Tour of Utah has been going fairly well for TT1. Chaddy is 3rd overall heading into the last stage tomorrow. I feel like I have been breathing through one of those red stir stick straws all week. For some reason the altitude is killing me. I am looking forward to heading back to sea level on Monday. Two more weeks to get in shape for USPro.
Jonez world news headlines:
-#1 joins the working world on Monday.
-Jenny Hullinger turned 27 yesterday.
Seriously, where have I been? As you might have guessed the 7 days to go in New Haven has come and gone, as have about 23.63 other days. I know that you are dying to know how #1 and I spent them so I put together a little picture diary so I don’t have to type too much.
Our vacation in Cabo consisted almost entirely of this:
A trip to Lovers Beach, where the local saying is, “Two go in and three come out.” I still don’t get it…
This couple is on their way to Divorce Beach. I’m sure you can do the math here.
And of course, sampling the local flavor:
One of my favorite TV shows, Laguna Beach (I loved the first and second seasons but the new ones are really lame. I am now a dedicated Hills fans), shot an episode in Cabo during spring break. The episode was titled, “What Happens in Cabo Stays in Cabo.” Unfortunately for us it didn’t and we brought our old friend Sal…monella back with us.
After a month off of racing I will be heading to Tour of Utah next week. I am not used to having so much time off during the season, it was almost like a mini off season with out the cyclocross. Speaking of cross… is that a cow bell I hear? Yes the season for mud and cowbells is near!
I’ll try to convince the author of Cass’ Quarterly Corner to update sometime soon.
Our time in the New Hizzle is coming to an end. In seven days we are out of here and Nor-Cal bound!
#1 and went for a little celebration last night to Claire’s. Last time I posted a picture of cake it was in honor of the off season. This Lithuanian coffee cake kicks off the start of party season! Goodbye Ghetto Haven hello California.
While we like to moan and groan about how horrible the Haven is, we have enjoyed some parts of it. We will miss our friends, the food, Yale, the short distance to The City and Boston, and did I mention the FOOD. If you ever find yourself stuck in a traffic jam on I-95, which is anytime you travel it, stop in New Haven and eat. Your tummy and passengers will thank you. Many people travel to NYC for the food, ever wonder where people from The City go to experience good food; The Ghetto Hav. How can you go wrong in a town that invented the pizza and the hamburger?! Anyone who has visited us can testify that I’m preaching the truth here.
Life is good on the racing front too. The team killed it up at Beauce and we are looking to continue our winning ways at Fitchburg and Cascade.
TT1 team took its first overall stage race win this past week at the Tour of Arkansas. The team rode stellar and continued to gain momentum heading into Philly week.
I have always been impressed watching how a team rally around their man in yellow, riding on the front all day, shuttling food and bottles back and forth, day in and day out. Prior to this past week have never had the opportunity to be the one on the front protecting the team’s lead and often wondered what it would be like. Exhausting and fulfilling are the two words that best describe my past few days. We delivered Chaddy to where he needed to be each day and in turn he rewarded TT1 with a couple of stage wins and the overall victory.
I am on the way home now after what feels like forever. Big changes are on the horizon with #1 graduating a week from today, a move to the west coast, and hopefully a condo sale. Yes, I am happy to say that our tour in Ghetto Haven is almost over. Time has flown by here and we are ready to move back closer to our family. Congrats to #1 for graduating from an Ivy with honors (more on this later).
On a side note, they just loaded the plane with a dog carrier that contained a pig…who flies with a pig?
We’re in Arkansas for the next few days racing in the Joe Martin Stage race and the Tour of Arkansas. In light of the recent weather they’ve had in the area I located the nearest one of these:
Stage 5 was the longest of the tour at 133 miles. Ed’s foresight in sending vaLarry and I down to preride the courses for stages 5 & 6 paid off. Larry found his way into a break of four that lasted about 115 miles and was caught with about 1 mile to go. Moises capped of the day with a top 10 in the sprint. After the stage we were in such a hurry to get moving that I didn’t even have time to hit up my favorite ice cream shop.
Stage 6 was the granddaddy of the week with a cat 1 climb, followed by a cat 2, and finishing of with the HC rated Brasstown Bald. The team’s plan was to try to get I-mac up the road in the early break and if that didn’t work then conserve for the climbs. As we started brasstown TT1 was the only team left with atleast five guys in the 51 person group. The group just ripped to pieces as soon as the climb started. It turned into every man for himself as we all went deep into the hurt box for the next twenty minutes. The fans lining the roads were awesome and it was so loud in places that their yells almost covered up my gasping for air. We ended up putting four of us in the top 20 including a stellar ride by Moises.
Stage 7 was the circuit race in downtown Hotlanta. As we pulled into the race to sign in the skys let loose and the rain came down. As most of you know I am a serious softy from CA but for some reason racing in the rain seems to suit me well. The formula for success goes something like this, when it is raining whine and complain to teammates and enemies to psych them out. Once the race starts attack, attack, attack until the break sticks because you do not want to be in the field going around all of those wet corners. Once off the front ride and pray that you don’t flat out of the break…
Overall I was stoked on the team’s performance. We had a run of bad luck leading up to Georgia, but are on the upswing now and will be knocking off plenty of wins soon.
This was my first trip to the big show and was a big learning experience. I was suffering at the begining of the week with allergies and the speeds. Each stage I started to feel a little more comfortable and the allergy medication slowly started to work so I was able to enjoy myself more and start racing. My only real disappointment was that I didn’t break the top 10 on b-town, but that gives me some extra motivation for next year.
The amount of staff TT1 had was incredible and we couldn’t have done it without them, so thanks guys and gal.
Next up is a trip home to the Ghetto Haven followed by a race around the Pentagon and some racing in Arkansas.
Nothing much to report about the last two stages that you haven’t already read about, or maybe I’m just too tired tonight to write… I’m enjoying my first TdG and learning a ton each day. The TT1 staff is taking great care of us as always and we don’t have to anything besides ride the bike, yep we’re spoiled. Tomorrow starts the uphill fun and the finish of the stage is about two blocks from one of the best ice cream places I’ve ever been too. So based on those two facts, tomorrow is going to be a great day!
The past few years I have been intrigued by people and their sayings. Cass’ family has some great ones. They range from “A bird in the hand…” or any number of not PC logging references. My roommate for the week is our sprinter Emile, who is from Trinidad and while discussing the stage last night he said, “It is on like boiled corn!” Sure dude, it is on like boiled corn…
Time for bed.
