ToC Update

Ah.... so many things to right about. I guess I'll start things off with a brief summary of the race... since my race was brief.

Started off in control, making sure nothing got up the road I didn't approve of (nothing). So I felt really good and thought if things went right I could win it in the end. David Benkoski attacked on the left and some kid looked back at him and freaked out. I had nowhere to go. I got up and spectators were already 0n the scene putting my chain back on. The adrenaline was flowing ever-so-fast and I was ready to get back on the bike when I found my fork had snapped. Needless to say I was not very happy in the least bit. For things to go so right and then immediately turn on me felt horrible. Thanks a bunch to (in no particular order) Jason E., Steve W., Shawn M, D-taps, and Mike P., and everybody else for calming me down because I was just so fed up and frustrated.

I decided I would watch Taps and Zach duel the stacked 17-18 field in the race after mine. Cody was a bit sick but did his best to help out Zach who was having a tremendous race. After the race I heard many people non-DBC related saying how much he dominated that race. Everybody and their mother knew Zach was the best on two wheels that day. Hats off to him.

So it looks like my bike will be fixed (miraculously thanks to my dad, mom and Ken's bike/ski) in time for Snelling. All I can say is that Team Specialized might want to watch out because I believe Zach Wick and I have some payback to establish... Let's do this.

Holy Cow

Despite the rain and hail I decided I needed to go for a bike ride.

Right when I got on the bike trail ag2r passed me and I soon found Columbia/High Road on the side of the road. I stopped and rode with Cavendish and Hincapie for about 45 minutes all the way to their hotel!!!!

My friend rode with Lance and said Torey was there too...

gotta go. more later.

Cherry Pie My @$$

A great crit don't get me wrong... well Zach put it best... its more of a mountainous Tour de France stage. The hill grew this year... and got larger throughout the race... back to back primes didn't help. Other then that the race was slowwww....  LaBerge went off the front and got a decent lead... I brought him back by the end of the lap but Steve told me not to reel him in quite so fast. I figured he was right so I went to the back of the pack where I found Torey. I don't think I ever saw Cody or Alex in the race... only Zach when I was up front doing work. 

Right when I slid to the back some kid freaked out in the chicane and hit my bike with his front tire. He knocked over my brake quite a ways and then my brake kept rubbing and I had to pull off and fix it at the bottom of the hill. I went up the hill and right when they saw me running ym bike up the hill they put out lap cards and told me I couldn't go back in. Needless to saw I was not happy at all that kids had already gotten lapped and they weren't pulling them and they wouldn't let me in.

Ah well....

Cal Aggie/Cherry Pie/News10

Ok, I have a lot of catching up to do. I raced my bike at California Agricultural Criterium last weekend and it was fun. I let out some good attacks not knowing whether to really go for it or just try to get a little gap and work from there. I guess it worked 'cause we went 1, 2, 3. Well, Cody, Zach, and Torey went 1, 2, 3. Not me. But whatever. I got dropped last half lap and I guess that's what it all comes down to in the end...

Cherry Pie Crit was fun except for having somebody crash into me, knocking my brake over, thus rubbing my brake onto my wheel, allowing me to have no movement as I started up the hill. The guy wouldn't let me back in which I thought was extremely bogus. I stayed all day and he was still being a jerk to everybody else in every other race. Whatcha gonna do?

News10 was fun, I learned that Zach races bikes in Davis, California. I thought the lady did a really good job all by herself transporting the camera and tripod and hopefully we will get some good exposure.

Well there ya go, my little recap. Glad you read it? Thought so.

Earlybird Crit #4 Victory

I'll try my best to keep this a short post 'cause it was such a short race.

Did battle with the wind on Saturday with Danny Pugh, Little Alex, and April R-W. They all had good races and didn't get crashed out like the previous week so hats off to those three.

I attacked about 30 seconds into the race and gained a substantial lead. I held that attack the whole race and pretty much just rode solo against the wind for a win. It was a good confidence booster leading up to Cal Aggie Crit where I will be racing in the 4's and Juniors...

Also good job to Andreas, Cody, Alex and all others for their phenomenal races at Earlybird Road Race.

Earlybird Cat 3/4

Possibly the coldest racing conditions I have ever experienced in my extremely long 2 year career of cycling. I believe the temperature during our race down in Fremont was around 38 degrees and the high some mid 40's. Right before the race I opted out of wearing my thermal jacket and I just stuck with the under armour, jersey, arm/leg warmers, shoe covers, bibs, and headband for my ears. I was actually pretty warm and the sun came out about halfway through the race.

Coach Mike Pugh came down with my dad and I bright and early and raced with me in the Cat 3/4 race. The plan was to just chill and shake out the cobwebs and get up front for the latter portion of the race. With about 4 or 5 laps to go a break of 2 went up the road and 2 more eventually bridged. That break would stay for the remaining portion of the race but Mike said he thought one guy got dropped and returned to the field. 

I played it risky and didn't get towards the front until about a half a lap to go. I followed LaBerge's wheel up to Mike's. I was in good position but a guy to my right drifted over towards me enough so that I had to scoot over a little bit (not experienced to but-heads quite yet). This shoved me off of Mike's wheel and into the wind with about 300m to go. Mike accidentally got led out and easily gapped the field in the sprint and I finished not too many spots behind.

Overall it was tons of fun and I remember how to race again. I heard something about The Staz getting 4th in the Pro/1/2 race, so hats off to him, Zach, and Alex for racing hard despite the cold weather.

Pasta, Rain, and Cookies...

...were all present at the team ride today. I'm not exactly in the writing mood so I'll give you guys the jist of it and some pictures of mad fooseball action.

• Forecast said no rain until afternoon.


• It started to rain as soon as we left the house.
  
• Rainy, cold, windy on the way up.


• Miserable on the way back down.
  
• The wanna-be hills of Beale's Point felt like I was climbing Hautacam in the TdF.


• Got home, drank some hot chocolate, ate some pasta/salad/cookies.


• Played fooseball.


• Played with Thor the kitten. (team mascot?)


• Pep-talk by Mike.

Torey the scorekeeper.

Andreas' dominance.


AJ trying so hard not to lose two in a row.