As the moments grew closer to the start of the Single Speed race on Friday afternoon on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate I was reluctant to head to the starting grid. I stood and stared into the French Broad River as it swelled closer to the banks from rains early in the week, I thought about the overwhelming heat of the opening weekend in Rochester and how unbelievably refreshing a dip in a river like this would have been. I thought about the 155 crazy bastards I was about to line up with and how I just wanted to get through the first lap without getting my bike mangled in a stroke of bad luck, and how this was it, no race next weekend, nor the weekend after. I stared at the water and continued to hesitate as the familiar voice of Richard Fries called us to staging. Just as I stared at that river I have been staring at this blank page on my computer screen off and all day. I am reluctant to start typing because much like the race efforts I would put out a week ago this will likely be my last post for the season, much like the French Broad River ends in Douglas Lake, cyclocross season ends in January.  Continue reading “The Big Picture: 2016 U.S. Cyclocross Nationals (Brett Rothmeyer)”