It’s race season! 

This was the first race for the Warp9bikes.com/TriStar cycling team.  Mike Olheiser, Nicole Bock. and me (Jeremy Smith), joined several others local racers/friends and took on the Toney TT just north of Huntsville on Febuary 1.  A group of us met in downtown Huntsville to ride out to the course and stretch the legs a bit.  After a nice 22 mile ride out to the course, we registered and it was time to race.

We figured out that there would be a heck of a cross/tail wind going out (4.5 miles) with the same infernal cross/head wind coming home (4.5 miles).  The tailwind made pacing downright impossible going out (and blowing up a real possibility coming home).  There were times on the slight downhill/false flat sections that you could effectively spin out a regular road bike on the outbound leg.

Mike O. started 1 minute behind me and soon enough he came around like a jet.  Mike O. blasted the course in 18:13 to take the Elite title by almost 2 minutes.  Despite being passed by Mike, I held on and got third in the Masters division in 22:49.  Nicole rode well and took the Women’s race by over a minute.  It was a great test to open the season and get the first power numbers in the aero-bars. 

Three “podiums” in one day-not bad for Warp9bikes.com/TriStar’s first race! 

The Alabama Wheelmen put on a great event. 

After the race we enjoyed a nice 22 mile ride back into Huntsville into the aforementioned headwind, but the ride home was well worth fighting the headwind after the three of us stepped up on the podium.