Following a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in Paradise, Ca at the home of Jeff Galland, Paul Mach drove up from Sactown to ride with me for a real "Pro training day" as Paul would say. With an awesome route planned, we hit the road like the old days on Bissell and tapped out a big day in the mountains.
Paul and Ian's PRO Training Tips:
- Ride by 10am.
-Ride in a small group or alone.
-Always train in leg warmers when its below 70 degrees.
-Make short and quick stops, no hanging around- this is a job.
-Don't coast on downhills.
-Get behind, get left behind.
-Don't bonk, but eating is cheating.
-Train hard, rest hard.
-Don't race down wet descents during training.
-Pro rides always need a TwitPic!
Now go train!
Le Boz
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Artsy Side!
Check out Annika's new blog. Damn I wish I had the photo eye that she does!
http://annikacat.blogspot.com
http://annikacat.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Ain't Nobody!
Last spring, I was riding with my friend and fellow Oregon racer Quinn Keogh, and being the funny man that he is he shared some entertaining youtube videos with me. Typically if someone wants to show me a video online I refuse, for I feel it is a waste of time. Quinn however, got me to check out a video about a body builder named Ronnie Coleman, and in awe of the shear size of this man I continued to watch the video. As he prepared to squat an unfathomable amount of weight he said something that has stuck with me ever since, "Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, ain't no body want to lift this heavy ass weight!". What he said was true- we all want to look like this or live like that, but many people don't want to do the work required to achieve these desires. During these past three weeks in Chico, I have been pleasured by good weather and great rides, but with winter and rain looming in the coming months I will keep Ronnie in mind, with my own added twist.
Everybody wants to be a pro bike racer, ain't nobody want to do this hard ass training!
Happy Thanksgiving
Ian
Here is a link to a short video of his:
Everybody wants to be a pro bike racer, ain't nobody want to do this hard ass training!
Happy Thanksgiving
Ian
Here is a link to a short video of his:
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
What do the Ladies Have to Say?
Recently inspired to begin blogging again, I have been thinking up new ideas for fun and entertaining posts. One of these ideas was to create a series of interviews with various people both about cycling and about life. While riding today, I thought it would be interesting to do a little Q&A with the ladies behind the scene, who often play a very important role supporting the pro cycling careers of their partners . These women endure a great deal with partners who are often on the road and away from home, and I wanted to hear straight from the source what they think of the whole spectacle. The three wonderful women participating in this interview are; Sara Mach, Kate Fox and Annika Johannesen.
Sara Mach: Sarah is the wife of my long time blog rival and Paskenta buddy, Paul Mach. I have known Sara and Paul since 2010, when Paul and I shared a year racing together on BISSELL Pro Cycling. A school teacher in California, she loves her dog Jens and enjoys spray-painting the streets of Nevada City. Next year Paul will be racing for Kenda-5Hour Energy, with Sara cheering and supporting him all the way.
Kate Fox: The smiling and lively girlfriend of America's next superstar Andrew Talansky, she enjoys spending her time competing in adventure races and half marathons. Kate is now living in historic Lucca, Italy where she and Andrew have embraced the cappuccino sipping, pizza eating, gelato licking Italian lifestyle. 2012 will be Andrews second ProTour year and he will be racing for Garmin-Cervelo.
Annika Johannesen: What should I say about Annika . . . ? Annika is my beautiful Swedish-American girlfriend of over half a year now. Often pushing my endurance on hikes, runs and in the gym, she loves to exercise. Annika enlightens me in so many ways and always brings a smile to my face when she rocks out on her Ibanez electric guitar. We are now both living in Chico, Ca for the winter while I prepare for the upcoming season with Trek-LIVESTRONG.
BozBlog 1.) How long have you and your partner been together? Where did you meet and did cycling have anything to do with your first encounter?
Sara Mach: Paul and I have been officially been together since Valentine's Day of 2004. He made me a breakfast burrito and asked me if I'd be his girlfriend. At the time, he was a runner, not a cyclist at all.
Kate Fox: Andrew and I have been together for 2.5 years. We met in Lake Tahoe at a local bike race called "Tour De Nez", I was living in Truckee at the time and had a friend who was racing in the same race. Andrew first caught my eye while receiving the 'Best Young Riders' jersey up on the podium. We were later introduced by mutual friends
Annika Johannesen: The author of this here blog and I have been together for about 6 months. And yes to the second question- we met on a small group ride last fall.
BB 2.) I know you partner is often away traveling and racing, how do you stay in touch with each other during the time apart?
SM: Paul and I use Google chat a lot. He makes sure to contact me after every race so that I know he's OK and alive. We talk on the phone too but he's usually pretty tired so texting and chatting is convenient.
KF: While Andrew is racing we usually use BBM or Skype to stay in touch. Skype (for obvious reasons) is the way to go, especially when he's gone for longer than a week!!!
AJ: We stay in touch primarily through e-mail and the occasional phone call when time-zones and circumstance allow.
BB 3.) Cycling is a hard sport to be successful at, what do you do to try and keep your traveling solider grounded and calm?
SM: Paul is pretty good at staying grounded and calm on his own, but I try to always look on the positive side if he's bothered by something. I also try to come up with jokes for his blog which makes him happy.
KF: I've learned that cycling is a very demanding sport...so to help keep Andrew grounded and calm during the year, I usually try to make sure everything at home is taken care of (ie: cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc.) so that all he needs to worry about is training/racing.
AJ: Encourage him when he needs it and point out how great of a lifestyle cycling allows for. I try to be supportive and positive in as many ways as I can.
BB 4.) Assuming your man is a true cyclist, he shaves his legs. Do you like shaved legs, and have you ever helped him do it?
SM: I like Paul's legs no matter what their hairy situation is. In the spring and summer they are shaved and in the fall and winter they aren't, so I get to experience both. No complaints here.
KF: I never thought in a million years that I would date a man who not only wore spandex, but who also shaved his legs... That was until I met Andrew Now I cringe at the sight of hairy legs! Do I help him? Haha, no he can handle that business on his own! It only gets weird when his legs happen to be softer than mine...that's not ok
AJ: I definitely don’t mind them; they feel nice I guess. I’ve never helped, but maybe he’s trying to give me some kind of hint with this question . . .
BB5.) Nutrition and a wholesome diet are very critical for an endurance athlete. Who does the cooking or do you spend all that big salary on eating out?
SM: We both cook about the same, although we aren't chefs. Spaghetti is a popular meal, along with scrambled eggs, and our own version of the burrito bowl. We're pretty good about going out to eat only once or twice a week.
KF: Nutrition is really important to Andrew and I, especially during the race season. Luckily, we both love cooking and enjoy spending most of our nights in making awesome meals together. I must say, we totally enjoy going out a couple nights a week to our favorite restaurants (this is also a great way to avoid doing dishes)
AJ: We spend a good amount of time preparing meals, cooking together, cooking for each other, eating together . . . its something we connect about and enjoy a lot. Eating out usually only happens on special occasions.
BB 6.) Traveling is a large part of a cyclists life, so when your partner returns home do ever do your own adventures or do you like to spend that cherished time at home?
SM: We're homebodies. We're all about staycations.
KF: I cherish every moment I get to spend with Andrew and generally spend most of my time with him when he is home, however I never hesitate to go on my own adventures when the opportunity presents itself...even if Andrew is home. Being a runner, I have many of my own races (during his off season) and am so grateful when Andrew can be there to support me.
AJ: A little bit of both. Its nice to be mellow and spend some time being a homebody, but little trips and adventures are great and usually lots of fun.
BB7.) What are some of the perks of being with a professional athlete?
SM: One perk of being with a professional cyclist is that his schedule is fairly flexible so we get to spend a lot of time together doing little things, like grocery shopping or walking the dog. He also keeps a pretty bangin' body so he's always looking good.
KF: One of the perks of being with a professional athlete for me is always having someone by your side who inspires you on a daily basis. Additionally, I get the opportunity to travel places I could have never dreamed of I should also mention, it's Great to have a man who's always in amazing physical shape haha.
AJ: I get to ride his motorscooter around town when he doesn’t need it for motorpacing, and he doesn’t need it for motorpacing very often . . .
BB 8.) Do you yourself ever ride with your partner, or is that mixing work with personal life?
SM: I ride with Paul during the off season when he just needs to do an easy coffee ride. Those are the only ones I'll go on with him, otherwise I'm too slow.
KF: N/A. (I know however, that she would sure beat him in a run).
AJ: We ride together frequently, and if Ian has some kind of workout to do or wants to ride faster than me I am fine with getting left behind- I just do my training like I would anyway.
BB 9.) Most cyclist get regular massage, do you ever rub legs? The real question is do they ever return the favor?
SM: I would massage Paul more if he wasn't so ticklish. And Paul sucks at giving massages.
KF: Andrew is a lucky man considering he met a woman who is a massage therapist so yes, I do massage his legs...as far as the favor being returned, let's just say he may not 'rub my legs', but he makes up for it in other ways!
AJ: I do, he does.
BB 10.) I was humiliated and beat by my girlfriend in an arm wrestling match. If there was a showdown who would win?
SM: Paul would win. His T-rex arms are surprisingly strong.
KF: There's no question when it comes to arm wrestling...of course I will take Andrew down!!! Haha, sorry babe.
AJ: There was no contest.
Thank you again ladies for your time and I wish both you and your partner a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous season ahead.
Hope you enjoyed,
Le Boz
Sara Mach: Sarah is the wife of my long time blog rival and Paskenta buddy, Paul Mach. I have known Sara and Paul since 2010, when Paul and I shared a year racing together on BISSELL Pro Cycling. A school teacher in California, she loves her dog Jens and enjoys spray-painting the streets of Nevada City. Next year Paul will be racing for Kenda-5Hour Energy, with Sara cheering and supporting him all the way.
Kate Fox: The smiling and lively girlfriend of America's next superstar Andrew Talansky, she enjoys spending her time competing in adventure races and half marathons. Kate is now living in historic Lucca, Italy where she and Andrew have embraced the cappuccino sipping, pizza eating, gelato licking Italian lifestyle. 2012 will be Andrews second ProTour year and he will be racing for Garmin-Cervelo.
Annika Johannesen: What should I say about Annika . . . ? Annika is my beautiful Swedish-American girlfriend of over half a year now. Often pushing my endurance on hikes, runs and in the gym, she loves to exercise. Annika enlightens me in so many ways and always brings a smile to my face when she rocks out on her Ibanez electric guitar. We are now both living in Chico, Ca for the winter while I prepare for the upcoming season with Trek-LIVESTRONG.
BozBlog 1.) How long have you and your partner been together? Where did you meet and did cycling have anything to do with your first encounter?
Sara Mach: Paul and I have been officially been together since Valentine's Day of 2004. He made me a breakfast burrito and asked me if I'd be his girlfriend. At the time, he was a runner, not a cyclist at all.
Kate Fox: Andrew and I have been together for 2.5 years. We met in Lake Tahoe at a local bike race called "Tour De Nez", I was living in Truckee at the time and had a friend who was racing in the same race. Andrew first caught my eye while receiving the 'Best Young Riders' jersey up on the podium. We were later introduced by mutual friends
Annika Johannesen: The author of this here blog and I have been together for about 6 months. And yes to the second question- we met on a small group ride last fall.
BB 2.) I know you partner is often away traveling and racing, how do you stay in touch with each other during the time apart?
SM: Paul and I use Google chat a lot. He makes sure to contact me after every race so that I know he's OK and alive. We talk on the phone too but he's usually pretty tired so texting and chatting is convenient.
KF: While Andrew is racing we usually use BBM or Skype to stay in touch. Skype (for obvious reasons) is the way to go, especially when he's gone for longer than a week!!!
AJ: We stay in touch primarily through e-mail and the occasional phone call when time-zones and circumstance allow.
BB 3.) Cycling is a hard sport to be successful at, what do you do to try and keep your traveling solider grounded and calm?
SM: Paul is pretty good at staying grounded and calm on his own, but I try to always look on the positive side if he's bothered by something. I also try to come up with jokes for his blog which makes him happy.
KF: I've learned that cycling is a very demanding sport...so to help keep Andrew grounded and calm during the year, I usually try to make sure everything at home is taken care of (ie: cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc.) so that all he needs to worry about is training/racing.
AJ: Encourage him when he needs it and point out how great of a lifestyle cycling allows for. I try to be supportive and positive in as many ways as I can.
BB 4.) Assuming your man is a true cyclist, he shaves his legs. Do you like shaved legs, and have you ever helped him do it?
SM: I like Paul's legs no matter what their hairy situation is. In the spring and summer they are shaved and in the fall and winter they aren't, so I get to experience both. No complaints here.
KF: I never thought in a million years that I would date a man who not only wore spandex, but who also shaved his legs... That was until I met Andrew Now I cringe at the sight of hairy legs! Do I help him? Haha, no he can handle that business on his own! It only gets weird when his legs happen to be softer than mine...that's not ok
AJ: I definitely don’t mind them; they feel nice I guess. I’ve never helped, but maybe he’s trying to give me some kind of hint with this question . . .
BB5.) Nutrition and a wholesome diet are very critical for an endurance athlete. Who does the cooking or do you spend all that big salary on eating out?
SM: We both cook about the same, although we aren't chefs. Spaghetti is a popular meal, along with scrambled eggs, and our own version of the burrito bowl. We're pretty good about going out to eat only once or twice a week.
KF: Nutrition is really important to Andrew and I, especially during the race season. Luckily, we both love cooking and enjoy spending most of our nights in making awesome meals together. I must say, we totally enjoy going out a couple nights a week to our favorite restaurants (this is also a great way to avoid doing dishes)
AJ: We spend a good amount of time preparing meals, cooking together, cooking for each other, eating together . . . its something we connect about and enjoy a lot. Eating out usually only happens on special occasions.
BB 6.) Traveling is a large part of a cyclists life, so when your partner returns home do ever do your own adventures or do you like to spend that cherished time at home?
SM: We're homebodies. We're all about staycations.
KF: I cherish every moment I get to spend with Andrew and generally spend most of my time with him when he is home, however I never hesitate to go on my own adventures when the opportunity presents itself...even if Andrew is home. Being a runner, I have many of my own races (during his off season) and am so grateful when Andrew can be there to support me.
AJ: A little bit of both. Its nice to be mellow and spend some time being a homebody, but little trips and adventures are great and usually lots of fun.
BB7.) What are some of the perks of being with a professional athlete?
SM: One perk of being with a professional cyclist is that his schedule is fairly flexible so we get to spend a lot of time together doing little things, like grocery shopping or walking the dog. He also keeps a pretty bangin' body so he's always looking good.
KF: One of the perks of being with a professional athlete for me is always having someone by your side who inspires you on a daily basis. Additionally, I get the opportunity to travel places I could have never dreamed of I should also mention, it's Great to have a man who's always in amazing physical shape haha.
AJ: I get to ride his motorscooter around town when he doesn’t need it for motorpacing, and he doesn’t need it for motorpacing very often . . .
BB 8.) Do you yourself ever ride with your partner, or is that mixing work with personal life?
SM: I ride with Paul during the off season when he just needs to do an easy coffee ride. Those are the only ones I'll go on with him, otherwise I'm too slow.
KF: N/A. (I know however, that she would sure beat him in a run).
AJ: We ride together frequently, and if Ian has some kind of workout to do or wants to ride faster than me I am fine with getting left behind- I just do my training like I would anyway.
BB 9.) Most cyclist get regular massage, do you ever rub legs? The real question is do they ever return the favor?
SM: I would massage Paul more if he wasn't so ticklish. And Paul sucks at giving massages.
KF: Andrew is a lucky man considering he met a woman who is a massage therapist so yes, I do massage his legs...as far as the favor being returned, let's just say he may not 'rub my legs', but he makes up for it in other ways!
AJ: I do, he does.
BB 10.) I was humiliated and beat by my girlfriend in an arm wrestling match. If there was a showdown who would win?
SM: Paul would win. His T-rex arms are surprisingly strong.
KF: There's no question when it comes to arm wrestling...of course I will take Andrew down!!! Haha, sorry babe.
AJ: There was no contest.
Thank you again ladies for your time and I wish both you and your partner a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous season ahead.
Hope you enjoyed,
Le Boz
Sunday, November 13, 2011
New Blog Coming Soon!
This past week in Chico has been one of the best weeks of my year! Sun, riding, food, coffee and time with my girlfriend have made the first ten days here in California rewarding and splendid. I have a fun blog coming in the next few days, so stay tuned!
A little poem I wrote:
You and Me
You and me, how can this be?
Our love so deep it breaks us free.
The way I feel you can not see,
but now, honey, its just you and me.
Le Boz
A little poem I wrote:
You and Me
You and me, how can this be?
Our love so deep it breaks us free.
The way I feel you can not see,
but now, honey, its just you and me.
Le Boz
Saturday, November 5, 2011
A Season in Review
I did not keep my blog up to date last season, and for that I am sorry. The Boz Blog, like many things in 2011, were a bit scattered. My winter training started much later than in years past for a multitude of reasons. After a quick two winter months in Chico, Ca, I headed to Europe for my first block of racing with the US National Team. Due to the fact that I was a year older, I was naturally stronger, but my fitness level was not where it could of been. This was something I struggled with for the rest of the season.
European racing provided some much needed experience and development, but while traveling I found out that my mother had been re-diagnosed with breast cancer, adding extra weight to an already fatigued mind and body. By the end of two months I was ready to come home and spend some valuable time with my mother. With a clear head and refreshed body I began to build up for the second half of the season, targeting races such as Nevada City, the Cascade Cycling Classic, and the Tour of Utah. I worked hard to build up my fitness, but without consistent mileage and hours over the winter, I felt like I was always trying to make up for lost time.
Nevada City was my first targeted race following Mt. Hood, which was used as a training race. The hours leading up to my start were rather eventful- I ripped the right mirror off my car by backing into a fence post. Additionally, my girlfriend's race number was the mark of the devil- 666. She then proceeded to crash on a fast 180 degree downhill lefthand sweeper, returning to me bleeding and crying. Despite the chaos, I had a beautiful day of racing and won my second consecutive Nevada City Classic, which I was happy to share with my dad (it was fathers day), uncle Craig, and my wounded yet smiling Annika. Next on the list was US Nationals, in sunny, southern, hotter than hell Augusta Georgia. Although I did not produce any spectacular results, my few of my longtime friends and Trek-LIVESTRONG teammates Nate Brown and Lawson Craddock landed spots on the podium, finishing first and second, respectively.
On my flight back to Oregon I began to focus on my hometown race, the Cascade Cycling Classic,. This Classic is a race I know well, taking place on all my favorite roads, giving me a distinct advantage. I rode well, taking 4th and 5th in two stages and 6th in the general classification. Finishing in the top ten was rewarding, but I had yet to reach the level of fitness I knew I could achieve. During this week I was surprised to find out that the team would not be racing the Tour of Utah or the Tour of Colorado due our affiliation with Team RadioShack. I was let down by this information- I had hoped to recreate my success of the 2010 Utah race. However, I accepted it as part of bike racing and turned my focus towards heading back to Europe with the national team.
First up was the Olympic Test Race in London, taking place on the planned course of the 2012 Olympic Games and containing a field full of top level ProTour riders. The test event was a riot (those crazy Brits), and the 250,000 supporters out on the streets were rewarded when their countryman, Mark Cavendish, won the race. Riding at the front in support of Tyler Farrar, I got a taste of what its like to race in the ProTour. This was when I realized that the high level of riding on display was within reach for me if I continued to work hard. Following London I went to Lucca, Italy for a mini training camp with the US team under the guidance of our new Swiss director, Marcello Albasini. The training camp was a prep for the Giro de Valley Aosta, an enormously mountainous race in the Italian Alps, as well as being prep for Le Tour de L'Avenir, the Tour de France for riders under 23.
Aosta is a very prestigious race in Italy, but our team approached it as a training race. We were there to ride and take opportunities presented to us, but we would not dig too deep to create opportunities for ourselves- we were to save ourselves for L'Avenir. Fortunately and unfortunately we did very well at Aosta- on stage one I came within 300 meters of winning the stage after a long solo breakaway (below I posted a report and video from that stage). My Trek teammate Joe Dombrowski showed that he is one of the worlds top young climbers by winning a stage and finishing 2nd on GC. With positive vibes following Aosta we were all excited and confident for Avenir, but none of us could guess the extent to which our hard and rewarding ride in Italy would doom us in France the following week.
In last years Avenir I had the pleasure of riding in support of Andrew Talansky, who took 2nd overall with an outstanding ride resulting from the work of a stellar, dedicated professional team. This year the US team was expecting a similar ride, but we left empty handed. Not once did we get a rider in the top 10 and the only podium we saw was at the team presentation as well as myself wearing the Green Number for most environmentally friendly rider (It was more of a joke- they just felt bad for me because I crashed). We left France greatly disappointed, but learned a valuable lesson about racing and preparation for key events- when you are targeting a race, you need to save all your energy for said race, even if it means letting other opportunities pass.
With the emptiness of Avenir fresh in our minds, we went back to Belgium for a one day race to keep our legs fast for Worlds in Copenhagen. Our team again experienced misfortune and produced poor results at the one day race, with four out of five crashing on the wet cobblestones, including all of our sprinters. Worlds was no more of a success- wounded and tired, we employed the tactics we needed to, but just didn't have the zest and energy to walk away with the win.
Writing this blog I realize that my season was a bit of a roller coaster. Like any other season, I had some great days and some bad days, but overall I feel that I never reached my full potential. I wouldn't say that I am disappointed by this, but I would say I am unsatisfied. I went to all the big races, but I was riding in support of others instead of contesting the races at the front like I know I can. This season I learned that in the world of cycling, if you let up for a second you are out of it for a year. I have big goals for 2012 and with the knowledge I have acquired this year I plan on once again racing to win. Unlike last year I have already started my winter base training, and with the help of my coach Hunter Allen (peakscoachinggroup.com) I plan to hit the 2012 racing season fit and ready to win.
Thanks for reading and see you out on the road!
Ian
Valle d"Aosta Stage 1 Report and Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlDQPyzaDLw)
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat"-Theodore Roosevelt. This is what my roommate Rob Squire read to me before the stage today. So with this in mind Rob and I went out to race our bikes with passion and panache. Soon after the start Rob and I both made a large break of 20+ riders, we gained time over the pack quickly and had five minutes before the first climb 25km into the race.
Motivated from Teddy's quote, Rob told me he wanted to win the stage and I told him I wanted to win the KOM jersey(King of the Mountains). As we neared the top of the first climb I went for the KOM sprint and took 3rd. After some amazing and scenic roads through the French Alps we hit the second climb, 90km from the finish. The break stopped working together, so I decided to mix things up. I went to the front and rode a harder pace and soon found myself off the front. I first told myself I would ride to the top of the climb, get the KOM points and see what kind of gap I had. By the top I had over 1'30" on the break so I decided to ride and see if I could pick up the next KOM 20km from the summit of the 2nd climb. Not killing myself I rode steady and hit the next climb with the same gap. I summited the 3rd climb and now had 2' over the break. At this point out team director came up to me and told me to continue but not burn all my fuel, so continued on and rode within self.
By the time I reached the last climb 30km from the finish my gap was still at 2', and Marcello told me to ride for the win. Riding off the front also hoped Rob who was in the group behind, as he did not have to work with the others who were chasing. I summited the final climb 25km from the finish with 1'30" over the chasing group which was now down to just 10 riders. After a technical decent I put my head down and rode for the win. The last 25km was a mostly flat route with a hard 1km finishing climb that we had scouted out this morning. I gave it all I had and still had a 40" gap over the chase group with 5km togo. At this point I thought I could win, all I had to do was make it up the final climb which was over 15%.
With 2km togo I still had 20" over the chase. As the climb approaching I got goosebumps just thinking of the win, and kept the power driving on. I hit the 15% pitch and had pain in my legs like I have never experienced before, but with the finish line just 600 meters away I gave it all I had. The fans on the road where cheering, but all I could hear were my legs telling me to stop. With 500 meters to go I looked back and still didn't see anyone, however my speed was starting to slow. By the time I hit 300 meter from the finish I was probably going under 5km/h, it was at this point I was passed by the chasers. Too knackered to feel emotion, I looked up to see Rob and the others come by at a much higher speed. The last 200 meters were the longest of my life, and I then realized I did what I could and came up just 300 meters short. I have seen riders come up short a hundred times on TV, being caught in the final, but never has it happened to me. After crossing the line I had no regrets, I gave 100% and thats all I can do.
Rob finished 3rd on the stage, which is a great result. I won the KOM jersey and most aggressive rider for the day, however there is still a lot of climbing to be done before this race is over. Following the stage I gave a few interviews in my broken French trying to win the hearts of the French fans. Tomorrow is a huge day with three cat 1 climbs, so I will recover to my best and give the race what I have tomorrow.
European racing provided some much needed experience and development, but while traveling I found out that my mother had been re-diagnosed with breast cancer, adding extra weight to an already fatigued mind and body. By the end of two months I was ready to come home and spend some valuable time with my mother. With a clear head and refreshed body I began to build up for the second half of the season, targeting races such as Nevada City, the Cascade Cycling Classic, and the Tour of Utah. I worked hard to build up my fitness, but without consistent mileage and hours over the winter, I felt like I was always trying to make up for lost time.
Nevada City was my first targeted race following Mt. Hood, which was used as a training race. The hours leading up to my start were rather eventful- I ripped the right mirror off my car by backing into a fence post. Additionally, my girlfriend's race number was the mark of the devil- 666. She then proceeded to crash on a fast 180 degree downhill lefthand sweeper, returning to me bleeding and crying. Despite the chaos, I had a beautiful day of racing and won my second consecutive Nevada City Classic, which I was happy to share with my dad (it was fathers day), uncle Craig, and my wounded yet smiling Annika. Next on the list was US Nationals, in sunny, southern, hotter than hell Augusta Georgia. Although I did not produce any spectacular results, my few of my longtime friends and Trek-LIVESTRONG teammates Nate Brown and Lawson Craddock landed spots on the podium, finishing first and second, respectively.
On my flight back to Oregon I began to focus on my hometown race, the Cascade Cycling Classic,. This Classic is a race I know well, taking place on all my favorite roads, giving me a distinct advantage. I rode well, taking 4th and 5th in two stages and 6th in the general classification. Finishing in the top ten was rewarding, but I had yet to reach the level of fitness I knew I could achieve. During this week I was surprised to find out that the team would not be racing the Tour of Utah or the Tour of Colorado due our affiliation with Team RadioShack. I was let down by this information- I had hoped to recreate my success of the 2010 Utah race. However, I accepted it as part of bike racing and turned my focus towards heading back to Europe with the national team.
First up was the Olympic Test Race in London, taking place on the planned course of the 2012 Olympic Games and containing a field full of top level ProTour riders. The test event was a riot (those crazy Brits), and the 250,000 supporters out on the streets were rewarded when their countryman, Mark Cavendish, won the race. Riding at the front in support of Tyler Farrar, I got a taste of what its like to race in the ProTour. This was when I realized that the high level of riding on display was within reach for me if I continued to work hard. Following London I went to Lucca, Italy for a mini training camp with the US team under the guidance of our new Swiss director, Marcello Albasini. The training camp was a prep for the Giro de Valley Aosta, an enormously mountainous race in the Italian Alps, as well as being prep for Le Tour de L'Avenir, the Tour de France for riders under 23.
Aosta is a very prestigious race in Italy, but our team approached it as a training race. We were there to ride and take opportunities presented to us, but we would not dig too deep to create opportunities for ourselves- we were to save ourselves for L'Avenir. Fortunately and unfortunately we did very well at Aosta- on stage one I came within 300 meters of winning the stage after a long solo breakaway (below I posted a report and video from that stage). My Trek teammate Joe Dombrowski showed that he is one of the worlds top young climbers by winning a stage and finishing 2nd on GC. With positive vibes following Aosta we were all excited and confident for Avenir, but none of us could guess the extent to which our hard and rewarding ride in Italy would doom us in France the following week.
In last years Avenir I had the pleasure of riding in support of Andrew Talansky, who took 2nd overall with an outstanding ride resulting from the work of a stellar, dedicated professional team. This year the US team was expecting a similar ride, but we left empty handed. Not once did we get a rider in the top 10 and the only podium we saw was at the team presentation as well as myself wearing the Green Number for most environmentally friendly rider (It was more of a joke- they just felt bad for me because I crashed). We left France greatly disappointed, but learned a valuable lesson about racing and preparation for key events- when you are targeting a race, you need to save all your energy for said race, even if it means letting other opportunities pass.
With the emptiness of Avenir fresh in our minds, we went back to Belgium for a one day race to keep our legs fast for Worlds in Copenhagen. Our team again experienced misfortune and produced poor results at the one day race, with four out of five crashing on the wet cobblestones, including all of our sprinters. Worlds was no more of a success- wounded and tired, we employed the tactics we needed to, but just didn't have the zest and energy to walk away with the win.
Writing this blog I realize that my season was a bit of a roller coaster. Like any other season, I had some great days and some bad days, but overall I feel that I never reached my full potential. I wouldn't say that I am disappointed by this, but I would say I am unsatisfied. I went to all the big races, but I was riding in support of others instead of contesting the races at the front like I know I can. This season I learned that in the world of cycling, if you let up for a second you are out of it for a year. I have big goals for 2012 and with the knowledge I have acquired this year I plan on once again racing to win. Unlike last year I have already started my winter base training, and with the help of my coach Hunter Allen (peakscoachinggroup.com) I plan to hit the 2012 racing season fit and ready to win.
Thanks for reading and see you out on the road!
Ian
Valle d"Aosta Stage 1 Report and Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlDQPyzaDLw)
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat"-Theodore Roosevelt. This is what my roommate Rob Squire read to me before the stage today. So with this in mind Rob and I went out to race our bikes with passion and panache. Soon after the start Rob and I both made a large break of 20+ riders, we gained time over the pack quickly and had five minutes before the first climb 25km into the race.
Motivated from Teddy's quote, Rob told me he wanted to win the stage and I told him I wanted to win the KOM jersey(King of the Mountains). As we neared the top of the first climb I went for the KOM sprint and took 3rd. After some amazing and scenic roads through the French Alps we hit the second climb, 90km from the finish. The break stopped working together, so I decided to mix things up. I went to the front and rode a harder pace and soon found myself off the front. I first told myself I would ride to the top of the climb, get the KOM points and see what kind of gap I had. By the top I had over 1'30" on the break so I decided to ride and see if I could pick up the next KOM 20km from the summit of the 2nd climb. Not killing myself I rode steady and hit the next climb with the same gap. I summited the 3rd climb and now had 2' over the break. At this point out team director came up to me and told me to continue but not burn all my fuel, so continued on and rode within self.
By the time I reached the last climb 30km from the finish my gap was still at 2', and Marcello told me to ride for the win. Riding off the front also hoped Rob who was in the group behind, as he did not have to work with the others who were chasing. I summited the final climb 25km from the finish with 1'30" over the chasing group which was now down to just 10 riders. After a technical decent I put my head down and rode for the win. The last 25km was a mostly flat route with a hard 1km finishing climb that we had scouted out this morning. I gave it all I had and still had a 40" gap over the chase group with 5km togo. At this point I thought I could win, all I had to do was make it up the final climb which was over 15%.
With 2km togo I still had 20" over the chase. As the climb approaching I got goosebumps just thinking of the win, and kept the power driving on. I hit the 15% pitch and had pain in my legs like I have never experienced before, but with the finish line just 600 meters away I gave it all I had. The fans on the road where cheering, but all I could hear were my legs telling me to stop. With 500 meters to go I looked back and still didn't see anyone, however my speed was starting to slow. By the time I hit 300 meter from the finish I was probably going under 5km/h, it was at this point I was passed by the chasers. Too knackered to feel emotion, I looked up to see Rob and the others come by at a much higher speed. The last 200 meters were the longest of my life, and I then realized I did what I could and came up just 300 meters short. I have seen riders come up short a hundred times on TV, being caught in the final, but never has it happened to me. After crossing the line I had no regrets, I gave 100% and thats all I can do.
Rob finished 3rd on the stage, which is a great result. I won the KOM jersey and most aggressive rider for the day, however there is still a lot of climbing to be done before this race is over. Following the stage I gave a few interviews in my broken French trying to win the hearts of the French fans. Tomorrow is a huge day with three cat 1 climbs, so I will recover to my best and give the race what I have tomorrow.
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