Riders expecting dynamic first edition of Colorado Classic

Every great story has its odd couple, the polar opposite characters whose contrasting personalities make each other shine. And like Maverick and Iceman in Top Gun, TJ Eisenhart and Brent Bookwalter are two very different sides of American cycling who, if Tour of Utah was any indication, will add a special element to the Colorado Classic's cast of characters.

Case in point: the opening press conference of the race in Colorado Springs, and Bookwalter dutifully describes his team as the "best in the world", speaking about his long journey from his start with BMC Racing as a domestique to becoming the only American to have finished on the podium of the most recent major stage races - Tour of California, Tour of Utah, Tour of Alberta and the now-defunct USA Pro Challenge in Colorado.

"When I got on the team, all I wanted to do was to work for others. I got to a turning point around 2012, the year after Cadel [Evans] won the Tour, I realized I had more in me still," Bookwalter said. "It's not all I aspire to, I still wanted more out of myself. I worked hard to make that transition, to turn myself into a rider who also races for results, who is at front or race, and have that fire in me." He then went on to describe his gratitude for his team - a polished, professional press conference statement of a seasoned WorldTour rider.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bookwalter's style comes in sharp contrast to that of neo-pro TJ Eisenhart (Holowesko-Citadel), a self-styled neo-hippie who sports a chunky turquoise necklace, and headband over bleach-blonde locks.

"Yeah, man. It's for sure a vibe on Holwesko-Citadel," Eisenhart said when asked about the contrast between his 2016 trainee stint with BMC to his current Continental team. "We just go out and like, race it. It doesn't matter, we give it all, man."

"For me, man - I felt like on BMC I was kind of like this caterpillar, I was just, like, following orders. I'm grateful for my time with BMC Racing, but this winter I feel like turned into a butterfly. Just being with the team has helped me a lot, with not being afraid to express who I am, just enjoying racing, and just enjoy being blown away by the beauty of mother nature.

Small teams, dynamic racing

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com