The Power of Dreams

I think it's valuable to dream and strive for goals that you can work toward in both short and long-term time frames. We each have different goals that we try to achieve in our personal/professional lives and for those of us who ride, goals within cycling that we work towards.

Three years ago traveling home from a 'cross race, Nicole Borem and I discussed the announcement that the 2013 Cyclo-Cross World Championships would be held in Louisville, KY. Our conversation sparked a dream - That dream was to race the biggest race in cyclocross that would be coming into the US for the first time in the history of the sport.

At the time it was long-term goal. As time has progressed, I have gained more knowledge, strength, and opportunities to prove myself in cycling, specifically in 'cross. These experiences have prepared me to race at a competitive level nationally allowing the chance to compete internationally. As the 2012/13 season unfolded, I began realize that my dream had the potential to become reality.

Many of you know that I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to race in Belgium as a part of the EuroCrossCamp program. This offered me a good chance to race with the best U23 riders in the world. It was also a solid block of racing to prepare me for Nationals.

During my mental preparation for Nationals I knew I would need to have solid races to successfully earn a spot on the Worlds Team. I was able to use what I learned at EXC to help me race in the muddy, sloppy conditions that we saw in the U23 race Saturday, finishing top 5. On Monday I received word that I had made the U23 squad!

I am a proud member of the Marian University Cycling Team. I believe in what the program stands for and promotes through racing. Dean Peterson, the head coach (my personal coach) has an incredible amount of vision for the team to continue to grow and develop for many years to come. It's pretty neat to be a part of a community of athletes who work hard in school and in cycling to achieve overall team success, as well as individual success. 

Marian will be sending three riders to Louisville 2013: Drew Dillman (Dizzle D), Kaitie Antonneau (Little Badger), and I (JoJoNoFingers). It’s super exciting to have three of us make the selection!

My trade team Bissell-ABG-Giant has played a huge role in my development on the road and they have given me the support to make this 'cross season by far my most successful! The other members of the the team have been supportive of my goals on the road, they have also offered their encouragement throughout the 'cross season. Our team director, Declan Doyle, has done a great job of making sure the details are taken care of so we can focus on racing bikes. 

I want to thank Dean and Declan for the coaching and mentoring they've provided me with during the last year and a half! 

Over the years my family has supported me as an individual, giving their support to whatever interest I was pursuing at the time. In my cycling, they've been supportive and understanding of the time commitment required to race and train at a high level. I couldn't do it without having their backing to accomplish the goals I am striving for. 

My girlfriend has been nothing but supportive of my cycling. I know it's hard on her when I leave different times in the summer to race, or when I was gone over the holidays racing. I'm thankful that she will be in Louisville cheering me on!

This past week (as you just read) I have reflected on my cycling career thus far and those who have invested and helped me reach success in the sport. Success can be defined merely by results, but to me it's more than that. It's one thing to ride a bike fast, it's another to ride fast and still value the importance of the people who make racing. It doesn't just happen. Cycling is a sport that requires a great deal of support... from family, friends, peers, and the list could go on. In addition to that, it's not inexpensive to race bicycles.

I choose the long-winded answer to convey the message that I'm thankful and blessed by all of you who are taking the time to read this right now, those who have invested time and effort into me as a person and as an athlete. You may never fully understand the impact you've had, but I can assure you that it has made a difference in my life.

I am very fortunate to have great support from companies who believe in what I'm doing. I would like to take a brief moment to recognize them for their efforts to help young riders continue to develop reach their potential.

Bissell is a longtime supporter and advocate of Professional cycling. They are locally stationed in the Midwest, basing their operations out of Grand Rapids, MI.

Giant Bicycles is a global company with the mission to promote health, wellness, and enjoyment through riding a bike. "Ride Life. Ride Giant"

SRAM offers quality bicycle components with a grassroots, close to home feel. Main HQ located in Chicago, ILL.

Zipp is located in Indianapolis, IN. They are dedicated to providing you with wheels and components that give you the technological advantage and confidence needed to perform at your maximum potential.

NUVO is another Indianapolis based company. They pride themselves in covering stories that are unique and interesting to read, time and time again.

Thanks for reading - See you in Louisville!

Here, There, & Everywhere In-between

The past few weeks have been a blur... I've been here, there, and everywhere in-between. I arrived back from Europe on the 2nd, was home for a week, then headed to Indy to meet up with the rest of the Marian Cycling crew to make the trip to Madison, WI to race in the ever changing conditions at Nationals. Now I'm back in Indy, Monday was the first day of this semesters classes.

My trip to EuroCrossCamp allowed me to learn and grow as an individual. I was able to be fully immersed in the Belgian 'cross culture, the "motherland" of cycling. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity I had to push my limits on challenging course with death drops, steep run-ups, long muddy power sections. Many of the experiences were new, and pushed my comfort zone, which increased my skill-set, equipping me with the preparedness to face courses and conditions with more confidence.

I want to take a brief moment to thank Geoff Proctor for all that he's done over the last ten years to help the development of the sport. This year was the camp's tenth consecutive year running. That's ten Christmas' away from family and friends to help young up-and-coming riders have this wonderful experience. It's appreciated, Geoff!

For me personally, the camp fulfilled a goal I created a couple years ago as a young, naive rider to race in Europe with the Belgians. It has also led to the fulfillment of other goals I've set for myself (I'll touch on this in a future post).

Nationals:

After returning from CrossCamp, I took it easy, only incorporating a few hard efforts to keep my body primed and ready to go! The week leading into Nationals I had been feeling pretty tired (I think my body was still adjusting from the time change). I knew it'd be important to manage the amount of rest and recovery I was getting, especially the few days before the first race. That was my number one priority.

I was able to preview the course on Thursday afternoon. It felt good to get out in the fresh air after traveling all day and being cooped up in the bus. The course was almost identical to the layout of what we raced last year. The weather ended up creating similar course conditions both days (Saturday: U23; Sunday: Collegiate) too.

U23:
This year I was able to acquire enough UCI points to earn a front row spot. I was happy to have the start position I did, it allowed me to take third in the holeshot, setting me up to steer clear of traffic. After a quarter of a lap I found myself riding in fourth, I kept a steady pace and began to reel-in Drew and Skyler who were riding in 2nd and 3rd. It wasn't long after Drew dropped Skyler that I made contact with him and proceeded to push ahead to Drew. I eventually caught-up to Drew midway through the race, rode with him for a bit before he opened a gap on me. I continued to ride in my rhythm, finding smooth, fast lines. Tobin caught Skyler, and they both closed within a few seconds of me. Going into the last lap I pitted (it was so muddy most of us pitted every half lap!) and drilled it on the straight coming out of the pit and on the steep climb. This immediately opened a sizable gap, only to come crashing down when I hit and ice patch going into the backside stairs. I quickly got up and got going again still maintaining a slight advantage, but when I remounted I saw that my stem had gotten turned 45 degrees to the right. I managed to make it down the descent after the stairs and struggled around the next corner before I had to dismount and straighten my bars back to center. By this time both Tobin and Skyler had passed me and were rocketing away on the road climb. I did my best to chase them down, but the damage had been done. I rolled across the line with a solid ride landing me the last spot on the podium in 5th. I was pleased with my race, but disappointed with the last lap mishap.

My goal for the race was top 3. I had been riding there most of the race. That gave me a sense of accomplishment knowing that I had the ability and was carrying it out throughout the race.

Giving a few high-fives as I came through the finish area.

U23 Men's Podium

Cyclocross Magazine Report
Cyclingnews Report

D1 Collegiate:
Last year I stood on the podium with a 4th place finish. This year I was looking to improve on that and race for the win! Off the line I was third around the bend on the pavement start/finish straight, forging ahead around the turn I took the holeshot onto the frozen, rutted course. I knew the race would be fast due to the fast, frozen circuit. There was only one good line through most of the course making it hard for other riders to advance their placement. I led into lap two and was able to open a gap over Kerry Werner (Lees-McRae), working to increase my advantage. After the barriers I was going through a turn and slid-out, allowing Kerry to catch me and open a gap of his own. I was back on my bike quickly and chasing after him. I was steadily gaining ground on him, but had another mistake... I hit a rut wrong, launching me into a wooden stake and snowy bank. This really set back my chase efforts. I needed Kerry to make a similar mistake, or it wouldn't be any easy task to win the race. He didn't make the same mistakes I did and rode to the win. I maintained my position, and went on to finish 2nd, one spot away from the stars-and-bars.

My goal in the collegiate race was to put myself in a position to win the bike race. I did that. I knew whoever took the title would be the one who made the least mistakes, that was Kerry. He rode the race you have to in those conditions. I risked pushing the pace early, which narrowed the race at the front down to two riders. Unfortunately, I was the first one to make a mistake. Nice work, Kerry!

D1 men on the trying to stay warm on the start line.

Frozen ruts.

Werner & I battling early on in the race.

Rolling across the line in 2nd.

D1 Podium.

We successfully defended the title to claim Marian's 2nd consecutive overall D1 Collegiate Team National title in Cyclocross!

Cyclocross Magazine Report
Cyclingnews Report

Stay tuned for another update in a few days - Thanks for reading!

EXC Cyclingnews Diary Entry

There were sunny Belgian skies overhead as we spun out the legs for an hour today, recovering from the Loenhout race yesterday. Tomorrow is the urban Diegem twilight/urban race. I've watched some of the race from last year, looks like a lot of fun!

Here's my most recent update from camp on Cyclingnews:

The journey & the sponge 

I hope to do a better job of updating post-race. Thanks for following along!

Picture Perfect.

Yesterday after the recovery ride, I decided to ride back into town on one of the cruiser bikes from the house to explore and capture some images. I hope you enjoy.

Church in the countryside.

Flooded fields just outside of Vorselaar.

My friend & Marian roommate, Danny Gerow.

This was on Saturday after finishing our openers for Namur, which was the following day. Left to Right: Danny Gerow, Stephen Bassett, Drew Dillman, Tobin Ortenblad, Jojo.

Bart Wellens support club at a pub in Vorselaar.

A local Belgian re-stocking the bread vending machine.

Belgium. Bikes & Bakeries.

Gnarly Namur

A million different things could be said about the race at Namur. The course, geographic location, riders, fans, conditions, and on and on.... here's a brief summary of not only the race, but also the atmosphere

We were up at 6:15am on Sunday, making breakfast, loading into the cars and on our way to Namur by 7:00am. It was raining steadily as we maneuvered through the narrow streets that led to the motorway, which we were on for the remainder of the drive to the venue. I drifted off to sleep while driving and awoke just in-time to see the mystical mountain where the race is held, looming above the rest of the city; it was an impending sight to see.

Within the daunting nature of the ancient mountain there is a certain beauty that you're captivated by. I began to imagine an earlier time when there nobles fought for the right to lay claim to this ground, and settle atop the mountain. I deduced that those who fought to become conquerors, were the bravest, toughest men in all the land. Abruptly I was brought out of this daze and back to reality as the car stopped and we had to get out to pick-up the numbers for our own battle. This battle would entail young men pushing their physical and mental limits on a muddy battlefield, complete with treacherous chutes, slippery off-camber, and grueling up-hill run-ups.

After doing two laps on-course, I headed back to pin-up my numbers and warm-up on the trainer. My routine was interrupted when I got off the trainer to get another bottle, the interruption was a small group of fans asking if I had any "rider cards". I had them with me and gave them each a few, they also wanted to take my picture... it was strange to have fans at the race and to have them come up and take interest in the American riders.

© Tom Robertson

The race itself was tough. I was pleased with the start and my ability to fight for position and maneuver in traffic, but I struggled in the off-camber and running sections. I have worked to focus on the good, learn from the bad, and MOST importantly prepare for the next race: Zolder. I am confident in my ability to ride with these guys, on these courses, but it's imperative to focus mentally before, during, and after the races here. If you can't stay in the game mentally the courses will eat you alive.

© Tom Robertson

© Tom Robertson

© Tom Robertson

Speaking of eating, I'm off to have Christmas dinner with the rest of the guys. From all of us here in Belgium, Merry Christmas.

Biking in Belgium.

The trip started with a nice little flight over the Atlantic, landing in Brussels, Belgium after seven (ish) hours in the over sized bird. The riders were met at the airport by our soigneur, Jim Anderson, along with mechanic Dave Hartman. From there we loaded up the vans and drove an hour to Vorselaar, the town where we'll be staying for the duration of the trip.

After a quick tour of the house, grabbing a quick snack, and building the bikes, I headed out into the rain with a few other guys to spin out the legs from travel. It was great do some exploring in the nearby Belgian countryside! We must've had too much fun exploring, because we ended up getting ourselves a little lost... eventually we found our way back to the house, but not until we had numbed our hands a bit.

The rest of the day was a fight to stay awake and adjust to the six hour time difference. From what others had told me, I just needed to stay awake until early evening, get a good nights rest, and I'd wake up fairly adjusted to the time here. So far that seems to be the case.

Cyclocross Magazine article from the OVCX final here:

Johnson Prepares for U-23 Worlds Bid and Woodring Wins at OVCX Indy Finale

EuroCrossCamp coverage from myself and other riders: 

Missives from the Motherland: EuroCrossCamp Through the Rider’s Eyes

Photos from EXC adventures thus far.

McTubbin & Dizzle-D at breakfast.

A common sight throughout the house.

Found some sweet local trails only a few miles from the house.

Rather nice Belgian day, so we had to shed a few layers.

 

Cobbled road leading up to a castle.

The castle.

Little grocery store run.

More bikes parked in the rack than cars in the lot. Rad.

OVCX Finale

Here's a relatively short post with a few photos and some race footage:

Last week I finished up with finals and headed home Wednesday to spend some time with my family, since I will be absent over Christmas due to EXC. Then on Sunday, my girlfriend, family, and I headed back to Indy for the OVCX season finale, which was hosted by Marian at the IndyCycloplex.

The course was slick in spots from some rain earlier in the week, but overall it was tacking up nicely. My start position was further back in the grid, so chose to line up on the side in hopes that I'd be able to shoot around the outside, moving up that way. I was able to get into the top 15-20 when we hit the grass, and on the second straight I sprinted around on the left to get to the front. Once there, I established a gap going into the barriers, which grew after hopping them and keeping a steady pace. Now that I was out in-front my goal was to focus on riding each section of the course well and maintaining smooth, steady power in the flats. This allowed me to grow an advantage over my competitors throughout the race. I went down on the switchback descent in-front of all the spectators, thankfully I had the gap I did, allowing me to patiently make sure my chain was on and continue race.

I dedicated the race win to my friend, Nicole Borem, who is recovering from a recent surgery. Many of you know Nicole and raced in her honor as well - I know that meant the world to her. Thank you for this display of support you all showed, it was awesome to see!

Overall, the local series' and racing has been great! We're very fortunate to have so many people who are committed to the continued growth of the sport and development of young riders. I think having the final race of the series at the Major Taylor Velodrome (IndyCycloplex) gave an opportunity to  show the level of commitment that Marian has for developing cycling in the Midwest. Dean and the rest of the Marian crew have worked to make the IndyCycloplex a place where cycling of all disciplines can be held and flourish.


The unveiling of how the 'JoJoNoFingers' nickname originated

Highlight Reel

 

My favorite picture from the weekend! Will Johnson & I.

Photo Credit: Kent Baumgardt

Photo Credit: Kent Baumgardt

 

Thanks for reading - Stay tune for updates from Euro land soon!