The Real MVP

Boulevard. Campo California.
Team PT showed up in force for this race and with a definite plan. To win. Now this is the plan for many of our races, actually most if not all of the races we do, we like to win. The team work PT is capable of is not rivaled by many. To steal something from the Troll, we watch videos and we practice.
True to form, about 2 or 3 miles in, Robo attacks. All part of the plan. Send someone up the road and force the other teams to chase. As they chase the rest of us cover the moves. In the early stages, Wingman, The Enforcer, Dr. Bill, and Magoo all go to work and cover keeping the Mt Goats, Bully, Freeze, RS, and Chicken fresh to protect the Boss when the road tilts up. Through the attacks from the other teams our plans changed up a little. RS seeming to not have the form we are used to seeing from him, found himself in the lauging group with the rest of us flat landers.
As we were trudging along the road of anonimity in true PT TTT fashion, cars were coming toward us warning us to slow. We rouded a right hand bend to see a rider lying on the road in a pool of blood. I glanced at him as we went by and could see that his helmet was smashed and his face covered in blood. I've seen it many times before. A rider lying on the ground after a crash and a few volunteers and a ref tending to the fallen rider. Our group of about 8 or 10 guys continued on. We crested one of the little climbs on the back side of the course and I survey'd the group and noticed RS was missing. I though we couldn't have dropped him, we are not going that hard. I asked the Wingman where RS was and the Wingman said that he stopped to help the guy who crashed.
At the time, I didn't really think much of it. At that point we were not riding for a placing. Our work for the team was done. We were basically on a training ride just getting the miles in the legs to prep for the rest of the season.
I thought alot about what kind of post I wanted to do this week. Do I want to finish the Cuban interview? Do I want to do a post about the differences between the two vehicles that traveled to SoCal and how the conversations were, I am sure, very different in those two vehicles. (Trust me that one would be funny) Nope I don't feel right if I don't recognize what RS did during the race.
Johnathan said when he stopped, the guy was unconcious and not breathing. He said that the ref and the other people that were there, were just standing there doing nothing.
I think about what if that was one of us in a pool of blood and everyone around was just standing there.
I don't know what happened to the guy who crashed. All I know is that when Johnathan stopped, he got off his bike to help and could have saved the guys life. Johnathan cleared the guys air way by doing something, I don't really understand, but it worked and they guy started breathing and came to. I think by the time Johnathan finally decided to finish his race the guy was concious and coherant.
What would have happened if Johnathan hadn't stopped? Maybe the guy would have been ok. I don't know.

Many things make me proud to be on this team. From the way we race, to the way we train, to the way we lay it on the line for one another and are not affraid to sacrafice for the best interest of the team.
We all get wrapped up in the heat of the battle and get our racing brains going full throttle, but when it comes down to it, we all have jobs. Racing is a hobby for us. Racing is a hobby for 95% of the people that showed up to Boulevard this weekend. From the juniors all the way to half of the pro field.
We have guys on this team who don't lose site of the big picture..... Life. The guy who crashed has a life and I am sure racing bikes is his hobby. Maybe Johnathan helped this guy extend his life a little longer.
The entire team did a great job this past weekend. Every race we do, I get a little more excited about the potential I see in everyone and what we can accomplish as a team, but the MVP award, this weekend, goes to Johnathan Edwards and it has nothing to do with his racing. Thanks Johnathan.

A.S.