European Racing

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