Ian Crane wasn't able to make it to the Joe Martin Stage Race on Thursday to defend his 2014 overall title, but his Jamis-Hagens Berman team picked up where he left off when Gregory Brenes withstood a Colombian onslaught to win this year's opening time trial and take the race lead. Following along from his home in the Pacific Northwest, Crane, who continues to recover from a harrowing, life-threatening crash last August at the USA Pro Challenge, experienced conflicting emotions as the results began to pour in over social media. ?It was a tough morning for me to see the results happening,? said Crane, who underwent brain surgery on April 7 to remove a cyst that developed from last year's crash. ?This was the first race where I had a good result last year, and to not be there was tough, but to see Gregory win was really uplifting. I'm super happy for that.?ADVERTISEMENT Given the circumstances, Crane said, Brenes' win at the event where Crane earned his first-ever National Racing Calendar win last year was a lot more than just another result for his team. ?I was very, very, very happy to see Gregory get the win today,? Crane said. ?He lives in Costa Rica, far away from me, but he checked in very regularly all winter just to see how my recovery was going ? just from a friend and a human aspect side of things. That's something I really respected and appreciated.? Crane's recovery started nearly eight months ago, shortly after he crashed through the rear window of a team car while chasing back into the USA Pro Challenge field following a mechanical. You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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