Weaver’s aiming for another title

Published 12:02 am Saturday, May 31, 2014

0531 spt-Rolly riding

Rolly Weaver (front right) cycles during an earlier race. | Courtesy photo by Greg Maida Fotografia

Rolly Weaver is aiming to win another jersey this weekend at the 2014 Florida State Road Race Championship in Martin County at the Jensen Stuart Beach Causeways Course.

Weaver, who is a professional cyclist and the grandson of Sybil and Roy Weaver of Andalusia, is coming off of winning his second state championship last weekend in the criterium race in Jacksonville.

“It felt pretty good because that was the last of my goals that I wanted to accomplish for this season,” Weaver said. “My goals were to be in the state rankings, which I am; win a Pro 1-2 race and then go to nationals, which I have.”

At nationals, Weaver finished 17th out of the best 170 riders from all over the country and was one of 20 collegiate riders. He graduated from the University of South Florida earlier this month.

“That was pretty cool,” he said about the nationals race.

When asked what it took to win his second state championship race, Weaver said it required a lot of mental toughness.

“You have to be thinking win or lose the race, you’re ahead,” he said. “It’s all mental. If you can concede and believe then you can achieve. It takes a lot of mental strength and a lot of work to erase all negative thoughts before a race. Many people go through that and that’s why they lose.”

Before every race, Weaver said he normally gets there about two hours prior with a 45-minute warmup period.

“You start hydrating two days before the race, and you constantly have to go to the bathroom,” Weaver quips. “Every course is different.”

The course Weaver is cycling on starting today is a 10-mile loop with two bridges going over the Intracoastal Waterway in Martin County at the Stuart Beach course.

The race lasts for 70 miles so Weaver has to race around the loop seven times.

Weaver said the key in a lot of races is to monitor the wind.

“The wind changes every day,” he said. “For example, let’s say you’re riding up to Alabama from Florida and there is a northwesterly wind blowing. You have to get back to the left side to get the best draft possible. It’s all about strategy.”

This weekend, Weaver will race two times and each counts on his individual score or time finished.

“This is a championship and it’s individual so each race counts,” he said. “In about a month, there will be a tour of Georgia Grand Prix, a five-day race.”

Weaver is sponsored by Pioneer Mortgage and Yorkey.com, and said without them, he wouldn’t be able to compete professionally.

Two weeks ago, Weaver was in a bad wreck and his sponsors gave him a new Giant bicycle to ride.

“Without that help, you can’t do it,” he said. “They’ve really played a big role this season in my development.”

Weaver is the son of Linda Weaver and the late, Roy Weaver III of Ormond Beach, Fla.