Junior Worlds 2014

A month ago, I could tell you, I never thought I would be going to the World Championships, not this year. I might have been able to say, maybe next year, I hope. The extent of my international racing was with my trade team Hot Tubes, and a kermesse trip with the USA National Team. I was lucky enough to have my shot at being chosen in August, while I was on a kermesse trip with the USA team. Every kermesse I raced with a bit of anger, I think it was a combination of everything that happened during this season, it drove me, all I wanted to do was win. Podium hunting, or village pillaging are the proper terms. I was so driven to win, I wanted to prove myself. I won one race, then ended up winning five in a row, and ended it with six wins total, top five every race, besides the lone UCI race that I crashed out of. Even I could not have told you that I would place top five every race with six wins. Each win I became more driven, I wanted that spot at worlds, I wanted so badly to win each race. It was all surreal. 

Fast forward to Worlds, for me, it was a dream come true. A year of ups and downs, and now I can finish off my season at the World Championship. I land in Madrid, and now jump in the USA van to the pre-Worlds camp in Miraflores de la Sierra. I think this place was special, up in the mountains, very small town. Barely anyone spoke English, but I loved it. I love being put in places that put me out of comfort zone, I think it really puts into perspective how small we are in this huge world. We rest, we ride, we eat, it was good preparation for Ponferrada. We arrive in Ponferrada, the drive in, I am a little intimidated, these mountains are HUGE, luckily we did not race all the way to the top. We train, we explore. I really loved being there. We are at dinner, sitting with the famous American pros that we watch on TV, we were all equals at Worlds, all treated to the same things, the same food, the same table, and that felt good. Fast forward to the race, game time, time to go hunting for a podium, time to go pillage and village. I know my role, I am what they called a primer, I would lead up the climb, to prep our finishers to attack on the second climb right before the finish. It's a warzone. Crashes everywhere, constant fighting for position, but I will fulfill my job, I will prime these guys for a good finish. After priming for one-hundred kilometers, with minimal drinking, minimal eating, I am cracked. To add on to that, both our strongest guys, Will Barta and Adrien Costa just crashed, and I gave everything I had left, which was little to help them get back to the group, my trade teammate, Jonny Brown, also there went all out to help them get back. CRACKED. I ride the whole last twenty kilometers alone to the finish, I did not want to quit, I wanted my name on the results, even if it was for 108th place, eighteen minutes down. I have no water, I eat all the food I had left, but I am in the red zone, I am so far in that hole, that I can not get myself out of it. I am so deep in the box, that I can not ride straight on the last climb only five kilometers to the finish, I keep hitting the barrier, I am telling myself, "Ride straight, breath, we are almost done." I finish, finally. I finish, and I am so glad I finished, I hate seeing DNF's, I can not stand it. All of us, disappointed, but I was just happy to be there, you can't dwell on the negative. To cap off my season with attending the World Championship, that is a blessing. My director tweeted something so true, "That was a tough day to end an excellent season on. Must pedal forward, learn and prepare again for next year. #NoBadDays" No bad days is right, we all lived to fight another day. 

Special thanks to USA Cycling, Billy Innes, Joe Holmes, Jost our mechanic and Robert our soigneur. It was an awesome experience, and I am so happy that I got the opportunity to race the World Championships. 

This is for Billy Innes and Joe Holmes:

#PodiumHunting
#VillagePillage
#StraightOuttaCompton

Jack Maddux

A Problem I Notice With Junior Racers in America

Today as I was riding, I was thinking about the Sea Otter road race, and I was thinking about some statements I heard in the feed zone. I notice that we sometimes stop racing for the win, and race against one specific person. Sometimes we forget that we are racing for the victory, and are racing for the sole purpose of beating one person. I've done it, you've done it, we have all done it. Reflecting on Sea Otter, while riding through the feed zone, I heard someone yell, "You better beat Jack, don't let him beat you!". This perplexes me, because I was not in contention for the win. This is a terrible way to race, competition between one another is healthy, and constructive, but when you no longer race for the win, and race to beat one specific person, this is when it becomes wrong, and extremely negative. It's something we can all work on, it is something all of us fall under. Always be positive in your racing. Our cycling community is a very small, close knit group and you never know who your teammates may be in the future.


Cheers,
Jack Maddux

Sea Otter 2014

Often times, among teams, there is always a standout rider, a leader, a strongest rider. What I love so much about my new team Hot Tubes, is that we don't have one rider that is stronger than the other. We are all equals. We all excel in different areas, some are better climbers, some are better sprinters, and some are better time-trialists. Also what I love, is that we can all sacrifice for each other, we always race forward, we race together.

The Sea Otter circuit race, my favorite race of the year, was a fast one. All out from the beginning, like Mikey Hernandez attacking in the first two minutes. We were all racing aggressively, attacking one after another. Finally a break stuck, with my teammate Phil, Eric Oien and a Byrds rider. Now our job was simple, cover the attacks, and try to bridge to the break... Easier said than done, lol. Coming on one lap to go, I followed a move initiated by Jason Saltzman, and we exchanged little pulls, I then accelerated over the hill, with my teammate Phil and his breakaway companions in sight. I managed to catch them, around a kilometer to go until the finish, as I made it to the break, Phil looked back at me, and we exchanged a devious smile. I heard the sounds of of gears shifting down, and watched as Phil turned into a blue blur, flying away from the breakaway at unrelenting speed. I then attacked, ten seconds behind Phil, and we finished first and second. A little background, I have been in the breakaway, every single year at Sea Otter, but have never won..but this was a  win for me. It  was 100% team effort. Some made comments, "First loser, eh?", I replied, "Not technically, I'd rather say I was the second winner", because Phil won, and it felt just as good as winning.

Phil & I on the podium

The road race was also a display of teamwork just like the circuit race. We were in all the early moves, although each was reeled in, but Mikey followed the right move and ended up being in the winning breakaway. Again, our job was simple, cover the attacks, and take opportunities to bridge to Mikey. It was very negative, which worked to our advantage, because Mikey's gap to the field grew, and grew, and grew. It was short race, thirty-three miles, and before we knew it we were already on the finishing hill. We floated wheels, and rode hard to the finish. Ethan Reynolds won the bunch sprint. As we finished, we got the  word from Mikey, that he beat out his breakaway companion and took the win. Another win for the team.

A celebratory hug. Photo credit: TRU Cycling

Mikey and Ethan on the podium.

What I love so much, is that we have such a variety of riders, we have diversity. The circuit race, Phil and I go first and second, taking two podium spots, and in the road race, Mikey and Ethan take first and third. We all saw the podium, and Ian worked his arse off in each race to help us. This is why I love this team. We are all equally willing to sacrifice for each other. Thanks for a great weekend of racing boys, and also, a huge thanks to the Tolleson's for opening their home to us.

Love you guys.

Jack Maddux

Racing Forward

The most prominent thing I try to do in my racing is, always race forward. I say always race forward, because it creates more opportunities for success, and hey, if it doesn't work out, you can always go again. I think it is the best way to make friends and allies in this un-glamorous, hard sport we all cherish.

Last weekend, I raced the Off the Front Omnium, a local race for me. Chico looked so appealing, but I thought I would stay in town before I am off to Georgia for a race, followed up by team camp. The prologue was an usual one for this area, two kilometers uphill. I rode my time trial bike, due to the false flat where your speeds exceeded fifty kilometers an hour. I won the prologue with a time of 3:38, with Travis Lyons right close behind.

(Photo Credit: Gary Brooks)

Later in the day was the circuit race, with a hard hill (to my advantage), but with a downhill finish, not exactly my forte. So I was trying to be as active as possible, creating opportunities for myself. In the first ten minutes of the race I got into a breakaway with Travis Lyons, and Nicolas Shaffner. We lasted for about two laps, and were quickly reeled in. Upon being reeled in, the pace quickly slowed as they latched onto us, I saw that as an opportunity to race forward and I attacked. That attack ended up being a fifty minute solo mission, to be reeled in with two laps to go, again, racing forward in my mind, I quickly tried yet again to break from my competitors, every attempt shut down.

Digging deep on my solo mission. (Photo Credit: Gary Brooks)

Now, one to go, I attacked over the hill, shut down, I attack over the next riser, shut down, I attack right before the downhill, and spin as fast as I can to the finish. Only to see "The Beard" AKA Blake Anton blow right past me, quickly followed by Chuck Hutcheson, I tried to match their speed, but my gears stood no match, but I kept pressure on to the finish, closing on my rivals on the flat section to finish third place. Winning the prologue, and placing third in the circuit race placed me in first in the omnium, so I had some defending to do at the Hanford Criterium.

The last race, some are sighing relief, but I am just looking to race as hard as possible, and secure my omnium position. The race started, I rolled through first lap, and for me, that was go time. I started attacking, quickly being brought back and shut down by the field, but every time I was brought back, I went again, and again, and again. I attacked before the second to last turn, shut down, again, but with racing forward in my mind, I went again out of the last turn, and this attack would establish the break. Chuck, myself and Josh Cox would eventually lap the field. The moment we lapped the field, I was once again racing forward, trying to break from my competitors, as I was outnumbered (Three XMX racers, and two Marc Pro Strava racers) so I could single out my competition and put myself in the best position to win. Every attempt to break from my competitors was shut down, time and time again, I never stopped trying until we reached one to go, then I knew it was time for me to sprint.

I think that is my frustrated face. (Photo Credit: Gary Brooks)

Keith Defiebre, being a friend, and supporter saw my frustration with the negativity of the field and led me out approaching the finish. I went as hard as I could into the second to last turn, sprinting as hard as possible out of the turn, cornering the final turn, I put it in gear, and once again sprinted as hard as I could, to be passed in the final fifty meters by Chuck Hutcheson and Josh Cox. Tired and frustrated, yes, but it served as great training for my approaching team camp. Although many of my attacks were shut down, I always tried to follow my instinct and race forward. I raced forward to create opportunities for myself that could result in possible success, although I was chased down numerous times, I never lost hope, and continued to race to finish.

A Soaked Venture Into 2014

What a start to 2014. Excuse me, what a WET start to 2014. Last weekend, I left the sunny skies of Fresno and followed the dark, disquieted clouds to race the Cherry Pie Criterium in Napa. Good thing my dad and I made an investment in storm venture water proof jackets, or we might have been sopping from the long walk to sign in. I was the lone ranger, standing out in sparkling blue. My plan was to ride, follow the right wheels, and try not to get worked over. It took me a few laps to really get comfortable at taking the water-logged corners at speed. The race was hard, and fast. Many getting worked over in the first twenty minutes. I stayed unruffled and let the race sort itself out. I ended up getting in a group of ten behind the break of two off the front, after a grueling forty minutes. The wind was punishing, and continuously strong, making any advance a struggle. I ended up seventh place behind an array of Mikes Bikes and Hagens Berman. I ended up placing seventh. I was content with my result, and I was happy to be representing my team colors. I am looking forward to the many races to come, wet, or dry, I can not wait for the upcoming weekends.

I Ride For Me

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved riding my bike. I can remember watching the 2005 Tour de France, the grimaces on Armstrong's and Basso's faces inspiring me to race myself around the block until my mom forced me in the house. Cycling is a huge part of my life. As I have grown with it, it has become an emotional outing for me, it is what I would describe as my "Happy Place". If I have a rough day, or wake up in a bad mood, I can jump on my bike and have that feeling completely disappear. I can ride, with no destination, I can just ride, with a clear mind, and focus on the things that matter. It is like entering my own world, where I can truly think, and explore my own mind. No other sport has done this for me, cycling is my therapy. I ride because I LOVE to ride, no one pressuring me, I ride for me. This sport has truly blessed me, and molded me into the person I am today.

To A Year Of New Experience & Adventure

The off season flew by way too fast. It felt as if just yesterday I was grinding gears (& some skin) in Europe. It feels like I have not done enough group rides, although my list of attendance to the Saturday Group ride is off the charts. This off-season has treated me well, and so has the winter weather in Fresno, never unbearably cold, thank the Lord. I got to spend time with good people, while riding, it was really the best of both worlds. It made me forget about racing, and just enjoy riding my bike. 

A few highlights from 2013 before I start to talk about 2014:

Winning the Madison event at Track Nationals with Matt Valencia, my best friend, and ex-teammate.

My first win in Europe, as a team we went 1st, 2nd, & 4th that day. 

We won the Team Time Trial at the West Vlaanderen Tour.

A bittersweet moment, my last race with my Specialized teammates.

A lowlight of the year, this is me crashing in the 3rd Stage of the West Vlaanderen Tour.

2014 will be a new year for me. For those who do not know, this year I changed teams from Specialized to Hot Tubes. Although leaving was bittersweet, I can not stress how excited I am for the new experiences I will partake in this year with Hot Tubes. I also can't wait to race with my good friends on my new team. The opportunities seem endless on this team, and I am so excited to be apart of it. As much as I loved this off-season, I can not wait to race my bike. I am ready for crunch time, I am ready for the pressures and stresses this year will present to me.

In 2014, I will be apart of multiple International Races. With Hot Tubes, as a team, we will be traveling to race the infamous race "Axl", and also in late summer we will race in Tour of Ireland. On top of the International Races I will also be doing more east coast races, as Hot Tubes is based out of Boston. It will be fun to race with different people on the other side of the continent. Another thank you going out to Hot Tubes, thank you for the experiences and opportunities to come.

Also, a HUGE shoutout to Illest (AKA Tselli) and Fatlace for their generosity by sending me a Tselli cycling kit. You guys are awesome, the kits looks and feels great.

Oh and not to mention something totally utterly cool, and rad; here are some pics of Jove (one of my group ride friends) after he hit a deer descending down to Pine Flat Lake.

Happy Racing Everyone, and Happy New Year!

Jack Maddux