I started riding my road bike back in 2006.  My big goal was to ride the Assault on Mt. Mitchell.  Racing wasn’t a part of the picture at that time.

Then I started riding regularly with the guys at Sunshine Cycle Shop on their Saturday morning Hour of Power rides.  All through that first year of riding, I was regularly trashed by those guys.  However, I started getting a little better and by October of 2007, I agreed to join my friend David McQuaid in the traditional Fall for Greenville downtown criterium.

It was my first race and I signed up as an “unattached” rider.  That meant I was not a part of an organized race team.  I ended up crashing out of that race with a dislocated pinkie – what is it about me and my pinkie fingers?  However, the bug had taken a big bite.

2008 rolled around with a new goal on my mind – winning the October race.  Sure, I still had as my primary goal climbing Mt. Mitchell, but that October crit was now personal.  I joined the Greenville Spinners Bicycle Racing Team and, as Mike McMillan put it, officially “came over to the dark side of cycling.”

The GSBRT is a great way to get into bicycle racing.  Basically, you just need to be a member of the Greenville Spinners club and fork over the money for a kit.  Unfortunately for me, I joined a little too late and all that was available was the jersey.

While on the team I got a seventh place in my first race.  My second race was a third place finish.  Hey, this was fun!  I then came back down to earth with my worse finish of the year with an 18th.  After coming in third in the South Carolina Road Racing Championship for my category, there was no turning back!  That October, I hit back at the crit with my first ever win.

So, needless to say, I was looking forward to 2009.  I would have the new challenge of racing in a new category, but that was a challenge I welcomed.  The first Spring Series race was going to be on my birthday and I have watched my power profile trend up the last couple of weeks.  It was going to be a big day.

Then I had my accident – once again the pinkie.

While sitting here under the influence of my medication, I got a call from Blair LaMarche, manager of POA Cycling.  He was extending me an invitation to join the team for 2009.  For me, that is just awesome!

This means I will be on the same team as several riders who were instrumental in stirring my competitive juices.  John James, Billy White, Luis Sanchez, and I have spent many hours together riding in northern Greenville county.  Then Joey Sullivan and Matt Tebbetts became my brothers-in-battle as we traveled across the country together during the Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride.  Besides, I think they have some pretty cool kits!

Now, I’m really wanting to get out there Saturday.  I can wait a little longer though.  There certainly is more to look forward to.

Thanks Spinners for a great ride.  POA, I’m looking forward to a great future.

 

Tags: Greenville Spinners, POA Cycling

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 at 7:31 am and is filed under Life, Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.