Thursday, July 11, 2013

Nationals


 I just got back from Road National Championships and what a great week thanks to Larry Nolan and all the parents who made it possible!  Thanks also to Specialized and the NCCF for the equipment this year and to Clif for keeping me hydrated/energized.  I had so much fun with my teammates and racing friends.

The first couple of days my teammates and I rode around, previewing the courses that would be raced in days following. I raced the Nationals TT first and surprised myself with my ride, taking second only to Adrien Costa. The next day we headed out to Blue Mounds State Park for a great road race.  It had the most climbing of any Nationals road race I’ve ever ridden. Within the second lap the field was shattered but I was lucky to be off the front with some of the strongest riders in the race along with a couple of my teammates. As a result I finished the race in third place.

During our day of rest we rode our bikes to Waterloo to see Sean and Jules race. It was good to have a rest day between races and also see our teammate finish with a solo victory. The final day of nationals I raced one of the most intense junior criteriums of my life.  There was at least one attack every lap for twenty-five laps and a few crashes.  I was happy to finish in the top ten after working hard with the team. It will be difficult to beat this nationals in the future, I loved the courses and teamwork we had this year!  Track Nationals, here we come!  -- Gage Hecht

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