-By Jonathan Spangle
I have competed in many races, but 2018 was the year that I competed in my very first USA Cycling Amateur Road Nationals in the U23 race. I did compete in my first Collegiate Road Nationals in Colorado earlier in the year, but the level of racing is not quite as high. Although I was the only U23 rider on the team who was able to go, I did not let it discourage me. The U23 category is the only category that allows professionals to race at Amateur Nationals and is composed of riders aged 19-22. My racing age is 20 so I’ll have 2 more shots after this year in the same category. We had Brady and Patrick representing Strike in the Elite category. They raced the individual time trial (ITT), road race, and crit, while I raced the latter two. With this being my first nationals, I expected to get dropped quickly in all the races. Like always, I doubt my fitness until the actual race, where I end up surprising myself. Even though I did get dropped, it happened towards the end of the race instead of immediately, contrary to my initial thoughts.
The 20-hour drive to Hagerstown, MD started from my house in Houston. The plan was for Nathan (the team mechanic) and I to meet Brady in Knoxville, TN and then drive the rest the next day. We would meet Patrick in Hagerstown because he was in DC for the summer. Unfortunately, the entire week was full of minor setbacks which made it a bit stressful at times. There was a lot of late nights trying to get ready and a lot of early wake up calls. Luckily, we were never late.
The next day was an early wake up for the TT which I decided not to do because I do not ride my TT bike enough. Brady and Patrick did race the TT, with Nathan and me helping them prepare. It was an uneventful day for them. This could be because it was Patrick’s first time riding his TT bike outside (classic Pat) and Brady had an asthma attack during the last half of the race. In the afternoon, we pre-rode the road race course. This allowed me to do my openers and for all of us to get a feel for the course. The course was on small farm roads and had a decent amount of climbing. It reminded me of the narrow roads and short climbs of Belgium, which I did not think I would ever see in America.
Patrick finishing his individual time trial
Now it was time for the 5 lap 100-mile road race. It was another early morning because Brady and Patrick had to race early in the morning in the elite race. I helped Nathan with feeding Brady and Patrick at the feed zone. Brady had much better luck this year and was able to finish the race, but Patrick’s race got ended by a flat after making the early breakaway. Now it was time for my race. It was a bit nerve racking lining up with some of the best U23’s in the country. Once we got going, all the nerves went away and I just focused on pedaling my bike for as long as possible. This was probably the hardest race of the year for me. Luckily, my legs felt amazing. It was the first time I felt no pain in my legs for an entire race. The hardest part of the course started just a few miles in right after the feed zone with a short climb followed by a sketchy descent on damp roads. The flattest part of the race was in the middle of the course before more rollers and a flat finish. I felt great the entire race and I never felt like I was really suffering. If I remember correctly - I was just a little delusional at the time - I got dropped three and a half laps in. It was the strangest feeling because my legs were not hurting; they just seized up and stopped. After getting dropped, my goal was to finish the last half lap so I could get placed. It got really exciting with 10 or so miles left when it started thundering and raining. I managed to make it back in one piece and finished in 69th place. The weather got so bad that they had to postpone the last lap until the weather improved.
Since we have no juniors on the team, we were able to make the next day a rest day. The plan was to have a 1.5-hour recovery ride around Hagerstown and then go to DC. We decided to follow a recommended route for tourists and trusted Patrick to guide us. Let’s just say that Patrick should not have had the map, and after multiple turn arounds, we managed to get back without riding too much extra. After the ride we drove to DC, it would be my first time going. I really enjoyed being able to see the nation’s capital and some of its iconic sites.
Patriotic for my first time to Washington, DC
The last and final day before the drive back home was the criterium. I would be the first to go in the U23, followed by Brady and Patrick in the elite. They were both 75-minute crits on a sketchy course full of crashes. Again, with it being my first nationals race I had no expectations to get a result or even finish. I managed to start close to the front which helped because I still have a lot of work to do to improve my crit racing skills. Once the race started, I was able to keep good positioning for the first 30 minutes. After that, I started to get tired which in turn tends to negatively affect my positioning in crits. As I started moving backwards in the group, I found myself avoiding some crashes and almost sliding out on one of the turns. Pretty soon after all of that, I found myself with even worse positioning which eventually led to me getting dropped. Shortly after the U23 crit, it was Brady and Patrick’s turn to race. They both were able to finish and avoid any mishaps. Immediately after their race, we had to pack everything up and start the journey back home.
That is how my first nationals went. Nothing incredibly special happened and some racers would even consider this a terrible weekend of racing. But I was very happy with how I performed, and I know it can only get better because I will keep putting in the hard work. I honestly cannot wait for the 2019 season and to see my hard work pay off.
Sharing some post crit stories and cokes with Michael Pincus (Texas friend) and the new US Elite National Champion Justin Williams
Jonathan is a sophomore at Texas A&M University studying Economics. His favorite Justin Beiber song is “Despacito (Remix)”. He likes to occasionally play video games and eat smoked meats. 2018 was his first year on the team, and we excited to have him back for 2019!