Twice this year I have done races where Richard Fries has announced. Twice, I’ve crossed the finish line to have him say “and all the way from Wilmington Delaware, a rider from Henry’s Bikes.” Today as I cross the finish, I knew I had left everything out there. Fries announced, “coming all the way from Wilmington, Delaware riding for Henry’s Bikes/SPOT Brand MARC VETTORI finishing a strong ride.”

I thrust my arm into the air.

2:00am Saturday morning. I lay in bed, wired beyond all belief. I stare at the ceiling. 24th place. I took 24th place today. I could hear SPOT BRAND Paul's words in my head. He said, "today, there were only 23 riders in this country better than you." Even if that's not really true, I was so stoked.

By all means, I know my place in the world. I'm just some dude. I'm not particularly fast, I don't really do anything magical. I like to ride my bikes. This weekend's race, exceeded my expectations. I've done over 200 races, and nothing was ever like this one. This is one I will hold on to for a long time. I recognize that this might be as good as it gets for me. 24th place at nationals. For me, that storm, that weather, those conditions, were perfect. Just perfect.