Tour de Tucson

A couple weekends ago, I went out to Arizona to participate in the Tour de Tucson. It was a 111 mile ride/race. This was the largest cycling event I have ever done, with over 8,500 people competing. It was interesting because there was such a wide variety of people there. At the front, there were professional racers finishing in about 4 and a quarter hours. Towards the back, there were newer riders who are just trying to finish before nightfall.

I started about 600 riders back. I got in a group of about 50 and we finished in 4 hours and 39 minutes. It was a great opportunity to get in some base miles in and have a good time. It seemed like a logistical nightmare to get all these people through the route safely. The city of Tucson and the race promoters pulled off a miracle in getting everyone in and out of Tucson and through the outskirts safely. We did not even have to stop at a single light for all 111 miles. It was really nice to do this event to get a change of pace from my typical Southern California training routes. I hope to get out there again next year. 

Kyle Torres 

Cyclo Cross Racing

One of my goals for the off season is to have fun. This year I decided to race cross because it is such a entertaining part of cycling. My first race was Folsom Rodeo cross where I broke away with three other riders and held off the pack to the finish. I ended up taking second in the B's, barely keeping up with the leader after I botched the barriers. After the race I practiced barriers all week...I was not going to finish second ever again.

My second race was at the Rodeo grounds in Folsom. In the B's I opened a gap with the winner of the previous cross race where I took second. In a dark section of the course I dropped my chain and it wrapped around my crank arm. By the time I was ready to go again the majority of the field had lapped me. I finished the race and just focused on having fun.

Today was supposed to be my third race of the year, but I came down with Stomach flu last night and did not race. I am happy to report that my teammates who raced did very well.

I am looking forward to my next race in early December where I hope to win my first cross race.

See you on the road,
Jonathan Christensen

The End?

    Yes, this is my last blog as a junior on Team Specialized. When I joined Team Specialized back it 2007 I never knew where it would bring for me, nor the people I would meet along the way. The first 4-5 years I was never the one to win the race. I would usually get dropped, and after the race, I would almost feel this guilt that I was never able to help the team, even for a brief moment. Until I found a fire in my gut that would get me out on rides, not just to say I rode that day, but to go hard, and make myself stronger, for the good of the team.
     These last three years have been a turning point for my cycling. I have been able to get results both for myself, and my teammates. Being able to see a teammate with a big smile on there face, because they got top 3 or even won the race, is what makes racing my bike worth it. I can't believe the amount of progress I've been able to achieve, and I can't wait to race with new teammates next year. As I am aging out of the junior category, and also Team Specialized. I am very thankful for all of the support given throughout the years, by Wyatt, Steve, Fred and everyone else that is apart of making Team Specialized a great team. I would not be who I am today without your help.

Thank you,
     Christopher LaBerge