That race in 1995 rejuvenated my love for competitive cycling. I’d never lost my passion for being in the saddle, but after years of competing at the Junior level, I’d just lost my motivation. The five years off proved to be exactly what I needed in order to re-establish the proper mindset.
Being back in the training mentality added a level of structure and escape, which I’d been lacking during my five-year hiatus. I started logging serious hours on my bike and in 1999 I returned to professional cycling. The USPRO criterium win was big for me. In my mind, it validated my decision to return to competition.
Soon after the USPRO win, I began training with a series of teams, starting with L’Equipe Cheval that same year. I followed up the USPRO with another big win, the U.S. Olympic Trials Road Race, which punched my ticket for the Summer Olympics in Sydney. Riding for the U.S. Team, I was riding with some of the premiere cyclers in the sport, including Lance Armstrong (who at that time was the two-time defending Tour de France champ), George Hincapie, and Tyler Hamilton.
In the wake of my competitive successes, I was rewarded with an enormous honor: being invited to try out for the United States Postal Service (USPS) team, of which Armstrong, Hincapie, and Hamilton were already members. For four years I rode with the USPS team. The team achieved a level of dominance in team cycling. I also had a few personal achievements: winning the second stage at the French Tour de l’Ain, followed by four top 10 stage finishes at the Tour de Spain.
After sponsorship issues arose, most of the team transferred to Discovery in 2005. Since then I’ve bounced between teams, but recently settled in with the BMC Pro Cycling Team and it has seemed like a good fit.
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