DClog

Perry-Roubaix Masters Road Race

At the last minute our official, John Johnson, decided to separate the 35+ and 45+ fields because, "we had an extra wheel truck". Whatever, I was just there for a good hard training ride and had no 35+ teammates today. Our race started with about a dozen 45+ men and one very brave Velo Bella woman.

With 62 windy and dirty miles ahead of us the initial pace was not too intense and the group stayed together over the first two hills. But when we got to the dirt road I went to the front and put the hammer down. At the end of the road, eight men were left so we put our heads down and drove through the steady headwind back to the start/finish.

As the second of five laps began, two riders attacked hard on the hills. I dropped in behind the top GC men waiting for the chase to ensue, but no such luck, those were teammates and the Big Guns were not going to chase. (Big Guns = the legendary GW Wenzel (RBM) from Auburn AL and the very confident top GC man, Brian Jones (Bianchi) from Ashville NC)

Watkinsville rider, Doc Moye was riding without teammates and also sitting high on GC so he eventually launched a serious solo chase. Big Guns, GW and Brian, eyed each other but did not respond. I asked Brian what the point spread was between him and Doc, who was riding away solo, and he said "one point". I replied, "Then he is your man, you have to go get him". Brian said, "I'm not worried about him, I can catch him". Finally the Big Guns fired, attacking each other, splintering what remained of the field and they caught Doc Moye. I was dangling in no man's land but clawed my way back on just before the dirt road.

By now the two initial breakaways were gone. The pace settled down and a couple other riders bridged back up to us, until we came around to the hills for the fourth time. Doc was not going to give up so he launched another solo escape. GW and Brian eyed each other and waited. Brian said that I "should work for him". I moved to the front and started motoring, Brian and GW dropped to the back to watch each other. Guess what? I attacked right off the front and quickly soloed up to Doc catching him on the dirt road. GW and Brian must have been bickering while I got away, but when I bridged to Doc we agreed to work together.

Doc needed me in the headwind and on the dirt but I was a boat anchor to him on the hills. He said he would help pace me over the climbs and I said he could have third place if we made it. We got about a 30-second gap and then the Big Guns were coming full bore. Doc whipped me like an old mule and I gave him everything I had and he did the same for me. We got over the hills and across the dirt the fifth and final time still clinging to our 30 seconds. In the headwind, the Big Guns got closer, it looked like about 200 meters back to them as we turned onto the final road to the finish. Totally fired-up, I was going as hard as possible and we were holding the gap. At 200 meters to the finish I stood up and sprinted, getting a huge gap on my partner Doc Moye, but at the last second I hit the brakes and let him take the third place finish as promised.

That was the good hard training ride I was looking for, alright!

Feeling pretty satisfied, I then packed up and drove from Perry over to Macon where I jumped on my MTB and pre-rode next week's mountain bike race course for an hour.

“Bush lied, people died”

The 'Impeach Bush' chorus grows. More people are saying that Bush's administration intentionally misled the country into war and his "unlawful" eavesdropping looks like part of a larger pattern of "seeming indifference" to the American constitution.

I would like to take this moment to say a somewhat childish, "I told you so". OK now I feel a little better, but seriously can we do something about this guy?

Kite Flying

It was 26 years ago when I bought this kite. Ruth was an infant in a child carrier and we were out in a field flying this big kite for the first time. I had sat down in the grass and hooked the string around the child carrier. Gusts of wind would tug on the carrier and amuse both Ruth and I. We have flown this same kite many times over the past couple of decades and today Ruth sailed this deep sky cruiser yet again.

We also hiked around the Williams Mill Greenspace with Samantha and Django on this fine day. Here's some photos taken with Ruthie's camera.

Equality For Men

Duh, who didn't see this coming...

More than three decades ago Roe vs. Wade gave women control of their reproductive lives but nothing in the law changed for men. Women can now have sexual intimacy without sacrificing reproductive choice. Women now have the freedom and security to enjoy lovemaking without the fear of forced procreation. Women now have control of their lives after an unplanned conception. But men are routinely forced to give up control, forced to be financially responsible for choices only women are permitted to make, forced to relinquish reproductive choice as the price of intimacy.

The National Center For Men, dedicated to the advocacy of men's equal rights. Is this progress?

Rock Piles

http://rockpiles.blogspot.com/
This guy found my photos of the stone mounds over at Little Mulberry Park and I noticed his link to them listed in my webstats. His work is pretty amazing and worth reading about.

Ride to the Capitol

Here's my photos from today's "Ride to The Capitol" cycling event. I guess about 700-800 cyclist joined Roswell Mayor Jere Wood riding from the Capitol of Roswell to the Capitol of Georgia, in Atlanta. It was quite a sight and fun adventure!

I have some video and there will be media coverage on the news, so I'll post more later when I get back home from work.

Here's the photo from the the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I am the 2nd on the left behind the left-side motorcycle escort.

Love the new AC-Dale!

It's lighter (the built 59cm weighed in at 16.5 lbs), feels stable and tracks very well. With the combination of the new frame geometry and setback Thomson post my position feels even more powerful and aero.

It's a shame the Addictive Cycles Cannondale team bike looks so good, cause nobody's going to get a good look at it while I'm kickin' their butt ;-)

BTW I also have another frame and fork exactly like this one except it has the even nicer looking GTC team custom design, still in the unopened box! It's a tough situation but I can only ride one bike at a time.

Cannondale Geometry

T-shirt

Rachel brought home a new t-shirt for me from REI...

PERFECT!

New Steeds in the Stable

New for the '06 season

Team Addictive Cycles CAAD8 with Dura-Ace 10-speed - 16.5 lbs
'05 Optimo Cyclo-cross

more bike photos