Whirlybird race report and hangover competition

This is my first time using a blog or anything like it, but people wanted a race report so here it is. We left Philly at a decent hour for race day because thankfully the C-race was slated to start at 10 am and the venue was only 30 mins away. On the drive over we all compared notes on the level of hangover and the hangover competition was a tie between Gerry and Brendan to be later decided in who would finish worse in their race. Both Gerry and Brendan did the C-race as well as honorary member Eian. Gerry got off to a good start and lead the first two laps with a pretty good gap proving once again that his blood flows better through his veins when thinned with alchohol. Brendan also did a fine job riding in top ten for the majority of the race until an untimely crash opened up his knee and spilled out what seems to be a tar like substance (luckily the UCI wasn't there because Brendan's blood look to thick not to be doped)So Gerry ended up 5th on the day (could have been 4th but a number of lapped riders thought it would be fun to block his way on the run up). Brendan finished 13th thereby winning the hangover competition here is a side by side comparison of the hangover face

Eian also rode a fine race. I am not sure if he was participating in the hangover competition but the expression on his face sure made it look like he was. However, as we learned last week, Eian has an uncanny ability to capture the classic suffer face right when the camera man snaps a shot of him. The rest of the race he just rides around with a smile I swear.

The next race was the B race where Mike Mast experienced the highs and lows of good form stuck behind a bad crash. Mike was the 3rd to last person through the first turn thanks to a crash that happened right in fornt of him on the start line.
Out of the 75 or so that started Mike's race He moved up through the field finishing a respectable 32nd given the 3 other crashes he was stuck behind.
Watching him during the race, he looked strong and kept moving up the whole time.
My race was next, and I have to thank everyone for sticking around to watch, it was great to have people cheering for me. I got a good start and was leading the first lap when Mike Yozell tried to take and inside line on a turn and crashed into me. we were both tangled up and found ourselves at the back of the group. Follwing Yozell up through the group was fun and educational but I definitely burned a lot of matches doing it. By the end of the race my legs were cramping up and I was having a hard time remounting after barriers as seen in this picture.

I ended up 10th on the day and felt good for most of the race. I felt so good that I was even attempting to blow kisses to the camera manAnd on a final note I want to thank My wife Jen and all who helped her in picking out and putting together my most amazing Birthday present (wheels pictured below)...Andy, Dan, Shane. It was a total surprise, they ride great, they look beautiful and give me a shit-eating grin every time.

Charm City- Intimate reflections and Photo contest

Holy Crap what a weekend. Nittany Lion pictures are still being loaded, so I'll wait until they are up to talk about all that. So straight on to Sunday and Charm city. We had a big crew of Willem, Brendan, Mike and me from the team, and teammates in spirit but not in kit, Dan Action and Eian from Firehouse bikes, drove down and raced with us. Luckily we all raced the B race except Dan who was racing for UCI points, so we didn't have to wake up to early.
The course was pretty much the same as last year. Nice new touches were the stars instead of the barriers on back hill, and soul food. I don't remember there being soul food last year but I'm happy they will be at a few other MAC races. I was pissed when I didn't get a call up at the start but I got over it as soon the gun went off. Eian was pre-riding the course when everyone was lining up, then was still riding up to the start when the pack went by and had to jump on from behind. So out of a race of 125 starters and with most of us lining up in the back of the field, our results where...

I got 8th place, after the results were initially posted as 10th, Willem got 22nd, Mike got 57th, Brendan got 78th and Eian who had to chase on to the whole race got 83rd. Dan had crap luck again in the UCI race when he went down and his bike decided to ghost ride down the hill but still finished in the money.

But it was a really fun race, I saw alot of familiar faces and met some new ones. And one last thing, really bike thanks to Mikes girlfriend Becky who saved our lives when she saw a SUV Mike didn't see.

So on to the next thing. The competition was hot, there was a lot of photo's provided by Cycling Captured and MLK Images, many, many, many mediocre pictures. Demon Cats was also there but I don't feel like waiting for the photos to load. So the winner for the Charm city cross race is... Eian! for this amazing expression that expresses all that cross racing is.


Willem gets runner up for having the same look of unshakable concentration in every picture. Its like he's doing taxes.

and Brendan gets the last podium for this piture of him running away from a this enormous man who was trying to crush him under his size 20 feet. and here are some more photo's of Willem

This is Mike



Some of me (shane)





Brendan



and Eian, again showing us what suffering really looks like.

Cyclocross is hard...

I took my cross bike out this morning before work for its maiden voyage. The bike performed flawlessly. I, on the other hand, had a hard time keeping the rubber down. I hit the deck more than a few times…but who’s counting. I laughed, got back on the rig, and shredded more trail (the usage of the word "shredded" is debatable). The dribble of blood coming from my knee only made me want to ride harder, get better. I could have ridden all day. Damn work was calling, though.

Cyclocross is a beast. Having a road biking mentality, my mind was bent as I tried to apply what I thought were the proper techniques to successfully navigate the terrain. On many occasions I was on the brink of disaster—overcooking turns, turning too sharply, even climbing out of the saddle was calamitous on the loose gravel (that’s where I obtained the trickle of aforementioned blood).

After I realized my tires were a tit over-inflated, I stopped, lessened the pressure, and was again on my way. It’s amazing the difference in ride-feel after releasing 5-10 psi. The road was instantly softer and more forgiving. I was carrying more speed through the turns. I felt steadier. "This rules", I thought. "I am totally into this".

*Sidenote* Dan Langlois is an animal. He tears through the woods like a rabid boar. I have a lot to learn, bigger balls to grow. I look forward to the challenges to come.

I omitted the part about Nathalie kicking my butt, which she did—all over the woods. She rocks!

I’m glad you set up tepid laps, Nathalie. It was an awakening experience. I now know what I’m getting myself into (bloody knees and falling in large nettle plants). It will be some time before I graduate to warm laps and beyond.

Stay radical!

Cross Practice

Congratulations to Gerry, Shane, Juliet and Willem for making it out to cross practice in the beautiful weather we had this evening. Much props to Juliet and Gerry for making it out for the first time. I think I fell more than both of them combined. Gerry, ever the asshole, was really good and kept up with the A ride after doing two sets of the B ride and riding away from everyone in that ride. A good dose of rain made the course nice and slippery. I think we are all ready for next week's practice and the first races of the season right after that. Also congrats to Mike Green for getting out the first time on his cross bike.