The race for me began almost a year ago, when my friend and teammate at the time won the event for a second consecutive time- Trek Red Truck was beginning a bit of a Walla Walla Dynasty and I was inspired. I felt that in this race last year I learned so much that when I came back the next time around it would be with the intention of winning. And so, as I trained through the winter Walla Walla was always on the radar as the first big race of the year. Fuel was continuously added to the drive to win, especially once the team amassed at training camp and I was very excited by the dynamic and talented team that had been established.

We approached the first stage with an understanding that you could not win the race on this day, but you could lose it. This left us with the strategy of ensuring we were at the front of any selection but not trying to force a move and waste energy. A small break put a bit of time into the pack and we had to roll a couple guys through on the front with other teams to bring them back. This allowed for a fast run into a bunch finish. Tyler, who we have immense confidence in, placed third in a chaotic finish and will only continue to crush the sprints as he comes into form.

Saturday was a TT and criterium day which is fairly standard for weekend stage races. The morning TT was pivotal to the race and aware of the competition in Ian McKissic, we were looking for as many GC cards to play as we could muster. Tyler and Marsh literally and figuratively dusted off the TT bikes (which saw a long hibernation in their respective garages) and put in solid rides to potentially press for the overall the following day. Mat Bell, a new addition to the team, proved why he is a TT specialist and put in a good ride to finish seventh in a very closely contested 2nd through 10th. Nic rolled in at second, but was still 44 seconds down on McKissic who answered our silent questions of whether or not he would be motivated to race hard this week. As athletes we thrive on competition and innately rise to the level of competition we are surrounded by and while he was only one spot above us in the race, that top step would take “all hands on deck” to reach. The crit was wet and our boys who are accustomed to riding in the rain enjoyed it. Many of us found it not very taxing and after it was cut short due to visibility we were quick to get packed up and looking forward to the following day. In true Trevor Linden style, a couple boys crossed the road, grabbed some chickens and got’em to the other side. Dinner was a fabulous that night.

The final day started a few hundred yards from our front door. Having our home base in Waitsburg made life much easier. Our team plan was in true Red Truck style – brief, simple and motivating. There wasn’t much to be said we knew what to do; it was to be a good old fashioned throw down. We had 150 km of hills and wind to breakdown Lenovo (McKissic’s team) and put in enough time to hop into first without losing anytime to anyone else. We were not here to race for second, never will ever settle for anything other than win- This is a precedent I am very glad we have set early this year with a like minded team buying into it fully. That being said, I could not have anticipated the way the team came together for the final day. The time proven old adage “a group is stronger than the sum of its parts” was proven to apply to the world of bike racing as well as mechanics. When I would see my teammates attack and counter attack without reprieve I took strength from those sacrifices and was empowered to ride harder than I thought I could, without fear of failure.

A late escape attempt by Nic (trying to bridge a windy gap) proved too be overly ambitious but he waited patiently, knowing that a move would come across to him and his team would be there in support. Tyler Trace cam across in a move that was the one to win from as it stayed away to the end. From that movie 2nd place Jamie Sparling was represented with a teammate. The last 3 kms of the race are up a 6% grade hill and there was only one GC threat in the move. This allowed a Hagens Berman rider to launch a strong attack uncontested as I was fixated on the overall win. I was able to stay with Jamie and as the pace began to lull slightly I felt it was time to test the legs and slowly upped the tempo. There was little response so I ramped it up a bit more seizing the opportunity to put more time into Jamie, still unsure of how far back McKissic would be. After circling around the finish line I was doing quick mental math in my head and was trying to count seconds between breaths, hoping that my efforts would make up the time I needed.

We all rolled back to the homestead and hit some recovery food still uncertain what the result would be but with a pretty confident guess. As we chewed the figurative fat, and discussed the antics throughout the race we got word it was official that Trek Red Truck had won a third Tour of Walla Walla. A true team win, and a very promising start to the 2010 season. A thank you to guest manager D. Brooks for rolling down and keeping the mood light as well as all the people who were not able to be there in person but played an equally important role in the second team win in two team races. I am alluding to our generous sponsors (please see the partners tab) who have given much more than any tangible support, they have given us opportunity. Many Thanks.