barz

I'm shopping for some new bars...thinking of trying the FSA K-wingz. Crusty don't like it that I've got 3 seasons on a 180g easton carbon bar.

Mac Tech Support

I laughed my ass off at this clip...I've had the exact same conversation with my dad many times over the years.

Video

Where's my beer?

Oh...there it is.

Le Tour

Wow...what an awesome TT. An added bonus was watching Evans suffer like a dog and not put major time into Sastre. I wonder who he's going to blame for losing. I don't think I've ever disliked a rider as much as him.

5 min update: That didn't take long...what a douchebag

The Australian expressed his disappointment that his team, once more, was not there at his side when he needed them. "I would have like some more support in the high mountains. At least one team member to ride with me and help at the tough end of a climbing stage," he said. "I would also have expected a bit more help from some other key riders when the pressure was on in the big climbs."

Looking back, what an amazing team CSC has. Incredible watching their tactics unfold.

VDV...what a ride and it was very cool seeing him transform from "sortof team leader" to da man in 3 weeks.

Kohl...dude, WTF? great TT but crashing on the ramp INTO the start gate? Maybe that got him pissed cuz he smoked the TT.

I'd love to see the TSS for Schumaker for the last week...that dude was in about every break last week then totally killed the TT. He's rocking some serious form right now.

Whew! watching that TT wore my ass out...

System6

I got a new ride...it's in transit and I'll have it on Sat.

and THIS video is friggin hilarious (if you're a masters aged rider that is)

slip sliding away

The form is leaving my body.

Thursday's group ride: I flatted early so after a quick tube change I chased back with ladd, jed and karl. We did a Team TT down harmon to catch back up...that was pretty fun. We were cruising at around 31mph. Down airbase rd I was not feeling that great but kept attacking anyway. I'd get caught then just attack again--what the hell. It was good exercise.

I'm also thinking that I'm "done" for the year. We'll see how I'm riding at the end of August but I'm thinking it won't be very fast!

whaaaa

Cadel is such a whiny little asswipe...I'll be glad to see him crack like he did in the '02 Giro. Go VdV!

Don't touch me!

choices

Crit vs Baan Sawan...hmmmmmm

Mondays tour stage was epic...It took 2 days but I watched all 5 hours of VS coverage. Wow.

Da Man

I've always liked Horner...even when he was working over crusty. Out at the cascade classic he was climbing up the summit finish after working for Levi and came up on a racer who had crashed 2k from the top. He loads up the guy and hauls him to the summit...he still gets 82nd (and the other rider 83rd!).

Cruise

I'm in cruise mode...no real objective other than just get some exercise and enjoy riding fast. While it lasts. My motivation's still pretty good, riding is still fun. I'm gonna try to keep doing tuesday/thursday as hard days then a long day on saturday. No real races on the horizon until the end of august/sept. I dunno how the form will be then but right now I'm gonna get some more house projects done and not stress about riding a bike too much.

Lately I've been thinking about getting a cross bike...

TNWC

Fun race tonight...lots of breaks/chasing. At 45' there was a lull and Toby attacked, I followed and the group let us roll away. We got a huge gap--flogged it and I took the sprint by half a wheel. I did 300w for the last 11 min and it felt easy. I'm oozing form right now.

Pics

Lots of photos HERE

The numbers

Crit: Not much to add about it...I flatted and rode half the race on a non-PT wheel. My NP was in the 240's for the first 40min so I was feeling pretty good I just didn't ride aggressively enough or smart enough to make the selection.

RR: Some crazy numbers here...the first hour I was at NP 278w which is pretty much my FTP. Then I raced another hour! No wonder my legs fell apart near the end. The weird thing was that even though it was incredibly hard and I was digging deep, it never felt like "I'm gonna get dropped" hard so maybe my FTP is a bit higher than 280w right now. My limiter was cramping so I need to take that into account for next year. I gotta do some BIG days before this race and get my CTL up around 80. I think that would do it. I think my intensity prep was about perfect, those 10x1' intervals and motorpacing were the ticket.

First Hour:
Entire race:

Crit

I felt awesome today...easily surfing the front but got caught out in a big split in the field with 12 or so guys off the front...I tried to chase, tried to bridge but then just settled in and finished around 24th. Pretty disappointing but thats racing. It was a very cool course in the infield of Churchill downs. More later...

Lang got 15th in his race. Results

Road Race

In talking to crusty, looking at the results he's like: that guy was a pro, that guy was a pro...on and on. The fields in all the races were stacked with mostly ex-pro's, ex-world and national champs, 1's and 2's. In our race the first couple laps were very technical, nervous and on-the-rivet fast. Totally lined out with my head down totally focused on the wheel in front of me. Crazy.

It did mellow after a while thank god and I then settled into a rhythm of going all out, then recovering. I did see a couple breaks go and was in good enough position to think about going but I knew better and needed to save all my matches. It was too bad that I came up a couple short cuz I would have loved to have had a shot at the last sprint/climb. I usually do pretty well with an uphill fast sprint. There's always next year...

Tomorrow we're gonna do an hour ride around here and mostly just chill. Tonight at a swank restaurant Lang ordered some god awful thing...picture a bison femur sawed in 3 pieces then baked and the bone marrow eaten with what looked like a popsicle stick. Totally disgusting! He loved it!

Natz crit report on Sunday...

Nats

Quick report:  By far the hardest race I've done this year...very fast and technical, I felt really good for about 6 laps (of 10) and stayed mostly at the front.  It was not at all flat...very rolling with one good big ring climb about a mile from the finish.  On the last lap I was in the lead group and on the climb my legs seized up with double hamstring cramps.  I limped in for 35th place.  Brian got 25th.

The winner of our race was "college" Lance Armstrongs best friend...

35-44:  Ladd 25th, Jay 32nd

45-50:  It started to rain which turned it into a crashfest...and Lang crashed but got up and finished 19th.  He's ok...just lost some skin.  Thurlow Rodgers solo'd to win.

results are up...see HERE

TNWC

Did the crit tonight and just sat at the back until I started to breath hard then I'd take an easy lap and jump back in.  It was a good easy-fast ride with a few efforts to remind the legs how to go around.  I felt really good tonight.

I cleaned my bike for the 2nd time this year and of course all sorts of things started falling apart...my front derailler is looking very suspect but I'm not too worried as I'll be sort-of big ringing it for the next two rides.  And my rear brake would not work...at all.  I thought it was some dislodged gunk.  And crusty was yelling at me cuz my brake pad was too high.  It seems my rear wheel wasn't in the dropout all the way so that solved the braking issue.  Crusty's just gonna find something else to yell about...

Ok...next update will be a race report.