Not what I was hoping for.

This past weekend was the Dead Dog Classic in Wyoming. It is a two day stage races with 3 races total. Conor and I headed up to Fort Collins Friday night to spend the night and leave for Wyoming early Saturday morning for the RR. We were running late and when we got there hoped out of the car, picked up our numbers and got ready and rolled to the start. Didn't get to spin the legs before the race. Going into the day I knew it was going to be hard, a lot of climbing which is not my speciality. So i was hoping to hang on. It started a lot faster then I thought. But as i expected I got dropped on the climb out. Kind of disappointing.


Saturday was the Crit and i was looking for revenge. The plan for the team was to keep on attacking like crazy until one of us got in the break. there was three of us so we took our turns attacking and finally Ian got in a break with about 8 other guys. All i could do after he got in the break was hold on for dear life. Teams had there whole teams on the front and count bring back the break. ian ended up 7th and i managed to hang on and finish with the main group. Kinda disappointing i was hoping for better but at least our teammate was in the break.

Then the TT was right after. They said it was a flat 10 mile course and i really did not want to race since I was well out of a good spot in the GC. I looked at my start time and barley warmed up, i was so unmotivated to race. I rolled to the start a min or so before my start and the official said i was suppose to go off a min before. So i guess i missed my start so that made me even more unmotivated so i pretty much just road the TT. No real hard efforts, just wanted to finish. O and it was far from flat. i don't know how they consider that flat.
So my next race is next weekend a crit which i hope i can do well. Then Boise twilight, Cascade, then u23 nats.

Racing Again!

This past week Conor and I went back to Junction to ride and get ready for our first race back since Collegiate Nationals. I was excited to get back racing and see how my legs were doing. So we rode for a week in Junction, then raced Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Glenwood Springs. Friday we had a ten mile TT, and some big boys showed up. Lance Armstrong and Levi showed up to show us how it was done. It is cool to say that I have raced against those guys. I always see them on TV and now i am racing with them is pretty cool. I was already out on course when they started so i saw them when i was coming into the finish. They smoked everyone but it was still cool to see them out there.







Saturday was the 70 mile RR. There were some guys from Garmin, Bisell, and Ouch so i knew it was going to be a hard race. i was feeling good the whole race. When we hit the dirt section i knew i had to be in good position. After a few miles on the dirt my computer stopped working and i thought my magnet moved or something. Then i looked down and my sensor came loose and was rubbing against my spokes. So i decided to stop and take it off. i had to take my wheel off and slide the sensor off. Once i got my wheel back on i had to chase hard to get contact with the group again. Once i made contact we went up a pretty steep climb and i just couldn't hold on anymore. I used a lot of energy catching back on. So i just rode back to the finish with a small group.
Sunday was the crit and i was really looking forward to it. it is a very fast and technical course. I had a good start and stayed near the front of the race the whole time. i tried going in a few breaks but they were brought back. On the last lap i was sitting third wheel and feeling good. Then a lot of guys swarmed the front and i moved back a lot. So on one of the last corners to move up i went up the right hand side and moved up quit a bit. i ended up 8th witch i am pretty happy with, but i think i could have done a lot better.
Now i am just riding a lot and getting ready for Dead Dog Next weekend. I am feeling good and am hoping i get stronger and get my upgrade soon.

Summer Break

Well School has been done for a few weeks and it has be nice to worrying about it. I went to Vegas A couple weeks ago for the first time with good friends and it was a good time. I didn't win big, actually i didn't win at all but it was a lot of fun.Conor won $400 on a penny slot within the first few hours of being in Vegas so that was cool. Did a lot of walking to stay in shape. I took that time off the bike and it was nice to take a little break before i get into full swing of summer racing.
Right now I am not racing i am just riding for long hrs to build back my fitness. My first race back will be the Gleenwood race. The weather today is really crappy so i hope it clears up soon. Going up to Fort Collins at the end of the week to ride and hang out with friends. Then I am heading to GJ on Monday to ride also and get ready for Gleewood.

Collegiate Nationals wrap-up

Well collegiate Nats went pretty well this year. We got to FOCO Thursday night in time for the riders meeting. Then after that signed in and went to pre drive the RR course. The course was a little different than last year. A lot more climbing. The first climb split the group up pretty well. I barley hung in there. got dropped but chased back into the lead group of about 20-30. Then once we hit the flats no one would work at all, and most of the guys who got dropped on the climbs caught back on. Once we started the laps a couple guys were off the front. About half way through the lap I went with an attack which got brought back fast. Then Conor counter attacked right away and i sat on the front making sure the whole group didn't bring him back. i let about 4 guys bridge up to him so he had someone to work with and i was sitting on the front making it look like i was going hard, rocking the shoulders and mouth wide open. But the funny part was I was not even going hard and i couldn't believe no one would come around me. it was crazy. the break lasted to the finish and Conor got third. I got 2nd in the pack finish and ended up 11th. Not bad day.
Then Saturday was the crit bright and early. my legs were feeling really good and our plan for the day was to get Conor and i as much prime points as we could. I was marking the guys who may be going for the overall. I was in a couple breaks but noting stayed away that i was in. Two guys managed to stay off the front. I ended up 8th on the day and Conor got 10th. Another good day but not good enough to get Conor the overall. Conor ended up 2nd overall and i got 7th. O well, guess we will have to step up even more next year.
Sunday morning was the TTT really early. We were the first team off at 8:02. It was in the 30's and raining and it sucked. We only had 3 guys doing the TTT because Brent's Knees have been hurting for a while. We got DFL. lol o well we were not really looking for a good result in the TTT.


Now i am resting for a while taking sometime off the bike. I had four of my finals yesterday and now I have one more tomorrow and then it is summer. Next Friday i am going to Vegas with some friends, i can't wait it should be a good time.

BIG ONE!

Well got back from the Gila late Sunday night early Monday morning. Nothing great at the gila, just average. The first day i lasted till the last climb and got dropped. lost fifteen min there. ouch. Then the next day i wanted to get in a break like i did last year. About half way through the race i felt like crap so i went for it. I was just trying to bring back the break but Conor didnt know that and sat up a little and i went off the front and caught a guy in no mans land from Rio Grande. We worked well together, then a chase group of six caught us. There was still three up the road, but we were working well together. My legs were on the verge of cramping the last 20 miles. I did as much as the work i could do without going overboard. The three lasted to the finish so we were fighting for fourth. i knew i didn't have much so just sat in a passed a few guys in the finishing stretch. Ended up 6th on the day so the same as last year. The TT was ok nothing great. Crit was decent, tried going off the front a few times but got brought back. Then the last day i sat in all day trying to save it for the climb. Got dropped on the first cat 2 climb wth two miles to the summit, fought back and caught back to the group with one mile to summit. then lasted till the last climb. was not up front for the first surge up the climb so i was not to far behind. felt good climbing.
Now i am just resting keeping the legs fresh for collegiate nationals this weekend. We leave Thursday after class and the RR is Friday, Crit Saturday and TTT Sunday. Wish me luck, hoping for a great result.

Getting serious

School is almost done with and that means racing is really getting underway for me. Got back from Salt Lake City last night after some hard racing. It was conference finals and i was hoping to get a good result but i had some bad luck instead. Saturday morning was the TTT. We have not even practiced a TTT yet so we knew it was going to be interesting. It was raining when we got to the race and it did not look like it was going to clear. We had about a ten min warm up before. my legs felt ok during warm up but i really didn't get much intensity in it. it started off ok, took a little to get into formation. then my legs were not firing correctly and i got dropped pretty quick. Kinda sucked but the other three finished strong in 6th place hope we can get it together before Nats in two weeks. Then later that night at 7 we had out crit. it had 12 corners and a kicker to the finish. I was feeling really good all race. Conor or I were in just about in every break and when it got brought back we would counter, but nothing stuck. I attacked once on the hill and caley from CSU came across really fast and blew by me. he sat up until i could grab his wheel but by the time i got there i wanted to puke to bad. brought it back quick. Then the last lap i was top five or so and a FLC rider goes down two in front of me. I have to idea how i didn't go down. but had to stop and unclip. I tried chasing back on but in a crit on the last lap it is usually not going slow. caught on to the back of the group and coasted in. I was pretty mad because i was feeling really good. Just glad i didn't go down on my new bike.
Then Sunday was a circuit race. they had to move the race because it was snowing where the road race was supposed to be held. it was about a 7 mile lap or so, pretty flat the whole way. Right off the bat 6 riders were off the front with every school represented besides us and DU. So we worked really well together to try to bring them back. We were up there for about 4 laps going all out before we knew we were not bringing them back. thats when the bigger teams started picking on us. they would send one or two fresh riders off the front and it would just kill us trying to cover them. Ended up getting into a small group off the front of the peloton on the last lap but was still placed in the teens.
Now i am trying to get all my school work done before i head to New Mexico tomorrow for the tour of the Gila. i have not signed up yet but will get on that. I am excited to race, my legs feel like they are coming back to form again. Then we come back on Sunday and then leave Thursday for collegiate nats in Fort Collins Colorado. Then come back and take finals, then summer

TTT Start


Crit

Resting up

This past weekend was the FLC home races. A TTT, Crit and RR were in order. I was looking forward to racing because the past two weekends were canceled. I didn't know what to expect what my legs would do with no racing in the legs for a while.
We woke up Saturday morning bright and early for the TTT. It was not bad out when I went to breakfast but once we got to breakfast it started raining pretty good. then followed by some big snow flakes. they ended up canceling the TTT a little bit later. So just sat around until the crit.

It looked like it was clearing up. The roads started drying up. But once we lined up it started raining again. About half way through the race it was sleeting and it hurt the face. Didn't really have a good race, ended up in the pack but was hoping for better.Then Sunday was the RR with a steep mile climb or so in each lap. we did 9 laps at 6 miles a lap. I was feeling ok until we hit the climb, every lap i struggled to hang on and eventually popped. still finished but nothing great. Just had a bad weekend. They can't all be good.
I am about ready to go to the local Tuesday night ride/race at six. I am just going to sit in today and see how the legs feel. i think i am getting tired/sick so I am just going to ride. This weekend we are headed to Colorado springs for some racing. Air force is having a TTT, Crit, and RR. I hear the crit is in a parking lot. LAME. I think i will be going there working for Adam. Just hope my legs start to come around. Got the Gila and collegiate nats coming up within a month.
Picking up my new frame this weekend. hope i can build it up next week and have it ready to go by Utah.