Doge

Today - in France. USA U23 ITT champ, UCI Junior ITT champ, 19 year old Brandon smokes the field and wins by a whole bunch.

Giacomo 1 

Nice.

Fans of American cycling can use some good news after watching only 3 Americans ride in this years TDF and having to watch countries the size of Rhode Island competing and winning stages while our guys languished in the back of the peloton Sad...

HTupolev

Source? According to the Tour Alsace website, he came in ninth today, 38 seconds behind the winner.

The PDF you linked is the results from the TTT yesterday, where it looks like he finished a very strong 5 seconds ahead of anyone from another team.

Doge

Source to what?
Him being World ITT Champ, or US ITT Champ or winning the day of my post?

Today was a day after my post.
I posted elsewhere, not here that he is a time trialist.
On the TT, his teammate Ian is the "slower" of the 2, bigger and 3rd in the world. Also, 19.

HTupolev

Oh, oops. I think my brain only saw the dates of your OP's edit and of the first response, and thought the thread was from today.

Doge

NP. I was thinking there was a suggestion a TTT win was lessor...😠

Kevindale

He's very impressive. I was reading that he's taking a different strategy and staying in the US to train for now, having signed with a US-based pro team, though there will be trips to Europe to race. It seems like he's in it for the longer haul, and taking his time.

Doge

It is interesting. The *real* test will be how well he can live in/likes to live in Europe. I guess in theory, you can live here and train and race there - but that is less than ideal. This is similar to what the USA soccer players go through trying to be world class pros.

Right now he's doing a U23 French race for Team USA. He flew out about a week ahead.

Doge

Brandon in 3rd GC 20 sec down, one day to go.

Caretaker

Anything in life worth achieving requires sacrifice and moving home is sometimes part of that. Europeans move to the U.S. to further their careers all the time so why is it such a big deal apparently when the reverse is the case?

Doge

I can't answer that but from Soccer to cycling to just immigration it is not as often done (USA move to Europe) as the other way around, so I believe.

Doge

He finished there. So Podium for USA in French U23 race by the 19 year old.

Next race - Colorado Classic.

Kevindale

Thanks for the update. I tried to find the race and results online, and failed. These French U23 races must really be under the radar, or else my Google skills aren't what I thought they were. I assume the Colorado Classic will have more coverage here in the US, so it'll be fun to follow along.

Doge

I'll be there in Colorado Springs for day one of the Colorado Classic.
I can't decide where to watch it from. I think Garden of The Gods where my wife and I like to run.
My kid is there and doing the Nats Hill climb Sunday Aug 13 (he's too heavy now to be competitive, we're going anyway).

Right now my kid is in survival training, offline and I'm sure not eating much. I'm trying to see if my kid and Brandon can do a few pre-rides the days before.

Caretaker

His next race should be in Europe not in the U.S. but hopefully, for his sake, he will soon be with a European team riding full time in Europe. The more European exposure he gets the better.

Doge

The exposure is being put on hold. There is stuff published on that.

Only reason he did Europe rather than Utah was was to qualify for worlds - which he did.

Unfortunately yesterday he crashed in UTAH on a jet lagged recovery ride. Was knocked out. So not going to do the Colorado Classic.
This is the 2nd time this year injury will be taking him out for a month or so.

Kevindale

Damn, that sucks. I hope the previous injury didn't involve a concussion, and I hope this LOC was as brief as possible. Those hits to the head add up. It still amazes me how long riders rode with no helmets, or with hairnet helmets.

Doge

I believe it did. A mild one. I believe the first hit to the head. Last 2017 was a broken pelvis.
Besides his power, he is and has been very aggressive in style. He has done very well at twisty TTs in Europe.
Worlds 2015 he was recovering from a crash, this year - this is the 2nd.
This is the stuff that is better sorted out near home on a caring "local" team than living in Europe.

Caretaker

If he'd stayed in Europe he wouldn't be recovering from his 'recovery ride', instead he be progressing his career as a pro-cyclist.

Doge

True. But then a crash there sends him home on the plane to USA to recover.

No question cycling (like soccer) is a European sport and a career should be done in Europe.
But waiting out age 18/19/20 and moving later is likely fine.

I know/know-of USA riders over the years that went to live and race in Europe early and never went back. I think Brandon has some time - a couple years to chill in the USA. Winning World Championships is also a good way to make a name for yourself, regardless of where you live.

Doge

Tour of Dubai in 3 days. I expect Kittle and Cav to beat him in the sprints, but not the GC and hopefully he will best the only TdF champ still riding not known to have used PEDs.

Kevindale

Wow, what a finish. No spoilers, but I'm feeling wrung out.

San Pedro

We must have been watching at the same time. I just finished it, and I know how you feel.

Doge

SPOILER ALERT Race report
From https://www.cyclingstage.com/dubai-t...ts-dubai-2018/

MinnMan

wow. no spoilers, but I think it bodes well for his future.