Bike Racers Who Rock

First and foremost, my teammates Matt Cooke, Andres Diaz and Freddy Rodriguez. They stacked the breakaway, and blew the race apart today! I don't know exactly how, but after four days of total invincibility, United Healthcare folded like a house of cards, leaving Rory Sutherland isolated and minutes behind the front group. Andres moved into third overall, and with a hellish final stage coming up tomorrow, something tells me the GC is far from finalized.

Andres Friggin' Diaz!

Freddy leads Carlos into the finishing circuits on stage 3. Thanks Lyne for the photo.

Next up in my list of Racers Who Rock are rookies who win:

Colin Gibson, a good friend and fellow Whitman alum, just won his first 1/2 race last week at the inaugural Capitol Stage Race. What made this victory even sweeter? That he was flanked on either side of the podium by his teammates Steve Fisher and Logan Owen. Colin tweets here: http://twitter.com/gibsoncn

Next is the aforementioned Steve Fisher. Steve has become a racer to be reckoned with in the Northwest, but one of his sweetest victories is also his most recent: Steve took the mighty mighty Ballard Crit by a bike throw this year, pipping former winner Grant Boresaw by inches. Thanks to WheelsInFocus.com for the pics. Steve blogs here.

The bike throw...

...and the post-up. So pro.

And, saving the best for last, my client Davis Friggin' Shepherd (I am a coach remember), who just won stage 1 of the Elkhorn Cycling Classic! When I first started coaching Davis, just over a year ago, he was a cat 3. He upgraded at the end of the season last year, and look where he is now! Davis attacked late in the race, and drove it hard to the line with my former team mate Lang Reynolds. Everybody knows Davis can climb (he holds the records at several local hill-climbs), but one thing many people don't know is that Davis can also sprint! Lang (and the rest of the field) just found this out the hard way. I can't take any real credit for this victory; Davis is talented, and he works hard. It was only a matter of time. Regardless, CONGRATS DAVIS!!! Tune into OregonCyclingAction's excellent Elkhorn coverage here.

Davis, sporting the NWCCC overall season champion's prizes.