Sorry it’s been a while since my last journal entry. No excuses, just busy. It’s been a week now since I returned from the Pacific Northwest, where typical Oregon weather put an emphatic stamp on the end of another successful Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross series. Yes, it rained. Yes, it was muddy. Yes, I am still picking mud out of my ears.

Last weekend, while going through the security check at Denver International Airport an agent found a half-full water bottle I had accidentally left in my backpack. The security agent asked me to leave the area and empty the bottle. I offered to drink it in front of her and be on my way. She said I had to exit the area, empty the bottle and walk through the security check again. I understand rules are rules, but I had to laugh when I opened up my pack on the plane and discovered two 39-tooth chain rings I had forgotten to take out!

For these last two major races of the season in Tacoma, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, I was fortunate enough to tag along with my former TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar teammates. It was great to spend time with the crew again, which has grown significantly over the past year, thanks to manager Ben Turner’s vision and dedication to helping develop young cyclo-cross racers. He has turned what once was a five-rider team into what feels like a mini-UCI ProTour operation. Look out Riis, here comes Turner.

The TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar team now has two assistant managers, three mechanics, one soigneur, a part-time chef and eight riders. A trailer hauling 20 bikes, countless wheels, tools, trainers, water bottles and more Clif Bar product than a grocery store has zigzagged across the country this fall and is now on its way back to Boulder, Colorado, before heading east to Providence, Rhode Island, for the U.S. cyclo-cross national championships. With an operation like this, every minute of the day is accounted for, judging by the intricately detailed itinerary I received from assistant manager John Verhuel prior to the trip.

The document listed flight departure and arrival times, hotel arrival time, room assignments, dinner time, lights-out time, wake-up time, race-venue arrival time, course-inspection time, race-start times, race-finish times, clothing and eyewear requirements for the podium, race-venue departure time, shower time, massage time, dinner time and bedtime. And that’s just one day.

Everyone on the team has specific duties. Someone has to pick up riders and staff at the airport, fill water bottles, clean and fix bikes, cook food, make sure the riders have clean clothes, be at the finish line handing out warm clothes, and make sure the junior racers aren’t staying up late, eating too much sugar. In order for this to run smoothly everyone has to communicate well, lend a hand and not have an attitude problem. Luckily, everyone knows the drill and the team runs like a finely tuned NFL offense.

Some of the members of the team are only 16 years old and they have more support than I have had in my entire career. Don’t get me wrong — they are all very talented riders and they deserve what they have, but it makes me wonder how many other kids out there are just as talented but don’t get the opportunity to shine. That’s why it’s so great to see the TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar crew in operation.

It’s also great to visit the Pacific Northwest and see the Rad Racing program in action. Program director Jim Brown has put together the biggest junior-development teams in the nation. With a passion for cyclo-cross, he is breeding some of the nation’s future ’cross stars, which is why I handed Jim a bag of Dopers Suck wristbands on Saturday to hand out to the kids. Like I always say, "Start ‘em young."

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have eaten well more than my share of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and pie. It’s always tough this time of the season to stay focused on training and eating well, especially when holiday treats are everywhere you turn.

Speaking of holiday treats, if you are in Boulder on December 6 please swing by the Boulder Theater to catch "Transitions 2: ‘Cross the Pond." Tickets can be purchased online at the Boulder Theater website or at Boulder Cycle Sport. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Cycling Association's junior cyclo-cross development programs. We hope to see you all there! For more information visit www.bouldercyclesport.com.

Three more weeks left in the season, and just three more journal articles to write — unless, of course, VeloNews wants to send me to Belgium again.

Thanks for reading.

---

Brandon Dwight lives in Boulder, Colorado and is part owner of BoulderCycle Sport. He is also the founder of Doperssuck.com.Sponsors include: Scott Bicycles, Shimano, Zipp, Cycle-Ops, Crank Brothers, Clif Bar, Fizik, Challenge, Chris King and Ritchey.