The most stressful race of the year is done... Mountain bike Nationals this year were in Snowshoe, West Virginia this year. A remote ski resort, about 6 hours away from Chapel Hill, NC, Snowshoe is also right next to an observatory. Although you can’t see the observatory from the mountain, you can feel the effects; the observatory necessitates radio silence - so there is no cell service in the area. 

After driving back from Boulder in 2 days, I had 4 days in Chapel Hill, NC before heading up to Nats and the next 4 weeks of racing. Luckily, my family came up to Snowshoe with me, so leaving so quickly wasn’t as tough. My younger brother, Paul, raced his first ever National Champs race after a killer NICA season - so cool to see him out at the races!

The racing kicked off with STXC on Friday afternoon/evening. After some last minute uncertainty due to inclement weather, the race was ultimately set for Friday evening at 7pm. Dealing with the schedule changes was a little difficult, but I ended up having a decent race. While my start was lackluster, I ended up being able to claw back through the 35min race, making selections until it was Keegan Swenson and I chasing down a charging Howard Grotts. We ended up going 2 -3, with me rounding out the last step on the podium. 

The next day, with the first race out of the way, quite a bit of the pre race pressure was lifted. The way the scheduling worked, anyone that raced STXC and XC had a day in between the events. Although a little different from the standard back-to-back format of racing, I enjoyed the extra day. 

The final and main event (XC) followed the next day. I woke up early that morning to the sound of heavy rain and the promise of interesting course conditions, and, sure enough, the course was soaked and slick. Unfortunately I made a mess of my front row call up in an untimely tangle with eventual winner, Chris Blevins. I worked hard to regain contact with the front of the race on the first lap, but was able to settle into a rhythm riding with Chris once I had come back. We rode together and away from the field until Chris managed to ride away towards the beginning of the last lap. All in all, it was a good race and I can’t complain with the result. It’s a little bittersweet to miss the title my last year as a U23, but Chris was hard to stop! 

Next stops: Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC and Windham, NY. 

After a few weeks on the go, it's nice to be staying put for a couple of weeks. The trip to Canada with the Bear Development squad went well! We started out as a trio in Ontario - Jerry Dufour, Eli Kranefuss, and I set out to bring the heat in the hot and humid climate of the Northeastern summer. Getting to the race turned out to be more of a challenge than anticipated; extenuating circumstances prevented us from renting a car, so managing out logistics between the airport, our housing, and the venue proved stressful.  

The race was flat, technical, and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my race day legs weren't quite up to par for the speed of the start, and I spent the majority of the race fighting to get in touch with the leaders, but fell short in 6th on the day. A tough race, but a good time on the bike! 

The following week leading up into the Canada Cup in Whistler, BC went much more smoothly. With the accommodations in Whistler right next to the venue, it was easy to get around and pre ride the course. A completely different type of track, Whistler's course boasted plenty of steep climbing, and rough descents. The addition of Steffen Anderson and Xander Sugarman rounded out our squad at 5 riders - all of which raced the UCI C2 cross country event. 

Race day was another warm one; but, I brought my legs this time around, and felt good on race day. However, a few errors on the second lap saw me go from 1st to 3rd and struggling to bring back contact. Then, a late race surge from Geoff Kabush pushed me into 4th, where I would remain until the finish. Happy with the race and thankful to grab another UCI podium!

Now, I'm back in Boulder, CO with Ellie. I plan to spent the next couple of weeks here before driving back to the East Coast for USAC Nationals in Snowshoe, WV. 

Photos, from the top: Dropping into one of the descents at Whistler; Enjoying good company in an amazing location (From left to right: Eli, myself, Jerry)

The Missoula ProXCT turned out to be a success! I was a little apprehensive about my preparation coming into the race - I had been on the move from NC to CO, and a housing snafu in Boulder made life a little more stressful. 
The course in Montana was a little less technical than I had been hoping; the course mainly consisted of one large, gravel climb, followed by a flowing, high-speed descent. A hot lap the day before also indicated that even though the altitude wasn't extreme, it was enough to play a role in my pacing strategy. 

The race was at 7:00pm on Saturday, so after a full day of waiting around, we finally got the race underway. I played my cards safe, and held back on my pace; a move that paid off. As it turns out, that was just about exactly the pace I could hold for the 1.5 hour race. 

With a 5th place performance on Saturday, I was happy with the result and less stressed about the STXC on Sunday. 

As Sunday morning rolled around, I was ready to see what I had left in the tank. Jerry Dufour and I took turns at/near the front for about 1/3rd of the race. We helped spread the field out, solidifying a group of 4 riders by the end. As the final laps ticked by, I was among the 4, and was able to hold on to a 3rd place finish. 

Happy to grab a few podium finishes! 

Now, back to CO for 2 days, and then a quick turnaround to rounds 4 and 5 of the Canada Cups with Bear Development Team. 

From the top: The XC podium (5th), the STXC podium (3rd)

Racing in Europe with USAC this spring was a fantastic experience. As a team, we hit 3 races: We started at a UCI HC race in Austria, then moved to the Nove Mesto and Albstadt World Cups. With the World Cups being the main focus, Austria was meant to help us gain UCI points and get us settled for the World Cups the following weeks. Nestled in the Alps and boasting a superb course, the race surpassed my expectations! 
Thinking that course would be a hard act to follow, we headed to Nove Mesto. The course at Nove Mesto also exceeded my expectations; easily one of my favorite venues, the track offered ample room for passing, raucous crowds, and enough technicality to call it a MTB course. 
Albstadt, while a little underwhelming when compared to the previous two, was still a good course. With demanding climbs and fast descending, it was a punishing course to race.. 

My results this year were a significant improvement over last year's European races - I finished:
7th in Austria, gaining UCI points
38th in Nove Mesto after starting 81st
46th in Albstadt after starting 83rd and suffering through a tough race. 

Thank you to Bear Development Team and USAC for making that trip a reality! I'm coming away optimistic about my results, but excited to train and make more improvements. 

From the top: UCI HC race in Austria, Attacking on the Nove Mesto course, Suffering in Albstadt

The first three big weekends of racing have come and gone! Fontana, Bonelli, and Sea Otter were a lot of fun; managing class while traveling and racing has been difficult but rewarding. 

On that front, I'll be graduating from UNC-CH this spring. With only two weeks left, it has been a bittersweet realization that this is the end of my time as an undergraduate. On the other hand, I'm excited to dedicate more time to training and racing and hopefully realize untapped potential on the bike. 

The next block of racing will be in Europe with USA Cycling - I'll be spending three weeks abroad, heading to Austria, the Czech Republic, and finishing up in Germany for an UCI HC race and the first two rounds of the World Cup circuit. 

With a strong results at Fontana and Bonelli especially, I'm looking forward to carrying momentum into the next couple of races. 

The 2016 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships will be a weekend to remember. I had been dreaming of sweeping the cross-country, short-track, and omnium titles, but winning all three this past weekend was a truly humbling moment. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my time racing with UNC. 

To top it off, the weekend was spent in phenomenal company. I can't thank my dad, mom, and brother enough for making it out to support and experience the ups and downs of the weekend with me. I couldn't have done it without them. 

Looking forward to some time off the bike before jumping into training for 2017!

From the top: cross-country podium, omnium podium, downhill qualifying. 

A little bittersweet to say that last weekend marked my last conference mtb race as an undergrad. The past few years have been fantastic; I've thoroughly enjoyed racing with Carolina in ACCC and hanging out in the collegiate atmosphere. To say that I'll miss the collegiate scene would be an understatement, but I'm motivated pass the torch on to the younger guys.

For now I'm focusing on finishing out the collegiate season with a bang at Nationals in Snowshoe, WV. Looking forward to racing and hanging out with the collegiate mountain bikers one last time. 

Photo captured during the conference championship weekend at App State. 

Classes at Carolina have reached their rhythm by now. It feels good! Fall seems to be on the verge of arrival, the scantrons are flying off the shelves and, for me, there are a lot of things bidding for my attention! Classes, collegiate racing, training, and most recently, team negotiations and job applications have been at the top of my to-do list. 

Beneath the countless résumés, the cover letters, and the constant worry that I won't be able to nail the next workout, I've been excited. I know 2017 holds a lot of potential for me, not only as an athlete and last-year u23, but also as a professional. With graduation looming and the job market on the horizon, this month has been a hectic, and productive, couple of weeks. 

Stay tuned for the official release of my team for 2017! 

My last year at UNC-Chapel Hill has started, and it feels strange!
This past summer was one for the books. From early summer, when I started my road trip to CA for Nationals, to the day I moved back in to my house, a week before classes, I spent 24hrs at home. 

There was a lot of driving involved, quite a bit of riding, but most of all, a ton of fun! Over 10k miles, 6-7 major races, and more gas tanks than I care to tally up later, I am back in the college grind and have my eyes set on graduation in May, followed by my last year of racing as a u23 over the summer. 

New sponsors and team are in the works, so I'll try to get a post about that up as soon as the details are finalized.