Hi Team,
These last 2 weeks I have been down in Puerto Rico for a total of 5 UCI mountain bike races, including one of the U23 Continental Series competitions and several Elite C1/HC events. This tops my list as one of the coolest places I have been for a bike race, and it was fun to ride in the summer climate and explore the island between races!
I flew into San Juan overnight the day before the first race, which was not the most ideal but it was the most efficient way to get there. Bear National and Team Segment 28 were kind enough to support me for the first week, and I piled my stuff into one of their 3 trucks with 15 other riders and bike boxes. We drove over the mountain to the race venue, built our bikes, and prerode the course just before sunset. The course was dry and loose with lots of corners, a few rock features, and plenty of jumps, similar to the California trails. After riding back to the team house, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and spending the night on the couch, it was already race day!
The first race on Wednesday was part of the new UCI Continental Series, where a top 5 finish would automatically qualify me for one U23 World Cup. The elite and U23 fields were combined, creating a stacked field of 60+ racers from all over the US, Canada, and Central America. I had a decent start from the 4th row, but still got caught in the bottleneck and had to run the first steep climb. Coming around through the feed zone for the first time I was somewhere around thirtieth. We raced at 3pm in the heat of the day (85º and humid), and my body was not heat adapted at all, so I did everything I could to keep my core temperature as low as possible for as long as possible including a cooling vest during my warm-up, ice socks at the start, dump bottles during the race. Even with all of these measures I had to limit my effort to avoid overheating and blowing up. I held my position well in the first few laps, but tried to avoid burning extra matches. This strategy paid off in the second half of the race when most of the riders started slowing down and I began to move forward. I picked off a few people each lap and ended up finishing 14th in the U23 competition. I was a ways off of the top 5 “golden ticket” but was still satisfied with a hard effort (192 bpm average) for the first race of the season.
The short track on Friday was also combined with the elites, making for a fast race on a high speed course. I had another good start and managed to avoid crashes and work my way up through the chaos on the first climb. The field strung out into a single file line going through the first lap, and it took an all out sprint to stay on the train. Unfortunately I was still a few places too far back, and the riders in front of me left a small gap to the lead pack. I gave a few hard efforts to bridge the gaps, only to have the other riders open it again by losing time in the corners on the descent. I was strong enough to close the gaps, but didn’t quite have the last kick to sprint riders for position going into the descent. Eventually I had to settle for a chase group and rolled across the line in 23rd after 20 mins of suffering.
With one day in between races, so the Team Segment 28 boys and I rode from our house over the mountain to the beach and went for a swim in the ocean. Sunday was the HC event, and I decided to race in the U23 because I believed I could achieve a better result despite there being fewer UCI points available. It was a nice change to line up on the second row and have a less chaotic start, and I entered the singletrack around fifteenth. It wasn’t quite as hot so early in the morning, and I was able to push harder in the first few laps. It was the same course as Wednesday’s race, but my average lap times were over a minute faster. As I figured out each corner on the descents I was able to push the traction limits while keeping it upright. I was alone for most of the race which let me set my own pace as I caught and passed my competitors. On the last lap I closed the gap to one more rider and caught them on the final descent, but couldn’t get around and ended up 10th in a sprint finish! It was satisfying for me to see the improvements in fitness, heat adaptation, skill, and strategy from the previous race just a few days before.
After the Tropical MTB Series in Salinas about half of the teams flew home, but I decided to stay for the Puerto Rico MTB Cup the next weekend to make the trip worth it! Austin Beard and I managed to pack our two bikes, luggage, and bike bags into a midsized sedan (the only vehicle we could rent being under 25) and drove across the island to our new rental house in Rincón. This small town on the far west point on the island is a resort destination known for its world class surfing. Austin and I enjoyed the week relaxing on the beach, surfing, doing schoolwork, and exploring the mountain roads on our bikes. The race course was right on the coast in a tropical rainforest with lots of roots on the technical trails.
The week flew by and before I knew it was time for the short track on Friday morning. The short track course was just a twisty dirt road loop, basically a crit on mountain bikes. The elite field was noticeably smaller with about 35 riders, and I started on the third row. The first lap was incredibly quick, and I had to flight for position as we rode 3 wide around the whole lap. I ended up right at the back of the lead group, and managed to stay there for most of the race. When the pace finally let up with 3 laps to go, I flew up the side of the group and slotted into the top ten. I was able to hold that spot until the last lap attacks, but couldn’t go with the final acceleration (heart rate was already maxed 204), and rolled across the line in 11th. This was my best elite short track result so far and I feel like I am finally figuring it out after a few years.
With back to back race days this weekend, the XCO came up quickly but I was feeling recovered and ready to go. We raced in the afternoon and thunderstorms were looming on the horizon but the dirt stayed grippy and fast. I had my best start yet and found myself in the top 10, but unfortunately got caught up behind a bobble on the first steep climb while a few racers ran around on the sides. It was full gas racing through the singletrack, and a few more riders flew past me on the second climb of the lap. I tried not to lose motivation, knowing that I was still further up than I would usually be at this point. Eventually I settled into a group that was climbing at a manageable pace and ripping the descents. The course was very tight in the trees and extremely rooty, making it a challenge to clear the climbs. However, I found my flow state and focused on riding smooth and fast through the most technical sections of the course. With 2 to go I got caught and passed by a group, but found the strength and motivation to latch on. I put in an attack right before the technical section on the lap to drop two of them, and then had a battle with one of the pros who distanced me on the final climb. I came across the line in 16th with the tank emptied, and my lower back immediately locked up. This was the hardest race I have done in a while, and I left it all out there on course.
I am glad I made the trip to Puerto Rico for this unique race experience. This is the coolest place I’ve been to for a bike race, and I made lots of great memories on and off the bike with my friends. I am satisfied with my results for this early season fitness (not long after cyclocross) and I am looking forward to carrying the momentum into the US Pro Cup in southern California this weekend!