Loose Threads

1) Wool Jerseys
If you've picked up your jersey and have been luxuriating in its woolly goodness, you know you're among the best dressed cyclists in town. They really are wonderful additions to the wardrobe, both on and off the bike, and more than one FGBC riders has deemed the newest jersey "nice enough for church".
If you missed out on the order and are now kicking yourself for your foolishness, please note that we have two extra jerseys. They are both extra large, one in short sleeve and one of the long sleeved variety. Speak up quickly if you want one.
Also, if you ordered a jersey but have yet to make payment: people are desperate for extra jerseys in something other than XL, so move quickly or your wool may be subject to "reallocation".

2) The MCA Participation Prizes
For the record: you didn't need to be there to win. I wasn't there, and I won.
$500 worth of Sugoi goodies from Olympia, thanks to the cyclocross participation series. I want to take this opportunity to thank Gary Sewell, the Manitoba Cycling Association, and most importantly, the sponsors of the Sugoi clothing prize... Red River Racing.

3) Extra Wheels, with rubber
Is anyone still running a bike (probably a daily commuter) with 27" wheels? If so, I have a surplus set of wheels if you can use them. Rear hub is a freewheel, currently re-dished for single speed (or fixed, Secretary style). Also included is both summer and winter tire sets. Buy me some beer and they're yours.

FGBC CX Pool Roundup

It was a good weekend for Jonny B. On Saturday he had 660 points to finish third. But yesterday, with fewer points, the end result was even better. He found himself standing on the very top step of the podium. It was his second consecutive win in the Superprestige series. With contributions from Nys, Stybar, Franzoi, Page, and Vos, he finished with 450 points on the day. Olli was the runner-up. After a hot start, thanks largely to Christian Heule's American vacation, he hasn't found his way onto the podium since Oct. 18. He was even leading the overall race for a brief moment, on Oct. 10, but has been falling steadily down the standings ever since, and now finds himself sitting in 16th overall. Maybe this is the breakthrough he needs in order to turn his season around. Third place on the day was Jay. He picked up 400 points to solidify his grasp on second place.

No change in the overall standings.

Full results here.

Jay Rocks Koksijde

He picks up 725 points for his third win of the season and second in the last two weeks. He also reclaims second overall. Jonah was just off the pace with 700 points. And Jonny B picked up 660 points to finish third. In the overall race, Gary has cracked the 10,000 point mark. It's about time. And Jay's win bumped Chris down to third overall.

On the real racing front, nobody is hotter than Zdenek Stybar right now. He won his third race in a row, this time taking the sprint out of a group with Nys, Vantornout, Albert, and Mourey. Marianne Vos won the women's race. It was the first time someone not named Compton won a World Cup race this season. They're back at it tomorrow in Geiten for the 5th round of the Superprestige series. Can Stybar make it four in a row?

Full results here.

Thursday Anticipation

Sin boldly. That is what Martin Luther is said to have written to Philipp Melanchthon. It is also the name of the Nordic Cross series for 2010.



It all started on the Tuesday Night Ride a few weeks back. It came out of the blue, really, when we were on our way back from the Poosher's palace. Ian put the question to me this way: among the seven deadly sins, why has there been such a singular preoccupation with gluttony in FGBC races. My immediate reaction was defensive. I pointed out that the annual winter 24 hour race could be read as an interpretation of sloth, at least to the extent that it was possible to accumulate laps last year by watching a Coen brothers movie. But Gianni is right. We do seem to have a special fondness for gluttony. Think of the infamous Burger Cat race. And last year's egg nog/Coke chugging race, among others. So this winter we will attempt to make things right. Each race in the Nordic Cross series will be envisioned against the background of one of the seven deadly sins. In the same manner that Hara Curry flirts with the sin of gluttony, you can rest assured that they will all be tastefully done.

The dates have been tentatively chosen and the sins have been assigned. In no particular order, they are as follows:

Greed - Darryl/Penner
Lust - Chris/Jonny G
Envy - Ian/Hal
Pride - KK
Gluttony - Vic/Juan
Sloth - Tomek
Anger - Brad

Now all we need is some snow. The racing is scheduled to begin on Dec. 13. Look for the dates to be announced shortly.

TNR Report

Smallish turnout. Only Craig, KK, and Cousin Thomas showed up at the TNR HQ. We ran into Tom K shortly after we commenced with the ride.



We headed over to Tom Chester park to give it a trial run as a potential venue for night-time cx racing. It is perfect. Plenty of rolling hills and a few steep leg burners. Lots of potential for fun, flowing twists and turns. There's a little lake and a bridge too. And, best of all, it's all very well lit. Perhaps it will find its way onto the calendar for next year's cx season. It would be perfect as a season opener, sometime in mid- to late August.

It took us a little while to figure out an appropriate course. Once we got it all sorted out, we did a short 4 lap race. That turned out to be plenty, as it quickly became evident that whatever fitness we may have had at the end of the season was long gone. But while we were all a bit slower than we remembered, the Cricket is still the fastest kid on the FGBC block.



Results:

Craig
Chris
Tom
Thomas (DNF - bike issues)
Kevin (DNS - bike and shoe issues)

At the klubhaus, we discovered that the fine folks at the F&H really are looking out for us. They've got plans for every day of the week, each of them designed to bring in a big crowd. Except for Tuesday. That is our day. And we appreciate the fact that they have not scheduled anything that would interfere with Tuesday night's post-ride gathering.



We had an opportunity to hear more about the Secretary's recent African adventure. And then, prompted by the unexpected appearance of Mr. Mister (not to be confused with Dr. Mister or Mr. Doctor) on the Hi Fi, we found ourselves immersed in a discussion of the relative merits of the 80's, at least in terms of its musical legacy. Vic enlisted the support of his iPhone to demonstrate that it wasn't entirely the musical black hole some of us remembered it to be. With that settled, we were able to make some significant headway in planning the 2010 Nordic Cross season. The weekends have been set and the races have been assigned. It will be a little different. But it promises to deliver as much jollification as ever. Maybe even more. But first we need it to snow. More details coming on Thursday Anticipation.

TNR

It feels like a race is in order. With this extended fall we've been having, both Nordic Cross and the Snow Crit series continue to be delayed. Not to worry. They will be here in time. But today we will resume the Tuesday Night CX series that began with a bang but stalled when the regular season got going.

At the klubhaus, we will hammer out a calendar for the Nordic Cross series.

9:30 pm at my place.

MCA Participation Series

Little did we know. When we were doing all that awesome cyclocross racing back in September and October, we were also involved in a covert gambling operation. They call it the "MCA Participation Series." And there are some sweet prizes to be won, courtesy of some very fine and generous individuals. The way it works is really very simple. The more you raced, the better your chances of winning. That is it. I think your number of entries were doubled for any race you did in the snow. Which would have been great motivation to race in the snow at the Belgian Club, had we actually known about this little rewards program. Fortunately, we were almost all there anyway. As we were for every other race. So I think it is only fitting that an additional clause should be added: every FGBCer should have his or her entries into the draw multiplied by two. Or maybe even three. We did, after all, dominate the cyclocross season on our way to winning the inaugural FGBC-RRR FGD Challenge.

In any case, the draw takes place at the MCA awards banquet this Saturday. It almost makes me want to attend. Check out the prizes here. There two series: one for road and and one for cyclocross. But nothing for mountain biking, apparently. Those mountain bikers are so cheap. It almost makes you want to quit racing mountain bikes altogether. Sheesh.

The Campaign is Launched

Details coming soon.

CX Pool Roundup

It was a busy weekend on the vicarious racing front. Four races, two in Europe and two in North America. Jay won the GVA race in Hasselt. Brad and Jonah tied for second. Jonny B won the Superprestige race in Hamme-Zogge. Brad was second again, while Jay finished third. Over in Southampton, NY it was the final weekend of the NACT series. In the first race, Andy, Gary, and Dan shared the top honours with 375 points each. And they repeated their joint victory in the second race with 400 points apiece. Those same three ended up with the top three performances over the four races. Gary's 1190 points were the best of the weekend. King Andy got close. He had 1170 points. and Prince Dan finished with 1120 points.

No change in the overall. Gary's lead is now over 1400 points. Are you willing to admit that it is over yet? Chris H and Jay continue their intense battle for second place. Jay reclaimed second for a while after the GVA race. But by the end of the weekend, Chris had regained a slim 70 point lead. There was a significant reshuffling in the next three spots. Before the weekend it was Dallas, Vic, and Andy. But by the end of the weekend, Andy was up to 4th overall. Dallas and Vic both dropped down a spot, to 5th and 6th, respectively. Like Chris O last weekend, Dan made the biggest gain on the weekend. Sitting in 12th place before the racing began, he ended the weekend sitting in 7th overall.

Full results here.

Awesomeness in Photos

If the MCA doesn't find a way to honour the awesomeness of The Challenge at the awards banquet next weekend, then they are beyond hope.

How Awesome Was It?

It was very awesome. And so the question that was on everyone's mind has now been answered. It was all around good times. But it was awesome, mostly, because we won the race. This on account of an arcane and rather enigmatic rule that was brought to our attention rather late in the game--sometime after the Impaler was picked up by his chauffeur. From section VII, article 5 of the CBCC--the Compendium of Bike Club Challenges--we read the following: "If, at the end of a lap race whose occurance is simultaneous with a party, the last three people in attendance should happen to be from any one team, then that team shall be awarded three laps." So when Jonny G, the Cricket and doused the still glowing embers of the Impaler's supply of sweet wood at 2am, the end result was a 55-54 victory for the FGBC. That is right. We won! How sweet is that?

Scoreboard Reset

After the last cx race of the season, it looked like this:



Now, however, it looks like this:



But before we get to the final showdown, there some vicarious racing to do. The GVA race in Hasselt is on live here.

Thursday Anticipation

In honour of the noble tradition of six day bicycle racing, and in light of the fact that we are heading into the heart of six day season, we will do a race based on the number six. But not so much six days as six hours. That will be plenty.

Just so we're all clear about what we're getting ourselves into, the race will be taking place at the same time as the windup party is happening. We are not racing first and then following that up with a party, but doing both at once. At least in theory. Are we to expect that there will actually be at least one person for each team riding for the whole six hours? That is not likely. But we will shall see. The Fraggle will be there, and we all know how much she hates to give in. Are we to expect that everyone would be out at Vimy Ridge any time there is at least one person racing? No. There is a dogfest and other good times to be had back at the windup HQ. We will no doubt start out with everyone at the racing portion of the event. There will be cowbells, cheering, and heckling. Maybe even a fastest first lap prime. Or a first team to 50 lap prize. But eventually people will drift back to the windup HQ. Some might head back out to do more laps. Others probably will not. Hopefully nobody will be forced to race any more or less than they want. We are exactly what we are. The only condition is that everyone must do at least one lap. And there is also a cap on laps that prevents any one racer from doing more than 10 consecutive laps at one time. Once you've done ten laps, someone else has to take over. Or you must come back to the HQ for a dog or some Little Scrapper. In some ways, this is not unlike the our annual 24 Hour race, or the FGBC - RRR FGD Challenge itself. Some will do more riding. Some will do less. But in the end, everyone will go away happy. Except, of course, the losers.

It would be very nice if everyone who contributed to the challenge could contribute to the final showdown. Of course, some are in Saudi Arabia. But we hope all those who are within reasonable distance will at least make an appearance.

Bring dogs and buns, drinks, chairs, and any other party fare that might tickle your fancy (e.g., chips for Unger). It looks like the chili is taken care of. There is no need to bring a bike. We're doing this Little 500 style.

Any questions? No? Good. See you Saturday.

TNR Report

Another working ride. This time, the task was to settle on the course for the 2009 FGBC - RRR Challenge Windup Party and Double-or-Nothing Race. There were three options on the table: (1) the track option at Vimy Ridge Park; (2) the road/cyclocross option at Omand's Creek; and (3) the road/singletrack option, following the river toward the Leg and back. We rode the first two, and talked about the third. The winner: Vimy Ridge. So it will be six hours of short, sub-minute, laps. This will be good for the cheering and the heckling. But I hope someone has an extra large abacus. The biggest challenge may well be in keeping track of the number of laps. Then again, if the kids who were there firing bottle rockets at us show up again on Saturday, that could prove to be a significant challenge as well. Either way, it will be awesome. Now we just have to figure out which bike to use. Any thoughts?

The host site is my place, with the Fraggle's cave serving as an overflow option. Families are welcome to attend as well. There will be a dogfest. So bring dogs and buns. We will make a pot of chili. A couple of additional pots of chili would probably be a good idea as well. Any takers? And, of course, bring something to quench your thirst. Unlike the silken-voiced boys from Trooper, we're here for both a good time and a long time.

Not only did Vimy Ridge get the nod as a fitting site for Saturday's festivities. It was also nominated as a venue for a future off-the-grid cx race when Little Luc and Jonny G confirmed the potential awesomeness of a spider web run-up.



Among the various reasons for rejecting the Omand's Creek venue, perhaps the one that loomed the largest was the discovery that burrs have a certain fondness for the Impaler.


But then, who isn't fond of the Impaler? Still, six hours of burr magnetism was deemed sufficiently problematic that it was best avoided for now.

After the scouting mission, we rode a lap of Ass Park before retiring to the klubhaus. Happily, it was back to its usual Tuesday night state of desolation. Even happier, we arrived to find the Lethbridge chapter (or at least the moustachioed half of it) sitting at the table. He was accompanied by Jonny B and Dallas, who has now braved the long journey from St Vital twice this year. With two veterans of the original instantiation of the 24 Hour race at Falcon Lake in attendance, there was plenty of discussion concerning the race that is sure to be the highlight of 2010.

And then KK showed up to tell us that the reason he didn't show up for the ride was that he'd been hit by a car. By a former classmate no less. That is poor form.

3 Flats

On three consecutive rides. And on three different bikes. Whoever is responsible for this little bit of voodoo trickery, would you please remove the pin now? Thank you.

TNR

There is a race coming up on Saturday. It is a big one. Eight months of cycling supremacy are at stake in this one. Our task this evening is to determine the course. I have at three options in mind. There are no doubt more.

My place at 9:30 pm.

Look Out Francis

It's muddy out there. If you're not careful you are going to . . .


. . . crash.

The conditions in Gavere were classic yesterday. Mourey may have had a hard time trying to ride the mud with nothing but road skillz in his quiver. But Nys made it look easy. He is such a stud.


Too bad a flat prevented him from winning. Niels Albert was happy to take advantage of that misfortune to grab another win.

Just as happy was Halberto, who won the vicarious version of the race with 555 points. Charlene had 445 points to take second. Gary and Jay tied for third with 440 points apiece.

Over in New Jersey, it was truly a Chris only affair this time around. But it was a different collection of Chris's on the podium. Still reeling from Saturday's beating at the hands (or rather feet) of Chris O, Chris D did not make the podium. Nor did Mike, for that matter. They tied again, but only for fifth place. They were replaced on the final podium step by Chris A. He had a 340 point day. That is better. Chris O was rewarded for the heroism he demonstrated the day before. He tallied 490 points and a picked up his second win of the season. That left Chris H to finish second. 445 points for him. Once again, KK and Cousin Adam were shut out. This time they were joined by Jonny G.

In the overall race, there is a new look at the top of the standings. Gary is still safely in front. His lead is just a hair under 1300 points. But Dallas has been bumped off the podium. He's now tied with Vic for fourth place. And Jay has been bumped down a spot too. All thanks to a good weekend by Chris H, who now sits in second overall. Chris O is making a rapid rise up the standings. Sitting in 17th before the weekend, he's up to 9th place now. Not a bad weekend.

Full results here.

Donnybrook at the Mercer Cup

Three dudes named Chris found themselves on the podium yesterday at the 5th round of the USGP in New Jersey. It was good for a while. High fives all around. But at some point Chris O looked down to Chris D and said, "what's up with inviting Mike to join you on the last podium step? That is not cool. The invitation stated clearly that this was to be a Chris only affair." And then it started to get more than a little ugly. The RRR duo started doing that stupid dance they do and the Impaler was showering them with kisses blown from the crowd. KK and Little Larry, having dipped a little too far into the Duvel, were being their usual rude and obnoxious selves. And Michelle and Artur were talking rather boisterously about how awesome their first season of cx racing was and how they're going to dominate The Challenge next year. All these RRR shenanigans eventually got to be too much for Chris O to take. "That's not the way we do it down south," he grumbled. And then the BCC captain wound up his long legs and karated kicked them both from the stage. Chris H, however, was aloof to this entire situation. He was busy savouring his fourth win of the season and concentrating on getting the stuck cork out of the oversized champagne bottle.

Chris A was not on the podium. He got close, but still ended up 40 points on the other side of glory. Maybe if he wasn't so preoccupied with pimping his new ride or thinking about his trip to Maui he'd do a little better.

Somehow KK and Cousin Adam managed a grand total of zero points.

Superprestige is on right now. Watch it here. Round two in New Jersey takes place a little later in the day. Good times.

Full results here.

Bixi

Good times in Montreal last weekend:

Thursday Anticipation

So the 2009 season is over. That is sad. It was a good one. But it isn't all misery and heartache. Because if the 2009 season never ended, we wouldn't have the opportunity to look forward to the next season. And we at the FGBC know that anticipation is half the fun. In fact, between anticipation and reminiscence, there isn't much else. The races themselves are just placeholders for the collective exercise of looking forward and looking back that occurs at the klubhaus every Tuesday. In any case, we are already starting to get some hints that make it sound like next season is going to be another good one.

1) The biggest highlight of the season will no doubt be the return of 24 hour racing to Falcon Lake. The FGBC, RRR, and the Birch Club are collaborating on this one. It will take place on July 24-25. And it will be awesome. Probably even more than awesome. Put it on the calendar. Now. More info coming soon.

2) There is some talk about a spring classic race that might actually be worthy of the name. It would take place in the hills in and around the Belgian hamlet of Bruxelles. And it would feature a finishing gravel road climb up to a church that tops out at 16%. Not quite the Kapelmuur. But it's probably as close as we can get in these parts.

3) The Impaler and RRR are also talking about putting together a spring classic race of their own. It would be an off-the-grid race, but no less a priority because of that. In fact, that might make it even more of a priority.

4) Tinker Creek's urban operative, Kevin B, reports that the Back 40 will be back. It will be on June 6. This year, we take the butter belt.

5) And of course, there is The Spring Ride. This year marks the 8th edition of our beloved spring rite. The countdown clock recently passed under the 200 day mark. We're almost half way there.

But before we get to next year, we need to celebrate the 2009 FGBC - RRR FGD Challenge. If there is any one factor to which we could attribute the awesomeness of the 2009 race season, it would no doubt be The Challenge. So it seems a windup event is in order. In addition to a dogfest and the usual party fare, there will be a relay race that will provide one last opportunity for the FGBC and RRR to go head to head in a fierce battle. The FGD we won has been thrown back into the pot and the ante has been upped. Double or nothing. Winner takes all. Everyone who contributed to The Challenge is welcome to attend. The rest of you can stay home and think about how much fun you missed.

Halberto Goes to the Fair

Just as Nys beat Albert and Stybar in the real race, so Halberto triumphed over Jonny B and Jay at the FGBC's not-so-real version of the Jaarmarktcross (i.e., Fun-Fair Cross?) today in Niel. That's the second win of the season for the shifty one. And the second time Jonny B finished second to Halberto as well. Jay continues his recent run of good vicarious form with another podium finish. But Gary was only 55 points back, so he didn't close the gap by much.

In the overall race, the top six spots remain unchanged. As do the bottom seven. In between, however, there was a lot of shuffling around.

Full results here.

TNR Report

Let's start with the strange. The F&H was an altogether different beast last night. The humble and tranquil gathering place we have come to love was transformed into a boisterous meeting place of the tight jeans and cotton t-shirt crowd. Wierd. There were a few who did not receive the memo on the night's preferred outfit, apparently, such as the dude sporting the classic Bomber jacket and hoodie combo who was sitting at the table next to ours. And us, for that matter. But we were clearly outnumbered on this particular night. Let's hope it was a one-time aberration. Because otherwise, we will have to go searching for a new klubhaus. And that would be a lot of work.

We had a sense that something was different when we got to the parking lot and noticed it was full of cars. That there was also a steady stream of rather loud and obnoxious people streaming in only served to confirm our suspicions that something out of the ordinary was up. We are a perceptive bunch. But still, we were not at all prepared for what we found when we walked through the doors. It was packed to the gills. Not only did we not get our regular table. We were lucky to find a place to sit at all. Thankfully, Halberto had arrived a little earlier to claim a table in the corner, where we sat hip-to-hip and engaged in the usual range of stimulating topics. And not only was it full. It was also loud. Very loud. This was on account of it being the final round of the F&H's battle of the bands competition. We didn't even know there was such a thing. Unfortunately the volume level of the various bands was not matched by the quality of their music. Although the tunes at the F&H are usually pretty decent, we have had to suffer through some stinker playlists from time to time. But this one had to rank up there as one of the alltime poor nights, as far as the tunes are concerned. Too bad Vic wasn't there. He no doubt would have rallied the troops for the FGBC Choir to make its debut performance. As it it, that will have to wait for another occasion.



Also strange was a fox sighting in the parking lot. It was witnessed by Cousin Adam, Colin, and the poosher when they stepped outside for some fresh air. They say it sauntered out between some parked cars and headed across the parking lot toward Route 90. Wierd.

On the way home, Graham and I ran into Jonny G, who was returning from a night of post-game chit-chat with the volleyball set. It was already late. But we a late night was made even later on account of this spontaneous roadside meeting.

As for the ride itself, it was on the smallish side. Just Gianni, The Cricket, the Young Carpenter, and myself. We decided to make it a working ride. We headed on over to scout out the proposed site of the annual winter 24 hour race, aka the Poosher's Palace. It is coming along nicely. It almost looks like a house again. And the wide open living quarters on the second floor make it seem like a perfect venue. We have approved it as a potential venue. Now all we need to do is sort through the various proposals and make a final decision on the site for this year's event.

FGBC CX Pool Roundup

Jay wins! 795 points for BCC's vicarious racing stud. Gary, Hal, and Vic tied for second with 700 points apiece.

No change atop the overall standings. Gary still leads by over 1000 points. Jay is the best of the rest. And Dallas is another 200 points back.

They're back at it again tomorrow with the Niel Jaarmarktcross. Mid-week cyclocross racing. That is awesome.

Full results here.

TNR

Kenya? Awesome. Montreal is pretty sweet too. It's not nearly as hot. The Habs game on Saturday was nice. And the bikes are less heavy. More on that later.


9:30 pm at my place.

hey from Kenya

Hey all,

Greetings from hot Kenya. Internet access has been/will be fairly non-existant... but got this one chance to check and ensure that all is on track in the FGBC-RRR challenge. Save me a dribble of dark.

I think there's only on bike manufacturer in the whole country, and I believe their goal is to maximize weight. I haven't taken one for a spin, nor have I been tempted.

Take care. Bring on Nordic Cross. It's plus 300 here.

d

Thursday Anticipation

The last race . . . sniff . . . of the 2009 Manitoba Cyclocross Series takes place on Sunday. It has been more awesome than any of us expected, and we're not due to have this much fun again until the Spring Ride commences in 203 days. Halberto and Co. are planing a race that should conclude the season on a note that is a fitting reflection of the awesomeness of the season in general.



Poker? Haiku? It sounds like someone is getting excited about Nordic Cross. The next season is coming soon. But first we have to finish this one. I'm sure Halberto would be happy if some FGBCers and RRRers wanted to show up and help with set-up, etc.

With a lead of almost 500 points in the 2009 FGBC - RRR FGD Challenge, the overall title is not exactly on the line. But our winning streak in the cx races is. So is our streak of 100+ point performances. RRR would no doubt love to finish the season on a winning note. To that end, KK is all set to return for the last race of the season. They may even think they have a home field advantage of sorts, with the race being in Kildonan Park. How badly does the dark side wish to deny them of that pleasure?

Also on the line are some hotly contested battles for individual bragging rights. For example, the Impaler, the Cricket, and Jonny G are all separated by just 13 points. Craig is currently leading that trio with 304 points, followed by Brad (299) and Jonny G (291). Larry and Cousin Adam also find themselves in a close race. The Diminutive one currently leads that one by just 3 points, 138 to 135. And the President has an opportunity to overtake the Secretary. They are at 44 and 57 points, respectively. But with the Secretary away recording music in village somewhere in Kenya, the President has a good opportunity to pick up the 14 points needed to win that battle. Or maybe Cousin Thomas will show up and beat them both. He currently has 53 points.

There are no doubt all kinds of other sub-plots that could be interesting to explore. The full breakdown of individual point totals is as follows:

Chris H 478
Jonny G 291
LeAnn 280
Craig 304
Adam 135
Paddy 50
Naomi 28
Jonny S 29
Penner 44
Darryl 57
Vic 143
Matt 4
Thomas 53
Luke E 35
Charlene 116
Rachel 22
Unger 77

Mike 408
Kevin 251
Brad 299
Gilles 183
Larry 138
Chris D 100
Michelle 140
Kyle 0
Dennis 10
Artur 109
Tanis 16
Loren 18

TNR Report

KK is back. That is good news.



It was a fairly relaxed ride. I think Halberto set a new record for the briefest TNR appearance. He showed up at the TNR HQ (with a new bike) and rode to the end of the block before bidding us farewell and heading for home. Strange behaviour. We are still trying to make sense of it all. Tristan and Luc led the way from there. They took us along the river trail to the Forks. We noted the potential for several sweet cx courses along the way. Whether on or off the grid, there will be some racing there in the near future. From the Forks, we were headed in the direction of Whittier, but got sucked in by the infinity track. After riding around for a while, Cousin Thomas produced a bottle of his mom's Riesling and led a toast in honour of Luke's new progeny.



Back at the klubhaus, we talked a bit about an event that would serve as a fitting windup for The Challenge. The details are still being sorted out, but there will be a team race of some kind that will allow the FGBC and RRR to go head-to-head one last time. And it will be double or nothing. A second case of FGD is on the line and the winning team takes it all. It will take place on Nov. 21. Get out the sharpie and put it on the calendar now.

We also spent some time discussing this summer's Big Event. It is all coming together nicely. The FGBC is committed. So is RRR. And the Birch Club is back in business for this one. All we can say at this point is that it will be awesome. An official announcement, along with all the relevant details, is coming soon.

TNR

Among other things, this week marks the return of KK to the TNR.

9:30 pm at my place.

Oh Right, The Challenge

FGBC - 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze, 122 points
RRR - 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 92 points

Provincials Results

Hot off the press. Right here.

Woodhaven/Provincials Report

Cross-training. For the FGBC that involves ultimate frisbee where, in the guise of the Living Legends, we have made it a bit of a habit to win the Monday B Division championships. That is where we get our good hands, hone our hucking technique, and generally cultivate awesomeness. It is also where we have learned how to step it up when all the marbles, as they say, are on the line. The provincial cyclocross championships took place yesterday at Woodhaven Park. And there were marbles. In the end, the sweetest jersey in the world found itself on the podium four times. It can hardly be considered a coincidence that two of those podium dwellers (Jonny G and me) were part of this year's Monday B Champion Living Legends squad. Another one (LeAnn) spent a year playing with the Legends. In that time, we were able to teach her what it takes to reach the podium. Had she stuck around a little longer, she might have acquired the extra edge that is required to win gold. As it is, she had to settle for silver. Not bad for a Fraggle.



The Cricket is not a Living Legend. But if you hang around with champions long enough, the mojo is bound to rub off. On those cold winter Tuesday Nights a few years back, when it was just Craig, Jonny G and I who were brave enough to venture out for a ride, we would distract him from how cold he was by regaling him stories that recounted all the great exploits of the Legends over the years. All this in an attempt to lay the initial groundwork of a long-term plan whose goal was to transform our quiet little friend into a champion. It worked. He took home the gold medal in the Elite race.



As for the race itself, it was another highlight in a season full of highlights. There was mud and sand. There was a hockey rink ride-through featuring grass so soft it felt like you were riding on a wet sponge. There were some challenging climbs. And, of course, there was the whorl. Good times. Thanks to KK and Dave B for the photos. More photos, and some video of the whorl, are available at the Training Co-op.



That mud was deep. And cold.



And apparently also disorienting.



The Fraggle and Michelle finally had an opportunity to go head-to-head. The Fraggle took the early lead, but Michelle prevailed in the end.



Unger and the Impaler found themselves side-by-side for a time. Whereupon Unger shared some stories from his glory days with the Legends.



Need. More. Oxygen.



Fortunately the Cricket has some hops. Those barriers were almost knee-high for him.



Jonny dominated the Whorl on his way to a bronze medal.

There's still lots of racing left

That's what Gary says. He's playing it cool, taking a page out of the vicarious racers handbook and saying all the right things to the media. He doesn't want to jinx himself. And we're fine with that. But we know it's just the talk of a media savvy veteran and proven champion. He didn't win the Superprestige race in Hoogstraten. I did, with a 295 point showing. Andy and Jay both had 275 points to round out the podium. But Gary had another big win in Colorado. With 425 points on the day, it wasn't even close. Miriam was second with 350 points. And the final podium step was quite crowded. Andy, Ian, Matt, Dan, and Jonah all managed to squeeze themselves on there with 275 points each.

Gary's lead is now over 1200 points. To put that into perspective, that's the same point spread that separates 2nd place from 20th! Bottoms up with the champagne already.

Full results here.

Only one race next week. There's nothing on the North American schedule. And over in Europe, there's only one race. The third round of the world cup series takes place in Nommay, France.