Rob's National Report

Sorry for this late post, from our Man Robbie

I arrived early at Seven Springs along w/ Dwight & Yvette to give the TT a try for the first time at this level. The gale force cross winds kept you pretty honest riding in the aero-bars & I managed a 27^th in 40-44 averaging 25.97 mph. I quickly found out that at nationals, the boys come carrying a ‘very big club’, with the winners averaging 29.7 mph!!! I surfed the back of the crit field looking to move up with 7 or 8 to go, but there was not much moving up by that point as the pace was full gas from then till the end, I stayed solidly were I rode all day, 46^th. On lap one of the RR, I was feeling like I was going need Todd Scheske(our loyal feed zone help for the day) to scrap me off the road with bug remover. The pace was stout & I was on the ropes. I soldiered on & began to feel better as we rolled down & around the rural farm pastures in single file formation looking like a roller coaster that was ¼ mile long. Just getting a drink was a chore sporting the cast, let alone getting a bottle from Todd as we entered the feed zone each time at 25 mph. Of course, we must attack in the feed zone to! I made it to the base of the final big climb to the finish, I popped & bid farewell to Erik Grimm & Tim Loughlin (who I’d raced with all day) and brought it home 50^th in my 25 cog. All in all a great experience with great friends & teammates at nationals, especially since I wasn’t even expected to ride there after my April ‘get-off’.