Ontario GP - part 2

The camera doesn't lie - I was on the front a few times, though not off the front at any time. Little Pocket Rocket doing me proud!

I dawned on me today that there were probably over 7-800 racers in the various fields last Sunday - EASTER SUNDAY no less. No race promoter south of the Canadian border in the great Pacific NW had the guts to host a race on the WSBA, OBRA, ID or MT calendars. What's up with that?

6 months

When I think that in exactly six months I'll be up to my eyeballs wrangling a bike 5 times up the Haleakala Volcano on Maui. Not since I was in college have I felt so unprepared for such a test. But preparation is more than physical and mentally I'm there, so the physical will follow - at least I'm not over trained, and I am motivated. I hope to look & feel like one of my favorite photos (taken 8 years ago near the top of L'Alpe D'Huez, 27# touring bike no less!). I only wish I had the yellow jersey to go with the yellow helmet.

New web site should be up & running before the end of the month. Looks pretty slick - I hope to live up to the hype. Attracting corporate sponsors has been a challenge, no bites yet; but I will be happy if individual donors come on board. I will make it very EZ for them to do so, as you will witness shortly.


I've been a bit dismayed lately as well to learn that one of my favorite rides, up Hurricane Ridge, may be off limits (not only for my training) but for all cyclists for up to 2 years while they do repairs to the road. To read more reference(http://www.bicyclealliance.org/#HurricaneRidge) and lodge your protests to the appropriate parties.

Ontario GP

Just one day after I get after Chad for not knowing which way to go to watch the finish at IVRR, I too go off on a search for the start of the Ontario GP 180 degrees out of whack. Karma police out in full force. As a result of my errant navigation I missed the start 40+ Masters race and thus signed in for the 30+ Masters race later in the afternoon. Maybe that was a good thing since multi-time winner of everything anywhere Thurlow Rogers won going away.

Race fee was $24 with a late fee of $6. $30 for a 45 minute race - but I paid it! My Dad always said something is worth what somebody is willing to pay for it, so there you go. I'm not sure how many of the other 70+ racers preregistered but for a race that only paid out $250 over 6 deep, that's the free market for you. We have a capitalist society - so don't bitch; you want cheap races, go to China or Cuba.

Racing was pretty hot - literally (88 degrees, which was good for the sinuses) - with frequent attacks & counters. I get up to the front group fairly quickly as the tail end was very squirrely. I tried to judge which attacks I should cover and which I thought would come back (Pruitt, you would've been proud). Unfortunately with my recent sickness and lack of intense repeat interval training of this sort - it took it's toll. Nearing 3 laps to go, I just redlined and couldn't keep pace with the small group that eventually contested the final sprint. Probably feeling the efforts from yesterday too. I officially rolled across in an uncontested bunch sprint for 26th - but most proud of the fact that nobody finished in front of me my age or older.

I guess they call this race a Grand Prix instead of a criterium because the course is 1.2 miles (6 corners) rather than the normal 1K or so that a crit. is contested over.

And not too bad for the Pocket Rocket either. Lots of post-race interest in the bike, including from the USAC Official. He said he didn't notice it until we were underway, but then he checked my license category and saw that I was always up near the front and said that there wasn't anything that he could do anyway - it was legal to race it, though if I was the squirrely one I got the feeling he would've pulled me.

Watched about half the CAT 1/2/3 race (which I woulda, shoulda, coulda entered if I was feeling more confident about my racing) - then I got hungry and left. Rock Racing showed up with about 8 guys, and looked to be in every move up until then. Some Toyota United guys, and several other top local teams. 140 guys in that race paid a minimum of $32 (with same $6 for day of race registration). Payout for them is a mere $1000, 12 deep. So registration nets at least $4500 - $1000 payout, pretty sweet for this one category.

All-in-all a good day for racers & promoters alike.

Independance Valley RR

With crud still lodged in my sinuses I still ventured out to race at the IVRR today as the wonderful March Saturday weather continued. Though I sort of chickened out and instead of racing with the CAT1/2's I sheepishly entered the world of the Masters C's & D's. This race was only 2 laps, half of the 1/2 race and presumably would get me some fast & furious racing, while also getting me pointed home sooner.

Well fast & furious wasn't the theme - the 4 climbs were a decent pace but not particularly tough and the flat sections were a joke. I tried to spice things up a few times on both the penultimate and ultimate climbs AND descents, but nobody took the bait. So at the 1K sign I gave a false jump to jumpstart the legs, and when the pack caught up I squeezed myself into what seemed to be ideal position but soon found myself sitting 2nd wheel approaching the 200 meters to go when guys rotated off. So knowing I had a better chance from afar than waiting until the last minute I started the final kick - and ending up sprinting for 20th as everybody screamed by. If I hadn't tried I wouldn't have won either; so better to have tried & failed blah, blah...

Ended up meeting Chad (who flatted out on lap 2) in the parking lot & we rode back to the finish area - and testing my directional capability eh youngster. And I can fly across the country without getting lost too.

I hop off to Ontario, CA tomorrow where they're holding an Easter Sunday GP race (sounds like a crit to me) right down the road from the hotel; if they let me race my Pocket Rocket I'm in - Happy Easter!

Winning Wonderboy...

from Walla Walla verses the geriatric Gig Harbor guy picking lint outta his navel. A tale of two racers.

Way to go Shawn winning another - makes 3 (2 RR & a TT, plus the overall at Mason Lk). All that hard winter work has paid off, keep it going.

For myself I've hit the skids. After catching the flu and tweaking my back in late-FEB it's been an up & battle to stay healthy with a house full of sniffling & coughing kids. And kids who now because of the sniffling & coughing don't sleep so well or want to sleep with in our bed. Couple that with some switcheroo on my schedule from early morning departures to late evening arrivals and my body doesn't know what's going on.

If rest makes you stronger I should be strong as a horse - except time off the bike doesn't necessarily equate to rest.

I finally got in a decent ride in Ontario, CA today hitting the Glendora Ridge Rd but had to turn back mid-way as the weather changed for the worse. Violent gusts accompanied by a snow squall had me retreating down the mountain highway as fast as I could manage, which was a workout in and of itself. 3+ hours had me fighting daylight to return to the comforts of the hotel safely - but managed some hill climbing, some tempo work, some sprint work (beating traffic signals) it was a wonderfully varied ride - and I got rid of all the crap holed up in my sinuses.

Hopefully see everyone at Independence next Saturday to help Shawn win another.

Steve Fossett mystery solved

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The disappearance of American adventurer Steve Fossett who vanished 6 months ago while out flying his light plane near Carson City, NV, and who was declared legally dead late last year, was finally solved recently.

British tycoon Sir Richard Branson, of Virgin everything fame, has been quietly under investigation by Mi6 for several months.

It seems as a flap (pardon the pun) developed between the two - after the inaugural flights of Virgin America last August - they failed to come to an agreement on the naming of one of the jets in Steve's honor.

[Note: VA flies new A320s - some of which have quirky names. With the first aircraft christened Jefferson Airplane after the San Francisco band by former lead singer Grace Slick. Additional A320s have been named Air Colbert, named after comedian Stephen Colbert, California Dreaming, Mach Daddy, Virgin & Tonic, An Airplane Named Desire, Jane (as in Plane Jane) and Unicorn Chaser.]

Reportedly Steve wanted an A320 with his moniker - Chasing the Wind (after his 2006 autobiography). Branson countered with the suggestion of Blow Wind Blow, in reference to the blues hit by Muddy Waters. Apparently the two almost came to blows themselves and had to be separated by their personal assistants.

While Branson was publicly praising Fossett and offering to help in the search in the Nevada mountains, privately he was acting very much like Mr. Burns of Simpson's fame, "What good is money if it can't inspire terror in your fellow man?"

It is not clear just how involved Branson himself was personally involved in Fossett's disappearance - his empire does include Virgin Security (a Blackwater type firm) and Virgin Laser (a highly specialized and secretive department that works in developing lasers for the British military under the parent company Virgin Healthcare).

The inference is that a Branson led team conspired to take advantage of an opportunity when Fossett was alone and vulnerable - and what a better vantage point than the desolate Nevada countryside.

Branson once known to have been close to Fossett and share his since of adventure; these two seemed to be a natural fit and complement each other - though a jealousy developed wherein Branson was determined not to be overshadowed by this rolie-polie ordinary citizen - an American no less, with good teeth. Another sad state of affairs.

On fire!

Ongers comes out of the frozen wine country & decisively wins season opener at Mason Lake on a solo flyer. Thus validating that his newly minted CAT 1 upgrade was not a fluke - with his new Gin Optics team (outfitted in the old Axley kit for now) riding support to perfection. Pressure will be on the next 2 weeks to help defend Shawn's #1 points position.

After arriving at the race sit with 22 minutes before the start - I got registered, numbered up (jersey & frame), kitted up, tires pumped, visited the washroom, and got to the start with 2 minutes to spare - with no gloves. Dropped the bike, sprinted up to the lot, retrieved gloves & back just as Dave started his "this is not the world championship race" speech.

So with no warm up I was just happy to not be dropped as soon as the 1/2 mile neutral roll out ended. After dropping 7 pounds in a few days due to the flu the week prior, and coming off a scare with popping something in my lower back - I didn't feel like I was in my finest form, but I didn't embarrass myself too badly either. Though if I would've had a broken spoke (Chad) or stopped to pee (Trevor) and tried to chase back on - I'd still be chasing.

After all the attacks were done (Mick must've been getting sick & tired of me chatting it up with Higgie), I did pull out after lap 5 (of 6) to go relieve my wife and spend some time in the remaining sunlight with the youngsters.