The SRAM Tour of the Gila Awaits!

Rejoice, dear readers, for the SRAM Tour of the Gila is upon us. Yay, in nary two days time, the start gun shall have fired, the pedals shall have gone "click," and the suffering shall have thusly commenced. Yay, the proper stage-races are upon us! Gone are the days of San Dimas and Redlands and Sea Otter, what with their puny little circuits and short, stabby little climbs. Here are the days of epic stages, of mountain-top finishes, of long windy time trials, and of dangerous monsters that can only be slain by the bravest of knights. My history with the Tour of the Gila is long and juicy. The fickle beast has struck me down with bolts of bad luck, but also granted me days of gilded glory. The Gila Monster giveth, and the Gila Monster taketh away. Watch out for the teeth:

One of the things that make this race so awesome is the location; simply getting to Silver City is often an adventure in itself. I've certainly had my own crazy trips to the Gila, but Kennett Peterson's 50-some-odd hour Greyhound trip puts all but my worst travel nightmares to shame. If you enjoy reading well-crafted tales about the endless suffering and humiliation endured by bike racers who are "living the dream" (which, let's be honest, is why you read this blog), Kennett's "Journey to the Gila" is a story you don't want to miss. 

Honestly, for me, this Gila feels a little different, like I'm on the other side of some sort of wall. I've done the Tour of the Gila four times as an amateur (twice without any teammates), and every time, it was pure survival. Even in 2008, when I felt amazing, and placed 7th on stage 2, I was the only guy from HB at the race -- my highest ambitions were personal. Now that I'm on a powerful team that has a legitimate shot at winning the whole shebang, I'm far more motivated. I don't give a hoot how I finish -- all I care about is launching Team Exergy into the stratosphere! It's going to be a good one -- stay tuned.