2020 Kick-Off
Off-Season
After breaking my wrist at Milan-Torino, the ever short “off” season snuck up on me. My season was unexpectedly over and I didn’t race in China, which was a small consolation prize. While far-flung races in October are never my favorite, I still would always rather be racing than injured.
The wrist forced me to take some time off the bike. We headed back to North Carolina in preparation for the 6th edition of the Bookwalter Binge, and those weeks are always full-on with final details and friends coming into town. It served as a great way to “break” from the season.
I received medical clearance to ride the Binge with my wrist brace but didn’t anticipate riding the entire Gran route. I ended up enjoying it too much to stop and was psyched to be out there for the full ride.
It was an absolutely beautiful fall day with amazing colors and it was definitely a highlight my off-season. After the Binge, I took a couple weeks off the bike and went to Athens, GA for my buddy Joey’s wedding, which was a great reunion with lots of friends there. Next up was a family trip with our parents along the Georgia coast. Jamie and I took our bikes and had some mellow cruises and exploring, but it was mostly hanging out with the fam, relaxing, and some fishing.
Dealing with Health Issues
2019 was a rough year in terms of consistent health. If anything, it made me realize what an impressively positive run I’ve had with consistency over the past decade+. Every year, we see riders go through rough patches where they struggle to find momentum and health, and I experienced this during portions of 2019. Fortunately, I finished the season really strong with the Canadian WorldTour races and then into Croatia where I bagged a top 10 GC while supporting Adam to the overall win. I’m thankful I had that chance to put together a good race there and I head into the off-season healthy (wrist aside).
Transition Year
I’d say the most significant highs and lows from 2019 revolved around transitioning over to a new team. It was an immense challenge that I slightly underestimated, a net positive but sometimes a very challenging process.
The newness injected excitement and fresh air into my program, but also came with many hurdles such as adjusting to new equipment, teammates, team philosophy, and staff. The team also had to learn who I am and how to best utilize my skills.
The positives easily outweighed the negatives, and I found myself remarkably motivated and ambitious despite the health and transition setbacks. This served as confirmation that I have more to give as a performer and athlete and that I still love the process and experience of racing my bike.
Highlights throughout the season included a handful of Team Time Trial wins that I was a part of, especially the one at Tirreno-Adriatico. At BMC over the years, they won that Tirreno TTT on multiple occasions, but I was never part of the actual squad. I was always on reserve up until the day before the race and then would be sent home to prepare for other races. It honestly felt a little vindicating to go to a new team and immediately be a part of a big team win in this particular time and place.
One of the unexpected challenges for 2019 was not racing in the USA (for the first time during my entire pro career!). I had never realized how much personal inspiration I drew from those races over the years. Without those American race days, it left a bit of a void that I had to creatively fill to get myself mentally and physically motivated for European races. The long-standing, steeped-in-tradition Euro races are definitely easy to get psyched up for, but they have a different sort of feeling and meaning than racing “at home.” In hindsight, I’m grateful for the experience I gained from meeting this challenge and the awareness it gave me from seeing a different perspective.
Looking Ahead
Heading into my second year with Mitchelton-SCOTT, I feel more comfortable and relaxed. Critical to this growth is the internal introspective work I’ve done over these past 12+ months. Asking myself questions like, “Do I want to keep racing” or “Why am I racing” and taking the time to get uncomfortable and listen to the answer wasn’t easy. But trudging through those emotions and finding my truth put me in a stronger position heading into 2020.
There are also clear logistical and mechanical differences from where I was at this point last year. I know the bikes and my teammates. I understand what is expected out of me from the team and trust that they have a better understanding of what they can expect from me.
At this point last year, I hadn’t even seen my TT bike, so little things like that are big pieces of the puzzle that have snapped together. I also switched coaches in 2019. After so many years with one person, that came as a challenge, but we’ve reached the point where we are more honed and ready to take on the 2020 racing season.
For 2019 pre-season training, I took part in the Mitchelton-SCOTT mega volume point-to-point riding camp. I’m skipping that this year because it is too far away to guarantee that I can get back to Girona if Jamie goes into labor. Other than that, the pre-season training is similar to last year and is all about adapting to my body and growing personally. When the baby does come, I’m sure things will change on multiple levels, but I’m excited by this new challenge. It’s inspiring to see other dads and families around me find their groove.