Cycling Oklahoma
Cycling Oklahoma
Ryan Drummond Update = UCI Podiums
Ryan Drummond takes us from Tulsa Tuff breakthroughs to a Pan Ams podium, shares how team support sharpened his race craft, and lays out the plan for Fayetteville and a two‑month European block. We ask for help funding the campaign so he can test himself against the world’s best.
• Tulsa Tuff tactics, solo bridge, omnium jersey
• Marathon Nationals result and shifting failure
• Comp Edge team camp, routines and pro habits
• Green Mountain Stage Race leadouts for GC
• Early USCX top tens and U23 podiums
• Trek Cup U23 win and confidence shift
• First elite CX podiums in mud and fast tracks
• Northampton teamwork and role reversals
• Pan Ams nerves, crash, and last-lap surge to third
• U23 UCI ranking rise
• Nationals goal in Fayetteville, Europe schedule
• Funding needs for travel and World Cups
There is a link in the show notes if you want to help donate, if it's $10, $20, $100, $1,000, whatever you can to help him fulfill his dream and represent us as a state, our country, and racing in Europe where he's getting ready to head off to
DONATE HERE!!!!!!!
https://gofund.me/41f14dab8
Instagram @ryan_drummond
What is up, Cycling Oklahoma? This is going to be super short and sweet. I just want to say thank you so much for tuning in and listening. This episode is a really fabulous update on the life of Ryan Drummond and his racing. He had a huge result this summer in Tulsa Tuff. We kind of go over that, how some of the race unfolded, but really get into the details of how his cyclocross season has gone. The dude has exploded this year in the U23 and on the UCI rankings. And everything about this is amazing. He's one of our locals. He's one of our own. Everyone should listen to this and get behind him. There is a link in the show notes if you want to help donate, if it's$10,$20,$100,$1,000, whatever you can to help him fulfill his dream and represent uh us uh as a state, our country, and racing in Europe where he's getting ready to head off to. He's gonna race the national championships in Arkansas uh in the middle of December and then heads off to Europe for a few months to go bar to bar with some of the greatest cyclocross and bike racers in the world. So get behind him, supporting seriously, if even if it's$10, every single little bit helps. Uh he's trying to make some dreams come true and he represents Oklahoma racing in such a fabulous way. This episode, of course, is brought to you by More Overhead Door. They're the best sponsors that take care of us and help us and are behind cycling in the state of Oklahoma. They've been behind everything that you can imagine. And sometimes you don't even know that they're behind it. So More Overhead Door does so much for the cycling community in Oklahoma. So go support them. If you need anything, uh anything at all, repairs, new garage door, building a new house. Just want to talk ideas, reach out to them. More overhead door. Um just Google them. Phone number's 405-799-9214. And of course, now you can hear my dog barking in the background. RideOMBA.org. RideOMBA takes care of so many trails in our community and in our cross our wonderful state. They do so many amazing things for us. So it's$55,$50. I think it's$50. Sign up. I have to renew my membership. So this is a call to action for me, a call to action for you. The next episode we get into rideomba.org's uh or OMBA their uh basically how it works. So then tune in for the next episode coming out on the first. It is a home run. You cannot miss the next episode. There's a lot of beer drinking, a lot of laughs, a lot of really good information, and a lot of pot stirring and more to come on that. Enjoy this episode of Mr. Drummond, and I really think you're gonna enjoy it, but also please support him in any possible way you can. Thanks for listening. All right, I'm I'm gonna say Mr. Drummond, but uh we're gonna I'm gonna record a podcast in like an hour and a half, and it's gonna be another Mr. Drummond. So would you be the uh the Mr. Drummond? I guess it depends on who you're talking to. Talking to you. No. Okay, good answer because you know he's gonna listen to this. No, no.
SPEAKER_00:I don't think I've taken over that yet.
SPEAKER_01:Mr. Drummond Jr. Yeah. Okay. Uh so last time we talked was we caught everybody up on what you've been doing in the springtime, which kind of led up through um Tulsa stuff, right? Mm-hmm. And then No, we didn't talk about Tulsa Duff. No. You talked uh about that with my dad. Okay. Is there anything you want to talk about about Tulsa stuff? Because this is like a recap episode for people who have been following along your journey or people who don't really know a lot at this point. Um yeah, we can. Okay, well, let's start with there because we're gonna just kind of go like a little bit of race highlights and kind of stuff, but mainly I want to talk about cross so far because it's been pretty amazing and outstanding. Okay. You're kind of a big deal now, at least in your own mind. Uh-huh. Yeah. Or at least in my own. I gotta be in my own mind. There you go. I like it. You're not gonna make it if you're not in your own mind. That's 100% true. Uh uh, all right. So Tulsa Tuff. Let's let's jump in there. What was uh kind of like what was the expectations and like thoughts going into it? Like, did you have big goals and dreams and plans, or was it just like let's just get some good experience and see what happens?
SPEAKER_00:Um well, I kind of it was a rush to get my cat to upgrade. Um, I was trying to get my cat to upgrade for Green Mountain Stage or my cat one upgrade for Green Mountain Stage Race to guest ride with um Comp edge. But Tulsa Tuff, I got it like right before then, and we decided like last minute to do it because I was doing marathon mats like two weeks later, so we were like didn't know if I should do it. No, it was after. Okay, yeah, yeah. So I was like, I was a four still going into the summer road. So I kind of went to the Tulsa or um to Texas a few times, and then I got to my two upgrade, and then uh Ryan Brantley was selling his entries for cheap, so we like just grabbed those. I mean, kind of the whole goal was to win crybaby. I didn't really know what I could do other than that. Um, I mean, I've never raced that was my first like big crit experience other than like Maverick crit, which is just racing the local guys, really. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:What did you think going into it as far as because I mean most people listening to this know what Tulsa Tuff is, but like the fields are massive, yeah, and really fast and really competitive. Yeah. So what were your thoughts going into it as far as like what that was gonna look like compared to what actually did happen?
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I've been around Tulsa Tuf so long, like it doesn't feel I mean, it's still a big deal, like but I'm used to it, like I'm used to the environment and the the experience of Tulsa Tuf because I've been going since I was seven years old. Yeah. But um, to actually be in it was a lot different feeling. Um Friday, like I kind of just stayed up in the front of the race because I really didn't know what it was gonna be like, and I think I kind of miss like led my fitness a little bit, like I was a lot better than I thought I was gonna be. Like, I thought the races were gonna be like a struggle for me to be up there, but really like I could hold my end in it perfectly fine. Because you're in the P12 race, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, um because you can always roll around that Friday night, which is under the lights and super cool if nobody's ever seen it. I mean, what do you guys average that race?
SPEAKER_00:Um it was probably between 25 and 30. Yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah, it was just it was just staying in the front end or else you get like spit to the back and then chase back up. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I really had no idea how it was gonna go. And then I just stayed in the front the whole race, and then last lap I got pinched really bad, and I pretty much started my sprint halfway through the lap and I got back to the front, I think I got eight that night somewhere somewhere around the big race. Yeah, it was my first like real one-two crit. Yeah, so I mean, I was like, I was pretty bummed with it because I was like in perfect position to do well, and like Isaiah beat me and stuff, and I mean Isaiah's really good, but I was like, I was right there with him, so I was like, what could it have been? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um what did you learn from that? Was it was it like bumping elbow elbows and kind of being a little bit more aggressive up in the front was like maybe more than you thought or less than you thought, or taking those corners like legitimately, like with you know, two or three wide was a little bit more than you thought, or less than you thought. Like, what was those kinds of experiences like?
SPEAKER_00:I mean, it was about like what I would expect. Like when it comes to situations like that, I'm pretty comfortable just because I know I can ride a bike and I've been in like cross, like yeah, you're bumping elbows with people all the time. But um, I don't really feel like I did anything wrong. It was just like that's just how crit racing is. Like that could have been anyone and that would have happened. Um, I could have maybe tried to be a little further up, but you can't really predict that. The flyers for that race? Um, no, I was in DNA. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Um, but yeah, I mean, my dad was like, well, you just got eighth and tulsa stuff. Like, that's pretty good. And I was like, Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's pretty great for the first experience, but yeah. Yeah, after that's good. After the fact, I was I was happy about it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Which is good. I mean, that's kind of the feeling you should organically and naturally have.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. It was just like one of those situations I'm like, I feel like I can do more, and I didn't really get to show it because someone else hit me, but it was good thing. Still a good ride.
SPEAKER_01:Good thing about crit racing, there's always another one tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So how did your uh your next day go, your Saturday go? Um, well, most people have probably heard this, but I mean, Saturday was really a big breakout ride for me. Um, it was pretty similar situation. I actually started in the back that day because I didn't want to sit in the staging for an hour and a half. But I started in the back and then I actually moved my way almost to the front and then we got um neutralized. So then we started sat on the start line for like 10 minutes. Um but after that we got moving and then I moved up same spot like front five to ten wheels and just sat there. A break went with like 15 laps to go, maybe, maybe a little more than that. And I was like trying not to get too antsy because I've never been like in that situation. But with eight or nine laps to go, I went up Soundpony Hill. I attacked, and no one went with me. And I actually like bridged the whole gap. It was maybe 15 seconds, like they weren't that far up there, but they were just like nobody wanted to chase it down. So I bridged the gap um in one lap. And then how hard was that effort? The effort it really wasn't that bad because I jumped, like it was really just like normally you see people bridge and it's like multiple laps, but I just like I just nuked it up sound pony in one lap, and then at the top I was there. Like I just drove, like I hit it on the downhill and I was with them halfway down the downhill. Okay. And then they were all like kind of sitting up when I got there because I think they just thought I was like bringing the whole field. And I was like, I guess I'm going to the front. And then from there, I just like I would take like maybe a little bit, like half a lap, um, sitting on, but I was really just sitting on the front, just drilling it because I'm like, at this point, if I get brought back, like trying to sprint's gonna be really hard. And there was a couple times the gap got pretty small, and then I just I just kept the power on. Like I had Jason Waddell screaming at me like everything, like he's like, This is your chance. So I just kept the power on and I was we held it to the line. When'd you finish? Second, yeah. Um, Stefan Roth, there was a like a$500 premium going into one to go, and I had done a ton of work. I mean, I was on the front for like five laps, and he attacked for that, and him and um the Legion guy, I don't remember his name, but they got a little bit of a gap, and then we closed it back down on the last lap up, Crybaby again, and I attacked on the downhill because I was like, I know the Legion guy was fresh because he was told not to work. So I was like, I want to lead into the last turn and then see what I got, and he came around me, but I was still stoked with second. That's pretty awesome. And then then you're the day that you that you went for. Um, yeah, I mean, I felt really comfortable that day. Like, I think a lot of my cross fitness and just like the way I race is really good for that course. And I pretty much sat first or second wheel the entire race, and I could tell I had the fitness to push it. So every lap I just I would hit the front on the on crybaby, and I would just I would push what I was comfortable with, and every time I would see people dangling off the back, and I just I did that the entire race, and people just slowly kept falling off. And then uh it's gotta be a fun feeling. Yeah, I mean it's really and it's like especially when you're so many capabilities. Yeah, and there's so many people I know at that race watching, like everybody that watched me grow up. Yeah. Which that was one thing that was really cool about Saturday, too, is like after I did the lap after the race, and it was like I just saw like everybody that watched me grow up that are like they're like cheering me on. They were probably more excited than you were. Yeah, it it was really cool.
SPEAKER_01:That is really cool. Um I talk about this often, like with my buddies, and I'm just like, man, because you go to races and you see somebody like and you know they're going to be the winner, like pretty much, you know. I'm like, it must be like so fun to know like I'm gonna go out here and ride my bike, and whenever I'm done with everybody, I'm just gonna ride off. I've never had that feeling, I'm never gonna have that feeling. But like, it's gotta be a cool feeling, it's gotta be like enjoyable and make the race really enjoyable. I don't know, is it? I mean, yeah. Yeah. And then even when you're in the race and you're having a day like that where you're just at the front and you're like, I'm riding and it's hard, but it's not impossible, but I just see people getting shelled one after another. It's gotta be like a boost of confidence and like this is fun.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like Sunday. I mean, I still didn't really know like how it was gonna be. I like knew I could win, but it was gonna be hard in that field no matter what. I mean, now I've learned myself as a rider much more, and like I could go into that race and have a completely different mindset, but then I was like, I was just losing my mind, like I just I gotta go. But um, yeah, I just I pushed the pace the whole race and then attacked up crybaby the last lap, and the same Legion guy that won the day before, he was the only one that went with me and he got me in the sprint. But yeah, he's I got the overall.
SPEAKER_01:You say you won the overall omnium.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. After Saturday, the guy that was in second, he came up to me and was like, Are you Ryan? I was like, Yeah. And he's like, You're in first in the overall right now, one point behind you. And I was like, I'm in the first. Like, I had no idea. Yeah. And um, yeah, that was a pretty good feeling.
SPEAKER_01:So what'd you get for winning the omnium? Um jersey or anything, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that's I got a Tulsa Tuff, like the pink jersey.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, nice. Good paycheck. Yep. Is that your first big pay? Is that your first, like your biggest check to that point? Um probably. Yeah. Especially for the weekend, count counting your two podiums plus the omnium. Yeah, that's probably the biggest paycheck I've gotten. That's awesome. Yeah. Cool. Um so leaving that, did it make you because I know cross is like kind of the mission and goal, like yeah, it has been.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, now cross is definitely still the big goal, but roads right there too now.
SPEAKER_01:So I'm gonna say, did that open your eyes to be like, hmm, maybe I should be a crit racer?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I've I've always liked it. Like my dad always gives me crap saying I'm a roadie now. I mean, he rides his road bike just as much as I do, but um yeah, I really enjoy riding my mountain bike, but racing it isn't my favorite. Um marathon stuff I like, but right now, like local XE stuff's fun, but that UCI level, it's it's really hard. And if you don't have UCI points, like it's not that fun because you're starting so far back. Right. So yeah, right now, like road and cross are the main focus.
SPEAKER_01:Um, so then after that, kind of fast forwarding into well, you then you because I know Marathon Nats was kind of a goal for the year.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, leading up to that point, yeah. For like an early season goal. So where was that at and how'd that go?
SPEAKER_00:That was in Roanoke, Virginia. For people that don't know, that's mountain bike. Yes, like long course mountain bike, essentially. It was, I don't remember the mileage, it ended up being like three and a half hours, but um, it went good. I mean, it was a goal for mine because I got eighth in the junior race the year before. Um, but it was really like it was important to me, but it was also like just something for me to train through through the summer because like I wasn't planning on doing any road until Comp Edge asked me to guest ride at a couple races, and that kind of opened my eyes to the road season a lot more. Like Tulsa Tuff was a last-minute decision, like Green Mountain, where they asked me to guest ride. Like, I wasn't playing on any of that, so marathon mats was kind of just to like keep me motivated through the through the summer, but it ended up going really well. They don't have a like an actual U23 category there, so it was like 19 to 29. That's basically the U23 riders. Um, but yeah, it went good. Um it was like five or six thousand feet of elevation. Nice. And I want to say it was like 45 miles. Okay. It's a tough day. Yeah. Mm-hmm. They and it was all really just one climb. There was one climb about halfway in, and it was it was like two or three miles. It was it was a lot of single was it mainly single track or is it kind of yeah, it was pretty much all like half of that climb was like kind of like side by side road. Okay, but other than that, it was all single track. Okay. How'd you end up finishing there? I got fifth. Um I had third place locked in, but probably a K from the finish, uh, my Durellier just stopped working. You are a roadie a K from the finish. Listen to you. Well, it wasn't a mile. What do you half a mile? Something like that. Um yeah, my I was having Durellier problems. I was with second place actually when it started, and I got stuck in one of my hardest gears like three miles from the finish. Electronic or cabled? It was electronic, it was um transmission. Yeah, and they don't they don't really know what happened to it. It just it just failed. Bad mechanic problems. We think actually, I'm not gonna say that. Um yeah, it just stuck it's messed up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um so you were just stuck in your hard gear? I got stuck in my hardest gear, and then there was one final like big climb before the finish, and I was like, just kept pressing the button. I probably pressed that button 20,000 times. Finally get it to shift, and of course it shifts all the way. Because it I think I was like two from my easiest gear. Oh man. And on a mountain bike, that's like spinning. Yeah. So I get into a good gear for the climb, but then you descend from the climb, and it's like I was stuck in that gear? Yeah. Oh, and it was like I don't know, half a mile from the finish, but it was all flat. Like it was like a gravel road, like completely flat, and then you hit like a little climb up to the finish line, but um spinning like 150 cadence and going nowhere.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, that sucks. And yeah, um I will say that's that's the one of the awesome things about mountain biking and terrible things about mountain biking. It is never over until you're done. Yeah, because anything can happen at any given time. Yeah, which is great, except when it happens to you.
SPEAKER_00:Like 800 meters from the finish line, uh, fourth place came past me, or um third or whatever, and then I could pretty much see the finish line and scuff. Fifth place came past me. That sucks. I mean, I was on the podium still, but yeah, it was like I'm not a huge believer in wide angle podiums. It was cool, but it's it's a different feeling being in the top three. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Did that give you kind of some motivation, like going for you? Like, man, I can do this. I I know I can be here, I should have been here, or was it like such a bummer you're just like screw off, I'm done.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was kind of just I mean, I was I was happy with fifth, like it's still a good result, but it was kind of one I just like I just want to forget it because I was like, I was so close to like a top three. That would have been way cooler. Does that make you want to go back and do it next year? Um or is it just depend on what yeah, I mean I won't be able to because I'm gonna be traveling all summer for record. But gotcha.
SPEAKER_01:Um yeah, I don't know. So your mountain biking is kind of on hold now, huh?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I'll do stuff here and there, but no like big goals, yeah. Yeah, makes sense. My dad um winterized my mountain bike yesterday, is what he called it. So put put the antifreeze in it and hang it on the wall.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's exactly. Yeah. So that leads to all the amazing things that I'm excited to talk about. Uh-huh. Uh, which is you got on a you're you're on a team. Well, after that was so we did team camp.
SPEAKER_00:So I was what team you're on telling that. Yeah, so um after Saturday at Tulsa Tuff, Tyler, who runs um comp edge racing, which I guess rode for them at Batonkill and Aubrey's on the team, and he asked me if I wanted to come for team camp, cross team camp, and then race Green Mountain Stage Race at the end of it, which at that point he hadn't really like offered me anything on the team. Um, and I was like kind of trying to figure it out because I'm like, if you give me a spot on the team, then it'll it would be worth it. But that's like a lot of money in flight just to go to team camp, and then I also have to figure like two weeks worth of people to cover for my yards that I was mowing at the time. But I figured it all out and I ended up going, which I'm super glad I did, and like a week or two before team camp, he offered me a spot on like their local elite team because well, I didn't really have anything on my resume at that point. Like he really had no reason to sign me for the elite team on cross. Right. And he offered me a spot on that, which um he was pretty much like you can travel with us, and if there's a spot in the house you can stay, it might be air mattress. If we stay at a hotel, you can get a room with us, like whatever. Um, but I ended up going to team camp with them, and Aubrey is on the same, like the local elite team. And that was like it was a super fun experience. I mean, Andrew, Stromeyer, and Eric Bruner were there, so the two like best in the country, which at that point I didn't really know them. So I was like still like, oh, this is really cool. Now I'm pretty close friends with both of them. Um, but yeah, I got to spend a week and a half training with them.
SPEAKER_01:Um what was the kind of a big takeaway that you had there as far as like your skill set compared to their skill set, their professionalism of how they do things compared to how you've been doing things? Like what was it that you took away from that camp that you're like, uh, either I'm on the right track or I picked up these these things and I need to like continue to improve?
SPEAKER_00:Um during camp, like I really didn't like as far as that, I didn't learn a whole lot. Um during the race season, staying with like Eric and stuff, I learned a lot though. Like we can get in that later, but um during team camp though, I was didn't really know where my fitness was. Like I was expecting some big stuff in the cross, but I didn't like really know anything. And then we did some like practice races and stuff, and there was like the this was the moment I was like, oh man, the season might be good. There was a five-minute like practice race we did, and I mean we were all in it, like Eric, um Andrew, Dylan, Cody, like all the elite team, and it we were like, we were all just having fun, but I I won it. And I was like, inside, I was really stoked because I'm like, I just beat the national champ and the pan champ in this practice race. Yeah, which it was like it was just a five-minute like thing for fun. But you saw that you belong that you be there. I was like, my coach is there, and I like told him he's like, Well, you I mean, it might take a bit to figure out the whole 60 minutes, but like you have what it takes to be there. And then we just had like a few other stuff like that, and all of it, like I was right there in the mix, like knew you could hang. Yeah, like back then, like mentally, I was like still like freaking out. Like, I'm like, oh my god, I'm here.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And it took me like a ways through the season. Like now, like my mindset and everything is much different. Like, I feel like I belong, like I'm calm in that lead group now. Right. Where like then I was like just freaking out just to be there. Yeah, experiences. And then um, yeah, we had a lot of fun at team camp. We went went and raced go-karts. Um, we have a go-kart sponsor for the team. So we got two free races and yeah, it we it was a good time. That is awesome. Yeah. Um so after that, that kind of the team is like, oh, all right. Yeah, I think it's something here. I think it opened their eyes a bit. Um I still hadn't proved a whole lot, but right. We had a there was like a local race that the team put on at the um at the end of the camp. Okay. And um one of the camp at it was um like Connecticut or somewhere up there. I was staying in Connecticut, the pl same place I was staying all across season. Gotcha. But it was like East Long Meadow, Massachusetts, like that area. Northeast, yeah. Yeah. Um, but it was just a local cross race that we helped put on, like set up the course and everything. But I got second in it. Uh Eric won. He pretty much attacked us at the beginning and just dropped us. But me and Cody like went back and forth the whole race, and then he actually had gap me on the last lap, and then he snapped his chain like right in front of me on like a couple turns to go, and I was like, that sucks. I'm gonna I'm gonna go though. And um, I won like a hundred bucks, which I was excited about. Awesome. But yeah, that mechanicals happen to other people too. Yeah. But that race, like, I mean, it was just a local race, but I feel like I kind of like somewhat proved where I belong.
SPEAKER_01:And then after that, we're locals.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it was it was a stacked local race. I mean, yeah, Andrew raced, he was I don't really know what he was, he was just messing around. He was on like these slick gravel tires, so he was all over the place.
SPEAKER_01:But but can you imagine showing up to like a local Oklahoma City race and you're just like a guy that just wants to race on the weekends and you have like all these pros and you're like, oh come on.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, the whole front row was all like UCI level pros. It was funny. Like there was um there was a couple people there, and they're like, I didn't know I signed up for a World Cup today. Yeah, that sucks for the Yeah. Um, but after that, um, Green Mountain was after, which is a four-day stage race. It was in Vermont, so we headed up there pretty much right after team camp and uh went and raced that. Okay. And that was another good showing. Yeah. Um that was like my first stage race, so I didn't really know how that would go either. Right. Um there's a lot of summer for you. Yeah, there's a lot of unknowns. Yeah. But um started off with a TT, which I had no TT gear. Like the team had some like deep wheels and stuff, but I was on tram at that point. So I was just my road bike, normal helmet, everything. So the TT you couldn't have an actual time trial bike, but you could have the helmet. Was it an uphill time trial? The first like half mile is uphill, and then it was flat. It was K. Yeah. First K. It ended up being like a 13-minute. It was it was pretty fast, but the aero wheels would have helped a lot. Massive. Yeah, but I didn't do terrible, I think I got like 34th or something. I mean, it is what it is, yeah. I wasn't really like planning to do good in it, right? But I mean, I did pretty good for the circumstances I had. Like I didn't have any, I had arrow socks, most out of it. Yeah. Um, but after that, I don't really know why they based off of this, but they're deciding between me and Cody for the sprinter for the weekend, and I beat him in the TT, and I guess they based off of that. I don't know. Um team dynamics, the things just happen. Yeah, they change, yeah. Um, so that was a surprise. I was excited to go for it, but I was like, I've never sprinted at this level. Yeah. Um I wouldn't say I'm the best sprinter, but I'm really good at positioning myself, so I can manage pretty well and against those guys. But day two, stage two was a 115-mile race that we did in sub four hours. We average like 28, like 28 miles an hour or something like that. It was stupid fast. Was it just awful? No, it was fun. I had a great time, huh? Um sounds terrible. So it was a three-lap circuit type race, and there was two sprint points every lap, and then the finish. A lot of sprint points, yeah. So I think the first one I got second in. So Cody, so it was still kind of me and Cody going for it. He was like my final leado. So it was actually pretty fun. Like me and him had just we had a blast. Like it was basically like you go, and if I can come around you, I can come around you. Right. And me and him took one, two, and like I would say half of them for the entire, like, the entire stage. That's fun. It was awesome. And um, that day was super fun. Like it was just hauling ass and just ripping. Yeah. Times. Um, but I think I finished that day. I was in like fifth for the sprint points because I got like top three in all of them. Besides the last lap, a break went, which I had no idea a break went. I didn't see it go. Cody saw it go and he was gonna jump in it, but he didn't think it would go any, because we had like um Quinn, our GC writer, had us like write down a list of numbers, and none of those guys were in the break, so we weren't worried about it. But the break went and it really went, so I didn't know it had gone. So I thought we were still going for sprint points, and then Quinn comes up and is like, there's a break up the road, like you guys need to like start pulling, and I'm like, I didn't know that, and they tell me that like halfway through the last lap. Oh goodness, okay. So I'm like, Cody, we need to go pull. So me and Cody go to the front, and I mean we pulled back like a minute on it, but we me and him were just sitting up there like 35 miles an hour, just like just like going so hard. Cameron, which if we would have known earlier on, because we sprinted twice and the sprint points only go five deep, and there's like eight riders in the break. So I'm like, nobody told us this. So me and him are sprinting for like no reason. Yeah. So we finally go start working, and I mean, if we would have known when we needed to know, we probably would have brought that break back. Right. But Quinn ended up losing quite a bit of time on that. And the guy that ended up winning the sprint jersey was also in that break, and he wasn't a very good sprinter. But he got um points. Yeah. And then there's not really any climbing on that stage, but stage three, I think it was called the Queen stage. It had a big climb. It had a couple big climbs, but App Gap was the final climb. That was the picture I saw, and it was just like a CU guys coming over the top of it. Yeah, it was three miles and it was it was hard. 5k. Yeah. Yeah, 5K. I don't have my Wahoo and K's. Everybody else does. And I'm like, come on, guys. Thank you. I don't know what I'm from Oklahoma. I don't know what kilometer is. Nobody else does either. Um, yeah, Cody's from Canada, and he's always saying that. And I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about. Tell me he's not in Canada anymore. Yeah, they all like make their like their little like cheat sheets of like where all the sprint points and stuff are, and they're like making theirs in Ks. I'm like, come on, guys, can you do it in miles?
SPEAKER_01:You're gonna have to learn now that when you if you go to Europe and you're gonna have to learn. That was one weird thing whenever we were whenever we did a race and everything was in K's, and it's like 20k to go, and I'm like, okay, so 10k is six miles, another 10k is six miles, six point, okay, so 12 and a half miles, but then it gets to like the weird numbers when it's like 30, you know, like 28k to go, and you're like, oh she's okay. So then you have to like just look, it's um yeah, it takes a while to figure out, it's not natural.
SPEAKER_00:Uh-huh. And then um, yeah, stage three was a lot of climbing, and I'm from here, I don't really know how I'm gonna do in the climbing. Yeah. There was one sprint point like 20 miles in. Okay. And the stage was 75 miles.
SPEAKER_01:And there was like how'd you recover after 113 miles at that speed? Um, a lot of chocolate milk and carbs.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, to be 18 again.
SPEAKER_01:But your legs felt okay the next day?
SPEAKER_00:Um, I mean, as good as they were going to recovery boots, stretch, like as much recovery as you. But not doing that.
SPEAKER_01:Did you feel not ever doing that before? Did you feel know kind of what was coming, or were you like, man, this is weird. I don't know how this is gonna go today. Because it is, I've done I like the stage race thing, but it is weird. Your first couple times, you're like, you get on the leg bike and you're like, my legs feel like crap, but when you start pushing power, it's still there. Yeah, it's weird.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I didn't feel that bad that I mean the first day, like it was really a lot of sitting in for me. Like, I didn't put that much power in until I mean the sprints in the last hour when we were trying to bring that brake back. Okay. So I didn't feel that bad, but um that day started like pretty much right off the start. There's a decent climb and it was hard. I don't know why everyone was going so hard up it, but there was really no point, like there was no break that went or anything, because it was like a big climb and then it was flat, and then the final climb. And um, yeah, that first sprint point, there was like five guys up the road going into it, and it was the only one for the day, so I had to get points on it, and I was like, I'm not gonna make it because we were maybe 3k out from it and they were still up there, and I was like, this doesn't look good. No, and then Dylan, luckily, comes flying past me and he's like, jump on. Oh gosh. And then he just nukes it and we're going like 40 miles an hour on this flat road. He gets me within like 200 meters of this break, and we're hitting like the like 300 meter sign for the sprint. And then Aiden, another one that was guest writing, I hear him scream, go! And then he he comes by me, I jump on his wheel, he pulls me to the brake, and we we're coming up on the brake like 10 miles an hour faster than they are. And there was a guy that was a sprinter in that, and I'm I launch and I'm coming around this break like I'm gonna win this sprint. This guy decides to like look back and then he swerves in front of me, and I'm like, really? So I have to brake check, I lose like three bike links on him, I get sprinting again, but I got second in it. So I was happy with it. Yeah. And then after that, it was pretty much just leading Quinn and Andrew out for the for the final climb. There was one climb. It's gotta be fun to be doing real racing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Like real tactics, real things happening. Everybody around you has the ability to do the things that we talked about. Like, yeah, that's gotta be like really fun.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it is really cool. Like this next part, I'm gonna say it was it was the bet, it was probably one of the best experiences of the race for me. Um, so I mean, it was kind of just riding to that last climb. Like, everybody knew that was gonna be the hard point. I got in like a break at one point, and I I just had to make sure it didn't go anywhere. Like I was in it and I wasn't pulling through and everyone's screaming at me. I'm like, sorry you can scream at you all all you want. Like, my job is to not let you guys get away.
SPEAKER_01:But okay, so this is one of the things that as a watcher of the sport, I see that happen. You see it happen in like the world tour stuff, but like you know that if that never is going to make that guy start working, like yeah, so what like these guys like you're mad? I understand that, like, I get it. Because without that person, it's not like I understand why they're mad, but like you would be doing the same thing, yeah. But it's never going to like convince that person, like, you're right, I'm gonna throw, I'm not gonna help my team, I'm gonna start writing for you.
SPEAKER_00:Like, yeah, it's not like I wasn't like going to the front and sitting up, I was just sitting on the back of it, right? And I was like, if it gets too far, I'm gonna slow it down. Like, I was just sitting there and they're screaming at me. I'm like, I'm not slowing you guys down at all. No, I I just smiled and I'm like, I was just like, I think that was making it even more mad that I wasn't like keeping it, like I wasn't yelling back at them. The most enjoyable thing. Yeah, I love doing that for people. They were so mad, and I was just like sitting there just like laughing at them. Ammo, it's even more fun.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And then um, it got brought back, and then we sat in, and then we were maybe five miles out from the final climb. And like literally, we were just we were supposed to just string the field out. That was all we were supposed to do. It was me, Dylan, and Cody, and uh the rest of our team had got dropped besides Andrew and Quinn, our GC writers. And there's one big climb like halfway through, and I guess Quinn and Andrew thought me and Cody had gotten dropped on it because we were like a little further back, so they were like, they thought we were screwed, like they thought they just had Dylan, and then five miles out when we planned to go to the front and hit it. What all three of us roll up past Quinn and Andrew, and they're like, Oh hell yeah, like everybody's stoked because like our whole team just comes to the front and just starts like mobbing. That's fun, and yeah, it was pretty cool. That was really fun, and then like five miles out, it was just kind of like rolling hills, and we were just taking like 500 watt pools. Like the three of us were just sitting on the front rotating, and at the moment, what we didn't know is like we had the field like strung out, like there was a picture and it was single file, like as far as you could see. Like it was we were going really hard, but so I ended up me and Cody took the last two pools. I took, we was like a dip, and then you like start the climb and I just have Quinn like screaming at me, like, go harder, because there was another train coming up next to us, and I just keep nuking it, and then I look over my shoulder, and that train like blew up, and I'm like, okay, I did what I needed to, uh-huh. And then we hit the base of the climb, and Cody comes around me, and then I was gonna try to take one more pull, but I just couldn't. Right. And then we see Quinn and Andrew, they attack together and like take off, and it's like just like how you see like Taddy Pagaccha attack after his teammate pulls off. Like it was the exact feeling, and then they both went, it was a really cool experience. And then me, Cody, and Dylan all just rolled in together, and then we found out that Quinn and Andrew went one-two on the stage. Oh, which was like way cooler. Yeah, like they went one-two, and then the three of us roll in together, and it was it was really like it was a cool experience. Every it was like couldn't have gone more perfect, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Which it was so cool, never happens, but it did. Yeah, it went pretty much exactly how we needed it to. As being the three guys that kind of like orchestrated it all, like, was that so much satisfaction knowing? Yeah, it was it was really cool. That you're a piece of that, yeah. Yeah, it's awesome. Like they were both like, we wouldn't have done it without you guys like thank you. And sounds like you guys have a good like team, yeah, a good like friendships and like good relationships, and it's not a bunch of roadie assholes. Yeah, everybody's super nice, and I mean Cody and Dylan. What a first two of my best friends. What a great first experience. I know, like it was been better. It was awesome. Wow. And then so then so that wrapped that up. How did you finish in the sprint? Well, there's a crit.
SPEAKER_00:Oh gosh, okay. I was second in sprint, and it was like a 45-minute crit. It was super fast. There's three sprints and then the finish. What a brutal race. And um, my team kind of blew up. That's all I'm gonna say about that. Um, I was kind of on my own. But I think going into like the sprint, like the actual finish of the race, I would have been leading the sprint jersey, but I had no leado, and the team that won the sprint jersey had a full team leadout, and I I got like seventh in the actual sprint, but I got like first or second in all the other ones. Um but I think I finished in second or third for the sprint GC, which for my first stage race was pretty good. Great experience.
SPEAKER_01:Learned a lot, yeah, had a lot of fun, yeah, a lot of a lot of bro time. Uh-huh. It was cool. Yeah, yeah. Um so fast forwarding. I mean, we we still have plenty of time, but just fast forwarding to cross because this is wild. It's pretty freaking cool. As someone watching is pretty freaking cool. So you go up to the northeast, you left what, like September, middle of September. Yep. We started racing go cross is the first week in a September in Okay, and you traveled a lot. I mean, you went a lot of places. You because you went over over to Wisconsin for trek. Uh-huh. Like you've been everywhere. Yeah. Right, like legit racing. Yeah. And in the past, you've done this chasing UCI points just to get a point. And your dad did this, and Brandon did this, uh-huh, trying to get a point to just like move up in the start position. Cause was it last year that you went and did these races and you were starting in the back and would crush it, but I was like 30th. Yeah, I finished last year with like 28 points. Yeah. And you were starting in like 70th, uh-huh. Moving up to 30th, and that was a great race, but you're starting in 70th.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So this year, life has been different, which is pretty freaking cool. Yeah. So we don't have to go through every single race and everything single result, but like let's talk about how those first couple of races went and like how you've seen the season progress and just kind of like a like a overall story of like what the heck is going on so people can have a clue of how badass this fall has been so far.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Um, so Go Cross, Rochester, and Charm were the first three rounds of the USCX. And I mean, I got my first top ten day two of Go Cross, and I got second and U20 or third and U23, which those are both two big check marks for the year. Like top 10, which I expected to get that this year, and then U-23 podium, I expected that, but it was like I hadn't done it before.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um day one of Go Cross, I had some bike issues and ended up it just wasn't a good race.
SPEAKER_01:But um because there's different levels to the UCI races, which is kind of confusing for someone who's not like super into the sport. Uh-huh. Right. So kind of explain that like was it C1 and C2 and all this stuff? And you have your U-23s, like there's divisions of the races.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So pretty much the first day of every race is a C1, which is like a higher category of UCI racing, which there's more money on the line and more points. And then the day um Sunday, the second day, is normally a C2, which is less money and less points, but everybody races them. So yeah, to get like a C1 top ten or C one top five, you get a lot more money, a lot more points. And I mean, it's just a bigger check mark. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Um and then inside of that race, there's a U23 race going on.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Yes. Okay. So they just they do a U23 podium. They don't like really separate it, but they do a separate podium for it. But you guys are all racing together. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So after Go Cross, I wasn't off a single U-23 podium for the rest of the year. Um wild. Like, did you have a clue that that was even like possible? I expected that. You expected the U-23 podium, I expected. And why did you expect that? I just, I mean, I was like hovering around it. Like I was like fourth or fifth every race last year. Okay. And like fitness wise, like mentally wise, like I was in a much different place this year. Right.
SPEAKER_01:And it's kind of the same guys that you know. Like you know everybody, and we're because you guys have kind of raced together for years. Uh-huh. Know of each other. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Um, but yeah, like at the beginning of the season, I was still like my mindset's just a lot different now and everything. Like, I feel like I belong, where then I was still just like I was felt like I was just trying to survive. But so the first three rounds, I got like eighth and ninth at Charm in Rochester, like something like that. Overall. Um, yeah. Yeah. And then I think I was second both days in the U23 at both of those races. Same guy beat you both times? Yeah. Okay. Um, and I was really just like figuring out the racing, like, like slowly, like what I was saying earlier is um once a season started, like I stayed with Eric. Eric was at the house with us for the first two rounds, and like just seeing like the way he does things and like the way he thinks for races, like a lot of that I just like it rubbed off on me.
SPEAKER_01:And in what kind of way, like what and you don't have to give specifics because that's you know, private to everybody wants to keep. But like what were you seeing in a nonspecific way that was like different than what you had been doing, or different than like I never even thought of that?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's just nothing like major, just like your pre-race routine, like when you eat, what you eat, like stuff like that, like the night before, like what you should do to recover best, like just little things that add up.
SPEAKER_01:Um but did you change the way that you ate and change the way that you were like thinking about that nutrition and stuff like that?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, not like a whole lot, but there's just little things I added on there, like nothing really interesting, just personal stuff that works better for me.
SPEAKER_01:But do you start to see like where like, man, we're getting into the nitty-gritty where like every tiny little detail Yeah. Like the one percent Yeah, a lot of people. Somebody like me, you're like, oh, I got this one percent. For me, a one percent gain is like, um, how about don't eat ice cream and drink beer this weekend? Right. Yeah. But when you get to like a certain level, like finding a 1% is like almost impossible.
SPEAKER_00:Uh-huh. So it's and that's kind of where you're at. Yeah, a lot of people like just like, oh, you guys are just picky, but it's like, no, like that stuff matters. Like it doesn't, you don't think it matters, but when you add 10 of those little things up, then it makes it makes or breaks your race.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and the best in the world are doing X, Y, and Z. So you're not gonna catch them. If they're naturally more gifted and you're not doing what they're doing or doing more than they're doing, you're never gonna get there. Yeah, which is a hard thing for some people to do for some reason. I don't know, I've never understood that. But yeah, in any sport, not just cycling.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Like I was kind of just like, honestly, the first two races I was just like copying whatever Eric did. Yeah, and uh now I'm kind of like I found out like who I am as a racer more, and I have some stuff I do different, and like what I what works better for me. But yeah, those first three races, I like really was just figuring out how to do those races and finding my spot in the field. And I think like Trek, which was the fourth round of USCX, that was really like where I like broke through and like realized what I was capable of. It's a good place to do it. Yeah. Um especially since you guys are sponsored with them, right? Yeah, yeah. That and also I had a good crowd of Oklahoma people there. Oh, that's cool, stuff like that. But um, I think like physically I was pretty much there all year. I think I've definitely gotten stronger throughout the year, but I think like mentally I realized like, oh, I can do a lot more than I thought I could. And that weekend, I um day one I got eighth, but I was in the group for fifth, and I was like, I was charging that group. Like I attacked out of that group, I think, twice, and like we were all going back and forth, and then I actually got a flat on with two to go, which is I got dropped out, and that's why I got eighth. But the day after I got sixth, which I was in that same group, but I beat like half of it, and then I finally got the U-23 win, which I had been chasing all year, and I mean everybody was at that race, like it was it was definitely a stacked race.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So how's that? Did you know you were in first? Because since you're racing a race within a race, do you know where you stay in the U-23?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, I mean, I know who's in front of me. Okay, everything. Like it's it's pretty easy to tell.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So um, I was one of the riders was in that group with me. Okay, and then I hopped the barriers and attacked him on the last lap. Did are you one of the only ones that hops barriers? Um, at that race, pretty much everyone was. Okay. There's a few races I was one of the only ones hopping them. Yeah. Um, I can definitely hop faster than most people, which helps me a lot. Gotcha. Um, but that day, I mean, I got six, which right now I would be a little bummed with a six. So then it shows my improvement. But I mean, that race I was really stoked with. And to get the U-23 win, I was that was a big goal for the year. Yeah. Um, so after that, I was like, I beat people like that I didn't expect to beat this year. Right. Um, I beat the elite team besides Eric and like people I like Carrie Warner. Like I've been looking up to him my whole, like, my whole life. Like, I've been watching his vlog since I can remember, and I beat him and I was like, it was a good feeling. That's pretty cool. And after that, I was like, well, what else can I do? Because like I think mentally I like opened my eyes a lot. It's just a confidence thing, or did it was it like a race tactic thing? I think it was just like one, like realizing how strong I am. Like, I don't think I fully was using all my power. Yeah. Yeah. And also, like, I think it just clicked like how to make it that full 60 minutes. Um, but the next race was Kings, and not everybody was there, but a good handful. And day one, I went, I was in the lead group, and this was like my first time like actually in the lead group, but uh I crashed on the barriers with two to go, which my hand just slipped off on the first one, and then I went to pool and I pulled my hands off the bar and just ran into it. Gosh, and then I rode around for fifth, which still best result ever. So I was stoked with that. Then it rained super hard that night, and it got muddy the next day. And lap one, me and Dylan, he like went super hard on lap one, and it was just me and him off the front, and then we got caught by a few people, and it was just like it was like going back and forth in the mud, and it came down to a last lap battle for the final spot on the podium, and I got my first elite podium. Pretty wild, yeah. It was it was really cool. That is really cool. Um, I'm glad my my parents were there and everything. That's even cooler, it made it a really yeah good experience. That's phenomenal.
SPEAKER_01:And um did you have a did you even consider that that was a possibility this year? I mean, going in the season, no.
SPEAKER_00:Going into that race, yes. Okay, but yeah, they like actually get the podium. It was it it opened my eyes even more. I was like, I didn't think this was possible, right? And um I it was a C2 podium, which isn't as big of a deal, but I mean it's still there, yeah. Um, and after that, I think uh flip switched with the team too. Like I got the team carbon wheels where I was riding up like aluminum wheels they just had gave me before, and the I got a little like the next level of support. Right. And then weird how results matter.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And then after that was really rad, which um that was my first time doing that race. And it was pretty cool. Dylan had a really good race there too. Um, so me and him, we were kind of going back and forth. Andrew was there, which is the current national champion, if you don't know. And um see the little guy? Yeah, he is the little guy. Um, we went back and forth with him both days, uh, which was super cool. Like, I never expected this year to be able to like stay with him in a race. And day one, I don't think he expected it either. And he attacked, and then we stayed with him, and then he got like a little gap on the last lap, and I think I was like seven seconds behind him. But that was my best result. I got second, which um that was a C1. I got a good pay good paycheck for that one. Yeah. And then day two ended up playing out the same. Um, Andrew, me, then Dylan. So two seconds in a row was wild. It was that was like I think that was where stuff started rolling. Um, I mean, the podium at King's help, but like doing it with Andrew's.
SPEAKER_01:Did they pay for you 23?
SPEAKER_00:No. Okay. But doing it with Andrew in the race was it was a little different. Um day two, he attacked really hard once, and I dragged him back like a lap and a half later, which he mumbled some stuff under his breath. I don't think I don't think he was too happy about that. Yeah. And then he went again. I just couldn't, I couldn't ring with him. But um Does he have just more power, more punch?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean handling skills, what is it that's different?
SPEAKER_00:I mean, everything. Like he has really good handling skills, but he's also been racing at the front of these races for five, six years now. Yeah. Just something everything's just a little bit better. And I mean, he's been training at this level for five or six years, where I have for two years. Right. So, yeah, he's he's just a stronger rider. Yeah. But I mean, I didn't expect to beat him, but to bring him back after he attacked, like kind of cool.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. It's gotta be like a while, like you're like, I cannot believe it. I cannot believe it. I am like here doing these things.
SPEAKER_00:After that weekend, I mean, I gained a lot of followers and uh I mean a lot, like 50 or 60, but um, yeah, and I got another level of support with the team. Like cool. I think I was just kind of checking boxes off with them, like proving my place. And after that, like Tyler basically is like, we can't technically put you on the elite team because we're midseason and we can't you can't sign a contract, but like you're gonna get as much support as we can give you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So that takes pressure off mentally for you as well.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like I wasn't like proving my plays anymore. I was just there to race. Yeah. Now you're now you're in now you're in the team. Yeah. Instead of just like trying to be with the team. Yeah. And then after that was Northampton, which was pretty much a hometown race for the team. It was like an hour and a half from where we were staying. Okay. And it was a double C2 weekend, so not as big of a deal. Um day one, Dylan got the win and I got third. He he went pretty early on, and then um my job was kind of to play the teammate role that day and just let the gap go. And then I was with um, it was Henry Q, the U-23 current national champion. He that was his first time racing, and then um one of the other U-23 riders I've been going back and forth with, and they were getting frustrated with me, but I'm like, I was told not to bring it back, which like kind of sucked because I'm like, I felt like I could have won that day, but I also have to play the teammate role. And that's right. I think that gained another respect level with Tyler and 10. Yeah, I think I think the results like proved a lot to them, but I think that like the fact that I'll listen and do what they want me to do, I think that proved a lot. You hope someday some of your teammates do the same to support you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Which is kind of the goal from the next day. Right. Um, I ended up getting third that day, which was that was my third or fourth podium, elite, like overall podium in a row. Crazy. And then the next day, the goal was kind of like the unwritten goal was we reverse the roles, and I go and he stays in the group. Which I um the plan was for me to hop the barriers because it was a really fast section into him. I was hopping them faster than anyone. Then it was a U-turn, and then you go into the woods. I hop the barriers and attack, and I get like 10 seconds, and you hop the barriers and you flip back, but you're going the opposite direction, but you can see the barriers. I heard someone crash, and I look over and it's Dylan on the ground. I was like, nah crap. Oh no. So um it ended up like Henry caught up to me, and I just I didn't have it to stay with him that day. He he I stayed with him for like two laps and then he got a little gap on me, and then he went and I just I couldn't respond. And then at that point I was blown. Like the first two laps I went super deep to try to like get a gap. And um Tofik, the other U-23 rider, he caught me with like a lap and a half to go, and then him same thing, I just couldn't hold his wheel. But yeah, another podium, which was cool.
SPEAKER_01:Crazy.
SPEAKER_00:Like that was is it pretty much the same guy's race in every race. Yeah, okay. Which guy's gotta be exhausted. At this point, we were getting pretty tired. Yeah. Um that was my sixth podium in a row, which ridiculous. Yeah, that was that was the cool part, is like I kept staying on the podium.
SPEAKER_01:Were you were you thinking like, yeah, this is how it is, or you're still just like, I cannot believe this.
SPEAKER_00:At that point, like I mean, I wasn't like used to it, but like I was like expecting it? Yeah. Okay. Like really rad. I had beat some people I hadn't beat yet. So that one was like, that was a really cool weekend. Northampton, I was kind of expecting podium. Um but then after that was Pan Am's, which was the my last race of the block. And I kind of fumbled under the pressure. Um I had never been in like going into a championship race, like thinking I can actually win it. Like you always have to think you can, but this time I was like, I could actually win this. And I was first call up. So there was the nerves just got the best of me. Right. Um, it's part of learning. Henry and one other rider went early, and I just like my body just couldn't do anything. Like I was just so nervous and my legs were so tense, like I just couldn't put any power down. Right. And I pretty much uh Marcus Sheldon, he's a last year, you 23, so he's a bit older, but he rode through our group and Henry and him were pretty, they were they had first and second locked in. And I was in a group, like there's four of us for the last spot. Okay. And um last lap over the barriers, one of the other riders um decided to just run across him to try to block me, I guess. And I went to hop the second one, and he just like ran straight in front of me and I crashed. Last lap, we're like halfway through the lap. And I'm like, well crap, I guess I gotta go hard. Yeah. And that was the only time in the entire race my legs like I just like could actually go. Like I wasn't nervous, like I just I knew I had to go. Right. And if I would have finished where I was, I would have finished like seventh. Okay. But I caught the group, they like messed this off camber up, and I was like three bike links off of them. Like I was gonna catch them, but then I got stuck behind them, and like two of them went down, but it was like a narrow spot of the course, so like I just got stuck behind them, like I couldn't go around or anything. Yeah. And they were getting up, and I like kind of pushed my way through to second wheel, and like there's a zigzag right before the finish. Like that you hop on the pavement, and I made like a last second move onto it, and then I got the sprint for for third on the day, which pretty wild thinking that you got third when you had a crash, you didn't feel good.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, kind of feel like you kind of choked a little bit, yeah, and you learned a ton, and you still finished on the podium.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like that was going into the season, me and my grant or me and my coach Grant were talking, and like put Pan Am's podium was a like one of the big goals. And and you didn't even have a great race. Yeah, I was like bombed, but I'm also like, this was one of the big goals for the year, so I gotta be happy with it. But because that's racing, yeah, especially when you're doing racing dirt, you know? Like yeah, stuff's always gonna happen. Yeah, so um I was stoked with it. Like it took me a bit to appreciate it, but um, once I didn't be happy with it.
SPEAKER_01:But that's the way I mean like taking the golf back to this whole thing was like that. And I mean it's the greatest ever. And it's like he was like when he won, he was like, Okay, I was supposed to win. Like it's yeah, it's cool. I'm glad I won. I was supposed to win. I came here to win. He was more pissed when he didn't than he was excited when he did. So I mean you gotta have that mentality to be great.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean that's what my dad was like. He was like trying to tell me like this was the big goal, but he's also like, that's why you're probably gonna make it because like you got third at Pan Ams and you're not happy about it.
SPEAKER_01:So you have to use that as like, yeah, okay, I there's so much more left.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um that's not the end and not the end goal, which is good. Yeah, yeah. That's a good mindset. Through all of that, which is this is the part that I think is incredibly wild. Now, what is your UCI U23 world ranking? I was 11th, I'm 12th now. Okay. And as far as Amer as America goes, um, I'm first in U-23. Which is crazy. Yeah. I mean I mean, it wasn't very long ago. You were riding Washtaw Challenge and like and a cat four on the road. Yeah. This year. Yeah. And now you're the highest ranked U-23 cross racer in the world. In the nation. In the n I mean, yeah, nation for America. Yeah. Yeah. World. Yeah. That's ridiculous.
SPEAKER_00:Like, did you even like fathom that that was a possibility? I mean, no, not really. Like I was last year I finished a she's in with twenty eight UCI points, and I have two hundred and seventy one right now.
SPEAKER_01:And you're like not done with the season. Yeah. Which is crazy. Uh-huh. And super cool. Yeah. So I guess um kind of wrapping this up with cross and kind of that stuff, like you have a couple races left, but like the big one is about a month away from when we're recording this, uh-huh. Which is in Fayetteville on what's the date on that? Like the 13th of December. In Fayetteville. Um that's the big goal. Uh-huh. Like, in all honesty, I mean, kind of expecting this point, like kind of things to continue to progress to the way that they've done. Yeah, I mean you don't have to throw it out there, but might as well.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, like, the goal is podium, of course, but I think I'm capable of winning it. There's a realistic chance. The goal really was to podium this year and win next year, but my I progressed a lot more than really I don't think anyone expected. Um I think a win is possible. I think it's would be really hard, but I also think that's a pretty decent course for me. So and then when that's over, you jump on a plane. Yep. Um, we leave the Monday after and um head to Europe. And you'll be in Europe for how long? Um two months is what we're planning on. Okay. That's with worlds included. Okay. Um worlds. Um do you know? I don't know. It's in the Netherlands. Okay. It's uh are you going with your team or with USA? So I'm going with my team for the curse period. Okay. And then if I get selected for worlds, it'll be with USA.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Gotcha. But um, I mean, yeah, I feel like there's a really good chance of me getting selected for worlds this year. Like you don't really know until I think it's like Justin.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. It's kind of like a it's kind of like it would be a something is terribly wrong if you don't.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah. So um, I mean, I haven't technically made selection for any World Cups, but um, I'm going over and I mean, I'm just gonna race World Cups, I think. Like last year I got selected for three, and then I just raced some like super prestige and um like other series over there, but those ones you can just sign up for.
SPEAKER_01:Gotcha.
SPEAKER_00:So getting some some with the big boys. Yeah. Um, yeah, the plan is just World Cups this year and see what I can do. Um I would really like to get a top 15 in the U-23 this year. Okay. I think I can. Um next year would be a top 10 goal. But um starting second or third row, probably in that category, I think I could. Yeah, last year I was starting like eighth row.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um yeah, I'm excited to see what I can do in the U23.
SPEAKER_01:When you get done with Europe, we gotta do another podcast to catch everybody up on that. Yeah. And I will shamelessly plug this. Um there is a GoFundMe to help pay for these expenses because it's not cheap and it's not free and it's not paid for by your team to go to Europe to do all this stuff. Yeah, it costs a lot of money to chase this dream. And like any young professional athlete in an individual sport, it takes support and funding from the group. So we will put a link uh in the show notes for the GoFundMe page. Um, even if it's 10 bucks, 20 bucks, 50 bucks, whatever it is. Yeah, everything helps. Thousand bucks, whatever. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, just shoot a couple thousand over.
SPEAKER_01:That'll that would that really make things a lot easier.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Um, but the trip from right now, what I'm planning is I'll go over the uh 15th and then I'll do curse period. I don't know what my exact schedule looks like right now, just because they can't technically tell you what world cup you're selected for until two weeks before. Gotcha. But um I'm pretty sure I'll be able to just like select what I want to do. Be cool. Um, and then I'll do curse period, and then after that, I go to Spain for two weeks. Um there's one World Cup in Spain, but mainly we're just going over there to train and it's warm and it'll be a great experience. I'm really looking forward to that. Life you're living at an 18-year-old. I know. You 18 or 19 now? 19. 19. I turned 19 in this October. I'm getting old. Um, and then planning to make world selection. I'll go back to Sitterd, Netherlands, and I'll be in the USAC house for two weeks and then worlds. Life is changing quickly, kid. Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah, it's so fun to watch. It's like I was talking with people this year, and it's like not many people get to live out their dreams, but I'm doing that right now.
SPEAKER_01:Really, I mean, you probably don't, I mean, outside of your racing buddies, you don't know anybody, maybe like one or two that ever get to live out their dream.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. And this is I mean, I've been telling my parents since I was eight years old, this is what I want to do, and I want to live in Massachusetts and ride where Jeremy Powers rode and all that stuff. And I mean, I got to do that all season. It's happened quickly.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Because I mean, even when I rode with you and I came out, me and Sax came out and did that like training with your dad that weekend, and you rode with us a little bit. Yeah. You were like 16, 15, 16. Yeah. And we talked, you're like, I'm gonna be a pro like cross guy. But at that point, you weren't really like focused on your training, you're just like enjoying riding and hanging out.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I had that was two years ago, and I had just gotten training. Like, right, that's one thing. Like, I'm really like, I think everyone was surprised about is like everyone I'm racing is I mean, besides the other U23s, but they still all have at least four years of training and racing at the top of the race. Where the I mean your first this is my first year like really hitting the training. Like, I would say this is my first time year having like a professional training load. And like this is my first time being at the front of these races. So it's like I feel like I'm just now figuring out what I'm doing. It's pretty wild. Yeah, it's pretty fun.
SPEAKER_01:Uh huh. I can't imagine how fun it is to be in it because it's super fun to watch it. Yeah. So and we'll keep people updated on the Instagram. I mean, your mom does the Instagram, so we know that she has full reign to like share all your highlights. So everybody can stay in touch with with uh your progress while you're in Europe and stuff like that. Yeah, I'll try to pose as much on my hands. So, you can see it on there. Yeah, so everybody, you need all the followers you can get because that helps all the things too. Uh-huh. All the next steps in this gig. Yeah. So cool. Is there anything you want to wrap up with besides hey, support me? I'll say it. You don't have to say it because I know it's kind of a weird and awkward thing, but you need support, financial support. Uh-huh. Like big time to make these dreams come through. So hopefully people will donate and do that. Yeah. So anything helps. Sorry, I was late. No, that's fine. But uh, thanks for doing this. I'm excited for you. I'm like so pumped that my yard guy is ranked top 10 in the world or top in the world in the US and the UCI rankings. I don't think many people can say that. I might not be your yard guy anymore. Sounds like it.
SPEAKER_00:Because I have a big road season plan.
SPEAKER_01:Damn. I gotta find somebody else. I know. I guess it's worth it.
SPEAKER_00:Hey, you're the first client I've told, so. Oh, thanks. When Peter finds out, he'll probably yell at me. Oh, for sure. Yeah, he'll fire you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But then you maybe ask him if you can get uh like an employment. Yeah. Can I get two weeks paid? I agree. At least. Here I'll send you a link. Yeah. All right, Ryan. I appreciate it. This is awesome. I'm super excited for you and congrats on all the stuff so far. Thank you. Awesome.