Sunday, February 11, 2007

DNS for Alex N-B!!!

A week before the race season begins, Oregon hillclimb phenom Alex Newport-Berra has pulled out of the 2007 racing season. An e-mail sent to his Hagens-Berman teammates says

"I no longer am motivated to
try to become a professional bike racer and am planning to balance my
life out furthering my education next year."

Alex is the 2-time reigning hillclimb OBRA hillclimb champion.  He set 
the Gov. Camp - Timberline lodge course record in his FIRST SEASON RACING BIKES.
Last year he beat healthnet pro Doug Ollerenshaw in the Mary's Peak HC by 45 second, after
being derailed for 2/3 of the season with a disease you get from eating poop.


He also had a bunch of great stage race results as a Cat. 3-4 and will be leaving a spot on the
Hagens-Berman Elite team.


Obviously, he had more talent in his left foot than most of us have in our entire bodies.
Hopefully he can use that talent somewhere else.

2 comments:

Brian Marcroft said...

I was disapointed to get that e-mail. Maybe after schools done he'll change his mind.

CDB said...

Well, school IS the important first-priority. Just ask Doug Ollerenshaw, Barry Wicks, and many other successful professionals. It's not like we're talking about the NFL or NBA here. These talented young athletes need to be able to make a living and be happy long term. Bike racing can only get you so far. The payoffs relative to the sacrafices one must make to go pro are quite amazing. It takes a passion that is beyond financial success. W/o a trust fund, it is a lot of work to go that route.

Props to Alex for making a wise decision. Good luck and we'll see you on the roads soon I am certain once things balance out a bit. I don't think we'll be seeing a slower Alex N-B either.