rolling

160 suffering wheels to follow



160 more



nice

superweek (again???)

superprime!!

uh yea so i lined it up again. not sure if that was a good idea or not.


it is saturday. they said that today's race was the finale of the entire superweek. we had heard the rumors of the superprime. all week long they had local businesses dumping money into the pot. anyone who wanted to donate could. it was growing. even on the line they still would not say how much or if it would be a 1 place prime or a 1 thru 3 place prime. they would announce when the pot closed just 15min into the race.


we were dying to get started. ben was ready to make a run at the big $.


so this race. it was held in the coolest neighborhood in milwaukee. pubs and shops and atmosphere unlike any race i've ever raced. the course was a long triangle with a downhill portion. the entire course was lined with huge houses and there was not one single open section with no people. everyone was outside cooking out and partying. no quiet sections, everyone was cheering. when we passed through the start finish it was so loud i couldn't even hear the MC. the field was massive with 160 guys. rock racing from california was on hand and all the other big teams not racing at toona were there. we got going and just like the day before, 30mph. the first 15min was really hard and i wasn't sure if i was going to hang. i pushed through it and tried to ride through the hurt. after about 45min i really found my rhythm and started to feel just awesome. one thing i learned racing in a big race like this is, because its so fast and there are so many guys you begin to become the race. i was molded to so much repetition that each lap became easier. i was shifting in the same spot every lap, standing in the same spot every lap and finding the lines i liked. yea i try to do that in local races but this was much different. the road wasn't great but after a while it just didn't phase me anymore. i faintly heard about the prime lap but had no idea who won it. all i wanted to do was finish the race and keep feeling good. i was in survival mode and was doing pretty good to stay in the game. the race was taking me over and before i knew it the lap counter read 10 to go. the race started so late that it began to get dark. i took off my glasses. i burned around the last 3 laps and then it was over. after going 30mph for 2:15 then completely throttling back is like being in warp speed then coming to a stop. it was really weird. i didn't know where i was. i did a cool down lap hoping to hear a voice of someone i knew. then i saw ben and then i was back at the car drinking trying to figure out what the hell just happened. as i came back to reality i realized how cool that was and just walked around taking in the awesome neighborhoods and streets.

some really nice scenery in this area of milwaukee. i would live here in a second. and i'll for sure be racing here again next year.
after the race we all went to eat at a really great Belgian themed restaurant with the lion of Flanders as the logo. probably the best racing and fun i've had all summer.

shes back!

superweek

sneaky

i was so unsure of what i wanted to do this weekend considering we had no races. kelly was at superweek and i was bummed i couldn't go. work got busy and i was in the mind set that i was just planning to chill until ada. well plans can change in a snap and before i knew it i was passing through gary indiana and ripping through chicago up to milwaukee to see the events.



the next thing i know i'm pinning on a number in wisco lining up with some of the biggest pros in the country. i didn't even think i would be racing this weekend. when i was on the line the pros got a call up and then it hit me that i was racing in a pretty big race. anyone who has lined up with calos vargos, victor rapinski, ben renkema, joe martin, steve tilford, adam bergman and marco rios just to name a few knows you're about to be hitting it pretty hard when the guns goes off.

so we ended up spending the weekend with local pros ben and christy. awesome traveling companions. ben is really ripping it up. in the money baby.

that mysterious photographer seems to be following to the races grabbing great photos! maybe giving graham watson a run for domestic racing photos!

during the race i looked down at the computer and never saw below 30mph. tomorrow and sunday are the really big races and the fields will be totally stacked because its the end of super week and the payout is so big that the big pros will be on hand. we heard a rumor that a prime during the race tomorrow will be $7000!!!! and thats just a during the race prime. i have a feeling the race will be fast and that it will be strung out in a line leading into the prime lap. uh yea i'm off the back.

Maillot Jaune

Fenton

this is year 3 for this event and year 2 for me doing it. its pretty cool. it was almost cold at the start. i had arm warmers on at the line. i don't know about everyone else but i spent a good 30 min on the trainer but got cold waiting for the anthems to be done. ron and the guys at cycle-fit work really hard to get little things for this race to make it a fun atmosphere. the french speaking MC, the brand new toyotas from the local dealership and probably the coolest sponsor the french laundry.

i had a chance to pre ride the course twice leading up the race. the roads are not great but i don't care about that so much. i wanted to make sure i knew exactly what the hills would do to me. i was a bit worried i would be dropped somewhere during the race but i tried really hard to keep my cool and just roll the hills with the group. we had 5 laps total and i was pretty sure guys would launch often and hard. i felt pretty good. a nice change of pace from the crits, this road race started the proper way, neutral from the start until we got warmed up then the pace was elevated. a couple people fired their guns from the beginning but they were soon returned to the group. somewhere in there a move was formed and they had a nice gap. the entire team was so attentive. without even speaking to one and other we formed a super kickass work force at the front to bring it back. that could have been the most organized chase i've seen yet. it was text book. we all went to the front and put in our turns to bring the small group back into the fold. because my memory is poor at best, some time after that (as i was recovering at the back) another move went dancing away and our main man dr clark was present in the escape. once i came around again, the bosses ordered us to begin covering anything that looked dangerous. card had more in the tank than most so his efforts to keep things under control were noticed more than the rest of us. i rode up there and followed just a couple wheels but didn't have the same kick to keep all the wheels under control. on the 4th lap we started up the KOM hill. i was near the middle of the peleton and quickly went backwards. i was just barely on and we rolled the top. i was worried because we still had one time to go at the big climb. the other 2 climbs i was tired and my legs were hurting a bit. i tried to eat some food and drink to prepare for the last lap. if i was tired on this lap i would surely be hurting on the last lap with people attacking. so i completed the 4th lap still not dropped and working for my guys the best that i could. the last lap. we rolled up the KOM and i actually felt much better and was more near the middle this time. chatter started about what everyone wanted to do. boss regan said we were to drag card to the line since his fuel levels were better than everyone elses and dr clark was still away in the move of 5. the climb to the US23 ramp i felt better too and rolled it with ease compared to the rest of the day. at this point i really worked hard to stay at the front. i knew it was going to split and if i could suffer hard up the last false flat i could roll in and maybe help someone to the line. sure enough i rolled it and stayed on maybe even feeling like i was coming around a little. after we crested the top people began to fight for position. i had to ride aggressive because it started to get dicy. i new people were flying out the back on that last climb but the pace was high in the group and no one was sneaking away before the field sprint. we blasted the last corner and i took it wide almost in the gutter. i looked up and saw a blur of yellow and black make a lunge for the line. it was young stud luke cavender taking 2nd in the field sprint. the short video clip showed that i floated across in 11th in the field sprint! my overall was 22nd so i was pretty satisfied with that. i was actually impressed with my day period. i heard someone say once that if you feel ok after you get your ass kicked then you are doing ok for fitness. sure enough, i had some recovery and felt great. so i'm 50/50 for the indiana states this weekend because if i don't then that will be a week off and i like racing every weekend. otherwise i will be racing next at the new designed ada criterium. that will be awesome.


i have no idea who i'm talking to. every person that visits fenton should make a stop to the french laundry. its a really cool little deli that has sandwiches like zingermans. they actually get their bread from them. kelly actually ordered a sandwich that was bigger than her head. she ate it.
i hope everyone has great races at superweek.

capitol

in common

our capitol. a nicer section of the lansing area. it seems as though the entire city is under construction. at least the road for racing was nice. smooth as glass.

no one can complain about the day. decent temps and beautiful skies.

we didn't have too many mates on hand today. just tony, will, adam and myself. time to go to work.

that was hard. blazing again around in circle. i had a nice few weeks off of racing and its just what the doctor ordered. i was getting that mid season lethargic feeling just before the 4th of july. just this past week i felt like i was wanting to ride and race the bike again. i didn't feel completely horrible today but it was hard. earlier in the race i just wanted to see if i had anything for the day so i showed my face at the front a couple times attempting to get into some moves. certainly nothing i was in was going to stay but i wanted to see if i could race competitive today with the others who are better than me. it got hard for me so i floated around for a bit then went to survival mode with 1/4 of the race to go. i really had to turn myself inside out those last 3 laps. ouch. after i had some water and recovery i was fine. today was perfect warm up to get back into the groove and to get some speed work for next weekends fenton race. i think i'll ride up there again this week.

special thanks to the mysterious photographer for taking photos at the race.

new record

real big

13,907 !!

the heat

going fast

i wonder if the french hate aussies as much as americans. robbie mcewen can be as cocky as he wants. after that little stunt he pulled yesterday the guy gets all my respect. i'm betting he wins at least 3 more stages.

even nursing a sore wrist, i think robbie will continue to do well. that crash today was really bad and i hope the big names get healed quickly. too bad for freddy R. he didn't look good. more sprinting to come.

travels to mini

the wed

RZ needed so much coffee he opted for the entire pot of coffee at the rehearsal dinner.

the quaint little town of stillwater minnesota was home to the wedding and to the unique starbucks building. glad that was around. obviously Rob needed more than just the coffee pot.

we found out that just 1 week before was the NRC Nature Valley Grand Prix race right where we were standing. the hill was 18% and 21%. you wouldn't believe it until you drove it. fucking cool.

uh yea...so who knows how many people had these pants on before us. it was comical to say the least.

secret service was in the house.

i guess when you're in the wedding is appropriate to make sure the vehicle is thoroughly trashed for the big ride to the reception.

it was so nice of the folks at men warehouse to include dress socks with the tuxes. they were so damn long that i attached my suspenders to them instead of my pants. and during the entire duration of the wedding they proceeded to cut our circulation and leave some great sock tattoos in our legs. pretty damn funny.