Ever since the Colectivo Coffee Bean Classic moved to Minooka park it has been one of my favorite races. It's a little lacking in climbs but with tight, fast, flowy single track with the occasional gnarly rock garden making up most of the course it is my favorite type of race.
After having pretty poor performances the past two WORS races I wanted to hit this race hard and come out with a great result. Two weeks before the race I put in the biggest training week I have ever done. The result was that I put myself into a bit of a hole. In response I took a few easy days before this race and the rest did a world of good for me.
Learning from past mistakes I knew the start would be the most crucial part of my race. I nailed my warm up, went to the start line, took a Honey Stinger energy gel and got ready to pin it. Naturally when Don blew the whistle I missed my pedal, but because of the big start hill I made why way back up. I fought for my position in the two-track before the first single track section and locked down 7th place.
I chased Ben Senkerik and Pete Karinen but just couldn't hold on. Soon after Justin Piontek came by me and I hopped on his wheel for a bit before getting dropped again. I killed myself for the rest of the first lap trying to catch back up but when Justin and Ben punched it up the start climb into the second lap the gap opened up beyond repair. Despite being off the front group my body felt good and ready to work. I settled in with Mikey Verhagen and we worked together swimmingly for the second and third lap. We ripped up the single track putting plenty of distance between us and the chase groups (must have been our matching Trek Topfuel 9.8s and Bontrager XXX Kovee wheels!).
After working together with Mikey for almost three laps I knew that we were equal in the single track but I had a bigger motor for the climbs and straightaways. Also knowing that I didn't want to let it come down to a sprint I smashed the start hill going into the final lap and dropped the hammer going into the first single track section. This opened up a ten second gap. Keeping on the gas I hit the rest of the lap with everything I had, staying smooth in the single track and hammering the two track to finish with a 30 second gap on Mikey.
In addition I am extremely pleased to announce my partnership with Englewood Grass Fed Beef! Ben and Kristi Agnew are avid mountain bike riders and racers and along with the rest of their family run their 100% grass-fed beef farm free of hormones and antibiotics in Fall River, Wisconsin, North-East of Madison. With all of my training and racing, I need a lot of high quality protein for energy and muscle building. Lean, clean, local beef is the absolute best source for that.
Kristi (Englewood Grass Fed Beef) and I with a cooler full of grass fed beef.
Here are some of the benefits of eating grass fed beef, besides helping to support me and an awesome family owned business. (So place an order today and tell em' I sent you!)
Lower in total calories and fat (up to 1/3 less) compared to conventional feedlot beef
Extra Omega-3 fatty-acids – heart friendly, brain supporting, and a potent weapon against cancer
Richest known source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), another known cancer fighter
Extra amounts of antioxidant vitamins including Vitamin E.
Thanks for reading and see you back here in a month because it's time to head back to Helena, Montana for Cyclocross Camp!
After a two year hiatus and a scramble for transportation, I headed back up to Eau Claire for the Red Flint Firecracker. Being one of the flatter, faster, and more technical races, it's one course I really wish I had gotten a chance to pre-ride.
Trek Topfuel looking fast!
After a fairly light training week and doing some of my first high intensity intervals of the year, I was optimistic about how my legs would feel and how the race would go. After Don sent us off, the pack hammered the long lead out before the first single track section aggressively fighting for positions. I managed stay in the top 10 sitting on Pete Karinen's wheel with Ben Senkerik and Casey Hildebrandt in front. I put every thing I had into staying with them but just couldn't hang on through the fast, difficult, single track and got dropped half way through the first lap.
Once again caught in no man's land I struggled with some more back pain and already fatigued legs, knowing it was going to be a long race by my self. Luckily Fletcher Arlen caught up soon after and we started to work together. We stuck together until the start of the fourth and final lap when he pulled way from me in some of the trickier single track.
A group of three had been hunting us the whole race and finally caught up right after Fletcher dropped me. Now in danger of losing the top ten I put everything I had into staying smooth and focused. One rider came by me and together we pulled away from the rest of them. In the last part of the lap he started to open up a gap on me and there was nothing I could do. Finishing 10th was not what I was hoping for but on a difficult course against a stacked field I did my best with what I had. On the bright side I know what I need to practice and work on to earn the results I want!
Every now and then you have one of those days where as soon as you hop on the bike you know it going to be a tough race. After taking the ACT, taking my finals to finish off my junior year of high school and almost 250 miles on the bike this past week, I knew it was going to be one of those days.
As I started to warm up I was hoping my legs would come around but I could feel the fatigue in them and things were hurting a lot more than I wanted them to.
I got called up sixth and lined up front row with the usual suspects. After Don did the count down we hammered up the long start climb before dropping into the rocky, technical descent, which the Top Fuel killed. I was quick off the line and stayed on the front group, emerging from the woods in 8th place on Tristan Schouten's wheel. Things started to stretch out and I chased him and Corey Stelljes for the rest of the first lap with everything I had but was popped before the start/finish area.
Stuck in no mans land I struggled with some back pain, shot legs and the mental battle until David Carew and Fletcher Arlen caught me part way through the second lap. I refocused my self realizing I was still in sixth and put it on auto pilot for the rest of the second and third lap trying to recover as much as possible.
Going up the start climb into the fourth and final lap I put it into gear and took off. Fletcher dropped off the back and I ripped the technical downhill as hard as I could, getting a gap on David. I kept the pace high for the rest of the lap and managed to open the gap to just under a minute.
Congrats to my sister Emma on her first WORS pro women's win!
When I crossed the line I was very relieved that it was over. The course was unrelenting and difficult which made for a challenging and brutal race. All in all I was disappointed with my performance but not surprised given the week I'd had. I was however happy with the way I dealt with the challenges I faced and how I played my cards to maintain my position. Regardless it is always fun to ride bikes in the woods with friends!
Generally WORS races are every other weekend. This time I had three weeks to train and reflect on what I needed to work on for my home race at Cam Rock County Park near Madison.
With the goal firmly in mind of making the front group, I ate a big breakfast, drove the 25 minutes to the race, warmed up and headed to the start line. Thanks to my finish at Iola, this time I got a call up which meant lining up front row with the big guns. I knew the most important part of the race would be the uphill start.
Straight off the line we hit the climb all the way to the top of the
course before diving into tight fast single track for the rest if the
lap. The front group sets a blistering pace because for those who don't
make the cut right off the line, it is usually over.
After the usual awkward staging period Don did the count down and sent us on our way. I was quick off the line and led for the first third of the climb before latching on to the front group. The front three hit it hard through the first single track section putting me in a group of three with Ben Senkerik and Isaac Neff. The rest of that first lap was absolutely brutal! With Isaac trying to close the gap on 4th place, the pace was through the roof along with my heart rate. Unfortunately (and luckily I suppose) Isaac pulled away from us part way through.
Ben and I rode the next three laps together with Casey Griesemer mixing it for a bit before breaking his chain-stay. Towards the end of the third lap I tried to turn the screws on Ben through some of the tight single track that I know very well. I managed to put a few seconds into him but I knew it wasn't going to stick and settled back in behind him. I sat on him uneventfully until we came out of the woods and onto the gravel road section on the fourth and final lap. Ben sat up hard and I suspected something was up. We soft pedaled for a few moments before Ben dropped the hammer and took off. Once again I held his wheel and tried to recover as much as possible before the long twisting final climbs.
Ben kept it pretty tame up the first part, saving his last punch for the short, final open section into the uphill finishing chute. After taking a poor line through the second to last corner I started a few feet off his wheel but managed to win the sprint at the line by a hair, which required some video review to confirm.
Thanks Hank McAlvanah for the pictures!
It was hard and exciting race and I am happy to have moved up another spot from Iola, it was also a big step for me to have made part of the front groups and hold on for dear life! Huge thanks to my coach (JM Coaching), my team, KS Energy Services/Team Wisconsin/MOSH and all our sponsors as well as Mike's Mix, Honey Stinger, ESI Grips and Wolf Tooth Components for all their support. Next up, Mt. Morris WORS #3!
Since I have not written anything on here since January it is past time for a brief update before this past weekends race recap! After nationals I took about a month off before jumping back into training for the mountain season which is always a little rough given the weather in late February and early March. In the first week of April my family and I headed out to Boulder, CO for spring break. I managed to put in 180 miles in the first three days then 18 inches of snow "rained" on our parade. In search of dry trails, we ended up heading back east and rode the Switchgrass IMBA Epic trail in Kansas and the Berryman IMBA Epic trail in Missouri.
9,0000 ft up in Ward, CO
Since then it has been mostly training and school with the exception of my first race a few weekends ago where I got 2nd behind Nathan Guerra at the Englewood Opener MTB race. Equipment and sponsor wise, I am loving my 2016 Trek Top Fuel! It destroys downhills and climbs like a goat. Huge thanks to Emery's Cycling, Triathlon, and Fitness. I am thrilled to be working with ESI Grips and Wolf Tooth Components again this season and also extremely excited to be representing Mike's Mix Nutrition and Honey Stinger energy foods. Having the best ride/race fuel and recovery has helped take my training and racing to the next level.
Nothing like trashing the brand new bike on its second ride!
After achieving my goal of top ten overall in the pro field in my last WORS mountain bike race this past season I set high goals for this race. I wanted to place in the top ten for sure and hopefully make the front group and be on my way for a top five. Unfortunately, right from the start things got a little more difficult than I had hoped for. Starting third row I knew it might be difficult to hop on the front group who all started in the front row, especially because of the narrow gravelly climb right at the start up to the top of a ski jump hill. After Don did the starting countdown we took off like a pack of wild animals. I reached the top of the climb in about 20th place and knew then that I might be in trouble. I spent the rest of my first lap cross eyed trying to make up ground and eventually settled in with Fletcher Arlen. We were almost on the group that made up 5th through 7th place when I had a bobble around a stump and lost Fletcher's wheel. He made contact with the group and stayed with them until Isaac Neff put down some power through the first couple of climbs at the start and thankfully sent him back to me.
No longer solo, Fletcher and I worked together for two laps sitting 8th and 9th until Brendan Bellew, one of the top Minnesota racers, caught up to us. He rode right by us and hit the gas. Fletcher dropped back but I stuck on Brendan as well as I could knowing this was my ride up the podium steps. Brendan hammered the fourth lap making up ground a lot of ground and catching Casey Hildebrandt who sadly was fighting with some stomach troubles. Going into the final lap Brendan gave it everything he had up the start climb but I stuck on him like glue knowing that it would hurt a lot more if I lost his wheel and had to go solo or try and catch back up. Since he didn't shake me, Brendan asked me to take the lead for the second half of the lap. I put in a bit of work but mostly conserved. As we got into the last third of the course, which is mostly single track with two or three open two track climbing section, I started to ramp up the pace. On each of the short open climbs I gave it everything I had, knowing that if I made it into the last section of single track right before the finish I would have him. I managed to hold him off by about two seconds, despite some lapped traffic being thrown into the mix.
Finishing 7th overall in the pro men was a serious break through and confirms the hard work I've been putting in, and also a fantastic way to start the season! Next up is three weeks of training before the next WORS race at Camrock where I am setting an even higher goal for myself on my home course!
Exciting to compete against the best in Wisconsin!
After a week of reflection, snowboarding, fat-biking and power tests, it's time for a post about my 2015 season and my 2016 USA Cyclcross Nationals!
Carter, Joe and I in Park City Utah
2015 was a breakthrough year for me, from a training and coaching stand point it was a huge step forward. I put in a lot more hours on and off the bike. ( running, cor, PT, etc...) Some of the main training focus points were to manage my fatigue and to maintain a slow build up with out burning me out. For full details on my coaching and how I got me where I am, read this article by my coach Joseph Maloney of JM Coaching. For starters at the beginning of 2015 I set very high goals for myself. I wanted to win big races, I wanted to win local races, and wanted to make a splash in national MTB scene and as a first year 17-18 in Cyclocross. I achieved my goal of getting a top ten in a Pro WORS race, I won the Ore 2 Shore Softrock mtb epic, and placed second in my first Chequamegon Short and Fat. Although my mtb nationals race did not go as planned I still had an unbelievable four week road trip with Joseph and friend Carte. We traveled around the West, racing and riding in nine different states representing Team Wisconsin/KS Energy Services/MOSH! Ever since I received a phone call from Trek CXC manager Scott Daubert in April I couldn't wait for cyclocross season! My goals were also to go Montana Team USA cyclocross camp, Euro Cross Camp, win a Wisconsin series pro race, a ChiCrossCup race and place in the top 5 at Cyclocross Nats. I kicked off the season by ripping around Helena, Montana at Geoff Proctors USA Cycling cyclocross development camp with 14 other top junior men in the country. I had some great results at local races and won a WCA and CCC pro race! On the national circuit I didn't earn the results I wanted in the 17-18 UCI Pro cx series until day two of the Derby City Cup where I placed 7th against a national caliber field. A few weeks later I placed second both days at the 17-18 UCI race in Los Angeles, earning many valuable UCI points and a front row start at Nationals. Two weeks after that I accomplished a personal goal at my favorite race in the country - Jingle Cross in Iowa City. I took home the win all three days in the Cat 2's in some brutal mud and on a ruthless course. After that it was four straight weeks of tough training and some recovery to prepare for Nationals!
Now for the Nationals part! On Tuesday we got things mostly packed up and ready to hit the road on Wednesday. We drove half way to Asheville on Wednesday evening and drove the last six hours Thursday morning. I hopped out of the car after wandering through the Biltmore estate grounds and straight onto the course. At the time it was fast, flowy, and very technicial with lots of challenging sections and climbing. By the time Sunday rolled around, the course was brutal and muddy - taking the many, already difficult sections and making them even harder. Check out the brief course preview video below!
The Biltmore house was amazing!
Friday, I had a blast doing some course recon with Trek CXC crew before going out and exploring the Biltmore estate with my friend Michael Owens. Needless to say, the venue was amazing and it was super fun to explore the gardens and see the mountains. I got back in time to see the collegiate races. Emma raced the Division 1 collegiate women's race and placed 8th after unfortunately needing to fight back from 20th place after being taken out by another rider who crashed. Saturday Emma raced the 4-person collegiate co-ed team relay and secured the win for her team in that race and the overall collegiate team national championship! After cheering her and the team on, I went and did my leg openers on the beautiful roads of the estate. When I got back my Mom, Dad, Grandpa and I made a quick trip to Whole Foods before Emma's awards ceremony. It was very exciting to see my sister get her first cyclocross national championships! A pre-race dinner of pizza in Asheville followed, and then relaxation and recovery before the big day.
Proud family!!!
Strong representation from Trek CXC!
Sunday morning we woke up early and headed to the course, grateful to be in early and avoiding the chaos.
I did a practice lap. The overnight rain made for an incredibly slick course, especially in the numerous off camber sections, and fast technical downhill. The mud took it to a whole new level. While I rode my dad put my cantilever Trek Boone on the trainer and prepared my other disc Boone for the race. As soon as I got back to the Trek tent I stripped off my muddy gear and changed into dry socks, shoes and a clean, skin suit with my number pinned on. Karl Hendrikse washed my filthified bike and helped tune it up again before the start. (Big thanks to Karl for helping my Dad out in the pit all weekend!!!) I did my warm up and headed to the start for my call up.
Seventh call up for front row!
I lined up front row and tried to stay warm (unfortunately there was a delay and I started to cool off) while we waited for the whistle. When the referee blew it, I was quick off the line but a little slow to the first corner coming in about 12th. Luckily I escaped a large crash right behind me.
I started to move up steadily (using the technical descent in the woods to my advantage) and came through at the end of lap one in
8th place. I kept chasing and caught up to Michael Owens after the big Kask
flyover. He had dropped his chain and I shouted a word of encouragement as I hammered by in pursuit of sixth place. Towards the end of that second lap I closed the gap on Cameron Beard
to about 5 seconds after the switch back climb and gnarly downhill section in the woods.
Unfortunately I made a mistake and slid out in a corner right before a long straight away,
costing me a few seconds and a chance to get up to his wheel.
Bombing the descent in the woods Photo by Emory Ball
The rest of the race I pushed
myself as hard as I could to try and catch up while being pursued by
Michael, Cade and Ross. I rode the rest of the race as cleanly as possible avoiding mistakes. Michael and the others would close on me a bit through the long straight away before the start and the multiple straight aways after, but like before I would open the gap right back up in the challenging sections. When I crossed the line I had nothing left to give after such a grueling course that demanded every ounce of a racer's will power and energy.
What was ride-able in later races was treacherous during my race.
navigating tricky off camber
After crossing the line some of my first thoughts were that I had
finally had a good race at a national championships! It took me seven
cyclocross nationals to finally start to see the results I wanted. Two
years ago against this very same field I placed 31st getting absolutely
crushed by people that I had just finished ahead of. Although I was
hoping for top six, which would make my petition for the USA roster for Worlds stronger (6 US riders qualify or are selected), I am happy with my results. I did not have the best legs or
ride a perfectly mistake-free race, but I gave it my all with what I had which is a big part of this sport.
My sister rode her way to a six place in the u23 race battling hard on her third day of racing. The most exciting part is that is her ride and earlier season results got her selected by USA Cycling to represent the U.S. at the inaugural Women's u23 World Championship race in Zolder, Belgium on Jan 30th!!! I narrowly missed being selected but I am ecstatic for my big sister! Traveling to Europe, especially with bikes, extra wheels, etc., isn't cheap so if you could support her in any way please visit her Rally Me account and chip in what ever you can. Every bit helps and is greatly appreciated!
Lastly I want to thank everyone who has supported me this season! Huge thanks to my family and friends for being my biggest supporters, fans, pit crew and more, I couldn't do it without you. Big thanks to my coach Joseph Maloney for getting me to where I am today and being such an amazing coach and mentor, I couldn't do it without you! Next I want to thank the Wisconsin and Chicago area cycling community for cheering me on at all the races, encouraging me to achieve my goals, and helping my development as a rider for the past eight seasons of racing. Next I would like to thank Geoff Snudden, Scott Daubert and my team, Trek Cyclocross Collective for all the support and belief in me as well as my teammates for being so amazing! Congrats to everyone on their amazing seasons and all of the awesome medals and results at nationals. Finally huge huge thanks to Trek Bicycles, Bontrager, SRAM components, Honey-Stinger and Lizard Skins Cycling for the all fantastic support this season and allowing me to ride the best bikes, with the best components and have the best pre-race and ride fuel.
This coming season is going to be even better, I can't wait to see what it has in store! Stay tuned!
There is absolutely no other race in the cross' calendar that gets me as excited Jingle
Cross Rock! I have been going to Jingle Cross every year since 2010. Two years ago after being sick all week, I did my first cat 3 race only to end up with six stitches in my forehead and last year I won the Cat 3 overall by finishing 6th, 1st, and 2nd. This year I was hoping for more good results at my favorite race of the season. John Meehan, the promoter, does an amazing job with this race, the courses, the competition, and the atmosphere. I love every
single part of it! I believe it is the only full three day race in the United States and the course is brutal and unique every day, incorporating huge run-ups, sand pits, gnarly off camber along with logs, barriers and a flyover. This year it was all that and more with three days of awesome challenging mud like never before! Hopefully the world cup bid for next year will be successful!
Friday
Since Iowa City is only three hours from Madison I went to school in the morning and headed out at noon. After looking at the weather all week we were expecting totally dry races with balmy weather. However, when we got there it was already a slop fest due to a previous snow fall and then rains! I did a lap on the course and that was more than enough for the bike. My dad power washed and revived my B bike while I warmed up on the trainer. I headed to the start at 6:00 PM, got my call up, and ate my energy gels. When the gun went off my good friend Andy Schmidt took the hole shot and pushed ahead opening a gap while I chased hard from fourth. I caught Andy and his two tails at the end of the second lap and pushed through to the front, pulling through the start straight. Unfortunately Andy pulled a muscle in his back forcing him to drop out and sadly need to pull the plug on his whole weekend of racing. Hopefully he will make a speedy recovery and get back to crushing it! Going into this third lap my legs finally opened up and I was able to lay down the law on the Mt. Krumpet run up. I opened up a twenty second gap on second and third place. I rode error free the rest of the lap until I got to the pit and went in for a clean bike. My dad was no where to be seen (the pit was out of water for the power washers which was announced 5 min before the start and my dad was distracted by the chaos) and in the heat of the moment I forgot that you must at least put a foot down in the pit (USAC and UCI rule) until the official was yelling at me to dismount. I did right before the end of the pit but he had blown his whistle and I was unsure if I was disqualified or not. I soft peddled through the next few corners trying to determine if I was disqualified or not, until I was close enough to the official again and he said I was good to go. With my 20 second gap gone and it being the final lap I attacked hard out of anger trying to shake second place again. I sprinted up Mt. Krumpet through the throngs of fans reestablishing my gap before plunging back down the ski hill. I finished out the rest of the lap cleanly and crossed the line winning by 8 seconds, relieved that I held on to the victory.
Everyone else missed the podium!
Saturday
After a good dinner, laundry and lots of recovery we hit the hay. In the morning my Mom and I grabbed a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant while my dad started prepping bikes at the race. When I got there I hopped on the course and did a lap, finding it to be even muddier and sloppier than the night before. The course was similar but instead of the big Mt. Krumpet run-up there was a super long ride/run up on the back side of the hill and gnarly off camber sections back down the front of the "mountain." This time my warm up was a lot better and I took the hole shot right off the gun. I stayed in the lead and started to stretch my gap on Alex Morten, a 14 year old rider who I met this summer at Geoff Proctor's Montana USAC CX camp. I noticed that my front tire was very low on the second lap and went in to pit at the start of the third lap. Chris Schmidt was still power washing my B bike (the lines were super long due to about 120 racers on course and only 2 power washers) and my dad didn't have my C bike in the pit lane, so I had to continue with a flat. Extremely frustrated and worried, I rode the next half of a lap all the way up the climb and back down the massive off cambers with a front flat. I was especially worried that I was going to roll the tire off the rim on the off camber. That said, I could corner very well in the sloppy mud with 3 PSI pressure! Luckily I made it back to the pit and switched bikes. I rode my fourth and final lap cleanly (except for messing up a bit when hopping the barriers) and took the win with a 35 second gap. When I crossed the line I was very surprised to see Geoff Proctor standing just past the line waiting to say hi to Alex and I! He was there inspecting the course for the UCI commission for the possibility of it being a world cup event next year. After talking with Geoff and Alex for a few minutes I advised my dad on tire choice and pressure for my sister Emma's race, followed by a cool down spin. Next, I helped my Dad pack up after my sisters race before heading for dinner followed by swimming and hot tubbing!
Photo by Jeff Corcoran
Dillon, Me, Alex
Sunday
Sunday morning we ate at the hotel before heading to the course for the final day of this awesome race! This time my dad and I vowed to have an an error free race with no mishaps in the pits! The course was the sloppiest it had been all weekend and for the third day in a row, a single pre-ride lap was more then enough for the bike. Today we ran and rode all the way to the top of the ski hill before descending the run/ride up from Saturday which was incredibly muddy and very technical When the gun went off I was quick off the line but my legs weren't quit warmed up enough. I was fourth through the first corner and but caught up to first through the next corners and passed into first. Tristan Greathouse, a junior from Michigan, stuck on my wheel through the first lap and pulled through on the start straight going into the second lap. We both went into the pit and when exiting the pit I immediately made a quick pass on his inside and attacked hard. I hammered the next lap and continued to open up my gap. My legs really opened up going into the third and final lap and I could actually sprint full speed in each of the many running sections. My goal was to win by a large margin and it ended up being 1:32, which I did in only two laps of racing!
Photo by Wil Matthews
Photo by JP Brocket
Photo by Roxanne King
Dillon, Me, Tristan
It was an absolutely fantastic weekend of racing, winning all three days was more than I could have asked for! My legs were amazing all three days allowing me to go as hard as I wanted, whenever I wanted. I am also very pleased to have gotten to race three days in my natural habitat - brutal courses with tons of mud! Big thanks to my dad for keeping my running smooth in the pits with the help of Cale Dorn on Friday, Chris Schmidt on Saturday, and Henry Mcalvanah on Sunday! Huge thanks as well to Trek Cyclocross Collective for all their support this season and congrats to teammates Mark Savory, Scott Daubert, and Tom Price for taking the wins in the 35+, 45+ and 55+ all three days, as well as Dillon Mcneil for sharing the podium with me Saturday and Sunday with strong third places! It was such a fun weekend of racing with awesome people and awesome courses! Nothing beats feeling amazing and racing well to get the results you want. Next up is five weeks of brutal training to prepare for Cyclocross Nationals. I can't wait!!!
