So it is a Monday on a Tuesday, and here I am at my favorite Peet’s doing a blog update. It was a big weekend this week with the USPro road Championships taking place in Greenville, SC. Tyler Hamilton road away with the honors while America’s Team blew it. Our main man Louder had a great ride in an impossible situation to rock up for 5th and Brent and Garcia were the next guys back for us. Overall, BMC had a great day with everyone chipping in for a good days work. As for me, I had the best legs I have ever had in Greenville which is a course I am not super pumped on. Jackson and I covered about a million attacks on the opening circuits with Jackson eventually making one of his stick with Garcia in tow.  You could not have written a better start for BMC. Unfortunately for me, Louder flatted at the exact bottom of the Paris Mountain climb so with a quick rear wheel change and push from me, he was off and chasing.  As for me, I got to start the climb about a minuet down. Not the way I wanted to start, so I got to ride 100% full gas to try and get back. It has been a long time since I have blown by guys on a climb but I pulled one out of my butt while burning a whole lota matches. I made it. Deep in the recesses of my mind I knew that I had to use that effort on the last climb of the day not the first so I knew my fate was sealed.   Unless the group went easy the last time up Paris Mountain I would not be wearing Stars and Stripes come day’s end. But, I knew Louder or Brent or Tony could, so I did what I could for them the rest of the day. In the end….we had a good day.

So for personal reasons, I flew out of SFO this week, which meant there was a small chance I could get back to Cali in time to race the Giro de SF on Monday afternoon. It is the traditional close of the Norcal racing season and a really tough crit. So with all my flights arriving on time, I grabbed the car and headed for Levi’s Plaza. My plan was just to hang in and maybe sprint, and generally  take it easy, and of course, I did none of that. I ended up spending most of the race off the front going through several groups of guys. In the end, Wholberg slipped away with Andy J-M and I blew sky high.  I spent the next 11 laps trying to hold on for 3rd and ended up getting caught with 1 lap to go. Man the wheels just came off!!   I guess 6 hours on a plane are not the best prep for racing. It was fun though and I did not regret going.

One crazy thing I saw  during the women’s race was this guy in a Cal Berkley jersey riding his bike down a crowded sidewalk with his cell phone glued to his ear. This guy did not miss a beat and rode right into the middle of the women’s field as they went around the corner. I guess they need to extend the hands free cell phone law to bikes the way this guy was rolling. Idiot!

So, this is it.  Tour of Missouri, which starts next Monday, is my last big race.  The end has finally come.  Now I may rock up for a few local races and there are plans for some cross, but Missouri is the last really big race I will do as a pro.  At this point, I am just trying to keep it together and I am practicing my armadillo avoidance techniques.

I would like to extend a special congrats to Danny Pate who once again rode to a podium at championships.  He is a good rider and his record proves it.

Havoc

Today’s post is sponsored by our Berkley buddy and his sweet cell phone/riding technique.  Man, that was the sweetest move I have ever seen and one way to get chicks…I guess.