There have been a lot of email requests for an update on Army SSG Michael Gallagher. Here's a short synopsis of events that followed the World Cup Cyclocross event in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium.

Michael raced a UCI category 2 event, the G.P. Hotel Threeland, in Petange, Luxembourg on New Year's Day. He dropped out of this race as the stress of trying to stretch his season six weeks longer than planned was starting to take its toll. Recovery was more important than more racing at this stage. As it turned out, fellow American Johathan Page won this race. Michael took the days following this event to do some long slow rides to try to stretch his season another 3-4 weeks until after the World Championships.

Michael applied for USA Cycling discretionary selection to the U.S. World Cyclocross Championship Team. According to USA Cycling, three riders were ahead of him. In the weeks leading up to the event several athletes in front of him were called up and, as it turned out, he would have been the very next selection.

As one of only six nominees, SSG Gallagher competed for selection as 2005 U.S. Army Athlete of the Year. Duathlete CSM William Gunter, stationed at Fort
Richardson, AK was selected for this prestigious honor and we congratulate him as the Army's best! Michael still has his sights set on this award as a future goal.

Cyclocross season came in the middle of a move for Michael from his active reserve time in Germany to being a full-time student and part-time Army Reservist in Washington State. In mid-January, he headed to his new life in Washington via Florida to visit the family. While there, he won the first two cyclocross events of the four-event Florida State Championship Series. He couldn't stay for the remaining events and has moved on to his new unit, school, and preparation for the upcoming road season.

We wish Michael the best and look for some greatness in the coming road season. Check back here for updates on Michael and the entire U.S. Armed Forces Cycling Team.