Randoms return

I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're beautiful. Everybody's plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic. (Andy Warhol)
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Santiago Botero signs with Rock n' Repubics

"The team is hoping to be invited to contest the Tour of California and the Tour of Georgia next season after persuading Botero." And they're adding in Victor Hugo Pena and Caesar Grajales?

all of a sudden i feel like taking back all the bad things i've said about the Rockin'Repubes. I mean, this team is looking more East LA than Rodeo Drive.

and that means something.


let's hope none of them get popped next year.
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12 Hours make a difference

I love this time of year. I love overtraining and monster hours (for me, anyway) and not giving a shit that you're overtrained, over-extended, and overcooked.

During the road season, i'll be lucky to get in 5 or 6 hours of riding during the week. It sucks, but that's the case for the past couple years. I'm the kind of guy that sets his training on automoton once February arrives and I'll do the same 3 days/week of workouts for 8 months. Just wacking away at myself, building form and pleasures throughout the season as best i can.

but ... during the fall ~ when cross season is playing messy little tunes in my heads on weekends, I'll go out during the week and ride my chamois dry. Recently i've put in more than a few 4+ hour rides and it's ... well, it's just sex on a stick.

i love riding. i love being exhausted and blown and asking more from yourself for no other reason than it feels good to go hard, go fast, and go big.

i love training.
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Horner gets Bruyneel'd

worth a quote:

VN: Just a few months ago you were fairly outspoken about Armstrong and his previous Tour teams, saying, "You can't have a leader's team getting to the final climb with five guys on the front, like every year from three years back all the way back. It is impossible to ride the front with your whole team and get to the final climb with most of your team still on the front - and be ready to come back and do it day in and day out.... I don't believe it to be possible."

Now you're joining a team run by Johan Bruyneel, the director of a team that was doing things a few years ago that "didn't seem possible." How will you reconcile that?

CH: I think there has been a change in the sport in general. From everything I've seen, the speeds in the field versus the past, everything has changed. I believe the sport is becoming better and better, from the riders' organizations to the UCI and WADA, everyone is doing everything they can to eliminate as much of the drug problem as possible. I don't have any problem going to Astana. Sure, they had problems last year with two of their biggest riders, but the addition of Johan Bruyneel changed the whole team completely to avoid those issues.

As far as the years past, well last year with Johan's team you weren't seeing five guys going over the last climb together. What may or may not have happened in the past is completely different than what you're seeing now.

I honestly believe that every team is doing what they can to stop what was happening in the past. I know Johan was asking riders for their blood results from the past, to make sure he's not getting riders who have been at a 49 hematocrit for their whole career. I had to show him my past blood results, which he asked of everyone when he was looking into riders. It was the same with CSC. I also talked to Bjarne Riis, and when I was talking to CSC he wanted to see all my blood results, what was happening in the past. I think everyone wants to see this left behind and no longer an issue. I know the riders don't want to see it; no one wants to see any more problems. The sport doesn't need to live through another nine years like the last nine years. But just look at Rabobank at the Tour - they threw out Michael Rasmussen. In years past I don't know if a team would have done that. And I'm pretty sure Johan Bruyneel isn't going to put up with anyone just disappearing for a month.

Have to admit it ... i loves me some Horner. Back in the day, when he signed for Webcor and ruled the US circuit that year ... he made a believer out of me. So cool under fire, so firey when the finish line arrived, so much love for the bike.

right on.

and now he's on the big screen, never seeing his bags or wondering if the meal will be ready while with Bruyneel. that says something, too.
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TRACK RACING

my gawd, gimme some track racing. Friday is the first World Cup fundraiser for the PROMAN UCI team heading to Beijing and Sydney. Racing starts at 5pm for this first one, track opening at 3pm.

i won't talk about how upset they didn't offer me a slot on this squad.

really, who's gonna look better in a PROMAN kit ... mcQuack? RKillit? puh-lease. they need some more eye candy on that squad.


see you at Hellyer on Friday, folks. it's a party and you're all invited.


and ... i can't wait to head down to lo-cal and race the $10K Encino weekend with a 400 lap Scratch Race.

can't let Hooptie have all the fun.

~ lates.