Keeping the dream alive

Please help Kevin and I keep our dream alive as racing as professional cyclist. Were are currently looking for any support we can get. Please help spread the word of our new rallyme.com page.


Thank you

The end of EXERGY

Well I just found out the other day that Exergy development group will no longer sponsor our team for 2013. This being said the team will no longer be around. This has left me along with the rest of my team jobless and team-less for the 2013 season. This news just came to us the other day and now it's way too late in the year to find a team for 2013. I do not exactly know what this mean for me and my future in cycling. I am currently searching everywhere to try and find a team and support for the 2013 season though things are looking very dark.

If anyone knows of any support out there for 2013 please let me know, thanks. 

Here are the articles that were released about the team.

Cycling News

Velo News

2012 is a wrap

The 2012 season is now officially done. I am currently taking a short period of time off the bike so that I can rest up and get ready for the 2013 season. Right now I am in Tucson, AZ where I will be for the rest of the winter training.

My last NCC race in Vail, CO a couple of weeks ago was going to plan until 7 laps to go. Both Kevin and I were on great form and riding at the front. Kevin was working the breaks and primes while I was sitting back waiting for the final kick to the line. All was good with 10 to go with Kevin and I in the top ten behind the lead out trains. With 7 to go I got a rear flat which ended my race because free laps ended with 9 to go. Kevin still had a strong finish ending up 5th on the day.  Here is a video recap of the race from my friend Kenny.

 

Vail Crit

That race ended the season for the both of us. Though before we took any time off the bike we headed to Grand Junction , CO to hang out with friends and ride for a week. It was nice to be back and also see how much the College has grown just in the year since we graduated. After and fun week we headed down to Lake Tahoe, CA with coach Mo and friend Marty.

Tahoe group

California was a good time, with one big road ride the first day we got there. It was 100miles with 11,000ft of climbing. Here is a video of the day.

With our last road of the season the rest of the week was on the dirt with the mountain bikes. Its been a very long time since I went mountain biking and it was a blast.

Stay tuned for some exciting news on the 2013 season.

One to go!!!

This 2012 season has flown by and I can't believe its almost my off season for a couple of weeks before gearing up for the 2013 season. The 2012 season has been a very successful and rewarding season for me and can't wait to see what the 2013 season has in store.

Since my last update I raced the US Pro Crit Nationals along with Tour of Elk Grove. Crit Nationals was a weird race with everyone fighting for the stars and bars. The first half of the race was the slowest race I have done this year. Pretty sure no one wanted to risk going for it a blowing up early in a long race. This made tactics very interesting with very few solid breaks making it up the road. In the end I finished somewhere in the top 15, not exactly as planned.. O well got next year.

Tour of Elk Grove was a fast fast race every day. First started off with a 4.5mile prologue which hurt really really bad. Then the next two days were long circuit races threw the neighborhoods . The first day was shortened due to a severe storm where all the riders had to huddle in the school till the storm passed until we  were allowed to start racing. In the end the race went a lot better for me then it did last year.

I am currently at my place in Boulder, CO getting ready for my last race of the 2012 season. It's the last NCC crit of the year on September 30th in Vail, CO. Not sure how many racers will show to this late season race but I know Kevin and I will be there representing Team Exergy.

After this last race I will head to Grand Junction, CO for a week to hang out with friends and ride the roads I came so familiar with during Collegiate racing. Then it's time to head up to Tahoe, CA to get in a solid week of fun riding with our coach and friends. Once done there it will be the off season for a few weeks then down to Tucson, AZ.

 Here are some pictures of the last month or so.....

Tour of Elk Grove

Cheering on Team Exergy at USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Hiking Mt. Bierstadt 14er

Visiting Barbara in Tucson

Training in Boulder

2012 Season coming to an end

The season is coming to an end very quickly. Since nationals I took a week off the bike and almost a month off from racing. This was a nice break for me to relax and to get in some good solid training. I also was able to come home to Boulder, CO to see and live in my apartment for the first time since I signed the lease in April. The riding and training out here is amazing.

Then it was off to Vancouver, Canada for some racing. We started off with the Tour de Delta which included 2 crits and one road race. The first crit was very fast and also had some good crashes. I was actually feeling pretty dang good after my break from racing. The next day was a flat crit which was even faster and very aggressive. In the end nothing stayed away and we lined it up for the lead out with 3 laps to go. We were one man too short in the end and Ben finished off a strong 4th. The following day was and 85mile road race the consisted of 4 opening circuits with some good rollers. Kevin was able to get into the main break that stayed away for most of the race. After the 4 circuits the race transferred over to the other side of town where we finished 10 laps with a short steep climb into a gradual grind to the top. With 2.5 laps to go a break went on the climb. I bridged across on the top and we were able to stayed away till the end. I finished off 7th on the day.

USA-Canada border 

Vancouver

Monday was a rest day followed by a crit and a very tough course. The course was flat though it had a 180degree turn that made it very hard. The field was single file when a crash happen in the big turn. Ben, myself and Zach were caught behind it with most of the field and were forced to work to make it back. Zach and myself berried ourselves to get Ben back in. I paid for this and was hurting the rest of the race. In the end of the race I felt good and ended up 10th.

Vancouver

Next up was the historic Gastwon Grand Prix that was brought back since 2008. This was an awesome race with up to 25,000 spectators. Was a fast race and great course. Had a good time. Ben ended 4th and I got 7th.

The Exergy Twilight was that Saturday back in Boise. This was our home race with Exergy being based out of Boise. The field was stacked and the crowds were awesome. 20min into the race the skies opened up and the rain started to fall. Along with that came a LOT of crashes. At one point half the field was coming back in one lap. It was crazy. We had two guys in the break that looked promising. Though with one lap to go they were caught and it got crazy. Carlso took 2nd and I finished 6th.

Exergy Twilight-photo credit idahostatesman

I'm back in Boulder for a week now until Crit Nationals next weekend in Grand Rapids, MI. Followed by Elk Grove in Chicago which will wrap up my 2012 season.

TT Rig getting ready for Elk Grove

US Pro Nationals

Coming into this race I was very excited to be racing against the best of the best in the US but also pretty nervous. This would be my biggest race I have ever done to date. The game plan was to get Freddie his 4th title which meant we needed to have as many guys in the group with him after the fourth time up Paris Mountain. My job for the day was to cover the early moves, get water and just make it as easy as possible for the rest of the guys to get to the finish as fresh as possible.

Race profile-4laps

The race started with 3 short laps about 3 miles in distance before we headed out to the bigger laps of where we would do 4laps. Those first opening laps were really fast, single file and really hard. I could not believe that we still had over 100miles to go because it just felt like I was racing in the last 5 laps of a crit. Once we started the big laps I got up towards the front to stay out of trouble. By doing this I made it into the first real break of the day.  We were brought back and this is when Garmin went to the front to set a good tempo. Before I knew it I was in the big split with about 40 of us up the road. I never looked back because all I was concerned about was making it over Paris Mountain the first time with the first group. I dropped back on the climb and with about the 1k to the top I was already out the back. I was shocked because there was only about 40 riders and this is when I knew there was a big split and I needed to stay with this lead group. I tried to catch on during the decent but was unable to. This is when myself and another rider were in no mans land between the lead group and the peloton. We decided to sit up and wait for the peloton to catch us.

Lead group of 40

I was back with the peloton and went right back to work. Freddie said to get to the front to start rotating to help keep the gap at a reasonable gap because there was still some big favorites in that lead group that we could not let go. Coming into Paris Mountain for the second time I knew I needed to make it over with this group or my race was done. Once again I slipped out the back with a 1k to the top and was unable to make it back, my race was over. In the end I was pretty disappointed but cant be too mad because that was my first road race. Doing crits all season that last from 1hr-2hrs is not exactly the perfect preparation for a race like this. I learned a lot from this race and am looking to using that for the rest of the season.

I currently have a break in the race schedule for the next month. I will be back in Colorado resting up and getting ready for the second half of the season. My next race will be in the beginning of July in Canada the Tour de Delta. 

Speedweek-Nationals

The races have been flying by since Speedweek and are all morphine together in my memory. After Speedweek we headed to St. Louis for 3 crits. The last day I was able to make it into the winning break and flatted  on the last lap on the last corner. Had some bad luck in St. Louis but really enjoyed the city, never been before and really like it.

St. Louis

From there it was all the way to Delaware for the Wilmington Gran Prix. Before making in all the way we stayed a couple days in New Market Virginia and did some good riding in the hills. This place was awesome for training, small town with new roads in every direction you went and as far as you went.

Made it to Delaware and had a prologue the Friday afternoon.It was a 4mile course that was technical and had two section of some real cobble stones.One section was on and tight downhill section and the last was on the finishing little climb. It went pretty good ended up 7th and was a good opener for the crit the next day.

Finishing climb

I was really excited for the crit because it was technical and had a short steep pitch in it, suited me perfectly. I made it in the days break along with my teammate Ben and I was working super hard so that he could have an easier ride and go for the win. Though I flatted with 11 laps to go which wasn't all bad because then I was able to get a free lap. Was put back into the break the next lap and went back to working hard. Then with 4 laps to go I flatted again ending my race. The break eventually got caught with a half a lap to go and Ben ended up 3rd.

Wilmington Podium

 The next day following the Grand Prix was the Grand Fondo ride. This was a nice change of scenery from all the crits that I have been doing. Actually got to do a ride over 2hrs and had a good time and there were 400plus riders out on this, was pretty cool.

Grand Fondo

After Delaware we heading up to Long Island, New York where I was born and my whole family still lives. It was really nice to see everyone because the last time I was there was when I was in middle school which was a long time ago. Also surprisingly got in some decent riding in which I was surprised.

Brooklyn

New York riding

New York

A couple days in New York it was back in the van and off to Grenville, SC which is where I am currently. Monday is US Pro Nationals road race. This is my first time doing this race and I am super excited and ready to go. All the top Americans will be here fighting for the stars and bars.