AS GOOD AS IT WAS EVER GOING TO GET
I happened to be talking with a buddy of mine on the phone while I was in the basement working on a bike when an old Black Flag song came on my Ipod. I mentioned it to him as I knew he was a Black Flag fan and he told me the following story.
It was Sunday, July 29, 1984 and it was his birthday. He got up in the morning, traveled to Yellow Springs, Ohio with his team mates to participate in a road race. He won the race.
Then he traveled back home and got there just in time to watch Alexi Grewal from the United States win the men's Olympic Road Race in stunning fashion over Canada's Steve Bauer who many thought would kill Grewal in the sprint.
He then picked up his date for the evening, went to a Black Flag concert which kicked ass, took his date home and proceeded to get lucky.
July 29, 1984. If he had only known then that at 24 years of age, it was all going to be down hill from there.
Classic.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
GOODBYE TO AN OLD FRIEND
From the Columbus Dispatch:
Stuart Vincent Depp
DEPP Stuart Vincent Depp, 54, a resident of Tiejras, New Mexico, passed away unexpectedly from complications of diabetes at his home on March 15, 2008. Stuart was born September 28, 1954, in Columbus, Ohio. He lived in many places across the United States, where he touched the lives of many people. Stuart graduated from Jonathan Alder High School in Plain City, Ohio. In 1999, he graduated from the School of the Practical Nursing. Stuart bicycled the United States, from New York to Alaska, exploring our great country several times. Friends and family will remember Stuart for his love of the outdoors-hiking, cycling, backpacking, and skiing were a few of his favorite pastimes. He loved to get to know people, share music with them, and if they were lucky, maybe some coffee. He tempted many as a superior coffee sommelier at Stauf's Coffee House or he might have dashed past you as a downtown bicycle courier. He wanted to be surrounded by nature and challenges that tested the human spirit which brought out the best in himself and his friends. Stuart was proud to serve his country and the people who live here throughout his varied careers. Stuart learned the foundation of his incredible work ethic, working beside his father, Gerald. His first paying job was a Geneva Hills Presbyterian Church Camp staff member. He was a proud member of the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves where he achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class in U.S. Army and served his country in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He was also a distinguished honor graduate from the First Armored Division (Old Ironsides) Noncommissioned Officer's Academy. He considered it a privilege to serve as a military Honor Guard member, and presented funeral honors for more than 50 times for his fallen comrades. His military awards include the Army Commendation Medal (3rd Oak Leaf Cluster) and the Army Achievement Medal (5th Oak Leaf Cluster.) Stuart is survived by his father, Gerald E. Depp; siblings, Beverly (Banwo) Longe, Steven (Helaine) Depp, Cynthia (Larry) Cain, Cathy Ann Depp, Jessica A. Depp, Joyce (Bill) Kaiser; many nieces and nephews, and many good friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Willa Louise Depp. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 29 from 2-6 pm at the Longaberger Alumni House on the grounds of The Ohio State University, 2200 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio. A private family burial will be held at a later date. Memorial donations can be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at www.jdrf.org in Stuart's memory. Sign the online guestbook at www.dispatch.com/obituaries
Published in The Columbus Dispatch on 3/23/2008.
I met Stuart when I started working as a bike messenger for EZ-Delivery when I was attending Ohio State. A few years later when I was in a jam, Stuart offered to let me live with him for a few months while I got myself sorted out.
Stuart was one of the wisest, kindest, most even-keeled individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He could spin a yarn like no one I have ever met and his delivery telling a joke was spot on. We turned each other on to all kinds of music, books and movies (usually of the off the beaten path variety). He turned me on to what a really good espresso tasted like and how to best use a French press during his time at Stauf's Coffee Roasters while I showed him how to pour a glass of wine with a final twist of the wrist so as to not lose a drop.
The one thing that Stuart was really into was bikes. He loved them and the more classic and retro they were the better. He and I used to spend more time than I care to admit talking about the superiority of Campagnolo Super Record over everything else.
We both moved West around the same time, he to New Mexico and I to California. I made it a point to stay in touch with him. Sometimes it would be 5 or 6 months in between our chats but when they happened they were good ones, usually filled with a lot of laughter too. In 2002 I traveled with the team I was managing to Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico and Stuart made the big drive down to have dinner with me and then drove home. He spent 5+ hours in a car to have dinner with an old friend. That was the kind of guy Stuart was.
In the 17 years that I knew Stuart, I never heard anyone say a negative thing about him. Ever. Not a single negative thing. Think about that.
So I say to Stuart, I will miss our phone calls every five or six months to catch up. I will miss you calling me one of the Rodriguez brothers. I will miss the occasional email from you. I will miss your stories about the latest crop of rookies that came through to do their "Army Training Sir".
Most of all though, I will miss you.
Here is hoping that you are finally as bike fit as you always wanted to be, that all your Campy and Snap-On tools are exactly where they should be, that all your Dylan CD's sound like Bob was playing in the same room, that your crema is always perfect and that you are at peace and one with the world.
Stuart, aka Man of the West, Johnny Rojo, Zeek the Friendly Pirate, Black Stuart, Petey the Marmot, Good bye and thanks for helping to make me a better person.
I already miss you very, very much.
From the Columbus Dispatch:
Stuart Vincent Depp
DEPP Stuart Vincent Depp, 54, a resident of Tiejras, New Mexico, passed away unexpectedly from complications of diabetes at his home on March 15, 2008. Stuart was born September 28, 1954, in Columbus, Ohio. He lived in many places across the United States, where he touched the lives of many people. Stuart graduated from Jonathan Alder High School in Plain City, Ohio. In 1999, he graduated from the School of the Practical Nursing. Stuart bicycled the United States, from New York to Alaska, exploring our great country several times. Friends and family will remember Stuart for his love of the outdoors-hiking, cycling, backpacking, and skiing were a few of his favorite pastimes. He loved to get to know people, share music with them, and if they were lucky, maybe some coffee. He tempted many as a superior coffee sommelier at Stauf's Coffee House or he might have dashed past you as a downtown bicycle courier. He wanted to be surrounded by nature and challenges that tested the human spirit which brought out the best in himself and his friends. Stuart was proud to serve his country and the people who live here throughout his varied careers. Stuart learned the foundation of his incredible work ethic, working beside his father, Gerald. His first paying job was a Geneva Hills Presbyterian Church Camp staff member. He was a proud member of the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves where he achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class in U.S. Army and served his country in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He was also a distinguished honor graduate from the First Armored Division (Old Ironsides) Noncommissioned Officer's Academy. He considered it a privilege to serve as a military Honor Guard member, and presented funeral honors for more than 50 times for his fallen comrades. His military awards include the Army Commendation Medal (3rd Oak Leaf Cluster) and the Army Achievement Medal (5th Oak Leaf Cluster.) Stuart is survived by his father, Gerald E. Depp; siblings, Beverly (Banwo) Longe, Steven (Helaine) Depp, Cynthia (Larry) Cain, Cathy Ann Depp, Jessica A. Depp, Joyce (Bill) Kaiser; many nieces and nephews, and many good friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Willa Louise Depp. A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 29 from 2-6 pm at the Longaberger Alumni House on the grounds of The Ohio State University, 2200 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio. A private family burial will be held at a later date. Memorial donations can be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at www.jdrf.org in Stuart's memory. Sign the online guestbook at www.dispatch.com/obituaries
Published in The Columbus Dispatch on 3/23/2008.
I met Stuart when I started working as a bike messenger for EZ-Delivery when I was attending Ohio State. A few years later when I was in a jam, Stuart offered to let me live with him for a few months while I got myself sorted out.
Stuart was one of the wisest, kindest, most even-keeled individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He could spin a yarn like no one I have ever met and his delivery telling a joke was spot on. We turned each other on to all kinds of music, books and movies (usually of the off the beaten path variety). He turned me on to what a really good espresso tasted like and how to best use a French press during his time at Stauf's Coffee Roasters while I showed him how to pour a glass of wine with a final twist of the wrist so as to not lose a drop.
The one thing that Stuart was really into was bikes. He loved them and the more classic and retro they were the better. He and I used to spend more time than I care to admit talking about the superiority of Campagnolo Super Record over everything else.
We both moved West around the same time, he to New Mexico and I to California. I made it a point to stay in touch with him. Sometimes it would be 5 or 6 months in between our chats but when they happened they were good ones, usually filled with a lot of laughter too. In 2002 I traveled with the team I was managing to Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico and Stuart made the big drive down to have dinner with me and then drove home. He spent 5+ hours in a car to have dinner with an old friend. That was the kind of guy Stuart was.
In the 17 years that I knew Stuart, I never heard anyone say a negative thing about him. Ever. Not a single negative thing. Think about that.
So I say to Stuart, I will miss our phone calls every five or six months to catch up. I will miss you calling me one of the Rodriguez brothers. I will miss the occasional email from you. I will miss your stories about the latest crop of rookies that came through to do their "Army Training Sir".
Most of all though, I will miss you.
Here is hoping that you are finally as bike fit as you always wanted to be, that all your Campy and Snap-On tools are exactly where they should be, that all your Dylan CD's sound like Bob was playing in the same room, that your crema is always perfect and that you are at peace and one with the world.
Stuart, aka Man of the West, Johnny Rojo, Zeek the Friendly Pirate, Black Stuart, Petey the Marmot, Good bye and thanks for helping to make me a better person.
I already miss you very, very much.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
RISING CANADIAN DOLLAR BAD FOR CANADA'S PREMIER TEAM:
FROM WWW.BICYCLEPORTLAND.NET:
Symmetrics Hit by Rising Canadian Dollar
After the rumours which have been flying around in recent weeks about possible troubles at Symmetrics Cycling, Canada's top road team, we have had a chance to talk to team owner Kevin Cunningham and clarify the situation. The long and short of it is that, yes, the team is going through some short term financial difficulties, but intends to continue with its long term goals of an international presence.
"We last year sat down to decide what we wanted to do going forward. We determined that we still want to find the large sponsors necessary to step it up," explained Cunningham. "We are in this sport because we love it, and we do it for the athletes, so we want to continue to grow the program, race in Europe and run the split squads necessary."
"However," Cunningham continues "in my business, forestry [Westlam is his family company], we are devastated right now by the rise in the Canadian dollar, the whole forestry industry is in a tough spot. We [Westlam] will survive, but right now we are unable to continue contributing cash like before."
This cash crunch comes at a particularly bad time, when other sponsors are withdrawing or facing similar issues. "Farm Pure Foods [who came on board as a sponsor in the middle of last season] is also in financial difficulty because they sell a lot to the U.S. - they are a quarter of a million dollar sponsor, so that threw us off our program. And our financial sponsor [Coast Capital, who it is believed contributed upwards of half the cash budget] is being very cautious with the current situation in the banking industry. The other thing we are dealing with out here is the [2010] Winter Olympics as a competitor for sponsorship. It's all about Vancouver out here, but we're very busy, very hopeful on the sponsorship front."
This has necessitated changes to the program from previous years. "The next six months are critical, so sponsorship has been affected for 2008. We need to be more cash efficient this season. If you want to know if we are at a pivotal time, yeah, we are. We have told the athletes that by mid-summer we will make a decision [about whether to continue]. If we don't find sponsors we can't hold the athletes back, and I'm not interested in running a team without the top riders."
The program has been streamlined, with the team only contesting selected major events - Redlands, Philly Week, Beauce, Nationals, BC Superweek, Tour of Utah and the Tour of Mexico. What about Tour de Georgia? "It's up in the air. It is on our program, but we haven't received an invite yet. They chase all the ProTour teams and let us know as the last two or three teams chosen"
"It's a good solid program, unlike last year, we're not getting on planes chasing UCI points for the CCA anymore; we spent a lot of money chasing UCI points last year."
"We have all of our riders under contract and being paid [all riders are returning, plus Ryan Anderson and Francois Parisien], we are just trying to run cheaper. We want to be creative in sponsorship, and try working similar to the Canadian Ski Team, with personalized sponsors per athlete; they have a different sponsor on each athlete's helmet."
Cunningham says that the focus will be on the top athletes, particularly those with Olympic aspirations - Cam Evans, Svein Tuft, Christian Meier and Zach Bell - so what does this mean for other riders on the squad; will there be racing for them?
"There is still lots of regional racing," he points out "the training and preparation races are still available, and we will work on the best roster for each race, which is no different than in the past."
However, Brandon Crichton, one of the 'non-Olympic' riders on the squad, who switched schools and moved west this winter, will be one of the riders left wondering how much racing time he will get. "There is no budget for running a double squad, so local racing is where it stands now. My hat's off to the [team] management; they've put in a hell of a lot of work in the last six months. But am I looking [at staying] inside the sport or outside - is this it for me?"
"This comes at a time when the season is starting, so it puts the motivation at an all time low. I've spoken with a bunch of people [teams], and I have ask myself do I continue racing or pack it in? That's where I am right now. I don't know what the future holds."
"I'm looking around for amateur teams who need someone and keeping my fingers crossed waiting for the phone to ring."
Cunningham is still confident that Symmetrics will be back on track. "This year is a bump in the road, and when you look at the number of days of racing, it's not that different from last year."
He also says that this may actually mean stronger performances for the team. "Last year Svein started in January at the Track World Cup, and he was worn out by June. When you are a clean athlete you have three to four good months, so we are trying to hold back this year. By the time we get to Philly, Svein will be really fresh, and I think that there is a really good chance that we could win Beauce this year. But the ironic thing is that we killed ourselves to get Canada three spots [at the Olympics for the men's road race], and there is a chance that we won't have a single rider selected because of regional politics at the CCA."
"This is the first time in five years that there has been any instability in the program," Cunningham points out. "It is no question that this is a pivotal time for the team right now if we can't get the sponsors, but it just takes one person, one sponsor. Am I nervous? Yeah, we've put six years of our lives into the program and I don't want to quit."
"We are not giving up, we're fighting like dogs."
www.BicyclePortland.net
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now
FROM WWW.BICYCLEPORTLAND.NET:
Symmetrics Hit by Rising Canadian Dollar
After the rumours which have been flying around in recent weeks about possible troubles at Symmetrics Cycling, Canada's top road team, we have had a chance to talk to team owner Kevin Cunningham and clarify the situation. The long and short of it is that, yes, the team is going through some short term financial difficulties, but intends to continue with its long term goals of an international presence.
"We last year sat down to decide what we wanted to do going forward. We determined that we still want to find the large sponsors necessary to step it up," explained Cunningham. "We are in this sport because we love it, and we do it for the athletes, so we want to continue to grow the program, race in Europe and run the split squads necessary."
"However," Cunningham continues "in my business, forestry [Westlam is his family company], we are devastated right now by the rise in the Canadian dollar, the whole forestry industry is in a tough spot. We [Westlam] will survive, but right now we are unable to continue contributing cash like before."
This cash crunch comes at a particularly bad time, when other sponsors are withdrawing or facing similar issues. "Farm Pure Foods [who came on board as a sponsor in the middle of last season] is also in financial difficulty because they sell a lot to the U.S. - they are a quarter of a million dollar sponsor, so that threw us off our program. And our financial sponsor [Coast Capital, who it is believed contributed upwards of half the cash budget] is being very cautious with the current situation in the banking industry. The other thing we are dealing with out here is the [2010] Winter Olympics as a competitor for sponsorship. It's all about Vancouver out here, but we're very busy, very hopeful on the sponsorship front."
This has necessitated changes to the program from previous years. "The next six months are critical, so sponsorship has been affected for 2008. We need to be more cash efficient this season. If you want to know if we are at a pivotal time, yeah, we are. We have told the athletes that by mid-summer we will make a decision [about whether to continue]. If we don't find sponsors we can't hold the athletes back, and I'm not interested in running a team without the top riders."
The program has been streamlined, with the team only contesting selected major events - Redlands, Philly Week, Beauce, Nationals, BC Superweek, Tour of Utah and the Tour of Mexico. What about Tour de Georgia? "It's up in the air. It is on our program, but we haven't received an invite yet. They chase all the ProTour teams and let us know as the last two or three teams chosen"
"It's a good solid program, unlike last year, we're not getting on planes chasing UCI points for the CCA anymore; we spent a lot of money chasing UCI points last year."
"We have all of our riders under contract and being paid [all riders are returning, plus Ryan Anderson and Francois Parisien], we are just trying to run cheaper. We want to be creative in sponsorship, and try working similar to the Canadian Ski Team, with personalized sponsors per athlete; they have a different sponsor on each athlete's helmet."
Cunningham says that the focus will be on the top athletes, particularly those with Olympic aspirations - Cam Evans, Svein Tuft, Christian Meier and Zach Bell - so what does this mean for other riders on the squad; will there be racing for them?
"There is still lots of regional racing," he points out "the training and preparation races are still available, and we will work on the best roster for each race, which is no different than in the past."
However, Brandon Crichton, one of the 'non-Olympic' riders on the squad, who switched schools and moved west this winter, will be one of the riders left wondering how much racing time he will get. "There is no budget for running a double squad, so local racing is where it stands now. My hat's off to the [team] management; they've put in a hell of a lot of work in the last six months. But am I looking [at staying] inside the sport or outside - is this it for me?"
"This comes at a time when the season is starting, so it puts the motivation at an all time low. I've spoken with a bunch of people [teams], and I have ask myself do I continue racing or pack it in? That's where I am right now. I don't know what the future holds."
"I'm looking around for amateur teams who need someone and keeping my fingers crossed waiting for the phone to ring."
Cunningham is still confident that Symmetrics will be back on track. "This year is a bump in the road, and when you look at the number of days of racing, it's not that different from last year."
He also says that this may actually mean stronger performances for the team. "Last year Svein started in January at the Track World Cup, and he was worn out by June. When you are a clean athlete you have three to four good months, so we are trying to hold back this year. By the time we get to Philly, Svein will be really fresh, and I think that there is a really good chance that we could win Beauce this year. But the ironic thing is that we killed ourselves to get Canada three spots [at the Olympics for the men's road race], and there is a chance that we won't have a single rider selected because of regional politics at the CCA."
"This is the first time in five years that there has been any instability in the program," Cunningham points out. "It is no question that this is a pivotal time for the team right now if we can't get the sponsors, but it just takes one person, one sponsor. Am I nervous? Yeah, we've put six years of our lives into the program and I don't want to quit."
"We are not giving up, we're fighting like dogs."
www.BicyclePortland.net
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now
Monday, March 10, 2008
Spitzer Caught Up in Prostitution Ring In NY, WTF?!
The man who promised to clean up the state of NY and its politics may not be so clean himself.
Check it here: AP Story.
I read an article about Spitzer a few years ago when he was the NY Attorney General. I will admit to thinking "this guy seems interesting, seems like he really wants to clean things up, etc."
At the end of the day it appears as if he is just another smug, self-righteous hypocrite. Disappointing really.
The man who promised to clean up the state of NY and its politics may not be so clean himself.
Check it here: AP Story.
I read an article about Spitzer a few years ago when he was the NY Attorney General. I will admit to thinking "this guy seems interesting, seems like he really wants to clean things up, etc."
At the end of the day it appears as if he is just another smug, self-righteous hypocrite. Disappointing really.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
You Have Got to Be Kidding Me:
This is from the race announcement for a road race here next weekend:
Category/ Start time/#of laps Prize List/Cash
Men's 1, 2/ 11:00 am / 7 laps/ $75 /3 deep
Men's 3/ 11:00 am / 6 laps/ $75 /3 deep
Master Men (35+)/ 11:00 am / 6 laps/ $60 /3 deep
Women's 1, 2, 3/ 8:30 am / 5 laps/ $50 /3 deep
Men's 4, 5/ 8:30 am / 4 laps/ No prize list
Women's 4/ 8:30 am / 3 laps/ No prize list
Entry Fee for all races: $20
Total Prize List: $260
$260 total, 6 categories, 2 of them with absolutely NO prize list. This is ridiculous.
Call me the East Coast guy who only races for money and you will be wrong. I have been racing for over a quarter of century and quite frankly I am not that good of a bike racer. If I raced for the money I would have quit a long time ago. I like riding my bike, a lot. And I like racing my bike. But with bullshit like this, I have to admit I am liking it less and less. My bitch is the entry fee-prize list ratio. I will say it again, I think promoters should make money, I do. I don't put races on for free. I charge a fee. But what I do is enter it as a line item in the race budget and then our event management company gets adequate sponsorship to cover the prize list and all of the race expenses, including my fee. If we put on a race with a total prize list of $7500 (which we have) we try to raise at least twice that amount of money (which we typically do). That way, we keep the entry fees a reasonable amount for our customers: the riders. And where do those entry fees go if we raise enough money to cover the budget? They cover any of the short falls that we might run into after we get the champagne for the winners, the trophies, the ribbons for all of the participants in the kid's races, pay the podium girls, print the giant check for the winner of the main event, get lunch for our volunteers, pay our officials, our timer, our announcer, etc. Then any money left over, we give some to our local junior development club and put the rest in the bank to help us put on the next race. Do we always cover our all of our expenses and have a profit? Not all the time. Just most of the time.
I have lived here exactly 5 years this summer. I moved here with no established network and was approached by a local businessman to help put on some bike races because of my years of experience in the sport. We formed a LLC and within 2 years we were putting on the richest prize list crits in the area. How was this possible? We worked at it. We put together a sponsorship proposal, we arranged some meetings, we cashed the checks and then we put on some damn good bike races. And they weren't out in the middle of nowhere either, they were in town centers.
Bottom line, there are too many race promoters out there who make their money off of the riders and give little in return. My advice to those promoters: do some work other than the day of the race. Raise some money from some sponsors, it's not that hard. Then use some of that money to pay out a prize list that is reasonable for what you are charging in entries. Your customers, the riders, will thank you for it.
And quit putting on bush-league races like this.
This is from the race announcement for a road race here next weekend:
Category/ Start time/#of laps Prize List/Cash
Men's 1, 2/ 11:00 am / 7 laps/ $75 /3 deep
Men's 3/ 11:00 am / 6 laps/ $75 /3 deep
Master Men (35+)/ 11:00 am / 6 laps/ $60 /3 deep
Women's 1, 2, 3/ 8:30 am / 5 laps/ $50 /3 deep
Men's 4, 5/ 8:30 am / 4 laps/ No prize list
Women's 4/ 8:30 am / 3 laps/ No prize list
Entry Fee for all races: $20
Total Prize List: $260
$260 total, 6 categories, 2 of them with absolutely NO prize list. This is ridiculous.
Call me the East Coast guy who only races for money and you will be wrong. I have been racing for over a quarter of century and quite frankly I am not that good of a bike racer. If I raced for the money I would have quit a long time ago. I like riding my bike, a lot. And I like racing my bike. But with bullshit like this, I have to admit I am liking it less and less. My bitch is the entry fee-prize list ratio. I will say it again, I think promoters should make money, I do. I don't put races on for free. I charge a fee. But what I do is enter it as a line item in the race budget and then our event management company gets adequate sponsorship to cover the prize list and all of the race expenses, including my fee. If we put on a race with a total prize list of $7500 (which we have) we try to raise at least twice that amount of money (which we typically do). That way, we keep the entry fees a reasonable amount for our customers: the riders. And where do those entry fees go if we raise enough money to cover the budget? They cover any of the short falls that we might run into after we get the champagne for the winners, the trophies, the ribbons for all of the participants in the kid's races, pay the podium girls, print the giant check for the winner of the main event, get lunch for our volunteers, pay our officials, our timer, our announcer, etc. Then any money left over, we give some to our local junior development club and put the rest in the bank to help us put on the next race. Do we always cover our all of our expenses and have a profit? Not all the time. Just most of the time.
I have lived here exactly 5 years this summer. I moved here with no established network and was approached by a local businessman to help put on some bike races because of my years of experience in the sport. We formed a LLC and within 2 years we were putting on the richest prize list crits in the area. How was this possible? We worked at it. We put together a sponsorship proposal, we arranged some meetings, we cashed the checks and then we put on some damn good bike races. And they weren't out in the middle of nowhere either, they were in town centers.
Bottom line, there are too many race promoters out there who make their money off of the riders and give little in return. My advice to those promoters: do some work other than the day of the race. Raise some money from some sponsors, it's not that hard. Then use some of that money to pay out a prize list that is reasonable for what you are charging in entries. Your customers, the riders, will thank you for it.
And quit putting on bush-league races like this.
Friday, March 07, 2008
WHAT PART OF PRO CYCLING TEAM AM I MISSING HERE?
A press release that appeared in Cyclingnews the other day:
Richmond gets new pro cycling team
Richmond, Virginia, USA, has become home to a new professional cycling team. Working in conjunction with the non-profit People Cycle, the team, previously named Team Natures Path, will be branded Richmond Pro Cycling fueled by Natures Path (RPC).
The team's approach has drawn many community contributors, helping to create a sustainable organization whose mission is based on individual and community development, as well race results. As team founder and manager Craig Dodson said, "The next generation's leaders need to start somewhere. This team is about building good people on the bike, and then using them to help build strong communities off the bike."
In addition to its community work, the team will be represented at more than 80 events, including the USA Crit Series. As one of the leading U.S. amateur squads since 2005, RPC has taken a calculated path to the pro ranks. Returning to the team will be rider-manager Craig Dodson, former kilo-National Champion and Pan-Am Games athlete Gerardo Castro, top-10 finisher at U.S. Elite nationals, Paul Ward. Adding to the roster this year are Jeff Buckles, Stephen DeLisle, Ryan Mele, and most notably, Esteban Jukich. With podium finishes at several NRC races across the U.S. and internationally, Jukich brings to the team added criterium and road muscle.
The team will officially kick off their 2008 season with a four-day team camp from March 20-23, in Richmond, VA. Unlike most teams, including many U.S. Pro Teams, RPC has a dedicated support system for riders, including health insurance, paid housing, and a medical staff.
Team Roster: Jeffery Buckles (US, 21), Gerardo Castro (UY, 29), Stephen Delisle (US, 19), Craig Dodson (US, 29), Esteban Jukich (UY, 25), Ryan Mele (US, 24), Paul Ward (US, 24).
Now here is the list of the registered 2008 UCI Continental teams in the US:
BPC
BISSELL PRO CYCLING
USA
COL
COLAVITA / SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT
USA
DLP
DLP RACING
USA
HNM
HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS
USA
JBC
JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM
USA
KBM
KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES / MEDIFAST
USA
RAP
RITE AID PRO CYCLING
USA
RRC
ROCK RACING
USA
SLP
SUCCESSFULLIVING.COM PRESENTED BY PARKPRE
USA
TT1
TEAM TYPE 1
USA
JIT
THE JITTERY JOE'S PRO CYCLING TEAM
USA
TPC
TIME PRO CYCLING
USA
AEG
TOSHIBA-SANTO PRO CYCLING PRESENTED BY HERBALIFE
USA
TUP
TOYOTA - UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM
USA
Funny, I don't see this team listed. Maybe it is a Pro-Tour team. Is this guy kidding? I mean, does he not realize that there are guys like me just waiting to pounce on bullshit artists like this? A guy affiliated with this team came by a booth at Interbike 2 years ago with sponsorship packet in hand talking about what a kick-ass "Pro-Am" Cycling team they had. Pro-Am? He was calling his team "Pro-Am", at Interbike? I can see maybe using that type of language if you are trying to get sponsorship from your local business that does not know much about cycling, but talking like that at Interbike, and then sending that press release to Cyclingnews? Are you kidding me?
Tool.
A press release that appeared in Cyclingnews the other day:
Richmond gets new pro cycling team
Richmond, Virginia, USA, has become home to a new professional cycling team. Working in conjunction with the non-profit People Cycle, the team, previously named Team Natures Path, will be branded Richmond Pro Cycling fueled by Natures Path (RPC).
The team's approach has drawn many community contributors, helping to create a sustainable organization whose mission is based on individual and community development, as well race results. As team founder and manager Craig Dodson said, "The next generation's leaders need to start somewhere. This team is about building good people on the bike, and then using them to help build strong communities off the bike."
In addition to its community work, the team will be represented at more than 80 events, including the USA Crit Series. As one of the leading U.S. amateur squads since 2005, RPC has taken a calculated path to the pro ranks. Returning to the team will be rider-manager Craig Dodson, former kilo-National Champion and Pan-Am Games athlete Gerardo Castro, top-10 finisher at U.S. Elite nationals, Paul Ward. Adding to the roster this year are Jeff Buckles, Stephen DeLisle, Ryan Mele, and most notably, Esteban Jukich. With podium finishes at several NRC races across the U.S. and internationally, Jukich brings to the team added criterium and road muscle.
The team will officially kick off their 2008 season with a four-day team camp from March 20-23, in Richmond, VA. Unlike most teams, including many U.S. Pro Teams, RPC has a dedicated support system for riders, including health insurance, paid housing, and a medical staff.
Team Roster: Jeffery Buckles (US, 21), Gerardo Castro (UY, 29), Stephen Delisle (US, 19), Craig Dodson (US, 29), Esteban Jukich (UY, 25), Ryan Mele (US, 24), Paul Ward (US, 24).
Now here is the list of the registered 2008 UCI Continental teams in the US:
BPC
BISSELL PRO CYCLING
USA
COL
COLAVITA / SUTTER HOME PRESENTED BY COOKING LIGHT
USA
DLP
DLP RACING
USA
HNM
HEALTH NET PRESENTED BY MAXXIS
USA
JBC
JELLY BELLY CYCLING TEAM
USA
KBM
KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES / MEDIFAST
USA
RAP
RITE AID PRO CYCLING
USA
RRC
ROCK RACING
USA
SLP
SUCCESSFULLIVING.COM PRESENTED BY PARKPRE
USA
TT1
TEAM TYPE 1
USA
JIT
THE JITTERY JOE'S PRO CYCLING TEAM
USA
TPC
TIME PRO CYCLING
USA
AEG
TOSHIBA-SANTO PRO CYCLING PRESENTED BY HERBALIFE
USA
TUP
TOYOTA - UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM
USA
Funny, I don't see this team listed. Maybe it is a Pro-Tour team. Is this guy kidding? I mean, does he not realize that there are guys like me just waiting to pounce on bullshit artists like this? A guy affiliated with this team came by a booth at Interbike 2 years ago with sponsorship packet in hand talking about what a kick-ass "Pro-Am" Cycling team they had. Pro-Am? He was calling his team "Pro-Am", at Interbike? I can see maybe using that type of language if you are trying to get sponsorship from your local business that does not know much about cycling, but talking like that at Interbike, and then sending that press release to Cyclingnews? Are you kidding me?
Tool.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
AND WHAT'S UP WITH THE DI LUCA CASE?
The Italian Olympic Committe is seeking a two year ban of Di Luca because it is speculating he did something wrong? WTF?!
The Italian Olympic Committe is seeking a two year ban of Di Luca because it is speculating he did something wrong? WTF?!
WHY CAN'T THEY ALL JUST GET ALONG?
This author feels that the pissing match between the UCI and certain race organizers needs to come to an end and that the rider's union needs to grow a set or else cycling is going to continue to be in a state of turmoil that will scare even the most cycling friendly sponsors away.
The UCI decides now is the time to play hardball with race organizers and threatens the riders who opt to participate in next week's Paris-Nice? The lesson in all this? Once again, it is the riders who are getting screwed. Where was the UCI when Unibet was getting the shaft last year? Their lack of action kept a registered Pro-Tour Team, Unibet, out of most of the Pro-Tour races last year and emboldened race organizers who have now taken that inch given and gone way more than a mile.
The riders/ teams also have themselves to blame in all of this as it seems their union is one in name only since it did nothing to come to the assistance of Unibet last year or Astana this year. Granted, the riders/ teams have to act in the best interests of their sponsors but at some point they need to take a stand and say enough is enough!
Get up to speed here:
Velonews
Cyclingnews
This author feels that the pissing match between the UCI and certain race organizers needs to come to an end and that the rider's union needs to grow a set or else cycling is going to continue to be in a state of turmoil that will scare even the most cycling friendly sponsors away.
The UCI decides now is the time to play hardball with race organizers and threatens the riders who opt to participate in next week's Paris-Nice? The lesson in all this? Once again, it is the riders who are getting screwed. Where was the UCI when Unibet was getting the shaft last year? Their lack of action kept a registered Pro-Tour Team, Unibet, out of most of the Pro-Tour races last year and emboldened race organizers who have now taken that inch given and gone way more than a mile.
The riders/ teams also have themselves to blame in all of this as it seems their union is one in name only since it did nothing to come to the assistance of Unibet last year or Astana this year. Granted, the riders/ teams have to act in the best interests of their sponsors but at some point they need to take a stand and say enough is enough!
Get up to speed here:
Velonews
Cyclingnews
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
SIX DAY RACING IN VEGAS!!
This is going to be fantastic! Six day bike racing in Vegas during the bike show! Downtown Brown and I are going to get our Madison swerve on....because I expect a call from Simes at any minute. Bruno Risi? Who's that when you have Downtown Gary Brown and the Buckeye!
This is going to be fantastic! Six day bike racing in Vegas during the bike show! Downtown Brown and I are going to get our Madison swerve on....because I expect a call from Simes at any minute. Bruno Risi? Who's that when you have Downtown Gary Brown and the Buckeye!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Not A Bad StartThe first Mason Lake race was this past Saturday and it was a pretty good start to the season. Although there were some isolated showers in the area, none of them came our way. The Pro1-2 field was a good size with everyone there sporting their new team kits for 2008. BRI was no exception as we started out with 9 total guys, 4 of them new to the squad for this year.
I am typically a slow starter, especially in a road race and Mason Lake usually provides at least a little bit of clowning around catch up time with faces you have not seen since last season. Not this time though as I found myself covering a move that had no BRI representation in it 6 miles into the race. Next thing I knew I was going through and off with 6 other guys and by the time we crossed the finish line by the end of the first lap we had 2 minutes. WTF?
The eventual group of 6 (we popped 1 after a lap) stayed together until a little over a lap to go when the fireworks started going off. Shawn Ongers of Axley ended up being a deserving winner (when he countered with the winning move my immediate thought was "oh, that doesn't look good"- let's just say he attacked with authority), Chris Teufel was 2nd, Mike Hone was 3rd and yours truly was 4th. Hone and I just stayed away from a chase group who almost got us in our slow crawl to the finish (the last 12 miles were interminable).
New BRI team member Chris Torgeson ended up rolling across the finish in the chase group in 6th.
Nice.
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