cycling and spandex is metal!
The Milan-San Remo is one of the oldest, most difficult one-day races in the world. First held in 1907, it is the longest of the classics at 294 kilometers and is a race that has never been won by an American. However, it is a race that has been mastered by some and disastrous for others. Below are some facts and figures that you might find interesting.
Top 5 Winners of Milan-San Remo
1. Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx won the Milan-San Remo seven times between 1966 and 1976.
1966: Eddy Merckx (B), Peugeot-BP-Michelin
1967: Eddy Merckx (B), Peugeot-BP-Michelin
1968: Rudi Altig (G), Salvarani
1969: Eddy Merckx (B), Faema
1970: Michele Dancelli (I), Molteni
1971: Eddy Merckx (B), Molteni
1972: Eddy Merckx (B), Molteni
1973: Roger De Vlaeminck (B), Brooklyn
1974: Felice Gimondi (I), Bianchi-Campagnolo
1975: Eddy Merckx (B), Molteni
1976: Eddy Merckx (B), Molteni
2. Constante Girardengo
Constante Girardengo won the Milan-San Remo six times between 1918 and 1928.
1918: Costante Girardengo (I), Bianchi
1919: Angelo Cremo (I), Stucchi
1920: Gaetano Belloni (I), Bianchi
1921: Costante Girardengo (I), Stucchi-Pirelli
1922: Giovanni Brunero (I), Legnano
1923: Costante Girardengo (I), Maino
1924: Pietro Linari (I), Legnano
1925: Costante Girardengo (I), Wolsit
1926: Costante Girardengo (I), Wolsit
1927: Pietro Chesi (I), Artar
1928: Costante Girardengo (I), Maino
3. Gino Bartali
Gino Bartali won Milan-San Remo four times between 1939 and 1950 (and probably would have won a couple more times if the race hadn't been cancelled during World War II).
1939: Gino Bartali (I), Legnano
1940: Gino Bartali (I), Legnano
1941: Pierino Favalli (I), Legnano
1942: Adolfo Leoni (I), Bianchi
1943: Cino Cinelli (I), Bianchi
1946: Fausto Coppi (I), Bianchi
1947: Gino Bartali (I), Legnano
1948: Fausto Coppi (I), Bianchi
1949: Fausto Coppi (I), Bianchi-Ursus
1950: Gino Bartali (I), Bartali-Gardiol
4. Erik Zabel
Erik Zabel won the Milan-San Remo four times between 1997 and 2001. He would have won five times but in 2004 he threw his hands up in celebration a bit early and was pipped at the line by Oscar Freire.
1997: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
1998: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
1999: Andrei Tchmil (B), Lotto
2000: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
2001: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
5. Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi won the Milan-San Remo three times between 1946 and 1949.
1946: Fausto Coppi (I), Bianchi
1947: Gino Bartali (I), Legnano
1948: Fausto Coppi (I), Bianchi
1949: Fausto Coppi (I), Bianchi-Ursus
Over the past ten years the Milan-San Remo has been won by a variety of the last decade's finest one-day specialists, but once again, never an American:
1998: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
1999: Andrei Tchmil (B), Lotto
2000: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
2001: Erik Zabel (G), Telekom
2002: Mario Cipollini (I), Acqua & Sapone
2003: Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step-Davitamon
2004: Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
2005: Alessandro Petacchi (I), Fassa Bortolo
2006: Filippo Pozzato (I), Quick Step-Innergetic
2007: Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
2008: Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Team CSC
Looking at some of these facts and figures you may notice a few missing names.
1. Tom Boonen
As one of the best current Classics riders he has yet to make it to the history books of the Milan-San Remo. In 2006 he helped his fellow teammate, Filippo Pozzato win, so that counts for something. But bottom line is that Boonen needs to win the M-SR to solidify his place in the history books.
2. USA
It comes as no surprise that an American has not won Milan-San Remo—most of the Classics have not been won by an American (though there have been many podium finishes).
3. Lance Armstrong
As a living legend of cycling, Armstrong has never had a very good finish at Milan-San Remo. Many of the historical Tour de France champions have won this epic race, but Armstrong was never able to pull it off. Maybe he'll surprise us this year? Most likely not…
Armstrong's M-SR Campaign:
1993 – 22nd
1994 – 94th
1995 – 73rd
1996 – 11th
1999 – 118th
2000 – 108th
2002 – 44th
Which of these Americans can break the losing streak this year?
Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
Michael Friedman (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
Will Frischkorn (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
George Hincapie (USA) Columbia
As much as I hate to say it, George Hincapie is our best shot at a Milan-San Remo victory. He's come in 2nd at Paris-Roubaix and he won Ghent-Wevelgem, the only American to do so (I think).
If Tyler Farrar can be in the front group at the finish line, maybe he can win the bunch sprint. And maybe Will Frischkorn's breakaway will stick this year?
My money is on Boonen this year.
There won't be any guessing tomorrow evening.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Keep Your Distance Bug Vacuum
WOW
"This cordless insect vacuum quickly captures bugs from up to 2' away. Flies, bees spiders and other insects are suctioned by a 22,400 rpm motor, sending the insect through a one-way valve in the extension tube to an electric grid in the handle that instantly kills the pest. The extension tube removes to place dead bugs in the garbage, shutting off the electric grid in the process to protect curious fingers from electrical shocks or burns. Without the use of toxic chemicals or vacuum bags that can serve as breeding grounds, this handheld device has an extendable nozzle to reach insects in high ceilings, while the flexible rubber suction cup compresses to fit in tight corners, and the lightweight plastic design allows complete control while chasing flying insects. Includes a charging stand that plugs into AC and the unit has a LED charge indicator light to monitor battery life. 12" L x 5" W x 5" H. (3 lbs.)"
"This cordless insect vacuum quickly captures bugs from up to 2' away. Flies, bees spiders and other insects are suctioned by a 22,400 rpm motor, sending the insect through a one-way valve in the extension tube to an electric grid in the handle that instantly kills the pest. The extension tube removes to place dead bugs in the garbage, shutting off the electric grid in the process to protect curious fingers from electrical shocks or burns. Without the use of toxic chemicals or vacuum bags that can serve as breeding grounds, this handheld device has an extendable nozzle to reach insects in high ceilings, while the flexible rubber suction cup compresses to fit in tight corners, and the lightweight plastic design allows complete control while chasing flying insects. Includes a charging stand that plugs into AC and the unit has a LED charge indicator light to monitor battery life. 12" L x 5" W x 5" H. (3 lbs.)"
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
March 17, 2009
This post at the Cycling Tips Blog is pretty funny. Makes for a good laugh. Coincidentally, there was a related post at VeloNews.com recently commenting on Contador's "handgun" victory salute.
This image has always been disturbing. Notice the lack of enthusiasm? That expression screams "I'm doped to the gills and I'm totally going to get busted, F#$%!"
Amazing weather in Boulder today (and the last few days).
This image has always been disturbing. Notice the lack of enthusiasm? That expression screams "I'm doped to the gills and I'm totally going to get busted, F#$%!"Amazing weather in Boulder today (and the last few days).
Monday, March 16, 2009
On 'Drivers Make My Life Hell'
'Drivers Make My Life Hell' is a refreshing article on the day-to-day woes of a top level cyclist.
It’s good to hear from a cyclist at the top of their discipline speak their mind. Most commonly, after someone has achieved something great for their support, they usually resort to thanking everyone for all of their support, la-dee-la-dee-da. I’m after an exhaustive list of thanks, Victoria Pendleton, Beijing Olympic gold medalist for the UK, got to a more important issue involving the risks she takes to stay on the road.
The lack of societal support that cyclists receive is astounding. There are, it seems, very few sports that actually receive negative support from uninvolved bystanders. Skateboarding is famously known for its struggle to find a place in society. At least for skateboarders, most cities in the US have built skate parks, which is a huge plus, though not a final solution.
Many US cities, especially Boulder, have gone to great lengths to provide safe routes for cyclists, but only within city limits. Once a cyclist leaves the city, all they have for protection is a 4-inch white line—and this line doesn’t mean much for many motorists.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been riding along and had unprovoked angry honks and unnecessary close calls. Unfortunately for cyclists in Colorado there are vestigial “Single File Law” road signs plastered all over the place. This confuses drivers into thinking that the “Single File Law” applies everywhere. So even if we’re two abreast within the white line, we’ll get occasional hostile honk or heckle.
Speaking of lines, what’s it with drivers thinking that the yellow line is red hot and will melt their tires instantly if they touch it? How many times have you been riding along on a tight road with no foreseeable oncoming traffic and had a motorist give the yellow line more room than you? Or how many of you have been in a long two-abreast group and had some crotchety motorist experience an emotional meltdown trying to squeeze between the yellow line and dozens of cyclists, once again with no oncoming traffic?
The red hot yellow line phenomenon is one I’ll never understand, and I hope that someday motorists will realize that it’s ok to give a cyclist just a little bit of room. Until then I’ll be wearing a “Cycling is not a crime” T-shirt in hopes of gaining some public support.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Links
While (being distracted from) finishing up my essays this week, I surfed the web a bit. Here are a couple things I think are worth reading.
This post by Dave Moulton (the dude who made Chris' frame) pretty well sums up my attitude on waving. In Oregon (and probably most places), cyclists always wave because you feel a kind of solidarity: we're all out here doing the same thing. In Boulder, quite a few cyclists seem to have the attitude that they are somehow above waving, or that it's an inconvenience. In Dave's apt words, this is bull-shit.
Another site I read deals with the Euro scene, extolling the virtues of finishing a race. Races are hard, and finishing them frequently is an accomplishment. This guy is way off the radar, but in terms of finishing the recent Euro-classics he is the best in the world. Impressive.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The good and bad news for Robbie:
The bad:
The bad:
- The Paketa is no more. The the past week and a half or so I've heard a noise that sounded like a worn bottom bracket. Upon further inspection I found that it was, wait wait don't tell me, another broken drive-side chainstay. 2nd broken Paketa, 4th broken chainstay in general. Oh, and guess who won't return my messages: Paketa. Maybe it has something to do with me asking for a refund. I don't want another Paketa that may or may not kill me.
- $100 ticket for rolling through the stop sign at 9th and Maxwell last night. Have I ever told you how much I despise the police? These numb skulls are impossible to talk to. They have disregarded reason for power and control. Excuse me, but ticketing a bicycle commuter for rolling through a stop sign in a residential neighborhood at 11:19pm when no other traffic is present is quite an excessive use of power. Boulder police, and all police worldwide, Go Fuck Yourselves! Who wants to go to court with me at 8:30am on the 23rd day of May 2008?
- Crash during yesterday's Primus Mootry crit. The worst part of it all was stubbing my left ring finger. It's all fat and blue.
- Tour of the Gila! I preregistered earlier this week, despite not having a bike, a ride to Silver City, NM, or any money. After a busy week I've now got all of the above and look forward to an epic 5 days of racing.
- New bike! The Cervelo R3. It's pretty rad. Although I'm having some difficulty making it fit properly.
- New team! I'm officially with the cat. 3 Horizon Organic team. I just got my kit, water bottles, and new helmet yesterday. Should be a good time.
- Getting surly and watching The Fugitive at Chris' house last night. Damn that Harrison Ford is sexy.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Golden Haystack
Phew...
Whilst Kevin and folk were hitting up the mountains with some grueling rides, I was riding as hard as I possibly could for a few minutes--I think I need some big days this week...
Saturday
Chris and I rode our asses off at the Haystack Mountain individual time trial. It was a 16.8 mile loop just north of town. Winds were coming out of the Northwest at a steadily annoying 10-15 mph or so. The course began on hwy 36 near Neva Road and headed North, taking a right-hand turn onto Nelson Road, then a right onto 75th, right onto Niwot Road, and finally continuing onto Neva Road, finished at the top of a hill just before hwy 36.
Usually, I love riding hard on that exact loop (minus heading west on Neva), because it is one of very few roads around here that has rolling hills and typically has a tailwind. Usually, heading east on Nelson is like a fast roller coaster: bombing the descents, sprinting up the hills in the 53-11, and basically just hauling ass. Unfortunately on race day, the winds turned Nelson into a typically tough crosswind jaunt. Heading down 75th was pretty fast, but still tough. Then heading back on Niwot/Neva was an absolute nightmare. Actually, every minute of the damn thing was a nightmare, which is why I'm going to avoid time trials whenever possible.
Anyway, numbers schmumbers:
I finished 7th in the cat. 3s with a time of 37:47:30, avg. speed: 26.7 mph.
Chris beat 11 dudes in the cat 4 race! This is the same Chris that has ridden his bike like 10 times in the past month and a half. He finished with a time of 47:34:40, avg. speed: 21.3 mph.
And um, winning time of the pros, by Ben Day of Toyota-United, was 32:54:90, avg. speed: 30.6 mph. Damn. Don't tell him, but I put EPO into his soy latte when he came into Saxy's on Friday.
Sunday:
Tokyo Joe's criterium in Golden. Pretty standard crit.
Not much to say other than it was fun to race with Ben Delaney from VeloNews and Dan Schuetz from the Horizon Organic team. I did my best to stay n 20-30 meters a swear the front, away from any crashes, of which there were a few. On the final lap I chased down a flier that I thought might take the win. As he began to run out of gas I could see the man field catching us, so I put in a big effort to take it to the finish. In the final 20-30 meters a swarm of dudes passed me. Darn. Gotta be more patient next time.
Big week of riding coming up and plenty of good weather!
Whilst Kevin and folk were hitting up the mountains with some grueling rides, I was riding as hard as I possibly could for a few minutes--I think I need some big days this week...
Saturday
Chris and I rode our asses off at the Haystack Mountain individual time trial. It was a 16.8 mile loop just north of town. Winds were coming out of the Northwest at a steadily annoying 10-15 mph or so. The course began on hwy 36 near Neva Road and headed North, taking a right-hand turn onto Nelson Road, then a right onto 75th, right onto Niwot Road, and finally continuing onto Neva Road, finished at the top of a hill just before hwy 36.
Usually, I love riding hard on that exact loop (minus heading west on Neva), because it is one of very few roads around here that has rolling hills and typically has a tailwind. Usually, heading east on Nelson is like a fast roller coaster: bombing the descents, sprinting up the hills in the 53-11, and basically just hauling ass. Unfortunately on race day, the winds turned Nelson into a typically tough crosswind jaunt. Heading down 75th was pretty fast, but still tough. Then heading back on Niwot/Neva was an absolute nightmare. Actually, every minute of the damn thing was a nightmare, which is why I'm going to avoid time trials whenever possible.
Anyway, numbers schmumbers:
I finished 7th in the cat. 3s with a time of 37:47:30, avg. speed: 26.7 mph.
Chris beat 11 dudes in the cat 4 race! This is the same Chris that has ridden his bike like 10 times in the past month and a half. He finished with a time of 47:34:40, avg. speed: 21.3 mph.
And um, winning time of the pros, by Ben Day of Toyota-United, was 32:54:90, avg. speed: 30.6 mph. Damn. Don't tell him, but I put EPO into his soy latte when he came into Saxy's on Friday.
Sunday:
Tokyo Joe's criterium in Golden. Pretty standard crit.
Not much to say other than it was fun to race with Ben Delaney from VeloNews and Dan Schuetz from the Horizon Organic team. I did my best to stay n 20-30 meters a swear the front, away from any crashes, of which there were a few. On the final lap I chased down a flier that I thought might take the win. As he began to run out of gas I could see the man field catching us, so I put in a big effort to take it to the finish. In the final 20-30 meters a swarm of dudes passed me. Darn. Gotta be more patient next time.
Big week of riding coming up and plenty of good weather!
Long Ride
Yesterday, while the Paris Roubaix took place, Chris, Mason, Erez, and I embarked on a ride that was a little shorter than the infamous Hell of the North and had way fewer cobbles. (I'll take this moment to ask everyone, please, not to tell me who won the Paris Roubaix, not today, not this week, fuck, not next year unless I ask.) What can I say... it was a beautiful day, the ride was incredibly scenic, and, excepting the beginning, the road was never flat. We crossed at least six county lines, making it back (just) before dark, having left at around 9:30 (we took plenty of breaks, and I had a ridiculous amount of mechanical trouble).
The route took us north via Carter lake, up Big Thompson canyon (detouring toward Glen Haven via Devil's Gulch) to Estes Park. Chris turned off to finish homework (though he still rode over 100mi), while the rest of us took Peak2Peak south past Nederland, turning onto Highway 72 toward Wondervu. We finished by descending to Gross Reservoir on a dirt road (the site of my second and third flats), and then climbed up and over Flagstaff back into Boulder. The descent of Flagstaff and the sight of Boulder has never brought me such joy as it did yesterday.
-Kevin
Click here to view the route on Mapmyride.com
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Hill climbing and Alpe d'Huez
Hill climbing is my favorite part of cycling probably because I'm now scared of down hills. And this July when I'm climbing Alpe d'Huez I want to have put the hours in so that I can beat a bunch of frenchys. That being said I have just started my 'training' I'm a fair weather rider unlike the RobeastO.
Today in honor of the Paris-Roubaix (my asshole roommate told me who won before I could watch) and because it's warm I did a hill climb in preparation of next month's Lookout Mountain race and the Alpe d'Huez. I wanted to climb something that was comparable to Il Pirata's mountain and the best I could come up with was Super Flag and then to the end of the pavement. The climb is six and a half k shorter but it might be steeper so I'll call it even. It was sunny, I climbed slowly, broke a chain, got cold costing down hill but the the ride was sweet I think i'll do again it tomorrow.
70s tomorrow have a good ride,
-blake
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Koppenberg
Jesper Skibby, after a long, solo breakaway lost balance and fell on the koppenberg climb in the 1987 Tour of Flanders. The pack was closing, and the race director ran over Skibby's bike (and almost his foot) to make sure that the road was clear for the oncoming pack. Damn.
Wykkyd Klounz!
So I think that this summer/fall (late Augustesque), Sean and I will be riding our bikes from NYC all the way across the northern side of the great USA to the west coast (specific destination to be decided at a later date). If anyone would like to come for all, or a portion of the ride, you should, because we have fun. Oh yes, fun is what we have.
Also, if anyone has any information or tips that they feel would be helpful, please, lemme know.
Sweet!
Will
Also, if anyone has any information or tips that they feel would be helpful, please, lemme know.
Sweet!
Will
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Spring Classics
Who knew that April was such a big month for cycling? Why are we such masochists? Can't we just move everything forward by one month and enjoy better weather?
Anyway, it's been a pretty good month so far. I, Robbie, had some races last weekend and feel that they went pretty well.
Saturday, April 5:
Spencer let me borrow his car to drive to the Lookout Mountain hill climb time trial in Golden. I was quite nervous going into the whole thing because I've been more of a flatlander this year. Although, the climb was just short enough for me to do ok. Total distance was around 4.5 miles with about 1220 feet of ascent (yeah, the mapmyride elevation profile is wrong). After a good warm up and plenty of solid and liquid sugar I rode a time of 19 minutes and 57 seconds. This was good enough to place 2nd in the cat. 4's in a field of 74 riders. In addition to being a good opener for the Koppenberg the next day, I was able to get some stats on my maximum sustainable heart rate, which turned out to be somewhere between 183 and 185. Now I might consider aiming at some heart rate zones in the next few months.
Sunday, April 6:
I take it all back Colorado! Don't harden up, just reschedule races whenever the weather is shifty, because in this case it was a damn good decision. The weather for the 2008 Koppenberg was phenomenal, not to mention it was held on the same day as it's predecessor, the Tour of Flanders. I had a rough start in the morning: ran out of granola for breakfast, late out the door, not enough time to drink coffee, and a headwind all the way to the race start (a ride that usually takes 35 minutes took me 55 minutes). I showed up just in time to register for the cat. 4 race and have a few sips of Maté that I brought in a thermos. I was planning on buying a few bananas before the race but I never had the chance, so I had a few gu's instead. Lining up at the start I saw Chris and Spencer on the sideline, which meant things were starting to look good.
The important thing about this race is getting into the 17% grade, dirt, Koppenberg climb first, so as to avoid losing your momentum. Despite riding perhaps a bit too hard I managed to be the first into the climb. Behind me I could hear pedals unclipping, chains dropping, and gears popping. At the top of the climb we had a long tailwind along a dirt road. Knowing that 3/4 of the field was still clawing their way up the Koppenberg I rode hard at the front to string out the field. It was a pretty awesome sight to look back and see the field strung out down the road. Coming into the Marshall Road "climb" I slowed the pace to avoid hurting myself. No one wanted to take a pull so I just rode my own pace and the other riders seemed to be ok with it. I finally got behind a couple of guys coming back through the start/finish area. I remained behind one or two riders all the way back to Marshall Road where somebody had ridden off the front. At this point I talked to Nate from Propeloton about bridging the gap, he sounded up to it. I made the acceleration first and unfortunately he wasn't able to match it. It would have been nice to have him for the 2.5 remaining laps. I reached the flyer and told him to hop on my wheel. Before we knew it we were clear from the field. I certainly didn't want to ride the rest of the race by myself but I also knew that we'd have to ride pretty fast for the the break to be successful. I let this other guy try to take a pull or two but it only slowed us down. When we got back to the Koppenberg I decided to go it alone by putting in a big acceleration up the climb. From there I guess it was just a simple matter of riding my guts out, but not too far out. I turned on my heart rate monitor (which wasn't working at the start) and made sure I stayed above 180 but below 185. This proved to be a good technique. I rode as fast as I possibly could without going into the red. The last mile of the race was a good one. I knew I had won it, which numbed the pain of the last 45 minutes. Just for fun I redlined on the final Marshall climb and the false flat to the finish, but I didn't feel a thing. The next few riders came in about a minute afterward. (Results)
Yesterday, I sent in my upgrade request to the American Cycling Association. Today I got my upgrade to cat. 3!
Upcoming Colorado races
Anyway, it's been a pretty good month so far. I, Robbie, had some races last weekend and feel that they went pretty well.
Saturday, April 5:
Spencer let me borrow his car to drive to the Lookout Mountain hill climb time trial in Golden. I was quite nervous going into the whole thing because I've been more of a flatlander this year. Although, the climb was just short enough for me to do ok. Total distance was around 4.5 miles with about 1220 feet of ascent (yeah, the mapmyride elevation profile is wrong). After a good warm up and plenty of solid and liquid sugar I rode a time of 19 minutes and 57 seconds. This was good enough to place 2nd in the cat. 4's in a field of 74 riders. In addition to being a good opener for the Koppenberg the next day, I was able to get some stats on my maximum sustainable heart rate, which turned out to be somewhere between 183 and 185. Now I might consider aiming at some heart rate zones in the next few months.
Sunday, April 6:
I take it all back Colorado! Don't harden up, just reschedule races whenever the weather is shifty, because in this case it was a damn good decision. The weather for the 2008 Koppenberg was phenomenal, not to mention it was held on the same day as it's predecessor, the Tour of Flanders. I had a rough start in the morning: ran out of granola for breakfast, late out the door, not enough time to drink coffee, and a headwind all the way to the race start (a ride that usually takes 35 minutes took me 55 minutes). I showed up just in time to register for the cat. 4 race and have a few sips of Maté that I brought in a thermos. I was planning on buying a few bananas before the race but I never had the chance, so I had a few gu's instead. Lining up at the start I saw Chris and Spencer on the sideline, which meant things were starting to look good.
The important thing about this race is getting into the 17% grade, dirt, Koppenberg climb first, so as to avoid losing your momentum. Despite riding perhaps a bit too hard I managed to be the first into the climb. Behind me I could hear pedals unclipping, chains dropping, and gears popping. At the top of the climb we had a long tailwind along a dirt road. Knowing that 3/4 of the field was still clawing their way up the Koppenberg I rode hard at the front to string out the field. It was a pretty awesome sight to look back and see the field strung out down the road. Coming into the Marshall Road "climb" I slowed the pace to avoid hurting myself. No one wanted to take a pull so I just rode my own pace and the other riders seemed to be ok with it. I finally got behind a couple of guys coming back through the start/finish area. I remained behind one or two riders all the way back to Marshall Road where somebody had ridden off the front. At this point I talked to Nate from Propeloton about bridging the gap, he sounded up to it. I made the acceleration first and unfortunately he wasn't able to match it. It would have been nice to have him for the 2.5 remaining laps. I reached the flyer and told him to hop on my wheel. Before we knew it we were clear from the field. I certainly didn't want to ride the rest of the race by myself but I also knew that we'd have to ride pretty fast for the the break to be successful. I let this other guy try to take a pull or two but it only slowed us down. When we got back to the Koppenberg I decided to go it alone by putting in a big acceleration up the climb. From there I guess it was just a simple matter of riding my guts out, but not too far out. I turned on my heart rate monitor (which wasn't working at the start) and made sure I stayed above 180 but below 185. This proved to be a good technique. I rode as fast as I possibly could without going into the red. The last mile of the race was a good one. I knew I had won it, which numbed the pain of the last 45 minutes. Just for fun I redlined on the final Marshall climb and the false flat to the finish, but I didn't feel a thing. The next few riders came in about a minute afterward. (Results)
Yesterday, I sent in my upgrade request to the American Cycling Association. Today I got my upgrade to cat. 3!
Upcoming Colorado races
- Haystack Mountain Ind. & Team Time Trials
- Team Tokyo Joe's Spring Criterium
- Deer Trail Road Race
- ColoBikeLaw.com Lookout Mt. Hill Climb
- Rabbit Mountain Time Trial
- Sunshine Hill Climb
Monday, March 31, 2008
Harden the f@#$ up Colorado
Who cares if there are a few snow flurries and freezing temperatures? Yesterday was supposed to be the day of the Koppenberg road race, but it was canceled when a bunch of whiny juniors complained that their brakes didn't work... Sissies, you don't need brakes! Brakes are for slowing down! It's a race, you're supposed to go faster! Drink some piss 'n' vinegar and harden the fuck up!
Ok, well maybe they had a point... But I had a point too! I showed up ready to prove my point in muddy, miserable conditions! May the best man win! Or, may the guy with the cross bike win... which probably would have been the case. Oh well, it sounds like they are just going to postpone the race until next month.
If they had waited an hour or two to start the races the course and weather would have been fine. I went out and rode the course in the early afternoon and it was great! It was that firm moist hard packed dirt which is actually better riding than the typical loose dry stuff.
Generally speaking, the weather has been total shit the past few days. But somehow I've managed to talk myself into chamoising up even when I see the snow coming down, and every time I get out on the bike it stops and the sun comes out. I guess I'm learning that it's your best bet to ride regardless of weather. If you're lucky it will clear up, and if not, hopefully you're prepared. Worst case scenario, you can always turn around and go home, knowing in your heart that you gave it a shot.
Ok, well maybe they had a point... But I had a point too! I showed up ready to prove my point in muddy, miserable conditions! May the best man win! Or, may the guy with the cross bike win... which probably would have been the case. Oh well, it sounds like they are just going to postpone the race until next month.
If they had waited an hour or two to start the races the course and weather would have been fine. I went out and rode the course in the early afternoon and it was great! It was that firm moist hard packed dirt which is actually better riding than the typical loose dry stuff.
Generally speaking, the weather has been total shit the past few days. But somehow I've managed to talk myself into chamoising up even when I see the snow coming down, and every time I get out on the bike it stops and the sun comes out. I guess I'm learning that it's your best bet to ride regardless of weather. If you're lucky it will clear up, and if not, hopefully you're prepared. Worst case scenario, you can always turn around and go home, knowing in your heart that you gave it a shot.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Bettini: Italian for DOPER!
Robeasto had a bummer day at the office last weekend. After staying at the front for the entire CU Crit, he faded in the final lap. Not that it was his fault. He certainly looked strong enough, but the girl calling out laps was about 5'1", a buck-five and was was about as loud as a cat meowing when she called out the laps. And the lap cards were barely bigger than 3x5 notecards. With a shit-show like that, it's not surprising that Robeasto (and others) missed her the whole race and didn't hear the bell lap. I'm really appalled at this. The organizers should be ashamed of themselves for not making it easier for my friends to win races...
Nonetheless, Robeasto, unlike myself, is showing some early season form on the bike. For what it's worth though, I can out-drink him any day. That's all my hard winter's work put to use.
I also grabbed a few good pics of him out near the front:
In other news, Paolo Bettini is whining that he's not in good enough shape to race this spring. I find it a little dubious that the reigning Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion is unable to find his legs. Could something be astray?
Could it be that the new biological passport has interrupted his normal spring "training?" He's been implicated in several doping scandals in recent years and it sounds like there are very few in the peleton who believe he's clean.
So here's what I've been able to gather: Bettini--the single most outspoken critic of the biological passport and the man who told the UCI he would not sign an anti-doping contract--can't find his form after 15 years of racing at the top ranks of pro cycling and after he vowed three months ago to be in top form at the spring classics. I find it difficult to believe that a guy with that knind of experience and motivations would be so off form. Sounds like he missed a few trips to the doctor this spring. I wonder if the doping control efforts are finally weeding out a cheat or two.
All I have to say is thank Gad he's he's retiring at the end of the season. Good riddance. I say bring back the good old days of cycling!
Nonetheless, Robeasto, unlike myself, is showing some early season form on the bike. For what it's worth though, I can out-drink him any day. That's all my hard winter's work put to use.
I also grabbed a few good pics of him out near the front:
In other news, Paolo Bettini is whining that he's not in good enough shape to race this spring. I find it a little dubious that the reigning Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion is unable to find his legs. Could something be astray?
Could it be that the new biological passport has interrupted his normal spring "training?" He's been implicated in several doping scandals in recent years and it sounds like there are very few in the peleton who believe he's clean.
So here's what I've been able to gather: Bettini--the single most outspoken critic of the biological passport and the man who told the UCI he would not sign an anti-doping contract--can't find his form after 15 years of racing at the top ranks of pro cycling and after he vowed three months ago to be in top form at the spring classics. I find it difficult to believe that a guy with that knind of experience and motivations would be so off form. Sounds like he missed a few trips to the doctor this spring. I wonder if the doping control efforts are finally weeding out a cheat or two.
All I have to say is thank Gad he's he's retiring at the end of the season. Good riddance. I say bring back the good old days of cycling!
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