Another Nationals Update

This is of course about Max and his grand expedition to race the best kids in the whole country at USA cycling nationals in Bend, Oregon. The adventure is over and I have the updates from the other two events he competed in.

First was the Time Trial that was on Friday. It was an out and back course up hill on the way out and back down to the finish. This is maybe Max's strongest event as it runs in the family DNA of the Cronyns. Max again was the kid on a steel bike, with clip on aero bars, not on a TT bike, loose ball bottom bracket, quill stem, you get the point he rode a bike he could build and well the other kids were riding bikes that cost more than 3 times my car. This is the style of our team and I am ok with it. We can fix anything on our bike and put them together ourselves out of recycled bike parts that the racers of our great city of Tucson are kind enough to donate to us and that's our style.

So the race well not much to tell other than he got 7th over all and was only 15 seconds out of first place. So close and do you think if he had all the tech and gizmos he could have gotten on the podium, well I am going to think so.

WELL DONE YOUNG MAN!

Next Race: The Crit

It took place in down town Bend on a 1 km circuit with only left turns. Max was smart and realized that the same young man had won both the road race and the tt and being very impressed with his strength decided to get right behind him for the start of the crit. Smart move. However as the race started the very strong young man had trouble getting his cleat in and right at the gun 10 kids attacked and opened a gap. Max tried to stay on the wheel of the strong kid however he was boxed in at the moment he made his move to catch the leaders. So max was again on his own chasing the leaders and leaving everyone in his wake. He rode like this until he had passed everyone he could but eventually even the strongest man can't go it alone and Max was lapped by the winner. He exited the course and recieved 20th place. An incredibly respectable finishing position.

I, we, the whole team parents and all riders are very proud of you Max. You raced the best and have come home stronger, more knowledgable, as our true Champ. Well done!!!

Max's National Update

So Tuesday was the road race. The course went like this: ride out about 5 miles to a roundabout, go strait through the roundabout and then proceed to do 6 laps on a cirle course that was half up hill and half down hill with the roundabout the bottom of the hill. After the last lap you head back down the road you came in on the the finish.

There were about 70 kids entered in Max's 13-14 age group. He said he was the only one on a bike that was more than a year old and surely the only one on a rebuildable square taper bottom bracket, steel frame, single pivot brakes, with a down tube shifter, a quill stem etc. I think you get the point.

So as the race started Max was able to get to the front before the first roundabout and the good hills. As the race went up hill Max and about 9 other riders were able to get off the front of the race. So now Max is left with only a small group to try and stay away from a very big group. They were quite successful in doing so after the first lap however as his group got to the bottom of the hill and they had to round the roundabout the young man infront of Max crashed. Max did not go down however he had to put a foot down after running over the kids front wheel but even worse the kid got his pedal stuck in Max's wheel.

Max then had to spend almost a minute getting his bike back together before he could start to chase the lead group but by this time he was almost in last place. Over the next 5 laps though he chased with pride. Nelson said he was gaining on the front group the whole time this alone and basically time trialing. By the end of the race Max was able to make it to the second group of riders that contained only four but were only behind the lead group of 9.

Without much time they chased together and almost got to the front. At the end Max was dead but was still able to get second in this group for an over all place of 14th.

14th place after giving everyone almost a minute lead.

Well done Max!!! We are very proud!!!

Next up a Time Trial on Friday and the crit race on Saturday.

Venga, Venga, Venga Max we believe in you

State Champ Max goes to Nationals

That's right Max the current state champ in every disipline in the state of Arizona in the 13 -14 age group is in Bend Oregon with his father, Nelson, getting ready to race the best in the country this week. He will start racing on Tuesday with a road race, then friday is the time trial and saturday the crit. So keep your thoughts with him, give him a call if you can, and get ready for next year so maybe you can join him. We are proud of you Max and wish you all the best. Good racing and may the force be with you.

Race info can be found at this link: http://www.usacycling.org/events/2009/JrU23EliteRoadNats/

NO PRACTICE SUNDAY

That's right folks no practice this coming Sunday. I am going to be out of town and so I will not be able to lead a ride. However Mr. Kramer will have the club house keys and you are all welcome to meet there and go on a ride. As well if he has the keys you are going to be the club house during "off" hours then I want to see it better than the way you found it. Convince me that letting you the youth riders have access is a good idea. This is the first amount of leash I am giving you so make it count.

Ignacio

Just really because he is so cute

Thanks Kathleen these pics are the best yet of the little guy.

THANKS GABA!!!!!!

GABA made quite a donation to the team the other night at their monthly meeting and we are extremely excited about the relationship. EL Grupo has had the pleasure the last few years to participate in GABA events and we very much enjoy them and look forward to them. So the other night they invited us to a montly meeting in which we helped them with their ice cream social and the kids had the opportunity to meet some of the GABA club members. We had a good time, ate a lot of ice cream and I enjoyed the crushed oreos on mine. Thanks GABA for the incredibly kind donation and we very much look forward to helping on the rides to come. We are excited to be a part of you great group. Check their web site out at http://www.bikegaba.org/ and go ride.

Practice Options coming up

So on Tuesday morning of this week the 7th of July I will be unable to make practice as I have a bicycle obstacle course to put on for an elementary school camp. For those of you that are registered as bicycle ambassadors you may help me and make money by doing so. So if you are interested please contact me and I will give you the specific details.

If you want to ride on Tuesday instead you may ride with Nelson and Max on the super fast and hard morning ride with the big kids of town. If you want to try that please call Max.

Now if you are not going to ride on Tuesday and even if you are going to help me at the obstacle course,

I WOULD REALLY LIKE IT IF YOU COULD..........

Come to the GABA meeting tomorrow. It starts at 7pm but they want us there to help them set up. So if we could meet at the club house at 5:30 that would make sure we are there on time. They want to give us a check and it would mean a lot if we could be there in good force to accept it. So you can either meet me at the club house at 5:30 or you may drive there on your own. Information available at www.bikegaba.org. Please let me know though if you are coming and if you can help with vehicles.

Also by helping in doing this you are working your way into being able to ride the Blue Loop. What that? Ask Kramer, Logan, Max, or Robin.

Hear from you tomorrow.

Ignacio