The Other Elite Junior - An Ian McShane Primer

December 17, 2013

Amid the rustle and bustle of those chosen for EuroCrossCamp XI and the blogs and posts and fundraising, we find Ian McShane.  Riding among the elite talent of the OVCX is our own little sleeper.  If you didn't know he was there, you might not know he was there.  But make no mistake, the second you forget he is there, he'll make you regret it.

Ian racing at 2013 Mudfund

Ian is a mystery to most, even to me sometimes.  I attribute that to his being a teenage boy, but I also blame it on his personal need for privacy. Besides his sister, I am the loudest thing in his life and heaven forbid I scream his business to the World.

What I do know about Ian is that he is witty and nobody's fool.  To him things are black or white, right or wrong.  There is no in between.  And the boy can ride a bike.  He has had a share of success already on the road and in cyclocross, but if he would seriously follow Curtis's plan, he could be scary good.  When he decides to really buckle down, watch out. 

My favorite part of Ian is off the bike.  You haven't really experienced him until you've seen his "Blue Steel", made him blush (which is easy) or laughed at his impersonation of SNL's Debbie Downer "You know they never did catch that Anthrax guy..."  

When I asked around today for people to give me one word that describes him I was heart-warmed by what I heard.  I got responses like:  well-mannered, funny, balanced, unassuming, committed, quiet, determined, shy, talented, sweet, quietly confident.  From those that he races with and against I heard:  baller, flamboyant, sexy, pimp, idol, brother, underrated - obviously a different crowd.

But the word I heard most of all was this one:  Humble.  As one of his former teammates wrote me, "Humility is tough to find in cycling, and seeing Ian display that with so much success and potential is truly aspiring."  Forget the bike, my job here is done.

Ian and all the friends he has made from across the country.

I wanted the public to hear from Ian himself, but getting him to write something was a no-go - he's not big on calling attention to himself - so I did an interview with him before he left for Belgium and asked all kinds of in-depth questions about life and racing.  It was going to be awesome, but then I didn't save the file and it was lost, but I do remember some of his answers because they surprised even me.

* He doesn't have a favorite European CX racer.
* His favorite domestic CX racer to watch is Zach McDonald because of the way he handles his bike.
* His new do is based on Marcel Kittel's hair.
* He digs Challenge Tires a lot, especially the Chicanes.
* He feels his greatest weakness on the cross bike is accelerations.
* He hopes to work for ZIPP Speed Weaponry someday.  Brady Kappius's line of work with carbon inspired him.
* He will be racing for Bissell-ABG-Giant on the road this coming year and looks forward to it.
* His favorite breakout moment on a bike this year wasn't his 3rd place at TT Natz, winning a Kermis in Belgium or being on the podium at MudFund, it was making the break in the Pro1/2 field at the McDonald's Frankfort Crit.  He felt like that race started it all for him.
* His goal at ECXC is to do well.  "Why not top 10 as a goal?"  He tells me everybody wants to win or has the goal of finishing top 10 or top 20, but a lot of times it is up to fitness AND luck.  He says he wants to finish every race knowing he has done everything he can to have had the best race possible, whether that is a win, top 10 or higher.
* He looks forward to representing the USA at Zolder the most.
* He knows his performance at camp will affect whether he will be selected to race at the World Championships and is ready to give it a real run.
* It makes him nervous that people have donated money to help him get to ECXC.  When I asked him if that puts more pressure on him he said "yes" and that he just wants to make everyone proud.
* "My Favorite Things" is his least favorite Christmas song, but then in full falsetto, he and Mike break out into their own version...

"When my bike breaks, when my skin bleeds, when my tires go soft... I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't get...so pissed off!!!"

Marcel Kittel

Ian McShane

I hope to keep everyone updated as EuroCrossCamp continues.  The selection for ECXC XI was goal number one and I know secretly he wants to make as much of a mark on Belgium as possible.  Stay tuned to www.eurocrosscamp.com to updates from the camp itself.  And look for Ian's assigned blog on cyclingnews.com on January 1st.  But most of all, keep your fingers crossed for luck, good legs and lots of fun.

Love you!

"Congratulations" is sometimes the scariest word...

November 21, 2013

We had been waiting for it.  Since 2007.  But most immediately, most furiously in the last week.  And then there it was...

"Ian, Congratulations! You've been selected for EuroCrossCamp XI. The camp now has a decade-long history of providing developmental experience and world's preparation for top American cyclocross riders. Your selection is the result of your hard work, strong character, and good results this season."

It's a feeling of excitement that bubbles from your chest to your throat and then makes you heady.  You read it again.  Yep.  There it is.

Oh Shit.  There it is.

Ian is still heady.  He is honored and excited because it is quite a comeback after his disappointing result at Cyclocross Nationals last year.  I know he is looking forward to returning to Belgium where he spent a few successful weeks this summer.  He has quietly been working on his fitness, his technique, staying in the shadows of all that has been going on around him and putting his own mark on the UCI Junior Podium at the Mudfund Derby City Cup.  The best part has been seeing him enjoy the company of all those he is racing against.  Growing up.

As for me, you want the absolute best for your kids and an email saying he wasn't selected would have been devastating, but an email saying that he has been selected opens up a whole new reality.  Now we've got to get him there and that will be no small feat.  I've been raising money for years to get the likes of Drew Dillman, Luke Haley and John Francisco to EuroCrossCamp, but this is different.  Asking for donations for other people is not always hard.  Asking people for donations for your own kid is.  It just is.

Luckily, we have wonderful sponsors in Sophisticated Living and Bob's Red Mill that are lending a financial hand as well as a scholarship from Tim Johnson's Mudfund and a split from the #endoftheworlds party that my partner in crime, Marcia Seiler and I put together last February.  Drew Dillman and Gavin Haley will also be benefiting from that most awesome and incredible fundraising effort.

But we have a bit more to go and so I racked my brain on a productive way to raise funds that benefit more than just Ian.  I am all about local and so starting tomorrow, we will be selling 36 oz tubs of frozen Kizito Cookie Dough of all flavors through December 6th.  The cost of each tub is $12 and a dollar from each sale will be donated back to the Salvation Army in their time of fundraising this Christmas season.  I call this a win - win - win scenario.  Orders for cookie dough will be taken in person or via a paypal link that we will be posting tomorrow morning.

Our goal is to sell 250 tubs (or more) to be delivered the week of December 16th.  While I expect most sales will come from the Louisville area, I am planning to make a delivery run to the Cincinnati area and to the Frankfort area as well.  Shipping orders will not be possible at this time.

In addition, The McShane family will be doling out Bob's Red Mill oatmeal and fixings for donations at the last two OVCX races - Promotion Cross in Lexington and the Brookside OVCX finale.  Again, a win for everyone.

It has truly been an incredible cyclocross season so far.  EuroCrossCamp is but another experience that will help shape who Ian is becoming as a bike racer and as a man.  And beyond that, it is not outside the realm of possibility that a World Championship selection could fall on him.  All I can tell him is to "GO FOR IT".  When and if it happens we'll cross that bridge.  For now, "HUP HUP" boy!

For all things EuroCrossCamp, visit www.eurocrosscamp.com.  The official announcement and roster should be forthcoming next week.  Congrats also to Ian's former teammates Drew Dillman and Gavin Haley for receiving ECC invites as well.  The benefit of the seeds sown so long ago never ceases to amaze me.

The Other Side

October 16, 2013

I haven't written in a year for several reasons.  My last post received both good and bad comments, but as other bloggers may attest, one really scathing, threatening personal message is all it takes sometimes to make you say "Screw It!"  So I did.  All CX season.  All Road season.

But I'm back.  Not because I have anything great to share, but because I miss writing.  It is therapeutic and allows me to work things out in black and white.  My memory also sucks and so it gives me record to go back to and say "Aha!  That's right.  That's what was going on."

So here's what's going on...

After many years of watching Mike race at the top elite levels and Ian working his way up from the 10-12 year old category, their roles have changed.  Ian now races at the top elite level and Mike is settling into his 45+ age category knowing that next year he ages up to the 50+ category.  I think it's a tough pill for Mike, not that Ian is racing at a higher level than him, but that he is old enough to have to move to the side to let Ian pass him.  And he has graciously relinquished the elite race, so that he can support Ian.  Ian is oblivious to what his dad is going through, but he should be.  He has put in the years and where once beating his dad was the goal, he has reached that goal and has to set new ones.  Some day he'll pay it forward to his own kids.

Mike at Edwardsville CX 2003-2004?

Mike at BloomingCross 2013

For an athlete, getting older sucks.  Who am I kidding - getting older sucks for everyone.  As they say, youth is wasted on the young.  My young right now has finally reached the 17-18 category where a UCI license is required and there is the possibility of being selected to race in Europe at EuroCrossCamp and/or to be selected to represent the USA at the CX World Championships.  We have mentally prepared for this for a long time.  More so than road, we have seen a long line of our friends and former teammates go through these ranks.  First it was Clayton Omer and Andrew Llewellyn.  Then it was Drew Dillman, John Francisco, Stephen Bassett and Luke Haley.  Now it's Ian and former teammate, Gavin Haley's turn to vie for one of those spots.  And it won't be easy.  The cyclocross talent in this country grows every year.

Ian Racing CX in 2006

Ian Racing in 2009

Ian Racing in 2013

The McShane gang had our first junior UCI race experience in Providence, Rhode Island a few weeks ago.  I was injured, Mike was injured and Ian's weekend was full of mechanicals, but we got those UCI nerves out of the way.  Now we are headed into the greatest part of the OVCX season here in the midwest.  Cincy3 weekend followed by the Mudfund Derby City Cup weekend are coming up the first two weekends in November.  Both have junior UCI races, a blessing for all those that live within driving distance.  But it all kicks off with the Storm Eva Sunday, October 27th, a cyclocross homecoming of sorts.  Less pressure, more fun, complete with Halloween costumes and prizes.  It's the calm before the storm and we look forward to kicking back with friends and beers on our home course.

Life is unfurling quickly.  Ian is a junior and the rush to college is on.  The days are moving faster, the quest for a high ACT score is real.   The days left to train to race to one of those selections are dwindling.  You are never prepared for all this to start happening.  You think you are, but you aren't.

But I'm not going to worry about all that right now.  I've got bigger things to think about.  What costume AM I going wear for Storm Eva??  I've got some planning to do!  I hope to see you all out there.

L