As you can see from the bike carnage above, junior racer Denisa Bartizalová (Kona Cycling Team) of the Czech Republic took quite a spill during Stage 3 of the Cyprus Sunshine Cup. The story on mtbs.cz reports that she suffered some bruising and scratches and needed a few stitches. I suppose it could have been WAY worse given the state her bike is in.
Photo by Michal Červený, mtbs.cz.
I love riding on dirt and gravel roads and racing on them can be just as cool. Sadly, as I look out my window it is snowing yet again, adding more inches of the white stuff on to the many layers of ice and snow that have been on the ground since Thanksgiving. So, any riding I do in the next few weeks will probably have to be done with four-inch wide tires.
I totally dig this photo of Jolanda Neff (Giant Pro XC Team). She appears to be in early season beast mode as she blazes down the descent on her way to winning the GC at the 2014 Cyprus Sunshine Cup.
The stationary trainer is a strange beast. Hated by almost everyone and used by nearly as many, it allows for nothing but the vaguest feeling of actually riding your bike. In my opinion it’s WAY worse than running on a treadmill. Running sucks whether you are being chased by a gang of unruly thugs, doing a 5K, a marathon or on the treadmill at the gym… it just sucks. I respect and admire the folks who do it and enjoy it, but it sucks. When I do it, it hurts, it feels dumb and I ALWAYS think “this would be SO much better if I was on my bike.”
It’s the time of the year when I have cracked. I have NO desire to ride in the ice, cold and snow, I hate my stationary trainer and the idea of going to the gym makes me a bit sick in the stomach. On top of that I let myself get sucked into reading daily updates from the Cyprus Sunshine Cup [seen above] and watching the Mellow Johnny’s Classic XC race online yesterday.
I need a real ride and some real dirt. Sadly, in looking at our 10 day forecast, I don’t see any relief from the snow and cold in our immediate future. I am trying really hard to hold my shit together, but with each passing day I anticipate the snug unwelcome grip of straight jacket. Deep breaths… Deep breaths….
Photo: Adelheid Morath (Sabine Spitz/Haibike Pro) during Stage 3 of the 2014 Cyprus Sunshine Cup
©Marius Maasewerd/EGO Promotion
A month or two back, like many of you who also follow pro mountain bike racing, I read the news that Topeak/Ergon was cutting their Pro XCO team and focusing their sponsorship dollars on marathon racing. With the popularity of endurance, marathon and stage races these days and the financial and logistical stresses of having two elite teams racing all over the world, that seems like a pretty logical move (some have argued in the past that you lose a fair amount of spectator eyeballs on sponsor logos and products with marathon format races, but that’s debatable).
However logical and/or amicable the decision by Ergon was, it still meant that after seven years, two-time World Champion, 2008 Olympic Bronze medalist and consistent XCO podium finisher Irina Kalentieva was without a team. The official press release said “Ergon will continue to work with Kalentieva and remain[s] committed and grateful to her” but after that, I hadn’t read much. I needed more…
I am a big fan of stouts, I am a bigger fan of imperial stouts, and I am an ever BIGGER fan of imperial stouts brewed by breweries located 1.1 miles from my home.
The Impervious Imperial Stout has been on tap at the Mt. Pleasant Brewing Tap Room my past couple visits. While I hope that it is still there this weekend, I am realistic that it may not be. Impervious is a higher ABV seasonal beer, brewed by a small brewery, that makes is both awesome and sad. Awesome because it tastes incredible and is brewed locally and sad because production isn’t huge and it won’t last long. And if there is one thing that can help a person survive the ice hardened snow and continued cold we’re experiencing this winter, it’s a delicious mind numbing imperial stout.
C’mon weekend! (Or maybe even Thursday night if I’m good).
Most of the paved roads surrounding my neck of Michiganderburgh are snow and ice-free. The dirt roads are however are not, nor is my driveway (seen above) or the neighborhood sidewalks.
I believe my driveway perfectly illustrates the Seven Levels of Ice that we are currently encountering (Six and Seven are not pictured above). The sixth levei is giant piles of frozen solid snow at the corner of every driveway, parking lot and sidewalk in town caused by copious amounts of shoveled and plowed snow, followed by rain and 40˚ temps which then froze solid when arctic temps and high winds returned last week.
The Seventh Level of Ice is two to three ice cubes direct from the kitchen freezer, placed in a high ball glass and covered with 4 fingers bourbon, vodka, scotch, gin or boxed wine of your choice.
Speaking of ice and wind, the National Weather Service has issued ANOTHER Winter Winter Advisory for the next 24 hours that includes: blowing snow, wind gusts reaching up to 35 mph and wind chills of minus twenty degrees. I really need the weekend (see next post) so I can give myself the green light to enjoy the Seventh Level (except in beer form).
I have an article that I have been working on for almost a year about short track mountain bike racing (here in the States) and cross-country eliminator racing (in the rest of the world). I may or may not ever finish it, and even if I did, I am not sure who would read it or care. But I digress…
This photo has nothing to do with anything other than it’s the only photo in my recent stash that comes close to illustrating how I feel right now.