Super Squadra

This past Saturday all four Austin based Squadra members (Alan was surely busy polishing his national championship medals in Houston) congregated for an impromptu 7:30 a.m. mid-season training camp. The camp concluded at noon the same day.

While long miles and camaraderie were the key focus of the camp, of course, a slight amount of friendly competitiveness ensued as well.

The purpose of meeting so early was not to witness hipster baristas wiping sleep from their eyes as they set the Driveway Blend to brew, it was to make use of a $30 gift card Wheeler had won at the Driveway months prior. With cart blanche from Wheeler to order as we pleased, I went with the signature Progress Belgian Waffle, minus the whipped cream and strawberries. Phil forsook the $10 bagel and lox in favor of the Progress Breakfast Biscuit, with avocado. (Note: For future reference, avocado oxidizes quickly when stuffed into a 100-degree rear jersey pocket.)

Our destination was barbecue capital Lockhart, following the same, smooth, non-collarbone jarring route as taken during the 2009 Super Squadra Scouting Camp (stay tuned for impending 2010 Camp details). Only Phil had a prescribed workout for the day, which included pummeling himself with multiple sprints throughout the ride. Twenty-minutes into our ride, when Phil turned sharply into Texas Parks and Wildlife cut-through and surged ahead in his 53×11, we all giggled. However, by the time we made our way into Lockhart, we were on our sixth team sprint, with Phil calling out designated finish line markers, such as “first mailbox on the right”, myself typically setting tempo for the leadout, and the rest of the crew swerving, chopping, and head butting each other all the way to the line.

We continued the team sprint practice throughout the ride, and even found an alternate, seemingly heaven sent route back from Lockhart. Stueve Road to Silent Valley, which later became 2001, was glass smooth and little trafficked with a decent shoulder. After 10-miles or so, we bid goodbye to our new favorite return route, crossed Hwy 21 into the quaint southeastern Travis County hamlet of Niederwald, and proceeded onto the new Tuesday Nighter Course. There, we spotted a mint condition, silver Alero, complete with the spoiler adorned sport package, for sale. Wheeler, looking to add to his collection of Oldsmobiles, slowed to get a better look.

As we approached the final tailwind run into town on Congress Ave., we took one more opportunity to duke it out up the famed Col du Bluff Springs—a nearly 4 minute uphill drag only slightly more imposing than the giant of Provence. Wheeler, not content to let me grab any glory on the day, towed Phil across to the large gap I’d built thanks to much confusion of the determined finish line. Phil surged by me and showed why he’s the July Driveway series champion, and hopeful future elite crit nats podium contender.


No rider has succumb to “exhaustion” on the ascent of Bluff Springs, yet…

With the TXBRA fall racing season just around the corner, we look forward to racing others, instead of each other, soon.

When I took out my racing license at the age of 15, I would find the most motivation for training imagining what it would be like to race against Lance Armstrong on our local Col de Aspin’s. I’d find my happy place, push pedals until all I could hear was my own breathing, then try not to crash coming down the tricky hills of Eastern Ohio/ Western Pennsylvania. For the most part, I was successful with this technique, but I never did get to live out my dream until this weekend.

In the summer of 1997, a guy that would drive his silver Chevy Cavalier around the country winning races from Ohio won the big one, the US Road Racing Championships. Paul Martin had done many of the same races, although for part of my youth at a higher category, that I participated in and would leave many competitors coming home with tall tales of his strength. That winter, the local cycling club in Cleveland hosted an evening with the winner including ESPN footage of the victory. I was enthralled and hooked on this new star in cycling, this Paul Martin man was imagined pushing alongside of my every pedal stroke in pretty much every training ride I did for the next seven years. Some of those years I was even teammates with him, and the legend grew. He was just flat out the best racer in the country. He could show up and win anything thanks to smarts, strength, and the grit that being a financial planner, father of two, husband, law school student, as well as professional racer simultaneously during all non-racing hours that musters up in one man.


I got to live my dream this weekend. While Lance is still busy racing his bike in far away places, Paul and his teammates came to my childhood home to race in the first ever Tour of the Valley. All of the roads used for the courses were my favorite training routes when I was in high school right through my pro racing days, so I did have a bit of an advantage with intimate knowledge of the race routes.

The three day, four stage race started off with a 5.7mi TT on mostly glass-smooth pavement. There was a bit of a tailwind on the rhombus shaped course on the way out, headwind and slight climb on the way back. Even with my F1 time trial equipment, I got Martin’d by roughly 20sec. Two other riders, Tom Burke and Attorney Matt also got a handful of seconds in front of me, so they were in the points hunt for the weekend omnium. From there, it was back to “work as usual” on a Friday as my sister drove me home and I pulled together petition materials for SE athletes looking to race at the world championships.

Stage two was the most physical criterium I have perhaps ever done. During the course of the 90min technical criterium, I ended up with enough SPF 50 on my arms from competitors that tan lines were not going to be an issue. Also, this was the stage where the young, smart, and talented Jittery Joe’s team established their dominance on the weekend’s racing. Nothing was getting away on the course. The only wide open section of the roughly 1mi circuit was into a headwind, the rest had folks skimming weight off their pedals by clanking them into curbs. Folks were a bit pushy in the group, but no real Mike Tyson action.

With 10 laps to go, a selection was made with Jittery’s Tour of Ohio winner and college sophomore Joey Rosskopf as well as Paul Martin. Two laps later, I jumped with another Jittery and he played the game perfectly. I was closing in on the leaders and he sat patiently until just over a lap to go, when he attacked and put me on the ropes. 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th for Jittery Joes. 2nd for Martin, 4th for me. That put Squadra in 3rd in the omnium.


The hilly road race was chaos from a no teammate view of the world. After going hard enough to not pop myself but some others, the attacks came and I got caught out. The rest of the “GC” crowd watched and we finished well out of the points on a race course that featured endless rollers and a barber that dressed up his business in cycling paraphernalia. It was the most I have used my small chainring since I left Ohio.

The last stage was again another 90min criterium, in DOWNTOWN YOUNGSTOWN! It incorporated the office building where I would visit my father during his work hours, the YMCA where I’d go to work out before the high school day would get started, and a few craters in the road. The race started off fast and with good reason, Paul was now in 3rd overall and hoped to take over the lead from the Jittery guys. 18min in, he succeeded in getting a break going without the omnium leader, but it put me in a position of having to push the pace as well since our gap didn’t go above 20sec until the last five laps of the race. Up to that point, Paul and his two teammates in the break nursed the advantage to the pack with TWO Jittery guys that were very well placed marking the move. They didn’t have to do a thing, it was up to Paul to get separation between him and the two riders in orange who would move into the lead should they win the race. Coming into the finish, I struck out early so I could pick my line the the turns and pot holes and held on for a podium in front of extended family. Mission complete!

To the Texans out there, get out of the 105deg heat for a long weekend of racing in Ohio next year. These courses are a ton of fun, well supported by the community, and the prizes range from everything including chamois cream to over $300 for a stage win. I’ve only done one first year event that went better, TX TOUGH, so to the volunteers that organized a four stage race, you set the bar high and have won my vow to return to your wonderful race.

Upon touching down in LA, I realized just how much things had changed since I had first been in the City of Angels for my first junior nationals. Back in those days the Northwest Cycling junior team was in full force, the ADT velodrome had never been ridden on, my sister wasn’t living in LA, and I was still riding a horrid Fuji track bike. But most importantly, between those five quick years, I went from being a total track racing newb, to winning two gold national championship medals. Good enough for me.



Although LA takes some hate from people out of the city, I really don’t mind the place. The weather is nice, if not a bit bland, the riding is even better, and the cars are glorious. After moving my sister from her Caltech apartment to one in little Mexico, it was just time to relax and prepare for full body destruction. With my first event being the Killermeter, I knew my championship experience would certainly open with a bang. For those of you that have never done a track Kilometer TT, consider yourself lucky. Basically, if you can still see after a Kilo, you have done it completely wrong. So after having an early breakfast, I made my way down the Carson, to open my 2009 Championship campaign. The Adt Velodrome is quite beautiful, the Siberian pine paired with a controlled environment; awesome. After getting my bike ready, airing up my two discs, sweating through a taxing warm up, I found myself locked into the electronic starting gate. What a lonely place to be, especially before the kilo. 5,4,3,2,1…perfect start, no pulling before the gate releases, and no super embarrassing falling after the gate releases.

Lap one- Wow that was a good start, perfect “pants” technique. Let’s get this rolling.

Lap two- Okay, this really hurts. Keep turning the gear.

Lap three- Oh my!

Lap four- End of demo.

But, the drama was not over. Over the intercom I hear something about being separated by .o4 of a second and the other guy being on top. Then I roll over to turn 3 of the track and see my competitions family jumping up and down. I just want to get off my bike and cry, but moments before I return to infancy, the announcer corrects himself, and announces, “Ting wins!”. What glorious words. I stumble off my bike, I can not see anything but black, and just lay trackside for a minute, before stumbling around and throwing up. Totally worth it.

Honorary Miu for the week. Legs like fingers.

After heading back to my sisters apartment for a bit, it was time to return to the track for my second event of the first day, the Keirin. This is another sprint event, where the riders are dragged behind a motor bike for 5.5 laps before getting dropped off with 2.5 laps to go. Being as light as I am, I knew that I would not want to get into a battle with some of the true sprinters. As the gun fired and the bike sped by, we all sprinted for position behind the motor. Well, that didn’t go well, and I was fifth position of six riders. The laps ticked by, and I continued to stay low in the draft. As the motor peeled of, when I still found myself fifth wheel, I knew I had to make a very early move. ADT is so tight at 250m and 44 degrees, coming around 4 high is not going to happen. So, with 400m to go, I went full gas when no one was looking back, and just turned the gear for what seemed like eternity.

400m- This is way too far out

300m- I am going really fast

200m- Check between legs no one, I am dying

50m- Still no one

30m- Check under right arm, OH NO!

2m- Reckless bike throw

0m-YES, victory.

The Keirin was my last gold medal from the 2009 events. I never quite recovered from these two deadly efforts, but still managed to snag a bronze in the sprints. On the last night Dad, my sister, her BF Áron, and I celebrated with some Mexican food. This stuff was better than anything found in Austin or Houston…twice as good. Day worker by day, culinary dark knight by night, respect. Thanks to Tiemeyer for supporting juniors, and building me the best track bike ever, the podium girls for making the jersey time a bit more special, and mates Lawson, Daniel, Ben for calling me one thousand times to see how I was doing. They wrote the bro-code based off you guys.

July 2, 2009 is our small team’s most prolific day in history with not one, but two national track titles secured by young Alan Ting. Halfway across the country Wenger led me out for a second consecutive team win at the Driveway and another mini-series lead to defend.

I don’t have much information yet about Ting’s wins but the first of the day came in the 1-kilometer pursuit and he followed that effort later in the evening with a kierin title. I can’t wait for the write-up which can be found here when Ting is done collecting hardware and through with his required summer reading. It won’t be long before Alan joins us in Austin and our team finally gets a proper sprinter. Here’s to kicking off the July 4th weekend right.

Texas Bike Racers:
Please sign this petition and show your support for the Safe Passing Bill!

“I, as a registered Texas voter concerned with improved health and injury prevention, strongly disagree with Governor Rick Perry’s decision to veto SB 488. This legislation has the potential to save lives each year in Texas. I will keep this veto in mind as I cast my vote in the 2010 Republican Primary and/or General Election.”

Sign here