Last year, riding for Trek-Livestrong, Ben King shocked the U.S. cycling scene in September by spending 100 miles off the front of the USPRO Championships to take the win and the National Championship jersey. Now riding for RadioShack, Ben is making his U.S. debut as National Champion at Amgen Tour of California.
RBA: How has the transition from Trek-Livestrong to full-time European racing with RadioShack gone so far? Jumping from a Continental team to a ProTour team caused a lot of transitions. The races are longer and faster, but I'm also making a lot of adjustments off the bike. I moved into an apartment in Tuscany Italy, away from the conveniences and support that I'm accustomed to in the US. The challenges range from cultural and language barriers to months away from home. When I'm in Europe, I'm almost always in work mode. There aren't many distractions. Fortunately, I've made some friends in Italy, mostly young cyclists in the same stage of life; and my directors scheduled me a mid-season break to refresh and spend time with family in the U.S.
RBA: Does the European peloton give you more respect because of the Stars and Stripes jersey on your back? The Stars and Stripes has made a big difference for my first year in Europe. Some experienced riders know who I am. I remember introducing myself to Jens Voigt at the beginning of the year. I said something like, "Hey, wanted to introduce myself. I've been a fan for a long time. I'm Ben King." He said, "Yeah, I know." It's not that anyone gives me extra respect in the races, but it gives me a sense of belonging and confidence.
RBA: Are there any key things you've learned on the RadioShack team this year?
On this team I'm surrounded by some of the top professionals in the sport, so I take notes on everything. The things I'm learning are a continuation of my education while on Trek-Livestrong and the USA National Team. One thing that didn't take me long to learn: when you have to pee at night, leave the light off and sit down so you don't wake up your roommate.
RBA: At AToC will you have the opportunity to get in breakaways and race aggressively, or is it going to be a conservative approach to try and help Levi get his fourth victory? I believe we'll be saving bullets to fight for the General Classification. I'm really proud to be here in support of our team leaders and am ready to do whatever the team asks of me. But racing is unpredictable, so it's hard to say what might happen.
A look at our National Champion's Bike
While Ben King's teammates' Trek Madone's have custom paint jobs from renowned artist Shepard Fairey, he stuck with his red, white and blue National Champion color scheme. The Madone 6.9 SSL frame gets Bontrager's new 5.0 Aeolus tubular wheels with 24mm Challenge Forte tires. The 50mm deep carbon rims are made in Waterloo, Wisconsin.
Notice the WW 108 sticker? That's to show respect for Wouter Weylandt who tragically died in a wreck on Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia. 108 was his number in the Giro.
By looking at Ben's saddle, he sure likes it to be worn in. His Bontrager Affinity RXI Ti saddle has seen some miles.
In order to keep his Madone 6.9 SSL above UCI's 15-pound minimum weight limit, Ben races and trains with an SRM powermeter on his SRAM crank. His bike is decked out with SRAM's new Black Red components; including the chainrings on his SRM.
Like most pros, Ben runs a low handlebar position. His Bontrager Race XXX Lite stem gets slammed as low as it will go, sans spacers. He also prefers a traditional bend Bontrager Race Lite alloy handlebar. The RadioShack logo stands out prominently on the head tube of his Madone.
|