UM,,,When did I say that?!

So today I before PIR I went to the track to return both my old track bike and road bike, both of which belong to BBC. I no longer have a need for them as I now have my own. For some reason Phil thinks that means I quit the team. Uh, when did I say that? He never asked if I was quitting. He never asked why I was giving both back. So he just assumes I'm quitting? I don't get it.

Anyway, PIR was so much fun. I signed up for the novice race at first, but then Ian, Jake and Marcel decided I wasn't a novice, so I did Sr. Women instead. And they were so right. I stayed with the Sr. Women just fine, and I would've finished pretty well had another group not passed us on the finishing strait, forcing us to do one more lap. But I'm really happy with my performance considered I NEVER do PIR. I had SOOOO much fun and hopefully I'll be able to make it out there again next week.

Oh yeah, and Heather, you rock. =]

Albany

The race kind of sucked for me.
I did the juniors and Wes Fitzsimmons attacked from the very first pedal stroke. I ended up in a chase group with one other rider. For the longest time it looked like we were going to catch them but that never happened. I ended up with 6th place, and getting scored as a junior boy...
My second race was greatly affected by a few things that happened prior to my race, but I was doing well for most of the race, I was third or fourth wheel almost the entire and then my tire blew when I was forced to take a funky line around the corner. A large shard of metal had pierced my tire in multiple places. I run back to the pit to get my spare wheels. Well no one seems to be able to get the wheel in, and Peter Drake oh so kindly lent me one of his. It took two laps to get my wheel changed and when my bike was finally ready to go the women were coming around the corner. I hopped on my bike and tagged on to the back of the group. I sat there for a while. The cassette on the rear I was using was much different than my own. The gear I was in was either to small or too big, I opted for too small. I sat in the back just spinning away for a few laps, then with 3 to go I started moving my way up. I was in a perfect position for the sprint but my legs I had nothing. I blew up only a few meters from the finish, ending up with a dissapointing 11th place.

Change

Change is afoot. The tides are shifting. Nothing endures but change. [Heraclitus] All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.[Anatole France] If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. [anonymous]
The Winds of Change are Blowing

Rain

It sucks. =[
The track is all wet. =[

Hood River, Final Stage

WOMEN

STAGE:
1.Tina Pic, Colavita, USA
2.Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO, New Zealand
3.Jeanie Long-Ciprelli, River City Racing, France

Best Young Rider, Julie Beveridge, Aaron's Professional Women's Cycling Team, Canada

Sprint Jersey Winner, Joanne Kiesanowski, Team TIBCO, New Zealand

Queen of the Mountains, Leigh Hobson, Cheerwine Cycling, Canada

General Classification Winner, Julie Beveridge, Aaron's Professional Women's Cycling Team, Canada

GC:
1.Julie Beveridge, Aaron's Professional Women's Cycling Team, Canada
2.Jeanie Long-Ciprelli, River City Racing, France
3.Leah Goldstein ValueAct Capital Cycling Team, Canada

Best Team, Aaron's Professional Women's Cycling Team

MEN

STAGE:
1.Andrew Pinfold, Symmetrics Cycling, Canada
2.Ivan Stevic, Toyota United, Serbia
3.Alessandro Bazzana, Successful Living.com P/B Park, USA

Best Young Rider, Morgan Schmitt, Bissell Pro Cycling Team, USA

Sprint Jersey Winner, Doug Ollernshaw, Rock Racing, USA
=]

King of the Mountains, Andrew Bajadali, Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast, USA

General Classification Winner, Rory Sutherland, Health Net/Maxis, Australia

GC:
1.Rory Sutherland, Health Net/Maxis, Australia
2.Darren Lill, BMC Pro Cycling Team, USA
3.Benjamin Jacques-Maynes, Bissell Pro Cycling Team, USA

Best Team, Bissell Pro Cycling Team

The men's race on the stage was amazing. There was a ten man break that made it all the way. The last few laps their lead got to around 15 seconds.

Thursday Night Track; Pursuits

I arrived at the track, aero bars already on my bike. Phil gave me wheels, I put my racing gear on my bike and then went to warm up. I only got about a half hour on the track, but I was in the 7th pair, so I still had plenty of time. I hopped on my rollers and continued my warm up.
They ran through all the 2ks, and then it was us. We were the first 3k pair. I got the joy of starting on the front straight, in to the head wind. Despite this I had what I feel was a good start. I soon began to make up space on my opponent, but it didn't look like I was going to catch my opponent. Until my last lap. I caught my opponent on the final lap, on my finishing straight, my opponent only had a half a lap to go. My apologies for the rude timing. I posted a time of 4.51.59, a personal record by 3 seconds, making my average speed 23.0611 mph.
[Note: all times are unofficial]

Mount Hood Cycling Classic; Tabor Criterium

Publish Post

Teammates Hilton Clarke and Ivan Stevic, first and second in the stage

Tabor was amazing.
In the women's race Jeanie Longo was in the front almost the entire time, winning quite a few primes. But in the end it was national criterium champion, Tina Pic, who picked up the win.
The men's race was insane with almost 150 riders packed onto tabor. Bissell had control a few times throughout the race but it ended up being Toyota-United for first and second. Second place, Ivan Stevic, is the B-World Champion. The B-World Championships is a chance for riders from countries that didn't qualify for the elite world championships to qualify for the Olympics. Ivan's home country, Serbia, did not qualify for the elite world championships.

Track Cleanup/Friday Night Racing

The track looks fabulous again.
It has a nice new paint job, though sadly not as many people showed up as on the first track clean up day.
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We were running late that night, I did not get in a proper warm up. Something was loose on my rear wheel, causing me much delay. Turns out I didn't race it. I raced my training wheel instead. After a quite short and insufficient warm up I did a very slow 200 meter. The way I rode it was fine, the line I picked was fine, so what was the problem? Turns out my front tire wasn't holding any air. So after a performance that fell flat I ended using a training wheel for my front also.
There were three people in my category for sprints so I ended up getting a by the first round. The next round however I was up against Nissy Cobb. Unfortunately our sprint was only two laps long, as we were running out of daylight, throwing a wrench in all my sprint strategies. I pulled second position, I didn't really know what to do so I just sat on Nissy's wheel. But that didn't really work.
My second sprint with Bill Alsup, I think could've won, if I would've jumped instead of letting him do that. That too was only two laps. But I'm sure they'll both be there next week, and hopefully we'll have three laps.
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You might also want to check out the video bar I added!!

=D

=]clickme[=
i b happeh

I sorta kind of suck

At blogging.

I know, it's been over a month.
Well, I'm making a May 3rd, resolution.
Gonna post at least twice a week.

I'm sitting here drinking my coffee, starting to get ready for Kautzky.
I can't wait.
I love track racing.