2018 San Marvelous #1 Cat 1/2/3 (win)

Report Date
Saturday, 17 Mar, 2018
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Late again, we barely made it to the starting line, due partly to me, and partly to a huge traffic jam on I-35. But they kindly waited an extra 5 minutes for us to make it to the line, and the race was on, sort of.. For the first 20 miles, we rolled easy. One rider was off the front solo, but none of us were worried. It's an 84 mile race. The field was small, maybe just over 20 riders. Giant Lakeside had 4-5 riders, and were clearly targets to keep an eye on.

By mile 20, Giant started to attack the field. Dennis and I took turns covering the moves, and letting other people in the field do some work too. I took a couple of fliers that failed, because a Giant rider would follow me, but not contribute. By mile 30, another attack went. Dennis went to cover, and I moved towards the back. When the field settled, I counterattacked, and dragged the same Giant rider who was marking me before. I thought it was another failed move, until I saw 3 other riders bridge up, with a gap behind them. We caught the solo breakaway, and formed a 6 man paceline. The rest is in the video.

We got another good result. Now, the goal is to switch our focus to criteriums in April and May.
 

Cyclist
Throughout high school and college, I used bikes as a means of transportation, and learned how to wrench, almost exclusively on vintage bikes. I started riding as a hobby in 2013, ... moreafter starting my first job out of college. The hobby grew into a passion, as I continued to test my limits on the weekends and after work, joining any group rides that I could find in East Texas. I started racing later that year, won the state road race as a cat 5, and have since become a cat 2. Moving to Austin was a huge opportunity for me to improve as a cyclist, with so much talent, mentorship, beautiful terrain and racing experience within easy reach.

I've done two ~2000 mile bicycle tours across texas and the west coast, which were great adventures and life experiences that I'll remember for a long time. Over the years, I have also been a student of cycling, having self taught skills as a mechanic/gearhead, learning about nutrition, training, and strategies in racing, which I study and share through my youtube videos. Cycling has become a lifestyle for me, as well as a source of friendships, adventures, and personal growth - both mentally and physically. I am excited to continue to grow as a cyclist, and work with my Night Owls.

When I'm not on the bike, I am working towards a PhD at UT-Austin, looking for ways to make better batteries.
Nickname:
little chinese dude
Home Town:
Ames, IA
Group Rides:
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