It is now 1 week since our arrival in the USA. Our new home is a base in Boulder, dramatically different to previous years experience in Breckenridge, which was about 1.5km higher. The altitude difference is making our assimilation this year much easier, I am however still required to constantly assess the team daily before and after rides. Since the boys caught up with Simon Gerrans they have been constantly staying in touch via his Twitter page. Im not that into it, apparently it is another form of Face book, only better because Lance Armstrong, just to name 1 rider are onto it, or may be I should say into it.

 

Last weekend the first opportunity for a race took place. The Mike Horgan Hill Climb, is a 30km race that goes up the side of a mountain. We have raced this event before only this time we have a few new faces that learnt a bit about what mountains can really be like.

The new members in this years RAK Team are:  David Edwards QLD U/17,

Mat Fortunato VIC U/19 and Ethan Kimmence NSW U/19. They are joined by Lachlan Morton NSW U/19, Jared Trigg NSW U/17 and Patrick Drapac VIC U/19, these 3 riders have experienced USA before, and for Lachlan it is his 6^th outing in Colorado. You can view the results of the RAK team and others on this website www.boulderracing.com

We have found blending experienced youth with less experienced youth a successful format for the RAK team and we are confident that this year this can continue. It is an interesting observation, that riders that have previously travelled with the RAK team, are now moving forward in the world of cycling.

Dale Scarfe is currently in Holland, Chris Jory is in Italy riding in a pro team and starting in his first baby Giro, Lauren Kitchen with the Australain team in Italy, while Angus Morton, Brendan Brooks and Richard Lang are still based in Australia, all have had their share of National medals and team placements, whilst continuing their respective study and work commitments. I am sure the experiences gained here as Juniors are assisting these riders with their performances and allowing them to juggle the training, racing, study/work and  life as it needs to be done in order to be successful in the long term.

Our training today took us towards a town called Ward a 20 km plus climb and around 1000 meters higher than Boulder, all the team took it on, somewhat tired at the days end however still looking forward to tomorrows ride.

This week end we travel to the annual Dead Dog 2 day tour in Laramie, Wyoming. It has been a regular event for the RAK Team over the last 5 years. The challenge of competing at a high altitude which includes a mountain climb that goes up into snow covered tops, a criterium and ITT that will no doubt again be a test for all the competitors.

I will give you an update each week on the RAK teams adventures of life on the road and what being a cyclist in a foreign country is really like.

 

I hope NSW is not so freezing for you all, at the moment here it is hot and tomorrow we expect temperatures in the 30s. Not so bad really as we are out on the road and into it, home before the real heat of the day is upon us.

 

See you on the road,

Seersy