+ Jules Gilliam was 6th in the 15-16s omnium. He did very well at the bottom of his age group and hosted the team at his house. Well, his parents hosted us and Jules made a few meals! Jules won the team pursuit and team sprint on the final day.
+ Matthew Valencia was 6th in the 17-18s omnium. He broke the national record in the flying lap and was looking good for the six event/ two day competition but was crashed twice in the 3rd event. He's banged up and bruised but still ready to roll. Matthew won the team pursuit and qualified for the Junior World Track Championships in South Korea!
+ Gage Hecht and Grant McElroy flew in to help win the team pursuit national championships. This was important for the team as we fought for the event to be added and we want to support team competition!
Final day of competition article: http://www.usacycling.org/team-competition-closes-out-2014-juniors-track-national-championships.htm
Article from Guam sportsnetwork website: http://www.guamsportsnetwork.com/2014/valencia-shines-in-usa-cycling-nationals/
50+ pictures: https://www.facebook.com/TeamSpecializedRacing
2014 has been a great racing year for our team. Teamwork brought us this far, and we are planning for it to see us through these next five days of racing at the 2014 USA Cycling Junior National Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.
Teamwork is an easy thing to talk about, a bit more difficult to pull off. Yet, Teamwork is the core principle of this junior cycling team. Ten teammates go to the start line of their road race on Wednesday with the intent of working together to achieve more than they could ever achieve alone. Five teammates in the 15-16s race with a 9:45am start, five teammates in the 17-18s race with a 12:30pm start. Friday, the 4th of July sees them tackle the individual time trial and Sunday sees them racing around the state capital (criterium).
So, what exactly does teamwork look like for Team Specialized?
- sponsors that give generously, not necessarily for a great return on their investment, but for the greater good of how they are helping to grow and develop young men
- junior teammates that give more than they get, that help in their communities and enjoy spending time together
- 5500 Facebook fans that "like" what we are doing in the sport
- junior teammates that planned and traveled to each other to practice and execute teamwork
- parents that choose to support and sacrifice for these young men in the exciting sport of bicycle racing
- junior teammates that love to learn and patiently listen and practice new skills and ideas
- parents that help to grocery shop and stock kitchens, drive team vans across the country, clean them too, update Facebook photos and stories, and shuttle junior teammates all around "God's green earth"!
- and, a team director with a willingness to serve and help develop
Here's the final 5.6km of the road race. It's a brutal climb, yet when combined with heat and humidity it will shatter the fields... http://www.strava.com/segments/650892
17-18 roster
- Matthew Valencia (18) Los Altos, CA
- Neilson Powless (18) Roseville, CA
- Sean Bennett (18) El Cerrito, CA
- Jason Saltzman (17) Menlo Park, CA
- Nick Castellano (17) Upland, CA
15-16 roster
- Gage Hecht (16) Parker, CO
- Christopher Blevins (16) Durango, CO
- Grant McElroy (16) Portland, OR
- Jules Gilliam (15) Manhattan Beach, CA
- Sean McElroy (15) Palmdale, CA
Seven of ten teammates are current and past national champions so we are confident that they head into their racing relaxed (we are not saving lives) yet willing to sacrifice and execute some great teamwork. Stories and race results to follow.
Larry Nolan, NCCF/ Team Specialized Juniors Director
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