Well since the last time I wrote an entry the riding has been getting progressively better here in Colorado. I am slowly adjusting to the altitude and each day I am feeling stronger on the bike. Last Thursday night there was racing at the velodrome and things couldn’t have started off better. There were three events, a keirin, miss ‘n out and madison, and I ended up with two seconds and a first place. Not too shabby for only being out here for twenty-four hours.

There have been a bunch of good riders out here training – and that is always motivation when things are getting tough during those last intervals. Michael Blatchford, one of the top sprinters in the country, has been lighting it up every day I’ve been here while two of the Spike track pros, Ryan Luttrell and Kevin Suhr, have been pushing Jackie and I in both the races and training.

Friday Mark Tyson motorpaced Suhr, Luttrell, Jackie and myself. We split up into two madison teams and did two 15 minute sessions behind the bike. It wasn’t too difficult but Sam Jurekovic, one of the OTC resident athletes for mountain biking, quickly decided it was better to sit on the motorbike than try and sit on two madison teams doing exchanges at 35+ mph.

After a light day Friday, Saturday was the Parker Twilight Criterium. It was originally supposed to be part of the USA Crit series but a lack of prize money ended up taking it off the calendar. Regardless, there was a very solid field there that included Taylor Phinney, Neil Shirley, Colby Pearce and Blake Caldwell. The race was only an hour so it was fast out of the blocks. A few laps in I attacked hard and quickly got off the front with Phinney and one other rider. The move never stuck and I really paid for the effort. I was hanging on for dear life and gasping for whatever air was available. With ten laps to go Jackie got in a dangerous move off the front with Blake Caldwell and one other rider. I really thought it was going to stick but they were slowly reeled in with only a few laps to go. Neil Shirley immediately countered and it was all I could do to hang on his wheel. It was an all or nothing move. And I came out with nothing. We got caught going into the last lap and I finished mid-pack. It was a bit frustrating but both Jackie and I agreed that we are slowly starting to acclimate and the legs are feeling better each day.

Well there aren’t many photographs from the race but there are a couple of us on the start line. We are staying with the Steinwands out here in Colorado and Tracy Steinwand took the photos. Hope everyone is enjoying the off season!

David

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