US Pro Cup #1 - Vail Lake, Temecula
US Pro Cup #1 - Vail Lake, Temecula
On March 22-23, I raced in the US Pro Cup at Vail Lake Temecula. The US Pro Cup is a four-race series across the US. Each event has two races, a short track, and a long course.
The first day was the short track. With over 100 racers registered, two early morning qualifiers narrowed the field to sixty riders. I qualified well enough to be near the front in the final race. The final race was the most intense race I’ve ever been in. My rear tire was constantly getting buzzed, I got hit with elbows a lot, and aggressive passing was happening until the end. I was with the front few guys throughout the race but was passed by a few riders near the end and finished seventh. The race was stressful but an awesome learning experience. Short track is not my specialty, but it is used for long course starting positions in the U23 and Pro races, so I must be competitive.
The next race was the long course. My race team requires its racers to submit a race report for our Bear Team Newsletter. I was responsible for writing a detailed report about the 17-18 Jrs long course last week. Since I’m short on time, I’m cutting and pasting my report below:
I love early-season racing at the Orange Seal US Pro Cup in Temecula, CA. The Vail Lake race course is always fast and fun, with large jumps sure to excite the fans.
Coming into the race, I felt a lot of nerves. I wanted to reach the podium, but as a first-year Junior racer, this was a tall task. The competition at this race is always incredibly stiff, including my teammate Nico Konecny, a multiple national champion proudly wearing the stars and stripes. And if that wasn't enough, the 17-18 Jr. group is huge, with 100-plus racers competing.
Standing at the line in my new pink Castelli Bear kit was surreal. I was called up in fifth position, and hearing a hundred other racers' names called behind me was wild. Shortly after, the race director announced 2 minutes to go, and I could feel my heart rate increase as the final countdown began—one minute, thirty seconds, fifteen seconds. After fifteen seconds, the race could start at any moment. The race commentator started talking as the start whistle blew, startling a few riders.
I got a solid pedal clip-in and went full gas. A few riders would soon overtake me, including Nico and another of my teammates, Luke Mosteller. I was careful not to be too aggressive too early, so I let them go. Soon, the course would close into a single track, and I slotted into the seventh position. With Nico and Luke off the front, a small chase group formed, and I was in it with another teammate, Tyler Lambert. I moved past riders slowly as they began to show weakness and drop out of the chase group. I tried to keep Nico and Luke in sight, knowing a mistake could bring the chase back to them.
On laps two and three, our chase group shrank, and I found myself with my teammate Tyler and another strong local California rider, Caleb Smith. Tyler and I worked together, trading pulls on the road sections, hoping to crack Caleb. I went to the front and pushed the pace on the climbs since I knew Tyler and Caleb were fast on the downhills, and they both knew the course well. The loose corners and jumps into rocky technical features made the race exhilarating.
Caleb took the front on the fourth lap; I was comfortable with the pace. I began preparing for the last lap. I ate a GU gel to give me extra energy on the last lap. As we rolled through the start/finish for the last lap, Tyler took the front and set a hard pace. I held his wheel and held off Caleb from coming around us. Getting away from Tyler and Caleb before the end was critical for me, as both are powerful sprinters.
Suddenly, Caleb made a mistake just before the second-to-last climb, and I yelled at Tyler to gas it. Tyler set a brutal pace up the second-to-last climb, and Caleb dropped back. Tyler flicked his elbow, signaling me to pass and lead into the descent, which I focused on being smooth in the corners.
With the end near, it was time for Tyler and I to stop working together. Tyler was on my wheel until I heard him slide out on a loose corner. I knew this was my chance to get away. I hammered the final climb with everything and could see Luke up the trail. I crested the top of the final climb and kept telling myself to stay smooth and DON'T CRASH on the final downhill. My Maxxis Aspen tires were fast rolling on the steep descent while gripping into the razor-sharp corners, getting me to the finish to take third place.
I was super excited and stoked to finish third on the podium as a first-year Junior. My teammates Nico and Luke finished first and second, with Tyler on my heels in fourth. The podium was almost all bear athletes, which was pretty cool.
I look forward to racing the US Pro Cup #2 in AR in a few weeks!
US Pro Cup #1 XCO - Podium
