My biggest US pro criterium result.
I got really good news from my oncologist today. After a slew of recent blood work, and a bone marrow biopsy to boot, we sat down with the doc today. Turns out my bone marrow looks like a normal person's marrow, and there are no detectable cancer cells in my blood. It's a long ways to remission, a few years most likely, but I'm well on the way!
With spring nearly sprung here in CO, I was reflecting on racing this time of year. Specifically, I was recalling my biggest criterium result in the US.
Phoenix, AZ. 2000
Spring of 2000 arrived with me having abjured to the God's of cycling. For the previous 4 months I have done nothing but live, breath, eat and sleep bike racing. My late 1999 and January of 2000 had been filled with gym work, long rides, and more hill repeats than I care to remember. I had been doing our local weekend group rides, a who's who of USPro cyclists in those days. I had gotten to the point where I was making the front group weekly.
In other words, I was finally at pro level fitness.
I had been going to do the Valley of the Sun stage race in Phoenix on the Valentines Day weekend for several years. This year I was going to do the race and then stay the following week and train.
I didn't take a time trial bike with me so that race was like bringing a knife to a gun fight. I rode just hard enough to avoid the time cut, but not so hard that I would be tired for the road race.The TT was wont by a rider who went on the ride on US Postal. In the road race, I wanted to conserve for the criterium so I hid among the wheels and kept my nose out of the wind while stuffing my face full of food and water.
The morning of the criterium arrived with me feeling good and confident. Having trained as hard as I had, I stood on the start line thinking to myself "there won't be anything today I haven't already seen in training."
We started fast with the usual flurry of attacks looking for the early breakaway. The IKON-Lexus team (what later became Jelly Belly) had the jersey so they were immediately policing the breakaways and keeping a tight leash on any attacks. My experience told me that the race was going to come to a sprint so I rode vigilantly near the front. With no team-mates in the race, it'd be up to me to keep myself safe and find good position for the sprint.
And sure enough, with about 15 laps to go IKON-Lexus went to the front and began whipping up the pace for their leadout. This is where the race began for me. I was going to have to freelance the sprint. I was already near the front of the race and began fighting for wheels at the end of the leadout train. I may have put my elbow into a few riders to defend my position. The closing laps of the race were a desperate battle to fight for my position on the train. It was physical and intense. Finally we rocketed out of the last turn into the long finishing stretch. Having done this criterium a few times I knew it was a long sprint and held back until I saw the IKON-Lexus sprinter starting to swing around a little preparing to light it up. I jumped as hard as I could and just demolished myself.
I crossed the line 7th in my first race of the year. Which also happened to be the first big US race of the year.
As I rode back to my car I felt proud of the accomplishment. This was going to be a good year!
With spring nearly sprung here in CO, I was reflecting on racing this time of year. Specifically, I was recalling my biggest criterium result in the US.
Phoenix, AZ. 2000
Spring of 2000 arrived with me having abjured to the God's of cycling. For the previous 4 months I have done nothing but live, breath, eat and sleep bike racing. My late 1999 and January of 2000 had been filled with gym work, long rides, and more hill repeats than I care to remember. I had been doing our local weekend group rides, a who's who of USPro cyclists in those days. I had gotten to the point where I was making the front group weekly.
In other words, I was finally at pro level fitness.
I had been going to do the Valley of the Sun stage race in Phoenix on the Valentines Day weekend for several years. This year I was going to do the race and then stay the following week and train.
I didn't take a time trial bike with me so that race was like bringing a knife to a gun fight. I rode just hard enough to avoid the time cut, but not so hard that I would be tired for the road race.The TT was wont by a rider who went on the ride on US Postal. In the road race, I wanted to conserve for the criterium so I hid among the wheels and kept my nose out of the wind while stuffing my face full of food and water.
The morning of the criterium arrived with me feeling good and confident. Having trained as hard as I had, I stood on the start line thinking to myself "there won't be anything today I haven't already seen in training."
We started fast with the usual flurry of attacks looking for the early breakaway. The IKON-Lexus team (what later became Jelly Belly) had the jersey so they were immediately policing the breakaways and keeping a tight leash on any attacks. My experience told me that the race was going to come to a sprint so I rode vigilantly near the front. With no team-mates in the race, it'd be up to me to keep myself safe and find good position for the sprint.
And sure enough, with about 15 laps to go IKON-Lexus went to the front and began whipping up the pace for their leadout. This is where the race began for me. I was going to have to freelance the sprint. I was already near the front of the race and began fighting for wheels at the end of the leadout train. I may have put my elbow into a few riders to defend my position. The closing laps of the race were a desperate battle to fight for my position on the train. It was physical and intense. Finally we rocketed out of the last turn into the long finishing stretch. Having done this criterium a few times I knew it was a long sprint and held back until I saw the IKON-Lexus sprinter starting to swing around a little preparing to light it up. I jumped as hard as I could and just demolished myself.
I crossed the line 7th in my first race of the year. Which also happened to be the first big US race of the year.
As I rode back to my car I felt proud of the accomplishment. This was going to be a good year!
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