Musings from Canadian TT and Road Championships

I just won two National Championships on consecutive days. Makes me feel really, really good. For me it’s a good story but there’s a better one.

I’m getting old. I feel it every day. I have an artificial hip and an artificial shoulder, thank goodness. I’m getting old.

What doesn’t get old is the fight to win, whether it’s on a bike or any other playing field. It starts as a boy and after sixty years, it’s still there like I was a boy. I can’t quite figure out why it hasn’t gone away but I am happy it’s still there. I wish it on all my friends and hope it never goes away.

A hockey buddy of mine when I was a teenager said something to me once and I never forgot it. He said his father told him to always ‘play it like a man but enjoy it like a boy’. Why compete if you can’t compete that way.

I lined up with about 20 other guys yesterday, all 60 years or older and every one of them wanted to win that race like they were young boys. I love it.

Every one of us hurt until we couldn’t make it hurt more. I got in a break 25 kilometers into a 101 kilometer race with two other guys. For the next two hours we were a spur-of-the-moment team. Maybe it’s just something Canadian but it seemed to me that each of us shared equally knowing that only teamwork would keep us away. There was no sitting in or soft-pedaling when it was your turn to pull.

Of course the trick was to save just enough and figure out how to use that savings for that one fatal blow to knock out your ‘teammates’. Yesterday was my day to figure it out just a little bit better than the other two but, after only meeting them for the first time the day before at the time trial, I felt a connection to them and a respect for them that comes with the sharing of the pain. Kind of like young boys.

It’s the other part of this fascinating weirdness. That’s sometimes the cool thing about racing bicycles on the road, the impromptu creation of teammates that disintegrates into selfish aggression then strangely resurfaces as that connection again in the parking lot after the race is over. ‘Play it like a man, enjoy it like a boy’.

I did that yesterday and want to do it again and again and again and I wish for you the same. To quote Bob Dylan, “May You Stay Forever Young”.

Late bloomer

I was a "late bloomer" growing up.  14 years old, freshman in high school at 5 foot 3 inches, and 105 pounds.  Five years later I was 6 feet one inch and 210 pounds. 

 

I ran cross country in high school and college.  What a great sport where the top five runners help the team earn points.  I was never the best on the team but sometimes my scoring helped the team.  Running turned into Duathlons/ Triathlons and I was reminded about how long it took for me to get "good".  Specifically, I did this one run-bike event seven years in a row from 1984 to 1990.  That race helped to measure my improvement as my cycling speed moved from average (passed by 45 athletes in 1984) to good (stayed with the leaders in 1987) to fast (won the event outright in 1990).  Seven years of stick-to-it-ness.  Seven years of persistence and not listening to "you can't win this".

 

My junior teammates each have their own path of development.  This is just a short note to let them know that while I push them for improvements and progression, I understand that they have their own speed, and that their best years are still ahead of them!

 

Larry Nolan, Team Specialized Junior Director

 

 

Stressing and Reflecting

Hello from Germany! I will race my second mountain bike race of this USAC trip on Sunday.

It's been a busy year so far, and a different one than I've had in the past. Before this season started I set out for myself what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to succeed in many areas and I wasn't going to back down in anything. I wrote my goals on a piece of paper, and it boils down to: I want to be top 5 at the mountain bike world championships, I want to go to worlds for road, and I want to get all As in school.

Come January, I was ready to give it everything I had and I was beyond excited for what lay ahead. Then February, I was putting in more base miles than I ever have and I finished 3rd in the VOS stage race GC. Our road team was riding well together and I was excited to race again.

March rolled around, and the season was in full swing. I was spending a lot of time thinking and occasionally doubting. I had decisions to make and things I had to sacrifice. I received a grade I don't wish to talk about on a math test the day after I finished my first UCI mountain bike race in Fontana, CA. I realized that I need to prioritize more and I noticed that I can't be there for everything in every discipline. I missed San Dimas because of the Pan American mtb championship in Colombia. I was not at all happy with how I felt and finished in Colombia, but I was confident in where I was with my training. I had to make a decision about whether to go to Sea Otter or stay home for the ACT and Prom. Sea Otter was right before I left for Europe and it would have also added more time away from school. The ACT registration deadline wasn't going to wait, and I struggled over the decision. The last thing I wanted to do was miss another team race. I had help from Larry, my coach, and my parents. I decided to stay home for that May weekend.

April was here and I was stressed. I received an invite for a trip with the national team to Europe, where we will race multiple stage races. I was thrilled and I'm incredibly lucky for the opportunity. However I was also conflicted. I  thought about the two Europe trips I now had before school ends and how I had to somehow tell my teachers I was going to miss a total of 5 weeks of school. How could I possibly do all that I wanted to? I broke the news to my teachers, and they told me they would support me as best as possible. My U.S history teacher helped me see the bigger picture. He said something like, "You don't want to miss out on an experience because of the risk on your grades. Life's much bigger for you right now."

As I sit in Germany I have relaxed and started to see that bigger picture. I am only 17 and I have a lot to look forward to. Juggling everything is a bit harder than I expected but it is definitely worth it. All of this helps me learn and grow up. Having to make a decision between two great experiences is a good problem to have. I am one incredibly lucky kid and I owe this to a lot of people. It's unfortunate that I've had to miss a couple team races, but I know that my teammates and Larry have my back. If the ACT wasn't the weekend of Sea Otter I would have been in California, opting to spend time with my teammates over my friends in Durango on Prom night.

I have learned a lot about the things that are important to me. I continue to learn how to improve time management and decision making. I don't have to stress so much if I can work hard and work smart. This has been a great season so far, even if I am highlighting the stressful parts in this post. I still have the same goals on my mind and I still have the drive to get there. However I've made sure I relax and enjoy myself, and know what the bigger picture looks like. I'm excited for seeing every one on the team. Everyone involved in Team NCCF/Specialized contribute to painting the bigger picture of not stressing and enjoying bike racing.

-Christopher

 

 

 

Injuries and Victories

 

        I'm sure most people can comprehend that injuries suck, but you can't look at it that way. You got to take that frustration and think about what lies ahead. About 2 months ago, I broke my wrist in a mountain bike race. I lay there in my hospital bed, waiting to get my wrist popped back into place and I keep thinking too myself, "Could I have least finished the race" but that wasn't the case. Not knowing if I'll need surgery if their not able to put my wrist back in place was the least of my worries but what drove me crazy was not knowing how long I'll be off the bike. Fortunately my wrist was fine after 8 weeks in a cast which I actually just got off this Monday and I can't even explain how good that felt. As soon as I got that damn thing off, I hopped right on my bike and started really training and for me that was victory. You take the little things as victories, for example getting my cast off, and take every step at a time. After missing San Dimas and Sea Otter, I will finally get back on that starting line this weekend at Barrio Logan with the intent of winning. Whether it's Jules or I, I'll make sure that one of us is on the top step.

 

 

                                 Thanks for the support by NCCF and all our sponsors, see you next time,

                                               

                                                   Sean  



#motivationmonday

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward" 

-Rocky

Valley of the sun; the champ; the man; the metamorphosis. It all came at me so abruptly, and I let it get to my head. Right after VOS I had the biggest training week of my life with about 30 hours and 500 miles logged during my February school break. After that, poof! All my motivation was gone; I rode maybe a couple times a week for about a month. San Dimas approached and I was not at my best. However, my fitness from that big training week still lingered within me so I did ok in the 2s, but nothing noticeably great. It was a disappointment and a failure in my eyes and I believed that it would be enough to kick start my training again. But, unfortunately, it was not. Still, I sat around the house, getting lazy and unfit. Sea Otter approached all too quickly and this time my low fitness was all too noticeable. I got lapped by people I had beat by 3 minutes at Valley of the Sun! What a bummer. I knew it was all my fault too, which made it that much more disheartening. I was the one who hadn't trained; I was the one wasn't ready. I disappointed pretty much everyone that knew about my cycling, and especially my uncle and team, who were there to watch me gasp to try and stay in the pack. And to those who watched me flounder like a fish out of water, I am sorry. I learned a lot from sucking that much; this sport ain't easy. You get out what you put in. I can thankfully say that this race has motivated me to train again. There's no way I'm going to let that happen again at nationals. I also learned that self training is extremely difficult to do because, well, it's all you baby. If you even slack off just the tiny bit, it can escalate out of control because no one's there to tell you to stop. So I've decided, along with encouragement from my Team Director, Larry, and my uncle, Andy, to get a coach. Roger Young, who I've had as a coach for track before, will be my coach for road as he's very experienced and honorable. Now that I have a coach, all I have to worry about is sheer training; I'll have someone to lean on when I need support. I am very thankful for that as it takes a huge load off my shoulders. I'm now back on track for nationals and it's never felt so good.

Thank you for your understanding and support,

Jules

April

This April to me has been spent miraculously. Training went deeper in the pain cave than usual. The halfway point i can say to nationals and other international races on the road. But it has been a great time at Sea Otter Classic. Going away from the heat for a bit was refreshing. The Borg Motel was an excellent choice to stay. As "lazy time" was well spent on the rocks nearby. The racing was tough. Circuit race has a punch at the back side of the course so i used it to my advantage. Then i found myself alone in the race with 45 minutes to go and actually did a time trial. So that was new to me, haven't time trialed for so long in a mass start race.  So continuing with April, training is getting longer and better. Its been getting really hot here which makes it better for losing weight and refining skills and training even longer because of the heat and somewhat longer days. April will end with Athens Twilight Criterium in with i place 3rd in qualifier and 5th in finals.May is around the corner meaning i have state Time Trial on the 2nd. Which after that, i am looking forward to nationals as my primary goal this year.

North Carolina Isn't Very North

This past week I put on 34 hours in the car and 22 hours on the bike for spring break.  My destination was North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. My mom, brother and I decided it was time to leave the frozen tundra, also known as the Upper Peninsula. The trip had two objectives:  look at potential colleges and get some road miles on my legs. 

The first school, Lees-McRae, is located smack dab in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Banner Elk.  I loved the environment, the school and students.  I rode with at least fifteen riders on several mountainous routes.  We never were at a loss for challenges or conversation.  Matter of fact, the twisty roads and switchbacks were some of my highlights.

The second school was Brevard College, about two hours away from Banner Elk and close to my teammate, Colton Brookshire.  I contacted Colton before my arrival hoping to have a chance to ride in his neck of the woods.  He met me the first day, where we went for a three-hour ride in Brevard. The ride seemed epic; we climbed above the clouds while it was raining with hail below.  Needless to say, my mom was a bit worried. Colton and his father were gracious enough to join us for dinner in Asheville at a burger joint called Farm Burger. The make-your-own burgers and legendary draft root beer seemed perfect as an after-ride dinner.

The following days included riding with a former teammate, Janelle Cole, and a student-athlete named Wyatt.  Wyatt made quite an impression on me.  We'll just say we were similar and different in many ways.  The ride seemed so gratifying that the 4.5 hours just slipped by.

Some things that I learned on this trip......  The Blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful;  Lees-McRae and Brevard, and all that went with them, were worth every minute of the long drive; white squirrels are good luck (spotted some); and cyclists are the same regardless of where they ride. 

1 Second Off

This past weekend was one of Southern California's most prominent local stage races, the San Dimas Stage Race (SDSR). This stage race has been most commonly used by the NRC caliber professionals for last minute preparations for the NRC opener at the Redlands Cycling Classic. Even more special to this race this year was the surprise heat wave that hit the area very hard along with a little more wind than usual.

The 3-day stage race starts with a TT up the infamous Glendora Mountain Road (GMR), a rolling, technical circuit race around Bonelli Park, and fast downtown crit in Old Town San Dimas. 7 out of 9 Team NCCF/ Specialized Juniors raced in the Elite 2's (Sean is on the DL with a broken wrist and Christopher in Colombia for MTB Pan-American Championships). I finished 8th on stage one, a ways off of 1st place but within 50 seconds of 2nd place. The team went into stage 2 looking for a stage win and improving my GC position to get on to the podium. More than half the team had unfortunate day of racing resulting from mistimed flats to crashes but this is cycling, these things happen, and one must learn to adjust to the situation. After multiple attempts of breaking the field up over the KOM climb (Heckler Hill), a group of juniors finally got a little group going but with some riders not fully committing the main field was coming back together. The yellow jersey (Brandon McNaulty) pulled a cheeky "Geraint Thomas" move as I was pulling off the front and countered the group as we were getting caught. It was a hard chase but the yellow jersey had the stronger legs so Jules and I finished safely in the main field. After this stage I moved up from 8th to 6th on GC, 3 seconds off of the 5th podium spot.

The last stage contained two Hot Spot Sprints with time bonuses at each of them. The goal was for me to obtain at least one of them to take over 5th on GC. The first Hot Spot Sprint was taken by teammate Grant out of a breakaway which allowed me a good warm-up for the second Hot Spot Sprint. The Vumedi rider that sat in 5th GC had all of his teammates watching me. I can personally say that they did a stellar job in doing so and made my effort to win a time bonus very hard. I eventually won the second Hot Spot Sprint to snag the 3 seconds, but the Vumedi rider that sat in front of me on GC put in a very strong effort to get 3rd and take a 1 second time bonus. I finished safely in the field to take 6th GC at the 2015 San Dimas Stage Race in the Elite 2's race.

This stage showed our teams aggression and really showed how close races can finish in GC. In my case, I lost a podium position by one second but I am content knowing that because the team and I raced hard and did what we could to take advantage of trying to improve on GC.

I would like to thank NCCF for the financial support over the past weekend. Specialized bicycles for our brand new Allez's. Larry Nolan for his continued direction and help setting up our new bikes. And one last thank you to my parents for allowing my team to stay and invade our house.

On to Sea Otter,
Nick Castellano

The Peaks and Valleys of Sport

    In every sport there are highs points which I like to call the peaks; and the low points which I call the valleys. (Valleys adds a more positive spin than the usual low point saying.) Both of these can come at planned times, and of course the unexpected. This season I have faced every circumstance.
              Valley of the Sun for me was a planned low. I had an awesome time getting to know the team, but after a long season of cyclocross (40 minuet efforts) I knew my road form (2+ hour efforts) would not be "Super". Unfortunately I was correct. Hard races put me int my place and lit my fuse to begin my tarmac training. I had been training for about a month in Bend, Oregon and had seen some improvement in my endurance. I was lucky enough to be able to ride with Chris Horner and Conner McCutcheon a few times to really get my humility back. If you ever need motivation to train harder I would highly recommend racing Chris Horner up a hill... Group rides began and the season was about to get into full swing. I expected definite improvements from my attempts in Phoenix. Though was not entirely confident in my shape in regards to the southern California pack I would be racing.
             The opening time trial was uphill, around 17-18 minuets, and twisty. Perfect for all 126 lbs of cross racing me. But one factor I underestimated was the 95 degree heat. I took off hard and held a good rhythm for my personal standards until around 2 kilometers from the finish. The heat broke me in less than 15 minuets and my pace payed the price. I ended up with a time of 17:10 and in 16th place. Not terrible for a 90+ rider field, but as always a result that could be improved upon.
            The road race was 8 laps of a approximately 7 mile course with 100 meters of climbing per lap. A lot of data that ultimately means the race was going to last around 2.5 hours, and should begin to hurt by the end of the second lap. And that is exactly what occurred. Personally I was riding well, not too deep into the pain cave and was looking forward to when the pace would be high enough to dwindle down the field. On lap 5 of eight the race started to get harder. I looked at my Garmin to see if the speed had increased. We were going about 1-2 miles per hour slower than the previous laps. I thought to myself " Dang, the wind has really picked up." Almost as soon as I monologged that my rim hit the pavement and I had the realization no cyclist ever wants to face... I have a flat. I thought "Only two and a half laps to go, I bet I can make it." so I proceeded to ride the flat tire about a third of the lap before we started to go downhill. I had no control of the back half of my bike at the high speeds and decided to take a wheel change. By the time I got off, was aided by the follow car, and back on the bike, I had gone from racing to win; to attempting to make the steep time cut. Fortunately for me I crossed the line within the time limit so I could race another day. This was an unexpected valley for me. I hoped and truly believed I would take a good result, but one must roll with the highs and lows as they say.
               The Crit the next day was not all too eventful. All the big dudes laying down big watts. I was happy to sit near the front and stretch my legs when the time arose. This past weekend at San Dimas was a true roller coaster foe me. Though everyone and every sport comes with its peaks and valleys. I am thankful I am not Lewis and Clark who quite literally had unexpected peaks and valleys and that my highs and lows are bike race results. I am also thankful for the support from the Northern California Cycling Foundation, and all the sponsors that make this team what it is. Hopefully Sea Otter Classic will bring some peaks in the near future.

       

Cycling: A Family Affair

Cycling is a highly competitive sport. It's easy to get caught up with the stresses of life and forget how you even started this crazy sport--why you actually love it so much. For me, it all comes full circle. Last week my family and I celebrated my brothers 19th birthday by, of course, going on a family ride. While out on our ride, I was reminded why and how it all started for me. For me, competition began early on with my brother and sister. Growing up in Asheville, NC we were always out riding either on the trails, the road, or just around our family farm. It was always a competition! Who could climb the hill the fastest, descend the fastest, track stand the longest, and who could come up with better ways to ride up and jump off mom's picnic table. Our poor mom has not had a picnic table in years that hasn't had chain ring damage.
Having a family that loves and supports you is everything. Being there for each other through the high and the low points in this challenging sport is what makes it all worthwhile. We all started racing road bikes at age ten (the earliest possible age to race at that time). We attended our first National championship at ages twelve (me), and fourteen (Grayson) in Bend, OR in 2010. The next year, my sister joined us and we have now attended 11 National championships, all with each other by our sides. You can be certain that we push each other towards excellence, and sometimes we don't like the criticism we dish out to each other. But one thing is for sure, we all want each other to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves, and will never stop helping each other to reach that point. Being there on that ride last week and helping my baby sister climb up those same hills that I did at her age, all the while smiling and laughing, did remind me why I ride.

  

Experiencing a new level of cycling.

I've been racing for 4 years and i was blown away with the level of racing.

I  never had a teammate/teammates with me in big races, for example Valley Of The Sun I had both Sean and Jules. I've learn quite a lot from those two,but I am still learning new racing tactics and proper conditioning from other teammates as well. New race tactics have helped me, and I'm still curious on how the team will race together instead of racing different junior categories.  There will be more racing soon I can't wait!  I'm looking forward to training on mountains this year since where I live lacks elevation and fun roads. I've learn throughout team camp that I enjoy climbing. I haven't mastered the skill of descending yet but I want to conquer it. The thrill of switchbacks are breathtaking. The Ride was different. The feeling on the bike was different. As I progressed more down the mountain with the sun near to set, I had learn many things from descending.

Larry (team director) told me at camp, how we should always think for each other, rather than just ourselves. Never had junior teammates and now I know how it feels to be part of a real team. I'm definitely looking forward in making this a superb year. Not just for me ,but for my teammates as well.

-Sandor Jr

DNF

DNF, ala "Did not finish" might conjure a few negative ideas in your head, but to me it means you tried something new and different.  DNF could be the test that brings out the real bike racer in you.  DNF might be something you should try.

As the former NCNCA upgrade coordinator I saw all sorts of requests, but as I poured through results trends jump out... too many people race their strengths!  America is the land of crits, so let's admit that there is a HUGE difference between sitting in the field in a pro/1/2 crit and a long road race.  I'm not suggesting that we have different categories for different disciplines and venues, but getting tossed off the back of a real pro/1/2 road race and ending up with a DNF might just be what you need. 

Pulling in a DNF every once in awhile helps you stay grounded, it helps you play your strengths as a teammate or friend, and it helps to motivate you for the next big race.  You are working on your weaknesses, not just flexing your strengths.  Turning a DNF into something good is not easy and takes time, but above all, bicycle racers are a very determined lot of people.

Cheers, Larry Nolan

My Metamorphosis

Weeman they called me; I was the domestique of Team Specialized. In priority events, working for my teammates, helping them succeed. Deep down though, I wanted MY success. What I didn't realize at the time however was that through the process and moments being the underdog, I was actually being prepared for my future cycling career. To help me reach my success, Larry, my coach, enlightened me on the philosophies of racing and provided a well thought out training plan for me to take advantage of. From him I've learned about base miles, recovery, intervals, phases of training, peaking for priority races, tactics, and just about everything else that's helped me progress as a rider; I wouldn't be the rider I am today without this knowledge. My teammates inspired me to be greater because I've always looked up to them and they gave me the determination to try and become the best racer I could be. This team has helped me progress from a young up and comer to a full fledged racer. The motivation and support I've received from this team is what I truly owe to my achievements. Thanks to Team Specialized, they now call me

-The Man.

Winter Training in the U.P.

SISU is a Finnish word. The word is well known in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and means toughness. The UP gets 200+ inches of snow a year, which makes training for bike racing tough to do. All of my work in the winter relies on two things, cross country skiing and rollers. Most of the winter I ski both classic and skate ski. I ski for the High School team and in previous years competed in nationals. Normally early March, I transition my time from skiing to riding. This year I'm committed to NCCF/Specialized and made my transition much earlier. I was racing on skis every weekend competing with kids that train for skiing year round. I found out a lot about my body this past cross country ski year. I found out the harder the event, the better I did. I ended with a very respectable ski season, winning the 24k Skate Noquemanon.

The transition from the skis to the rollers was a tough change. Normally I'm tired of skiing and ready to ride, but this year leaving the ski season on such a high note made the transition super hard. I knew that I have a huge race coming up (Valley of the Sun). Knowing that, I have been motivated to get the trainer miles in order to be in the best form as possible. It's tough on your mind to sit in the basement on the rollers looking at the snow falling and seeing all your buddies' pictures on Facebook and Instagram.. This is when I think of the word SISU. I always remind myself that all the hard work is paying off, the thing that keeps me the most motivated to keep on going is my love towards the sport.

Coming off of the ski season, I will be going into Valley of the Sun with pretty good form. I'm looking forward to sacrificing a lot for this cycling team. I'm excited  to be wearing and representing NCCF/Specialized to the best of my abilities.

So when the times get hard and I'm really working hard I will think of one Finnish word, SISU.

A Date with the Best

    



Tábor 2015, a goal I have been working towards before the host city was even announced. My entire cyclocross experience to this point had been building up to being named to this team.


What an honor it was to receive that email. Everything I had worked for, stressed over, and learned had become worth it in a blink of an eye.

Training that extra month was exciting, after cross nationals in Austin, TX the cyclocross community began to go into hibernation. Thanking people for help and talking about their season overall. Yet this inspired me, that I was one of the few that still could spend another month chasing my dream in a discipline I love so much. My local Bend, OR community was more than amazing that month. There were two juniors going to Tábor, myself and Lance Haidet. I think that speaks in itself for the type of cycling community there is in Bend; and the junior development programs we have in place here.

When it was finally time to go, when I packed my bags and left the Redmond airport, it was not nerves I felt. More of excitement, I spent a lot of time talking with Geoff Proctor about the difference between anxious and excited. This was definitely excitement. As majority of travel in the winter goes there was a problem I ran into. As I boarded my flight from Portland to Amsterdam the gate agent stopped me. She “Im sorry but I cannot let you board this flight, your passport expires within three months.” I had never heard of that rule and neither had my parents. I was crushed. All the excitement, the work, and the accomplishment I felt was “expired”. At this point most logical people would swallow their pride and head home. But when asked by the agent if I wanted to be put on a flight to Redmond I declined. I called my dad and we came up with a plan, that at the time seemed incredibly unlikely.

The plan was, to go to Seattle, where there was a US passport agency. Get a passport in hopefully a few hours then leave to Prague the same day. This is the plan we went with and my selfless dad left Bend and got on the next plane to Portland to meet me. We drove late at night to Seattle, and prepared for what would be the most nervous day I have experienced. Get it all right and the trip is salvaged, any problems and I am stuck home. When morning came we bolted to be first in line. I could see the stress on my dads face and I was sure I was as well showing signs. After many hours of stress and work we packed up and boarded a one pm flight. From Seattle to Amsterdam, with new passport in hand!

The rest of the trip went smoothly. My arrival in Prague, pre ride of the course, and hanging out with all the other USA juniors. The entire atmosphere was different this trip was different. Camaraderie was higher and competition within the USA hotel was lower. And when it came race day the excitement was greater than anything I had seen prior. We did our warm up, headed to the line, got called to staging, and went off. The race was special, not just because the Czech crowds were so big and so loud you could barely think. But during this race three years of preparation kept popping into my head.

Unfortunately the result was not at all what I had hoped for, and did not reflect my fitness. 39th was the best I could muster, but given all the circumstances I was just happy to be there. Worlds was unlike any racing experience I have ever had, I hope to be back next year in Zolder, BE. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people at Cyclocrossworld development team, USA cycling Cyclocross, and most of all my parents. I cannot wait to begin with this NCCF/Specialized team soon.

BMX Last Stand

The USA BMX Grand Nationals have been held in Tulsa, OK for many years. In November I raced in what was possibly my last Grands ever and came away with the win after avoiding a last turn crash. As I move to more of a full time mountain and road season I don't expect to do any nationals next year. I was happy to just be there that weekend and see everyone who I've grown up around for the last 12 years of racing. I can't put into words how lucky and grateful I am to have raced BMX and had the experiences I've had. It's made me into the person I am today, both on, and off the bike. There are so many people I want to thank who've helped me throughout the years. Thanks to Donavon and Haro/Promax for being the only team I've been on and the best team I could ask for; to the best coaches and mentors in the world, Rich Anderson, Bubba Harris, Jason Rogers, Kenth Fallen and others; to everyone at USA BMX and Durango BMX; to any one in my age class who've I've raced with throughout the years; and the biggest thanks to my family, especially my dad who has been my number one supporter and right hand man at every race. I've got love for you all. Stopping BMX feels more like graduating to bigger things. This weekend was the best finish to this chapter of my life racing bikes. Here's to BMX!

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Giving Back

Over the Holiday's I had the opportunity to work with the non-profit organization One More Move. One More Move is a local charity founded by a few local racers/friends that donates bikes to children in need (please visit and like their Facebook page link below). The director of the organization, Matt Hawkesworth, connects with social workers throughout Los Angeles County to reach with needy families they work with that have children that would be so blessed with a bike for the holidays. A few days before Christmas, organization members and I set out for South Central Los Angeles for a final giveaway day before Christmas. We stopped at 5 different homes and were able to meet and greet different families in need of early Christmas presents, with the grand present being a bicycle. I don't think I've ever seen children so appreciative and ecstatic in receiving their very first bicycle. The first boy we gave a bicycle to was so excited, he even invited us in his home to show us his new bed he gets to sleep in. It was the first time he's ever slept in a bed. Imagine his excitement of having  his own bed to sleep in and his first bike to have fun on. Sweet! This boy's excitement was emotionally overwhelming. The living conditions of some of these families helped me appreciate the life I've been so fortunate to live, to not take anything I have for granted, and to give back to my community. I am extremely grateful that I was able to share the joy I have for the bike with children in need who just want the freedom of riding their own bicycle.

A big thank you to One More Move for including me in this life changing opportunity to give back and for broadening my perspective on our everyday society. It's good to give back on something you are passionate about. Pay it forward, friends.

Please visit One More Move's web page and consider donating to a worthy cause.

http://www.onemoremove.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-More-Move/145390118867958

-Nick Castellano