TEAM MATES

[back log of images]


[we will start off with the big guy himself in the NEW 2008 team kit, tim 'action' 'masiguy' jackson and his tremendous guns]


[coming up the inside at LA circuit race, and i didn't break my collarbone this time]


[that's right i said i didn't break my collarbone this year, and yes i am very excited about that fact]


[and noah is happy, but for his own reasons, cause he rocked it at the windy LA circuit race]


[team becher+ representing at LA circuit, not to mention a fine collection of masi's, note that noah aka hapy and i are trying to block the wind so andy doesn't blow away]


[up close and looking good in the 2007 edition of the team kit, by the way the wind was blowing in from noah's, aka hapy's side]


[stefan, aka andy and some guy trying to look like him, both sporting the new awesome 2008 mod kit]


[andy and his new 2008 masi team gran crit, in purple people eater purple, say that fast 5 times while climbing glendora mountain]


[big boy action jackson, doing what he does best, going fast in place with no hands]


[another U23 2008 portrait, this time it is crash happy jake, who remains nicknameless, although after today's altercation with a garbage truck, soon he will have run out of things to hit, maybe we should settle on crash or garbage as a nickname, any who, here he is with is stellar looking 2008 kit and even better looking 2008 team U23 masi, prior to chipping his collarbone, while trying to impress the ladies at santa cruz high, oops college]


[getting ready for the SDSR TT up glendora mountain road]


[you would think that those guns would get me up the TT climb faster, alas to no avail, only a measly 4 seconds faster than last year]


[you can never be too warm before your appointment with miss glendora mountain road]

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"by the third lap i was ready to sale everything"
mike c.

SDSR / stefan

today in stage 2 stefan showed what he was made of and gave us a glimmer of what is to come for this natural talent. in only his 2nd race [1st road race], he flatted on the first lap at the bottom of the KOM climb, kept his cool, got serviced [it was wheels in, wheels out, he had no wheels in, yet somehow he got neutral service to give him a sram wheel, nice work andy], and proceeded to do the next 5 laps on his own. he did pick up a few groups here and there, yet ate them up and spit them out the back like a bad habit. i can not tell you the amount of pride i feel as his director for what he accomplished today, he stood his ground and fought the good fight. everyone on the team should be honored that stefan was flying our colors today, he made us all proud.

MY SDSR

[stage 2, other posts to follow, as stefan is holding his own and making the team proud]



today was not my day. i started at the rear and paid the price, my nerve was weak, my heart was strong, i battled on.

my group grew, my legs battled from behind, my determination did not fail me, my nerve was silenced, my heart was strong, we battled on.

we collected more and more, my legs grew quicker, KOM climb eased it's grip on my legs, my determination strengthened, our pace quickened, my nerve nearly back, but alas my group of soldiers were pulled, today was not my day, that is bike racing.

i will strengthen my nerve, i will erase the pain of cracking bones, i will move to the front, i will set the pace.

i will hold my head up high, as i did not quit the conflict today. i will battle on, i will train harder, i will go faster, i will make them pay with my hard efforts. that is bike racing.

MEANTIME

i have a lot of team news to post, so many pictures of our smashingly NEW cool kit, new team whole bean espresso for sale [proceeds go straight to team], and continued march to the podium. but in the meantime, watch the following...

QUICK NOTE

i have been falling behind a bit, i have lots of news about the tour of murrieta, photos, U23 new team bikes, and so on. but i was forwarded this tre cool video from my good friend, one of my weekend riding partners, peter, aka lagartija. don't miss a chance to view and do the quick test, trust me it has more to do about cycling than you first realize. pass it on to the lady on the phone driving the escalade or the jerkoff on the phone in the new prius [new prius drivers are now in the top 3 of worst cycling drivers, aka arseholes, aka silent death driving, holier than now anti cyclist]


VIDEO

ESPRESSO WEDNESDAY

[early afternoon shot]
machine: built in miele automatic
beans: espresso paradiso [papua new guinea]


it is almost fika time here in soCal, so i thought i would post the espresso image of the day from my very good friend grzegorz in a'dam. note the good light colored medium thick creama on top, the tell tell signs of an automatic machine are the larger froth bubbles at the edges. although i prefer a manuel or semi-auto machine, i value a good automatic machine from time to time and miele has a great one [and a good nespresso machine]. greg's miele treated me well on my last trip to a'dam.


PRO: so it looks like the ASO and UCI are in for a train wreak this weekend with the un-professional actions surrounding paris / nice. how do i explain this to my U23 riders? see it through their eyes, what a mess. it is so frustrating, i am glad all i have to do is ride my bike and earn my living doing design.