An Alan Ting Sighting at a Bear Creek Crit!

I ended up taking the series overall
with the win tonight

School has finally started and my legs still want to go fast before they get too bogged down with assignments. Today would be the final Bear Creek Criterium as part of the summer series put up by my friends at sun and ski sports. Before driving that way towards the race there has been a few text messages going on between the well renowned Alan Ting and myself. For weeks Kevin Kremke (his boss) and myself have been putting on the pressure to persuade Alan to pin on a number and race his bicycle. Alan, is a teammate of mine, has not ridden a bike since Nationals of 2012.

When I arrived to the Criterium I quickly got dressed and started to make sure all my equipment worked the way I needed it to. I looked over my shoulder and saw the form of Alan approaching me. My dreams were coming true right before my eyes. I gave him a hug and told him to register. It was about to be show time.

As I waited near the registration tents watching the end of the men’s ¾ race that was going on, Alan rolled up to me. I took one look at his whip and knew this was for real. He was on an old Colnago which was probably build before I was born, running old school campy record (prior to 11) and the Mavic 80s that have been sitting somewhere in the Houston area for over a year.

As we rolled up to the line Alan made it clear to me that he will give me everything he has, but also not to expect much from him. Although he has not been training for over a year, you cannot take away the experience that he has in his head from multiple state championship medals, multiple national championship medals, and being one of the most talented criterium racers around.

The race started off at a brisk pace. I was on Alan’s wheel going into the first turn on the first lap. Sure enough I see Alan already bumping elbows with one of the racers. I knew it would take a little bit of time for him to remember how to turn left in a group. I sat near the front of the group to try to figure out the best way to try to get a break going. I wait till I feel a deceleration and launch my first attack. I go up the road with a few others. I look and see that the pack is in full chase mode. I did minimal work in the break until we got caught. I sprung out a second time and went up the road again. This time it was with a different combination of people. Again I could see that the pack was in full chase. I sat at the back of my break again until we got caught. As I faded near the back of the pack I could see Alan following wheels and going up the road a little bit.

As the race progressed I continued to follow wheels up to as many moves as possible. However It was becoming more and more obvious that this race may be coming down to a field sprint. As the lap counter went up I found Alan and told him that there were 3 laps to go. Alan said something along the lines of “I feel terrible, do not trust me. Race your own race.” But in my head I heard “We got this” Even if Alan was not feeling good. I knew that he would know where to put me in the final couple hundred meters for me to get a result.  At the start of the last lap, Alan was on the front. I was sitting second wheel and there was a guy dangling off of the front. Just as we hit the left hand curve at the top of the course there was an attack by one of the Nicklopez riders. Alan jumped on his wheel. As we were flying through the top of the course we caught and past the guy that was dangling up the road. I opened up the gap to Alan’s Wheel to let John Wilmeth in between us. As we were flying down the backstretch Alan was sitting 2nd wheel and I was sitting 4^th. Just as the Nicklopez rider finished his huge attack at the front I see Alan hesitate. I yell for him to go. Alan takes the speed up to as high as he could down the backside. He was giving it everything he had to keep the field strung out. I could see his shoulders laboring and his head shaking as he put every ounce of energy into his leadout. He pulls off as we hit the hard left hand turn. John stood up and starting sprinting out of the turn, I was glued to his wheel. As we past the registration tent I stood up and gave it everything I had to the line. I past John on his inside and put my head down in a hard sprint. I made sure to hold the inside of the curves and keep my legs going as fast as possible. As I hit the line I looked back and saw that I opened daylight on the racers behind me. I posted up across the line knowing it was a perfect win.

Could not have done it without the help of my teammate Alan. I plan to take this win and move forward to the Tour of Austin in the coming days. It is going to be a tough 3 days of racing there.