Haines Point and Clara Barton rides (thrs.)

I have not been on the Haines Point noon ride in a while and today I got a chance to do it. The ride had the usual suspects and some unrecognizables as well. The basic layout was the same with Chuck pedaling away after the sprint section and a couple going with him until the race bridges or doesnt,..but yeah Hutchison is always the power that the rest attempt to thwart..normally unsuccesfully. Twice I went away with the Ca. Harley rider (Chuck) and we drilled it till caught. The second time I was away with him he bridges the back of a station wagon and starts to draft the car. We were Hammerin' till the car pulled away thankfully. Caught again though. The field was strong. Well the ride gets done and Harry (dont know last name) mentions theres another ride leaving and we should go. We roll out with maybe eight or nine heading to Clara Barton via Rock Creek , Whitehurst and Canal rd. One rider being the mayor and his brother, I believe.(both of their bikes had Fenty on the top tube..I want mine to have my name but I will settle for it simply functioning properly though) But this means theres a moto officer in tow..pretty cool bc we did some strolling at intersections and all was simpatico..So onto Clara and the pace was no joke. The ride gets to McArthur and we head further and lose a couple in the process. We climb Old Anglers and I try to be chill on the hill but Adrien Fenty and two others start to get away,...I am like sorry Harry the gloves are off. I jam it into gear and bridge The Mayor but two others have gone further up. I take a nice pull and close it some and then El Executive leader comes through and takes a strong pull...Im like damn this dude can ride his bicycle for rizzle. We come VERY close to pulling the 145 pounders in but 172(me) waited too long and I felt the pain ..oww. Soo.. at the top the chief says lets drop into the park (great falls md. side) this surprised me since this means more climbing but down we went. Back up my legs were feeling this second ride taking its toll. I rode with Mr. Fenty and the same two clawed away and we sorta clawed em back. OK the ride went to beach dr from there(River rd.) via some back roads and so on. The pace in the park was no stroll and up the climb on Ross dr. I swear the Mayor was trying to drop yours truly but I hung in there and stayed on. The bottom line is dont picture the ride as I did which was some sorta goofing chatting chillin pace as opposed to the reality which was come along but bring your race face.

Monday blahs

I dont know. Is it the heat. Is it my recent and inexplicable swollen eyelid( sounds strange but I visit the eye doctor tomorrow,...fun ! ) Possibly it is the lame ass results in the last two races..though I know I have done zero riding lately soo ...I dont know. Maybe I just want to let out a big public WAAAA oh also Easton rear wheel bearings have been making soo much noise I simply didnt really try yesterday ( Page Valley )because I couldnt handle the thought of listening to my bike for 63 more miles ( or more comments from annoyed/concerned riders)....Mechanicals this year have been over the top compared to other seasons. Anyway, I hope alls well with everyone and that this read hasnt been too painfull. public whine officially concluded. WAAA ok now its official.

Lost River Rocked

There was fun 4 everyone and more nature then one could shake a stick at. I was late and got some warm up but not enough for the attack pace set early,...I was like whatever,...hills are tuff and to go soo fast soo early will pop many and I will just reel in the dropped guys and create a strong chase ,...which sorta worked out but the race stopped for us one lap short,...but the gap was big and who knows..fun stuff and free west Va rocks for the yard patio or aquarium yes poaching rocks did not happen...? soo the race was tuff,.. i was dropped in first lap and Rugg crashed ,..lame soo the Rugg bridged me and another rider pretty fast ,like a lap later. after dropping chain/over bar incident,....hate when this occurs..(.at least Rugg was safe on a climb with less speed and danger then messenger days when a droppped chain could mean death)The group was established in our individual contribution capacities...ie climbers climbed , descenders went down faster and time trialers went hard on everywhere and so on... Rugg, Paul Lingerman NCVC, Ramone Benitez Immediate, Brian Fouche ABRT and another in yellow( Dallas sponsor ?) worked well together We all had good times I believe. Thx to all who helped make it happen,..NICE

IRON HILL POST

THE Iron Hill Twilight Criterium is a an awesome race. It is in West Chester Pa. and the course is pretty wide and fast. The start for this year had a 250 $ prime on the first lap which Evan Fader got. Next lap was 100 $ which Evan got. Nice,..CHA CHING He went on further a few more and when he was caught Russ Langley went for the counter and was gone ..(.apparently)as I was about two thirds of the race further back. He went and Tom Soladay went in persuit after him ,Dave Fuentes and others in tow...about seven guys broke and started a chase. Soo in the field I was riding ok and the pace was tough, but things were going ok, and then the non drive crank loosened up and I was riding with one crank arm on my shoe but not the bike ,....lame ( it was a process of sense of movement to definite loose crank then off completely...) went to pit just before cut off and jumped in with like 7 to go. The front was easy to obtain and I held my spot pretty well but the laps began to take their toll and I was not as active to the front in the last three but I got thirtieth and last in the money which was cool since I have seen too many just out of the money results this year. Herculian riding on the part of the Muscle Langley and also fantaastic prime hunting Mr. Fader,...so for now see ya. ( i got 50 $ for 30th btw) OH right how did Russ fare ? He got third ...his incredible effort could only be topped by T.o. Solladay MT Khaki second place and the badass Luca Damiana on Colavitas uber powerhouse...( hope nothings misspelled..)but really! see ya..

Poolesville and Reston weekend

This weekend, the two events which are pretty popular, went off very well. The Maryland road race was sorta small in attendance. No DC velo numbers and not many Immediate team riders evident. Small field but strong riders were there and Harley had a solid group. The Richmond pro Guys were out there also. Maybe 45 starters 55 ? not sure,..Race goes off and after a couple laps the 123 event at poolesville has been greatly reduced. There was some attacking at the usual spot at the top of the hill after exiting the gravel section..and this attacking by Harley created the selection. Many malfunctions, flats, and crashes also dropped the numbers. My crank arm was loose and I was doing the biopace thing. Jose went solo and Richmond had the numbers with three remaining in the whittled field to respond but instead he vanished on the herizon. Russ goes a lap later and this jump was bridged by , at first, two more than three more and the remaining chase group gets soo splintered up and discumbobulated that suddenly the race is hell...its me and two guys that failed to get across and we were driving it to change that. Me Steve Black NCVC and Steve Gordon DLP caught in the wrong place with a thirty second gap from the seven ahead with 1 more ( Jose ) up ahead of them,...Soo we dont reconnect and eventually NCVC attacks a couple times and succeeds to get away and mr Gordan drops me and goes with Mr Black up the road. I had a delightfull last lap riding solo and really appreciating my carbon Easton cranks which were swinging multiple directions simultaneously..annoying but something I should have addressed prior to that sat. rode in and got some applause from team riders. eleventh place and red lantern ,...moto right behind me 4 ten miles pulling the caravan.
Reston I was with new cranks and new pedals too. The clip in was terrible at start soo I went way back from gun. I got back up to front but not fun. I was persuing much and chasing more then I wanted to. I eased off a degree from chasing and let the race determine the races results.. or sumpin...soo I held position nicely thru event and towards end Jay moglia was near me and he was helpfull at two to go in that he prodded me some to stay closer to the front. Bell lap and I was in good position maybe 6 th. Around descent up small rise and two corners to go three Richmond Pros swing by and this I should have fought off more..into the last turn third Rich. pro skitters rear wheel barely staying upright. He recovers remarkably fast and I was not forced too much to slow or swing around though and The Sprint was long and I was pushing too hard a gear..it felt like an eternity and not sure how I wasnt passed by more then Mason haymes ( hope spelled it right..Natures trail or sumpin) soo yeah he passed me on the straight fast and I got ninth...Jay placed 10 th and rode a fine race he did. I am not disappointed with my spot and I am moving the right direction.

Wash. co. could not do

I was sorta on the fence and not sure bout wash county and I was confirmed by my indecision as the guy who would not be there....at the crack of dawn when work issues were demanding and I was plain old run down somewhat. Sometimes when you dont decide, wel actually you have...or life has with the inexhorable rotation of the clock. Yes ,..the Restononian and the Poolesvillian are creeping up to us..again. Pave and Gravel. Classic stuff and the promise of pain...nice. At least some things in life are guarenteed. Soo no Murad results that I can find ...guess I rocked a twelth. Evan Fader went for the pre corner launch and went backward through the field and me and Ken Young got snagged behind him before the jump around was safe and secure blah blah long sprint and happy to get pretty close to top ten,..

Race ave, Pa and High Bridge, New Jersey events

The Pa. event was a good race and I will return for that one. The participants were strong and included Chad Gerlach, J. Sundt and Jittery Joes riders.( Kelly had many riders) The start went off fast and attacks were reeled in. There was not many lulls and it stayed together until eventually Rick Norton and another Kelly guy got up the road. Chad went across and some others joined making about six up the road. The sprint came around and I got a lil swarmed but still placed 14 th ...not bad considering that Kyle wamsley only placed a couple spots ahead of me. In Jersey the hill was steep and the top has a really nasty and demanding ruff ass path where you ride / attempt to stay on. The descent is fast and one should take care around one fast ass turn where I almost lost the back end when in pursuit I lost contact with back tire to road and the back end was roostering all over the place..but caught grip just in time. Soo I made the selection except for six who went away. Good size steep hills and Jittery and Kelly representation equates to me not chasing too many things and allowing a move to go...so the teams will chill and the laps tick by smoother. Got to one to go and our group of maybe 14 are at the top of the climb when I feel the rear tire going bounce on the road. Losing pressure...not surprised with the nasty surface. So with a flat I roll in for twenty second and two out of the money...thats racing. No pictures 4 u.