Olympic omnium gold medalist Jennifer Valente is no stranger to the huge crowds that pack the velodrome's banked turns. In a course-side party atmosphere in Athens, Georgia, Valente finished in third place.

Of the estimated 20,000 spectators gathered along the barrier and on the patio of a nearby tailgate party and bistro, few, except for a few cycling savants, knew that the three-time Olympian and recent gold medalist was competing for a long-desired criterium podium Few knew that the three-time Olympian and recent gold medalist was competing for a long-desired criterium podium.

"Athens is a race I've watched on live stream every year. Even if you have never raced it, it has a great reputation. The course is challenging and the crowd is enthusiastic," Valente, who rides the road at Blue Ridge TWENTY24 in Virginia, told Cycling News.

"The crowd cheered the racers' every move, and the louder the cheers, the more the racers fought for better positions. The energy of the racers and the people lined up around the course made for a fun and exciting evening."

It was certainly exciting. This California sprinter participated in five of the seven races of Speed Week, a 10-day U.S. criterium series held in South Carolina and Georgia. She jumped onto this team, but it was not without a little trepidation.

"It was her decision to race the criterium this year. She won an Olympic gold medal in the mass start event, so everyone thinks she knows how to race criteriums. Speedweek was a learning experience for her," Nicola Cranmer, general manager of Blue Ridge TWENTY24 in Virginia, told Cycling News.

The team finished second in the overall team standings behind Los Angeles' L39ION, with six podium finishes. Valente missed two races that week because she had to fly back to Colorado, but took the team's only win in the third race in LaGrange, Georgia, and followed L39ION's duo of Kendall Ryan and Alexis Ryan on the podium in Athens. Her teammate, Emily Ehrlich, finished third in the individual standings with four podiums.

"I had never competed in a speed week before this year. The whole idea of a speed week is great, with completely different races in a condensed amount of time. Every course was unique and allowed different tactics and teams to do their best," Valente recalled.

"There's a lot of quality racing packed into a short amount of time, and lots of opportunities to learn, improve, and try new things.

This year's team, newly formed as Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24, has grown as a team over Speedweeks; since its founding by Cranmer in 2005, the team has had many variations, with London 2012 Starting with TWENTY12 with an eye on London 2012, the team has changed its name every four years, paving the way to the Olympics. Now, as part of the TWENTY24 moniker, the team is supporting the development of riders for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Valente, now 27, has been with the team since 2012, competing in two Olympics and winning three medals for Team USA. She won a silver medal in the team pursuit in Rio, a bronze in the same event in Tokyo, and a gold in the omnium in Tokyo.

Valente is not normally a registered athlete for criteriums. Asked how long it had been since she last competed in a criterium race, she laughed, saying she had to think a bit. Most of them, she said, date back to a grassroots event at the Tour of America's Dairyland as a junior, where she didn't get on the podium very often.

"Nicola and TWENTY24 have always supported athletes who do different things, like track and gravel. The criterium is a traditional route and we are trying to add a little more to it this year, but for sure I am still on the track and some of the other riders are on gravel and mountain bikes. It's a well-rounded program. I think the juniors will learn a lot by looking at other options, and I think the 17, 18, 19 year olds will find their way into cycling and see how it fits in.

She attended two spring camps with young riders in the Roanoke, VA area and said she was surprised at the number of eager riders who attended.

"She is a natural mentor and leader for our junior girls. Jennifer appreciates the balancing philosophy we share with our young athletes. It is not our goal to turn these girls into professional cyclists, but to develop well rounded individuals on and off the bike," Cranmer added.

Valente is currently competing in the UCI Track Nations Cup in Milton, Ontario, hoping to earn enough points to qualify for the Paris Games.

"I used to ride at Blue Ridge TWENTY24 in Virginia when I was a junior. All of the junior girls have big goals in cycling, academics, and life, and are full of ambition and willingness to learn," Valente said.

"The team supported me on the track as I focused on my Olympic goals. The personal approach has allowed me to focus all my energy on very specific areas while still being a part of the team."