For serious.
The thing I love about this photo: we all know it is the guy from the wikipedia cyclocross entry.
I’m getting back in to the groove of living in Portland, Oregon. Did a night ride on the VTT with brian.cx and another frozen mountain bike ride with Madrone and brian today out in Scapposse. (did I spell that right?)
Stuff with RockRacing is keeping me entertained, I get to prank call all my cycling friends and do impressions: “yes, this is Michael Ball calling from ROCKRacing, I’ll ring him again later.” But the doping bastards are a double edged sword. Entertaining as shit to watch the follies from afar but, a pal of mine may get shafted out of races or results because of it.
That is another topic for another time… but, c’mon “john doe” we all KNEW it was Kayle. I mean tattoos are a clear sign you are a doper right?
All I am saying is, I’m not shaving my legs at all this season and yes, you should feel silly if I beat you in any race, any time this year.
For serious.
Nothing better than going on fun rides, drinking coffee and making breakfast with Pete right now. The Veloshop ran great while I was away, I’m proud of my co-workers and stoked that the shop is busy enough to keep more than a few of us working and well paid.
Still lots of catching up to do. Paperwork, bikework and taxes await!
When the going gets tough… take a backseat.
Better to view the absurdity from.
Note that world champ stripes abound.
Cipo and Doug opt out of the baseball caps, weight weenies.
CX your fingers for his tour of California team selection.
Stolen from some blog, somewhere on the internets.
Did I tell you I was just in LA?
I’m back in Portland now after a frustrating flight home. Stay away from Delta and American airlines!
I’m watching Top Gun.
Go America!
Waiting for my flight to LA. It is snowing.
Nothing good to eat here and the pay-to-play wireless network says something like:
“free wireless is too good to be true.”
HA!
The second I landed I was like, shit. I wish I was back in Europe. But, I am looking forward to getting back home for once in a long, long time.
Damn straight.
It used all was better.
I’m done racing in this land called Europe.
It is past time.
France is dirtier than Belgium and maybe even Amsterdam yet, not as dirty as LA.
Tears were shed at the Lieven world cup today. Saying goodbye to friends until next winter. The results are screwy, I was not a DNF but, does it matter when you are doubled at 3 to go?
nay.
Excellent course, lots of DNFs and doubled riders. Tim Johnson is on track to impress at worlds. Is Vervecken creeping into World Championship winning form? Is Lars Boom just going to ride away from everyone? What is with Wellens driving a killer race today?
Will I keep racing cx after the extremely dissapointing and frustrating season I’ve had.
Nope.
Just kidding, I’m already making accommodations to come back and live here for even longer!!
Image brought to you by Niels Dewit. Thanks Niels!
While I am away traveling my house mates sleep in my bed and wear my clothes.
My shirt makes you gay.
Want to buy some stuff and help me get back from Europe?
I’m broke and I’ll need to buy my lady beer and chocolate when she comes to Europe to visit!
for more pics and details.
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Chris King tubular wheel set:
Classic road hubset, 130 spacing
28 hole front and rear.
Scandium alloy 28mm deep rims. (430 grams ea.)
DT Revolution spokes – silver
2x rear 2x front
silver aluminum nipples
rear-840gm
front-680gm
$499.00 obo
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ZIPP 360 58mm carbon fiber tubular rims:
28 hole only, I have a few for sale! (I would love to sell them all together)
Brand NEW, never even taken out of the package!
Includes Zipp valve extender.
2007 model.
$399.00 ea. obo
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Stronglight Pulsion Activ-link Stainless crankset.
Stainless integrated spindle, carbon fiber crank set w/bottom bracket – 172.5 – 53/39 Stronglight COMP 7075 CNC chainrings – English threaded. All brand new.
new – $425.00 obo
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Chris King / ZIPP tubular wheelset
Classic road hubset PINK anodized, 130 spacing 28 hole front and rear.
ZIPP 285 style tubular cyclocross rims.
DT Revolution spokes 3x rear 2x front, alloy nipples.
sub 1399 gram wheelset with 2 seasons of cx on them, still lots of life left!
Tyres, quick releases and cassette not included!
$699.00 obo
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Raleigh carbon road racing frameset
2007 model frame and fork.
Upgraded to a Reynolds Ouzo PRO full carbon fork.
Frame weight: 980gms.
Includes integrated FSA carbon headset.
Frame, fork and headset: $699.00 obo
Here you go.
“NON. thees iz naht valeed.”
C’mon, are you serious? It is my UCI license. It is valid.
“NON, eet iz too saudzand ate tooday. You licenze iz neet goode!”
Uh… um. eh. are you fracking serious? You are not going to let me race?
“NON. enless you ave zee neuw papers. non.”
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The UCI official had a thick frenchy accent.
Yeah, so at that point I said fuck it. I walked outside, it was about a half an hour before the start of the elite race and unless I have a new 2008 UCI license faxed to me from USACycling in Colorado (8 hours behind us. it was 14:30) I cannot start the G.P. de Ster in Sint Niklass.
I wandered over to the USA trailers to see if Proctor or Noel had any help. They are both still in the pits for the Juniores race. I throw my hands in the air bitching. This is just another incident in a string of bad luck and shit, I woke up on the wrong side of bed I am frustrated and tired and over here to f’ing race not pit for Canadian beloften racers.
“the UCI guy with the moustache? man I hate that guy” Trebon says.
“fuck it, I am not racing today this is ridiculous” but headed over towards one of the boxes to track down Proctor anyways. Turns out he had printed out a “permission to ride form” from USAC for me for the Hofstade World cup which, while not actually a license or proof that I have a license or shit, has the words: “permission to ride valid for 30 days from date printed” on there somewhere. It was printed on December 25th. So with ten minutes to the elite start I jam back into the inscription, they are literally shutting the laptops. I jam the “permission” form onto the table and I get my start contract, sign in, pay 3 euros for my numbers, shake my head in disgust and run back to my car. I don’t have time to change or get ready or anything so I pin one number on to my back blindly with a couple pins and make a mad dash for the start grid as they begin the call ups. So much for my long season of well planned race warm up and routine.
Danny and Maakie have taken our bikes to the boxes. Kyle and I got there early enough to take a few laps and the course is fast. Not the sucky mud fest like last year. Frozen corners, frozen rutted off camber, sand then mud, then sand and little kids kicking sand in your face cause you are not Sven Nys. I heard “aaay suck!!” “nonono neet so goode!” and more excellent cajoling from the crowd today. When I hocked a lugie going through a corner in the trees, every lap afterwards an old man would mimic my “hocking” sound and grumble at me as I rode through chasing Filip Meirhaeghe. I also ran into some Americans superfans that had raced the earlier masters race (awesome), some Belgie fans I met in Hofstade and Antwerpen and all of the cx camp guys were there too. Seems some Belgie kids figured out who I was from the Diegem TV brodcast and were giving me the love.
I was so relieved just to be on the bike racing, I rode my heart out. I actually had the two riders who finished in front of me on the ropes for a few laps, I was railing the off-camber and single track sections much smoother but, they just had that Belgie horsepower on the flats and I would drop them only to get re-dropped on the pavement and flat section heading into the beach. After 15 minutes of the cat and mouse my steadily fading fitness found me huffing and wheezing, snot hanging out of my nose, staring at their wheel.
Eventually the rubber band snapped.
As it always does.
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One of Kyle’s pals is a reporter in Kenya right now, he called us on Skype from a totally blacked out room. “the election was a farce, when an official came out and declared the election was rigged, they killed him, lots of reporters are going missing and being killed. I have been laying low and hiding out in a room with all the lights out for days.”
The shit in Kenya is going down.
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I am back in my flat, indulging in the luxury of internet and the small pleasure of finishing on the same lap as the leaders today. I am taking the train up to Amsterdam tomorrow and meeting Pete for a week of fun. Then we have the Roubaix CX, the Frenchy world cup and then I am flying down for the UCI race in LA. Anyone else going? Good chance to heckle me as I get clobbered by southern California roadies.
We got to hang out in Danny’s mobile home and drink coffee and chat after the race today. Like real euroPROs. Let me tell you, hanging out in the mobile after the race is nice.
