and flexing biceps. YFN rolled her eyes. Of course they’d get along. She could only imagine what they’d be like in person together, egging each other on to do things.

“Little dick appears to be here and… lost.” She brought her fingers to her mouth, whistling loudly.

“Don’t scare the boys, Riddles.”

She grinned at her friend. “My therapist says I should do what makes me happy. Besides, I’ve already had two men tell me I’m intimidating today.. three for the hat-trick, right Bronze?”

Lucy chuckled. “I believe in you.”

“Anyways, I called to see when you’re coming to Spain.. I miss you.”

“I miss you more, and I’ll be there in 13 days. The day before Lucy’s Liga F match if that helps.”

Ridley liked specifics. “It does. Okay, Blue, I’ll see you then. Bronze, don’t be a stranger. Adiós!”

The call ended and there was silence for several seconds. YFN tried to hide her smile and looked at Lucy who was already looking at her.

“Well?”

“She seems fun. And…”

“…an aquired taste.”

“I like her. You weren’t lying about the flirting.”

“No, love. Luckily I’m already pretty obsessed with a woman anyways.”

“Did you two ever..?”

YFN knew it was coming. “No. Never. That was never us, our relationship is more like… shared trauma. I think she’s the best person, but we’ve both been through quite a bit.”

Lucy was silent and so she continued. “We were neighbours growing up. Her family was even more dysfunctional than mine, but instead of not having a mum, she didn’t have a dad. She grew up fast and took it upon herself to look after her mum, a bipolar, and her brother who was autistic who was always getting bullied… really badly. She took my brother and I under her wing also.” She choked, getting a little emotional, knowing what was coming. “One night after school her brother was… beaten to death. To be more specific, beaten and left for dead. He was supposed to be picked up by their mum who was ‘trying to get better’. She got drunk and forgot about him. Ridley found him and held him until the cops arrived. She begged them not to tell her mum, because she was so erratic when she wasn’t well, and especially worse when alcohol was mixed. They didn’t listen because she was only young, and they called her anyways. She’d killed herself by the time Ridley was dropped home. She’d expected it to be honest. I… Ridley and I used to sneak into each other’s rooms at night to hang out, play games, read books, talk. I snuck into her room and she wasn’t there. I found her in the bathroom with her mum.” YFN couldn’t help the tears streaming down her face as she remembered. “There was so much blood, Luce. And Riddles… it was almost like she didn’t feel the grief at all. She was so prepared for it. She was forced to grow up too young.”

She looked at Lucy who was also crying, eyes closed and shaking her head. She continued. “That scar on her face? From my dad. After what happened, her Aunt moved in and started taking care of her. They stayed in that house because they couldn’t afford to sell it with the debt they were left. She’d stay in my room as much as possible to avoid the memories in her own house. She’d usually already be in my room by the time I came up there. I told you my dad was abusive..”

“He didn’t… touch you, did he?” Her voice shook, nervous for the response.

“Not in the way you think. He hit us. He’d have good days and bad days. On one of his worst days, Ridley heard it from my room and came down. He was going at my brother with a knife and I was trying to stop him. Ridley saw red and jumped in to save us. We were only young and my dad was a lot stronger, so he’d managed to still cut her face as she fought him. She got it off of him eventually and knocked him on his ass. He left the next day and never came back. Nan looked after us from then on. She.. she probably saved our lives. He wanted to kill us. I could see it on his face.” She sniffed, wiping the tears away with the cuff of her shirt. “I remember holding her hand when she got her stitches.. so you see, she’s one of the most important people in my life, and she always will be. We grew into such different people after all of that. Both of us really haven’t dated much. Riddles has dated one person I think? And she sabotaged it. I let myself date a few but none of them have understood me or what I need.” She took a deep breath in. Might as well tell her everything, right? “One of the biggest changes we noticed as we grew up was sex. Riddles doesn’t have sex for love, she does it to hold some form of control. If she can control herself and somebody else, and especially their orgasm, then it satisfies her. She doesn’t let anyone close except me because I was there. We’ve had long conversations about this. Whereas me… I was so much of a passenger in my life, always scared of my dad that I just want to be loved. And protected. Supported. I want that unconditional fucking hopeless romantic, Heath Ledger love. And when it comes to sex… my body craves someone that I can put my absolute trust in. Someone who I can give all of my control, my thoughts, my opinions to. Someone who will literally hold me down and fuck me for both of our benefits. I don’t want a choice.” She was so far in, that her admission scared even her. “I’ve never had that before. Saying it out loud like that… scares me. I’ve never been so honest about it and I’ve definitely never let myself give up any of my trust until I met you.” She looked at Lucy who looked in awe. She reached a hand out as if to strangle her. “You, and your pretty fucking face. You, and your inability to pronounce ‘th’ in a sentence. You, and that fucking grin that lights up a room.”

Lucy pointed outside. “Pull over. Right there.”

YFN sighed as did as she was told, knowing that whatever came of her confession she’d accept. She pulled over and took her time, putting the car into park, handbrake on.

Lucy unclipped her seatbelt and leaned over the centre console, her hand finding YFN’s face as she pulled her towards her. Their lips met passionately. Then needily. Then desperately. Gasps for air and desperate breaths filling the air.

“Luce..” she whimpered against her lips in between the barrage of kisses she was receiving. Lucy took a little while to respond, distracting herself. “You’re mine. I will always keep you safe and make sure you’re loved. Do you understand?” She pulled YFN’s head to her collarbone and held her tight. Of course, the tears started up again. She can’t believe she’d told Lucy.

Lucy held her tightly, her hand stroking her hair, whispering sweet nothings, and reassuring her. Giving her everything she needed.

The emotions settled down eventually and YFN mumbled into Lucy’s shirt. “You know, I’m still really embarrassed about how forward I was when we started texting..”

Lucy vibrated under her, laughing softly. “Oh, I definitely encouraged that. It was perfect.”

YFN leaned back so she could see Lucy. She assumed her face reflected her girlfriends. Puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She cheekily tapped her cheek and Lucy took the hint, leaning in and kissing it with lingering lips. She kissed it a few more times and sat back in her seat. And then, they were off again.

They arrived at Jordan’s after dark, the little blonde bouncing up and down in the driveway as they pulled up. Jordan jumped on the closest person, Lucy, her legs wrapping around her waist. Lucy wrapped her in a tight hug.

“Alright, Jords?”

“I missed you two!”

“We missed you more, mate.” YFN said as she rounded the car. Jordan dropped off of Lucy and tried to do the same to YFN, though they were both a similar height and weight and ended up sprawled on the ground laughing.

The house was a cute little stand alone and inside was modern and fresh. It was a wide open space with its kitchen, dining and living area all sharing the same room which led out to the patio. It was a 2 by 2, with a bedroom either side of the large entertainment area. YFN found her bedroom, it was much larger than she imagined and had an ensuite. She turned and glared at Jordan. “You didn’t.”

“You have Lucy.. and my bathroom is perfect.” Just as she saw YFN about to argue she continued. “I originally picked that room, I promise! It doesn’t get the morning light, and I like being on that side.”

YFN pouted, wanting to argue but knowing it would be useless.

“Yay, shower sex.” Lucy said as she opened YFN’s suitcase on the bed. It was the most unhinged thing she’d ever heard Lucy say and her mouth dropped open. This was obviously the same for Jordan who was caught off guard. “Joking.. but not really. Go and have your little chat, I’ll unpack.” She insisted as she pushed them both out the door.

“I can’t believe she never said that to me…” Jordan whined. She was getting teary eyed as she looked at YFN. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“I think she was scared... and torn… and trying to justify the unjustifiable. She knows she messed up.” She hugged Jordan a little tighter.

“She’s coming tonight.”

“What?!”

“I think tonight has gotten just a little bit out of hand..”

“How out of hand are we talking about?”

“Um.. I don’t know the exact number but I know the restaurant had to order more chairs.”

YFN’s eyed widened. “Wait… what?” Lucy walked out of the bedroom then and she directed her next question at her. “What am I walking into?”

Lucy tilted her head with an innocent look and shrugged. “The girls love a catch up, and as far as I know, no one has organised anything like this before so I think word spread around pretty quickly. I think between me, Jords, Katie and Caitlin, we managed to get quite a few different nationalities interested… we have no idea how many are coming though. Katie was organising that.”

“Oh, they’ll be here soon actually. We should get ready.” Jordan said, wiping her eyes.

“What are you going to do about Leah tonight..?” YFN asked gently.

Jordan shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, this doesn’t change anything. She still hasn’t spoken to me. I need some time to process and maybe I’ll let her say what she needs to. I don’t want to talk to her tonight, though.”

"You know the safe word.."

[sweetdispatch]

Suprise visits - N. Hischier

When Two Sports Collide | previous chapter

timeline: May 2024 - June 2024

summary: After couple of years, Lisa and Nico can finally see each other playing. She's sad for his result and he's happy for her result

warning: NSFW, graphic sex (+18), oral (f receiving)

words: 1.2k

note: only two left chapters☹️

---

Nico was in the Czech Republic, fighting to become World Champion. It was a weird feeling for him to be there in May looking at the fact that the playoffs in the NHL were happening but he was beyond proud that he can represent Switzerland. Group stage went smoothly for Switzerland but Lisa was offended after one of the games.

“I just want to say that it was rude to beat Norway” She said, remembering how Nico was joking when she beat Switzerland two years earlier.

“My team beat them, not me. I didn’t score a point due to respect to you” He decided to play her game. “You didn’t respect me when you decided to win the POTM award against Switzerland”

“That’s not my fault your country’ defence sucked and I could have scored the goals” Lisa fought back.

“I can tell the same about your country’ defence in hockey” Nico replied.

“At least they saved your shots so they don't suck” Lisa giggled. “You’re incredible. I’m so happy that you managed to get out of your head that you didn’t qualify to playoffs” 

“Did you just pay me a compliment after assaulting me?” Nico chuckled.

“Maybe” Lisa replied. “My point is that you’re great out there and I’m so proud of you. Wish I could be there” She sighed.

“We’ll see each other in a couple weeks and hopefully we’ll be celebrating the three gold medals we’re gonna win in upcoming games” Nico said. 

Sadly, Lisa’ first season in the Hungarian League didn’t end up like she would have wanted. Gyor lost by two points and won the silver. Although it hurt her, she put her focus on winning the Champions League. The Final4 was held in Budapest. Gyor was an hour road from this city. That’s why she decided to pay a visit to Nico during his World Championship. 

Lisa went to his final game against the Czech Republic. It was her first Nico’ game and she was excited to see him playing. He played his best like the rest of the team but it wasn’t enough. Czech Republic beat Switzerland and Nico got only a silver medal. He was bittersweet over the result. He was happy to get his first medal in the National Team but knowing how close he was to gold was killing him. She told him that she’s in Prague and Nico told her to meet him in his hotel room.

“How do you feel?” Lisa asked him and hugged him tightly. 

“Like shit. We’ve been so close but at the same time so far” He placed a kiss on her head.

“Look at the positive side. No one thought that you would go this far. You and your team surprised everyone. That’s a good sign. It’s just the start of the journey. Next time, you’re gonna get the gold babe” 

“You think?” Nico asked like he wasn’t believing her words. 

“I know this” She kissed him.

The next day, Lisa left Nico and went back to Gyor to train before Final4. She wanted to defend the title she won with Kristiansand. She was done with silver color for the season and felt motivated like never before and it was seen. Her team won the semi final thanks to her goal in the final seconds. This one goal decided who went into the final but she knew there’s nothing to celebrate. 

The next day, they beat the German club and celebrated the gold. The Champions League title returned to Gyor after 5 years. For Lisa, it was her fourth title in a row. It was an unbelievable feeling to reach it and the fact that she achieved this on her birthday was incredible. The first thing she wanted to do after the final was to call Nico but to her surprise, he was here. For him it was her first Lisa’ game and he couldn’t believe he witnessed her win. 

Lisa was back in the locker room and took her phone to take pictures with her teammates but before she did that, she saw a message from Nico saying that he was there. She wanted nothing more than to see him. She gave him instructions on how to get into the locker rooms and waited for him outside. She saw him coming from afar and ran towards him, jumping into his arms.

“I’ve won! I defended the title and brought it back to Hungary” Lisa screamed and hugged him tightly.

“I’m so proud of you. You killed out here babe” She grabbed his face and kissed him passionately.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you have to do media in Switzerland” 

“We wrapped it up already and decided to visit you. Was worth it. It’s a huge thing to win four titles in a row” Nico pecked her cheek. “And to win on your birthday is double special”

“It is. Gosh I can’t believe what just happened” 

“Let’s sink it in this. You deserved it like no one” 

Lisa went back into the locker room and Nico decided to make her a birthday post. He was proud of her and wanted to show the world how talented his girlfriend is. He asked her to send him a picture with a trophy. She was confused when she saw the text but without asking a question, she sent him one.

nicohischier

liked by lisa.pedersen and 13 925 others

nicohischier Happy birthday princess! Can't believe I witnessed your win, I'm so proud of you❤️

lisa.pedersen I love you❤️

charlotteolsen You went and didn't bother to take me with you???

2 June 2024

The same night, Lisa and her team returned to Gyor. She went to her apartment and saw Nico already waiting for her return. She hugged him again and he pulled her into a kiss. It was a passionate kiss between them. 

“Let me show you how proud I am of you” Nico said in between the kisses. 

Nico picked her up and took into the bedroom. He undressed her and himself and laid her down on the bed. He kissed her lips and started going lower with each kiss. Gently, he opened her legs and kissed her pussy. He licked her clit and started eating her out. Lisa was moaning at the feeling and placed her hands into his hair, pulling them softly. She cum around his lips and Nico started going higher with his kisses until he reached her lips.

“I love you and I’m incredibly happy for you. You looked so hot out there fighting for what’s yours” He placed hand on her cheek and she cuddled into it. 

Slowly, Nico entered her pussy and Lisa arched her back from the pleasure. It wasn’t messy sex like they had for the first time. Now, it was full of passion and love. He wanted to explore her body. He touched every curve and muscle of the body. He was worshipping her. Lisa was running with her hands on his biceps and back. They found perfect tempo and she pulled him into a kiss. She cum again and soon after, he released inside of her. 

Lisa tried to catch her breath and Nico laid next to her, pulling her closer to his chest. Quietly they cuddled into each other and fell asleep listening to each other’ breaths and heart beats. 

They didn’t know that this night would forever change their lives. 

---

next chapter

[motocorsas]

Nicky Hayden passed away seven years ago today. the last American to win a world championship, he was a hero of the sport and sorely missed. in his honor, i want to highlight a few of my favorite stories about him:

he got his start in dirt track racing, winning his first grand national dirt track race in 1999, when he was 18, at the Hagerstown Half-Mile in Hagerstown, MD, a place i've been many times. in the same year he won the AMA Supersport championship, and three years later, became the youngest ever AMA Superbike champion. i would argue having a dirt track background gave Hayden a unique talent for road racing -- riding on dirt imparts and requires a strong sense of the back tire. Hayden himself concurred:

while in AMA Superbike, Nicky wrote a column in Roadracing World magazine called Young Gun. i sorely miss these types of features: in the nineties, Kevin Schwantz also wrote for Roadracing World. they gave unique insights into the operations of a pro racing paddock. i unfortunately couldn't find any clippings from Nicky's column online. here's David Swarts, staff writer for Roadracing World, remembering Nicky's contributions:

Nicky's congeniality was his greatest strength. his first ever teammate in MotoGP was Dani Pedrosa, with whom he had a perfect television rivalry; hammer-and-tongs on track, but always respectful and fair to one another. Pedrosa crashed out Hayden at Estoril in 2006, almost eliminating his championship hopes. Motorsport.com reflects on their rivalry:

they were able to compete on track and be committed to beating the other while still remaining respectful, something that not every team could do.

just about everyone remembers Hayden for his kind personality, his skill on track and his trademark Kentucky accent. he was someone who was able to compete, win and lose, without the pressure warping his perspective. he took losses in stride: he credits his use of the number 69, which has now been retired in his honor, to the fact that his own father wore it while racing in dirt track, and constantly crashing out. whether he was upright or upside down in the dirt, his number read the same.

[raapija]

Pookie au headcanons:

When Nando and Stoffel broke up, Fernando didn't talk to/about him for 6 years. In 2023, Stoffel was hired by Aston to lead development on their WEC department and Lance forced Fernando to reconcile with him.

Lance's sister Chloe and her husband Scotty are the twins' godparents. When they first came to see the babies, Scotty was dressed in a full suit and refused to take off his sunglasses, as he was there to "conduct family business". He gave the twins 20 AU$ each as a present.

Lance reads a lot to the twins. He has about 700 children's books in their room and spends hours upon hours just reading to them :)

Lance had a half finished business degree from almost a decade ago and while stuck at home with the kids, he decided to finish it and actually graduated school.

Fernando has a kids' trailer for his bicycle and loves taking the twins around with him while cycling. Lance imagines he's going on leisurely rides around town, but this motherfucker is actually hauling ass, going 45 km/h on the road with the kids in his tow 💀

Lance makes a comeback to racing after being on sabbatical for a few years to take care of the twins. He drives in the British GT Championship with Jessica Hawkins as his teammate for a couple years. After that, he does some miscellaneous endurance racing and eventually moves to work for Aston Martin behind the scenes.

When the twins grow up, Lucía becomes a pro tennis player and Jayden a doctor. Before university, Jayden was a swimmer and was in the top 100 of Canada's national rankings for under 25 year-olds.

Doing school homework with Fernando was a nightmare. Especially the maths, because he struggled to understand how the kids couldn't figure out the problems when they were SO EASY. He was also shit at explaining how he'd solve them, so mostly it was just trying not to cry while failing all science classes 🥲🥲

Oscar and Lando are fine when they're apart, but when their singular braincells connect, they cause nothing but trouble 😭

Carlos and Lance are almost equal in their golfing wins against each other, which they joke about a lot. It's 51.2% on Lance's side.

Oscar owns two racing horses which have never actually competed in a single race, but he loves them ❤️

At Fernando's house in the UK, which he has had since the early 2000's, all the kids' rooms are perfectly preserved from when they first moved out.

The UK house is now mostly used for family gatherings, though Fernando has promised that if one of his kids wants it, they can have it.

[cazzyf1]

Today would have been Mike Hawthorn's 95th Birthday. So here are some facts you might of not known about him.

His Grandma died on the ship Lusitania. As this ship was a passenger ship in WW1 it was thought it wouldn't be targeted but it was. This was before Mike was born but gives some context for why he disliked Germans.

Mike was at boarding school during WW2 and when they had to hide in their dormitories during the blitz Mike would tell jokes to lighten the mood.

He accidentally shot his friend in the leg when they were messing around with shooting guns at school.

Mike did want to do his national service and had filled out a form to join the RAF but due to his kidney issues he was unable to join. He didn't make it public knowledge however or he wouldn't be allowed to race so he had to face the abuse of the public saying he was avoiding his national service.

Mike was at the Le Mans in 1954 ready to race for Jaguar when he found out his father had been in a car crash. He desperately tried to get home but his father died before Mike could. This could explain some of his determination to win the Le Mans the next year in 1955.

On a trip with friends Mike was the only one who brought a warm coat, he offered to let his friends borrow it if they paid him. When it got warmer and he had to carry it his friends offered to carry it if he paid them.

He had an operation to remove one kidney but his other kidney was still dying, so often he would have black ours and be in immense pain. In the 1958 British GP they were unsure if he would be able to race as he was ill because of his kidney.

Mike Hawthorn accidentally managed to break a piano at a wedding celebration.

Mike got a puppy and was struggling to come up with a name, but he caught the puppy drinking from his pint of beer so called it grogger.

In 1958 when reversing back onto his drive Grogger ran out and Mike accidentally killed him. Mike hid in his room and cried the rest of the day about it.

Mike loved to mess around and have a laugh, potentially because he knew he didn't have long to live. He got along with fellow driver Duncan Hamilton immensely and they would get up to all sorts such as deciding to change around the furniture in their room by tying bed sheets to it and lowering it out of a window from one room to another.

Mike Hawthorn would often just walk into Peter and Louise Collin's hotel room and spend the days relaxing with them when he and Peter weren't racing.

When Peter was killed Mike went to see the body. Afterwards he left the room, leant against the wall and then collapsed to the floor.

Mike had a section in the Sunday Times newspaper where he would test out new cars and give a rating for them. He used used this space to occasionally rant about things that annoyed him on the road like pedestrians walking out without looking.

When Mike won the world championship he sent a telegram to Louise Collins saying 'we have done it'.

After he retired he was thinking of taking part in airplane racing.

He taught his friend Mary how to drive and recommended what cars she should drive for races. When she got married and moved over to Australia he sent a telegram congratulating her and telling her not to over rev.

On the day Mike Hawthorn died he had plans to go see Louise Collins.

There are a lot of theories on how Mike Hawthorn died but its generally accepted he was racing Rob Walker and potentially had a black out because of his kidney.

[venactricisfics]

Bucking Tradition: A Yellowstone Fanfic

Chapter Five

yellowstone ryan x OC

The barn smelled of hay and leather—familiar, comforting, and grounding—even as I tightened the straps on my saddle with a determination that bordered on defiance. The invitation to the National Rodeo Championship had arrived a week ago, but the weight of it felt like it had settled on my shoulders for much longer.

“Steady, Denim,” I murmured, stroking his neck. Denim snorted in response, tossing his head as if to say, Let’s get on with it. He was ready.

My father’s words echoed in my ears, sharp and unwavering. “You’re not going, Alex. That’s final.”

But I’d stopped listening to “final” a long time ago.

Dad thought I should stick to working on the ranch. To him, rodeo was a hobby, not a career. He wanted me to go to vet school, even going so far as to apply on my behalf. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it—I was smart enough, capable enough. It just wasn’t my dream.

I climbed into the saddle, then stood on Denim’s back as he trotted into the corral. We raced around the makeshift arena, moving seamlessly through my routine. The level four tricks I’d incorporated now felt second nature, like they were part of me. As we reached the final stretch, I flipped from Denim’s back and landed on my feet, striking a pose, my arms raised in anticipation of applause.

There was none, of course. This was just practice. But Ryan’s voice rang out from the fence line, hooting and hollering like I’d just won the championship.

“Thanks!” I called, giving him a playful bow.

He leaned against the fence, watching me with a mixture of pride and concern. Ryan hadn’t said much since I’d told him I was going to Vegas. He didn’t need to. His face said it all—he was proud of me, but the thought of being apart weighed on him as much as it did on me.

“You’re pushing too hard,” he said, his voice cutting through the quiet.

I led Denim toward the barn, brushing a hand along his flank to keep him calm. “Tricks I’ve got, but I haven’t done barrels since I was twelve. I have to be ready for everything.”

“You’ll be ready,” Ryan said, climbing over the fence to join me. “You already are.”

“Then why does it feel like everything’s working against me?” I asked, the frustration creeping into my voice.

“Because it is,” he said with a small, reassuring smile. “But you’ve never let that stop you before.”

I brushed down Denim, letting him cool off after the run. His coat glistened with sweat, but his eyes were bright, eager, as if he knew what lay ahead for us. I smiled and filled his trough with his favorite hay and alfalfa mix, giving him a grateful pat before stepping out of the stall.

The barn’s warm light spilled over me as I stepped into Ryan’s waiting arms, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close. “Thank you for believing in me,” I whispered, my voice soft but steady.

Ryan smiled down at me, his eyes filled with a warmth that made my chest ache. “You’re easy to believe in,” he said, his arms tightening around my waist. Then his lips met mine, and I melted into the kiss, deep and lingering, savoring the moment.

I’d miss this so much in the week I’d be gone. My heart squeezed at the thought. If I won, it wouldn’t just be a week. It could mean months on the road, touring across the country.

Pulling back just enough to catch my breath, I rested my forehead against his. “I wish I could take you with me,” I murmured. “But I know your job is here.”

Ryan sighed, his thumb brushing gently against my cheek. “I’d go if I could,” he admitted, his voice low. “But even if I can’t be there, you know I’m always in your corner, right?”

I nodded, a quiet affirmation of everything he’d said. I believed him. And I wasn’t about to let the time slip away without savoring every moment we had left together. I pulled him toward the storage room, where the cot still stood—a far cry from the romance of a moonlit night, but with Ryan beside me, it became something else entirely.

My hands fumbled to tug his shirt loose from his pants, pulling it quickly over his head, and then I followed suit, peeling off my own clothes. The urgency between us was undeniable, but in those fleeting seconds, I wished time would slow down, giving us more to hold on to.

But I knew we didn’t have that luxury. The tension built in my chest, pushing me forward as I kicked my pants off and straddled his hips. A soft groan escaped me as I sank down onto him, feeling the rush of warmth and connection flood over me.

Ryan’s fingers dug into my hips, his grip both grounding and possessive as I moved against him, matching the rhythm of the moment. 

The pressure inside me built, every nerve buzzing on the edge of release. I bit my lip, trying to stifle the cries threatening to escape me, as the sensation grew overwhelming. Then, with a final burst, everything snapped. My muscles clenched around him, releasing in waves, each one deeper than the last.

A warm glow spread through me, flooding my senses as I held my breath, savoring the ache that lingered. It coaxed his own release, the deep connection between us intensifying, filling the space with a quiet, shared satisfaction.

I collapsed in a heap on his chest, my breath still coming in shallow gasps as I rested against him. His fingers threaded through my hair, the gentle motion calming me, helping our breathing slow and steady.

“I love you,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. I hadn’t said it before. I’d been scared to, afraid of saying it at the wrong time, worried it would sound cliché, like some romantic afterthought. But it felt right in this moment, in his arms.

Ryan’s fingers stilled for a second before he smirked, his voice light yet warm. “I know.” He chuckled softly. “What’s not to love?”

The quiet between us lingered for a moment, the weight of my confession settling in the air. But time didn’t stop for feelings, and the reality of what was ahead crept in. I could already hear the sounds of Denim’s hooves tapping against the barn floor, the shift in the atmosphere around us as the world began to move again.

I pushed myself up from Ryan’s chest, reluctant to break the peace but knowing there was work to be done. “We should get the horses ready,” I murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

Ryan’s gaze softened as he watched me, then he gave me a small nod. “Yeah, we don’t want to miss the road.”

I stood and stretched, taking a deep breath, grounding myself in the moment. The truck needed loading, the horses needed to be prepped, and soon we’d be on the road—my last trip before the National Championship.

I grabbed Denim’s halter and led him out of the stall, the rhythm of the barn taking over as we slipped into the routine. The saddles, the tack, the last-minute checks. My thoughts kept drifting to the ride ahead, but for now, I focused on the practical, the physical. Getting everything in place before I left it all behind.

Ryan was right there, helping with the final touches, his hands quick and efficient. But there was an undercurrent of tension, the unspoken knowledge that this would be different. This time, it wasn’t just a rodeo; it was everything I’d been working for.

—---------

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow over the ranch as the cool morning air wrapped around me like a reminder of everything I was about to leave behind. Denim stood in his stall, waiting, calm and patient, as I pulled on my gloves and headed toward the barn. It felt surreal—this was happening. This was the moment I’d been working toward, and yet, it felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind.

Ryan was at the truck, checking the hitch on the trailer, his movements sharp, efficient. He glanced up when he saw me approach, but his eyes softened when they met mine, a silent understanding between us.

“You sure about this?” he asked, his voice low but steady.

I paused for a moment, my fingers wrapped around Denim’s halter. “I have to be,” I said, even though the uncertainty was gnawing at me. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“I know,” he replied quietly. “Just... be careful out there, alright?”

I gave him a small smile. “I will.” But it wasn’t just the road I was worried about. It was everything—the distance, the time apart, the unknown. But we didn’t need to say all of that. The silence between us was filled with everything we couldn’t express in words.

We finished loading the horses into the trailer in a quiet routine, the familiar motions of saddling up and securing everything for the road. I moved with purpose, but there was a weight on my chest, a heaviness that wouldn’t leave.

Once Denim was settled, I grabbed my bags and stowed them in the truck. Ryan was still standing there, leaning against the side of the trailer, watching me. He didn’t come closer, didn’t make any move to hold me back. He just stood there, his eyes following every step.

I climbed into the driver’s seat, the engine purring to life beneath me. I looked at Ryan one last time before pulling away, his silhouette growing smaller in the rearview mirror. The road stretched ahead of me, endless and unknown, but for the first time, I felt the weight of the world lift off my shoulders.

I’d hoped Dad would have seen me off, but I knew better than to expect it. His refusal to support me was as firm as ever, and I could almost feel the tension in the air, the space between us left wide open by his absence. He wasn’t going to back me on this, not when he thought I was chasing a dream that didn’t fit his vision. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

I pressed my hand over my heart, the same place where Kayce’s scar marked him, a constant reminder of the cost of living in this family. I hadn’t been punished the way he had when he left, but the sting of disapproval still lingered. It always did.

I looked out at the ranch one last time, the place I had always known, and felt a pang in my chest. I would miss having my family in the stands, cheering me on. But I was doing this for me, and they had their own lives to live. The ranch needed tending, and that was something none of us could ever escape. But I had my own path now, and it would take me far from here, at least for a while.

—--

The thousand-mile journey had been long and grueling, but I kept telling myself it would be worth it. Each passing mile felt like it added a little more weight to my shoulders, and by the time I pulled into the equestrian center, the exhaustion had settled deep into my bones. I could feel the fatigue in my eyes, my muscles sore from hours of sitting in the truck, but there was still one thing I had to do before I could rest.

The horses.

I parked the truck and trailer, glancing at Denim and the others in the rearview mirror. They'd been cooped up for far too long, and I could see the impatience in their eyes. I was their caretaker, their rider, and I had to make sure they were settled before I even thought about closing my own eyes for the night.

I climbed out of the truck and made my way to the security guard booth. He gave me a nod as I approached, and I returned a half-smile, too tired to do more. "Over there," he gestured toward the far side of the lot where the other competitors were parking. "You can let 'em out there."

"Thanks," I murmured, already heading in that direction.

I parked the truck and unhitched the trailer, letting the cool evening air wash over me. Denim nickered from inside the trailer, eager to stretch his legs, and I couldn’t blame him. The horses had been troopers through the long journey, but even they needed a break.

With each step toward the trailer, I could feel the tension in my chest ease. The horses would be alright for the night. Tomorrow, I’d tackle the championship, but for now, I could give them the attention they needed, and maybe, just maybe, find a moment to breathe.

I walked into the room, and Luxe didn’t even begin to cover it. The bed was a plush oasis, and the pillows looked like clouds begging me to sink into them. The temptation to collapse onto the bed and forget everything was almost overwhelming, but something caught my eye before I could give in.

A gift basket sat on the bar, neatly arranged with an assortment of snacks, toiletries, and a bottle of something strong. The card was simple, written in familiar handwriting: “Good Luck, Bitsy. From: Jamie.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My brother. He never said much, especially not in front of our father, but this—this was his way of showing he cared. He’d never openly defy Dad, but I knew better than anyone that he wanted me to succeed, even if he couldn’t say it aloud.

It was too late to call him, too late to thank him for the gesture, but that small act of kindness was enough to settle my nerves a bit. No matter how much distance there was between us, no matter how much our lives had changed, some things stayed the same. Jamie cared. Even if he couldn’t show it the way I needed him to.

I sat on the edge of the bed, the weight of the card in my hand grounding me. Tomorrow was another step forward, and I was ready for it, despite everything else.

I changed into my pajamas, the soft fabric a welcome change after the long day of travel. The bed seemed to swallow me whole, the plush mattress a tempting escape. I sank into it with a deep sigh, my body finally giving in to exhaustion. Just as I was starting to relax, my phone buzzed in my hand, and I smiled when I saw his name on the screen.

“Hey, baby,” Ryan’s voice came through clearly, warm and familiar. “I wanted to catch you before you went to sleep and say good night.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, his voice washing over me like a gentle wave. It was a reminder of home, of what I was working toward. The championship was right in front of me, but in that moment, all I could think about was the man waiting back at the ranch. The distance between us seemed to close with each word he spoke, the sound of his voice grounding me.

“I miss you,” I whispered, letting myself feel the ache in my chest.

“I miss you too, more than you know,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion. “But you’re gonna do great. I believe in you.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, imagining him there beside me, offering comfort and strength in the way only Ryan could. I didn’t need anything else to remind me of why I was here, but hearing his voice made everything feel just a little more manageable.

“I’ve got a surprise headed your way in the morning,” Ryan’s voice was laced with a playful smile, even over the phone.

“Surprise?” I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piquing. “What is it?”

“That wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you,” he teased.

I laughed softly, feeling a warmth spread through me at his lighthearted tone. “I can’t hardly wait,” I yawned, the exhaustion finally catching up with me. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Alex. Get some sleep. If I don’t talk to you again before the big day, just know I’m thinking about you.”

His words settled over me like a comforting blanket, and I closed my eyes for a moment, letting them sink in. Despite the nerves and everything ahead, I knew I wasn’t alone.

Sleep came quickly, the weight of the day finally letting me rest. Morning arrived with the first rays of light filtering through the curtains. A sharp knock at the door pulled me awake, and I rubbed my eyes before swinging it open.

Standing there in the doorway, silhouetted against the hallway light, was a familiar cowboy.

Travis Wheatley.

He’d sold me my first barrel racing horse—or, more accurately, sold it to my father, and I’d gone on to buy every horse from him since. Travis was brash, no-nonsense, and always had a way of making his presence felt. Of course, he also ran the rodeo circuit, which meant he knew his way around the sport as well as anyone.

I raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. “So... are you my surprise?”

“I’ve surprised many women,” Travis said, his gaze running over me as I stood there in my oversized sleep shirt. “But I was expecting something a little... different.”

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “I wasn’t expecting company this early,” I shot back. “But I think there’s coffee or something around here. I can make some if you’re interested.”

Travis smirked, clearly amused by my lack of concern for his early arrival. “Coffee sounds good.”

I fumbled with the coffee maker, popping the K-cup into place before quickly heading to the bathroom to get dressed and brush my teeth. A splash of makeup, just enough to feel a little more awake, and I was back in the room.

Travis looked up as I entered, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “You might wow the judges more in that little T-shirt you had on last night,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of my lips. He handed me a card, the edges slightly frayed, with my number for the event and the order of events printed neatly. Barrel racing, roping, and finally trick riding.

“Can you actually eat before you spin your little horses in circles for the judges?” I teased, a smirk playing on my lips. “Or does it just make you sick?”

“Very funny,” he grinned, unbothered. “Come on, let’s get some food.”

“I promise I won’t stand too close to you,” I said as we walked down the hall, rode the elevator, and headed into the lobby restaurant. “Wouldn’t want to keep you from your next new ex-wife. Though,” I added, eyeing him as we were seated, “they might think I’m your daughter.”

“So how’d you get John to agree to let you come?” Travis asked after the waitress took our order.

“I didn’t,” I said, fumbling with the napkin in my lap. “Dad forbade me to come. Well… I didn’t exactly listen.”

“I always knew you were a rebel,” he chuckled, leaning back in his seat.

I tried to focus on my food, but the nerves kept me from enjoying it. Not that I’d ordered much in the first place. Between the nerves and the long ride, I knew I shouldn’t eat too much.

I reached for the check, but Travis grabbed it first. “I’ll consider this an investment.”

“An investment? If I knew you were paying, I would’ve ordered more than fruit and oatmeal,” I teased, letting him be the gentleman. Even though I knew that wasn’t exactly in his nature.

The arena was already booming when I arrived. The air vibrated with excitement, and I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady my nerves. I couldn’t be any more ready than I was. Years of riding and practicing had led me here. This was the big leagues.

I led my barrel horse, Belle, into the waiting area. Denim had grace; Belle had speed. I ran my hands down her chestnut flanks, checking the straps and making sure everything was perfect. I was riding 6th, midway down the list, but my heart pounded like it had nowhere else to go.

Climbing onto Belle, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me. We shot through the gates with speed and precision, rounding the barrels close and fast. My heart still thumped loudly as they called my time—16.74 seconds. The fastest so far, but there were still fifteen girls behind me.

The quiet hum of the bar felt a world away from the roar of the arena. I took another sip from my bottle, the cool water a stark contrast to the heat of the competition. On the TV screen above, two girls had beaten my time. One knocked over a barrel, though, earning a penalty, and I barely squeezed into second place. My nerves had gotten the best of me on the roping course too.

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a slow breath. I wondered if the boys in the bunkhouse were watching me on their TV, cheering me on. Or if my father had caught my run. Would he even acknowledge it? Would he ever see me as more than just a girl who defied his wishes to chase a dream he didn’t approve of?

The cool air of the arena felt electric as I approached the final round. Changing into my flashy pink form-fitting trick-riding costume, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of all my preparation behind me. The costume wasn’t just for show—it was a part of my armor. The glittery ‘Y’ painted on Denim’s rear wasn’t just for flair, though. It was my tribute to Yellowstone, a symbol of where I came from, and the very thing that pushed me to this moment.

Denim stood tall, his muscles rippling beneath the glittery design. I patted him gently, calming the both of us, my heart syncing with the rhythm of his breathing. I slid into the saddle and tightened my grip, ready for the performance of a lifetime.

Travis’s nod was all I needed. He swung open the gate, and the world outside seemed to shrink as I rode into the arena. The booming crowd fell silent in my mind, replaced by the thumping beat of McBride and the Ride’s "Trick Rider" playing through the speakers. It was my soundtrack.

I was in the zone now. I flipped, swung, and held my balance effortlessly, each trick smooth and precise. The routine felt like a blur of practiced perfection—each move instinctive and natural. I lost myself in the rhythm, the adrenaline coursing through me. The seconds felt like hours, but then, just as quickly, the four minutes were over, and I dismounted with a flourish.

The crowd erupted. The cheers rang in my ears, and the flood of emotion came crashing down like a wave. I had done it. I had outperformed everyone in level 4 tricks, and I’d won. After all the sweat, tears, and sacrifices I’d made, this was my moment. And it felt sweeter than anything I had ever imagined.

[marcelskittels]

Lotte Kopecky of Belgium and Team SD Worx-Protime celebrates at finish line as race winner during the National Championships Belgium 2024, Women Elite Road Race a 123km one day race from Sint-Lievens-Houtem to Zottegem on June 23, 2024 in Zottegem, Belgium. (Photos by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 756: The third Inter High!!

Pag 1

1: The Inter High starting line is impartial

2: Those aiming for victory

3: Those filled to the brim

4: Those who are scared

5: Everyone who put on their number bib

6: The line calls everyone to a new path

Pag 2 / 3

1: No2, Onoda Sakamichi's last Inter High!!

Pag 4

1: “Kyushu” was once divided into nine countries, and that's why it has that name*

(NdT.: The “kyuu” in Kyushu means nine)

(Currently is divided in seven prefectures: Fukuoka, Ooita, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima)

2: It has a lot of active volcanoes, and people coexist with the harshness of nature while enjoying hot springs, geothermy, and tourism

3: Trade with the continent has been active since ancient times

4: Formerly, the distribution of goods by ships, which was the mainstream

5: Passed through the Kanmon Straits, separating Honshu and Kyushu

6: And transported to Osaka, Edo, the Japanese cities by the sea, and every corner of the country

Pag 5

1: Even today, the Kanmon Straits, which passes through Shimonoseki, and Kitakyushu City, and Moji, is the shortest route that connects the Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan, and is a key point for the shipping through sea

2: 1000 ships a day pass through the complex strait, which is 500m wide in its narrowest point

3: As for the land route

4: An highway crosses the Kanmon Strait with a huge bridge 1068m long

5: Ordinary national roads and railroads pass through specialized tunnels

6: As for bicycles and people... they use the “pedestrian bridge tunnel” at the bottom of the huge bridge

From Honshu to Kyushu, they can cross over the Kanmon Strait by walking

Pag 6

4: Waaa

We're at the bottom of the sea here?

That's right

5: So above us is the sea?

Yeah

And we can walk to Kyushu?

That's right, it's around 400m from here

Amazing....

6: There's even people with bikes

Yeah

7: Look! There's a line!

It's the prefectural border

8: One, two-

9: Yes! I landed in Kyushu!

Pag 7

1: The entrance to Kyushu is in the northernmost town, Moji, in the prefecture of Fukuoka, Kitakyushu City

Pag 8

1: This is where this year's Inter High will start

Pag 9

3: Where do I put this baggage?

Put it in the tent for now

Thank you, senpai

4: Look, The bikes are all lined up

So pretty

Pag 10

1: I took a picture

So cool

2: Two portions of Mijiko curry, please

Yessir

3: A pressure of 6.5?

Six, please

4: Do you have an allen key?

Yes

Pag 11

1: Ohhhh

2: There's so many huge buses!!

Teh!!

3: Nara

4: That one is from Miyazaki

5: Na-Nagano!!

6: And there's so many people, too, teh....!!

7: Are they participants in the race!? All of them!?

You're kidding, they look so strong!!

8: The attendance!! Is on this scale!!

So this is....

Pag 12

1: A national competition!!

2: Teh?

3: Ohh.... suddenly my knees started trembling, teh

Ho- how do I stop it, teh, Ki....

4: Kinaka-kun!!

6: Ki.....

7: “The competition is in Kyushu, so there's no way we can bring everyone along”

8: Kinaka.... kun

Pag 13

1: I'm here!!

Ah, you're here....

2: I'll be a mechanical help for the next three days

And I was entrusted to be your lucky charm

De-he.... oho, ohoho, fuhoho!! What's that enigmatic way of laughing!!

3: Don't act like I didn't come!!

No... I just wanted to reaffirm again how grateful I am that you came, Kinaka-kun...

Ah!? That doesn't make any sense

4: It does!!

Pag 14

1: Because I really am grateful to you, Kinaka-kun!!

3: And I think this jersey is for the both of us!!

5: Don't say you're grateful so directly

It's embarrassing!!

6: Let's go to the tent!!

Yeah!!

You

7: It's your first Inter High but you're not all that nervous!!

That's somehow incredible

8: Yeah!!

After all

Pag 15

1: We have the strongest senpai!!

Pag 16

1: Ohhh

Waaa

2: It's Sohoku!!

It's Sohoku, the two-times in a row champion!!

Sohoku is in Kyushu!!

3: What a terrific aura!

Waaa

Onoda.... Naruko, Imaizumi!!

They look serious!!

Are they aiming for the championship again this year!?

Pag 17

1: They're going to get their number bibs

They're heading straight for the reception!!

Yes, all the participants are lining up in a row there

2: Oi, you're interrupting....

3: Sorry-

Ah

Soho-

Waa

Waaa-

5: -ku's...... bibs....

Pag 18

1: ….. please

2: Is he..... nervous....!? The reigning champion, Sohoku!?

Did he have a nervous aura?

Maybe the two guys behind him.... were supporting him?

3: They were supporting him, but the jersey came off

5: They're going back to their tent....

So that's Sohoku... right

7: So-so- sorry, I got nervous!!

Yeah

Right

8: La-la-la-la-la

La?

La?

Pag 19

1: I was thinking it's the last Inter High!!

3: For us

Pag 20

4: Yeah

5: That's right

6: That's right, Onoda-kun

We're third years

7: It's our third and final

8: yearly grand stage

Pag 21

1: Once this is over, we'll retire

This Inter High is our last race!!

Pag 23

1: Honestly speaking, I my heart too was pounding when we were on the ship coming here

I was really nervous

2: Naruko-kun....

3: Naruko

4: But then I thought

When we were first years and ran in the Kanagawa competition..... maybe, at the starting point in Enoshima

5: The old man, Kinjou-san, and Makishima-san, too, were as nervous as we are now

Pag 24

1: They must have been

3: But they didn't show it at all to us kouhai

4: Well, we can't afford to show it, either

5: That's why, Manager, we talked and decided to go back to our beginning!!

6: We chased and caught up with those people's back, but this time we're gonna surpass them!!

7: Huh

8: We're changing our numbers from last year!!

Pag 25

1: The old man carried number 172, so I'll take number 2!!

Hotshot will take the number Kinjou-san wore, number 1!!

Pag 26

3: And Onoda-kun....

I....

7: The number Makishima-san carried

Pag 27

1: I'll run wearing the number 3!!

[oneminutefiftysixseconds]

groupama fdj how many riders are you sending to the men's french national road race championships?

marc madiot:

[dizzyduck44]

Ok desperate times, desperate measures.

It’s time for some anti Red Bull crimes just to make the end of season interesting.

I’m taking a guess here on where people’s cars and previous results should put them in the race.

So lap one George is going to gently walk Max off the track, but do enough damage the cooling goes or something and he has to retire. (Sorry George it has to be you because third times the charm this season, this time you will get him to DNF). I’m gonna let you finish 5th or 6th (see the Lance caveat later).

Right Lando, Lewis get gone off down the road. All you have to do is keep it on the grey stuff and have fun racing each other, so you get some tv time.

Oscar, Charles, Carlos, Fernando. You need to keep Checo busy and most importantly off the podium. Daniel if you could loom ominously behind that would be perfect.

Ok so in a world where they manage to fix damage to Max’s car, Esteban, Pierre, Alex, you have two jobs here. 1. Protect Yuki. 2. Make Max’s life really really difficult. You all have just cause, so just channel your inner Fernando.

Ok Valtteri, Zhou, Logan, Kevin, Nico. You are going to have a great race, great race. Lots of screen time, because every time a Red Bull comes up behind you to lap you, you are going to be blind to blue flags and your radio is going to be dead ok? Valtteri this is your moment. You have our permission to be a dick. We love you, we will all find this funny. Go for it.

Ok Lance, I haven’t forgotten about you, it’s just make a decision are you going to retire the car by lap 10 or race like you did in Vegas? The latter options means you are going to be tailing Yuki through the pack.

Right we are aiming for a Lando win (that way the press can stop asking him the damn question and Max will be kinda happy about the result), with Lewis and Yuki on the podium (cos God knows he’s earned some real recognition this season).

Oscar and Lance can fight for 4th and 5th followed by George. (sorry Ferrari I don’t think your car is going to be good enough for top 5 this weekend).

Pierre I would love for you to get the podium you want, but the universe wants Yuki on there more!

One national anthem plays (driver and team, same country), Lando and Lewis drown Yuki in rosewater (Yeap that shit again) and we all stagger off to recover from a long arse season and wait for the drivers to start posting Christmas pics followed by pre-season thirst traps.

No one needs to hear from Christian Horner. Max isn’t expected to murder another song.

Who’s with me?

We all go off into 2024 lying to ourselves Adrian Newey, the God and Genius he is, hasn’t already designed a championship winning beast for next year.