Representin'

I hope this doesn't come across as too vicarious or patronizing. With the L'Abitibi Selection camp just finishing up, I have been doing a lot of thinking. I am getting better at not doing races. Perhaps this is because the AZ race season has essentially ended, but perhaps it is because God has taken the mental anguish from me. Also, there is much cause for excitement. 4 of my teammates and friends went to the selection camp, and 3 of them came out on a L'Abitibi team. I wanted to write a few things about them.

Stephen Marcucci has been my teammate as long as I have been in Arizona. He is a legendary rider with a great killer instinct. He has raced well this year, but I don't think he is all that happy with how camp went. Stephen, let me empathize with you in saying that I know how it feels, and that bigger and better things in cycling are ahead of you.

I've been privileged to be Scott Ford's teammate this year. He is an incredibly unique cyclist. His season hasn't been necessarily been an easy ride. He missed VOS and a few other races due to an elbow injury and had to fight hard to get his cat 3 upgrade. He got that upgrade and got into selection camp. He didn't just go to camp; he won the whole darn thing. 1st overall. 1st team. Great job, Scotty, you are deserving of it.


Donovan Caputo probably really surprised people when he made the 2nd L'Abitibi team. He's just your average hipster from Tucson (to clarify, I don't really know what a hipster is). In short, he's a guy who loves to ride his bicycle and compete. He is a really good dude, and a good friend of mine. He has unwavering loyalty and a drive to get the job done for the team. He truly deserves the chance he is getting.


Finally, there is Taylor Skinner, who has a huge reputation in Arizona cycling. He really lived up to expectations, placing 4th overall and winning on Mars Hill. I think the racing at L'Abitibi really favors him (flat and positioning-oriented). I foresee some top 10 results! Good luck Taylor!

Support these guys! Follow the race. Watch the results. Congratulate them, encourage them. They are going to race on a huge platform. It's a big, pizza-killing deal.