Bicycling Buzz

Hello! I didn't fall off the...

2010-02-20T08:43:00.003-05:00

face of the earth!

I've just been training like mad and updating my other blog:

www.ohioendurancetraining.blogspot.com

Check it out if your into running.

JC

Parlee's Inaugural Ride

2009-09-12T14:57:00.004-04:00

Today was the Parlee's first ride. It was as awesome as I expected, SRAM Red shifting was smooth and perfect. I definitely got pushed around by the wind though, just need to get used to the carbon rims and the feel of the bike. When I sprinted, it was sooo fast. One word to sum it up...SNAPPY.

So, here are the results: Set a new PR on Old Mill West...by 40 seconds!!! Since my previous PR was 5:10, and today I did it in 4:30, this was a 12.9% improvement!! And to be honest, I'm not in as good of shape as I was with my previous PR. So, in my case, this is definitely "about the bike!"

Parlee's aura spread to Ryan, as he also set a PR on OMW by 25 seconds!!!

Parlee Z4 Bike

2009-07-28T14:24:00.003-04:00

Livin’ the Dream...Parlee Z4

When my bro suggested I sign up for and begin logging my rides in Mapmyride.com’s Tour de France challenge, I figured, sure why not? We were already logging our miles in a friendly TDF Challenge between my bro, my training partner Ryan, and myself and I thought the chances of winning a prize were pretty good. I even remarked to Ryan that since they gave away so many prizes, the odds of winning something were probably pretty good. Especially compared to the lotto or large sweepstakes like HGTV’s Dream Home, etc.

So, I began logging my rides, day after day. I commuted quite a bit during this time, so I was able to get in a lot of rides. I also made it a point to take my cycling fanatic 2 yr old on short bike rides around the neighborhood. This challenge pushed this months mileage (so far) over 700 miles and helped me get in better shape. Everyday I would check Mapmyride.com to see if we won anything on the Prize List. As the stages continued on I kept thinking, these odds still have to be pretty good. I kept believing that one of us would win something. Even if it was just a set of gloves or a helmet.

Last night I checked my cell phone and noticed my bro called 3 times. He isn’t the type to call a bunch of times, unless it is really, really, important. I quickly give him a concerned call, (incidentally he was finishing up one of his rides and waiting for AAA because he locked his keys in his car, but that’s not why called) here is our conversation...

Brother Bryan: Hey, who told you about the mapmyride.com TDF Challenge?

JC: Uh, I don’t know, you?

Bryan: Dude, have you checked your email?! Have you?!

JC: Nah, I don’t check my home email that often. Why, what's up?

Bryan: YOU WERE A GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!!!!

I open my email...

JC: What the? Are you serious!! Holy Cow! What the?!!!!

I begin reading my email from Mapmyride.com

JC: ...From Mapmyride and ROAD ID... Subject: You've won a prize Body of email: TDF Challenge...Congratulations....You have won a brand new Parlee Z4 bicycle! Please login.... Oh my, what! YAHOOOO! Ha! This is amazing!

My daughter begins yelling.....

Lily: Daddy, Daddy you so excited? Daddy’s excited!!! Ha ha. Momma, daddy’s excited!! Dady’s excited! Daddy won a new bike! Ha ha!

And so, indeed I have won a Parlee Z4 Fly V Australia Team Edition bike. I’m still in shock. This won’t sink in for a long time. I was going to hold off on telling everyone and just show up for a group ride on this amazing machine, but I couldn’t hold back. I had to spread the word of my unbelievably good fortune. Here is a picture for you to enjoy.

See you on the road soon....JC

Tour de France Projections after 4 Stages

2009-07-07T16:57:00.002-04:00

GC Contenders:

2. Lance Armstrong 10:38:07
3. Alberto Contador :19
4. Andreas Kloden :23
5. Levi Leipheimer :31
Now, I know it’s a long race. It’s a grand tour, but seriously, is this not total domination thus far? 4 out of the top 5. For anybody who even thinks this abundance of talent is a “problem” or may cause “issues” for Astana should seriously rethink that view. Johan Bruyneel has so many options (and tricks up his sleeve) the other Director Sportif’s must be having nightmares about when or how Astana will shred their GC contenders to pieces. I can see Bjarne now, that blank, shocked, helpless look on his face.
Further, what is Cadel Evens (aka Cuddles, seriously that is his nickname) or Carlos Sastre (aka Sastrisk) going to do when they find themselves trying to cover acceleration after acceleration from Astana's henchmen, while Lance, Levi, and Contador put it in cruise control and play a game of travel othello while their competition will work like dogs to stay in the pack?

Projection: Reserve two spots on the podium for the Astana men. And don’t be too quick to give the other spot to another rider. Could it be an Astana sweep? Not if Garmin-Slipstream has a say….

12. Christian Vande Velde 1:16
This is difficult to assess. He has a decent team. He proved he can hang with the GC contenders last year and just barely missed a podium spot. See previous post. However, he crashed hard earlier this year, his fitness is questionable (argueably), and why was his team trying to sign Contador just before the race? And what about the rumors that Millar wanted to bail from the team? Do they know he won’t contend this year….or is it all a ruse?
Projection: Unable to forecast, we’ll find out in the first really tough mountain stage, Stage 7 on Friday. If he is still contending through Stage 10, he will have a legit shot at top 5, podium might be pushing it. So, will he be there or will he dropped like an anchor? Could it be an all American podium?

20. Andy Schleck 1:41 & 25. Frank Schleck 2:17
These bros are no joke. Andy was best young rider and finished 12th in his first Tour. Frank finished 6th last year. And that was when they were working hard for Sastre. What can they accomplish as the leaders? One thing is for sure, if they want to get on the podium, they are going to have to improve their Time Trialing, Andy finished 1:00 and Frank 1:36 behind Cancellara in Stage 1, whearas Contador was only :18 back, Kloden :22, Leipheimer :30, and Lance :40…and that was only 15.5km…what are they going to lose on Stage 18 which is 40km…and are they tired helping to pointlessly defend Cancellara’s Yellow jersey?
Projection: 6th and 12th last year was good, but Lance, Levi, Kloden, and Contador were watching the Tour on TV….which means Frank will just barely slide into the top 10 and Andy will be happy with a top 20.

29. Carlos Sastre 2:44
While he rode well in the 2008 Tour, as noted in my previous post, he is a pretender. Anytime we refer to the 2008 Tour we have to remember that Contador and Leipheimer were excluded, clearly they both can handle Sastre.
Projection: Forget it, he’ll be lucky to get a stage win.

35. Cadel Evans 2:59 (aka Cuddles)
He is the modern day equivalent of Joop Zoetemelk who won in 1980 and
finished 2nd in 1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979…except for one thing, this is not Cadel’s 1980, he can not win with a less than adequate team. Period.
Projection: Lucky to see the podium this year.

40. Oscar Pereiro 3:03
Eventually was declared 2006 TDF Champion after Landis’ appeal to USADA was found to prove he was guilty of doping.
Projection: Sorry he’s just not at the top level. I’m not sure why I even included him?

72. Denis Menchov 3:52
3:52 back is not a good way to start the tour. In all likelihood, he’ll be heading into the mountains on Friday with the same margin. Now, tell me how Menchov plans on making up 3:52 on Contador….don’t bother thinking about it, it won’t happen.

2009 Le Tour de France Stage 3

2009-07-06T21:55:00.002-04:00

Running Super Fans...

2009-05-18T21:18:00.002-04:00

Funny stuff...

Race Report: Cleveland Half Marathon

2009-05-17T19:38:00.007-04:00

I arrived at the start line just in time and realized I was right at the front. Gun went off and I started runing too fast. I did my first mile in 6:40, second mile was about 6:45. I knew I needed to pull back a bit, but it just felt good to be out there running hard. This was my first race since the Portage Lakes Duathlon last September, so I was happy to get back in the groove. At first, I was happy to be at the front for the start, but then I began to realize that it messed with my psych. A whole bunch of much faster half and full marathoners started behind me, so I felt like everyone was just blowing past me, while I wasn't passing too many.

So here are the stats: I finished with a chip time of 1:35:53 a 7:18 pace, which was good enough for 183rd place of 3,873 overall, and 23 of 303 in my age division of 30-34 dudes, 1:18:59 won my age division. Not sure why, but my watch time was 1:36:52 a 7:23 pace. I'll take the official time though!!

Other notes...The Iggy band was pumping me up and a few random drum players were really cool. I wish there was more of that out there. The crowds were good, but the chilled morning probably kept a few inside. Lily and Amanda made it out for me and that was awesome to hear them cheering in the final stretch.

All in all, I'm satisfied with my first half.

Post update: New video posted on YouTube. I zip by in seconds 45 and 46, blue shirt, blue headband. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8cCPbluUw4

Watch the Giro Live...For Free

2009-05-08T22:24:00.002-04:00

Watch the Giro d'Italia live on Universal Sports May 9-31. Go to this link.

Any predictions on a winner? Will it be Levi, Sastre, Vande Velde, or someone else?

I'd put my money on Astana, it will be the Lance/Levi show for the next three weeks.

Clearly, Lily is cheering for Vande Velde!

April Training Recap

2009-05-05T22:33:00.004-04:00

100.6 miles running
97.74 miles cycling

A whole bunch of core and weights.

Running...Hurt the achilles on a long training run to Euclid Creek Reservation and back. I think I strained it on the long hill out of the reservation. Since that time I've had to take 8 or 9 various rest days. My detailed training plan was trashed. I've thrown my goal of doing the Cleveland Half under 1:30 out the window. Instead, I hope to run a good race, pain free. It will be touch and go.

Cycling...My bike is a P.O.S., trust me I know. The look on the mechanic's face was priceless. He really tried to be nice about not dogging it too much. Anyway, a new chain, chain rings, cassette, cables, and tires will get me going. So I'm excited to get the bike back on Thursday and see how much smoother it is. Next purchase will be shoes. As soon as the Cleveland Half is over I will be out there much more consistently and will be ready for some hill repeats!

In other news...As I said before, I signed up for the Blue Ridge Brutal 100 (see last post. I'll have room for 1 or 2 more, let me know if you are interested.

Blue Ridge Brutal

2009-04-30T22:04:00.003-04:00

So I'm meeting my bro in Ashe County, NC on August 15 to take on the Blue Ridge Brutal 100. Check out the elevation chart here.

It's going to be a long summer of hill repeats to get prepared for this!

Cleveland, meet Barry.

2009-04-17T19:37:00.002-04:00

Get Outside!

Here's why. For the last few months I have mainly been trudging along on treadmill in the basement of my office, with only my co-workers and CNN news to keep me company. Now don't get me wrong, I like to talk to my coworkers and (occasionally) I watch the news, but not while I'm working out. Seriously, 50% of why I'm working out is to give the brain a break from the office and reality in general. And I can only take so much doom and gloom from CNN news about how my 401k sucks, if I'm not already laid off - it's coming, I should suspect everyone who looks middle-eastern to be a terrorist, taxes are too high, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yes, we only have one channel on the TV, we can't change it. Ugh! Or, I've spent my rides on the trainer on the basement at home, nuf said.

More importantly, today was a great reason to get outside. As I ran through the downtown malls, across the bridge, passed The Browns Stadium, The Great Lakes Science Center, The Rock Hall, The USS Cod, The Goodtime II, and Burke Lakefront Arpt, I was soaking it in. But for the WEATHER, Cleveland is awesome, we should enjoy it. But those are just objects that pale in comparison to this guy: Barry Noss. You see, as I was running back from my turnaround at Burke Lakefront, I was passed by an obvious touring cyclist. Obvious because all the gear he was carrying and it looked like he hadn't shaved in days. He stopped to take a picture, I ran past. He passed me again near the Rock Hall. He stopped to check his map, I stopped to find out his deal.

Barry is heading to Chicago...from Philly! He is raising money for the American Brain Tumor Association. He recently got laid off and decided to bike to Chicago, which I think is awesome and bold. Awesome because riding 850 miles is just plain cool and adventurous. Bold, because it's only April and it is cold and windy along Lake Erie! Check out Barry's site.

A good ride with some hills...

2009-04-17T18:01:00.002-04:00

Unlike a typical ride so far this spring, I had plenty of time on my hands to put some decent miles in the bank yesterday. I headed out to a beautiful sunny day with a little chilly Northerly wind. Out Shaker Blvd and Gates Mills. I dropped in on Old Mill, crossed the bridge and headed North on Chagrin River Road (CRR). Turned left on to Wilson Mills, then a quick right into the N. Chagrin Metroparks Trail. I cruised up, I mean I slugged up that hill, wrapped around N. Chagrin then dropped back in to CRR and headed South. I was absolutely flying through this part with a nice push from the wind. Then I decided to go up Brigham Road for the first time ever. This was painfull and by the way, not very safe. There is hardly any shoulder, coupled with the steepness of the climb and the turns, this trip up was a little nerve-racking. A few close calls. I turned left on Battles and looped back around to County Line, then dropped back into CRR the same way I came up. Flying down at near 50mph doesn't give you much time to realize how much of a dumb idea it was to ride up it. I was just hanging on and tapping the brakes to keep it under control.

After nearly getting smeared by a geezer in a dueley who blew right through the 3 way stop (Yes, I called him a F$@k-Job-A$$h0le right in front of a cop car, who did nothing about either of us), I headed South on CRR all the to Woodland. I paused on the bridge to relax and regroup. Then Falls to Chagrin Falls. Stopped at Starbucks to refuel on a giant double shot and some gels. I also called my training partner to tell him about all the painfull fun he was missing out on:)

Then I ran into an old college friend. After talking for a few minutes I realized I was running out of time to get home and relieve the babysitter. So I looked at the Wall of N. Chagrin, then towards Miles, then the Wall again....and decided to get on with it through Miles. I took Miles to CRR, then shot up Jackson like a snail in mud. I mean I was moving faster than pond water. I was cranking the granny gear just waiting for my momentum to slow the point where I would just fall over. I kept a little lean to the right so that maybe I wouldn't be run over by Geez and his dueley if I just fell into ditch or that big tree. It wouldn't have been too bad, I could have used the break.

After finishing the climb up Jackson I scurried home only 5 minutes late. Exhausted and trashed. My left achiles felt like it could explode at anytime post ride. I guess I'll find out the extent of that issue when I run at lunch today.

04/16/2009 3 Hills Chagrin Valley Route
Find more Bike Rides in University Heights, Ohio

Runnin' Man...

2009-03-30T19:08:00.004-04:00

So, I have been completely neglecting the bike. Mostly because I'm focusing on training for the Cleveland Half-Marathon...or maybe the marathon. I don't know, I haven't made my mind up yet. I also have been totally fascinated learning about ultramarathons and especially Dean Karnazes. I read both Ultramarathon Man and 50/50 Dean's books. They are inspiring and eye opening. In 50/50 he runs 50 marathons, in 50 days, in all 50 states, in the fall 2006. It's crazy how far he can go. For eight straight years he ran a 199 mile, 12 person relay race, on his own.

On that note, I feel like I could run forever, but I haven't run far enough yet to test my limits. I did put in a good week last week, total 33.8 miles running. I'm gradually increasing my mileage by about 10%/week, we'll see where I top out. I did a practice 5k on Saturday (20:48) and a 13 miler on Sunday. Sunday's long run included high winds, rain, sleet, and a little snow. I really got blasted rounding Shaker Lakes near Coventry, that was not fun, but I would not head home. I just kept thinking there's a dude out there who can run 50 consecutive marathons - I can do this. Did it in 2 hrs flat. Wasn't fun, but it was...ya know what I mean?

Training Update...

2009-03-15T21:34:00.003-04:00

I'm getting back into it this year. My goals include dropping about 20 lbs. quickly and then running a respectable Cleveland 1/2 Marathon on May 17th.

Last week:
Monday: Run 3.75 miles, 32:30, Gym: Pushups, Situps, PullDowns
Tuesday: Run 3.00 miles, 24:00, Gym: Pushups, Situps, PullDowns
Wednesday: Run 5.50 miles, 44:50, Gym: Pushups, Situps, PullDowns
Thursday: Bike(Lunch-Recumbent) 13.51 miles, 45:00, Bike(Evening - Trainer) 22.84, 1:15:00, Gym: Pushups, Situps, PullDowns
Friday: Gym
Saturday: Run 4.11 miles, 35:26, Bike 26.23, 1:36:09
Sunday: Run 8.22 miles, 1:13:12 Notes: First 4.11 in 36:26. This was my longest run in about 15 yrs., I felt great. Felt like I could have done it twice...It's all coming together:)

First day out this year...

2009-02-15T20:02:00.002-05:00

It was cloudy and cold at the start, then the flurries came. I was dying on Berkshire, where 1. I kept looking down to see if I flatted (nope), 2. I kept checking my rear brakes to make sure they weren't rubbing (nope). I'm just fat and slow...I know you hear this every year. I did however, pop my chain, which bought me some excuse time. Lots of work to do...

1:20
19.67 miles
cold, cold, cold....

Plea for help....

2009-01-17T19:41:00.002-05:00

All,

A tragic accident took the life of this caring mother of four. While no amount of money could replace a mother, the family will need financial help. To help...Contributions may be made to the Memorial Fund for the Ashley Kids, c/o First Merit Bank, 56 Liberty St., Painesville, OH 44077, or deposits can be made at any First Merit location.

JC

Afghan Bicycle Messengers...

2008-10-07T07:27:00.002-04:00

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

2008-10-04T23:09:00.005-04:00

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...

2008-09-23T20:55:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-17T17:59:00.004-04:00

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

Here is a map of the bike portion...

CTC Headwaters Trail Duathlon Series 2008
Find more Bike Rides in Mantua, Ohio

Training Update...

2008-09-15T18:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-07T20:18:00.004-04:00

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...

2008-09-01T08:19:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-30T10:03:00.003-04:00

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

2008-08-25T13:26:00.006-04:00

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....

2008-07-29T22:04:00.005-04:00

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

2008-07-29T11:31:00.002-04:00

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:

2008-07-28T21:46:00.005-04:00

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

2008-07-23T15:51:00.001-04:00

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.

2008-07-20T23:20:00.004-04:00

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

Future of cycling....

2008-07-19T12:17:00.004-04:00

She really does enjoy watching le tour....

Training & Landscaping Safety Lessons

2008-07-10T15:33:00.004-04:00

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.

2008-06-30T10:57:00.001-04:00

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

2008-06-25T20:22:00.003-04:00

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:

Summer Solstice 2008
Find more Bike Rides in Cleveland, Ohio

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

2008-06-18T10:56:00.005-04:00

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!!!!!

2008-06-16T22:02:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-28T17:15:00.001-04:00

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!

2008-05-20T19:52:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-10T20:39:00.006-04:00

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

2008-05-05T22:46:00.004-04:00

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?

2008-05-03T19:19:00.005-04:00

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...

2008-05-02T21:54:00.005-04:00

David Zabriskie (Slipstream-Chipotle)

Santiago Botero (Rock Racing):

Tour de Georgia Brasstown Continued

2008-05-02T21:27:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-02T20:45:00.004-04:00

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

2008-04-30T10:08:00.005-04:00

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...

2008-04-23T20:27:00.004-04:00

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

2008-04-17T20:32:00.005-04:00

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

2008-04-16T19:31:00.003-04:00

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

N. Chagrin and Euclid Creek Park
Find more Bike Rides in Cleveland, Ohio

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

Earth Day 2008, Sunday 4/20/2008

2008-04-15T14:19:00.002-04:00

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:
Shaker Square Dewey's coffee to Zoo
Find more Bike Rides in Cleveland, Ohio

And the Lakwood Route:
Lakewood Phoenix Coffee to Earthfest at Zoo
Find more Bike Rides in Lakewood, Ohio

Bikepooling?....www.OhioBikeBuddies.com

2008-04-14T21:28:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-11T23:49:00.007-04:00

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

2008-04-11T15:25:00.001-04:00

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)

2008-04-10T09:58:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-07T21:09:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-06T09:15:00.004-04:00

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.

UH to Crestview Drive Geauga
Find more Bike Rides in Cleveland, Ohio

Harder Efforts = Better Results....

2008-04-03T09:36:00.002-04:00

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

Book Review - Momentum Is Your Friend - Joe Kurmaskie

2008-04-01T19:11:00.005-04:00

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!!

2008-04-01T19:08:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-31T21:55:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-03-25T10:16:00.001-04:00

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

2008-03-18T10:38:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-18T10:10:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-13T19:14:00.003-04:00

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

2008-03-13T19:10:00.002-04:00

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....

2008-03-06T19:36:00.002-05:00

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

Raising the Future of Cycling....

2008-03-04T21:09:00.004-05:00

Livestrong Lily!

PS: Typical March Weather...another day in the basement! Hey look, they have to use a front-end loader to move the snow. yuck!

My VeloVids

2008-03-01T09:39:00.006-05:00

On my way to Hilton Head Island, SC last September, I talked the wife into staying over a night and day in Greenville, SC......So I could watch the 2007 USPRO Road Race Championships. I took some decent video of the starting laps.

Foget it, I can't get my videos to post correctly...here watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLNTuxFdvvg

Volta a Valenciana - You have got to be kidding....

2008-02-28T21:55:00.002-05:00

Contador, et. al found themselves on the highway,...oops. Check out the Velonews.com article.

ASO vs. UCI

2008-02-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

If any of you are following this dispute closely, you should be interested in Pat McQuids letter to the teams. You can derive your own opinions. -JC

The full text of UCI president Pat McQuaid's letter to teams racing at Paris-Nice.

Today, February 28, 2008

UCI President Pat McQuaid sent the following letter to professional cycling teams that have chosen to participate in Paris-Nice on Wednesday. The letter was distributed to media on Thursday - Editor

To the teams concerned Aigle, 27 February 2008Ref: Presidence / fb

Dear Sirs,It has come to my attention that ASO has asked the teams to sign a contract in order to participate in Paris - Nice. I would like to impress on you the following. The signing of this contract would mean that your team would put itself completely outside the UCI. By signing the contract you would be joining a private circuit controlled entirely by ASO for the benefit of its commercial interests. You would be abandoning the protection afforded by rules of the UCI which are designed to give teams and riders rights and not simply protect the interests of organisers. If you read the proposed contract carefully you will see that it is completely one-sided in favour of ASO. In it the teams agree to a series of obligations of which ASO is the beneficiary. The only purpose of this contract is the protection of the image of the race and ASO’s commercial interests. For example, ASO would be able to exclude any rider or even an entire team simply as a result of a mere rumour of doping (article 2.2 and 3.2): the contract provides for no form of appeal to a neutral body in contrast to the UCI’s rules which provide for appeal to president of the college of commissaries, the president of the CUPT, the Road Commission or CAS. You would be denied this fundamental right of redress. ASO would also be able to decide which people the teams could invite to the race (article 4.1). ASO would also decide on reasons for exclusion from the race and on this matter it would be the sole deciding body. ASO would sit as judge over its own affair. ASO would also be able to decide what a team or rider would be required to provide in any incidence of doping (article 2.1). A fine of 30,000 Euros would be payable to the French Federation for the sole purpose of the development of French cycling. By virtue of Article 4.5 ASO would take control of all image rights of the teams and riders. Teams would also have practically no rights in the sphere of communication (see also signage on the vehicles and article 5.2). This article plainly demonstrates the purpose of the contract which is to put the teams entirely at the disposition of ASO’s commercial interests. Article 5.5 would force you to declare nothing prevents you from signing the contract whereas you will know that participation in Paris – Nice organised in this manner by ASO is a violation of the rules of the UCI. In effect you are being asked to affirm what is manifestly not true. Article 5.6, concerning responsibilities, is very much less in your favour compared with the UCI’s rules, particularly 1.2.034. In summary, the contract illustrates that the teams would have little else in terms of rights other than the right to submit to the wishes of ASO. It shows perfectly how the organisation of a race outside the UCI’s calendar would allow ASO to wipe out at a stroke all the rules and regulations which have been built up over the years in order to ensure a balance of power between the teams and organisers. One last point, even if the contract was negotiated with ASO in order that it be modified in manner to make it more favourable to the teams, it would still be that case that your participation at Paris - Nice organised in this manner by ASO would be a total violation of the rules of the UCI. I trust that this cannot be what you want.

Yours sincerely,

Pat McQuaid President

Girl Scout Cookies

2008-02-27T20:22:00.003-05:00

Early this morning I was sitting in my office thinking about developing a structured training regimen when I hear "Knock, Knock, I'm here to deliver your goodies!" I'm thinking "Hmm, my goodies? Oooh, what could it be?" I turn around and see 3 more boxes of Girl Scout cookies being placed on my desk. 1 box of Thin Mints, 1 box of Peanut Butter Patties (fka Tagalongs), and 1 box of Caramel deLites (fka Samoas). I'm excited, my mouth is watering, I can taste the cookies, I just want to rip them open and enjoy! Then, as I'm paying up I suddenly realize I'm training again. AHHHHHHH!!! Now, a few weeks ago when I ordered these coconutty, fudgy, caremelin', chocolate elations to my taste buds I was probably holding a chocolate cream filled, chocolate iced with sprinkles donut. That was when I would repeatedly raid the employee lounge devouring any treats that were up for the taking. Gee, my secret to how to gain 30 lbs in a few months is now exposed! On good days, I'd have a couple and really good days 4 or 5! I remained strong and didn't have any, although a few times during the day I would just stare at the boxes wanting to dig in, trying to justify it with the "a few extra minutes on the bike" excuse. It was a battle.

So I went through the day only eating my PB&J and 2 bananas. And hit the trainer hard, in the basement, another foot of snow. Yuck.

PS: More importantly, I'm an Uncle again!! New Nephew: Jacob John Paul Sell, born 5:16 pm, 2/27/2008, 8lbs 15oz! I can't wait to see him in April (Tour de Georgia - Suwanee Stage). It's Bro's hometown.

Back in the Saddle Again...

2008-02-25T19:23:00.002-05:00

It had been so long since I got on the bike I don’t remember where I put my cycle speedometer computer! Seriously, I can’t find it anywhere. More embarrassing is the fact that I haven’t been on the bike in nearly 6 months!! Holy crap! 6 months = 30 lbs! That’s right, since late September I have gained 30 extra lbs. and am now weighing in at 211. Not to make excuses, but I’ve been busy with a 9 month old, and a job, and a house, and the weather in N.E. Ohio stinks, etc. Enough already, no more excuses, I must right this wrong before I find myself needing a triple bypass by the time I'm 35 yrs old.

Yesterday, I finally got back in the saddle….35 minutes, in the basement, on the trainer. But I was motivated, the only way I know how….Watching free cycling on http://www.cycling.tv/ I watched Levi destroy everyone in stage 5 the ITT in Solvang, 2008 Amgen Tour of California.

My long-term goal is to drop 40 lbs by August. In the short-term I want to drop 20 by April 24 (my trip to the Tour de Georgia!) I know it can be done, I’ve done this before. In January 2003 I weighed in at 227 lbs and by the time I got serious about riding in February 2006 I lost 50 lbs. Knowing this gives me confidence, but it is dangerous, since I know I can shed fat like grating cheese, I tend to not worry about it when I gain it. Stupid logic.

Watching Races On-Line

2008-02-25T18:57:00.002-05:00

Major, major, major kudos to Adobe’s new Adobe TourTracker GPS driven cycling technology! This is the best cycling coverage I’ve seen on the net. If you missed watching the Tour of California live on the web for FREE, then you may have to wait until next year to see this tech again. I’ll check with adobe to see if they will be covering any other races with this technology. Anyway, here is how it worked:

The screen was split into 3 panels, the left panel was a chat room, the middle was live streaming video, and the third panel contained an in-motion map that showed the riders moving around the map with little jerseys and names. Riders were equipped with GPS tracking devices (sort of like the neighborhood house arrest delinquents). The video quality was surprisingly good considering the horrible weather, and the cool part was that it contained Picture-In-Picture and I could switch which camera I wanted to watch. Commentary was provided by Frankie Andreu and Joe Silva.

I hope this is the future of television, total viewer control! I could just imagine, watching any sport, for example football, and having the option to switch between 10-15 cameras for whatever view I like. I could watch one play on the Peyton Manning helmet cam, then switch to the Ray Lewis cam (wait that may contain extreme violence…like a stabbing) you get the point.

This is great technology for cycling, I don’t know how many times I’ve been screaming at the TV, saying why are you showing a lazy peloton who isn’t chasing, when you’ve got 4 off the front and 1 in no man’s land! Let me see the no man’s land guy suffering!

Catch all the race you missed on Cycling.tv or Steephill.tv

Wee bit o' history on me...

2008-02-24T22:18:00.002-05:00

I've had an obsession with cycling my whole life. I can remember racing the kids in the neighborhood when I was very young. Then there was a time I tried to ride my bike for an entire day without stopping. I actually rode in circles in my driveway and even had my babysitter set up a feedzone and handed off PB&J's! I transitioned from BMX bikes to MB and finally road bikes.
When I was about 12 I began entering myself in local time-trials in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, near Peninsula, Ohio. I did really well, but I had no direction or coach or even any good equipment. My first TT I actually wore a t-shirt and spandex shorts (not cycling - just spandex). I had tennis-shoes with toe-clips. I didn't even take the frickin' kickstand of my bike!! Notwithstanding the fact I didn't know what the heck I was doing, I was one helluva cyclist. I was beating a lot of the much older kids that had kick-ass gear. I was approached by a team that wanted me to travel with them for road races, but the catch was that I had to pay my own way. Since, I couldn't deliver enough Record-Courier's to pay up, and it was too much for the family to afford, that idea was canned. Damn...maybe it was my shot! I'll never know...slightly bitter....no really bitter!
Anyway, I began riding as much as possible. I rode from my home in Streetsboro to the Cuyahoga Valley in Peninsula to train on the hills, then back. My friends were not cyclists, and yes, they thought I was nuts! Most still do.
To sum up my cycling resume... Thousands of training/recreation miles, I did a Tour de Cure in Akron (75) once, Pedal To The Point (150 miles) 3 times. Palmetto Peleton Project (Greenville, SC).Races At The Lake 3 times, Frosty Toes Road Race (fka Hartford-Roubaix). Brecksville Road Race once. I started the now defunct website bicyclingbuzz.com. Don't click there, I don't know what it is now! I just didn't have the time to keep up with it. I was once a member of the Summit Freewheelers a great cycling club around Akron, Ohio, I just don't like to drive somewhere to ride my bike. So I detached from them, and have been detached since. I'm a crazy fan of pro cycling, I love the stage races...Tour of California, Tour de Georgia, Vuelta, Giro, TDF (except I'm pissed about the whole exclusion stuff), Paris-Nice, Tour de Suisse, Tour of Missouri. And the classics/one days, USPRO Cycling Championships, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Gent-Wevelgem, etc...

Okay, that's enough to get this party started.