EXP - Time Trial

Not only did I get my talent evaluation but I got my hands on the whole teams.
So here is a quick team preview before we head out for our final day of training.

Leaders: Tommy Nankervis, Jason McCartney, Frank Pipp

Nankerivis is our best rider but is often challenged by Pipp as the best sprinter
on the team. While McCartney is our best GC guy but heavily relies on his TT abilities to get results since we really don't have any climbers on the team.

Free: Jonathan Patrick McCarty and Jeremy Vennell

McCarty is an all-rounder but struggles against the clock while Vennell
has less secondary stats but is much better then McCarty in the time trial.

Time Trial Specialist: Christopher Baldwin

The best time trialist on the team and will look to help the team
win a few stages and will be a valuable asset in TTT.

Domestics: The Rest

I'm marking 8 guys down as helpers but they are all unique in their skill set.
Starting with Patrick Bevin, and Julian Kyer, the key lead-out men for Nankervis and Pipp. Followed by the pace setters/protectors of Michael Torckler, Carter Jones, Andrew Dahlheim, and Phillip Gaimon. You could probably even throw me into the group but I'm think I will best used as our lead climb since McCartney will probably focus on hilly race leaving me one of the best climbers on the team with Vennell and Jones. And the last rider to get mentioned is our only cobbler Mac Brennan, he has a lot of room to grow though.



I also have received my objectives and fitness schedule for the season.



My first objective is Circuit des Ardennes International in France. It's two flat stage, an easy hilly stage, with a TTT on stage 3. Then in June it's the Tour de Slovenie which features an opening prologue, two flat stages, and a mountain stage on the third day. Then comes my key month in August with 3 American races starting with the 3-day race in Chicago followed by the Tour of Utah and finishing with the my top objective of the season the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Personal goals and sponsor goals to come at a later date,
along with my complete schedule for the 2013 season.
Until then we still have one more day of training.

Our final day of training included another 'game'.
We were split into two groups of 4.
The first group was the leaders including;
Nankervis, Dahlheim, McCarty, and Kyer.
The second group was the chase group with
Me, McCartney, Pipp, and Baldwin.

--- *** --- *** --- *** ---

The leaders were trying to hold off the chasers for as along as possible.



A 1 minute head start for the lead group which we had to try and bring back.



Both teams were pretty even, except we had Baldwin.
Every time he took to the front we would pull back 5-10 seconds.



Then we hit this small incline with McCartney on the front.
We pulled back almost 25 seconds on this hill.



Then Pipp finished it off making the catch after
27 kilometers ending our last training session.

After a good nights sleep at the hotel the team let me go back to LA to
rest up for a few week as they still hadn't finalized my entire 2013 race schedule
but they assured me I wasn't going to be racing in January.

During the car ride back to LA my phone started to ring. It was my mom.

EXP - Hill

I picked up the call from my mom and here was the follow conversation:

"Travis you need to come home!"

Not like I haven't heard that one before, they would always call me
and to try make me come back to do some of the farm work.

"Now? The season is about to start and I need to keep training."

I really just wanted to rest but training sounded like a much better excuse.

"Yes, Travis it's an emergency!"

I could now tell in her voice that she was serious and not trying to joke around.

"What's wrong? Is everything ok?" "Your father had a stroke..."