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Professional cyclist Andrew Talansky suffers from pollen allergies that are so bad he was forced to abandon the Tour of California earlier this month. Chattanooga was 14th on the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's list of worst cities for allergies this year.
That wouldn't seem to bode well for Talansky's chances in Saturday's USA Cycling Professional Time Trial Championships, but a week of rest and recovery coupled with a clear day at the Chattanooga Volkswagen plant proved to be just what the 26-year-old racer needed to earn his first Stars and Stripes jersey as a pro cyclist.
Talansky rode hard on the second circuit of the 9.6-mile course to finish the 19.2-mile race in 38 minutes and 48 seconds.
"I left the Tour of California pretty sick and just stopped because I couldn't continue," he said. "I made the decision out on the road because I wasn't doing any good.
"The good news was that I live in Napa, so it wasn't that far from Sacramento. So I went straight home, laid on the couch and slept a lot. I wasn't able to ride my bike for five days. The main priority was getting myself healthy."
Cannondale-Garmin teammate Ben King - the fastest rider after the first lap - finished second with a time of 38:48 and was followed by David Williams, who matched last year's third-place finish with a time of 39:01.
While Talansky was resting during the eight-day Tour of California, King raced on to finish 17th overall and face a short turnaround before competing in Chattanooga.
"It's pretty tricky to get things right after the Tour of California because that's a pretty strenuous race and this time trial is only six days after," King said. "You need two or three days to recover, but you want your body moving so you'll be prepared for this race."
Talansky burst on to the international pro cycling scene last year when his breakaway on the final day of the Critérium du Dauphiné - a June warm-up race for the Tour de France - earned him his first major European win and set him up as an American to watch. While he was forced to abandon last year's Tour de France after several crashes, he'll return this summer wearing the Stars and Stripes of a national champion.
"I'm very, very proud to win today," he said. "I have that image of in the Tour de France getting to wear this (Stars and Stripes jersey) in the opening prologue time trial. That will be a huge honor, and I'm really looking forward to it."
In his first time racing in Chattanooga, Talansky said he feels good coming off Saturday's win heading into Monday's road race in downtown Chattanooga and on Lookout Mountain.
"I always enjoyed Greenville (S.C.) as a town, but I never had much luck there," he said of the previous home of USA Cycling's pro national championships. "Coming to Chattanooga was kind of a fresh start and a new opportunity.
"The town's great, and I've really enjoyed it so far. I went on a ride yesterday and the roads were peaceful. We saw the road race course, and I think this is a great place to host nationals. I feel well-received and am happy to be here."
CHALK PARTY
The short but super steep climb of Kent Street was added to the men's and women's road races in the USA Cycling pro championships last year, and it proved to be a brilliant move.
The climb, with its 20 percent grade, was a favorite spot for spectators to watch and cheer on the riders as they struggled over the climb multiple times.
This year, Kent Street has been added to every circuit for the men's and women's road races - not just the long circuits and closing short circuits - giving spectators even more fun watching pro athletes struggle on the North Shore.
The city of Chattanooga will close Kent Street from 3 to 5 this afternoon to allow fans to decorate the road with chalk, providing inspirational - and sometimes humorous - messages to the athletes as they make the climb in Monday's road race.
The public is invited to bring sidewalk chalk (no paint, please!) and spend a day decorating the hill that could determine who the next national champion is.
Contact Jim Tanner at JFTanner@bellsouth.net. Follow him on twitter.com/JFTanner.