Behind THE Barriers

It’s time for the triumphant return of Behind THE Barriers and Jeremy wastes no time getting back to his winning ways. Episode 1 of the new season opens at CrossVegas where Jeremy is still looking for his first victory. After a summer full of camps, clinics and a lot of cyclocross preparation, the time is now to go out and win one of America’s biggest and most prestigious races. With lots of European talent on the starting line – including former U23 world champion Lars Van der Haar – the stakes are seldom higher. Proving why he’s wearing the stars and stripes of U.S. cyclocross national champion, Jeremy takes a commanding victory, his first category 1 win of the year. In keeping with Vegas’ hectic schedule, not long after finishing up CrossVegas, Jeremy is off to Madison, Wisconsin for the first stop of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross – the Planet Bike Cup. Episode 1 sticks with Jeremy during his win at the first day of the Planet Bike Cup for his second big test of the year and the opening round of the US Gran prix of Cyclocross!

Episode 2 of Behind THE Barriers' third season returns to Madison, Wisconsin for the second day of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. After winning on day one (as seen in Episode 1), Jeremy is out for a repeat victory. Before the gun, Jeremy stops in to chat with the guys from Behind THE Beeriers, a local Behind THE Barriers parody, as well as checks out the finer points of the bacon feed. After experiencing some mechanical trouble in the race - and an unruly cordless inflator - hopes of that repeat go up the road in the form of Swiss Mountain Bike World Championhips silver medalist Lukas Flückiger. Jeremy continues to fight, however, and manages to ride his way back onto the podium to complete a highly successful weekend. After the race, it's off to sign autographs and upstage a man wearing a penguin suit. When the dust has settled, Jeremy takes a moment to talk to the young man from Switzerland about a wide range of things, including the quality of Swiss roads, and how Lukas and he will never quite see eye to eye about Jeremy's favorite country in the world: Belgium.

The scene opens on a wind blown cottage along the sea in Rockport, Massachusetts. Jeremy Powers has just arrived to contest the annual Gran Prix of Gloucester, the first rounds of the Shimano New England Pro Cyclocross Series. After drawing a fire and getting settled in, Mr. Powers settles in for a night of reading and relaxation. Here is where Behind THE Barriers joins the Gran Prix of Gloucester saga in its third episode of the season. Jeremy is back in New England to take on one of his hometown races. All of the nation's top riders are in town, aiming to win one of the nation's most prestigious cyclocross events. With two days of racing on the docket, Jeremy stared down some tough competition on Saturday, en route to taking a victory that was not without incident. An errant hay bale sent Jeremy sprawling and meant that he had some extra cleaning up to do after the race. After patching himself up, Jeremy is back at it on Sunday, when overnight rain soaked the course and made the racing completely different than that seen on Saturday. Thanks to his win on Saturday and a second place finish on Sunday, all while fighting off tour buses full of rabid fans, Jeremy can call the Gran Prix of Gloucester a big success.

Behind THE Barriers is off to Providence, Rhode Island, for the Providence Cyclocross Festival, the bookend to New England’s Cyclocross Holy Week. Jeremy’s first task is to find Brown University’s very own 95.5 WBRU to spread the word about the race with race promoter, and all-around good guy, Richard Fries. After hitting the airwaves, it’s off to Providence’s famed Biltmore Hotel, where the entire New England cyclocross community is on display. After all the rubbing elbows is done off the course, it’s time to rub elbows inside the tape. Jeremy is gunning for his fifth UCI Category 1 victory, and he has to work hard against a hungry Ryan Trebon. Despite being pushed to the limit, Jeremy comes away with the win, setting off a big weekend for his Rapha-Focus team. On Sunday, it’s young teammate Zach McDonald’s turn to take the win, shredding his way to the first UCI win of his young career. What do you do after the biggest result of your career? Why, you talk to Behind THE Barriers about the finer points of wearing nice shoes, that’s what. Check out that, and M&M battles, on Behind THE Barriers fourth episode of the season!

Episode 5 of Behind THE Barriers' third season is in Fort Collins, Colorado, for The Smartwool Cup, the second stop of the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross series. Jeremy's in town with one goal in mind: to win. But before he can do that, he's got to catch up with some old friends, as well as meet some new ones. On Saturday, Jeremy is doing his best to improve Scottish-Irish relations, as well as teach Tim Johnson about this new fad that's sweeping the cyclocross world: disc brakes. Behind THE Barriers' old friend, Nine-Ball Dude, makes his yearly appearance, and is quickly becoming a staple of the Fort Collins cyclocross community. When the racing gets underway, Jeremy is out looking for his fifth-straight UCI Category 1 victory, and in scenes reminiscent of last year's battle, he has to stalk down a flying Ryan Trebon to take the victory. After watching a man fall from the edge of space, it's back to the grind on Sunday, where Jeremy is after his first weekend sweep of the year. Before he can do that, however, he's got to check in with friends, including Geoff Kabush, Danny Summerhill and and old road racing compatriot, Mike Creed.

Behind THE Barriers returns to the Czech Republic for the season's first World Cup, this time in the town of Tábor. Jeremy has made performing at the World Cup level as one of his main season goals, and he arrives in the Czech Republic with some of the best form of his life. Before he can get down to business, the team's first task is to pick up some essentials that will make staying in the Czech Republic just like being at home. Of course, those essentials include a rice cooker, water boiler and a panini press! After that, it's time to discuss training plans for the week with teammate Gabby Day, who's none too impressed with Jeremy's training outline. The night before, Jeremy and company are out on the town in Tábor, where they run across a group of rowdy Belgians in town for the race, and things go just about as expected when one comes across a group of rowdy Belgians. Finally, it's race time, and after some great performances by the team, including a fourth place finish by Zach McDonald in the U23 race, it's time for Jeremy to get down to business. Jeremy does just that, by racing to seventh place, a best ever finish for an elite man at a World Cup event! All in all, Rapha-Focus' first weekend in the Czech Republic is a big success and it sets the stage for another classic episode of Behind THE Barriers.

Behind THE Barriers is spending a week in Prague, Czech Republic as Jeremy and the Rapha-Focus crew await the second round of the UCI World Cup, this time in Plzeň, Czech Republic. After recording the best-ever finish for an American elite man, Jeremy is eager to take some time to celebrate, but also prepare for another hard fight in Plzeň. Before the racing happens, though, Jeremy and the team take the week to relax and explore one of the most iconic cities in the world. Jeremy and the crew spend a day seeing all the sights Prague has to offer, before it’s time to settle into the team’s Czech housing, with a little creative rearranging courtesy of Jeremy’s mechanic, Tom Hopper. Once everything is sorted out, everyone’s focus turns back to the job they’re there to do. Between training, motor pacing and racing up escalators, everyone is in fine form heading into the weekend. Snow and freezing temperatures welcome Jeremy and the team in Plzeň, and a muddy, difficult race is in store. Unfortunately, an early crash and an untimely mechanical take a bit of the luster off of Jeremy’s trip to the Czech Republic, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most successful weeks of racing so far this season.

After spending a week in the Czech Republic, Jeremy is back on American soil for the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross Derby City Cup in Louisville, Kentucky. The Derby City Cup is everyone's first chance to take a look at the course that will be used for the World Championships in February, so the entire Rapha-Focus team is on hand for one of the season's most important races. Before he can even get to the team's housing, a little flight trouble on the way in strands Jeremy in Cleveland, where he finds refuge from an unlikely source. Jeremy is due in Louisville earlier in the week than usual, and for good reason - he's got a date with legendary Louisville disc jockey Terry Meiners of 84 WHAS Louisville. With the radio interview in the books, and after we learn that a good portion of the team is actually quite adept at things other than cyclocross - namely the piano - it's time to settle in and prepare for the weekend. Once the racing starts, however, it's all hands on deck, as Jeremy is seeking his fourth and fifth victories at Louisville's Eva Bandman Cyclocross Park. After taking the win on day one, Jeremy and the team only narrowly escape a citation from officer Stu Thorne, before heading home for a massage and a good night's sleep. Another tough day in the saddle awaits on Sunday, as Jeremy completes the clean sweep of the weekend, logging valuable experience on the World Championships course in the process. After a weekend of success, it's time to eat some cupcakes and watch a few episodes of Freaks and Geeks with the team.

After spending time in Roubaix, France for the Roubaix World Cup, Jeremy is back in the United States and headed to Tucson, Arizona for a mid-season training camp, where he's redoubling his focus on the upcoming National and World Championships. Before joining up with Jeremy in Tucson, however, Behind THE Barriers is off to Bend, Oregon to tag along with Jeremy's Rapha-Focus teammates, Julie Krasniak and Chris Jones, at the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross' final stop, the Deschutes Brewery Cup! Chris, Julie and the Rapha-Focus crew end the domestic "regular season" in one of the United States' biggest cyclocross hotbeds. After the racing concludes, Behind THE Barriers is off to catch up with Jeremy in Tucson, along with some of Jeremy's close friends. Joining him in the high peaks of Arizona are friend, coach and JAM Fund co-founder Al Donahue and professional road cyclist Phil Gaimon. Together, Jeremy, Al and Phil are focused on getting ready for, in Jeremy's case, the big late-season races. While in Tucson, Jeremy and Behind THE Barriers are out on training rides, trying to understand more about the effects of altitude on the human physiology and fighting with Tucson's winter snow.

Behind THE Barriers makes its triumphant return to Belgium, as Jeremy heads across the Atlantic to tackle the World Cup races in Namur and Heusden-Zolder, this week in Episode 10! Jeremy and much of the Rapha-Focus crew are on hand for the Christmas week, and while everyone is away from home for the holidays, they get to spend it with the Rapha-Focus family. Not long after Jeremy and the team are settled in at their base of operations in Maldegem, Belgium, the freshly engaged duo of Gabby Day and Jeremy Durrin are over to make everyone homemade sushi and tell stories of their proposal. After a good night’s sleep, it’s off to Namur to pre-ride the course and prepare for one of the hardest races on the cyclocross calendar. The Namur World Cup comes just as billed, and a muddy, sloppy race is eventually won by Belgian Kevin Pauwels. After the race, Behind THE Barriers is finally introduced to Jeremy’s Belgian Uncle Shawn, a key component of Jeremy’s success. With the Namur World Cup is in the books, Jeremy and the gang head back to Maldegem for Christmas Eve, before spending Christmas Day pre-riding the course in Heusden-Zolder. It’s all business for Jeremy, as he spends his spare time checking out footage from last year’s race, hoping to get that extra edge. Behind THE Barriers, meanwhile, spends its free time waiting in line to snag an autograph from Belgian cyclocross legend Sven Nys. Finally, it’s time to race, and what looked to be a fast, dry race turned on its head as the heavens opened up and flooded the course as riders were lining up for the start. After a tough race, Jeremy’s trip to Belgium is done and dusted, and he can turn his eyes to Nationals and February’s World Championships.

After a year of doing the stars-and-stripes of the U.S. National Champion proud, Jeremy Powers makes the return trip to Verona, Wisconsin, for another shot at the title. Before Jeremy gets there, Behind THE Barriers catches up with him at the Chicago New Year’s Resolution in Bloomingdale, Illinois. The race is a prime tune-up for anyone seriously vying for the national championship in one week’s time. Bloomingdale keeps to the script, and provides snowy, freezing weather that will be a glimpse of what’s to come in Verona. After a back and forth race, Jeremy manages to take home the win at the final “regular season” event on the U.S. calendar. Once the racing is over, and the feeling comes back to the extremities, it’s time to run to the airport and head north to Nationals. After spending time with the important figures in Jeremy’s life – going out on a routine trip to Whole Foods with family, catching up with young protege Anthony Clark, getting an art lesson from mechanic Tom Hopper and sampling local delicacies with Rapha-Focus’ great sponsors – it’s time to get down to business. Unfortunately, Jeremy comes up short in his bid to defend his national title, but it’s not long before he’s back on his feet, thanks to friends, family and America’s amazing cyclocross community. After some reflection, some cleaning and some arm wrestling, Jeremy’s already got his eyes on the future, and the UCI World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.

This is what America has been waiting for ever since it was first announced in January of 2010: for the first time in history, the UCI Cyclocross World Championships were on their way to the United States! Behind THE Barriers was on the ground early to make sure it was with Jeremy for every possible moment in the lead up to America’s biggest ever cyclocross race. Before it was time to race in Louisville, however, Jeremy and the Team Rapha-Focus gang headed a couple hours north to race the Cincinnati Kings International in Cincinnati, Ohio, against reigning World Champion Neils Albert and some other big European stars. Jeremy rides to a very impressive third place behind Albert and his young teammate, Wietse Bosmans, the U23 Belgian Champion. A week of focus followed, with just enough spare time for some fun, including a tour of the famous Louisville Slugger factory and an interview with Louisville’s WDRB TV news station. Finally, the wait is over, and American cyclocross turns out in a way never seen before. Not only are the best professional cyclocross riders in the world on show, but so is the amazing American cyclocross culture that was eager to show the world that America knows its cyclocross. Finally, when all the dust clears, it’s off to another historic event – the Louisville 2013 Foam Party.

With the season all but over, Jeremy and Behind THE Barriers is off for one last trip, jetting around the world to Tokyo, Japan for CX Tokyo. Unfortunately for Jeremy, a bad bit of mexican food left him with a nasty case of the stomach flu, knocking him out for a good bit of the trip. Undeterred, Jeremy’s entourage – including mechanic Tom Hopper as well as friends and JAM Fund co-founders Al Donahue and Mukunda Feldman – were on hand to experience everything Tokyo had to offer. Jeremy, meanwhile, kept his exertion to a minimum so he could focus on taking one last win in his 2012-2013 season. While Jeremy was resting, Tom, Al and Mukunda headed out to explore one of the world’s most spectacular cities. Between the local drinks, food (whether it cooked or otherwise) and other local attractions, the Behind THE Barriers crew enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Join Behind THE Barriers as they sample the local coffee, whiskey and produce, and look on as Behind THE Barriers goes behind the scenes at the Tsukiji Fish Market, the world’s largest wholesale fish and seafood distributor. Despite his illness, Jeremy rallies to take the victory, despite some strong competition from fellow American Tim Johnson and local standout Yu Takenouchi.