“And that’s a wrap!…for the 2011 mountain bike season anyway. This last weekend I competed in the elite World Championships in Champéry, SUI as a member of the US National team. This was my second consecutive attendance to Worlds, and the normal electric atmosphere was amplified (at least for me) by the insanely beautiful location of the race venue, nestled into an “alpine cathedral” in the Swiss Alps.

Last year, my berth to Worlds in Mt. St. Anne, QC was more of a Cinderella story outta nowhere, having balanced my full time job at Ridgeline all season long, racing for Erik Tonkin’s Team S&M, and really just thinking a trip Worlds was a long shot.

The 2011 season was different. First of all, I knew I could do it. To back it up, I graduated to a rookie spot on the Kona Factory Team, complete with top-of-the-line equipment, support at races, and the confidence boost of being a member of an internationally recognized company and team. I also gained the support of my company, Ridgeline Energy/Veolia, who, after learning of my accomplishments in 2010, encouraged me to pursue my unique cycling opportunity. We arranged a deal for me to reduce to part-time starting in June, allowing me the time to travel to key events, and Veolia even helped to support a portion of my travel expense. Ridgeline should have been in last month’s issue of Outside Magazine in their article on the 65 Best Jobs in the country. Read More→