Gateway Criterium Finals. USA Crits Individual and Team Win!

 

Standing on the podium felt great!

I had nothing but excitement and high ambitions to bring to Gateway Cup. Less then a week prior, I landed back home in Texas after a month of racing in Europe and I was eager to put my legs to the test against familiar faces. The Gateway Cup included 3 NCC days, the third NCC event being the final for the USA Criterium Series, and it concluded with a non-NCC event rounding out that weekend on Monday

Because of my class schedule (school just started, and it was already getting in the way of bike racing) I could only race Friday through Sunday. These were, however, the biggest and most important days of the week with the fastest competition to race agaisnt.



Arnhem-Veenendaal Classic 1.1

The course map

My final race in Europe would be the most prestigious of all the events on my calendar.  Arnhem-Veenendaal is a UCI 1.1 event that consists of nearly 130 miles of racing. The race starts in the city of Arnhem where we would do circuits in a major park before heading west to Veenendaal to finish the race. Unlike my other races during this Euro trip, the race organizers only allowed 6 riders per team. This cut down the number of overall race starters from the normal 200 racers to just 105. Also present would be three World Tours teams: Cannondale, Belkin, and Movistar. I had no idea what to expect for a race of this length with riders of such caliber.

Zottegem UCI 1.1 My first UCI race with some World Tour Talent

Since I have no pictures of Zottegem. Here's a photo in
Amsterdam!

Going into my first ever UCI 1.1, I had no idea what to expect. There was rain and cobbles on the horizon.  Many teams were eager to get their bit of glory, and with 205 starters, the talent rode deep into the peloton.  There was no telling how things were going to shake out.

Format of the race: a neutral rollout through town to showcase the peloton to the host city, a large 75 km loop which would include many long stretched out crosswind sections, a 4km cobbled road, and one cobbled climb that was part of the tour of Flanders this past year. This was then followed by several smaller laps closer to town which included a very narrow technical section at the end and start of each lap.

Getting the swing of things at the "Kermess World Championships"! (Huesden)

Chris in the break

Heading to our third race here in Belgium, the team was fully motivated to improve on our last efforts the UCI 1.2 race where we swam to the finish line, just a few days prior. Huesden (another pro kermess) has been known in the past as the “ World Championships of Kermess.”  It has a history of over 200 starters, several World Tour teams showing up and boosting full rosters, all on a fast smooth course. Unfortunately, due to other races that have grown in the area, such as Eneco Tour, the number of World Tour teams has declined over the years. Nonetheless, Lotto Belisol was fielding a small team of riders along with several other pro-conti guys.

Wind, Rain, and Cobbles Havenpijl 1.2

Brecht, myself, Clay, Chris, Max, Cortlan, Matt from left to right

Heading to the team’s second race here in Belgium, I did not know what to expect. Matt has been telling the team about his marred past at Havenpijl where he has crashed out on every single one of his starts with terrible injuries. This course is about 172 km long consisting of 2 large 50 km loops followed by several smaller “in-town loops”. The larger loops consisted of about 1400 meters of cobbles per lap accompanied by long crosswind sections through one of Belgium’s largest shipping yards. The smaller loops were a bit more technical for we raced through downtown Antwerpen. With 200 starters and a forecast for heavy rains for most the race, the nervousness of the peloton could be seen on everyone’s faces.

Making Friends (and Breakfast Tacos) in Belgium

The Team for Europe
(Matt, Chris, Sven, Brecht, Max, myself, Cortlan, Clay. From left to right)

Since landing in Belgium, I cannot stop smiling. I've always dreamed of coming to the country of bike racing, fries, beer, and overcast weather. As a Junior racer, I have watched many close friends go on racing trips here to get their fix. Every single one always returns speaking of the wonders racing in Belgium has done for them, and how it has strongly changed their perspective on how to ride and race a bicycle.

National Criterium Championships 2014

Familiar Faces 

Going to keep this one short so my posts do not get out of order while I am in Belgium.... But the team plan from the get go was to race for a field sprint with Cory and Brandon.

National Road Championships

#notASmile. This race gave me very few moments
of happiness.

Very few races are as important as the National Championships in my mind. Ever since my first National Championship race in 2008 as a 14-year-old Junior, I knew that this was a big deal. Winning this championship is more then just a title; it also means that I would be able to wear my country's colors in races for an entire year. This is a great honor that I witnessed first-hand in 2012 as a wingman for my coach, David Wenger, who wore the stars and bars proudly as the 2011 Elite National Criterium Champion. 

The closest I had ever gotten to wearing the stars and stripes was in 2012 as I finished 8^th in the u23 National Road Race. I crossed the finish line as the first amateur, while 6 of the 7 racers that rolled in before me ended up racing in the World Championships. This was a defining moment in my cycling career, and one that I will not soon forget. Since then I have raced hungry, eager to better myself, and out to prove to my competition that was not a fluke result.

Feeling Flat at East Tosa. Last Day of ToAD

Goal to put Monk on the overall podium was a success!

East Tosa (Day 11. Roster: Matt, Clay, Max, Hogan, Cory, Brandon, Justin, Andy, Myself)

Even after my crash the previous day, I had the option to race again at East Tosa. After an early morning spin, I decided that I would go ahead and race to see what I can do. I vaguely remember East Tosa from 2013 as one of the harder days at Dairyland. A simple 4-corner criterium with a long uphill drag through the start/finish made things hard on the group. This does not even take into account the fact that this comes at the end of 11 days of racing.

I do not know about you, but I am feeling Downer Avenue. Toad Day 10

one of the week long goals accomplished

Downer Ave (Day 10. Roster: Clay, Matt, Justin, Cory, Brandon, Hogan, Max, Andy, myself)

Going into Downer Ave we had one thing on our mind: the elusive super prime. The super prime is a single prime given on a random lap of the race, which is normally worth several grand ($$$$) and given on a separate finish line than the finish used for both the race and normal primes. Our leadout has been getting better and better throughout the week, and today was go the last day to show our stuff before the tour's final day at Tosa.

Race plan for today included keeping the pack together, like we have been doing for the last several days before, with Justin, Clay, and Brandon staying attentive for the super prime. Set up for the prime was crucial as it was only 75 meters after turn 1. The winner of the prime had to come first out of the turn ready, for there was no room for mistakes.

No Slack for the Peloton at Fond Du Lac Day 9 of Toad

two thirds of the podium!

Fond du Lac (Day 9 of ToAD. Roster: Justin, Cory, Clay, Matt, Max, Brandon, Hogan, and myself)

After our second team victory the day before (Oshkosh), we were feeling very confident going into the 9^th day of ToAD. For this race we brought our full squad, disregarding our original plan to rotate 6 guys every day. A flat, four-corner one-kilometer rectangle made the idea of a sprint very likely on this course.

The plan going into the race was keep things together, like we have been the last few days, and to detonate breaks if we get into any – basically just sitting in on a break and not working with any sort of split you get into. We have one of the best sprinters in the country, so keeping things together for a field sprint gives us an advantage…  With 10 laps to go, we would regroup then take control of the front when the count dwindled down to 5.

Circuits of the Amer err.... I mean Road America!

Road America day 7. Roster: Clay, Matt, Max, Cory, Andy, and myself

Road America is as close to Texas as it comes for a race. Through years of ironing my skills at multiple Driveway Criteriums and several laps around the Circuit of the Americas car track, I can honestly say that I have mastered races on exposed tarmac. In 2013, Road America was the race that got me hooked on the Tour of America’s Dairyland.

Our First Team Win of Toad at Beloit

Winning Feels Good

Beloit (Day 5. Roster: Cory, Justin, Brandon, Andy, Hogan, and myself)

The two NCC races of the week concluded with UHC taking their bounty and leaving, creating this massive power vacuum that many teams wanted to fill.  After a strong aggressive ride yesterday, Astellas was eager to flex our legs in today’s stage of ToAD.

Beloit was a flat, fast three-corner 0.7-mile loop. After a few recon laps on the course, we made a plan for the best result. Our roster included myself, Justin, Cory, Brandon, Hogan, and Andy. Our plan of action was to keep things together with Justin as our designated sprinter and getting Brandon a top result as he sits in great position for the overall standings.

My Second Day at Tour of America's Dairyland at Waukesha

Spending half the race off the front with the Murf

Waukesha (day 4, roster: Max, Clay, Matt, Cory, Brandon, Myself)

Heading into my second day of ToAD, my excitement grew.  This was also one of the two NCC races going on in Wisconsin this weekend.  More money up for grabs and faster competition. 

During my pre-race lap, I found the course to be very well suited to the style of racing that I excel in. A long slight uphill would create some difficulty for many riders, plus some fast tricky corners would prevent swarming of the front.

Starting off Tour of America's Dairyland 2014 with East Troy

Been spending lots of time racing Andrew!

East Troy (Day 2 of 10. Roster: Brandon, Andy, Stephen, Hogan, Justin, Corey and myself.)

The East Troy Circuit was my first day of racing the 2014 Tour Of America’s Dairyland.  Last year, I came to ToAD with my former team, Super Squadra, and got bitten by the chocolate milk bug.  Here I am, a year later, eager for more. But this time around, I’m riding for Astellas Professional Cycling. 

For 2014, Astellas brought 10 guys to race the 10 days of the ToAD.  Our plan is to rotate our riders, allowing 6 of our guys to race each day.  Since each course is unique, the team mixes the line-up in search of the best combination of riders.  Our objective is simple: to win!

My week of preparations prior to ToAD was very effective. My legs were fresh and my mind was determined to throw down with some fast racers. I felt eager to show it on today’s fast, technical, and bumpy six-corner Criterium.

One More Time With Tulsa Tough

Photo From Manuel of Speed. I sported Lucky Lucky Lucky 13

There are few races similar to the Tulsa Tough NCC Weekend. Unlike many of the other race weekends of the year, Tulsa is unique in the sense that it is one of few that many racers attend for its renowned pre- and post-race shenanigans. It’s reputation has earned hashtags such as #takeMondayOff, #spandexRodeo and #cryBabyHill - this event has enough quirks to keep the racers and fans returning year after year!

This was my 4^th time racing Tulsa Tough, and my 3^rd time racing in it’s NCC event. In 2010, I raced with Metro Volkswagen, followed by Super Squadra in 2012 and 2013.  This year, I’m rolling with Astellas. With my previous experiences, I was able to share some pre-race knowledge to the table. 

Racing in the corn fields at the Cobb Park Criterium

Thomas, Cory, Justin, Myself and Monk (Brandon) reeling in the leaders

Located in Kankakee, Illinois, the Cobb Park Criterium is a prominent regional race within the “Windy City.”  This year it was hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen Cycling team, as well as, the parents of one of our very own...Brandon! 

Go Go Go and Glenecoe Grand Prix!

I can't think of something more #pro then my own trading cards

After Somerville, the next race on the calendar was the Glencoe Grand Prix. Glencoe is a very pleasant suburb north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. Glencoe would be my first race with my new teammate, Cory Williams. Cory is one of the 3 riders we are sending to U23 National Championships.

Dynamic Duo Attempt 2! Bound Brook Criterium (Day 2 of 3 of Somerville)

My Italian style coming loose the morning of the race

The second day of the Somerville series would be the Bound Brook Criterium. This would end up being a very fast, very simple 6 corner criterium. Much like the previous day, it was going to be just Brandon and I waving the Astellas flag.

The plan for this race was a simple one. Ride conservatively, stay out of trouble, find each other in the closing laps and try to work together to get one of us in a position for a result in the finishing sprint. We were racing for a sprint today because that was the only way this race was going to finish. 100+ people, wide smooth roads, calm winds… If this race was won by a break I would be very surprised. 

Dialing in the Dynamic Duo at Raritan Classic (Day 1 of 3 of Somerville)

Thank you to all of the great sponsors we have (Brandon's whip)

Heading into the first of 3 days of Somerville I was hungry for some racing, both physically and mentally. I have spent the last week in a stuffy hotel with Brandon and both of us have been getting in some great riding in and around Bethlehem PA. It was time to flex our legs again as the two of us would be the only two members from astellas racing. With the lack luster results of Bikejam (Kelly’s Cup) still fresh on our minds (and the source of many inside jokes), we were going to come out swinging.