To be honest, I think the Eagle Fairgrounds appears way more fun and crossy than this "course". I mean am I missing something? This is the only techy section of the course, no barriers and the course is more than 33% pavement. I don't get something here. It's a Trebon course for certain.
Photo: Charles Pelkey
On the eve of the day that the Americans, in particular Katie Compton will be charging for a World Championship, I decided to get on the program for the upcoming season. Which sadly means this, no more M&Ms by the pound full, no more huge bowls of double vanilla ice cream and no more GINSERS, (well maybe after hard training efforts I can sneak a ginser), it's been a great six weeks of eating massive piles of shit, but the party must end. 
Jimi Mortenson of Eagle posted a bunch of really sweet pictures on Facebook today that I scrolled through, alot of sweet pics from one of his many RAAM team victorys, including some great shots of Mike J. This however was the one I poached as Jimi (I think it's Jimi) gets just a scosh of air in the East Vail chutes area. Rumor has it that Jimi is coming back to pro racing this year after his bullshit two year suspension for missing a pee party. I hope he comes back with a vengeance as the guy is just plain and simply one of the most talented riders in the country. 
Jimi Tagging MJ during a winning RAAM effort
If you are a hardcore American cyclocross fan, early this morning is your time. At 3:30 AM, Colorado time, Katie Compton will be gunning for a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in Hoogerheide. There is live video stream of the event from Universal Sports or, you can get the live feed blow by blow description from the guys at CX Magazine which is what I did this morning for the Junior and U23 races, the coverage was awesome and you are able to participate in the chatter while the race is actually going on, granted, several of my chat posts showed up 10 minutes after I tried to post them, but it was really good coverage on the other end, don't miss it. 
JOE SALES PIC
Sales Picture
In case you just can't live without following what is up with the Junior and U23 World Championships tomorrow, CycloCross Magazine will have live updates online starting a 5:15 AM, sounds like the perfect way to start off Super Bowl weekend to me! I suggest you wake up at 5 AM without telling the rest of the family, then when the live coverage begins start ringing the living hell out of your cowbells in support of the USA riders who will be competing, you can worry about signing the divorce papers on Monday.
OK, so it's not exactly Xilinx
Something tells me that if this woman turns around within the next 5-10 seconds she is not going to have any problem shitting herself much less worrying about wiping, that would be tough on the run with your safari pants down around your anklets. Seems she is about to get her money's worth. No Dewet did not take this picture on one of his South African mountain bike rides, but he did send the pic.
It's good to see that at least one person is excited about the upcoming CultCross 2009 Series. I got this gem from our Colorado State SS CX Champion yesterday, apparently I'm not the only person who needs a job out there. 
Jonothan Page has been added to the USA Roster for Cyclocross Worlds after appealing his suspension for missing a urine sample test due to injuries received in a crash while racing....THIS IS HUGE NEWS as Page was second at Worlds just a couple of years ago....And you can follow the "red dot" around the course in the upper right hand corner while the tour moves forward
The riders who will race for the good ol USA in Hoogerheide, HollandWatch for contendors in every class for the Gold, in particular Katie Compton in the women's elite field and possibly more podge from Georgia Gould and Rachel Lloyd, all three have been crushing it this year.
The under 23 field may be interesting as the USA has some very strong riders getting ready to throw this weekend. Look for Weighall, Keough and Summerhill (1,2,3 at Nats) to work together and maybe grab a podge spot.
The Men's Field should be more of the usual, look for the usual suspects to fill out the podium. Lars Boom is racing at his home rink and will be VERY motivated to win, however, Sven Nys has been rolling very well as of late and looks to regain the Rainbow jersey...I'm picking Nys.
Boom Boom out go the lights?
Yesterday's biker ski day turned out to be a pow day, and we even managed to stay relatively sober, until later.
And then today was more of the same with CB at Vail, Headwall.
Raspy's
No big deal, Simon Dumont throws the winning BIG AIR, double front flip with the super man layout on the second flip...sick.
more later, it's biker ski day, gotta run.
Is this a bike race or the next arms delivery on it's way to Gaza?
It's funny how locked in we can get to our local area. I guess it's just part of being in our own comfort one-upper zone. Well, there are alot of other one-upper zones out there. This one is called Africa and it is the birthplace of SQUIRT LUBE, South Africa to be more precise. The Tour d' Afrique is obviously an EPIC, and one of the events SQUIRT sponsors. Sound like something all of us should investigate participating in before we leave this planet...click the above pic of the pyramids to start your adventure...
graham watson photos 
Something looks awfully good about this beach shot, think I need a trip to Florida.
There is an entirely different world going on at the same time in South Africa as they are just entering the prime of their Mountain Biking season. Dewet Marais from Squirt (my boss when I listen to him) is racing in a monumental event, the Barberton Mountain Bike Challenge this weekend which includes a 3,300 ft. climb in 8 miles of riding in scorching hot temperatures. Look for the X-Factor (Roan Exelby) to be there as well and contend for a top 5 spot in the men's elite field.
photos AP
MEET AT THE TURNTABLE IN MINTURN FOR BREAKFAST, EARLY. CALL CB AT THE MOUNTAIN PEDALER IN EAGLE FOR MORE DETAILS. 
On January 19, 2009, we announced a voluntary recall of 14 U.S and 4 Canadian products including CLIF Bar, CLIF Builder’s, CLIF MOJO, CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR and LUNA Bar, in the U.S. and Canada because the peanut butter in those products was sourced, for a limited period of time, from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is a manufacturer and supplier of peanut butter for many food companies and manufacturers.
PCA is under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a recent Salmonella outbreak thought to be caused by tainted peanut butter. In light of this investigation, and with an abundance of caution, Clif Bar & Company has enacted a voluntary recall. We take the health and safety of our consumers very seriously.
My advice, if you have any product in your home that has peanut butter in it in any form, other than out of a name brand jar, chuck it or feed it to the neighbors dog that won't stop barking...the dog will then be to busy crapping himself for a week to bark anymore.
My affiliation with SQUIRT lube has led to some interesting opportunities, the latest being some samples of Acid Zapper that came to my mail box from Murray Wilmerding of Team Zap USA. I first suggest you click on the links here to read more about the product. It's basically an Alkalizing agent that helps with managing lactic acid and recovery. It is taken in doses of one tablet per 50lbs. of body weight. I started taking the stuff a couple of days ago anticipating a long ride in Boulder yesterday. Riding conditions were perfect and I rode for three hours at moderate and slow speeds, with just a couple of harder efforts climbing. My first impressions of Acid Zapper are very good, and it's not because Murray hooked me with a sample pack. I never got sore or heavy legs during my first longer effort of the year, tired yeah, but that is to be expected. And today, the next day my legs feel fresh, not sore at all. If you want to give the stuff a try contact Murray at acidzapper@gmail.com
Boulder Indoor Cycling's Paul Wells welcomed SQUIRT Lube on board as the track lube sponsor today. No Petroleum or Solvent in Squirt, just wax and water which means a CLEAN track surface for Paul's killer indoor track set-up. It's really impressive, and Paul does an awesome job with his students...this looks too much fun not to try! With nearly 500 members in the first month, Boulder Indoor Cycling is already rockin it, the place was busy all day...
Check out the closed circuit TV, you can watch all the action.
Boulder Indoor Cycling has a tremendous selection of Fuji and Blue track bikes to choose from...all lubed up with SQUIRT.
Elgee, humbled by a perfect day, with a new prez and the first big ride of the new year...
I've been a bit overwhelmed with the entire presidential inauguration thing going on for the past few weeks, to the point where I just could not watch it on the boob tube anymore. As you know, if you follow this CYCLING blog, I've been a supporter of Barack Obama since early on. I'm no left wing liberal by any means, I do enjoy killing stuff that flies with a shotgun and eating it, I also believe in an "eye for an eye". My support was based on one simple fact, the fact that this guy Obama "seemed" like the person that the rest of the world would accept and welcome more than the rest. This coming at a time when one individual's decisions over the past eight years, which were supposedly made I my behalf, have the rest of the world hating America. My support has been mainly due to the fact that a guy named Obama may be able to change some of that, and that I'll be able to travel and go watch the Tour de France or some other classic in the future and not have the local residents of that country whisper under their breathe that myself and my country suck for what they believe in.+of+IMG_7144_2.JPG)
PHOTO JOE SALES /CX MAG
AND THESE GUYS WANT SOME SQUIRT, I THINK BREAKFAST AT THE WAFFLE HOUSE MAKES TEAM E-MORTGAGE STRATEGY WORTHY
I THINK SO, and I say it without reservation because at yesterday's UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Roubaix, France, there were two winners. Sven Nys happened to be third behind Erwin Vervecken who won ahead of Czech rider Zdenek Stybar, the other incredibly was Katie Compton (Spike Shooter). Two weeks out from the World Championships, Compton put the lumber to reigning world champ Hanka Kupfernagel by nine seconds and former champ Daphny Van den Brand by 42 seconds. Nine seconds is a large gap for a CX victory, and Katie seems to be right on target. Incredibly, Rachel Lloyd was seventh in this race. WHAT IS UP GURLYS? Do you think this may ignite a huge ball of fire under the currently behemoth growth of women's CX in this country? (just check the Portland race numbers). I mean this is hugely exciting for all CX fans in the USA. 
pic from cx mag
Spring is rapidly approaching which means cycling teams and clubs are gearing up for the 2009 season, which means as the person responsible for sponsorship, I'm staying super busy taking care of our SQUIRT affiliations. Last season, while at the Fall Classic in Breck, I met a couple of racers who were riding for the Colorado College Cycling Team, they were enthusiastic and friendly and just had a good cycling vibe, which led to me asking them if they would like a lube sponsorship from SQUIRT. We now have added another quality group of riders to our long list of sponsored teams and riders and it's this group of pedal crushers. As the sponsor guy at SQUIRT, it's nice to provide something a little different and special for the teams we support...sooo, the CC Tigers get their lube dyed to school color...I introduce to you the VERY limited edition Colorado College "gold" (actually yellow) SQUIRT lube, which NO ONE else will have access too...enjoy TIGERS, and ride fast and hard this season, we know your drive trains will run smooth and clean!
While eating breakfast this morning, I captured this photo of Sven Nys training for the upcoming cylcocross world championships as he raced across my breakfast counter while pounding an energy drink...he looked ready.
I was out tooling around on my bike the other day in Eagle Ranch when I noticed Nordic Coach Glen Ewing of Eagle Valley High School driving around the hood's golf course on a snow machine pulling a track setter. This is apparently in an effort to get the high school kids a closer to home place to train than up at Cordillera where I was at one time the manager of their Nordic Center. Well, Coach Ewing has done a wonderful job, really, and I decided to go check out his grooming job today under picture perfect Colorado Blue skies and go do a bunch of laps, it was stellar, and so close to home. I suggest you go take advantage of it while we have the chance. Park at the clubhouse and off you go. Super fun and great classic and skate skiing, right in our back yard!
This guy, his crew, and the responders deserve to be blogged.
There is this strange sphere in the sky which I was told as a grade school child, is made up of gas and is really hot, which kind of sounds like my ass after a great meal at the now defunct Old Dillon Inn in Silverthorne, especially after chasing it down with double digit Buds. Last winter this shpere rarely shown itself here in Eagle, and the roads seemed covered with ice and snow into May. This winter has been a bit more normal, and all though it has snowed another proverbial shitpile, and the skiing has been off the hook, just last Monday for instance at Vail when no one showed, the sphere is having a more normal time of it, and there ispavement, behold it's beauty, and it's warm enough to ride. I bow to the sphere.
There's a NEW Messenger Bag company out there called OUTLAW EARTH (CultCross 2009 sponsor) and their bags (and T-shirts) kick some serious ass. This is without a doubt the best constructed Mess bag I've seen and I just got my hands on one thanks to company owner Ashley Hudson. This bag is BOMBER as it is constructed with super high quality and durable 1000d Cordura shell, 
Saweet Outlaw Earth bag Ashley....
It's official, triple top secret training for the 2009 season has officially begun. The sun came out in Eagle today and the thermo hit just about 40 degrees. I had glanced at the trainer earlier this week, almost even thought about getting on the beast, but denied it. Then, a day with dry roads here in Eagle Ranch as temps this year are much more "normal" than last winter when it did not reach 30 degrees until May, or at least it seemed that way. So with the sun shining, and tattered ski legs, it was a glorious spin session for over an hour today, smiling all the way, realizing I am indeed Addicted to Bicycles. Please supreme being (is there a cycling god?), keep the roads dry enough to ride the old steed FELT until warmer days arrive, and the dirt has shown.
Every now and again we find in our lives, evidence of something out of the ordinary, a sign that perhaps there is a 14th dimension out there in the world. This I feel is part of the explanation for the UFO observation deck just north of Alamosa, or perhaps why so many believe in Big Foot and the Lock Ness monster affectionately known as "Nessy". Well, in Cohasset, Minnesota there is another such phenom roaming the wild of the great Northwood, I have deemed this myth the "Cohasset Bottle Bandit". There is a beast or "other" being inconspicuously placing a bottle on County Road 63. Each day, the bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade moves down the road several feet by some unknown super power. Even if the snowplows knock it over it mysteriously reappears the next day just a bit further down the road. I recently witnessed this myself while visiting Cohasset, it's plain and simply bizarre. Next time you are in Cohasset, I challenge you to look on the north shoulder of CR 63, just past the intersection with Lake Street where you will find the marking of the Bottle Bandit. This too would make a great Seinfeld episode.
As is the case around here these days, with the reality of putting my home on the market and days of doom upon many of us, well kids, the snow refuses to stop flying. This of course means to heck with the rest of the world and it's worries, hell, I'm a bachelor, with an interest in a far away land, damn man, I'm mobile! So here is what I suggest to the rest of you in a similar quagmire, get mobile, blow off work, blow off the rest of your pain in the ass headaches, be that what they may, and head to the ski hill where all is right with the world as the snow just continues to DUMP at Vail. Today, another foot new, with much more on the Lee. Sickness on the back, and when they dropped the line on everything beyond chair 17 at noon, it was a double powder day as most had gone home because of the high winds, which blew in the back like a motha!
Recover quick Courtney, you should be rollin in time for CultCross 09 bro!
How in the hell can there be ZERO snow on the front range of Colorado, and we have nine jillion feet of it up here in Eagle and at the ski resorts? I mean WTF is going on? It's snowing more as I type this adding to the HUGE piles of snow in the hood we already have. Of course, one of the reasons I love living here is to ski, and all though I'm no longer the 120-130 ski day a year guy as I was in my youth for soooo many years, it is nice to have the option to go hit it with the crew when we please, which is when it dumps, which is everyday it seems. Slow real estate business can be a blessing when it's DUMPING on your local ski hill..MIGHT AS WELL JOIN EM.
Jo-no-brah rippin Prima
It was the kids day to throw it on the GS course at Gold Peak
While the proud parents cheered their kids on
photo velo news
Joachim Parbo
In a freek story from a couple of days ago, CX Magazine is reporting that the Clif Bar Developmental CX Team bus burned in the Boulder fire two days ago. Apparently the 80+ mph winds blew embers into the bus and it caught fire destroying the front end. Needless to say this really sucks for the team, but something tells me a new magic bus will appear in the future. If you race CX, you are surely familiar with the Clif Bar team and the bus was most recently seen at KCCX before being stored for the winter in Boulder. Who in the hell would ever think a WILDFIRE IN WINTER in Boulder could ever occur? Bizarre and hard to believe when we have 2 feet of snow on the ground here in Eagle. Anybody have a bus to donate? 
Talks have begun to create an alliance between CultCross and Dave Janowic (Mafia/Jett Clothing) of Mafia Racing's major sponsor Pabst Blue Ribbon. With PBR as a title sponsor it means BIG support from Mafia and plenty of beverage and shwag to go around for all. Perhaps the biggest news is that we are going to ATTEMPT to bring one of the two CultCross races to the front range, keep in mind I am saying "attempt".
And the home of Dewet Marais, one of the SQUIRT partners whom many of you know here in the states, sent me a few pics from one of his home MTB rides through a wildlife preserve down there. Apparently Dewet is responsible for getting this area open to Mountain Bikers. I thought we ran into some cool shit riding here in the high country of Colorado, but check these pics out from S. Africa single track.
The last time I saw an Impala in the wild it was a "78" model all rusted out heading down the freeway in Cleveland.
This is just part of the 2-3 hour loop from his home. I think I need a tour of the SQUIRT production plant, and room for my Mountain Bike on the plane. I'll bring some Giraffe repellent as well.
I think I know this one from the Brush Creek Saloon...
Mavic has issued a voluntary recall of its R-SYS front wheels, the company announced this week.
So while it's 57 degrees in Boulder today, the snow report at Vail said 11 inches new which helped me drag my ass out of bed and up to Vail for first chair. Well excuse me for berating the person who measured the snow this morning, but he blew it, not sure what happened on his end, but the snow was 2-4 feet deep all over the back....and just sick, the pass was closed, no one could get there, and everyone skiing was pretty much speechless at the amount of pow pow today, Raspy's was a highlight skiing side by side with Charlie Evans when I could see him on occasion as we were just buried in the White Room all the way down....just awesome.
Is that if the computer does not like your questionaire answers, there is a chance you may get rejected by the service. Seems to me most woman would have appreciated this answer. I mean, is'nt there a bottom line to all this dating stuff anyway? I'd imagine there are also some very lonely houswives out there as well who would have called this chum immediately. I mean really, is'nt the basis of a long lasting relationship all about honesty? Or am I wrong? Once again, I must be an idiot.
I realize that if you follow this blog at any level that you might be expecting a deep introspective post about my favorite Channukah gift of all time, some heart felt heirloom (sp) that has been passed down through the ages or something of that source, I do have that side to my schizoid personalities, however, upon hitting the post office this morning I was greeted by a Holiday box from my brother and his family in Boston, which is kind of like the presentation of the ten commandments in my family...and it was actually here FOR THE HOLIDAY for which it was sent. We have this bad habit of either sending nothing at all or getting it out just in time for the next years Holiday, a year or so late. So when I opened up the box, with hesitation, as I thought it might be some type of Unibomber explosive devise after I personally knocked the Red Sox out of the World Series this year...well, I must say I found the greatest Channukah gift ever. TWO boxes of the Little Rascals DVD collection, which means, 12 discs, each with 9 or 10 episodes. You may all find this hard to believe, but I watched the Little Rascals religously right BEFORE I went to school everyday as a child in New Jersey, which was very helpful for my behavior while at school as I learned the art of sarcasm and smartassness at a very early age. Then Michael Jackson goes and buys the rights to the film and pulls it off the airways because he finds the portrayal of Buckwheat racist and inappropritate to show on TV while he is sticking his hands down little boys underwear at his deceivingly evil backyard amusement park. Well, now thanks to my bro I have my hands back on these DVD gems and will once again laugh my way through every episode...heaven. Life is soooo simple it is scarry.
BenRossPhotography.com
After 8 stellar days in the great Northwood, A2B has arrived back on the home turf to more snow, not exactly what I was hoping for in Eagle this morning. Driving home in a snowstorm from Denver last night reminded me of how much I HATE winter driving here. The good news, the BEAV got 10 inches of new snow, the bad news, it's 4 FUCKING DEGREES BELOW ZERO IN EAGLE this morning and the snow is piled so high in the streets I'm staying in bed. How is it possible to have more snow on the ground than last year? Well, if you'd like to know, MOVE TO EAGLE , COLORADO. I'm going to say CultCross 2009 is already in jeapordy as we are just 10 weeks away from the START of NEXT cross season, or did it already start with Oskar Blues Cross yesterday which I unfortunately missed?
"COWS"
Don't even ask, I'll tell you more when I get back to Colorado. It's 5pm here in Minnesota on the 1/1/09 and I'm just waking up. The cows pictured had alot to do with it, "COWS"....the greatest board (gambling) game ever? Do not bother Googling the game, it's the only one of it's kind, custom made by a local wood worker here in Grand Rapids. Racing colored cows for money is the bomb, especially after many brews. This is one game where hitting a "CASH COW" will cook your goose. If you look close enough you will see each cow has an authentic cowbell hanging from it's neck to which I reply...more cowbell!
