Episode IV: The Bike Parts Strike Back
race: 133
name: Episode IV: The Bike Parts Strike Back
article:
<div>[Rear Spoke #6] I'm tired of all this stress and tension.
<div align="justify"></div>[Link #46] Seriously. I feel like I'm being drawn and quartered when he sprints and shifts gears. And those cogs in cassette are all bastards!
<div align="justify"></div>[Rear Spoke #6] I've noticed. I've been meaning to tell you they sharpen their teeth when you guys are sleeping.
<div align="justify"></div>[Link #46] I knew it! Last week Link #29 was reading me a bedtime story when cog 13 told him shut his hollow pin. He just wanted to get to work on razoring his teeth.
<div align="justify"></div>[Rear Spoke #6] That's it! I'm OUT!
<div align="justify"></div>[PA-TWANG THWAK THWAK THWAK]
<div align="justify"></div>[Rear Spoke #6] Ayyiiiiiiiieeee! I regret nothing!
<div align="justify"></div>[Link #46] I am the weakest link. Goodbye!
<div align="justify"></div>[Left Pedal] Uh, I'd love to participate in ya'lls little coup d'etat, but honestly I'm still sore from last weekend. This Tegaderm doesn't work on carbon fiber!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Old Capital Criterium Race Weekend: Paint by Numbers
5 vitaminwater-Trek racers go West.
50-degree temperatures.
40 mph winds. 48 mph max speed in the flat tailwind section. 8.75 mph max speed in the headwind section.
<img style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" src="http://www.trackmobile.com/images/force12/image006.jpg" border="0" />
52 miles raced. 51 of those in the gutter.
1 broken spoke.
1 "controlled" burn.
<img style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" src="http://www.sage.wisc.edu/in_depth/kucharik/prairie/kim_plot_burnLG.jpg" border="0" />
1 dinner at Mondo's.
1 brunch at Mondo's.
1 broken chain. 1 knee slammed into the handlebars when said chain broketh. A brand new chain generously provided and installed by bikes 2 you.
25 laps.
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194305653062483394" style="CURSOR: hand" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_o6xMoVjj6j8/SBXheImXvcI/AAAAAAAAAgo/necaKXeKIdM/s320/oldcapcrit.jpg" border="0" />
1 non-crash crash.
1 Cherry Coke consumed.
584 Mike and Ikes thrown in anger.
0 precipitation.
1 newspaper article.
-------------------------------------------------------------
What else is there to say? If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">The wind in the road race was silly. Just ridiculous. For the rest of my life now when someone says, "Boy, it sure is windy today!" I'll be able to retort, "Yeah, but not nearly as windy as the 2008 Iowa City Road Race, bitch!" </div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">I got dropped briefly when I tried to make the winning break on lap three of four. The chase back onto the pack was ludicrous: Spun out in a 53 x 11 in a 30 mph tailwind. Just insane . . . but the four or five of us made it back on as they started the headwind hill. Lap four I was sitting pretty with Andreas in the "pack"/chase group of seven, and then a spoke in my rear wheel broke. Suck! Andreas went on to take 2nd in the field sprint for 9th. I rolled in by myself for 14th, but at least no one caught me after I broke a spoke! Tim and Eric cleaned up with 17th and 18th. </div>
<div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">The crit course is like Superweek's Brewer's Hill, but several more turns and a cobble section make it more techical and more awesome.</div>
<div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">Not much to say -- two guys slipped away in the opening laps and stayed away. I felt better than I did last July at Brewer's Hill. Andreas was riding well and jumping sidewalks.
With 1.5 laps to go, too many people tried to squeeze in the corner after the hill. Some unlucky guy became the cream filling of an Oreo and somehow this made someone's tire pop -- right in front of Eric and I. I was able to grab two handfuls of brake and avoid running the dude over; Eric almost did the same but at the last second decided to go for the slow motion tip over onto this guy's bike. Well, the race is now two blocks up the course and there's no chance of catching on bell lap. Andreas again finished strong in 10th. Eric and I rolled in to cap off a tough but awesome Old Capital Crit Race Weekend in 19th and 20th.</div>
<div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">Results here.</div>
</div>