SERC 1--Santos

I have always been a huge fan of the Santos trail system so I wasn't too disappointed when I found out it was not at Gainesville.  Plus, I never seem to have a good SERC race at Gainesville.  For some reason I am always sick this time of year.  This year was different.  I was healthy.  I wasn't really in sprint shape because I had done so much endurance training since the FSC but my Dad started throwing in some interval workouts and some additional sprint training.  My top end speed wasn't there but I could ride for a long time. 

We pre rode the course on Saturday and I loved it, so much I did more laps than I usually do.  I felt confident and was ready for Sunday.  There was a chance of rain on Sunday so tire selection became our biggest concern.  With it staying overcast we decided to stick with our normal race setup and lined up for our three laps.  My strategy was to follow one particular person the first lap because I knew he would go out hard.  On the second lap I was going to make my move and sprint the third.

The first lap was pretty uneventful.  I simply followed the leader with my teammate Sam right behind me.  On the second lap the leader started attacking right away.  I countered every attack and stayed right with him.  About the mid way point I made my move.  We had an open section and I sprinted it out to gain the lead.  Second place kept trying to get back around me so I picked up the pace just enough where he wouldn't have room to get around in any open sections.  Coming through scoring he attacked again to try to regain the lead.  I opened it up a little to keep him behind me.  The first part of the lap was easy trail so I picked up the pace quite a bit as planned.  Next thing I knew I was riding all by myself.  I slowed down my pace a little to save some for the finish.  Next thing I knew Sam was catching up to me.  We were able to ride out the rest of the third lap without having to give it too much effort.  I could tell my endurance training had paid off.  As we came to the finish line I was prepared for Sam to try to out sprint me but he never did.  We were able to cross the line at a comfortable pace. 

The CycleYouth team had a great day at the SERC.  1st and 2nd in junior sport and 1st, 5th, 8th, and 10th in 10-14 and 3rd and 6th in 15-18.  The rest of the LeRoys Bikeworks team also had a great day pulling a few wins and many other podium spots.

SouthEast Bike Expo

The SouthEast Bike Expo was better than I could have imagined.  I was ready to do some mountain bike riding outside of Florida and Conyers, GA seemed like the best spot.  Although it was 40 degrees and rainy we still were excited to be there. 

We arrived on Friday night and had dinner with Josh and Ty from Orbea.  Those two are really cool to hang out with and we had planned on riding with them but they were too busy at the expo.  Next time guys! 

First thing Saturday morning we hit the trails.  Conyers wasn't like I remembered it.  It was muddy and open.  The area was logged last year and it opened up the area a lot.  The last time we were there it was rainy but the trails held up better than they did this time.  The climbs were still there and I did some of them several times just to get some training in.  Since it was so wet we skipped the granite side and got cleaned up and headed to the expo.

A lot of vendors were there and we got to see the new products and talk to a lot of people about their products.  The highlights were meeting the Vee Rubber Tires crew and getting to see their complete lineup of tires and the SRAM tent had me drooling for some XX1.  Vee Rubber Tires is one of our CycleYouth sponsors and I really enjoyed seeing all their tires first hand.  They have a tire for every kind of bike riding and my Dad and I spent a lot of time with them.  I saw about 5 different tires that would work great here in Florida.  We have hard packed, sand, mud, clay, and everything else in between down here and just about every state series race could require a different tread.  Vee Rubber has us covered!  Thanks for all the swag guys!!!  The socks are super comfortable!

We did another ride that afternoon and hit a small portion of the granite but it was still slick so we cleaned up again and headed out to dinner.  The next morning a few of us went for another ride and the trails had dried out some and the sun was out.  We were able to ride the granite side this time and got some good mileage in with a lot of climbing.

I headed back to the expo for the final time and ran into some of the Georgia CycleYouth team.  I went to the KMC tent and hung out for a while and then made my way to Vee Rubber Tires again.  I feel I have some good tire combinations picked out and can't wait to try them out.

The expo had a lot of vendors and plenty of swag to go around.  I got a lot of samples of gels, tshirts, key chains, water bottles, stickers and beanies.  I can't wait until next years expo!

6 hours of El Legarto

This was my first endurance race of the year and I trained my butt off for it.  I wanted to concentrate on more endurance training this year so I set my first goal to win this race.  I won the junior division a couple of times so last year I moved up to the adult division.  It didn't work out too well.  Even though I would have won the junior division again I only placed 12th in the adult division.  This year I was out to win it!  I entered the Strava base mile challenge to help keep me motivated.  I did 570 miles in January on the mountain bike preparing for the 6 hour race.  Thanks to my training partner Jeff Adams for pushing me at a fast pace during these rides.  We tried to keep the pace above 13 average and were successful at doing so.  The week before the race I did my last big ride of 80 miles and averaged 13.2 mph.  I felt really good on that ride and knew I was ready for the race.

On race day I was pumped and ready to ride.  Red Trail Racing always starts this race off with a 50 yard potatoe sack hop and I was the second one on the bike.  I ended up behind Zach Fout and he had the same strategy as I did...take of hard to avoid the bottle necks and then settle in.  I followed him for the first two laps and then he asked me if I wanted to lead for a little bit.  I went around him and without even realizing it I had opened up a 30 second gap.  I stopped after each lap to get a fresh bottle and some food.  The quarter turkey sandwiches, honey stingers, granola bars and twizzlers were going down great.  As I was leaving my pit area I could see Zach entering his and we were eyeballing each other the entire time.  When I would get to a certain part of the road leading back into the trail Zach would take off again.  I knew he was pacing me.  Around the fourth hour I was expecting Zach to make a move but he never did so I held my 13 mph pace and so did he.  I was feeling really good and was ready for Zach to attack at anytime.  As cutoff approached I was looking over my shoulder a lot and Zach was not closing in so I maintained my pace and kept chugging along.  As I approached scoring for my last lap I was debating on whether to stop again.  My bottle was low so I quickly grabbed another one and took off.  I pushed really hard on this lap trying to open up the gap on Zach so he would really have to work hard to beat me.  I noticed in the trail he was a little further behind me but I wasn't going to back off.  The last thing I wanted was a sprint finish after doing 70 miles.  As I was getting closer to the finish I kept trying to pick up the pace even more and ended up making my last lap just about as fast as my first.  I was excited to take the win.

My goal was to win this race so I could move up a class and race against Kenda/Felt rider Drew Edsall next year.  Drew gives riding clinics to my team a few times a year and it will be an honor to race against him next year.  Our local newspaper, The Ledger, did an article on me and the CycleYouth team before the race and they showed up to do a post race interview.  I had a lot to live up to and I'm glad I did.  My teammates Sam, Jordon, and Jared also had great races finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd.  Good job guys on a podium sweep in the junior class!   

 

This is who I'm going after next year!

Here is to good riding Drew...see you soon!

FSC # 9 Santos

This was probably the most nervous I have been about a race.  I was tied for first with Colin and the points for this race cannot be dropped.  I had to have a good race or I would not win the Florida State Title.  I had trouble eating before the race because my stomach was in knots.  It took me almost an hour to get a Clif bar in me!  Finally we were on the line and was ready to race.  The whistle went off and I got a decent start but pushed my way into the lead going into the woods.  Colin found my wheel and settled in behind me.  The first lap was pretty uneventful as Colin and I made our way through the other classes.  It was right before scoring when Colin made his move to get around me.  The trail opened up and off he went.  Through scoring I settled in on his wheel determined not to let him open up a gap.  Colin is fast in the open areas but I am faster in the technical sections so I really needed to stay with him.  When we got to the first technical section Colin had about 5-10 second gap that I closed quickly.  When the trail opened up he attacked.  He opened up another gap so I chased him down as hard as I could.  I really needed to pass him before the next technical section so I could launch my own attack.  I had about 15 seconds to make up and could occasionaly see him as I was coming off a corner.  Then the trail got really twisty.  I was not able to see him through this section because there were so many corners and the woods were too thick.  I knew I was slowly gaining on him so I kept hammering to catch him.  When I got to the next technical section he was already in it.  So I thought.  Turns out Colin made a wrong turn and was now behind me.  I heard after the race that the tape or some arrows had been moved but I never noticed anything.  I flew through the technical section hoping to catch Colin and was gearing up for a sprint finish.  Since I never caught Colin in this section I really started to crank it out to the finish.  I slid out on a corner and went down.  I quickly got back on my bike and started sprinting.  My heart rate skyrocketed and I knew it was probably over.  I was realizing I would take 2nd overall again this year.  My teammate Adam and Tyler caught me in the last mile or so and I followed them to the finish.  I had nothing else in me to catch Colin.  Adam and Tyler battled for position all the way to the finish with Tyler having the better sprint.  As I approached the finish line I saw Colins Dad with his hands in the air and I thought he asked where Colin was.  Then I heard a bunch of cheers from my teammates parents and my Dad.  I was thinking "I just lost state, why are they cheering like that?".  As I crossed the finish line I heard my Dad say "You just won state!".  I said "I won?" and everyone started saying "yes, you won".  It was the most confusing few minutes in my life.  It quickly sank in and my heart rate started to spike again but it felt like the world was off my shoulders.  I worked very hard for this race season and I am glad it paid off.  I learned a lesson in this race.  You never know what is going to happen in the race so go hard until the end and pay close attention to the course during the preride. 

The CycleYouth/LeRoy's team of myself, Adam, Madison, Sam and Jordon also placed 1st in the team competition and I believe this is the first time an all junior team has done that!  Great job everyone that raced for CycleYouth/LeRoy's this year!

 

I would also like to give a big thank you to CycleYouth for allowing LeRoy's Bikeworks to be one of the DEVO leagues, LeRoy's for making sure the team has the best equipment and our bikes are always in race ready condition, my Dad for coaching us along and killing us with his workouts, all the parents who make sure that everyone is always at practice and my Mom and Mrs. Tracy for always taking lots of pictures of us to remember all of this.  And a big thank you to Goneriding for putting on these events!  As we like to yell on the trail...'MERICA!

FSC # 8 Alva

Alva has always been a fun and fast course.  This year was no different.  The preride went well as we studied some lines and put a race strategy together.  Using Andy's cornering technique from last summers camp I was able to really rail the hard packed corners.  I felt as if I was flying without even trying.

 I got a good start and went into the woods second, right behind my teammate.  We raced the first lap together and started to gap third through the tighter, twistier sections.  Third place is strong in the open areas and was able to close the gap back everytime.  Third place attacked on the end of the first lap and took over the lead.  On the second lap I got around Adam and started chasing down first.  I never could catch him.  The second lap was shorter and did not include the tighter, twistier sections.  With most of what was left being open ground I knew I had to really hammer it to catch up.  I could see first but just never was able to close in.  I finished in second but really needed the win.  Thanks to the MUDCUTTERS, the trail was in perfect shape for the race!  And THANK YOU to LeRoy (LeRoy's Bikeworks) for the new team helmets.

 

 

FSC # 7 Loyce Harpe Park

This race was a whole lot better than my last one!  Home course advantage paid off and I took the win. 

The Team Time Trial was a huge success also.  Adam, Sam, Jordon, Madison and myself were not expecting to place too high in the TTT since we are all juniors and our competition is all adults.  However, when we lined up we noticed that we were indeed going to be more organized than the other teams.  We spent a lot of time practicing the TTT.  My Dad had us stagger on the start instead of being side by side.  This allowed us to fall into line faster on the start and draft each other into the woods.  Once we got in the woods Adam led us through with Sam, Jordon, myself and Madison following.  The fourth person across the finish line is the time that is scored so Madison hung on as long as she could.  She still needed to hammer it out because if someone had a mechanical she would have to be that fourth person.  Everything and every situation was planned out and we were cruising good.  At the end of the course we had about a mile of open area and road so we started rotating like roadies and finished with four of us together.  We were suprised to find out we were in first place but still had a few teams after us.  Fortunatly, we held on for the win and the five bonus team points.

TTT video part 1 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvLSYlmxFRw

TTT video part 2 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ9Ay1ahhwA&feature=relmfu

TTT video part 3 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxoniL5XZQk&feature=relmfu

I was expecting to win the race because I had to.  If you win any race it has to be on your home course.  I got a real good start and went into the woods first.  I managed to get a gap right away and never had any problem passing.  I was riding smooth and everything was going as I had hoped.  My Dad was giving me time gaps at different sections and second place was closing in the open areas but my home course knowledge allowed me to open up the gap again through the technical sections.  I knew I had to keep a big lead because the one in second place is a real strong finisher.  On the last lap we had a head wind on the road back and I could see what looked like second place chasing after me.  He had about eight riders with him and if they worked together he could pull me back in.  All I could do was stand and sprint.  It worked.  He never gained any time on me and I got a much needed win.  I forgot to start my helmet cam so there is no video.

FSC #6 MARKHAM PARK

To sum it up, I had a bad race.  I really like the trails at Markham park and I recommend anyone who is in the Miami area check them out.  I was so anxious to preride that I just went and rode without looking at lines close enough and not thinking about strategy like I should have. The problem on race day was the amount of people racing in front of me.  There was 69 riders in 40-49 base alone! The starting line was only about 8 feet wide and we had 15 riders in our class, so the starting line was packed. When Dave blew the whistle, we all took off rubbing elbows and shoulders all the way down the road.  We finally came into a single file line and I entered the woods in third.  We almost instantly caught up to 40-49 and my race went downhill from there.  The people were not very anxious to let us pass to say the least. When the trail opened up I was able to pass a few riders but not enough to stay with 1st and 2nd.  I sprinted as hard as I could to make up ground but it just wasn't enough.  I just could not seem to catch a break.  About the half way point of the first lap my chain popped off.  I have no idea why, it just didn't want to be on for some reason.  I lost two spots because of that and knew I was in trouble.  The second lap I was still trying to work through the large amount of racers in other classes and just could not seem to get my timing right.  I felt as though I was being held up the entire race.  I lost two more spots on this lap because my chain decided to pop off again and I was forced off one of the bridge drops by a crashing rider.  It was a two foot drop off the side of the bridge and I crashed with him.  I crosses the finish line in a disappointing 7th.  My teammate Adam Cohen was able to pull out the win on his home course and give the CycleYouth/LeRoy's Bikeworks team some valuable points.  Now I'm looking forward to the next race at MY home course.

Me: 7th--15-18
Adam: 1st--15-18
Sam:  3rd--11-14
Jordan: 5th--11-14
Ethan: 6th--11-14
Morgan: 8th--11-14
Madison: 6th--W3
Jared:  16th--11-14

I don't have a video of this race because my Mom had my helmet cam in her camera bag out on the trail and the bike patrol would not let anyone out there.  I will have one for the next race though.