New Kits!

After you've been in the same uniform for over a year, it's amazing how exciting it is to get new duds. It's even more fun when you're the guy who spent dozens of hours working on the designs. Figures it's raining out today, otherwise I'd be tooling around town like a kid with a new loli-pop.

Bravo!!!

Jog On Cheney!!!
Sometimes I get all fired up over politics. I would dare anyone to pose a solid rebuttal to this wonderful editorial by Jack Cafferty posted on CNN today.

(CNN) -- It's time for the Republican Party to tell former Vice President Dick Cheney to put a sock in it.

Here we are 100 days into the new administration of Barack Obama, and Darth Vader is still wandering around grumbling about why the new administration is all wrong.

Nobody is interested anymore, Mr. Vice President. You and your gaggle of miscreants had your shot, and we are in the toilet because of it. Don't you get it?

The election of this nation's first African-American president and his massacre of John McCain in the Electoral College is because of you and President Bush and the myriad problems you left us all with.

Last week, you were predicting President Obama's economic policies would have devastating effects in the long term. This from a member of an administration that more than doubled the national debt in eight years and gave $700 billion to its buddies on Wall Street, no questions asked. You're a little short on credibility when it comes to the economy, don't you think?

We are reading about enhanced interrogation memos written by lawyers at the Justice Department that authorized the United States of America to behave like some Third World gang of hoodlums like the Taliban or al Qaeda.

Two members of al Qaeda were waterboarded 266 times in a single month in violation of the Geneva Conventions as well as other international agreements we are signatories to. Who authorized those memos to be written, Mr. Vice President?

President Obama has done an about-face and said he now favors an investigation into those memos. Where will that investigation lead, Mr. Vice President? This country used to stand for something before you and President Bush got your hooks into it.

Now our reputation is shot, we are bankrupt, we continue to fight two wars that you started and the economy is in the worst recession since the Great Depression. And you have the temerity to go around criticizing those who replaced you? How dare you?

If the Republican Party has any hopes of redeeming itself in the eyes of the voters, they must distance themselves from the likes of Dick Cheney and the fundamentalist right-wingers who have become the poster children of political intolerance in this country.

Why do you think some members of your party are suggesting you embrace same-sex marriage? Because of a change of heart? I doubt it. More likely, the wiser heads in the party recognize that without some nod toward inclusion of someone besides the extremists you represent, your party's political chances going forward hover between slim and none.

Please, go quail hunting and leave the rest of us alone.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jack Cafferty and totally supported by Jason Berry. And I loved that at the top of the story was a banner ad about the LIE that is 'clean coal'....

GAME ON!

Learned today that the ASO (Amaury Sport Organization) who owns the Tour de France has given us the green-light for our film. This is huge as they have turned down scores of journalists who have applied for passes to this year's Tour in light of Lance's questionable return which until minutes ago was looking bleak. To follow that up it was just announced that the French anti-doping agency, AFLD has cleared Lance of any wrong doing from his latest drug test. He too has been green-lighted for the Tour. Little does he know he'll be part of our project...

It's been a trying and anxious few weeks of back-and-forth with ASO regarding our request. It's a weird feeling to think the door is now open. Another step that I would have to classify as large. Everything up until now was speculation but now it's real. Now it will probably happen. Now it's ON.

There is little we cannot do if only we can imagine ourselves wanting to do it. The future is to those who take it. 

We are conquerers of time and of distance. Our cause is just, our hearts are high. 

Let us then I say

PRESS FORWARD.

Into the Wind

Take a wild guess what time I decided to do my interval workout yesterday?

This was the 1:10:00 block of 15 seconds of _sprinting/15 seconds of resting_ intervals I was dreading all week. The kind of block you NEED music for. Alas I forgot to charge my iPod. Then the phone wouldn't stop ringing as I left the house. Then I had to change out a flat tire. That's when it started to rain on me.
Some days you just can't win.

The workout was a bad one but luckily I almost literally ran into Joel on the way home. It was good to ride with someone and talk about last weekend's race. I got over 2 hours on the bike, hopefully reviving my spent legs. Greenbriar is now 3 days away. I have a lot of reviving to do...

Foul Play in Turkey

Watch the video. Decide for yourself.

My decision - Bos should be banned from the sport and encouraged to take up hockey. He doesn't look at all close to being out of control, about to crash or as if he's leaning on a nearby rider to steady himself. I see a bent arm grab some jersey, that art straightens out in a violent shove forward as he yanks the rider in his grasp to the left.

I do believe many sports would benefit from adding player-to-player contact (ie: golf) however road cycling is not one of them.

2009 Leesburg Bakers Dozen RACE RECAP

Props to PLUM GROVE CYCLERY for hosting such a great event.
Click here for RESULTS to the 2009 Leesburg Bakers Dozen.
Hope they doled out the beers we left them (and thanks to DOGFISH HEAD ALEHOUSE for hooking us with many cases of product to hook the promoters, volunteers and winners).
Pretty amazing to see some teams and individuals cracking multiple sub-30 minute laps. That would require going thru many of those tight, tree-lined sections as fast as a moto. Impressive. Makes me want to say "BRAAAAAAAAAAAP"

Hope to see many of the same folks at Greenbriar and Lodi this weekend and next!
Quick race recap:
After a couple lung-searing single laps, Matt and I began our attempt to move ourselves into 3rd place by adding a lap to our rotations. I was surprised how much that second lap would hurt and I often found my mind wandering when there wasn't a carrot in front of me. I had not been passed by any riders but having someone ahead to chase and catch always helps. The sun grew bright and hot so in between laps it was crucial to stay in the shade. Eating was hard - my stomach was so tight I had to force food and liquid in. I came in around 2:30pm and felt horrible. Then I realized we were not even half way done yet and I wanted to puke. I had serious doubts about continuing and when Matt came in I told him we had to switch back to single laps. But since Matt started the race and started the 2 lap rotation I knew I had to do another dos. I hammered through as best I could but as I came in at the end of one lap a rider I had passed (with a 200 number on his leg - same class as us) fought to hang on my wheel. I realized this was probably the 3rd place team we had been trailing behind! When we came into the pits I knew I would get a lead on their team as I headed out for my second lap. I tried very hard to increase my pace without tapping into the red zone (and possibly screwing myself for many laps to come). I fought ahead but it was in vain. Their guy caught me after about 10 minutes. I managed to hang with him for another 15 minutes but passing with another rider was not always possible. I pride myself on courteous passes and won't run a slower rider off the trail just to benefit myself. But it cost me about 10 seconds as we came into the pits. Their guy kept riding on his double and I handed off the timing chip to Matt. We were never close to them again until the end when they slowed down and we picked it up. Alas it wasn't enough.
Tim crashed on lap 2. He became "Dirty Tim" for the rest of the race.

Other highlights were seeing Tim the Cop come in many times while I was in between laps. Tim is not a little guy. He's not your typical 'endurance athlete' but Tim should never be underestimated. This guy has decided for some masochistic reason that he's going to do the longest, toughest races this year and do them solo. I have a ton of respect for Tim as I saw him come in lap after lap totally blasted and tired. Not to mention dirty from a nasty tree-hugging incident. But Tim never considered stopping. He would moan a lot, lie down, get up, eat and head back out. Tim motivated me a lot.
Our bottle-babe Emmac

As did Emily who was like our den-mother keeping us eating and constantly filling and re-filling our water bottles. Once Amy Breyla arrived and took Em away to go ring some cow bell on the course, both Matt and I were feeling lost in between laps. "I need water. Where is my glove? I need my lights!" We had to fend for ourselves and we both realized how much Em was keeping us pampered.
Lumberjack support.

I was also lucky enough to have my home-boy Dave Jewett arrive after he finished an announcing gig for ESPN in nearby Cumblerland MD. Despite being life-long friends, Dave had never seen me race mountain bikes so I got my gameface back and found more energy to keep cranking. Matt and I kept stoking each other and even surged at the end as the 3rd place team slowed down. We came to within a few minutes but due to a flat tire I had on one lap it was still not enough to overtake them. I was still really stoked to represent, especially since one of our main sponsors, Jody from Conte's came out to watch the action. Seeing so many other Gripped jersey's on the course and having good friends there at the tent made me realize this was as good as it gets. And to finish strong under a star-filled sky, amidst the warmth and glow of multiple bonfires, with a cold Dogfish Head beer handed to me as I came in for the last time - well life just doesn't get much better. So I say in conclusion, the 2009 Leesburg Bakers Dozen was one of the top 5 bike races I've ever done. Thanks for reading! - Jason
So here's some photos we shot...
Dogfish in the Tent!

Contes support as well.

Scalpel central - thanks for the love Cannondale!

Motivation (or liquid courage)

I nervously talked Matt into starting the race. Solid plan as he then turned the fasted lap between us both!

"GO!!!"


This is that fast kid. You know, that SUPER FAST kid.

Colby Waller in the mix



Fitness specialist Selene Yeager charging hard! Nice to know that she puts her good advice (a monthly columnist for Bicycling Magazine) to use. Selene had super fast lap times (close to my own), coming in 4th place.


Tony V keeping it steady on the single speed (solo)

The notorious P.O.Z. makes another pass

Our cyclocross specialist Melanie Swartz charging hard earned 2nd place in 2 person coed


Matt ramps up and over

Paul hand-dabs

Matt the magician

No time to slow down


Terri Spanogle rolling towards victory, 2 person coed

I only got passed by 2 guys all day. Colby was one of them (but only cuz he was on a 3 man team!)

Big Dan with the EX2 crew



Once I saw Em, Amy and Jewett cheering me it was hard not to smile and wave


Poz keeping the hammer-down


Dirty Tim

Matt in cow country

Matt - should be cringing from effort but instead is smiling

Rigid fun-killer

Timing chip handoff

Melanie getting mentally focused for another lap

Ryan Bannon was nursing his busted up arm from Tyson's crit and provided us with support and motivational Metallica.

We didn't get any photos at night - hands were busy with recovery and beer. We stayed up late first at the bonfire then chatting with the DCMTB crew. Joel and Mike looked to be going strong in the Rockstar Award department. Till morning...
Joel not moving very fast. Broken rib or two with vomiting - ouch.

Emmac on the fried toast detail...


Eggs with the sunrise.

The Duz

Still moving slow from the effort at the 2009 Bakers Dozen race in Leesburg.
Thanks to Joe for capturing the feeling of having one more lap to go after 13 hours of racing...Matt and I surged at the end and almost took 3rd place but 2 minutes can be hard to find in tired legs and dark woods.
More this afternoon...