While this year felt more like riding down in the valleys than up on top of the mountains like the past two seasons, it is still worth reviewing and being grateful for. A lot of fun was had in the 42 races I was able to do. That number is down a few from last year, but not too bad for running on a smaller budget with less time to devote to being on my bike. I found myself on the podium 11 times. I stood on the top of the box just once, but that win was so much sweeter because of the hard work it took to get there. There were two more DNFs than the zero I strive for each year, but both were mechanical failures far from the finish line and not really much I could do about them. I didn't voluntarily quit and that is what matters to me. I ended the year with a finger injury, but neither DNF was because of it. I was top 5 in both of the series titles I went for (DINO Series & Montgomery Bell Winter Time Trial Series), and on the podium with a third in the series I didn't intentionally aim for (TBRA Cyclocross Series).
I want to thank Maxxis, First Endurance, and MOAB Bikes for their support over the course of the year. Give these guys a look when you have a chance as they have been great to me and very supportive of growing bike racing in general over the years I have been involved with them. I hope I represent them well and we can keep building our relationship in the years to come.
I think my best performance of the year was at the DINO at Potato Creek State Park. I didn't win it like th eyear before, but I rode just as hard and maybe even a little faster. I was third this year, but only because the two ahead of me improved. There was a lot of improvements in the DINO Series this year and props to everyone for stepping it up and making the series more competitive and more fun. The Pro/1/2/3 race at Cross the Harpeth was also a pretty good day for me, but I don't think I had the legs to dig as deep as I did at Potato Creek.
My award for "Race of the Year" in 2018 goes to Gateway Cup. That race is always near the top of my list, if not in the #1 spot. It's hard to beat four days of highly competitive, fun races in a great city, with fast courses lined with some of the best fans in bike racing. Those four neighborhoods are always so welcoming to us. It's refreshing just to get away from the worries of work and just focus on bike racing and fun for a few days. Great job and many thanks to all who make the Gateway Cup possible each year! It must be a massive undertaking.
Here are the stats for races and finishes in 2018:
Total Number of Races: 42
Race Breakdown:
Short Track: 0
MTB Time Trial: 4
Endurance XC: 0
Downhill: 0
Super D: 0
Criterium: 14
Road Race: 0
Road Time Trial: 3
Cyclocross: 9
Top 3s: 5
Top 5s: 12
Top 10s: 23
DNFs: 2
That's a wrap for 2018. On to 2019 and another feeble attempt at getting this blog back to being current: Thanks for reading!
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