I'm super stoked to finally be able to share that I have been picked up by Team H&R BLOCK for the 2011 race year!! It's so exciting to be moving up to race at this new level, with a bunch of crazy-strong dudes. A bitter-sweet part of the deal is that I will be racing out of Montreal: awesome racing, but I'm moving away from a lot of friends.
It has been a totally amazing experience to race with Speed Theory here in Calgary. From my first bike race ever, the Crankmasters' Moment Of Truth, when I met Trev and decided to join the team, to now, has been an awesome experience, and I want to thank every one of you with whom I raced, trained, got pumped up with, and hung out with...all that has been a huge part of why it's been so fun.
So many memories from the last three seasons of racing. A few standouts:
- Definitely seeing the ST crew for the first time at that Crankmasters TT, all cheering each other on, and thinking, I want to be part of that!
- Meeting Stephen on a cool-down ride after my second race. I was nervously riding in a double-paceline and he said "Buddy, you have to get used to riding close in a group" and he put his arm around my shoulders. I freaked out! haha He and I got in a three-man breakaway in the next race.
- Learning new pain thresholds at many Tuesday night crits and cross with German, Bayly, Carson, and lots of others
- C4 Wednesday night series races with Trev, Stephen and Alex (OMG, I'm in a break with cat 2 racers!)
- Lots of KOM battles with Wooley and Welchie, and the associated trash talk
- 300km randonneuring ride/race with Stephen and Trev in Tucson, and bonking with 100km to go
- Training camps in Victoria and Penticton (IMC course followed by Apex! Mt Baldy! Wheelers ride!)
- Epic rides with Stappie, Keith and other hard men...always involving at least 6 hours in the saddle and lots of gravel
- Banff bike fest - living and racing like a pro for 4 days, every year
- Nationals! with Trev, Godfrey, et al
And so many others.
Of course a big thanks to the Speed Theory gents, Jared and Paul, for both the direct support, and indirectly by providing the foundation for the team.
Far out - can't believe I'm trading the desk for the saddle next year! A solid winter of training, then off to Montreal late winter some time. Hopefully I'll learn French before I starve to death - although regardless, without my fat IT paycheck, I foresee lots of canned beans in my future... Lots of time to see you all before I leave, but after that, hopefully I'll catch up with a bunch of you at Nationals, or any time you're out east. And I'll be sure to get in touch when I am back in town down the road.
Pedal hard, and keep the rubber side down.
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10 comments:
I am excited for you! It will suck not having you to ride/race with over the summer, but I admire you 'giving it a shot' ! and also the drive it took to get this opportunity after only a few years !
I look forward to hearing about all the battles on the road!
Congratulations!
Trev
PS: you better stay racing in the east because I won't hold off any attacks on the road :)
All the best to you Lockie. Congrats on turning pro. I look forward to your blog updates.
Congrats Lockie!
No time like the present to pursue your dream - I'm jealous!
Now I can tell everyone that a PRO borrowed my TT bike for a computrainer race!
All the best Lockie, you deserve it. Good luck out east.
Big congratulations! This is awesome news. I guess that early breakaway group at Nationals really paid off.
Congrats dude - all the best out east!
Bitter sweet. I'll miss having you with me at the Tuesday crits and pounding you into the dirt on long mountain bike rides.
You'll get so much out of this new experience. It will be cool to watch you continue to mature as a racer.
No doubt there will be some big races and great finishes in your future. I hope you get some wins to reward the hard work.
Heal up! You've got some training to do.
Definitely Congrats. But it's not all good. You will really have to learn to shave those legs now.
Dude.
That is awesome.
Your great motivation, and it was a blast being able to ride with you.
I am glad now to be able to trash talk cat 4 races that I crushed a H&R pro on hill repeats. (ok maybe only once or twice in a summer).
I'll be in Montreal and Quebec City intermittently, this summer/fall, so I look forward to finding out if all that poutine has slowed you down...
Cheers, best of luck
Robert
Lockie.... i do remember sharing a beer with you after a 'club racer' session and trying to explain the race scene in Alberta. You were obviously a very good student..ha! ... but more so the product of a great, enthusiastic and supportive club. Hats off to both you and the ST gang! Good Luck (Bon Chance?!) in Montreal.
Chris Sparling
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