A couple of old photos.

This photo is from a trip I took to the Worlds in 2003. Hamilton Ontario. Pretty rad. Stayed in the same hotel as the Italians. Saw them out training when i was heading into the city from the airport.
Not a great year for the drug free end of the sport Astorloa beat Bettini, Valverde, and PVP. Either way Igor's last minute attack was impressive to bad the WC title seemed to end his career faster than you can say Roman Vainsteins.... ITT was won by David Millar. I remember standing on the same corner where I took this picture of Boogerd and thinking that Millar was a lock of the TT. He rode by looking skinnier and faster and more fluid than any of the competition. About an hour later as I was walking to my hotel, I saw Millar pedal up to his hotel all alone. Still on his TT bike with a union jack draped over him. Pretty surreal. Especially considering where he ended up and how he describes this time in interviews. For a world champ, he looked pretty lost and alone.
But about this photo, Boogerd was not my favorite Dutchman. I was always more of a Dekker man. Dekker fit the hard working puncher mold of a Jalabert or a Zabel. Boogerd was a great bike racer, but he seemed to crumble after the TDF potential winner label got pined on him.
Regardless, this photo was taken on a corner before the 1st climb, about one K after the start. I saw Didi-the devil dude chilling here a lot. Points to anyone who can ID any other riders. I thought the German rider was Hondo, but it isn't. In retrospect, this was a dopers paradise.
I had a chance to take a picture of Riis talking on his phone,but was too scared. That dude does not look super friendly.... And I wasn't feeling to confident with my paper box camera.
If you take the time to check the results for juniors and U23 you will see a lot of yoru present day favorites...

This photo was taken the year before in NYC. 2002 NY City Championship. Post Tour so Lance was the main attraction. Went down to check this out. ">Results let you know it was a fast crit. My lasting contirbution to cycling lore, is this blurry picture of Lance.
So that wraps up a rainy Saturday night. Good thing I cleaned out my desk and found these.....

bike racing starts soon

Are you going to be the hammer or the nail? I think I will be down with O.T.B.....

Leatherface Stormy Petrel

Frankie Stubbs is like the uncle I never had, but wish I did. Just saw them live on some weird off shoot of a Canadian tour. Last time I saw them was about 11 years ago in Boston-if the "99" on my fake Leatherface soccer jersey is correct.
They had a new record for sale, and while it isn't Mush or Cherry Knowle or whatever your personal watershed Leatherface album is, it is pretty damn good. Just like your favorite uncle, you know what to expect but there are some surprises. Even if he has gotten mellower with age, you still love to see him and find out what he has been up to. The insights are still pointed. He still has the dance moves and live he added a lot more of his classic gruff edge to the new songs.
Big Ugly Fish is the label in the UK. No Idea is putting it out in the states.
Starts off with soon to be Leatherface mixtape staples like "god is dead","my worlds end" "another dance",and "never say goodbye". Couple of more maudlin slow jams, but overall if you don't smile and get stoked when you hear that voice and those guitars, you aren't really a leatherface fan.
Get stoked.
Official Info here.

Montepaschi Strada Bianche

Awesome race. Lame video comp post



some fan cam footage form last year

It is amazing that this has gone from a retro grouch event to a real race in only a few years. For example 08 dudes on 3 speeds

couple things from the weekend

"Sometimes they say I'm fat, but in these conditions it's pretty helpful" So says Bobbie Traskel. 26 finishers? KBK was a tough day.
Het Volk was comprised of a series of attacks. I love that style of racing. Hammer after hammer. Boonen's first go, really blew the race up and Flecha's final attack on the cobbles was a killer as well.
Cervelo looked like they had on some odd rain gear and sure enough, they did. Videos already? Castelli is on it. Aero rain jacket? Sure Heinrich, it is going to save crucial watts....
Last up Vroomen's comments on tire pressure and width are pretty interesting in this article. 5 bars? In a road race?

Het Volk 2001

The plan was to ride the trainer and watch 08, but I couldn't find it. There was however the trusty video tape of 2001. So worth hooking up the VCR to relive this one.
I think this is the year that made me love this race and the classics in general. I knew just enough to be familiar, but not enough to be jaded.
This race had it all going- the weather, the drama of the predominantly Italian Mapei vs the predominantly Belgian Domo, and the winner Michele Bartoli.
The Belgian colored Lotto GTs. I would buy one of these in a heartbeat.

Lotto riding mainly in hairnet helmets or no helmets(Tchimil). Frank Hoj too...

Hairnets in the 21st century?
It was amazing that Tchmill,PVP, and Domo missed the winning break.
Here are some of my other random highlights from rewatching the race
-The bikes. Box section rims on everyone with mainly round tube bikes. Battavus had one of the most angular designs. Ridley,Time, and Look were all plain jane round tubes.
-The Bonjour team kit holds up while the BankGiroLoterij-Batavus dud not.
-Fassa Bortola had both Basso and Cancellara in the race.
-Arvis Piziks. First rider whose name just made me laugh. Being the Latvian national champ, he always got to rock some cool purplish kit.


But really Bartoli in the Italian national champ Mapei kit is what makes the race.
A lot of dudes fan out on VDB, but I will always be a Bartoli fan boy. His style and racing was the best. Attacking. In the drops. The Cat. Bartoli winning is like icing on the cake.

The 2010 Het Volk kicks off in about 12 hours. Haussler, Pozzatto, Chavanel, Ballan, and Gilbert are my picks. Dark horses and sentimental picks would include Terpstra, Langeveld, Vansummeren, O'grady or Maaskant. BMC are bringing all their guns.
Can't wait.

countdown to het volk

In the days leading up to Het Volk (and I will always call it Het Volk. Not cause I'm old school, but because I refuse to type Het Nieuwsblad every time I mention the race). This race was always a motivator for me. A preview of things to come in April.....
I will start of with 2009. Cervelo kill it and Rabobank blow it. Great Race. I have watched this a lot on the trainer.
With a new finish and Kuurne Brussel Kuurne moved to the following day there are some new factors in the race. Also the weather seems to be less hosptiable than past years(2004 excepted) Sky and BMC have some pressure on them as they have something to prove and riders good enough to make it happen. Steegmans seems to continue his slide into oblivan, and won't be racing.

One of my favorite parts of the Belgian races are the coverage of the "course recon"
First blood goes to Quickstep. Here and here. With plenty more to follow, I hope.
So with 4 days to go, hats off to 2009 winner Thor. Can Cervelo do it again?

and don't forget KBK on Sunday