Taking a break in Rawlings, WY. 4 hrs to Salt Lake City, sleep a bit and visit the Reynold factory for a little meet & greet.

Now the rest of the story....

WOW, Wyoming is crazy again! 40mph winds and blowing snow.

Can you guess where we are? It's not warm I can tell you that!

Working the pit

Pretty interesting article in Cyclocross Magazine today about working the pit at a cross race. Last weekend we were helping out a few other teams and riders who didn't have any support. In the case of the Cal Giant/Specialized crew they just had too many riders for the mechanics they had. In the picture you can see Bama and myself working a bike change for Ryan Knapp. I guess we did a good job since we made the article. Saturday we did some blazing fast bike changes with Joe that had the pits buzzing. All the exchanges were super smooth and fast, he never lost any time at all. You should read the article. Kind of humorous and pretty much tells it like it is.

Off to bed, the grand adventure starts @4am...........

Jingle Cross Day 3

It's going to have to be a quick post this morning. Too much to do and too little time. Got home last night early enough to get laundry started and then get to bed. Today it's time to reset all of the teams equipment in the trailer, add in all of the Nebraska crews equipment and a few other bikes ect. Then reload all of my clothes for 2 weeks on the road.














Where to start....... My last post was Saturday night right after this picture was taken. Jill, Adam, and Joe from our crew are pictured as well as Meridith and Cody from the Cal Giant/Specialized team. It didn't take long for the crowd in the hall to grow and there were some beverages being consumed, pretty soon it was getting loud. This is where I bailed out but the story is that the hotel manager came up and said they were too loud. You would think that would be the end of the story but the manager told them to follow her down to the 2nd floor where they could make all the noise they wanted. Pretty smart manager if you ask me. The stories of the evenings events came out all day Sunday and you might be surprised by the names of those involved but I won't mention any to protect the not so innocent.

So back to Sunday. I knew we were in trouble when we woke up and the lake outside the hotel had a layer of ice on it. Brrrrrrrrr, it was cold. That means there would be frozen ruts on the course. Sure enough, he course changes included a new downhill that was part of Fridays course. When I tried to ride it it was so slick I just stopped at the top because of all of the bodies on the ground. When I tried to walk down it and the hill was so slick I about killed myself. It didn't take long for the officials to decide to take out the dangerous part of the course until later in the day and let the Pro's ride it when it thawed.



















Matt and I on the flyover in Saturdays race. Yea, it's that steep. The stairs on the other side are just as steep.

In the 35+/45+ race Matt and Bill rode hard in the 35+ race. It sounds like Matt could of had it won if he hadn't had a tangle with the course tape and had a high speed crash. He recovered to pullout a stellar 3rd place. Bill suffered the same fate as Matt with the course tape and went down hard. He still got up to finish 6th and was pretty bruised and battered in the end. In the 45+ race I also ran into a few patches of bad gravity and hit the deck. The darn course tape got the best of me as well and at one point grabbed my bike and wouldn't let go. I heard that a number of people went down due to the wind blowing the course tape into their bikes. The darn stuff wouldn't break and down you go. Anyway, in my race I got into the lead, got caught up in the tape, took down about 30ft of the course tape, poles, ect. and had to stop and get untangled. Once I got going I managed to get crash in the mud one turn later and take down the tape and poles in another corner. After that I decided that I had enough of the crashes and it was time to settle down and focus. In the end I had to chase down Andy Lucas from the 360 team in KC who was leading. Once I caught him we rode together until he bobbled in a corner and crashed. That gave me a gap and I manage to win for the 3rd day in a row.

So that leads in to the last round of the USGP series where I'm currently 2nd overall and then Nationals. I'm repeating the results from last year with 4 wins in the last 4 races so I'm hoping the the form is going to hold for the next 2 weeks. Considering my coach Adam from Source Endurace has been on damage control for the past 2 months due to all of my injuries I'm going to consider myself lucky at this point.

The KCCX crew hit's the road tomorrow so look for posts from the road both here and on face book, I'll try to update as often as I can. I leave you with this from Jingle Cross. For more just go to U-Tube and type in Jingle Cross 2010. Just imagine the carnage if the hooligans from Lincoln met up with this crew!

Jingle Cross: Day 2

2ND group in the Elite race about half way in.


Pretty nice day today in Iowa City. Started out pretty cold but was sunny and nice for most of the day. The 35+/45+ was the 2ND race so course conditions were pretty sketchy with frozen ruts with a little bit of slime on top. Pretty slippery but overall not too bad. Today also featured the addition of a few long straightaways and the long run up Mt Krumpet.














Chris Jones taking a bike in the pit. He suffered a rolled tire that caused a crash. Seems like I saw more than a few rolled tires this weekend. My guess is that it's cause is more the course than the glue job. It seems like the ruts from last years mud fest races didn't disappear over the winter/summer. It looks like riders are going through corners, catch a rut, and off pops the tire. The KCCX crew has been pretty lucky we had 1 tire come loose but didn't roll off the rim.

Party at the KCCX compound. While waiting for the Elite race to start the word got out that there was beer in the trailer. Soon there were people hanging out and coming and going. Nice to catch up with the Wallace family for a bit. Chris was in the area and decided to race the 2/3 race. He was riding for fun and it was just his 4th race since last years worlds. He was riding well until his pedal broke and his day was over. Bummer but is was good just to see him on the bike again.

Mt Krumpet was just getting rolling when I took this picture. By time the Elite men's race started the crowd was much bigger than pictured. From the pit we could hear the crowd noise and soon riders started coming past the pit throwing dollar bills at their mechanics. At one point one of the Cal Giant riders came through and said he pulled his dollar out a girls g-string. Rumors of dollars coming from other parts of clothing were heard as well.

Joe got some presents from Oakley today to take to Europe. A super sweet backpack, Hats, and a pair of limited edition glasses. Lucky!

As for the races. In the 35+/45+ race we had Bill, Matt, and I. Bill got a good start and unfortunately Matt did not. Both of them rode well and Bill ended up 7th and Matt fought his way from last to 9th by the end of the race. In the 45+ I got a good start and led into the barriers that came soon after the start. It was a good thing I was leading because there was only a 20 second separation between the 2 categories and we caught the back of the 35+ pack by the barriers. My first lap was more of a battle with the 35+ riders than the ones in my race. After 2 laps I had finally worked my way far enough through the 35+ race to have more of a clear course. This worked well as I could keep track of the 2nd place 45+ rider and just ride steady the rest of the race for the win. Today I was a little worried about the running required on today's course as well as my general fitness. With all of the injuries my training has been very limited and after last nights ride I was a little tired today.

So day 3 is tomorrow. The course changes again with less running and more on the bike climbing. That should be more of an advantage to me so I'm hoping to have a better day tomorrow.

Here we go.......

The final push begins. On the road to Jingle Cross.

Day one @ Jingle cross: Got to make this a short one, it's late. We are just settling in for the night and it's 11:00pm. The Elite race started @ 7:30pm under the lights so it was a late night at the races. Joe has recovered from the crash in Ft Collins for a 18th place finish. Results for the 35+/45+ race were screwed up for a long time but I think Matt and Bill were both top 10. After crashing and dropping my chain a few times I managed to get back to the front of the race with 2 laps to go and win. Definitely a rough way to start the weekend but at least I didn't make any of my injuries worse.

Got to get to bed. I'll have a better report tomorrow when I have more time.

Happyness is a clean Sprinter van. Road trip prep for Jingle Cross and beyond.

Lincoln Cross Weekend

Took the family up to Lincoln and had a great time hanging out with some old friends. Decided to take the weeknd off from racing so it was a good time just hanging out with the family and visiting Lincoln. It had been exactly one year since we were last in town and it was like we never left when we came back. Good times!

Revised scan post

Scan says I do have a.............................brain. Sorry for the partial post. I had just left the doctors office and I was in a hurry to get back to the shop when I hit the wrong button on my phone. The bottom line of all the tests is that I am not going to blow a gasket in my brain. There is a blockage in my sinuses and another issue with my ear. After consulting with a ENT specialist my doc prescribed a pretty powerful cocktail of drugs that should take care of the problem. We will see if it works in 14 days.

Right now we are in Lincoln to hang out with some friends and check out the cross races. I'm taking the weekend off from racing to let my body heal, on top of the head issues I've got a slight AC joint separation and a slight tear in a tendon behind my knee. Right now it's cold and I'm working up the motivation to get out and ride on the road. More from the races later.

Looking for answers.......

USGP Ft Collins

What would a trip across Western Kansas be without a picture of the wind turbine farm. The fact that when the blade went to the top it would be obscured by the low cloud deck gave us a clue as to what the weather would be like for the trip. Hit a little rain on the way but the real clue was the falling temps.

We arrived at the venue in plenty of time to get our spot for the trailer and get the tents up before the course opened up. We had a prime spot where the course went right by the tent and the pit was just on the other side. Sure makes shuttling bikes much easier. The pre -ride had me a little worried. With a bit of snow on the course and a prediction of above freezing temps it was going to get muddy. The other issue was the climbing, lots of climbing. We got out on the course and got some laps in and then a few of us decided to ride back to our host house. Pretty amusing ride. With sunlight fading we rode off with sketchy directions...........and each one of us thought the other had a phone, DUH! Naturally we got lost and ended up begging a high school girl to use her phone to call Logan for directions.

Saturday arrived and we found the course to be loaded with frozen ruts and with the rising temps, a bit of slimy mud on top. Just like the Louisville USGP I was going into the weekend hoping for a miracle. The knee was better but a bout with vertigo/head pain the past week had kept me off the bike and on the bed/couch for a week. Warming up I was pretty flat and just had a hard time getting the legs going. After a good start I was running in the top 5 when I got cross rutted and went sailing over the bars and through the tape. Hit my head and was pretty dazed but I also jacked up my knee and shoulder......again. It took a lap to get back up to speed but I worked my way back into the top 5 before crashing again. Trying to make up time on the leaders when the course is muddy, rutted, and frozen is rough and I think I fell 6 times, hard to tell, it's difficult to keep count after a while. By the last lap I had worked my way back to the front of the race and passed 3 guys at once to slide into 3rd, only to fall near the end of the lap and give the positions back. Ended up 6th and feeling pretty rough. A little fuzzy in the head, a knee that wouldn't straighten, and another shoulder injury. Then it was time to get to work for the rest of team in the pits and prepping bikes.














Shadd on the course Sunday.

Sunday, for me the day dawned with a killer headache, a really sore shoulder, and a improving knee. The organizers had made some changes to the course and as I pre-rode it seemed to suit my riding style a little better than Saturdays course. More of a bike handlers course that rewarded line selection. Off the start I slotted in 6th or 7th coming off the pavement. In the first turn the the leader crashed and took out 2nd place. A few turns later the new leader fell and slowed the other riders ahead of me so I jumped and got into the lead. From there on out I just focused on riding smooth as I knew I couldn't afford to fall on my shoulder. With just one slow speed crash and consistent lap times I managed to pull away for the win. It's nice to win and I needed it. I had dropped to 3rd in the overall series after Saturdays race and the win put me back in 2nd.














After my race it was time to get to work and get the guys ready for the 35+ race. We had 5 riders in the race I figured it was going to busy in the pits. As it turned out we didn't have much action as the race as course conditions had improved. The race itself was pretty fun to watch. From the pits we could see that Shadd was battling for a spot in the top five for most of the race and in the last 2 laps was catching 3rd place. In the last lap the battle was on for 3rd place and with a well planned attack Shadd rode away to take the place!

Shadd standing on the podium with a current and former National Champions, could this be the year?

Unfortunately, the weekend ended up on a bit of a bummer note. In the Elite/U-23 race Joe crashed and hit his head hard. Pretty scary moment and the decision to take the ambulance ride to the hospital was a good one. In the end in was determined that he had a serious concussion but was able to travel back with us.

Overall the weekend was a success for the whole team. The riders rode well in challenging conditions and everybody pitched in help when it was needed. I really have to thank my teammate Logan. He's off the bike after hand surgery but he was the go to guy for everything. In the muddy conditions he was our key guy getting bikes washed and ready for the next exchange so I could focus on keeping track of the riders. On top of all the work he did for the team he also let us set up camp at his house for the weekend. I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to have the whole crew in the same place where we can cook, hang out, and generally do whatever we want.

Last but not least. I want to say thanks to all of the former and present folks from Neb/Kansas who were out cheering at the races. I had a great time catching up with all the folks that have moved to the Denver/Ft Collins area. It race had a bit a hometown feel to it with all of the familiar voices in the crowd.

So now it's a week off to heal and then Jingle Cross, Portland, and Nationals!

Busted again!

Poor Andy Schleck, this is the 2nd time he's been caught looking. Oh to be young and dumb!

USGP this weekend in Ft Collins. At this point I'm still going but I'm not sure why. Good news is it's not the knee, bad news is that it's something else. Hope to find out more today.

Back to the doc

Another day, another doctor! The way this weeks been going for me you would of thought it was me in the doctors office. Instead it was JoBro's turn. The kid got pinkeye that just would not go away, then the incident with the door, then he had a vision test at school that showed something wrong in his eye. After a few tests we found out that there was no major damage but a viral infection that is clouding his vision. Should be easy to cure and that's quite a relief to us.

Other than that it's been a boring week, still injured this week so no racing this weekend. Looks like I'll be hanging out at the Cub Scout picnic tomorrow. At least it's at Swope so maybe JoBro and I can can get a lap or two during the day.

USGP Ft Collins Flyover

Check that out! Yes, you can ride this flyover and hang out Ft Collins. In 2 weeks the rolling road show that is the USGP comes to Ft Collins CO. Don't miss you chance to check it out!

The flyover for the Ft.Collins USGP is complete. It looks like it will be much easier to deal with than the "Green Monster" at the Louisville USGP. More stairs will make it much easier on the knee for this old man. I saw a video of the venue and it looks a lot like the KC nationals the 2nd year. Kind of on a hillside so there will be lots of elevation change. I bet it will be very interesting if it snows.

Boss Cross 3 & Cross Bikes and wheels for sale

What to say about Boss Cross 3. Let's just say that the day started off bad when JoBro came home from a sleepover with a bright red line running down the side of his face. Seems his accidents are continuing. He was playing swat teams at a sleepover and was on the wrong side of a door when his buddies kicked the door. Ouch! Came home with his face swelling and tears in the eyes. I was a bit worried when he said he was a bit dizzy so no cross racing for him today. After a bit of indecision the whole clan piled into the van and headed to the races.

Got to the venue, got set up, and pre rode the course. Once again Jeremy and Joe produced a very balanced course that was going to be pretty fun. Only problem for me was the 2 long sand pit runs, that was going to be hard on the knee. I made my way over to the start area along with all the other Open and cat 3 riders and eventually got on the narrow start line in the front row. That is until a group of riders rolled up and placed themselves in front of the front row. Now I'm in the 2nd row behind a known slow starter. Time for a could of/should of......... I think I was tied for 3rd in the series so I could of parked myself in front row and moved somebody back but that's not how I work. So the start goes and as expected I'm way back in the field. I can see the fast guys at the front and if I can't get there quick they will be gone. I tried a few aggressive moves(sorry Doug), but all that did was bring on a crash in a corner. So with the chain off and the shifter broken it was time to call it a day. Frustrating.

I saw a quote in a magazine from Cadel Evans that made me think. Talking about what he learned in his last season with Davitamon-Lotto he said,"Be a little more selfish, and look after myself. I wouldn't apply that to life itself but when there are people around you trying to take advantage of you, it's how you have to be." The past 2 weeks have sucked and it's time to take care of myself.

On a better note I've got some cyclocross equipment to sell at a great price! Actually I have one road bike in there as well but it's all like new stuff.















Bontrager Carbon Aero Wheelset. Barely ridden, I got these from a buddy and only rode them once. Here's the specs; Bontrager Carbon Aero wheelset, Challenge Grifo Tubular tires, SRAM 12-26 cassette. Ready to roll, $650.00















Two matching X-O2's
















The only difference between the two is the updated Bontrager fork on one.

Here's the story on these bikes. I rode the frames for 2 cross seasons and they hung on the hook in the garage all summer. Stripped the bikes down to bare frames and then rebuilt them with brand new Bontrager forks, and all of the parts off of my new Scott bikes. What you have is used frames that are in excellent shape with a brand new, unused, parts.

The build kit goes like this: SRP Brakes, Shimano Ultegra Shifters/Ders, FSA Gossamer Cranks, DT Swiss Wheels, Scott bar/stem/saddle, Thompson Seatpost, Schwalbe Tires, Bontrager Forks.

Both frames are 56cm.

$950.00,

Fisher Arc Pro, Bontrager Race Lite wheels, SRAM Rival cranks, shifters, ders, brakes, Bontrager bars, stem, seatpost, and saddle. This one is a 55cm frame. $950.00

If you know anybody that would be interested give me a shout on the blog or e-mail @ twp521@everestkc.net.