Merco Weekend

This past weekend was the Merco Classic, it is the unofficial start to the real California race season. I joined five of my BISSELL teammates and took part in a very successful and fun weekend of racing. I will try and get around to a blog this week, but in the mean time here is a link to my weekend room buddy and star cyclist Paul Mach's weekend recap.

http://www.paulmach.com/

The road ahead

The one thing I have learned already this season as my first year as a professional bike racer is that nothing is ever 100%. In this wild world of bike racing things change faster than the gears on a bike. Just two weeks ago I had had my entire spring planed out; I was to stay living in Chico for the spring and race with my team BISSELL Pro Cycling in a lot of the bigger races on the west coast. However, this all changed with the click of a mouse, an invitation from the national team to race in Europe for a two month block threw some curves in my road.
It took me a while do decide what I wanted to do, on one hand I want to race here in the US with my new team and on the other I love racing in Europe and the experience I get is unmatched. I finally came to the conclusion that racing in the US will always be an option, so I will be going to my second home in Belgium yet again. On the 19th of March I be leaving to us and flying to Belgium for a short week before flying down to Portugal for a u23 nations cup. The racing is bound to me hard and now that I am no longer racing at the junior level I’m back at the bottom of the chopping block. Before I head to Europe I will have the chance to race some in the US with my team. I will be racing the Snelling road race tomorrow with the company of my younger brother. He and my mother came down earlier this week to see me before I head off to Europe and also bring a few of my things back to Bend. My mother drove back to Bend early this morning, and left Austin behind to enjoy some California life style. I can’t wait to see how Austin does in the race this weekend and hope we get some good bonding before both of our seasons start and we hit the road.
My dad will be coming down mid next week for a little Boswell Chico training camp and to take Austin home. Even thought my plans are always changing my family is always there to support me and adjust with the changing tide. I’ll enjoy my final few weeks in the US with two more California races then pack the bags and go to my second home across the Atlantic.

With the season ahead the blog will be back alive,
Ian

Team camp photo gallery

Team camp

This past week I've been in Santa Rosa, Ca for my team camp. I will get a post up soon but till then here is a link to my teammate Paul Mach's blog.

http://paulmach.com/

A little thread from Belgium

This is just a quick post, but yesterday as I was taking a shower I noticed the bracelet that my host bother Julien (from my Belgian exchange) made me three years ago. I have worn it every day since I tied it on and now three years later it remains in the same place. The white thread has aged from a pearl white to a faded gray, but I’d like to think that a little dirt from the 13 different countries I have traveled to in the past three years is engrained somewhere in the bracelet. The opportunities I have had will never be forgotten and thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way.

Ian

Where do I want to be?

I’m writing this from the comfort of my warm room in my dry house. The rain outside continues to fall and the wind persists to howl, and as I think about what I’ve been doing for the last four and a half hours my room is all the more appreciated. This morning I dressed for the elements and with my iPod on play, I hit the road in what was a wet and windy ride. Several times during the ride I noticed the classic and quiet country farm homes which are cumbersome in most of my rides outside of Chico, Ca. Not only did the houses look welcoming with the smoke coming from the chimneys or the lights on inside, but I was imagining that the mother of the house was cooking some hot cookies and the family was around the TV watching the NFL playoffs. So bad I wanted to get off my bike and be home with my family, dry and warm; however I was doing what I love to do. It’s interesting how many ups and downs one will go through on a four hour ride, but when all is down I’m almost always glad I was out on the road. Today was one of those rides that you just try and get done because there is not much desirable about it; the ironic thing is, this week’s weather is going to remain the same, but I’m guaranteed to be out there wishing I was in the comfort of my home with my family.

A family affair

During the holiday vacation I left sunny Chico, California to visit my family in Bend, Oregon. I quickly remembered why I moved to California. Bend was cold but warm, I always love seeing family and getting together. As we get older I’ve noticed how we are all now doing our own thing and see one another a lot less, which is sad, but makes it that much better once we do get together.
When I am away from Bend the person I miss the most is my brother Austin. We fight, tussle and do almost everything else together, but most recently he has started getting into cycling and is amazingly strong already. My last day in Bend we did a 75 mile ride and he had no problem hanging with the group and was even at the front taking pulls. Next season he plans on racing a lot and I can’t wait to watch him and support him like he has done for me for so long.
My highlights while I was in Bend were, riding with my dad and brother, Christmas dinner, and cutting down our huge Christmas tree that Austin hauled out of the woods by himself and decorating it with my family.

Hope all had a great holiday season and great new years. More posts on the way as the racing is coming up quick.
Ian