It is a great honour and pleasure to have this opportunity to pen a journal for Pedal Magazine. As an ardent follower of the sport I have always enjoyed the more intimate glimpses into the life of elite cycling that such a personal format allows. I hope to complement the submissions of other regular contributors to the magazine with articles that portray the fresh perspective of a neo-professional, and the new experiences that are assuredly involved in this, my first year, at pursuing the sport at the highest domestic levels.

For 2008 I have been presented with the tremendous opportunity to compete as a member of Team RACE Pro, in its inaugural season as a UCI Continental team. Since I began cycling my aim has always been, and still remains focused at achieving the highest level. Yet, I never expected to be associated with such a top level organization so soon, under the guidance of the legendary Steve Bauer, whose exploits in cycling I hold in such high regard. This is all slightly surreal to me, however, I realize how fortunate I am. Such a relationship is virtually unmatched in the domestic scene, and provides a young rider such as myself with the opportunity to learn directly from the man who epitomizes the ultimate aspirations of any Canadian rider.

As an espoir on Team RACE Pro, I have the great fortune of competing alongside many incredibly accomplished cyclists. In my first year at this level I have much to learn; yet by racing and training alongside such experienced riders I have a privileged position and aim to derive as much as possible from this opportunity. Much of my racing will be to support these riders, allowing me to experience first hand the race action, their guidance in the pack, and team tactics that will help me with my main goal – to improve as a racer.

Already this spring I have completed a two-week training camp with the squad in South Carolina. Immediately I was struck with the professionalism of the team. The pace and the quality and organization of our training rides went beyond anything I’ve experienced in a group before. Complementing this was the unprecedented level of support shown by the team management. I was allowed to focus all of my energies towards my efforts on the bike as all mechanical and organizational demands were covered. New to this game, I truly appreciate the benefit of such support, and will never take this for granted.

Although businesslike in many respects, our rides were also fun excursions. Each rider on Team RACE has a real passion for cycling. This quality is evident on all of our rides, with lighthearted banter filling the airspace, as we push each other in tight formation for hours and hours on the road.

Following this camp, I remained down south in the town of Clemson where I had been invited to stay with a friend of our team mechanic. Over and over I’ve been humbled by the generosity shown to me as an aspiring young cyclist and I will never ever forget this hospitality.

Training has gone well over the past few months, as we enjoyed the superior weather and terrain that the region offers. I was able to meet some great people from the dynamic Clemson University cycling team and had the chance to ride and socialize with this tight-knit and very friendly group. I also managed to participate in some local races where I was able to get my first kilometers at the increased intensity and rhythm of competition and test myself against strong fields that featured riders from a selection of other American domestic pro teams. Though lacking any results of note, I was encouraged by my performance and was able to race actively in these preliminary events.

Near the end of my trip I got sick experiencing a slight setback which wasn’t helped by the long drive back north. Soon after arriving in Canada I competed at my first event as a member of Team Race Pro – the Westover-Strabane, Ontario Road Cup #1. I was a little disappointed with my performance and did not quite feel up to my previous levels. Without a doubt, I have much learn race-wise, and improvements to make in the physical realm as well. But I’m fortunate to be in an ideal situation to achieve these gains with the help of the expert team around me.

I continue to put pressure on myself to prove my capacity to perform at this level and work towards my future aspirations. Along this journey, I will share my experiences through this new rider diary section at pedalmag.com and hope to convey the many interesting aspects of the life in the peloton in this sport that I love.