Celebrating his first win of the cyclo-cross season (Image credit: Breton Hornblower)
In his five years on the pro circuit, Tim Johnson's been faced with a lot of tough choices. Tough choices inevitably call for tougher decisions, but as he enters a new year and a new team, he tells Anthony Tan there's no regrets.
12 months ago, Tim Johnson had a lot of reasons to say to hell with the bike. A less than satisfactory season over in Europe with Saunier Duval-Prodir was hard to take. Facing his peers back home was possibly even harder. Then that vocal, often brash though extremely gifted countryman of his, Chris Horner, went back across the Atlantic and did exactly what he wanted to do - and in the same team, goddamnit!
"I have a lot of respect for Chris, and he has done what every American dreams of," Johnson admits, "but there are absolutely no regrets. For me to go back to Europe, it's either going to be on a 'cross bike or a month-long trip with Health Net, and that's something we're planning on doing."
When the now 28 year-old signed for Jittery Joe's-Kalahari before the start of the year, a small, unassuming eleven man outfit based out of Athens, Georgia, many thought Johnson's cycling career had gone off the rails. However, his experience with this team directed by Micah Rice and principally sponsored by a company that makes coffee beans turned out to be the perfect shot of espresso.
