1 Oct 2005
The immortal words of my stepfather have never been more
appropriate. I have officially decided to end my stint of racing
bikes for a living. I thought since Lance retired, I just wouldn’t
have a chance to drop him from the break anymore, so why go on? No,
really as with any career change there’s no one reason for my
decision. Sure, the fact that I’m getting married in three weeks is
significant. But, then there’s the travel in less than 5-star
accommodations, and the lack of a respectable salary for a
red-blooded American. Sure, there’s money to be made, but it wasn’t
happening for me. I had enough to live on, but it’s time for me to
get ahead, or at least have a better chance. I also happen to like
it here in Nashville, and I’m looking forward to spending more time
here!
My original plan was to finish strong and race all the way through
the Greenville Criterium on October 15. However, a higher power was
at work and took money from the team’s budget, inhibiting the team
from covering any race expenses after Labor Day. It’s a shame that
my final season as a pro has fizzled out insignificantly, but you
just can’t control some things. So, Jeff and I headed to the U.S.
10K Classic race that’s held early on Labor Day every year. We were
looking at making pretty good money since most of the top riders
were racing in the San Francisco Grand Prix. We just cruised down on
Sunday afternoon to get to bed early. We had a 4:30 wake up call to
get ready for the 7:15 start time. Rude.
This racecourse can produce a fairly uneventful day because it is so
hard to stay away from the group. The course provides such momentum
for the bunch that it tends to stay together for the most part. This
year was no exception as Bruno, Christian, and myself tried to keep
things together in the last few laps for Jeff. With about ten miles
to go I drifted back to find Jeff and take him to the front. We were
able to stay ahead of the trouble and several crashes during the
final 5.5-mile lap. With 1 km to go I thought we were sitting
pretty, but with an insane downhill finish we were getting squeezed
in the middle of the bunch. I tried unsuccessfully to lead us out on
the right. Jeff saw this wasn’t working and went for it solo along
the left. Somehow, he carved them up and took an early run along the
fence. It looked like he would win until Emile Abraham pulled a
slingshot move to beat Jeff by about an inch. It was agonizing, but
to be honest I’m glad I didn’t die in the 50 mph sprint.
So, that was it for my last race as a professional cyclist. Now is
my chance to thank everyone who has helped me in my endeavor to make
a career of bike racing. My history goes back to Athens, Georgia in
1997 and leads me to Nashville today. I know you’ve all heard, “I
couldn’t have done it without your help,” but I really couldn’t
have! And you know who you are. There are too many to mention
really, but I will mention my Mom, Dad, Step dad, Step mom, and my
sister Kelly. I’ve been doing this since I graduated from the
University of Georgia and they’ve been supportive ever since. I have
to stop this now, I’m getting teary-eyed.
I will say that I’m going to stay very much involved in cycling,
especially in Nashville. I have over 9 years of bike racing
experience and a degree in Marketing, and I’m seeking to utilize
that knowledge base. I’ve started my own company Elan Pro Cycling,
LLC based here in Nashville. My objectives are two-fold, manage an
amateur/professional cycling program as well as organize cycling
events in the Nashville area. I have solid experience in both
aspects, and if anyone wants to contact me about supporting these
endeavors please contact me.
Thanks so much for reading all of my diary entries. Keep supporting
cycling, especially great websites like NashvilleCyclist.com!
Sincerely,
Jesse Lawler
Elan Pro Cycling, LLC
jesselawler@comcast.net
(615) 397-1451