BikeRacingForDays

BikeRacingForDays

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

!!!!!!!!!!CRACKED OUT ON COFFEE MEANS SHORT&FAST 2 MONTH RACING RECAP!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am usually so much better at being on top of my race recaps, but between school, life, racing, and travel, it seems as if I have been go go non stop for three months! Now it is May, and I'm lucky enough to have finished school for the semester and can just focus on racing my bike in circles! To catch everyone up on the season so far, I have downed two cups of coffee and I am now VERY ALERT! So lets do this!!!

?!?!?!?!?!? IS IT WEIRD THAT I FIND MY NEW TEAM BIKE SLIGHTLY ATTRACTIVE ?!?!?!??!??!?

The 1st Quarter Was a Harsh Start, But Luckily It Got Better!
  1. Tucson Bicycle Classic - Good TT, top 10 RoadRace Sprint, BOOM!!! BAD CRASH and out for a week!
  2. REDHOOK Crit NY - Still recovering from crash ^ and road like Bambi on Ice….. or like Tyler on ice. 
  3. REDLANDS - Sick on 2nd day and dropped out 3rd day,
  4. WINSTON SALEM - Good Crit & RR, but didn't have the finishing legs. I just needed a few racing days in my legs after the bad start to the season.
2nd Quarter and Me Legs Are Back!!!
  1. JOE MARTIN - Legs are back & ready to rock! Helped the team to an overall win and 4th on the finial day!
  2. DANA POINT - Awesome race and just got boxed out in the final lap, but held on for 18 0r 19, learned how to fight for the UHC train!
  3.  Wilmington GP - Killer ride and amazing lead out from my teammates, but unfortunately the breakaway was not caught and only had the field sprint to brag about.
  4. Week spent in NY watching real life Flight Club, walking 1000miles a day, and looking up a lot… (the buildings are tall, like really tall)


The first two months of the season were crazy! To start things off, I luckily have been cured of injury which had left me not being able to ride a MTB for quite some time, and that alone almost drove me insane. I had broken my collar bone and tore something…… lets just say important in my ankle a few years back, which always had caused me some minor pain, but recently in this last year, it started to become unbearable where I couldn't ride trails for more than a month or so without having to take a hiatus for at least a few weeks to let the pain subside. After many months on the road bike, doctor visits, and an amazing bike fit from Chris at BR, I was able to make my body pain free and couldn't be more stoked!!! 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN RIDE THE DIRT AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Now, we just got back from Quad Cities Stage race and it went GREAT! The first stage was a 95mile road race in which I was lucky enough to get into the break that formed about 30-40 miles into the race. This hot and humid day made for a a lot of suffering, and a oddly pain stuck stomach made the day even harder. 20 miles before the finish, A few Hinacpie guys got away from the break and were able to hold it to the finish while in the mean time I suffered through the bad stomach and was able to sprint for 5th or 6th in the group and 9th overall. 

     Stage two was the infamous SnakeAlley crit and it was amazing! It was basically a 22lap mass start TT up a very steep cobbled climb over and over. The legs felt beyond awesome, but after missing the initial break and setting up a bad sprint in the chase group, I had to settle for 17th. As soon as I finished all I wanted to do was race again! I have found a odd love for racing in the worst of conditions from bad weather to technical roads. 

     Stage 3 was another crit with a big power climb every lap. I wasn't going to make the same mistake as the day prior so I watched for the right guys to make their move, and I followed. Our 6 man group maxed out at a 30 sec gap, and with 3 laps to go the attacked began and the race within the race was on. As soon as we hit the bottom of the climb on the last lap, it was an all out sprint to the finish and I placed myself in a perfect position and sprinted for 3rd. My power.Everything is coming together perfectly as we head into the biggest races of the season, and of course, national championships. 

     The final day was much like snake alley without the cobbles. Giant climb and fast descent. After a long race delay due to horrible rain and lightning, it was on! about half way through I jumped into a break that was eventually caught and counter attacked by Daniel Holloway, which I knew instantly was going to be the winning move. I stood up and started sprinted knowing we had to get a rider in the move, but I could tell it was too quick after being caught for me to fire again and thank god my teammate Josh was on it and made the winning break move. Me and the Octane guys around just covered attacks and made sure that no one would bring back the break. He survived the fast guys and was able to hold on for a killer 5th place! I took a few breaths after chasing down attacks up the climb and then sprinted for 9th or 10th. The team is really coming into their own and showing the biggest teams we mean business!!! Now, it is a nice few days of rest before we head out for the Glenco NCC and then more back to back racing all the way through Road Natz and finally Cascade Classic. All in all, totaling at 13 weekends straight of racing. Luckily, I love this amazing sport!!!!!



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