Michigan UCI Double Cross, Louisville Cross and My Rant

Last weekend didn't go so well! I headed to Michigan for the Tailwind Double Cross with Mr. Page and some other pro's looking to get their UCI on. The course was pretty sweet, nothing too hard, yet nothing too easy. Your typical cross course. I got a good start and was sitting in the top half of the field until boom! On the deck thinking "what the *$&*". I untangled myself from a pile of guys to see the field GONE. Nowhere to be seen. I jumped back on and drilled it catching back on coming into the barriers. Things went alright through there until I passed the pit. Just past the pit my shifting completely went nuts and I was struggling to peddal without busting the chain or ruining a cassette. Needless to say I didn't do well. After that it was a long 5 hour drive home and after a ticket in a construction zone for "impeading traffic", stinky butt Gammers tooting over the river and through the woods, and being impressed with BG's ladies sitting outside of starbucks was a fun night in Oxford. Overall NOT the way to experience your first big UCI race. AT ALL! Now for the part I've been waiting to get out. THE RANT

RANT
This past weekend as any pedal pushing, shaved leg timmy knows marked the 2007 UCI World Championships in Stuttgart Germany. I was absolutely elated when I realized that WSCN.com was covering every race this year! Nothing like way too many hours spend watching people let a break go up the road for a few laps of relaxing racing then ripping each others legs off for the last two! What I will say is this. Paolo "the cricket" is an amazing person to watch. Seeing him instigate the decisive move then talk to the guys about not working hard enought then work his butt off only to end up taking them all to the line. If I were a rider in the break and saw how he was riding I would have been like "Piss off you little ball of Italian way-too-ephin strongness!" Either that or I would have done what Frank Schleck essentially did and drove myself into the ground knowing I stood the same chance as a volkswagon falling from the sky flaming only to land next to me catch my pants on fire and singe my leg hairs away. Yeah, I dont have leg hairs... my point precisely! Either way Cadel again showed that he truly is a pansy who isn't willing to work for a freaking thing in his life, only to STILL get outsprinted by everyone. And to think, I used to think Sastre didnt work for anything! In the end, the strong little cricket scampered his way to the line for a repeat and an amazing ride with an exciting finish. Not too shabby!

A good salute for a man being "targeted" by some UCI snob noses!

Louisville Cross
Finally Mr. Neiport and I headed to Louisville for the 4th race of the Ohio Valley series. A fun course + no crashes finds me working my way into the top 4 of the series standings behind three WAY stronger guys than me. But hey, for my first season, not too shabby. Especially since I have absolutely NO goals for this season and will most likely be heading down to fulfill my roady obligations in Greenville at the Michelin Downtown Greenville cycling classic the same week as the UCI double weekend in Middletown and Fairfield. Nothing like leaving for a 12 hour collective trip south when the races are in your home town and less than an hour collect travel time all weekend! We'll see how it plays out! Ill post pictures when they come out and hopefully next week I can get a picture of my FRONT ROW callup ill hopefully recieve for the overally standings:

1 Brandon Jessop -- BioWheels Racing
2 Mitch Graham -- BioWheels Racing
3 Phil Noble -- BioWheels Racing
4 David Hutton -- OneCallNow/Miami University
5 David Emig -- Fulcrum Coaching

Jumping right in... Stampede's and Tailwinds

This past weekend was a great reace put on by darkhorse racing in Burlington KY. The turnout was pretty nice and a strong field worked its way to the line. The start of the weekend was spent with John Verheul of JVB coaching coming into Biowheels for some pizza, beer and watching cyclofile. Pretty fun stuff.

Saturday a group of us headed out for some skills work with john, lunch and figuring out how to race the course sunday. Sunday the race picked up with a great crowd. At the start I slipped a pedal and almost went down. Nothing like going into the first 180 degree turn in last wheel. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get to the front group so i slowly and patiently started working my way through the people ahead. It's nice being fit passing guys dragging their jaws on the top tube. Everything was going really well until this happened:


yep... thats a broken seat stay on a 3 week old bike! Tears are welling. So now i have the challenge of getting this bike warrantied while getting ready for Tailwind sports UCI double cross in Davisburg, MI. Nothing like going into your first ever UCI race with about an hour on a bike thats not yours with a field including:
1. WORLD SILVER MEDALIST JONATHAN PAGE (who is now living full time in Belgium as a euro cross pro)
2. Trek VW rider Tristain Schouten
3. The great Steve Tillford, who seems to be one of the greatest all around american riders to date
4. First year crosser and bikeless senior transfer student David Hutton. In case you havent hear of him, he's basically awsome.... people know him!

anywho. It's going to be a long day with class, my coaches husband mark most likely coming into town for the day, and going to pick up Jason's bike down at Reser Bicycles in KY. Thanks for saving my season jason!

Until later. try not to break your bike and know that Apple Fritters are AMAZING! Yaaaay pastries

IT has BEGUN!

The cross season has officially started. I headed north to Heath, Ohio for the kick off of the Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series. For my first race on a cross bike I was pretty happy to pull in a top 10 finish and work my way into the top half of the finishers. I was suprised that my fitness was where it was. I was able to hold with the from group for a few laps but I just couldnt get through the barriers as fast as them, and once the elastic snapped "WHAP!" it hit me right in the jaw. I was able to keep my composure but still I realized there are some major technical things i need to work on. Clipping in being the major! I know... pathetic. But i tell you what, finishing ahead of a guy who's been riding cross for 7 years and basically coaches mostly cross riders, I was satisfied (not not happy) with my performance. I thought I would throw up my cross schedule on here for anyone to check out. It looks like it's going to be a busy semester of class and racing. Just how I like it!

Sept 9 OVCX #1 - City of Heath Festival Cross Columbus, OH
Sept 16 OVCX #2 - Cyclo-Stampede presented by Darkhorse Racing Burlington, KY
Sept 23 - Pedal Power Cyclocross-Masterson Station Park Lexington, KY
Sept 29 CapCity #2 - Alum Creek State Park presented by Echelon/Trek Store Columbus Columbus, OH
Sept 30 OVCX #3 - JP Morgan Tour de Louisville Louisville, KY
Oct 6 CapCity #3 - Worthington Area Park presented by Team Awesome/Jeni's Ice Cream Worthington, OH
Oct 7 OVCX #4 - John Bryan Fall Classic Yellow Springs, OH
Oct 13 OVCX #5 - UCI C2 - Java Johnny's - Lionheart Cross Middletown, OH
Oct 14 OVCX #6 - UCI C2 - BioWheels/United Dairy Farmers Harbin Park Cincinnati, OH
Oct 21 OVCX #7 - Riverside Cross Cincinnati, OH
Oct 27 OVCX #8 - UCI C2 - US Gran Prix Louisville #1 Louisville, KY
Oct 28 OVCX #9 - UCI C2 - US Gran Prix Louisville #2 Louisville, KY
Nov 4 OVCX #10 - Gun Club Cross Cincinnati, OH
Nov 10 CapCity #4 - Grandview Area Park presented by Team Awesome/Jeni's Ice Cream Grandview, OH
Nov 11 OVCX #11 - Brookside Cyclocross Cup/USCF Indiana State Championships Indianapolis, IN
Nov 18 OVCX #12 - Promotion Cross Lexington, KY
OR
Nov 17 & 18th- North Carolina GP- Hendersonville, NC
Nov 25 OVCX #13 - Team Columbus/USCF Ohio State Championships Lexington, KY
Dec 1 CapCity #6 - Lane Rd. Park Upper Arlington presented by Echelon/Trek Store Columbus Arlington, OH
Dec 2 OVCX #14 - Storm the Greens/USCF Kentucky State Championships Louisville, KY
Dec 9 OVCX #15 - Series Finale - Wendell Moore Cross Buckner, KY
Dec 12-16- USA CYCLING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS! Kansa City, KS

Hope some people can make it out
Tough Run Up section

NEW BIKE courtesy of Van Dessel Bikes! PRETTY!

It Begins.... the CROSS SEASON!

High 77 Degrees... swwwweeeeeeeet
Winds 5-10 mph... NIIIIICE
Chances of rain 80%. localized heavier rain possible..... HAHA!

Thats right. cyclocross kicks off this week in Heath, Ohio and for the 8,000 time this year the cycling god is laughing his hind end off at us spendex clad worriors! It's been rainless here in Ohio for the past month and a half and of course, just in time, it poors for two days strait. It killed my powertap yesterday and is going to make today PREEEEETY interesting. Hopefully I can get some pictures or heck even a video or two up tonight or tomorrow. Until then this will keep you more than entertained.

LOVE OF SPORT!

---Cheers---

I have to wait 3 months!!!!

This weekend, simply put, was a rockin' fun time. Not only did Seth and I head down to SC, but I had a pretty good race, got to watch the US ProChamps Road Race, take part in one of the most awsome parties ever, and then come home to a cross bike! HOLY SCHNICKIES!

Greenville was awsome. I got a chance to do my first race in the area im hopefully living in starting in January and it was great. I good agressive ride, with some hills, sore legs, and lots of attacking, chasing, and all that fun bike stuff. Overall I finished 18th. Nothing to be happy with, but considering we had almost 60 riders and only 20 some finished it was a pretty good day!

Good Size fields are normal here i guess!?

Coming through for a feed...
Sunday after resting up all night and eating a GREAT bunch of pizza from Mellow Mushroom Seth and I headed for a late afternoon ride with some guys from Furman and then headed into town with all 70,000 other people to watch the national championship road race. It was awsome to see those guys ripping around town like they were. 4 times up Paris mountian for good measure too! WOW. Levi Leipheimer took the big time win showing how strong he really is. He soloed nearly 20 miles for the win a full minute ahead of what was left of the race!

Food time on the ride in Publix

Picture time with Saul Raisin

Levi taking the win!

Picture time with Tyler Hamilton... nuf' said

Fast Freddie with John Vaughters of slipstream.


After all the hustle and bustle of the race and getting out of town we headed back to the Hotel to change and head to George's (Yes THE George Hincapie) afterparty. It's a long story and one that i will soon be able to explain more. Let's just say there are some changes coming. Any way. It was a great time to just chat with some very awsome people over some drinks and stories of everything we love. Enjoy the pictures. They are PRETTY cool.
Newly Crowned National Champion and Tour de France podium-er Levi Leipheimer

Big George and the little one. He had actually "heard about me".

2 Daves... Yes thats Dave Z, current US TT champ

Tony Cruz of Discovery channel. Hell be around a little more joining BMC next season.

Bobby J. taking off from the hotel we were staying at. he explained that pros too cramp!

Fast Freddie home after being on the Belgian squad with McEwin all season.

Race announcer Dave Toll and Soignier Sarah from Navigators. Dave grabbed her butt. Funniest two people I talked to all night.

Just hangin out... yeah pretty sweet eh?


So yeah. Crazy times in Greenville. Totally great. As for now, I have some ripping off of my legs to do on the bike. ITS CROSS SEASON YA'LL!