Inside transfer season

 (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

My emotions were on a rollercoaster this season. For what may have been the first time, I was confronted by my age: 34 years … old? Teams began to view me as one of the “experienced” or “veteran” riders, which was a nice way of saying “he’s older.” There were benefits from this reputation: maturity, experience, and depth. But there were drawbacks too. For the first time, I had reservations regarding my age. Am I too old for pro cycling? Personally, I believe I have many good years left in me and am excited to apply all the learnings and growth that I’ve accumulated over the years.

The season’s most emotional moment came when Andy Rihs, owner and founder of Team BMC, passed away. Andy was an inspiring individual, in a social and charismatic, loving way, but also when it came to business confidence. We knew his passion and love for the project had helped it endure and I think we began to feel some uncertainty of what would happen without him around.

Read the full story over at VeloNews: https://www.velonews.com/2018/10/commentary/bookwalter-journal-inside-transfer-season_479988