(click on YouTube link above)
Jason Isbell's sad lament in his soulful "Traveling Alone" reminds me of the common theme woven through the frequent requests of young riders who have asked to join Downeast Racing for next year. "Dude, I love racing but it's not as fun when you have to race alone." Some called me Mr. Pfeifle but "dude" is ok as the important part was the passion for racing the bike that was exhibited. Actually, this reminds me of a comment I overheard early in my career when a guy said, "If I had to race alone all the time, I'd quit!" And it's true. It's tons more fun racing on a team - driving to the race, lining up together, dodging potholes, wind, rain, eyeballs rolling backwards - you can't beat shared adventures. As a young rider on a team there's also the added bonus of the shared mission of moving up the category scale. The guys know that, depending on the course profile and a rider's strong point, the team could be working for ... me!! That definitely increases one's chances for success and that's clearly an inducement for joining a team.
So we at Downeast Racing have decided to open a development team of Cat 3-4 riders who have respectfully exhibited talent and ambition. The guys we have chosen know that success in racing is never a given and that talent and ambition must be complimented with hard work. It's a good mix of riders and we will be sure to keep all abreast of how training and racing progresses. Our new teammates are:
John Boucher - Portland
Devin Frederick - Scarborough
Steve Bryant - OOB
Nathan Coste - Kennebunk
Luke Salvato - Brunswick
Matt Robinson - Portland
May I also add that Devins Hamlin will be riding with us next year. Although long on experience, desire & ability he, too, was in a position of racing alone. Well, not any longer. Welcome aboard, all.
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