Cycling Illustrated Issue 1 Spring 2013 by Cycling Illustrated

» cyclingillustrated.com | 1

THE ALL-FEARED

TOUR de FORCE

JEDI MASTERS

LEGENDS STILL ROLLING

I HEAR VOICES

SPEED DEMONS

IIN ss uUeE E tthhiiss IISS DE SIID NS

TERMINATOR

SAGAN

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

PLUS

The PREMIERE Issue

ISSUE 1

Spring 2013

Table of

CONTENTS 6

Founder’s Note

Founders

Contributors

Starting Line

“

In order to make it to the top, your whole life has to be centered around cycling... Talent will only get you so far; hard work and dedication are a must.” GEORGE HINCAPIE

pg 33

pg 27

14 18

And They’re Off

We’re all bike riders.

Cycalendar Take Me to School Tips and lessons from some of cycling’s ﬁnest

What 24 27 33

Frame Job

Six bike frames that inspire

Jedi Masters

Five Obi-wans of masters racing

Tour de Force George Hincapie reﬂects on a storied career

ISSUE 1

Spring 2013 pg 64

Where 36

Training Camps

Part 1: Get on Your Mark Part 2: Camping Without Tents

Legends Still Rolling Talking with the sport’s greats of old

Photographer’s Choice

A photo essay

How 60

Living Legend, Custom Craftsman

Inside Bill Davidson’s shop and mind

The Prodigal Son Becomes the “Terminator”

An interview with Peter Sagan

Not Your Average Cup of Joe

Joe Wiley’s ﬁt philosophy out of the shadows

Who

pg 92

74 78 82

86 92

pg 78

Ivan Basso

Bring the bass

Pain to Gain

The Tayler Wiles story

I Hear Voices

Interviewing two of cyclingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most recognized voices

Speed Demons

Meet the fastest cyclists in America

The Last Drop

A Photo Essay

Connect with Cycling Illustrated Connect with us to stay updated on the biggest news, names and races in cycling. cyclingillustrated.com /cycillustrated

pg 86

/cyclingillustrated

founder’s note

“

It is not just about how many lives you touch, but making sure your touch is extraordinary.

From

BRANDON “BJ” HALE

SCRATCH Dear Cycling Illustrated Enthusiast:

As I read the latest headlines and prepare for my day, I can’t help but reflect on the fact that I seldom have any alone time to think about what’s really important. I believe in big dreams, I believe in people, and I believe we all have a purpose. Very few of us will ever understand our purpose, and fewer still will realize that purpose fully. To me, it should never be about the few, and it certainly shouldn’t be about ourselves. We need to see what we can do for other people, and not just the ones around us. Sometimes it’s something simple; give them a reason to smile, to laugh, to make their day just a little more joyful. I’ll never forget when I first started Cycling Illustrated, and how I immediately knew I was doing something important. The cycling community embraced our efforts wholeheartedly. I would like to thank each of you for keeping our slogan alive: “Built by Cyclists, With Cyclists and For Cyclists.” I want to dedicate this issue to the idealists. To the people who know in their hearts that anything is possible, the people who fight to fully realize their dreams, the people who find happiness every day, share their passions, and give consideration to everyone else. It’s not about how many lives you touch, but rather making sure that touch is uplifting, generous, and extraordinary. So lift up your glass, and give cheers to those that are important to you. I would not be where I am today without your trust and confidence. I love what I do, and I love what we are building. For your support, I am truly, truly grateful, both professionally and personally.

Founder- Brandon “BJ” Hale

6 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Connect with Cycling Illustrated Connect with us to stay updated on the biggest news, names and races in cycling.

cyclingillustrated.com

/cycillustrated

/cyclingillustrated

Meet Our

FOUNDERS DANNY MUNSON

He captures some of your most precious moments. He paints a picture that tells a story. He is a photographer who records memories, events, time, and people through a camera. His images demonstrate the emotional value of his work, and allow the observer to see, touch, and feel the power of photography and how it can impact lives.

@DMunsonPhoto

BRIAN BLACK HODES

Brian is one of the most connected and respected photographers in the sport of cycling. With over 30 years’ experience, he’s able to apply his unique perspective to capture the art in the action. From the Amgen tour of California to the ParaOlympics in London, he has shot a wide range of the most prestigious cycling and sporting events around the world.

@veloimages

TODD MACMILLAN

California native Todd MacMillan grew up mountain biking in the hills of the Monterey Peninsula. He developed his photography and graphic design skills while attending college at UCSB. In a quest to meld his passion for cycling with his knowledge of computers and photography, he helped Cycling Illustrated develop the original idea, and built the Cycling Illustrated website.

todd@notfarnow.com » cyclingillustrated.com | 7

contributors DOTSIE BAUSCH

TAUSCH

2012 London Silver Medal Olympian, sixtime U.S. National Champion, and two-time Pan Am Championship gold medal winner.

@dotsiebausch

GRETA NEIMANAS A quirky, candy loving, tall sock wearing, tattooed, car & roller dancer playing bikes w/ Exergy TWENTY16 & the US Paralympic National teams.

@gretaneimanas

KEVIN HUNTER Kevin Hunter is a freelance journalist and public relations consultant who lives in Long Beach, CA. With more than 25 years of experience as a sports and features writer, Hunter has written for numerous publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, and L.A. Weekly. Hunter’s hobbies include running, cycling, the gym, reading, listening to music, playing video games, making fun of his friends and family on social media, as well as spending quality time with his son. Hunter is

BUILT BY CYCLISTS, WITH CYCLISTS AND FOR CYCLISTS

also known for spending way too much time at a local coffeehouse.

@kdjhunt

SCOT HINCKLEYDANIELSON Scot is a native Californian who’s managed to infiltrate the Pacific Northwest, due in no small part to his red beard, tattoos, and a few strategic flannel purchases. During the day, he works in management, where his employees occasionally listen to him. He’s also a musician, photographer, writer, fly-fisher, beer drinker, and bike camper. He rides a lugged steel country bike that weighs at least 35 pounds, shellacs his cotton bar tape, has way lower gears than you, and much fatter tires. He’s never owned a bit of lycra or carbon fiber, but he owns plenty of wool, leather, steel, and canvas.

SEAN BURKE Sean is the head coach and owner of Crank Cycling. Sean has been a USAC certiﬁed coach since 2002, has degrees in nutrition and exercise physiology, and has taught college level exercise physiology, exercise testing,

nutrition, and sports nutrition. When he’s not coaching or teaching, he enjoys international travel both with and without his bicycle. Sean has raced mountain bikes, road bikes, and even done a few ‘cross races, but mostly he sticks to the track on race days. He and his wife have 13 bikes between the two of them, and they ride them as often as possible.

CHRIS DAGGS Chris has raced for more than 25 seasons, and has become a Category 1 racer on the road and track. Among his athletic accomplishments are multiple state road and track championships. Chris has also had the opportunity to race in Europe, and has placed at both the Elite Road and Track National Championships. His holistic approach to training not only makes his clients better cyclists, but improves their overall health. Chris shares his passion for ﬁtness with his wife, Monica, who is also a yoga instructor, cyclist, and (ex?) marathon runner.

TRINA JACOBSON Trina Jacobson is a mother and works in sales. She’s also a Cat 1 road racer known as Quads of Fast Destruction. The native

Texan still uses “y’all,” though she lives in San Diego.

@MommaRides

SETH DAVIDSON Seth is a personal injury lawyer in Torrance, CA who represents accident victims throughout Southern California. A signiﬁcant part of his practice involves representing bicyclists injured in collisions with motor vehicles. Seth has raced bikes competitively since 1984. In addition to personal injury and accident cases, he represents clients in bankruptcy matters. He has been a referral attorney for Legal Aid Society of Orange County for the past three years, and has presented at the State Bar Convention as well as for the Legal Aid Society. He is in his third year of membership on the State Bar’s Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, and is a member of the Japanese-American Bar Association. Seth is ﬂuent in Spanish, Japanese, and German.

CHRIS LYMAN Chris Lyman lives in Northern California with one wife, two dogs, two bikes, and never enough wine. He’s a PR man by day and Cat

1, two-time masters national time trial champion on weekends.

SCOTT DWORKIN Scott Dworkin is a writer and photographer based in Thousand Oaks, California, north of Los Angeles. Scott has participated in cycling since about 1996, ﬁrst as a recreational mountain biker. He discovered road bikes shortly thereafter. As a road cyclist, Scott participated as a Cat 5 racer before deciding that covering cycling was better suited to his skill set than racing! As a writer and photographer, Scott has been covering the local Southern California masters and pro race scene for the past 4 years. He’s also branched out to cover larger races like the San Dimas Stage Race, Redlands, and the Tour of California. He has shot for various teams during training camps in the Southern California area. For the past two years Scott has worked extensively with the Breakaway from Cancer Masters Race Team, providing photographs and acting as public relations liaison for the team.

@Scott1091

MATT FREEMAN Matt Freeman is a licensed USA Cycling Level 3 Coach, Elite cross country mountain bike and cyclocross racer, former Expert/A-level off-

road motorcycle racer, freelance writer, father, husband, and an Expert Coach for the worldrenowned Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). He wears many helmets, which means he’s notorious for getting in over his head and stretching deadlines. Every now and then, Freeman gets a wild hair and goes road racing, but since he rarely has any teammates, he spends way too much time covering attacks and, well, you know how that ends. His heroes are Valentino Rossi, Brett Favre, and anyone that survived the punk rock revolution of the 70s. Freeman claims he has many claims to fame, including owning the Redlands Tuesday Night Sunset World Championships for the past decade, and recently landing a hot doctor as his wife.

@mattfreemanrace

KIRK BAUSCH Kirk, or KB, as he is known amongst his cycling friends, grew up riding bicycles. Racing around the local neighborhood was a way of life since he was 9 years old. Soon after college, he discovered the awesome racing community that Southern California had to offer. His competitive nature and never-say-die drive saw him dive head ﬁrst into Southern California’s masters racing scene. KB has earned the top spot on the podium at both the national and state levels. He recently experienced racing in Spain with much success, never ﬁnishing out of the top 5. KB has intimately experienced

the highest levels of cycling. KB has traveled extensively with Dotsie to numerous international races over the last 7 years, and he lived in Spain during the summer of 2012 as she made ﬁnal preparations for the Olympic Games. KB is extremely passionate about all aspects of cycling: road, MTB, track, CX. It’s the love of the sport that keeps him ticking.

JOE WILEY Joe gravitated to endurance sport after discovering it was a natural vehicle for attaining more mystical states of consciousness.

JEN SEE Jen is a freelance writer based in Santa Barbara. She contributes regularly to CI, Bicycling, Mountain Flyer, and VeloNews. An ex-mountain bike racer, Jen also has a Ph.D. in U.S. history. When not writing, she can be found playing bikes in the hills or out surﬁng Rincon. Her favorite food is espresso ristretto, and all her bikes are blue.

@_Gavia_

LAURA MESEGUER Laura studied media studies at university and she has a degree in marketing and sport law.

Ride Big Bear Premium Vacation Rentals

She worked for the press Agency Agencia EFE and worked in communications in two different companies for 3 years. Right now, she’s chief editor of Pedalier Pro magazine and a Eurosport reporter for the Cuelta a Espana. Laura works in commications and protocol for the cyclotourist race Mallorca312. She writes for the Festina microsite “This is Our Sport” and collaborates with other international publications.

@Laura_Meseguer

CATHERINE FEGAN KIM CFK is a British national who grew up in Japan and is now living in Utah of all places. She has been shooting images as Cotton Sox Photography since 2006, while racing her bike, this year on the DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 women’s team. Yeah, lover of all things cycling. “You bring it, I’ll shoot it!”

@cottonsox

IAN PIKE Ian Pike is a professional writer who can also stake a valid claim to being the best cook in SoCal cycling. He’s pretty good at Madison, pretty bad at climbing, and believes in the power of the semi-colon.

@FullFlavorPike

FOUNDER, PUBLISHER, AND CEO

ART DIRECTOR, MAGAZINE

COPY EDITOR, MAGAZINE

Jennifer Hood

Brandon Hale

Ian Pike Scot Hinckley- Danielson

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, MAGAZINE

CO-FOUNDERS Danny Munson Brian Hodes Todd MacMillan

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brandon Hale

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, MAGAZINE Brandon Hale

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, WEB Todd MacMillan

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Scot Hinckley-Danielson Hilary Hale Ian Pike Brandon Hale

ART DIRECTORS, WEB Todd MacMillan, Web

Amy Hood Julie Mack Boyce

ACCOUNTING

Danny Munson Brian Hodes Matt Lasala Todd MacMillan

Hilary Hale

IT Todd MacMillan

CONTRIBUTORS Jen See, Seth Davidson, Trina Jacobson, Greta Neimanas, Kirk Bausch, Dotsie Bausch, Scot Hinckley-Danielson, Chris Daggs, Sean Burke, Scott Dworkin, Matt Freeman, Brandon Hale, Joe Wiley, Kevin Hunter, Chris Lyman, Andrew Juiliano, Carmen Small, Eric Marcotte, Devan Dunn, Chris Baldwin, Ben King, Phil Gaimon, Laura Meseguer, Jamie Paolinetti, Adam Farabaugh, Linsay Bayer, Logan Loader, Mike Olheiser

Invites you to share your reactions to our latest stories. Send your correspondence to Editor, Cycling Illustrated ™ The Magazine P.O. Box 10362 Newport Beach CA 92658 or to info@cyclingillustrated.com. This magazine accepts freelance contributors; however, unsolicited materials cannot be returned, and Cycling Illustrated ™ accepts no responsibility for loss or damage of unsolicited materials. Laguna Beach Cyclery | 240 Thalia St, Laguna Beach, CA | 949-494-1522 | lagunabeachcyclery.com

Todd MacMillan Brandon Hale

PHOTOGRAPHERS

To Our Readers: Cycling Illustrated ™

CINEMATOGRAPHERS/ VIDEO EDITORS

COVER Brian Hodes Rider: Peter Sagan Where: San Luis, Argentina

DIRECTOR OF SALES AND DIGITAL MEDIA Brandon Hale

SALES Jim Stewart

Cycling Illustrated™ P.O. Box 10362, Newport Beach, CA 92658 cyclingillustrated.com ©2012 Cycling Illustrated ™ All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent of the copyright owner. Views expressed herein are those of the others and advertisers and do not necessarily reﬂect those of ownership our management of the magazine.

ADVERTISERS: For inquiries, Please contact Brandon Hale at bj@cyclingillustrated.com.

Cover Image The cover image of Peter Sagan was photographed by Brian Hodes

THE FUTURE OF CYCLING

Ty Magner U23 National Criterium Champion Hincapie Sportswear Development Team

We believe in investing in the future of the sport we love. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we created the Hincapie Sportswear Development Cycling Team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a team designed to give promising young athletes a chance to advance into the pro peloton. We also think that the team is a great place to test new products and technologies. Racing in some of the hardest events in the country, these riders put each of our products to the test, ensuring that Hincapie apparel is ready for any ride.

www.hincapie.com

STARTING

And They’re WE’RE ALL BIKE RACERS

With each new hand-wringing editorial about “the state of the sport” or the latest doping revelation and hilarious denial, (“It’s ABSURD to suggest that my client ever visited Dr. Maseratiferrari for anything other than his excellent training plans!”) I have to laugh. “Cycling’s in a crisis!” people howl. “How are we going to save the sport?” Vaughters moans. “Truth and reconciliation!” clamor various crazy people. Et. Cet. Era. 12 | cyclingillustrated.com «

More of Seth on the site Seth Davidson is writes a column regularly on Cycling Illustrated under the moniker, “Wankmeister”. Draw your own comclusions. Visit cyclingillustrated.com to check out his irreverant, hilarious-yet-informative news updates and cycling lessons. Fragile and sensative readers beware, nothing is sacred when Wankmeister is blogging...

portions that complement but never Fact is, the sport of cycling is doing replace the main meal. great, and Cycling Illustrated is part of the proof. There’s a vast market The reason that bike racing is doing for news, photos, events, products, great, regardless of how many peoand services related to bike racing ple pin on numbers and regardless on all levels. More people ride than of whether licensees are up or down, ever before. Cities like Encinitas whether sponsors are in or out, and Hermosa Beach have put in whether pro teams wax or entire bike-only lanes to wane, is because we’re all complement road sharBy Seth bike racers. row lanes. Davidson Photo By We always have been. We Troglodyte, car-centric Danny Munson always will be. LA has installed sharrows, painted downtown bike The nature of the bicylanes bright green, and hosts biketopia cle is to race it weekend events that celebrate twoIf you ride a bike, you’re a bike wheeled travel and culture in the heart racer. You can’t help it. of the city. Even death corridors like PCH between Temescal Canyon and The nature of the beast is to push the Malibu are getting in the crosshairs of pedals, and then to push them harder. planners and advocates for lane sharOnce you’ve pushed them harder and ing despite the Twitter freakouts of your legs have started to sting a little, Cher and her ilk, cocooned as they are you’ll relax…until someone passes in the four-wheeled cage of bumperyou or until a victim appears just up to-bumper traffic. ahead. Off you’ll go, pushing harder, going faster until you’ve either taken Local bike racing fields in Southern your prey, been overtaken by your California are healthy, and sometimes pursuer, or reached the coffee shop/ maxed out. There’s a road race, TT, beer joint/grocery store or bike shop crit, MTB, or track race almost every (where you were going to upgrade weekend from January-August, and to a “faster” bike) or a more potent beginning in September there are too alcoholic beverage. many ‘cross races for even the hardiest mud and guts aficionados.

Cycling in a crisis? No way. The crisis, if there is one, is among the liars, cheaters, dopers, and thieves who’ve been caught lying, cheating, doping, and stealing. For the next long while we’ll get to sample the subtext of Lance’s latest lawsuit like chocolate cake at the end of a health food buffet: in small

I vividly remember my ﬁrst bike, and you remember yours, too. Why? Because we’re bike racers, and the ﬁrst thing we did after learning not to fall over was to race our big brother, or our big sister, or our imaginary playmate, or John and Todd Sweeney who lived a couple of blocks over on Valerie Street. Whether it was Mark Scheurmann’s

Schwinn Varsity against your Murray Monterey, or your dad’s Hercules with Sturmey-Archer gearing that was too big to ride but you somehow managed to ride anyway, part and parcel of riding your bike as a kid was racing it. You raced it to school, or to the big oak tree at the end of the block, or down the emergency ramp by the Flagship Hotel in Galveston onto the beach, or along the seawall, or down into the ditch by Braeburn Elementary and up the big dirt jump on the other side, never bothering to wonder how one actually “caught” air, just zooming up trying to catch it, heart in your mouth, hoping like hell the rear wheel touched before the front, and hoping that if it didn’t, the only thing you broke were bones and not your bike.

up real money for the win.

Because as every bike racer knows, bones mend, but new bikes have to be bought.

If we’ve learned anything from social media, we’ve learned that there are no brands, no logos, no events, no theories, no accomplishments in the world. There are, rather, people who represent and/or do all those things. In Southern California, Cycling Illustrated’s online presence has given three dimensions to the weekly race reports. The ﬁrst place winner is no longer a name, it’s a person named Charon Smith or Ryan Schneider or Suze Sonye, and along with that person comes a bundle of jokes, anecdotes, personality traits, stories, and experiences that make the bike racer a real person.

The race is part of the bicycle, engineered into the physics and, more importantly, the metaphysics of selfpropulsion on two wheels. That’s why Lance and Oprah can’t kill it, or even significantly harm it. The race is bound to the bike as part of Newton’s Fourth Law of Cycledynamics: balance, then hammer. That’s why the retraction of major pro sponsors has nil effect on the millions who throw a leg over and beat the pedals in their daily bike race to get to work on time, their race to beat the traffic light, to pass the pedestrian, or to hit the finish line first in the Cat 5 crit in Dominguez Hills, with Chris Lotts yelling and cussing and calling everyone a “cupcake” and ponying

Paying the entry fee, pinning on the number

Bike racing is in the blood and soul of everyone who rides a bike, so it only makes sense that Cycling Illustrated would want to showcase its particular sliver of the sport, the sliver where men and women race their bikes as athletes, on teams, paying entry fees, and seeking rewards and glory for the risks they take on two wheels. More than showcasing the sport of bike racing, Cycling Illustrated has, for more than a year now, showcased the nuts and bolts that make bike racing fun. They’ve zeroed in on the people.

These people have great stories to tell, stories that ﬂesh out the boring workout routines, the mundane grind of getting race ready, and the monotony (to others!) of endlessly turning the pedals. Each story makes the race faster, makes the competition more real, makes the

win more exciting and the defeat more bitter. It also makes riding more fun, if such a thing were possible, when you run across these personalities in your own daily riding regimen. We’re glued to our screen, poring over the photos by Dan Munson and Kristy Morrow and Pinkshorts and the other geniuses behind the camera lens who add yet another layer to the excitement of the bike race. Their work puts us smack in the middle of the race too, even if it’s from the comfort of the couch. The real bike ride? The real bike race? No one can ever kill it or even diminish it.

“

The nature of the beast is to push the pedals, and then to push them harder. Once... your legs have started to sting a little, you’ll relax… until someone passes you or until a victim appears just up ahead. SETH DAVIDSON

» cyclingillustrated.com | 13

STARTING line

CYCALENDAR 2013 USA CRITS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SATURDAY

APRIL 13

Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Charlotte, North Carolina

SATURDAY

Athens Twilight Athens, Georgia

SATURDAY

Tour de Grove St. Louis, Missouri

SATURDAY

Glencoe Grand Prix Chicago, Illinois

APRIL 27

MAY 11

2013 NATIONAL RACING CALENDAR (NRC) THUR–SUN

APRIL 25-28

SATURDAY

JULY 6

Iron Hill Twilight Criterium West Chester, Pennsylvania

AUG 25

FRIDAY

SEPT 19

Chris Thater Memorial Binghamton, New York USA CRITS FINALS Las Vegas, Nevada

SATURDAY

APRIL 13

SATURDAY

APRIL 20

SUNDAY

American Cycling Open Philadelphia, PA (men and women)

APRIL 27–MAY 1

Nature Valley Grand Prix Minneapolis, MN (men and women)

THUR–SUN

JUNE 2

JUNE 12-16

SUNDAY

JULY 7

TUES–SUN

FRI–SUN

AUG 2-4

SATURDAY

SEPT 14

Keystone Open Philadelphia, PA (men and women)

SAT–WED

MAY 2–5 SUNDAY

MAY 5

Cascade Cycling Classic Bend, OR (men and women)

SATURDAY

Tour of Elk Grove Elk Grove, IL (women only)

SATURDAY

Thompson Bucks County Classic Doylestown, PA (men only)

Live stream Can’t attend a USA CRITS Championship Series race? Live vicariously. Visit usacrits. com to watch the livestream.

MAY 11

MAY 18

MONDAY

MAY 27

Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium Charlotte, NC (men and women) Sunny King Criterium Anniston, AL (men and women) USA CRITS Speed Week “A” GA, SC (men and women) USA CRITS Speed Week “B” GA, SC (men and women) Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling Dana Point, CA (men only)

THUR–SUN

Prairie State Cycling Series Chicago, IL (men and women)

SATURDAY

Tour of Vail Criterium Vail, CO (men and women)

JULY 18–21

AUG 17

SAT–SUN

AUG 24–25

SUNDAY

SEPT 15

Chris Thater Memorial Binghamton, NY (men and women) Bucks County Classic Criterium Doylestown, PA (men only)

TD Bank Mayor’s Cup Boston, MA (men and women)

Middle Earth Tour of Somerville Somerville, NJ (men and women)

SAT–SUN

Air Force Cycling Classic Arlington, VA (men and women) Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic Manhattan, NY (men only)

THUR–SUN

Tour of America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin (men and women)

SATURDAY

Herman Miller Brickyard Classic Grand Rapids, MI (men and women)

JUNE 29

Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix Manhattan Beach, CA (men only)

SATURDAY

Saint Francis Tulsa Tough Tulsa, OK (men and women)

JUNE 20-23

JULY 7

Wilmington Grand Prix Wilmington, DE (men and women)

FRI–SUN

SUNDAY

Iron Hill Twilight Criterium West Chester, PA (men only)

USA CRITS Finals Las Vegas, NV (men and women)

Glencoe Grand Prix Glencoe, IL (men and women)

JUNE 16

JULY 6

THURSDAY

SATURDAY

JUNE 1

SATURDAY

Tour de Grove St. Louis, MO (men and women)

Base Camp Intl. p/b Verizon Wireless Basking Ridge, NJ (men only)

MAY 30

JUNE 8–9

14 | cyclingillustrated.com «

For more race schedules and race results, visit us online at cyclingillustrated.com/races

THURSDAY

JUNE 7–9

Photo by Moyan Brenn

Online Race Calendar

2013 NATIONAL CRITERIUM CALENDAR (NCC)

SRAM Tour of the Gila Silver City, NM (men and women)

MAY 1-5

JULY 16-21 SUNDAY

WED–SUN

JUNE 1

Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley, Fayetteville, AR (men and women)

CALENDAR

SEPT 19

SEPT 21

A Travel App & So Much More CYCLE TRACKER PRO This app has a sleek, intuitive user interface and amazing functionality that will turn your iPhone into a cycling super computer. View and Track: › Workout time › Pace and speed › Calories burned › Training intervals › Splits Other Features: › Map your location

in real time › Record your routes and share via social networks › Take photos › Share workouts › Listen to music (even includes the option of a power song for extra motivation) › Integrates with Training Peaks account

Available on iTunes

Tour de Beauce 2012 | Photo by Brian Hodes

2013 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDARS FRI–SUN

MAY 3–5

SATURDAY

MAY 18

SAT–MON

MAY 25–27

SATURDAY

JUNE 1

SAT–SUN

JUNE 15–16

WED–SUN

JULY 3–7

SATURDAY

JULY 6

THUR–SUN

JULY 18–21

USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships Ogden, UT #CollNats USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships Chula Vista, CA #BMXnats Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships Chattanooga, TN #USPRO

Mountain Bike National Championships Bear Creek Resort, PA THUR–SUN

USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships Trexlertown, PA

SATURDAY

USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships High Point, NC

TUES–SUN

USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships Indianapolis, IN

JULY 25–28

JULY 27

JULY 30– AUG 4

USA Cycling Amateur BMX National Championships Nashville, TN #BMXnats

AUG 2–4

USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships Gallup, NM #24hrNats

AUG 9–11

USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships Madison, WI USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships Sun Valley, ID USA Cycling Cross-Country

FRI–SUN

THUR–SAT

USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships Colorado

WED–SUN

USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships

SEPT 19–21

OCT 25–27

USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships Angel Fire, NM USA Cycling Elite Timed Track National Championships Carson, CA

SAT–MON

AUG 22–24

WED–SUN

SEPT 4–8

USA Cycling Elite Mass Start Track National Championships Rock Hill, SC USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships Bend, OR Photo by Brian Hodes

» cyclingillustrated.com | 15

NBC SPORTS TELEVISED RACES SUNDAY APRIL 7

Paris Roubaix, 8 a.m., NBCSN SUNDAY APRIL 21

4:30 p.m., NBCSN FRIDAY MAY 17

Tour of California Stage 6, 5 p.m., NBCSN

Fleche Wallonne, 10:30 p.m., NBCSN | Liege Bastogne Liege, 11:30 p.m., NBCSN

SATURDAY MAY 18

SUNDAY MAY 5

SUNDAY MAY 19

Tour of California, 5:30 p.m., NBCSN SUNDAY MAY 12

Tour of California Stage 1, 5 p.m., NBCSN MONDAY MAY 13

Tour of California Stage 2, 5 p.m., NBCSN TUESDAY MAY 14

Tour of California Stage 3, 5 p.m., NBCSN WEDNESDAY MAY 15

Tour of California Stage 4, 5 p.m., NBCSN THURSDAY MAY 16

Tour of California Stage 5,

Tour of California Stage 7, 7 p.m., NBCSN Tour of California, 1 p.m., NBCSN | Tour of California Stage 8, 6:30 p.m., NBCSN DATES TBD

Tour of Turkey, TBD, NBCSN SUNDAY JUNE 2

USA Cycling Pro Championships, 1 p.m., NBCSN | Criterium Dauphine Libere, 11 p.m., NBCSN MONDAY JUNE 3

Criterium Dauphine Libere, Noon, NBCSN SUNDAY JUNE 9

Criterium Dauphine Libere, 5 p.m., NBCSN

SATURDAY JUNE 29

Tour de France Stage 1, 8 a.m., NBCSN SUNDAY JUNE 30

Tour de France Stage 2, 8 a.m., NBCSN MONDAY JULY 1

Tour de France Stage 3, 8 a.m., NBCSN TUESDAY JULY 2

Tour de France Stage 4, 8 a.m., NBCSN WEDNESDAY JULY 3

Tour de France Stage 5, 8 a.m., NBCSN THURSDAY JULY 4

Tour de France Stage 6, 8 a.m., NBCSN FRIDAY JULY 5

Tour de France Stage 7, 8 a.m., NBCSN SATURDAY JULY 6

Tour de France Stage 8, 8 a.m., NBC SUNDAY JULY 7

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21

Tour de France Stage 9, 8 a.m., NBC

Tour de France Stage 17, 8 a.m., NBCSN

TUESDAY JULY 9

THURSDAY JULY 18

Tour de France Stage 10, 8 a.m., NBCSN

Tour de France Stage 18, 8 a.m., NBCSN

WEDNESDAY JULY 10

FRIDAY JULY 19

Tour de France Stage 11, 8 a.m., NBCSN

Tour de France Stage 19, 8 a.m., NBCSN

THURSDAY JULY 11

SATURDAY JULY 20

Tour de France Stage 12, 8 a.m., NBCSN

Tour de France Stage 20, 8 a.m., NBCSN

FRIDAY JULY 12

SUNDAY JULY 21

Tour de France Stage 13, 8 a.m., NBCSN

Tour de France Stage 21, 8 a.m., NBCSN

Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 5, 2:30 p.m., NBCSN | Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 5, 4:30 p.m., NBCSN

SATURDAY JULY 13

SUNDAY AUGUST 18

SUNDAY AUGUST 25

Tour de France Stage 14, 8 a.m., NBCSN

Pro Cycling Challenge Preview Show, 3:30 p.m., NBCSN

SUNDAY JULY 14

Tour de France Stage 15, 8 a.m., NBCSN TUESDAY JULY 16

Tour de France Stage 16, 8 a.m., NBCSN WEDNESDAY JULY 17

MONDAY AUGUST 19

Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 2, 4 p.m., NBCSN THURSDAY AUGUST 22

Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 3, 4 p.m., NBCSN FRIDAY AUGUST 23

Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 4, 4 p.m., NBCSN SATURDAY AUGUST 24

Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 6, 2 p.m., NBCSN | Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 6, 4 p.m., NBCSN

Pro Cycling Challenge Prologue, 4 p.m., NBCSN

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

TUESDAY AUGUST 20

This TV schedule is subject to change and all times are considered ET. All events are same day delay or next day delay except for Tour de France, Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge and Tour of Flanders.

Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 1, 4 p.m., NBCSN

Paris Tours, 4 p.m., NBCSN

STARTING line

Take me to

SCHOOL T

Team camps are about soul-searching, racing your bike, learning to react, and developing instincts within a group. From this article, you can proﬁt from others’ experiences.

When going into a race, what speciﬁc “homework” do you do to give yourself the best chance of a successful outcome? Carmen Small, Specialized Lululemon:

I think it’s important to know what to expect and determine what the race is going to be like. If it’s a stage race, check out the different stages and speciﬁcally the distances involved. What kind of stages are there? TT? Is it climbing? Basically everything about the race. This will help you prepare. You might need to change your training based on the kind of stage race. You have to ask yourself how you can personally be successful and what changes are necessary. Also, a lot of races will be historically the same. That’s a bonus, because you can go back if it’s a race that has been put on for many years and look at results. If it’s the same course or something similar, most likely the outcome will be the same. For example, a sprint, small group, selective, etc. 18 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Eric Marcotte, Elbowz Racing:

Course proﬁle. I’d be looking at the elevation, elevation changes, the hills, and the grades of the climbs. I’d be estimating the length of time on them and looking at weather as well as prevailing winds where there may be crosswinds and headwinds. What’s the expected time of the event? Perhaps I’d look at previous race times. Then I’d look at who might be there. If it’s a stage race, who has interest in winning the stage or going for time? If it’s a crit, I’d be looking at the course by pre-riding it and looking at the course surface, the number of corners, the length of race, who is there, etc. Devan Dunn, CashCall Mortgage Cycling:

I think the most important thing is to see which teams are registered and which of their riders they are bringing. I look to see if the “big” teams are bringing a team that would favor a sprint or a break away. Knowing this helps me determine during the race if I should commit to a move I’m in or play off a team who has missed or chosen not to go with the break away. It never hurts to know as much as possible about your competitors, as you could ﬁnd Illustration by Amy Hood

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STARTING line yourself in the winning move with them at any race. Chris Baldwin Bissell Pro Cycling:

The homework starts way before the race. You have to build a foundation of aerobic ﬁtness through training, nutrition, and recovery. Then hone the engine with intense and race speciﬁc workouts, attain an effective race weight, rest/taper and fuel properly, and be healthy and injury free. Ben King RadioShack Leopard Trek:

The more information you have before a race, the better you can predict the way the race will play out. If you know when the critical moments are, then you can position yourself properly to make the selections. Before a race, I always study the course and proﬁle. I make notes of potential crosswind sections, mountain and sprint points, starts and ﬁnishes of climbs, and feed zones. It’s important to know how to fuel, and when you can expect to refuel in the feed zone. It’s also important to know which riders will be there and who has high ambitions. For example, who is the team racing for? I always make sure to know what weather to expect and pack my rain bag accordingly. Phil Gaimon Bissell Pro Cycling:

I rarely have the time or resources to ride a course as research. I will recon a few stages of California, Utah, and Colorado this year, but otherwise I won’t bother. For most races, I’ll look at the race bible and the start list and form a loose plan. What are the critical points of the race, such as climbs, or windy sections? Does it favor a breakaway or a sprint? What does the 20 | cyclingillustrated.com «

ﬁnale look like? What gear do I want to be in coming out of the last turn? Who’s the strongest team? Who’s the best rider? Will the stronger teams and riders be looking for a breakaway? If so, who will be in it? More importantly, who won’t miss it? If BISSELL is at a small race, and a break of 5 goes away, there’s no reason to be in there, because we’re going to chase it down.

realistic expectations for the race. Can I sprint? Am I happy with just ﬁnishing in the break? Am I hoping for a top 3,5,10? How much juice (matches, horse power, etc.) do I have left? If all these things are met to some degree, the thing to do is give it everything you have until you make it to the line or get dropped out of the break.

Mike Olheiser CashCall Mortgage Cycling

Adam Farabaugh Garneau-Quebecor Cycling Team:

If I do not know the course, I go over the proﬁles, ﬁnd out who will be there, and start building a plan to win. Always get my bike or bikes ready days in advance and make all preparations so there are no surprises come race day. Prepare food and drinks and ready myself mentally.

I should first determine the consistency of the break and whether or not it has the legs to stay away and, if it does, then can I beat everyone in it to the line? This won’t necessarily change too much what you are trying to do in a break—stay ahead of the field—but it can impact how much work you should contribute to the attempt. If there are a few guys, or girls, that you know are stronger than you, you should still ride and contribute to staying away but not riding on or past your limit or showing your cards too early as you are just going to make it more difficult for yourself to do well going into the finish. On the other hand, if you know you are one of the stronger riders, you also should not over contribute to the break as you would just bring it to a level playing field going into the finish. Rather, gauge your effort to ensure the break stays away but not too much that the other riders are along for a free ride.

if... THEN If a break forms and I am a part of it, I should… Jamie Paolinetti MMRI:

The ﬁrst thing to do is to assess if the break has a chance to go to the line. This will mean considering many factors. How long to go in the race? How many are here? How strong are the guys with me? How strong is the ﬁeld? Do the strongest teams have guys in the break? What’s the course like? Is it easy to chase on this course? What’s the wind like? Next, assess your

Lindsay Bayer Colavita-ESPNW Pro Cycling:

Figure out who is in the break, if it’s likely to stick, and if I want it to stick. A breakaway with another team’s top sprinter is not one I want to take to the ﬁnish line.

Phil Gaimon, Bissell Pro Cycling:

If you ﬁnd yourself in a breakaway with me, you should pull through as hard as possible, hand me your bottles and food, and then quit the race and let me win. Logan Loader CashCall Mortgage Cycling:

Depending on what teams are represented, and which riders are in the break, make a decision to work or sit on. Mike Olheiser CashCall Mortgage Cycling:

Drive it to the win. If you find yourself inside a small breakaway group, I should… Jamie P: Small breakaways have the same considerations, but they’re all magnified. This is one of those things everyone wants an easy answer to, but there’s no such thing in our sport. Adam F: I should again determine the strength of the other riders and gauge the likelihood of staying away until the line. If it’s late in the race and everyone is motivated, it would be wise to ride and try to make it to the finish ahead of the field. If it’s early in a race, chances are that you won’t make it to the finish ahead of the field, so continuing would depend on your team’s tactics, such as if you are chasing sprint or KoM points or just trying to gain publicity or, more likely, making other teams chase, giving your team a free ride in the field.

Lindsay B: I should do my fair share of work and try to make the break stick. I do love breaks anything that makes the race more interesting than rolling around in a big crowd is great. Unless the composition of the break doesn’t make any sense or my team director tells me to do otherwise, I’m going to work and encourage the other riders to do the same. Phil G: It depends on a lot of different factors. Can you win out of that group, or at least get a placing you’d be happy with? Do you have teammates behind you who’d be more likely to win out of the field or from a different break if your breakaway was caught? If you’re happy with where you think you’d finish out of that group, you keep working, just matching the pulls of your break-mates, never doing more than anyone else. If you don’t think you’d do well enough from that group, you sit on the back and don’t pull through. Either the rest of the guys drag you to the finish, and your legs will be fresher than theirs for the sprint, or they refuse to work, and you all go back to the field together, in which case you or one of your teammates can look for a breakaway with better chances. Logan L: Decide if it makes sense

to contribute to the break’s success or not. Mike O: Put the hammer down

until I’m the last man standing. If the race ends in a bunch sprint, a very specialized and dangerous scenario, I should…

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Where

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PREPARATION Meets SUCCESS

LEVEL of SUCESS 1st Place! You Wear The Yellow Jersey To Bed Highly Successful Semi Successful Moderately Successful Barely Successful Uncuccessful

LEVEL of PREPARATION

/cycillustrated

can be successful in positioning and finishing, you should go for it. Think about how many guys you think you could pass out of the final turn, and work your way into that position in the field. I’m horrible at field sprints, so my policy is to stay out of the way. If it’s organized at the front, I’ll try to stay in the top 15 but usually it’s unsafe outside of the top 20. That’s where guys crash trying to get into the top ten by acting stupid, so stay out of that mess, even if it means cruising in around 40th place. It’s worth it when you go home with all your skin. Logan L: Being a sprinter, I’d get

There’s a race today?

Jamie P: If the race ends

in a sprint and you are not a sprinter, stay out of the way or try to follow the sprinters. If you don’t have the skill level or conﬁdence to mix it up on the front, please don’t try until you’re ready, and put in your practice at training races. Adam F: This depends on the type of rider you are as well as what role you are playing for your team. If you’re a sprinter, then perfect, position yourself well, perhaps with a

Showed up barely on time and still hungover.

Showed up on time, but have no idea who else is racing.

Took a look at the competition and the route.

teammate or two giving you a lead out, and sprint. If you’re a strong rider, maybe without teammates, and you want to avoid the chaos of a sprint, then maybe making a solo attack 1 or 2 km. from the ﬁnish would be ideal. If you stay away, awesome, you win, but if you’re caught before the line at least you went for it instead of trying to get somewhere in the sprint and end up with a poor result. And if you’re not a sprinter, do what you can for a teammate, such as moving him up to the front or even doing a lead-out

Went all Cadel Evens on this race. You know every opponent, their go-to moves, and their social security numbers.

for him at the ﬁnish. Otherwise, just stay out of trouble and roll in with the ﬁeld. Lindsay B: I should do or do not,

there is no try. Or, to pull another quote; if you think, you’re dead. Seriously, though, I’d get into position a few wheels off the front before the ﬁnal sprint begins and then go hard when the time comes. It’s all about instinct, positioning, and having the legs to get the hell out of the fray. Phil G:

If you’re a good sprinter and you

in position either by ﬁnding my teammates or following another sprinter’s train. Mike O: Help out our sprinter or

get out of the way

If you are unsure who is riding the race, I should… Jamie P: If you’re unsure

who is riding in the race, you shouldn’t enter the race until you do ﬁnd out. This is a huge mistake which can be corrected with a little research.

/cyclingillustrated

larly on a harder portion of the course, like a steep climb. If they look to just be floating along, keep an eye on them, but if they seem like they are struggling you probably don’t have too much to worry about. If you still can’t tell which riders might be the ones to watch, just ride the race on the offensive instead of the defensive, meaning be in the breakaway instead of being in the field and trying to catch back up to the breakaway. If you’re in the break, the fast riders are either already with you or will catch up to you instead of you trying to catch back up to them if they happen to get into the break. Lindsay B: I should have prepared better. Between looking at preregistration lists online and scoping out the other riders before the race, it’s not hard to figure out who’s in the race and analyze possible tactics and potential outcomes. There’s really no excuse for not being prepared. Logan L: Check the start list. It’s

that easy. Mike O: Quit the sport, because I

am not doing the right prep for the race.

Adam F: I should ﬁrst maybe ask a teammate or a friend or two in the race who is strong and looking good. A lot of times they’ll say watch this or that rider. If they don’t know, just look at the riding styles of the other riders, particu-

» cyclingillustrated.com | 21

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JEDI

MASTERS

Masters racing is a class of the sport of cycling for veteran athletes. The competitions feature ﬁve-year age groups beginning at age 35. Masters are sometimes known as veterans. We prefer to refer to them with reverence as the Jedi Masters of cycling.

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In your entire family, who is most interested in What has been one of your biggest disappointments your sport and how does that help motivate and as an athlete and what did you learn from it? How did inspire you? you apply it to your career moving forward? My parents are the most interested in cycling. When I made the decision to retire from cyThey were there when I started cling in the fall of 1996, I was disat 13yrs old and they still make it appointed that my dream to turn By Dotsie to events to this day. I wouldn’t be pro was over. I was 23, had raced 5 Bausch in the sport if it wasn’t for their seasons in Belgium, and the sport support during this journey. My was no longer fun. I had no regrets wife and kids have been to many events as when I stopped, but looking back I wish that well, but my kids get really nervous because the playing ﬁeld was more level. Moving they understand the dangers of racing. When forward from there, I’ve always believed that I watch cycling on television, they hate seeing when something you enjoy ceases to be fun any crashes and usually refuse to watch any that it is time to move on. I have applied this more of the race. to my work career as well as hobbies. When are you the most nervous while you are competing? I wouldn’t say I get nervous, but anxious, deﬁnitely, before a time trial. Not because of any expectations on getting a result, but because I know it is going to hurt. Knowing how easy it would be to succumb to the pain and only give 99% instead of 100% is always in the back of my mind.

What is something that is unique about your sport compared to all others? I think it’s important that if you want to be at the top level of any endurance sport, you really need to have a 12-month plan and complete dedication. There are techniques and skill sets that can make some racers better than others, but at the end of the day you still need the engine, and it takes years to build. » cyclingillustrated.com | 27

what I looked around and saw how skinny all the top riders were and I knew... I had to make a change to my diet. I lost 15 pounds in 2 months ... definitely saw an uptick. MATT CARINIO

What was the scariest thing you have had to do in cycling? Are you glad you did it? When I retired at 23, I really didn’t know what the future had in store. I had a degree and was soon engaged, but leaving the sport behind was pretty scary. As scary as that decision was, it was the right one and I’ve never had any regrets. Leaving the sport allowed me to get on with the next phase of my life, which was amazing. After working in Silicon Valley for 15 years and having 3 great kids, I now have a different appreciation for the sport. What was the last thing you saw someone do that really impressed you? The 2011 Masters National Championship Road Race was the hardest day of racing I can remember. Michael Olheiser’s performance that day (although he didn’t win) was downright frightening. The race was so painful that I actually blocked it out of my memory until a friend of mine asked me about it a month ago. He is by far the most impressive masters racer I’ve seen. Does being the underdog, a contender, or 28 | cyclingillustrated.com «

the favorite make a difference to how you mentally prepare for competition and how you feel you end up performing? My preparation during the season is pretty straightforward and is more geared around events than who will be there. I believe that if I trust the preparation that the results will follow. I do gain confidence when the results start to flow and this confidence allows me to push myself further than I might otherwise have.

ies who have tailed off in their athletic participation and abilities? I try not to leave anything to chance. Whether it is recovery, diet, race preparation, or race tactics, I never want to feel that my lack of focus on any of these areas caused me to perform at a lower level than what I am capable of. This sport takes dedication to be successful and this is something that all the top riders have.

Are you striving to succeed or to avoid failure? Before an event, I focus on striving to succeed and having conﬁdence in myself that the preparation will show itself at crunch time. However, many times when I have been off the front of a race by myself it is a sense of avoiding failure and impending doom. I usually tell myself in that situation, “you can’t lose, don’t let them come back.” At this past year’s National Championship, when it was clear that 5 of us would be sprinting for the jersey, I had an overwhelming sense of calm. An entire season of preparation came down to a 15-second sprint. I never had a thought of failure or success during that last kilometer. I was completely focused on what I had to do to be the ﬁrst one across the line. It is something that I am still learning how to become better at.

Have you experienced an athletic breakthrough, and if so, what led to it and what was it like? I was in the shape of my life heading into the Pro/1 Tour of Gila in 2011 but got utterly destroyed during that week. I looked around and saw how skinny all the top riders were and I knew right then and there that I had to make a change to my diet. I lost 15 pounds in 2 months and my fitness definitely saw an uptick. Those 2 months were very difficult, but maintaining the weight over the past 18 months has been pretty easy. Nutrition and diet is something I focus on now as much as my training on the bike.

Do you enjoy positive rivalries with opponents and teammates? I feel lucky to be racing in California where there will usually be 3-5 guys who are national champion caliber riders at every event. I like to gauge my performances against the best and I probably have some sort of rivalry with maybe 2-3 riders that I see somewhat frequently. What 1-2 things do you believe differentiates you from your contemporar-

Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? I don’t really have a motto that sticks with me, but in the last few years I’ve told myself to always look for positive things in life. The negative stories and sentiments that I see on the news and on social media can be overwhelming and I try my best to surround myself with positive energy. If you could ask God one question, what would it be? I’d love to know whether or not we are alone in this Universe. I enjoy watching the Ancient Alien series on the History Channel and would like to think that we have been

inﬂuenced by beings beyond Earth. Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)? How have these helped shape your decisions in your career? I believe that power meters are an unbelievable tool when used properly and with the right training program. I have been fortunate enough to coach many racers and they have all made the commitment to work with a power meter. As a coach, it takes all the guesswork out of creating custom plans for my athletes. Having said that, riders are not robots and it’s important to get their feedback regarding how they feel. For those interested in exploring training with a power meter, Hunter Allen and Andy Coggan’s “Training and Racing with a Power Meter” is a great resource.

RECOMMENDED READING from our YODAS Matt Carinio’s Pick Training and Racing with a Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Andy Coggan’s

Sam Kreig’s Pick Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr.

How do you want people to remember your career after you eventually retire from competition? I’d like to be remembered for being a great teammate, racing the right way, and treating my competitors with respect. Why do you love doing what you do? What is it speciﬁcally about this sport that has you so enamored? I love that cycling is a sport where I am responsible for putting in the hard work to get stronger, but there are so many variables that are out of my control that can determine the winner of a race. I also enjoy racing as part of a team. A majority of my success would not have been possible without the help from my teammates, speciﬁcally Nate Erickson and Craig Nunes.

Charon Smith’s Pick The Battle for the Mind by Pastor Noel Jones

Chris Demarchi’s Pick Try a book on self hypnosis and visualization.

Photo By Danny Munson

tacked the ﬁeld over and over again, I told him he must cut that out. His response, “I have to get rid of you sprinters.” Sure enough, 20-30mins left in the race, he rode away from the ﬁeld. What was more impressive was that we were chasing him, but not making up any time. He was putting time on us. Now, that impressed me because no one had ever done that to me.

Q: Are you striving to succeed or to avoid failure? To succeed totally!

CHARON SMITH Q: What has been one of your biggest disappointments as an athlete and what did you learn from it? How did you apply it to your career moving forward? My biggest disappointment has to be not preparing properly for years as a competitor. I learned if I want to do well in this sport I must put in the proper time on the bike and learn how to balance recovering properly so I can be ready come race day. My biggest disappointment of not preparing has been some of the fuel to my ﬁre and a reminder if I do not prepare properly I will not succeed. Q: When are you the most nervous while you are competing? Typically driving to the event. During the competition, I’m hardly ever nervous. I go through a process during the week leading up to an event

Q: Does being the underdog, a contender, or the favorite make a difference to how you mentally prepare for competition and how you feel you end up performing? Yes it does. I feel like since I do well often, I’m suppose to keep doing well and it helps me to push through any obstacle or give all that I have within me, whether racing alone or with a full squad. The power of the mind is real and can help you overcome things you didn’t think you could.

which allows me to remain totally calm once in competition.

Q: In your entire family, who is most interested in your sport and how does that help motivate and inspire you? I would have to say my mom, and my brother. I can honestly say that I’m such a huge competitor that it takes very little from them to motivate me, but naturally they keep me inspired because I want to do well in my family’s eyes and show them that hard workers do reap the beneﬁts of their labor. Q: What is something that is unique about your sport compared to all others? I have played football and basketball, not on a very serious level, but I can say that cycling really pushes you and allows you to learn things about

yourself that you never knew existed.

Q: What was the scariest thing you have had to do in cycling? Are you glad you did it? Descending down Los Flores in the Santa Monica Mountains. Because I’m the worst descender, in my opinion, especially when I don’t know what’s coming around the next turn while dropping down a mountain. No, I am not happy I did it!! Q: What was the last thing you saw someone do that really impressed you? Two years ago, at my very ﬁrst nationals, I heard about this guy named Michael Olheiser and heard he was the real deal. But I was thinking, ‘he can’t be that amazing. Southern California is the home of many great cyclists, is he really that awesome? Yes he is. After he at-

Q: Do you enjoy positive rivalries with opponents and teammates? Yes I do, it keeps the sport moving forward in a positive light when the rivalries are healthy in the right manner. Q: What 1-2 things do you believe differentiates you from your contemporaries who have tailed off in their athletic participation and abilities? My determination and refusal to be denied. I train to win each and every time I line up. Q: Have you experienced an athletic breakthrough and, if so, what led to it and what was it like? Yes, when I won my ﬁrst 35+ race out of a break with two Amgen multi-time champs in it. That was 3 or 4 years ago.

you live your life by? No I do not. I live in the positive, and feel like dwelling on the negative delays the process to becoming better.

Q: If you could ask God one question, what would it be? What is my purpose on Earth? Q: Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)? How have these helped shape your decisions in your career? I am a little different I guess, because I haven’t used any of those tools. I’ve tried to get close to people who have been successful in life and pick their brains. One person that comes to mind is my pastor, Bishop Noel Jones. He has one of the sharpest minds I have every been around and after learning from him for many years he remains relevant no matter what the topic is. Q: How do you want people to remember your career after you eventually retire from competition? That I was a nice guy and I treated everyone with respect, whether he is an elite cyclist or someone who just rides for fun and is a weekend warrior. I love the fact that many of my training partners are not even racers, they’re just people who love to ride. Q: Why do you love doing what you do? What is it speciﬁcally about this sport that has you so enamored? I love this sport of cycling because it takes you to so many peaks and valleys. It reminds me of life. I love that it allows me to forget all my problems and feel totally free, and for a guy from the inner city of L.A. it has taken me to places that I did not know ever existed.

Q: Do you have a saying or motto that » cyclingillustrated.com | 29

Photo By Danny Munson CHRIS DEMARCHI CHRIS DEMARCHI

Q: What has been one of your biggest disappointments as an athlete and what did you learn from it? How did you apply it to your career moving forward? One of my biggest disappointments as an athlete was about 6 years ago racing the Pro race at Tour de Nez. I mentally collapsed while racing at altitude and gave up on my team. It was one of the only times I’ve been intimidated by the competition. I quit the race after stage 3 and wasn’t there to support the team for the next stages. That moment bothered me for months. The following year, I targeted that race and won the overall, taking the jersey on the last day from Mike Sayers. Q: When are you the most nervous while you are competing? I get pretty anxious about 3 hours before every event. I always tell myself that being nervous means I’m 30 | cyclingillustrated.com «

preparing mentally and physically for the race. Typically, the more anxious I am, the better I perform.

Q: In your entire family, who is most interested in your sport and how does that help motivate and inspire you? I’m very lucky to have my wife of 18 years support everything I do with cycling. I also have 2 girls that just started to race. It makes training, traveling, and racing so much fun when the entire family is involved. Q: What is something that is unique about your sport compared to all others? Cycling is unique because it takes so much time and effort to be at the top of the sport and when you rest you can lose your top form pretty quick. I’ve wondered if I spent 16 to 20 hours a week hitting golf balls how good I would be!!! Q: What was the scariest thing you have had to do in cycling? Are you glad

you did it? I remember Downers Grove US National Championships. The weather was as bad as I have ever raced in. Downpour and a flooded course. 8 turns with 22 man hole covers. 175 guys racing flat out for the biggest win of anyone’s career. Crash after crash, broken bones and broken bikes. Every lap it was survival and I wanted to pull out. Every lap I just kept saying, “just do one more lap”. I ended up finishing the race and I even managed a place in the top 10. Probably one of the stupider things I’ve done and definitely the scariest, but so glad I did it, because now I have a story to tell for the rest of my life.

Q: What was the last thing you saw someone do that really impressed you? I just saw this a few weeks ago, and I’ve seen it a handful of times in the past. I saw a cat 3 racer on a tough criterium course go for the win with 25 minutes remaining. Nothing impresses me more than when a rider goes all in. He dares the rest of the ﬁeld to get him. That’s respectable racing in my book! Q: Does being the underdog, a contender, or the favorite make a difference to how you mentally prepare for competition and how you feel you end up performing? I remember the days when nobody knew I was on the starting line. Then I remember being the number 1 ranked contender for a national championship where every move you make you’re a marked man. I always prepare the same for every race. I do feel more added stress and pressure at times, but I try to funnel that into positive energy. If I remain positive and anxious about the race I usually perform very well. Q: Are you striving to succeed or to avoid failure? Early in my career I tried to avoid

failure, for sure. But today I’m very satisﬁed with all my accomplishments. I have nothing to prove to anyone. Today, I race for my success and my team’s success. I have such a deep passion for the sport that I just want to keep it fun and a huge part of my life.

Q: Do you enjoy positive rivalries with opponents and teammates? Rivalries amongst teammates are never good. I have never seen anything good come from it. It might start out good, but eventually it will end in disaster. Teammates need to have a leader and a pecking order to be a successful team. With opponents, it’s very good because it always gives me a goal to race for. Q: What 1-2 things do you believe differentiates you from your contemporaries who have tailed off in their athletic participation and abilities? My passion for the sport, my love for riding, and my commitment to always succeed. People stop participating usually because it becomes less enjoyable or they have other commitments. I always find enjoyment in cycling and I create balance in my life so I can ride, race, and fulfill other commitments. Q: Have you experienced an athletic breakthrough, and if so, what led to it and what was it like? My breakthrough came when I started racing only pro races and traveling with guys. I studied everything the seasoned guys were doing. I made mental notes of everything I saw and asked a lot of questions. It was when I began to implement the things I saw into my own race preparation that I saw huge gains in my overall performance. Q: Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? Second place is the first loser! No matter if it is in cycling or life.

Q: If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Why is there hunger and disease in this world? Q: Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)? How have these helped shape your decisions in your career? Believe it or not, the books I find the most helpful are self-help books for mental preparation, balancing time between family, work, hobbies, and other commitments. The one thing I believe in more than anything is selfhypnosis and visualization. Q: How do you want people to remember your career after you eventually retire from competition? I would like to be remembered as a guy that loved the sport and did great things for the development of the sport. I also would like to be remembered as a tough and strong rider. It is huge motivation when guys tell me it is amazing I can climb for my size. Or tell me I am an overall strong guy in all disciplines of cycling. It makes all the training worth it. Q: Why do you love doing what you do? What is it specifically about this sport that has you so enamored? I have been riding for 23 years. I love cycling for so many reasons. It really is who I am and how I am defined. I use cycling for competition, drive, and stress release. I have been through the burn-out and back. Every time you burn out, they get shorter and shorter because you start to realize the reasons you ride and just how much passion you have for your hobbies. Today, I find myself never burning out and just loving what I do.

Photo By Matt Lasala

thing I’ve ever done. I think I was the last place guy on GC who made the time cuts. It was crazy to be riding the best I have ever ridden and just barely making the time cut. My adrenal glands were absolutely tapped after that week. It was one of the rare times in life I actually astonished myself. I’m glad I did it, and I would never do it again.

SAM KREIG Q: What has been one of your biggest disappointments as an athlete and what did you learn from it? How did you apply it to your career moving forward? Breaking my back in 2006 was a mental and physical crusher. The entire experience was a chance to find some perspective and respect my mortal body. It changed everything about how I train and how I compete. It made racing and training feel more like a bonus. I think having it all ripped away in a few seconds makes you sensitive to how incredible and fragile life can be. Q: In your entire family, who is most interested in your sport and how does that help motivate and inspire you? My wife. She trains super hard and consistently. It’s difficult to miss your workout when you wife’s already on the trainer and finished with half of her ride. Having a partner who’s focused on similar goals and events makes for some interesting dinner conversations. She is a sports psychologist, so I am not sure if it’s love or if I’m an experiment.

Q: When are you the most nervous during competition? The hours and minutes leading up to the start. I love the emotion and anxiety. I would say I’m more “wound-up” than nervous. I like to train, but I love to race. Q: What is something that is unique about your sport compared to all others? The best part about cycling is that you don’t have to be the strongest rider to win. Tactics make it possible for a good rider to beat a great rider. Some of my favorite races have been when the weakest rider pulls off the win. When it happens, it’s what makes this sport beautiful. Q: What was the scariest thing you have had to do in cycling? Are you glad you did it? The Tour of Utah. Racing for a local composite team, I was on the rivet every kilometer. I remember begging for water bottles from pro teams and climbing as hard as I have ever climbed just to stay in the caravan of team cars. It was the hardest

Q: What was the last thing you saw someone do that really impressed you? Just last week, I saw a friend who is a quadriplegic competing in a Nordic ski race. I can still remember seeing him in the hospital several years ago as they loaded him into a Life Flight helicopter. His struggle to regain function and mobility is mind boggling. I spend most of my year trying to get 3% faster. To see someone lose 99% in a matter of seconds, and then spend years trying to get back to the basics, is awe-inspiring. To see him racing, when I thought he might never leave the hospital, is truly humbling. Q: Does being the underdog, a contender, or the favorite make a difference to how you mentally prepare for competition and how you feel you end up performing? The great thing about bike racing is how dynamic the sport can be. You can go from off the front to off the back with just a few pedal strokes. I perform my best when I’m scared as hell and totally prepared. I think the best advice I ever heard about cycling was to “know how good you’re not.” You can win just about any race if you embrace that thought. I spend most of my winter preparing mentally as an contender. I normally set my goals just a smidgen out of reach. It took me six years to achieve my last goal. Q: Are you striving to succeed or to avoid failure? Striving to succeed. Failure is

inevitable. The biggest part of this is realizing that happiness equals expectations divided by ability. For the most part, I perform up to my physical limit at any given race. Most of the time, someone faster or smarter shows up and crushes me.

Q: Do you enjoy positive rivalries with opponents and teammates? During the ten years I’ve been racing, almost all of my rivals have become pretty good friends. Comically, some of my mental rivals don’t know I exist. I have spent many a sleepless night trying to think of a way to “kill” them with kindness. If I can’t win, I would prefer to see my rival or teammate crush everyone. Q: What 1-2 things do you believe differentiates you from your contemporaries who have tailed off in their athletic participation and abilities? Patience and lowering my expectations to match my aptitude. It has taken years of small, 1-3% improvements for things to click. I’ve gone 100 races without a single win, during which I learned a ton. I enjoy getting throttled and watching the race explode. I prefer to be on the winning side of that battle, but that doesn’t always happen. Q: Have you experienced an athletic breakthrough? If so, what led to it and what was it like? I deﬁnitely had a breakthrough when I won the TT at masters nationals in Bend. I made that goal six years ago! I’ve spent a ton of time and energy chasing it down. I can honestly say that was the ﬁrst and only time I exceeded my ability. I went out way too hard and came home sputtering. I know it isn’t possible to give more than 100%, but I had to be pretty close to 101%. Q: Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? I have a few, but I think the two best

are: “you are not a unique snowﬂake” (Mark Twight), and, “your pain is not special” (Kent Bostick).

Q: If you could ask God one question, what would it be? When is he going to crush all of the records on Strava? Q: Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)? How have these helped shape your decisions in your career? If you want to know the secret, read the book Once a Runner. The secondbest thing I ever did was sell a set of expensive wheels to hire a great coach. It was the best investment I made. Some of my biggest gains came from working with Hunter Allen. Over the years, he’s been my rock when I start to get the highspeed wobbles and fear I am coming unglued. Q: How do you want people to remember your career after you eventually retire from competition? That I loved to race and I was a good, spirited competitor. I don’t think I’ll ever stop competing. I hope to be pinning on a race number until I physically can’t sign the waiver. Q: Why do you love doing what you do? What is it speciﬁcally about this sport that has you so enamored? I love competing because it’s a chance to get close to the edge of quitting and making a rational decision of taking another step or backing off. I have had the pleasure of doing both. Every race, you get a chance to one-up yourself or your rival. I love the sport of cycling because of the insanely high level of competition. Cycling is one of the few sports where age isn’t a deﬁning handicap, and where the physical beast can be beaten by the pack, or the solo attacking style of Jacky Durand. » cyclingillustrated.com | 31

TOUR de FORCE TOUR DE FORCE

[TOOR DUH FAWRS]

NOUN: 1. AN EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT BY AN ARTIST, AUTHOR, OR THE LIKE, THAT IS UNLIKELY TO BE EQUALED BY THAT PERSON OR ANYONE ELSE; STROKE OF GENIUS. 2. A PARTICULARLY ADROIT MANEUVER OR TECHNIQUE IN HANDLING A DIFFICULT SITUATION. 3. A FEAT REQUIRING UNUSUAL STRENGTH, SKILL, OR INGENUITY.

George Hincapie needs no introduc- haps, in addition to) expensive tion with 17 Ronde van Vlaanderen carbon bikes. Hincapie took a ﬁnishes, 17 trips around France, few minutes to reflect on his cathree national road champireer, races that meant the By Chris onships and that oh-so-close most, and what he’s been Lyman second place at Paris-Rouup to since retiring from Photographs by Brian Hodes baix. Yet, while standing pro cycling. on the storied Champsyour palmarés at Ghent-Wevelgem, Élysées at the conclusion of his ﬁ- With Paris-Roubiax and the Ronde, you’re often nal Tour de France, Hincapie put regarded as a man for the classics. But the Tour de France really consumed far more of aside personal accomplishments your career. If you could only suit up for one the other - Spring Classics or the Tour and hoped to be remembered as a or which would it be? great teammate. I think I was meant to be more of a classics Today Big George is still a teammate but increasingly finds himself surrounded by desks and computers as opposed to (or per-

There were so many of them throughout my career but rolling onto the Champs-Élysées always stands out. I can’t describe how incredibly hard the Tour is and it’s a tremendous sense of accomplishment and relief just getting there. Whether you’re winning or not, it’s always epic. What does the Tour mean to you?

It’s the pinnacle of the sport; cycling’s hardest event. I can’t describe how difﬁcult and painful; I don’t think anyone can understand unless you do it. I remember sitting in the peloton with world champions and listening to them talk about how crazy hard it was, and they didn’t want to be there. But ultimately, as a racer I always wanted to be at the pinnacle of cycling and try to be successful at it. The Tour provided that opportunity.

rider. It’s how and where I was brought up racing, where, how I learned to ride my bike. But I have a similar passion for both the classics and the Tour and it would be hard to pick one.

Speaking of world champions and Tour success, you helped guide Mark Cavendish to becoming perhaps the best sprinter of this generation and Cadel Evans to the elusive Tour win. Which accomplishment holds more meaning?

Thinking back to all those classics and Tour stages, what was your most epic day on the bike?

Helping Cav to win Milan San-Remo really stands out. Nobody expected him to even be there at the end. I remember descending the

Poggio with the brakes on and then going all out to get him back for the sprint. It was incredible to see him do it. Cadel I’d raced against and known for a long time. One day, we become teammates on BMC and then two years later we win cycling’s biggest race. That was also pretty amazing. Both riders are very important to my career and I’ll never forget working with them. Walk us through the final day of the Tour. Pinning on your number, going to the start line and knowing it would be for the last time.

I was more exited about ﬁnishing my 17th Tour and making history in the sport as opposed to being sad I wouldn’t do it again. It’s so painfully hard that, sitting here today, I don’t know how I did it. I’m just honored to be part of the history of the sport. How will July be for you this year? Where will you be?

Right now I’m really adapting and enjoying my new life. I don’t miss competition, but I realize that could change because it’s all I’ve done in my career. I’m looking forward to watching the Tour from my couch along with everyone else. » cyclingillustrated.com | 33

what with my buddies who race. I won’t ride in the rain or do intervals anymore but I still like to get out and ride with my friends. In fact, this past weekend my brother put the hurt on me for the ﬁrst time in about 25 years. At the end of our Saturday ride he made me suffer, but on Sunday I put it on him going up Paris Mountain. Everything was back in order. What are you looking forward to this year? Any challenges planned?

I’m planning to ride a couple Gran Fondos so I need to stay in shape. I’ll also ride and be more involved with the development team this year and hope to share my knowledge about the sport. I’ve been around for a long time and want to help these guys be the best they can be. Last year, Ty Magner won a U23 national championship and Larry Warbasse signed with the BMC Racing Team. Those are signiﬁcant accomplishments and I’m looking forward to being around more to help other riders pursue their goals.

“

In order to make it to the top, your whole life has to be centered around cycling... Talent will only get you so far; hard work and dedication are a must.” GEORGE HINCAPIE

“Ex-pro” doesn’t sound dignified but you transcended “weekend warrior” many years ago. What’s the right description?

<laughs> No, I’m a weekend warrior. I ride 3-4 days a week and go out on the weekend 34 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Will you be turning into a desk jockey? How will your business involvement in Hincapie Sportswear, the Hincapie Sportswear Development Team, Gran Fondo and new hotel change?

I’ll be able to participate more in the dayto-day operations of our ventures, like doing more events and providing greater input on future apparel designs. I was always involved remotely but now I’m coming into the ofﬁce more and learning the day-to-day operations. Honestly, I’m really enjoying the challenge and taking on a whole new role. Cycling is a grueling sport but what would come as a surprise to fans?

You can be at the biggest races in the world, like the Tour, and life off the bike is far from glamorous. Tiny hotel rooms, July without air conditioning, no Internet and so on. A number of North American teams disappeared this year. Where is cycling headed?

It goes in ebbs and ﬂows. A couple years ago

we had four teams in the Tour, which was unheard of. That brought sponsors but also greater focus on only the top teams. That’s why our attention is on the development team and we’re hoping more will follow. Cycling in the US needs more grassroots events and opportunities to establish the foundation for riders to grow. I’m an advocate for development and hope we’ll ebb back in that direction. An impressive crop of talented US riders is emerging or making their way to the top rank of the sport. Who catches your eye?

There’s a lot of them: TJ, Phinney, and Talansky are all established talents. There’s also a great group of young guys who are going to make a mark on the sport. I think Alex Howes and Peter Stetina are also leading the charge and are going to do well in classics and stage races. It’s exiting for cycling and I think it will help bring back more development teams to the US. What message do you have for young / aspiring pro riders?

In order to make it to the top, your whole life has to be centered around cycling. Your training, your diet, your lifestyle. Talent will only get you so far; hard work and dedication are a must. Your father Ricardo introduced you to the sport. What advice would you have for your son if he wanted to get into bike racing?

<laughs> It’s too hard. I don’t want him to suffer like I did! I’d show him the safest roads and teach him to ride properly. I’d encourage him to go out with groups and join a club. If he starts competing, one thing I’d really try to impress upon him is to never quit a race. When I was brought up, you never quit unless you broke or your bike did. Today, that isn’t often the case--it’s too easy to stop—and I don’t think that’s the right mentality to bring to the sport. At the end of the day, I won’t push my son to be a cyclist. He has to decide for himself. If that’s what he wants to do, I’ll help him get there.

Tour de France

JUST THE FACTS 42,000

792

Water bottles used by teams in race

Total number of tires used by the peloton

5,900 avg. 15 Million 9,000 max Calories consumed by a rider per day:

Firmin Lambot (36) Oldest race winner (1922)

Henri Cornet (20) Youngest winner (1904)

Spectators set to line the route

1904 The year of the ﬁrst documented case of cheating in the Tour

3,653.6 km The total distance

96 Most days spent in yellow jersey: by Eddy Merckx (in 7 participations)

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PA R T 1

By Sean Burke and Chris Daggs Photography By Brian Hodes

Cycling commentator Phil Ligget has said on more than one occasion that once a rider ﬁnishes a grand tour, he’s a different rider. He’s stronger, tougher, and more driven than he ever was before that ﬁrst grand tour. PPhil is probably right. After covering....digging deep into the “suitcase of courage,” many riders are likely to develop physical and mental strength that simply wasn’t there before.

36 | cyclingillustrated.com «

While the vast majority of us will never enter (much less complete) a grand tour, many of us can use extended blocks of focused training, solo or with riding partners, to signiﬁcantly advance ﬁtness and come out stronger and tougher on the other end. We often have a different name for these repeated days of focused training: we call them training camps.

Training camps can be done at just about any time of the racing season. For an amateur racer the most important factor in choosing when to do your camp may be when you can get away from your work, family, or other real life responsibilities for several days. There are two ideal times to conduct extended camps: in your base or foundation period and about two weeks out from a major competition. The more advanced the rider, the more difficult you can make these camps. In general, base/foundation period camps can be longer, like four to ten days, and midseason competition focused camps should be shorter three to five day affairs. However, the midseason camp should be intensity focused as opposed to volume (if you are targeting a stage race then you will need to mix in some consecutive volume days). Recovery is key for a midseason competition focused camp. If you train too hard and too long and don’t recover from the camp it was a waste. Other important factors may be weather, terrain, and potential training partners. If you are planning a camp in an exotic overseas locale or just the other side of the country, then money is probably as big a factor as time. Remember that a training camp doesn’t have to be far away, it can be done right in your backyard. The most important thing is to take a few days to focus on training with limited day to day type distractions. For early or pre-season camps, most riders are in their base/foundation period so the training is simple and we usually recommend one thing, and that’s piles o’ miles. The majority of bike racers are going to want to ride anywhere from three to five hours per day, depending on their ability and fitness level. For mini-camps that are four days or less, you do not need a day off, but you may want to alternate longer and harder days with easier shorter days. It’s ok to go hard on some of these days and really get your blood pumping, but resist the temptation to go all out on the first day or two. You want to have the staying power to make it through the whole camp and complete all of your rides. As camp stretches out past five or six days, you will want to throw in a rest day. A rest day could mean a day completely off the bike, but more likely it means a day of easy pedaling for less than two hours. When we say easy, we mean easy. Not a

single hard pedal stroke. Just stay light on the pedals for the whole ride. A good rest ride means someone usually complains about the ride being too slow. Maybe stop for an espresso along the way and just enjoy the ride. For a midseason camp, you’ll want to do some race-type efforts or intervals. If you are training for a stage race, you will want to do these on consecutive days. Use the terrain and your training partners to challenge you and come home tired. Follow a couple of hard days with an easier day, and then go for it again. In a base/ foundation camp you will do some over-distance days. For example, if you primarily race crits, you might do a few 100-mile days to help build endurance. During a midseason camp geared towards a speciﬁc event you should probably

avoid extended, over-distance training sessions. Consecutive, high-volume days will be necessary if you are preparing for a stage race or race series like Cascade or Tour of America’s Dairyland, but consecutive, over-distance days can lead to more fatigue than is necessary to achieve the training goal. Proper nutrition and hydration is always important when you are training every day, but it becomes especially important when you are training intensely. Always carry some Powerbars, fruit or even a PB&J with you and eat during your ride. You want to be sure and have a sports drink that contains carbohydrates and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. You need the carbohydrates to fuel those high intensity efforts and the sodium will keep you from

“

For early or pre-season camps, most riders are in their base/foundation period so the training is simple and we usually recommend one thing, and that’s piles o’ miles. » cyclingillustrated.com | 37

where developing hyponatremia, a rare but potentially deadly condition where your blood is essentially depleted of sodium. You can’t get hyponatremia in an hour, but four or five hours of pounding the pedals, gritting your teeth and sweating can cause trouble if you don’t replace all that sodium that you lose through sweat. Post training nutrition consists primarily of making sure you replace any additional fluid that you’ve lost, along with getting some carbohydrates and protein to re-fuel your tired muscles. If you really went for it during the ride, and you plan to do the same tomorrow, you are going to want to shoot for 1-1.5 grams of carbohydrates plus .25-.3 grams of protein per kg of body weight within 30 minutes of finishing up and then eat another similar meal two to three hours later. This will insure you are able to do the whole thing again the next day. Doing these training blocks or training camps can pay both mental and physiological dividends. You enjoy riding your bike and it can be nice to just spend several days where riding your bike is the primary focus of the day. If you are doing your camp with friends or teammates, you are likely to have long-lasting bonds from the days spent suffering, having fun, and the experiences of your camp. These experiences are not just a great time, they’ll make the team more likely to work together and be a cohesive unit on race day. If you are doing a mini-camp on your own, then take those few days to worry about nothing but yourself, riding your bike, and recovering. You’ll wind up coming home from your camp a stronger and more relaxed athlete. If you don’t want to leave your family or significant other for an extended period of time, plan your training camp in a location that can keep everyone entertained. For example, Coach Burke is planning a week-long training camp in wine country where he can ride for four or five hours each morning, and then take Mrs. Coach Burke to the vineyards in the afternoon.

38 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Physiological benefits can be tough to measure, but they are real. There isn’t much scientific evidence on the benefits of multi-day camps, but there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence. For starters, when you make training the focus of your day, away from the stressors of daily life, you are essentially training like a professional cyclist. While you may never be a pro racer, it’s fun and often beneficial to train like one, if only for a short period of time. The physiological adaptations you get from a camp are going to be the same ones you get from your regular training regime, but the gains will likely be more noticeable and will probably last longer. The daily volume and intensity you do during your training camp is likely to decrease your dependence on carbohydrates for fuel, and increase your ability to utilize fat. The repeated training will make it nearly impossible to replenish all the fuel that you use each day, and your body’s storage of carbohydrate is limited. This means that by the third or fourth day of camp, you’ll be forced to use more fat as fuel and your muscles can save carbohydrates for when you really need them. High-intensity exercise is fueled by carbohydrates, and we all know that races are won and lost by high-intensity efforts. The repeated cycle of using and restoring carbs each day will also increase the ability of your muscles to store carbs, so that you’ve not only decreased your reliance on them, you’ve also increased the total amount of carbs available. Another physiological adaptation you will get from your camp is the conversion of type IIB muscle fibers into type IIA muscle fibers. Type IIA fibers are more aerobic, and can therefore improve your sustainable power output. As your muscles become more fatigued each day, more of those type IIB muscle fibers are stimulated and will begin that conversion to the more aerobic type IIA muscle fiber. With benefits like upregulation of fat metabolism, increased carbohydrate storage, more efficient carbohydrate usage, and muscle fiber conversion, it’s easy to see why a grand tour rider becomes a “different rider” after RACING three weeks in the saddle.

Post-camp, you may be tired and should take a little extra rest. Depending on the length of camp, intensity, and fitness level pre-camp, a rider may experience lingering fatigue for two to four weeks. You will likely recover within one week, but it might take a few weeks to feel “fresh” again after a long, hard, early season camp. Some riders may even notice they gain a few pounds in the days after they get home from camp. This isn’t fat, but is most likely the increased carbohydrate storage, plus some inflammation from the beating that you’ve given your muscles. This inflammation is actually an important and normal part of the recovery process that will pass in a few days. Paris-Nice might not be on your schedule this year, but take some time to plan out your early season training camp. Then plan out another camp to fine-tune your fitness for your peak event of the season. It can take some time and effort to put the pieces in place, but a few training camps done right can make for your best season ever. Sean Burke and Chris Daggs are Coaches for Crank Cycling in San Diego CA

“

...by the third or fourth day of camp, you’ll be forced to use more fat as fuel and your muscles can save carbohydrates for when you really need them. High intensity exercise is fueled by carbohydrates, and we all know that races are won and lost by high intensity efforts.

Âť cyclingillustrated.com | 39

where

S G CAMP

Camping without

T R A IN IN

TENTS PA R T 2

By Trina Jacobson Photography By Danny Munson 40 | cyclingillustrated.com ÂŤ

Most amateur cyclists view team camp as an opportunity to live like a professional for a few days. Who wouldn’t want to get away from everyday life, ride most of the day, and recover by enjoying some downtime and meals with teammates who happen to be your friends? Professional team camps, however, are not just about the riding and the food, or even completely about the riders. There’s work to be done and we’re not talking about increasing threshold power. For a team to operate smoothly, it takes another whole team behind the scenes planning, organizing, and attending to details in order for riders to even arrive to the camp location. Joy Duerksen McCulloch, part of the support staff for CashCall Mortgage Cycling, a domestic elite team based in Southern California, says plans for the January 2013 camp began four months earlier. One of the main concerns for the week of camp is housing for riders plus the staff and sponsors. CashCall Mortgage Cycling grew from 8 riders to 11, which meant a second house was needed. Add in the support staff, such as a director, mechanic, soigneur (pronounced “swan-yer”), public relations liaison, and a few sponsors, and the number quickly approaches 20 – that’s a lot of beds, bikes, and bodies. Despite the chaos that numbers bring, everyone is there for the same reason; they have a passion for the sport of cycling, want to see the team succeed, and want the sport to grow in a positive way. This common vision brings solidarity and focus to the camp house. The overall atmosphere can only be described as Christmas one-hundred-fold because camp is when riders receive new clothing, bikes, helmets, and other sponsor products and each day is a celebration of the team.

Riders, especially if it’s their first involvement with a professionally run team, arrive fit and prepared to ride with their teammates. In preparation for her first professional team camp, Brianna Walle has spent the past two months in exclusive base training and is excited and healthily nervous for both the time at camp, and the season ahead. Although having only been racing for 3 seasons, she has climbed the local ranks and successfully raced on the national level, all the while recognizing her teammates’ hard work. Walle is excited to learn how she will contribute to the Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies women’s team and recognizes the benefits of team rides because it is on these rides that the team is formed. Teammates’ body language and communication styles are learned among the riders as well as between riders and directors – all without the added stress of performing in a race. Depending on the time of year or the focus of the team, skills and fitness are tested. For some, team camp is the first time a rider will have an opportunity to receive a hand-up from a team car. Riding in an efficient pace line, motor pacing behind a car, and sprint drills also prepare riders for the pro peloton. If riding together forms the team, then offthe-bike activities are what hold the team together. Sharing meals and trying new activities like ocean kayaking and bowling all create an ideal environment to get to know and bond with teammates who may live in different parts of the country or the world. Jacob Erker, general manager of Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, says he tries to get the team together for activities outside of cycling saying, “Jonas [Carney, Performance Director] really believes it is a great way for the riders to get to know each other without throwing in the competition of cycling. For example, a couple of years ago Dan Holloway flipped his kayak in the surf and Tom Soladay swam out to help him. That’s a good way to get to know a teammate!” To aid in the recovery from riding and unplanned ocean swims, there is food. CashCall Cycling uses dinner as an opportunity to involve more people that want to be part of team camp. Someone associated with the team cooks dinner most nights. » cyclingillustrated.com | 41

where The riders look forward to the home-cooked meals, the time spent with sponsors, and having the opportunity to show their gratitude for everyone’s support. For everyone involved, it’s a family type of environment. Then there are the various types of meetings. Riders are indoctrinated to the team through learning about their sponsors, team history, and looking at the season ahead of them. In many cases, sponsors treat this relationship more like a partnership and ask for feedback on products. This creates an atmosphere of collaboration, which adds to the conﬁdence sponsors have in the team, and the team in the sponsors. Tim Jackson, marketing manager at Focus Bicycles USA, explained his time with Jelly Belly Pro Cycling p/b Kenda at their camp in February like this, “The team pictures that were taken will provide us with material for possible future ads. The time with the riders will provide us with unfettered feedback. In the end, it all hopefully provides the brand with growth.”

“

The overall atmosphere can only be described as Christmas one-hundredfold because camp is when riders receive new clothing, bikes, helmets, and other sponsor products and each day is a celebration of the team.”

42 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Team camp is also an ideal place to provide riders with tools to help them succeed as athletes. Teams take the time to train riders on public relations such as how to properly use social media, write blogs, and give good interviews. Everything from proper bike ﬁts, nutrition consultations, and self-care of common aches and pains is covered. At the 2012 Nature Valley Pro Chase team camp leading up to the Nature Valley Stage Race, Alynn Kakuk, a doctorate student of physical therapy, spoke to the composite team riders about how to prevent and treat common cycling injuries and physical stressors. She also spent time with each rider performing a physical assessment and creating a self-care plan including strengthening or stretching where needed. While everyone is gathered in their brand-new sparkling kits, many photos are taken and video footage is gathered to be used throughout the season by sponsors and the team’s media liaison. It’s these images that amateur cyclists emulate

when creating their own camps. The image of the double-up pace line against a picturesque background that looks like it took hours of coordination to setup and capture is the inspiration for soon-to-be-pros to stay focused and motivated. Another common image is the photo of the team gathered around a team car with bikes. This can take place at the official team presentation where the team and its sponsors are presented to the media. Aside from the tangible benefits of gathering a team for training and team bonding, riders go home with a renewed excitement and motivation for the season. Getting out of the normal routine, especially if the normal routine includes snow or stationary trainers, meeting people that will count on you, and receiving new uniforms can jump start positive team dynamics. Another intangible benefit of going through all of the logistical planning, packing, and food shopping for a small army is to practice for later trips to races. It can be stressful to travel with so much

equipment, so training camp is an opportunity for the staff to work out all of the logistical kinks. Everyone involved gets to the point where traveling to bike races becomes “normal,” according to Carmel Small of Specialized-Lululemon. In her blog at velociosports.com she wrote, “I never think twice about “preparing” for the trip, I simply go. It is my job. Others see my life as so far from being average, but it is all so normal for me.” As traveling becomes “normal,” the stress factors decrease and this allows more mental energy to be allocated for the hard work come race day. After all, as Jackson pointed out, “Cycling is a true team sport. Though an individual may win a given race or stage, it takes a team to make that possible. Camps are the crucible where relationships are formed that will either lead the team to victory, or lay the groundwork for failure. Neither is a given.”

where

LEGENDS still

By Matt Freeman Photography By Danny Munson

When names like Fuller, Bostic, Howard, Tilford, and Stetina come up, adjectives of greatness will be whispered, spoken, and shouted. These men are the stuff of legend, and their accomplishments are worthy of the greatest sagas and mythology.

44 | cyclingillustrated.com ÂŤ

Connect with Cycling Illustrated Connect with us to stay updated on the biggest news, names and races in cycling.

cyclingillustrated.com

Q: Thanks for joining us. Tell us a little about your background. How did you discover cycling and what prompted you to compete?

but road racing is my favorite.

I discovered cycling when I was 13. I had an older brother who started racing a year before me and I followed suit. It was tough at ﬁrst, because all the guys I rode with were older and stronger than me. In fact, we had three other future Olympians in the group. That made me tough and strong for future years.

Up until about 4 ½ months ago, at which time I had a heart attack a day before I was leaving for nationals, I trained pretty hard. I have gotten to know my body fairly well over the years with little tweaks here and there. Now, I’m stepping back and taking a good look, trying to listen to the doctors. I would like to compete at nats and worlds this year if able. I love the thrill of racing, winning, and the camaraderie of my friends.

Q: Time to brag a little. What results you have achieved over your career. I have raced for over 51 years now. I have won over 750 races, 43 national championships, and 7 World Championships. I hold the world hour record for my age group. Finally, I was a member of the 1972 & 1976 Olympic Teams, although I did not get to race either time.

Q: Of those accomplishments, which one(s) stand out and mean the most to you personally and why? Of course, winning my national and world championships and the hour record were very monumental to me, but I have also had huge satisfaction in seeing younger riders I have coached or mentored do well. What really stands out in my mind is some of the work I have done with the disabled, seeing them do things that they thought were not possible and the joy it brought to them.

KENNY FULLER

/cycillustrated

Q: What type of racing do you prefer? I’m probably best at time trialing,

Q: Do you still train as hard and

disciplined as the early days of your career?

Q: What is your physical training regimen like? Almost more importantly, what is your mental training regimen like? What about your mental toughness has brought you to the line FIRST so many times in your career? During the season, I do 300-400 miles a week. I start off easy and increase my mileage and intensity up until the championship events. The mental part is very important. That’s what makes a champion. You have to have the confidence to know you can do it before you can do it. I was a strong, good rider when I was young, but after I won my first world title I expected to win. Most people close to me are aware of my wife Pam’s role in my fitness these past 5 years. She turned me on to a book called The Secret which helped me with my mental preparation in winning the world championship 3 years in a row.

/cyclingillustrated

Q: Technology is a becoming

a common tool. What type of training devices do you use to measure your gains and fitness?

I’m old-school and lacking in technology. However, since my heart attack, I am using a heart rate monitor.

Q: What kind of things do you enjoy doing when off the bike? I’m a semi-retired real estate broker. I have been all my life. I chose this profession so I could have time to ride and race my bike. I have always loved to travel, which ﬁts well with the bike. Of late, I love spending time with my grandkids.

Q: Do you have any specific racing goals this year? Yes. If my health cooperates, I would like to win the triple at nats and double at worlds.

Q: Are there any ‘up-and-coming’ juniors that have caught your eye that we should keep a look at for? Tell me about them. Yes, little Jeffrey ,who’s not so little anymore. I think he’s taller than me now. Jeff ’s aunt, Laura, is my neighbor and when she approached me several years ago Jeff was only 13. I think he is 17 now and he won San Luis Rey in the Elite race last year at 16. He has awesome potential and he reminds me of another junior I mentored many years ago by the name of Greg Lemond.

Q: Any words of advice for other aspiring competitive cyclists who have big dreams? Train hard, train smart, but, most importantly, have fun and enjoy. » cyclingillustrated.com | 45

Q: Time to brag a little. What

results have you achieved over your career?

I was on the ‘72, ‘76, and ‘80 Olympic teams. I have ﬁve elite and nine masters national titles. Gold medal in the 100km TT at the ‘79 Pan Am games. Four National Prestige Classic titles. 1977 Red Zinger champion. Over 200 career victories. I was inducted into the US Bicycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and I serve on their BOD.

Q: Of those accomplishments,

which one(s) stand out and mean the most to you personally and why?

After several seconds, thirds, untimely punctures, and crashes, I finally won my first national time trial championship in 1975 by 0.36 seconds. I beat John Howard and got revenge for losing the 1972 road race championship to him by 6.” The following year, I won the national road race in a close sprint, then repeated with a 3-minute, solo victory in ‘77. Perhaps a more fundamentally significant victory for me was the 1973 Little 500 at Indiana University--as seen in Breaking Away--where I rode 144 laps for Delta Chi...and met my wife, Barbara.

WAYNE STETINA

Q: Thanks for joining us. Tell us a little about your background. How did you discover cycling and what prompted you to compete?

My father was a speed skater-cum-cyclist cyclist before WWII, which really interrupted his cycling career. He got me a bike when I was nine and I was hooked. On my ﬁrst ride with my mother (multiple Ohio state women’s champion), I expected to show her how fast I was. She crushed me. My ﬁrst race at 11 years old was in 1964. 46 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Q: What type of racing do you prefer? I’ve always preferred road racing, although I used to enjoy crits and I won more of those than I can remember. Now, crits scare me too much to contest ﬁnishes. I hate time trials with aerobars and painful seating positions. I was always the best sprinter who could survive a hard road race or most climbs. I have had to lose over 10 pounds since my

best racing days over 30 years ago. I’m 5-6% bodyfat now in order to do well on the climbs.

Q: Do you still train as hard and

disciplined as the early days of your career? Where do you find the motivation to keep competing?

It’s impossible to train that hard, balancing a career, even mine with plenty of time from Shimano for product testing and riding promotional events. I’m ofﬁcially retired from racing this year. It’s just too much time to race constantly in order to be at my best, and more risk than I am willing to accept. I love riding gran fondos and the Ride 2 Recovery for injured vets’ rehab. I stay ﬁt to enjoy training, even in the mountains with my nephew Peter on the Garmin team.

Q: What is your physical train-

ing regimen like? Almost more importantly, what is your mental training regimen like? What about your mental toughness has brought you to the line first so many times in your career?

I almost never drive my car to work. Minimum ride is a fifteen mile daily commute, more often 30-35 miles. I ride year-round in our mild, SoCal weather, and I never take a complete break off the bike. As you age, it becomes more important to have a consistent, daily fitness regime. But general riding or climbing fitness for good health is far from race fitness, where everything revolves around speed and maintaining max intensity efforts. My job with Shimano-twenty-eight years now--allows as much product testing and PR mileage as I decide I need.

Mental toughness: either you have it or you don’t. I’m not sure that stubborn tenacity to never give up can be developed. Even more important is the ability to think clearly and scheme when you are exhausted after 4-6 hours of racing and suffering. The best riders, no matter how tired, never lose focus on surviving to the finish and trying to figure out whatever it takes to get there first.

Q: Technology is a becoming

a common training tool. What type of training devices do you use to measure your gains and fitness?

I am constantly testing cutting-edge component technology for Shimano, but for my own training I am hopelessly old school. When heart rate monitors became widely available ﬁve years after I joined Shimano and retired from full-time competition, I lost a huge training edge I had enjoyed over everyone else. Because everyone was better able to ﬁgure out how hard and how much to train. Ten years later, power meters made it increasingly easy to pinpoint training. After several years with SRM, I continually amaze my nephew Peter that I can estimate his power within ten watts based solely on my perceived effort.

Q: What kind of things do you

enjoy doing when off the bike?

Driving high-performance cars. Reading. Movies. Eating.

Q: Do you have any specific racing goals this year?

I’m ofﬁcially retired and focusing on gran fondos or any other opportunities to ride and train with the pros. It always requires a race effort for me to survive when they ride hard

THURLOW ROGERS tempo, approach anaerobic threshold, or make any surges.

Q: Are there any ‘up-and-

coming’ juniors that have caught your eye that we should keep a look at for?

I’ve followed several juniors over the years, but I haven’t been to elite or junior nationals the last few years.

Q: Any words of advice for other aspiring competitive cyclists who have big dreams?

Road racing at the top level requires years of total lifestyle dedication. Age category competition results don’t always show your true potential. It may take four to five years after reaching full growth for some to reach their potential. Continue to train consistently and you should know before you graduate from U23. Pro Tour racing takes an additional four or five years. My nephew Peter displayed the very disciplined, long-term view required to succeed as a grand tour racer after finishing 22nd in his first Giro in 2011. He said his Giro wasn’t over until he had fully recovered and resumed racing a month later. As a rule of thumb, our national team coaches prefer slow maturers for long-term development over the extremely muscular junior that has to shave at sixteen and easily dominates every race. Although, prodigies like Lemond or Armstrong do happen along every now and again.

Q: Thanks for joining us. Tell us a little about your background. How did you discover cycling and what prompted you to compete? I didn’t discover it. It’s been around for 2 centuries. I just goofed off on a kids’ BMX bike and it grew from there for me.

Q: Time to brag a little. What results have you achieved over your career. I went to junior worlds .

Q: Of your accomplishments, which one(s) stand out and mean the most to you personally and why? I enjoyed last weekend’s ride

Q: What type of racing do you prefer? Road racing is the only real racing. Everything else is just a poor substitute Q: Do you still train as hard and disciplined as the early days of your career? I used up all discipline decades ago. I just look for fun and satisfaction now.

Q: What is your physical training regimen like? Almost more importantly, what is your mental training regimen like? Ride 5 miles. Post a picture on the web. Make a positive afﬁrmation. Repeat. That’s how it’s done now right.

Q: Technology (like power meters) is a becoming a common train tool. What type of training devices do you use to measure your gains and fitness? I measure my training by how many followers or comments I get.

Q: What kind of things do you enjoy doing when off the bike? All the usual stuff.

Q: Do you have any specific racing goals this year? I want to ﬁnish a race and yell gggggggooooooooaaaaaaaaallllllllllll! Q: Are there any ‘up-and-coming’ juniors that have caught your eye that we should keep a look at for? Quentin Kirby. His head appears well-attached.

Q: Any words of advice for other aspiring competitive cyclists who have big dreams? Do the hard races well. Small races are the least important. » cyclingillustrated.com | 47

where JOHN HOWARD Q: Thanks for joining us. Tell us a little about your background. How did you discover cycling and what prompted you to compete? My dad wanted me to play football. I did that for 3 years in high school, then decided it was my call and cycling was the odds-on choice for me.

Q: Time to brag a little. Tell me

what results you have achieved over your career.

Fifth grade dodgeball champion at Delaware Elementary was my start. I’ve been a member of three US Olympic Cycling teams. I have 7 elite national championships in road racing, time trialing, cyclocross, and NORBA MTB. 11 masters national titles. Pan Am gold in the road race in Cali, Columbia. Ironman world champion. I hold world records at both ends of the spectrum of madness--distance, 539 miles in 24 hours, and speed, 152 MPH. I cofounded RAAM and ﬁnished second. I podium’d the Tour of Ireland. I’m a winner of the International Williston Handicap on the Isle of Man. I won the International Tour of Baja. I’ve authored 5 cycling books and coached many champion athletes.

Q: Which of your accomplishments stand out and mean the most to you personally and why? Coaching and seeing my athletes win is a huge thrill. With an historical twist, the Pan Am gold in Cali was an epic race of early USA cycling teamwork and it helped launch the sport, bringing in money and paving the way for all the names you already know. Believe it or not, we once raced our hearts out for toasters and cans of Dog Halt. 48 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Q: What type of racing do you prefer? I liked them all ,but was probably most adept at road and stage racing in my prime. I wish I had done more track, but I lived in the Ozark mountains far from any velodromes.

Q: Do you still train as hard and disciplined as the early days of your career? Heavens, no! I don’t have or make the time and I mostly ride for fun. I’m still very ﬁt, but that...edge to be world class is no longer a priority or a possibility. I train mostly because I like the way I feel.

Q: What is your physical training regimen like? Almost more importantly, what is your mental training regimen like? What about your mental toughness has brought you to the line FIRST so many times in your career? I train now no hardcore schedules and I don’t care for early morning starts. The bike is more about therapy. I love to ride as much as ever, but now it’s about fresh air and blue sky. My personal drive has extended more toward total ﬁtness of mind, body, and soul.

Q: Technology (like power meters) is becoming a common tool. What type of training devices do you use to measure your gains and fitness? I have a Garmin 805, and a heart rate monitor, but I mostly do my power testing and training on the Computrainer.

Q: What kind of things do you enjoy doing when off the bike? Jumping on my rebounder, running a bit, and swimming now and then. I’m a Walter Mitty race car driver. I race auto-cross and drive endurance motor racing like the Lemons series. Karts are my favorite. I also write or co-write an article every month for Pezcycling New, Lava, and Triathlete.

Q: Do you have any specific racing goals this year? Not really, my goals are all vicariously projected onto the dozen or so athletes that I coach and train with.

Q: Are there any ‘up-and-com-

ing’ juniors that have caught your eye that we should keep a look at for?

The truth is, I’m not following the juniors all that closely. That might be a regret because I have been good at spotting young talent in the past. But my energy is going into working with my older clients and volunteering my time to the San Diego Blind Stokers’ Club and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Q: Any words of advice for other aspiring competitive cyclists who have big dreams? Keep searching, train hard, and stay clean!

That race gave me a ton of personal satisfaction. I would have rather had Brian win the race than me. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly.

Q: What type of racing do you prefer? Man, hard question. I race on the road a lot; more than cross and MTB. My favorite type of race on the road is a hard circuit race. Something more than just a couple miles around and it has to have a hard climb in it. But, a hard criterium, something with a climb, is a close 2nd.

STEVE TILFORD

Q: Thanks for joining us. Tell us

a little about your background. How did you discover cycling and what prompted you to compete?

My background? It’s pretty much cycling. I started racing bicycles in the 70’s when I was 14. My brother and I mowed lawns for a couple summers to save up enough money to buy bikes to ride centuries. We found that we didn’t like just riding the 100 mile rides. We timed them. There was a boom of bicycle sales from the European manufacturers and I was lucky to “happen” into the sport.

Q: Time to brag a little. What results have you achieved over your career. I’ve won national championships on the road, cyclocross, and MTB. I’ve also podiumed on the track once. I’ve ridden the world championships in all these events multiple times. Since turning master, I’ve won the world championship in cyclocross and MTB.

Q: Of those accomplishments, which one(s) stand out and

mean the most to you personally and why?

I really don’t have one result that means the most. I don’t necessarily have to win an event to get a lot of personal satisfaction from it. I’ll give you an example. A few years ago, racing Battenkill, I was in a break all day. There were 5 of us. I was feeling so/so, but towards the end I started feeling great. The break blew apart on the last dirt climb and only two of us were left. I wasn’t really sure how far the finish was from the top, but I knew it wasn’t far. Before I knew it, there were fresh guys from the field with us. One, then another caught, and I started getting worried. On the flats, just a couple miles out, the attacks started. I marked one, then another. I couldn’t be in everything. Then, out of the blue, my only teammate in the race, Brian Jensen, bridged out of nowhere. When the next big surge came, he latched onto the back of a group of 3. I watched as they rounded the last corner and he won the race. I won the sprint, a couple hundred meters behind, for 5th.

Racing MTB, I always think, ‘I should do this more often.’ The concentration that it takes to race a mountain bike fast, especially in single track, is something I really enjoy. I’m probably the best at cyclocross. I think my natural abilities suit it. You don’t have to be the strongest rider to win a cyclocross. Other skill sets can make up for what you might lack in strength.

Q: Do you still train as hard and disciplined as the early days of your career? Where do you find the motivation to keep competing? I train just about as hard and I race into shape. I’m not much of a one to go out and try to simulate racing in training. I don’t train by power. I do train for speciﬁc things, but mainly things that I feel like I’m missing. I like to think of myself as very well rounded in the sport. There isn’t much I do badly. But, I’m not great at any one thing either...other than maybe racing criteriums in the wet.

Q: What is your physical training regimen like? More importantly, what is your mental training regimen like? What about your mental toughness has brought you to the line first so many times in your career? I don’t think I train for mental toughness. I think that people are tough or they aren’t. I’ve done much better in the sport because of being tougher than the next guy. I never consider it when it is happening, but, afterward, it becomes apparent. There aren’t too many guys in the sport that are not tough mentally. But, you have to be really, really tough to succeed sometimes.

Q: Technology is a becoming a common tool. What type of training devices do you use to measure your fitness? Nothing, really. I have a Garmin that I download to Strava. I don’t ride by power. That will probably change. I hate it, but I think it will be a valuable tool. I say that because it detracts from the natural way it feels to just ride your bike. I think when you spend too much time messing with technology, it distracts you from noticing other things that are more important than just numbers.

Q: What kind of things do you

enjoy doing when off the bike?

I enjoy just about everything. I do construction, sort of as a hobby, but way more in-depth than that. I cross-country ski some in the winter, but not so much now that cross doesn’t end until February. I like to, well maybe “like” is too strong of a word, but I do ﬁx my own cars and do enjoy it when it’s my choice and not the car’s. I like making pies,

fruit pies. And playing with pets.

Q: Do you have any specific racing goals this year? No, not right now. I destroyed my right shoulder at cyclocross nationals in Madison and I have to get surgery to repair it after worlds in Louisville. That is going to be at least a 6-8 week issue. I’ll just have to see how it goes after that. I do plan to ride more long MTB races this year. Nothing epic, but 4-6 hours things. Maybe Leadville. That speciﬁc race doesn’t suit my abilities, but I’d like the experience.

Q: Are there any ‘up-and-coming’ juniors that have caught your eye that we should keep a look at for? I don’t really ride with that many juniors. There is a huge ability difference between junior and elite now. When I was a junior, I could win pro/1/2 races. That really isn’t the case anymore. There are a lot of young guys who are riding their bikes super fast now. Lawson Craddock is an example. I raced against him when he was a junior and you could tell from day one that he was going to be a good bike rider. Then, last year, he showed some of what he has.

Q: Any words of advice for other aspiring competitive cyclists who have big dreams? The sport takes an enormous amount of time. It’s not something that you get good at in just a year or two. It takes years upon years to realize your potential, so don’t get frustrated on a short-term basis. The journey is the goal, anyway.

» cyclingillustrated.com | 49

3km and 1 hr on the track are the most prescient. They represent good benchmarks for human performance without performance enhancing drugs.

Q: What type of racing do you

prefer?

KENT BOSTICK

Q: How did you discover cycling and what prompted you to compete? I loved to ski as a kid and I spent a year in France when I was 8. My father bought me a French, 10-speed. When I came home to the US, I asked if I could race bikes. My father replied, “they don’t race bikes in the U.S.” Undeterred, I formed a bike club at middle school. My epithet in my 8th grade yearbook was that someday I would have a bike team. Seeing the Tour of Somerville proved to me that racing happened in the US. We sold our hay farm equipment and I started racing. Racing without proper training, I experienced transcendent exhaus50 | cyclingillustrated.com «

tion. After deliberation on whether or not cycling would kill me, I decided that I needed to train. I befriended the fastest rider I knew, Tom Kelly, and did what he did. My performance at the 1977 nationals in Seattle got me invited to a training camp in Colorado Springs. Eddie B., my ﬁrst coach, taught me cycling and I took him skiing. The coaches designated me as an EBG (“experimental big guy”) destined to suffer in 100 km TTTs. After winning gold at the 1987 Pan Am Games, I got relief from that event when it was deleted from the Olympic program. A good sponsorship by Team Shaklee allowed me to switch to individual pursuit, where I won gold at the 1995 Pan Am Games in Mar del Plata. I made the 1996 Olympic team for individual pursuit by winning the Olympic trials. On YouTube, you can see my personal coach (Mark Whitehead) kissing the track. I went on to ride a 4:33 for 9th place at the Olympics.

Q: Which of your accomplishments mean the most to you personally? My world record for 100 km, and my masters’ world record for

I like all events in cycling, except for wet criteriums with oil and dirt in the corners. I don’t do cross as it comes during my base training period.

Q: Do you still train as hard as the early days of your career? In my 40s, everything I did except professional work contributed to my training. Following Craig Grifﬁn’s 1995-1996 Olympic track program was the hardest thing I have ever done. It was the East German track program without the drugs. The only thing that got me through it was the camaraderie of the team pursuiters and the encouragement from Craig. The program was so anti-drug that Adam Laurent chastised me for using a caffeinated gel on a training ride. That training gave me the strength to eliminate Oscar Perez, the Argentine national champion and Olympic medalist, in the ﬁnal at the Pan Am games in front of his home crowd. I was thankful that cycling spectators don’t riot. I don’t train as hard as I used to. I just like to ride my bike. Presently, training is an 18 mile ride each way to and from work. I get intervals when I am late and need to get there on time! Having a wife that rides helps, as I get some marital bonding on the bike. Pushing slow riders uphill and providing jersey pulls on group rides increases my level of effort.

Q: What about your mental toughness has brought you to the line first so many times in

your career?

I was mentally prepared for competition by attending grade school in New Jersey where I had to ﬁght bullies at lunch or after school. People tell me I still sound like a Jersey thug! Between that and farm work, I developed a high pain threshold and a work ethic. Winning the ﬁrst few events enabled passage over a major psychological barrier. After that, my training was motivated by a fear of losing that made me train hard. Now, fear of losing has become fear of getting dropped, which happens on a regular basis. So what? I have nothing to prove.

Q: What type of training devices do you use to measure your gains and fitness? I have a watch to time my rides so that I don’t get home late. My iBike Aero measures watts on climbs and sprints. Speed on the road is a good metric on ﬂat terrain. Without a power meter, I ride along with someone else on a climb and add 50 watts to his numbers to account for my girth. On the track, I use ﬂying 3 lap times to set a schedule for a pursuit. I ride an Inside Ride trainer no longer than the length of an action movie. After about 4 decades of training, I have to trick myself to go hard. All my training is subjective. If I feel bad, I loaf on the bike. If I feel good, I will pull hard.

Q: What kind of things do you enjoy doing when off the bike? My time off the bike involves my work as a groundwater hydrologist. Lately, work has occupied more time for extra proposal writing due the poor economy. Last year, I visited Spain to help remediate a uranium mine and tailings facility in Salamanca. I have backyard snow-making equipment to make a ski track for family and friends. I’m

also making renovations on some family property.

Q: Do you have any specific racing goals this year? Don’t get fat. Meet nice people. Continue to be a drug-free Olympian and ambassador to sports. I’ll attend some bike races and competitive tours. At 60 years old, I need to stay alive long enough to see my 8-year-old grow up and get through college. I have had my day and gone as far as I could with my abilities. At this point, I am challenging myself with local, cat 1 racing.

Q: Are there any up-and-coming juniors who have caught your eye that we should keep an eye on? I have coached several juniors over the years. At some point we have discussions about whether they could be professionals. I told them they had to decide about taking drugs, or college, or a trade. They all asked me for recommendations for school. Mostly, I have provided a venue for good riders to get to a national prominence through the Ten Speed Drive and Shaklee teams. Riders that I have helped include Gary Fisher, Todd Gogulski, Nate Shafer, John Frey, Rod Bush, and a host of others. My wife Rhonda won two masters national championships and a masters pursuit world championship, mostly on her own determination. I take no credit for that either.

Q: Any words of advice for other aspiring competitive cyclists who have big dreams? Do what is possible naturally, even if you can’t win. Be a good representative of yourself and your sport. There are no short-cuts. Use the 11 cog.

FEEL THE CHARGE.

mri-endurance.com

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. ÂŠ 2013 MRI (Medical Research Institute)

PHOTO GR A PHE R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S These photographers elevate the captured image to the lofty heights of art. They faithfully capture the moments of truth, the moments that truly represent the sport, and the moments that ignite passion in the viewer.

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Living Legend

Custom Craftsman B

AN INTERVIEW WITH BILL DAVIDSON

Bill Davidson began as a brash upstart, and through the decades he’s weathered the tides of an unforgiving cycling industry. Now he’s emerged as one of the elder statesmen of his craft, and serves as inspiration to a new generation of young builders. Bill Davidson is one of the masters of the hand-built bicycle.

what all the local guys were riding. In the process of waiting and hanging around, a younger boy asked Well, it was the winter if I could help. He’d of 1973-1974. I had cleared it with Harry By Scot Hinckleyvisited some English Quinn, and I ended Danielson bicycle racers that up doing the most Photo By Scot Hinckleywere training and mundane tasks possiDanielson living in Liverpool, ble just to help around England. One of them worked at the shop. I was good at operating the Harry Quinn bike shop where hand tools; my dad had a welding they made frames. The frames shop in Ballard his whole life, so I were so cheap at the time that I just kind of grew up around metalworkthought, well, I’ll get one too. It was ing. I didn’t have any fear of it. To

Q: Bill, when did you first start building frames? What year was it?

me, a bike frame wasn’t a whole lot different from some of the things my dad was making for the ﬁshing boats in Ballard back in the 1960s. I felt like I could do it if I wanted to. I had no idea it would ever be a job or even a career. I just thought I’d do a couple to try something new. I had no fear of any temporary failure or anything like that.

Q: When you were at Quinn’s,

hanging around and helping out, were you paying attention

to the nuances of his technique and just soaking it all in? Brazed lug construction, I assume.

Oh yeah, that was the only way a bike was made back then. Mr. Quinn realized I had some interest and aptitude for the work, so he spent a little time here and there pointing out the way he did this and that; not a signiﬁcant amount of time, though. After all, I was an American guy in Liverpool. By default I didn’t have a future with him, and I understood that he couldn’t

put much time and effort into me. But he was friendly and encouraging. After I was done training with the racing team, I asked him if I could buy 3 sets of everything I’d need to make 3 frames when I got home. I suppose it was about $75 for the tubes, lugs, dropouts, bottom brackets, everything.

Q: So when you got back to Seattle, you just set up everything at your father’s shop and went to it? » cyclingillustrated.com | 61

how Yeah, just putzing around with it. I had access to everything I’d need at his shop, which was nice. Eventually, one of my friends and his brother, who owned a bike shop, said I should come make frames at their place. I told them I didn’t really know how to make frames, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were so keen on it that I agreed to do a few. Shortly after, their bookkeeper pulled the plug on the project because of cost. The shop ended up selling the frames, which probably looked pretty ugly by what I consider my standards today.

Q: Did the frames say Davidson on them? Yes, they did. They were pretty amateurish, I have to admit. It’s not so easy to self-teach yourself. It’s even harder than learning from an English guy. The English guys didn’t have great craftsmanship at that time. Only the Italians were making real works of art. I’m not sure I would have known the difference at that time, anyway. Eventually I became able to see the difference, to develop an eye. Everyone back then said Masi was the best. But why? It was because the craftsmanship on a Masi was far better than the craftsmanship on almost any English bike made up to that point. Recognizing that craftsmanship was where I started in establishing my own standard.

Q: Were the Masi bikes custom,

production, or both at that time?

The ﬁrst thing to realize is that they were all hand-made. The senior Masi had a real eye for design and craftsmanship so his bikes were not only the best, but the best looking as 62 | cyclingillustrated.com «

well. That inﬂuenced a lot of people, and gave the young American guys like me something to shoot for.

Columbus, but they were small craftsman producers. Personally, I used a little bit of each.

Q: Were those early frames of yours all customs?

Q: Have your frames always been custom or have you done production work as well?

Well, I made one for me and one for my friend...you know, people used to have this idea that there would be some specially-designed frame that would be ideal for them. Young racers, mostly. Today’s racer just gets on whatever carbon fiber bike they give him and he changes the stem. Back then, due to the influence of Euro professionals like Eddy Merckx, people were having frames made where they’d insist on 2mm changes here or there. Psychologically, it might have made a difference. If you imagine you’ll be faster with a certain bike design, you will be. I was willing to try different geometries, so I was fine with all that.

Q: Was there a lot of hype at that time with different tube sets coming out? That 1970s bike boom must have had a ton of companies touting this benefit or that benefit to the performance riders. At that time the English company, Reynolds, was the largest manufacturer of bicycle tubing. Their tubing, 531, had maybe 90% of the business. I think a lot of it came down to the fact that they were a little cheaper and a lot more efﬁcient than the Italian manufacturing company, Columbus. All the big manufacturers that made lightweight bikes, like Raleigh, Peugeot, Gitane, Motobecane, and maybe a few others, they were the big customers. They all used Reynolds 531. There weren’t any big Italian companies other than Bianchi, most were much smaller. They all used

We did a little production in the 1980s. We made some bikes with actual model names. We made lots of them, and the Impulse was probably our biggest seller. We made several thousand of those. The biggest production years were from 1984 to maybe 1990. Around the mid-90s, aluminum came along and pretty much shut down the steel bike business.

to my turn, she asked me what I thought of aluminum bike frames. Being a bit of a jokester, I told her that aluminum is for lawn chairs, and it’s not even very good at that. That made it to print, by the way.

Q: At that time, was aluminum

considered a bit weird or did people immediately embrace it?

We were, but I bounced around a lot during that era, and became more of a manager and a teacher. It was an interesting time. I realized that I liked doing the actual work more than managing the work. I’d rather just sit down with a frame and do it myself. With a business like ours, your job description can change on a daily basis.

A little of each. The aluminum alloys available for bicycle frame production were few, and none were all that good. In order to overcome the deﬁciencies, they had to make the frames pretty heavy. They also had to use larger diameter tubes, which made the frames really stiff. Since that was the case, they touted it as a virtue, but the reality of it was that they were way too stiff for most riders. I recognized that pretty quickly after riding one; it was a total boneshaker. That was enough for me. But it’s considered to be a modern material, and steel’s been made since the middle ages. Light steel is modern, and requires a bit of technology for the butted, heat-treated, special alloy steel tubes. A lot goes into a steel tube before it ever ends up in the hands of a frame builder. Not so for aluminum, at least not when you’re just whacking chunks off a 20-foot piece of the stuff.

Q: Did you ever get tempted to jump on the aluminum bandwagon?

Q: When did titanium come on the scene? Were you an early adopter?

Q: When you were doing the production frames and becoming well-known, were you still able to keep up the standards for your customs?

Oh no, no. Years and years ago, at the beginning of the welded aluminum bike frame era, the big name in aluminum frames was also located in Washington. Some enterprising Seattle Times reporter decided to do an article on the two of us. The reporter interviewed the aluminum guy ﬁrst. When it came

We got on the titanium fairly quickly, in the late 90s, and I think a few others had been using it since the early 90s. Merlin and Litespeed were the ﬁrst. They spawned a bunch of smaller guys afterward.

Q: Why wasn’t that hailed as the miracle material rather

“

What I’m trying to say is that a superior athlete will win on nearly any bike. You could take a quality steel bike, put the best modern parts on it, some nice wheels, and Bradley Wiggins would still have won the TDF. BILL DAVIDSON

than aluminum?

Cost, plain and simple. A foot of titanium tubing cost $40, and a foot of aluminum only cost $2 or thereabouts. It just wasn’t cost-effective. Also, welding a titanium frame requires the skills of someone in the top half a percent of welders. We’re easily among that top half a percent. Anybody can weld an aluminum frame. There’s almost no skill requirement for it, at least in comparison. An aluminum frame can be welded up in 30-40 minutes, whereas a titanium frame is a 3-4 hour job.

Q: With titanium, were you experimenting at first or did you jump right in? We started gooﬁng around with it to see if we could learn it. We already knew how to weld steel; we had

been doing TIG welding on tandem frames and touring frames for quite some time. The welding setup existed here, just not in titanium form. We had to teach ourselves, which ended up being really difficult. Then something happened, one of those lucky moments in life; a fellow walked in the door and told us he knew how to weld titanium bicycle frames. It turned out he and his wife were relocating to Seattle and he was looking to get a few welding jobs together. Within a month, he’d moved up and got straight to work here at our shop. He had maybe 500 frames worth of experience already, as well as 15 years in the Air Force as an exotic metals welder. He was fully ready. He hit the shop floor and instantly put us at a professional level with titanium. Carbon fiber hadn’t yet shown up, so titanium was the most coveted frame material.

Q: You’ve dabbled a little with carbon fiber, haven’t you? We have, a little bit, just because we could, you know. Nobody wants to do the exact same thing every day. I couldn’t be happy doing the exact same thing every day for 40 years. I enjoyed doing a couple of them, it was a fun learning experience.

Q: What do you think of carbon, especially since it’s a material that became available so far into your career? I know it’s a little hard to be objective, but how does it stack up compared to steel or titanium from your perspective? Well of course I can’t be objective, and I don’t usually take the common viewpoint, at least on most things. I certainly don’t have the viewpoint on carbon ﬁber that’s prevalent. Sure, it’s new. Sure, it’s light. It’s also a Third World frame fabricating material. The reason is that the design of the frame and the design of the mold can happen somewhere else, and all the busi-

ness can be farmed out to Third World countries where people are paid $5 a day. It’s a boon to the bicycle companies because instead of having expensive metal tubing, ﬁxturing to hold it in place, skilled machinists to cut and thread it, and skilled brazers and welders, they have a person who used to sew cheap shirts who’s now sewing carbon ﬁber panels up. Then somebody else puts it into the mold, cooks it up, and they’ve got a bike frame. The cost of the materials is pretty much nothing. You could buy all the materials for one of those frames on West Marginal Way here in Seattle for maybe $75, and that’s full retail. Somehow they manage to maintain a high perceived value. The raw materials are cheaper, the factory tools are cheaper, and the labor is cheaper. It’s a windfall for the bicycle companies.

Q: Do you think that if a professional racer, in some bizarre alternate universe, placed highly in a major race on a steel or titanium frame that performance riders would view those materials differently? One of my friends and I drove to a bike race awhile back and he forgot his bike. He thought it was in the trunk of his car. When he popped the trunk open, no bike. We scoured the start/finish area to see if we could find a bike that would fit him and was suitable. We finally found some guy’s girlfriend that wasn’t in the race, and she was gracious enough to let him borrow her bike. Anyway, he won the race. It was a nice bike, but nothing special. What I’m trying to say is that a superior athlete will win on nearly any bike. You could take a quality steel bike, put the best modern parts on it, some nice wheels, and Bradley Wiggins would still have won the TDF. But we live in a world of big sponsors now, so you’ll never get to see anything like that ever again. I can assure you the difference between a 17 pound steel racing bike and a 15 pound carbon fiber racing

bike is not going to change the results much. Maybe in the last 200 meters of Alpe d’Huez, the lighter bike will pull away. It wasn’t that long ago that Paris-Roubaix was won on a titanium bike. That was Magnus Bäckstedt in 2004. It’s the athlete. The bikes aren’t really changing the outcome.

Q: When people come to you for a custom bike, whether it’s a racing bike, a touring bike, a randonneuring bike, do you absolutely insist on certain things that you know will work for their needs? Well, a custom bike just means that it’s made for them. We don’t let them get involved beyond a certain point. They’re paying for our expertise, and that’s why we’re in charge. Now, we’re perfectly willing to let them have some input on the aesthetics of the bike, and a fair bit of fitting input as well. The older I get, the odder that part gets by the way. When I started as a bike racer, there weren’t any bike racers who were over 30. We’ve all grown up now. Those racers were 30, then 40, and all of a sudden there’s masters level racing. Those guys that are 80 now and still doing it, they don’t fit the bike like when they were young. I ride with a guy now who absolutely hates that he has to raise the handlebars an inch. People care a lot about how the bike fits, but also how it looks.

Q: Do you guys use one of those super high-tech fitting machines? No, those are a scam. Generally, the shops that have those don’t have any ﬁtting experience. Those machines are backed by large frame building companies that need remote sales. They have to have some credibility to sell a bike in Eugene, Oregon when their factory is in Boston, Massachusetts. So they get a dealer to buy a machine and get the customers on it. It’s really like an indoor trainer machine that’s somewhat adjustable. It’s not at all like riding out on the road. They

dial the measurements in and send them off to the factory, but you’ll notice they almost always make the customer sign an agreement that shifts the responsibility to the customer. For me, I’m not going to shift any responsibility to the customer. I’ll keep it, always. I’ll try to design a frame that gives you years of ﬂawless use. Whether that frame is right or not is my responsibility, not the responsibility of the customer. I listen, come up with a plan, and give my customer a product I’m proud of. That’s not a process that requires machines. The machine doesn’t have the beneﬁt of knowing you.

Q: When someone comes to you for a frame, you have your chat, and everything is agreed upon, how long until they get it? Well, we really specialize in bicycles. Complete bicycles. It’s part of the reason I became involved in starting a bicycle store rather than just a frame building shop. I wanted to be involved in the entire process from start to ﬁnish. I want to help the customer choose the right wheels, tires, saddle, frame, handlebars, shoes, whatever. I consider every aspect of it to be important. Not everybody is an expert and they appreciate our help in making decisions. I feel like I have expertise in all aspects of the bicycle, and the fellow I started the bike shop with does also. Being involved in the complete bicycle is a good way to make sure our customers don’t just end up with a frame and a bunch of parts that don’t make sense for them. The more involved we are, the less likely it is that our customer ends up with a bike that’s anything less than a total success. Generally, we can make a fully custom bike with everything on it, ready to pedal, in 2 or 3 months.

Q: Since you build ‘em and can ride anything you please, what’s the bike you ride most of the time? It’s a titanium custom with DuraAce, Mavic wheels, S&S couplers,

and 25c tires. I still enjoy a racy bike. I didn’t start out with touring bikes, and mountain bikes didn’t exist at the time. I started as an athlete, so a bike with more performance is more to my liking. I just need slightly lower gears these days and a little smoother ride, so the titanium is perfect for me. The couplers allow me to go ride in warm, sunny places when I have the time to travel. Those are my best rides, when I’m going through Tuscany, or Mallorca, or Provence. Somewhere beautiful with some nice hills. I’ve always enjoyed the hilly riding. Climbing, descending, turning, it’s my kind of riding. My bike is perfect for the kind of riding I love. That’s what I hope I end up giving to every customer I build a bike for.

“

Well of course I can’t be objective, and I don’t usually take the common viewpoint, at least on most things. I certainly don’t have the viewpoint on carbon fiber that’s prevalent. Sure, it’s new. Sure, it’s light. It’s also a Third World frame fabricating material. BILL DAVIDSON

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THE PRODIGAL SON BECOMES THE

“ T E RM I N ATOR”

Peter

SAGAN

Talking about an “established star” when referring to Peter Sagan is daring, considering he just turned 23 years old. But, three stage wins and the green jersey during his ﬁrst Tour de France in 2012 conﬁrmed, at least, the label of “phenomenon” given to him by partners and rivals in the peloton. It is the union of talent and the ability turn ambition into fun that give him qualities that are simultaneously childish and adult. His gray eyes and his beardless face transmit humility as he practices all sorts of acrobatics with no claim of showing off, only of entertaining himself.

By Laura Meseguer Photography By Brian Hodes

» cyclingillustrated.com | 65

“

As a junior, I mistakenly sold my mountain bike before the Slovak Cup and I couldn’t get another from the sponsor in time. I had to borrow a bike from my sister. PETER SAGAN

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THE FIRST

FIVE YEARS

He does not know the boundaries of risk. He learned to ride a motocross bike at age ﬁve. “Until then I grabbed the handle and ran with it,” Sagan says. “At seven years old my, father bought me a bike with gears. At ﬁrst it was hard for me,

but I soon ﬁgured it out. I wanted to start racing motocross, but my dad talked me out of the idea as too dangerous. Meanwhile, my older brother Juraj, who was nine, started competing in cycling races and winning them all. A year later, I decided to follow in his footsteps and started on the mountain bike. I started at a lower level, which is called “mini” in Slovakia, and won my ﬁrst race in Bratislava. After two or three years Sagan was winning across disciplines and age categories.

Sagan is talking more these days, sometimes going on for ten minutes when he answers a quesiton. Gone is that shyness behind which he seemed to hide on every podium, lit by the ﬂashes of photographers.

“Whenever we train together, we share a room. He helped me a lot when I arrived in Italy, with the language and teaching me Italian customs. The truth is that it was fun trying to understand at ﬁrst.”

“I think I might seem shy because of the language barrier,” he claims. “It’s all about experience. Whenever you get to a new scene you are more shy at ﬁrst, right? You loosen up over time.”

To support the lessons from his friend, Sagan wrote ten words on a piece of paper every morning. He’d fasten it to the handlebars of his bike and read it over and over again during his long training until he’d ﬁnished learning them.

Thanks to Mauro Da Dalto (“my best friend in the squad aside from my brother”), Sagan learned Italian.

There would be no talk of Peter Sagan

if his father had not been his main support during those early years. “My father helped me a lot, going with me to all the races and taking care of expenses.” As a junior, Sagan achieved a fourth place in the world championship road race and won the rainbow jersey on the mountain bike. He also decided to try cyclocross and, although unable to devote time to training, he won a silver medal at junior worlds. Interest from pro teams came immediately and opportunity knocked on his door in the form of a test in Belgium with Quick Step. “The tests said I was too young to go pro and that I needed another year in U23. I was a little disappointed because deep down I wanted to continue competing in mountain bike. It was more fun than training so long out on the roads with trafﬁc.” Stefano Zanatta, DS to the Italian Liquigas team, had been watching Sagan since his junior worlds win and offered him a contract that combined the Cannondale mountain bike team and the road team, Marchiol.

CHEEKY SLOVAK

IN THE PRO

PELOTON The stories about him are forging a future legend.

“As a junior, I mistakenly sold my mountain bike before the Slovak Cup and I couldn’t get another from the sponsor in time. I had to borrow a bike from my sister. It was something that she had bought at a supermarket. On a test ride, I broke it. My father, a friend and I had to pull an all nighter just trying to get it fixed and ready for racing. A few hours later, I had to be ready to compete...and I won.” He adds the last part with a smile, almost apologetically. The 19-year-old Sagan dared to ride in a breakaway with Lance Amrstrong during the criterium before the start of the Tour Down Under in Australia, which caught the attention of the fans. They loved the idea of a young Slovak, with an easy to pronounce name, competing for the first time in the professional field with the Liquigas team. “Armstrong was a big star for me. I’d only known him from TV and I found myself competing against him. It was a unique opportunity, so I thought, ‘I’ll do what Armstrong does.’ He made a move and so did I. I saw how it was going to break away and, when it was 80 meters, I thought, Ì have to follow ‘. I attacked and I found myself up there with him in the break. The team gave me freedom to do as I pleased, so long as I avoided falling as the race started the next day. If Armstrong had stayed in the bunch, I would have done the same.” Later, at Paris-Nice, Sagan rode to help Francesco Chicchi in the sprints and then-teammate Roman Kreuziguer in the overall standings. “I do not know why, but I got tired going into Paris Nice. Roberto Amadio, the team manager, noticed and the next day I could not believe it when I was fifth in the prologue, first for team

Liquigas. The next stage I was to work for the sprinter, Chicchi. There was a small climb before the finish and some wind blowing. I went several times to bring him up front, but he stayed behind. He said he had nothing, so I figured I would try. I started the sprint too early and I was second. “The next day, I won going into the break ahead of Joaquim Rodriguez and Nicolas Roche. I had the impression that it was a very tough race. I ended up winning another stage and the green jersey for the points classification.” His victory in the Tour de Romandie, as well as winning the points classification of the Tour of California and finishing eighth overall just behind major European stars like Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer, established him as a child prodigy at 19. Laughingly, he confesses, “in my first pro year, I thought it was easier for me to win than it was as an U23, since I managed five wins that year after only two wins the year before. Competing in professional cycling is not easy, but it is less difficult than I expected.” He concludes, with natural sincerity, “I still do not know if those victories were the result of luck or if I really could earn such good results.” In 2011, he won three stages of the Tour of Sardinia and its overall rating. He won another stage in the Tour of California, two stages in the Tour of Switzerland, and the general classification in the Tour of Poland. In all of those stage races, he won the points classification as well. He won the Slovakian national championship and premiered in his first grand tour, the Vuelta, where he managed three wins, one of them on the last day.

THE

TERMINATOR IS BORN

During his first Tour de France, at only twenty years old, Sagan managed three stage wins and the green jersey. “The Tour de France last year was crazy. There were too many changes in my life after the race. Like what? Pressure. I do not like the pressure. In Slovakia, my fame was multiplied by 50. There were welcome parties in every city that I had to attend. I mean, I’m just a cyclist. Now, it’s crazy out there on the street. I’m grateful for the love of the people, but I’m not in love with fame. When I wore the green jersey in the Tour, I heard that everyone was wearing green in the streets and offices back home. “Yes, I’d expected to achieve some small victory in the Tour, especially after the results in California and Switzerland that made me more confident. I thought that, after winning a race a week, I should be able to secure some kind of a stage win in the 21 days of the Tour. Finally, I managed three wins and the green jersey. “With this, I think I entered cycling history, right? In 2013, getting the green jersey will be more difficult because when you get something the first time, a repeat is more complicated, is not it?” His victories have been seasoned with an exhibition at the goal line;

either imitating the Incredible Hulk or the character Forrest Gump with his eternal “run, Forrest, run.” “As a kid, I was into moto GP and other sports and I liked when winning was fun, a show for the fans. I thought about applying that to cycling, doing something for people when I won. I did it before the Tour de France, but it wasn’t until then that people started to pay attention.” In a fairly decaffeinated Tour, dominated throughout by Team Sky, Sagan was the dose of spectacle that drew viewers and journalists from their slumbers. Liquigas fans crowded around the team bus every morning to get auto- and photographs of the newly dubbed, “Terminator.” “I had been waiting three years to really live up to that nickname. Terminator. The nickname was given to me when I was riding for the Cannondale mountain bike team. My colleagues told me I was like the Terminator because I fell continuously, sometimes even breaking the bike and I seldom suffered so much as a scratch.”

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In my first pro year, I thought it was easier for me to win than it was as an U23, since I managed five wins that year after only two wins the year before. PETER SAGAN

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CHALLENGING

THE YOUNG SLOVAK HAS PROVEN TO BE

A BAD IDEA “My manager, Giovanni Lombardi, made a bet with Liquigas president; that he would give me a Porsche if I won two stages and the green jersey. Now, the Porsche is in my garage. Before the Tour de France, a journalist in Slovakia told me that since I had won ﬁve stages in California and four in Switzerland before July, I would have to win three in the Tour de France. I said I’d be happy with that result and... “ He lets out the smile of a child, not saying what everybody already knows. The little boy who dreamed of becoming a rider on the T-Mobile team, inspired by his idol Jan Ullrich, now says the Tour of Flanders is his primary objective for 2013. “It is a dream that I could be close to getting. Then, it will be on to another dream. It’s like in real life, when you crave something and you get it, you ask yourself, what’s next?” His intention is to do well in Milan-San Remo, Flanders, and the Amstel Gold Race, “and to try it all. Every 68 | cyclingillustrated.com «

“

My manager, Giovanni Lombardi, made a bet with Liquigas president; that he would give me a Porsche if I won two stages and the green jersey... the Porsche is in my garage. PETER SAGAN

time, I understand a little more about these races and what I can do in them. I think it comes from experience, even though I’m still young. After the Vuelta, I was able to recover better and it seems that my body is more accustomed to this. That helped in the Tour. The team did not hinder me or add pressure. We’re all professionals and we know the work we have to do for each other and for the team.” Sagan absorbs each new lesson like a sponge. During his days at the Tour de San Luis, he tried to respond in Castilian when addressed in that language and he left Argentina planning to learn sign language. “Me gustaría ser bueno en el sprint y también en las subidas porque quiero ganar en metas llanas, en etapas en las que esté en la fuga y en las que acaben con una pequeña subida. Mmm...xreo que soy perfecto ahora mismo”, concluye fanfarrón.” Only time will tell what the future holds for Peter Sagan.

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Not Your Average

Cup of Joe JOE WILEY’S FIT PHILOSOPHY OUT OF THE SHADOWS

coefficients and comfortable, efficient positioning. onight, bedtime creeps by unno- drag Joe remembers the can opener when a team’s brought ticed in Yorba Linda, California. the cans of whoop ass. His effects, like gravity, remain In the far corner of the room, a omnipresent, always impactful yet seldom appreciated. Joe began the love story starring le velo with single lamp buzzes. A lone figthe simple desire to escape to the mountains. ure hunches over a desk, intently A bike proved the optimal means to this goal. By Andrew Escape soon turned to a passion that landed Juiliano focused on a small spiral bound him working as a grunt for Rich Sawiris at Photo By Danny notebook. Wandering across the Wheelbuilder.com. On the truing stands of Munson the custom wheel supplier, he cut his teeth page, body measurements mingle on the finer points of technical cycling, engineering and mechanics. While working at Wheelbuilder, with an aerodynamics equation in began to concurrently pursue the dream of a some odd geometrical tango that would leave Wiley competitive career. The eager, blue collar racer quickly Euclid rubbing his chin with just the slight- rose to the elite ranks of domestic cycling. However, the pro squads wrote him off as geriatric (by UCI standards), est hint of a smile. The work of an eccen- singing the refrain “off to the glue factory” if you’ve not tric? Perhaps. A pursuit of passion? Abso- made it by 25. The discouraging condemnation drove him back to the far reaches of the San Gabriel Mounlutely. Absorbed in his numbers is master fit tains, and during a solitary ride in the winter of ‘06, specialist and performance guru, Joe Wiley. Wiley met Dan Empfield, founder of Slowtwitch.com. Wiley’s resume in the cycling world runs like some powerful undercurrent which, often unnoticed, lays the foundations for high profile success at the races. Unlike a drunk Belgian cyclocross fan, his impact remains quiet, yet vastly more impactful. Armed with select body measurements, three Allen keys, and his proprietary fit algorithm, he optimizes pedal strokes and boosts performance. Up late, Wiley finds the fine balance between

Empfield recognized Joe’s ability to relate the minutia of the bike and body. He graciously offered our wandering protagonist a full ride through Slowtwitch’s weekendlong Fit Institute Slowtwitch seminar on the finer points of bike fitting. In retrospect, Wiley recognizes the true impact of that lonely ride up Big Pines Road. “Dan is a real master of the trade, though I didn’t know any better at the time. Looking back, I was extremely fortunate to cross paths with him.” The seminar gave Joe the spark he

needed to reignite his cycling passion. The inspiration soon erupted into a five-alarm inquisitive blaze and Wiley left the weekend workshop completely enthralled with the concept of harmonizing the bond between man and machine. Why doesn’t everyone ride a properly fit bike? Why don’t components come in more specific variations to account for the massive variations in height and body type? Whose nether regions could possibly agree with this saddle? Why does my back hurt just watching that person commute to work? Why do most people look so uncomfortable on a bike? What can I do to fix this? The class opened a whole new realm for Wiley and provided the practical outlet for his mathematical inclinations. Within the world of bicycle fitting our budding hero began to ponder, “there must be some formulas the mathematical giants of our past could smile upon. What if I had to present a ‘do-it-yourself bike-fit’ dissertation to a group including Pythagoras, Vitruvius, Leonardo, etc.? The algorithm better be perfect, beyond argument, divine. Can you imagine telling Fibonacci to measure his inseam and multiple by some totally arbitrary number like .881 to get a saddle height? Embarrassing. Or telling Leonardo, ‘Yeah, buddy. You’re about five foot eight, 170mm cranks should be as good as any!’” For Wiley, the bar rose to a level that some geometric demigod or Renaissance engineer could kindly smile at. The ongoing quest for answers led Wiley to revisit an old friend, Sacred Geometry, which posits that the entirety of the universe is based on reoccurring » cyclingillustrated.com | 71

how

geometric shapes and patterns. “Anything with vibration, whether that be a flower, a timeless melody or a human body, it can all be described through Sacred Geometry. So, if that which lies in the universe adheres to a common underlying denominator, it stands to reason the same can be done when pairing a bike and it’s related materials to the human form, right?” Joe discovered the same mathematical and bio-architectural principles governing the growth of a hermit crab shell could be applied to the problem of bike fitting. Finally, the secret passage, the great white whale, his holy grail, had materialized. With this new approach to fitting, Wiley decided to cast off the shackles of technology and pursue an au naturale fit philosophy. After two years of working with scores of biomechanical measurements from Retül fit software, Joe found an intuitive and macroscopic view proved the key to fine tuning the measurements of cycling success, while allowing for widespread application. “I want to expand my reach, use the gifts the [aforementioned mathematical] greats left us, and play a part in bringing information to light that can help fit the masses.” With simple tools, several measurements, and a calculator, Wiley seamlessly harmonizes rider and bicycle. Shedding the ten thousand dollar program, fitting sensors, and negligible drop in precision yielded a highly mobile and financially accessible fit operation. Of course, those who won’t go chamois shopping without a digital caliper can still opt to sit with the sensor, covered in dots, which over the course of 3-4 hours squeezes every last nanowatt of energy from the legs if everything goes right. But the number of riders who will truly benefit from such an experience is miniscule. The scope of benefit for a near-perfect fit (read comfortable, mechanically efficient and performance enhancing) can reach a tremendous population using a few measurements, some Allen keys, and an algorithmic core which has been tested throughout the ages. This unique Wiley philosophy to fitting along with technical know-how and experience on the circuit caught the attention of Paul Abrahams, the man at the helm of the CashCall Mortgage Cycling Team. Based out of Southern California, the squad features a host of budding racers

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who regularly appear on regional and national podiums. Abrahams saw Joe’s mentoring attitude and cycling expertise as the perfect blend to optimize the young talent and subsequently brought the cyclo-ologist on board as the performance director. Suddenly, the wandering inquisitor found himself the great tactician, putting his strange cocktail of geometry, physiology, and psychology to work growing unrefined, yet wholly capable talent, by fostering the smallest nuances of bike, body, and mind. Strategy and attention to detail ensures no waste of talent, putting the skillful and capable on the podium where they belong. For every Justin Williams or Stefano Barberi on a national championship podium (2nd NCC and 3rd NRC, respectively), there’s a guy like Joe hunched in the shadows, analyzing and calculating. While success ensued in 2012 on the national road and crit circuits, the reality of small-time professional teams drove Joe’s focus away from the likes of Sacred Geometry and the finer aspects of calculation in sport. He recalls, “my responsibilities were expanding with the team, which was an honor, but I wanted to work with the local kids and help develop them on a day-to-day basis, which is hard to do when traveling to bike races half of the year.” With more a “different trajectories” reasoning than a “these aren’t my underwear” moment, Wiley and CashCall parted ways. Still, knowledge and skill remain a sought after commodity. Abrahams brought Joe in at the start of training camp this season to perform fits and ride analysis on the team’s new bikes. For 2013, about three quarters of the squad rides on Joe’s enlightened fit platform. Like any knowledgeable and specialized individual, it’s only a matter of time before Joe gets another call to bring a group of developing riders to the forefront of the national stage. Too humble to admit this on his own, the results of those racers he works with speak to his gift to inspire the best from his pupils. This knowledge and passion will emerge beyond the elite levels of cycling as the ultimate goal remains providing a comfortable, effective and most importantly, accessible fit service for the masses. As Wiley puts it, “no more uncomfortable bikes collecting dust.” A contemporary cycling Renaissance man, the grandiose fantasies of this sage in the shadows illuminates a viable reality for the rest of us bipedallers.

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IVAN

BASSO BRING THE BASS.

does not like to look back, but the Armstrong It is early January, the time for He case makes it impossible for him to avoid it. training camps and the interviews “Sometimes they say, the riders don’t want to he says. “I spend almost all afternoon that go with them. You line them speak,” speaking about the past.” up, one racer after another. First, the present. The Giro d’Italia By Jenn See You ask about their goals is Basso’s principal goal this season, Photographs By but he does not rank himself among and their dreams. You try Brian Hodes the top favorites to win. “For me, for not to ask the same question seven, eight years in the front line, I have to make the race,” he says. “I have to conmore than once in the same trol the race; I have to drop everybody.” The interview. It gets to be a blur after role of race favorite carries great responsibility a rider and team. For the rider, there are no a while — all those races and ob- for easy stages, and every day he must be on his jectives and teammates and training best form. The team is expected to chase back dangerous breakaways, make tempo in the ﬂats, plans. and ride the front through the mountains. At the end of a long day, I sit down with another journalist to talk to Ivan Basso. He has done more than forty of these interviews already. We are the last one. The hotel suite where we meet is bright with the videographers’ high-powered lights and the air hums with the sound of multiple interviews. Eventually, the room quiets as the other conversations ﬁnish. We are the only ones left. Basso takes out his phone and texts his teammates: He will be late to dinner. I start by asking about his objectives for the season, but that is where the easy questions end. The interview tracks between past and present. That is how cycling is now. The past refuses to stay buried. Basso is both forthright and evasive.

For Basso, that responsibility is now in the past, and the role of race-maker has shifted to a new generation of riders. Ticking them off on his ﬁngers, Basso lists two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, his former teammate and Vuelta a España winner Vincenzo Nibali, 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, and 2010 Tour de France winner Andy Schleck as the top favorites for this year’s Giro. “[There are] ﬁve-six-seven riders, already in the front,” explains Basso, and he does not count himself among that group. Instead, the Cannondale rider expects to race as an opportunist. “What you have to do, to beat the rider in front of you, is to admit that

the guy at the start is better than you,” he says. Because he is not one of the race favorites, Basso believes the best strategy is to play the waiting game and to conserve his energy against the possibility that his rivals will make a mistake. “If that guy is not really very careful...” He smacks his hands together, as if to crush his unwary rivals. Though he downplays his chances this year, Basso has won the Giro d’Italia twice in his career. And here, the past intrudes on Basso’s determination to focus on the present. In 2006, Basso won the race by more than nine minutes. The irascible climber and two-time Giro champion Gilberto Simoni called him “an extraterrestrial” on live television after the race’s ﬁnal mountain stage. Just over a month later at the start of the Tour de France, Basso was among the riders swept up and deposited on the sidelines by the Operacion Puerto investigation. He subsequently offered a torturously legalistic confession that he had attempted to dope, but never actually went through with it. Basso kept his results from the Puerto era — he reached the podium at the Tour de France in 2004 and 2005, and remains the recognized winner of the 2006 Giro d’Italia — but he did not get off scot-free. In June 2007, he received a two-year sanction from the Italian antidoping authorities. The on-again, off-again nature of the Puerto investigation meant that Basso had been suspended by his teams along the way, and his eventual sanction subtracted around six-months as “time served.” Basso

returned to racing in October 2008. The Italian considers the 2006 doping sanction a low-point in his life. “Listen, you know I had a two-year sanction,” he says. “When you have a break like that, you suffer a lot. You feel very bad in front of your wife, in front of your baby, and in front of yourself when you look in the mirror.” It is not a time he likes to revisit. He wants to leave the past behind. But that is more easily said than done when every day the headlines summon up more ghosts of cycling’s past. Basso says he has not followed the unfolding Armstrong case and he did not watch the Texan’s now-famous interview with Oprah Winfrey. He stubbornly resists offering any opinions on the Armstrong story. “Why? Why do I have to read about something I don’t want to think about anymore?” It is clear that Basso feels passionately about this question. His hands ﬂy as he gestures to emphasize his point. “I do not use my time for something I am not interested in. I use that time for thinking about my new team, not to read an article about eight years ago. For what?” Basso is also reticent about what it was like to race against the American who dominated the Tour for seven years. Yes, I raced with Armstrong, he says. But the Italian has little to reveal about the experience. “Listen, when I race, I’m happy to race with Lance. I’m happy to race my bike,” he says. “In the bunch, we don’t have only Lance. We don’t start with only two people.” He » cyclingillustrated.com | 75

is glad he rode the Tour during those years, but that is where it ends. “Of course, I am happy to ride the Tour de France in 2005 or 2004, because it’s part of my career.”

hopes. After his successes in the Pyrénées, Basso never again challenged Armstrong in that year’s Tour. By the time the Tour reached Paris, Basso trailed Armstrong by six minutes.

The Italian’s reaction is not entirely surprising. During the seven years of Armstrong’s hold on the Tour, riders threw themselves against the stone wall of his dominance. Basso proved no more successful than anyone else in breaking through.

For Basso, those dark shades are best left undisturbed. “Listen, the journalists always ask,” he says. “It is eight years ago. Eight! I think it’s a little too much.” But he concedes the necessity that the sport not forget. “I respect all the people who want to look back,” he says. “I respect everyone. But if you want to know my opinion, I don’t use my time to look back.”

Take the 2004 Tour de France, for example. Basso started the Tour that year as one of the race favorites. Over the previous seasons, he had made a steady progression up the ranks in the French grand tour — he was eleventh in 2002 and seventh in 2003. An U23 world champion in 1998, the Italian was touted as a legitimate challenger to Armstrong on the strength of his climbing and the maniacal attention to detail of Bjarne Riis, Basso’s team director at the time. That year, the Tour’s first summit finishes came in the Pyrénées. Basso won ahead of Armstrong on La Mongie, then finished second to the American (but with the same time) at the summit of Plateau de Beille. Armstrong appeared to be playing with Basso, trying both to make him an ally and to undermine him at the same time. As the race whirled toward Paris, Basso still sat a minute and change behind Armstrong in the general classification and within striking distance of the top spot. The first of two individual time trials in the Tour’s third week, Stage 16 up the 21 switchbacks of the Alpe d’Huez presented Basso with his best chance to overtake Armstrong. But visibly unnerved, possibly due to Armstrong’s relentless mind games, Basso struggled on the Alpe. By the end of the 15.5-kilometer climb, the Italian conceded 2:23 to Armstrong. It was the end of Basso’s yellow jersey hopes. In the movie Overcoming, there’s a scene in which Basso sits at the end of the bed in his hotel room after the Alpe d’Huez stage. Riis wants to know what happened. Basso has nothing to say. He sits, eating a rice cake, unflinching against the force of Riis’s eagle-eyed stare. The team manager’s impatience is palpable. The moment gave a snapshot view of the unravelling of Basso’s 76 | cyclingillustrated.com «

Instead, he prefers to look ahead. Basso has worked steadily to regain the respect he lost. “You put the training on the website, you put the blood values. Everyone can look at what you do,” he says. Only Basso knows what happens behind the closed doors of his career, but sitting in the hotel suite in California, he seems to have travelled a long way from eating rice cakes in that French hotel room. This season at Cannondale Pro Cycling, Basso will lead a team filled with young riders, including the phenomenal Peter Sagan, Italian track champion Elia Viviani, and second-year pro Moreno Moser, who won five races in his first season. As he leads his teammates out for training rides, Basso looks comfortable in the role. He looks like he can look in the mirror without feeling bad. “To do good, you have to be...” Basso takes a deep breath and exhales, “You have to be calm inside, not anxious.” And Basso’s passion for the bike remains undiminished. In the daily ritual of riding, he has found his own redemption. “When you’re suffering, and you go like a sheet in front of the whole world, you open your eyes, you clean yourself, and you feel a better man later.” After almost fifteen years of professional racing, a doping sanction, and incessant questions about the past, Basso still loves the bike. “One of the better feelings you can get in a day for me, it’s to take my bike on a road with no cars,” he says. “Nothing. Just you on the bike. And you feel the rumors of the wheel and the chain, and the wind in the hair. That is the best, that is it.”

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Pain to

GAIN THE TAYLER WILES STORY

“Who wouldn’t want their bike to be the Tayler Wiles has the spirit of a mal. fastest animal in the world?” she asked. In addidreamer. She always has. It started tion to being a cheese ball, she admits to being a cookie monster too. Under the guise with the dream to be like Malibu aofbitrideof food, she bakes chocolate chip cookies but usually eats about ½ the dough Barbie, then Mia Hamm, in the process. A portion of the surthen a cardiothoracic survivors, if you will, are eaten off the By Greta bike. Don’t worry, her diet doesn’t geon. Her ambitions may Neimanas consist of only cookies. Wiles loves Photo By have changed, but one fresh produce and says it’s common Brian Hodes to eat four to five apples or pears thing has remained conher favorite fruits - each day. stant - she has always is “currently obsessed with the Calvin dreamed big. A friend and a pink Wiles Harris and Florence Welch song “Sweet Nothbike changed her goals, her dreams, ing” but cites U2’s “Beautiful Day” as her alltime favorite song. She prefers training in small and her life again in 2008. Her groups with friends or teammates out of her sights are now firmly set on, “what home bases in Fairfax, CA and Lucca, Italy. every cyclist wants, a national ti- Like most of us, she’s connected on several media platforms, however her favorite tle, a world title, and an Olympic social is Instagram. She prefers it because it doesn’t medal.” She admits that they’re big carry negativity. It’s a way for people to share they love and there is none of the comaspirations but “I’ve always been a things plaining that is all too common on other platforms. That prolific passion for positivity and big dreamer!” Wiles stated. love has gotten her through rough patches.

Wiles is a self-proclaimed “cheese ball” whose ﬁrst bike was christened Ruby and whose current bike would be a cheetah if it were an ani-

Wiles gives credit to her best friend and mentor, Matt Bradley, for planting the cycling bug in her. “Matt has probably been the single

most influential person in my life so far. We became close in 2008 and he convinced me to get a bike in August of that year and I’ve never looked back. He believed in me even before I did and truly taught me to dream big. I’ve never met a person who loved riding a bike more than Matt did, he never took a single pedal stroke for granted.” Bradley’s life was fueled by a tremendous amount of love and a zeal for life unmatched by anyone. He was an accomplished cyclist in his own right, and didn’t let a diagnosis of cancer slow him down. Within a year of losing part of his leg to the disease, Bradley qualified for the para-cycling national team and competed in the 2011 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Denmark. The zest Bradley had towards life and the style to always dream big were values he helped instill in Wiles. The dream turned into a nightmare in March of 2012. Bradley’s life was cut short in an accidental drowning. “Those few weeks following Matt’s death were the hardest weeks of my life. I was devastated and felt completely empty, however his death didn’t discourage me from racing. If anything, it made me race harder. I was scheduled to fly to Europe to race the day after he passed away and I had to make the hardest decision of my life; whether to go to Europe or go home to Utah.” Thinking of what Bradley would have wanted for her, Wiles left for Europe for four weeks of » cyclingillustrated.com | 79

who racing. “It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and the month I spent there racing, before going home to mourn with his family and mine, was extremely hard, but Matt gave me strength in every one of those races. Yes, the bike is a constant reminder that I have lost my very best friend, but I can’t give up on the dream he has given me. Every day that I get on my bike, I think of Matt. Every time I’m hurting or want to give up, I think of Matt and what he gave me and I ride for him.”

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As cyclists we are all a bit masochistic, and the ability to suffer is a big part of becoming a good time trialist. TAYLER WILES

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This passion for life has served as fuel for her dream. Wiles is an aspiring GC rider who is quickly becoming known for her aggressive racing style and time trialing prowess. Her favorite domestic race is the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico because it’s “good, hard racing.” She loves the European spring classics, asking, “What’s not to love about fan-lined streets, cobbled roads, steep climbs, and brutally hard racing!?” Her European races of choice are Binda, and the spring classics Fleche Wallonne and Flanders. Apropos to her love of hard races, her favorite places to race are Belgium and Holland. She admires their extensive cycling histories and long standing traditions in the sport.

One of the key weapons in a GC rider’s arsenal is the time trial, the race of truth. It’s a lonely, hard, miserable discipline of the sport that Wiles embraces. Not one to shy away from the inherent pain of racing, she tackles the mental aspect of the race with the precision and focus of the elite athlete she is. “As cyclists we are all a bit masochistic, and the ability to suffer is a big part of becoming a good time trialist. I can definitely suffer, now I’m just working on all the other parts - aerodynamics, efficiency, etc. - to make me faster.” When asked what goes through her head while racing - a mantra, cadence or even a specific song - Wiles responded that she puts her pain into perspective. She thinks of the real pain that her step-mother went through while fighting cancer. She tells herself, “This isn’t pain, this is nothing compared to what she’s going through.” She thinks of Bradley and reminds herself, “I still get to do this and Matt doesn’t.” Those are the mental images that drive Wiles to success. When asked where this seemingly super-human drive came from, she said that she’s “always been optimistic, almost to a fault.” It’s something that comes from within. At first,

her family was somewhat leery of her newest dream and her gumption to follow it. “When I started cycling, I was working on my undergraduate degree in biology and kinesiology in the hopes of going on to medical school. That is still a dream in life that I’d like to pursue if possible once I retire.” Putting a so-called real life on hold is risky, but Wiles knows it’s possible to accomplish multiple goals in life thanks to her role model, Dr. Kristin Wingfield. “Someone I truly look up to is a woman named Dr. Kristin Wingfield. Dr. Wingfield is a primary care sports medicine specialist, with an extremely impressive background. She was an elite-level gymnast for the Canadian National team, a springboard diver, and Cirque du Soleil performer. I am inspired not only by her athletic background, but also by her ability to follow her dreams in sport without giving up on her pursuit of medicine. I see so much of what I want to accomplish in her, she gives me hope by showing me that it is possible to follow both of my dreams in life.” Since seeing her dedication and success in the sport, her family is completely on board with her new path in life. Riding for the powerhouse

team Specialized Lululemon for the upcoming season, Wiles will have an American home base in Fairfax, CA and a European base in Lucca, Italy. “I’ll be racing the majority of the season in Europe but I will be racing a few races in the states early in the season, and I’m hoping to do a few others here and there when I come back for US Nationals.” When asked about the noticeably different styles of racing between the U.S. and Europe, Wiles acknowledged, “Racing in Europe is admittedly a great deal harder than racing in the U.S. The peloton is bigger and because cycling is one of the major sports in Europe, there is more depth. The roads are also much smaller and more technical, and as silly as that sounds, it makes a big difference in the way racing plays out.” Making the jump and preparing for the transition can be difficult. She advises cyclists new to the European peloton to “practice being aggressive and confident on your bike. Holding your position is much harder in the European peloton and being aggressive and confident in your handling skills makes all the difference. I would also recommend motor pacing to get used to the higher speeds of the peloton.” In an attempt to close the gap between European

racing and domestic racing, Wiles believes American race promoters need to worry less about liability and focus more on putting on fun, challenging races. “American race promoters are scared to make the courses more technical. They’re worried about lawsuits and things like that. Euro races are crazy and technical.” Wiles continues about American racing, “It’s getting better and the ﬁeld is growing, but we want more technical races.” Wiles’s ultimate goal for the season is to be selected for the World Championship team this fall. Before that, expect to see her on the start line of the spring domestic races including Merco, San Dimas and Redlands, US Pro Nationals in Chattanooga, TN in May, and the Exergy Tour in June. Late spring and July through September will see Wiles back in Europe for the World Cups and the Giro d’Italia. Wiles’s motto is “dream big and make it happen.” She’s already a big dreamer so we can certainly expect to see Wiles make it happen this season and for many more to come.

I hear

VOICES Announcing may seem easy, but it’s far from it. Just try pronouncing international bike racers’ names correctly, all while keeping abreast of the criterium action and making sure to get in the promotional announcements, never mind coordinating podiums in between races. Whew, even explaining it is a bit tiring.

If for some reason you don’t know Dave Towle by name or by face, you certainly know his distinct voice. It’s a voice that’s hard to describe, but one that would be perfectly suited for an obscure and cutting edge underground rock band, or even as the Wolfman Jack of a new generation. Fortunately for us, cycling doesn’t have to share Dave with iTunes or syndicated radio. coordination, and even been behind For more than a decade, Dave’s the scenes as a staff member on gravelly voice has been dedicated By Matt the big budget cycling teams of the to the play-by-play of bike racing. Freeman 1990s. Dave has seen the sport from He’s all our own, and he wouldn’t Photo By all sides, which is why he’s the perfect have it any other way. A resident of Brian Hodes person to tell us, the audience, how it the Boulder, Colorado area since the is. He’s a student of the sport as much early 70s, Dave has dedicated more as he is our professor. Dave does his homethan just his voice to cycling; he’s suffered in work, so when it comes time to get behind the the peloton, worked in the trenches of event

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microphone at any bike race, he can ﬁll us in on what we don’t already know. And what Dave can’t tell us during his play-by-play of the race, he’s able to uncover during his postrace interviews. Cycling Illustrated thought it would try to uncover a little bit about the man whose voice has graced the P.A. systems of the biggest and grandest road, cyclocross, and mountain bike racing events in North America. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: Why announcing? I always thought I wanted to get involved with the announcing part of things. It’s just really hard to crack that code and get that kind of work. It was really the established guys who were truly locked in. It’s a tricky career to navigate, but I knew I wanted to do it. If I couldn’t race at the professional level, I wanted to be involved. Being an announcer looked like the most fun other than racing. It looked like a nice way to be around the athletes and really get immersed in the sport. And it worked out that way too. Q: How did you crack the announcing code?

My trade was as a bike mechanic so I had worked on staff with many teams. Then I started doing this thing called the Saturn CyberBike which was a virtual reality bike race using CompuTrainers. That was during the time of the big men’s and women’s Saturn Cycling teams. Saturn was looking for a way to connect to the general public so we’d go to auto shows and have athletes from the team do these CompuTrainer races in the Saturn booth. I started

out announcing those. It was a great job because it paid well and helped me with my public speaking nervousness. Then in 2002, while doing the Saturn CyberBike thing at the finish of the Saturn Cycling Classic race (also known as the Zinger), I happened to be at the right place at the right time. The scheduled announcer for the race was Jeff Roake, and he was The Man. He doesn’t do all that much announcing anymore, but at the time he was getting all the big announcing gigs. He was late getting to the finish because there was a traffic issue. The Saturn Cycling Classic went from Boulder to Breckenridge. The way the racers went and the way traffic went was different and there was an accident on Interstate 70 or something. I was already at the race finish announcing the CyberBike show and they had no other announcer. Len Pettyjohn, who used to run the Coors Light team, came over and asked if I’d announce until Jeff got through the traffic jam. I was like, sure, what a cool opportunity. It was sort of fate, I think things happen for a reason sometimes. That day turned out to be so emotional and it had nothing to do with my announcing. The story of Chris Wherry winning that race was special. His father had passed away that week. He was a Boulder kid, had grown up in Boulder, so obviously his whole family was there and it was already a very emotional time for them. The way Wherry won was really dramatic. It was almost like it was scripted. I’ve been to a lot of bike races since then and I know how crowd estimates are really varied, but there was a legitimate 5,000 people there at the finish in

Breckenridge, and everyone was really moved. They were moved by the fact that this kid is racing with his father’s wedding ring around his neck. The whole story is insane. I get goose bumps talking about it right now. That’s what sport was always meant to be, and I so love bike racing because those stories can be true and they can move people. That moment was so beautiful. From then on, I knew for sure that announcing was what I wanted to do and then it just became a matter of making that a reality. Announcing is a very weird job. It’s a relationship thing. You can ask, ‘Who’s the best announcer?’ but that’s an opinion thing. Some announcers are obviously better than others, because some do their homework and some don’t. But in general, it’s like asking ‘Who’s a better band, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?’ It’s your opinion. When it comes down to it, a lot of the announcing business is a relationship thing with race organizers and race promoters.

Q: Of all the races you’ve

announced over the years, which ones really stick out in your mind?

Getting to do the Tour of Georgia the years that Lance and Mario Cipollini were there, I secretly thought to myself that I had reached the big time. I thought I had arrived. And then getting invited to be involved with the Tour of California was really cool because I really felt like that was the biggest bike race to ever happen in America. It still basically is, although the USA Pro Challenge is right there now too. Doing the early days of Tour of California when Fabian Cancellara and Tom

Boonen were there; getting to meet the big European stars and getting to interview them was special. The crowning achievement for me was getting to do all the Tours of Ireland (2007-2009). That was cool because it was outside of the country and a nice nod because of all the choices they had for announcers and they went with me. It was extremely cool to be in Ireland and that had a big impact on my life.

Q: Who are the young Ameri-

can racers that you’re looking forward to watching in the future?

There are a lot of talented American racers in the pipeline and we might want to speed up this process with the next generation and getting to know them faster so we can ﬁll in the gap that has been created with the doping issues. Let’s start learning about their personalities and start turning them into stars now. Every sport is star-power driven as far as the relationship between spectators and fans and the sport itself. You’ve got to have stars. The personality of Taylor Phinney is deﬁnitely what we need to focus on. Let’s get Taylor out there. Let him be a voice for the next generation and the future of the sport. He’s funny, he’s quirky, and he gets it. He’s also not so corporate that it’s sickening. Taylor has star power. He’s willing to do interviews. He gets on Twitter and stirs the pot every now and then, and we need that. If he’s willing to do that, and he seems to be, then there you go. He’s our guy.

ing this year?

Probably the Tour of California. I’m really excited about them ﬂipping the route and going south to north. Between USA Pro Challenge and Tour of California, those two races are pushing each other to shine and standout and do unique things. It’s a rivalry that is going to make both races better. For California, with the new route, I think a couple of the stage ﬁnishes are going to be fantastic. I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait, actually.

Q: What’s your favorite smaller race?

That’s a tough one. I have a lot of love for what is now the Merco Cycling Classic. If I had to put a list together, it would contain deﬁnitely Merco. It’s a well-run event and it pretty much starts the season off. Then, no doubt that Tulsa Tough makes my list. It’s an exciting event, and who would have thought? These aren’t small races per se, but they’re deﬁnitely second tier compared to Tour of California. Another one I really like is San Dimas Stage Race. I’d add that in the mix too. They’re tremendously well-organized events. Whether it’s Doug Fluetsch up in Merced or Al Wiscovitch and the whole crew at San Dimas, they really have an integrity to them and it’s because of the people that run them. I’ve got a history with all of them and it makes me feel like part of the family. Hear more of Dave Towle at a bike race near you, or follow him on Twitter at @davedtowle

Q: What race are you most

looking forwarding to announc-

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If you’ve been to any local race in the western half of the United States from California to Idaho over the past 30 years or so you’re sure to have heard the recognizable voice of Ralph Elliott. By Scott Dworkin Photo By Danny Munson

America’s Cycling

VOICE

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There are few voices of cycling that are as unique as Ralphs, or that have been around the sport as long. Ralph has seen, from his beginnings as a bike racer in the late-1960’s and 70’s, and now through his company MGE Racing that organizes and promotes local races, to his popular colorful and dramatic race announcing, the highs and lows, the ups and downs, the superstars… before they were actual superstars, and the next generation of bike racers rising to the upper echelons of the cycling world. Ralph has been there for much of it and has a unique take on American cycling. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Ralph about his past, present and future as one of the “Voices of American Cycling.”

Q: So you started racing as

a junior in the late 70’s, kind of got your feet wet in the sport as a bike racer before you started announcing, and promoting the races themselves, what was your racing background?

Nothing all that great! I did like 10 years racing, starting down

in San Diego where I lived, and I did pretty well and moved up through the different levels at the time. However, as I realized that I wasn’t going to make it past a certain level I decided to get more involved with the other aspects of the sport. That’s all I did with my racing. I was fortunate in that I got to come up though the ranks and race with and against some of the sport’s biggest stars and up-and-comers of that generation, some of them who are now the legends of the sport, but I knew that at a certain point I wasn’t going to move past a certain level. I then started getting involved in organizing and promoting some local races, almost by default got asked to help with announcing so I started announcing the races I was asked to promote, then more and more people would speciﬁcally start asking me if I would come announce at their race so that seemed to happen very naturally. Eventually, as I got to know the ins and outs of the race scene from a behind-the-barrier perspective, that led to me starting MGE Racing, and actually putting the races on myself. I’ve been travelling around ever since and I guess you could say providing my services to pretty much all over the Western United States for the last 30 plus years!

Q: So the announcing wasn’t something that you had any background in. It wasn’t something that you just took your race experience and translated that into knowing the sport well enough to call a race? Sure that helped, knowing the sport, the tactics, and most importantly knowing the guys racing. I would deﬁnitely see the same guys come up through the

ranks all the way from the juniors. Back in the day when I was racing and started out as a junior myself a lot of those guys became really good, and some of them, they became professional. So it was really cool, because it was real easy for me to call races with them out there, because I knew a lot of them so well already, but no, I had no “formal” training in announcing or commentating or anything of that nature.

Q: It must be pretty amazing

over the years, the talent you have seen, especially as Southern California has always been a particular hotbed for cyclists.

Oh yes, I’ve seen a lot of guys. Thurlow Rodgers started racing as a junior. I remember him as a teenager! Roy Knickman, the same. Going down a little further, Chris Horner, when he was a kid, he started in our bicycle club. All the guys that grew up down in San Diego pretty much started in the San Diego Bicycle club. It’s the oldest club in the area and a lot of past and future champions have been involved over the years. Many of the top cyclist from other parts of the country would come to train down in the area, especially when the Olympic Training Center opened.

Q: So what have you seen in all

your years in the sport change? I know technology in bikes has obviously changed a lot, but what you have seen in racing, especially local racing change?

Sufﬁce it to reason the bikes are obviously better with all the years of technological advances, and training methods are way different than were doing back in the late 1960’s and 70’s! The science behind cycling, from a pro all the way down to even a masters racer racing well into their 50’s and 60’s is amazing. We had nothing back then like they do now! When I was starting racing in the

late 60’s there were maybe 3,000 licensed racers in the United States of America. Well nowadays, there are over 5,000 licensed cyclists just in Southern California alone! So it’s a much more popular sport. We’re more of a mainstream sport these days. More people ride for fun, more people who get the bike riding bug, then turn to racing. Also, the prizes for winning even a local race are much better now! I was lucky if I got a tire for winning a race in the 70’s! Now I also know this has to do with the consciousness and awareness in the public about cycling and for the last twenty years points directly to the popularity and awareness of Lance Armstrong. I’ve known Lance since the very, very beginning, since he was the track and triathlon racer and then came over to road cycling, and he was always larger than life. His goal was always to be the biggest guy in the sport, and for better or worse, he got that! All things aside though he brought the consciousness of bicycle racing, and the Tour de France into the average, every day guy’s awareness, on TV, in the paper, the internet, for a while he was everywhere, and it was all about the bike, or at least the bike racing, and at the time, that was great for our sport. It brought people into the community of cycling like we never thought imaginable, it also caused the bike companies and those tied to cycling to really expand on the things I mentioned earlier, technology, nutrition and heath, the list goes on and on.

Q: Exactly! So now, as a pro-

moter of races, we have a bit of a problem here, with the image of the sport being bruised. Do you believe that we can spin this and keep the sport building into something better without losing the momentum he created?

Even more than ever, I believe that! I look at all aspects of this in regards

to cycling, not just racing, just cycling in general. Bicycle riding in general is more popular than ever. There are more people riding, more bike stores than I ever remember between the local bike shops and the rise of the internet based shops. You know, I came through what we call the bike boom of the seventies and we all thought that was huge, and at the time it was! Well there’s no question about it, the bike boom of the late 1990’s and 2000s is bigger than anything we had in the seventies. I mean, where I live in Golden Hill, which is right above Downtown San Diego, I’m on a main thoroughfare of people who commute on their bicycles from all different areas into downtown and I’ll go the coffee shop that I sit at and I’ll see a cyclist going by every minute. Back in the day I mean, I was like one of the only guys that would even be on a bike riding in town , and maybe see a couple more go by maybe every hour! So deﬁnitely more people are riding bikes and all that I think equates to the sport as a whole growing and becoming better. Now what I see at the races, we have more racers than ever. You have a lot of the categories like category 4 and 5, the beginners categories, that if you don’t pre-register well in advance, you’re not going to get into the race on race day. That is incredible; to see so many new riders jumping into the sport to try their hands at racing, only conﬁrms that the sport is moving in the right direction! The other area where I am seeing tons of growth is in women and juniors. Nothing makes me happier than to call a junior race that is full of 14-18 year olds that love riding and racing their bikes and that appreciate the opportunity to do it, or a women’s race that is packed. The sport right now, especially in So Cal is stacked with talented women bike racers, and up and coming

juniors. Again, what this tells me is that despite all the negatives around the pro level of the sport at the moment, I think all that’s all in the past, the people who are follow it. It doesn’t, in my mind, relate to the growth of bike racing, and the local level popularity I see when I’m announcing and promoting. It will all be fine. Sure the pros, and pro teams at the highest level may have a little trouble financially with sponsorship and things like that, but it will correct itself over time. At the level that I’m at, which is down with the recreational guys, clubs, and local race teams, even local pros, we’re going to be just fine. If anything, I think better than ever!

Q: Are there any particular

races that you have covered and continue to cover that you really think are doing it right, as far as promotion, courses, drawing in fans etc?

Yeah I do, Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. I announce at that one every year and I think Manhattan Beach is a great event that we have here in Southern California. I’m also the original voice of the Redlands Bicycle Classic and that’s a nice event that’s been able to keep going year after year. There are a lot of really good local races in Southern California every weekend during the season, from local industrial park criteriums to larger, well-known races like Manhattan Beach and Dana Point Grand Prix, and most of them are run pretty darn well. I also go to Boise, Idaho and do the Boise Twilight Criterium, which is this huge downtown night criterium that has the biggest crowds, crazy crowds! That race is a ton of fun to announce. The whole atmosphere at that race is incredible! I think last year I announced in Boise to over 20,000 spectators!

Q: And you’re able to go out and announce these races and the crowds are still out there, showing up in numbers. I mean, I’m sure it comes and goes, but at the same time, it’s got to be pretty darn cool to be a part of that, to be part of a community that’s flourished for so many years especially as we said in Southern California. I mean, there are only a handful of communities that you could equate it to. I’m sure the surfing community in So Cal has the same kind of rich history in their sport. Yes, the surf community is similar in some ways, as it is tied closely to the area, but they don’t have many competitions that draw the same amount of fans as we do, and that’s what makes cycling so great, the accessibility of the sport and the racers, and to be able to sit right on the side of the racecourse. The whole thing is I try to go there; I try to create a fun and exciting atmosphere. You know, I try to be informative, enthusiastic. I try to use enthusiastic music that I throw out there as well just to create a fun environment for the day. Hopefully people leave interested in cycling, get on a bike, and in a few years actually try to race a bike! Especially the kids, If they don’t race, or can’t race just yet, but they just enjoy the ride, than that’s great too! I know it may sound cheesy to say but I really do believe that it’s not whether you win or lose but how much fun you have and cycling, in all its forms is really, really fun! You know, I’m a very unique individual. I don’t have a wife, I don’t have any children. So I don’t really have that much family. My family and my church, and everything I’m about is the bicycle race every weekend. That’s what I live for, that’s my passion, and I hope what I do helps to spread that passion!

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Speed

DEMONS Photo By Danny Munson

MEET THE FASTEST CYCLISTS IN AMERICA.

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Who are the fastest cyclists in America? races throughout the United States, while others It may be a question for the ages, or go abroad to prove themselves in international at least the age of a season. There are competition. Cycling Illustrated takes a look By Kevin Hunter many who can claim it, but only a few at ﬁve of the nation’s best and fastest riders with the opportunities and skills to prove as they each make their claim to being it. Many do it here, competing in numerous the Fastest Cyclist in America.

KEN HANSON

Age 31 Team Optum Pro Cycling Current National Criterium Champion

What makes you the fastest cyclist in America?

Who are some of the cyclists in pursuit and challenging you?

The bottom line is results. From the local and regional races to the higher races where I race against the Europeans. When I won 18 races, nine were UCI and they were on four different continents. Four were U.S. Road Nationals.

The guys I’m chasing vary from race to race. Peter Sagan is one, because he’s won ﬁve or six of the eight stages of the Tour of California and a stage at the Tour de France. He had a breakthrough year and he sort of set the pace as the one to beat, as well as Mark Cavendish. There’s also Brad Huff, who is incredibly talented, and Matt Keough and Justin Williams.

What are some of the things you have to do to become even better?

For me, it’s to get better results at the higher caliber races. A focus for me will be to win a stage at the Tour of California as well as a few sprint stages elsewhere. I also need to work on my high-altitude training.

How can you improve on your past performances?

That goes in a few different ways. My training

is the most important; everything from sprints to climbing the mountains and hills to the 5 to 6 hours a day of endurance training. If I can improve in those areas, there’s a good chance that I’ll win more races. Do you think you can become the fastest cyclist in the world? If so, how?

I do, because 2011 was a big step for me professionally, especially in sprints. I think that if I improve in all the areas I mentioned above, as well as getting the continued support from my team, then I think I can become very competitive on the highest level. » cyclingillustrated.com | 87

who BRAD HUFF

Age 34 Team Jelly Belly Pro Cycling What makes you the fastest cyclist in America?

I am far from the fastest cyclist in America, even though I was ranked the #1 professional criterium rider in America for 2012. I just know how to use my genetic capabilities to their maximum. I’m willing to risk losing in order to win and I feel this is why I have been so consistently quick. You might not always see me on the top step but you can count on me being among the top speedsters in America, and occasionally the world. What are some of the things you have to do to become even better?

Increase my aerobic capacity. As a sprinter, if I can’t make it to the ﬁnish, then how can I show just how fast I might be? Suffering is the name of the game. The deeper I can go into the pain cave, the more likely it will be lights out for every other sprinter spelunking with me. Who are some of the cyclists in pursuit and ones you are chasing?

As a sprinter, I am never chasing riders because I have stronger Jelly Belly teammates for that. But I have been known to do a few pulls when the need arises. As for cyclists in pursuit of me? Well, hopefully everyone is in pursuit of me because I am out in front when it counts! How can you improve on your past performances?

Staying healthy. Do you think you can become the fastest cyclist in the world? If so, how?

Photo By Brian Hodes

I know I’m fast. It’s just getting my aerobic engine as fast as my natural speed. Sprinters are made over time, they aren’t born with the ability to sprint at the end of a long, hard stage. Time in the saddle is how a sprinter becomes the fastest in the world, and a team is what enables him to go for the win on the world stage. I will do my best to ride as many quality miles as I can to prove I am worth a damn when it counts.

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JUSTIN WILLIAMS

Age 23 Team CashCall Mortgage Cycling

What makes you the fastest cyclist in America?

I think part of it has to do with the results I had last year and being able to sign with a very good team. Also, coming to the point that I could ride and compete with some of the best cyclists. It all made me a more complete cyclist. What are some of the things you have to do to become even better?

At this point, I really have to stay completely focused and dedicated to riding as much as I can. Who are some of the cyclists in pursuit and challenging you?

How can you improve on your past performances?

Continue to train and work as hard as I can. Do you think you can become the fastest cyclist in the world? If so, how?

I think I can as long as I do all the things I mentioned and have the support of great team behind me.

Photo By Todd MacMillian

There are quite a few, but two that come to mind are Ken Hanson and Rahsaan Bahati. I have a great deal of respect for them both, and I can feel myself getting better every time I race against them in a full squad of other cyclists.

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JUAN JOSE HAEDO Age 32 Team Jamis / Hagens Berman

What makes you the fastest cyclist in America?

I’m honored that you consider me to be one of the fastest riders in America. The support of my friends and family alongside the faith my new team, Jamis-Hagens Berman, puts in me helps to motivate me to work hard and become the best cyclist I can be. What are some of the things you have to do to become even better?

In every race I do I line up next to great racers that want to win. This is the same regardless of whether I’m racing in America or in Europe. In America, I’ll have to train a little differently for the crits, especially the constant accelerations out of the corners. But, like always, I will have to train hard, race smart, and trust my teammates in order to win. Who are some of the cyclists in pursuit and challenging you?

I’ve been primarily racing in Europe the last 6 years, but I’ve still kept a close eye on the emerging talent in America. The competition is ﬁerce with so many talented sprinters around and the level of racing in the US seems to be improving continuously. The riders to watch out for are the riders that have been getting the results! How can you improve on your past performances?

Every race I enter is a race that I’d like to win! That being said, I hope to perform well in the big UCI races in America. That’s CA, CO, and UT. I’d also like to help guide and inspire the guys on the team. Do you think you can become the fastest cyclist in the world? If so, how?

No. I’m too old!

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What makes you the fastest cyclist in America?

I train hard every day to work on my strengths and improve my weakness. My BMX background gives me the snap and handling skills I need to win big races! What are some of the things you have to do to become even better?

To keep improving, I need to keep aiming for bigger goals and challenging myself with harder, bigger races in Europe and abroad. Who are some of the cyclists in pursuit and challenging you?

We have a team of incredibly talented riders who are committed to helping me win sprints against the best in the world. That said, some of those riders who I consider my competition are Tyler Farrar, Andrea Guardini, Mark Cavendish, Elia Viviani, and the Haedo Brothers (JJ and Sebastian). How can you improve on your past performances?

JAKE KEOUGH

Photo By Brian Hodes

Age 25 UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling

By utilizing our experiences in the big races we have done. Doing the same races again gives us the opportunity to better our results. Do you think you can become the fastest cyclist in the world? If so, how?

I think you will have to ask my competition! My goal is to win the biggest bunch of sprints the sport has to offer and I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rest till I get there! Âť cyclingillustrated.com | 91

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LAST

The

Photography By Brian Hodes

SPENT- DEFINITION 1. CONSUMED: USED OR USED UP. “TOSSED THE FINAL SPENT MATCH INTO THE FIRE.” 2. EXHAUSTED: TOTALLY DEPLETED OF ENERGY OR STRENGTH. “FELT TOTALLY SPENT BY THE END OF THE RACE DAY...”

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NICK FREY

Jamis-Hagen Berman 2013 Tour de San Luis

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LEVI LEIPHEIMER

Omega Pharma Quick Step 2012 USA Pro Challenge

MARK CAVENDISH

Omega Pharma Quick Step 2013 Tour de San Luis

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CHRIS HORNER

RadioShack Nissan Trek 2012 Tour of Utah

MATHIAS FRANK

MATTEO MONTAGUTI

BMC Racing Team 2013 Tour de San Luis

AG2R LA MONDIALE Pro Cycling Team 2013 Tour de San Luis

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ANDRE CARDOSO

Caja Rural 2013 Tour De San Luis