ValueAct teammies HB Banks and Hot Sato say warming up is fun.  I prefer to just take pictures. 

Devon Vigus from Strawberry Giant will not leave his clothes on.  I don’t get it, but atleast he leaves them on during races (usually).

Whoever can guess who’s booty this is gets a big huge Yellow Bug prize.  I’ll give you one hint: it’s not mine;)

On the women’s side, international power house Ina Tuetenberg launched attack after attack after attack.  High Road’s also got some women that look an awful lot like Ina on a bike these days, so it was a little tricky for me to tell them apart.  Cover cover cover, finally one stuck and I could see Blue Diamonte Sato up there pedaling away - phew! So we all chilled out in the pack, Colavita road some tempo stuff and I tried a couple attacks towards the end to try out some tricks.  Finally Colavita and Tibco set up some powerhouse trains for the lead out and I managed to pop around most of them for second in the field sprint and 8th over all with the Sato finishing third behind Ina and Brooke M!  So we had Sato on the podium, prize money, burritos and some rootbeer to round out the afternoon. 

And of course there was the cycling tragedy yesterday with Kristy and Matt, making it so all this was just nothing when your friends are . . . are what . . . are gone.   This event is so tragic, it hurts me, it scares me, and it just makes me plain old sad. 

I just got off the phone with my friend and off-road monster cyclist Dan K Harris and when we said good bye he said something that made sense:

“We got this life to live, you gotta keep living it.”

And so that’s what I’ll do. 

Can’t quite fall asleep so I thought I’d banter on here about the start of the season.  Last season was a handful.  I felt alot of responsibility to help the ValueAct team expand for 2008 and, alot of pressure to perform, and hectic schedule - it was alot to recover from. 

In preparation for a very full NRC schedule this year, I have taken my time getting ramped up for this season.  Have only raced once so far (Santa Rosa) and I am just recently getting going with some hot intervals.  Next big team race is Sequoia.  Today I started my workout with enthusiasm to crush it on the bike.  It made me feel happy, weather was good, 2 cups of coffee, no leg warmers - I was living large.  By the end of my workout I had inflicted enough suffering on myself that my mood changed (or maybe my caffeine high was wearing thin?) and I was feeling a little negative. 

Some people like Hernando have such sickening and endless enthusiasm for suffering on the bike - I envy him. 

I am, however, not one of those people.  Love the ride, but easy like Sunday morning is more my style than a lunch time hammer fest.  Intervals are a love-hate relationship for me, I love the feeling of accomplishment I get but I don’t actually like to do them.  Still, they always get done. 

So finally I feel the need to pay my dues in the Central Valley (another love-hate relationship, more emphasis on the love than the hate) and race at CVC this weekend.  Cool course downtown in the Tower District of Fresno and it looks like the women’s field is super star with High Roads, Colavita, and then all the West Coast teams. 

I was also terribly entertained today that cyclingnews.com used “Nobody puts baby in the corner” as a subheading in their news report for women’s cycling in North America.  80’s movies are a constant source of inspiration.

And now I gotta go to bed.

Just wanted to take a quick break from adjusting my new cleats (more on that later) to do a little cut n paste stuff here. . .   

Ken Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 6:08 pm

As a surgeon who’s job it’s been to scrape extruded grey matter from the sculls of retards who have turned themselves into vegetables or corpses- please wear a helmet even if you are sure it’s not necessary for you. Glad this blog shows picture of a well know Europro wearing his. There is young local pro back who flaunts his helmet-less kit. As cruel as it sounds I’m glad he got dropped from his top tier team so that maybe his adoring fans might think not wearing his helmet has something to do with it.

HELL YEAH WEAR YOUR HELMET YO.

I’m not sure what when wrong with the colors here.? I call it 80’s night tropical sunrise mango fiesta.

As per cyclingnews.com:

ValueAct Capital Cycling for 2008

Building off a successful inaugural season, the ValueAct Capital Professional Women’s Cycling Team will add talent to its 2008 roster with new riders Nicole Evans, Leah Goldstein, Marni Hambleton, Lara Kroepsch and Chrissy Ruiter to join the current line-up. The team aims to be among the best in the US.

“Last year, we had a young, spirited team that really proved they had the ability to succeed. Katie Mactier’s wealth of experience really contributed to making this team gel,” said Director, Lisa Hunt. “I wanted to build on that momentum, by adding more top stage race and single day race talent. It’s a great group of riders!”

Three-time Mt. Hood Cycling Classic winner, Leah Goldstein will add firepower to the team’s GC abilities at major stage races. Goldstein, the current Israeli National Road Race and Time Trial Champion who resides in British Columbia, excels in tough, hilly races and has a wealth of experience racing in Europe as well.

American Lara Kroepsch, who rode for TEAm Lipton for the past two years, will bring her sprinting strength as well as solid stage race experience. Kroepsch is a two-time Collegiate National Criterium Champion, with numerous podium spots in major NRC races.

Katie Mactier, who has already garnered two gold medals in the individual pursuit at the Sydney and Beijing World Cup Track events in recent months, will be racing with the squad, beginning in May. “I’m super excited to be hooking up with the girls again for another US road season. This year we are a bigger team and hungry to make our mark,” said Mactier.

The team will be contesting a full NRC schedule for 2008, kicking off the season with the Santa Rosa Women’s Grand Prix on February 18. Prior to that, the team will hold their training camp in Healdsburg, California, the week of February 11th.

ValueAct Capital Cycling Team for 2008: Sharon Allpress, Hannah Banks, Courtenay Brown, Nicole Evans, Leah Goldstein, Marni Hambleton, Lara Kroepsch, Katie Mactier, Martina Patella, Chrissy Ruiter, and Taitt Sato.

Peace out.

Thanks Georgia Gould for getting this petition for equal prize money for the top 5 men’s and women’s finishers of UCI events.  Oh hell yeah.  Go ahead, sign here.  It’s easy. 

Couldn’t help but notice some entertaining, insightful, and just nice comments along with the 2,558 signatures.  Giggle.  Here are some of my favorites:

#20 - “pay georgia her money, lebowwwwskiiiii”

#38 - “Time to get paid yo!”  I like that one yo.

#214 - “And lengthen the races, too!”  Ok, thats a seperate petition, please keep those ideas to yourself for now.

#281 - “This is the 21st centure, lets act like it.” Perhaps stolen from a real estate slogan?

#286 - “It’s criminal not to award equal prize money” Criminal?  I don’t know if I’d go that far, but I like his 286’s flair for drama. 

#434 - “Equality isn’t a four letter word!”  No it’s not.  Never heard that one before, but I like it.  I think I will use this in other personal campaigns.  Let me try it out . . . Taitt, slow isn’t a four letter word!  Oh wait.

#448 - “But of course.”  Please pass the butta. 

#555 - “The International Triathlon union has shown leadership in this area for years - insisting on equal prize moeny for men and women, in spite of field size differences”  WTF, we are even behind the triathletes?  Come on people, you gotta sign this!

#605 - “hell yes”  enough said.

#583 - “yeah! but no skinsuits should be allowed”  come on now, lets save that for seperate petition ok. 

#685 - “DUH”.  Well duh.

#708 - “Only meatheads would allow this diparity.”  I like this one.  Is meathead one word or two?

#1024 - “I gave equal prize money in the mid-70’s! Get with it UCI.  Catch up to ME.” Rad . . .maybe me should always be capitalized, kind of like I.

#1245 - “hook em up!” Thanks brotha.

#1289 - “A man who believes in equal pay for women”  Trying to get a date here D?  I know whats up.

#1390 - “Show me the $$!”  I like her style.

#1820 - “Go Women!!!”  Thanks, I appreciate the not one but three exclamations. 

#2236 - “women kicking SO MUCH ASS in cycling right now! Equal rewards, please!”  Yeah!

#2540 - “I would be willing to make less for the women to make the same.”  Wow, that is one of the nicest things I’ve ever heard a male cyclist say. 

Don’t be a meat head.  I implore you to sign this petition here so that women cyclists can race, win, and get out of poverty.  And don’t just sign it, write something cool.