Pedaling their way to the top
Warren County may be known as the nursery capital of the world, but now it might be known as a top producer of cyclists.
Yes, bicycle racing just may be Warren County’s next claim to fame. Shawn Mullican and Jon Cooke, two young men from Warren County, started riding bikes together around three years ago and are now respectively ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the state.
Mullican claimed the No. 1 spot this fall, with a total of 290 points as Cooke was close on his heels with a total of 230 points. The two young bikers are members of the TriStar Cycling team based out of Brentwood, Tenn.
TriStar is one of 24 cycling teams in Tennessee and is a member of the Tennessee Bicycle Racing Association. The team is sponsored by Goo-Goo candy bars, Carmicheal Training Systems, Bank of America and Juris. Team TriStar placed 6th in the TBRA team points standings in 2003.
The addition of Mullican and Cooke to the TriStar team have helped propel the team’s success this year. Mullican won the Points Jersey for Road Racing Juniors in the 15-16-year-old division, and took second place in the Cat 4 Tennessee State Championship Road Race. Cooke finished second in the points standings.
After two years of racing while providing their own sponsorship, Mullican and Cooke knew they needed to ride for a team if they wanted to reap the rewards of competitive cycling.
“Winning the Highland Rim this spring was a great stepping stone for me,” said Mullican. “It got my name out there in the cycling community and it was my springboard which helped get me on a successful team. My goal for the last two years was to be able to train and improve so I could ride on the national level, and TriStar Cycling will certainly help me reach those goals.”
The team will compete in about 30 races next season, with many of those being out of state against some of the top riders in the nation. TriStars schedule runs from January through October with a stop in McMinnville for the Highland Rim Classic in May.
As for the advantages of being a member of a team, Cooke explained that the coaching has made a big difference in his success this year.
” My training methods and racing tactics are much improved and the coaches give me a better perspective of how to prepare for a race,” he said. “The team helps provide Shawn and myself with better equipment which will give us an even starting point when competing on the national level.”
Mullican and Cooke train six days a week, in the process traveling around 300 miles. They are riding the same bikes they started with, but are looking forward to getting on a new set of wheels before next year’s season starts.
” The bikes are very expensive and can run in the neighborhood of $3,000-5,000,” Mullican explained. “TriStar is helping us out with raising the money and making sure we are getting best equipment available.
“Our goal is to be ranked nationally and we have been working hard to reach that level next season. The first big race will be over in North Carolina and hopefully we will have our new bikes by then and be ready to race. Cycling is something I would like to continue in college and hopefully for the rest of my life.”