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Interview with
#1 OVERALL Pro
Jeremiah Bishop K2 / NEW SUN |
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Did you do anything special to prepare for this race? Not particularly. Tire selection was obviously one of the things I did and I tried to ride as much of the course as I could before the race to try to get a feel for it because it was very tight. Were you strong from start to finish? I took off at the start and kind of had a rough first lap. I was trying to settle into a pace and got to ride with Brandon here. (Brandon Ott (Tailwind)). Late in the race I think I had faster lap times. When did you put the hammer down? The first lap Brandon, myself and John MacInnis who races for Sobe/Headshok.... we were all together at the top of one of the longer climbs in the course that was particularly steep. Brandon was in the lead and slipped with his traction.... I saw an opportunity to gap because he had to get off and run. John was behind him so he had to get off and run too. Whenever another rider is running and you are riding you save a little bit of energy. So I gave it the punch and tried to get out of there. I then held a small margin of about 15 seconds for quite some time after that.... probably about a half of a lap. It was very difficult making the separation. The last lap I think I put a good lap in. I hammered as hard as I could. Did you have any unusual problems? I ran into a spectator. I was coming through the mega-dip. The trail goes to the right this year and there's a tree close to the bottom coming up the other side where you try to get your shoulder around it (you try to get your shoulder around an obstacle.....if you hit it with your hip you are usually a lot better off 'cause it will just kind of push you a little. But if you hit your shoulder it will turn your handlebars and knock you off your bike). There was a woman right on the other side of this tree and I just tapped her with my hip but I was going about 35mph! It could have been really bad... I mean I smelled her perfume. It was pretty crazy. I definitely won't forget that. It was pretty exciting. |
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How do you rate the course? Excellent. It was fun. I always have a fun time here at this race. I hope they continue to have it. It's definitely got a style of it's own.... real tight single-track, slalom turns, some rocky sections, etc. Were you happy with the way the race was run? So far so good... yeah. If you could do the race again, would you do anything differently? Yes, I would try to get a little longer warm-up. I kind of forgot how to race this style of race. Anytime you have a kind of flat race with a lot of single-track (as the Virginia point series is) your whole approach to the race is a lot different. Your exertion (because there is not a lot of climbing)... you need to basically peg it (it's like a criterium) you corner, sprint.... corner, sprint.... and you try to really hold a high pace throughout the race whereas the climbs dictate how the race develops in a race with a lot more big hills in it. So if I were to get a longer warm up in it would have helped with this type of event. Is there anything you would like to add? I would like to thank New Sun and K2 and the spectators that were cheering for me. They were loud today... it was awesome. It always helps me push it. 
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