TOV

well my Tour of Virginia adventure ended on the third stage. I had a dissappointing TT, where i just couldn't get my legs rolling for a 3.6 mile effort. In the stage 2 crit, I felt great just sat in on the difficult course and finished same time, just as planned which moved me up 23 places on GC. Stage 3 was a road stage with three categorized climbs, two cat 3s, then a cat 1. I made it over the first climb okay, near the back but not in the red. then there were at least two climbs that weren't categorized that sure felt like they should of been, and I was wearing down and dropped off the back on the second one. then managed some very uneffective use of the caravan to try and get back into the pack, blew a lot of energy and got dropped for good. a teammate wasn't too far behind and me and him chased until the second feed zone at 85 miles, where we were already 25 minutes down, with a cat 1 climb remaining, so knowing we we're destined to make the time cut, we loaded up into the team car.

it was pretty dissappointing but i've got way too much left on the agenda to dwell on it. so, one weekend of local stuff to get the legs moving then off too Lawence kansas for Collegiate Nationals where I will race the TTT and the RR. Then it is straight to Russellville Arkansas for Tri-Peaks Stage Race, then straight to Nashville for the Soto Memorial Stage Race. Then there will surely be some rest and family time, and time with my beautiful sarah beth. Then i can plan out the second half of the season.

addio

Conference Championships

riding da bike
sometimes you just have to go solo for a while just to show everyone you can


watching the morning racing with a lil buddy, that i officially named Ewok

what a bear

conference was fun, but it is nice to be back. loading the truck up tomorrow to drive up to lexington VA for the Tour of Virginia.

Lee's McRae Collegiate weekend

(L to R) Spencer Beamer, Scott Sewart and me, catching and dispensing of the break one by one on the climb up hw 194.

well, a little rest the last two weeks and the legs are coming, as all the work is starting to pay off. This weekend was a lot of fun. I got to do my first climbing race of the year, to test out what the numbers in training were saying about my form. it was 48 degrees and threatening rain, misty and foggy. quite epic. 6 laps with your standard avery county portions of climbing.

we let a 7 man break roll at the start, and were content to stay conservative. but the climbs and the technical decents shreaded the lead group down to 8 riders after 2.5 laps. LMC had four there, Scott Stewart, Carson Worts, Kevin Holdber and myself. we kept the pace solid for another lap when on the 3 mile climb Scott, Spencer Beamer and myself went off on our own. The gap to the leader was too much to worry about, but there were people inbetween to be caught and of course, Spencer to deal with. next lap on the same climb Scott and I started attacking him and finally I got clear and stretched out a 15 second gap, and scott dropped Spencer at the top. I waited on Scott on the following technical decent and we worked together, or basically he pulled me around another lap and a half haha. but the last two laps it started raining really hard and my legs got really cold and went from feeling "no chain" to unfunctional in the matter of one decent. we had caught all but 3 of the break, and while 5th on the road i called it a day. I was freezing and got everything I wanted out of the race, some TOV prep and some confirmation of how my climbing is looking. I was really happy to be in the three man group with two VMG/Nat'l Team guys, and to be able to cut it down to an LMC only chase group late in the race and on the biggest climb after pulling everyone else around for 3 hours.

Next weekend is Conference Championships at Vanderbilt, then it is quickly back to school, then off to Tour of Virginia on monday. not to mention the masses of homework I have to do inbetween now and then.

easter break fotos

me and sarah before i went out to ride
sarah and lil sadie
my dads crazy project
carson and me posing for some fotos
and some knitting
and of course my lil sister, annabelle