Last year I was very spoiled and got to ride with Fabian Cancelara. What will this year bring? I'm heading over to Annecy, France on August 22 to get some riding and relaxing done in the Alps. After that I'm heading over to Bulle, Switzerland again on Aug 29 to do the Gruyere event on Aug 30 before heading over to Friedrichshafen, Germany for Eurobike.
My main goal is to get in some R&R on Lac Annecy and preserve some fitness for the upcoming Cyclocross season. During the Euro trip I'll be reading a book by French cyclist and author Jean Bobet. Bobet's brother, Louison, won the Tour de France 3 times in a row in the 1950's to make himself a legend of French cycling. The book chronicles the relationship of these two brothers through the activity of cycling. This is something I relate to, not because I have a brother to connect with, but because cycling has connected me to so many great people that I otherwise would not have crossed paths with.
Cycling is like conduit; it connects people, landscapes, and cultures.
Stay tuned. More to come in a few weeks. Ciao.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
2009 Cycling Plans
It's now March and I'm just now starting to ride. Pathetic, I know. It started last weekend on my long weekend in Missouri. So, what's next? I know for certain I'll be doing/watching the following events/rides in 2009:
April 18 - Durand Road Race, Durand, WI
April 25 - Ken Woods Memorial Road Race, Sogn Valley, MN
May 30 - Excelsior Crit, Excelsior, MN
June 2-5 - Riding/Camping Trip from Minneapolis to Thunder Bay, Canada
June 10-14 - Watching the Nature Valley Grand Prix, Minnesota
June 20 - Horribly Hilly Hundreds, Madison, WI
July 12 - Hopkins Raspberry Fest Criterium, Hopkins, MN
July 26 - Capitol Criterium, St. Paul, MN
August 15- Birchwood Road Race, Square Lake, MN
August 24-29 - Trip to the French Alps (Galibier, Alpe D'Huez, Ventoux)
August 30 - Gruyere Cycling Tour, Gruyere, Switzerland
Sept 2-5 - Eurobike, Friedrichshafen, Germany
Sept 23 - Cross Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Sept 20 - 25 - Interbike, Las Vegas, NV
Oct 3 - Hudson Riverfront CX, Hudson, WI
Oct 4 - Planet Bike Orono CX, Orono, WI
Oct 10 - Flanders CX, MN (tentative)
Oct 17 - Ham Lake CX, Ham Lake, MN
Oct 25 - Green Acres CX, Lake Elmo, MN
Oct 31 - Red Barn CX, Taylors Falls, MN
Nov 7 - Behind Bars CX, NSC Velodrome, Blaine, MN
Nov 15 - Minnesota State CX Champs, Crystal, MN
Nov 22 - Wisconsin State CX Champs, Milwaukee, WI
Dec 5-6 - USGP of Cyclocross Portland, Portland, OR
Dec 12-13 - US Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR
January 30-31, 2010 - World Cyclocross Championships, Tabor Czech Rebuplic
Now I need to start riding! Today I'll be gluing up some tubulars to practice my gluing skills for the cyclocross season!
April 18 - Durand Road Race, Durand, WI
April 25 - Ken Woods Memorial Road Race, Sogn Valley, MN
May 30 - Excelsior Crit, Excelsior, MN
June 2-5 - Riding/Camping Trip from Minneapolis to Thunder Bay, Canada
June 10-14 - Watching the Nature Valley Grand Prix, Minnesota
June 20 - Horribly Hilly Hundreds, Madison, WI
July 12 - Hopkins Raspberry Fest Criterium, Hopkins, MN
July 26 - Capitol Criterium, St. Paul, MN
August 15- Birchwood Road Race, Square Lake, MN
August 24-29 - Trip to the French Alps (Galibier, Alpe D'Huez, Ventoux)
August 30 - Gruyere Cycling Tour, Gruyere, Switzerland
Sept 2-5 - Eurobike, Friedrichshafen, Germany
Sept 23 - Cross Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Sept 20 - 25 - Interbike, Las Vegas, NV
Oct 3 - Hudson Riverfront CX, Hudson, WI
Oct 4 - Planet Bike Orono CX, Orono, WI
Oct 10 - Flanders CX, MN (tentative)
Oct 17 - Ham Lake CX, Ham Lake, MN
Oct 25 - Green Acres CX, Lake Elmo, MN
Oct 31 - Red Barn CX, Taylors Falls, MN
Nov 7 - Behind Bars CX, NSC Velodrome, Blaine, MN
Nov 15 - Minnesota State CX Champs, Crystal, MN
Nov 22 - Wisconsin State CX Champs, Milwaukee, WI
Dec 5-6 - USGP of Cyclocross Portland, Portland, OR
Dec 12-13 - US Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR
January 30-31, 2010 - World Cyclocross Championships, Tabor Czech Rebuplic
Now I need to start riding! Today I'll be gluing up some tubulars to practice my gluing skills for the cyclocross season!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Missouri - Keep Out!
St. Joseph was memorable. I will never forget the 20 miles of riding on "county roads" that were actually dirt and rock paths along railroad tracks. I will never forget being chased by 20 different unleashed dogs on a 75 mile ride (that's one dog every 4 miles). I will never forget seeing the cops chasing a Ford Explorer through St. Joseph, while it skidded sideways through the parking lot of a bar, nearly taking out a crowd of 10 onlooking patrons.
I will never forget the snakeskin tie I saw at the Jesse James home. Super cool.
The dog chases, the drunken car chases, the gun shots I heard in the public park, and the photo below...I left Missouri a day early.
I will never forget the snakeskin tie I saw at the Jesse James home. Super cool.
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| From Cheesehead Cyclist |
The dog chases, the drunken car chases, the gun shots I heard in the public park, and the photo below...I left Missouri a day early.
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| From Cheesehead Cyclist |
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
First 100 Mile Ride Of The Season?
It could happen. This weekend. On portions of the Tour of Missouri route.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Minnesota Winter Blues
March tromped in like a lion, and I can't wait till it gallops away like a bleating lamb. Baaah! I woke up this morning thinking "great, it's March 1." Then I saw that it was 0 degrees outside. Really? Frost had formed around the edges of my windows, and I could feel the cold creeping in as if it were trespassing. It dawned on me that it's March, and I'm in Minnesota.
Bicycle races are already happening in other parts of the country, and in Europe. Tan lines are forming on populations south of the Minnesota border, as I reach for my windproof jacket and lobster gloves. All hopes of going for a bicycle ride are thrown out the window. I just end up putting in a DVD from the 2005 Liege-Bastogne-Liege spring classic to watch Alexander Vinokourov and Jens Voight wreak a path of destruction on others, as if they too are pissed about having to wear lobster gloves and windproof jackets in March. Suddenly I feel better and think of creative ways to cope.
March 5 forecast for St. Joseph, MO: 66 degrees and sunny.
March 5 forecast for Minneapolis, MN: 40 degrees and rain.
Driving distance from Mpls, MN to St. Joseph, MO: 400 miles.
Game on.
Bicycle races are already happening in other parts of the country, and in Europe. Tan lines are forming on populations south of the Minnesota border, as I reach for my windproof jacket and lobster gloves. All hopes of going for a bicycle ride are thrown out the window. I just end up putting in a DVD from the 2005 Liege-Bastogne-Liege spring classic to watch Alexander Vinokourov and Jens Voight wreak a path of destruction on others, as if they too are pissed about having to wear lobster gloves and windproof jackets in March. Suddenly I feel better and think of creative ways to cope.
March 5 forecast for St. Joseph, MO: 66 degrees and sunny.
March 5 forecast for Minneapolis, MN: 40 degrees and rain.
Driving distance from Mpls, MN to St. Joseph, MO: 400 miles.
Game on.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Cyclo Frost 2009!
My first cyclocross race of the season will be at Cyclo Frost in Madison, WI on February 15th. Now I REALLY need to start riding the indoor trainer and running staircases! First and foremost, I need some help deciding which bike to put together for this winter cyclocross race. Which of the following two bikes do you think I should ride for Cyclo Frost?
Bike Option #1: Salsa Chili Con Crosso. This is my lightweight aluminum bike that I had some of my best races on last season. Benefits are that it is fast, light, and designed for no-holds-barred competition.
Bike Option #2: White Proto La Cruz. This is a heavier steel bike with deep rims, disc brakes and loads of white! This is the bike I had some of my worst races on last season, before I switched to the Chili Con Crosso. Benefits are that it has disc brakes, is built like a brick shit house, and has a TON of style for a winter cross race.
Please share your thoughts. What should I do for a bike at the 2009 Cyclo Frost race? I've already got the uniform figured out!
Bike Option #1: Salsa Chili Con Crosso. This is my lightweight aluminum bike that I had some of my best races on last season. Benefits are that it is fast, light, and designed for no-holds-barred competition.
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| From Bikes |
Bike Option #2: White Proto La Cruz. This is a heavier steel bike with deep rims, disc brakes and loads of white! This is the bike I had some of my worst races on last season, before I switched to the Chili Con Crosso. Benefits are that it has disc brakes, is built like a brick shit house, and has a TON of style for a winter cross race.
 |
| From Bikes |
Please share your thoughts. What should I do for a bike at the 2009 Cyclo Frost race? I've already got the uniform figured out!
 |
| From Bikes |
Monday, November 24, 2008
2008 WI State Cyclocross Champs: close but no cigar
Ezra Taylor and I drove down to Milwaukee for the Wisconsin State Cyclocross Chamionships on Sunday. The weather cooperated perfectly and the crew over in the dairyland state put together a fantastic course.
I lead the 30 minute race for the first 20 minutes, maintaining a healthy gap between myself and the field. Heading into the last lap I started losing speed ever so slightly and got caught by a group of 6 to finish in 7th place, just seconds behind the winner. Shucks. I came so close, but I put in a strong effort and made these 6 guys really work for their places. Kudos to them. It was a great race. I still had the 1hr Masters 30+ race in the afternoon.
The 1hr race was a blast. The course was really worked over from all the races that preceded it, so there were some really slick and muddy spots. Riding for an hour is far better than the super fast 30 minute sprints. I tend to do better when I have some time and distance to work with. That said, this was a more difficult race and I ended up finishing 11th place. I was really happy with both results from the weekend. Ezra finished the Cat 1-2 race in the prize money at 3rd overall, behind Marko Lalonde and Dewey Dickey. The custard and spicy omelet from the morning had been speaking to him throughout the race. Take the custard and eggs out of the picture and he would have overtaken Dickey.
Cyclocross rocks! Can't wait for the 2009 season!
I lead the 30 minute race for the first 20 minutes, maintaining a healthy gap between myself and the field. Heading into the last lap I started losing speed ever so slightly and got caught by a group of 6 to finish in 7th place, just seconds behind the winner. Shucks. I came so close, but I put in a strong effort and made these 6 guys really work for their places. Kudos to them. It was a great race. I still had the 1hr Masters 30+ race in the afternoon.
The 1hr race was a blast. The course was really worked over from all the races that preceded it, so there were some really slick and muddy spots. Riding for an hour is far better than the super fast 30 minute sprints. I tend to do better when I have some time and distance to work with. That said, this was a more difficult race and I ended up finishing 11th place. I was really happy with both results from the weekend. Ezra finished the Cat 1-2 race in the prize money at 3rd overall, behind Marko Lalonde and Dewey Dickey. The custard and spicy omelet from the morning had been speaking to him throughout the race. Take the custard and eggs out of the picture and he would have overtaken Dickey.
Cyclocross rocks! Can't wait for the 2009 season!
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| From 2008 WI State Cyclocross Championships |
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