What an incredible day yesterday! I repeated my overall victory at the Tour de White Rock in B.C. It was a battle like non other that I have experienced in bike racing. I turned myself inside out so many times and dug to a completely different realm of pain to do it. The teammates rode incredible, and I didn’t want to let them down after setting me up so well and controlling the break. When Chris Horner hit out on on eof the steep hard climbs and I was able to follow, I new that I had it. This is a great feeling! I love this sport, it can be so unrewarding, but the feeling you get from completing the job with your best friends is unreal. Thanks guys!

I have to jump on the plane now as I write this back to Durango. A little rest and some good training. Next up is Elk Grove in Chicago, then the Tour of Utah. Beauty!

We have been racing every night since Wednesday. Tour de Gastown went pretty good for us, but still no victory. The Symmetrics team is riding super strong. We have been so close. Evan finished 5th at Gastown. The following night was Giro de Burnaby. We had a descent evening but the leadout got pinched on the inside and that was the end of it for our sprinters.

We are now in White Rock finishing up the trip of racing and it has been good for me personally so far. Not off to as good a start as last year. I just didn’t have it in the hill climb and finished 3rd. Tonight was the crit and I felt good, went into the last two corners in 3rd wheel on Andrew Pinfold’s wheel with Chris Horner leading it out. We almost crashed in the last 200 meters. I hit out to late into the final corner that is a downhill sprint. Both Horner and some other dude got me at the line. I finished 4th on the day. So here we are again. So close to a win, but so far away. I am either sitting in 1st or second now on points because it is an omnium. It will be a good battle tomorrow and i have 134 Kilometers to figure it out with the help of some good teammates.

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

We made it through the first weekend of racing up here in Canada. The Tour de Delta in B.C. was the first stop of B.C. Superweek. Once again it seemed to be a rematch from last year with the Symmetrics Team Vs. Jittery Joe’s. We held our own against the best Canada has to offer. These dudes are strong and good bike riders. I wish that I could say the same about the rest of them in the group (see Mike Sayers’ post).  There are some sketch balls out there just goooing for it.  Carving it up, clipping pedals, bouncing around through corners and just super jumpy. There was a pretty good pile up in the last corner about 5 laps into the race.  I went around the corner and made it through but two guys had swung completely across the road and were in the middle of trying to crash each other.  They both had time to shut it down, but they just panicked.  I watched one of them launch over the curb into a patio table and chairs wiping out specators sitting there enjoying the action.  I tell you, no one is safe out there with some of these guys in the group.  Thankfully and skillfully we all made it through the race with no real mishaps (Tim Henry flatted on the last lap!). 

It was tough with only 6 of us against a full squad of eight Symmetrics guys.  You wouldn’t think it would be that much of a difference, but with two extra guys, you have that many more guys to cover moves and attack obviously.  We were as aggressive as we could be and still had good numbers.  Finally after about 20 minutes Cam Evans and Zach Bell, both from Symmetrics slipped away.  I went across quickly before they could get to far and that was it.  We were rolling and the rest of the group sat up.  There wasn’t much I could do being in a break with two teammates.  With one lap to go Zach Bell attacked and I followed with a counter that Cam Evans just quickly countered, leaving me chasing him.  I was happy for secong place on the day and if put me into 3rd on the G.C.

Going into the raod race we just wanted to try to get someone up the road to snag the KOM points and possibly the stage.  Willow snuck away on the early circuits and was gon for 130 Kilometers of the 140! With one lap to go we swallowed Trent up into the group and Symmetrics rode the front to the finish.  Cody and Evan, our two sprinters, were in perfect position but some IDIOT dove underneath Mike Sayers BMC nearly murdering him in the corner.  His bike came apart and he was luck not to go down and cause a big crash.  Take notes people: When traveling at 65 KPH don’t go underneath someone in a corner, you are most likely going to kill yourself and a few others. If you don’t die in the crash, well most likely someone you almost killed will finish the job.   Evan was in perfect position to win the stage but had to avoid the crash and ended up 4th and the leadout man, Cody was 2nd.  Somehow I snuck into 2nd in the overall for the weekend, I am unsure, but I think Cam evans who was in 2nd had some knee issues and had to pull out of the race.

It was a good way to start the week of racing here in B.C. The post race Bar B-Q was awesome and we coudn’t have asked for better weather.  Next up is the Tour de Gastown in Vancouver on Wednesday night.  It should be a good one and hoping the weather holds up.  Last year it was pouring rain.  Check out the photos under the photos page. 

I had an awesome trip back home to Idaho and Wyoming.  Did some really good training in the Tetons and the mountains surrounding Pocatello.  I saw some good friends and made some new one’s as well.  I even got to do a race in my old hometown of Poky and got my butt kicked.  The Gate City Grind, which I hadn’t done in 9 years.  Bottom line, I missed the break and was playing chase. Didn’t catch up, rookie mistake!  I didn’t have my time trial bike so raced it old school on the road bike and ran 6th.  Then lapped the field in the crit and took the win, moving way up in the G.C.  It was a great week of training and racing, and visiting the family.

A quick trip back to Durango to get punished by the fast guys on the group ride (Wells Bros, Overend, Dan Bowman and Kneller among others).  I took it easy and relaxed in the sunshine and the afternoon monsoons before heading up to Canada.

Now I am back with my second family of teammates racing in B.C. Super week in the Vancouver area.  It is great to be back on the road racing with the boys.  We have Trent Wilson back from a broken wrist and hungry for some hard racing to bring the form back on.  Cody Stevenson and Evan Elken are also here looking to score a victory in the crits or road races.  Jared (or Vanilla Ice) Bariellex is still working on learning the ropes and will be a good asset in all of the races and could come away with a race win.  Tim Henry from Atlanta is even here.  I didn’t know Tim even rode a bike anymore. The last time I saw the guy he was at team camp in March laid up with knee issues sippng on Margaritas while we were all out logging 5 hours a day.  So racing with Tim is a relatively new experience for me again.  We have a good squad up here that can hopefully give the Symmetrics guys a run in the races.  I am hoping to get some good results as I did here last season. It will hard to come away with an overall as there are some more major guns in attendance this year.  No worries, I am ready and looking forward to some fun and hard racing.

Lsat night was the prologue that kicked off the Tour de Delta  which we tooke seriously, but without the time trial bikes, it was a bit of a loss from the start.  We all did well and were right there within a few seconds.  Tonight is the cirterium in downtouwn Ladner.  A cool little town in the farm country of B.C.  It is a bit different this year weather wise.  Last  year we raced in pouring rain and winds.  This year I am being careful not to get a sunburn in the 75 degree weather.  I am not complaining one bit.  I enjoy it  up here and the hosts are great.

After this weekend we will go to Vancouver for the Tour deGastown, then the Giro de Burnaby and finally cap off the 10 day racing trip with the Tour de White Rock which is the race that I came away with the overall title last year.  I should say we because it was a great effort by the team.

That’s the latest in my world.  I am starting to look ahead at cyclocross season already and it is coming together nicely, could use one more good money sponsor to help with the travel costs if you know anyone interested?.  I will throw up a race result tonight if I can get a second or two.   Thanks for the support!