This is the time of year where everyone is looking around for what next, whats next year.  racers, staff, everybody’s up for reshuffling the deck.  but now it seems harder and harder with all the doping controversy and there being fewer teams to locate jobs.  But we’re not alone out there finding it harder to find work.  EVERY job is cycling is getting more cut throat….example you ask

or here…

Podium Girls everywhere are looking for work. sponsor ship effects racers and races and if a race has a hard time pull together enough money for a prize list generally the first thing to go are girls that hand out flowers and kisses.  it is a travesty that can’t go on any longer, there should be a “save the podium girl fund” setup to prevent further damage to this sport.  i’m afraid if there were no podium girls we’d lose half the spectators and who be left for riders to marry?

The team is here in Blowing Rock, NC or a little training camp.   

we’re out by the Blue Ridge Parkway.  i’ve never ridden on this amazing road, but dang i was missing out.  i had some big 2 lane each way thing in my head….but no, just this small beautiful road.  any way the view wasn’t that great today, it was much too cloudy. but riding in the mist is always fun too.   

i think i wrote some nice things about kirk earlier in the twilight update.  then i find out today that he tried to protest me yesterday for hooking him.  what the hell.  at about 500 meters i was on his wheel, he was overlapped on the right side of the guy in front of him so i hit out on the left.  i went through the last 2 corners first and had some room at the line.  so the only place i can think of is going into the last corner, of which i just rode the line we had been doing all night.  for a “hook” to properly happen i think you have to be next to a person….i really hope this was just pressure from the boss’s to attempt an all healthnet podium at their own race.  because if it’s not well thats just sour grapes and spilt milk.

i will happily retract this if i find out whats behind this…

 and thats ice cream and tears by the way….

watch out ladies

so maybe you know maybe you don’t, last week was rough.  that is to say it started fine and ended like a prom date gone horribly wrong. and being in a world where “your only as good as your last performance”  i wasn’t too happy with myself.  fast forward to a few hours ago.  The Healthnet Portland twilight Criterium.  Healthnet shows up with a full team of 4, O’bee, murphy, dougie O, and roman- the other who’s who was Evan Elkin, jonny sundt, tree farm, morgan schmit and myself. not to leave out the local heros but… it started well with Trebon and sundt “getting ready for cross season”.  GAY.   what a ridiculous start did do was split a group of 15 or so off the front of one of the most technical courses i’ve ever seen.  .5 mile with 6 turns.  i heard a quick lap was 54 seconds- but i’m sure we did faster.  in the end Murphy went off the front and soloed in, Doug attacked on the last lap, and I brought home the field sprint. Doug had about 10 lengths through the last corner and held on by a wheel. so the point is I’m happy again.  yey

i was going to draw in o’bee on the side all bummed out but left  it out cause i don’t really know him (and H-net went one-two).    but either way its nice to beat the newly crowned national champion.  not at all meaning to rub it in…but he’s got a big target on himself again, and i have a lot of respect for him, so sorry if i take a little pride in it- he always “one to beat”  (i think he got 4th).  and last year they went one-two-three-four….so.

ok thats it for now…. i have other stuff but that will have to wait.

results…

1 Murphy, John HealthNet
2 Ollerenshaw, Doug HealthNet
3 Hartley, Chad BMC
4 O’Bee, Kirk HealthNet
5 Hamilton, Chris Casa Bruno
6 Sundt, Johnny Kelly Benefit
7 Johnson, Aaron
8 Beardsley, Steven CMG
9 Leonard, John Casa Bruno
10 Kilun, Roman HealthNet
11 Hosmer, Seth CMG
12 Elken, Evan Jittery Joes
13 Gallagher, Michael Bob’s Bicycle
14 Schmitt, Morgan Priority Health
15 Reeb, Donald CMG
16 Buchholz, Brant Therapeutic Associates
17 Trebon, Ryan Kona
18 Tuckerman, Aaron Team Rubicon
19 Micek, Edward Dent Wizard
20 Torgenson, Chris Excel Sports

thanks k-man. bold type are local rider. 

After the tour i’m sorta going through withdrawls with nothing to watch on TV.  nothing exciting on the internet, pretty much boring stuff.  if your as board as me and you want to laugh a bit you should google Mitch Fatel, he’s funny. if you find the rhapsody pages with him you an listen to a lot.  did i mention he’s funny. the only other cool thing i found today was this….

can your name do that????  if not you should change yours to mine…its cooler.  also i have nothing to make any cartoons about- so if all you out there could make something cool happen so then i can make fun of it and get more popular that would be great.  i’m going to bed now.