Nationals 05 MUSH in the SLUSH

If you were looking for a cross race that dreams are made of, we got it this year. Actually, we have had that race the past three years. With 8 inches of snow dumping on the course the night before and hundreds of racers racing the morning before the Elite race, the race became a mush in the slush.
The promoters even decided to keep the ice and slush on the start despite the protests from UCI officials---apparently ice on the start is not UCI Legal. We saw why 5 seconds after the starter's gun went off. A poor soul caught an ice rut and immediately went from the front middle of the pack to the far right taking down a good portion of the men's field. At the first corner, another large portion was taken down as everyone went from 26mph to 5mph on ice to take the first right.
I got lucky for the start with guys flying left and right up and down. I held my 40sish start out of 100+.
So the game begins. I fell on my own. I fell with the help of other racers. The fact is I fell a lot. I even fell into a face full of mud on one of the 4 run ups---remember I hate to run and now we have 4 if you don't fall down but probably 5. The leaders are gone with T Wells leading the charge. Treefarm brought him back to only drop his chain with half a lap to go. Without that chain drop, there would have been a sprint. But there was a chain drop and T Wells pulled a much deserved win by 3 seconds. Treefarm was dissappointed of course but headed back to Belgium for some more CX Love till Worlds.
The course was good but you could only pass on the pavement. Everytime you ventured off the muddy single track, you caught an ice rut and went some direction. I made my way to the mid 20s and rode with Horner---not bad.
Despite the results, I did finish. As Horner and I were about to get lapped, Horner sped up and I slowed down to watch the last run up between Wells and Treefarm. The officials took my number along with the guy beside me but gave me a DNF and him a placing. Oh well. DNF or 28th? Take your pick.
Great fun and crowds galore but some of the strangest things I seen done by a promoter.
----you didn't have to pay to see the race but had to pay ($5) to see the expo.
----If you wanted to eat you had to pay to get into the expo and then pay to eat.
----If you wanted a beer, you had to pay to get into the expo, then pay to get into a separate Beer Tent(also not allowed by UCI), then you could buy a beer.
----no Starting grid per UCI rules but only wanted 8 guys on the front row that was 45 feet wide.
----the biggest fault was today. Not recognizing Katie Compton as the reigning US Champ. Yes, she doesn't have any UCI points for a call up but at least recognize the bad ass. In the rules by the promoter he even states he will call up last years top 20 finishers from Nationals. I and others thought that was a little rude. Anyhow, she started 3 rows back and kicked everyone's ass. She won by over 1.5minutes. A Knapp stayed close but by lap 3 Katie was gone. Even during the race, the local announcer seemingly refused to talk about Compton but then our man Dave Towles got on mike. No soccer moms were out but Dave put the word out on Compton and the Colorado Cross scene. Thanks Dave and we look forward to hearing you at the Boulder UCI races next year.

Great weekend and great races. Cross is over for us but the Voodoo riders are still at large. Look for us at the 24hrs of Old Pueblo.
And I must say Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night.

PreRace Shivers

So I've been in New England for a week now and I say to myself---Why? With snow every couple of days and blustering New England Winds, this has been a less than spectacular trip. I've been mostly holed up in the basement of my host house---Half Wheel Mike's parents. At least it has been warmer than Colorado Springs with negative temperatures there for most the week.
Well, today is the day before the race. I awoke to snow, rain, and wind. Mike decided to drive down to Providence to take a look at the course and spectate. I haven't been seeing the courses a day early all season and with the weather, I stayed in the basement.
About 1:30, the clouds cleared and the rain slowed. I took advantage and got outside for a quick hour ride just to get my legs going. Beautiful ride. I rode against the wind down to the canal did a couple of efforts and coasted back with the tailwind and actually some sunshine. It was by far, the best ride of the week. Yes, it was cold and I got rained on some but I had a blast out there.
Now, the snow is back and "white out" conditions so I got lucky.

I see everyone has been doing their Pre race favorites and they seem to be leaving out the entire Voodoo Drunkcyclist team. What's the Fuck? We've been out there battling it out just like everyone else. No none of us have been to Europe. And we haven't won any Nationals nor have we accumulated a mass of UCI points. But, we have been having fun just like 99% of every other cross racer. Racing is bout fun and it must be when you see 160 guys registered for the 35+class to race in the frozen snow and sand of Rhode Island---If you are not in the top 30 at the beginning your race is not a race to win but a race against yourself and for the pure enjoyment of suffering in the cold, wet sand and mud. Beautiful, yet a little crazy.

So, I'm just kidding about not seeing our team in lights when it comes to prerace favorites. We are here to enjoy the pain cave and beat down the demons---that's not saying we're not trying to win. And why not a better place to do it than here in the Northeast with our Voodoo Limbas and Drunkcylist jersey's....Pass me the beer.

As far as my predictions....Men- OLE' OLE' OLE' Watch out for the Wild Weenie T Wells. He will surprise everyone and don't count out the Drunkcyclist.
Women- None other than the Gimp Giver Katie Compton. She races on a different level than everyone else---to bad Lynn Bessette is Canadian.

Race is tomorrow and Sunday....Here we go.

Cross Report from AZ not CO

Well I got tired of reading all those race reports from my teammates up there in CO so I decided to dust of my Voodoo cross bike and hit the barriers at warp speed. Well at least as fast as I could anyway. So a couple of weeks ago I thought that I would warm up with a local race here in Flagstaff to get my cross legs back underneeth me. I had done plenty of training to get there but no real speed through the barriers stuff if you know what I mean. For me the biggest problem I have with cross races is the start. For the last couple of years now I have been racing a ton of road races so the starts are less than easy. But this start was a shock to the system. I was completely on the rivit within 30 seconds. I couldnt even see due to the tears of pain in my eyes. So once the first lap was over I found my self off the front with two guys on the same team. So I figured that this was going to be a long hour getting one two-ed by the teamates. So I just countered the first attack thinking that I would do some sort of pre-emptive strike on the old one two. Well it worked and I singled one of them out. So we began to put some time into the now number 3 guy on the road. Which was fine with me. Then with about 3 laps to go I said hey lets go for it. So I put a huge attack in dropping the guy that I was with. So from then on just nice and steady. I was putting some good time into him. Then on the last lap the dreaded sound of air leaving my tire came to my ears. Why, Why me??? So needless to say I was as far as I could get from the pit so I had to walk/run/ride the smooth stuff back to the pit/finish line for a misarable 6th place. So from winning to 6th all in a space of 5 minutes. So not what I wanted for the first time out, but hey the legs were good.

So on to this last weekend. Saturdays race was on a really tight techincal course with lots of turns and off camber hillsides. So John from Voodoo had hooked me up with a great new carbon fork that made the ride that much easier. Long story short is that I went off the front with the same two guys as the last race but this time they played it a bunch smarter. They were attacking before the tech sections putting gaps on me that I had to close when we got out in the straight sections. Well this worked for a while then I got wise and started to jump them before the tech sections makeing them case. Well at somepoint one of the guys came off trying to get his teamate up to me which he made it to me. From there on it was great tatical battle of who was stronger in certian sections. He was hopping a single barrier which was making life hard on me but further down the course was a tripple section that I had wired so I would get it all back. So it came down to a sprint which I took by a small margin. There are some good photos and videos on the site if you guys want to watch them. www.azcyclocross.com

So on to the State Championships. Same course as the one that I had flatted on the two weeks before. So a little more air in the tires and off we go. The race was again fast at the start. There were some new players in the game so I wasnt sure who to watch in the start. I just figured it was best to go with the first attack and follow and see who was there after the first lap. Well some guy from PHX decided he was going to try and win it from the gun. uggg it hurt. But I managed to stay on his wheel. Then on the next lap I seemed to sense him falter on a section so I just let him have it. Well I guess that did it because he was no wear to be seen after a minute or so of going really into the red. From there I just rode and nice steady hard pace for the rest of the race. Eventually winning by a good gap. Even after a few mistakes in some of the corners. Its amazing how tire pressure can really affect handleing.

So I would really like to thank my sponsors this year for helping me to win my 3rd State Cyclocross Championship. Voodoo for what I think is the best frame and for setup out there, Drunkcyclist for the fame and dropping my name to the world. Nokian for some sweet tires that hooked up like no bodys business. Sram for the all the chains and cassetts. Avid brakes for slowing me down when I got scared. hahahahaha So thanks to all those who help me in some way.

So see you on the road

snake

Wazoo! Out of rhythm

It snowed overnight a fluffy two inches and it's still snowing as we drive just south of Providence for the final Verge Series race of the year. Half wheel Mike and I walk down to registration and walk the course shivering. The course is on the bay and wind is blowing along with rain now. After a pavement section, they send you onto the beach. I like running on the beach but not in wintery rain with a bike on my shoulder. Actually, I hate running anytime.
For a warm up I put on my yellow sailor suit and borrow a trainer. You know its cold when the rain is freezing into ice on your stem, glasses, cables, housing, frame, fork, every part of everything.
The field is only slightly smaller than yesterday and the course is much tighter. You know it's cold when they are putting sand and salt on the corners of the course.
I get CALLED UP to the 4th row. It's a mad sprint to the first beach run (yes, there are two). I actually move up well into 15th. I'm not getting into any rhythm today. At the halfway mark, I'm suffering well and riding with Jeremy Powers and two other guys. Third Fourth and Fifth are only 10 seconds up. I go to the front and make a big push to drop the guys I'm with and/or catch up to the final podium spot. McCormick and Johnson are not putting time on us but about 45 seconds up the road. In my big push, I only give myself more suffering. The gap stayed the same and I still have 3 guys with me. The runs are killing me.
We basically stay together with the Canadian pulling away at the sprint. In the final beach run, I get dropped and catch on to sprint but have nothing. It's ninth and feels better. I can barely walk today but can drink coffee so it's good.
Congrats to Snake on the AZ State win. I think that brings our team wins up to 7 for the season. Awesome. Steve almost won the CO SS CX Championships. Two more races.

I also got a call from the Boston division of Drunkcyclist. They plan on coming down to Providence for Nationals and wanted to know what kind of beer should be in the keg. PBR I pronounced. The Drunkcyclist team will be in full force of public drunkeness and bike riding next weekend. Come out and show your support.

Audi 1000

Starting the day in the dark and ending the day in the dark is never fun. We do it all the time but when never see the light of the day and only the unnatural lights of the newstands and Starbucks at airports, you feel like you missed something. Friday, I took an early morning flight from Denver to get to Boston. I had some vacation hours I needed to use up before the end of the year so I decided on the Eastcoast cross Nationals warm up instead of the CO State Championships.
I'm traveling with Half Wheel Mike since he was headed this way and his parents live on Cape Cod----Nice place overlooking the sea from 200 feet up.
Anyway, it's cool to see his double bike bag come out on the conveyor belt and all the people become amazed at how huge a bag the airlines will allow you.
So we arrive and sleep---always good at sea level.
After getting up and eating some eggs and toast, we drive the rental 2 hours south to the southernmost part of Rhode Island. Mike shows me the sights as we drive by---theres the Maritime Museum. Theres the top of a battleship. I wasn't too worried. We're here for a week and Plymouth Rock is sure to have their own micro brew.
We find the course after all the twists and turns in the roads. Just about everyone's here incuding T Wells, A Craig, T Johnson, etc... The course is awesome with tons of grass and a few run ups. Crowds are abound with cow bells, coffee, and beer. The weather is a crip 30 with lots of wind taking the temp down to 25. At least the sun is shining.
The call up---I travelled all the way to North Carolina in hope of some UCI points. I got 6. Not much but something. They don't call me up. Apparently, the points are not official until the UCI posts the points which happens after a World Cup. No worries. I am used to starting in the back.
The gun goes off. I start pretty well and get into the 30s on the first lap. It's fast and furious with no bad crashes that I saw. I hear about the leaders but never see them. Apparently T Wells took off after a barrier bunny hop and never looked back. In the meantime, I working and get up to a group of 4. We're 12-16. I can see a couple more guys up the course but we're not gaining ground.
With nothing left in my legs, I take 2nd in our group for 13th. Not great but a good starting point.
You ever feel like you had a just a little more and didn't use it. This is how I felt like I got into a rhythm and just stayed there.
The bike rode well and from the looks of the weather channel, I'll get to test out the Wazoo in the snow tomorrow.
Looking for an out of rhythm experience.

The Ride

Here's the Limba Super Single Machine. It's super light, super fast and super sexy. If your in to that kind of thing.

The Weather Channel is calling for Snow at the CO CX Champs this weekend. Greeaaat!

I just returned from a family Thanksgiving weekend back in Arizona where I went on an un-intended CSC Bjarne Riis style, lost in the forest outing in the Matazel mountain range. Long story short, 2 years ago a raging forest fire wiped out the all the flora and fauna in this area and subsequently since then, large parts of the 12-14 mile trail have been washed away in unabated flash floods. Almost 10 hours later, we found the car and like any survivor of mother natures wrath, we went straight to Taco Bell.

Anyway, I raced the VooDoo Limba as a single speed for the first time on the November 19th at Boulder Cross Series Race #4 and it was sweet. Although my day started out slightly disappointing. I arrived at the venue just as the newly announced single speed class started. With over 15 cyclocross single speeders per race, they decided earlier in the week to make a single speed class and somehow, I did not receive the memo on that one. All good though, I raced the open mens field and ended up 15th. The course was great, but I suffered at the start because it was on a paved road section and my gearing is 38x17. By the time we hit the dirt I was spinning faster then I thought possible just to hang on the second to last spot. The course was fun and fast with a ditch jump and tons of fast bmx style rolling sections and natural barriers.

The Colorado State Cross Champs are this weekend, and if my 20oz Kiltlifter training sessions are any indication, I'm in fine form. I am going to add one more picture of the SS Cross Machine. Later for now.

Cross in the Old Pueblo

Well we were down in Tucson for Thanksgiving and before we left I noticed that they were holding a race on that Saturday, so I thought it might be kind of fun to have a go. Small problem...due to transportation issues I was without a bike, so after a few phone calls I managed to line up a road bike and I brought along some skinny cross tires that would fit in the frame. While it is not typical cross weather, I must say that it is kind of nice to race in shorts, short sleeves, and a DC wristband. Kudos to the Desert Foxes as they maximized the resources in Reid Park and put together a great course. There were some fast grass sections, loose turns, a rocky dismount, and a nice run-up. There was relatively small turnout for the race and it quickly separated into a group of four and then within two laps that group was down to three. I was feeling pretty good, but apparently my timing was off a bit because I found myself on the ground a couple of times. The first time was because I drove the front end a little hard into a grassy turn and the second time was because I forgot to pick up the bike for the third barrier...oops. That one smarted a little bit. Fortunately I was able to collect myself and get back on the group. From there I felt pretty good and decided to go to the front so I could put a little pressure on the boys and that proved to be just enough. I rolled in with a comfortable margin and tallied another win for the VooDoo/Drunkcyclist boys in
baby blue. Looks like that will be the last race of the year for me though. I have to work next weekend so I will miss the Colorado State Championships, but I will be headed out to Providence to give Big Tex a hand or two at Nationals.

Big thanks to VooDoo, drunkcyclist.com, Nokian, Ritchey Logic, A-Class Wheels, Avid, Livewrong, and SRAM for all your support this year as we couldn't have done it without you.

All the best to you and yours.

Legs

***JB, sorry I didn't have my Limba for the race!

Back to Altitude

Back to real time and Altitude. Turkey day did me well. I returned from a 3hr MTB ride to 3 pies, 11lbs of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and stuffing. There were only two of us. No worries. I'm hungry. Apple pie first.
Race day came 3 days later in Denver. This is the last race of the TIAA CREF Series.
Start went OK with Brandon Dwight and TJ getting a small gap. On lap 3, I bridged the gap from the group from the group of 4 I was in. Doug was there too but feeling sluggish---he just got off a plane from San Fran but made the race. We were both sporting about 6 layers due to the sub 30 degree temperatures. Our last layer included the all important wristbands. We now have two sets---one SRAM and one DC.
Back to the race---the wind was bitter. The course even had a grass section---rare in CO. With 5 to go, I made a move and got a 5 second gap over TJ. He kept bringing me back in the headwind but finally, I made it stick. I took the victory and the overall for a trophy and some nationals money. Doug took 10th overall and could buy the Baja Fresh for the post race meal.
So look for us going back east and back to the lowlands for some more work in the pain cave.
Verge Series this weekend and Nationals the next weekend.

Over and out

Carolina Cross

I apologize for the late report. Turkey day consumed me for a week.
Basically, I flew to North Carolina to visit some friends, race some cross, and drink what the local breweries had to offer. I arrived at the airport and so did my bike. Good. Good. As I was on my way to the rental car counter I see Half Wheel Mike (2004 Voodoo/Drunkcyclist Alumni now graduated to the Carolina Kona CX team). He's alone and waiting 5 hours for his ride to arrive. Bummer.
He's got a double bike bag but I offer him a spot in my car if we can fit it all. The Thrifty agent thought we were crazy wanting to fit this double bike bag, a bike hardcase, 3 bags, and 2 weekend cross warriors into the economical Dodge Neon. The agent didn't even let us try. He upgraded us to the STATUS. Now aint that special.
We stuffed it all in and two hours later we are in Asheville, NC.
Half wheel Mike just stayed with me for the weekend at the Izzards. Good friends with a 7 week old baby. They warned us but I had no idea how much babies cry. Now she's a beautiful little girl with a set of lungs on her. I can say that birth control is a good thing for me right now----good luck to you know who. Actually, it wasn't bad as I thought it would be. I slept like a baby especially with the drop in elevation.

Day 1---Pancakes and Smoothies was the call for the pre race meal. The day was a cool 50 degrees with gray skies. The course was awesome. Very freeflowing grass and non technical----totally opposite from Colorado. No problem. They call up all of the racers with UCI Points, NC series points, and Georgia series points. What about Colorado and the other 46 states? By that time I accepted my fate of starting in the back. After a bad start, it took me about 20 minutes to catch the lead group of 8. Then the race was like a crit with attacks and no one wanting to work. With two to go, we had 8 of us left and I started to fall apart. No explanation but with 500m to go, I could not accelerate and placed 8th. Jon Hamblin rode well and won by 25 seconds.

Day2---More Pancakes and more flat legs. I got a better start and made the lead group right away but who didn't with no technical aspects of the course. I'm not complaining. I love the change of pace. With 3 to go, I got dropped. With one to go, I barely climbed back on and positioned myself well. Except there was a small climb near the end. It was bad. My left leg sputtered. My right leg backfired. And them both of them blew. I got 9th out of 9.

You can call what you want but I got my ass kicked. Hard to swallow but I'll be back for more. Half wheel mike faired no better with a couple of 14ers. Great course and the announcer somehow dug up some dirt on me. MMMMMMmmmmm?

So I had some DC fans there with their cowbells and beers in the pit. Even DJ Birch showed up out of the woods. That night we sampled many of Asheville bars and beers. I'll have to return.