April 25, 2004 - INTERVIEW
Name: Eric Roman
City: State College
State/Province: PA
Country: USA
Age: 32
Place: 1st
Category: Expert
Class or Age Group: Single Speed
Team: Independent Fabrication
Race Bike: Custom I.F. Titanium 29" Single Speed
Tires: Bontrager 29" ACX
Conditions: wet, muddy, rocky, cool
Email: eric@mtnittanywheelworks.com
How was your fitness level going into this race?
My fitness was high, I seem to storm into the early season and this year's
efforts have been more than I hoped for.
Were you happy with your
position going into the singletrack?
With the group splitting on the road climb, I stuck with the first pack
and surged hard just before diving into the single track, yes, I was
very happy...
Were you strong from start to finish?
With the weather making it hard to get out on the bike in the past two
weeks, I came in feeling off of my game. The pain never quite hit me
and the bike seemed to push itself...
When did you put the hammer down?
I put in a strong effort and kept my exertions in check. Knowing the trails
would suffer from the rain, I chose to ride within my fitness and let
the day play out as it would.
Did you have any unusual problems?
Riding my new Team I.F. I had just built-up, the few training rides helped
to work out the bugs. The race was quite as far as the bike was concerned
and the traffic was easy to deal with, as most things when you have a
good day
Were you happy with the way the race was run?
The promoters always give you your money's worth. The trails are amazing
and the course was marked well.
Anything you would like to add?
I'm just happy to have had a good performance on a day that featured challenging
conditions and formidable opposition.