Fantasy Giro d'Italia

Play some fantasy cycling! Join my mini league on velogames.com. The league ID is 29050551. There may be a small prize for the winner (read:cheap pint at a local bar :). Let me know if you have any questions. The more the merrier.

Training Race Report- WW #7 - Beanblossom/Forest

It was raining when I met about 20 riders heading towards me on lower Cascades as I was cycling towards the Gates to meet them. It was a good group for a rainy night, clearly some collective angst that needed a remedy after so many wet or cancelled rides this month. Many Little 500 and collegiate racers were among us as well as 5 women and the usuals. We were heading out to do Forest and Beanblossom, but reported conditions of debris fields and washouts on that descent forced us to reverse the route-to the dismay of some as Beanblossom is a formidable ascent. As soon as we turned onto Anderson the speed picked up quickly and after just a few miles three distinct groups formed. At the sharp end were Rose, Stuart, Pilling, Smallman, Levy and Saccone. The six made the turn onto Beanblossom and Rose immediately put pressure on the group, forcing a split on the first third of the climb. Stuart was able to answer the call and the two jumped hard out of the saddle to the top. Pilling and Smallman pulled Saccone reluctantly to the top in the second group. Levy had enough and rode at his own pace. The three chasers put out a strong effort but were unable to fully connect with the leaders. On the second lap, the chase group was within 10 seconds of Rose and Stuart, but timed it badly as the second ascent of Beanblossom was imminent. We saw them make the turn and Rose again found the strength to turn the screws and his break-mate was broken! Smallman and Pilling sensed the desperation and bridged to Stuart just after the climb, leaving Saccone to solo for the last half dozen miles. It was raining hard now and Fred soloed to the bridge finish for a well-deserved W! The chasers finished in an undisclosed order as I didn't quite see it! All in all, a good day of training and just what the mind and body needed to clean out the carburetor for this weekend's real test!

vid

For some reason this won't embed into the blog but check it out as it seems pretty solid.

Ready the Track

Chelsea Merta gives Kappa with the best backhanded compliment I've heard in a while! Tom S going above and beyond as a coach and groundskeeper.

Wednesday Worlds #7 - Forest/down Beanblossom

6:00pm at the Sample Gates. 2 laps of the Forest clockwise. Should be excellent training/preparation for collegiate nats! See you there-

the end...for 2011

so L5 season is over for another year and Zach O sums it up well with these thoughts in the IDS. Banquet was last night, any HoF voting/chatter?
Congratulations to Pam for surviving three years in the post of Little500 race director. I think we can all agree she has been a safe hand on the tiller and the race has gone from strength to strength. If she had any role in manufacturing the weather then she has a higher calling as the races have been of the highest quality during her tenure. It'll be interesting to see the direction that IUSF will go with the next director...younger, older, male, female? Hopefully it'll just be the best candidate.

Blooming Team SIB!

Easier to read version here.

Cycling and Art. Go see it.

WW #6- Old 37 and Anderson

It was a cold night and the buzz from Little 500 was still in the air but still a large group of nearly 30 showed up at the Sample Gates for the dreaded Northshore/Southshore test. A communal decision was agreed upon, on account of the overcast conditions and the expectation of darkness arriving early and we decided to forego the bit through Hindustan in favor of a more gentile loop through Anderson. No sooner did we make the turn when many in the group were brought to their knees by the sharp edge of the wedge defined by Atwell, Shanahan, Stuart, et al. A small group did get a way, but was brought back before the impending climbs were reached. As we began to enter the foothills of Anderson after Beanblossom we were met by standing water (left over from the tornadic conditions of the previous night) just before the cemetery climb preceding Northshore. A few forded the stream but the majority turned back. The decision was made on the fly to do one lap of Old 37/the Forest/Beanblossom and Anderson. A small group of about 7 opted to climb Beanblossom instead. The remaining 20 or so of us took up the charge and did some steady pacework to the base of the Old 37 climb when a select group made an escape; Atwell, Shanahan, Shei and Stuart. A few others tagged on but were dropped from these elite riders in the rarefied air of the Forest and ultimately came back to us. The view from the chasing group was humbling but we were able to see most of the action up ahead as Cox, Pilling, Smallman, drove the train onward. Alas, the protagonists held sway and it was Atwell who made a desperate bid for the line with Shanahan, Shei and Stuart counting down. In the end it was Stuart taking the W at the line coming off of strong Little 500 form!

Wednesday Worlds # 6- Northshore/Southshore

Meet at the Sample Gates at 6pm. We'll be neutral until we get past the hill beyond Anderson. Then you're on your own! We'll go through the Forest, down Beanblossom and left over the leg-breaking climbs of Northshore, 45 and Southshore, finishing on Robinson.

Course here:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/in/bloomington/671677475395

Official now.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/04/news/fresh-off-little-500-win-eric-young-joins-bissell_169346

One for the ages..

I must admit when PDT, BKB, Fiji and Acacia finally lapped the Cutters after a hard battle to take the final 100meters between the teams after THE big wreck I loudly proclaimed that 'the dynasty is over'! It seems I spoke a little too soon.
One of the most compelling and 'epic' races in recent years was largely a tale of 3 teams. PDT and the others took the lap but they were the driving force by constantly attacking the Cutters throughout the race. Unfortunately for them they were outgunned by the extremely unusual situation of having 2 of the 3 strongest teams a lap (or more) behind. PDT had some help from BKB but the combined pressure applied by DTD and Cutters was too much to bare. At the very end they were still attacking and though the final lap exchange was a unfortunate oversight they gave it their best shot to beat the Cutters. Four returning rider means they will be race favorites in 2012.
What more is there to say about Eric Young and the Cutters. A lap down they took stock, didn't panic and then slowly got the lap day as they sensed PDT and BKB were tireing. Young's ability to immediately  generate a gap was used to start the slow process of taking that lap back. However it was far from a one man effort. The other riders stepped up to maintain or even increase any advantage Eric gained. The end of one era as Lusk and Young graduate with 3rings having played major roles in the most exciting three race series in history. Depasse and Harbison will be joined by some fresh faces next year and will have all the pressure to maintain this remarkable streak!
For me DTD were the most critical team of the day and the fact they were down gave the Cutters an unlikely ally to bet back to the lead lap. They were constantly on the attack and all their riders deserve enormous credit particular RJ Stuart and James Coudright who were awesome throughout. If they haven't been taken out in that wreck and had been with PDT then we would be discussing a fraternal victory but that's the way the race can go!  Yesterday they turned their program into an attacking force who promise to never be satisfied with anything but the W.
Credit to Sigma Chi who elevated their nascent program to the next level and should be around for years to come. Acacia also came up from spring time criticism to win the Dixie highway whilst BKB gave it all they had before running out of gas in the final 30laps. All in all a cold, damp day at the track that was a pleasure to view!

Little 500 Images

Link to the IDS coverage and images here.

CUTTERS!

Cutters do it again!

On a cold and rainy afternoon, the Cutters proved that they had the patience, maturity and power to come back from a crash and a lap-down deficit early in the race to win the 61st Little 500. Each rider participated in a calculated reeling-in of the field before setting up Eric Young's final laps to victory.

This from IDS

2011 Little 500 Men’s Final Race Results (Unofficial)

By STEPHANIE KUZYDYM | IDS Little 500 beat reporter

POSTED AT 4:49 PM ON APRIL 16, 2011 | | |

1. Cutters
2. Phi Delta Theta
3. Sigma Chi
4. Delta Tau Delta
5. Acacia
6. Black Key Bulls
7. Hoosier Climber?
8 Delta Chi
9. Sigma Nu Fraternity
10. Phi Kappa Psi

11. Kappa Sigma
12. Theta Chi
13. Gray Goat Cycling
14. Sigma Phi Epsilon
15. Phi Gamma Delta
16. Cru Cycling
17. Beta Theta Pi
18. Air Force Cycling
19. Emanon
20. Dodds House
21. Wright Cycling
22. LAMP
23. CSF Cycling
24. #Jungle Express
25. Sigma Pi
26. Delta Sigma Pi
27. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
28. Sigma Alpha Mu
29. Delta Upsilon
30. Pi Kappa Alpha
31. Achtung
32. Evans Scholars
33. Phi Kappa Sigma

TETER!

Teter Wins The Women’s Little 500
By STEPHANIE KUZYDYM | IDS Little 500 beat reporter
POSTED AT 4:51 PM ON APRIL 15, 2011

For the second straight year, Teter won the women’s Little 500.

They did it by lapping the field.

Although Delta Gamma took the pole, they were unable to beat the strength of the Teter team. Teter’s Caitlin Van Kooten won the Miss ‘N Out, ITTs and Team Pursuit, the Little 500 Spring Series Events.

Final results
1. Teter
2. Pi Beta Phi
3. Delta Gamma

Photo: Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times

More results here:

http://www.idsnews.com/blogs/hoosierhype/?cat=25

cobbles

Lots of love out there for this vid if you haven't seen it...it ain't no Little 500 though huh?

Training Race Report- Wednesday Worlds #5- 446 Loop

About 25 or so met at the Sample Gates or along the course as we wandered out to the 446 start tonight. It was a beautiful night, cool but not cold, breezy without being windy. We agreed to another 6 lap / 24 mile affair. The usual suspects were there including a few Little 500 riders hoping to sharpen their top end edge for the main event this weekend. Several teams were represented, CFW, Aldefer-Bergen, Scholars Inn Bakehouse, Mob Squad, Pegasus, Dogfish, Nebo Ridge were there. The show got started right away with immediate pressure put on the field by messers. Cox, Kroll, Rose, Shei and Pilling. The group thinned out dramatically after two laps and Cox set up the half way Bakehouse granola prime nicely with a significant leadout that Shei was able to capitalize on. Rose was in the mix as well and managed a small break with his teammate, but with average speeds close to 25 mph small groups were unable to manage to create any real space. There was one or two desperate moments when Rose or Shei or Krol would be advancing up the road and either strongmen Cox or Pilling would produce BIG efforts to get the groups back together. The last two laps created a copacetic environment that allowed most of the leaders to work together in a classic paceline that played out nicely. Some road debris ended up taking Cox out of contention in the final lap and a few others were unable to contribute to the work at hand. In the last corner Pilling's leadout took the group to within 500 meters of the line and Saccone pulled to the 300 mark with Shei, Rose, Krol and Preske making up the train behind. There was some mixing in the final dash for the line but it ended up with Shei remaining perfect for the year at the 446 course and winning the $20 Scholars Inn prize! In the Women's match, Randi Cox made an appearance for a couple of fast laps, but had to leave for a prior engagement. Liz Cobb won the Women's event, and the $20 Scholars Inn prize with a strong effort. The Women's midway granola prime went to Hannah Caproon.

Next week: the intimidating North Shore/South Shore.

Calling All Alumni Riders...

There will be an informal group ride on the morning of the Men's Little Race:

10 a.m.
Bill Armstrong Stadium - Little 500 track
Head out for a loop through Morgan-Monroe State Forest

So remember to bring your road bikes with you when you come to Bloomington this weekend!

Tale of the Tape...

Teter and the Cutters go into this weekend's races as heavy favorites and both have an exceptional rider leading the teams. But what would happen if CvK and Eric went head-to-head? I used the greatest of scientific techniques to perform this experiment and these were the results..

VERSUS

Little 500 wins
Advantage- Eric 2-1
Little 500 Records
Advantage- CvK 2-0
Series Event Wins
Advantage- CvK 6-4
Professional Bike Contracts
Advantage- Push, none yet.
Earning potential
Advantage- CvK (she has a proper job)
Total rings on teammates
Advantage- Push. 2-2 (Lusk 2, Laurie, Gowdy)
Total rings on Coaches
Advantage- Eric. Too many to count
Strength of Team
Advantage- CvK by a whisker.
General Lovability
Advantage- CvK
Strength of Opposition
Advantage- CvK (Men's field is deeper)
More likely to say 'well there aren't any hills on the Little 500 track'
Advantage- CvK (a purer L5 rider)
Lapthefieldability
Advantage- Eric (more punch in the attack)
Most likely to look like Woj in 10 years
Advantage- Pus.... Eric
 Most likely to bring the GDIs and Greeks together, personal
Advantage- Eric
Most likely to bring the GDIs and Greeks together, general
Advantage- CvK, Cutter hate/envy at an all time high

Scores. CvK, 8 Eric, 4
 There you have it, CvK is a cert to win in a grander manner than Eric. You read it here first!

Wednesday Worlds #5-446 Circuit

For those of you not tapering for the Little 500, let's see what you've got under the hood for 6 laps of the 446 circuit! I've got Bakehouse granola for the half way prime and $20 gift certificates for the top male and female finisher! See you there- 6 pm at the Sample Gates! Tom Saccone

SigChi Cam..

Sigma Chi vs Fiji. Good productions values! Looked like a beautiful day in Bloomington! Excuse me I need to check out Poker Royalty...

Is your perception reality?

Little 500 prediction competition over at Project Left Turn. Go submit your opinions.

Reflection and predictions..

It seemed to be an epic day at Team Pursuit yesterday with all the plaudits due to CvK and her Teter teammates who twice broke the Womens TP record (Teter 2004). All the more remarkable was that Caitlin led the entire way. There is surely no better way to throw down a marker for the race.
It has been pointed out to me that I know little of what is going on at the track this year so these topics are generated from the excellent IDS_Little500 twitter feed. All you are the experts so I yield the comments section to you! Also throw in your race predicitons, 'tis the week...

- Delts win showing they are ready to rumble. The lack of riding MnO placed them below the radar a little but RJ Stuart is as good as anyone not called Young. What will there race strategy be?
- Sigma Chi, legit, ready to challenge.
- Cutters, arguably the best position, 3rd with no need to ride again! No white jersey in the race this year! From a few photos I saw it looked as though Kevin and Eric were pulling the most of the time. Weakness? Probably not, they had a TP nightmare last year and seemed to do Ok in the race
- DG only 10seconds behind Teter will be their biggest challengers. They need to throw everything they have at the other Teter girls to win.
- Nice to read that Chris West from PDT was back on track...the question is whether he can pull on the bars after an exchange....
- There appeared to be more wrecks than usual, clearly the heavy rain didn't improve conditions too much. These wrecks prolly cost Army a victory over Wing-it and cost DTD coach Ken some skin after getting run-into by an errant BKB! Hopefully no permanent damage by any of those injured riders!
Team Rev Christine- ouch! photo caitlin coar

Cool video

Todd Davidson sent me this video. It's a year old, I have no idea where it is or how on earth it is UCI sanctioned but it does look like a hell of a ride!

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

News from MTV

Marian University will assume management of the Major Taylor Velodrome and the surrounding Lake Sullivan Sports Complex under a 15-year contract with the city of Indianapolis, Mayor Greg Ballard announced Thursday morning.
Marian has agreed to make $2 million in improvements to the dilapidated sports park over the next decade, as well as assume the roughly $70,000-a-year maintenance costs from the city. In exchange, Marian will get to keep all revenue from the park for the next decade. For the final five years of the deal, Marian must pay to the city 10 percent of all park revenue over a $250,000 threshold.
Marian, whose cycling team already uses the park’s biking facilities, was one of two finalists to manage the park. The other was a group of cycling coaches led by former Velodrome employee and Marian cycling coach Ken Nowakowski.
“One need only look at the crumbling infrastructure to see that inattention over the past decade and a lack of resources to provide adequate programming and make capital improvements has kept this park from being used to its fullest potential,” Ballard said in a prepared statement. “Marian University has a long-standing tradition of excellence in cycling, and as the primary user for this complex already, they have a vested interest in seeing this project succeed.”
For the past three years, the city has been looking to privatize the sports facilities along Interstate 65 and south of West 38th Street. The facility was built in 1982 when Indianapolis hosted the National Sports Festival. It features the Velodrome banked bicycle track and 2,900-seat grandstand, as well as a BMX dirt bike track and a skate park.
Marian’s challenge will be to make the park create more revenue than the $30,000 to $40,000 it has generated in recent years.
The private Catholic college, whose campus lies a short distance southwest of the sports park, said it plans to make significant upgrades to the Velodrome and BMX track, as well as to add a road course, cyclocross and a four-kilometer walking and jogging trail.
“The Lake Sullivan Sports Complex is an amazing venue that is underutilized, and we see many opportunities to promote health and fitness to residents of all ages as well as create a nationally recognized competitive cycling facility that can host road, cyclocross, BMX, and track cycling events,” said Marian President Dan Elsener in a prepared statement.
The city’s deal with Marian still needs approval from the City-County Council, which expects to first consider it on April 11.

Wednesday Worlds from a Fred's Eye View

(I'll pick up the action from Anderson road on the first lap)
As we left the tailwind of Anderson behind a group of @15 riders cautiously approached the base of Bean Blossom. Last minute sips of water downed and gears for the climb selected, we began the ascent. The initial modest tempo widened the frontage of the group from shoulder to shoulder as every rider sought an advantageous position near the front. Feeling a bit claustrophobic and not wanting to be boxed in I flared to the left and rolled off the front to bring the pace up. Setting a tempo enough to stretch the group a bit I waited for the inevitable attack as we reached the end of the first stage of the climb. With clockwork like precision Erik launched a ferocious surge going into the second stage with Ren-Jay close on his wheel. Slow to react (but quicker to than the others behind) I accelerated to try and close the sudden and yawning gap. Slowly over the peak and down I closed in on the 2 man break but at great cost. For a brief moment (looking over my shoulder) I thought if I managed to make contact with the leaders we'd be clear, however, the leaders of the main group awake from their slumber and were now bearing down on me quickly. Riding the rivet I managed to make contact with Erik and Ren Jay about the time the main chase caught me. As we turned onto the forest road we merged into a break of 7 riders (Hamilton,Young, Atwell, Shanahan, Shei, Sherer, and Rose).
At this point a desperate game ensued. Riders alternately attempting to attack the group, keep the paceline moving to prevent any _one_ rider from getting clear, and everyone slipping out of the rotation now and againg just to catch an extra rest. Ryan, Renjay and Mike were particularly aggressive at this stage. Hamilton was being more mercurial, loitering at the back of the group and sizing up the threat of each new attack before responding. I, myself, was getting my legs back together and thought it wisest to hide in the eye of the storm. That's how I found myself following Sherer's wheel out as he attempted to respond to one of Renjay's many violent bursts. Halfway down the forest road Sherer was hurtling along at 30+ mph (with me seeking the shelter of his wheel). A surprising gap had opened. The others were either caught flat or reloading but for a minute it seemed they were ready to call it a day. Being unable to do more than rotate through I told Mike it was up to him if he wanted to drive the pace. By the time we got to Hindustan I had recovered enough to set tempo on the climb, but by then the chase was on and it was no longer if but when the two of us would be caught. We reached the Hindustan sign and the headwind began to blast. The ravening pack had caught us and Renjay seemed determined to prove he could match Sherer's aggressiveness. As soon as Mike and I were caught, Renjay barreled out of the group at speed, with Hamilton hot on his wheel. Only a well timed shout out from Shanahan gave me enough time to respond and saved me from being caught out. By the time we got halfway down 37 the familiar pattern of paceline, attack, and dodge the odd pull had resumed. The wind was bad enough that no one really wanted to be caught out. Only Ryan showed enough indifference to his potential fate to risk a solo break effort but the horsepower arrayed in the group was simply too much for any single rider to get clear.
By the time we turned onto the tailwind of Anderson again some semblance of a truce had formed (if only for a while). So as one we snaked down Anderson at speeds well over 30 mph. I was beginning to feel good, but some nagging questions lingered in my mind as we closed in on the turn off. (would we all play nice on Bean Blossom? How much did the others have in reserve? How would I respond?) Soon enough my questions were answered. At the first stage we climbed together, easy enough at first, but the tempo ratcheted steadily upward as we climbed. At the appointed time Sherer launched a surge that left everyone digging deep in order to find a response. Initially none was forthcoming and Mike soloed away towards the forest road. I tried to reach Sherer on my own but lacked the horsepower to do it solo. To my rescue came Atwell. As he came around me I clung to his wheel, cherishing each second I was able to use in recovering myself. In time the entire group settled on my wheel as Atwell went to work clawing at Mike's lead. The last rise came into view and Renjay used this opportunity to launch an attack along with Hamilton with Young smoothly settling in with the duo. The scramble was on and the surges overtook Sherer now and as we turned down the forest road one last time Hamilton and Young looked over their shoulder to find me very well pleased that I now had the legs to follow the moves taking us over the climbs. The attacks continued from all sides but (with the exception of Ryan's solo flyers)they became more half hearted nose tweaks than attacks as we became more and more resigned the the fact that there would be a sprint (which of course meant it was Young's to lose).
As the last couple of kilometers rolled by the usual jockeying for position ensued. Ryan made one last attempt to avoid a sprint by soloing off but was inevitably swallowed up by the accelerating pack. (he did, however, do a masterful job of keeping a lid on Sherer by boxing him in when the final acceleration came).
We could now see the escarpment before the bridge and with that Renjay launched a strong but premature bid for the line. Hamilton and Young followed him out (letting him pull for a while). Hoping to pick up the scraps I followed the trio but was confident that winning the sprint was not in the cards. As Hamilton launched off Shei's wheel Young simply bid his time so that as the bridge got within a 100 meters or so he effortlessly rolled past his former Cutter teammate. Renjay was now a spent force and surrendered the day as I came around him. Trying for 3rd I was painfully aware that I had a passenger. Atwell had caught my wheel as I made my bid. Redlining myself, I couldn't muster the legs to attack one more time. The bridge fast approaching, I new my fate. In the final meters Atwell eased by me for a solid 3rd on the day. Myself 4th and the rest content to soft pedal and trade stories as they crossed the line.

Fred

WW #4 MMSF - Up Beanblossom

Part 1: The early stages

A small but high caliber field lined up at the Sample Gates last night for the 4th edition of the 2011 Wednesday Worlds. Notable participants included Mike Sherer, Erik Hamilton and Eric Young. About 15 others were there to test their resolve against some of the best riders in the area-and they were certain to get that opportunity! Originally scheduled for Paragon and Bottom Road, the group called an audible and changed the course to go counterclockwise through the MMSF up the steps of Beanblossom. The wind was blowing hard out of the southwest, and the group was characteristically chatty until the turn at Anderson. Almost immediately the fireworks began as one rider after another tested their mettle against the field. Serious gaps developed in the middle of the field as we were single file at 35mph spun out in our 53x12s, and a bike length gap may as well have been a mile. About 12 got away; Hamilton, Young, Sherer, Pilling, Atwell, Rose, Shei, Shanahan, Saccone, Smallman, Chris (Hoosier Climber) and Josh (Nebo). About 4 others bridged at the base of Beanblossom. The leaders continued to put pressure on the group through the false-flat approach to the first step up the climb. The early part of the first ascent up Beanblossom was barely manageable for those of us hanging on and the group was stringing out. There was an acceleration from the leaders in the second section that shattered the group. After this, it gets a little dark for the author! Saccone, Pilling, Smallman, Josh, and Chris (and another rider) formed an admirable chase, trying to keep the leaders in sight, but the considerable horsepower up the road kept the pressure on. Smallman, Chris and Josh rode away from Saccone and Pilling on the second ascent of Beanblossom.

Part 2: The Finish
To be continued by one of the leaders!

L5 by the numbers

I may have posted this link before but it's a guy doing some stats on the series events. Somewhat interesting.
http://projectleftturn.wordpress.com/

TP

Heats are set here.
What's interesting in the battle for the white jersey (male, female)?
- Teter vs AGD. CvK vs MelB
- Sigma Chi vs Fiji. The teams Tom S is coaching and the one he coveted
- Wing it vs Army. Battle of the dark horses.
- PDT vs themselves. The ultimate mental challenge, like racing the ghost in MarioKart
- DG vs KKG. Last two pole teams.
- Gray Goat vs Cutters. The 'Eligbility bowl'. Should be a good one!

Will CvK pull the entire way (maybe this year she'll smoke a cigarette to show how easy it is)? Will the Cutters implode like last year? Will recent trends converge and there'll be aero helmets WITH cameras?
All the answers at the track on Saturday afternoon!

Wednesday Worlds Audible

Tonight's Wednesday Worlds training race starts at 6pm at the Sample Gates. The original published route was a road course that was to take us through Paragon and Bottom Road. Poor road conditions require a route change for safety. The current default course is to take the Forest up Beanblossom for 2 laps. There will be some discussion on this at the Sample Gates prior to leaving. See you there! Tom Saccone

Cobra Tire Tool

Check out this neat new tool designed and produced locally in Bloomington!

The Cobra Tire Tool is a new bicycle tire tool that was introduced to the world at the 2010 Hilly Hundred where we sold 251 units!

In December 2010, we received a great product review in the online magazine Road Bike Rider (www.roadbikerider.com). Technical writer Jim Langley wrote a lengthy review calling the Cobra Tire Tool "ingenious".
With this endorsement, RBR's subscribers have ordered over 500 units and we have shipped these all over the world.

Check out the product on the website- www.cobratiretool.com

If you have any questions contact Jim Walls- jimwalls@cobratiretool.com

Racing at its best.

If you haven't watched this then you should. They are all dying at the end yet keep on attacking and smashing it hard! With 3k to go you see Nick Nuyens close a gap and start sucking air like we all do when on the absolute limit! With 2k Chavenel and Cancellara share a handshake which is very unusual to see in the Classics but perhaps a testament to the epicness of the day!

By the end I feel like I can understand Flemish (and of course I like hearing my name)

Quiz Time

Quiz time: What was so funny when Ellis and Young were speaking at the start of the final?
I'll buy whoever submits the funniest answer a beer during race weekend. This judges opinion is final. Voting ends tuesday night. Photos by Brian Drummy

BTW if anyone has a video of the finals then please send me the link and I'll put it on the site.

Weekend Race Report- Hillsboro-Roubaix

Hillsboro-Roubaix

Several area racers took to the challenge of poor road conditions, high winds and dubious yellow-line-rule officiating, to contest the bricks of Hillsboro-Roubaix yesterday. Here’s a brief recap of some of the results. Get the full listing here: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevents.jsp?st=3&org=67768.

The course was a 29 mile circuit in rolling farmland with several turns, narrow roads and poor road conditions. The large fields and the narrow roads kept the race dynamics to a minimum in several of the events, allowing attrition to do its work in the end.

The Women’s category 4 got things started with a single lap of the course for the 44 entrants (pre-reg). In the end, a 4 up sprint was won by the unattached Flaig, Work (Surgeon-Continental), Albertos rider Kikis and then Bloomington rider Liz Cobb (Scholars Inn Bakehouse) finishing 4th all with the same time! The Pro 1-2 event was 87miles and was won by Roessingh (IS Corp Cycling), 2^nd Aitcheson (Panther), 3^rd Christian (Panther). Mike Sherer was 10^th, just 4 seconds behind the leader. Erik Hamilton was 33^rd in the 100 man field. The Category 3 race (107 pre-reg) was won by French (708 Racing), 2^nd Cullen (MBRC Flanders), 3^rd Schilling (unattached). Locals Aaron Pilling (Scholars Inn Bakehouse) and Ryan Preske (Scholars Inn Bakehouse) made the final selection and finished 34^th and 35^th. Tom Saccone (Scholars Inn Bakehouse) finished in the chase group in 51^st. The Masters 40 plus was won by Curtis Tolson (Texas Roadhouse). Tom Cox (Aldefer-Bergen) was 13^th, Chris Kroll (CFW) was 20^th. In the Women’s 123 local Hannah Caproon (Pegasus) finished 34^th.

Regional Race Weekend

In addition to the much anticipated Miss and Out on Saturday for the collegians, several area racers will be eyeing podium finishes in a couple of regional events as well. A quick read of the 600 pre-registered racers for Hillsboro Roubaix road race (Il) includes locals Mike Sherer (Kelly Benefit Strategies), Erik Hamilton (Panther), Hannah Caproon (Pegasus), Chris Kroll (CFW), Liz Cobb, Aaron Pilling, Ryan Preske, Jason Urbanski and Tom Saccone (Scholars Inn Bakehouse). Als0 At Marian this weekend, we'll see Isaiah Newkirk (Sustainable), RJ Stuart, Graham Dewart, Ren-Jay Shei and Scott Catanzaro (Scholars Inn Bakehouse). Good luck to all!

Sadly the end of BVN

The recent downhill slide to the gutter of the comments section of this blog has alerted the laywers of certain slandered members and I have been threatened with action unless the blog is removed.

Therefore with enormous sadness I will be removing this domain name and all the items today at Midday.

It's been a good run and hopefully someone can continue to host the same lively debate on another forum.

Sorry all.