I have just recently returned from Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies training camp in Oxnard California. The team met up for 10 great days of training. We were blessed with amazing weather with only one day of rain. This year at camp we did more exploring and ventured in different directions from our house. We logged some serious hours and miles at camp this year. It came out to being 36hrs and 680 miles with 1 on day off. Legs are really starting to come around. I am happy with where my fitness is right now. I plan to build on what I have and gain fitness throughout the Spring.

Next week I am off to Singapore for the OCBC Singapore criterium. It is a big money 90min crit in downtown Singapore. This will be a shock to the system but I am looking forward to mix it up with some pro tour guys. Full report will come when I return from that. Until then……

Well it has been a little over a month now since I have moved out to Colorado.  2012 is shaping up to be a great year so far. Training started off slow in January with tendonitis in my knees but I am now past that and putting in big miles. Even with the slow start I still managed a little over 1000miles in January. This past weekend I was up in Minneapolis for our team presentation. It was great to see old teammates and meet new faces. It is super cool that we will have a women’s pro team this year as well as a cyclocross program that I will be a part of. I think the team will be the strongest it has ever been with 18 very talented riders.

I am only home in Springs for a week before I head out to California for team camp next week. I hope to build my base and fitness at camp. After camp I will return home for a week and then I am off to Singapore for a big money crit. I am very excited and extremely motivated for 2012. I hope to be better about updating my blog throughout the season. I plan to share my amazing adventures this year as my 2nd year as a professional cyclist.

Some press:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/zirbel-presented-with-optum-kelly-benefit-strategies

http://www.embrocationmagazine.com/online/homegrown-an-interview-with-mike-sherer

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/02/news/optum-pro-cycling-poised-to-smash-the-field_205168

Well I don’t really know where to start with this. I guess I should start off with a thank you to everyone who has been there for me this year. I can even start to say my thanks to everyone who has helped me out this year. Without you guys I could have not made this first year as a PRO.

What a year I had as my first year as a professional cyclist. I had the opportunity to travel all over the US and World. Racing in Taiwan and France was truly an amazing experience. I can’t tell you how much I learned about bike racing over seas.  It is just a whole other level over there. As you know this season had its ups and downs. The season started off great traveling overseas and finding some good legs. I was able to hold my fitness into some NRC events where I racked up a couple top 10′s. However good things did not last. Out in Baltimore over Memorial Day I had a horrible crash and broke my collarbone.

The rest of May and June were spent healing up from my injury. Once I thought I was healed I discovered that I had acquired a STAPH infection from my wreck in Baltimore.  I was on some serious antibiotics which did not help my training. I pushed through this and used Superweek to get back into some decent shape. The legs were starting to come around again just before Crit Nationals. Crit Nats were quite the experience. Crazy weather conditions caused many crashes and weird tactics.

After coming home from Crit Nats I discovered that my STAPH infection was back so I went back on more antibiotics. I headed to Gateway Cup to continue to build fitness. However I just struggled there with the antibiotics and the sketchy racing. After Gateway I got the word that we were not heading back over to Asia so my season was over.

Time for cross now. I rode for the Pony Shop once again this year. I really like riding for Lou Kuhn. He could be one of the nicest and most supportive guys I have ever met, so it was a pleasure to ride cx for him. CX season started off like my road season. I won a few local races and headed to the USGP in Madison were I got my ass kicked. I was kind of checked out by then anyway though. I headed up to my cabin in Wisconsin to simple relax for 2 weeks. I spent my days fishing, drinking beer, and hanging out with Layla.

After my time off I was eager to get back to it and finish my cross season strong. Once again I was blessed with more bad luck. On a little training ride I crashed into my teammate and broke my wrist. When I went to the doctor for my wrist I discovered that the STAPH was back again. I was put on some different antibiotics which I ended up being allergic too. I continued to train with my cast on for a few weeks. Things slowly started to improve.

Once my wrist started feeling better I made it back to0 the races. I did a couple local races first to test out the wrist and it felt good. I decided to head to the Cincy3 UCI races to try to score some UCI points. On the second day of racing I had a slip out. When I slipped out I put my foot out and it stuck into the ground. My knee twisted and I fell to the ground in a great deal of pain. I thought for sure I tore my ACL. After seeing the doctor again I discovered that I strained my LCL and bruised my Tibia.

I had to take a few weeks off completely but I have been back on the bike for the past 2.5weeks now. I have no pain on the bike but my knee is still sore and stiff off the bike. I am hoping for a great 2012 having so much bad luck in 2011. I am moving to Colorado Springs at the first of the year to start a new life. Chicago has a special place in my heart but it is just not the place to be if you are a professional cyclist. I am excited to be back with Kelly next year as well. We have some really big things coming with the team and I am excited to be part of it. Last year I asked for some help and support financially and people were really great about that. I am doing the same thing again this year. Funds are tight for me and any help would be greatly appreciated. I have the PayPal donate button located on my page.  Thanks again everyone. Cya out on the road.

Name the price and its yours.

Clothing

KBS Medium Long sleeve speed suit

KBS Medium short sleeve skin suit

KBS Medium Long sleeve skin suit

2008 Long sleeve Pony Shop Medium Skin suit

2009 Thermal Long sleeve Pony Shop Medium Skin suit

2009 Long sleeve Pony Shop Medium Skin suit

(2) 2011 Short sleeve Pony Shop Medium skin suit

(2) 2011 Long sleeve Pony Shop Medium skin suit

Large Pony Shop Knickers

Medium Metlife Knickers

Medium Verizon Long sleeve Jersey

Large Alderfer Bergen Thermal Jacket

Medium KBS Wind Jacket

Large Metlife Thermal Jacket

Medium Pony Shop Wind  Vest

Medium Verizon Wind Vest

Medium 2CC Wind Vest

Medium Short sleeve Pony Shop Jersey

Medium Indiana University Jersey

Medium Metlife Jersey

Medium Alderfer Bergen Jersey

Medium 2CC Jersey

(5) Large KBS Bibs

Medium Verizon Bibs

Medium Metlife Bibs

Medium KBS track suit

I also have a ton of socks, cycling caps, knee/leg/arm warmers, gloves etc.

2010 Zipp 202′s with Dugast Rhinos $1300

2008 Zipp 202′s with FMB Grippos $1100

Mavic Zellium 11.5 road shoes Brand New $200

Patagonia Storm Rain Jacket $80

2011 57cm Orbea Orca Silver, Sram Force, Mavic Kysrium elite wheels, Mavic Tires, Zipp Bar/stem, Selle Italia Carbon SLR Saddle $2100

Cannondale Cadd 8 Track bike, 58cm, Zipp Bar/stem/seatpost, FSA Crankset. $700

Ritchey WCS 120mm stem $35, Thompson Masterpiece 120mm stem $45, Bontrager 130mm stem $30, FSA 130mm Stem $30

Look Keo Pedals $50, Egg beater 4ti $150, Look Ke0 Sprint pedals $40

Stronglight 46/39 chainrings $50, SRAM 46/39 chainrings $45, Spot 42t single rings $25, FSA Carbon Guards $35

Ultegra 12-25 cassettes $35, Ritchey seatposts 27.2 $25

SRAM Carbon left lever $25, Rival 175mm Crankset 53/39 $100, Force Shifters $100, Force Rear Der $45

Ritchey WCS Ergo 44cm Bars $30, Bontrager 44cm bars $30, Cannondale 42cm Bars $15

SRAM Rival frnt der, $20, Force $30, Dura Ace $50, Mavic $40, 105 $20, Rival Brakes $100, Tekro TT brake levers $20

Vision Base Bar with Aero Bars $50

TRP MAG Brakes $100, Tektro brakes $30

Yakima Wheel Forks $25

Nashbar Cycling gear bag $25

Timbuk2 messenger bag $25

Email me at Shererbike@gmail.com if you are interested in anything. Willing to negotiate. Need to get rid of things ASAP.

I am off to Taiwan tomorrow.  I leave Santa Cruz in the morning and fly to LA where I will meet up with my teammates and staff.  We will then hitch a China Airlines flight to Taipei Taiwan.  The flight is a whopping 15 hours long.  We start the stage race on Saturday the 19th with a 2km prologue, then a crit on Sunday. After racing in Taipei will will start the road races which will follow the coast all the way around the perimeter of the Island. I assume I will not be able to use my cell phone so either FB message me or send me a email at shererbike@gmail.com if you need to a hold of me.

I am offically done with my first stage race as a pro for 2011.  Nothing to brag about about a solid start to the season.  What an experience,  Merco cycling classic was a fanstic event. The town of Merced was a wonderful host of the race.  After a brutal 120mi road race yesterday I hitched a ride down to Santa Cruz CA where I will be calling home until I head to Taiwan next week.  I am already blown away by this place and how beautiful it is.  I will leave you with some photos from the weekend. Thanks Lyne from Podiuminsight for the great photos.

It is getting to that time of the year when racing begins. This is when you find out if all your hard training has paid off. I think I have trained harder this winter then ever before. I have put in huge hours and I feel like I am more fit than I have ever been before. This past February I put in over 80 hours on the bike.  This Wednesday I start my adventures as a professional cyclist, with heading to California bright and early. My first race is the Merco Cycling Classic which starts this Thursday.  It is a 4 day stage race which consists of 2 road races, TT, and a crit.  After Merco I am heading to Santa Cruz for 10 days where I will stay with my old Pony Shop teammates Devon and Aspen. I will spend time in Santa Cruz soaking in the California sun and getting some good training in.

After my stay in Santa Cruz I am off to Tour de Taiwan with the team.  Tour de Taiwan is a 7 day stage race which includes 6 road races and one crit. This is my first time racing internationally . After Taiwan I will be back in Bloomington in the March 29th. That is as far as I know in advance. It is going to be a long time away from home and Layla but it is going to be such an amazing experience.

Please if you have not already Donated please do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.