Pics

Finally got some pics up. Lets start from the beginning. We flew into Chicago last Saturday and four of us had to fend for ourselves on the trains while the others got the rental car. So Donald, Whitey, Clayton and I started out on a trip to our lodging for the night.....but got side tacked on the way. We got off the train in downtown Chi town looking for the best original deep dish pizza.

After asking a local we found it, and it was good. As you can see Donald doesn't like to be messed with when he is eating. We ordered two large deep dish / stuffed pizzas and the four of us finished them off in under ten minutes. Don't ever challenge a hungery cyclist to an eating contest.
After the pizza it we began to get lost on our way back to the train station. After walking a couple of figure eights around multiple blocks Clayton found an add that he thought he should take part in.
After a few hours of being lost we finally found our train and got to the house for the night, only four hours behind schedule.

Our team director didn't know the distance between Chicago and Altoona when he booked the flights, so on Sunday we began the long 10 hr drive into PA.

Then there was the racing from Monday throught Sunday. It hurt and I am totally spent right now but we did very well as a team and as workers getting our GC men into the top spots.

The return trip was boring. We left Altoona, PA at 6pm and got into O'Hare airport in Chicago at 3am and grabbed a few hours of sleep until four of us (me included) got on standby and on a earlier flight at 6:30am, while everyone else waited until their flight at 1pm. We are all home now, another long stage race, another victory in becoming one of the best teams out there.

I'm Back

Well it was a long trip and a even harder race, but I am back in good ole Boulder where the air isn't so thick it looks like its foggy all the time like it is in PA. The race ended well with the Team finishing top 6 out of 30 teams and having Garcia and Nydam in the top 20. I'm completely spent. It takes so much energy just to stand and walk and my eyes are burning from not enough sleep, so I am heading to bed for the rest of the day, hell maybe the rest of the week. Sorry about no pics, the blog program isn't letting me load them for some reason.

Toona

I have to say that this is by far the hardest stage races in North America, and I would say that most others here would agree. Four days of racing down and three to go, still a long way from the finish. Sooooooooooo tired, I'm going to take a nap.

Altoona, PA

Sorry but the updates will probably be very short. I have internet connection but it is very slow. So just check for results for know and I will put all the pics up I take when I get back to Boulder.

You've got Mail

Its funny, I actually get fan mail wanting autographs.

I'm a Slacker

Sorry, I know I am slipping, but I've been busy. Since getting back from OR I've focused myself 100% on Tour de Toona. The training days have been hard and long with a little recovery tomorrow and then catch a flight to PA on Sat. This is my last major tour of the year and its time to try and secure a major contract for next year, lets just say the gloves are off and I'm not going to come back to CO with anything left in me; Its time to show what I can do. Or atleast lets hope I can do it.

Heading Home

Here are somemore pics from Cascade Classic. The race is over and the team ended up 5th overall and Garcia had the highest GC placing at 15th. This was Stage 1 starting line.
This was the break that I initiated but never worked. I'm the third guy from the left and Gord is on my wheel and Baldwin is being tailgunner.
The scenery was awesome but didn't get to see a lot of it.

Some Pics

On the way to the start
Looking down the road from Mt. Bachelor
Mt. Bachelor
Old lava flows (the darker mass beyond the trees)

Cascade Classic Stage 2

Our hosts here in Bend probably didn't know what they were getting themselves into when we showed up. We eat them out of house and home daily.
Today was another killer day. Right off the start Toyota United got to the front and drove it hard. Clayton and I were watching for the early breaks and the one that got away Clayton got in.The first 70 miles were non stop rollers and a pace that just wouldn't let up (28 mph). Then the climb hit and the break got caught with Clayton in it. The group split badly on the climb to the finish but Garcia got himself a 5th place finish then Donald and the rest of us bringing up the rear. I stayed around Garcia and Donald towards the front most of the day keeping and eye on everything and there for them when they needed me.

The Cascades are a beautiful place and it is one of my top places I've seen so far this year. Its tough to pick between here and Monterey though. I'm tired so I'm off to bed.

Cascade Classic Stage 1

The flight yesterday wasn't that great. I was hoping to get some sleep but the shoved me in the very last row that has the seats that don't lay back at all. So a very uncomfortable 2.5 hr flight. Here's flying over the Rockies.

This is right out side Portland, I know that one of them is Mt. Hood, but not sure which the other one is.
After the flight I met up my Mike and began the 3hr drive to Bend, OR. These are called the Three Sisters right outside of Bend.
Today was stage one of the Cascade Classic and it wasn't much fun, but then it is work, so its not supposed to be fun. It was only 92miles but a killer climb half way through. It was about 6k with an elevation change of over 1000 ft. After the climb it went flat and windy and finished up a 3k steep climb. My job was covering all the early breaks with Clayton. We did our jobs well, but it hurt. Attacks were constant and the pace was very high for 45 miles. I established a break about 20miles in but no one was willing to work and we got caught after 6k. After the intermediate steep climb the race was guttered due to the wind and a small group of us got shelled with 13 to go. Garcia is sitting closest to first only 3:50 back of Wherry who won. Tomorrow is another day and some more killer climbs.

On to Portland

On the road again, just sitting at the Denver airport waiting on my flight to Portland and trying to figure out the lesser of the evils in the food court. I went with Panda Express over McDonalds and a Taco Bell rip off. I don't think I will be eating mexican food anytime soon after the stuff I saw last night with Chelsea and her parents, lets just say if anyone invites you to Casa Bonita in Lakewood, say no thanks.
I found out late last night that not only does my travel today include a 2.5 hr flight but a 3 hr drive after that. The only good part is that my coach is picking me up and driving me in a rental. I guess I shouldn't be complaining, the rest of the team (6 guys) had to drive 20hrs in a cramped van, I'm guessing they will have watched around 11 movies on the drive there, they will probably need to buy some new ones for the drive back.

Rain

When will the rain end, according to the weather channel not soon. The last two days have been spent inside not doing much, watching some tour and helping Chelsea get her condo up and running. Hopefully I can get a ride in tomorrow to keep the legs from getting too stiff, then its off to Portland on Tuesday.

I have to give it to Randy, even in the rain he raced yesterday and today, the feild sizes have been kind of small due to the weather. Its just not worth risking a crash in the rain during a crit with a big race coming up this next week. So its just me and the TV right now.

Happy Fourth (a little late)

Yesterday was a good long day in the saddle. Randy and I headed up to Lyons then up toward Estes Park on South St. Vrain. We jumped off at Peak to Peak around 11ooo ft.
We came back down through Jamestown. Its not a large town at all, maybe four buildings total and hidden back up in the mountains, but they still had a parade for the fourth down the one city block. We couldn't help ourselves but we took some candy that the VFD were throwing.After our four hour march on the bike we went to Hutch's place on top of Magnolia for some BBQ and drinks in the hot tub. It was just some good times with friends, and Hutch's crazy dog that is working on cutting down a tree with his teeth.

Today was another four hours for me, but Randy decided not to attend this march. I took a day away from the mountains and headed along the front range to Carter Lake up by Fort Collins then back. Looks like the tour is coming back on for the third time today, time to rewatch it.

Going Up

To start off with I have to say congratulations to the Brenners who got married last night, it was a great night of partying and having fun with friends.

I've been feeling back to normal, but the training is still pretty laid back. Today was just a couple of hours on the bike so I headed up to Jamestown then up Lefthand and Lee Hill, if you haven't figured it out yet, I like to climb.
I get a lot of spare time off the bike lately and I don't know what to do with it all. Well there are things I need to get done but I am putting them off till later, right now its all about taking it easy and resting up for Cascade, thankfully there is good stuff on OLN now with the Tour on so the couch is my normal spot in the afternoons. Speaking of which, its time to hit the couch.