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