February is the perfect time to come out to Arizona and test the early-season fitness. The temperature is ideal, the variety of terrain staggering, and the level of competition at the early races is typically top-notch.

Pros, too, flock to Tucson for their warm weather training tune-up, and will often race a few local events before joining their teams for the full-on race calendar.

The Danielsons look to be enjoying the warm AZ weather

Although the caliber of racing is typically high, participants were caught a bit off guard when Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) and his wife Kristin (Velo Bella) showed up for the Bartlett Lake Time Trial on Sunday. Apparently this winter’s atrocious weather was enough to drive the Danielson’s from their home in Durango, Colorado and off in search of warmer climes.

There had been a “Tommy D” sighting earlier in the week during his hill repeats on the slopes of Mt Lemmon in Tucson. But nothing gets the adrenaline flowing like pinning on a number and racing against the clock.

The Bartlett Lake Time Trial course is a 14-mile, point-to-point effort, that starts with gradual three-mile climb. After that, it settles into four miles of rolling terrain, careens into a steep, technical descent, and finishes with a 2.5 mile climb with short out-of-the-saddle steep sections. Climbing ability, aerodynamics, and technical descending skills are all crucial elements. In other words, it’s a course perfectly suited to Danielson’s strengths.

The crowd and the other race participants were abuzz with predictions; most expected Danielson to break Chris Baldwin’s (Toyota-United) course record of 39:28. Even multiple-time Tour of the Gila winner and local superstar Drew Miller (Landis-Trek VW) was excited at the prospect of watching Danielson tackle the difficult course.

Danielson came decked out with his full Trek time trial rig, dimpled Nike skinsuit, aero helmet, tri-spoke front wheel, and Hed disc. Although it was just a local event, he was clearly there to put his fitness to the test. Danielson’s time of 36:10 smashed the course record by more than minutes. To be fair to Baldwin, a two-time U.S. national time trial champ, he had set his mark in 2006 on a straight-up road bike with no aero’ equipment. Baldwin actually hadn’t received his new Toyota-United time trial rig in time for last year’s event, but easily broke the previous mark. Perhaps Baldwin, who resides close to this Phoenix-area event, will have to come back in full attire to have another crack at the record.

Kristen lines up

“I believe it was the fact that we are a small relatively unknown event that attracted Tom and gave him a chance to test himself,” said race director Scott Conover (HLHAP). “He was curious who else was registered and I think he was happy that Drew Miller was there. There are some jokesters on my team, and when someone handed me a registration form with ‘Discovery Channel’ listed in the club entry, and then I see the name ‘Tom Danielson,’ I said ‘now, what is this?’ thinking it was a joke. The guy standing in front of me said, ‘yea, I'm just his twin brother.’ I looked up and sure enough it was Tom.”

Danielson’s unexpected participation did have its casualties, knocking Mark Santurbane (Team Bobs-Bicycles.com) and Drew Miller down a step on the podium, and shoving yours truly, Joshua Liberles (Colavita New Mexico), into the nether regions of obscurity.

Not to be outdone, Kristin Danielson, Tom’s wife, rode to top honors in the women’s field. Surrounded by less fanfare than her superstar husband, Kristen Danielson casually rode up to the start line on her road bike without any aerodynamic equipment. She beat local riders Melissa McWhirter and Heidi Clayton (HLHAP) to take the top spot on the podium.

Local TT stud Drew Miller recovering after his effort, and heading out on the course to check out Tommy D’s ri

Elite Men
1. Tom Danielson, Discovery Channel, 36:10
2. Mark Santurbane, Bobs-Bicycles, 40:39
3. Drew Miller, Landis/Trek VW, 41:22
4. Joshua Liberles, Colavita, NM, 42:27
5. Joshua Bartlett, Noreast Cycling, 45:35Elite Women
1. Kristin Danielson, Velo-Bella-Kona, 47:50
2. Melissa McWhirter, Unattached, 49:25
3. Heidi Clayton, HLHAP, 50:37
4. Sarah Swanson. Summit Velo, 51:29
5. Cindy McFarland, Desert Foxes, 53:08
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