My Clincher Can Beat Up Your Clincher

I have a feeling that I possess the only known pair of these in the City of Chicago if not the entire state. I bought these back in 1997 and have used them ever since. Quite possibly the best cyclocross tire. Ever. These babies hook up well in the loose stuff, hardpack, mud and grass. Fetching upwards of $100 sometimes for only one on eBay and often used, I feel lucky to have held onto them for so long. Now the question is which wheelset should I mount them on?

New Toy

After spotting one of these at Church a few weeks back everyone who was present knew they had to have one. We all joked about how Amazon was going to crash because we were all going to be logging on to buy one. Bob took the plunge first and had his at the last Church race where he put it to good use, rumor has it that he was charging $1 a bike!

As of yesterday there were still a few left over at Amazon, I ordered mine on Sunday and had it yesterday, so there is still time to have it for Jackson Park, although the weather looks like it will hold out til then. Even so, I expect to hear lots of little orange pressure washers at races this year, get yours while supplies last! Now I just need some rubber rain boots.

This Is Why You Will Never Be PRO

This is George Hincapie's collarbone X-ray which was taken THIS morning, 6 days after suffering the break en route to Le Grand Bornand during stage 17. Hincapie still managed to race over 560kms despite the fact that his collarbone was in two pieces. Ponder the fact that he still rode, no raced, nearly 350 miles including a TT in which he finished only 2:34 seconds off the winning time, and climbed to the top of Ventoux finishing just over 5 minutes behind Juan Manuel Garate of Rabobank. The next time you finish up a "hard" ride and consider yourself a hardman, think again!

Oh yeah and do you you know how George fixed it? He put some effing tape on it.

6 hours and 37 minutes

This is what you look like when you chase for nearly 95 kilometers with 10 sectors of pave' to go. Martijn Maaskant, my pick to win ended up 98th and over 17 minutes down after an untimely mechanical just before the 5 star rated Trouee' d'Arenberg. Proving that at Roubaix it takes more than just great form to get the win.

Maaskant On Form

Martijn Maskaant is undoubtedly on form for this years spring classics campaign finishing just off of the podium at Flanders behind heavy hitters Devolder(QuickStep), Haussler(Cervelo) and Gilbert(FDJ) while unfortunately missing the break at Ghent. The Garmin-Chipotle team has gone all in for the 2nd year PRO for this years Paris-Roubaix after he finished 4th in his Hell of the North debut last year.

Team Garmin-Slipstream will have no less than 6 bikes available to the 26 year old, as well as
mechanics and soigneurs offering up wheels at various points including the treacherous Forest of Arrenberg which offers up some of the worst pave' of the 259km parcours. The 107th edition of the race will serve up nearly 53kms of the slippery granite cobbles in 27 sectors along the route from Compiegne to the industrial town turned mecca of hardmen, Roubaix. While he may be young, he more than makes up for it with courage and guts beyond his years, and if his performance at Flanders last week in the horrible conditions is any indication, look for Maskaant to surprise the elder statesmen of the classics.



With teams like Quick Step packing a 1-2-3 punch of Boonen, Devolder and Chavanel, it seems as though Lefevre may have a lock on the race, but I wouldn't discount the fact that Boonen and Devolder will be marked men. Last weekend Pipo Pozzato(Katusha) never let Boonen leave his sight, and in fact sat on his wheel for the last 50-60kms. While Slipstream may not be as deep a team as Quick Step or Columbia, look for them to make the right moves when necessary, and let the work fall on the shoulders of the other teams. If they play their cards right JV and team may just find themselves standing on one of the steps of the podium, if not the top most, hoisting a cobble into the air.

Stijn Devolder Wins RVV

Thor Takes Het Volk

Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) takes the sprint over some heavy hitters proving his win in California was no fluke. The 199km cobbled Belgian Classic is always a predictor of who is on form and who still needs to sharpen their legs. Sebastian Langveld (Rabobank) who was in a two man break most of the day hit the deck with about 300 meters to go, disrupting the sprinters trains from Milram and Quick Step. Look for Boonen and company to redeem themselves at Milan San Remo with a possible first win for the storied Belgian sprinter who's best finish was 3rd in 2007.


Photo: Graham Watson

Mess With The Bull and You Get The Horns

I realize that it is suddenly cool to not like Lance and all, but this series of photos is hilarious!

Northbrook Picture Dump

Since I am feeling kinda lazy today I decided to just do a picture dump of the images from Northbrook. As always the photos are courtesy of Eric Nelson, and the entire photo set is available here

Digitally Enhanced

All photos courtesy of Eric Nelson and are available here

Brrrrrrr!!!!! in Bartlett

I guess this is the weather we always talk about racing in right? How it would be so cool and epic to be able to race in the wind and the rain and the mud. While we didn't exactly have rain, and the mud really wasn't that difficult, we sure has heck had the wind today. The wind coupled with the rapidly dropping temperatures made for an interesting pre- and post-race. .


Remember Montrose last year? Compared to how it felt today, Montrose was downright balmy. Maybe it was just the fact that it seemed like it was supposed to be warmer, but I can't remember shivering that much before a race. And the goosebumps were so big they almost hurt! Once we were finally off and racing the temperature was no longer a factor, but the wind never seemed to let up. The key to a successful race today was to be able to stay on someones wheel when it mattered. Getting blasted by a 50mph wind is no fun, especially when you are at 195 bpms and frothing at the mouth. At one point, after exiting the short wooded section I was nearly knocked over by a gust of wind. I also experienced a new phenomenon of the course tape trying to reach out and grab your handlebars at every opportunity. It kinda reminded me of being in a haunted house at the carnival where ghouls and goblins try and snatch at you in the dark. Enough complaining though, lets talk racing

After the call ups were complete, I quickly scooted to the front row on the outside hoping for a good start. Tony and the rest filed in behind me. At the whistle, the guy to my right has absolutely no ability to ride in a straight line or be able to clip in at the same time. I actually had to push him off of me for the first 50-75 feet, all the while I can hear Tony making his own opinions known. We quickly lose twenty places to this goofball and are left to try and make our way back up. Tony manages to pass in the 2nd or 3rd corner and Dave from Flatlandia goes with him. I quickly jump onto their little train heading for the first barrier. Up and over without any problems but slower traffic ahead of Dave and I on the first uphill caused us both to dismount. Of course I had to give him a hard time, and he apologized for it. Did he really think I was serious? Anyway, I spent the first lap chasing Tony and the leaders while not getting passed myself.


Onto the second lap and I'm still dangling behind Tony, but closing quickly. Into the wooded section and heading for the mud pit and I made my pass through the mud. I was sure Tony was going to come with me, but heading for the next corner I could hear him shouting encouragement at me, so I drilled again hoping to bridge to Brian from Mission Bay. I did close as we passed the Cuttin Cruiser and Al asking us if we liked gettin' dirty! I was sure Tony would catch us as we entered the asphalt, but I was honestly too afraid to look back. Typically when I race with Tony it is just a matter of time before he catches and drops me.


With two to go and no sign of Tony, my goal was to try and catch and pass the riders ahead. Out of every corner and obstacle I would be up out of the saddle sprinting and attacking the course. I was able to hold Tony off for the rest of the race and even managed to pull back a few riders. It seems my new mindset of attacking the course as often as possible is working. As soon as the race was over, Tony, Elvis and Patrick quickly got into some warm dry clothes so that we could cheer on the Jorge, Bob, Joe and Sergio in the B race


Much to our surprise Jorge received a call up for the top ten overall. Apparently some one had catted up since he was 11th in the results just a few days ago. At the start line then both Jorge and Bob had a great front row position with Joe and Sergio a few rows back. Off the start Jorge settled into a top ten position with Bob just trailing him. They both made it up and over the hill with no problems and rode strong for the rest of the first lap.


Coming out of the woods Jorge seemed to be in too small a gear and we were sure he was having difficulty shifting by his demeanor. But after a little encouragement he found the gear and the tempo to stay with the leaders. Bob too came out strong, and was having little problem holding his position. They were both listening to our instructions to them and were very attentive to the race around them.

During the second lap, Jorge was having a hard time matching the pace of the group he was in. Meanwhile Bob was having a perfect race, he was catching and passing riders and soon caught Jorge's wheel. They were together going into the woods, but Bob emerged first without Jorge. At this point Jorge was starting to slip off the pace but was still putting up a fight. The team did their best to shout and will them towards the finish and they did their best to not let us down.
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As the last lap unfolded Bob was sitting probably top 15 or so with Jorge trailing just a few riders back. Bob dug deep and opened a gap as he entered onto the asphalt for the last time. However the attack didn't stick and he was caught again on the downhill stretch. Going into the last set of barriers Bob was with a group of three and working hard. He passed one rider on the climb out and tried to get a lead out from the other guy going into the wind. The tactic was a good choice, but his legs just couldn't respond after the hard effort of the day. Jorge clawed his way back and finished just one behind Bob for 19th and 20th.


All the while there was another race going on that might not have been apparent to any one else but those involved. Joe and Sergio have a mostly friendly rivalry going as to who can win the most races between the two of them. I think Joe might have had the advantage going into today, and therefore I was a bit surpirsed that Sergio was just sitting in. Joe was left to do almost all the work even on the windy sections of the course. Going into the last section of barriers Joe made and acceleration and tried to shake Sergio for good, but Sergio hung on, letting Joe take the "victory". Not sure, but I think Joe has taken a substantial lead in the "overall" with that one.

After the races we quickly dispersed to try and get warm as quickly as possible. Hopefully no one gets sick after this weather caught us off guard today.

As always, photos courtesy of Eric Nelson and they are available here.

Sweeeet!!!

Thanks to Ben, I came across a Velonews article that had a great photo of him and even named him in the caption. It is great to see him getting some national exposure that he deserves. Well, while reading the article I come across another picture from the Carpentersville race. This time though there is no mention of names, or even faces, but hot damn! the photo that Imelda chose to accompany her article has ME in it. Well at least my legs. I guess I will take all the exposure I can get for the team. Ha! The photo also appears on CX Magazine as well.

The article was written by Imelda March from the Chicago Cyclocross Cup Series and features photos from Amy and Luke.

Taking Cross To A Whole New Level

VeloSnaps Photos Now Up

Carolyn Golz is another photographer who makes it out to almost all Chicago area races. Her photos from DeKalb are now avaialble for viewing and purchase here.
Just like Ed, her photos start at only $2 and can even be made into a poster size. She has over 30 albums available for viewing, so chances are if you raced this year, she has a great photo of you.

Support Ed White

Photo Courtesy of Ed White.


Many of you may have seen his incredible photos, but few may know his name. Edmund White shows up to nearly every Chicago area race and snaps as many great photos as he can. His photos are often linked to on Chicago Bike Racing and they are also featured on the Chicago Cyclocross Cup homepage.

Not many people realize that his entire collection of photos that he posts on flickr
are available for sale via his SmugMug page. His photos start at only $2 each for a 4x6 and every photo can be cropped to your liking. Help support someone who comes out and makes us look good every weekend.

Words of Wisdom

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential"-Winston Churchill

In other words, don't give up because the other guy might be stronger or more experienced. Those that win do so because they want it more.

HUP, HUP, HUP

All Photos Courtesy of Eric Nelson

And with that the 2008 Chicago Cyclocross Cup is off with a bang. This is what we have been waiting for since last December, and Greg and the entire xXx Team did not disappoint. The weather was perfect, the course was incredible, both in a good way and an extremely technical way. I have to give thanks to everyone that worked on that course. The fact that this course was split up into two completely different sections was great. The front half was nice and technical with lots of twists and turns and all of the barriers, while the second half was a huge power section where you get on the gas and just let 'er rip. Bravo!



As for us the day went pretty well, all though it started out a bit rough for Jim. While warming up for the A race he managed to snap his chain in two. And being that the chain was Shimano he needed a new pin to repair it. After some scrambling about and some nervous moments Jim tracked down Rich Delgado from the Village Cyclesport Team who lent a helping hand. After that was over the nerves were calmed a bit, until we lined up for the start.



I knew I wanted to be on the outside of the first corner to avoid the inevitable traffic jam that occur on the inside. My start was okay, not great. I hesitated a bit to give Jim an opening ahead of us and lost a few places in the process. Tony however had no problem and shot out ahead. After we settled into a nice rhythm through the first non-technical sections I knew things would be good. I could still see Tony through the turns and Jim was just ahead, maybe 5-6 riders. I wasn't sure were Elvis or Patrick ended up, but I'm sure they weren't far behind.



The first few laps were pretty tame, Jim and I picked off riders and Tony was holding his position near the front. I caught glimpses of Elvis and Patrick behind me as the course winded around on itself. Then disaster nearly struck Tony as he torqued his rear wheel in his frame nearly locking up the wheel. It happened with about 2 laps to go and he began to worry about losing valuable places as he limped the bike around the course. Luckily for him I had put my Kelly in the pit as a sort of "team" pit bike since we all run eggbeaters and about the same size. Tony made the switch and only lost a few places in doing so. It was at this point, after having passed Jim who was having derailleur problems, that I caught sight of Tony just one rider ahead of me heading into the second half of the course with 2 to go.
I could see that he was having a hard time and figured that his early pace had been a bit too high. I tried catching him on the power sections but he stayed just ahead of me. As we worked through the technical front half on the ultimate lap i realized why he was faltering a bit on the bike, it wasn't his bike. I didn't see the switch take place, but was proud that he was on my bike and staying in the race. The only problem is that I set my bikes up completely different from anyone on the team. First of all I run my brakes backwards, and the levers nearly bottom out on the handlebar. I also like to run my tires really low, whereas Tony likes a firmer set up. At one point he nearly rolled a tire through the off camber section heading into the double barriers.



All was not lost though as he managed to stay just ahead of me with only rider finishing in between us. However, because he accepted a hand up of water the officials saw to it to DQ him. After a brief discussion with the officials, all was well but their decision stood. I was scored at 23rd and because the results only listed numbers and not riders names I am not exactly sure where Elvis and Jim ended up. Patrick was having a good strong showing hanging near Elvis in only his second 'cross race when he flatted with just over a lap to go! I guess he will have to vindicate himself at DeKalb for that one.



As for the B race, we started Bob, Jorge and Sergio in a field of a bout 60-65. Jorge lined up on the front row, pretty fearless if you ask me for his first 'cross race. At the gun the start was fast but all three had no problems. Bob actually made a huge deficit right off the bat, passing 15-20 riders through the bottleneck of the first turn. Through the first lap it was Sergio, followed by Jorge and Bob was passing his way into the top 30. At some point during the second lap, Jorge managed to pass Sergio who was looking strong. At that point there was no looking back for Jorge, Sergio had a bit of a problem near the sidewalk, not sure what exactly but he lost some time and places for sure. Bob also had problems as a rider went down in front of him and he had no place to go. Also on the second lap Bob had a seriously loosening saddle which didn't help things.



As the laps counted down, Jorge help position and started to pass riders who went out too strong. Sergio was also looking good and maintaining position and Bob was making up time taking the corners aggressively. As it ended up Jorge finished his first race in 18th! I'm not sure of Bob and Sergio but I believe Sergio finished mid 30's and Bob just behind him. This was a great race considering the amount of time Jorge and Bob have been on 'cross bikes. If this is any indication of the future of the series, then things are looking good.



All in all the day went very well for us. While the DQ for Tony really sucked, it was nice to see him ride an aggressive race and even throw in a bike change. As for myself, I hesitated a bit in passing people at times and had to remind myself not to sit in, sometimes out loud. Elvis and Jim rode strong races and except for a mechanical from Jim finished well. We still need a bit more fine tuning to bump up our finishing positions, but overall I think everyone was satisfied.