race pictures

2006 XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ian's Race Report

Hello everyone. Land Rover Cannondale Team member Ian Davidson reporting on the 2006 Nissan Xterra Triathlon World Championships held Sunday October 29th in Maui, Hi. I successfully defended my 2005 World Age Group Title by winning the 50-54 division.

I arrived in Maui a bit gimpy, nursing a still aching swim shoulder injury which had kept me from swimming for two weeks and had caused me to miss four days of bike training. At least there was no question that I was well rested! If I could just get out of the water, all would be fine I rationalized as it had been a very good year of training and racing and I felt very ready to attack the nasty slopes of Haleakala Volcano. My prerace favorite to win my division, Detlef Profaska/Germany, I had learned that he had raced the Ironman Triathlon World Championship the weekend before, so I was not as concerned about him figuring that he would not be able to fully recover from that performance to be at his best for Xterra Worlds. I still feared him as the only man between me and my second World Title.

The Swim
Well I thought I was swimming OK??! I rested my shoulder right up to the firing of the cannon to start the race. The shoulder had a slight ache as I raced, but nothing that appeared to be getting worse. I swam a bit conservative, but must have been imagining that the pace was good due to being well rested. However as I rounded the final buoy for the last 350yds to the exit at the beach I lifted my head for a peek at how many people were in front of me. I was astonished to see what looked like "just about everyone" was in front of me!! I did glance back, and the best that I could see through my goggles was that there were less people behind than there were in front. Uh oh...........

The Bike
Uh oh was right! Not only was I 213of 500+ out of the water, my time was about 2-3 minutes slower than what I might expect without the injury and missed training. Last year I was 135th out of the water. Worse than all of that was that Detlef Profaska was out of the water in front of me by 2 minutes. I worried that I may have lost the advantage that I felt that I had over him. I had to at least close the gap enough that I could get him on the run, so I headed out in attack mode. Plenty of people to pass that was for sure since I was now a "mid packer". It did not take long for this nasty rock strewn continuous climbing course to break me down into mush. It was hot, sweat was pouring down my face and though I was still passing people I felt weak and wondered where all my training and prerace plans of attacking this mountain had disappeared to? I stayed intense and focused and of course breathing like an "Angry Horse/Dragon". About 45 minutes into the bike as I passed a competitor he said "There is another 50yr old about 30 seconds in front of you. You should see him soon. You are going faster". To great relief I thanked him for the info and sure enough very shortly I narrowed my eyes onto the 50 on the leg backside of a rider about six riders ahead of me. I maintained methodical climbing pace, swooped in and on to his back wheel and instantly darted around him, using the more rough, rutted, rocky, and undesirable path up the hill. I passed him and a half dozen others on this technical ascent and though I did not look back I knew that no one had come with me. I relentlessly pushed on, taking deeper and deeper bites out of the field of competitors in front of me. Though the climbing was humbling and painful, I had been very effective as I produced the 77th fastest bike split. As I reached the top of Ned's Peak, somewhat all alone, "all" I now needed to do was to get my butt safely down the mountain on a 2 mile stretched called THE PLUNGE. It did not help my nerves any as I passed the 2nd and 3rd world ranked pro women on trail side during this descent, with both of them having crashed hard enough to be out of the race and eventually carted off to the hospital. Fall here and you are likely to have broken bones, or if you are lucky you are only dissected with deep cuts.Twice my wheels got kicked out from under me and some how I managed to keep her afloat. I was glad to get off that mountain after 2hr4min of grueling mtn bike racing.

The Run
A quick transition and it is off for a 7 mile run. Legs, as I monitor them, seem to be OK and ready to run. One problem though...........I feel unusually tired and it is getting hotter. The run course as it appears in front of me seems daunting and long. The suffer fest continues so I focus in on the five water stations along the route and will try and make it to each one of them one by one. All goes fairly well. The two guys that passed me early in the run, I get them back at the top of a 1 mile climb about 3 miles in to the loop as they have slowed considerably since the half mile point. I maintain and continue on, trying to make it to the beach for the final 1.5 miles.It gets ugly making my way to the finish in thick thick sand or jumping over logs in The Spooky Forest as I feel cramps trying to creep in to the legs and I am rather fatigued. I do gather myself enough for the final quarter mile to the finish line, to zip up my Land Rover Cannondale Team jersey, accelerate past one more competitor to enjoy my victory cruise into the finish line to sounds of applause and the announcer shouting out "Ian Davidson, Clemson, SC, he is 52yrs old and what a performance defending his world title!".

I turned in the 48th fastest run which brought me in at 69th overall! My time of 3:22:59 was about 1:30 slower than last year, however the consensus was that due to heat and recent rain and erosion on the bike course, making it more difficult, that it was the toughest Xterra World Championships to date. I won my division by 17 minutes. Detlef finished 3rd about 19 minutes back. My performance would have placed me 2nd place in each of the two younger age divisions below me and 4th in the 35-39. A very good performance to top out a successful 2006 racing season.

To view results click on http://www.xterraplanet.com/races/race.cfm?race_id=365 and then click Age Group Results.

Rankings                  Swim                        Bike                         Run
  Division   1/14            2nd                         1st                           1st
Overall   69/500+       213th                      77th                         48th

2005      95/500+       134th                     120th                        73rd

IAN'S PREVIEW of the 2006 World's

I will be racing in the Nissan Xterra Triathlon World Championships in Maui, HI on Sunday October 29th, 9a.m. Hawaii time/3pm Eastern. My final training preparation was a bit hamstrung as I injured my shoulder on Monday 10/23, Although it was a swimming related injury it was severe enough that it kept me off the bike for four days, could not even run in the pool for a week, and definitely no swimming even now except for kickboarding. I came close to not being able to attend the race, but things are well enough that I am going to give it a go. Most likely no swimming until the actual race. Thank you very much to Dr Larry Bowman and Trainer Donna Bullock for their urgent, attentive, and effective care.

Expecting an extremely hard race from Detlef Profaska/Germany, a scary looking powerhouse on the bike. I feel very prepared for a strong bike myself and will probably need it. My bike training since Xterra Nationals as been very specific, effective, and has me feeling the best that I have all year. Thanks to NathOn Race, training mate, that gave me some advice that redirected my final prep training. Race strategy will be to get out of the water the best I can hopefully in front of Detlef even with my missed swim training and bum shoulder, hold him off on the bike as long as possible and stay close enough to chase him down on the run. Sounds easy...............ha, ha, ha!

Scott and Kelly will not be at the race this year to keep you updated. Check www.xterraplanet.com for race updates(mostly pro race) and eventually the race result postings.

Click on the link below if you would like to review 2005 Results in my division.
http://www.xterraplanet.com/races/view_results.cfm?name=_default&division=53&region=&race_id=203&sort=asc&orderby=totaltimedt

Thank you for your interest and support. I will let you know how it goes................Ian

John Millon’s Race Report

World 24 hour Solo Championships

Conyers, GA, October 7-8th, 2006

I had mixed emotions leading up to this event. First of all, I was energized by the fact that I was defending my 40-44 age division “World Title,” which I had won at last year’s World Solo 24 Hour Championship race, held at Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. On the other hand, I worried that I was still recovering from the really tough training and race effort that I had just put into the 2006 TransRockies, a grueling 350+ mile, 7-day mountain bike stage race, also held in British Columbia. Despite these conflicting thoughts, I arrived at Conyers feeling that I had a solid base of training in my legs, and that my prior experience with 24 hour racing would mentally and logistically serve me well. I was able to start the 24 hour race at a fairly good pace and with consistent lap times, a necessity for not only surviving, but also winning a spot on the podium. For the first 10 hours I held this tempo and fought for the 3rd place position in my age group, turning each lap at less than an hour. All was going well, with no complaints from my legs, and my spirits remained high. I rode nearly every foot of the brutal Olympic course, limiting the walking time off of my bike, even on the steepest climbs. I was also able to keep mentally focused, picking great lines to maintain my momentum and flow, focusing on the journey, the here and now.

My mechanic, friend and TransRockies Outspokin’ (Columbia, SC) teammate Zdenek “Z” Fiebinger kept my Santa Cruz Superlight’s drive train running smoothly. I found that the full suspension soaked up the pounding rocky downhill sections quite nicely. My “director sportif” and friend Mark Klapperich compulsively followed our hourly intake plan, metering out my fluids, food and electrolytes. I enjoyed the breathtaking full moon on the open rocky sections of the course, and my Light & Motion ARC Li-ion headlight system worked perfectly in the darkness of the woods.

My entire family, Angie, Mike and Megan, cheered and provided all of the meals and logistical support required to minimize the time I took at each pit stop. Their carved and glowing “24 hour pumpkin” brought amusement to many on the row of solo pits. Disaster struck near midnight, however, when I experienced breathing problems, brought on by the endless miles of dust that I was breathing on the extremely dry course. With rapidly tightening air passages, I found myself in the medical tent! Here I received a needed “breathing treatment” to open up my tight lungs, but I unfortunately spent over an hour and twenty minutes, losing critical time on my 11th lap.

In addition to losing time, I really did lose my mental focus here. I was cold, dejected, and I just didn’t want to race. Z took a short nap in his tent, thinking that all was lost. I am pleased to report that better minds prevailed (i.e. not mine), as Mark followed his pre-race instructions perfectly by cajoling and pushing me out onto the dark dusty course. Although I was breathing a bit better now, I headed out for another lap with doom and gloom in my soul, questioning “why?” This of course was the mental low that all solo riders experience. As my legs warmed up I ate and drank a bit, forced myself to read the mantra that I had taped to my bar, and gave myself some “positive self-talk.” I guess my compulsive “mental training” did pay off, as I was able to regain my focus.

The guys at the shop Sunshine Cycle Shop (Greenville, SC) always chuckle at the mantra on my bar! Amazingly, my lap times remained consistent through the night and into the early morning. With three laps to go, Z used his lilted English to encourage me… “ride like there’s no tomorrow, Jooooooohn!” I somehow found the strength to climb while standing on some of the steepest pitches, shortened one of my laps by over 15 minutes, and even broke my chain on the last lap. The Phoenix had risen! I took less than 4 minutes to fix my parted chain with a chain tool and a SRAM Gold link, and in the end claimed a 4th place finish in my 40-44 age division, at 24:04:18. While I did not win another “World Title,” I am proud that I recovered from my dusty and dejected condition. With thanks to my great support team, I finished in strong form with a personal best of 21 laps on the Olympic course, climbed 25,393 vertical feet, and pedaled over 178 off-road miles.

I thank you for your interest and support.

John

solo24@mac.com

Ian wins Ultimate Dirt Challenge

Hello everyone. Ian Davidson, Land Rover Experience-Cannondale Team member reporting on the UCI Medalla Lite Ultimate Dirt Challenge V held Sunday March 26th in beautiful Rincon, Puerto Rico. This was a mountain bike race and I was 1st Place in the Elite Masters B, 40 plus age division.

Another great trip to Puerto Rico. This is my 4th consecutive race at the Medalla Lite Ultimate Dirt Challenge. Thank you Medalla Lite, Medalla Lite Bike Team, Ciclo Mundo and everyone for inviting me, hosting me and putting on such a great event. What a great way to start the 2006 season!

Revenge was on my mind as I rolled my bike to the start line for the beginning of the 2006 race. After winning in 2003 and 2004, I finished a disappointing 5th place in 2005. A combination of very tough competitors, and a shift in my training program to focus on the Xterra Triathlon World Championships in October culminated in my butt being spanked in 2005. Planning to do more mtn bike races in 2006, wanting to be stronger on the bike in Xterra, being a member of a new team, and seeking revenge all motivated me during a very tough training program that began on January 1st. So, as I stood confidently on the line, as Judge Smells would say "I Just Felt Like I Owed Them One"!

The race started and we were all off in a cloud of dust on this fantastic, short loop, twisty, turny, scooter of a race trail. With my new found power from weekly intervals since January I was off to a good start and within a few minutes had the leader in my sites. We flew around the first of five laps in 23:21. All of that first lap I was anywhere from 10-50 yards behind the leader. I was trying desperately to catch and pass him, but could not. It put a bit of a dent in my shield of confidence. However, I optimistically began the second lap with an attitude of "well amigo, how would you like to do another lap like that one?!". Well I guess he liked it just fine because when I finished lap two with a split of 24:04, he was still leading and I was still working like an Angry Horse to catch him, ha, ha, the joke was on me! Some of the details of the 3rd lap are a bit sketchy as my brain began to cook in the 95 degree heat as we raced at 2:00p.m.on the grounds of the Rincon Lighthouse with pounding surf well within site of the course. I did pass him somewhere early in the 3rd lap, only to have him latch on to my rear wheel like glue. Oh no, just like last year I worried, when I was followed for the last hour of the race and beat to the line by 1 inch for 4th place. I kept dancing and prancing my Cannondale F2000sl through all the twist and turns, sometimes spinning like a mad man and other time pounding some fairly stiff gears in the open areas. All the while just daring my body to wilt in the heat as I began to feel some dizziness due to the hot conditions, but knowing that I had a long way to go before I felt anywhere near as bad as I did at Tahoe Xterra Nationals when the cold water, altitude and slight sickness put me in lala land for the entire bike and run. I turned in a split time of 24:18 for lap 3 and had begun to break away. My 4th and 5th laps were 24:43 and 25:16 and though I slowed, it was enough to get me to the finish line first and 7 minutes in front of 2nd place. 2hrs2min of baking heat hot racing and a very satisfying performance.

Chicken Riders Jeremiah Bishop and Chris Eatough were there, and though they both flatted they were able to recover well enough to finished 5th and 6th. Results can be viewed at http://www.cmtbpr.com/RUCIUDC5.htm Pro men did 6 laps, women 4 laps. My time in results listing includes the staggered start times, if you are looking that closely.

Three NORBA AMBC mtn bike races coming up in April.

Thank you for your interest and support.

A letter to Ian from Rafael Ledesma-Rivera

Dear Ian, hey "mi pana" (puertorican word for buddy or friend) how you

feeling? After that race a couple days of rest will be doing good on you.

I just want to add a couple of words to your report from an expectator's

point of view. Here in PR, the few people who has spoken to you during the

last visits, were looking to see Ian, so the question after 12 noon was,

have you seen Ian? Answers were, "not yet". But there you were to start

the race at 2pm, right on the line as all of us were saying "ahí está el

viejito" ( there is the oldie). Comments on you started like rain,

comments as "they say he breaths like a train when he is racing" or "wait

till that guy starts warming up in there, he will destroy you" and "when he

is going up hill you better move your butt out of his way". So the race

began, and as far as a could see before I started to look for my lost

cellular, you were already taking care of business. I found my cellular,

and you were on your third lap with to other guys hanging on your wheels,

and then you catch my friend Alexis, who has started one or two minutes

ahead of you, he was on the Master UCI 30+ group, and yes, you were

catching that group one by one also. I went into the last single track to

film a couple of videos from the race when you showed up like a sling shot,

cutting corners and twisting and turning with great speed. People where

yelling "here comes the train, take a look at him". I ask Alexis what was

he doing and he told me "he was going to catch me anyway, so I waited for

him to catch his wheel, but on the hill to the water tank he was just too

strong climbing and I had to let him go, this is the second time he does

this to me ja ja ja". On your last lap, as you entered the single track,

you waved at my camera and smiled and back to breathing business, by that

time you were all alone letting your competition just watching your dust.

I thank you for coming once more to our little but friendly island of PR.

I also thank you for sharing a couple of words with me after the race, as

people say "that guy is "bien buena gente" (very good and humble person).

You signed autographs for all of us. Thank you once more, anytime anywhere

"mi casa es su casa".

Take care dear friend.

Rafael Ledesma-Rivera

Ian Wins!

2005 World Xterra Champion

After trailing one position in the swim, Ian was able to gain the lead on the ruthless bike course. He was worried about a very strong Japanese competitor but he was able to hold on for the win. Late in the run, right after leaving the spooky forest, he stepped in a hole in the soft sand which caused bad cramps in his calf. Here are some pictures, stay tuned for video of the swim, bike, and run. See Ian's account of the race below.

Ian prepares 500+ Mass start!!

Watch it!
12 Noon (EST) - Feb 5
Super Bowl Sunday

Ian finishing the swim

Ian finishes as World Champion

Do I need to shower? Hi, Mom!

Due Rewards!

Ian's Account of the Race

Hello everyone. Cannondale Team rider Ian Davidson reporting on the Xterra Triathlon World Championships held Sunday October 23rd in Maui Hawaii. I won the 50-54 division, earning a world age group title that I had my eye on for the past year since winning the 2004 Xterra National Championships.

I felt well prepared, however as the date drew near for the firing of the cannon shot to begin the race there was plenty of evidence showing that I had at the very least a rather tough assignment to win my division and maybe more than I could handle. Through my own investigation of international results I had determined that a fellow from Japan named Keiji Matsuba had some very impressive credentials. My analysis showed that I was slightly a better swimmer, we were about the same on the bike and he appeared to be significantly faster than me on the run. (Me running conservatively on less than dependable running legs, which is what I have had to do in every race this year so no use to count on anything more) Conversations with two international "experts" regarding Matsuba's abilities yielded nearly identical comments, "Huh oh you are in Matsuba's division? He is incredible. You better have a big lead off the bike or he WILL chase you down!" I thanked them for the information, and returned to my room to prepare myself for the next days battle and the realization that I needed my best swim to date and was going to have to push, push, push and push some more on the brutal mountain bike loop that was notorious for ending races by mangling bikes and riders. I began the preparation process by going to the shower and shaving the remaining few parts of my body that I had not already shaved for this race! This in an attempt to at least make me think that I was going fast in the water and or to gain a few more precious seconds!

THE SWIM

Two 750 meter laps with a 100yd beach run in between. With 500 plus competitors spread out within a block of 50 people wide and 10 people deep. I lined up in the middle of row two directly behind several of the best Xterra Triathletes in the world including the 2004 Olympic Road Triathlon Gold Medalist. I was truly a fish out of water, but felt that I had no room for conservatism and just as well should go ahead and jump into the ruckus. The beautiful clear ocean waters that I had practiced in the previous two days was nothing but a whirling sea of bubbles and foam once the starters cannon fired. There was no more bottom view to enjoy, just swim to survive and go as fast as possible. The swim went fairly well and I was second in my division according to Scott and Kelly Snape there supporting me.

THE BIKE

One loop of 18 miles on the side of a volcano. We were not allowed to preride the course because it is on private property and it is only open for the race day. I was very interested to see how I was going to feel on the bike since I had felt so lousy just three weeks before at the National Championships. It was evident right away that all was well and the monster breathing was ready to work. Although in the early portion of flat paved road there seemed to be a fire sale for passing going on and I was the merchandise. I did not panic because if there was any truth to the difficulty of this course as it was described, then there would be plenty of time later to reel back in these frisky legs on the long laborious climbs yet to come. The entire course was a double wide barely used jeep path with sometimes more golf ball to soft ball sized lava rock than dirt. And just when it did not seem possible that it would climb anymore, it would end with a very steep 20 to 60yd climb that was littered with riders struggling to walk their bikes up. I kwew I was doing well when I actually made it up some of these while others were walking. I worked hard and road well. All the time never allowing any let up. Fearful of Matsuba catching me on the bike and leaving me to fight for 2nd place. I did move into first place in my division early in the bike. As we finished the last mile of the bike leg, I was passed for the fifth time by a 40 yr old Japanese competitor. We had seen a lot of each others sweat and tears during the 2 hours of bike racing and battling back and forth. As he eased by me, he gently touched my arm, nodded and said "yooo tough guy". That was nice of him to say I thought, so I decided that it might be a good time to get some important information on Matsuba, so I said "Does Matsuba catch you on the run?" He responded with, "ahhh tank yoo tank yoo". I said, no, no, and very deliberately, "does M-A-T-S-U-B-A B-E-A-T Y-O-U?" And again he says "tank yoo, tank yoo". He was laughing, so I laughed too and shouted good bye and good job to him as he powered toward the transition. Interesting trials and tribulations of communication during international competition!

THE RUN

Well no time to waste, as if there ever is. The run would be close to 7 miles and would go out for 1 mile the same way we came in on the bike so I kept a watchful eye for #333 Matsuba to determine what kind of time differential I had built up and could play with. I never saw him and this could only mean that he had been close behind on the bike and was in transition at about the same time that I had been. This was not good news and even worse news was that my right calf began to tighten a grand total of 300yds into the run. So much for three weeks of resting it. I did not ease back as much as I normally would, because, well this is the world championships and I am leading. I will try and maintain some type of balance between steady pace and not locking it up to the point of non function. At my conservative steady pace I am passing runner after runner like rungs on a ladder, including my 40 yr old Japanese friend that I give a thumbs up to as I glide by. He says "tough guy" as I pass by and begin to pass the next guy in front of him. I give him a wave and continue on my way. About halfway through the run I am passing a fellow and he says "looking strong man, you are winning your division". I said yes, but that I was very concerned about a very fast Japanese runner that was trying to chase me down. He laughed with sort of an absurd laugh and said "you know buddy you ain't exactly going slow!" Ha, ha, ha! We both laughed as I disappeared around a bend in the trail. The left calf began tightening with 2 miles remaining and the right calf was so tight that if this were just a regular race I would have been walking to protect and save it for another day. I decide not to pass anyone else and settled in behind the 8th place woman's pro, just shuffling along and doing a lot of looking over the shoulder to see if anyone is coming, particularly coming in Kamikaze style. There is no one to be seen. With a half mile of beach running remaining the right calf does it's final lock down and is now non functional when I sort of wrench it in the deep soft sand. I stop to rub it and quickly return to shuffling as I realize that 27 years of rubbing has not done much good, so why now? I began to have bad visions of losing this race in the last 100yds and to what extent I will be able to "run" on it if I suddenly have company and it comes to push and shove for the gold? What a shame, I think to myself, this will be if I lose like this after what had been a fantastic performance to this point. Well it was an ugly shuffle to the finish line and mostly arms with exaggerated pumping motion pulling me toward the finish line to SWEET VICTORY!

If I had known then, what I know now, I could have walked to the finish line the last half mile! What had felt like a great performance, truly was a great performance as I had opened a 17 minute gap on Mr Matsuba, beating him by 7 minutes on the swim, another 6 minutes on the bike and 4 more on the run! This performance brought to you exclusively by FEAR!!!

RANKINGS Swim Bike Run

Age: 2nd 1st 1st

Overall: 134th 120th 73rd

It sure was a relief to cross that finish line. 3hr 21min of tough racing, 25 min swim, 2:01 bike and 54 minutes of running.

Thank you everyone for the support, interest and inspiration. I share this victory with you.

Training is done; now it's time to race

Reprinted from the Charlotte Observer

IAN DAVIDSON JR.

Special to the Observer

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ian Davidson Jr., 51, was the first S.C. track champion in the 2-mile run at Rock Hill High. He also ran track and cross country at Clemson University and in road races at a world-class level. He will compete in the Xterra World Championship Sunday on Maui, Hawaii. The event is a triathlon with a 0.9-mile swim, an 18.6-mile mountain bike ride and a 6.8-mile trail run. Davidson has kept a weekly journal for the Observer detailing his training, travels and quest for the title. Read about his performance Monday on yorkobs.com and next Wednesday in the York & S.C. section.

All my bags are packed and I am ready to go ... so goes the song. The hay is in the barn in regards to training.

Swim training has gone particularly well. My bread-and-butter race-preparation workout of 16 100-yard intervals in the pool has yielded my best splits ever for this workout, so I hope that will result in a good swim leg to start the triathlon. The bike training seems to be fine, and the legs are feeling fresh, which is good, as it is easy to over-train on the bike. As for running, I have not been running except in the pool. I've avoided actual running in an attempt to rid the legs of as much of the chronic stress and tightness as possible.

On race day I will rely on my ability as a runner and my fitness from swimming and biking. I will be able to run plenty fast if my legs behave reasonably well during the race.

There is plenty to think about leading up to this World Championship. I have found it important to maintain level emotions before a big race. And this is definitely a big race.

It's my first world-championship event after decades of competing locally, regionally and nationally. Getting too excited or too worried will do me no good. I do think about the race much of the time, but in a calm and focused manner, visualizing, analyzing and projecting different components of the race.

On race day, when the wake-up alarm goes off, that is when I say to myself, "It is pain and suffering time." That is when it is time to get excited, or in my case, more worried than excited. The emotional state of worry seems to work for me.

This race has plenty of unknown factors. It's a mass start in ocean water with 500 to 600 athletes. This will be by far the biggest group I have ever lined up with for a swim start.

The bike course is on private property and only open on race day, so no practice or pre-riding. That is a little scary, not knowing the tricky downhill parts.

And knowing little to nothing about my competitors is interesting. National champions from Germany, Japan, Brazil, New Zealand and Italy are registered in my age division. That fellow from Japan looks very fast in the results from his nationals. Look out for him!

But look out for me, too. I have put a lot of hay in the barn.

Nissan Xterra World Championship

Experience the thrill and excitement of the world's premier off-road triathlon. Filmed each year on the south shore of Maui, this one-hour CBS Sports Spectacular captures the grit and glory of XTERRA's most prestigious race.

For the sixth consecutive year, CBS Sports and TEAM Unlimited will be on site to capture every twist and turn of this spectacular race. They will produce a one-hour show which will air at 12pm (EST) on Superbowl Sunday. It features amazing race-day footage captured by shooters along the entire course. Camera crews will be hiding beneath the waves as more than 400 of the planet's best XTERRA athletes dive into the ocean off Wailea Beach. They'll be hanging out of helicopters following the leaders on the mountain bike course, and lurking around corners on the run. The show feature the top-ranked pros as well as some amazing age groupers. Mark your calendars! Note: date is tentative and subject to change.

Watch it!
12 Noon (EST) - Feb 5
Super Bowl Sunday

Ian's Account of 2005 Xterra National championship race at Lake Tahoe

Hello everyone. Cannondale Team rider Ian Davidson reporting on the Xterra Triathlon National Championships held Sunday 10/2 in Tahoe, NV. I was first place in the 50-54 division, winning a national title for the second year in a row after winning the 45-49 division last year. It was not until I was flying home on Monday that I could feel any satisfaction in my victory because of how miserable I felt during just about the entire 3hr16min of racing. It was such a miserable struggle that during the race I was actually thinking that I did not even want to go to Hawaii for the World Championships on 10/23! I "think" that I am over that now. In hindsight, much of my struggle may have been due to some illness that seemed to be creeping into my body on Friday and Saturday before the race. Feeling chills and that oh no feeling of I am getting sick. That coupled with altitude of up to 8,700ft and life zapping 55 degree water was enough to whittle me down to mush. Fortunately my fitness level was able to compensate for what felt like a bad day and still win a national title. So I will take it!

The Swim:

They told us to expect 62 degree water temperatures, but what no one expected were the small craft advisory wind conditions that were stirring up the bottom cold water to make it 55 degrees. The lake looked like the ocean on a choppy day for this two loop 1.5K swim. Mass start triathlons are difficult enough without the added threat of choppy cold water smothering your breathing. Never have I been so thankful to drag my self out of the water and start staggering toward the transition area. When I bent over to put my sandals on for the quarter mile run to transition I fell down to the ground on my face and hands engulfed in a whirl of dizziness. I could barely put on my sandals and it took great effort to stand back up. I staggered/jogged/floated my way to the transition area. WOW what the hell is going on, was all I could think. Little did I know that is was only going to get worse....

The Bike:

I was eager to race this bike loop again this year with it's demoralizing sandy road climb of 2 miles gaining 1,700 ft to start off with and some other nasty climbs later in the loop. Not to mention the scary descent back down that sandy road. Well it did not take long as I started the grueling climb that what I had felt when I got out of the water was still with me although seemingly to be getting worse. Half way up that climb a systems check showed no peripheral vision, blurry over all vision, reduced hearing, and a head that was swimming in numbness. I made light of the situation by thinking to myself that if I had known that I was going to feel this way I would have practiced back home in Clemson by drinking a few beers before every mountain bike ride because I was for all practical purposes, drunk! I pushed on expecting all of this to subside. It never did. I had to be very careful on anything that was even slightly down hill where I picked up speed, not to mention technical descents. Competitors from younger age divisions were reeling me in faster than a 1lb bass on 100lb test line. So many were passing that I felt like a donkey that was turned loose on the back stretch during the middle of the Kentucky Derby! At times I felt that I was actually still maintaining a good race pace effort and rationalized to hang tough that maybe all these people were blowing by me because I had a great swim and had gotten out in front of these powerful young guys. Later I did learn that I did actually have a better than normal swim performance and my bike split compared to last year was only 1 minute slower, 2:03 this year, 2:02 last year. But what a horrible struggle over this 21 mile rugged loop! I felt as if I had been out there for two days.

The Run:

Well at least I am not on wheels any more, but still I am running and floating along in numbness. It was sort of an out of body feeling. I was fairly sure that I was leading my division, but who knew when I might just drop to the ground and pass out, so there was concern to get through the run and to the finish line. One mile into this 6.2 mile run, well there goes my calves. Both begin to tighten and though I maintained positive focus it seemed unlikely that I could baby them through another 5 miles of running. With conservative pacing, care and luck the calves held on and I made it to the finish line. I must have passed about 30 people on the run and at least that felt good.

There was not much joy in crossing the line, only relief and wondering what the heck just happened out there??! All is well that ends well and live to fight another day I figured.

Rankings: Swim Bike Run

Age: 1st 1st 1st

Overall: 66th ? ?(2nd, age 40 and above)

I finished 68th over all.

Misc:
When I was about 300 yds from the finish line I heard someone behind me. I had not been passed on the run and concern shook through my spine that someone from my division had caught me. With my calves as tight as piano wire I did not know if I could respond. I did two glances over the shoulder to see what this guy looked like, to see if he looked old! I could not tell looking through sweaty dusty contact lenses. But the fellow said don't worry I am not trying to pass, just pacing off you, you passed me a minute ago. I looked back once more just to make sure and I said you don't look 50 years old, but are you? And he said Dude My Dad Is Not Even 50 Years Old!! I smiled to myself in contentment, even on a bad day I had survived and competed well enough to earn another national title.

Xterra World Championships 10/23. Thank you for your interest and support.

Ian's Account of Mt. Snow race

Hello everyone. SoBe Cannondale Team member Ian Davidson reporting on NORBA National Series Race # 3 in Mount Snow, Vermont. I raced on Friday June 20th and was 3rd place masters in the 45-49 age division.

For the second week in a row our divison was packed strong with elite national level masters riders. I have won at this venue in the past and felt ready to do it again. The first lap was fairly action packed with many of us close together and exchanging positions. I did lose several positions during the technical decent at the end of the first lap, but I was able to quickly regain those spots as we started climbing on the second lap. I held my position for the remainder of the this three lap race and finished with a time of 2hrs 18min. I felt as if I had a great race, riding strong and handling the technical section at a fairly decent level. Much much better than last week that is for sure! It was great to be a part of a big showing of SoBe Cannondale riders at Mount Snow and thanks to Adrain Montgomery and his crew for all their work and efforts supporting us.

My next race will be the Tiger Rag a NC/SC Cane Creek Series Race right here in Clemson this Sunday June 29th, . I have volunteer responsibilities for this race to get the course groomed, maintained and marked and ready for racing. Thank you for your interest and support.

Ian's Account of Snowshoe race

Hello everyone.SoBe Cannondale Team member Ian Davidson reporting on NORBA National Series Race # 2 in Snowshoe, WV. I raced on Friday June 13th and was 4th place masters in the 45-49 age division.

I had a nice trip, however the race was horrible. A lot of rain and mud caused the rocky and rooty sections to be impossible for me to ride. About 10 minutes into the race I had a minor spill that did result in a cut on my calf muscle that later after the race would need 4 stitches to close. I kept a close eye on the cut for a few minutes as I continued to ride trying to determine if it was bad enough to seek medical attention sooner than later. Eventually it stopped bleeding from all the mud that was accumulating in and around the cut so I quit worrying about it and raced on. Once back to race pace I was able to get past most of the riders in my division and even more so as we finally started some tough climbs. However, the top three guys seemed to be completely gone and despite what seemed to be good efforts on the uphill sections I was never able to see them again.

It was nice to make it onto the podium at this national event, however it was a disappointing performance particularly in the technical sections. NORBA National # 3 in Mount Snow, Vermont is this coming weekend and I will be there to give it another go! Thank you for your interest and support.

Ian Davidson wins the 24 Hour Burn Solo

Ben Poss 2nd place just one lap down!

Check out Ian's version of the race below.

Sorry for the delay! The lack of sleep and the need to pack and police the pitt area so we could make a quick exit kept me from sending an update earlier.

Ian Davidson wins at the Burn 24 Hour with training partner Ben Poss a close second just one lap down. The strategy and technique of the 24 hour race came into play in the last hours of the race. Ian stopped riding at 10 AM as he clearly had beaten all other comers. Ben, on the other hand, was given info by the start/finish area that another rider was out on the course, that would be tying Ben. So Ben needed to complete one more lap to ensure his second place finish. Congrats to both of these guys!! They put out an extraordinary effort of 23 Laps and 22 Laps respectively with only 40 minutes for rest this morning.

More details to come later when I get some ZZZ's and some pictures uploaded.

Wow! I felt like a truck hit me and all I did was go without sleep and work around camp! Ian and Ben must feel like the truck hit them and backed up to do it again and again! My respect to these guys and all of the solo racers.

Other solo racers.... Peter who came in his Honda with no support. He would come in and fill up his water eat some food and go back out for more. He did approximately 13 Laps.

Arena, she fought off stomach cramps struggling to do 9 laps. She couldn't even keep down a zantac to help. Totally dehydrated and without food for energy she borrowed a single speed bike that was lighter so she could walk the 5.5 mile course a few more times. Exhausted and pale from being sick she sat and waited to see if she too would have to go out and do another lap to preserve her placement. Luckily she didn't and finished 3rd!

John, from Florida, the one who we thought was within striking distance of Ian and Ben. Riding until 4 AM and totally collapsing at his Pitt area appearing to be so out of it that he would never go back out again. He left out at 6:30, only 20 minutes after our guys, only 2 hours after collapsing. Heroic?? or Stupid?? no matter how you look at it, it makes you have a huge respect for not only the winners, but the ones' that pushed themselves to their limit, all for the love of the race!

Race pictures

3rd Update from the 24 Hours of Burn

All is getting quite as the support crews are dying and the riders from the teams try to rest. The generator is still roaring and the lights are bright to let our solo riders know there are still friendly faces back at camp. Its 4 AM and Ian is way out front with a definite 2 lap lead --> 11 miles. Most of us don't even ride 11 miles on Sunday never less lead our ride by 11 miles. Do we send Ian out again or let him sleep. The question is how much better will the 2nd place rider once dawn arrives? Ian's goal was to ride this race to the end so unless he asks to rest we keep sending him out.

Ben although visibly tired is showing much improved signs of mental awareness. He jokingly told a riding partner, riding for Bio-Wheels to "get his ass up" since he was sleeping and Ben was still riding.

Billy and Matt are snoozing in the chairs and James Brown is pumping out the tunes on the stereo. Only morning will tell what is left of our solo riders! Stay tune for the news from the front lines here at the 24 Hours of Burn!

2nd Update from the Burn 24 hour

Ian just pitted after his 14th lap! With a commanding grip on 1st place with a full lap lead over 2nd place. This is his first 24 hour race and he is turning in regular times like a machine. He has tried to get his time up to an hour and has been unsuccessful 14 times! The HID lighting systems are lighting the way for almost all of the riders including Ian and Ben.

Ian requested Chicken and Mashed potatoes for the half way party at midnight. Too bad he won't stay around to socialize. He be doing his eating on the bike!

Ben Poss just turned in a 45 minute lap on number 12, one of his fastest of the race! Ben was suffering from severe dehydration and battled through the heat and finally was able to get some food and extra fluids down at an earlier Pit stop. He has now gotten his wits back and is cranking his way around this hellish course. The Clemson crew has the stereo blasting and trying to rest as the night is still long.

24 hour racing is totally different than any other bike race! Wow the experience! Stay tuned for the next update at 4 AM.

Live News from the Burn 24 Hour

Ian Davidson and Ben Poss are out to an impressive start running consistent lap times of 45 minutes. Ben has slowed in the heat to conserve energy for later. Currently Ian is leading Ben by 6 minutes. Ian just came in for a super pit he changed bikes, water, and shorts. He was in and out in about 90 seconds!!! A little snafu with the number change and Billy is now chasing Ian through woods trying to get his number back to him. Ahhh! team work.

Matt Hoag is washing and prepping Ian's Cannondale Scapel so it will be ready for later. A crash has left Ian's front wheel out of true and now has it off the Lefty fork and is putting it in the truing stand.

Angela Poss is manning water and nourishment for both Ben and Ian. John Turner is making sandwiches and I am keeping times and posting updates. Stay tuned for more great action!!!

Hello everyone. SoBe Cannondale Team rider Ian Davidson reporting on the Burn 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race in Danbury NC. The race started on Saturday May 10th and I was 1st place Solo Open Division.

I would like to tell you about the race however I do not remember any of it as it is all one blur, ha, ha, ha!!!! I do remember that I had the best Pit Crew at the venue. Thank you to Matt Hoag, Scott Snape, Billy Jenkins, John Turner and Angela Poss for all their time and work. The results of this race were truly a group effort. Icing on the cake was added when friend and training mate Ben Poss who was sharing this pit crew merely responded with a fantastic 2nd Place Sole finish. This Pit Crew was so good that they probably could have single handedly provided pit support for the entire race. Thanks go to the Pit Crew.

The race is a blur, but here are a few highlights. I thought I was pacing myself well, but it was very hot and the course was very difficult and I found myself mentally defeated within 6 hours. I was mad at myself that I had not fully comprehended the full magnitude and dimension of racing for 24 hours. I had thoughts of quitting or not being able to finish. One big problem with quitting was that I was leading the race and it was tough to bare the thought that I was going to be the guy who went out too fast, faded, and quit. I did not want to play that role. I had been turning out 45 minute laps like clockwork, but knew that I could not keep that up, so I backed off the pace and began cranking out 53 minute laps like clockwork and continued on.

By 10p.m. I had a 2 lap lead. I caught up with Ben Poss at a pit stop and we decided to ride one lap together. Ben was leaving out of the pits just before I was ready and I called out to him asking if he wanted to wait a few seconds for me and we could do one pathetic lap together. He stopped and said with a laugh that one pathetic together sounded good to him! That one pathetic lap turned into many laps together as we rode through the remainder of the night and we put together an incredible memorable tag team teamwork combination on the course and the other competitors. By 5:15a.m. I had a 3 lap lead over the former 2nd place rider and Ben was now in 2nd place with a one lap lead over 3rd place. We took a 45min pit break at 5:15a.m. My first break of more than 30seconds to 3minutes that I had averaged for all my earlier stops. The 3rd place rider had also stopped. I hoped he had stopped for good, because both Ben and I would have been happy not to have to ride much or any more.

At 6a.m. the word came that the 3rd place rider was moving around his pit area, so I got up from my nap and prepared to remount my Cannondale Scapel. Ben and I shoved off together hoping that we could put the pressure on 3rd place to quit and maybe we would only have to do one more lap. That guy would not quit and I had to do 4 more laps. Ben and I were still doing 53 min laps compared to 1hr 10min laps for the 3rd place guy. We were pulling away, if it is possible for a couple of snails to pull away from anything! My 23rd lap ended at 10a.m. and my pit crew informed me that they had done the math and it was OVER and I was the winner. Wow!

THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE..................Thank you for you support and interest. For race photos and accounts go to www.gcmbc.com .

Ian Davidson wins at the

Ultimate Dirt Challenge II in Puerto Rico

Ian enjoyed the island life for 6 days while hanging out with training partner Chris Eatough, Tinker Juarez and other great riders. Ian said he really enjoyed the beaches, snorkeling, and hiking to the beautiful vistas. Read Ian's account of his trip below! There are some pictures of race action on the web site. http://www.ruberteonline.com/

Here is Ian racing down one of the tricky descents. See other pictures below!!!

Hello everyone. SoBe Cannondale Team member Ian Davidson reporting on the MEDALLA LIGHT ULTIMATE DIRT CHALLENGE II in Rincon Puerto Rico. I raced on Sunday March 23rd and was 1st place masters.

I have just returned from my six day trip and what a fantastic trip it was!!!! Sponsors take note that these foks put on a great event. Doel Gonzalez with Ciclo Mundo (pado@coqui.net), Jorge Pereira with Club Contra El Viento (jfpereira@hotmail.com) and Jorge Acosta with Medalla Light Bike Team (jacosta@caribe.net) are several of the people that made this race a great event and made sure that my visit was nothing short of fantastic. Racers take note and consider racing at this event in the future and combining it with a nice trip to Puerto Rico, a great way to shake off winter and kick off the spring race season.

THE EVENT: Tinker Juarez and Chris Eatough were brought in to battle each other. Anthony Tortorice was brought in to do his trials and bike stunts. I was brought in as a National Masters Champion(1999) to race against the master racers in Puerto Rico. There was an Old San Juan city bike ride, dip in the ocean, lunches, dinners, newspaper and TV news conferences, mtn bike ride with a big group of local riders, body surfing on giant waves that I finally decided were not ridable. I took a hard body slam and decided it was time to start focusing on the race!

THE VENUE: The race started infront of a Light House and twisted its way through the hills all within a couple of hundred yards of the ocean. A great set up for an event and many many spectators.

THE RACE: On the starting line I was not sure if I was lined up with the correct group as everyone looked young and very fit. I was worried that my fears of getting whipped by half the masters riders in Puerto Rico after being invited to the race may end up coming true. The fastest masters racer in Puerto Rico was pointed out to me moments before the start of the race and so I started in the back of the pack of approx 30 racers and kept my eye on him. He was tough to keep up with the first several minutes as we worked our way through other racers on the narrow single track. We started up a double wide climb, I sensed that I could pass him, although I worried that he was just playing with me, but I locked out the shock on my Lefty Cannondale, stood up and attacked the hill. Somewhere after the top of the hill and the end of the first of 7 laps I was able to get away from him and raced hard to make sure that I did not see him again. I won by a substantial margin. The race lasted just under 2hrs. It was hot and cramps were sneaking into my body so I was glad to get finished when I did.

POST RACE: Tinker, Chris, Anthony and I sat at a table for an hour or more signing autographs. We signed posters, race jerseys, hats, trophy mugs and other misc items. We posed for dozens of photos and just generally enjoyed being there with fellow racers and spectators. A great post race scene. There was a nice party at our motel that evening with our new friends, race sponsors, race directors and their families.

MISC: The day after the race I was out riding and was stopped at a stop sign and a small car with four girls in it passed by with arms waving and all were chanting SoBe, SoBe, SoBe!!! I smiled and waved and they all screamed. I thought to myself that maybe I would just stay there in Puerto Rico....................... What a great trip! Thank you for your support and interest.

Here are some photos courtesy of Rincon-PR.com!

Ian Davidson to compete in 24 hour Solo Race

Ian is planning on competing in his first ever 24 hour solo race. Ian has always realized that he has a knack for endurance oriented events and with a little encouragement from reigning World 24 Hour Solo Champion, Chris Eatough, Ian will under take his first ever in Danbury NC! For More Info about the race go to the link below. Danbury 24 hour Solo Race

Davidson Cleans Up during a Muddy Race at the Athens Yard Sale

Below is Ian's account

Hello everyone. SoBe Cannondale Team member Ian Davidson reporting on my first cross country mtn bike race of 2003. I raced on Sunday 3/16 in Athens, Ga, the Yard Sale Race/Georgia Series Race # 1. I was 1st place masters in the 40-49 age division. Much of the course was quite a mud pit from recent rains. The course is very twisty with a moderate amount of roots and rocks, so it was tricky. Some of my mtn bike training this winter was geared toward better preparation for these types of conditions and I would say that paid dividends today as I rode well. I had several competitors on my wheel for the first 10 minutes of this 2hr 4min race, however I was able to shake them on the first slippery muddy climb when my Continental Explorer tires held traction at an opportune moment, their tires didn't and I continued on while they dismounted and had to slip and slid around on their feet. I went on to a victory margin of 10 minutes and went deep into the 30-39 division as I passed all but two of them. A good start to race season!

SoBe Cannondale Teammates Karen Masson and Lisa Ropke took 1st and 2nd in the Pro Women's race. A good day in Georgia for SoBe Cannondale riders. We had teammate Chris Wiley there supporting and yelling for us.

My next race will be ULTIMATE Dirt Challenge II in Rincon Puerto Rico on March 23rd. I am looking forward to that race, and I appreciate invitation to compete there. Thank you for your support and interest.

Eric Seaverson experiences a 24 hour race

The 24-hour mountain bike race was over the weekend. I will start with the short version, and then an expanded version if you care to read the "play-by-play".

The race started at noon on Saturday, and ran until noon on Sunday. 24 hours, most laps win; 4 person teams (for our division). Each loop was about 10 miles, and we completed 21 (winners did 27 - we could have won if everyone else wasn't so fast). We were 8th out of 16 in our group, with 55 overall groups. Thought 21 was decent until I heard the solo winner did 18 laps. I felt pretty good throughout the race, although I did 6 laps, where everyone else only ended up doing 5. We had a good team, including our team bike mechanic and chiropractor/cook to take care of us between shifts.

I would like to thank Ian, Amy and Carmen for sending lights, they really helped out. I would also like to thank Cannondale, Gu shots, gatorade (sorry Ian, not Sobe), natural spring water, mother nature's banana tree, and my dead fish Sam for giving the energy and inspiration to finish the race (for those of you that have never seen one on Ian's post-race e-mails to the sponsors, I am blatantly hazing him).

Start of long version....

The race was held at Mt. Vanhasenberg (something like that) in Lake Placid, NY; the site of the Olympic Cross-country skiing course. 10 mile loops. The majority of the course was fire roads covered with grass, except for a hard packed single "beaten" path in the middle of the grass; although only one beaten path, passing (or getting passed) in the grass was easy. There were two short sections of single track, maybe a total of a mile long. Ian needs to come north and teach these guys how to cut single track. Although I didn't miss Ian's signature up-hill triple-switchback, both sections had loose ground and tight turns; I almost could have walked faster - just a bunch of hairpin turns.

The course was pretty much rolling hills with some good climbs and descents. The biggest climb was called Harry's Hill, named after a long-time supporter of the cross-country ski team who would always stand at the top of the hill and cheer everyone on (there will be more reference to this below); although not technical, is was very steep and long. When I pre-rode on Friday, I was slick, and was only going to get worse if it rained as they predicted.

I was the first rider for our team, which started with a 100 yard dash to the bikes. For those of you that have ever seen me race, I kept telling myself to pace myself instead of the "go out hard and explode quickly" strategy I typically use. Of course, the adrenaline of competition overtook my thoughts, and I went out hard and fast. It was tough, but I somehow continued pretty well after "exploding". As a team, we decided to start with 2 laps each, and then start single lap rotations. I opened with 55 and 58 minute laps, and then dropped, but held to 63 minutes for my next 3 laps. I finished with a 58 minute lap, trying to make sure we got our 21st lap recorded before 12 noon on Sunday.

It rained for about an hour on Saturday afternoon, thankfully while I was sitting around under the tarp between shifts. Harry's hill was the worst and un-ridable - from exhaustion and slick mud; I walked it every time. I knew it was steep since my calves burned at the top. I cursed Harry's name every time I passed the plaque at the top of the hill (he is deceased), telling him I was bringing a bulldozer back to flatten it out. In my third lap, I kept thinking to myself I was going to kill Nik (the one who encouraged me to race with him) and would never do this again. In my fifth lap I almost cursed out loud when I worked the math in my head and determined I was going to have to complete a 6th lap and that I would be the only one to do 6 for our team. At the end, I decided I would do it again; team of course, I can't imagine how people do it solo.

Ian Wins his 5th consecutive Cane Creek series

Ian's account of the Riverfront race:

Hello everyone. SoBe Cannondale Team member Ian Davidson reporting on Riverfront Classic/Cane Creek Series # 10 at Charlotte NC on Sunday September 8th. I was first place masters. I believe this just about locks up my 5th consectutive series title in the masters division. The race was very interesting for lap 1 of this 3 lap race. I was in 4th place, unable to see the top 3 and I had someone on my wheel that I kept thinking was going to pass me. The pace seemd very fast, or was it just me going slow and suffering noticeably??? About 30minutes into the race I moved into 3rd but still could not see the leaders. I was going very hard but fairly sure that I could maintain the pace for all 3 laps and trying to tell myself that the leaders could not, but where were they and when would I catch them?! Finally I heard the sound of an implosion just infront of me and as I came around a corner and started up a short but painful climb there were both of them barely moving up the hill just about as dead in your tracks as one can be on a bike and in a race. I locked out the fork on my Cannondale Lefty, stood up and began a surge that took me flying by them and well out infront. I won by 8 minutes. Roughly my splits in minutes were 43, 43, 45. The second place fellow was 43, 46, 50. I was thankful that the race was not just 1 lap and thankful once again that my fairly dependable forte of endurance rescued me and delivered me to the finish line in first place. It was an exciting and satisfying race and victory. A special thanks to Matt Hoag/Cannondale Rep for supporting me during the race with cheers and water bottles. Thank you to everyone for their support and interest

Hello. Sobe Headshok Team rider Ian Davidson, Jr from Clemson, SC checking in to update you on my trip to Mt Snow for the NORBA National Championships. I had a great time being at Mt Snow, I met a few more SoBe teammates, talked with a few others, and had the opportunity to meet Matt Jewett and Dave Petrie in person. Thanks for all your efforts Matt and Dave and thank you for the enjoyable time my friends and I had at the SoBe party Saturday evening before we headed out of town to Albany. I had the best of support while at Mt Snow from Sobe Headshok, Sobe, Cannondale and four friends that traveled with me to watch and support my efforts. It was a good feeling to be wearing my SoBe Headshok gear and to be a part of such a visible production. Although my bike operated perfectly it was nice to know Matt Bottomly was close by for any last minute assistance. Thank you Matt.

I finished 4th place in the Expert 45-49 division, cross country. My goal for the past 10 months of training was to win this race. I appeared to be having a very good race and had moved into second place at the mid point of the race. Much to my disgust my legs began to cramp late in the second lap of this three lap race. I knew I probably only had two options, 1)continue race pace effort, holding my 2nd position as long as I could but probably not making it to the finish line before total lock up, or 2)greatly reduce the pace, getting to the finish line which was still 45 minutes away and hoping I had a large enough lead on most of the other riders that I could still get a podium finish. I called this option "cramp and podium management" and it is the option I chose.

It is tough to appreciate my 4th place finish at the moment, but I'm trying. I will be racing this weekend at Sugar Mountain, NC for a AMBC/Cane Creek Series Race and racing most of September and October as I try to win series championships in Cane Creek Series and Georgia Series. Thank you again for all your support and interest. Sincerley, Ian

Nissan Xterra World Championship

Ian Davidson finishes with a podium finish at every National series race in 2002!