Here's a quick look at the course:
http://app.strava.com/segments/682138
On race day I felt ready to go. I took my Hammer Nutrition Race Caps and Endurolytes to prep my body even further. I was hoping for a really good finish at this race and I felt like I was going to be able to pull it off here. I did my warmup with my buddy Ryan Geiger and made it back to the staging area about ten minutes before the race so I could get a good starting position. I ended up with a decent spot that I was pretty happy with, 2nd row. On the start line I did a quick review of the course in my head and before I knew it, the official blew the whistle and we were off. Everybody was sprinting for position, I saw a few of the guys I knew that I had dubbed my rivals for the race get ahead of me shortly after we started so I got up to position with them. We hit the flyover and I realized my chain had fallen off the drive side of my cranks. I decided that after going down the other side of the flyover would be the best time to pedal it back on; I couldn't get it to pedal back on. I eventually got off my bike to put it back on while everybody I was racing passed me. I got it back on by hand and slammed on the pedals to try to catch up but then the chain jammed and ripped out of my rear derailleur cage rendering the chain and derailleur useless. My race was over and we weren't even five minutes in. It gave me all the more reason to make the next weekend's race a better one.
After taking the DNF, I caught up with my buddy Macky Franklin and after telling him what happened, he gave me his spare derailleur because I wasn't going to have the opportunity to get home and buy another one before the next race in Missoula, Montana.
The next race went
a lot better. I pre-rode the course with my buddy Sam Gross and even had
the chance to race it with him one time.
Here’s Macky’s description of the course:
We got to the course about an hour and a half before race time; more
than enough time for a good warmup. After my warmup, it was about five minutes
from go time so I got lined up and ready to go. There were about 25 other kids
at the start line with me. I again felt like I was in good form and had a good
race coming on. Once the whistle went off, we were gone. It was a fast start especially
for having to climb right off the line. I held on the some of the faster kids
in my category for a little bit but then started to fall backwards and almost
fell into the other half of the category that split shortly after we got onto
the climb. Everybody eventually split up almost evenly with about a 2 minute
gap between each person. Several of the people that started the race either
broke their bike or injured themselves bad enough to not be able to finish due
to how technically challenging the course was. The race yielded 16 finishers
out of the 25+ that started and I ended up in 14th. Not a bad way to
end the season.
One last note upon ending the season, I would like to thank a few
people for helping me out:
All of my friends and family for their unwavering support
Brad Wilhelm for coaching and mentoring me throughout the season
Lee-Ann Beatty for being my podium girl
Marty Coplea and the whole AZ Devo Junior/U23 Development Team for
all their hard work
Daryll McKenzie for mentoring me and teaching me a lot about racing smart
Macky Franklin for helping me out in that tough situation
I would also like to thank all of my awesome sponsors who have supported me throughout the year:
Trek
Bontrager
Hammer Nutrition
Bicycle Ranch
Shimano
Genuine Innovations
Feedback Sports
Squirt Lube
The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona
Stan's Notubes
ESI Grips
Triggerpoint Therapy
Baja Designs
I would also like to thank all of my awesome sponsors who have supported me throughout the year:
Trek
Bontrager
Hammer Nutrition
Bicycle Ranch
Shimano
Genuine Innovations
Feedback Sports
Squirt Lube
The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona
Stan's Notubes
ESI Grips
Triggerpoint Therapy
Baja Designs
It was an awesome season and I look forward to an even better one next year!
