First, let me apologize for the lack of bloggage in the past few months. A quick update follows, after which I will detail the agenda for 2012.
Since the last post, cyclocross has come and gone; I got sick shortly after the last 6 hour race in the fall and spent the entire cyclocross season battling various degrees of sinus infections and bronchitis. After this experience, you may imagine that I am back to training 100% while trying to maintain my health (I have already been sick once this season, in the beginning of March) and ready to get at it in a nice varied schedule of endurance and standard XCO races.
The big news for 2012 is that I am riding for Fuji Bicycles - Advanced Sports International. This was arranged through Paul and Roy of ASI and through the steadfast support of my quasi-manager/industry pimp Todd Muller of Reality Bikes. I have already received and spent many good hours training and racing on my Breezer Cloud 9 29er hardtail (20.8 pounds of carbon sexiness, ready to race) and am anticipating taking delivery of the brand new for 2012 Fuji SLM29 within the following few months. Stay tuned to this space for details on these amazing machines and what makes them worthy podium contenders of the highest caliber.
My season kicked off at the Chain Buster 6 hour race at Tribble Mill park in Lawerenceville, GA. an event where I came second on the podium between the amazing Jeff Clayton of Georgia Neuro (who I beat to win the event in 2011, and who clearly has been training hard in the offseason as evidenced by our increased average speed) and the ever-present endurance talent Eddie O’Dea of the Topeak-Ergon team.
The second event (this past weekend) was also a Chain Buster 6 hour race, this time at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA. This time, I pulled off the starting line first to achieve fast lap, and led the first 3 hours of the race. After this, I was caught and then overtaken by Eddie O who had clearly brought the better legs on the day. On the 7th lap and over 4 hours into the race, I was overcome by a terrible loss of depth-perception and vertigo brought on by the immense amount of tree pollen in the air having affected my inner ear; I subsequently withdrew from the event and slid from second to seventh place by the end of the race. However I retained enough points from that result to still be tied for second place in the series.
The following race will be the kickoff event of the US Cup East / Southeastern Regional Championship Series at the legendary Tsali trails in Bryson City, North Carolina. The Saturday event is a cross country time trial for bonus points and Sunday’s XCO Pro race consists of 30 miles of the finest Western North Carolina singletrack.
Thanks for reading and I wish everyone a successful 2012 season!
