2012 NECS/MRC Non Race Series Announced

Tired of smashing your head against a tree trying to win one of these tacky trophies?Well then this is the series for you. The NECS/MRC are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the battle to the finish line and overall series championship will be well worth it - a growler of the finest yeasty malted beverage we can obtain by whatever means to wet your salt crusted lips. And don't forget there is the cash payouts for the first over the Cima Coppi (Grand Fondo) and other assorted goodies to numerous to name.
Dates are to be announced for these fine events -
Chinaman 100
NECS Grand Fondo
Big Indian Scalping
D2R2
Beer Cross (if I get my shit together in 2012)

D2R2 - Take That Chewbacca

I am feeling frisky these days and long to get back at it so I scored a slot in the D2R2 (limited to the first 1000 idiots to sign up). Put on by the Franklin Land Trust this is one bad ass Non Race with a choice of 100k, 115k or the monster 180k with roughly 15000' of climbing (of course yours truly signed up for the ultimate sufferfest). The ride will use the "narrowest, oldest, twistiest, quietest, and most-scenic roads available" in Western Massachusetts and doesn't offer results or prizes other then gags. All I can say is it better not rain or this will be one hell of a mess. Come and join me on the pain train as I choo-choo around the Northeast.

What Was And What Is To Be - 2011 In Retrospective

Here it is Christmas weekend, I have just wrapped up an intense day of work and am sitting on the sofa, baby bourbon in hand and Apocalypse Now playing in the background. What does this have to do with life, cycling and this blog – well not much other then it is an annual tradition and my opportunity to take a slice of time to myself when I look back on the year past and ponder what has happened and the predictions of what is to come in the New Year. It is perhaps the one and only time that I remotely attempt to write something with philosophical value rather then my typical fear and loathing toilet type humor.
As we rolled into 2011 life was not in a particularly good place, the positive memories of my class victory at the 6 hours of Cathedral Pines were a fading memory due to all of the prescription medications I was starting to ingest to fend off the worsening pain. Despite this the NECS crew made the annual New Year’s day pilgrimage to Dark Horse Cycles for the first trail ride of the year.Timing was on our side as shortly after this the snows started coming and never seemed to end . Spending up to 6 hours shoveling off a couple of roofs to prevent a collapse didn’t help with the problems in my hip and before long it was time to put the WADA to the test and head to the Center for Nuclear Medicine and the first round of direct injections so I could survive the season.Despite a worsening physical condition the NECS/MRC were in full training for the Tour of the Battenkill with Top Chef and C-Dubbs scouting the Chinaman 100 as a potential non race for the 2012 calendar. Well it was all for naught as cold rainy conditions found most of the NECS huddled in the dojo reciting the scriptures and posing for shots in the Shanghai gallery. Clearly this preparation provided us with a superior attitude and superior state of mind as we took on the trails of Stewart State Forest for the East Coast’s biggest, badass singlespeed race, Singlespeed-a-Palooza.While everyone made a real go of the course, yours truly (despite massive doses of steroids) rode the course in a Percocet induced haze trying my hardest to finish last – and wouldn’t you know it , I fucked up and finished second-to-last. Not that it mattered, it was a mudfest that I thoroughly enjoyed and was great preparation for my (hopefully final) indoctrination into the cult of Team Seagal.
Now for those that have followed the fabled stories of singlespeed wrist snapping glory coming out of the land of breweries, the trails of Middle Fork are a place held on an equal status with the likes of Moab, Kingdom Trails and for NECS locals, Stewart on steroids. Heading to St. Louis I was at a point where the pain had become so bad that many a night was spent standing (yes it was the one comfortable position) and sleep was becoming more rarefied then oxygen on the summit of Everest. There was a concern that a 50 mile singlespeed race might not be in the best interest of my ultimate goal of completing my 9th straight Wilderness 101 but the lure of finally riding with Team Seagal was right up there with a hit of crack or heroin – I couldn’t say no. Well Middle Fork lived up to it’s top billing and despite the most intense pain and suffering to date (once again the triple lindy was called upon)it was amazors and on the calendar for next year.
Back from St. Louis it was off to the Center for Nuclear Medicine and the final round of ‘roids to, hopefully, get me to the finish line of the Wilderness 101. Well the shot worked and the training continued in earnest with a rain soaked NECS Grand Fondo being the final big push before toeing the line for what might possibly be my final race.
Finally the end of July arrived and having suffered through a close to a year of pain I stepped up to the line for my 9th W101 with complete confidence in my condition but almost no confidence in my ability of my hip to survive the course. Survive I did, but it was not a pretty sight, and on the final stretch over the Fisherman’s trail I was reduced to using my bike as a crutch as I struggled over the boulders and hike-a-bike sections before finally rolling into the campground 10 hours after the start.
Having made it to the finish I officially called it a year for riding and settled back into an alcohol induced haze over the following days before limping into the Hospital for Special Surgery for the Ti upgrade.
Well the surgery was a success and under surgeon’s orders I was back on the bike (on a trainer) less then 3 weeks later.Rehabilitation was going well with one small exception – after almost a year on and off painkillers I was suffering from a bit of addiction withdrawal. Nothing too bad, no bugs crawling all over me but it was there and on top of the physical rehab I had to slowly withdraw from the opiates that had made life tolerable through all the pain.
Here we are in December and once again I have missed Cxmas (something that will not happen next year) but am in a state where I should be able to make the annual Dark Horse New Year’s Day ride. So what does all of this mean for the coming year? Racing for podiums is now a thing of the past, it is time to get back to what got me into this sport, having fun with your mates and getting in a lot of great rides. I will have to test my new hip and see if the rigors and beating of the trails are tolerable or if I am forced to a fate worse then being labeled an adulterous with a scarlet letter R on my forehead – a roadie. I like to be the proverbial optimist and have loaded up the race schedule with a mix of mtb, Ultracross, Ultarendurance and good old fun organized rides. Until then, happy trails.

Celebrating Cxmas, Team Seagal Style

It is that time of the year when we are all preparing to celebrate the coming holidays. Sadly my recovery from surgery and the chaotic work environment has detracted from preparations for this year's Beer Cross which simply will be a non nonrace. It looks like this year's race will be the proverbial "pause between chugs when one wants to burp" and like a phoenix may rise from the ashes next year.
I wanted to pay tribute to my dear brethren from the plains of the Midwest, who are the inspiration for Beer Cross, and have once again gone over the top and celebrated in true style. The annual Cxmas Non Race, which sadly I once again had to miss, was an orgy of PBRs, spiked egg nog and male appendage inspired deserts. In case you are not inspired enough to read the full down and dirty here are a few shots I lifted from their blog (teamseagal.blogspot.com) to give you an idea of what a crazy nonrace this is.

The Mayor Goes to New York

The great metropolis of New York was blessed with the annual visit of Santa Mayor. His tour of the fine pubs and microbrews was led by none other then Top Chef. Well between the two of them you can imagine the copious amounts of fine yeasty malted beverages that were consumed. In fact our ace reporters were out with the video cameras and caught these shots of the Mayor during the Day of Immeditate Consumption. Sadly they missed the grand fianle as he attempted to board the train back upstate.
Shortly after getting off the trainOn the way to the train

On The Edge

This has nothing to do with riding but being an ex skydiver I really dug the scenes.

The Ultimate UltarCross Weapon

Well the folks at Independent Fabrication have done it again and built this ultimate weapon for my assault on the Ultracross series next season.
Kickass Ride - Wound Up Carbon Cx Fork and DT Swiss 240s laced to Velocity Rims (thanks Dave's Speeddream Wheels)- Last Of The Somerville Rides - Ti Planet Cross w/ BB30 - Now UCI Legal - Disc Brakes Mated To Paragon Rockers Means Single or Geared Option -

Still Alive And Well

Yes good friends of the NECS, while my brothers of the Midwest have been snapping countless wrists and choo-chooing at trail of mass destruction at the Battle of Counsel Bluff, the members of the NECS are in deep preparation for an all out assault at the 6 Hours of Cathedral Pines. I on the other hand, or is that hip, have not exactly been idle either. In fact rehab has become so intense that our Japanese affiliates of NASA, between tsunami and nuclear meltdowns, have had a hand (artificial that is) in preparing the mighty C-Dubs for an all out assault on the 2012 season. Once again our we have trolled the backwaters of the internet to find this underground clip revealing the tragedy behind C-Dubs injuries and the subsequent reconstruction into the bionic ultra endurance racer.Now that the rocket scientists of Tokyo have finished the final tweaks to the implanted Ti hardware I am back on the bike and putting enough energy to power New York City into the efforts that will be required for the opening salvo at Middle Fork. With the 3rd annual Beer Cross only weeks away stay tuned.

Progress - One Lace At A Time

Yeah I know, it's not so exciting to tie your shoe but try having your femur pulled out of the side of your leg/ass, the ball of the femur ground down, hammered, put back in and stitched up. Then try and reach for those laces. Yes you will then know pain, I mean this is the true pain train. Well you can imagine just how excited I was when I finally pulled this one off -The time had arrived and I was no longer restricted to loafers, sneakers with elastic laces and extra long shoe horns.
Shortly after this it was off to the surgeon for the first follow up. Good Dr. Su looked, moved my leg about, had me limp around and then with a smile gave the good news that it was time to drop the crutches ASAP and make like good old Forrest Gump - Well my loyal friends there is a lot more in the works and the news will be forth coming shortly.

Breaking News- C-Dubs Retires From Ultra Endurance Racing

Well loyalistas and connoisseurs of the NECS we never thought the day would come when a story of this magnitude would be broken but it has happened. Our sources have been scouring the dumpsters and trash cans for evidence of this event and finally the truth has come out. When confronted with this photograph C-Dubs, after initially dismissing it as a cheap knockoff akin to a Rolex from Hong Kong, agreed to sit down for a one-on-one with none other then the NECS's favorite reporter Katie the Cougar. What you are about to read will make you jaw drop and wonder if C-Dubs is either gone off the deep end or is really on to something.

KC - C-Dubs, when did you first realize that your days on the ultra endurance circuit were finally over?

C-Dubs - Well Katie, after finishing the last 101 the first thing on my mind was to get into the operating room and get the hip resurfaced. From there it was focusing on recovering and preparing next year’s event. It was a this point that fate was to intervene.

KC - And how is the recovery going, do you feel you are on track?

C-Dubs - Progress has been really good and the surgeon gave me the green light to move from just walks to riding again.

KC - Did you first ride meet expectations

C-Dubs - Katie, it turns out on that first ride, which was on a LifeCycle, I was watching the Vuelta. During the ride an ad for ProForm, the official training bike of the Tour de France came on and I had quite an epiphany. It was at that moment I realized where my future in cycling would be. I mean look at the head shaking effort this guy is putting in on the ProForm Clearly this is a dangerous sport requiring participants to wear gloves and a helmet. Efforts like this could result crashes into life threatening objects like coffee tables and televisions, think of the potential for brain damage if you put your head through a 42” flat panel!

KC - But how will this satisfy your thirst for competition?

C-Dubs - I am already in contact with Pat McQuaid to have the trainer UCI certified and with the ability to program in any stage there is a movement to have ProForm rider’s times posted against the TdF field to vie for the yellow jersey. With Credit Lyonnais having an ownership stake in the product they are fully backing the concept.

“Ringing phone”

C-Dubs - Sorry Katie I have to take this one, it’s the Schleck brothers. We are in the midst of negotiations to put together a ProForm team with backing from Hyundai and Emerson electronics. I’ll have my agent get back to you for another interview once we wrap up the negotiations.

Going Like A Bat Out Of Hadies

The paparazzi got this exclusive footage of C-Dubs only 4 days after surgery.

Dark Side Of The Moon

Now if I get asked 8" or less I can honestly answer 8 1/2"

Powered By Titanium

Loyalistas of the NECS, my brethren at Team Seagal and the Dark Horse Cycles crew, I am happy to report that after a couple of hours of cutting flesh, shaving bone and hammering in some new Ti parts (hey some of us will do anything to shave a couple of grams) the new and improved C-Dubs is out of the hospital and recuperating at home. I give special thanks Dr. Edwin Su for getting all the parts installed and having me back on my feet less the 6 hours after the closing stitches were in.
Here are some of the classic shots -
PreOp - Making sure everything goes right (literally)PreOp - Not too concerned (note the 37 heart rate in the upper right)PostOp - The magic morphine button - damn near broke this from overuseFirst Steps - this was taken less then 6 hours after closingThe Cut - the lines were to match up both sides for the closing

8/18/11 - Game Time

Only one thing to do, show Superior Attitude, Superior State of Mind

Millionaire Riding Club Pain Train

While my loyal and crazy brothers of the midwest were inflicting maximum damage to the wrists and egos of all participates at the Spoke Pony and MWSSC, we here at the New East Coast Syndicate/MRC were choo chooing our version of the pain train around the shores of the mighty Ashoken resevouir.
With a drug induced nap on the operating table a scant 5 days away (and believe me it was going to be a loooong 5 days), Top Chef (ironically his first ride back from broken ribs) put out the Tweet for a flash mob ride from Kerhonkson. Pulling into the lot it hit me like a hot kiss at the end of a wet fist, this was it, the last ride of the season! Well I was as excited as this or this, in fact I nearly pissed my chamois I was so excited. Pulling in right behind was Paul LeStage, the road racing guru of the MRC followed by Top Chef, the ex Dark Horse racer, Fat Chick (aka Jenny Craig) who had suffered this fate at the hands of the MayorRich Medivac Long and Frank The Tank. Being the MRC there was lots of bling ready to roll with Top Chef's carbon lugged Colnago, Fat Chick's Giant TRC, C-Dubs steel IF and a fleet of Specialized Tarmacs, and everybody rolling on carbon. I mean this is the kind of stuff that makes bike groupies scream and throw themselves at you. This being Kerhonkson and the groupies looking like thiswe all clipped in and set off for the easy side of the Sampsonville Road climb and it's fast descent.
With a fresh coat of tar and chip that had left a lot of loose gravel, I would have rather wiped my ass with 80 grit then ride the entire descent with the road like this. Thank god for my taint, halfway down and long before the fastest part of the descent the paving stopped and we were back on excellent tarmac.Not long after this shot, sure as Criss Angel wants to be a boys camp counselor, we we diving for the mandatory MRC espresso stop at Bread Alone.The espresso stop is the brainchild of our master of the smoker, Top Chef, and has taken on a ritual status on our rides. One of the great things at Bread Alone is the dope-o-cino, where the "double" is really a quadruple and you can be sure the pace will be fast.Despite the horror stories of the strata bianca in the Giro, the troops, jacked up on some great italian coffee, managed to survive the tire eating conditionsand hit the run down 213, a fast flowing, slight downhill of about 7 miles. The battle cry went out "PACE LINE" and it was time to rock. Now this being the last ride and with a belly full of espresso, my rotation at the front tended to up the pace a bit (hey, might as well go for it all on one of my favorite sections of road). With the road closed due to construction we had every turn to ourselves with the only break coming for the water crossing where the bridge was out. As we hit the bottom there was an apparent altercation with a motorist/self proclaimed cyclist who felt justified in taking a serve at the MRC ranks. He then pulled over and began lecturing us about how he could freak out and crash, killing his wife and child (guess he's a really shitty driver) and trash talking with our largest (and I mean 6'3" and fully able to kick this 5'7" whiner's ass) rider Rich (and he had a look in his eye that indicated a medivac might be needed for this jerk). Cooler heads prevailed, I cut a massive fart, and everyone got back to the job at hand - rolling down the road.
Hitting the parking lot is was a quick check of the ancient scriptures and Fat Chick, Top Chef and I were off to an amazing roadside BBQ trailer and some fine IPAs.

Game, Set, Match - Wilderness 101

With all of the chips in the pot, Mrs C-Dubs and I loaded the Audi assault vehicle and headed west to the backwoods of central Pennsylvania/Bald Eagle state forest for the 11th annual running of the Wilderness 101 (and second running of the super secret Wilderness 40). With the 9th go at the race, getting our shit together, loading the car and getting there and establishing base camp is akin to getting dressed in the morning with a hangover....everything is on autopilot. The biggest excitement of the trip being how many Mennonite carriages we will see on the road and whether Floyd Landis will be at the reins or building another barn.
Arriving at the Coburn town park we once again landed the primo camping site under the trees. With temps and humidity rivaling the nether regions of a sidewalk bum's filthy pants, having shade was as essential to survival as a good Chinese dinner is to getting the munchies. Once base camp was established, like a dog marking it's territory, we set about running the construction tape to mark off sites for our Midwestern ambassador to China, Garth Prosseralong with plots for the expected contingent of NECS/Dark Horse riders that were able to withstand the tongue lashing doled out by the Mayor for missing the marquee event of the season - Dark Horse 40.
Finishing off the traditional preride of the first climb and finishing rail trail, we circled up the camp chairs around the cooler, determined that the hip seemed to have enough left for the race and quickly set about worshiping the god of yeasty malted beverages for a bit of prereace carb loading before setting off to Millheim for our traditional pasta and egg roll dinner. By this time the news started rolling in, Monte was out but in at the DH 40 (Mayor 1 - Chris Scott 0), El Obamador had made the mistake of getting a late start and was parked on Route 80 enjoying a social session with fellow drivers due to an accident and Fat Chick was in but opted for the offering of XXX films on the hotel tv instead of the bromance of the campground. By the time we called it a night it was still so hot that while laying in the tent it felt like this -Race day dawned with our host, Chris Scott, circling the campground rousing all participants with the traditional ringing of the Chinese gong and songs from Pulp Fiction to get the juices flowing. With temps and humidity a bit lower it wasn't going to be the death march we all feared but it was still going to be a cooker on some of the longer climbs. Rolling up to the starting line I took a quick look over my shoulder a bit anxious as to whether this view was going to come by my own power or in the back of a pickup truck after packing it in on the course (and you can be sure that after putting up with all that pain for the past 8 months I was in no mood to ride the Budweiser express back to Coburn).
Well loyalistas things were going better then planned and before I knew it aide station 3 had come and gone and your narrator was feeling good and ready to push on for the brutality that lay ahead. A few changes to the course had taken out one the single track climbs and replaced it with a beautiful ridge top ride complete with panoramic views and even moar rocks which was only a precursor of what was to come.
About 65 miles in I finally caught Fat Chick on one of the road climbs only to incur the feared endo/flat one-two punch on the following descent. After putting in a replacement tube and gassing it with Co2 only to find that the new tube was a dud, Fat Chick rolled on by, passed a tube and Co2 before setting back off. With the repairs made it was back to the duty at hand. Rolling into aide station 4 I was greeted by Mrs C-Dubs, who as bottle bitch extraordinaire, had me refilled with liquids, tubes and Co2 for the next leg, the feared climb up Stillhouse Hollow Road. Now Stillhouse road on a good day is an ugly climb, steep at the bottom with the top half hard packed rocky old jeep track but this year the weather really tore it up and both the lower and upper sections were akin to riding in a dried up river bed, lots of rocks, lots of ruts and not too much riding surface. Having successfully navigated this section I came to the realization that Little Poe Trail (no longer a part of the course) was the one section that gave you relief and let you know the last aide station was coming soon. This year we were diverted with an extra 30 minutes of climbing before being treated to the worst descent on record, a 5 mile long double track that was completely washed out and full of chunky rocks and felt like you had been working a jack hammer after 85 miles of riding.
Coming into the final aide station I again caught up with Fat Chick where we topped off with bottles of coke and fig newtons before setting off for the final climb. Once at the base I caught another master and with Fat Chick running on empty I elected to put the hurt on and powered up the climb, changing up a gear and getting out of the saddle anytime the pace started to slow. Summiting meant only a high speed descent followed by Fisherman's trail and 4 miles of rail trail/road to the finish. Well just yards from the bottom it was another flat and this time I had it changed and on the bike before anyone had caught me only to turn the bike over and find it was once again flat. It wasn't until halfway through the second change that I was finally caught by my fellow master and realized that all that work was for naught. As Fat Chick rolled up he handed me moar tubes and Co2 while with a pathetic look I offered to let him give it a go to which he responded "see you at the finish".
At this point I should have been wearing this jersey due to all the flats - Facing the reality that I wasn't going to catch either Fat Chick or my Masters competitor I called it a day and casually took my time changing the tire for a relaxed ride to the finish. Only problem was this year the Fisherman's Trail went over the top instead of by the river and it was a massive hike-a-bike section that I could barely walk. I knew to make the year's goal I only had to struggle over this section and worst case I could one leg pedal home. Carried by a superior attitude and superior state of mind I rolled across the line as the clock ticked past 10:24. Not my fastest, not my slowest but in light of changing 4 flats and having a bum hip I was smiling but in a lot of pain. Immediately on the menu was my infamous post shoveling elixir of oxy, Tobala and Corona followed by a dip in the river.Back at the camp it was time to eat, party, eat, party and celebrate that I was now nine for nine at the 101Next stop 8/18 and the operating table, keep you posted.

All In - Wilderness 101

Well loyal and rabid fans of the NECS it is that time of the year when the trails and backroads of Coburn, PA roar with the sound of pain, suffering and celebration as the Wilderness 101 rolls through the region.
It is time to, like Mr. Bond, go all in.The entire year has been tailored for one goal, to make my hip last until that finish line pint glass is firmly in my grip. Once in hand I should be able to suffer through the next 2 weeks before I lay my head down for that fantastic nap that comes on when the anethesiologist puts you down for the count.

The Team Seagal Influence Marches North

It doesn't take shoddy news reporting/hacking of phone lines like the folks a New Corp need to do to get a good story. We here at the NECS simply go out and seek the stories that matter to the world and we do it the old fashion journalistic way by getting on our bikes and scouring the comunity for the news that matters. This past weekend there was a newsline of the magnitude that rivals the front page stories about the debt crisis (what the hell is the crisis, just stop spending more then you earn Uncle Sam, ah duh!)
As you recall from my foray into the deep south, MFXC, there is a cult like status to the Bathtub Mary's that populate the most dangerous section of highway in Missouri.Well it seems these Mary's, like the Africanized bees that plagued the country a decade ago, are in a migratory pattern and have begun to crop up on the some of the favorite loops of the NECS. On one of the trickier backroad descents I could feel the aura coming from this grotto-like Bathtub Mary and was able to grab enough brake to stop in time for this shot. Note the grotto like setting, perhaps an influence from the cliffs of the great Shawangunks that loom overhead.

NECS Superbowl Party TdF Style

We here at the NECS put a big emphasis on riding bikes and partying like rock stars, at least the rock stars on their retirement tours. Well when Bobke, Phil and Paul take to the airwaves for a very colorful rendition of the Tour de France, the NECS throw our version of a Super Bowl party and you can be sure when you have Top Chef on the roster the eats will be superb and in touch with the roots of the TdF.
The prerace festivities were kicked off with this selection of fine wines from the Bordeaux region and were complimented by a fresh baguette and an assortment of French cheese from the Pyrenees region.Once the first bottle had been drained it was into the kitchen where our one and only Top Chef was caught in this shot prepping a meal that could get any rider over the Col d'Aubisque.Then it was time to settle in for some seriously big mountains and what better way to take in the racing then on Braveheart's larger then life HD projection set up. You could almost smell the sweat pouring off the Europcar team as they paced Thomas V up the climbs.The intensity of the climbs along with all of the wine and food proved to be too much for Top Chef who was caught in the back seat of the team couch taking in some zzzz's after packing it in at the base of the final climb.

The Grandest Fondo

Well devout worshipers of the NECS,yet another spectacular Non Race is in the books and this one was more epic then ever. So epic in fact that only W.C. Fields could sum up the conditions - Yes, I was truly excited for what is fast becoming a landmark event the riding circles of upstate New York, almost as excited as a 16 yr. old about to be taken by dad to the local brothel for an education in life. As a result I was pacing the the rooms of the house in the predawn hours when suddenly there were several brilliant flashes followed by a tremendous boom and the ensuing torrential downpour. WTF! a thunderstorm at 4am and driving rains that would bring mere mortal riders to their knees (and for some of the NECS Wrecking Crew their mere mortality was revealed on the New Jersey Turnpike). Well fans, prayers were answered when the doorbell rang and it was none other then two time defending Beer Cross Champion, Senor Aqua, first to answer the call to duty. Based on the skills and abilities shown at this year's Beer Cross I knew that his mere presence was going to ensure a truly epic event. Soon after non racers began pouring into HQ faster then lemmings over a cliff and by Non Race time we had a fearsome pack of six idiots about to set out on a Grand Fondo ride in the pouring rain. And when I say pouring I mean pouring. Sure there were the bouts of light rain when in a moment of sheer delusion we all thought it was going to clear, then we saw this in the direction we were headed.With the pending clouds of doom looming ahead we pulled into the local Sack-o-Suds where provisions were taken on for the push to the Cima Coppi, the summit of Peekamoose and the 10 Euro prize.Earlier in the ride Fat Chick (aka Jenny Craig) noted that the last place we wanted to be in a passing thunderstorm was Peekamoose. Well a quick "fuck that, we need to do some climbing" from El Obamador and we were off to the backwoods of Peekamoose and the pending downpour which came shortly after hitting the base of the climb.While all of this was going down with the weather there was a whole other non race going on within the non race - the KoM competition and the bragging rights for bagging the Cima Coppi and the coveted "left over from the Giromania trip" 10 Euro note. At the base of each climb I. like Christian Prudome, would call the start and immediately it was El Obamador, Senor Agua and Tom Hill shooting off into the distance while Fat Chick, MacGyver and C-Dubs hopped on the Auto Bus to make the time cut. So casual were the three of us with some of the climbs that we took time out on the Cima Coppi for this shot of the waterfalls that come out after a good rain.Shortly after this the summit warriors were headed back down the mountain expressing serious concern for the well being of Team Lantern Rouge . Having secured our safety it was a group ride up Peekamoose until we passed what had been mistaken for the summit. Realizing the coveted Cima Coppi was still wide open the usual suspects sped off for the summit and Grand Fondo glory. This was the scene right afterwards –
The descent off the backside brought some of the heaviest rains of the day and for those of us with carbon rims and cork brake pads some of the scariest moments of the day. There is nothing quite like the feeling of having the break levers pulled to the bars, hands cramping and the bike slowly gaining speed! By the time every finger bone had broken from the pressure the road had finally straightened out and it was a high speed race for the bottom and you can imagine just how good the rain felt hitting your face at over 40 mph.
Having our fill of rain the decision was made make for a direct line back to HQ and the cooler full of growlers and bottles of IPA. This still left us with almost 30 miles to go so it was time for some serious pace line riding in the downpour which looked like this -
Finally back in the shelter of the man cave the high fives went around and everyone agreed that it was truly epic event and that anyone who rolled back under the covers instead of riding had a very poor decision.
KoM Champion – El Obamador
Cima Coppi Winner – El Obamador
Tom Hill is introduced to the infamous Team Seagal Braquito