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Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com: Johnson California Dreamin’ at Surf City

Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by lyne in releases

January 11, 2010. Team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com Newsletter. While much of the world was focused on Europe as European nations held their national championships, Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com were away from the front lines, making sure their form and fitness were at their optimum for their final assault on the World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic on January 31. Team captain Tim Johnson chose to spend his “off-weekend” attending the Surf City Cyclocross in Aptos, California where he had the chance to unveil his new National Champion’s kit for the first time this year. For more information, go to www.cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com.

After three grueling weeks of racing against Europe’s top cyclocross talent, Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll left Europe for some rest and relaxation as their main competition were focused on races in which they could not compete – namely their national championships. Powers returned to his home base in Massachusetts while Driscoll sought out the warm climates and exotic locales of Africa. Tim Johnson, on the other hand, has been on the West Coast since his National Championships triumph on December 13, and has been putting in time at his own personal training camp spread across Bend, Oregon and Santa Barbara, California. Feeling that his training could benefit from some race time, Johnson sought out the Surf City Cyclocross in Aptos, California to get in that much needed intensity and tune up for his own European campaign.

Before Johnson headed out to the race, he made a stop at Bike Station Aptos, one of the area’s premier Cannondale dealers in a visit arranged by Engin Yesilyemis, Cannondale’s NorCal representative. Johnson traded stories from Nationals and sat down for a question and answer session about his career in cycling. “I went up for about an hour and a half and we had a good crowd of people show up. I gave a little talk and answered a bunch of questions about racing and Nationals. A few riders there even ride the same CAAD9 that we ride, so that was cool too. It’s great to do events like this; it’s not hard at all. It’s just meeting with people who ride and race like I do.”

Surf City also gave Johnson the chance to unveil his newly minted National Champion’s skinsuit for the first time this season. Johnson worked closely with longtime Cannondale rider and MTB Product Manager, and designer of all the previous Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com kits, Johs Huseby. Johnson and Huseby created a unique design that includes many innovative features, while keeping the 9 Ball and Cannondale “C” logo from the green kit. Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com’s official race apparel sponsor, Sugoi, is to thank for the almost immediate turnaround in getting Johnson outfitted in time for Surf City, a period of less than three weeks from initial design concept to finished product. Thanks to Sugoi’s hard work, not only will Johnson be able to sport the Stars and Stripes in style, but also he will become even more recognizable to his fanatical American audience when he heads to Europe.

Johnson will also be astride a customized National Champion’s Cannondale CAAD9 cyclocross bike when we next see him in action. The frame will have a customized color scheme that almost exactly matches Johnson’s new kit design. Keep an eye open for Johnson when he lines up at the Hoogerheide World Cup in late January and you may just catch a glimpse of Johnson’s Cannondale masterpiece.

Johnson rolled into Aptos on Sunday morning intending to get a good workout and make sure his form was coming up for the impending trip to Worlds. “It’s one thing to ride on the road and ride outside, but it’s another thing to ride on the dirt and race on the dirt,” said Johnson of his choice to get out and race. “If I can’t get racing in, I’m at a major, major disadvantage compared to the rest of the world.” The course that Surf City offered turned out to be the ideal proving grounds for Johnson’s form and the perfect venue to work on important race techniques that may have gathered dust in the three weeks since Johnson last raced.

Johnson battled the course and it technical features with the brothers Jacques-Maynes (both of the Bissel Pro Cycling Team), with Johnson in front of Andy, who finished the day in second, and Ben in third. “The race went pretty well. It was a really hard course with lots of uphill. It was pretty tight and twisty in some sections and pretty wide open in others and the elevation gain was high. Not only that, but the course was pretty short, so I ended up doing eleven laps, so with three solid hills per lap, climbing 33 times. It was pretty difficult. Especially in January, hills feel even harder.”

Johnson’s trip to California ended up a resounding success, as Johnson got to meet some of his most devoted fans, and even set a milestone or two along the way. “That’s the first time I’ve ever raced in January in the National Champion’s kit on U.S. soil and that’s great!” Johnson’s win proved that his form and fitness are nearing the right levels heading into late January, and will be ready to tackle the Hoogerheide World Cup on January 24. From there, Johnson will turn his sights to Tabor, where the ultimate goal of his season still remains: a top ten finish at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships.

Tags: cannondale cyclocrossworld