Beach Dreams

I dream of relaxation on the beach- boogie boarding, rollerblading and frisbee all come to mind.

Company Is Nice

I've been riding with some of the Rapha and Embrocation gentlemen lately- very classy gents indeed.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Joe Staples.

Funny thing

Ex T-Mobile rider and confessed doper Patrik Sinkewitz poses outside his new Italian team's sponsor's main office.

The Castle Hill logo is looking better and better...

PDX

Wheat fields on Sauvie Island.

Headed up Germantown Road- a nice little climb.

The descent from Skyline down Cornell includes 2 quaint euro tunnels.

What Has Coach Been Up To?

I get this question a lot, and the simple truth is: I have know idea. The little bit I can get out of him on my weekly coaching calls boil down to: stabbing hundreds of fish in the eyes to kill them, contracting Lyme Disease (he recently told me, "it's a traditional New England disease, and I'm proud to have it."), and then a ton of spiritual mumbo jumbo that I can't make any sense of.

Oh well, maybe the video above can give you guys a hint as to what Juan Benedicto "RainbowPath" Wheelarosa has going on these days.

Oh, My?!

2006 Tour de France CHAMPION Floyd Landis racing in Nevada City unattached.

Not sure what look you're going for, but what you're rockin definitely screams, "unemployed and soon to be homeless." Despite this fashion disaster, your recent courage is still endearing, and I want to say to Floyd, "Please, please, please write a tell all book! Let me rephrase that- tell your story to a qualified author and have them write your tell-all book." Hang in there Floyd.

Cold Sore Tradition

I've always admired the Grand Tour contenders who inevitably end up in the third week of the race sporting a stylish cold sore and looking emaciated. I don't know why, but this sort of scene is totally indicative of the madness of the sport, and a key reason I love it. Like tanlines, the cold sore is an indicator of someone operating at the peak of their fitness if not just a tad on the downslope of form.

The PROs, who are so thin they move like insects on spindly legs when off the bike, have immune systems that are so devastated that cold sores and acne breakouts become a regular occurance in week three. It's rare to see a final GC podium of a Grand Tour with someone on it not rocking a cold sore- even LA had a few during his 7 year reign.

You hardly see the classics guys promoting the look, except maybe during Roubaix and only if the weather has been shitty in the two weeks proceeding the Hell of the North.

So I was shocked and a little proud after I raced the last brutal road race of the summer last Sunday in 100 degree heat with declining form and a few days later, low and behold, I woke up with a little present from my efforts all season.