Forget Obama and McCain. Our very own David S. gets my vote for president. The way he's going right now, he could probably fix Iraq and the US economy in addition to mastering the 2008 FGBC Vuelta Pool. He adds 195 more points today to push his two-day total to 377. The tenacious tenor is right there as well, though. He got 185 and sits second overall with 366 points. Halberto was 3rd on the day with 145 points, and moves into third overall.
Just like he did in the Tour, Valverde wins the first road stage, ahead of Rebellin and Ballan. He may not be a grand tour contender, but the Green Bullet sure does well in those classics-type stages that have been showing up quite a bit in the three week races lately. He takes over the race leader's golden jersey too. Good for him. Maybe he can hold on to it. But something tells me he won't keep pace in the mountains. Again. Pippo should never have shaved that 'stache. He got what he deserved. Get the rest of the story from CN and Pez. And don't miss the roadside reports that Pez is running. Kinda makes you wish you were in Spain right now, doesn't it?
Results for Stage 2:
David 195
Vic 185
Hal 145
Brad 70
Chris 65
Matt 50
Arlene 40
Jonny B 40
Dallas 0
Ian 0
Paddy 0
Overall Standings:
David 377
Vic 366
Hal 279
Arlene 235
Brad 223
Chris 196
Matt 184
Dallas 157
Jonny B 146
Ian 134
Paddy 88
Sunday, August 31, 2008
PozzaTTTo
The first stage of the 2008 Vuelta was a 7.7 km team time trial. The only question going in seemed to be how much Astana would win by. With Contador, Kloden, Leipheimer, they are to the Vuelta what CSC was to the Tour. After all the dust settled, however, the boys in Kazak-style blue and gold sat in a disappointing 8th place. Liquigas took a rather surprising, but nevertheless dominant, win. They must have looked like a blue and green blur as they stormed the course in 8:21 to win by 8 seconds over the equally surprising Euskaltel squad. Results and reports at CN and Pez.
Filippo Pozzato was at the head of the Liquigas train when they crossed the line, so he pulls on the first gold jersey of the race. More impressive than that, however, is the fact that he's sporting a sweet 'stache. Check it out:
In the 2008 FGBC Vuelta Pool, we have had a familiar face return to the limelight. Arlene wins the first stage and holds the early lead. But there's also an unfamiliar face at the top of the heap too. Perrenial bottom-feeder Swatty, going once again with a heavily accented Italian squad, benefits from the fact that Liquigas is loaded with Italians. The extra 25 points for Pozzato's gold jersey didn't hurt either. He sits in second place with 182 points. Vic is in third, just one point back.
The scoring was just like the TTT in the Giro. Every rider gets points based on his teams finish, so long as he finishes with the team. In case you forgot, as I did, the points were as follows:
38
31
25
23
20
19
18
16
15
14
13
11
10
9
8
6
5
4
3
Stage 1 Results:
Arlene 195
David 182
Vic 181
Dallas 157
Brad 153
Ian 134
Hal 134
Matt 134
Chris 131
Jonny B 106
Paddy 88
Overall Standings:
Arlene 195
David 182
Vic 181
Dallas 157
Brad 153
Ian 134
Hal 134
Matt 134
Chris 131
Jonny B 106
Paddy 88
And finally, the roster of teams of the 2008 FGBC Vuelta Pool is as follows:
Chris
Igor Anton - 10
Robert Gesink - 10
Vasil Kiryienka - 8
JJ Haedo - 8
Heinrich Haussler - 4
Leonardo Duque - 4
Eziquiel Mosquerra - 4
David Arroyo - 1
Oliver Zaugg - 1
Matt
Alberto Contador - 25
Stefan Schumacher - 16
Karsten Kroon - 2
Patrice Halgand - 1
Assan Bazayev - 1
Inigo Landaluze - 1
Egoi Martinez - 1
Benjamin Noval - 1
Jose Luis Rubiera - 1
David
Damiano Cunego - 16
Danilo Napolitano - 12
Filippo Pozzato - 12
Leonardo Duque - 4
Rinaldo Nocentini - 2
Alessandro Vanotti - 1
Matteo Tosatto - 1
Andrea Tonti - 1
Paolo Tiralongo - 1
Ian
Yaroslav Popovych - 10
Aleksandr Kolobnev - 10
JJ Haedo - 8
Juan Antonio Flecha - 8
Mikel Astarloza
Sandy Casar - 4
Manuel Quinziato - 2
Sebastien Hinault - 1
Sebastien Joly - 1
Brad
Alberto Contador – 25
Paolo Bettini – 14
Tomas Vaitkus – 4
Carlos Barredo – 2
Jose Luis Arrietta – 1
David Arroyo – 1
Inigo Landaluze -1
Alberto Losada – 1
Benjamin Noval – 1
Paddy
Andreas Kloden - 18
Levi Leipheimer - 18
Sylvain Chavanel - 6
Karsten Kroon - 2
Inigo Cuesta - 2
Assan Bazayev - 1
Fabio Sabatini - 1
Benjamin Noval - 1
Sebastien Hinault - 1
Dallas
Andreas Kloden - 18
Yaroslav Popovych - 10
John Gadret - 6
Marzio Bruseghin - 6
Sandy Casar - 4
Karsten Kroon - 2
Inigo Cuesta - 2
Enrico Franzoi - 1
David Arroyo - 1
Arlene
Carlos Sastre - 22
Igor Anton - 10
Koldo Fernandez - 6
Sylvain Chavanel - 6
Carlos Barredo - 2
Sergio Paulinho - 1
Luis Pasamontes - 1
Xabier Zandio - 1
Oliver Zaugg - 1
Hal
Andreas Kloden - 18
Erik Zabel - 14
JJ Haedo - 8
Rinaldo Nocentini - 2
Manuel Quinziato - 2
Staf Scheirlinckx - 2
Roy Sentjens - 2
Valerio Agnoli - 1
Mauricio Ardila Cano - 1
Vic
Tom Boonen - 18
Alejandro Valverde - 18
Juan Antonio Flecha - 8
Andrea Tonti - 1
Xabier Zandio - 1
Paulo Tiralongo - 1
Ivan Rovny - 1
Sebastion Schwager - 1
Jurgen Van Goolen - 1
Jonny B
Tom Boonen -18
Yaroslav Popovych - 10
Mikhail Ignatiev - 8
John Gadret - 6
Leonardo Duque - 4
Patrice Halgand - 1
David Moncoutie - 1
Matteo Tosatto- 1
Theo Eltink - 1
Filippo Pozzato was at the head of the Liquigas train when they crossed the line, so he pulls on the first gold jersey of the race. More impressive than that, however, is the fact that he's sporting a sweet 'stache. Check it out:
In the 2008 FGBC Vuelta Pool, we have had a familiar face return to the limelight. Arlene wins the first stage and holds the early lead. But there's also an unfamiliar face at the top of the heap too. Perrenial bottom-feeder Swatty, going once again with a heavily accented Italian squad, benefits from the fact that Liquigas is loaded with Italians. The extra 25 points for Pozzato's gold jersey didn't hurt either. He sits in second place with 182 points. Vic is in third, just one point back.
The scoring was just like the TTT in the Giro. Every rider gets points based on his teams finish, so long as he finishes with the team. In case you forgot, as I did, the points were as follows:
38
31
25
23
20
19
18
16
15
14
13
11
10
9
8
6
5
4
3
Stage 1 Results:
Arlene 195
David 182
Vic 181
Dallas 157
Brad 153
Ian 134
Hal 134
Matt 134
Chris 131
Jonny B 106
Paddy 88
Overall Standings:
Arlene 195
David 182
Vic 181
Dallas 157
Brad 153
Ian 134
Hal 134
Matt 134
Chris 131
Jonny B 106
Paddy 88
And finally, the roster of teams of the 2008 FGBC Vuelta Pool is as follows:
Chris
Igor Anton - 10
Robert Gesink - 10
Vasil Kiryienka - 8
JJ Haedo - 8
Heinrich Haussler - 4
Leonardo Duque - 4
Eziquiel Mosquerra - 4
David Arroyo - 1
Oliver Zaugg - 1
Matt
Alberto Contador - 25
Stefan Schumacher - 16
Karsten Kroon - 2
Patrice Halgand - 1
Assan Bazayev - 1
Inigo Landaluze - 1
Egoi Martinez - 1
Benjamin Noval - 1
Jose Luis Rubiera - 1
David
Damiano Cunego - 16
Danilo Napolitano - 12
Filippo Pozzato - 12
Leonardo Duque - 4
Rinaldo Nocentini - 2
Alessandro Vanotti - 1
Matteo Tosatto - 1
Andrea Tonti - 1
Paolo Tiralongo - 1
Ian
Yaroslav Popovych - 10
Aleksandr Kolobnev - 10
JJ Haedo - 8
Juan Antonio Flecha - 8
Mikel Astarloza
Sandy Casar - 4
Manuel Quinziato - 2
Sebastien Hinault - 1
Sebastien Joly - 1
Brad
Alberto Contador – 25
Paolo Bettini – 14
Tomas Vaitkus – 4
Carlos Barredo – 2
Jose Luis Arrietta – 1
David Arroyo – 1
Inigo Landaluze -1
Alberto Losada – 1
Benjamin Noval – 1
Paddy
Andreas Kloden - 18
Levi Leipheimer - 18
Sylvain Chavanel - 6
Karsten Kroon - 2
Inigo Cuesta - 2
Assan Bazayev - 1
Fabio Sabatini - 1
Benjamin Noval - 1
Sebastien Hinault - 1
Dallas
Andreas Kloden - 18
Yaroslav Popovych - 10
John Gadret - 6
Marzio Bruseghin - 6
Sandy Casar - 4
Karsten Kroon - 2
Inigo Cuesta - 2
Enrico Franzoi - 1
David Arroyo - 1
Arlene
Carlos Sastre - 22
Igor Anton - 10
Koldo Fernandez - 6
Sylvain Chavanel - 6
Carlos Barredo - 2
Sergio Paulinho - 1
Luis Pasamontes - 1
Xabier Zandio - 1
Oliver Zaugg - 1
Hal
Andreas Kloden - 18
Erik Zabel - 14
JJ Haedo - 8
Rinaldo Nocentini - 2
Manuel Quinziato - 2
Staf Scheirlinckx - 2
Roy Sentjens - 2
Valerio Agnoli - 1
Mauricio Ardila Cano - 1
Vic
Tom Boonen - 18
Alejandro Valverde - 18
Juan Antonio Flecha - 8
Andrea Tonti - 1
Xabier Zandio - 1
Paulo Tiralongo - 1
Ivan Rovny - 1
Sebastion Schwager - 1
Jurgen Van Goolen - 1
Jonny B
Tom Boonen -18
Yaroslav Popovych - 10
Mikhail Ignatiev - 8
John Gadret - 6
Leonardo Duque - 4
Patrice Halgand - 1
David Moncoutie - 1
Matteo Tosatto- 1
Theo Eltink - 1
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Pisgah
The riding is off to a good start so far. Sweet road ride on Tuesday. It was supposed to be the weekly shop ride. But the remnants of Hurricane Fay seemed to scare people away. Methinks an HTFU is in order. So it was just me and my buddy Alex riding some twisty, undulating forest roads for an hour and a half.
Yesterday was even better. The two of us spent the day out in Pisgah, just south of Asheville (4 hours from Durham). Best riding in the state, or so they say. We rode a loop that usually figures prominently in the Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race. 6 hours and 50 km, almost entirely singletrack. Not super technical for the most part, but more climbing and descending than I've done in a long time. It starts with a bang too. The first 8 km is an 80 minute slog up to the top of Black Mountain (4286 ft). Yes, it hurt. But happily the payoff was immediate and more than gratifying, with a long, twisty singletrack descent for another 8 km or so. The rest of it was mostly ridge riding, including the Squirrel Gap trail, which was narrow, technical and rather scary at times. At least for me. A few more kms of gradual climbing before a screaming fire road descent back into town. Super sweet. Will be back there for sure. Maybe for this, if only for the good times. And hopefully for this, in solidarity with those who will be doing 24 Hours of Sedition.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
only for the daring
need to prove your cyclocross mettle, or even if you don't you are going to want one of these. don't delay, this will happen quickly.
Vuelta Pool: Rider List
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Presenting the 2008 FGBC Vuelta Pool
This one snuck up on me. Being on the road and without an internet connection for a week didn't help. In any case, it starts the last Grand Tour of the season starts this Saturday. Same rules and scoring system as in the past. If you forgot, go here. A provisional startlist is up. I hope to have the rider values up later today.
As always, it's free and open to everyone. The more the merrier.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday Night... I'm Biking!!!
I know it is going to be wierd when I show up at 9:00 at the rented out home of Dr. and Mrs. H. I am going for a spin somewhere tonight, possibly north or south, east or west.
If anyone would like to join me...please do. If not...that's fine too.
We are exactly what we are.
If anyone would like to join me...please do. If not...that's fine too.
We are exactly what we are.
36er
Is this the next bandwagon for Halberto to hitch himself up to? I predict it's only a matter of time. He's been overheard saying his next bike will complete the "collection." But any idiot can call bullshit on that one. Those wheels would reduce the Steps at Ingolf to mere pebbles. For the record, the bike beside it is a Cdale F4, size L.
Anyone riding tonight? It's a shop ride for me. On the road. A little early, and probably a little more serious. But hopefully still a post-ride brew.
Plans for cx season sound good, Ian. I will miss it, for sure. Hopefully there are some good courses out here.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Nice Rack, Part Deux
This one's just outside the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. I think a steel Goldeye would be a nice touch outside Sam Katz's downtown playground. It never hurts to try. Just a little bit even.
Provincials results??
I haven't ridden my bike in over a week. But that will change today. It's cooler than normal here right now, but it still feels hot as hell to me. Group ride out of the LBS tomorrow that I might hook up with. Will get back on track soon. But I still have almost two months before cx season starts, so there's some time.
Provincials results??
I haven't ridden my bike in over a week. But that will change today. It's cooler than normal here right now, but it still feels hot as hell to me. Group ride out of the LBS tomorrow that I might hook up with. Will get back on track soon. But I still have almost two months before cx season starts, so there's some time.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Made It
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
cross labs start today
here's your opportunity to get a little work done on perfecting your cross techniques before the storied southern cross in october. cross labs are run twice a week with the wednesday labs being geared towards bike handling skills and the saturday labs geared towards building speed. to find out where and when the labs are go to the mucr race page.
Monday, August 18, 2008
mucr is back
the mucr site has come back to life. changes are being made to the site and it should be fully updated within a week.
Race Posters and Results
Reading Assignment
On the road to two-wheeled transcendence. One man’s love affair with his bicycle. Or so the tag line reads. From the Walrus. Recommended by Vic. It's good. Read it here.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Nice Rack
When the much ballyhooed bike racks finally show up at the F&H, it will most certainly be an occasion to raise a pint of FGD in celebration. But if they should remain in the back of the beer vendor for much longer, we might want to be in touch with some guy named David Byrne. His racks have been popping up all over NYC. And they're pretty darn impressive at that.
The NYT has the article and photos, while the Financial Times has a video.
NYC gets all the attention, but there was also a similar contest held lopcally, the results of which can be seen on Broadway. Not in Byrne's league, perhaps, but better than the usual fare nonetheless.
OTT: Tokyo Police Club, Shoulders & Arms
The NYT has the article and photos, while the Financial Times has a video.
NYC gets all the attention, but there was also a similar contest held lopcally, the results of which can be seen on Broadway. Not in Byrne's league, perhaps, but better than the usual fare nonetheless.
OTT: Tokyo Police Club, Shoulders & Arms
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Altona
Now that we've got the ills of the local race scene diagnosed and on the way to a cure, it's time to get back to more mundane matters. Organized racing is all fine and good. But it's hard to beat just riding around with friends. That's where it all begins. And it's what the FGBC does best, really. It costs considerably less and doesn't require an organizational committee. You don't need a license or insurance either. Just a bike and a jocular disposition.
Take last night, for example. Sweet night ride with the Altona chapter: a couple of laps around Altona, a visit to the new sculpture garden, a full-moon illuminated dirt road jaunt out into the country and back, some fixie skid practice on gravel, before wrapping it up with a little recon in the park for this year's edition of the sweetest cyclocross race in the world. It's coming up on Oct. 19. Yes, it will be awesome.
And as if that wasn't enough already, we retired to Johnny S's back yard to enjoy some of the Ranger's finest and sampling some old bottles of souvenier liquor courtesy of Johnny's uncle. Good times.
Speaking of Johnny S. He scored a sweet new ride at the MCC store this morning. Old school Guerciotti for $8. Super sweet.
Take last night, for example. Sweet night ride with the Altona chapter: a couple of laps around Altona, a visit to the new sculpture garden, a full-moon illuminated dirt road jaunt out into the country and back, some fixie skid practice on gravel, before wrapping it up with a little recon in the park for this year's edition of the sweetest cyclocross race in the world. It's coming up on Oct. 19. Yes, it will be awesome.
And as if that wasn't enough already, we retired to Johnny S's back yard to enjoy some of the Ranger's finest and sampling some old bottles of souvenier liquor courtesy of Johnny's uncle. Good times.
Speaking of Johnny S. He scored a sweet new ride at the MCC store this morning. Old school Guerciotti for $8. Super sweet.
Friday, August 15, 2008
devastating
shamelessly stolen from how to avoid a bummer life - if i could ride my bike forward as well as this guy can backwards...
Thursday, August 14, 2008
hurting
last night at the wednesday night race moni announced that there were only 7 pre-registrations for the MB cup #5 this weekend at grand beach - ouch. cost of the race is not a factor, this one costs $10 if you pre-register. there has been all sorts of speculation as to why mtn bike racing has been hurting this year, whatever the reason things will have change for next year. having an organized race series is important to all cyclists, without it mtn biking would suffer (no trail development, kids-of-mud, rider development, etc.); somehow the racing community needs to figure this out; some ideas might be:
one thing has bugged me enormously this year has been the poor maintenance of the mca website, it has sucked this year; race updates take too long, not enough race promotion, and the page remains static and looks dead. the fix for this can be quite simple; take it out of the hands of one individual and put it into the hands of the community. web 2 technology allows for much easier information sharing than having the antiquated system of having a web master (we become their slaves) manage the content. a simple system can be easily be set up cheaply; take the calendar and race results for example, race organizers could use google calendar and documents to post the schedule and results - its not rocket science, nor does it need to be pricey. hell, this site does more to promote racing and cycling than the mca site.
- do not organize races during the holiday season (july and august)
- have only 4 cup races and a provinical's
- encourage citizen participation at these cup races - morden was a good example
- have a kids of mud race at each cup race - it brings in the numbers, kids get see that adults do race, a parent might be encouraged to race
- have a strong citizen friendly fun mid-week race series in several communities throughout manitoba - if people like it, they might be encouraged to try a weekend race (this has to be cheap, following the tuesday night toonie model used in other communities
- encourage and promote the development of team racing, i.e. 8 hour races, 24 hour races, reach the beach, etc.
one thing has bugged me enormously this year has been the poor maintenance of the mca website, it has sucked this year; race updates take too long, not enough race promotion, and the page remains static and looks dead. the fix for this can be quite simple; take it out of the hands of one individual and put it into the hands of the community. web 2 technology allows for much easier information sharing than having the antiquated system of having a web master (we become their slaves) manage the content. a simple system can be easily be set up cheaply; take the calendar and race results for example, race organizers could use google calendar and documents to post the schedule and results - its not rocket science, nor does it need to be pricey. hell, this site does more to promote racing and cycling than the mca site.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A Fine Finale
Lovely visual effects for the ride last night. The rain stopped and the mist started rising up from the ground. Spooky, almost apocalyptic. The rise was very Tour of Saint James-ish, as it turned out. Through Ass. Park to Woodhaven and up Sturgeon Creek to Saskatchewan Ave. Juan Eppstein led us through the mud, which didn't go over so well for Jonny B, Craig, and Adam. At the clubhouse we were treated to a nice rant by Vic. It turns out he's no fan of plebicites and Bomber fans. I think mostly he just dislikes plebs. Who knew? The bike racks are still not up. It seems they're not so sure how to go about installing them. This might involve a little initiative on our part. In the meantime, the rickety bench is doing a fine job.
It was all Olympics at the F&H. We watched Team Canada maintain their unblemished, medal-less record. Zeroes across the board is a much cleaner look. And right at the bottom, it's easier to find too. I watched a bit of the Mens ITT after getting back home last night. Honorary Assistant Captain Svein Tuft was the strongest of the first wave. And he held on fir 7th overall, beating some pretty good TT riders, like DZ, Rogers, Menchov. Nice.
It was all Olympics at the F&H. We watched Team Canada maintain their unblemished, medal-less record. Zeroes across the board is a much cleaner look. And right at the bottom, it's easier to find too. I watched a bit of the Mens ITT after getting back home last night. Honorary Assistant Captain Svein Tuft was the strongest of the first wave. And he held on fir 7th overall, beating some pretty good TT riders, like DZ, Rogers, Menchov. Nice.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Last Ride for Eight Months
At least for this cowboy. The rest of you will keep the dream alive, no doubt. But let's make tonight's ride a classic. Whatever that means. Those with aspirations of the lofty position of meeting place host, be prepared to present your bids. Proposals will be entertained at the F&H, post-ride.
Meet at the usual place and time, one last time. Surely the rain will have stoppped by then.
Meet at the usual place and time, one last time. Surely the rain will have stoppped by then.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Bring lawn chairs tonight
We'll have a fire going in the back yard.
Marcus and I are watching th Olympic RR. Tuft is long gone at this point. Just A. Schleck, Rebellin and Sammy Sanchez with about 10 km to go. That course looks pretty cool.
Sanchez wins, Barry holds on for 9th, at 16 seconds. That's better than Valverde and Bettini. It was the wheelsucker who ignited the decisive peloton-shattering attack on the final lap. Cancellara launched a wicked downhill attack to catch the leaders with 2km to go. He takes bronze. Sweet.
Marcus and I are watching th Olympic RR. Tuft is long gone at this point. Just A. Schleck, Rebellin and Sammy Sanchez with about 10 km to go. That course looks pretty cool.
Sanchez wins, Barry holds on for 9th, at 16 seconds. That's better than Valverde and Bettini. It was the wheelsucker who ignited the decisive peloton-shattering attack on the final lap. Cancellara launched a wicked downhill attack to catch the leaders with 2km to go. He takes bronze. Sweet.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Svein Tuft, Honorary Assistant Captain?
His teammates on Canada's Olympic road cycling team, Michael Barry and Ryder Hesjedal, may be more well-known. But Tuft seems more interesting. Check out the profile of him here. He probably won't win the race today, but that doesn't mean we can't cheer for him. Everyone seems to be hyping a Bettini - Valverde showdown, which probably means that won't happen either. CBC will be showing it (or at least an edited version of it) this evening.
OTT: Via Audio, I Can't Focus
OTT: Via Audio, I Can't Focus
Thursday, August 07, 2008
devastating
if you did not see this on bummer life... if i could ride my bike as well forwards as this guy can backwards...
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Cobbles are Bumpy
Technically speaking, no one died. But it felt like the hand of death was lurking rather close at hand during yesterday's bone-rattling Death by Cobbles race. The course is a classic, and will definitely make a return appearance in the future.
A five lap race. There were 4 sectors of cobbles per lap: (1) three times around the traffic circle by the parking garage, (2) under the train tracks up toward Main St., (3) a cobbled parking lot taking us back to sector 2, (4) three times around the traffic circle by the Children's Museum/Inn at the Forks. This last one was by far the sketchiest. Lots of tyre grabbing cobbles there. There was also some gravel thrown in for good measure. It very nearly brought me down a few times going around the last corner back to the start line. The bell lap featured a climb up to the top of the parking garage to finish things off.
James's newly singiespeeded old Sekine made its debut appearance. The grippy, fat tyres he has it tricked out with sure worked to his advantage. Dropped on the road and gravel sections, he was always able to catch up on the cobbled traffic circles, floating right over the cobbles with ease while our skinny tyres were getting caught in the gaps. He managed to hold on for a strong second place. I believe that's his best ever showing. Technically speaking, however, those fat tyres constitute cheating. But we'll give it to him, just this once. Brad the Impaler had his chances for a good showing impaled by mechanical difficulties. He dropped his chain on his first cobbled trip under the train tracks. He gets bonus points for sticking it out to the finish.
Jonny B and Halberto showed up at the clubhouse, post-race. Halberto regaled us with stories of his encounters with demons at 24-9, while Juan Eppstein entertained us with an account of his close encounter with a Grizzly at Waterton National Park on a recent camping trip. Get that video uploaed to YouTube, please. Good times, as always.
The course:
The results:
Chris - 21:28
James - 21:38
Juan Eppstein - 23:20
Jonny G - 23:35
Brad - 27:45
The photos:
A five lap race. There were 4 sectors of cobbles per lap: (1) three times around the traffic circle by the parking garage, (2) under the train tracks up toward Main St., (3) a cobbled parking lot taking us back to sector 2, (4) three times around the traffic circle by the Children's Museum/Inn at the Forks. This last one was by far the sketchiest. Lots of tyre grabbing cobbles there. There was also some gravel thrown in for good measure. It very nearly brought me down a few times going around the last corner back to the start line. The bell lap featured a climb up to the top of the parking garage to finish things off.
James's newly singiespeeded old Sekine made its debut appearance. The grippy, fat tyres he has it tricked out with sure worked to his advantage. Dropped on the road and gravel sections, he was always able to catch up on the cobbled traffic circles, floating right over the cobbles with ease while our skinny tyres were getting caught in the gaps. He managed to hold on for a strong second place. I believe that's his best ever showing. Technically speaking, however, those fat tyres constitute cheating. But we'll give it to him, just this once. Brad the Impaler had his chances for a good showing impaled by mechanical difficulties. He dropped his chain on his first cobbled trip under the train tracks. He gets bonus points for sticking it out to the finish.
Jonny B and Halberto showed up at the clubhouse, post-race. Halberto regaled us with stories of his encounters with demons at 24-9, while Juan Eppstein entertained us with an account of his close encounter with a Grizzly at Waterton National Park on a recent camping trip. Get that video uploaed to YouTube, please. Good times, as always.
The course:
The results:
Chris - 21:28
James - 21:38
Juan Eppstein - 23:20
Jonny G - 23:35
Brad - 27:45
The photos:
the small traffic circle, as seen from the finish
Jonny G rolls up to the finish
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Et tu, Sella?
First Ricco. Now Sella. There was no test for CERA back in May, but they've got one now. And they've sure been keeping the lab rats hopping with it as of late.
These guys were two of the big stars of this year's Giro. Since they were clearly doped to the gills in May, one is naturally inclined to wonder what the results would be if their rides were struck from the record books. You will recall that rule #2 of the 2008 FGBC Giro Pool states "Any rider who is disqualified from the race forfeits all his points." Ricco and Sella have not been disqualified, of course. And they probably won't be. But that's only because there was no test a couple of months ago. Kinda like 1999 when a certain Mr. Armstrong is said to have gone on a little EPO binge of his own. But that can't stop us from just assuming for the moment that Ricco and Sella were turfed. See below for how things would look. Not so fast, Arlene. Arlene and Rachel both had Ricco and his 1558 points, while Andy, Ian, and Paddy had Sella for 1280 points. James would wind up the big winner. And Laura would climb up onto the podium:
Grande Latte Enema (James) 3456
Listen Up Maggots (Arlene) 2826
Stomach Full of Xanax (Laura) 2724
A Predator Posing as a House Pet (Andy) 2682
Ikea Nesting Instinct (Tomek) 2463
I'd Fight Gandhi (Matt) 2363
The Most Beautiful Day of Raymond K. Hessel's Life (Charlene) 2249
OALETTSRFEDTZ (Colin) 2185
Controlled Destruction (Ian) 2110
I'll Take the Parasites (Chris) 2084
Gasoline and Frozen Orange Juice (Paddy) 2056
Grade School Girlfriend (Adam) 1979
I am Jack's Smirking Revenge (Brad) 1933
Chloe's Libido (Johnny M) 1910
Skinny Guys Fight 'Til They're Burger (Jonny B) 1755
You Are Not a Beautiful or Unique Snowflake (Dallas) 1742
His Name Was Robert Paulson (Bill) 1656
B Times C Equals X (Hal) 1641
A House Full of Condiments and No Food … How Embarrasing (Darryl) 1407
Remaining Men Together (David S) 1402
Near Life Experience (LeAnn) 1325
Tonight We Make Soap (Rachel) 1256
You Met Me at a Very Strange Time in My Life (Jonny G) 1156
First You Have to Give Up (Craig) 1070
Project Mayhem (Donna) 1069
Chemical Burn (Cam) 693
These guys were two of the big stars of this year's Giro. Since they were clearly doped to the gills in May, one is naturally inclined to wonder what the results would be if their rides were struck from the record books. You will recall that rule #2 of the 2008 FGBC Giro Pool states "Any rider who is disqualified from the race forfeits all his points." Ricco and Sella have not been disqualified, of course. And they probably won't be. But that's only because there was no test a couple of months ago. Kinda like 1999 when a certain Mr. Armstrong is said to have gone on a little EPO binge of his own. But that can't stop us from just assuming for the moment that Ricco and Sella were turfed. See below for how things would look. Not so fast, Arlene. Arlene and Rachel both had Ricco and his 1558 points, while Andy, Ian, and Paddy had Sella for 1280 points. James would wind up the big winner. And Laura would climb up onto the podium:
Grande Latte Enema (James) 3456
Listen Up Maggots (Arlene) 2826
Stomach Full of Xanax (Laura) 2724
A Predator Posing as a House Pet (Andy) 2682
Ikea Nesting Instinct (Tomek) 2463
I'd Fight Gandhi (Matt) 2363
The Most Beautiful Day of Raymond K. Hessel's Life (Charlene) 2249
OALETTSRFEDTZ (Colin) 2185
Controlled Destruction (Ian) 2110
I'll Take the Parasites (Chris) 2084
Gasoline and Frozen Orange Juice (Paddy) 2056
Grade School Girlfriend (Adam) 1979
I am Jack's Smirking Revenge (Brad) 1933
Chloe's Libido (Johnny M) 1910
Skinny Guys Fight 'Til They're Burger (Jonny B) 1755
You Are Not a Beautiful or Unique Snowflake (Dallas) 1742
His Name Was Robert Paulson (Bill) 1656
B Times C Equals X (Hal) 1641
A House Full of Condiments and No Food … How Embarrasing (Darryl) 1407
Remaining Men Together (David S) 1402
Near Life Experience (LeAnn) 1325
Tonight We Make Soap (Rachel) 1256
You Met Me at a Very Strange Time in My Life (Jonny G) 1156
First You Have to Give Up (Craig) 1070
Project Mayhem (Donna) 1069
Chemical Burn (Cam) 693
Monday, August 04, 2008
TT Terrifico
Super sweet event. Thanks Tom. I see another race series here. Same old lap, but turning it into a TT makes it an entirely different sort of race. Funny how the fear of being caught by the guy who started a minute behind you works. One lap, minus the last rocky bit around the parking lot. Only 10 riders, which was kind of disappointing. But I suppose having it on the long weekend didn't help. Lindsay and Ian were out on the course keeping split times and providing encouragement. Leonard L. scorched the course in 19.31. It was 21.37 for me, I think. Definitely room for improvement, but at least there were no encounters with trees, which is a nice bonus. Jonny G came in at 22.17. Same time as Russell T. But Jonny loses the tie-breaker, as they go to the next decimal place, by 56 hundreths of a second. Bummer. Results will be available here, eventually. Probably in three weeks or so. But they're available here right now. As they should be. Right on, Olympia.
Good times at the BHP Beach, post-race. All-around, a winner of a day.
OTT: The Veils, Calliope!
Good times at the BHP Beach, post-race. All-around, a winner of a day.
OTT: The Veils, Calliope!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
2 more hours
Looks like they're still hanging in there. Dallas looks to be pulling away from Hal. Click here.
1 #143 Johnny Sprockets 15 laps (07:23:13)
2 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 14 laps (07:17:31)
3 #133 Bach Francis 13 laps (07:04:06)
4 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 12 laps (05:36:23)
5 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 12 laps (06:08:14)
6 #136 Loewen Hal 12 laps (07:51:46)
7 #142 EnduroSnob 11 laps (02:28:35)
8 #202 Cyclopath 11 laps (05:43:51)
9 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 11 laps (06:20:51)
10 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 11 laps (07:40:40)
11 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 10 laps (02:44:58)
12 #204 ERB Racing 10 laps (05:53:57)
13 #135 McLaren Cameron 10 laps (07:51:45)
14 #145 No name brand 9 laps (06:08:01)
15 #134 Chambers Michael 9 laps (07:11:15)
16 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 8 laps (05:17:40)
17 #140 Stoeckigt Jerry 7 laps (06:04:58)
18 #212 Spoke and Zoey Racing 7 laps (07:24:24)
19 #203 Kebert Xela 6 laps (23:08:39)
The men's solo race is still wicked close. Eatough had a 2 second lead after the last lap.
1 #143 Johnny Sprockets 15 laps (07:23:13)
2 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 14 laps (07:17:31)
3 #133 Bach Francis 13 laps (07:04:06)
4 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 12 laps (05:36:23)
5 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 12 laps (06:08:14)
6 #136 Loewen Hal 12 laps (07:51:46)
7 #142 EnduroSnob 11 laps (02:28:35)
8 #202 Cyclopath 11 laps (05:43:51)
9 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 11 laps (06:20:51)
10 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 11 laps (07:40:40)
11 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 10 laps (02:44:58)
12 #204 ERB Racing 10 laps (05:53:57)
13 #135 McLaren Cameron 10 laps (07:51:45)
14 #145 No name brand 9 laps (06:08:01)
15 #134 Chambers Michael 9 laps (07:11:15)
16 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 8 laps (05:17:40)
17 #140 Stoeckigt Jerry 7 laps (06:04:58)
18 #212 Spoke and Zoey Racing 7 laps (07:24:24)
19 #203 Kebert Xela 6 laps (23:08:39)
The men's solo race is still wicked close. Eatough had a 2 second lead after the last lap.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Halfway
Only 12 more hours to go. Dallas and Hal are hanging in there. 6th and 7th, but still on the same lap as all but the leader. Luc is one lap down, while Cam is two back. Click here.
1 #143 Johnny Sprockets 9 laps (22:08:58)
2 #142 EnduroSnob 8 laps (21:17:13)
3 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 8 laps (21:29:00)
4 #133 Bach Francis 8 laps (21:47:21)
5 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 8 laps (21:48:10)
6 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 8 laps (21:53:52)
7 #136 Loewen Hal 8 laps (21:57:33)
8 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 7 laps (19:53:44)
9 #202 Cyclopath 7 laps (21:34:58)
10 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 7 laps (21:50:43)
11 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 7 laps (21:52:52)
12 #145 No name brand 7 laps (21:57:36)
13 #134 Chambers Michael 6 laps (19:48:10)
14 #135 McLaren Cameron 6 laps (20:06:19)
15 #204 ERB Racing 6 laps (20:22:48)
16 #203 Kebert Xela 5 laps (17:45:39)
17 #212 Spoke and Zoey Racing 5 laps (21:40:27)
18 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 5 laps (22:01:27)
19 #140 Stoeckigt Jerry 4 laps (18:54:47)
Meanwhile, it looks like a nice race is shaping up in the Men's Solo field as well.
1 #143 Johnny Sprockets 9 laps (22:08:58)
2 #142 EnduroSnob 8 laps (21:17:13)
3 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 8 laps (21:29:00)
4 #133 Bach Francis 8 laps (21:47:21)
5 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 8 laps (21:48:10)
6 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 8 laps (21:53:52)
7 #136 Loewen Hal 8 laps (21:57:33)
8 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 7 laps (19:53:44)
9 #202 Cyclopath 7 laps (21:34:58)
10 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 7 laps (21:50:43)
11 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 7 laps (21:52:52)
12 #145 No name brand 7 laps (21:57:36)
13 #134 Chambers Michael 6 laps (19:48:10)
14 #135 McLaren Cameron 6 laps (20:06:19)
15 #204 ERB Racing 6 laps (20:22:48)
16 #203 Kebert Xela 5 laps (17:45:39)
17 #212 Spoke and Zoey Racing 5 laps (21:40:27)
18 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 5 laps (22:01:27)
19 #140 Stoeckigt Jerry 4 laps (18:54:47)
Meanwhile, it looks like a nice race is shaping up in the Men's Solo field as well.
They're almost 1/4 done . . .
Looks like they got the timing sorted out. Dallas is now in the lead, amongst the MB contingent. Cam isn't too far back. Halberto's clearly had a problem. Almost 3 hours for lap #3. Follow along here.
Place | team# | team name lap 1 2 3 4 (finish time)
1 #143 Johnny Sprockets 1:10 2:24 3:40 4:59 4 (15:05:59)
2 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 1:14 2:29 3:54 5:14 4 (15:21:10)
3 #142 EnduroSnob 1:13 2:30 3:49 5:15 4 (15:21:52)
4 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 1:19 2:36 3:55 5:18 4 (15:24:57)
5 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 1:22 2:41 4:01 5:25 4 (15:32:28)
6 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 1:19 2:44 3:38 3 (13:45:13)
7 #135 McLaren Cameron 1:13 2:35 4:00 3 (14:07:11)
8 #203 Kebert Xela 1:21 2:48 4:01 3 (14:08:11)
9 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 1:10 2:29 4:01 3 (14:08:15)
10 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 1:23 2:56 4:24 3 (14:30:45)
11 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 1:30 3:00 4:25 3 (14:32:12)
12 #134 Chambers Michael 1:25 2:52 4:26 3 (14:33:13)
13 #204 ERB Racing 1:18 2:45 4:29 3 (14:36:10)
14 #145 No name brand 1:23 2:48 4:30 3 (14:37:25)
15 #202 Cyclopath 1:29 3:14 4:32 3 (14:39:20)
16 #136 Loewen Hal 1:12 2:35 5:27 3 (15:33:50)
17 #133 Bach Francis 1:23 2:46 2 (12:52:41)
18 #140 Stoeckigt Jerry 1:29 3:15 2 (13:21:38)
19 #212 Spoke and Zoey Racing 4:03 1 (14:10:11)
Place | team# | team name lap 1 2 3 4 (finish time)
1 #143 Johnny Sprockets 1:10 2:24 3:40 4:59 4 (15:05:59)
2 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 1:14 2:29 3:54 5:14 4 (15:21:10)
3 #142 EnduroSnob 1:13 2:30 3:49 5:15 4 (15:21:52)
4 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 1:19 2:36 3:55 5:18 4 (15:24:57)
5 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 1:22 2:41 4:01 5:25 4 (15:32:28)
6 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 1:19 2:44 3:38 3 (13:45:13)
7 #135 McLaren Cameron 1:13 2:35 4:00 3 (14:07:11)
8 #203 Kebert Xela 1:21 2:48 4:01 3 (14:08:11)
9 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 1:10 2:29 4:01 3 (14:08:15)
10 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 1:23 2:56 4:24 3 (14:30:45)
11 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 1:30 3:00 4:25 3 (14:32:12)
12 #134 Chambers Michael 1:25 2:52 4:26 3 (14:33:13)
13 #204 ERB Racing 1:18 2:45 4:29 3 (14:36:10)
14 #145 No name brand 1:23 2:48 4:30 3 (14:37:25)
15 #202 Cyclopath 1:29 3:14 4:32 3 (14:39:20)
16 #136 Loewen Hal 1:12 2:35 5:27 3 (15:33:50)
17 #133 Bach Francis 1:23 2:46 2 (12:52:41)
18 #140 Stoeckigt Jerry 1:29 3:15 2 (13:21:38)
19 #212 Spoke and Zoey Racing 4:03 1 (14:10:11)
One lap in . . .
Halberto and Cam come in together, after a two and a half hour first lap. That seems odd, though, since it says the first two guys finished two laps in that time. Dallas and Luc 6 and 13 minutes back, respectively. Follow along here.
Place | team# | team name lap (finish time)
1 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 1:10 1:18 2 (12:35:32)
2 #142 EnduroSnob 1:13 1:16 2 (12:36:31)
3 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 1:23 1:34 2 (13:03:18)
4 #143 Johnny Sprockets 2:24 1 (12:30:41)
5 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 2:29 1 (12:36:07)
6 #136 Loewen Hal 2:35 1 (12:41:46)
7 #135 McLaren Cameron 2:35 1 (12:41:52)
8 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 2:36 1 (12:42:52)
9 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 2:41 1 (12:47:58)
10 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 2:44 1 (12:50:30)
11 #133 Bach Francis 2:46 1 (12:52:41)
12 #145 No name brand 2:48 1 (12:54:44)
13 #134 Chambers Michael 2:52 1 (12:59:28)
14 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 3:00 1 (13:06:35)
Place | team# | team name lap (finish time)
1 #132 EXPO Racing Solo 1:10 1:18 2 (12:35:32)
2 #142 EnduroSnob 1:13 1:16 2 (12:36:31)
3 #99 American Bicycle of Plainfield 1:23 1:34 2 (13:03:18)
4 #143 Johnny Sprockets 2:24 1 (12:30:41)
5 #144 Mysinglespeed.com 2:29 1 (12:36:07)
6 #136 Loewen Hal 2:35 1 (12:41:46)
7 #135 McLaren Cameron 2:35 1 (12:41:52)
8 #146 Yakima Bike Vigilantes 2:36 1 (12:42:52)
9 #138 Sigurdur Dallas 2:41 1 (12:47:58)
10 #141 Bare Knuckle Brigade 2:44 1 (12:50:30)
11 #133 Bach Francis 2:46 1 (12:52:41)
12 #145 No name brand 2:48 1 (12:54:44)
13 #134 Chambers Michael 2:52 1 (12:59:28)
14 #137 Peace Coffee Solo 3:00 1 (13:06:35)
Friday, August 01, 2008
24-9
Real time updates here. So you can basically follow it live. It starts Saturday at 10 am. Dallas will be sporting the Sweetest Jersey in the World, I'm sure. Halberto will probably also have it on. It's a hard habit to break. Luc will be there too, and Cam. All in the singlespeed category. Colin's providing the sarcasm and moral support. Kinda wish I was there. But the Burr Oak TT will do. And it's a little shorter.
OTT: Matthew Ryan, It Could Have Been Worse
OTT: Matthew Ryan, It Could Have Been Worse
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