GUNNISON THIS SATURDAY...R U READY TO SUFFER??!!!!

ROAAAAAAAAD TRIIIIIIIIP

UCI POINTS RACE AT WESTERN STATE COLLEGE IN GUNNISON...SEE YA THERE.

Hey local crew....looks like myself, Courtney wwawawawazup holmes Gregory, Jake Wells and Yogi will be down there Friday night, if you are comin down early, call me and lets hook up for dinner...376-1244. Crashin at the Waterwheel Inn.

GEORGE W. CRASHES OUT OF MEXICAN CRIT

George W. Bush who was a late entry into the Mexican National Criterium Championships, is seen here crashing out of the race due to the flood conditions from recent rains in that country. Part of the rules in Mexico state that you may compete in their national championships if you are from another country as long as you do not wear a helmet.

Once the gaps opened up GWB was in trouble as he had to negotiate these stream crossings which have formed from global warming of the great Mexican glaciers on his own...better luck next year Georgie boy.

THE YETI'S GRIND CREW

SINGLE TRACK UPDATE

I did indeed get up to the new single track today and started clearing for next spring, it's gonna be a bit of work to "get er done" but it WILL get done. It's currently pretty dry up high and with this week's weather I may get a couple more shots at workin it before more snow flies...the short days REALLY SUCK however when it comes to getting work on the trail complete....

A Picture of Pure Fun, Hell, Suffering and Triumph all in one.

THE FELT FX1. Can't have more fun on two wheels

Get ya one at Mountain Pedaler.

Does the "C" stand for Chippolini?

Mario Chiarani chasin down another Cat 4 victim
The weekend's biggest story, was perhaps about the kid with the BIGGEST head racing this weekend. I've spoken of him before and have his blog link here. 15 year old Mario Chiarani spent the weekend throttling the competition in FOUR races. He crushed the hopes of Danny Hiller (15-16 Juniors) Saturday at Boulder Res with a dominating performance then started at the BACK of the Cat4 race...in 90th place and worked his way up to 37th overall, against a bunch of whimpering grown MEN. Each of them could smell the burnt rubber of Mario's back tire as he warped by them....He might as well been in the front seat of the "Enterprise" with Spock driving.

Sunday provided a new Junior Class challenge...as a bobble (crash) at the start of the junior race may have cost "Grasshopper" a victory. Mario is in his first year of racing cross, which is pretty damn impressive, and is learning the art of patience at the start of a race...well, this day he learned that on lap one, it is critical to let the other riders make the mistakes early and take advantage of them...rather than being the victim of the HUGE adrenilin rush that it is so easy to get caught up in at the beginning of a race, especially when you have won the day before...An early crash cost him 5-10 seconds...he got second by about 5 when it was over...a VERY GOOD learning experience as I see it. He did get kinda hosed on the lap count, but I'm not gonna let him use that as a "lame" excuse...

This kid is on target to do something spectacular in the junior classifications. Watch him. He is being courted by sevral teams already, including the Mafia guys...

Redline and Boulder Cup Cross....when reality smashes you square in the face...

What a great weekend of Cross racin in Boulder. At a time when the weather Gods can absolutely crush you morally, the weather was stellar both days and the racing was fierce with Ryan Trebon just killin it in both pro fields. From an amateur racers standpoint, I have FINALLY accepted the fact that I am just an older amateur cyclocross racer who MUST compete against a bunch of ex pro roadies from the front range if I am going to continue to race the discipline which I hold dearest to my heart....there is nothing better than the atmosphere, the venue, the fans, the courses and the effort of a cross race...period. Accepting finishing mid pack in a field of 60 or 70 riders in my situation makes the experience pretty damn fulfilling and so much fun...as it is acutally the race with-in the race which keeps you going hard to the finish, giving every last ounce of effort to catch the guy in front of you, or to stay in front of the guy bearing down on you from behind.....

The start of 100 crossers....it can be challenging to say the least.

The weekend was a celebration of Cross. Saturday's race was super fun at the Boulder Res as the course was much more forgiving than last weeks, great seeing Dave Griebling from SQUIRT lube there...then after pounding Sushi on Pearl Street it was time for some much needed rest...when the call comes at the hotel room...from Jake Wells, PARTY at Dave's house (Mafia Racing's Team Manager) in east Boulder...well, in the great spirit of Cross racing, I decide that a party sounds much more fun than watching HBO in my La Quinta room by myself and head to the party. Mafia Racing has got their shit together! Race hard, play harder, then get up early and race hard again, with or without a hangover. The party was a BLAST....thanks Mafia. All kinds of folks there from up the hill...the Wells family, Kansas Jay, Yogi, and most importantly Amy Hermes, thanks for wearing the tight jeans Amy, you've got an ass for the ages.

Trebon and Wicks, the Kona Twin Towers, warming up.

One of the downfalls of racing 45+ is that the races start EARLY. When you have tried to hang with a bunch of young bucks the night before who race for Mafia...that can be a disasterous combo. Despite it, I got there in timely manner, had a better start, and managed to beat four or five guys that have been taking me to the wood shed all season. (were you guys at the party as well?). Perhaps the biggest story of the weekend...Mario C. More on that in the next post. You go boy.

Todd Wells, a crowd favorite, bunny hopped the barriers every lap.

MONDAY...A DAY TO WORK NEW SINGLE TRACK..

LOOKS LIKE THE WEATHER MAY HOLD FOR A FEW MORE DAYS GANG...I'M PLANNING ON HITTING THE NEW SECTION OF SINGLE TRACK I FOUND ON MONDAY TO START CLEARING IT FOR NEXT SPRING....YOU ALL ARE INVITED!

HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU CXIN THIS WEEKEND!

COME OUT AND SUPPORT JAKE WELLS IN THE PRO RACE...kick it braaa...

DONT FORGET THIS WEEKEND CROSS RACERS

NATIONAL CLASS UCI,ACA CX IN BOULDER THIS WEEKEND
HERE ARE THE LINKS!

http://www.americancycling.org/racing/ef/nov/redline-cup.pdf

AND

http://www.americancycling.org/racing/ef/nov/boulder-cup.pdf

THIS PIC FROM LAST YEAR'S BOULDER CUP SHOWS JAKE WELLS AND MYSELF SCREAMING OUR ASSES OFF FOR NONE OTHER THAN CHRIS HORNER, A TOUR DE FRANCE HERO, RIGHT IN BOULDER! I BELIEVE WE HAD BEEN DRINKING LIKE BELGIAN CX FANS. THIS YEAR, JW WILL BE LINING UP WITH THE PROS.