Some Training

Got in 6hrs. in the mountains today... Good training. Stopped for a pick me up on the way into town. Coke, Snickers and bag of peanuts. The new S-40's are rolling well.

In the city--- All is well. Great News about Saxo Bank joining forces with Sram. Getting in some good rides down here, dodging cars and threats riding through the 'hoods. More to come...

Blog Slacker

I can only say that not much has been going on, well nothing all that exciting to write about. None the less, I must inform. I've been working with Sram on a more consistent schedule, one can say, spending 2 weeks out of the month at HQ in Chicago. I'm working in the road marketing department in various capacities. Seems all to normal as I've had a relationship with them for so long. It's a great thing.
Been pedaling while back home in Boulder with some consistency. We've had a super mild Winter which has thawed me out from my times back in Chi-town and will look forward to some races come the Spring... which I guess is now.
I'm off tomorrow for another stint in Chicago. I'll be sure to check back in shortly.

Cross hurts in places I did'nt know could hurt

J-Pow's got nothin' on me!....

Some folks... perhaps 2 or 3, or maybe just one, have been razing me about my lack of blogging. Have you gotten your toilet water to flow in the right direction yet? Here ya go shags...

With some help with KCCX, Bill Marshall in particular. He established a quick program for the this Fall with Scott bikes and Verge clothing, with some help from Sram I built up a pretty sweet cross bike. The program is to develop into a more structured program for '09 running with the cross wave/somehow the hype of cross is not affected by the state of the economy.

I went into it, a bit naive, as to the beating the entire body gets. It brought back quick memories of my Mtb racing. I raced my way into shape, and certainly had my ups and downs. I had a few high lites along the way, almost winning 'Sram's most aggressive rider', http://www.theroaddiaries.com/?p=237 moving up from the 5th row into the top 10 in brief, then fading to 14th. Staying local has been fantastic, The Boulder Cups and other Colorado local cross races have offered huge fields and sweet courses. I'll probably re-think doing a cross race at over 9,000ft. (Frisco Cross) I've still got that smokers lung sting from that one.

Anyways, a few more to come. Colorado Champs and of course the big one in Kansas City. Course is looking fantastic and the weather is up to par for the desired true blooded crossers.

Enjoy some pics from Boulder friends/ KV , Rob O'dea

and my buddy old pal Mark Hickey... Thanks for the shots guys.

Dissimilar Bike Races

I took these pics the week before while on a training ride.

Approaching the finish. From the Mt. Evans, CO. hill climb race to Criterium Nationals in Chicago, bike racing in North America does offer quite a lot of diversity.

Mt. Evans was my first hill climb race, the race starts in Idaho Springs and summits at the top of Evans at exactly 14,135ft. The climb gains 6,920ft over the 27miles to the top. The gradient of the climb was not too severe, generally speaking, however once over the 12,000ft. point I rode in a high altitude state of bother. I struggled to follow the surges and could not find a nice rhythm. Due to the lack of air, my legs felt like noodles, it was as if there was a bad connection between the power I was out putting, to my legs. Anyways, I think it has to be raced a few times to adapt. Never the less I really enjoyed it as it's quite a unique event and hope to be more competitive in the years to come.

National Criterium in Chicago, based in Downers Grove, IL. The course is a 1.2mi. figure eight course, at 710ft. elevation and gaining 50ft. per lap. Does not seem like it but we actually climb 2,500ft. during our 50mi. race. I did not find a top result over the weekend, this race has always led me to consisant top 20's. I placed better in the Saturday night Pro/Am finishing 12th. out of a ridiculous 180 rider start list. Sunday, was a slow march through Downers and the pace did not suit me all that well, I teetered up in the front in the remaining laps but dodging wrecks along the way took everything out of me for the final lap finishing behind the pace at 17th. I do love this race and missing the podium last year in the pro race makes me believe in a fantastic result there someday.

Two different races; a grinding hill climb through the clouds, where you simply battle against yourself, to a high speed, fast pedaling, twisting and cornering course amongst 180 ambitious racers. Both have there high level of enjoyment, and I'm happy I got to ride both this year.

B-day Getaway

Sarah took me away last week for my birthday for a surprise bed & breakfast weekend getaway. Fantastic trip to Maroon Bells near Aspen. Some hiking and a bit of a pedal enjoying some of the best of Colorado.

So many things to do.

Making it Stick. 3rd place. Stage 5, Tour de Nez

With so much of this season being based on catching up and finding good form again, I am very happy to have finished up the Tour de Nez with a nice podium spot on the last stage. The 5km circuit was one of the best I have ever raced, located in the Northstar ski village, the course was either up or down, left or right or bumping a top brick roads through the winding village. With some luck I snuck away after the first few laps, accompanied quickly by some good help. We established a nice break. When then mid to late in the race we we're joined by some fresh horse power; 3 Bissell riders, including Aaron Olson gunning to make up 24sec. to win the overall. While it took a rather deep breath to compose myself with the new tremendous pace put by mostly Zirbel and his mates, which actually sched a few of our original break riders, I found comfort in knowing we would stay away to the line and perhaps I would have a chance for a win.

We did stay away, the field shattering behind us as the Kelly riders chased trying to save their overall while Olson saw time on his side. I hoped for a good sprint from to the line against the other 7 in our break, but maybe I waited to long in giving myself a good chance to win. Either way, 3rd place on the last stage makes me smile and perhaps I will build on this one and bring some more confidence to the next race.

Happy To Be Here

You know,,,, I wish I was in better shape, I wish I had the legs to make my moves stick, I wish I had a bigger suffer meter right now. But I don't, not yet. It's a hard sport to be patient and try to get through these races to find my form again having my competitive spirit. With that all said, I am happy to be out here again. I am grateful to those who believe in me and continue to support me. I've been back on the bike now for 3 months after taking Winter and Spring off the saddle. I am willing to go over the hurdles to get to the level I wish to be at. In time and opportunity.

Tour de Nez

Reno Casino Lights

Back tunrning the pedals in the races again. I'm Out in Reno, Nevada for the Tour de Nez that began tonight with a casino crit. 4 more stages to come. More soon. Thanks for the support!

The Peak to Peak Daze

I'm finally getting in some good solid blocks of training. The fitness is coming along well and now maybe I can start focusing on some key events in the weeks to come.
Got through last week with some good rides, almost a few epics.... and one of the days Winnie and I got caught in serious hail storm, while about 2hrs from home.
The Peak to Peak Highway still puts me in a daze, trying to sort that out. I'll just be patient in getting used to riding at 9,000-10,000ft for now, then bump it up some more in training for Mt. Evans.
Well, all in all happy days here getting in to form and getting some good rides in.

The road was all nice and clear...

But it was the End Of The Road at Just over 10,000ft. Have to wait a few more weeks.
A Cola fix in Ward.
The Mountain town Ward offers some scenic Mtn. Views...

Turning The Pedals

I started turning the pedals once again just a short 6 weeks ago. Maybe the nicer weather was a bit of a motivator, or just a strong desire to get back into some racing again. I'm beginning to map out some sort of season for myself, where I will include some NRC races for some race training and a select few to seek a good result. There will be quite a few nice races here in Colorado which will help with the form, down into the summer I will be keen for the Mt Evans Hill climb race. A type of race that I have never done, which excites me. I'll try to get up there a few times and sort out riding in thin air, the finish line is just above 14,000ft. OUCH!

Mostly, I am being patient as I am late in training and dont want to rush things, I have a few composite teams that I can join for some of the bigger events, but mostly will be riding under SRAM sponsorship as a privateer, which recently was the case for the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas. Sarah and I headed down there rather last minute with some new friends Kat, and boyfriend Chris Winn, an Aussie rider who is on a 6 month racing sting here in the U.S. He's just given a break on the mountain bike scence and now giving it a go on the road. SRAM helped me with some new threads and support while down there. The weekend of racing went rather well for me, for my first races and not having many miles in my legs. Friday's 110mile road race was my longest ride of the year and sneaking into the breakaway, though brought some publicity put in a serious hurt box! Thanks to the guys in the break who let me skip quite a few pulls. And big thanks to Jose, driving neutral Sram car to feed me while off the front. Besides the cramps and pains, it was great to be back in a race and see some of my old mates. I enjoyed doing the race with Sarah as she's getting really good at the feeding routines and keeping on top of things, mostly just nice and making it a family event for the both of us. I took the rest of the race from the rears and moto paced behind HeathNet's 3 day train. Even though boring, with the GC sorted out on stage one, it made the next three days very, very controlled and the reason I managed through it with out much form.

I'll be ticking of the k's now and sorting out a way to get to the next race.

Thanks for the support and Encouragement!

A dedicated Bilko

A recent job for Sram led me to a quick posting on this old thing. I guess the West is the best. An Ice storm in Missouri and just a few days later was rolling down the window for some fresh air in sunny California. Also, our new member of the family, Charlie. I am on the bike again and seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. I've recently been using my language skills at the Boulder Hospital as one of they're Interpreters. The job has been good and rather mind expanding.

More to come from the Raby camp.

Thanks for the support and encouragement.

Nerja, Spain

Overdue

I have been trying to enjoy spending time off the bike, the constant travel that the season had, training etc... But with the bad news of our team's sponsor Kodak Gallery pulling out, its hard to relax with an insecure future for next season. It is seeming a bit of a nasty trend though as we're not the only ones.
Tour Of Missouri was rather rough on me, early on in stage 2 I took a nasty crash that cracked a few ribs and sliced my chin open. I managed to finish the stage where later that night I got 8 stitches. From then on I took it a day at a time, focus on our teams objectives and finish the race. It made a complete wreck of me, but we were rewarded with my teammate Dom Rollin finishing our jobs by sprinting his big Boonen arse off and getting on the podium for the overall.

Coming home felt fantastic, where the couch and TV became good friends. I still was not sleeping much at night, as the ribs we're not getting better. After a week, I was slowly up and about again and headed to Vegas to work for Sram during outdoor demo and celebrate Sarah and I's one year anniversary. Johnny Sundt(Kelly Benefits rider)and I along with Sram Techs led demo rides. Sram decked out sweet rides with the new RED gruppo for bike shop owners and industry folk to test on their own. We got in about five 45min. rides a day. Johnny entertained me, while I was in my Vicodin haze. We got fantastic feedback from those who signed up for the Ride RED Demo and for myself its the best gruppo out there. Sarah and I enjoyed a desert resort with all the fixings and we're able to relax and spend sometime away from Boulder, this time together.

Now. I'm still recovering a bit, the ribs feel almost healed and the soreness is manageable. Of course, as per not being able to fully relax during my off season due to bit of stress about what I will do for next season, I guess time will tell.

Thanks for the support.

US Pro Criterium Championships, 6th place/

@ 70 psi.

Getting back in the swing of things at the Tour de Toona

The new locale...


Kuota Kalibur TT

Powered by; Freedman

Starting to give it some stick again
I took my mid-season break after the five week stint that began with the RAS in Ireland and finished with the Beauce in Canada. It was nice to have some time to finally go up in the mountains have a few picnics with Sarah and enjoy our new locale here in Colorado, I even joined in at a few happy hours with her co-workers... cocktails... yep.

I quickly got into the routine again of training, and was sure nice to have warm weather here which made the long mountain training rides bit easier than battling with frost bite, as I endured earlier in the season. I spent quite a lot of time on the TT bike, getting used to riding the position and taking full advantage of having one at home. The Kuota Kalibur TT machine is quite the ride.

The Toona was soon on the horizon and I felt ambitious about the race and hoped to ride well in it for the GC. Things began well for us in the team time trial where we limited our losses to the big horse power teams and finished 5th. It's not often we race TTT, so even though it hurt it was rather fun. I managed to finish in the front group on the second stage where we were hit with a nasty rain storm with 20km to go, which in addition to the many climbs on in the short distance stage it added to splitting the field in a few groups. The next few day, I just was not able to follow in the key moments of the race and slowly began to drift away at any chance of a high GC finish. I think I attribute it to my time off of racing and simply loosing a bit of that aggression. I was disappointed of course but tugged along and continued on with the race. Once Walters got the Green Sprint jersey it gave us some specific work to help him in the sprints which got the fire started again under mi arse. On the 6th stage I went off in a breakaway early on to try to steal some sprint points to help out. On Sunday's last stage We kept aggressive trying to create breakaways but the pace set by Healthy Nuts said no to those ideas. I kept good position coming into the final and made a good sprint for 4th place on the last stage.

So... hopefully the Tour de Toona was getting my engine back on and will be back to full speed for the big crits in Chicago and the rest of the season. See you soon!

Passport Please and Tour de Beauce

Protecting Yellow Again
My first flat of the year, was no little thorn
Start of TT
Leading Walters
Sweet Goobers

The sometimes rush, rush of cycling added with and almost 6 hour race can make it easy for some short term memory issues or add forgetfulness with some international travel necessities, such as a passport.

The team trailer was heading up to Quebec directly after Sunday's Philly race, where our team duffel bags would go as well, to limit our flying hassles. Some last minute hotel changes and with the immediate rush I forgot to take my passport out of the duffel and put it in my carrion. This came to my attention at about 1am on Sunday night while in bed. I tried to reassure my self by stating that you don't need to a passport to enter Canada. But it was not really working, as I have kept up with the World news. I was off to the airport anyways as Sarah was headed back to Colorado. As I dropped her at the gate I said, "Maybe I'll be seeing you later..."

The attendant reassured my fear and said that there is no way to be flying into Canada without a passport. Stockton, my team manager was right on the case when he arrived at the airport, a bit ticked of course but still managedto get me a way up to Beauce. He found a flight to Burlington, Vermont. He called the mechanic re-routed his trip to come pick me up in Burlington and off I was for another stage race. I was so tired and physically wrecked I was not sure if I was happy I was going up there or not. I was eager for my break to come, but did have a week left in me.

Tour de Beauce went very well for us. Walters got things going from the get go on a long first stage, 5 hrs. or so, with a stage win. For the following stages it was tempo time for the rest of us, which works quite well when you're tired. It simplifies things, ride at the front for 140km. Done. Even though we lost the jersey on the Mont Megantic stage, we got back to the front in the crit to pull back a breakaway in perfect fashion, with one 1.5km lap to go, and lead it out for Dom, but small error led him to get 2nd. Still, it was good fun stringing out the field and bringing back the hopeful breakaway. After a week of great weather the last stage brought down some heavy rains and made it rather miserable. I was in two breakaways that each got about a minute up the road, but the legs pooched out on me towards the end and shut down the opportunity of a stage win that I was seeking.

I was very pleased to get through the tough week, as the roads were relentless, still had a cough and I kept counting the minutes to having some time off the bike. Walters made the race great for our team by grabbing the yellow jersey on the first stage and having the Kodak Team set tempo for the first 4 stages and getting to show our strength as a team.

I am in bed now, sleeping. I'll be doing this for a while.

Philly Cheese Steaks are Good

A Brit in Philly Sarah, My Guapa
Ready, Set, Go
Following Zee German

It was a week of downtime in downtown Philly after the RAS. The thought of it is quite nice after a hard stage race, but not having the chance to head home for this week took it's toll. Yes, I get home sick and miss Sarah. I wouldn't say home sick for Boulder, but homesick of the comfort of our new apt. there on Pearl St and spending a week off with my wife. I spent the week with Walters and Rollin in a great old house in the historic district of Philadelphia. We took our time getting the day started, enjoying our home made coffees and going out and about taking pics with our KODAK cameras of course. I struggled with the heat and humidity as it was a drastic change from Ireland's Spring Weather and the high allergic levels. CSC Invitational was the first race back, and it was a suffer fest. The heat took it's toll and made most of the field drop out. I hung in there until the finish but could not manage much help for out sprinter Rollin. The race took a lot out of me and made that following week miserable with a nagging cough and green snot! This made for early departures in the mid week races, Lancaster and Reading. I awoke highly motivated for the Big Philly race as my wife flew in and a few old friends. I did have a few nerves at the start, as the venue is quite a scene. It's no local Chicago crit. It was my job to keep Walters up in the first 15 riders heading into the Manayunk wall each lap, in which I succeeded in. Its a full on sprint each lap to the base of the steep 1.5km climb, but we managed to duel it out and head into the run in safely. It was my longest race ever, it being 156 miles. This year was done in record time of 5:45hrs. not bad aye... I was spent have the race and was struggling with the fact that I would be on a plane the next morning to start a 6 day stage race up in Quebec. The Tour de Beauce...

FDB Insurance RAS Stage 8, Dom Rollin's Turbo Diesel Power and the end of the RAS, very nice!

The threats of nasty weather for the last stage were diminished by the shy Irish sun that showed up to lighten our spirits. Our plan was to keep fairly mellow for the first half of the race and then try to attack the yellow jersey to snag it back. A small break or 3 including David McCann took off rather early and zee German’s began to set tempo.
They hired the zee otha’ German team to help them control things which made us rather fed up. So we began to attack over the third climb on the stage. We put quite a lot of stress on them to make them loose their organization. Dom Rollin turned on the turbo and was off and another poor old rider made the bad decision to get on his wheel. Dom kept a 15 sec. gap ahead of us for about 20km, in which zee Germans could not reel back. Once we hit more twisty roads Dom was out of sight and was on a solo effort to catch the breakaway a minute up the road. The gap grew slowly; I got on the radio and told Dom, “Zee Germans are loosing powa’!” Once he closed into the breakaway, McCann slowed things up to wait for him, to add the horsepower to the break. It worked. They gained up to a minute and forty seconds, virtually placing Dom in the yellow jersey. The German Suunto Team and Stevens teams continued to drive the pace, giving us a easy ride in the pack to keep us fresh for getting Jesse up the road on the finishing circuits, seeing that most of the German domestics would be blown by the time we’d arrive.
McCann began to attack the breakaway and dropped one of the Aussie riders, which did not work well in our plan as then they began to help the chase. Once hitting the second to last KOM the field dwindled rapidly but the yellow jersey managed to follow the wheels. Jesse gave it a go on the last lap, but zee German had yellow feva’ and it was too late for us.

The race went very well for us. It being Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada’s first International race we were all very pleased and hope we can continue jumping across the pond for competition. We’ll focus on recovery now in Philadelphia and we will be prepped for the Triple Crown.
See you then!