This One Counts

This is my first year on an actual cycling team and as of now it's been overwhelming. I would like to note that I say "an actual cycling team" with some reservations. Last year, as the year before I raced for Bicycle World Racing, out of New Orleans, LA. This was a great team for me at the time and I still hold dear the friendships I made while there, however, did not have the strength or coordination to implement tactics etc. The most teamwork involved getting water bottles for other teammates. Now that I'm racing for Mercy Cycling, out of Ft. Smith AR, the concept of teamwork has quickly been developed. Just the fact that your on a team and know that on any given day any one team member could take the "V" is amazing. This was illustrated in last weeks victories at Lago Vista.

I could only race on Sunday because of being required to work on Saturday. I did however make the 8.5 hour journey on Saturday so that I could race with the team on Sunday. When I got there I learned that that we had taken 1st and 8th on the day; impressive with the field present. The team was tired and had worked hard (I only add this because this is the first time that I have seen these guys so quite and the looks on their faces as if it was still a race, not to win but just to stay awake a few more hours before going to bed - they just wanted to finish). The next morning we grab some breakfast and go to the race. At our team meeting before the start we were discussing strategy (we meaning the other guys on the team as I realize that I am there to just be told what to do) and one of our guys charmed in and said "Lets just do what we did yesterday." I thought to myself how simple - lets just win. Well, I ended up being asked to cover the early breaks and I did (as best I could). I ended up being dropped after an effort trying to pull back a break and not being able to recover. I know I was working for the team but I wanted to finish in the peleton today. This is something I've taken from my prior team (thanks K) - "You have to finish before you can win". Well I didn't even finish with the group. I rode around the course until getting pulled and proceeded to get ready to leave. Making the 8.5 hour trek back to NOLA I was pretty disappointed. I did what I was told, which is good, didn't finish, which is bad. The next morning I get an e-mail from the Team Captain thanking us for our work. We had pulled off the Double "V" over the course of two days - amazing! Now for as bad as I felt getting dropped yesterday somehow it seems worth it. It was for the team, for the "V".

So this weekend we have a local race and I have it down as one of my target races. I'm not sure what I'll be able to do but if I'm lucky I might be able to out last some others in this 100 mile death march - the Rouge Roubaix! All I know is now I'm on home soil - this one counts!

Brooks A. Branham
Mercy Cycling Team