TdG Inner Loop - Your mother told you there'd be days like these...

Heading up to Pinos Altos from Silver City. Western New Mexico University Logo on the Hill above where Matt's Dad used to live. Vernette Vergara is convinced those are double V's. Never argue with a woman.

Heading across the Mimbres Valley today you see Roberts Lake...if you glance away from the wheel in front of you, that is.

Canyon Wall view in the Valley.

Yesterday Beautiful Vernette (and Craig) got some time in the sun waiting to feed Jim and some of the GeriAtrix and Joe's Pro's guys.

The open road, that we raced on yesterday heading out to Mogollon.

Today's course - 7500 feet of climbing in 80 miles with 3 significant climb.

Clockwise loop starting/finishing in Fort Bayard (yellow dot.) In the last 10 miles you ride past the Santa Rita Mine. I'm suspicious that I acquired "Mine Flu" today.

Today was rough, rough, rough. The day started on an ominous note when the announcer called up the top 3 in our race. "In second place, Jamie Carney, multiple world track champion. In first place Michael Carter, multiple World Championship USA team member."

5 miles into the race we did a 6 mile climb. Our field splintered right of the back. I was able to ride with the 2nd group, including Bain, almost to the top having to ease off 1/2 mile from the top. That effort cost me later, I believe. Over the top, on the descent I was joined by Steve Betton and a couple of other riders. Michael Carter's teammate had flatted and had some problem with a wheel change so he came riding up behind us on the 2nd climb. For some reason he rode really moderately so we stayed with him for half of it. As he put the hammer down we split into 2 groups of 3, Steve and I were with a rider who had come off the Bain group and had really cracked (for the moment.) So far so good.

We descended the treacherous Sapillo descent to the Mimbres Valley and that's when I stopped feeling good. We picked up Steve's teammate who had come off his threesome so there were 4 of us for the 30 mile ride across the valley. It was all I could do to stay on. The first 15 miles is rolling uphill so that is generally hard for me. Then over the Continental Divide is 15 miles of rolling downhill where I usually push the pace. Still it was all I could do to stay on.

We started the last 25 miles, which includes about 10 miles of climbing and I knew I was in trouble. After about 2 miles of climbing I sat up, took my feed from Beautiful Vernette, and waited for the women's peleton to sit on. It was total headwind so I figured I could get a draft in the caravan. Uh huh. Couldn't keep the pace. 15 miles later with 2 1/2 mile climbs to go the women's grupetto came by and I could almost hold their pace, but nope.

Lots of cramping, lots of soul searching lots of coasting downhill at 18mph into a headwind later I rolled across the finish line in Fort Bayard absolutely cooked. I even turned down a dinner invitation!!! Now you know I was hurtin. Back in the hotel after a couple of FW's and a surprise Vanilla Frosty from Beautiful Vernette and I felt alot alot better. The Geriatrix guys called and we met for dinner - Prime Rib - and all's good for tomorrow!

Craig wants to know why all the young skinny guys who live at altitude show up to do his race at the Gila. Can't they find their own race? He felt he rode better than last year, yet resulted about the same. Kindly, the officials have reserved a spot for him right in the first few riders of tomorrow's time trial.

Stay tuned.

TdG Mogollon - aka Waterboarding?

Today was super tough stage (for me.) Silver City to Mogollon. Last 7 miles a wretched climb. If waterboarding feels like climbing the Mogollon, I will go on record and label it torture.

The course is generally Northwest direction, which helped me this year as the wind was out of the Northwest today. Last year it was out of the west, making it a gutterfest.

After my climb to Mogollon I descended into the teeth of the peleton. Lance may only have "3" on his team, but looks as the Trek Livestrong team may be complicit in his team's endeavors this year. Here is the main peleton chasing up the last few from the break, with 3 to go. You can see Lance on the far right engaged in some sort of conversation...

More of the peleton - they had just hit the hardest part of the climb, 3 miles to go. Peleton somewhat intact. Levi would jump from there for the "V" today.

Dinner at the excellent Silver Cafe in downtown Silver City. One of our favorite places to eat. The Combinacion Ranchera. Green Enchiladas w/ over easy egg. Rice and Beans. Taco. Perfectly cooked Chile Relleno (only found this way in NM.)

Beautiful Vernette and Craig about to dig in.

Wes claims that the Lions club pasta feed "poisoned" him last year. Looks like they are going for the pre-race poisoning this year!!

We're suspicious that Swine Flu may have origins in Silver. Virus Productions?!?!

We're thinking our favorite cowboy might enjoy this show after the crit on Saturday.

Much better race for me today, compared to this stage last year. Although I finished 44/49 I lasted with the bunch to the last 10 miles (last year shelled at 35 miles to go.) I climbed Mogollon in 54:00 compared with 1:01:00 last year. Not stellar performance, but improvement. I cramped a little, but was able to back off and stay on the bike for the whole climb and didn't have to sit at the top for 45 minutes before descending do to leg spasmodic cramp.

Craig's race starts tomorrow, so he and beautiful Vernette were able to feed me and drive me, the Geri Atrix bikes and riders and Joe's Pros bikes back from the base of the Mogollon. V did laundry tonight, Craig fixed my bike.

Speaking of which, my Gila almost ended at mile 5 today. Going up hill I freewheeled for a second and felt and heard the most horrible noise coming from my rear derailleur. Couldn't turn the pedals. Fortunately I was near the back of the bunch so I pulled off and jumped off the bike. Relocated the chain on the cassette and started riding. Noticed my chain would "sag" with freewheeling (hope sagging isn't illegal in Silver.) I was very careful not to pedal backwards for the rest of the stage and all was well. Seems that my lower pulley is a bit out of sorts. Craig trimmed it and lubed it and now it is running like a champ.

Tomorrow is the toughest stage - the "Inner Loop." 3 cat 3 climbs. My goal would be to make it over the top of the first climb with a reasonable group. Time will tell.

Lots of hubbub with Lance in the race. Levi took the stage. More on that in the days to come.

Thanx for reading.

Gila Again?

Craig and I are back at the Gila. This year B-H is one of the small sponsors of this great race.

Packing tape over your frame number makes for a nice "ghetto" laminate. With my sweat my number would last about thru the neutral rollout with out it.

Although "ghetto" turns out nice!

Dinner at a nice new Silver City Restaurant, Shevek & Co. Must be good for bike racing - Floyd was there.

My dinner partner was much more lovely, the beautiful Vernette. Craig was back at the hotel with an annual case of "Gila Flu." Hopefully not Swine Flu.

We figured the Tour of the Gila would be the best place to hide from the Swine Flu. Of course it is in NEW Mexico and there are a few mexican riders and teams so we'll see how smart that is.

This race almost didn't happen this year. I'd like to think that B-H had a little role in it surviving. We have to credit Steve Betton and the Permian Basin Cycling Association as it was his idea to offer some sponsorship money to the race to help. Our collective $2500 didn't make the race, but it helped provide the impetus to give it a shot by the great race promoter. SRAM coming in as a title sponsor took it over the top and it is now, arguably the best race in the U.S. this year, after Tour of California, and Tour of Missouri (which are in an entirely different league, natch.)

The news really swirled when Lance made overtones of racing. And he is. I don't know all the ins and outs but it sounds like Astana had planned on bringing a full complement of 8 riders. The UCI nixed it because Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams aren't supposed to race races such as these. Well they compromised and let 3 racers in, which will be Lance, Levi and Chris Horner. Losing out the most in the deal, it sounds like, is the BMC squad, which had entered 8 riders, but as a tier 2 team they were only allowed 3 riders. I guess we'll see 3 pissed off/motivated BMC riders in the peleton and 5 riders training on the roads around Silver City, NM this week.

The abrupt turnaround of the race has made it grow considerably. My 40+ field will have 60 riders tomorrow, last year we had 40. Follow Craig and I along on this blog and at the ToTG website.

Belgian Style Racing in Illinois

Saturday I had the opportunity to race in Illinois, with Ara. Ara has moved Bicycle-Heaven St. Charles one town over to Geneva. Doors open next Friday - more on that later. Terri and I got to stay in Oak Lawn with Ara and his wonderful mom in their "Twin flat."

Ara's Isaac and my (actually Will's) Cervelo got to know each in the new shop the day before the race. Will's bike has the brand new Fizik Antares saddle, which is lighter than my Fizik K:1, believe it or not. If you are comfortable on an Arione, you will probably do well on this saddle. If you are comfortable on an Alliante, probably not...

On Saturday, Ara and I drove to Leland (an hour west of Chicago) to do an American Bicycle Racing circuit race called the Leland Kermesse, put on by the Flatlandia cycling club.

Those of you who know Tenacious D, and know Rob, Matt and my chuckles about "Lee," will appreciate the reverence to which we approach a race in a town called Leland.

Like a typical small midwestern town, Leland is found and marked by its water tower.

The course was 10 miles long, with 1 mile of dirt road (which became mud the last 2 laps.) Respecting the Belgian influence on the racing side of our sport, this circuit race was called a "Kermesse."

We were supposed to do 6 laps, but this first year race had a low turnout (the weather scared a few away for sure.) So the 1,2,3 fields were combined for into a 5 lap race. That was plenty, I promise you.

I got popped 5 miles into the race (3 miles into the first lap after a 2 mile neutral rollout) along with 25 others of the 40 starters. You can see my heart rate (in red) maxed at around the mile mark. Ara came off just after me and we had a chase group of 4 which grew to 8, then he came off a few miles later. I eased up once and he got back on, the second time I didn't, figuring that if he and I got together commiserating we'd probably talk each other into cutting the race short a lap or three.

I got popped out of my chase group at about the same point on the 2nd lap and spent the rest of the race with a 17 year old junior, who was plenty strong. We would pick up riders, then lose them. Some from our race, some from the 4/5 race that had started behind us.

The biggest factor in the race was the 30 mph wind out of the southwest. It made the first part of the lap a headwind gutterfest, the 2nd part a tailwind gutterfest. If you look at the speed above (in green) you would think we were doing a long climb then descent with the abrupt and sustained speed changes each lap. The course was essentially flat. We were going all out yet only averaged 20mph which made the promoter's decision to move us from 6 to 5 laps very nice. After 2 1/2 hours of racing my legs were as tired as they have been all season.

We had a few sprinkles during the race, then an absolute downpour on the last 2 laps. This turned the dirt road to mud the last lap and the frogs were all croaking in a large pond we went by when it was raining hard, for some reason.

The funny part of the race for me was the tag along I picked up. 1/2 thru the 2nd lap, when I was alone with my sole riding partner I noticed that a lady bug was on my left shoe. I was amused, we were in 50mph winds and rain, riding out bikes all out and a ladybug found my shoe somehow. The bug stayed on the whole race and when I unclipped to chat w/ dudes back in the parking lot after the finish, the bug simply climbed off - it had had enough too, I guess.

Great race, I was pleased with my effort. I don't get to race very much with Ara so that was special. The promotor/club/volunteers did a great job, every turn was well marshalled and safe. Definitely will do this race next year if the opportunity presents itself. (This year JW had 2 soccer games in Chicago which is why Terri and I were in Chicago.)

Sunday Ara and I were supposed to drive to Sheboygan, WI to do a crit. It was 2 1/2 hours each way (with traffic and road closure wildcards.) The race was 50 minutes at 1:30 and Terri and I were to fly out at 7:45 so it was doable. When we got up Sunday am and saw that they highs in Sheboygan were to be 45 degrees and they were getting 1-2 inches of rain we decided to exercise discretion. Ara did a 70 mile training ride and I went to see JW play soccer then took a nap.

Monday Craig, Vernette and I drive to Silver City. As usual, the Tour of The Gila should present an old fashioned ass-whoopin'. Stay tuned.

Long-Medium, yes please!!

If you are familiar with the "Long shop ride" there is a slightly shorter alternative. About 5 miles shorter with about 300 feet less climbing.

You cut thru Spring Branch a mile and half before the climb out of the Guadalupe. Cross over 281 returning South on River Way (stopping at the golf course for water.) South of 46 River Way becomes Stahl joining the "medium" shop ride route - hence the "Long-Medium shop ride.)

The tricky part is the route thru Spring Branch. Heading up Spring Branch road, Right on Driftwood Ridge, Left on Falling Water, immediate Right on Grand Oaks, 2nd Left on "2nd" Phantom Rider Trail, Ride on Acacia, Left on Rolling Creek, cross over 281, Right on River Way.

This past Saturday I decided that I needed more than 3 hours sleep and also thought it might rain so slept in skipping the shop ride. (It didn't rain, incidently.)

Wells and Kevin(?) joined Ydays the Turk and I at the shop at noon for an alternative shop ride. Wells and Kevin punched it up the Champions climb, gapping me and dispatching Ydays and myself and dispatching the Turk for the day. Don't worry - no feathers ruffled as she says "I'll do my own ride!!"

I got back on and Ydays took the short alternative thru Timberwood and rejoined us at Borgfeld Park. When I could keep Wells talking we would ride easy, when I didn't he killed it.

All in all a great 3 hour alternative ride for a small group on a nice Saturday afternoon. Keep this ride in mind.