Time for some hometown UCI racing! But before we get into that I have three big life updates to share. First, I graduated from college! Well, technically I graduated last December but I walked in the first week of May. It was a pretty special experience to go through the ceremony with my friends and in front of my family. My time at Marian was a special part of my life that I will certainly remember and always be grateful for.
Next up, I bought a van! A brand new 2021 Ram Promaster to be specific. This thing will soon be built out by Open Road Upfitters who I am partnering with for 2021 and will serve as a race rig and adventure vehicle! Our third life update will come at the end here so keep reading.
Now for the racing! It was such a treat to have professional racing back in Wisconsin, and even better since it was held out at Englewood Grass Farm. The Agnew family has put so much time and work into this event, and it was special to see it come to fruition. Check out the news story below for a great backstory on this event.
After plenty of course reckon and some fun out at Trek headquarters in Waterloo in the days prior, it was time to get after it Saturday afternoon. The weather threatened rain but we never received more than a bit of drizzle, leading to great trail conditions. When Don Edberg started us off it felt like any other WORS race and I hit it off strong getting the holeshot. Other racers surged around me in the long open section in the field, but I sniped a local line jumping from 10th wheel back into 2nd before we hit the single track (photos to follow by @trail_wizard aka Devizzle Dizzle Tollymon).
I lead part of the first lap before settling into the group. I slipped back a few spots lap by lap until I unfortunately found myself at the back of the lead group of 11. This meant I was being whip-lashed back and forth by the acceleration at the front of the group, meaning I wasted a lot of energy.
I ended up being caught behind riders who were dropping out of the lead group going into the final lap, meaning I was chasing hard once again and clawed my way back onto the lead group. I latched onto 7th place but just couldn't muster the strength to make two more passed and make it on the podium and I rolled across the line just a few bike lengths back from the win. It was disappointing to be so close to the podium, but that's bike racing and I learned some more tactical lessons!
All in all it was one fantastic event. The Agnew family knocked it out of the park and I also got to catch up with Teddy Agnew from one of my other sponsors, Wiscanna. Thank you to Julia Violich, Kyle, Colby and all of our sponsors for the awesome support as always. For a more in-depth look, checkout the vlog below:
The last major update is that I have moved to Missoula, Montana! I'm living with my sister Emma. The trails are amazing and the mountains are beautiful! So much to explore!