Just like this thread feeds what he wants
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And your experiences in riding 30+ hours straight has taught you that its significantly different? I’ve done it five times in the 20 months since that race, and I can tell you that it really is only slightly different…
I chimed in with my take, as I consider myself pretty close to the topic at hand, having a similar fitness to the subject, and actually raced the event in discussion!!! I’m not trying to make excuses for myself, and if I needed an ego boost, these races wouldn’t be the genre I’d target. I was simply offering a bit of an insiders take, which I assumed some might appreciate. If you don’t, I’m sorry for that. 
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(Sorry, I have no opinion on this topic but it seemed to fit. Please proceed…)
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“Powered by #TheFeed” in people’s social media bio kills me. Congratulations on paying MSRP for space food
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For sure. This even goes to US championships claiming to be world champions.
Yeah I know all that, the Nebraska race is not exactly Gravel Worlds either was what I was alluding to.
I watch the channel, as with most things there’s some authenticity to what he does. It’s just a guy trying to build something , chapeau.
As for the claim he’s made, I don’t see an issue. It’s for the viewer to decide to keep watching or flip the channel. On another note I’ve always found the title US baseball World Series a misnomer….but then I’m from the UK
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I was under the impression that he says it with his tongue firmly in his cheek.
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I’ll ask him in 2 weeks
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Nah bruh.
I’ve followed him for quite awhile. As far as his “National Champion” status… He has won a race that awards such a title and a jersey. Strictly the facts. He earned it. I LOVE college football. Was this the tippity top of bike racing National Champs (Georgia)? Nope. Is there a National Champ in football at D2 or NAIA? Yup and they’ve earned it, just not agaisnt the best of the best. That’s how I view it.
The interwebs brings out alot of negativity. He is quite an accomplished athlete across a wide range. Dirt bike, Sport bike, BJJ, gravel, and YouTube athlete.
If that is a thing.
I’d love to have his bike talent. He is very open and honest about his financial issues, being a father, body image issues, and his struggles finding a place in the cycling world. It’s really refreshing to see someone that open to his audience.
Let’s remember, clicks and content is his JOB. How he supports his family. So yeah if pushing this National Title helps his sponsors and brings in income than so be it.
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Not certain that is the best analogy. What you are describing is more akin to earning a national championship for Cat 3’s or 4’s. The key is that those championships are run under recognized governing bodies (largely the NCAA).
Again, my buddies and I won the ABR “National” TTT Championship (for our AG). But I would never portray myself as a “national champion”….nor does anyone else who won their events, AFAIK.
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If I paid you $8k for you to put “2024 ABR National TTT Champion” on your Instagram title thingy and asked you to wear the jersey to certain events would that change things?
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Good lord! Hahaha…seriously?
Let’s remember, he is not laying railroad track down in 1850 in the hot midwestern sun with little pay to support his wife and two young kids, marginalized, non-unionized, and unskilled. He is a youtube content creator. If he can become Rick Beato (or DC LLama), so be it. I support my family by getting a job where I don’t have to exaggerate or misrepresent my skills and achievements (content creators don’t need to do this either).
Let me bust out the smallest violin in the world (which I own, of course) for our poor downtrodden youtubers just trying to make a living. If you want more content like this, please like and subscribe.
People have been doing this for decades (perhaps centuries, in some capacity). It is how Oprah built a media empire. Nothing refreshing about it. If it is effective (and it often is), that is awesome. But he is not some sort of “breath of fresh air”. He’s doing what everybody does. It’s a bit of a tired trope to me 
Unlike most amateur sports, cycling is a subculture that takes the national title jersey very seriously. He’s just being called out.
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as long as no ones here to question a singlespeed world champs legitimacy, Im good haha
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I’m not going bash him for pursuing his chosen career path and trying to advance it. He is up front that the one race only had 1 other rider.
Thief! I had this in a box somewhere.
I totally understand this.
This is the main issue. Lots of serious cyclists care a bunch about this stuff, lots of average riders etc don’t care.
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I think you have it backwards….VC is using the supposed “national championship” to try and get people to give him $8k.
So no, I would not use the ABR result to try and get sponsorship.
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It is an odd aspect of our sport because if he had labeled himself “national level” Vegan cyclist or some such then I don’t think we would be having this discussion. It would be no different than the local chicken fast food place proclaiming it has “the world’s best chicken sandwich”. Just marketing. Maybe it gets an eye roll, but no big deal.
A few years ago, I saw a rider asked to leave a club ride because he was wearing a USA National Champ jersey (from Voler? not sure). Anyway, not sure how he got his hands on it because I thought you had to demonstrate you won something. Half the group laughed at the ridiculousness of it, the others couldn’t get over the faux pas…they were genuinely mad.
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I have no issues with his content. I have an issue with a “national championship” in something it feels like he created himself for his own personal growth.
I mean you google ultra distance national championship and you get no information unless you go to a site that feels like he created.
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Well. I like him.
Like anyone out there I ask myself: would you be friends with this person? Or would not mind him as a family member? For him my answer is yes. But based on his online image, maybe he tortures kittens in his basement. Dunno.
Now. If he tells me, bro, I am the champion, I would give him a get dafak out of here and we would continue drinking. Nothing more.
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