May 02, 2012 (Athens, Georgia) – Second race of this 7-race series and I was exhausted to start it. We had to enjoy the Athens night life after the Terrapin Twilight and maybe stayed out a little longer than elite athletes should have.

After the big show this race seems small in comparison but it is still bigger than any race back home. Instead of 20,000 people there were only 2,500 fans – still a huge race and the field is still way over 120 racers. Roswell is an awesome course and has a little climb on it. The finish straight is long after a tight corner. It just might be the best course of the entire series.

Last year I crashed here three times and early on in this one I was out right into the barriers. A rider lost control in the corner in front on me and I was on his outside. He laid it down and I had to do the same. I went right into this air-filled balloon and over the bars landing on my ass. Instead of haybails they had air filled ballons that were say three feet by three feet and looked like a pillow. There were a dozen of them on the barriers and it was like riding into a kid’s bouncy castle.

I jumped up and untangled my bike from the other guys who were caught up in it and started to run with it trying to not lose the tail end of the group. The chain was off and my bars were twisted. I stopped twisted the bars back and got a little grease on my hands in a full panic. I was in a huge rush as this was not going to end my day. The guys around me were screaming “take a lap” and then the commissaire on the motorcycle came up and said it again. Don’t worry take a lap.

I felt this relief and I looked and saw eight other guys slowly getting up and riding over to the pit. I was in road race mode, not crit mode. I used to having to chase back on in full panic mode. Rolling over to the pit felt good and I got to do a check on my body and my bike. I was good and so was my machine. I had the mechanic tighten up my bars and I was being pushed off into the passing group a second later.

I spoke about bottling the feeling after the race in Athens but I also want to bottle the adrenaline rush after a crash. I could have flipped a car. When you survive death and go into the barriers and live you get this hit of energy like no other. Survival mode is worth 50 watts and as soon as I was back in the group I could feel it. I went right to the front and was game to get into something right away.

Today wasn’t about getting another top-25 – I wanted more and I was ok with burning a match or two to make it happen. I got off the front a few times and attacked on the climb more than once but couldn’t make anything last more than a lap. I was on the front more than I should have been but I’m not going to lie, I loved hearing my named called as we crossed the start finish. I had a good feeling about this one all race and was really trying to get off the front in a move.

I made a big attack and no one came with me. One guy was off the front and I was caught trying to bridge up to him. I looked back and had a huge gap. I looked back again and three guys were coming across. Now I was going by the guy off the front and these three were passing me at 50+. Trying to get on their wheel as they went by was everything I had. There was no mercy or even a hint of slowing down to let me on the back.

I sprinted like hell and they rode right on by. I didn’t get it and had about 15 feet to close. Now I had to dig deeper than I wanted. I was redlined trying to close the gap. I got the wheel and looked back to see we had a solid gap. Right away I pulled though. I was invested in this one and after killing it twice to make this happen I wasn’t letting the group just get us without a fight. We rolled pretty good for more than a lap but it was too good to be true. The strung out field was almost back on our wheel as team Exergy brought it back together.

My Canadian buddy Ben Chaddock and his crew made sure this one wasn’t meant to be. As we got swallowed up I regretted putting so much into that move. I stayed in the top 15-20 but I could now feel the effort. The race stayed together and was fast right to the finish.

The last few laps on this one were as hairy as I have ever experienced. With three to go corner one was crazy. I think it scared a few guys as it never got any worse after that. The guys leaning on each other and the noise of carbon brakes told me I was right where I needed to but I just couldn’t get any closer to the front. Into the last corner and I hit the gas hard. My sprint was awesome and passed at least three guys on the right.

It was strung right out and there was as a ton of room. I had way more than I should have and as soon as I crossed the line I started counting riders. Two bad signs. One was my sprint shouldn’t have been so strong. That meant I didn’t leave it all on the road and could have done more. The other reaction to count the other riders ahead of me meant I wasn’t in the distress I should have been.

If I could count riders and think “ did I make the top 20?” I wasn’t in enough pain.  As it turned out I was 21st. Another flop and this time I knew it. I could have done more. In Athens I was ok with my result. I finished strong on a flat tire. At Roswell I was aggressive most of the day but could have worked harder to get into a better position going into the last lap. This is stuff I preach to my guys all the time and I just didn’t follow my own rules.

I didn’t realize it until I stomped the pedals out of the last corner. I just had way too much. Passing three guys in the last 500 meters does nothing for me anymore. It just means I didn’t do enough before that last run to the finish. It means once again I’m outside the top 20 and passing guys that shouldn’t be in front of me in the first place. Not a good feeling and something I will get right before the week is up I promise.

This isn’t fitness that is holding me back. My training has been spot on. I’m light and lean putting out numbers I only dreamt of 2-3 years ago – now I just need to race like it. That’s the hard part, especially down here with the best of the best. As I roll around once again Brandon Spencer is the first to roll up and greet me from behind and once again he has had an incredible race. I greet him with huge smile and couldn’t be more proud to see him in our kit. This guy has something special. Right then a race official yells out to me to pull over. I look over and see a guy walking over with a race radio and he looks serious and pretty official.

Brandon and I pull to the side of the road and I’m getting ready to hear I did something wrong and the build up is killing me. I’m getting mad even before I know what this guy wants. As he starts to talk I must have the biggest attitude with him because I’m getting ready for the worst. He explains that Tim went down in a crash and all I can think of is “I didn’t cause any crashes”. Then I clue in. The blood slowly gets to my brain from my legs and he isn’t mad at me at all. He is coming over to explain my teammate Tim Burton has been injured in a crash.

My guard goes down right away as I now worry if he is ok. We get the news that he is already been taken to the emergency and that he hit his head and broke a few bones. My finish really doesn’t mean anything anymore. Now its off to look after our boy who is banged up.  Poor Tim is dealing with way more than any of us and it was time to switch gears and be by his side. Once again the guys on this team proved they had big hearts and we all did everything we could to make sure Tim dealt with everything as best as he could.

Nurse Logan Cornel was out in full force and it honestly was probably the most impressive thing I’ve seen in a long time. He had a first aid kit like I have never seen and his attention to detail was first class. I think shaving Tim down to put dressing on his wounds might have been the high light of the trip.

It was that or laughing while he squirmed in pain while Logan cleaned him up with witch hazel. Either way we made the best of a crap situation and had a few laughs. Tim flew home on our Monday rest day and then we travelled to Walterborough where we will be staying for two nights for two races.

Stay tuned.