You Didn't Ask For It...

Even though you didn't ask, you did, with some prodding from yours truly, come up with a few of the best and worst moments of 2007. So, without further ado...

2007's Best and Worst Moments

Best Proud Pappa Moment:

Laundry's win in the 4's at Barriani Road Race-- while the race lacked the devastating put-you-out-the-back-before-you-know-it wind of previous years, Laundry rode sensibly in the group, springing a little fast twitch in the finale that was enough to make a father's chest swell with pride.

-or-

The 3's Challenge Challenge-- Micah Herman comes of age, besting the "grown-ups" and filling his pops to the brim with that pride stuff.

-or-

Golden at Golden State-- AWfoSho, with a little help from his friends, showed the pro/1/2 boys how to win a local crit. First-ever DBCJRT pro/1/2 win didn't just bust my chest open spilling pride all over the place as a pappa, but also as a director... the kidlets rode like a team, not just against other kidlets, but against the big dogs.

Worst We Really Tried Moment:

Merco Credit Union Grand Prix-- Plan A didn't work, Plan B didn't work either and DBCJRT ended up out of the top ten in a race where we should have been on the podium for sure... El Gigante saved a little face with his second place finish in the 15/16 category, but we still didn't count on that SoCal kid winding it up the way he did to take the top spot.

-or-

17/18 Nationals Road Race-- We tried to have everybody up front for the descent, we really did...

-or-

Mr. Basso's attempt at doping. He really tried, but couldn't even get that right.

Best Pavement Toucher:

The Tapinator definitely made a run at this one with consecutive crashes, but without a doubt, this one goes to a kid who managed to break his wrist while blowing his nose!

Worst Pavement Toucher:

TK couldn't keep the rubber on the road and ended up in the ditch... really far down in the ditch... on a little old training ride.

Best Fit in the Airport:

Let's just say it had been a long week and leave it at that...

Luckiest TK Moment:

Sure was lucky that Jan's camera and all those expensive bikes were still in the hotel room when we got back from dinner...

Unluckiest Staz moment:

Bummer that you let you dad fill your car up with gas... oops, don't think you heard about that one yet...

Best I Can Act Like a Two-Year-Old Moment:

Matt Theisen's exit after the officials declared a four way tie for eighth place in the 3's at Land Park.

-or-

Tricky Ticky putting on a show after the crit at VOS...

Worst Officiating:

No moto with the 17/18's at VOS during the RR...

Best Prediction:

"I bet you $50 I'm gonna win the TT at Nationals."

Best Stage Race:

The votes are in for Gold Nugget, but because it was so small I just can't give the nod to it... instead, I'm gonna say Madera simply because the results were up before we left the parking lot. And, I had a blast in the feed zone.

Best Stage Race Moment:

"How 'bout, Who's got the biggest dangles?"

Best Crit Team:

2007 DBCJRT without a doubt...

Best Hill Climbers:

Without a doubt... not 2007 DBCJRT

The Power of 10

Every now and then I spend some time reading... not Cyclingnews or Velonews or Bicycling Magazine, but Time Magazine, Money, National Geographic, or sometimes maybe even a book that is not written at the fifth-grade level.

In the most current issue of Time the editors pose the question, "Why do we go list-crazy at the end of every year?" They then procede to give their top ten reasons why. I've been toying with the idea of another top ten list... the top ten best DBCJRT moments of 2007 or My ten favorite memories of 2007 cycling or... you get what I'm after. But, I've already used top ten lists at least twice on this blog. Remember Madera or more recently, The top ten things I learned on the Jesse Ride... I'm hesitant to use another top ten list because using the same format too many times is a sure way to bore the three of you that actually read this thing...

So, instead, why don't y'all comment with you favorite and/or least favorite moments from 2007 cycling and I'll do my creative best to compile them into some semblence of interesting before we turn the page on the calendar.

The rules are simple: if it is remotely related to cycling-- DBCJRT, NorCal Juniors, NorCal Elites, Prosies, etc, etc, etc-- comment on it.

This may be a cheap and easy way to fill content, but more likely, I've forgotten many of the best/worst moments of 07... They say that the first thing to go when you get old is your memory. I forget what the second, third, and fourth things to go are, but I do look for other things to do while I'm bent down after tying my shoes...

Merry Christmas

Decided against bringing the bikes to WA for the week. Yesterday was beautiful and sunny, and people were riding their bikes all over the island, albeit bundled up in multiple layers. I was thinking we probably should have brought the bikes... today I'm thinking I guessed right. It's snowing that wet, mushy 32 degree kinda snow that freezes you just looking out the window at it... no reason to ride a bike in that kinda stuff.
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All I want for Christmas is two good knees... instead got this... I'm not at liberty to say to whom the knees belong, but the boy does need to clean his room... could be worse after going under the knife.

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AWfoSho started his own bloggity blog. After much debate he came up with a silly name for it... not sure what tfs means and I don't know who Sharin is nor why he is thankful for her.

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Christmas means, among other things, that it is time to send USAC some dough... gotta get the 2008 licenses before race season starts... which is just a turn of the calendar away. Seems crazy that guys will be going full blast up San Bruno in a few days or riding in circles around an office park in a few weeks. With junior nationals falling sometime in August it's gonna be a longish season in 08... Oh how to keep the motivation up, the fitness from falling flat after 8 months of racing...

Riding the Wind

When the weather does this some times you get lucky, sometimes you get wet...

El Gigante and I rode the wind back from Lake Solano today just in front of the rain. Half hour behind us, on his way back from Napa, AWfoSho got wet... At least he remembered his rain jacket, even if Paul gave him grief about his lack of stylish sensibility...

Top 10 Things I learned on the Jesse Ride

10) Thor has officially outgrown his college/partying days... he's riding twenty hours a week and is in good enough shape to chase back on after a flat in the first half hour of the ride...

9) Sometimes, no matter how hard he pushes himself, a kid can't get his HR to climb above 160 BPM... momma said there would be days like this, there'd be days like this, my momma said... time for a few recovery rides...

8) It is possible to bonk Caren, but only after she has run 20+ miles the day before...

7) It is a good bet that Jesse not only knows every road in Placer County but has ridden on them... even if they are dirt...

6) Green Valley Road to Missouri Flat Road is a terrible route to take if Jesse is no longer available to route find...

5) Mother Lode Road is even worse than Green Valley/Missouri Flat...

4) Being on the front for three hours isn't that bad if you are riding at your own pace...

3) The Bakery next to Bicycles Plus is not open on Sundays... even if you have been on the front for three hours...

2) The Mexican Restaurant next to Bicycles Plus is really expensive. Spandex is not appropriate dress either...

1a) food poisoning is not conducive to finishing with the hardmen on a Jesse ride...

1b) vomiting is a really good way to induce bonking...

1c) newspaper is a good substitute for toilette paper when you are suffering from food poisoning on a Jesse ride... *editors note: DBCJRT does not condone stealing at anytime, even newspapers from somebody's newspaper tube, but will make exceptions in the case of explosive diarrhea...

Karmic Circumstance

Picture, if you will, for a moment this:

AWfoSho returning home via Putah Creek Road after logging some base miles... somewhere just east of Highway 505 a car pulls up behind him occupied by two late teen or early twenties types. All masculine and MOPAR like they rev the engine a few times in an attempt to intimidate a lone rider spinning on the fog line. Bravado being what it is, a few engine revs simply aren't enough so they step up their game. Tires smokin', rubber squealin' our friendly auto occupants leave a trail of rubber-wreaking smoke as they pass...

The smokin' and squealin' continue out of sight around the corner only to be followed by the emphatic bang of a tire blowing out.

Our two friendly, former auto occupants are now standing on the side of the road with perplexed expressions on their faces, wondering just what the heck happened to their tire. As AWfoSho spins by he can't hold back a comment...

Something along the lines of, "Sucks for you" slips out to be followed by more bravado from the two now-afoot former auto occupants. In the blink of an eye one of them slips off his shoe and turns it into a projectile. Quick thinking!

The shoe sails harmlessly over AWfoSho's shoulder and lands conveniently on the road in front of him. Without stopping AWfoSho bends down and scoops up the errant projectile. Glancing back over his shoulder with an equally perplexing look, probably more accurately interpreted as 'WTF', the shoe is hurled over the embankment and lost forever to the creek bottom and its varmints while AWfoSho continues along his merry way.

Don't know what happened to deedle-deedle-dumplin' and his companion. Not sure if they were quick-witted enough to change the tire on the car. Perhaps they found a way to share three shoes between four feet as they hoofed it back to Winters...

Karma

Confirmations

tres confimaciones hoy...

primero: don't know if you read VN or not, but Rock is making noise again. And I like it... Michael Ball has got a way with words, ya know what I mean. He don't beat 'round no bushes. He's standing behind his riders despite many a flying rumor.

El Gigante and AWfoSho hooked up for a ride with that Switters kid today and the chit chat inevitably turned towards the above referenced interview. I'm getting this second hand, but seems Adam was Leogrande's roommate at Superweek '07. He's vouching for Kayle, saying that there was no monkey business with needles or pills going on at all. I, for one, am glad to get confirmation that KL was riding clean. God save our sport!!!

segundo: got confirmation from Voler today that the proofs are in the mail... in a day or two I should get those full size pieces-o-paper. And I'm not kidding... to view them in their entirety one needs to lay them out on a queen size bed. I don't even have enough contiguous floor space in my humble abode to lay them down without folding 'em.

Anyways, I'll be pouring over the logos for spelling and location, checking colors, etc... all the while admiring the new white shorts... if all goes as planned, we'll have new kits the second week of January... coolio...

tercer: This may be more of a rumor than confirmation, but take it for what it is worth... Finally something useful from MySpace... Rock's Justin Williams sent out a little tid bit to all his buddies... El Gigante happens to be one of them.

You should all know Jr. National Championships are in California!!! and that all ready makes it the best nationals ever but there so much more. Im helping with the event and i want everyone to spread the word....The TT completey flat the road race made for REAL! racers not climbers and The Crit DisneyLand Baby!

Can you say, "Easy on the budget?" if it's all true and no bs... 'bout time they brought the dang thing back to the Left Coast. Not that I haven't had fun trapsing around the rural PA countryside and ER's the last two years...

I Always Feel Bad Leaving...

Jesse's place after the kids have been testing...

There's always a puddle of sweat on the hardwood floor and the faint aroma of teenage boy hanging in the air...

I'd offer to stay and clean up but figure I better skatdaddle before his better half gets home and sees what he's been up to. Kinda one of those oops your mom's gonna kill us when she sees this mess. Did you hear that? I think my mom is calling. Gotta run moments.

Despite the I-should-stay-and-help-clean-up feelings, there is something I love about watching the kids test... It might be seeing the improvements as they "grow up" and get faster, but more than likely it's the childish giddy feeling that I get watching them suffer... There is something about suffering on the trainer... it so visible... not like watching suffering on the road. I can stand next to them glancing at the HRM, listening to the breathing, watching the drops of sweat bead up and roll off... Oh, and there is the funny little face a big tough teenager makes when the skin-fold-o-meter pinches them.

Suffering... it's worth risking your buddies mom (or in this case, wife) coming home to discover what you've been doing in her living room.

BTW the kids numbers look good... better december numbers than we were seeing in june last year. and does it mean anything if TK set a pr for max hr???

Presenting...

Here, in no particular order other than the way I typed them, is DBCRT 2008...

Junior Boys 15/16
Cody Tapley--- third full season with DBCJRT and improving rapidly. Striving towards the Junior Point Series in 08
Andreas Freund--- been with us since he burst onto the scene as a 13 year old. Multi-time state champion. Working towards being even faster when the road tips skyward
Torey Philipp--- comes to DBCJRT from Body Concepts. Big engine, lots-o-potential. And yes I spelled his name wrong in a previous post
Zachary Sawchuck--- Another transfer from Body Concepts
Zachary Wick--- back for his 6th season in 08. Former state champion, looking to crack the mystery of a 3's field sprint
Peter Aumann--- first year racer with cycling in his blood
AJ Snovel--- lots of talent, looking to break into racing in a big way in 08

Junior Boys 13/14
Kyle Blyth--- another new racer with competitive cycling in his blood
Kelby Spore--- who needs to train when you come from a gene pool like this one? Undefeated in his age group in 07 (except for a missed start time at Dunlap). Gotta get him off the motorcycle and onto the bicycle more often in 08
Alexander Freund--- another former state champion back for another go in 08. Odds on favorite for the junior 13/14 ncnca point series championship

Junior Boys 17/18
David Vuilleumier--- back for his third season in the blue and orange. the consummate teammate and a big talent
Chris Stastny--- son of a former Czech national champion on the road, looking towards following in pop's footsteps
Parker Childress--- a big-hearted kid with a large side order of perseverance. Looking to step up his game with some out-of-district racing in 08
Brian Frink--- new to racing for 08. Looking to cut his teeth with the big boys in the upcoming season
Alex Wick--- four time state champion, twice on the podium at nationals, a self-professed crit slut looking to make the jump to 1's in 08
Taylor Kuphaldt--- a state champion and one of the top TT specialists in the country. Looking to cat-up to 1 in 08 if he's not spending too much time with the national team

Junior Boys 10-12
Karch Miller--- one of the top dawgs on the bmx circuit, this kid can spin like you can't believe. Should be lots-o-wins in 08
Ryan Gomez--- ready and rarin' to race in 08. If the kidlet has as much speed as enthusiasm he will be unstoppable

The New Kid

pulled into the parking lot adjacent to Bicycles Plus in Folsom for the Jesse ride earlier this morning... There, all decked out and ready to ride, was Torrey Phillip, one of our newest riders. We had emailed back and forth a week or so ago about the ride...

One of the things I have a hard time balancing as director of DBCJRT is a non-DBCJRT specific ride. If I set up a ride and invite the juniors to come I know I am responsible for them. I know that I will leave nobody behind. With other rides, like the Jesse ride, the Wheelworks ride, or Tues/Thurs rides the line is not so clear. If a DBCJRT athlete is there I feel responsible for them because they are a part of our team even if it is not a DBCJRT ride. If/when they start going off the back I'm torn... stay with them, or continue my ride... one of the limited times I have to ride.

I had some trepidation about having Torrey on the ride because I knew I would go off the back with him if he got dropped. But then what about the other DBCJRT kids who might get dropped later in the ride, farther from home?

Not to worry... our newest kidlet rode strong. He ate when I told him to eat, listened as Jim, Alex, and I gave him pointers about saving energy in the group, etc. Granted Jesse is recovering from a rough week, and the ride was considerably easier and shorter than previous weeks, but Torrey was there right up to the end.

I'm looking forward to watching him develop as a bike racer... he's got the engine. It'll be fun to teach him how to race. Another project for 08!!!

Keep up the good work, Torrey!

Equipment Sponsorship...

Just found out today that, thanks to Joe's hard work at Wheelworks, Cervelo, Giro, and Rudy Project are on board for 2008...

The deals are too smokin' hot to post specifics here. might fry the interwebs... but, if you are privy, check out your email for all the details.

I love this time of year when all the schmoozing, chasing, back-slapping, and brown-nosing comes to fruition!!!

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Kinda like being a kid at Christmas time again!

A Blast from the Past... Pics from WCCCA MTB Finale'

Recently I've been thinking that DBCJRT has been doing a good job of meeting its mission... now I'm not so sure.

Thor, one of our recent graduates, is riding dirt for Cal-Poly SLO. Technically I guess we've met, at-least a portion of our mission with him. He has continued to ride his bike so we have fostered an active, healthy lifestyle in him. He still is racing, so we succeeded in providing access to racing for him, but have we created a well-rounded, community-minded individual? You tell me...

Check out that beard... now you know why we call him Thor...

Just riding MTB doesn't eliminate you from being a community-minded individual, but hanging out with guys like this might...

Hey Blake... crack kills!!!

Happy Thanksgiving... Burritos Anyone?

I haven't heard officially from Slipstream yet, but one of our enterprising young'ns sniffed out a little tidbit on the Slipstream/Chipotle Website... seems that DBCJRT has earned the Polka-Dot KOM in their "Causing the Slipstream" development program. Which means that in exchange for jersey space we get, among other things, free burritos... settle down TK, they all aren't for you, but you will get your fare share.

I'll let y'all know when I get the official word, in the mean time... Happy Turkey Day!

Weekend What Nots...

Saturday AM by the numbers: Nine juniors and three parents not counting me.

Veteran DBCJRT'rs AWfoSho, El Gigante, PtotheArker, and Tapinator took this years latest class of recruits on a nice-to-get-to-know-you spin out to Winters. I'm sure enough excited to see Brian, AJ, Ryan, Kyle, and Peter out riding their bikes with the normal crowd. There is nothing so cool as seeing orange and white all lined up heading down the road. Soon enough, we'll have the new kits and all the kidlets will be sporting DBCJRT colors. Can't wait.

Ryan and Kyle had to cut the ride short... something about six hours of a hockey tournament to get off to. Pretty hardcore for little guys! Brian, Peter, and the rest of the parental crowd returned to Davis from Winters just in time to see the fog burn off. AwfoSho took the rest of the crowd out for a tour of three hills... good old Gibson/Steiger/Cantelowe... rumor has it that PtotheArker and the Tapinator are getting themselves uphill pretty darn well. And AwfoSho reports that AJ is a climbing maniac for a kid who hasn't spent much time on a bike. Fun, Fun!

Sunday's ride was less about social and more about suffer... AWfoSho, Staz, TK, and El Gigante showed up for the Jesse ride along with Caren and me.

AWfoSho, Caren, and TK opted for a 4.5 hour jaunt up towards Auburn via Jesse roads... Baxter Grade and any other road that doesn't have a centerline on it. After a descent to the Confluence and a climb to Cool, they returned via Salmon Falls. I'm told that this is basically the "Around the Lake Loop" in reverse, except that Jesse spends more time on tiny little side roads than the main route. Its cool to see the boys hangin' with the local hardmen, but the coolest thing today was watching Caren chick a bunch of those hardmen... she'd had enough of "gettin' no respect" out there in her DBCJRT junior kit, so today she dug out one of her old Jane's Cosmetics kits. Just to say, "Look at me, I used to be a Pro!" Chick'n the hardmen... gotta love it.

El Gigante and Staz were relying on me to get them back to the car from somewhere around Auburn... a little take a left here and a right there escapade that finally saw us riding back into Folsom after three-and-a-half hours... we did get to spend a good chunk of time riding levees and gravel, which always makes things a tad bit more interesting...

Has This Ever Happened to You?

A few years back I was suckered into a deal... Get 3 issues of Vel-Old-News for free when you purchase a 12 month subscription. "Sure," I'm thinking, "At least it'll make for good bathroom reading." Send in the postcard with the little yellow sticker that says, "Yes"... Ya'll probably know which one I'm talking about.

Several weeks later I'm anxiously awaiting my first issue. Finally it arrives and, in small print on the cover, it says, "display until May 06" or something like that. Problem is it is July 06. Hmm... Flash forward a few weeks and a notice comes in the mail. Mind you, I haven't received my 2nd free issue yet. It says my subscription is about to expire. Gotta be a mistake, I'm thinking. I haven't even been billed yet. Then the bill comes and, just like dad taught me, I pay it first thing. Still haven't received my 2nd free issue though. Then sometime in September I get two issues back to back. The first one says it should be displayed until September something or other. Cool, I'm thinking they finally got it right. Then the next day, my 3rd free issue comes and it is supposed to be displayed until August and covers the first half of the Tour. Hmm... I think I received one more issue and then they sent me an expiration notice along with a request for renewal. I simply wrote,"Yea, right." and returned the card. No more issues...

So, it's all good. I'm sure it was a simple mistake. Or, maybe, somebody went postal somewhere and my issues were retained as evidence, or something like that... afterall, it was only a few bucks.

Recently, El Gigante received a subscription to Vel-Old-News from his grandmother. First two issues right on time. Then nothing... Finally, three or four days ago, the issue with Bettini blasting away on the cover comes. Okay, at least it's semi-timely, but I can't even crack the cover because I've already heard all the news. And today... Vel-Old-News blessed me by telling me that good-old Georgie won the Tour of Missouri. What? do those guys randomly send out back issues whenever they feel like it?

Regardless, I let go a solid belly laugh when, in addition to the ToM issue, there is a letter from the rag requesting a subscription, for which I will be able to not only NOT receive my issues but I can give them the address of any friend I wish so that they may also NOT receive their issues. A two for one deal!!!

I'm half-tempted to subscribe and have the free subscription sent to myself also. Maybe that way I'll get half the issues I pay for in half the time it usually takes to get them to me.

BTW Has anybody heard who won Milano-San Remo this year?

Just a Quick Shout Out Before I'm Off to the Land of ZZZZZZZZ

A lot of coaches who offer sponsorship deals to riders and/or teams find it hard to squeeze in time to personalize their practice for sponsored athletes... especially kidlet athletes. And probably rightly so... there may not be a lot of return on kidlet sponsorships.

As most of you probably know because of the big Moore Performance logo on DBCJRT kidlets' backs, Jesse Moore provides expert level coaching for our athletes. He brings a lot to the table... race experience, a masters degree, an athletic mindset that is to die for. Just enter into a conversation with him about biomechanics, nutrition, peaking, or maintaining a mental edge and you'll see what I mean. He is cutting edge... up-to-date on everything that is relevent. He gleaned a heaping helping of knowledge from Testa and Heiden before they split for Salt Lake and continues to throw garnish and spices on the dish with all that is current in the field. The boy knows his stuff.

And the best part... he takes time to personalize his approach for his athletes. Got a call from him tonight... well after working hours, when by all rights he should have been having dinner with his better half, talking about her day over a glass of wine and a meal. Not that he is neglecting that better half, I'm sure he takes care of her as well as he takes care of the DBCJRT kidlets, but he was just calling to check in on the boys... make sure they were doing all right, was there anything they needed?

He's professional... does his job to make sure the little kiddos are doing their job. That is, to make sure that the Moore Performance logo on their back is the last thing the competition sees as the boys take off down the road...

Couple of Things...

First... from Alex's email:

All, Alex wanted me to send out an email about a couple of upcoming rides...

Tomorrow, Monday, 11/12: Alex, Zach and I will be leaving our house at 9:00 am sharp. 1959 Lake blvd #157. Same place the meeting was held except at our apartment. We will be riding to Winters and back at an easy pace... about 1.5 hours. Nobody will be dropped. RSVP to this email if you are planning on coming.



Next Saturday, 11/16: We'd like to make this a team ride, and want as many of you as possible to come. We will be riding to Winters at an easy pace, nobody will be dropped. After we get to Winters you have two options. 1) Alex and Zach will continue on for an additional 2.5 to 3 hours with hills. This portion of the ride will be faster and they can't guarantee that you will not get dropped. 2)I will be returning to Davis at an easy pace, as slow as the slowest rider, nobody gets dropped. This is a perfect chance for you to come out and meet your teammates, ride with them, get to know them. Come out and ride. Again, 9:00 am sharp at 1959 Lake Blvd #157. Parents are welcome to come also. RSVP to this email address.



Looking forward to seeing all of you on the bike.

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Next: Got to ride with AJ yesterday morning, before the rain... The kid traded pull for pull with AWfoSho and little old me... He's gonna be fast. Can't wait to see him in the hills. AJ's spent just a few hours in the pool throwing a little yellow ball around. All those eggbeater kicks have developed some strong legs. A few years back we had a couple of water polo players on the team. Remember Jake and Trevor Allen? Remember how they went uphill? If I remember correctly, Jake is swimming for Stanford right now. Trevor can still be seen around Davis, at least for a couple more years, until he graduates. But I digress. My point was that water polo players make good climbers. AJ is gonna be good!

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Finally: 5:01:37... ride time, 85.4 miles... ride distance, elevation gain... you tell me. How much climbing is there if you ride from Folsom to Placerville, down Chili Bar and up the other side, over to Greenwood, back to Cool, over Salmon Falls cut-off back to Folsom. That's what Jesse did to us today. We started out with a group somewhere between 20 and 30, including riders from the Cal-Giant, Seirra Nevada/Specialized, Webcor/Alto Velo, and, I think, Eric Saunders was there along with TK, AWfoSho, the Staz and me. By the time we hit Chili Bar we were down to 10 0r 12 because of flats, mechanicals and plain old droppage. My legs yelled quit somewhere around Cool (really they were yelling it long before, but that is when I finally succumbed to their insistence). The Staz and I pedalled the final hour and a half all lonely like, but it's all good because Staz got to learn about old-man toughness. "We're still an hour plus from the car. There is nothing for it but to git'er done, so keep pedalling."

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Looking forward to seeing you all on the bike!

DBCJRT Cash Sponsorship Solidifies

DBCJRT is pleased to announce that new sponsorship agreements have been reached with most of its sponsors from 2007. Without support from businesses outside of the cycling industry the complete scope of DBCJRT's mission would have to be scaled back considerably. For helping to accomplish the mission of 1)providing access to racing for junior cyclists, 2)fostering a healthy lifestyle in its athletes, and 3)creating community minded individuals, DBCJRT would like to thank James Childress, DDS, Inc; e-Motion Video; Benton Runquist, DDS, MS; Tandem Properties; Sweetwater Homes; and Unity Forest Products.

James Childress, DDS has been a practicing dentist in Davis for many years. He is a five time recipient of the Yolo County Dentist of the Year Award. DBCJRT is pleased to have formalized a relationship with Dr Childress for 2008. Dr Childress' comittment to the team for the 2008 season follows an informal relationship in 2007 when he first expressed interest in supporting the team.

e-Motion Video is a video production company based in Davis. DBCJRT is happy to have them onboard. From their website:

e-Motion Video was born from a passion and talent for shooting
and editing subjects near and dear to our hearts -- mainly cycling,
windsurfing,
skiing, or any other adrenalin-based or human-powered
sport.

It soon became apparent, however, that our top-quality
production services were in high demand in a business and broadcast environment
as well.

Hal Sloane, company founder and president, came to the
production world from a successful TV news career. The driving force of e-Motion
Video, Hal possesses the unique ability to create
captivating video quickly
and efficiently. His innovative style and editing tempo have produced
compelling, award-winning work for 16 years

e-Motion Video is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2003 Videographer Award of Distinction.

Benton Runquist, DDS, MS is a multi-year sponsor of DBCJRT. 2008 will be the third consecutive season he has supported the team. Dr Runquist practices orthodontia in Davis and has straightened the teeth of several DBCJRT athletes.

Like Dr Runquist, Tandem Properties has pledged its support to DBCJRT for a third consecutive year. From Tandem's website:

Tandem Properties was founded in 1965 as a sole proprietorship by John Whitcombe. John graduated from UC Davis and then from the Harvard Business School. The original company began by designing and building custom homes. In 1969, Bill Roe and Paul Makley both graduates from the Stanford Business School, joined the company to help manage it's growth. For over 30 years, Tandem Properties has maintained its tradition of quality housing and fair business practices which the community has come to expect year after year. Today, the company continues this reputation of service to the community. Tandem Proeprties is an official corporate sponsor of UC Davis Athletics and the AGGIE PACK, the largest student booster organization in the country. The company has also benefitted local organizations such as Families First, Yolo County Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center, International House, Head Start and more. As Tandem Properties grows, so will it's capacity to provide more quality rental housing, excellent customer service and outstanding stewardship of the community.

Sweetwater Homes has renewed its relationship with DBCJRT for a second straight year. Sweetwater is a real estate development company responsible for developing much of North Davis.

Also, supporting DBCJRT for a second straight year is Unity Forest Products. From Unity's website:

We are a lumber remanufacture plant & sawmill located on 22 acres in Yuba City, CA. U.S.A. We are a group of people coming together with a common goal. That goal is customer satisfaction, reliable service and quality products. In this day and age, it is equally important to find products that fulfill specific niches in the market. We strive to achieve these goals at our mill.

DBCJRT would like to extend a warm welcome to our team to all of our sponsors. We look forward to sharign our successes in 2008 with all of them.

Rider Bio: Cody Tapley

The Tapinator... regular kid with a big heart!

Cody is just like any one of a million teenagers. He goes to school, hangs out with his friends playing football, has a part time job -AND- rides his bike, a lot...

Cody was introduced to DBCJRT by a neighbor. He'd see his neighbor, former DBC'er Trudy Bjornson, pedalling out of her driveway on regular basis. Soon he was joining her for hour long rides. Trudy put him in touch DBC, introducing him as an aspiring bike racer. The first ride is probably something the Tapinator wants to forget: suffering, sweating, pedalling, huffing, and puffing while trying to hang onto AWfoSho and Juge's wheel. Unfortunately, in the spirit of fun, his teammates won't ever let him forget about it. Perhaps the ride was more painful for AWfoSho and Juge as they "pedalled along at fourteen miles per hour."

Bicycle racing is a tough sport for kids to break into. Typically a teenage kid, full of spit and vinegar, wants to be like Lance. He jumps into his first race or ride with visions of glory. And, he's promptly dropped. The art of racing, the speed, the accelerations, the close proximity to twenty or thirty other kids trying to stay upright on two spinning wheels is something that takes time to learn. Most kids, having their legs and lungs handed to them, having their pride crushed, take a second look at racing and say, "I'm never doing that again."

Tapley, having more heart than most, never had second thoughts...

One hour spins were traded for hardcore training rides. His first bike, a steel-framed Falcon, was traded for a carbon Raleigh provided, in part, by a sponsorship through a local bike shop. Soon Tapley was riding off the front of the local Tuesday/Thursday race ride.

A Rising Star...

Now the Tapinator is training religiously with long rides, building a base for 2008.

DBCJRT has a long standing tradition of winning the NCNCA Junior Point Series. For four straight years they've taken top honors in the 15/16 category. The Tapinator has his sights set on upholding that tradition in 2008. Beyond 2008, Tapley's "goals for cycling are to just keep riding, I mean, I dream of becoming a pro, but, if not, it's okay. I'll still ride my bike."

When he's not on his bike training, Tapley is working on bikes at his part time job at Davis Wheelworks. A neo-mechanic, Cody describes his job as, "the Walmart bike mechanic." Wheelworks is the premier Northern California bike shop where it is routine to see $5,000 $6,000 even $10,000 bikes come and go through the doors. Cody is cutting his teeth on the inexpensive stuff first, and that is fine with him. "[It] is okay because I learn new things everyday."

Cutting his teeth in the bike shop, cutting his teeth on the race course. Full of heart, the Tapinator is going to make his dreams come true...

Hope You Marked Your Calendar in Pencil

Grab your eraser and change the date...

from Jason Eiserich, Masters Team Member:

Hey Team,

Just an FYI. Due to the Team night at Ken's Bike and Ski having to be held on 14 November, we will have to reschedule the DBC Race Team end of the year party. Stay tuned on your email soon announcing the new date of the Race Team party.

best,

jason

This was the team party scheduled for Steve's Pizza. I'll let you know when I hear the date...

Just Some Bid'ness

1. Clothing orders for the 2008 season are due this Saturday, 11/10... I have to have it to Voler by the 12th and need the weekend to compile it.
2. If you want long sleeve items like wind jackets, thermals, or armwarmers you need to order those with the adult team clothing order... that order form can be found here. Make sure you follow all of the instructions.
3. Race reimbursement requests for 2007 are due to me by 11/14. That way, if you completed all your volunteer hours, you can have a nice check to spend on new bike equipment for 2008...
4. Speaking of 2008 equipment... I met with the man earlier today. Looks like we should know in two weeks who our bike sponsor will be, what new helmets we will be sporting, and what optics we will be wearing.
5. And finally, to close out 2007... the team party is scheduled for November 14th at Steve's Pizza on F Street in Davis. Mark your calendar!

Now, because business is so boring...

Ran into the Tapinator today at Wheelworks... the kid has a job! Can you believe it? Anyways, Cody has been burning up the pavement with Dishes and Laundry this Fall. Putting in some time in the hills... If we can keep him motivated over the winter, when the cold north wind creeps into your bones like slow death, when the pavement's wet and the air is wetter, when the fog is thick enough you can cut it with a knife (couldn't resist the cliche'), watch out world...

we are looking for somebody to retain that 15/16 Junior Point Series Trophy... Tapinator, we've had it ever since Thor was a youngen', four straight years as far as I can tell. Ya'up for it?

A Day Without Bikes?

7:00 am... The alarm goes off. Hit the snooze one time and drift back to sleep thinking, "Did daylight savings time end last night?"

7:09 am... The alarm goes off again. Hit the snooze a second time, stumble out of bed and check the time on the cell phone. It should automatically update the time, right? 7:09. Maybe it hasn't updated yet. Check the computer for the time. It should update automatically also... dang blasted, 7:09. Stayed up too late last night goofing around with Cycling Manager on the computer.

7:10 am... stumble into the boy's bedroom and try to quietly find their dirty cycling clothes. But not too quietly. I asked them to get it all together last night and they didn't... finally give up and turn the light on. I don't care anymore if I wake them up. They should have gotten the clothing together last night.

7:15 am... stumble to the laundry room with two full loads of cycling clothes. Think to myself, "I wonder how many quarters I've poured into these machines over the years."

7:20 am... stumble back to the apartment. Spend a few minutes reading cycling related blogs on the Internet.

7:45 am... finally awake enough to walk, instead of stumble, back to the laundry room to put the loads in the dryer. Realize that I've probably poured enough quarters into the machines to have purchased my own several times over. Have a quick conversation with myself about the opportunity costs (I think I learned about that in Econ 101) associated with owning a washer and dryer. Come to the questionable conclusion that I'm better off pouring quarters into a machine owned by somebody else.

7:50 am... wake the boys up and tell them to get breakfast before jumping in the shower. The boys mumble something that sounds a little bit like, "mmnph hurrump, shlrmp fruungle," but don't even pretend to get out of bed.

7:52 am... briefly consider shaving my legs in the shower but decide that its only been a week and I should save the water. Instead, stand in the shower for ten minutes wasting water.

8:30 am... start loading the car with bikes, shoes, helmets, etc.

8:35 am... Caren shows up and gives me the sickly sweet smile while saying, "My chain needs lubing." Can't resist the sickly sweet smile, so clean and clean and clean and clean and lube her chain.

8:45 am... finish pumping up the tires and loading the car.

9:00 am... meet the Staz, get gas, and drive to Bicycles Plus in Folsom; all the while thinking, "If we were real cyclists we would ride the 35 miles to Folsom."

9:40 am... arrive at Bicycles Plus. Pull on vests, armwarmers, gloves, and shoes while greeting the usual suspects for the 10:00 am Jesse Ride.

10:00 am... wonder how long I'll hang on the sustained 200-300 watt four hour sufferfest as we roll out of the parking lot looking for any road that goes up.

approximately 10:20 am... pull off the vest and armwarmers and cram them into already full pockets. shoulda left them at the car.

approximately 11:00 am... get the heart rate back under control, shove a PowerBar into my mouth and begin to enjoy the descent.

approximately 11:02 am... that corner is coming up fast. break hard, feel the rear end lock up and slide to the right. release the breaks and get the rear rolling again. back on the breaks, rear locks again. release again. realize I've completely missed the entrance to the corner. lay the bike over hard and pray that it turns before hitting the guard rail on the bridge.

approximately 11:02:03 am... surf the guard rail on the bridge. feel it rip into my right shin/calf.

approximately 11:02:04 am... duck my head to the left, turn my shoulder, and feel my back slam into the bridge abutment sign at the end of the guard rail. I think my face grazed it as well, but my mug is so ugly that any new marks are not noticeable. Just a feeling like razor burn.

approximately 11:02:05 am... feel the handle bars jerk right as they hit the sign. tumble and land on my back.

approximately 11:02:15 am... jump up, back on the bike, give it a quick check, and start pedalling. No stopping and no whining on Jesse Rides, but I look down and notice a large red spot about 3"x 5" on my right shin/calf. Shrug off any inquiries as to my well being and continue pedalling as I force a bar end cap back into the right drop on my bars.

1:15 pm... arrive back at the car with AWfoSho and Caren in tow.

1:45 pm... get a cell phone call from El Gigante and Staz. They're dropped and lost somewhere near Cool.

2:30 pm... pick up Staz and El Gigante in Cool.

3:15 pm... drop Staz off at his car in Folsom and head for home.

4:00 pm... wander into Davis Kinko's covered in sweat, salt, and blood to make photo copies for the Junior Race Team meeting. Receive some curious looks.

4:25 pm... stop by Long's to pick up first-aid supplies. Unfortunately, I know just what I'm looking for and in which aisle to find it. At least I didn't have to wander around the store.

4:45 pm... unload the car and jump in the shower. Grimace as the water hits my leg, but manage to hold back the scream. Lather up the fingernail brush, scrub, bite my tongue to hold back the cursing, watch the blood swirl around as it makes its way to the drain, rinse and repeat... several times to make sure the dirt is all out. All the while wishing I'd shaved my legs when I was in the shower at 7:52 am.

5:00 pm... patch my leg up with the first-aid supplies previously purchased at Long's. Unfortunately, I'm getting pretty good at this.

5:15 pm... make a post-ride recovery meal for AWfoSho and El Gigante. At least I'd remembered to move the protein from the freezer to the fridge in the morning so it would thaw.

5:50 pm... walk across the street to Circle K to buy pens so that there are enough writing utensils at the Junior Race Team meeting.

6:00 pm... start setting up for the meeting.

6:30 pm... talk myself horse for about an hour in front of a room full of new and current DBCJRT athletes and their parents. Get to meet some great new kids, learn some new names, and get all jacked up for 2008.

8:30 pm... finish cleaning up after the meeting and stumble back to the apartment.

Thanks to a quirky year round schedule at school I get next week off... good thing, because tomorrow I'll have to start clothing orders, rosters, budgets, confirming sponsors and equipment, etc for 2008.

A day without a bike would be pretty uneventful!!!

Ride with Bobke...

Thanks to Roland for forwarding this to the junior listserv...

ZteaM/Bob Roll ride for kidsPresented byZteaM Cycling and NorCal High School MTB Racing LeagueKentfield, CASunday, November 11, 2007
Online Registration ClosesFriday, November 09, 2007 at 8:00 AM

------------------------

Just a little clicky-click to check it out...

Back to Basics...

AWfoSho, El Gigante, Caren, and I had a chance to join Jesse Moore on one of his rides yesterday... Well, I joined them until Jesse turned the world vertical. Once he did that, I opted out of his four hours at 300 watt excursion and persuaded El Gigante and Caren to come with me. AWfoSho stayed glued to Jesse.

While AWfoSho spent four hours in his ME heart rate zone, those that I persuaded to go with me did our own three hour excursion, finding as many hills as we could manage. When the pavement petered out into gravel we continued on the gravel, passing mountain bikers while repeating the mantra, "Mountain bikes? we don't need no stinking mountain bikes!" And somewhere on that dirt road, while concentrating on weighting the front wheel properly in the corners, I realized that I was having fun.

That got me thinking... It's Fall, the off season, and this is what cycling is supposed to be about... boys, and girls, on their bikes having fun! We churned up gravel steep enough that you had to stay seated to keep the back tire from spinning, spun downhill and around corners that threatened to wash the skinny front tires out, and when the gravel roads ran out, we traded graded road for a little cyclocross on the dry lake bed around Folsom Lake.

All good fun... it brought out the kidlet in me...

Sometimes, in the midst of all this training to be better, stronger, faster, we forget why we race bikes... In its distilled essence, bike racing is all about boys and girls having fun...

AWfoSho, Davitamon, and El Gigante release their inner child following four hard

days racing the Elkhorn Classic in Central Oregon

Bits and Pieces...

Hey ya'll... Foxy's Fall century is this Saturday, as in tomorrow. It is the last chance to finish those last few volunteer hours that you need in order to receive your race reimbursements. Hopefully you've contacted a rest stop captain, corner marshal, etc and made arrangements to volunteer. BTW... if you are applying for a reimbursement of your race entry fees this year, the request is due by November 14th.





Sheesh, I hate passing along boring logistics... simply nothing entertaining about it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a more interesting note...



A hat trick for the 2006 Grand Tours... In 2007 they go 2 for 3???

• Ivan Basso, 2006 Giro Winner: busted for "trying to dope." I don't know... maybe he should have admitted to doping instead of looking so foolish as to be someone who tried to cheat, but couldn't even get that right.


• Floyd Landis, 2006 Tour Winner (at least he used to be): keep appealling Floyd... there is always a higher authority. Either that, or man up and cop to it the way Millar and Hamilton did. Oh wait... I mean Millar. Hamilton is still trying to make us believe he has an unborn twin somewhere. At least Tyler expanded my vocabulary ----> chimera... Floyd can only provide soap opera style entertainment. And that is a waste of my time.


• Alexander Vinokourov: 2006 Vuelta Winner: and I liked this guy right up until the time that I realized his sporadic greatness may have been a sign of, hmmm, doping...

and most recently...

• Danillo DiLuca, 2007 Giro Winner: busted for hanging out with doper enablers... This guy, I really did like him but never thought he could climb well enough to win a major tour. Thought he proved me wrong, but I should have been suspicious.


• Alberto Contador, 2007 Tour Gift Receiver, oops I mean winner: In the spirit of being fair, Alberto has never been caught, umm, I mean doped. He has been chummy with another one of those doper enablers though. I've heard it said that, "He is gonna be great... until they catch him." Not my words... just passing along things I've heard.


• Dennis Menchov, 2007 Vuelta Winner: Squeaky clean, but boring as hell...

Do you think there is a doping problem in European Cycling? If so, how far down does it filter? Domestic pros? Elite Amateurs? Weekend Warriors? Juniors? 8 year olds riding BMX on their way to school? I'm still optomistic that it hasn't permeated this side of the pond...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a more somber note...

A cyclist was killed the other day while commuting between Davis and Woodland... Unfortunately, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that we've heard news like this. This one hit home though...

The accident occurred on road 99 between roads 27 and 29... this is my commute to work. I've passed the victim countless times as he was heading south and I was heading north. I've sold tires and tubes to the victim when I worked at Ken's Bike and Ski. AWfoSho and El Gigante have hit golf balls with him at the local golf course. He was no more than an aquaintance, but it was too close... It made me think twice about turning the kidlets loose on the road. It sounds like the victim was doing everything right... on or near the fog line, rear blinky, headlight... and the accident still happened. To the family of Francisco Lopez, our thoughts and prayers are with you. To the rest of you... be careful out there.

Taking a Break... Or, Give Me a Break

Conference week starts next Monday, which means I'm spending most of my free time this week filling out report cards, scheduling conferences, meeting with colleagues, etc. But, in between report cards I snuck a peek at a back issue of Velonews just to clear my head...

An Ironman Triathlete/Cyclist whom I had the pleasure of knowing while she lived in Davis a few years back used to preach about the negative effects of drinking orange juice had on performance. Seems she thought that the lactic acid in the juice would compound the effects of anaerobic exercise... in a nutshell, she said it would increase the amount of lactic acid in one's muscles. I didn't think much about it, but the kidlets rarely drank orange juice before a race...

We've long since given up on skipping the OJ, but an article in the dusty issue of Velonews got me thinking...

BELGIAN LOGIC: When it comes to basic nutritional sense, some Belgians may tend to waffle with scientific facts.

The premise of the article is that those crazy Belgians have some even crazier superstitions...

• no houseplants in the bedroom. they suck oxygen out of the air at night. Give me a break. Don't plants suck co2 out of the air and respire 02? Perhaps the superstition should say: no houseplants in the altitude tent, where we are actually trying to decrease the o2 concentration
• no showering after a race. the parched body will absorb unwanted water weight through the pores. so much for climbing fast in the rain. perhaps I should dehydrate myself before racing. that should increase my strength to weight ratio right... the magic number?
• no warm bread. causes stomach problems
• no cold water. see warm bread
• no tomato sauces or onions. same as OJ as it pertains to lactic acid

You can find many similar superstitions in Lance's War and other cycling books. In fact, sport is filled with them... When I was playing high school baseball we never shaved before games (maybe because we didn't need to) and always dressed in the same sequence... right sock first, etc... In the movie Bull Durham you can see just how far baseball players will go with superstition.

But, all this got me thinking... The superstitions themselves may be crazy and science says that they don't increase performance, but science doesn't account for the psychological aspect of superstition... the truth is, if you believe you are going to be faster because you didn't drink the orange juice or eat the pasta sauce or don't take the shower, then you just might be. If you believe you will go four for four with three rbi's because you are wearing women's underwear or just rubbed your bat with a chicken bone, then you just may...

If superstitions put you in a positive mindset, there just may be something to Belgian Logic...

Another Youngster Takes the Next Step...

Despite a labor market flooded with talent, Hot Tubes' Ben King found himself a ride. Two stars-n-stripes jerseys will go a long way in scoring a ride, but it looks like Ben's results in p/1/2 races caught the attention of Jonas Carney, director at Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast.

“I’ve been looking at King since 2006,” Carney said in a statement. "As a first year junior he was getting results against pros at the Tour of Virginia that just blew me away. Our team has a very positive, supportive atmosphere which I know is really going to help Ben maximize his great potential.”

Makes me smile to know that, even though their are numerous unsigned 'big' names, somebody is willing to take a chance on a kidlet... and, it couldn't have happened to a nicer kid.

For the last few years, I've been touting kidlets who ride competitively in adult races. Despite, the growth of the junior scene recently, races for the youngsters just aren't fast enough, long enough, the fields are not big enough. If a kidlet has his sights set upon the stars then he/she has got to be racing with the big dogs. Only then can the youngens prove themselves.

Oh, the boys will still be racing the big junior races, they are just too much fun too miss... They'll double up on crit days whenever possible... but mostly they'll be mixing with the senior element. If you want to race fast, you've gotta race with fast racers!

Mark Your Calendar...

DBCJRT's annual information meeting is coming up... Save the date.

Sunday, October 28th

6:30 PM

Willows Apartments Club House

1959 Lake Blvd

(corner of Covell and Lake in West Davis)

Lotsa info about 2008... sponsors, clothing, responsibilities, and benefits.

Stuff you need to know if you want to ride for DBCJRT!

Ken Bradford of Ken's Bike and Ski gets credit for the poster... something he dug up off his 'puter and shared with me awhile back.

A "literal" Copout

It's the off season and things are kinda quiet... Some of the kidlets are beginning their base work, others are in the midst of a well deserved rest... Not much happening on the junior scene, with domestic proseys, or in Europe. All that adds up to: Not much to write about.

Not such a big deal if you just scribble on the Internet for fun or what not... But if you earn your living at it, times can be tough.

Perhaps that is why we see the bane of periodical writing showing up on Pez and VN. Pez interviewed Bobke. VN interviewed Georgie. It's not the interviews that I hate, it's the format they use to publish them...

VN: What is your name?

GH: George

VN: What is your favorite color?

GH: Pink

Snore...

Boring, but I guess if you don't have anything else to write about... or can't think of a more creative way to publish the answers to questions you asked in an interview...

I don't know, maybe one of these days I'll send out a questionnaire to one of the kidlets and publish it in question and answer format... just for fun!

SW: Hello, what is your name?

Junior Kidlet: What do you care?

SW: I don't, but I gotta fill 750 words.

JK: Call me Bill.

SW: I'm sure it's not Bill. Can I call you William?

JK: Whatever

SW: blah, blah, blah...

JK: Yakity Yak...

See what I mean? It's not literature... it's a copout.

But... I got you to read it! :) Happy Tuesday!

There Should Be A Handicap...

if the barriers are taller than your waist!

Karch trades pavement for dirt and grass... and wins

the mens junior B's...

With some help from Dad!

Linkage

I'm guessing that Jesse is finding some time to take care of things that slip through the cracks during the season. His "mandatory" rest following a successful 2007 season has been productive. Mooreperformancecoaching.com is up and running... check it out.

Miscelania

I'm out 6 Chipoltle burritos tonight... Got off cheap for an afternoon of Jesse Moore's services. Coach stopped by to talk the boys up about the off season. Looks like it will be full of "Jesse" rides, Hours of Power, circuits around the gym, and some gut wrenching core work. All the goodies to make boys fast come spring time... An off season's worth of training for the price of a few burritos. Now if I could swing some bikes for as cheap. And six bike racers can still put away food, even in the off season.

___________________________________

Speaking of Hours of Power... push this into a headwind for a few miles

______________________________________

And of interest in the signing department... TeJay is stepping it up. Rabobank... not bad for a kid from Montana, even if it is their continental team. It's fun watching kids take the next step that I watched cut their teeth... From TeJay's floppy cowboy hat to....

Holloway's curly locks to Switters' boyish grin (tried to dig up some pics of Mad Max Jenkins and Eric Riggs, but they must have been too fast even as kidlets for my old camera)

It's fun to see just how far the boys will go... Rumor has it that DHolla will announce a prosey contract pretty soon. I have it from inside sources that Mad Max is in negotions with a few teams that will pay you to ride, and, of course, Adam is already making bank when he turns the pedals.

fun, fun...

It's Started...

October means next season has begun... It's base miles time, strength training, spin work, core work. The razors will come out after a two month hiatus to shave unshorn legs. Miles and minutes will be counted... hours. I know a few kids who are champing at the bit. The trick is to keep them champing until February.

Armchair Quarterbacks

It's Sunday evening which means that all over the country NFL fans are rehashing today's games and playing armchair quarterback. Woulda done this, coulda done that, shoulda did it like so... I'm not a huge NFL fan so I don't follow it close enough to play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game... usually it's on TV only as a distraction while I'm catching up on the weeks grading.

I did, however, get a chance to watch the World Championships unfold on wcsn.com so you'll have to indulge me with a little armchair quaterbacking of my own... Other than having different riders on the US squad there are a few things I would've done differently.

Early in the race the group split and about 50 riders went clear. Hincappie was in the group with one teammate, Bobby J. The Itallians were well represented, albeit without Bettini, the Germans had good numbers as did the Spanish. The only strong team not represented was the Dutch, and they were chasing. Bobby J was working, but not very hard. Hincappie was sitting on as he should have been. The Itallians were not chasing for Bettini. Had I been in the car I would have had Bobby bury himself. It would have been a long shot, but perhaps if he could have held off the Dutch long enough he could have made believers out of others in the group and found some allies to help with the work, thus eliminating some of the big names and springing George... but it wasn't to be and it all came back together.

A few laps later Julich goes clear again with about 25 riders. He is isolated, no teammates in the group yet he is the work horse, spending an inordinate amount of time on the front. Why? I would have had him covering the move but sitting in, especially since there were no big names in the group and no squad had numbers... the move wasn't going anywhere. Alas, the group gets caught and Bobby J is done... DNF

Would have been nice to have Julich on the last lap when the decisive move went clear on the first climb. Hincappie was caught out of position when Bettini dragged a select group clear. Every big squad is represented by their respective leaders except the US. And Hincappie only has Vandevelde to support him. Immdediately both US riders should have been on the front. Nobody else is going to put their heart into the chase except maybe Hushovd and a few other isolated riders. Instead, from what I could glean from the brief camera shots of the chase, both Hincappie and Vandevelde were sitting in... maybe they were cooked, but at least make a go of it...

Just my thoughts, and I didn't have the inside knowledge about how riders were feeling, etc, so it's just armchair quarterbacking. And, the squadra azzura played the race perfectly. Bettini couldn't have asked for better support. They were probably unbeatable on the day.

-----------------------------------------

While I was grading papers and watching football on TV, AWfoSho was working on his homework. A little video that goes along with a paper he'd written for English class... you might want to check it out.

The things they teach kids these days!

News from Vegas

When the cycling world descends on Vegas every Fall we get to see lots of new gadgets and gizmos, the latest and greates in bicycle technology, but I don't really follow all the tech stuff... In most case equipment is not the limiting factor for riders. True for the DBCJRT kidlets as well as the proseys. Witness the vast array of equipment that finds its way to the podium. I chuckle when I hear a 42 year old masters racers brag about his new carbon bars and matching carbon bottle cages that shaved 23.6 grams off the weight of his bicycle while sipping his double mocha frappucino whip whip latte with a twist. That same master could have shaved a few pounds off his race weight (rider body weight + the weight of his equipment) if he would have passed on the daily latte and accompanying cinnamon roll. And, he could have done it without dropping $760...

don't get me wrong, if one has the dough, spend it. Support the bike industry, but don't think you are going to be faster because you spent an extra $760 to save 23.6 grams in lieu of spending a few extra hours on the 23.6 gram overweight bike.

But, enough of that rant...

What I do follow coming out of Innerbike is all the gossip, news and press releases.

Today, a big'n from the bad boys of the domestic pro peloton... Rock announces some new signings. I love the way those cats play. 'Gonna do it our way and the rest of you be damned.' Rumors swirled throughout the summer about Rock's aspirations for the Pro Tour. Most in the know chuckled and said, "Yea, sure..." Today Michael Ball put his money where his mouth is. Freddie, Hugo Pena, Grajales... the 07 crit scum are transforming themselves into a force to be dealt with... Rodriguez for the flat fast stuff, Grajales when the road tips upward, and they are courting Horner as a field general. They'll definitely make a splash on the NRC next year.

Gotta admit, I was a little bummed when I read through the first couple of paragraphs... what's gonna happen to local boy, Switters? But hope springs eternal... Ball added, "that the additions to the team are just that, with almost all of the current riders staying with the team." Fingers crossed that Adam falls into the 'most of the guys' category.

I like Ball's style. From his team vehicles to his shots at Slipstream, this guy is ragged at the edges and doesn't care what everybody else is doing, saying, or thinking. Style!

Old business...

Quite a little while ago I promised to upload a picture from my cellphone... finally got around to doing it. Thanks to PtotheArker for his help...

if you recall, TK played the newb on Mix Canyon and ended up in the ditch. TK, remember, we are laughing with you and not at you!

silly kid...

George for Worlds... Not!

I've never really been a big fan of USACycling's selection process for numerous reasons, but mostly because me thinks that they don't always pick the best man for the job...

Take for example their Worlds Team. The only thing I can think of is that they are building for the future??? I mean, come on, you have a course that actually suits Big George... one that he has a fighting chance on, being a relatively fast finisher/former sprinter who can get over moderate hills. The course has enough climbing that it should eliminate the pure sprinters, but not enough to favor a pure climber. So, according to all predictions, it should favor a punchy rider, a strong man, someone like Georgie.

Gotta decent shot at bringing the rainbow jersey back to the good old US of A, maybe the best we've had in years, and what does USAC do? They load up the roster with youngens Tyler Farrar and John Devine. Farrar, maybe... the course does suit him, but IMOP he doesn't have the experience necessary. Devine... the guy's strong, but really, how much experience does he have in the European peloton? Next to none and you are gonna throw him in with the biggest of the big dogs... Hence my thoughts about building for the future.

But, the future is now and it is Hincappies course. Why isn't USAC supporting him with the best team they can? Where is Freddy? He's a proven leadout guy and can get over the hills. Where is Horner? Arguably the most tactically astute rider in the European peloton and don't even question his commitment to the whole team work thing. Where is Lippyheimer? Come on... he's our reigning National Champion, owes George a little sumpin' sumpin' after that race in SC, and is a better time trialist than McCartney (two birds with one stone)...

I don't know...

maybe... for sure... I don't know all the ins and outs that go on behind the scenes, but unless Horner and Rodriguez turned down spots, are injured, or otherwise are inelligible they should be there. Liepheimer should be there without question. Come-on, at least honor his jersey.

maybe I'm an idiot, but at least when I smell a possible win, I'm gonna field the best team possible.

Sorry George, I'd have supported you better... maybe in a few years we'll see Devine leading out Farrar for the jersey, but it ain't gonna happen this year.