Afghan Bicycle Messengers...

And I used to think bike messengers in Clevelend were hardcore!

Check out the Afghan amputee bicycle messengers.

Click for audio of this story.

Lance and France

I haven't chimed in on the on-going Lance drama because I'd rather just let it play out and enjoy it from the sidelines. However, the latest comments by the whining French deserve a response. First of all, Lance is clearly the greatest grand tour rider ever. He may be the best endurance athlete ever as well. He consistently destroyed his competition, even in the age of doping. Speaking of doping...EVEN WITH ALL THE SUSPICION, HE HAS NEVER TESTED POSITIVE FOR ANYTHING!

Look, I understand that the French are pissed that they can never win their own tour. It would be like the Toronto Argonauts winning the Superbowl, over and over again...Or Koreans constantly winning every tournament in the LPGA. However, rather than acknowledging what a great cyclist Lance is, they continue to try to bring him down by false accusations. The latest remark by the new president of ASO, Jean-Etienne Amaury, have gone way too far. He said that Lance "embarrassed" the Tour de France. His comments are completely out of line and may indicate the uphill battle Astana will have, just to get in the Tour. Especially if they sign Alexander Vinokourov, who is now saying he is coming back next year after his 1 year suspension.

Hey ASO, here are going to be your top three embarrasments 1: Once again Frenchman can't even manage to get a podium spot, let alone win the race. 2: When Jean-Etienne has to present Lance with his 8th Trophy and he can't even manage to make eye contact with Lance, then he pees himself in the presence of such greatness 3: When a reporter from L'Equipe asks Lance immediately after winning, "Mr. Armstrong what do you plan to do in retirement?" Lance smiles and says, "Win another Tour of course...See ya next year!"

One thing I have to admit though: While I completely support the fight against cancer and it is awesome what he is doing, I'd like it more if Lance just came out and said "I'm returning to cycling because I'm a competitor, I win bike races, I love to win. Nothing makes me happier than absolute domination! And I plan on crushing you all next year. Boo-yah!"

Training Update...

I am trying to stay motivated and put in some good base time...

9/15/08 Monday: Run 54 min, core/weight training
Tuesday: Bike 75 min, core/weight training
Wednesday: Run 51 min, core
Thursday: Lunch Run 33 min, core/weight training, Evening Bike 120 min
Friday: Masters Swim 60 min, Lunch Run 45 min
Saturday: Lazy bike ride to Shaker Lakes
Sunday: Bike 140 min
Total: Run: 3:03, Bike: 5:35, Swim: 1:00 = 9:38

9/22/08 Monday: Masters Swim 65 min, Lunch Run 43 min
Tuesday: Bike: 52 min, core/weight training

Cleveland Triathlon Club: Headwaters Trail Duathlon Series

This duathlon series looks interesting, 5k/25k/5k. Check out the flyer. Anyone planning on it?

Here is a map of the bike portion...

Training Update...

9/8/08: Monday: Gym: Core, Arms, Back
9/9/08: Tuesday: Gym: Core, Chest, Shoulders Lunch Run: 31 Minutes 3xHill Sprints, Evening Bike: 60 Minutes (3x4 FastPedals)
9/10/08: Wednesday: Gym: Core, Squats, Chest Evening Bike: 120 Minutes
9/11/08: Thursday: Gym: Jumps, Back, Push-ups, Lunch Run: 33 Minutes, Evening Bike: 120 Minutes
9/12/08: Friday: Gym: Core, Arms, Shoulders, AM Swim: 40 Minutes (CSU)
9/13/08: Saturday: Rest & watched OSU get beat down.
9/14/08: Sunday: Rest & watched the Browns get beat down.....(intermittently watched the Indians get beat down all weekend by the Royals)
Total 6:44 (Swim/Bike/Run)

Begin Base Phase
9/15/08: It's our 7th Wedding Anniversary!!! Love ya Honey! Gym: Core, Back, Lunch Run: 54 Minutes Easy...joined Ohio Masters Swimming Club today....Looks like I may be trying to tri...

Portage Lakes Race Report

Yesterday I competed in my first Sprint Distance Duathlon. The Portage Lakes Duathlon was 5k/20k/5k near Akron, OH. This race was organized very well by HFP Racing.

First 5k: I felt good and did the first mile in 6:40. I thought I might being going out too hard so I chilled out and then my pace drastically declined, to a 7:28 average, for 23:08, Rank 22.

T1: What can I say other than slow. In my defense I had a horrible rack assignment and I had to run about 200 meters in my cycling shoes to the mount area. 1:27, ugh.

Bike: Good. It took a few minutes to get a good rhythm, and I chilled out a little bit in the last 2 miles thinking I needed to conserve some energy for the run. Still it turned out better than I expected for 35:52, 20.7mph, Rank 7. I picked up 10 places on the bike. So I was sitting in 12th place.

T2: Faster, but slow again. 1:04.

Second 5k: The first few strides off the bike were not fun. Once I got settled down, I grinded out a decent 24:56, 8:03 pace, Rank 22. However, I had more in the tank when I crossed the line and I should have picked my pace up on this 5k. I played it conservative because this was my first duathlon and I wasn't sure how my legs would react. Well, now I know.



Overall: 12th place: 1:26:27, 2nd in Male 30-34.

For complete sprint duathlon results, click here.

For all results including the Olympic Duathlon and Sprint and Olympic Triathlons, click here.

Training Update...

Well, now that I am into the multisport thing I really have ramped up my running and gym workouts. I feel really good after last week and am looking forward to tapering for Sunday's Portage Lakes Duathlon. So here was last week's training log:

Monday: Run 45 (minutes) Gym: Core
Tuesday: Run 20 Gym: Chest/arms/core
Wednesday: Bike 60 Gym: Squats, core
Thursday: Run 45, Bike 120
Friday: Run 20 Gym: Lunges/arms/core
Saturday: Bike 120
Sunday: Run 20/Bike 33 Gym: Chest/core
Total: Run 2:30, Bike 5:38

This week: Taper
Week of 9/8: Begin 12 week base phase

Here's a video from last year's fog delayed event.

2008 USPRO ITT and Road Race 8/30 and 8/31

Check this link for live race feed.
Live Feed Info:
SATURDAY: 11AM-1:30PM EST – Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Individual Time Trial Championships live from CU-ICAR in Greenville SC. Hosted by Nathan O’Neill, Pro Cyclist and 8-time Australian National Time Trial Champion. Live Streaming courtesy of Medalist Sports and AVF Creations.

SUNDAY: 1PM-5:30PM EST - Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championships live from Greenville SC. Hosted by Nathan O’Neill, Pro Cyclist and 8-time Australian National Time Trial Champion. Sponsored by Rock Racing and featuring the “Rock Cam”.

Time Trial:
1. RYTLEWSKI Jacob Rite-Aid p/b Shebell & Shebell
2. BENNETT Eric Successful Living p/b Parkpre
3. SPINELLI Justin Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
4. FREY Nick TIME Pro Cycling
5. HUFF Charles Bradley Jelly Belly
6. ZAJICEK Philip Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
7. DANIELSON Thomas Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
8. BAKER Andy TIME Pro Cycling
9. MURPHY John Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
10. ELDRIDGE Charles Team Type 1
11. KING Edward Bissell Pro Cycling Team
12. COZZA Steven Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
13. COLLIER Corney Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
14. KNELLER Benjamin Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
15. PETERSON Thomas Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
16. ZWIZANSKI Scott Bissell Pro Cycling Team
17. HERNANDEZ Sergio Rock Racing
18. BEAMER Spencer DLP Racing
19. STOOP Michael TIME Pro Cycling
20. KILUN Roman Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
21. PELTONEN Garrett Bissell Pro Cycling Team
22. NORTON Michael Calyon Pro Cycling Team
23. SWEETING Robert Toshiba/Santo p/b Herbalife
24. MUMFORD Jonathan Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
25. CRANE Matthew Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
26. HOWARD Graham Bissell Pro Cycling Team
27. DULIN Thad DLP Racing
28. VAN ULDEN Bernard Jelly Belly
29. RAMSEY Daniel TIME Pro Cycling
30. GRABINGER Micheal Successful Living p/b Parkpre
31. CREED Michael Rock Racing
32. VANDEVELDE Christian Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
33. ZIRBEL Tom Bissell Pro Cycling Team
34. DUGGAN Timothy Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
35. PATE Danny Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
36. ZABRISKIE David Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O



Road Race Start List:
Bissell Pro Cycling:
Graham Howard, Grand Rapids MI 23
Benjamin Jacques-Maynes, San Jose CA 29
Omer Kem, Salem OR 26
Edward King, NH 25
Aaron Olson, Santa Barbra CA 30
Garett Peltonen, Boulder CO 27
Morgan Schmitt, Seattle WA 23
Burke Swindlehurst, Salt Lake City UT 35
Tom Zirbel, Boulder CO 29
Scott Zwizanski, Downington PA 31

BMC:
Brent Brookwalter, Santa Rosa CA 22
Antonio Cruz, Santa Rosa CA 36
David Galvin, Palo Alto CA 27
Jonathan Garcia, Louisville CO 27
Jeffrey Louder, Santa Rosa CA 30
Ian Mckissick, Seattle WA 27
Nathan Miller, Fairfield CA 23
Scott Nydam, Denver CO 30
Michael Sayers, Sacramento CA 38
Jackson Stewart, Los Gatos CA 28
Taylor Tolleson, Team Santa Rosa CA 23

Colavita-Sutter Home
Andrew Guptill, Hannacroix NY 25
Kyle Wamsley, Topton PA 28
Tyler Wren, Philadelphia PA 27

Team Columbia
George Hincapie, Greenville SC
Craig Lewis, Greenville SC

DLP Racing
Spencer Beamer, Knoxville TN
Joseph Coddington Asheville NC
Thaddeus Dulin, Greenville SC
Scott Jackson, Chathem NJ
Boyd Johnson, Greenville SC
Owen Nielsen, Blacksburg VA
Charles Pendry, Raleigh NC

Garmin-Chipotle
Tom Peterson, Boulder CO 21
Blake Caldwell, Boulder CO 24
Steven Cozza, Petaluma CA 23
Thomas Danielson, Boulder CO 30
Jason Donald, Brighton CO 28
Timmy Duggan, Boulder CO 4
Lucas Euser, San Luis Obispo CA 24
Tyler Farrar, Wentache WA 24
Mike Friedman, Pittsburgh PA 25
Will Frischkorn, Boulder CO 23
Danny Pate, Boulder CO 29
Christian Vande Velde, Lemont IL 32
David Zabriskie, Salt Lake City UT 29
Patrick McCarty, Allen CO 26

Jelly Belly
Brad Huff, Colorado Springs CO 29
Michael Lange, Golden CO 25
Jeremy Powers, Niantic CT 25
Nick Reistad, Brookfield WI 25
Bernard Van Ulden, San Francisco CA 28

Jittery Joe's
Jared Barrilleaux Novato CA 0
Evan Elken, Lake Oswego OR 31
Timothy Henry, Atlanta GA 26
Ben Kneller, Durango CA 0
Neil Shirley, La Mesa CA 29
Matt Shriver, Durango CO 28

Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast
Andrew Bajadali, Minneapolis MN 35
Daniel Bowman, Minneapolis MN 26
Brian Buchholz, Minneapolis MN 32
Alex Candelario, Minneapolis MN 33
Benjamin King, Minneapolis MN 19
Jonathan Mumford, Minneapolis MN 32
Justin Spinelli, Minneapolis MN 28
Jonathan Sundt, Minneapolis MN 34
Nicholas Waite, Minneapolis MN 24

Rite Aid
Clayton Barrows, State College PA 26
Jonathan Erdely, Bradley Beach NJ 27
Stephan Kincaid, Pottstown PA 36
Robbie King, Brentwood NH 28
Jake Rytlewski, Avon IN 25

Rock Racing
Michael Creed, Colorado Springs CO 27
Tyler Hamilton, Boulder CO 37
Sergio Hernandez, San Pedro CA 23
Kayle Leogrande, Agoura Hills CA 31
Doug Ollerenshaw, Portland OR 28
Fred Rodriguez, Emeryville CA 34
Adam Switters, Davis CA 21
Jeremiah Wiscovitch, Pomona CA 24

Successful Living
Eric Bennett, Ventura CA 20

Health Net-Maxxis
Corey Collier, Durango CO 27
Matt Cooke, Washington DC 29
Matt Crane, Athens GA 23
Kyle Gritters, Mission Viejo CA 25
Roman Kilun, Berkeley CA 26
Frank Pipp, Boulder CO 31
Phil Zajicek, Boulder CO 29
Tim Johnson, Boston MA 31
John Murphy, Athens GA 23
Kirk Obee, Vancouver BC 31

Team Type 1
Joe Eldridge, Atlanta GA 26
Daniel Holt, Bradenton FL 26
Christopher Jones, New Haven CT 29
Ian Macgregor, Golden CO 25
Shawn Milne, Gloucester MA 26

The Fan Sports Network
Anthony Colby, Durango CO 29

Time
Andy Baker, Easley SC 18
Nick Frey, Winston-salem NC 21
David Guttenplan, Gainesville FL 22
Jon Hamblen, Winston-Salem NC 32
Daniel Ramsey, Winston-Salem NC 30
Tom Soladay, Winston-Salem NC 25
Mike Stoop, Winston-Salem NC 23

Toshiba-Santo
Alex Hagman, Athens GA 24
Mark Hekman, Athens, GA AL 29
Bobby Sweeting, Bradenton FL 21
Daniel Vaillancourt, Athens, GA GA 26

Toyota-United
Chris Baldwin, Boulder CO 32
Justin England, Boulder CO 30
Chris Wherry, Durango CO 35

Unattached
Matt Howe, Raleigh NC
Michael Norton, Goshen NY 27

Bellefaire JCB Biathlon Race Report

First off, much thanks to my sponsors, we raised $230 for a great cause: Dannon Svab of Explosive Fight Promotions, Crystal Bright Window Washing and Carpet Cleaning, Dr. Wayne & Bobbi Taylor of Crossroads Chiropractic Center, and Melinda Mock. Second, thank you to the volunteers who made the race happen, they did an excellent job. One suggestion to the race coordinators, however, would be to notify bikers of sand on the road, before the turn (maybe 25-50 meters in advance), not when we are already dipping into it at over 20mph. That was a close call, I almost hit the curb and the guy behind me almost ran me over. Third, thanks to my training partner Ryan, all those rides paid some dividends.

So anyway, for my first biathlon ever and my only event at all this year, I was very pleased with my performance. Given that I’m really just a cyclist trying to run, I was not surprised to find myself way down in the “pack” (pack would be defined as several hundred racers) with a run time of 23:12 minutes. Not horrible, but I could improve greatly there. To show just how good I am not at running, here is a nice pic of me around the 2 mile marker…..notice the guy about to pass me pushing the stroller! Yikes.



...and yes those are hot silver tri-shorts! :)-

The transition went well. I came in :13 seconds or so behind my training partner Ryan, but managed to get out around the same time as him. The bike was good. I made up soo much ground out there. There was only one guy who passed me, the bearded dude in the Shaker Cycling jersey. I pushed it hard on the way back in and ended up with a time around 1:00:25. I passed 77 racers. I knew my time was okay, but didn’t even consider that it may be good for my age group of 30-34. Good thing Ryan stuck around for the podium presentation and picked up my bronze medal for the third place finish in my group. Ryan picked up the silver for the 25-29 group! Great Job Ryan!!

My goal was a sub 1 hour time. I came up just shy of that, but I learned many lessons about multi-sport today. First, I know better than to be standing around near the back of the pack with only a couple of minutes before the start. I should have got up near the front. Second, I need to develop a legit running program, not just run a few times a week. Third, get there early for a better bike placement. Fourth, don’t screw around with my gloves on the bike, just go.


Speedy Ray smoked me on the run by about 3 minutes or so, then put another 5 or so on me on the bike. Check out his race report here: http://raysracingadventures.blogspot.com/

TDF is over. Looking forward....

Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian - San Sebastian
This Saturday 8/2/2008. This one day classic has a hilly 239km route. It should be interesting. Favorites are: Contador, Bettini, Friere, Sastre, Gilbert, Chavanel. Who I'm cheering for: Bobby Julich, of course. Haven't found a free site to watch the race, but you could watch it live with a subscription to cycling.tv

Rochester Omnium
8/8 - 8/10. Check it out here.

Olympics
Starts 8/8 for rider info, check out this site.
Aug 8 11:00pm ET Men's Cycling Road individual road race - Finals
Aug 10 2:00am ET Women's Cycling Road individual road race - Finals
Aug 12 11:30pm ET Women's Cycling Road individual time trial - Finals


National Criterium Championships
8/16 - 8/17 Downers Grove, IL. Check it out here.

The Colorado Stage Race
8/22 - 8/24 here.

USPRO Cycling Championships
For the third year in a row, the USPRO Cycling Championships will be held in Greenville, SC. August 30th, is the Time Trial and August 31st is the Road Race. The official site is here. To see the race live, try going to this site. I was there last year and my brother will be there this year. I'll post his pics as soon as I get them. Damn, I wish I was going, Greenville is a perfect town for the race.

Cop Decks Cyclist

Clearly this video shows unprovoked, unnecessary police violence by this NYPD Officer. What a piece of garbage! Now that the cop has been reassigned to a desk job, I hope he gets fat, gets tons of horrible paper cuts, develops carpal tunnel syndrome, and suffers from boredome, which leads to depression, which leads to the need to medicate himself to be happy, which leads to.....well you get the picture.

2008 Tour de France Recap:

That damn crash cost Christian Vande Velde (USA) (Garmin-Chipotle) a podium spot in the Tour de France.

Let’s rewind a bit so I can explain. Vande Velde, while always a strong domestique, was never a favorite for a podium spot going into the tour. I don’t think anybody (that matters) picked him for a podium spot. Some didn’t even have him on their radar. However, on stage 4, a 29.5km TT in Cholet, he proved he could time trial, 8th best, only 37 seconds behind Stefan Schumacher’s 35:44.

He proved he could hang with the favorites (and the dopers) in Stage 7: Brioude - Aurillac, moving up on GC to 4th, 44 seconds behind Kim Kirchen. He proved it again in Stage 9: Toulouse - Bagneres-de-Bigorre (224km), when he moved up to 3rd on GC, still only 44 seconds back. He was able to hold that placing during Stage 10: Pau - Hautacam (see above picture), sitting only 38 seconds behind Cadel Evans.

On Stage 15: Ebrum - Prato Nevoso (185km), Vande Velde, was leap frogged by Denis Menchov and Bernhard Kohl and dropped to 5th, but only 39 seconds behind leader Frank Schleck.

Crash
On Stage 16: Cuneo - Jausiers, Vande Velde was dropped on the days final climb. He was forced to descend like a mad-man. He was gaining on the GC group and was only 35 seconds behind when he crashed. He could not regain his rhythm and finished the day 4:04 behind the stage winner, and lost 2:36 to Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans, 2:01 to Denis Menchov. At the end of the day, he was 6th on GC 3:15 behind F. Schleck, 3:07 behind Evans, and 2:26 behind Sastre.

Sastre rode into yellow on Stage 17: Embrum - L’Alpe d’Huez (210.5km), while CSC shut down the other GC contenders on L’Alpe d’Huez. Sastre put 2:15 into Vande Velde pushing him to 4:41 behind the eventual GC winner.

So, everything came down to the final TT, Stage 20: Cerilly - St. Amand-Montrond TT (53km). Schumacher powered to a stage victory, completing the course in 1:03:50 at 49.817 kph or 30.95 mph!! Vande Velde turned in an excellent time, finishing 4th, only 1:05 behind Schumacher and beating Menchov by 50 seconds, Evans by 1:00, and Sastre by 1:29. He moved up from 6th to 5th leapfrogging F. Schleck’s 54th place TT.

So in the end the top 5 was this:

1. Sastre
2. Evans (again....yawn) 0:58
3. Kohl 1:13
4. Menchov 2:10
5. Vande Velde 3:05

Had Vande Velde’s crash not happened, and he rejoined the GC guys on the descent in stage 16, which was about to happen, the top 5 would have looked like this:

1. Sastre
2. Vande Velde 0:29
3. Evans 0:58
4. Kohl 1:13
5. Menchov 2:10

Of course, if we played what if’s, then we have to remember that the returning champion and his super strong Astana team was banned this year. If Astana was not wrongfully disbarred from this year’s tour, the top 5 would have looked like this....

1. Contador
2. Leipheimer 1:15
3. Sastre 10:00
4. Vande Velde 10:29
5. Evans 10:58

On that note, I’m officially renaming this year’s winner: Carlos Sasterisk. We all know why.

JC

Tour de France - Live Update Humor

From Velonews, Stage 15 TDF 2008, 7/22/2008:

03:49 PM: Reader question, speaking of *&(#!
Reader Sean in Denver writes in to ask:
Hey LUG,
You've talked a lot about nature breaks and the courtesy of waiting for the yellow jersey. But I'm assuming all of this has to do with a number 1. What happens if a rider has to do a #2. Do they find the nearest bush or do the support cars carry TP?
Well Sean,
Now there's an unusual question. Generally riders don't find themselves in that position. A light breakfast and a morning constitutional generally allow riders to avoid that problem. Nonetheless, it does happen. Most often, when we hear about it, it involves a rider suffering from stomach problems. Most recently, Ivan Basso lost 48 minutes in a stage that went up the Stelvio. He had to stop three times on the way up that climb after suffering from what was some form of food poisoning. He was afforded a degree of privacy by a team car that would stop and block the view of the tifosi along the course.
One of our favorite stories from the old days on that topic involved Tom Simpson, as told by one of his domestiques on the old Peugeot team. Riding in his first Tour, the young rider was resplendent in his team kit, with his while cap perched perfectly atop his head. Suddenly his team leader dropped back and demanded his hat.

"You got your own hat!" the rider exclaimed.

"I know, I know," said Simpson. "but, I need to take a @$%^ and need something to wipe my &$$."

Ahhh, the life of a domestique.

Toledo death.

Horrible story. A horrible P.O.S. caused this. When the suspect is found, I hope that suspect is fucking dead.

Future of cycling....

She really does enjoy watching le tour....

Training & Landscaping Safety Lessons

If you haven’t seen me on the road it’s because I am was told to stay off the bike until my fingers heal. Lesson #1: Do not place your fingers on the mower exhaust when you are done mowing - ouch! Stupid, I know. This pain was much worse than when I weed wacked my toes earlier this year! Lesson #2: Don't wear sandals while weed wacking. I burned the fingers, luckily on my left hand, on July 4th, so I think the ER people only half believed my story and probably thought I was playing with fireworks.

I have, however, been ramping up my training for the Bellefaire JCB Biathlon (3 mile run, 12.9 mile bike) by running and riding the trainer. I’ve also been hitting the gym much more and working on my core (beer gut). Since I haven’t run competitively in 17 years, I’m not expecting much out of the run, but I hope to get a decent bike time.

I slacked off July 4th weekend, by sitting around, eating, and drinking, eating, and drinking, repeat again for 4 days. I even joked that I was erasing an entire month’s fitness level in one weekend. Which may have actually happened!!! Ugh! The extent of my cycling was watching Ray zoom past me and my family as we walked around Shaker Lakes.

Anyway, this week I’m taking it serious and have settled into a running and biking training routine that should bring me back to previous levels.

Monday Evening: 22 minute run - 30 minutes on trainer - Race Pace (if you could call it that)

Tuesday Lunch: Gym: legs - 5k Run - 28:24 an 8:49 pace - Route: Through Malls, left on Lakeshore, right on W.3rd around Browns Stadium, Out to end of Pier, N. Marginal to the bend, Up E. 9th, right on Lakeshore, Malls. HOT, humid and SLOW - Couldn’t extend.

Tuesday Evening: 60 minute trainer bike 3 x 1:30 powerclimbs

Wednesday Lunch: Gym: Chest/Bis/Tris/Abs (hi reps low weight) - 1.5 mile treadmill run with 1 mile @ 7:30 pace

Wednesday Evening: 27:40 run - approx. 5k - followed by 15 minutes of sprint drills/hill sprints. Instructed two kids to not ride their bikes against traffic. They argued with me, I told them to Google it. Yeah, that’s my comeback “Google it!”-I’m a real tough guy. Anyway, I did see Dave cruise by near GESU. Nice Kazahk Railways shorts.

Thursday Lunch: Gym: Abs/Legs - 10 minutes on Elliptical

Thursday Evening: 60 minute trainer 3 x 1 minute Sprints, 3 x 5 minute Fast Pedals

So it looks like I’m back on track. I’ll be out on the road next week to get some real miles in.

JC

Landis - Guilty.

Cycling - Landis v/USADA
Appeal by Floyd Landis dismissed by the Court of Arbitration For Sport (CAS)

Lausanne, 30 June 2008 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by the American cyclist Floyd Landis and has confirmed the initial decision issued by a Panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) on 20 September 2007. Consequently, Floyd Landis is disqualified from the Tour de France 2006 and is suspended for a period of two years starting from 30 January 2007. Floyd Landis has been ordered to pay the sum of USD 100'000 to the United States Anti-doping Agency (USADA) as a contribution towards its costs in the CAS arbitration.


For more info click here.

Century 6/24/2008

I’m not sure if this counts as a ‘real’ century but this is how it went down yesterday.

Commute 2 Work:
5:30 AM
20.03 miles
1:06:32

Commute 2 Home:
4:00 PM
21.09 miles
1:12:19
1 flat (E. 148th & Lakeshore)

Summer Solstice Ride: (55 miles + 4 cool down miles to make an even 100)
6:00 PM
59.00 miles
3:14:51

Totals:
100.12 miles
5:33:42

During the Summer Solstice ride, I was too busy burying myself to try to catch back on to the group to see what roads we were on. I know we went out passed Holden Arboretum, on roads I’ve never been on before. Thanks to Ryan, here is the map:




Thanks guys for waiting for my slow a$$ to get back to the group. If I keep training like I have the last couple of weeks, hopefully we won’t have this problem much longer.

Post ride delirium. Seriously, I either didn’t eat or drink enough, or I just wasn’t physically prepared for a day like that. When I got home I was totally wasted. For about 1/2 hour I was delirious - at one point I was hearing voices shoosh me. Weird.

Tuesday Night Group Ride: 6/17/2008

I should have taken the dark clouds looming above as a sign of what was to come...

To prep for the ride, I replaced my front brake pads and thought about replacing my handlebar tape, but put that off until after the ride. I pumped up my rear tire, which is routine. Either it’s a super slow leaker or I still need to lose 20 more pounds. Most likely the latter. I usually never need air in the front tire, but I decided to give it an extra pump or two for good measure. Plopped on my new helmet (thanks Lily for my new helmet for Father’s Day!) and headed over to the church.

The six of us (Marc, Paul, Vince, Ryan, Brian, & me) headed out to County Line Road from the Church. The wind was all over the place, mostly a tailwind, but I knew at some point we would be heading straight into it. Everything was groovy until County Line. I felt like I was Ulrich and the other five were Armstrong. Except, I got 5-10 look backs instead of just one. As I faded back, I was saying “What the hell, I’m not this slow, am I?” I decided to stand up and mash it to catch them. With the side to side rocking action I felt my front rim hitting pavement. Damn it! Since, I was fading out of sight and I had some air holding, I sat down and tried to crush it to get back on. Finally, I reached the group to deliver the bad news - I’m stopping for a tire change. I guess that good measure pump pushed that tube to the limit. (thaks guys for waiting..and helping me)

After a painfully slow tire change, that included forcefully pealing my tube from the tire, (must have been out on a real hot day!) we were back moving. I was spent. My left calf was on the verge of cramping and I was having trouble holding the group’s wheel. The wind wasn’t helping at all.

Bad decisions....For some strange reason, as two of the guys pulled off to head back in, I said “let’s keep going a little further.” What?!?! Apparently my judgement/reasoning/entire thought process was severely impaired. What was I thinking? Sure, please serve me up a little extra pain to go with my mechanicals, a head/cross/wind, and my general lack of power! Yeah, you heard me a little more suffering will do. I just love getting the sh*t kicked out of me. It's so much fun.

By the time we were heading back home on Chagrin River before Berkshire, I was hurting. The group was down to the 3 amigos of Ryan, Brian and me. After a quick shout out to Steiner on the bridge we headed up Berkshire. Or, more accurately, Ryan and Brian shot up Berkshire, I crawled up it. Snails pace. 9:15 or so. Yuck.

To top it off....As I’m .25 miles from my house on a cool down, I sit up, take my hands off the bars for a shake out. I probably let out a whimper and a sigh. I was hurting, but home was so close. At that moment, my front tire caught a groove and shot to the right. I stayed upright, but my bike dropped down with my handlebars to my left. In that split second, I managed to think I’m definitely going down - how stupid and careless - and damn I’m so close to home - and at least I’m close to home! Ahh! Then, in either a freakish light speed reflex, or maybe I hit another groove, or maybe some divine intervention shot my bike right back up and I kept cruising like nothing happened. Well, okay, of course I looked around to see if anyone observed my foolishness. Nope, just me and my bike. My left knee had to be only 6 inches off the ground, how did I not crash??? So frickin’ weird.

Anyway to conclude my rambling: As the mantra goes...a bad day riding, is still better than not riding.

Stats:
1:53:34
34.53 miles
18.20 mph avg.
45.60 max mph

And on the third day, he rested....from the bike anyway!

PS: Props to Brian & Ryan for leading all the way in, when I could hold your wheel the draft felt real good.

JC

Route:

Taylor Phinney - NEW WORLD RECORD!!!!!

He has set a new world junior 3000 meter pursuit record of 3.16.65! Check out his site. Check out the article.

One Million Bicycles

Help change the world, one million bikes at a time.

Join the revolution:



For more info, go to onemillionbicycles.org

DZ Nuts - Protect Your Junk!

This is hilarious, but I'll have to get some to try it out.

DZ Nuts High Viscosity Chamois Creme

Vande Velde In PINK! Slipstream wins TTT

For the first time in 20 years an American is wearing the Maglia Rosa, leading the Giro d'Italia.

Today's Results:

1 Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 26.32 (53.366 km/h)
2 Team CSC 0.06
3 High Road 0.07
4 Liquigas 0.09
5 Barloworld 0.14
6 LPR Brakes - Ballan 0.28
7 Astana 0.29
8 Tinkoff Credit Systems 0.33
9 Quick Step 0.42
10 Lampre 0.45
11 Team Milram
12 Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 0.51
13 Gerolsteiner 0.54
14 Caisse d'Epargne
15 Saunier Duval - Scott 1.02
16 Rabobank 1.04
17 Ag2R La Mondiale 1.05
18 Cofidis, Le Credit Par Telephone
19 CSF Group - Navigare 1.15
20 Euskaltel - Euskadi 1.17
21 Silence - Lotto 1.18
22 Française Des Jeux 1.26

GC Top 10 and Americans:

1 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 26.32
2 David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
3 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
4 Julian Dean (NZl) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
5 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
6 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC 0.06
7 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC
8 Bradley McGee (Aus) Team CSC
9 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC
10 Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC
46 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.29
172 Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30 2.02

Giro Preview

While I'm pumped about Astana getting an invite to the Giro, Slipstream-Chipotle looks strong too. Here is Slipstream's start list:

Slipstream - Chipotle, (USA)
181. Magnus Backstedt, (SWE)
182. Julian Dean, (NZL)
183. Ryder Hesjedal, (CAN)
184. David Millar, (GBR)
185. Jonathan Patrick Mc Carty, (USA)
186. Danny Pate, (USA)
187. Christopher Sutton, (AUS)
188. Christian Vandevelde, (USA)
189. David Zabriskie, (USA)

The opening stage is a TTT!!! Very good for Slipstream, Pate, Millar, Zabriskie, and Maggie are superfast. I see them placing very well in the opener. However, three weeks is a lot of racing look for Stage 19 228km Legnano to Presolana/Monte Pora, Stage 20 224km from Rovetta to Tirano (includes the Gavia), and Stage 16 13.8km from San Vigilio di Marebbe to Plan de Corones, which is an ITT to be the deciding stages. With that said, a climber will win. My favorite is Contador, however if the Spider Juan Mauricio Soler can put together some good days in the end, he may be a contender. But he doesn't have half the team help that Contador will get from Leipheimer & crew. Anyway you look at it, this is shaping up to be a very exciting race!

Astana in Giro d'Italia?

Velonews is reporting Astana may get an invite, in this article. However, nothing is for sure yet. With Kloden, Levi, and Contador, the team is strong and they should be there. Kloden is about to seal up the Tour de Romandie, the team won the GC at the Tour de Georgia, Contador is delivering in Europe, etc.

Why would they not get invited?




!!!!!UPDATE!!!!!ASTANA HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN INVITED TO THE GIRO D'ITALIA! Check out this article! Since Astana will be in both the Giro and the Vuelta, it looks like the Tour de France will be even less legit without the strongest team competing! It's similar to saying "Let's exclude the Yankees this season because Roger Clemens doped...or might have?" I'll never understand ASO's logic.

Anyway, thanks to the Giro Organizer, Angelo Zomegnan, the Giro will be contain the best riders in the world and be truly competitive! I think Levi Leipheimer, Alberto Contador or Andreas Kloden will look good in pink:) All three will be there, check out this article from www.guardian.co.uk.

For live coverage May 10 - June 1, 2008, go to www.cycling.tv/giro

Last Tour de Georgia pics...

David Zabriskie (Slipstream-Chipotle)


Santiago Botero (Rock Racing):

Tour de Georgia Brasstown Continued

Hincapie hammering it out:


Chris Horner's bum (Astana):


After the race, we hung around the team busses and got autographs from Dave Zabriskie, George Hincapie, Tom Danielson, Johan Bruyneel and Ekimov!!!!! Seriously, I was amazed at how accessible the stars of cycling were. Check out these pics...

Dave Z!! Love the stache, kind of like Daniel Day Lewis!


Ahhh Danielson!


Johan Bruyneel...was directing and promoting his new book....

Tour de Georgia - Stage 6 Brasstown Bald

Brasstown Bald was an exciting day. The crowds were huge on the mountain and it was difficult to just find a place to park near the start of the climb. My Brother and I took the shuttle to up to the parking area and then had to walk the final section to the top. It was worth it. We were there in plenty of time to get a great spot 150m from the finish, just before the final turn. It was one of the longest views on the mountain. It must have been a good spot because a couple of photographers camped out very near us. We ended up walking all the way down because it would have taken forever to get a shuttled to the bottom.

Kanstantsin Siutsou (Team High Road) was able to sneak away from Levi and Trent in the final 300m for the victory, which lead to the overall victory.

Here's my Bro enjoying the day:


Note the "Puke Here" sign:


Go Bobby!!! Everyone loves Julich!:


The battle between Levi & Trent Lowe. Pain Anyone?:


Levi desparately trying to pull ahead...about 10 meters later he got smoked:


Next post, Brasstown Continued.....

Tour de Georgia - Stage 5 Suwanee to Dahlonega

Wow. What a blast! Stage 5 finishing in Dahlonega was a thriller. We picked a decent spot, so we could see the last 150m. The top three: Richard England, Rory Sutherland, and George Hincapie. I watched the peloton fly by us in Suwanee @ 10:30 am, then we gathered the kids and headed to Dahlonega - very cool town. There was a lot of excitement and energy, everyone was pumped. We were hoping Hincapie could pull of a stage win here, but he couldn't get around England and Sutherland after the last turn.

Here are some pics from stage 5:

The Devil Went...

Down to Georgia! We are packing up and shipping out to catch stage 5 & 6 of the TDG. Stage 5 is an epic mountain stage (see my earlier TDG post) and of course stage 6 will be amazing with Brasstown Bald as the finish. I've got my bright orange 2008 TDG visor, my nephew has the matching jersey, so we are all set. I'll post pics and reports as soon as I can download them.

As for now, Toyota United's Ivan Dominguez (Toyota United) takes stage 1, J.J. Haedo (CSC) takes stage 2, Greg Henderson (Team High Road) takes stage 3 and the overall lead. Thursday's TTT is at Road Atlanta.

Live and On-Demand Tour de Georgia Coverage

If you are not as lucky as me to see the Tour de Georgia in person (I'll be at Stage 5 & 6), the next best thing is to watch the tour live on the web. As you can see below, there are many other races being covered, see below for more info...

WCSN.COM/cycling

Cycling enthusiasts can watch exclusive events, races and their favorite cyclists online through complete, live and on-demand coverage via a $4.95 monthly subscription plus free access to results, video highlights, breaking news, behind-the-scenes features, and more . In 2008, WCSN will offer coverage of the UCI Road World Championships (Varese), UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and World Championships, Tour of Germany, Nature Valley Grand Prix and WCSN USA CRITS Championship Series. Also, on-demand events available for viewing include 2008 UCI Track World Championships (Manchester); 2008 Cyclo-Cross World Championships (Treviso) and 2007 UCI Road World Championships (Stuttgart).

Hilly Training Ride

Last night's group ride. 38.66 miles, lots of hills, according to mapmyride.com it was 724 ft. of climbing, great weather...




Oh yeah, my fans we're waiting for me when I got home...

Earth Day 2008, Sunday 4/20/2008

You should consider attending Earth Day Festivities @ the Cleveland Zoo. Not just because being eco-friendly is the “in-thing” lately, but because it is the right thing to do.

This year, groups will be riding to the Zoo from Dewey’s Coffee on Shaker Square and Phoenix Coffee in Downtown Lakewood.

For information on getting to Earth Day via Bike, click here.


Here is the Shaker Route:


And the Lakwood Route:

Bikepooling?....www.OhioBikeBuddies.com

Thanks to Benjacat,I've set up my account with www.ohiobikebuddies.com. I certainly would like to commute with friends, so if you are interested in biking with a companion, check out this site.

JC

Cycling Trivia - American Stage winners in Le Tour de France

Ten Americans have won stages in the Tour de France.

1. Lance Armstrong (retired - had 25 stage wins and 7 overall victories)
2. Tyler Hamilton (Rock Racing Team Captain-after 2yr. doping suspension)
3. Andy Hampsten (retired - Won 1992 L'alpe d'Huez)
4. George Hincapie (Team High Road)
5. Floyd Landis (lost his appeal to the CAS, serving a 2 yr suspension)
6. Levi Liephiemer (Team Astana - banned from all ASO events including the Tour de France, for prior team member's doping scandals)
7. Greg Lemond (retired - 5 stage wins and 3 overall victories - PROFESSIONAL WHINER)
8. Davis Phinney (retired and watching his son Taylor Phinney develop into a strong racer)
9. Jeff Pierce (retired - Won Champs-Elysees stage with in 1987)
10. David Zabriskie (Team Slipstream-Chipotle - won 2005 prologue)


Which American will win a stage this year? Hincapie? Zabriskie? Someone else?

Whatever the case, it won't be this guy...

Website Review: www.crazyguyonabike.com

Cycle touring. I have little experience in this area, other than a weekend camping trip my Dad and I took when I was 13 or so. So I’m not the man for any advice, but what I do know is that there is a great resource on line for anyone interested in touring on two wheels. The site is filled with touring journals, articles, forums, reviews, resources, classifieds, websites, and ratings.

I’m always pleased when I read a good cycling adventure. The Journals section of the site links you to cycling adventures all over the globe. Some adventures are in the planning stages, some ongoing and some are completed. I recommend using the search feature of the site to find an adventure that interests you.

For example, when I searched for the word “Ohio” I found Patrick McLaughlin’s journal titled Transamerica Adventure – Spring 2008. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ACBNSGOAB He updates his journal daily and so far has cycled from Lakewood, OH to Augusta, KY in ten days.

One of my favorite journals is Tzuo Hann Law’s, Long Way Home. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/longwayhome Tzou traveled W-E across the U.S., Ireland, Scotland, England, Europe, and Asia. He took the really, really, long way home, from college back to Malaysia, on a loaded bike! 17,753 miles over 293 days!

If you signup for an account you can post your touring journal (if you are into that). Or, you can track your favorite journals and/authors by adding them to your favorites. Not all journals are epic adventures, some journals range from day-trips to around the world. So whatever your touring taste, the site contains journals relating to your level of interest.

Another great feature is the RSS feeder. I have my favorite journals added to my RSS feed, this way I can track all new updates easily by checking my feeds list. Just like you do with my blog right?:)

Most of the journals are filled with excellent pictures and descriptive accounts of their travels. If you are like me, and you are too busy, so you can only dream of adventures like this, then this site gives you a chance to live vicariously through the authors.

Other great features include: A classifieds section, where you can buy and sell touring gear, or look for a companion for your next adventure. A journal guestbook, where you can add comments and post questions to the authors. A ratings page displays highly ranked pics, journals, resources, etc., that can be sorted in various ways.

The best way to familiarize your self with the site is to start clicking on the links in the toolbar and discover new adventures.

PS: For anyone familiar with riding in the Chagrin Valley, I cringed when I read an account of a fully loaded tourist who rode up Old Mill Hill. If she only knew that Berkshire road was a half mile down the road!!!

Goals Update (Berkshire Road & Gettin' Skinny)

Berkshire Hill:
The goal is to break the 8 min mark by July 1, 2008. For the past couple of weeks I have been do 3 x 5 min Power Climbs on the trainer with 7.5 min rest in between, 2 x per week. While I'm out on the road I have been attacking more hills with roughly 30 seconds out of the saddle for every 1:30 in the saddle. Apparently this is working....

3/24/08: 10:58
3/27/08: 10:01
3/28/08: 9:54
4/07/08: 8:54!! New personal best and it's only early April!

Gettin' Skinny:
Hmm?, the goal was to lose 30 lbs. by 4/23/2008. While my overall fitness has increased rapidly, unless I can drop 14 lbs in the next 2 weeks I think I'll fall short of my goal. Since I have been lingering at 194-195 lbs, I probably need to watch what I eat a little better and do some major endurance miles rides.

A Winking Lizard, Pink & Purple Sparkly Flames, and Goofy Bunnies

Even though Sunday (4/6/08) was the best weather we have had this year, no bike for me. Instead, I enjoyed a pleasant day with the family in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We drove down to Peninsula and took a short stroll on the tow path. Following that, we had a nice lunch at The Winking Lizard. I felt obligated to leave a nice tip, due to the disaster zone that my 11 month old left under our table (cheerios, mac ‘n cheese, placemats, napkins, puffs, etc.)

After lunch we walked over to Century Cycles to browse the store. We were about to leave when I noticed a few kids helmets. I thought to myself, this is perfect timing. When Lily is 1yrs old, next month, I can start taking her on bike rides in her trailer (industry recommends all children to be at least 1 year old before going on any rides – their neck and neck muscles aren’t strong enough to support their noggins before 1 yr.). So the Century Cycles dude helped us determine which would be the best helmet for Lily. She laughed and smiled at the store clerk, until….he tried to put the helmet on her. I couldn’t see my daughter’s face because I was standing behind her, but when the store clerk’s face went from all smiles to “blank – uh oh, what did I do?” I knew what was coming. She wasn’t happy about the helmet at all; I’m not surprised because she never was a big fan of her winter hats, either.

So the dilemma was: do we go with the pink flames or the goofy bunnies design? I opted for the flames, of course, but my wife was all about the bunnies. Lily didn’t have a preference, she just smiles and laughs and points at everything and calls everything doggie. I insisted this could define her cycling style forever, let’s go with flames! But even when my wife changed her mind and opted for the flames, the store was out of the flames. Darn. So it is goofy bunnies I’ll have to look at for the next how ever many years until she grows out of that helmet.

More importantly, I will be tuning up our tandem, with new pedals, toe-straps, & mirrors.
I’ll be picking up the trailer this Saturday (4/12/08), and adding a new flag and lights. I should have the whole rig set up and ready to go for Lily’s first ride.



Now, if I can just get my wife to wear a helmet...

Chagrin Valley Training Ride 4/5/2008

Pretty Hilly Ride from home in Uny Hts through Chagrin Valley up E. side of valley via Shaker, to County Line to Dines. I turned around at Crestview Drive, then County Line to Fairmount to Chagrin River, then up Old Mill Hill to Gates Mills then home via Fairmount. 1:52:48, 31.45 miles, 16.7 mph avg. 6:03 Old Mill Hill.

Harder Efforts = Better Results....

I don't think this will shock anyone, but check out this article: Bicycling Training Tips.

Book Review - Momentum Is Your Friend - Joe Kurmaskie

What an excellent read!! Talk about big brass balls! Kurmaskie, author of Metal Cowboy, goes cross country (W-E)...with two sons (7 and 5yrs old) in tow! I'm not kidding, check out the picture:




He left from Portland, OR and blazed a trail that included Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio (he really rips on southern Ohio's roads, but enlightens us with some good lovin' from friendly Ohio people), Pittsburgh, Virginia, and finally D.C.

If you enjoy reading about cycling or adventure or family bonding this book is for you! Aside from a really odd description of some troll he saw on an orange bike, the rest is a detailed look at how hard the journey was and how rewarding! One warning though, as you read this you will 1) Want to quit your job 2) Buy a sweet Rodriguez touring bike 3) Ride off into your own special adventure!

For a teaser go to his article in Men's Journal.

I will defeat you Berkshire Road!!

I am so tired of getting dropped on this climb I am going to blow-myself-up (not literally like jihad style – as in LT) every time I hit this climb until I significantly drop my time. I discovered this climb last fall and did 9:28 as a best time (not in that good of shape). Since I’ve never really set concrete goals in the past and this year I am already trying to accomplish my goal to lose 30 lbs. Why not set this goal too?

So, here it is: Break 8:00 minutes by July 1, 2008.

So far this year’s stats:
3/25/08: 10:58
3/27/08: 10:01
3/28/08: 9:54

-JC

Project Walk

A friend of mine has been dealt a rough hand. He was in Louisiana helping to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina and was involved in a tragic motorcycle that left him paralyzed. Fortunately, he has been accepted to the Project Walk program for 1 year. He is asking for help, please just take a look at his site....

Keith Concar - Project Walk

Chagrin Valley Ride...

Last night I ventured out on a cold (30s), but sunny (rare for Cleveland) evening to get some good outdoor miles in my legs. I have been struggling the last week, because I can’t stand to ride my trainer anymore….I hate it!!! I need to get outside. (Plus my laptop has been out of commission for 2 weeks now, so I can’t watch my Cycling.tv or fancast.com.) I did, however, watch my 8th grade basketball tapes, wow - I used to think I was good….I was horrible, I wonder why the coach let me play so much???? I wish they would have cut me so I could have concentrated on cycling and not wasted my time shooting airballs and giving away turnovers all game! What a downer.

Anyway, back to my ride. I left out of my house in University Heights, took Fairmount Blvd to Gates Mills Blvd to Cedar Rd (yikes Cedar Rd is torn up, huge ruts and pot holes – Stay away) to Chagrin River Rd. Heading North on Chagrin River I turned around at Mayfield Rd, then took Berkshire Rd out of the valley. My time on Berkshire wasn’t good but it wasn’t horrible either. From the bottom to the stone gates just before Old Mill it was 10:58. I never got out of the saddle. I think I was in the low 9 minutes last year, which isn’t bad for being a heft on wheels! I took Gates Mills to Fairmount back to University Hts, then dilly dallied around to get an even 25 miles. My toes eventually regained feeling in the hot shower, but that felt like walking on glass in a fire on a bed of nails! It was a lot colder than it looked.

I’m thinking about putting together a comprehensive Chagrin Valley Cycling pamphlet/blog…I’d like to contribute more to the cycling community than complaining about the weather and telling everyone how much weight I need to lose. I’ll put it together this spring and keep everyone posted. It should be fun!

-JC

St. Patrick's Day in Cleveland

My office is on Superior overlooking the parade.
5 things annoying about the parade:
1. There were only 3 confirmed persons of Irish heritage in the crowd.
2. The jackass that blew his stupid horn from 9AM - 2PM (about every 30 seconds), I hope his lips fall off!
3. The 13 year old drunk girls screaming at me on the Rapid to "get up, it's st. fu@%!ng Patrick's day, come on, party dude....like, old people suck"
4. The drunken group that got lost on their way to Pamplona, singing "Oley, oley, oley, oley" over and over and over and over! Dude's, there will not be any bullfighting in the St. Patrick Day Parade!
5. I was working.

-JC

Stay Safe - Drive Safe - Share The Road

Since Cleveland is not exactly the most bike friendly city, and if you are like me, maybe you have had near misses, mirror brushes, stuff thrown at you, horns honked, swerved at, etc. Stay alert, be safe.

You must read this article.

Training Update

I have yet emerge from my subteranian dungeon training pit (the basement). However, my training is picking up steam. I’ve dropped 13 lbs in 18 days well on my way to shattering my goal of 30 lbs in 60 days.




The training in the basement is only bearable thanks to cycling.tv, fancast.com, and movies: Hell on Wheels, A Sunday in Hell, and Overcoming. What sucks about it is: 1. I never found my cycle computer 2. I don’t have a HR monitor. So I am just going on feel and instinct. I’ll find out how I’m doing come my first group ride (when I get spit out the back).

Since the weather is improving, I should be outside this weekend and now that RTA is bike friendly (they allow bikes on the trains during rush hour), I am going to start my daily commute by biking to and/or from work (time permitting).

Tour de Georgia

Tour de Georgia (I wish they would change the name to Tour of Georgia)

Even though the Tour de Georgia is just shy of 6 weeks away, I’m getting pumped about planning my trip. I can’t wait to take my nephews and my daughter to Brasstown Bald for what always is an exciting finish. For the 2007 finish click here:

http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/mambots/content/mgmediabot2/players.php?mode=popup&playerid=74b8246d3dc332b9bd1a2250b0ff91c7

Plus, on Friday, April 25, 2008, stage five charges right past my brother’s house in Suwanee, GA. (one of the best towns in the U.S.) After they roll by, we’ll hop in the cars and head up to Dahlonega. We’ll have plenty of time. This will pan out to be a key day in the race, 133.4 miles with 3 climbs of Burnt Mtn., Woody Gap, and Crown Mtn.

For all the details on the race, go to: http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/2008-route-details-announced-3.html

2008 Tour de Georgia Teams (so far):
Feburary 14 update:
Astana (Luxembourg)
Team CSC (Denmark)
Gerolsteiner (Germany)
Team High Road (USA)
Team Slipstream/Chipotle presented by H30
BMC Racing
Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA)
Jittery Joe's Professional Cycling Team (USA

Check out TV coverage on Versus on May 4th @ 4PM EST. (What a weird channel, it’s either bloodsport cage fighting or cycling, the two just don’t go together, I mean transitioning from Phil Ligget to a commercial about a BLOODY CAGE MATCH BEAT DOWNS just doesn’t seem right…thank god for Tivo & DVR!

I’ll take tons of pictures and hopefully get in some good rides while I’m down there. The weather should be paradise compared to Cleveland!

I never thought....

I could take so many pictures of a hole in the ground....hmm? I wonder how long this will take to fix...