Oh god it's everywhere

On a whole, the north east cycling scene has had it pretty easy when it comes to inclement weather. hell, the first really rainy, horrible, muddy, wet, disgusting race of the season for me happened last week at beacon 'cross. it was kind of a blessing.



Since I missed dressing up for a Halloween CX race this year, i decided to do it a week late and blame daylight savings! Tony, Kyle, and I drove to Beacon last week with my Mario suit expecting a total shit show, and I for one can say that I wasn't disappointed. The Beacon race was one of the harder races of the season. Maybe it was a combination of the rain, mud, huge steps, and sand traps, but i was completely thrashed after that race. I practically needed a step ladder to get up those amphitheater steps! for some reason I'm guessing that the stairs in Ryan Trebon's house are about that size. Good for him, not so good for Baldy McShorty over here...



My performance at HPCX the next day was a joke. my new goal in CX racing has gone from trying to place to trying to not let Andrew Crooks lap me...




I'm a big fan of technical clothing- spandex/roubaix/dryfit is awesome. Denim, while tough, is also a great fabric to wear in the rain... In oppositeland. The rain inundated my Mario overalls with so much water that i felt like a bloated pregnant woman. i was carrying at least 15 lbs of extra water weight, and was craving rocky road ice cream with pickles... The denim also stuck to my legs and made it quite hard to pedal. That being said- dressing up as Mario for a cross race when its not even Halloween is plain awesome.

Fast forward to this weekend- the USGP at Mercer. last year this was a pretty fun course, with a huge pit and a fly-over. the race was wide, sweeping, and fast. The weather was generally agreeable and it was a great time. This year it was a completely different race. it was like we were racing in Portland.



I've been saying all year that i wanted to race in horrifically muddy conditions, and I got what i asked for. The best way I can describe the last two days of racing is by using the term "Mud Bukkake." I mean, it was everywhere. EVERYWHERE. I mean, look at Jed- Someone get him a moist towelette or something...

photo by Anthony Skorochod

Day 1

photo by Anthony Skorochod

After a late start due to me getting rides from hungover people (cough, cough Slokar), we just barely made it in time. As we pulled up to the park, the C race had started. I noticed people running on flat sections. It was that muddy. People were completely covered in mud, and it was windy and rainy, but not that cold. I quickly slapped on my skinsuit and ran to staging. i got there just as they called my name- 3rd row, not to shabby! I looked around and saw the normal cast of characters that had made this season so fun. This was the calm before the slop-storm.

The whistle went off, and it was the usual mad dash for the start line. I had an ok position going into the hole shot. once we entered the course, the mud started right away. Last year the fly-over and the long sand pits were the challenging parts of the course. This year, they were the easiest parts. (note the "oh shit" face)

photo by Anthony Skorochod

Every other part of the course was inundated with mud. You had to plant your ass as far back as you could and just slog along.




I ended up DNFing thanks to ex-C field sandbagger Sam Fiorno... i crossed the line and the official indicated that i had 1 lap to go. Sam was just ahead of me. as we rode into the course again he said that they pulled him from the race and that we were done- I was as eager to do an extra lap as i was to get intimate with Star Jones, so I didn't argue. Lo and behold, we both got DNF'ed. that's too bad, because i was in contention for 40th place... This is serious, man!



The aftermath of the race was hilarious- we all looked as though we went spulunking in a septic tank. i had to hose my bike off twice just to get it clean.



I was so muddy from slopping through the mud like a pig that my chamois was covered in it when i peeled off my skinsuit (kind of like taking the skin off of a weisswurst).




And yes, I'm like 80% sure it was mud. shut up.


after cleaning off, we ran to a fantastic NJ Diner where i tried scrapple for the first time. The best way i can describe Scrapple is that it's the Foie Gras of New Jersey. It somehow manages to be both delicious and horrific at the same time...




After our trashy, delicious feast, we made a beer stop and rushed back to the race. We had some 'drinkin to do, people to heckle, and, oh yeah, Fliers to hand out for the Kick-ass CX race that's happening on Nov 30th!

when the Elite men came on, we were 2 six packs into some Belgian-style Tripels. For some reason our buddy Phil bought a UCI license... He stepped it up and played with the big boys in one of the hardest races of the season. I think that warrants a beer hand-up...


Sure, Shaking the can of Bud for 5 minutes and then opening it in his face as he rode by may have been a bit douchey- but you know what? That Phil Riggio is a CHAMP. he grabs the can from me, pours the rest on his head, CRUSHES the can on his helmet, and rides away. That, my friends, is Pro as shit (.dk)



Day 2




I didnt think it was possible, but somehow day 2 was worse. it was 40 degrees with 30 mph winds, and there had been ANOTHER torrential downpour on sat night. The ground was even more inundated with mud. it was so bad that the race organizers cut the course in half because it was "unrideable." What was considered "rideable" was pretty comical...

But first, I'd like to point out how important it is to properly embrocate before cold races. it's an important ritual that ever CX'er should hold sacred. the rub-down of embro on one's pale legs is essential to any decent CX experience. And if you're Croatian like Tony, you probably like embrocating your eyeballs and gums.



By the way, This week's Embrocation and Chamois cream was brought to you by SportsBalm (review to come).




As we waited in staging, 35 mph winds whipped around us and made the whole B field shiver. We knew what was to come. this was going to be miserable. why were we all still here? We could have just gone to brunch! But no- we were all standing there in spandex skinsuits, freezing and waiting for a whistle to blow so that we could bike and run through a giant pig pen wrapped in caution tape. Why?




The crux of this sport is suffering. Not just suffering due to self-imposed exertion, but rather suffering through pitting yourself to a tough environment as well as other people. You're not just racing other people- you're fighting your surroundings. Mud swallows your wheels and bogs down your bike. Barriers and run-ups block your way and make your life all the more difficult. But everyone in that field is pushing themselves as hard as they can- not just to try and best their peers, but to overcome the course itself. A good number of people didn't finish on Sunday. But everyone who did finish pushed themselves to their limits, and I think that's where the satisfaction lies in this sport. I think its easy to be complacent in a road race if one wants. It's alot harder to do so in a 'Cross race.




racing on Sunday at Mercer was akin to biking and running through a mile-long turd-covered slip'n'slide. Every part of this course was grueling and treacherous. it was slow and painful, and full of slop. It was the hardest 'cross race i've ever done. It was also the most satisfying.




After Tony had had enough of racing throug the slop, he decided he'd have more fun by throwing beer at me and heckling me for losing to a triathlete...




I guess i really wanted a muddy sh*tshow for the very novelty of it. the after-shots of muddy races are fantastic, and it just adds to the difficulty and drama of 'cross. that being said, slogging through mud makes a race exponentially harder. It's completely saps your energy. you grind through slop at 3 miles per hour, pedaling at 35 rpm. A friend of mine who was watching yesterday said it was the slowest cross race he had ever seen. the mud was so thick on most of the flat sections that you had to run them.



As we drove back from a mud, beer, and scrapple filled weekend, I became a little sad that the cross season is nearly over. This year has been more fun than I've had yet, and it wasn't just because of the racing: it was because of the friends that I've been racing with for the past two months. Everyone has been having fun and riding their bikes without pretense or elitism, but competing. I can only hope people carry over some of that attitude into the 2009 road season, because it'll make it that much better.


By the way, for all you NYCX'ers- I'm organizing a CX practice on Wed, Nov 19 @ 530 AM- meet at the entrance to the park on 72nd and 5th. we'll do a warm up lap and then do drills on the northwest side of the park near Harlem hill. You know you want to. Anyway- Balki will be there- how can you say no??

Making the race- Staten 'Cross

It's totally my fault, but i forgot to mention on my blog that I'm organizing a cyclocross race! Between racing, work, and organizing the damn thing, i never got around to posting it on here! Well, here it goes.

There had been a ton of talking within NYCX community about putting our own race on. everyone was into the idea, but actually following through is a completely different story. there were just so many variables to consider. Where would we have it? would we get permission from the Parks department? was there enough interest? was there a date left in the 'cross season that didn't conflict with a big, established race?

Little by little, it started falling into our lap. Jamie Bogner from NYCMTB had found a small gem of a park in Staten Island. He went to check out Wolfe's Pond Park and thought it was a great spot. Now all we needed to do was get permission from the parks department. I really was prepared for that to be a total waste our time. From what i had heard in the past and with CRCA races in central park, the parks department was pretty strict and extremely sensitive about their lawns. Obviously they would have no problem at all with letting hundreds of cross bikes tear up park land! We decided to give it a shot anyway and reached out a new acquaintance i had made in the Parks Department (Thanks Michael and Marjory!) Although i was prepared to deal with a bureaucratic nightmare, i was instantly proved wrong. Getting a permit for the even was easier than i ever thought it could be.

We drove over the the park last thursday to meet with the Park's Manager and the event coordinator. The manager was a Staten Island native named "Vincent" who had a pristine S.I. Accent and had worked in the park's department for years. we started to carefully explain that bikes would be ridden on the grass, but that we would make every effort to not damage it and use well-traveled parts of the lawn. Vinny Smiled and said "There is nothing you could do on those bikes that would mess up my lawn."

oh, it's like that. That's a Challenge.

Moral of the story: Vinny is awesome. The Parks People were so accomodating that we were a bit taken aback. where was the bureaucracy? where was the hard time? They have pretty much given us carte Blanche to put on an awesome race!



The Park itself is perfect for a 'cross race: TWO Parking lots, Bathrooms, Hoses, Electricity, Grass, Mountain Bike trails, and a Beach. this course is going to have it all, and its going to bring it.

Here's the deal on the race:

Date: Sunday, November 30th

The race is on Staten Island- a mysterious and magical place, easily accessible from New Jersey, Long Island, and the rest of the Metro area.

The race is on November 30th- the weekend right after Thanksgiving, and the Day after the New Jersey 'Cross Championships. This will be one of the last race weekends you can double up on before nationals come around!

Why come to our race?

* Come and support the growing 'cross scene in the NYC area. Every year, more and more people get into cyclocross, making it more popular than ever. NYC has been without a cross race for far too long, so be a part of something historic!

* Come for the awesome course we put together. With the help of some Portland CX expertise, the course we've designed promises to be challenging- we've got something for everyone: A 100 Meter Beach run (the course is right on the water), a Circle of Death, barriers, a rooty-rutted-leaf covered run up, and some good old-fashioned tree-slaloms. Here's the Map:

* Come for the Prizes- Awesome trophies, Cash for Elite men/women/masters, and great merchandise from NYC Velo, Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers, Sportique Skincare, and Honest Tea, as well as some "Staten Island ONLY" Premes.

* Killer jams by DJ Kendra, who will be dropping beats all day.

* The Park is easily accessible by car or public Transportation- Take the Ferry to Staten Island then take the Staten Island Rail to the Prince's Bay Stop. The Ferry allows bikes, and you should be good to go on the Staten Island Rail.

* Any profits from the race will be donated to Ichallengemyself (http://ichallengemyself.org/) - a nonprofit dedicated to fighting childhood obesity and getting disadvantaged youths on bikes.

* Come work off the marathon binge eating session you will have just gone through after T-day. We know we'll need to…

All info can be found on BikeReg.com:

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7298

REGISTER!! Do it for BACON! Do it for GLORY!

Big Thanks to the CRCA, Alan Atwood, The NYC Parks Department (thanks Vinny and Sarah!), Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers, NYC Velo, Sportique, and Honest Tea. This race would not be happening had it not been for the support of these people and sponsors. buy their stuff if they sell it!

Whirlybird and DCCX- Get to zee Choppa!

photo by Anthony Skorochod

This weekend presented a bit of a Lull in terms of Big 'cross races to go to, so we decided to double up on smaller races. Whirlybird was on Saturday, and DCCX was on Sunday.

I didn't really know what to expect with Whirlybird- All i knew from the bikereg site was that that the town the race is held in is the site of where the original whirlybird took off (didn't any of you see the Pippy Longstocking movie??). That, and the race was on Bryn Athyn College's campus, and there was no alcohol aloud- dry campus. Dry campus? at a cross race? what?! I was beside myself.

Turned out that you didn't really need alcohol to have fun at this race. We got there and it was about 45 and rainy. FINALLY- perfect 'cross conditions! The course looked like fun- we couldn't see most of it, but noticed some off-cambers, and they had set up a "circle of death" just like at Wissahickon. we got there a bit late, and by the time we embrocated and got our numbers pinned on, there wasn't much time for a warm up. so we just lined up and went for it.

Doing a 'cross race without pre-riding it is alot like a rest-stop glory hole- You don't know what's on the the other side of the hole (shot)... This course was a roller coaster ride- lots of turns, off cambers, and wet stuff. Frankly, going through it at race pace without having scoped it out was a bit scary and fun at the same time- my bike went through a ton of abuse in the first lap- slamming my wheel into holes and roots that i hadn't initially noticed.... For the record, my Campy Eurus wheels have been rock solid- these wheels have become great 'cross wheels- They spin up really well, are light, and only go out of true if you crash and snap some spokes. highly recommended.



There has also been a good bit of friendly competition amongst the NYCXers. Kyle, Myself, Ethan, Jed, and Tony, are out to best one another in the world of barriers, mud and off cambers. I think crossresults.net has made if even more concrete as it keeps score. Colin Doesn't count as he's in bagger of sand category, and frankly, me beating him in a cross race is a hilarious prospect, even though he's only done 5 (and won 2).

Going into lap 2, Colin was ahead, bagging sand or whatever it is you do when you're at the front of a race (I wouldn't know). He was followed by Jed, myself, Ethan, and Peepo. Ethan and I were battling it out in the first two laps. but Ethan has been trying out a new riding style called "falling down"- i don't know if he read too many Chris Charmichael articles or something, but hey- whatever works for him. at one point he gets in front of me and decides its the perfect time to make out with the lawn. sorry dude! the "HaHa!" sound effect from the bully on the Simpsons. and now its time for karma to kick in!



As i approach this wet downhill switchback before the barriers, i slide out. i hear a loud CRUNCH.

did i break my arm? mmmm nope. i keep going- i shoulder the bike and go over the barriers- as i get ready to jump back on, i realized what had happened- another set of broken carbon bars!



Su-weet.

I feel like the folks at cadence would give me more shit about this if it didn't mean i kept going over there and spending money. So far this season I've trashed two pairs of carbon bars, two sets of brakes, and one campy shifter... God, I'm like the ideal customer! every time I call cadence, Mark Purdy picks up and says "what did you break now?"



Taking a break from talking about myself for 2 minutes, Big props to Colin for ripping everyone's legs off and winning the B race, and big ups to Jed for snagging 6th place. That sixth place finish was a big one for Jed, and he was so overwhelmed with joy that he tried to hug his bicycle:

photo by Anthony Skorochod

He's a sweet kid.

The race promoters also had a small Helicopter brought it to do fly-by's of the race while it was going on. the helicopter was maybe 10-15 feet above the racers- i'm sure it made a couple of people poop themselves. all i could think of was "Get to zee Choppa!"



As i had to race in DC the next day, I drove to cadence in Philly and had the bars replaced with some great Aluminum 3T bars- shallow drops, traditional bend. i really like them so far. If i snap these I'm going to use a solid steel pipe as my next handlebars.

After putting on my 3rd set of handlebars this season, I headed over to DC with Caroline and Union Steve. The venue for the race was a huge, beautiful Veteran's Retirement property- There was a ton of space, and the organizers definitely made good use of it. The weather had done a complete 180 from the prior day at Whirlybird- sunny and 70 degrees. It was going to be another beautiful, dry, painful course

This had to be one of the longest cross courses i'd seen yet. At over 3.8 km, the laps were going to drag on. The race organizer did a pretty good job of mixing up the course- there was a good amount of variable elevation and terrain- long, slightly uphill stretches (My speciality!) tight, swoopy turns, short, rideable steep sections, 2 sets of barriers (one natural, one man made), and a few off-cambers. that being said, the course wasn't too technical, and the barriers were the only parts of the course that required a dismount.

photo by John Cutler

As per usual, I was met with a crappy starting position at staging. something like 10 rows back. I'm really starting to resent call ups that are done by pre-reg order. Union Steve and I weren't too Happy...



It was Great racing with Steve and Caroline this weekend- Both of them are going through their first season of 'Cross and loving it. I love having cool, new people get in on the 'cross scene, and its great to have more friends at the races with you, racing, ringing cowbells, drinking beer, wearing spandex, and pinning each other (sometimes all at once)



Much like every cross race, this race was just plain hard. I was riding the pain train from start to finish, trying to pick people off one by one. I somehow managed to get through the ENTIRE race without crashing once! I was so proud of myself! I had actually purchased an extra set of handlebars at Cadence just in case!

As i got to the last lap, i had a guy on my wheel- we approached the finish line together, and like a good bunch of cat 4's , sprinted for 38th place. I think i took him at the line... take that, 39th place loser! ha.

while it's lame to sprint for 40th in a cat 4 road race, it's expected in a 'cross race. people cheer and scream for you to do it. I guess it's more in line with the idea that in cross you're going all out the entire time, till the very end. If you're pack fodder and there's no chance you'll win the race, you don't stop trying. Everyone in that race is going as hard as they can, whether they can win it or not. I think there's somethign to be said about that. Some might call it an exercise in futility, but then again, isn't all bike racing?


I would also like to take this opportunity to let you all know that I have broken my Bacon fast. "How could this be?" you ask? Well, i justify it in the following ways

1) bacon is too delicious not to eat
2) like, really delicious
3) My finishing time in the "B" Race on sunday was faster than the winner of the "C" race. therefore, by proxy, I WIN!

In case you're wondering, I broke the bacon fast with Bacon wrapped dates that were stuffed with Blue Cheese. I could tell you how delicous it was, but every time i think of bacon i get a Lardon.

George Hincapie Interview

This past weekend George Hincapie and his brother Rich flew up to New York to take part in a fund raising weekend for I Challenge Myself. I Challenge Myself (ICM) challenges and supports youth from under-served communities of New York City to become physically active healthy adults and skilled active citizens and leaders. ICM gets these kids on Bikes and gives them an opportunity to experience a positive and healthy activity which builds confidence and a more promising future for them.
Alex had the great idea of creating a charity ride where people would pay to ride with George, with the proceeds going to ICM. There was also a fantastic reception at Cadence, which attracted an eclectic crew eager to meet George. Both events turned out to be a great success- fun was had all around and money was raised for a great cause!



Well, Someone had to pick up the Hincapie brothers from the Airport on Friday, and Alex couldn't think of anyone better than myself and Cadence manager Jed Kornbluh.



As I'm a bit of a fanboy, I jumped at the chance to spend some time with George and ask him a few questions while driving back from the airport. For anyone who's expecting the standard questions one asks a pro cyclist, go here. Everyone else should know I've got the journalistic integrity of Girls Gone Wild...

CJ: How was your past season? What were some highlights for you and were there any frustrating or disappointing parts?

GH: There was a bit of everything. A highlight was winning the last stage of the Tour of Cali. I crashed pretty bad in the first stage. I had a concussion, so for the first three stages I wasn't feeling great at all. It took me 'till the last stage to feel normal and I won that stage, which was good.

And the Classics were good- I was fifth in the Tour of Flanders, and then obviously Roubaix was a huge disappointment; I flatted right at a crucial time in the race, so that was a bit of a disappointment. The Tour was good- the team was really successful; we won more stages than any other team there, so we were really happy with the way it went. I would have loved to have won that stage were i was in a breakaway, but i really misjudged the descent and lost my chance there.

CJ: How have you liked riding with Team Columbia? Is the culture and dynamic a departure from prior teams and if so, how?

GH: Well I've only been on one (pro) team my whole life- but sure, there are alot of younger riders from Columbia- when i first went on the team i would almost say they weren't very serious just the way their attitude was. But as i got to know them I realized that they're really serious, they just like to have alot of fun. They always joking around and playing so to speak. It's fun to be around them especially before the race and after the race- whether we win or lose there's always someone joking around and everybody's always laughing.

CJ: How has it been racing with someone like Cavendish who's turned out to be quite a star at the finish line in terms of field sprints? How does the team play off of both his strengths and yours?

GH: He's awesome- he's one of the best cyclists I've ever seen. He's a huge, huge engine. He's a great guy and we're really good friends. I think we work together really well and you can always rely on Cavendish. I remember at the Tour of Missouri he lost the last stage; it was almost like it was a bit of a shock to him- he didn't know what happened. He was really apologetic, but you can't win every stage. He really has come through this year for us.

CJ: In terms of One-day Classics- you're known as a strong contender. Those seem to be your favorite races but at the same time, as epic as they are, they seem to be pretty frustrating given how much crap can go on. Is Paris-Roubaix still your top race for the upcoming season and how do you prep for it?

GH: It's definitely still my top race- probably more than ever, since I've only got a couple shots left. It's a huge goal of mine and really training is the same- it starts right about now: I start riding my bike and do alot of mountain biking. Doing alot of long distance rides until december and january roll around. It's hard to training for cobble stones; you can't really do any of that here, or even if you had them i don't know if I would do them since they're so rough on your body. It's just something you either like or you don't like

CJ: I would guess that it's also pretty rough on the equipment...

GH: Yeah, definitely

CJ: So on the days leading up to a big one day race, is the carbo loading insane?

GH: I would say the day before, not really the days before. The day before you just eat tons of pasta or rice, and also the morning of as well.

CJ: Do you eat bacon?

GH: Now I do, yeah. Not during the season, though.

CJ: What was a bigger accomplishment for you: getting the Yellow Jersey in the Tour for those couple of days or placing 2nd at Paris-Roubaix?

GH: I would say getting second at Roubaix just because the Roubaix is the hardest race out there, in my opinion. I probably received alot more exposure from getting the yellow jersey, but personally i would say 2nd at the Roubaix.

CJ: Do they let you keep the Yellow Jersey?

GH: Yeah...

CJ: Do you wear it around the house or ever wear it on rides and then people say "look at the fred, where did he buy that from?"

GH: Ha, no- i've never worn it since. I've got it framed back at my house.

CJ: So you got your start by bike racing in New York City and I think alot of New York City bike racers can identify with that. How was your progression starting out? How did it lead to something on the pro level?

GH: It was pretty simple- i would just race Central Park and Prospect park on the weekends. When I was twelve years old I would only ride with the older guys. New york has a huge cycling community- People who aren't from here don't understand how many cyclists there are and how much cycling experience there is. People from all different countries who grew up racing their bikes and know all about it, and we were always fortunate to have people around us who knew alot about the sport and they were always willing to help you.

CJ: What was your favorite local race growing up here?

GH: I would say Bear Mountain

CJ: Did you win it?

GH: Yeah.

CJ: Definitely NOT one of my favorite races... Ok- here's one of my two lance questions: What do you think about his come back? Is it going to be odd to be racing against him for once?

GH: I was suprised about his comeback- I knew pretty early on as he was talking to me during the Tour de France. I was suprised but then he explained the reasons and I understand it alot more now. It's going to be tough- i mean, I've never raced against him, so It's going to be really awkward racing against him

Jed Kornbluh: You guys have been together since the US National team right?

GH: Yeah, since '91.

CJ: So a few weeks ago he tried cyclocross in Vegas. Have you ever tried 'cross? How many pros do you know that race 'cross?

GH: I don't know that many pros on the road that race 'cross. I've tried cross as a junior. Growing up here there was of course the Kissena Velodrome 'cross race- we used to do that every year. Then I got 4th at Nationals as a Junior in Massachussetts.

CJ: Because We're going to a race on Sunday if you want to come- you can borrow my bike: it's a 49cm, but we could put a longer stem on it no problem.

[George Snickers and shakes his head]

CJ: Do you use embrocation?

GH: Nope

CJ: Did you read that article that Dave Z wrote about Chamois cream? he wrote an article going into graphic detail about what sort of stuff he uses to prevent and take care of saddle sores...

GH: Did he tell you what he wanted to call the Women's Version of DZ Nuts? DZ Lips!

[pre-pubescent laughter erupts from the car]

CJ: Ha! I like it. That would sell... What do you use?

GH: I don't...

CJ: you don't use ANY chamois cream? That's a taint of steel, right there...

GH: I'll use it occasionally like in a long time trial or a race like roubaix or if i feel like i'm getting torn up down there. But normally i don't use anything. I think if you have the proper chamois- Dave probably won't like me saying this- but you probably dont need it that much.

CJ: What was it like racing with him? I'm sure you have some funny stories about him:

GH: He's awesome. We were actually making fun of him at the Olympics because he didn't want to go back to Europe to race - he's racing right now- he didnt' race all year. We were talking about your site (VCN) and it came up how he would end up being a guest writer for you guys, that way he didnt have to race...

CJ: I guess it would pay the bills, except not at all...

CJ: Ok, Lightning round...

CJ: Favorite Band?

GH: Guns N' Roses.

CJ: NICE. Favorite food?

GH: Italian.

CJ: Favorite Pork-based Product?

GH: Bacon.

CJ: Sweeet. Favorite Beer?

GH: Yuengling.

CJ: Ding Ding! Favorite TV Show?

GH: 24

CJ: Obama or McCain?

GH: Obama

CJ: Campy/Shimano/Sram? i guess that just depends on who's paying you to use it...

GH: Shimano.

CJ: Did you like Dave Zabriskie's mustache?

GH: Hated it.

CJ: Would you grow a mustache?

GH: Never!




Another Big Thanks to George and Rich for coming out and spending the weekend with their fans in NYC! We hope you guys can come back next year!

'Cross Time- gloucester Recap

photo by Ocean Li

I've come to a conclusion about the reasons I like to race . Sure, it's easy to say that its for the love of the bike, the feeling of competition, improving yourself, yada yada. That's all fine and good, but really- the main reason we all bike race is simple: so that you have a new facebook profile picture.

photo by Ocean Li

Ok, so maybe that doesn't apply to the master's 45+ crowd, but for almost everyone else, it's not a race to the finish, it's a race to the photographer! How many of you get to the front every time you're about to pass Andy Shen/ Marco/ any other photographer? That's what I thought.

For 'cross, there's two other reasons we race:

1. an excuse to go to a diner after a race:

1. an excuse to drink beer

I love how riding for 40 minutes justifies eating 2500 calories worth of Pastrami Reubens and Ommegang. Somehow, I end up gaining weight after a long 'cross race weekend. I wonder why...

If any weekend was a shining example of that, it was the weekend I just spent at Gloucester last weekend- two days of racing cross in a beautiful new england town, coupled with two days of chugging clam chowder and Belgian beer along with inhaling lobster rolls.

I'm not one for playing into stereotypes, but I know i'm not the only one in nyc that bike races and works in finance. After past two week's festivities, I was more than happy to get the hell out of dodge for a long weekend. Turn those machines back on!

The drive up was pretty brutal- we left at 6:30 on friday and got in at 2AM. The race was at 9. My current strategy of doing C races until I win is getting a bit old. I think it's time to upgrade to cat 3 in cross just so I can get up later and do the B races (Generally, the order of races is predicated in talent order- worst to best- or something like that). Of course, if I was nearly as good at the art of bagging sand as Colin Prensky is, I wouldn't be having this problem...

Saturday's course was a wide, sweeping course. Very fast and full of long straight sections. The turns weren't too technical, there was no run up, and the only spots you had to dismount were a twisty sand pit and a set of barriers. I was hoping for crappy weather to provide some messy racing, but the weather turned out to be beautiiful. It was the perfect temperature when we went off, but the temps rose significantly throughout the day, turning the dewey course into a dustbowl. The beer tent was strategically placed by the barriers, and you could easily see most of the course from the main area. I think the promoters did a great job at organizing this race. That being said, I praise any promoter that puts a beer tent up.

Boiko and I got to the course with tiime to spare, and we got a few warm up laps in. this race was going to be all about picking smooth lines and powering through the straight sections. Not quite my course of choice, but I was pumped to try it out.

We thought we'd be smart and try to secure a decent spot at staging about a half-hour before the race. There were over 100 people signed up for the C race, and As we all know, a good starting position is one of the most important parts of 'cross racing. We stood there along for about 10 minutes, with a smug sense of satisfaction, thinking we were soooo smart for getting to staging super early so that we would get a good spot. Unfortunately, a man eventually came up to us and informed us that starting order was determined by the order in which you registered. Good for you, bike-reg geeks...

Boiko and I ended up being in the 7^th row, or about 70 spots back. It was going to be one of those pack fodder sort of days! When your'e relegated to that fact, all you can do is concentrate on picking people off once by one once the race strings out. Everyone's riding as hard as they can, and all the while you're hoping for two things

1. that you dont get passed due to taking a bad line, get a mechanical, or wiping out.

2. That the guy in front of you Does have one of those things happen to him.

I'm half kidding. However, it's so easy to be a victim of circumstance that you're more mindful of all of the bad stuff that can happen. You're subjecting your equipment and your body to higher stresses and impacts that one is normally used to In a road race. I for one know that my equipment gets wailed on like Tina turner after Ike's had a few too many...

this race had a long, uphill sprint to the hole shot, and it was a much longer sprint than the last few races. It allowed for me to take a few spots, but I was also aware that it was going to be the part of the course that added insult to injury. The start was just like a cat 4 prospect park field sprint, except no one crashed and nobody told me to "holja line." I always try and hit the first lap pretty agressively, and then try and find a rhythm once everyone's strung out. Aside from one tiny wipeout, I didn't embarrass myself too much. Gloucester most resembles Belgian 'cross races from what i've seen on youtube- the crowd is going nuts by the barriers, and the beer is flowing. It's funny how time slows down in the 'cross race- every time I do it, it's the longest 40 minutes of my life...

I could hear fellow NYCX'ers cheering me on and screaming at me and my friends, and that's part of what made the race so fun. I finished the race about 20 spots ahead from where I started, so I was satisfied with the race. On to the beer!

I;m a big fan of beer tent antics. What better place to drink some great local beer, abuse a cowbell, throw beer at your friends that are racing, and be a bit obnoxious?

I've determined that flinging beer at your friends while they race is one of the only ways you can do it without getting beaten up- I guess it's big in Belgium and Portland ,so it's cool to do here. Sure, it may have been a waste of Ommegang, but I wanted to be authentic. Every time Prensky, Slokar, or Jed came around in the B race, they got beer flung at their persons until I ran out. Once I ran out of beer, I resorted to clumps of dirt and grass. I felt like an irate monkey. Douchey? A bit. Funny? Yes!

I'll be the first to admit i'm not a fan of american spectator sports. As it stands, I'm a bit of a pariah in my office because I don't do fantasy sports, think baseball is boring and that most of those atheletes are overpaid, not in great shape, and probably doping (oh snap, I went there!) same goes for football- but hey, it's all about preference. That being said, I think 'cross races are some of the most entertaining sporting events to watch. You can see all the action, it's nonstop from start to finish, the crowd is right there screaming in the faces of the athletes, and everyone's drinking beer. It's like going to spectate at the Tour de France- except instead of having the peloton pass you in just once instant- you have an hour of riders passing you, hopping barriers, and riding the pain train. There's a bit of a NASCAR aspect to it when you're by the barriers,, except the beer's better and the mullets are more euro. The minute somone wipes out on the barriers, the crowd goes nuts. People fling beer, throw money, shout, and ring cowbells. Christopher Walken would be proud.

As for the pro race, it was a ton of fun to watch. I won't go into detail, as velonews probably already did and i'm just plain lazy. Needless to say, Ryan Trebon did his customary "rip the legs off of everyone in the last lap" strategy. seems to work for him. for the record, his legs are longer than my whole body. Kind of like this:

Day two at Gloucester was much of the same, but the course was much more fun. a few turns had been changed, and a decently steep run-up have been incorporated. Hitting the run up with the entire cat 4 field on the first lap was like a stampede. I almost got taken out when someone in front of me couldn't remount his bicycle. The addition of the run up made the course a little harder, and broke up the long, flat parts of the course. I'm a big fan of run ups, even though i kind of suck at them- the steeper, the better. word to the wise, always keep toe spikes in your mtb shoes- you'll thank me later.

I managed to stay upright on day two, and felt good about how i had raced- i moved ahead about 30 spots form where i started- still middle of the pack, but the course and the crowd made it a ton of fun. I would say that Gloucester is probably the most picturesque 'cross course out there.

Even though i managed to stay upright for the race, I ended up falling on top of Adam Duncan in the parking lot after the race. What a pro.

My buddy Bill the paparazzo was there to document a ton of the race- it's dangerous having a friend show up with a good camera. It sometimes leads to bouts of unfathomable Narcissism...

Short of what happened to me in the bathroom at the George Michael Concert, I'd say this is the most homoerotic thing i've ever done. not that there's anything wrong with that... As for Colin Presnky, well, I can't speak on his behalf.

Aside from the Playgirl photo shoot, the rest of the day was spent drinking beer, eating some fantastic loster rolls, and cheering on the Higher cat races. Another weekend of fun. Another weekend of pain. Another weekend of cowbell , friends, and regrettable photos of me in a skinsuit. does it get any better?