extra power?

"Make good lines and use extra power to get through loose gravel. If you steer with your hips, push hard on the pedals from the back of the saddle and use the front wheel as a sort of rudder; you can clean most deep, loose gravel. " -Ira Ryan

Gravel riding tips from this article. Just need to find my extra power and I will be good to go.

Quad Cross

I was stoked to do this race cause it is one of the only races of the year that I can ride to. Riding to a race-outside of Wells Ave isn't really an option so this was a cool thing. Packing for a race with a car means you don't have to think too much-just throw it in, but when you are carrying everything you need on your back, you need to put some more thought into it. I could think all I want, but I still needed team mates to come through with things like a floor pump and pit wheels. It takes a village for one man to ride....... Speaking of team mates, Thom and Nick headed out Saturday night to help with course set up.

2nd time doing Quad Cross. Weather was pretty similar. Dry and cool. Course was a little tougher-they ran it into the woods and found some sand to make the run up a little tougher.
We had the whole team there. Billy,Nick, and Thom were in the 4 and I was in the old 4s. Had a decent start. Starts are not ever my strong suit so decent is an improvement. Took a lap or 2 to get it together, at which point I was in a group of about 8, and we proceeded to beat on each other for the remaining laps.
People definitely came out to race and were diving into ever corner and sprinting out of ever turn. Dusty as a hell-which I was reminded of when I laid down for a quick nap on the last lap. Crashed in a completely unremarkable left hand turn. Chalk that one up to last lap jitters. I get more uptight and nervous in the last lap than at the start. Once I realize it's the last lap, I tend to think to much and what handling I have goes out the window. Tons of people were out and it was nice to get a pretty thorough level of heckling throughout the course.
Hung out til the Pro race and then road home.
This was an extremely fun day and I think Quad Cross has earned it's spot on the calendar.
Nick has a race report on the team blog. Check it out. Maybe the other slackers on the team will have something to say soon. VT weekend with 3/4 of the crew on deck.

Friday Night

This video rules for some many reasons
1.Joe Lopes. Sad that Joe and Dave are both RIP.
2.Skaters vs BMX. Took rollerbladers to get us off each others backs
3.The Dutch what? As if the Rabo friendly Orange and Blue color scheme wasn't good enough, Vanderspeck has the nickname "The Flying Dutchman "
4.Vander-Roll? Is it as bad as the street plant?
5.The 80s tv dude-Stay Classy!

Magnus Backstedt Interview

Magnus Backstedt has always been one of my favorite riders. Devoted to the classics, his status as a hardman cannot be questioned. His crowning moment has to be his Roubaix win in 2004, but I have spent many an hour on the trainer watching him set brutal tempo in a breakaway in the 08 edition of Flanders. He has been a supporter of the Pan-Mass challenge here in MA for a while and being reminded of this got me thinking and reminiscing a bit. Roubaix was epic, but I was always puzzled by his attempt at the derny hour record. What was the motivation to suffer behind a motorbike turning that huge gear? On a whim,I emailed Big Maggy's coffee to see if he would be interested in an interview. I was pretty shocked when I got a quick reply in the affirmative. So here are a few questions with a real giant of cycling.


WWDIS:Why did you decide to pursue the derny hour record?
MB: I just love riding the track and riding behind the Derny is one of my favourite things to do. I quite quickly realised i was very fast behind it. Unfortunately things didn't go to plan on the night with the driver getting "big occasion nerves". Unfortunately i never got the time to give it another go.

WWDIS: What was harder Roubaix or the derny hour?
MB:I think Roubaix, more due to the time it takes to become human again after a complete emptying of the tank and all the physical issues the cobbles cause. Still the Hour was not easy.


WWDIS: What were your favorite races?
MB: For me there was really only one race. Second Sunday in April is a special day in my calendar and always will be. The Paris Roubaix is such a special event and I have a great love for the race itself and the history behind the race.

WWDIS:Did you ever do any derny crits?
MB:No I never did. I was always busy with other races.
WWDIS: Are they as sketchy as the appear?
MB:I don't think they are any worse than other races.

WWDIS: You road for a lot of teams over the years-what was your favorite bike?
MB: Difficult question to answer. I had so many purpose built bikes made for me and a lot of custom jobs. Have to say though that the Felt AR1 was probably one of my favourites. Also had quite a lot of input to that bike being made. Jim Felt did an awesome job there. Another favourite is the Cervelo P3 and i recently got a Wilier Cento Uno that again was made to my spec. As an off the peg bike i think the bike that my team is riding this year has to be one of the stiffest and lightest i have ever ridden. It's a small brand. Nishiki team Carbon it's called. You can find them on www.nishiki.se

WWDIS:This is a mandatory interview question, do you prefer Campy or Shimano? Or Sram?
MB: Shimano

WWDIS:How did you get associated with the Pan-Mass Challenge?
MB: Long story. Matt Dillis who is the captain of the Forza-G PMC team is working together with me distributing my coffee in the US and on that road we ended up with me riding the PMC. One of the best rides i have done. I do a lot of stuff for charities and my coffee donates a % of the profit to cancer charities, the PMC being one of them. Find the coffee on www.bigmaggys.com

WWDIS: How was it being on the podium with Roger Hammond?
MB:Well, Rog and me are good friends and used to share a house in Belgium. I felt for him not winning, but on that day there was only going to be one winner and that was me. I think he can appreciate that. He rode really strong that day and luckily for me i just managed to outmaneuver all of them coming out of the final turn. Track cycling move!! Well, knowing how people move on the track helped me a lot that day.

WWDIS:Have you or do you race cross?
MB: I have only ever done a couple of local ones in south wales where I live. Not really my thing. I'm too heavy and bog down in the mud. I do like taking my MTB on a spin though.

WWDIS: My blog focuses on cycling and music, so what are some of your favorite bands?
MB: Metallica, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Black eyed Peas, the XX. i have something like 8500 tunes on my ipod and it varies from the one extreme to another.

WWDIS:You seem to be busy with your coffee, team,and TV commentating? What else are you up to?
MB: I also have my bike/coffee shop on Jersey Channel islands. Apart from that and my family i don't really have time to do anything else.

So there you have it. Amazing racer, retires and seems to stay just as busy. Get some of that coffee!

PS
want one of these

never the same.

One of my favorite things about cross is the constant flux. You can have a race at the same place every year and change the course to make it different. Even if you don't change the course, weather can give you 2 totally different races. Even hour to hour. If you do 2 races in one day, you are not really riding the same course-especially if it rains. You need to be ready for anything.
For example Palmer MA. I have done this race 3 times. 1st time it was later in the year and a mess of frozen mud ruts and grass. Last year was an epic mudfest with submerged roots and pouring rain. This year it was dry and hot. Still had roots. Roots everywhere. Popping out of the ground like zombies trying to free themselves from their graves.
race report on the other blog later.

Cross Season

Posted a race report from our team's first race on the new team blog. Check it out
Or follow us on Facebook.

Rain, Mud, and Fun all on day one of the season? Stoked.

team transfers

these are a few quick reactions to some recent transfers. Geox-I hope they fix that kit so Menchov and Sastre can look good. Despite constantly being tagged as an underachiever, I love Sastre and Menchov has always been ready to strike. Would much rather see a team build like this, than say sign Riccardo fucking Ricco. It is probably not easy to be the biggest dick in Italian cycling, but the Cobra has done it.
Vaconsoleil was a team I was really stoked on this year. They mixed it up in bigger races and their getting dissed by all three grand tours made them an easy underdog to pull for, but Ricco? That sucks.
Quickstep seem to be scooping up 2nd tier sprinters. Resigning Chavanel was a good move.
Saxobank's radical spanish reorientation is breaking my heart. No Jens? No O'Grady, No Breschel? No thanks. But where is this Luxo super team? Get it done already. How fast does Cancellara jump ship in 2011?
These are just some gut feelings, I haven't spent too much time dwelling on this fantasy league style......yet.

This video has nothing to do with this years team transfers, but it should get you stoked.