OKC PRO AM Day 1, 15th Place!

Spangle back at it again with the race pics!
oooo the start line artistry 

With the success of memorial weekend still fresh on everyone’s minds, we were ready to head up to Oklahoma for some crit racing. Unlike the races we have been doing all season, the OKC PRO AM was part of the PRT calendar (or the first day was) and was bringing in a higher caliber field. Although many of the team names were familiar, there was an added twist with several pairs of new and old faces toeing up to the start lines.

Big Team win at P1 Texas State Criterium Championships

Tristan Takes the win aboard his TCR Advanced

With the team firing on all cylinders after a very successful start to memorial weekend, it was time to rally our week’s earlier efforts and get someone on the top step of the P1 state Crit championships. I went into the race thinking that the course was going to be the same as the age based crit we did the day before. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the course was now a drivers course with 9 turns in just under a mile or so of racing.

As we lined up to the start line I remembered that this was going to be a 90 minute criterium. Although I am no stranger to a long crit, it has been some time since I did one this long. I was looking forward to attrition that was going to happen as the laps ticked down.

Texas Age Based State Crit Championships, Tristan takes second!

Fastest Stache in Texas!

With 2016 being my 10^th season it is also the first time I am racing outside of the u23 ranks, which meant my new age group is the 23-29 year olds. Although a bit older, it is great to see how long I have kept up with the sport. Sadly, I know more riders that started out as Jr’s and quite before getting past their u23s then riders that have kept it going. This sport has greatly shaped who I am as a person as well as the direction my life has taken with my friends, school and experiences.

Crit Theory (Frisco Crit) 4th place!

The Squad 

With the multiple races and the great success of GIANT Racing, these next few posts are going to be a bit on the shorter end of things.

The morning of the race had the chance to be a logistical nightmare. I was leaving my home at around 6:30am, needed to drive through Dallas to Flowermound to where I was staying (thank you JD, Tiffany and Jade!), build Sara’s bike, drive to airport to pick Sara up, and then head up North to Frisco with enough time for Sara to get ready for the women’s race.

Podium at Day 2 of the Battle of San Jacinto Criterium. 3rd Place!

3rd's the word

With Grant’s long flowing hair in my passenger seat, I knew I had the good luck charm I needed to get a better result at the second day of racing around the San Jacinto Monument. The two of us made sure to get some good breakfast tacos in before we drove through Houston’s energy district to the monument. With the second day of racing we were lucky to avoid the nasty storms that came in and became a factor for the early races that began before I left my bed.

The race for today had a lot of the similar starters from yesterday. Although the field was a bit smaller I knew who I needed to watch to get a result. This time however, the rest of GIANT racing went back home to the traffic and hoppy beer of Austin and I was flying solo for the races.

Battle of San Jacinto Day 1, 6th Place!

If you look good, you already won half the battle

The only plans I had before heading out to the race was to give my bike a good wash before heading out to the memorial. After I cleaned up the ol GIANT TCR, I glanced down at my watch and saw that I still had over 4 hours till the start of the race. I decided to use this free time and catch up with some Netflix before heading out to the races.

Once I finally made it out to the monument I was able to quickly spot my teammates with their bright neon green/yellow bikes. For the race today GIANT Racing was bringing four riders to the start line. Beau, Jonny, Scott, and myself.

Starting Summer Break with a Wet University Oaks

Third Place!

2016 has been the slowest start to a race season I have ever had. With my new found focus to put school over racing, along with many races being cancelled due to rain and flooding. I was coming into my summer break with about 10 mass starts and I was eager to get some race miles in before I head out to the bigger races a little further down the road.

That is when I decided to go the University Oaks Criterium in San Antonio. Uni Oaks is a race I am very familiar with, and always seemed to have good luck when I toed up to the start line. It was at University Oaks that I won my first ever 123 in 2011.