Merc-lane Classic primer

ah ... the traditional NRC openers.

I have to be honest ... they aren't my favorite races. The first year i did it was when we had one of those torrential storms blow riders all over the place. I think Saturn shredded the field down to something stupid and everybody else ditched it for cars and heaters.

Thankfully, i'll be racing the geezer division this year, 'cuz ... that Tour o' Cali form is going to shock the shit out of any poor pro or cat 1 just jumping into their first race of the season.

le' ouch.

- - -

And for the women?

Well, that frickin' Tibco powerhouse Brooke Miller looks to be riding a notch above the rest right now. With Colavita, TMobile, and Cheerwine sending squads to Geelong, i wonder how much dominance we'll see from one team? To my thinking, this might be one of those rare years where a break sticks away from the field. There are a lot of big sprinters missing from the field and a TON of attacking teams in the race.

I expect Aaron's will be shooting full guns this year, as they've got Carmen D'allusio cracking firing orders into their ears. Webcor has a very good sprinter in Amber Rais, but also big engines who can handle breaks better than most. Colavita has a good sprinter in Mackenzie Dickey (and an excellent lead-out rider in Candice Blickem) ... but the team will be short-handed and may have to spread themselves out covering attacks to remain in contention. And then there's Charameda's new team that i don't know much about, Advil Chapstick. But, if Charameda's there ... the race will be animated.

The mystery team of Value Act has two very good sprinters in Taitt Sato and Martina Patella ... but, thus far they've been shutout of any pre-season wins. I wonder if this will be the breakout race for that squad? More importantly, maybe we'll finally get a glimpse of the new Value Act kits? (Though ... i do have a fancy for an all black getup.)

And then there are the riders on smaller squads who can be opportunistic and play off the big teams. I'm thinking Velo Bella's Mary Maroon fits nicely in that category. She's a good strong rider who can hold position in the pack. We'll see if she can pick the right wheel and unleash a good sprint. And, I've been hearing good things about PROMAN rider Shelly Olds. The PROMAN team has been knocking with some good results thus far with Zell and Cranmer getting top-10's in some hard fought races. We'll see how it runs.

- - -

In the Men's race ... I'll be surprised if one of the ToC sprinters doesn't take the field sprint. Healthnet has Downing able to turn a good kick, but they've lost the majority of their field sprint dominance. Toyota has Dominguez ... fresh off a final stage win at the ToC. But, you can't discount BMC from putting a guy up there like Hanson. He's not as experienced as the other sprinters, but he's a fair-bit fearless and has a good top-end.

Personally, my sentimental hopes go towards a win for Priority Health. They certainly got the shaft at this year's ToC - a leader's jersey robbed by an unheard of commissaire's ruling and a dearth of non-coverage for BJM's two shining rides to book-end the Tour.

PH has a fast guys with Abraham and Zirbel ... but, if there were a break to go ... let's hope BJM nabs it with a win.

- - -

pisser

I frickin' forgot my helmet again today. gawdammit.

Yesterday i had a handful of minutes to scour in a workout. Rushing out to a still dripping Sputnik, I pulled out the bike and started tossing on all the chamois i could scrounge up from the floorboards. Got all the gloves and wet gear on and then looked around for the decrepit helmet ...


shyte.

- - -

It's not as though i'm all that worried about crashing out my brainpan ... i mean, to be honest ~ i'm waaay too stupid to be a'feared on bicycles. That's always been one of my biggest assets and one of my most painful weaknesses.

100 mile breakaway? solo? Sign my ass up!
slam shoulders and throw cursewords at the field-sprinting-linebackers of spandex? well, that's just my favorite thing ever!
motorpace through mid-town traffic a few inches off the unknowing bumber? really, i try not to do that ... promise!

So, riding without a helmet isn't so much a self-preservation thing ... though i do have my sweetie to think about, now. I mean, if i weren't around ... who would feed the kiki?

But what really embarrasses the hell out of me about riding without a helmet is when some 11-year old sees me pedaling fierce up the hill'ervals, all fancy-pants in spandexed bling-bling, and thinks it's the epitome of coolness to ride skidlidless. That bums my ass out.

and now i've got to do it again today.

fuk.

padilla'd

well, i'm a fan of Klein's work ... so, here's a read if you're interested.


it's hard to maintain outrage at governments.

difficult to even believe that people ... are capable of such insanity.


... bike racing has got to save the world.



oh, but wait ... they take drugs to get across a stupid line first.



we're doomed.

i guess that's why it's so easy to fall prey to the story of original sin.


how else can we explain?

el furioso will froth a bit on this one

check the O'bers big hit on Doc Rice.



if you haven't picked up your Orwell, lately ...

might consider it.

holey crap

This tree fell a handful of minutes after i left for work this morning.

Sabine and the Chapmans were stuck at the house all morning because the damn thing rocked that road closed, big time.


yoinks.

The Spring Openers ~

[this'll be on ncncaracing.com with some pics, but thought i'd blah it out here, too]

Snelling is the official big-bang starter of the NCNCA's racing season. Hundreds and hundreds of racers pour into the little cow town to shimmy into their spandex and race furious around the quiet farmroad circuits of rolling hills and exposed, pock-marked flats. This year we had near-perfect weather for the Saturday events. The first wave of categories had low 40-degree temperaturs and moderate-to-light winds to greet their starts. The fields were all full to entry limit and much anticipation of fast, hard riding was sparking through the rows of riders as they awaited their starting whistles.

At Snelling there is a promenade on an open-to-traffic road until you reach the closed circuit. On the racing circuit itself, local traffic is sometimes found on the course, but otherwise it's an open-road event for you and your field. Exciting and a rare luxury, indeed! But, after you get done with your race ... you've got to ride back on the open road to get back to cars and (hopefully) to pick up your (in)famous Leibold t-shirt.

The first wave of racing categories went through without incident. There was smash-mouth racing taking place all over those country roads. The category 4 event saw a small breakaway ride away from a big field with a 3-Pillar rider winning it, I believe. In our 35+1/2/3 race we also had a nice little break motor away to contest the win. In it were Mike Hutchison of Spine, Nathan Parks of EMC and goofy-ass me. We rode it well lubricated and ended up having a little 3-way sprint to decide the goodies. Yay for me in nipping out just ahead of Nathan and Mike. Good fun.

The women's category 4 event was split into 2 fields because of the high number of entrants. Both groups were motoring along nicely, I must say. I didn't get to see who won the finishing sprint, but I know it was a full-gore dragfest to the line. Snelling is definitely one of the more tactical sprints we see in road races. The fight for position through that carnage-row approach is intense as riders rattle over the central valley cobbles (also known as potholes). Then you've got a tight right hander that shoots you straight to a rolling uphill, headwindy finish that is waaaay longer than you think it ever could be.

Hard.

And after the race, we're all so giddy with appreciation of how we made it through and maybe had a few personal or team moments of accomplishment and enjoyment. We like to join up with our friends and fellow racers and talk wild about how much frickin' fun it was. So cool ... but, we also have to remember that the day goes on and there are things we need to be respectful of.

We need to clear roads and not block traffic in huddles of conversation after the finish line. We need to not distract officials trying to record 800+ finishers as they swarm across in packs or dribble through in desparate one's and two's. We, ESPECIALLY, need to respect the drivers on the open roads and try and ride as far to the right to allow them to pass.

Sometime in between the waves at Snelling on Saturday, somebody drove out on the course and tossed down a boxful of tacks. This took out dozens and dozens of riders with flats throughout the second wave's racing categories. Such a frustrating and embittering thing to have happen. I mean, we bring in a crapload of dollars to towns like Merced ... taxable revenue for their communities and yet we have somebody feeling the need to toss out tacks on the road? Bizarre. But, I'm not sure we can argue reason with a person who will drops tacks (or manure!) on a race course.

What a person like that sees is us riding 3 or 4 abreast on their roads. Yeah, we're only slowing them down for a minute, or two ... but, it's something that is just as frustrating and embittering to them as tacks on the road are to us. Silly, but true.

So please, when you're at your next bike race ... please, for all our sakes ... ride as far to the right as possible and be cognizant that these folks driving past don't see the suffering and beauty of our sport. They don't know about how perfectly-timed your attack was or any clue as to how mind-numbingly difficult it was sticking in that gutter-fest eschelon. They have no appreciation of any of that. All they see are some spandex covered yahoos blocking their roads.

And all we can do is try our best to get out of their way. Because they will, more than likely, never understand.

Anyway, back to the racing ~ The women's Category 3 event was a complete hammerfest. Santa Cruz Spokesman rider Natasha Perry was able to win out of a small break. The break went away at the beginning of the 3rd lap and there was a chase attempted by the remainder of the pack, but the hard riding and flats had already eliminated a good number of riders - so, the break continued to make time. Two CRC, Divenyi and Burnett I think, were in the move and almost were able to come around Perry in the sprint. But, the Santa Cruz rider held them off and took her second win of this early 2007 season. It was a great race.

In the women's Category 1/2, Jill McLaughlin of Touchstone bridged across to a dangerous break of PROMAN's Emily Zell, the new VAC rider Courtenay Brown, and Tibco's Katie Lambden. The break drove it very, very hard and had plenty of time to play out the winning move. In the end, it came down to a 4-up sprint between the riders. Zell had to be favored in a sprint, as she's already shown she can be a fast finisher. But, VAC's Courtenay Brown had won a long sprint prime at Martinez a couple weeks back that signaled a good kick, as well. But, it would be McLaughlin having just that little bit remaining in the tank to overtake the Proman rider, Zell and win this latest edition of the Snelling Road Race. It is very good to see the NorCal women's racing being aggressive and fast. It's one of the best regions in the US to race for fun, or have fun developing into an elite-level rider. All you need is to be willing to suffer ... to go out there and make the pain your own.

One rider who is all about the pain is Symmetric's Eric Wohlberg. This guy is riding his own personal Tour of California right now. In the Pro1/2 event, Andy Jaques-Maynes was off the front with Eric for a couple early laps. The field (or those surviving the tacks) chased and chased, rider after rider burning their engines red to keep the CalGiant rider and Canadian in sight.

More laps would roll through, with small breaks shooting off and being chased down ... nothing sticking until the beginning of the final lap. Through the finishing straight, the crowds would see a move with 3 CalGiants, Wohlberg, an Easton and Lombardi rider edging away from the pack. CalGiant's Devon Vigus would grab his first win of the season, I'm sure getting a ton of help from his teammate, Ironman Hunt in that break. Good to see.

ok, enough blah, blah from this end.
hernanadork out.

but the shoes take so long to dry

Yesterday was the Merced Crit down in ... um, some central valley town.

It's not a course I'll do again until they take out that alley-way with the brick wall. After scraping a guy into the ER last year, I said "no-mas" to that course. But, I sho'nuff can hoopla up those riders diggin out there in the rain.

Apparently, CalGiant's big-bad Reaney stormed away from the field early and left them all chawing at the remnants. This dude is such a big engine. You just never let him get an inch in a race, or he'll show you nothing but his backside the rest of the day.

CVC had guys to chase, but it never came back. And though Sasser launched deep to try and track Reaney down ... he had to bag another second. That's all right, he'll uncork one soon enough.

I'm interested to hear how the women's event went. Anyone with details, send 'em my way.

- - -

Race photographers ~ these folks are just the coolest. Ronald Mariano (ronaldmariano.com) has grown his outfit over the past year to have a nice service going nowadays. I love this shot he took ... of fellow foto-genius Chris Patterson of jamfoto.net.

These images have become such a huge part of our racing experience. They offer us tangible, emotive recordings of our experiences on the bike. These photographers capture our moments of joy and pain ... doing us all a wonderful service ~ offering us ... lifelong reminders of how we drank from the fountain.

I am a fan.

Snells tacky ...

F-bomb, snot-rocket, shit-pickle!!!

what is up with people, sometimes?

- - -

So, around the noon break in between race waves ~ some "bleep" threw down tacks on the road. It caused a few dozen flats out there for the racers, ending days in frustration and confusion.

Why can't we all just get along?

Drive a few hours, pay your money, and then get your day of fun and competition ruined by some wad who can't give up "his" roads for a day.

- - -

The Cat 3 women's race was pretty hardcore. On lap 3 a break of 5 went up the road with the sCruz's Natasha Perry, 2 CRC ladies, and a couple of others I couldn't identify. They saw the gap created and put their heads down to hammer it home.

The flats and hard riding before then had already diminshed the field, but the remaining riders tried to organize a chase. But, you've got to get everyone on board for something like that.

The break stuck and it was a long, hard sprint with Perry taking a close one over the CRC riders. Good race.

- - -

In the p1/2 men's race, Eric Wohlberg kept trying to match form of the ToC boys by going ballistic all day long. For the first couple laps Wohlberg and CalGiant's AJM were off the front by a handful of seconds. The field blasted it hard to bring them back. But, with huge chunks of riders flatting out of the race ... chasing was limited in duration and coordination.

Late in the race, a break did get away though. CalGiant had strongman Hunt and another rider there to drive it for their sprinter, Vigus. An Easton and Lombardi rider latched on with the ever-ominous presence of Wohlberg rounding out the move.

Here's some vid of them forming the nastiness ... you'll hear me give a shout to JunkaDonk to get his ass across.

Poor bastard.

Senling

the Senling ... i mean, Snelling road race was today.

I gotta admit, love racing on closed roads ... even if we have to pass fields all day long. But, when you're in a break ... much smoother to do.

Here's a pic of the women's p1/2 breakaway ~ Courtenay from Value Act, E. Zell from ProMan, Jill McLaughlin of Touchstone, and a Tibco rider i think named Breanne?

They went away on lap two and powered all through the day. On the last lap, the Touchstone rider got away and solo'd it in for the win. Impressive.

I look forward to hearing an insider's story on how that turned out.

good racing out there today. full fields all over the place, good sun, just enough wind to make it challenging but not enough to stop super high speeds.

fantastico.

i think i would soil myself ...

9. Ivan Basso (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team

10. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team

11. Michael Rogers (Aus) T-mobile


- - -

Grand Tour Winner in front

World Champ behind


.... giddy mofo.

sweet phancy moses

Rasmussen is one ugly duckling of a motherfukker.

that guy can't TT his way out of his own skinsuit.


... somebody get him a hamburger, ferchrissake.

- - -

haven't touched the ToC tracker until now ... and still haven't done what i need done at work today.

- - -

Predictions?

1. Voigt by 7 seconds over LippyHeimer.

2. Pate 9th

3. Sutherland 7th

you know what i'm talkin' about

hill'ervals ... sneaking out while there's a patch of sunlight through the storm clouds.

a few into ... and visions overcome of the pack fighting tooth and nail against the crosswinds, puking guts to keep your GC man out of the wind and up front. Shoulders slamming, watts hitting 4 digits over and over again to keep your rider in the race. The beautiful sting of wet sandy bits peppering your face as grime soaks through kit and paints lines down teeth like fresh dark blood from cycling's road kill.

silly dreams.


and then you look down and see you forgot to shift out of the big ring.


... might as well keep it there.

more cheap randoms ...

because, amigos, i burned half a workday drooling over that gawdamn ToC coverage and i need to keep this job until that pole-dancing gig starts paying big:

1. Michael Barry ... i know, he's kinda got that nerdy, nice canuck thing goin' on ~ but, hell ... i think he's pretty damn cool about bike racing. Check his scribbles on the dreaded VsNooze.
   
   
2. BJM made it over Sierra close ... Brenty was up there and said our boy gave him the "oh shit" face but still looked strong cresting the beast. And, he was with some of the best. I mean, when Basso is making the "oh face" at the front ... you know that meter is pegged, yo.
   
   But that f'ing 1 minute chase group POUNDED it, man. They just pounded it. CVC, TMobile, Leekygas ... those fukkers were drilling it and the BJM group never made the gap.
   
   ah well ... this is the show. ToC has arrived. And Ben's team has a taste of the limelight and something to toss at the sponsors with that Prologue. But, you get hungry when that shit wets your tongue.
   
   go get it, brudda.
   
   
3. Rain and muck and wind for todays long slog. Disco lost Davis to the time cut yesterday. Honestly, I don't think they'll have the horsepower to hold it together today. But, they'll have Credit Agricole and TMobile looking for field sprints (as well as CVC) ... so, they'll get help.
   
   And it seems you can't keep that bloody Slipstream team off the front. Stupid, but strong. And they are getting TV time. So ... stupid like the fox, eh eggbert Vaughters?
   
   
4. Williams Wheels ... holey crap. Last week they sent me a set of wheels to test. They are the fancy-as-shit 19's and ... I'm gonna gush all over them in a later, more thorough review. What a bloody difference a 1405g set of wheels makes. And, hope they don't read this part, but I bashed the crap out of those things last weekend. I abused them like you wouldn't believe in that Dinbua crit ... carving hard through every rutted corner, pushing the wheels' lateral stiffness and durability to the limit.
   
   I was very, very impressed. Didn't touch them out of the box, and straight as an arrow after all that poundage.
   
   As some of you might know, I'm a locals only kinda guy. I ride local frame builders stuff, support local race scenes, highlight the locals as much as i can on ncncaracing.com, etc. Well, what I'm impressed with in Williams Cycling is that they are huge supporters of the local racing/riding scene. They provide neutral wheel support at races and really reach out to provide excellent customer service to folks who buy their stuff.
   
   mas later as I see how the wheels perform during Smelling.
   
   
5. Dinuba/Cantua/Pine Flat race reports going up (and all the smack talk relevant to each) as soon as I clean some work of the desk.
   
   I promise, promise that i won't be looking at that live coverage today.
   
   
   
   ... yeah, right.
   
   

war

11:26 PST 1km/151.2km to go
And right from the gun we have an attack! Slipstream's Will Frischkorn and Alejandro Acton from Colavita are dangling just ahead of the pack, which is lined across the road.

i'll be hovering over frickin' CN's live coverage all day.

... damn this stage is gonna be a shootout, empty both barrels and see who's the last standing.

gawd, what i'd give.

RandOms

... cuz it's raining and i got shit done at work yesterday and crap is piling up and there's no way i'll get anything done once that lyve coverage kicks into gear:

1. ToC ~ it's the stage, today.
   
   There's a slight drizzle covering the NorCal coast today. Not cold enough to shut down bodies, but wet and crap enough to make for some epic pictures out there today.
   
   
   I asked super nicey-nice for the woman to ride her workout today instead of driving over to watch the stage pass by. She said she would ... but, she doesn't really have to.
   
   it's the Tour, baby. go have fun.
   
   
2. Look at this f'ing profile ...
   
   think the fireworks are gonna fly?
   
   
   it'll be mayhem out there.
   
   absolute frickin' mayhem.
   
   
3. finally got to see Hell on Wheels last night.
   
   if you haven't yet?
   
   
   strongly recommended.
   
   Zabel and Aldag ... you'll love them.
   
   
4. BJM dropped his chain briefly in the prologue.
   
   ... holey shyte.

meanwhile ...

real bike riding was going on.



i'm searching for words ...

none do justice.

ToC ... lyve love

Pate has just attacked the pack with over 20km to go.

the dude is fearless ... but kryst ... where's he gonna go? Still, it's prime time. So, it's go time.


BJM, safe in the pack. And his Priority Health boys had Kem out in the break all day long. Good press.

Prediction:

Another crash in the final K's.

Stay safe out there guys.

get it over with

sometimes, i hate recovery days.

but, i don't train enough to not need them. For all who know (which is a select few, i have to think) ... the VeloPromo President's Weekend races are one of the best training blocs around. Cantua is a slugfest on flat country roads where you're forced to put that ass on the saddle and pound out big watts, often times in huge winds. And, it's a tactical race. AND, it's got one helluva a finishing roller that beats the living crap out of you.

i love that race.

Pine (not-so) Flat is a classic point-to-point road race that gives you ample opportunity to drive hard on the flats and/or dig deep on 15% gradients. Oh, some of those last climbs are BRUUTAL. Beautiful course, good roads, repaired cattleguards, and always strong fields showing up ... even if smaller in number.

Then there's the Dinuba crits where you need the whole package to win. It's a long, drag race sprint and there are some decently challenging cornerings to negotiate for position. It's an attackers race and you can throw your legs into the fire if you want to test it, or sit in and get pack riding experience and work on leg speed.

But most of all, it's 3 days straight of quality race miles ... in early February.

- - -

what he said

i'm gonna second the shrugs of the canuckincali about the stage finish in the ToC.

shall we neutralize crosswinds? shall we extend the 3K to 20K?


smells bad, in my book.

crashing is part of bike racing. but, so is bad officiating.

- - -

anyway, back on the geezer front. Our SafewayMate Dan Martin stormed huge all over Pine not-so Flat yesterday and got us another win. It was a damn good bit of racing.

Then today, I was able to take the 35' crit in Die-Nuba after some good rolling fun with mcSassy. But, another canuck crushed us in the prosey event. WholeBerg is on pretty gawdamn good form right now, i'll say. He single-handedly kept a big BMC squad on the ropes at Martinez last week and this week he just motored all over us NorCal regulars. It was frickin' cool to watch.

anyway ... boring biker blahblah over with. irreverent stories on order for tomorrow.

have a good week, ya'll.
~m

BJM PODIUMS!!!!

wow.

benny J storms a 3rd on the ToC prologue.


... holey shyte.

where the hell am i racing?

This is one of my favorite racing weekends of the year. 2 road races and 2 crits in 3 days.

that's damn good training.


We started off hot with da'PAB taking the sprint in the geezer race at Cantua. And our own VeloBella Ryan 'lil ninja' Hostetter won it in the 3's after a full VB team time trial for 20 miles to track down a valiant EMC rider off the front.

supa' fun for da' locals. but, this race is historically gritted out against mind-numbing winds and spitting rain or hail. This year it was in the 70's and single-digit breezy.

wha' happened? ... i'll take it!

dreams

of late, when sleep comes, the mind has been wandering through unfamiliar fields, colored wild with sparked, vibrant emotions and rutted deep with dark, twisting plot lines. I've chased talking cats down spiraled torchlit stairways, fought vailiant sword to sword with wild-eyed Turks, even skirted the remnants of a slimey, tentacled alien invasion.

There have been mermaids seduced and intricately geared contraptions built for mysterious scientific purposes. Songs have flowered, wilted, and been remembered ... all within folds upon folds of the echoing, journeying mind.


Days past ... the waking breath would be tinged with a thin regret ~ that sliver of loss itching and stinging as flights descended and otherworldly languages became again indecipherable.



But now ~ it's but one pleasant dream, to another.

and here i've been trying to clean it up

well ... screw that.

web filters can go to hell.

- - -

SEX

The plan last night was to make dinner together and get all romantic around the couch area. uh ... it turned out i was late coming home, feeling a little under the weather, and my frickin' bike light died on the commute which threw me into a tiny snit ... So, instead ~ she made me a luxurious bit of eats while i lay prone on the floor, trying to stretch out the growing crookidity.

The meal was scrumptious but i was still braindead like 5130 and so asked if we couldn't pop up a vid and lounge a bit as we waited out the big belly's gurglings. She agreed, and we punched up Spike Lee's He Got Game.

oy.

There were a few gratuitous nekkid scenes that i simply had to fast-forward past. I hate that kind of shit. Am I a prude? No ... it's just that i don't get into distant flesh on flesh slap. I loathe fake parts and plumped up lust. I am, however, all about the dirty acts of sliding around and naughty lickins, but for me ... it's gotta generate from the real. It's sort of a fetish, i reckon ... for the sensual. The importance of being earnest, and all.

- - -

BIKE RACERS

Ridiculously tanned individuals that they are, I love to ogle over them. There is such immense pleasure watching the perfectly timed attack, cheering the suicidal manuever, shouting out appreciation to the brave, lonely sufferer, spitting venom at the cheap and dishonorable. All of them, I adore.

I fantasize about running hands along tall, lean muscles of thighs, along sides of hips, up around expanding chests. My cheeks glow as images of curling around powerful, stocky sprinter's bodies floods my imagination with wicked, spoon-filled delights. I feel the warm sheen of clean, glowing sweat. I hear the deep booms of billowing lungs in full fight. I see eyes locked in concentration, concentration on one goal. Building towards that one, pure, ecstatic moment of release.

man? woman? i don't care.

just give them to me.

Women's Cherry Pie

... i think i'll just repeat that in my mind a couple times.

- - -

The promoters decided to run an open women's event for the Cherry Pie crit. It's not a decision I'm in favor of, but ... when you do all the work to put on a race, you get to decide how it's run. I just have to wonder at the mentality, though. Category 4 guys who are 45+ scream and complain that they shouldn't be forced to race with some former-pro 50 year-old.

And yet, we ask total newbie cat 4 women to jump into, arguably, one of the harder crits on the circuit, and fight it out against current professional riders.

Right on ... do what you think is best. demographics n' all.

- - -

Anyway, the racing was intense. The initial laps saw 3 groups forge together: the lead pack of Professionals and some of NorCal's elite, and two chase groups of strong NorCal hotties who worked damn hard to coordinate and stay out front of that lead pack for as long as they could.

Fighting it out for the win were about 10 Colavita riders and a handful of Cheerwine, PROMAN, ValueAct, Aaron's, and individuals like Tibco's Brooke Miller and Velo Bella's Mary Maroon. Colavita would send rider after rider on the attack, but not in a very organized or efficient manner.

For example, the first few laps saw Alysha Powers thundering off the front in a huge solo effort. But on a course with as much wind and climbing on it, a solo rider against a fresh field is sheer folly. The pack split chasing duties between the teams and individuals, either making pace or launching accelerations up the hill, always keeping Powers within spitting distance.

As the race progressed, more attacks would go off the front - but Colavita would never really commit to making a break stick, often times shutting down moves one would think might have suited them well. The hum of the crowd tilted towards the thought that Colavita would be relying on their Goliath of a sprinter, Tina Pic, to win it straight up. Sound reasoning, usually.

But, David wears baby blue nowadays. In the final lap, Colavita kept the pace high and the leadout was a country mile long. Rider after rider would burn off the pace, stretching the field thin as they powered towards the long finishing climb. Far down the hill, Brook Miller in Tibco's distinctive kit, with her unmistakable form, could be seen launching away from the leadout to start her sprint.

Cherry Pie is a fitness sprint - and Miller is showing to have superior fitness as we approach the NRC openers. Her slightly higher, more open body position on the bike was clearly noticable versus the traditional field sprinting form of Colavita's Pic - hunched low over her bars, even while her hands on the tops pulled harder and harder in search of that few more ounces of torque.

It was a close sprint between the new Tibco rider and the decorated veteran from Colavita. I couldn't help but leave the race with the impression that a team riding in a one-dimensional fashion, even with a superstar sprinter like Pic, is flirting with danger. But, that's what February bike racing is for ... figuring it all out.

well, that and the wine.

the Tour, baby

It's Tour of Cali time, folks.

and ... i'm ready for some US dawgs to race big.

I don't know how much bennyJ has been secret training ... but I'm hoping his stint on the track in Aussie-land and the subsequent miles o' climbs down home have put him in fine form.

One thing I do know ... the other US based riders are fukkal ready.

Let the fireworks flare.

and then there's the international units. BeTiny says that US riders go down well like a nice chianti ... so, i'm hoping he gets it spanked.

"Tuesday I go from La California to California," joked Bettini to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The wines they have copied are good. We will see about the riders."

And there's even Disco-Danielson ... on fire with his TT rig, apparently spanking a low-brow TT in the old country. But, is he racing ToC? Can he put it together against the likes of his own teamie, the Levinator?


and wait a minute ... can we talk about Leipheimer for a moment.

brother, if you're paid that much money ... get some fukking hair plants, yo.

and a wall hanging.

American Socialism

What I'm in favor of:

1. an individual's right to excel, to flourish unimpeded by the constraints of class, color, belief system.
   
2. the social contract ~ the joined and shared responsibility of each, for each ... other. I am in favor of a system of cooperation that spreads the opportunity for an individual to accumulate wealth, prestige, happiness, and 3 stuffed animals per household.
   
3. Reason ~ I am in favor of rational thought, logical conclusions, equitable outcomes, and ethical behavior. I am in favor of Reason, the human Faculty, having the ability to decide what each of those is.

- - -

The Group Ride as a Socialist Endeavor

Your local slugfest can be a relatively harmonized effort where each rider gets the opportunity to excel, while still ensuring the safety, productivity, and happiness of the entire group.

A rare thing indeed ~ American Socialism.

But, if the individual's desire to fulfill their own needs on the group ride is in imbalance with the safety, productivity, or happiness of the entire group?

I call that American Individualism.

I am not a fan.

short shot of geezer juice

I really don't like Cherry Pie (slut metal bands excluded, of course).

- - -

With only da'PAB, Pasconator, and me on the start line ... i knew we were going to be in for a world of hurt. And, sho'nuff ~ off the front went an early break that looked doomed for us. Spine had 3 in it, a Disco's Nolan and Laberge, leaneyReaney of the Giant Starburries, SteveGargantuous of StanleyMorgan, and EMC's Nat Parks.

That pretty much sucked for us.

So, we took turns smashing the pack in the face with hard accelerations or long pulls. I was not having a good time. Luckily there were lots of dudes willing to put a stake in the break and the gap was finally covered.

ick.

For the duration of the race, there would be strong hits from many different riders. I can't tell you how uncomfortable I was. These fukking Geezer squads are super organized and entirely too motivated to train and whoop on each other. In the end, Laberge won it with a fair bit of class. He's pert near unbeatable in that sprint unless he throws his hands up too early ;)

... ladies

The crit racing for women this weekend was hard-nosed, aggressive, and a bit bizzare on the tactics front. The outcome was the same for both events. Brook Miller stamped her authority as a huge talent not only in our region, but in all of women's cycling.

Martinez was all about the cash and surviving the big rains. while Sunday's Cherry Pie was all about NorCal bragging rights and surviving Colavita's full squad flaunting their stuff in front of the sponsors.

I've got some pics n' vid to work on ... but for now, thought i'd throw out some hernanadork scribblins on the workplace dime.

- - -

Martinez ~

An early breakaway looked quite formidable with Touchstone's Jill Mclaughlin, Webcor's Amber Rais, Tibco's Brooke Miller, and a cheerwine rider that I believe was Sarah Bamberger. The big team missing out on the move was old McGuire-new-ValueActSomething'or other team of Taitt Sato, Courtenay Brown, and Martina Patella.

The break was rolling along well, but not under a huge amount of urgency or effort ... they were probably already planning how they would finish the race amongst themselves since the makup of the break looked so good ... on paper. It certainly appeared to be the move of the day as the rain pelted down and a disorganized pack drifted rudderless already a quick 30 seconds in arears.

However, Taitt Sato got the bit between her teeth, deciding the money was worth the effort, and pretty much single-handedly drove the pack for 3 or 4 laps to bring the break within' spitting distance.

It was an impressive show.

There were some shorter lived moves of ones and twos throughout the entire race, each team sending forays off the front to gather primes or feint at breakaways ~ but the rains would slap down in heavy spats to squelch out fires of anything less than full-effort.

With a handful of laps remaining, the pack was still together when a particularly hard fought prime by ValueAct's Brown and a Cheerwine rider found the two with a substantial gap over the soaked, road grimed pack. The two riders sensed this was a move worth digging for and put their heads down in cooperation to extend their lead.

Velo Bella's Mary Maroon saw the danger and launched viciously off the front to bridge the already growing gap on the field. A Tibco rider attempted to follow but wasn't able to latch onto Maroon and faded back to the pack. Maroon dug hard. Haaaaarrd, and got across to the lead duo. With lapcards already showing, this had to be the move of the day.

But, strangely enough ... Touchstone put a rider to the front and she drilled it with everything she had to bring back the break. I don't think Tibco did much work at all in bringing back that move. What a luxury! And so, with arguably one of the fastest sprinters in the country and a rider not in the break, Tibco was able to ride a climbing team's wheel all the way back to winning contention. Bizaare tactics, indeed!

With Touchstone only having two riders in the race, one would have thought they would shoot off in attacks to try and bridge across to the break. Even if they were chased, at least their rivals would have to work as much as they were.

But instead, Touchstone just went to the front and churned huge pull after pull, bringing back the break while Tibco and the other Cheerwine and ValueAct riders sat behind for tea and biscuits.

In the final couple of laps it was a fight for position with the Tibco and Cheerwine teams driving hard to position their sprinter best. As the crowds leaned far over barriers to see the riders come up the long finishing straightaway, the rain continued to fall and blur the vision as to which team would hold advantage. With 75 meters to go, there were 3 or 4 riders clear and it was evident the victor would come from one of them. The pale blue of Miller's Tibco kit could be seen up the outside of the street while Bamberger's blood red Cheerwine kit was pinned to the inside barricades.

The final meters were a hectic rush as the riders burst clearly into focus and roared out of the falling rain. Miller was pounding a huge gear and accelerating with every wrroooshh-wrrooosh of her powerful pedalstrokes. Bamberger began to fade with just a few meters remaining as Miller stormed across the line, near a bike length lead when all was said and done.

What a finish.

- - -
mo' latah, yo.

shit talkin'

Reaney: oh man, was that you hernando?

oV: naw, i think Sayers just qweefed.

HealthNutjob: mmm ... it reminds me of the old country. women are well scented where i come from.

mcCracker: daarr, my kit is pretty.

(yoinked from da'Rocha.)

blowage

yet another Monday morning rush of randoms:

1. coffee took a good 20 minutes to smash the glass this morning.
   
   when you finally wake up, and the working world is all crystalline sharp around the desk -
   
   ... that's when you realize just how much longer you wanted to stay in that warm snuggly bed.
   
   
2. today, an initial casualty count is 75 dead and over 150 more injured Iraqi civilians in separate, coordinated bomb blasts.
   
   one day, like so many other days.
   
   too bad they aren't white. maybe we'd care then.
   
   ... and it's still not civil war.
   
   
3. i'm pretty gawdamn sick of having an injured back. i suck at injuries. that's the problem with being a pain junky - everything is ignored and secretly, masochistically enjoyed.
   
   but this has been 3 weeks and it's not getting any better. unfortunately, the hate of aMErican healthcare overrides any reasonable arguments to visit them for treatment (all doc bunnies excluded, of course).
   
   
4. Stupid mistakes i made this weekend:
   
   #1: realizing i had pretty shyte tread on Friday nite and switching them out to the cheapo 9$ tires that have been laying neglected in the garage for a decade, or two. I mean, so what if it's gonna rain ... how much of a difference can tires make?
   
   yeah, that was a graaaayte idea.
   
   Saturday's geezer race had me sideways more than that six'er of Santa Barbara wine we brought back last year.
   
   stupid, stupid, stupid.
   
   At one point I told leaney-Reaney to stay away from me because i was turning right worse than fukking Zoolander. He obliged.
   
   #2: In that stupid prosey race at Martinez, I didn't attack once. notbloody once.
   
   it has been years that i haven't attacked in a criterium. yeah, yeah, yeah ... i know i'm injured, i know i'm not in great shape ... but, i hate, just frickin despise being a hanger-on in a bike race.
   
   that is going to be motivation for the next 6 months.
   
   thankfully junkadonk was there to tow me back up to the pack after i couldn't close the tailgunner gaps.
   
   i can't stand just being a survivor in a bike race.
   
   
   #3: no warmup for Cherry Pie.
   
   i just couldn't get my shit together. Pasco and Jeff had to monitor the front of a very aggressive old-guy pack for the first 20 minutes as my body uncurled from the fetal position. sorry guys.
   
   there was a bad breakaway up the road with Spine, CalGiant, the Discoboys, and EMC in it. that sucked for us. But, with only 3 guys and all of us a fair bit waxed from Saturday's sufferfests (pasco did 3 crits, each rainy-er than the last) ... it took us a good 10 minutes of hitting the field to bring them back. stupid.
   
   but, we salvaged a 3rd with Jeff in the field sprint ... so, best we could manage under the circumstances, i think.
   
   i didn't even think about doing the prosey race. my body shut down, full stop.
   
   #4: going to work today.
   
   ... oh yeah, better get some of that done.

february keeps getting faster

with the Tour of Cali around the corner for the men, and the Merced NRC big shows on the horizon for them and the women ... the racing on the left coast is just stupid fast right now.

The town of Martinez threw down many a thousand for their crits this year ~ and even ridiculous amounts of water slicking up streets couldn't stop a damn good showing of riders.

borderline epic day of racing.

More pics n' blabberings after i ice this back, down another shot of vino, and get some sleep.


... bike racers should get Monday's off work.

jiggle, jiggle, jiggle

French media have reported that American Floyd Landis has declined a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency request to release remaining urine samples from last summer's Tour de France for additional testing. VN

oh for fuk's sake ...

So, the Frenchy's are reporting that Landis had a handful of Tour B samples not tested for exogenous testosterone that a Carbon Isotope Ratio test can pick up (argue the validity of this science amongst yourselves, please). They report that the USADA requested permission from Landis to test all the other B samples from last year's Tour for exogenous testosterone. They report he refused.

Why? Well, as a defense attorney ... you do that automatically because ... well, you can. Why even take the chance of admitting any new evidence that might damn your standing in the legal proceeding.

And so, it was a sound decision for an attorney to make.


... unless ~ you're trying to win over public support.

And, that's what Team FLandis has been doing, full gas, for months ... win over public support. The decision to not release the untested B Samples for testing of exogenous testosterone reeks of ... guilt. It forces us all to gulp and sigh to ourselves, "oh, if only he would just let the bastards have them, because ... he has nothing to fear in them being tested ... right?"

- - -

ah well.

for the patient folk

i can't believe BInnes found this before me ...

but, it is what it is.


genius.

it's the follow-up visits, mes amis.

uh ... random?

pics from the past ...







... moving shit down

charge the paddles

My first cycling hero was Miguel Indurain. Actually, he had already retired before I even knew bike racing existed ... but, when i started riding ~ somebody had a copy of the 1995 Tour de France and he entered my life.

That Tour ... I've no idea how many times it ran through the VCR.

Ligget's commentary was a nightly lullabye. Big Mig's seated engine grinding everyone off his wheel on the climbs. Pantani's ears. Jalabert's tactics. Zulle's fragility. Armstrong's perfectly timed attack on stage 18 and his emotional win.


But it was Indurain who i loved ~ the quiet giant, the class, the legend ... the stoic, beautiful champion.

controlled, volcanic passion.


he is why i cycle still today.

don't pedal angry

click ... click ... click


clickclickclickclick



clickclickclickclickclickclick

- - -

liberal fags

this is just biased media, right?

i mean, war is between soldiers and "insurgents."

and, we're supporting our troops.

and ...

fuck us all.

- - -

My views of the Iraqi invasion have been vomited upon this blog in the past. And of late, politics have been limited to fringe infestations on otherwise happy-go-gey-scribblings. But this morning, the depression boiled inward and I find myself curling over a knotted, sickened stomach.

Tens, and tens, and tens of thousands of people have died since our army invaded that country. A country that posed no material or immediate threat to our "homeland" or any of our direct geo-political interests in the world.

It was an invasion built upon lies. Lies. LIES. LIES. The invasion was illegal under the very laws of international cooperation we helped write and have enforced in the past (when it suited us).

... and i go race my bike. i shake this off like a light california shower, sending it sprinkling to the ground, to dry up, forgotten ... moving on to the next trinket played with.

fuck us all. each, every, one of us.

when there's no talent ...

bask in the glow of those who risk