Interview conducted by Chris Johnson.

Name Chad Haga

Team Team Rio Grande

Age 22

Years Racing 5 years on the road, with 4 years of just-for-fun mtb racing as a junior

Type of Racer/Strengths All-arounder that thrives on hard racing, time trialing

FtC resident Since Feb 26, 2011

Occupation Bike racer that does odd jobs and sells stuff for commission on ebay to make rent…

Family (married? Kids? Etc) Someday, but not now

First of all, lets get the official word on pronunciation of that last name:  does it rhyme with flag-a, dog-a, or pray-ga?   Or none of the above?   I hate to spoil the fun, my best nicknames have come from mispronunciations… but for my mom’s peace of mind, it’s pronounced “Hey-ga”.  Say it however you like, I’ll respond to them all!

From my perspective, you’re taking Colorado’s race scene by storm this year, coming out of nowhere to dominate first our local training rides and TTs, then scoring some impressive ACA results, including a win at Mead Roubaix, and have since gone on to make an impression on the national amateur scene, including a prologue TT win and a stint in the leader jersey at the Mt Hood Classic.   Where are you from and how did you find your way to Fort Collins?  I’m from McKinney, a suburb of Dallas, TX.  After graduating from Texas A&M in December, I decided to give racing full-time a shot.  When my would-be team fell through with sponsor troubles just a week before moving to Washington, I gave a hail-Mary call at Pat McCarty’s recommendation to Scott, Rio’s team director.  He had a spot for me, and just a few days later I was in Fort Collins.

What sort of race career ambitions do you have?  Do you have a 5 year plan? I’ve joked that my career goal is to have Ligget and Sherwin mispronounce my name on TV.  I continue to surprise myself with my progress, so I wouldn’t know where to begin with a 5 year plan.  I’ll be happy with opportunities to keep testing myself in bigger races.

How do you tend to train? Are you more of a gadget and numbers geek or a soul rider?  I’m somewhere in the middle; I train with power, but use it mainly as a means of tracking progress.  I race blind—no heart rate or power data—so it’s important that I don’t obsess over numbers too much.

Do you have a favorite local or regional race yet?  Or one you're looking forward to? I’ve heard whisperings of the Rist Hill Climb race, sounds like fun…

What do you think of the Fort Collins scene, in terms of community and training/racing opportunities? It’s a great community of cyclists, everyone is friendly on the road.  Training opportunities, I can’t get enough of the mountains!  I’m not a big fan of the ACA, limiting the talent that can attend races seems counterproductive….

What's your proudest career moment so far?  Wearing the yellow jersey through 3 stages of Mt. Hood has to be the best so far.  Someday I’m going to have one at the end of the race, then that will be my proudest moment.

Favorite local grub?  Being an unemployed bike racer that gets free burritos at the Rio, it’s hard to go anywhere else!  Great food that’s free, sign me up.

Your blog, mymindisracing (chadhaga.blogspot.com), has my favorite cycling blog name.  When you blog, who are you usually targeting as an audience?  Family and friends who may not know much about cycling? teammates and competitors?  Are you ever conscious of giving your competition too much info about your condition or strengths or weaknesses?   My best friends from school have known me since I was a cat 4 and are now spending half their work days following my racing.  I call my family after every race I do, so it seemed natural to create a blog.  I’m not afraid of competitors reading it, it’s no secret: my key tactic is to make the race as mentally and physically tough as possible.

I hear you’re a dedicated pianist, whats your favorite style and piece to play?  I play classical music almost entirely, but only music that is fun, loud, and rambunctious (at least in parts).  I don’t play background music!  My favorite song is Hungarian Rhapsody #2, featured in Bugs Bunny and Tom and Terry cartoons.

Do you find any similarities in the ethic and discipline required to improve as an athlete and as a musician?  Do they support each other,  or do you find yourself struggling to prioritize?  It’s easy to prioritize right now, as I don’t have a piano here (yet…).  Like anything that you want to be good at, both cycling and piano require practice to get better.   Playing music is a good way to relax between races, I’ve learned.

Any shoutouts or last words? See you at the Rio!