Team Boulder

It's pretty difficult to focus on cyclocross right now. As you've probably seen, heard and—unfortunately for some—experienced firsthand, our hometown of Boulder, Colo. was hit with the biggest flood in decades, if not ever.

Fortunately, everyone on the team is safe. It's remarkable how few lives were lost considering the scale of the disaster. Interestingly, much of that is thanks to Boulder's extensive bike path system, which doubles as flood mitigation when the water rises.

Elmer's Two Mile Creek begins to flood the bike path on Thursday

Despite the city's best efforts and planning, current estimates indicate that 119 homes have been lost and nearly the same number have been damaged. A quick ride around town reveals countless yards strewn with destroyed carpets, furniture and more.

It's tough to consider riding or racing with such a disaster looming over our heads, but at the same time it helps restore some normalcy. Certainly, one of the first priorities is helping friends, family and anyone else around town who needs an extra set of hands. Seeing our friends in the cycling community pull together to support each other is one of the most heartening aspects of the disaster. But we knew it would be this way.

As the waters recede, we'll be back to racing. Once the wet carpet is replaced, the silt shoveled and the basement dried out, let's not forget the spirit that got our community through the flood. Capture it, and remember how important it is to support each other. Whether we're faced with an awful natural disaster or the opportunity to host cyclocross National Championships, anything is possible with the support of a strong community.

We may wear different colored kits when we pin on numbers, but we're all on the same team at the end of the day.