2008 Cyclocross Championships

Ned whooped me... again. well, gave him a fight worth fighting. I enjoyed the race as much as everyone on the side lines. one strike, seventh row start, 2 strikes, bobble at the horse shoe, 3rd strike, let him gap.... your out. well, thank god the weather was good.
why go to worlds, again, 7 years running, cause I can win. it is always a crap shoot, with the random call up. but if you don't try, you can't win, so what do you say strawberry? go baby go......

Crossing the CX barrier

Kramer's log, tree date 10/19/08, McClaren Park, SanFran. MTB course slated as Cyclocross. Cool temperatures with overcast and not much parking. Number one fan, mom, on side-lines carrying jacket and water, no hand-up required. Lousy start, 25 back, steady as she goes, rough seas, light jib, then a sail change in clear air after 2 laps. All cylinders firing. One look tells me current speed faster than leaders, but is it enough?, with such a bad start. Front runner stalling, speed still steady... on the front, 3 to go. push it..... 2 to go, nice gap, lots of power, stay steady.... one to go, all clear, be smart..., coasting to the line for a awaited win. thank god!

Can't believe that race turned out so well, wasn't even going to leave home. then coming from the back, man that was good!

Thanks to everyone for a fun day, and my mom had a real treat. Her last race was my win in Soquel 3 years ago. Pilarcitos did a great job.

Mt Snow victory

the three peat was no easier than than the first and was not as hard as the second, but it was as sweet.....

thanks to all for the support, encouragement and help.

next year it will be even tougher in Colorado at altitude.

I rode off the front from the start as Curley launched an attack from the line. bolting away from his lead, I left the field in the wake. charging ahead, to get a jump into the tricky single track climb jammed with earlier groups. I never looked back, building a 2:30 lead by the finish. Not as fast as last year, but enough to command the win.

Congrats to Adam Craig's dominating skills!

Mt Snow

this part of the USA is awesome, beautiful!!

rode the XC course today, 4 times, it is a blast...

now if it gets wet, look out

mountain biking is more fun than roading

I love to ride and race my road bike, but mountain biking (dirt stuff)rules!!! On dirt and on trails, off road is more challenging and exciting as it requires full time all around skills. funny thing is, that my first racing experience was on a mtb and now it is where I migrate as skills and fitness play hand in hand. as an x climber, ski racer and ball player, skills are a part of every athletic encounter. so with all that said, I spend 5 hour on my road bike today doing some similar roads.
RIDE ON, CLiMB on......

TUC

what a great trip... a super ride/race and the awesome tallest and oldest things on this planet....Dyerville Giant

Mike Taylor rode away on Panther Gap and we smashed last years times, guess there wasn't as much wind.

Tour the Unkown Coast

this is the first 'century ride'( raced a lot of long stuff) ever done and I hear it is more like a race with 500 starters for the 100 miler.
some big names have done this in the past, Pigg, Armstrong and Juarez last year. raced this very route when it was a stage race back in 1990. that is a whole other story - off the front with the eventual winner as we descended to the coast and I flew off the road.

am looking forward to taking a hike in the 'oldest living things' on our planet. won't have a chance to climb any, but have been eying some old growth around Skegg's.... saddle up and don't forget how to tie a bowline, I mean figure 8.

headed up there with friend and legend Clark Natwick some how we both got a pass for mother's day morning as we will be celebrating in Ferndale Saturday night.

see then , when....

Cool conditions caulk causual cyclists

Yes, unseasonable cold for this time of year and you could hear the grumbling... was that frosty breath at the top of 9 and that kid had shirt sleeves and shorts getting ready for Mt Hambone,... but by the time we reach Ben Lomond, it was warm but windy or maybe that was just Jojo flying up the hill past us, ....and we got home it 6:30 hours, man... no, dolomiten man.

Sunday was just as good with old slide road out of Pacifica, ... it warmer there, and then a climb through the Perissima woods, then weaved through three San Jose juniors doing a full road descent on skyline to 92, ....and who do I see, (his eyes are better than mine) super Hutch cutting through an uphill headwind like a hot knife through butter... then home through the neon yellow soloist on Canada.

WOW, did see all those unicyclist criusing!!!

weekend is almost here and what a great week

super ride yesterday to Pacifica, then the jungled 'old slid road'(member doing an'88 mtb race here with Tomac), there was some nasty sandy turns on the way down and an awesome tailwind into HMB,...then a quick turn up Perissima dirt.... oh yeh!! 35 to 92 and back to the bakery pk lot.... a cool 4:30, Wednesday, too, might tighty... this is the life. it could only be better if there were a few less people trying to run me over.

Ran into Bruce Hildebrand at the Robert's water fountain, he was bird dogging LJ... man has he's been busy with the cycling powers... goin sea wadder? $$$, no way... have fun.

....So, am looking down at that beautiful Sworks SL frame... oh no, there is a crack? ...can't be, I never ride this doll... need some expert advice, what does Dave P think?.. oh yeh, it's cracked... "hello GoRide, Bob, can you help out a team-rat, ...sure he is the greatest, thanks Bob..

ready for some big hours this weekend... am crazed with this weather and tis the season to be a roady... that mtb can wait...

thanks for listening

WOW, what a week

Someone asked about a mtb ride.... this time of year?.., with the greatest 2 races in the season back to back. so I did tons of road riding to feel like part of it, reaching a blissful self respecting peace of clairvoyant understanding and vision..... man I think I need glasses.
So the Blegie's rocked and ruled the continent, showing how and why their cycling dominated culture can race their major mode of transportation... ever seen one of them throw a ball, like a girl, as we say... but someone once yelled at me that I ride like a girl... guess they haven't ridden with some of THE girls... anyway, he almost got a black eye.

no one reads this crap anyway, so why bother reading or racing anyway....

good day

Ever Heard of this Event

The Dolomite Man, dolomitenmann...
ran into a high school buddy of mine last august just after returning from mtb racing in france and he said, "don't you carry your bike when you race,... ya, in cross,... well, I want to do this relay in the dolomites and we need a cyclist, but I think you have to carry your bike,.... ok, sign me up."
so, then we talk last month and he says we're registered for the september event. him being a collegiate cross country runner, mentioned we only need a kayaker and paraglider to complete the squad.... well, everyone I know who glided, quit years ago.
So we are on, but we need some help.
check it out, http://www.redbulldolomitenmann.com/en/

Belgiums made the start, but not much else as Boom-erages

Thank you for all the support this season

Cal Giant Strawberry, Specialized, TRP, Sram, and family

Nys and TRP

Nys points to his new set up with the TRP carbon brakes just before the start of the WC in Hoogerheide, NL. He is discussing how much he likes them with Lance Larrebe, the man from TRP, who is headed to the worlds in Treviso.

the day after, I need a morning pill

well, the Big event came and went. Americans did really well, a gold and silver in the ladies grouping, Kathy and Trina, and some top tens for the men, but Gannon was the biggest disappointment again. Will Black was the top man in sixth, Kramer nailed down an 8th, and Gary Noe made the top ten.
I have learn now after 6 tries here for the top spot that there is a lot of luck involved. the start is so chaotic, and if you don't get the front row and clear the mess easily and get off the beach in the top 5, the race for the win is not yours. once again we all drew back row starts. I was on the third row and got stuck behind a jam in the first corner, and then got knocked over on the first lap, at that point a race for the win was over, but passing 3 guys on the last lap put me in 8th, ~ok. interesting enough, only one of the three major Belgium contenders got third, the other two finished behind me, one who I passed in the last lap. and these guys won every race, 20+, this season in Belgium, favorites... kinda shows how lady luck is a charm you need here.
Don't ask, but the leg is killing me this morning and it felt like a broom stick yesterday, so I don't think there will be a race today.
But the weather will be great, rain and windy.

rain, then sun

yesterday the rain was blowing sideways and our van was turned upside down as we drove back through Gent from Brugge.... no riding in these conditions, but it paid off, as we were to do a training ride with the local club today, Wednesday. we met our sponsor Jeff Peters, brother to the famous Wilfred Peters and headed to the town center, coffee first. here we met, 20 year old Sunweb pro, Johan van Dahl(?) and the Belgium TT champion. 60 young riders showed at the church meeting place,.... 60 riders, dressed in local club gear to do the 15k loop. 2 by 2 we were instructed, nothing fast, no attacking. after 1 lap the 14 year olds split to the back and we continued around for 3 more laps, as the others continued. met the jr national team trainer and arranged for a meeting on Friday.
perfect training and some great weather, there is more rain to come

Wiekevorst,

today we had great weather again with clear skies. did not get any sleep that night and my head never seemed to get on tract. it is a great race, mostly through fields, we got their early and warmed up, but I did not seem to be able to get to the line on time and just about missed the start. so at the back row and little time to focus, I never notice the Belgium champ up front, and he was, in Belgium style. allowed to escape on the first lap, I started ok, but he was gone. after working through traffic to the front in the first 3/5rd a lap, I road a lone all race, try to bridge to him, the guys behind soon disappeared, but Sals, was crushing it off the front. with 3 to go, there was no way I could get him.
Congratulated him at the finish and dubbed him "crusher", he smiled and said " don't miss the start next race", we laughed.
Well, he looks like the man, but this kinda of course favors him, open power, he is big. I was happy to have faced him and am excited about the challenge at worlds.
Gannon had a great start, and moved into the front group of 5 on the start of the 2nd lap, he went down hard when he clipped a corner pole (steel rod) and had a yard sale. when he gathered 8 guys went by, we rode the last lap together
Cheers

Belgium opener

Shriek was a fast technical course under sunny skies, and despite the constant pushing, shoving, and yelling by the locals, I managed to cross the line in first with a very solid final lap.
More to follow.... our van.
Lots of familiar American over here this year and the crowds have grown, making everything more exciting.
Teammate Gannon had a tough day with no gears and a back row start in a very fast field. Todays course, in Wiekevorst should play out better, with a long road start and more open terrain to move around.