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