He Officially has a TARGET on his Back - (Merced Criterium CAT 4/5)

[@salsalawyer]

EJ is like a cat chasing a laser light! Go get them! Congrats on placing, my man!

[@stroadwarrior]

My new favorite channel. EJ inspired me to sign up for my first crit

[@Ejstrainingcamp]

love to hear that!

[@beaufortdalpage186]

Jeff you've unleashed Norcal's own MVDP. Absolutely bonkers performance from EJ there, in every sense :) I'd love to see EJ hanging in 8th place in the cat3 peleton, jumping onto surges but no more until the last half lap.

[@l.d.t.6327]

More like WvA: allways on the front, in the wind, doing all the work and getting overworked in the end... Still a beast but no victory!

[@SWells679]

No doubt. Jeff's commentary & advice is well delivered. EJ is gonna be a beast.

[@CycoWarriorx]

EJ’s laughing had me laughing each and every time… as painful as he said it was for him to watch it - it was pure educational…. Marked man indeed… I love this series… 😅🍻

[@SatrnOne]

Chasing 18 attacks, solo, and still getting 2nd isn't going to get thy other teams to ease up on you😅 Holy crap, though! Still loving these. Can't wait for more.

[@JoshuaTHawkins]

Yes EJ, get that rear GoPro asap! Would love to see the reaction of the field each time you chased a counterattack 😂 Well done man!

[@CycoWarriorx]

He’s gonna have to kill the audio tho, cause they’re probably cursing him each and every time! 😆 #Luvit

[@WillEDC]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@XavenMonsalud]

Congrats EJ. You showed that if you put your mind and body on something.... nothing is impossible. Some kids wants to be LeBron or Mohomes...... as a 14 years old cyclist, I want to be in Tour De France someday!

[@cornishcat11]

good luck with your goals mate .

[@XavenMonsalud]

@@cornishcat11 thank you

[@marek9784]

14yo but signed up to KZbin 16 years ago, what's up with that? 🤔 Good luck with your goals mate!

[@XavenMonsalud]

@@marek9784 hello. Yes, my dad gave me his account.

[@type2cycling]

Great video and great race EJ! Thanks for chasing all those attacks for us ;) (Max from Terun)

[@AdventuresByTodd]

lol, awesome comment!!

[@sherwoody14]

An excited puppy getting thrown a new toy, going all out until they can’t hardly breathe.

[@Mark_Tucker]

*CORRECTION- 7 Velo Kings in the Race... ONLY 2 at the front... we gotta do much better there! Someone called in to USAC for a Mando Cat3 upgrade for Mitchel this week so EJ'll be in similar company again there

[@MikeK02048]

OK, so at this point I an officially living vicariously through EJ. Nice job....I love it when you just lay down the power (no matter what Jeff says)!

[@davezimmerman3044]

Is EJ one of those dudes that shows up at the start of the season as a 5 and finishes as a 2 or 1? PHREAK! (in a good way)! Fun to watch the journey.

[@robthompson6674]

2nd was a stellar result given how many times you went anaerobic in that race (how you launched your final sprint that early after all that work is mildly stunning). Once you unlock the power of racing "efficiently" you're gonna jump up the categories in no time.

[@Duncy123456]

Great to hear EJ honestly telling how he feels , Ego is our worst enemy, if only we all had a better understanding of when we are NOT going to miss out we wouldn't burn so many un necessary matches chasing ; Realising how many guys were in behind him says it all, cant wait for the rear cam action pls Jeff. PS. EJ , if ever you find you don't need those 1300 watts let me know , I could sure do with some !!!!

[@jackmontou8983]

EJ is a all around power house but to use that sprint think about the motivation of your competition. Sometimes you just have to role the dice and let others bring attacks back and plan for a field sprint. Granted this course often has a break. Once you're a 3 you'll have a lot more people working for that 2 upgrade and so I would imagine as an unattached rider it will actually be easier if you are wanting a sprint finish.

[@jackmontou8983]

Oh and EJ, have an idea of what the average speed on a course will be, then if 1 goes off the front and you've done some Strava stalking do the math to know if they can hold 26-28mph or whatever if you truly believe that one person can do that for half a race, 20min, 10min or whatever. Then do the math for 2 people or whatever number goes. Also realize early breaks probably won't stick and weigh the risk to reward of letting them go and sitting back and watching the other teams and sticking on their wheels.

[@tonem427]

I was super impressed by EJ with his 2nd place finished in his first race. Wow. And the speed was impressive, lots of power..I am from Miami,but went to school in California for a bit. Nostalgic watching you guys and seeing the streets and scenery from my favorite place on earth, California... From Miami- Palmetto Bay, 👏🏾✌🏾💪🏾🇵🇷🤣

[@Pandastico0]

lmao the moto draft at 7:54

[@Powerhauz]

EJ is a monster out there. Keep improving, buddy. Yeah CAT 3!!! LFG EJ.

[@connorhobby2571]

It’s really cool to see caliper breaks on bikes. Got my road bike and seeing calipers on races like these seems like it possible to get into racing without crazy equipment

[@williamryan8841]

Rim brakes are technically lighter, so just think of your bike as hyper optimized for weight 👍🏻👍🏻

[@joonleethong30]

Hey Jeff ! just watched the Merced Pro/Cat 1/2 race from the Terun POV, and i have to say, u guys raced so well and amazingly !

[@onederment]

Totally great race. If EJ had a lead out man that race would have been had. Amazing... I wouldn't be surprised if a team starts knocking on your door

[@whip113]

EJ's matchbook has a matchbook. My legs are smoked just from watching this. Great job!

[@quantumadmin]

this seems like a lot of teamwork for Cat 4/5. Given these power numbers, how many of these guys are not upgrading to CAT 3. Only novice piece was EJ's tactics but that's what we're here for.

[@crbondur]

Incredible to see EJ jump up to Cat 3 already. Nice!!!

[@jasonjohnson9072]

I 100% relate to this. When I started racing I closed everything. I still feel nervous when I race as an individual. I know I can’t chase everything, but I have FOMO bad every time anyone is off the front. When I race in a team, I race soooooo much better because I trust my teammates and they trust me. Sometimes it is my role to bring that back and sometimes you have to wait.

[@paulhurdlow3490]

Same here! And many times the FOMO can be valid, especially in the 4's. Frankly, riding solo in this race, I loved how EJ took responsibility for his own outcome and just laid down as much power as he could to keep himself in it. A vulture got him in the end, but it's hard to win solo against teams if they've got some solid guys. Yes, if he'd sat in and used the teams, and if they'd closed it by the final 500M, EJ wins this race. But those are two big "ifs".

[@rickiovine2170]

What an engine on EJ. Regardless of how it ended this young man has unbelievable cardio/ power endurance. I could not imagine chasing so often, and closing gaps with full teams working him over. He had no help. Riders were using him, and he still almost wins! He was the strongest in the race, by far. He just absolutely loves riding his bike. And, he absolutely hates seeing other riders dare to attack him. If he continues to develop he will get the attention of national coaches, and will have to move up in talent. One of the National teams with our top riders will bring him on board.

[@raulmarquez5485]

Great video series. EJ is unbelievable. I saw some comments about the roads not being that bad. I used to work in downtown Merced around the court house and some of the race course was on some really bad roads. The video doesn’t show it so we’ll cuz EJ had his afterburners on throughout the race! 🚀 🚴

[@billstrachan476]

Another super fun watch EJ. Lots of power to the pedals! Thanks for sharing.

[@MhDizzy]

Unreal ability by EJ. I'd say pro teams are eyeing this dude up for sure. Congrats

[@mradelphi02]

Fair to EJ. All those attacks and still coming second is godly!!

[@Robertlavigne1]

This is the best series on KZbin! Really enjoying the content and commentary!

[@BETRNSX]

Still got 2nd and almost won?! What a beast.

[@tonyhodanic2258]

EJ's laugh is contagious! Man, I can't wait to see him put it all together.

[@iammikeDOTorg]

Unreal effort. Kudos on the fitness. Live and learn. Thanks for the laughs.

[@ShuttTheFrontDoor]

Man, I wish I was 30 years younger and 30 pounds lighter when I discovered EJ......great job kid. On the CAT3, podiums and channel.

[@odd-devices]

maybe someone mentioned this already but winner of p1,2 averaged 4w/kg while EJ avg 3.2w/kg - I'd say the winner of p1,2 did a lot more work than EJ. Right?

[@JeuneCyclisteDynamique]

Depends on certain factors: - how did the race unfold? (did the P12 winner have to pull a long solo effort? (power++) - how much does the P12 winner weigh? (60 kg rider pushing 4W/kg at 240W average, not that much work in a high speed race)

[@allenjay896]

Despite ej’s mistakes. I couldnt help myself admire him af with his commitment, determination and especially stamina. Everytime he tails an attacker and see him keep up every damn time im just like “how tf does this guy have so much stamina and still does 1200-1400 watts almost everytime”. Like bruh. Keep it up.

[@airman8368]

A natural for sure. Impressive.

[@theupperechelon7634]

EJ is crazy strong.

[@goodcompanycoffee]

Last compare and contrast between NP/Average power between P12 and Cat 4/5 was a great metric to make a point

[@GeorgeWehner]

Welcome to Cat 3 EJ! Watching your journey has been a ton of fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing you give me and my AV teammates a hard time.

[@tobiasmadero2727]

Every other cyclist with a youtube channel be like: i'v got 3 matches to burn... and EJ be like "dude i was feeling it at the 12 attack" 😅

[@patricklarge3744]

EJ is a Gangster. He's inspired me to pull a team together of masters hacks in Netherlands to give this crit racing a shot.

[@tewaewae]

they say you learn more from a loss than a win. Lot of lessons for us all there, Thanks EJ.

[@VaraNiN]

How the fuck did you get second after chasing down 1000 counter attacks?! Mad props, dude

[@paulhurdlow3490]

First, love these videos. I was a TX racer and my racing days are behind me, but done a lot of riding and racing in NoCal also. Without the rear cam, it's hard to know if conserving and waiting for teams would have actually helped here. I did a lot of that in the 4's, and found sometimes the teams had numbers, but no watts, and the race would get away when it shouldn't have, and I didn't get a chance to sprint. Here, a solo rider nabs a solid second in this field? Not the objective for sure, but not bad either. Great work in the race, great commentary. Love it guys.

[@tewaewae]

07:24 the right reaction to a race where no one broke anything, love it

[@pokineusz3501]

it's easy to say - you made a mistake here, you made a mistake there, you should have not chased it.... but I absolutely get how it feels on your first few races, when you know you are strong, you know you should be fighting for the win, how can you let them go just like that? what if they have a 1 minute gap eventually? plus, watching Alviso you get the feeling like Jeff was chasing everything XD it takes experience to feel more comfortable with letting them go when there are teams responsible for chasing

[@8584zender]

nice job again!! I dont blame you for chasing. You have P12 fitness in a 4/5 field. while the teams may have 6 riders that doesnt mean theyre gonna be able to counterattack any more after 20Km. some may be riding at their limit just in the pack. once youre in 3 and above, you need to be more careful.

[@mowgli201]

Really wish you had that rear camera. Would've seen much more of myself than just being the first Velo Kings rider pointed out with the post production arrow. Lol.

[@biedawo]

Great workout and practice with the lines. You (and Jeff) should do Hellyer. Lots of racing in a single night.

[@kennethward9530]

EJ would actually probably do better on a smaller velodrome 250M or less-people would have a hard time coming over the top once he punches it.

[@Alan_Hans__]

Well done to the mane man. If EJ can slip into wheels faster when there is break rather than having to chase each time he'll be an unstoppable force.

[@marklobusta3986]

Ej is like a machine. Those power and the win congratulations

[@fpgamemearray]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, couch to crit P1/2! With that level of fitness, racing smart can at least make you hang out with the cat 2s

[@robertherrera1546]

Great series couch to crit! Always enjoy your videos but this is a new level I am addicted. Great content!

[@sirairness24]

Dude how many matches do you have?!! Chase after chase after chase! My legs are hurting halfway through this!!

[@1971lemond]

I used to do that race every year when I was a junior cyclist back in the day in the 80s and 90s, did the race as a senior a few times along with the road race. I still ride but don’t race anymore. The road surface was much nicer then than it is now.

[@lloydranola]

This was so hard to watch but much props to his willingness to learn and laugh back at himself. I personally was born to be a lazy bike racer. I made it to Cat 3 here NorCal without ever averaging more than 190 watts per race and barely having an 1100 watt punch… never more than 800 left at the line (I never won though either 😂). No reason EJ can’t be a Cat1!

[@mrchu9107]

He is a great talent

[@patrickgagnon3168]

One way to think about it that helped me is to think that when you jump to someone and do not take a pull, you're being a good teammate to everyone else in the pack.

[@h20s8804]

If I'd been in this race I would have glommed on to your wheel early and followed your every move like a shadow.. My ave power would have been under 200w and I would have barely come around you to win the sprint. Mark my words :) No really tho, Cat 4/5's throwing down that much power, that's awesome. Congrats on your jump up and good luck!

[@obikedog]

Not even a crit racer and I'm watching this before Strade Bianche. Great stuff. I love the analysis. Jeff, what's up with EJ not riding a rear cam already! Hoarder much? lol - and then as soon as I post EJ mentions it. That said, am I missing something or was there a blatant error in the power analysis portion? I know Jeff knows this so not sure how he overlooked it but -- W/kg is king and that other rider did 4 vs EJ's 3.2.

[@timbliss8777]

Great job! Now a rear camera and a Mike's Bike kit 🙂

[@rickburns4572]

Super fun watching EJ. That laugh is great!!

[@13CDallas]

NICE EJ, dumped a ton o wattz durring the race and stilled pulled a 2nd, congrats on the Cat Treee status!

[@cbb3062]

Will there be more videos with EJ I love this dude lol he has crazy power and chased every breakaway back and still gets second

[@psy-v]

Dude has more 🔥matches than a candle maker. Ej the candle maker.

[@benanderson9551]

Firstly wow and well done. Have to say that it does remind me of playing ball with my dog

[@joshmaitie5954]

EJ Is a tank omgggg I wish to have stamina like this man! Holly crap great work man!

[@AustinIsTheGreatest]

The roads don't look that bad besides some puddles and the top left corner but I assume that other areas could also feel worse than the footage portrays. Besides the top left this course looks really fun.

[@ShawnIsBatman]

Second place and a darn hard workout, not a bad day on the bike!

[@therondc]

Great video. When EJ figures out that he doesn't have to chase every single break, and that 6 inches to the right of the wheel in front of him isn't in the draft, he is going to be unstoppable. But then we won't get to hear him cracking up while watching these antics.

[@therondc]

Oh, and my fav part of the video was at 2 laps to go when the one guy attacked, and the guy on the other team called it out for EJ to go get it, and of course, he did.

[@TheEquineImage]

Great show, congrats!!

[@Turbo329]

That's crazy. I'm out here getting killed in crits and guys are averaging 300-350watts in Cat 3/4. I need to head out west to have a chance. :D

[@1a2b3c4.]

Concentrate on Strategy, racing can be a game of chess. Watch videos of Marco Pantani, you will for sure learn something, Pantani was just like you until he figured it out. He would be in the chase group until he made his move. Hope to see you in France.

[@smarti773]

All this says is that ej has a big box of matches and a gallon of fuel for the end. If anything this video proves ej can get it done solo. However as Jeff said that confidence is coming and it will all come together!

[@danieltrump7081]

EJ and Jeff are a great duo for videos.

[@tuna_buoy]

It would be cool to see EJ try road racing one day once he’s on a team. Big dude like that with strong consistent power can protect teammates and ride breakaways.

[@szv71]

S.A.F. EJ , you'll get there. Great job Jeff! He's an animal.

[@broersporco]

funny to see the cat classes and races , its not like in belgium . here you have differend classes , but the speed is the almost the same , just the length of the race is differend .

[@Nawlins5]

EJ the "Diesel" engine!

[@sjoerdvisser76]

With afterburners: there were like a gazillion 1100+ watts efforts. Wow!

[@mstrasser]

there were more than 10 riders here? lol great job EJ, learning and improving. when it clicks, look out!

[@victorknubben5515]

7:53 lol that guy got a massive moto draft

[@vincerelucio2]

once EJ figures out the strategies in racing, he'll be winning races like it's nothing, wha a beast of a rider!!!

[@billhemmila346]

That was brutal. Impressive stitching all those up... but brutal.

[@datowelie9066]

Damn. Well done EJ! Offtopic.. Can we expect more Glenn content this year? 🇳🇱

[@SeanLewisMedia]

Lets go EJ! Haha such a funny video with a ton of great info. Thanks guys!

[@midwesttreasureandrelicrec7914]

Keep it up fellas! Love it!

[@a.k.1351]

These are really enjoyable and fun videos. Keep it up.

[@kennethling5163]

Good job EJ!

[@infovidasupps8640]

To me in this race 2nd place is a complete win for going 1 VS a 6 person team He is learning what he is doing

[@robertwhiting5996]

I liked the video just because the intro was sick haha. Ej you're a beast!

[@pokineusz3501]

I'd love to see you in MTB racing EJ

[@tadziu2400]

Holy shit, this is so satisfying to see a solo rider beating the whole team of 7 riders. I hate it when teams show up at amateur level races, It's very unfair.

[@ronm7114]

Unbelievable. He just beats these guys all by himself lol.

[@skylerschwendeman]

EJ is going to be crushing higher cat fields in no time. What a beast.

[@rickcski8082]

Awesome power EJ!!!

[@stevehartwell1861]

Get to 3, game changes alot. 3/4 races now will help

[@TreyCoursey]

Jeff c'mon now....to compare one rider to another you need to compare Wkg, not actual watts (I know you know this, just a slip up). You could compare Efficiency Factor of course but that's not what you were trying to show I don't think. EJ's a big dude, super powerful...that certainly could lend itself to being a bigger rider than the P1 rider who may be 20lbs lighter! Thanks for putting these together, tons of work I know from my channel. Keep it up and can't wait to see EJ crushing all year! (Also SAUCE for Strava, could give you some of this info if the rider has weight accurately input into their profile)

[@jonathanwise47]

Nice job!