This weekend I set off to the first Georgia State Series race in Macon, Georgia. I packed my small Mazda 3 Hatchback with four Florida racers and we headed off to what was one of my best races yet. The weather was very decent hovering at around 55 degrees, which is what I consider almost perfect. It is cool enough to keep me from sweating, but warm enough so my legs don’t freeze. The course was filled with short 2-3 minute climbs and a good amount of solid and fun singletrack. There was a decent turnout of 17 riders in our Pro/Semi-Pro/19-29 class.  After two solid weeks of long interval work focusing on raising my lactate threshold, I came into the race confident and anxious to win.

                I took a commanding lead of 1 minute off the second rider(Michael Cummings) and 1:30 off a strong 3^rd rider for Sobe Cannondale(Shey Linder) in the first lap. My legs felt great and I pushed a strong pace. I slowly kept gaining to where I was about 3 minutes off Cummings coming into the 3^rd lap. I pushed the climbs hard, and played it smart on the downhills.  The Scott Spark I rode was set up perfectly weighing in at only 21.8 pounds. The 1.9 Larsen TT tires added to the low weight and low rolling resistance and sent me into the climbs confident and flying. I continued to lengthen my lead and pulled away with a solid win just under 4 minutes ahead of Cummings and 5 minutes ahead of 3^rd place(Shey Linder).

                This coming Thursday I will be off to the NMBS #2 in Fountain Hills, AZ. This race has given me the confidence I will need to have a great finish there in the Semi-Pro Cross Country and Short Track races. In addition to that I am going to have some fun and race my first Super-D race. From what I have heard the Arizona course is very similar to the conditions and courses I am used to. I am very “pumped” up and excited about the race and hope to pull off another stellar finish.

South Eastern Regional Championship #1

                The first race of the season turned out to be one of the hardest races I have raced. The semi-pro / pro field was stacked with some of the best mountain bikers on the East coast including Andy Mills (Southeast Trek/VW), Andy Johnson (KHS), Ryan Woodall (Powerbar), and Robert Marion (Kenda/Titus). Among them were many other strong riders from Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. It was the perfect stage to see where I was at earl in the season.

                The course was smothered with short explosive climbs mixed into tight, windy singletrack. Temperatures were in the mid to high 80’s.  After building a very solid base this year, I was confident that I could compete with the best of the best in the South East. This race was the first race to see exactly where I stood early in the year.

                The start of the race was brutal. It was an all out open sprint running straight into three fast and short singletrack climbs where technical skills were a must. I started very well settling in at 5^th position for the first lap out of five total. Unfortunately, I was on the edge at that point and was forced to drop the pace and “settle in” or blow up. Being smart, I settled in as the four leaders (Matt Kinsley, Ryan Woodall, Victor Alber, and Andy Johnson) slowly pulled away. Within the next five miles I was passed by two others(Robert Marion and a Cannondale rider), but began to feel stronger from then on. I pushed the pace hard and then even harder. Every time I had a chance I pushed it. But I made little to no ground to the closest riders about a minute ahead(3 total). I was anxious, and gave it all I had, but little came out of it. The final lap I was hurting bad. The short explosive climbs had taken it all out of me and I struggled with near cramping situations throughout the rest of the race. To make things even tougher, the 8^th rider caught me with about two miles left to go. I pushed and pushed, but he stayed on my wheel. Every chance I knew he had to pass, I accelerated to the best of my ability and kept him behind me. We were back to back until the last section where we cut into singletrack before the sprint. There he attempted to make a pass on my inside, and I, being defensive and the front rider, cut him off. His decision not to slow down put him right into the bushes only 5 feet away. A close call to what would have been a disappointing ending. But as it turned out I ended up on the high side of that situation and came crawling to the finish line in 7^th place.

                7^th place……not exactly where I wanted to be, but a solid finish this early in the season against both semi-pro and pro racers. The six racers in front of me consisted of all pro racers besides a sensational semi-pro rider named Victor Alber. Victor has come a long way and showed his excellent ability to compete on the bike with a 2^nd overall finish.  I was happy with my result and feel very confident that when the more important races (NMBS #2 and Sea Otter Classic) come around that I will be in great race shape. The next few weeks are going to consist of some serious high intensity training that will hopefully bring my fitness level right to where I need it for those races. Hope to see many of you there and good luck with your racing!

                The first race of the season is right around the corner and I am more confident than ever in a solid performance at the Semi-pro/Pro level. The race takes place in Gainesville, Florida and is the first race of a series of nine in the South Eastern Regional Classics. The course is very unlike Florida. It has a lot of elevation change with some short climbs that will test everyone’s’ early fitness level.

                I am coming into this race ready as I will ever be. I have spent the last 3 months preparing for the season with many hours on the bike including some long steady rides and a few team races. So far the New Year has been the best yet, and I look forward to expanding on that with some solid finishes in the upcoming races. I have gotten many new sponsors including Scott, SRAM, Dedicated Athlete, and Rudy Project. So far their products have impressed me. The Scott bikes are ultra-light and very stiff. The best bikes I have ridden so far. The true test will come in the upcoming races though.

                I hope to see many of you at some of the SERC races. If I don’t see you there I am sure I will see you at some of the National caliber races in California, Arizona, and Vermont.