2012 Elite, U23, Juniors & Paralympic Road National Championships – Day 1

ByMike Byrd

Originally posted June 2012

Chester and I left the Cool Breeze Cyclery at 3PM and headed to Augusta for the 2012 Paralympic Road Nationals.  We made it to Augusta in 3 hours and checked into the Sheraton.

Chester asked me a couple months ago to pilot his tandem at Nationals but I don’t think I really understood how big a deal it is.  It started to sink in when we rolled through the hotel parking lot and there was a line of about 100 cyclists with their time trial bikes.  They were in line to get their bikes inspected by USA Cycling! 

Chester checked into the hotel and we met up with some of his friends.  We went to dinner with them and I sat next to a paralympian named Jasen.  He is 28 but was injured in Iraq in 2004.  He enlisted in 2003 and a year later he was overseas.  He sustained his injuries when and IED hit his vehicle.  It was heartbreaking to hear.  He lost his right eye and has no vision in his left eye.  It really put things in perspective for me.

After dinner we had a US Cycling meeting to discuss the details.   They discussed the start of the Time Trail , the course, times, etc.  And then they spoke about the ParaOlympic selection process.  Which to be honest, I don’t really understand.  But there are 6 spots open for the men which means there is the slightest chance Chester and I could qualify for the 2012 London Paralympics!

At the meeting I met some more of Chester’s friends. It was nice to see several people search Chester out to say hello.  It’s definitely a tight group. 

Chester and I race today at 3:15pm.  The course appears to be slightly rolling out and back with a small elevation gain on the way out and then fast on the way back to the finish.  It’s 8AM right now and we are heading off to breakfast.  Chester and I are both fired up to race.  I think we have a good chance to be really competitive!

Chester and I are heading down to the 2012 USA Cycling Paralympic Road Nationals next week.  We will be participating in the Time Trial and Road Race. 

The Bike Racer

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the Internet. My name is Mike Byrd and this is my website. I enjoy sports, being outside, new challenges, marketing and anything that comes my way. I am the author of the blog posts on thebikeracer.com. I enjoy writing about cycling, poiltics, coffee and anything else that fits in the "My World" category. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to say up to date on anything new that gets posted to thebikeracer.com.

Similar Posts

2012 NODA Criterium

2012 NODA Criterium

ByMike Byrd

April 15, 2012 was the inaugural NODA Criterium held in NODA (North Davidson) in Charlotte, NC.  Since I had raced the Dillworth Criterium the day before, I slept in and did somethings around the house before heading down to NODA.

I arrived about 45 minutes before my race, got dressed and found Mike Levine of Mills-Levine.  We warmed up for about 20 minutes.  MIke had raced the 4/5 race and was going to race the 3/4 race.  This would be our first chance to race together.  The course in NODA is super fun.  it has 6 turns and is a fast course with a long uphill drag on the back of the course.

Race 2 – 2012 Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series

Race 2 – 2012 Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series

ByMike Byrd

The first official race of the Charlotte Summer Series Mountain Bike Series hosted by Charlotte Sports Cycling was at North Mecklenburg Park.  I took the Cool Breeze Van down N. Meck and set the tent up.  With this being the first race and at a relatively easy course, the numbers were impressive.  I’m betting Neal had over 150 racers.  The Cool Breeze/Trek Bike Store team had 12 racers!  A great turn out!

I decided to race the Super Sport class for the summer series.  I considered the Expert class but don’t have a USAC expert license so I couldn’t sign up for the extra length required of the expert class.   We had 12 racers in the Super Sport class which is a great turnout for this class.

2012 I’on Village Criterium Charleston SC

2012 I’on Village Criterium Charleston SC

ByMike Byrd

I headed down to Charleston, SC for the 2012 I’on Village Criterium and the SC State Championship Criterium the following day.  I’ve made this trip the last 3 years with Neal Boyd and several of the Clif-Bar Giordana Brica team members.  We went down Thursday night, woke up early Friday and went Kayak Fishing with Neal, Leah and Shirlene.  Good times.

It’s always a fun trip and the course at I’on Village is a lot of fun.  I wake up, help Neal set up the course and then hang out until my race.  I did the Cat 2/3 race and it didn’t start until 1:50.  So I went back to the house and did a 20 mile ride on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan island with Shirlene, Alison and Leah.  It was a perfect warm up for my race.

2011 Ion Smack Down – Charleston, South Carolina

2011 Ion Smack Down – Charleston, South Carolina

ByMike Byrd

I headed to Charleston, SC for a weekend of criterium racing.  I left on Friday, April 15th after going for a 25 mile ride in Mooresville.  We arrived in Charleston around 6:30 and Leah and Neal arrived shortly thereafter.   We all went to dinner and celebrated Neal’s birthdays. 

I woke up early (5AM) Saturday morning to help Neal set up the crit course. We arrived at the venue around 5:45AM and started unloading his trailer to get the stage and truss setup.  Things were pretty nervous as the forecast was for major winds and rain.  We got everything setup with 15 minutes to spare.  The good news was that the rain held off and the course started drying up.

Snowy Weekend at Snowshoe: Discovering the Perfect Ski Conditions | Ski Vlog 2023
| |

Snowy Weekend at Snowshoe: Discovering the Perfect Ski Conditions | Ski Vlog 2023

ByMike Byrd

Embark on our snowy adventure at Snowshoe Ski Resort. This vlog captures our second visit of the season, filled with the thrill of skiing and serene winter landscapes. We start by picking up Kim’s new skis at Snowcreek Mountain Sports, warming up with night skiing. Despite mixed forecasts, we find joy in the simple things – from ice cream treats to fresh, fluffy snow at Silvercreek. Experience with us the excitement of discovering perfect ski conditions and the anticipation of more snowy escapades. It’s a glimpse into the joys of winter sports and the beauty of Snowshoe’s slopes.

2009 Tree Shaker Mountain Bike Race Fort Mill, SC

2009 Tree Shaker Mountain Bike Race Fort Mill, SC

ByMike Byrd

The Tree Shaker 12 Hour race in Fort Mill, SC was my last ‘race’ of the year. Anything from here on out will be for fun.

Last year, my team of Neal Boyd, Scott Streuer and myself took overall honors in the 3 person team event. This year, TJ Wood took Neal’s spot as Neal had timing responsibilities.

The forcast was for wet weather but thankfully, we only had a few sprinkles throughout the day. TJ took the first lap, me the second and Scott took the third lap. The first lap always seems to be the hardest as you are trying to go fast, learn the course and not blow yourself up for the rest of the day. I had a great first lap and was looking forward to a good day.