Long time...no post

Ya. Been awhile. I've been busy dealing with life stuff and since racing season is basically over for me, its not a bad time for it to happen. New job, and now I have had to step it up and man up a bit. So much for 1:00 4 hour rides with all the slackers. Damn I miss those days. Not its 100 f'ing degrees and I have to either ride at 5:00am or 8:00 pm which really cuts into me drinking wine at night. Ha. I feel somewhat fit even if my time on the bike has dropped a bit. I'm still getting in 4 good rides a week with 2 hard ones and 2 "just rides". Either way I feel ok. I do miss the days of mandatory riding. I might have needed to join the army as i really like structure. But I hate it when I don't have a reason. I'll be ready for this winter and next spring. I got allot to prove next year to myself and I am going to have to step it up. Other then thinking ahead 6 months I just have been living in the day. Tour is nice to have on. I live Ricco getting popped. Come on man, don't ride super human and expect to get away with it. That stage was f'ing stupid. He rode like superman on Epo. At least make it look hard. I do.

Thats it..Try to post more often if I can get my shit togeather.

j

UPGRADE...Looking for a Team

Ya, thats right. I'm a 4 now and I am pretty happy about it. Not a huge deal in most cycling arenas but it was a stride for me and I am ready to keep moving forward. Adveraged a top 15 all season with a couple of top 10's so I hope to be very competitive next season. Time to train and build the engine.

Thats all. Just riding as much as possible and looking for a team to get on with. There are some cool ones in town but I don't know the guys so that won't work. Then there are some teams I can be on tomorrow but they have allot of freds on them so that doesen't seem appealing either.

Delimas,

j

Wine and the Bike....Racing and Upgrading

I haven't been on the bike in 2 days. I will be tomorrow though racing. I also like wine and have made it my business for the last 4 years. Its cool. I was reading a post on Belgium Knee warmers site that talk'd about the love of cycling and wine. Its weird that my life has the same parrellels as do others. Wine is so much like cycling its fucking crazy. Maybe not to the typical person, but to people who know, well, they understand. I don't love wine cause it gives you a nice buzz, although its a plus sometimes. No, I love wine because it enhances my life, as does training and racing. You don't get that from everything. Really, what the F do you do daily or every 2 days that really enhances your life outside of making $$ (which actually gives me a headache more than too much wine). If you don't know wine then learn more about it. Read about it and ask people who know about it. Its so important in life that its crazy. Europeans have known this for a long time and thank God passed it on to us Americans. Oddly enough, most of the racers I look up to are Europeans. Go fucking figure. I can't help where I was born so I won't bitch.

Anyways, just a rant while I wait to go pick up the wife at the airport. I should be in REM sleep but she is getting in at 11:55 pm..Sucks for me but she's the bomb so whateva....

Wish me luck tomorrow night. Its a big night for me....UPGRADE!!!!!

John

P.S. Wine of the week. Mibal Perfil 2003. You prolly can't find it but if you do get 5 bottles or all they have if you can afford it.

Flanders.....Again

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1438501764/bclid1406165222/bctid1473768260

I know I will never be here, but once you understand it all makes sence. Real racing at its truest form. I have had passion in my life on allot of levels, but now I uderstand what its like to live and breathe it, day in and day out. I just want to go ride it.

j

Getting There!

Man, today was a GREAT day! I hit the early Sunday ride that for the last 2 time I have been dropped on and I killed it today. Nothing has felt better than being in the mix on this ride today. Even beats all the races this year..Granted, the muscle on this ride could have clobbered me at any given moment but they didn't and i ended up in the mix at the sprint at the end. Didn't win but fuck, I made it! Training has been paying off and I've been riding smart which I am happy about. Hard efforts with RECOVERY. I'm so looking forward to next season. Man I got plans and I can't wait to see then through. In the mean time its build this engine and get ready for the fall. Then prepare for next spring. I love having a plan. Off to bed now. Soar legs, tired eyes and this Malbec isn't helping. Sinday is my only real drinking night so its on and I'm out.....Nothing like being in the wine business.....

j

Gaining...

I've been riding pretty hard lately and i think its paying off. Got a strong finish in my first crit and this weekends rides were fast and hard but I hung in there and held my own. I don't really have a training plan for he rest of the year. Basically I just want to build the biggest engine I can up until the fall so I can start with something good for winter training. Kinda like building a muscle car. Your not gonna put a tiny block in there and hope its got power. You want to start with a freaking Hemi! Or whatever, I don't know anything about muscle cars. Critting it up again tomorrow night which will give me my upgrade. No big deal to some but its a stepping stone for me that I am proud of. Now its time to think about really becoming the racer I want to be. I'm 35 so I'm not planning any world domination, but I can be competitive for sure. Have been all year anyways. Thats it. Same stuff and nothing new. Signing up with a team in a few weeks which will be nice. Get my kit and start representing. Maybe a grill too? Not sure. In the mean time I am saving up for some new wheels. Zipp 303's? Reynolds? Not sure, but I want some.

Ya,

j

First Crit

Ya, thats right I did my first crit last night. See, I'm a true road racer. I like distance and the pain that comes at the high mileage mark. Thats racing. )my own opinion). But last night I headed out to a crit. Nothing like racing for 30 minutes. Gay. Anyways, it was pretty fun. Basically you just hammer and attack until the bell rings. Well, you know this. I don't need to tell you. Anyways, I got 3rd. There was a 2 man break that stuck and I got blocked by one of there teamates so I didn't get in. I towed the field for the last 2 laps (lazy F'er's) and got a jump on them at the sprint. Wasen't to hard to get the 3rd. I'll go back and do some more, but the ROAD is where its at.....Come on Spring of next year....

j

Racing Again ......

Man, when races come and go I really miss them. Now I know why I am so addicted. I f'ing love it. Win, 8th place, 21st...Whatever, I'm in. This past weekend Seabass, Neal and I headed down to Coldspring Texas for some. We left Friday an hour late cause Seabass is always late. Headed down to Huntsville where we checked into out shitty La Quinta right across the street from the clink. Ya, Huntsville State Prison is a hell hole. Don't go there. I'm serious. You will not like it. You don't get treated well in prison and this one is even worse. After a glass of Kroger's finest Cabernet it was off to sleep for an early morning. 5:15am early. We headed to Coldspring in the morning light following other cars with race bikes on racks. Its eaiser than getting directions. To spare you with all the details the race was nice. Good roads and some good climbing. We rolled out, about 55 riders and it was typical attack here, attack there but nothing sticking. The San Jose guys basically stayed up front and covered all attacks so I just laid back and tried to maintain a top 15 position in the pack. It was 3 16mile loops and on the 2nd we were heading up a climb and I heard the normal sound of spokes breaking and carbon scraping the cement. Not a fun noise. 'bout 8 riders went down. This broke up the field a bit. On the last lap we were rolling pretty good and there is a right turn that heads to the finish line which everyone was positioning themselves for. After the turn it was about 4 miles to the finishline and needless to say the hammers were down. Neal and I worked our way up front and held our ground. We were coming up on the finishline which is a 8% grade for about 1000 meters. Ouch. Not a fun place to sprint. Neal jumped first, way to early and this started the sprint way out. Neal cracked and went off the the side. I proceeded to hammer it out begging my legs to keep going. I held one San Jose guys wheel, jumped to get him but to no avail. All in all I think I got 10th. Not terrible since I was sick for a week and a half before. Sunday I rode 5 hours on soar legs so I think I got me some good fitness in this weekend.

Until the next race.....3 weeks to go.....

j

Whateva!

Man, 2 weeks of this alergy/cold shit. Really put a dent in my routine. Add on a new job that is taking up WAY to much of my riding time and you get me these days. A total asshole. I feel like I have wasted away to nothing. I stayed off the bike in order to get well and I am allot better so i hope I will be ok by saturday to head to Coldspring and get me some podium. I rode yesterday and felt "ok" but nothin like I should be. It's a real bummer. 40 mph winds today. The kind that is so bad that you just go home after 3 miles and say forget it. I'm gonna wake up early tomorrow and get me some southloop and get back in race shape. I really hate the turn my life has made lately. I made a few decisions to take life my the horns and forefit a bit of my lifestyle in order to make some strides on a financial field and they are not working. I am, but the money is not. I've been putting in 10 hour days and working saturdays for shit. I was making more working 1/2 the hours and only 5 days a week than I am now. Now I have to find something else soon before I lose my F'ing mind. Its a real bummer too. I am kicking ass at my new job and the return is shit. Go figure.

Whateva!!!!! Just gonna think about riding and racing. Everything else can suck it.

j

Weather

You know what is weird? Weather. We are controlled by it in all ways and it makes all the rules. I got this soar throat and a pounding head that is full of crap. Oh ya, my ears hurt too. My energy is ok but not 100%. Alergies I guess. I can tell you it sucks climbing up steep roads with a pounding head. Also it doesen't go away when you take meds. These high and low pressure systems come through and disrupt my life and fuck everything up. It's either alergies or its rain or something that controls my entire day. Seriously, I just figured it all out. If you ever wonder who really has control of you life, just remember it is the weather.

I think I am the first to figure this out. Like Einstein.

j

Season Coming to an End?

Been weird lately. Mainly cause the Road season in Texas is about over. Crits are in full swing which is fine for crit racers, but I like the road races. I only got 2 more this spring and a couple early fall so I'm sad and depressed. What am I going to do now? I need to do some crits to get my upgrade over the next few weeks so I guess I'll get ready for those. Headed down to Austin last week and did a killer ride. Man, no wonder those guys are great climbers. Its all up and down. Dallas guys can hammer flats. I'm feeling pretty strong these days despite cutting down my rides. Riding 4 days a week now due to my dumb ass job that has me actually working. Sometimes I wonder if its even worth it. I'm 35 which means I am to old to be a serious racer, but can't I take it seriously? Fuck, its my life. An its not like I am doing something unhealthy.

Anyways, Killer Paris-Roubaix. Killer Flanders. Just some serious racing going on. Props to those riders. Some serious suffering going on. I got some head cold or alergy shit going on so I can't ride today or prolly tomorrow. Typical.

j

Busy..

I love seeing this.....

Been busy lately. Working allot which sucks but it a must in order to survive and continue to try to dominate on my bicycle. Its costs money. Had a hard ass training ride saturday with Neal and Seabass that killed me and went into Sunday. Sunday I had to just recover. Damn! Off today but looking for a light spin tuesday and then my first Crit weds. Little nervous but really looking forward to it. I don't know what else to say but DAMN BOONEN!!!!!

There have been some truly amazing races so far this year and they make me want to hammer.

I F'ing love it!!!

j

2 Race Update

Last weekend turned out to be really good. Maybe some rest was just what I needed. First up was a race in Mineral Wells. A really nice mostly flat course with one good long climb and allot of false flats. I race the 35+ and man I will ALWAYS race that now. No more of these races with 20 year olds who have nothing to lose. Call me a loser but these guys have it going on. We all have bills, mortages, etc. Anyways, we roll out and not much happens until after the climb. The field breaks and I am up front when 2 riders break. I was on thier wheel spinning in my 11. Can't hold it. I fall back in and a group of 9 of us start out to catch them. Once we got rolling a TSJ rider solos to the leaders. Strong Fu#&er. We got together and were taking some serious pulls and we almost caught him. The other 2 cracked so the TSJ rider was all alone. I was outon a out-of-the-saddle 30 second pull when I look up and the finish line is 500 meters. Fuck. The sprint starts and I am spent. End up in the pack with 13th. Not bad out of 48. After a nice cabin retreat on PK lake we wake up to some pancakes and head to Palo Pinto for some climbing. I was pretty tired warming up but got my head straight and waited for the roll out. Same deal. Fast until the major climb. And yes it was a climb. About a 4-5 minute down in the saddle climb. I was mid pack and when the climb hit I had to make my way through traffic for a bit. Once I was through I caught Seabass and told him to hang on my wheel. I looked up and Neal was pulling the lead group up the climb. Good climber. I pulled Seabass to the top and the I hear Neals Wife Laura yell "its all down hill from here". I slammed it in the big ring and told Seabass not to leave my wheel. We had some serious dropping to get done since we have about 20 riders ahead of us. I got in gear and burried it taking pulls with Seabass. We flew past about 6 riders and caught the chase group. Once with them I caught my breath and waited for the sprint. The a Colvativa rider jumped and he other 3 team mates blocked and we were fucked. I was yelling to get the F out of the way but nothing happend. We sprinted in and I wound up 14th.

Overall it was a good weekend and I felt of about my placements since it was my first 35+ races. Fitness is fine, just tactics and experience that will get my to the top 5. Cograts to Neal who sprinted for 5th.

Pic to come......

j

Flanders

Unbelieveable........

Racing

Got 2 races this weekend and I am in no shape for them. I'm tired and its not from training. I'll either have really fresh legs or I will be dropped at the start line. Who knows? My life has been a fucking whirlwind as of late and I'm ready for some stability to come. Good changes but just enough to disrupt my daily life. I hope it is all for the best. Time will tell. This is my last road race weekend I think. Maybe a couple of more here and there but this is gonna be my last 2 race out of town weekend. After this, a few crits, get my 4 and train for next year. I'm ready to do some fun rides without training. Some good distance, new roads and riding with friends. Enough of this pounding miles alone to make my girl legs bigger.


Wish me luck this weekend.

j

Too Tired To Post

Sorry. I've been slacking on my blogging. New job, trying to train and got 2 races coming up this weekend. I am basically a walking zombie. Stress is no good and its gonna be the death of me for the last 2 weeks. My legs are soar and I haven't even hammered the miles I would have liked. Oh well. Tis life. After this weekend I am gonna start doing allot of distance. I'll get my intense stuff at crits, but I need to get my rides longer. I've been racing gay Cat 4/5 races and I am over it. The races are just to short. I don't get my legs until they are over. F me. Get my 4 in a few weeks and its time to think about next year and what I have to do in order to destroy everyone in the field. Most likely I need to go back to 25 years old and train allot. But until that happens I'll just be a tired 35 year old looking to dominate.

nappy time

j

AREA 51

Last night at a certain time Neal and I headed to Area 51 in order to get it done. That's what you do there. No whining, no crying. Just do it and be done with it. Since I cannot tell you what it is I would compare it to doing the Tour in one day. It's painful and the entire time you wonder why your even doing this. But you do it and you will be stronger for it. Its the best training ground ever and it doesen't take long. 1-1.5 hours and you have to stop and go home to a family who loves you or you will end up in a mental ward.

Either way we got it done and I already feel like Jan.

Stay Euro,

j

Rules

Here are the rules you need to live by. All you can do is try to follow to the best of your ability.

********* -THE OFFICIAL EURO CYCLIST CODE OF CONDUCT- *********
Created by Dom Guiver and Mike Flavell

1. Image and style shall be your primary concern. When suffering, one must focus first on maintaining a cool, even composure, and second on performance. Winning races is an added talent, and only counts if said euro cyclist wins with appropriate style.
2. Training is based solely on feel, while racing is to be guided by sensations and instinct. The Euro Cyclist will never accept tried or tested scientific training methods.
3. You shall NEVER, under any circumstances, wear plain black spandex bibs (shorts, regardless of colour are BANNED) or any team kit containing non-prominent Logo's. Shorts will extend 55-60% of the way down the upper leg. IN NO CONDITION shall it extend any further.
4. Legs will be SHAVED year-round. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS. Certain hair removal creams are endorsed only on a case-by-case basis. One shall never show up to a race (large or small) with ANY AMOUNT of stubble visible on legs.
5. A prominent line where your kit ends and where your tan begins is essential to your image. Artificial tanning is BANNED. The tan SHALL reflect the level of training commitment.
6. The Socks must extend no less than 2cm below the main bulge of your calf muscle, and shall never extend further than 1cm past the primary calf muscle bulge. All socks SHALL BE WHITE in colour with prominent logo placement.
7. Cycling shoes must contain at least 80% white! The following exceptions apply…i) Colours combinations such as world cup stripes, or Olympic gold where title has been EARNED.ii) Shoes which are custom-made for specific riders by companies endorsed by this group. These shoes will be accessible to the particular cyclist only, and shall follow the preceding rules.
8. If white cycling shoes are not available where you reside, white booties with prominent logos shall always be worn. When booties are worn, socks should protrude approximately 7 centimetres above the ankle, and shall always protrude at least 1.5cm from any booties worn.
9. Your bike frame must contain 2-4 colours IN ADDITION TO WHITE. All colours are acceptable as long as they combine tastefully. In addition to this, wheel selection must also match frame and fork.
10. You shall race only on Bora’s or Lightweights. Fulcrum Racing One, Corima Aero+ or Zipp (404’s or 202’s) wheelsets are considered stylish enough to be used as training wheels ONLY. Regardless, Ceramic bearings shall be used at all times on both training and race bikes.
11. ALL wheels shall be equipped with tubulars, regardless of your ability in gluing them.
12. Ridiculously stylish eye wear (see endorsed products list) is to be worn at all time without exception.
13. Hair shall be kept neatly short, and matching helmet shall be worn (again with prominent logo placement). Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES shall a clashing helmet colour be worn with your euro kit. Helmets are not to be worn when venturing indoors at any time. It is, however, acceptable to wear your helmet while outdoors on a patio. (see rule 34)
14. In RARE cases, it has been deemed acceptable to have long hair. In this event, hair shall be neatly slicked back in maximum euro-styling, and helmet SHALL NOT be worn. It is IMPERATIVE rule 12 is followed in these special cases.
15. When riding, sans helmet (with short hair), a team issue cycling cap (white in colour), shall be worn. The bill shall remain in the downward position at all times. Cycling cap can be worn forwards or backwards to coincide with specifics of current hairstyle. During spring training, cycling toques shall be worn at all time in place of caps.
16. Kits will always be freshly washed, and one shall ALWAYS have applied a subtle quantity of eau de toilette (cologne). It is, AT ALL TIMES, FORBIDDEN to ride in an unwashed kit, as it is extremely detrimental to your image.
17. Saddles shall be white in colour only and will be manufactured in Italy or France. Exceptions shall be made in the following cases… i) Saddles containing WorldCup Stripes or Olympic Gold when EARNEDii) Italian Flag colour combo when rider is ITALIAN (born in Italy)
18. Handlebar tape is required to be cork as well as being WHITE IN COLOUR. Bar tape will be kept in pristine white condition. This state shall be achieved either through daily cleansing or frequent replacement. These jobs will NEVER be performed by the cyclist as you must maintain your image.
19. All stems must be a minimum of 120mm and a rise of no higher than -10 degrees. Stems shall be positioned no more than 0.5cm above the top of the headtube. ALL stems shall ALWAYS be oversized, made out of ALUMINUM, and airbrushed in kit/frame colours.
20. A rider will ALWAYS have liniment applied to his legs before appearing in public.
21. Facial hair will be restricted to (at maximum) a goatee, and even this is discouraged. Moustaches, beards, or any combination thereof are EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED in all instances. Stubble is, however, advisable in virtually ALL euro-situations. It is important to note: this DOES NOT apply to the legs!
22. Campagnolo shall be THE ONLY acceptable componentry and is hereby deemed superior to ANY Shimano product in ALL circumstances. You are expected to have nothing less than an ENTIRE campy grouppo. Crank substitutions are NOT permitted. There is a case by case exception for SRAM RED.
23. You shall NEVER, under any circumstances, acknowledge the presence of a cyclist riding a bike costing less than €2000 in a public place. This could be severely detrimental to your image.
24. You shall NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, associate with triathletes. It is FORBIDDEN to have any number inked onto your body before a race.
25. Any physical activity, other than cycling, is STRONGLY FROWNED UPON. This includes any form of running or swimming and their derivatives (this includes walking). The ONLY TWO other sports with a recognized degree of euro are Cross Country skiing, and long track speed skating.
26. MTB gloves are FORBIDDEN in all instances. Cycling gloves will be slick, white (in accordance with kit), and have minimal padding. Padding will be beige or white in colour. Wearing NO GLOVES is entirely acceptable and encouraged. In the case where said euro cyclist is wearing a leader’s jersey, special gloves will be made to match the colour of the jersey while blending the team kit colours simultaneously.
27. In a circumstance where any cyclist (or triathlete) ever displays aggression or disrespect towards you, you are required to ride up uncomfortably close and slap them in the face with your team issue gloves.
28. In the event a motorist disturbs your ride, you shall proceed to ride up beside the car, form a clenched fist and bang the boot of the car while doing your best attempt to sound irritated in Italian. Wild arm/head movements are strongly encouraged to enhance the apparent rage.
29. you shall NEVER rearrange your package while riding. Adjustments regarding seating/hanging comfort are to be done in private in order to preserve image.
30. ABSOLUTELY NO FORM of seatbag, frame pump, mud guard or mirror shall come within 2 meters of your bike.
31. Gearing is restricted to a titanium Campy Record 11-23 cassette with a ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of 42-53 up front. You shall never be seen pedaling at a cadence over 90rpm in case it detracts from your calm/smooth factor. The use of 25t cog is acceptable in special training circumstances.
32. ALL BIKES shall feature personalized nameplates next to your home country’s flag located on the top-tube within 10 cm seat-tube ON ONE SIDE ONLY.
33. Pedals MUST be either Look or Time. No other pedals are to be considered. (as always, ANY form of Shimano product is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN).
34. Coffee is a necessity and as such must be consumed strong (ie. espresso) on a patio in Italy in full kit, it shall be drunk black. Sugar is STRONGLY FROWNED UPON. The only milk present shall appear frothed on top (if at all).
35. All podium shots (pictures) shall be taken while wearing your team kit and appropriately matching casual euro shoes (such as puma's). Socks shall remain within the guidelines above. You are expected to display an appropriate degree of bulge while receiving kisses/trophy.
36. All pre and post-race activity will be conducted under a gazebo (this includes massage, interviews, and looking fantastic) leaving you in reasonable distance of the Euro-sun to top up your enviable tanlines or pose for photo’s.
37. Post-race, you shall be tied to your mobile phone, receiving endless calls from your attractive euro-girlfriend or important ad executives concerning modeling contracts. This will be done under the protection of the post race gazebo.
38. Team bikes will be built up so that they violate the UCI weight limit, in order that weights might be attached to the frame to demonstrate its superiority and lightness.
39. Motivational music during training shall consist of late 90s house or deep-trance hard-style German techno hereby known as 'euro beats'. NO EXCEPTIONS.
40. Naked black ALL CARBON water bottle cages (manufactured by ELITE CAGES) will be used on ALL BIKES. Exceptions include….i) Special edition 24k gold cages are acceptable in certain cases such as photo shoots, prologues or where colour coordination dictates. Ex. Gold Cage with Olympic Gold/white team kit.
41. Water Bottles shall be referred to solely as "Bidon's" and shall have a volume NOT EXCEEDING 500ml. Bidon's will always be matching of team/kit colours. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE in ANY CIRCUMSTANCE to leave bidon's on bike more than 10 minutes post ride OR while transporting bikes via bike rack.
42. A gold pendant on a very long, thin chain bearing some form of religious icon is STRONGLY recommended for mountain races.
43. While soloing in for a victory, you will ensure your jersey is FULLY ZIPPED and ALLIGNED, so all title sponsors are clearly visible. You shall then smile and flex your arms while pointing skywards. The projection of ones fatigue is EXPLICITLY FORBIDDEN IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
44. When appearing in a photo spread for sponsor’s products, you have the option of appearing fully nude, in your team kit, or in full Brioni 3 piece suits (nothing else). Smiling is prohibited in these instances.
45. When appearing in documentaries, you must be seen walking around the hotel in your kit at all times. It is also recommended that you constantly be eating something in front of the cameras.
46. When asked "how are you?" while riding you must proceed with one of the following...-Complain about coming off a sickness.- Explain you're peaking for bigger races later in the season- Mention that this is a "recovery ride"-That you are on the tail end of your daily 6 hour training ride
47. If you feel the urge to relieve yourself during a race, you shall gracefully meander to the back of the pack, seat yourself sideways on his saddle, and pee into the sunflowers. It is your duty to ensure that no camera crew catches the act, for it could be detrimental to your image. Under no circumstances shall you dismount from his bike to urinate.
48. When climbing anything with a gradient above 20% and lasting over 8 kilometers, you are required to fully unzip your jersey and let it flutter freely in the wind.
49. When dropping out of a race, you shall avoid the embarrassment of entering the official broomwagon and will instead wait for the team vehicle. When asked the reason for dropping out, you shall cite mechanical problems or oncoming sickness as the reason to avoid any bad speculation in relation to your fitness.
50. If in doubt, the euro cyclist shall mention in an interview that his pollen allergies are acting up, and that he’s not sure that he’ll win the Giro this year. In this situation, remember to note that the sensations are otherwise good, and that eventually you’ll win a beautiful stage.
51. Team-building motivational camps will be held annually in the off-season. These are to place team members in as ridiculous a setting as possible. Photos will be widely reproduced to demonstrate team cohesion.
52. During the pre-race medical checks, star riders of each team are STRONGLY ADVISED to play doctor with each other while shirtless. Photos taken must strive to be as HOMOEROTIC AS POSSIBLE.
53. In order to avoid the harsh European winter, you shall:i)flee to the warmer climes of Mallorca/South Africa/Canary Islands/etc.ii)“train the mind, body and soul” with Kreitler brand rollers
54. In the event of a crash, no matter how badly you have injured yourself, you shall proceed to mummify yourself with fishnet gauze. The act of gauzing oneself is looked upon with respect by other Euro Cyclists because it is a statement of commitment and strength of character to continue racing when injured. White Gauze is the norm, but world cup striped gauze and or national colors may be worn on select occasions depending on the rider.

Excuse me, my espresso is ready....

j

I'll be here come June

Mid June I will be Climing Mount Evans outside of Denver. Flying up a few days early to get my lungs going and then up I go. Seriously up. Up to 14,235 feet. This is the highest paved road in North America. 28 miles from bottom to top. The grade isn' to bad, around 6% with some higher slopes here and there but its the elevation that will get you from what I here. Tom Danielson from Slipstream is the record holder, but I just want to climb it. Its so high that trees don't grow. I hear its covered in these white mountain goats that hang on the road. I'll be sure to take pics.

Time to get my climbing legs out.

j

I'm Back I Guess

I deleted my Blog cause I planned on not Blogging anymore. Then I started back. Since I wrote last not allot has changed although I have been training my ass off. Last week Neal and I headed to Area 51 and got it done. Its a special place where only those who insist in suffering can go. Area 51 is a stupid name and I will rename it later. For now its that. Is a 5.5 mile suffer fest that makes you wish you were back in the safety of your mothers womb. We are proud of it and it will show to be very crucial in the gains. I wish I could show you where it is but then you will be strong and that won't work. I found it so now its mine and I will rule because of it. After a few good rides I pinned it this weekend with a massive effort out at Joe Pool saturday and then Sunday I did the 9am ride that put me over the edge. There were a few guys who showed up who had something to prove and they did. Its Monday now and my legs feel like someone charlie horsed them all night while I was sleeping. Time for some rest and start back up weds. Tomorrow is supposed to be my first crit this year but its gonna get rained out I think. I'm ok with that since I am much to soar to hammer. My next race is April 5th in Mineral Wells Tejas and then the 6th down the road. Its gonna be on and I plan on making some things happen. Off to some dinner and then mentally prepare for some Area 51 tomorrow night. Don't try to follow me cause I will drop you in route.

By the way. I will be old this week. 35 on Thursday. Damit.

j