Hector Fernando Riveros brings big-stage potential to Bandwagon Racing

Mary Topping, a freelance writer who covers cycling and Colombian cyclist's in particular when she has the chance, wrote an awesome story about Fernando. Please, please check it out on Pikes Peak Sports, Fernando Riveros brings big-stage potential to Bandwagon Racing.

Bandwagon has been growing every year and I knew the key would be talking a super talented young rider into growing with the team, I thought it would have been Mitch, Kalan, or Colin when they got fired from there current teams for some silly shenanigans, Haha!  Not only does Fernando have talent, he can produce the goods at the races. The team has been dominating this year, not just Fernando but the rest of the squad as well, Jason, Jill, Stephanie, Trevor and Pablo. I think by this time next year Jason will have developed into a solid Pro! I plan on having some other rippers from the Front Range join the team. Long term we will have a team of international superstars based right of Colorado Springs. First things first... Fernando and I are racing the Riverside Rampage stage race this weekend. Mountain States Cup #1

2012 Whiskey 50

 Here are a few of the better photos from the Whiskey 50. Check some of the links on the Bandwagon Racing home page for more photos and a race report or two.

Stephanie on her way to 5th overall in the 25 miler which is more like 29 miles.

         Me, Fernando and Luis Mejia. Luis is Fernando's friend from Colombia. He is visiting the states for a few weeks. Luis was in the front group coming out of Skull Valley but cramped up and ended up 15th. These two are are super fun to ride with and just a joy to be around.

 Fernando and I both flatted denting our rims on the same rock during a pre-ride of the course on Friday. Fernando ended up getting a new wheel from No-Tubes. I fixed my wheel but didn't realize until mid-race on Sunday that I had a tiny tear in my side-wall next to the bead. It would seal up fine but the Stan's would come dislodged during serious descending.

 After putting the tube in during the race I rode most of the race for training and next year... I was having a pretty good day out there and started to catch all sorts of people in the last 10 miles. This is were it all went wrong, again, haha! I started racing again, and sent the "water crossing" (see above photo) like I was on a downhill bike, thus pinch flatting the tube. I rode the last mile of singletrack and the final 4-5 miles of road on the rim.

Staphanie Jones slash down. These trails were a blast to ride. 

                                                                        Rawwrrrrrrrr

5th place for Stephanie Jones. Well done! Look for her report on XC Ruined My Life. 

 Fernando's hard work and talent shine  thru when it really counts. Him and Luis rode a perfect race especially on the opening climb. For once Fernando showed some patience and sat in the pack until the climb really kicked up.

Left to right, Alex Grant, the German, Kabush, JHK, Hector Fernando. Do they have special ATM's for those checks?

RME #1 Voodoo Fire Pueblo, Co

As is tradition we rode from Colorado Springs to the race in Pueblo, 72 ish miles from the house. The "ride from the house group" included The Navigator, Brad Baker(he opted for a car ride home), and myself. I was the only one racing.

Perfect weather for the ride down. An easy pace at about 4.5 hrs. Brad found a route that took us onto the bike paths in Pueblo, that really got rid of anything that resembled a climb. The bike path followed the Arkansas and really is lovely!

Stephanie shuttled our gear down, we are getting soft. The Thalen's came by the campsite to shoot the shit. Stephanie made the best veggie-chili ever! Warm night for camping.

Speaking of Stephanie... she had a couple flats on the first lap, but was determined to finish. After walking the last couple miles of lap one, Jon changed her tire and she went back out, with out a spare tube tho!? You guessed it she ended up flatting twice! She bummed a tube the first time and walking back in the second time(

I felt great at the start, and all day actually. The road climb before we hit the trails was quite civil this year. I topped the single-track climb just behind Mark Legg-Compton, Kalan, Kelly Magelky and Fernando. Fernando attacked on a little climb a few miles in and that destroyed the chasers! Mark fell off the pace letting me and Kalan by... We hit some double-track and Kelly attacked, I barely hung on! I dropped of a little on the moon-crater section of the course, it is about the hardest couple of miles and horribly dusty. It was easier to see with a little room. I was working my way back to the led group of 3 when I think I ran over part of a cactus that had made it's way onto the trail. Both tires started leaking simultaneously!! The front one sealed right up but the rear went nearly flat and I used most of my quick-fill on it, Adam Pulford went by and I jump on his wheel. His group was not going fast enough for my liking so I went for a pass at full gas and rolled the back tire off the rim jumping back into the swoopy single-track( I used the rest of my air but that left me with about 5psi, literally. I rode slowly standing up the whole time to keep the weight off the back tire. I was resigned to throwing in the towel.

Jason came by with his own tire troubles. His front tire was low on air. I caught up when he stopped to change the flat, but he had already used all his air on a previous stop. He started walking and I kept riding standing on the pedals and just planning on get back to the finish area. But they had a pump at the aid-station on the last bit of double track before you drop into the waterfall section. I filled the tire and it sealed right up! Jason came along and pumped up his front tire. We were off. I drilled the rest of lap one, at this point way behind. I made it in and re-upped on air and water. Jason came in and sped right out. I decided to go out for another lap to get in some training and maybe pace Jason up to the front of his group. But the guy leading the Half Marathon came by and he was not racing using what I would call good sportsmanship, so I had to stick with him for most of the lap and let him know where I stood on a few issues, haha! He eventually finished second. We caught and flew by Jason. Jason ended up having more tire trouble, ounce you through a tube in with no sealant, you are doomed out there. A huge number of DNF's due to tire trouble. Some classes as many as 20 DNF's. We will have to rethink our strategy for next year, maybe go Cactus Cup style with Stan's in all the spare tubes and/or spare wheels at the start finish. I ran into Stephanie pushing her bike at the end of lap 2 and called it a day. I decided my energies would be better spent helping the team and recovering for the Whiskey 50.

Kristi placed 3rd in the 40-49 womens half-marathon. Nice job Kristi! Leslie Handy caught this awesome shot of her.

The gang rejoicing in Fernando and Pablo's wins!!!

Fernando crushing the opening climb. Hold on tight when this kid goes.

Leslie caught me off guard and I kept shanking it...

Kalan Beisel and Hector Fernando Riveros worked together for most of the race.

Pablo "the Saint" von Boeck won the SingleSpeed half marathon. Overtaking another awesome Colorado Springs rider, Joe McNearny on the final climb!!

Fernando ended up edging out Kalan by a minute and a half. Tight racing for 66 miles. Sam Morrison held tough for 3rd. Sam, sorry about my horrible line on the opening climb, you can pay me back next time. Results can be found here.

Jon and I set a pretty quick pace on the way back. It was a little hot but a beautiful day really. Sorry we didn't take any photos on the way back.

Rumble at 18 Road

Racing in Fruita is always a good time! The course at the Rumble wasn't exactly my cup of tea, with the last 2-3 miles of the 10 mile loop being a slightly downhill section of rock hard jeep road, smooth as a pancake. The opening few miles weren't much different, a few rollers on the way out, then up Prime Cut trail before connecting to Chutes and Ladders. I was just looking to get in a "training" race and see what happens, plus we are all racing the same course, right?

I got to the line a little late and ended up in the second row. But since the start was fairly wide open I didn't think it would be an issue. Then I realized I had left one of my bottles at the water station. So I had this kid hold my bike and spot while I ran back to get my bottle. When I returned the guy in the Steamboat Velo jersey had snagged my spot!? And someone else had my bike in the back row!? No big deal there were only 20 guys or so... and Travis Brown was at the back I would just follow him to the front, ha! I was think without any serious climbing the windy conditions would keep things together a little more on the first lap, wrong.

The first couple of uneventful miles turned out to be quite challenging. The rollers were mostly rutted double-track and riding in all this dust was like riding blind folded. Mitch Hoke drilled it and getting thru the dust was a little challenging. When we hit the first flattish section, the wind was an issue and I wasn't able to bridge up to the front group. I think of bike racing as catching a wave, when you are in a group wether it be the top 5 or 10 or even last 5 or 10, you get caught up in their energy and staying there is no problem, but trying to paddle in from the back takes a huge effort, it can be done, but on a windy day best to catch the first wave. If you look at he results everyone was grouped together in little groups of 2-3 racers. I spent the first lap with Josh Whitney after he got spit out of the tube. Shawn Meredith bridged up to us after the rollers on the second lap. Nice riding Shawn! Josh and I were working together and I started to push the pace on the rollers heading out on lap 2, which probably eventually did me in, I was surprised when Shawn caught up. Heading out on lap 3 I wasn't exactly feeling it going up Prime Cut, Shawn and Josh dropped me and I was dreading climbing the ladders again, short as they are, they are steep and hurt when you come into them at race pace on a 10-15 minute uphill drag. After I was dropped a couple other guys came up from the rears, at this point I had kinda throw in the towel on placing well and let a few guys by without much of a fight. On the buttery single-track I caught one guy pretty easily, then caught my old friend who stole my spot at the start, just before jumping out on the road going back down to the start. We traded a couple pulls and could have caught the guy in front of us if I wasn't so lazy.

So we are coming into the finish and I take a pull hoping to get to the final corner first, because the finish is only maybe 50 feet past the last hard right hander. He sprints back in front, so I give him the corner thinking there will never be enough time to get around him after the corner. I set up wide...

He takes a horrible line and I'm able to dive underneath and sprint in for 12th! Classic high-low with a bike throw on the line to take it by a nobby. Take my spot will ya...

Fernando's Pan-American Continental Championships

Panamerican Games Puebla, Mexico : It was a hard day today. I was in 4th and I was trying for the Bronze but got cramps in both legs and had to slow down. I finished 6th. Thanks to Constructora Arpo CR, Bandwagon Racing, Acli-Mate® "Go Higher- Feel Better", Kate's Real Food, Schwalbe North America, Pranava Yoga Center, Osprey Packs, Feedback Sports, Squirt Lube, The Colorado Cyclist, Inc., Alma Coffee House and Rotor Bike Components. - Fernando aka Hector Riveros via FaceBook

Fernando only knows one way to race, flat out, from the gun until he has nothing left...

Notice Todd Wells 3rd lap! After everyone else had shot all their bullets trying to ride off the front, he dropped the hammer and rode the fastest lap of the race, when everyone else was slowing down!

Testing the Rotor Rings

Kervin was nice enough to hook Fernando and I up with some Rotor rings for our bikes. Fernando was super stoked to get them on his bike. I've always been a little skeptical... Rotor's main claim to fame has always been that they eliminate the dead spot in your pedal stroke thus making you more efficient, as most of you already know I'm one smooth operator, haha! Actually I was part of a guinea-pig group at the Olympic Training Center back in 1996-ish and I was found to have the most efficient pedal stroke of anyone, road or mountain. But I digress...

Like I said Fernando loves Rotor so I figured I'd give them a try, AND guess what I LOVE them. I do seem to be riding in a bigger gear and it feels like I have a tail wind on every climb, no joke! Here is a link to a study that found the Rotor rings to be more efficient.

A short video of a tricky little dipsy-doodle on the Intemann Trail. I owe it all to Rotor!

My next goal is to get a race going in Red Rocks-Palmer Trail-Section 16-Intemann-Red rocks

Training with Bandwagon Racing

Jason and I took Fernando on his first road ride in the Springs. We rode up the pass to Woodland Park and hit the Picabo St. climb on the way. Ridiculously steep and Fernando rode it in the big ring! Once in Woodland we rode up to Rampart Range Rd. I've done this exact ride many times and it has never been so easy, mainly cuz Jason pulled into the wind all day! 53 miles and 5'600 feet of climbing goes down like a cold glass of Acli-Mate when your ridin with your mates!