Is this not one of the greatest images you have ever seen? Below, John Nguyen, on of our NorCal riders is seen post race just doused with mud. Beautiful! 
John, a relative newbie to cycling, raced a mountain endurance event this weekend. There was a field of over 700 riders and through all the rain, muck and mud...John managed to finish the race! Big congratulations for sticking it out! Way to go John!
Team TOMS had a good showing last weekend. Widely known as Florida's most challenging circuit course, the zMotion Heat Race Criterium...was a scorcher! Sean O'Neill and our newest addition to Team TOMS, Joel Llopiz, used perfect team tactics to pull off some great results. Sean went away with an early group of five. When the break was caught Joel attacked and managed to stay away for 3rd place. Sean won the field sprint for an impressive 5th place!
The next day, both Sean and Joel were marked men at the Sunrise Circuit Race. Joel tried his best to jump the group on a number of occassions only to be reeled in. Sean, playing the perfect role of teammate covered any attacks and managed the pace at the front of the group. After speaking with Sean, he mentioned that he could hear the disgruntled jawwing from their competitors: " Hey, these TOMS Shoes guys are for real don't let 'em get away!" No podiums on Sunday, but the congratulations and recognition that Sean and Joel recieved after the race from other racers was better than any first place. People were congratulating them on their perfect team work and taking general interest in Team TOMS. Just doing the best they can to spread the good word.
I'd like to wish a huge congratulations to Joel and Sean!
On another note, a Friend of Team TOMS, Josh Tucker of Clemmons Bicycle raced as a Cat 2 in the Athens Twilight Criterium. Since Josh is a 24-year-old that owns his own bike shop, he wasn't able to make it to qualifying so I helped a brotha' out by making a couple calls and getting him an invite to take the starting line on saturday night. With only 74 out of 150 starters finishing the race...Josh, after two flat tires, finished 41st on the day amongst some of the nations best crit racers. Sure, at about lap 35, he looked like he was Return Of The Dead on a bike...but he did a damn fine job of holding things in place and finishing one of the toughest crits in the USA. Congrats Tucker!
Double-B, Bryan Billington, droped the hammer again this weekend. I love pictures of Bryan racing...he looks so intense! It's like he's got everything under control. Badass.
