Training Camp
San Diego, CA
Sunday, February 04, 2007
The weekend here in San Diego includes two races, the first one Boulevard, and the second one some criterium just outside the city. Despite scandalous propaganda purported by the critics of criterium racing, it was not a “parking lot crit,” in fact it was perhaps the safest race I’ve done. I mean, it was a local crit with some local guys, but they were sane for ¾ of the race until the end when they were getting desperate… or whatever drives ‘em to go nuts.
The race went well with Danny eventually making the break, of which decidedly chose not to play together & instead was caught ~2 laps from the finish. Taylor however, was in the midst of the finishing sprint when Lucas initiated a rare version of the “Saturn Sit-up.” Coming around the final uphill turn to the finish Taylor was leading with Lucas on his wheel, when Lucas sat up mid way through the turn and to further complicate matters, actually hit the breaks. The confusion that followed was enough to put a grin and a grimace alike on the face of anyone. The lead out trains for Toyota and Health net were within a hair of stacking it right into the back of Lucas, but through a stroke of luck and brilliance, they pulled it off as Taylor sprinted to the finish, edged out by 2 inches as a sprinting Dominguez came by.
San Diego, CA
Saturday, February 03, 2007
The Argyle armada pounced on the peleton today. It was a local race in California called Boulevard- the opening race of the California racing season. At the moment all the big pro teams from the US are training near San Diego, so the next step of course is to do the race. When we arrived, the likes of Toyota-United, Health Net, Jelly-Belly & some dude from T-Mobile were already there.
The race progressed in a classic fashion with an early move being caught after 2 laps (of 4). On the way over the climbing section the third time, iceman (R-unit Hesjedog) initiated a little split of ~15 guys that stayed away for the rest of the race. Of our team, Danny, Pat & I made the split... For the rest of the race we fended off excessive hostilities from the rest of the group & over the last climb to the finish a group of 5 got away containing 2 toyota-united guys (Balwin & Blackgrove), a Health Net, a successful living, and me. The t-u guys kept attacking and sitting up until the base of a short descent before the final little hill to the finish where a desperate bunch of Health netters finally reconnected the split with us… They won the race with Russel Downing taking the final little sprint to the finish.
Julian, CA
Friday, February 02, 2007
Trespassed within the desert we did once more today. Was it a good day for such a trespass? Indeed it was. A feature plentiful of the desert is its uncanny je ne sais quoi. For quite undeniably, many who enter the desert… never return. I’ve nothing to offer in such a situation, & experience I have not, so utter as I must, my job is simplistic in nature with one objective which is to enlighten you on the various magical qualities of a place entirely dead yet dreadfully alive. Pass as you must, but fear that of which is not seen or heard, for it hits with force & eludes the wily, striking with a method perceptible to none.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
The weekend here in San Diego includes two races, the first one Boulevard, and the second one some criterium just outside the city. Despite scandalous propaganda purported by the critics of criterium racing, it was not a “parking lot crit,” in fact it was perhaps the safest race I’ve done. I mean, it was a local crit with some local guys, but they were sane for ¾ of the race until the end when they were getting desperate… or whatever drives ‘em to go nuts.
The race went well with Danny eventually making the break, of which decidedly chose not to play together & instead was caught ~2 laps from the finish. Taylor however, was in the midst of the finishing sprint when Lucas initiated a rare version of the “Saturn Sit-up.” Coming around the final uphill turn to the finish Taylor was leading with Lucas on his wheel, when Lucas sat up mid way through the turn and to further complicate matters, actually hit the breaks. The confusion that followed was enough to put a grin and a grimace alike on the face of anyone. The lead out trains for Toyota and Health net were within a hair of stacking it right into the back of Lucas, but through a stroke of luck and brilliance, they pulled it off as Taylor sprinted to the finish, edged out by 2 inches as a sprinting Dominguez came by.
San Diego, CA
Saturday, February 03, 2007
The Argyle armada pounced on the peleton today. It was a local race in California called Boulevard- the opening race of the California racing season. At the moment all the big pro teams from the US are training near San Diego, so the next step of course is to do the race. When we arrived, the likes of Toyota-United, Health Net, Jelly-Belly & some dude from T-Mobile were already there.
The race progressed in a classic fashion with an early move being caught after 2 laps (of 4). On the way over the climbing section the third time, iceman (R-unit Hesjedog) initiated a little split of ~15 guys that stayed away for the rest of the race. Of our team, Danny, Pat & I made the split... For the rest of the race we fended off excessive hostilities from the rest of the group & over the last climb to the finish a group of 5 got away containing 2 toyota-united guys (Balwin & Blackgrove), a Health Net, a successful living, and me. The t-u guys kept attacking and sitting up until the base of a short descent before the final little hill to the finish where a desperate bunch of Health netters finally reconnected the split with us… They won the race with Russel Downing taking the final little sprint to the finish.
Julian, CA
Friday, February 02, 2007
Trespassed within the desert we did once more today. Was it a good day for such a trespass? Indeed it was. A feature plentiful of the desert is its uncanny je ne sais quoi. For quite undeniably, many who enter the desert… never return. I’ve nothing to offer in such a situation, & experience I have not, so utter as I must, my job is simplistic in nature with one objective which is to enlighten you on the various magical qualities of a place entirely dead yet dreadfully alive. Pass as you must, but fear that of which is not seen or heard, for it hits with force & eludes the wily, striking with a method perceptible to none.
posted by Tom Peterson @ 4:55 PM
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