no versus

dont have versus?... check out this site http://www.justin.tv/giac2007 for live coverage. i thought not having the prologue might stink, going away from tradition and all but todays stage finish was amazing.

no bike yet

School started Monday. Everything is going great except I still don't have my bike >:|

my new home

I flew in yesterday evening and am in Oregon now! Dave and Laura are moving Saturday so the place I'm in now is only for a few days. This morning i took the train, the "max", into Portland so I could check out the school and get my books and learn my way around. The town is amazing, there may be more bikers than drivers, the weather is 75 degrees and sunny, and everybody I've met is extremely nice. i asked one girl where the off campus bookstore was and she walked me there. i was able to get used books for 152 instead of the new ones at the school bookstore for 220. i think ive seen more coffee shops today than in my entire life leading up to this point combined. this morning i bought a brew from a retarded mute guy on a motorized scooter with a sign listing the prices and it was all on your honor...crazy! On campus there are tons of trees i kinda feel like im in a forest. there were even these guys chiseling concrete to make a gazebo with tree trunks as the support. then i went and checked out what i heard called one of the best bike shops in the world, river city cycles, and that was a really cool place. cool town, cant wait for my bike to arrive, until then ive got the "max" which is free.




guy jaming out with no arm! vvv

tuesday ride

I tried a new ride this week... the barrington tuesday night ride. I met Eric at the church along with roughly 30 other people. The ride started off easy, which was nice since i drove to the start and allowed for a decent warm-up. We rode in a huge pack to an 8 mile loop which we rode 3 times... really hard. I didnt have a computer on my bike but the loops were all at race pace. I caught myself in a couple of breaks giving it everything I had. These guys were strong but there was also this girl who was the fastest id ever seen. I couldnt drop her on our breakaway and she did lots of pulling and was strong on the hills too, incredible. finally on lap 3 phil showed up and we got about a half lap in together. overall a great ride and i wish i had found out about it earlier in the summer.

i might be doing a crit in chicago sunday

10 days until Porty

June 18th is the big day I leave for Portland to be adopted by newlyweds Dave and Laura. Classes start the Monday after I arrive and go until early August. I'm excited to live somewhere new and be on my own for a while... takin a break from the home scene.

I'm riding a couple times per week nothing too serious but not enough time for racing at this point. I think I'll get one last one in this weekend, if i get a couple rides in during the week. I'm sad that I won't be at bikefest but I know ACE will kick some ass keeping the win in the yoop.

Does anyone else not mind the gas prices? I swear thats all the news networks talk about. "Chicago has the highest gas prices in the country with an average of $4.09 this week". I dont drive more than 20 miles a week so it doesnt bother me... maybe people will not buy the biggest cars they can find that get 12 mpg anymore. Maybe people will think before driving everywhere when they can easily take a bike, smaller car, or public transportation... or maybe if things are tight they'll just work harder.

EDIT: (more PICTURES of duluth)
personal photos from duluth
link from duluth classic website

Easy ride

I took the past couple of days off and went out for an easy 25 miler today. Racing is getting pretty expensive with gas these days so I think I'll be taking some time off until maybe the weekend before I leave for Portland. Here are some pics from last weekend...

some of the gang
tt start
tom in a daring breakaway on stage 3
sprint finish... (not for 1st)

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend we drove up to the Duluth Classic stage race for 4 days of racing goodness. Friday evening was stage 1, a 16.2 mile time trial loop. It was my first chance to race the new time trial bike and felt pretty good about my performance. Juntti rocked out with the best time for ACE putting him in the top 10.
Day 2 was a 54 mile fairly flat road race. Everyone’s legs were fresh but the wind kept things together and the race ended in a bunch sprint with no one moving directions in GC.
Day 3, the legs started feeling a little tired and the stage was the longest and most demanding at 62 miles. The race had a monster climb, which I climbed in my 39-23. Nothing serious went away until 5 broke away with one more lap to go, and I was in it! We worked together hard and stayed away until 2 miles left where the peloton caught us. Again the race ended up together.
Day 4 was a 45 minute crit. 2 guys got away and stayed away all race. There were a bunch of little attempts to reel them back in but the break stuck. I finished 11th on the day. Overall the timed stage race thing is pretty cool, and I’ve learned if I ever want to be competitive I’ve got some work to do on the time trials.

The weekend was great hanging with the units, the grand parents and all the Ace guys. Time for some resting up and getting ready for Portland!!