The Short Story
Next year I'll be racing for the Lupus Racing Team, a Continental (Div. 3) team based out of Atlanta, Georgia. It's their second year at the Continental level and they're looking to grow a lot with a bigger budget, new riders, and some lofty goals. You can check out the article about the new riders and team that was just released on CyclingNews. Mom was pretty upset that I didn't get a whole paragraph about me, but I guess that's what happens when you didn't race at the Pro level the year before, I'm okay with being in the small print. We'll see if we can change that at some races this year.
The Long Story: Background
About 2.5 years ago I literally limped off the track after putting in monster miles all winter only to have a nagging, often disregarded, stress fracture leave the fitness to waste. I was enrolled in a Master's Program at UVa and intended to finish my eligibility at UVa before focusing on my second year of school. That never materialized as I struggled with my foot, motivation, and fitness throughout the summer. Meanwhile I road my bike a couple times a week to take my mind off the running struggles. I ended up deciding to focus on school, pass on my eligibility and enjoy Friday donuts in the system departments. At that point any small thought I had of being a Pro runner were long gone. I rode bikes a little and got in to the Collegiate MTB scene where I finished 9th and 10th in short track and XC at nationals. Just leftover running fitness. When I look back on my training I didn't train, I enjoyed riding but worked hard at school. In the Spring I kept riding and racing and moved up the ranks on the Collegiate scene but got my doors blown off at Nationals after taking 2 weeks off w/ finals and other school work. With school out of the way and research locked down over the summer I just rode a lot because I could and it was fun. With training came success and I won my first 1/2/3 race at the Miller School RR. After that race Andrea Dvorack and Peter Hufnagel planted a seed that sort of changed my trajectory by putting me in touch with a director of a pro team.
I obviously didn't sign that year considering I had no results anywhere but I got my Cat 1 upgrade, a coach, and spent more time in the saddle. I "signed" with the Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite team for the next year and made becoming a Pro a back of my mind goal. I still didn't think much about it and assumed I'd be using my Engineering degree by the time this fall rolled around. With no classes in the Spring I rode and trained a lot. My coach Curtis Winsor did a great job setting me up for success and the past year has been wild! 14 wins, VA State Champ, Battenkill, Green Mountain Stage Race, 5th at Nationals TT in my first 40k, and a handful of other local wins. Battenkill and GMSR were goals from day one. You never actually nail your goals, it blew my mind. In the spring after winning Battenkill I declined the final job offer I was seriously considering and decided to give it a go. Worst case scenario I would restart the job search in September and that would be worth it. Why not try, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and fortunately it worked out.
The Long Story: Signing a Contract
A couple people that knew about this before I could officially announce asked me what I actually did to sign a Pro Contract. What does the process look like, etc. The simple word is Beg. And win, winning helps too, but mostly beg. If you win but don't beg you'll probably still be racing at the elite amateur level. When I say beg, I mean it as sort of a joke because so many people are out there looking for a job at the Professional level. What I really mean is you have to be proactive, you have to go after the things you want. You follow up, you check in, you don't get discouraged and you keep fighting for your goals. In reality, it's similar to any other job that is worth having. You don't have to just be qualified you have to pursue it. So if you're looking to do this get on it and don't give yourself any excuses to not do the dirty work required to make it happen. This isn't football where you have GM's with millions of dollars swooning over you to come to their team. Sorry.
That being said two things were really helpful for me on this path.
1. Andrea and Peter put me in touch with a director after Miller School. While I didn't sign he told me to keep him in the loop and I sent him updates after every major race and sometimes more often if it had been too long. This started a good habit.
2. Curtis, who had ridden at that level before, was always reminding me to send emails to every team, no shame, keep begging until something catches.
1. Andrea and Peter put me in touch with a director after Miller School. While I didn't sign he told me to keep him in the loop and I sent him updates after every major race and sometimes more often if it had been too long. This started a good habit.
2. Curtis, who had ridden at that level before, was always reminding me to send emails to every team, no shame, keep begging until something catches.
In January I sent emails to almost every Continental level team. I continued this process throughout the year, with each result I sent another e-mail. I heard back from 2-3 teams and no one else but I continued the emails. Interestingly enough, I heard back from the bigger teams in the US, possibly because they had time to respond. In May I went down to Winston Salem, NC and met with 3 directors there. Nothing special, just putting a face to a name and hopefully showing them I'm a normal guy that wants to race bikes. Directors are looking for more than fast bike riders, they want people that can get along, because a close team is a good team. Afterwards it was just more e-mails. About that time Lupus actually contacted me, which is odd, but they were impressed with my win at Battenkill and my TT performance at collegiate nationals. I honestly hadn't looked at them much but I really liked their GM, Brendan Sullivan, and after that we kept in touch. We met at Elite Nationals in Lake Tahoe and talked more about the team, they were seriously stepping their game up, had more funding coming their way, and were looking for better riders to bolster their roster. It sounded like good stuff and we continued emailing back and forth while I kept hounding every team out there. The summer left more unanswered emails and less racing but I stayed in touch. Finally after GMSR I heard back from people and not just a couple, almost everyone. My assumption is that September rolls around and people finally have a good idea of what funding they have for next year and what they're looking for so they were ready to talk. Plus, it is the end of the year and things probably slow down on the bike racing side and they actually have time to read and check emails. For about two weeks I talked with and emailed back and forth with teams before deciding to sign with Lupus. I signed my contract the day before I left for Europe in early October. It was nice to go on vacation knowing everything had all worked out. Again, fortunate.
The Long Story: Why Lupus
So I'm not going to say I had offers flooding in and had all the options in the world before making this decision. Let's be honest, I was still just an amateur who had won races against other amateurs and might be good enough at the next level but really had no results to prove it. I raced once at the Pro level at the Reading 120 and did okay. Maybe it was enough to show I could ride at the next level, but who knows. Either way I was lucky enough to have a couple options and need to make a decision, so here's why I'm racing for Lupus next year.
- They're committed to getting better. They have a set of big goals and are willing to make the moves to get there. From signing new riders, to finding new sponsors, and doing their best to get in to the biggest races. They aren't happy with status quo and want to change it. I'm excited to be on a team who has big goals outlined and are trying to reach them.
- In the volatile world of Continental Pro Cycling, Lupus is on the up and up. They have money locked down and are moving forward. I heard so much about sponsors coming and going and people scrambling to put together the roster they wanted. Lupus had it locked down early which meant they could sign the riders they wanted and didn't have to pick up scraps late. This meant they had the ability to make good on their promises and I think the roster this year shows that. This team is going places.
- Brendan Sullivan, the GM, was a great person to talk and deal with. He responded quickly, was gracious, and layed it all out for me. When you see and hear about the mess in the Pro scene you get skeptical of anything people say. Brendan has made good on all his promises and does a great job managing things. Plus, he searched me out in part and that meant a lot. It meant he, and the team, believed in me and what I could do on the bike. Hey, it always feels nice to be wanted.
- Racing opportunities. Lupus is going do their best to get to all the big races, including some overseas racing. While invites to the biggest races (Medalist Events) are no guarantee the team has already been to one (Tour of Alberta) where they put someone in the break and had good success. More importantly they're committee to those goals and the current climate leads me to believe we'll have those opportunities this year. Guess it is time to start learning how to race for 7+ days in a row. Can't wait to check it out. The proposed schedule isn't finalized, but when it is I'll get it up here.
- Lupus. I'm not going to say that I have a personal connection to the disease or that it's a cause I personally truly cared about prior to this BUT it's great to be on a cycling team with such a positive goal in bringing awareness to the disease. If I can be a small part of bringing awareness to something that so many people and families are affected by I'd consider that a huge positive. It's a unique position as a cycling team to try and have such a positive impact on the world, and I'm happy to be a part of it.
The Long Story: The Thank You's
Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite Team - This team made for one heck of a year. They supported me and were key in all my big wins. Without them I just wouldn't have the wins needed to ride at the next level. Plus they were a ton of fun to hang out with and get to know over the year. Just serious enough to do well and relaxed enough to have fun doing it. I'll always remember the team dominating GMSR and capping off my last and possibly biggest win of the year. So big thanks to the guys. Andrew Seitz, Blair Berbet, Ben Fogle, Ben Frederick, Chris Jones, Curtis Winsor, Dakota Schaeffer, Jake Tremblay, Murray Davis. Also Jeff Schaeffer for sort of being team dad and always around helping. You guys are are awesome.
BSlow Racing - Using this term to denote the close group of friends that started the team with me. They keep my grounded and put up with the fact that I am posting Instagrams and traveling the country/world while they sit at work. They remind me of every classic cycling mistake I make, like don't wear leg warmers without arm warmers (who knew). They're supportive and nice, but mostly there to keep things lite and enjoy the moment. So Steven Cook, Tyler Cloutier, Will Suhring, Bryce Lowry, Jay Catlett, and Andrew Moore, thanks a bunch, you're now welcome to ride the coattails of a no-name pro making very little money. Cool right??? Right???
Fortuna - The amazing group of riders in Charlottesville. Many of the lessons I learned came from riding long with these guys on Saturday mornings from the Albemarle Baking Company. Sprinting from Carlo Pierantoni, race tactics from Saul Yeaton, music selection from Andy Gregory, panache from Seth Gunderson, and etiquette and technique from Lorenzo Battistelli. I found such an awesome group that was way different than I expected and these guys really fueled my love of riding and gave me great life advice along the way. They're just a part of the amazing community I've met through bikes. As further shoutouts for their benefit and because they were there when I really thought I could make it after Battenkill A.T. Stamp and Mike Montgomery. Goons from Lancaster, PA. Neck kisses and Fat Heads forever.
Family - So I'm pretty sure my Dad is more excited about me being a Pro than I am, Mom is just hoping I don't get killed on the roads in the process and my Sister is just asking which wins are "a big deal" because she can't tell anymore. Lucky for me they are all super supportive.
Friends - On top there are plenty more to thank without dragging this out forever. Lee Coppock with constant helpful life guidance and encouragement comes to mind. Sean Keveren for giving me a fellow Professional Athlete friend to try and one up. A lot of my college friends who are super excited for me and love to hear about my adventures and successes. It's great to have such a wonderful support system. I know no one I have met could do without folks like these. So Thank you!
With that done, I guess it is time to up the training, camp and races will come soon enough. Time to enjoy a great Thanksgiving and Christmas season with the family while enjoying the amazing roads of the Blue Ridge.
Keep those pedals spinning,
Bryan
**Curtis Winsor takes 99.9% of the credit for my success and Professional Contract, it is possible this number is actually higher since I have not consulted him. This is the benefit of being coach I guess. The remaining 0.01% is split among other cycling friends. No success is attributed to myself, for the record.
Friends - On top there are plenty more to thank without dragging this out forever. Lee Coppock with constant helpful life guidance and encouragement comes to mind. Sean Keveren for giving me a fellow Professional Athlete friend to try and one up. A lot of my college friends who are super excited for me and love to hear about my adventures and successes. It's great to have such a wonderful support system. I know no one I have met could do without folks like these. So Thank you!
With that done, I guess it is time to up the training, camp and races will come soon enough. Time to enjoy a great Thanksgiving and Christmas season with the family while enjoying the amazing roads of the Blue Ridge.
Keep those pedals spinning,
Bryan
**Curtis Winsor takes 99.9% of the credit for my success and Professional Contract, it is possible this number is actually higher since I have not consulted him. This is the benefit of being coach I guess. The remaining 0.01% is split among other cycling friends. No success is attributed to myself, for the record.