Blogs by Professional Cyclists - Professional Cycling Unplugged™

I am full-on into the ‘cross season and having more fun than I’ve had in a while.  Having mono this year really brought me back to the basics in a lot of ways, and it’s been cool just to have the opportunities to race again.  I’m back with Jamis for the 2009 ‘cross season, and actually heading up to Toronto, ON today for some good, cold northern CX!

I’ve started a website, www.inertiacycling.com, that’s a bit like a blog right now, and I’m hoping to come up with some good content to make it really interesting.  The latest section I’ve been working on is my “For Sale” page where I’m selling some of my old gear, and have toying with the idea of selling Jamis team kits.  I’d love some feedback, so please drop me a line from my contact page.

Well, this was short, but it’s time for me to go do some openers on the trainer before I fly to Canaduh.  Hopefully I’ll see some of you up in Toronto or perhaps in Louisville or Boulder.  Lots of really cool races coming up, I’m stoked!

Let’s send you off with a pic from Gloucester, really great, epic conditions this year!  Thanks to Dave@trailwatch.net for the pic.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Posted under CYCLOCROSS

I finally figured out why I couldn’t get out of my own way for over 2 months, I had mono.  Well I still have mono, and the only way to get over mono is to wait it out.  I’ve been resting for over 4 weeks now, riding a little bit, but not really training at all.

In the meantime I’ve accomplished a few things.  I bought a car, don’t have a pic yet, but I got at 2008 GTI and I’m loving it.  I also got my taxes squared away, and tied up some other loose ends.  Looking on the bright side of being sick and having to rest a lot, I get to hang out with my girlfriend a lot, so that’s been awesome.

I think I’ll be back racing again sometime in July, it seems like forever though.  I was recently reminiscing about training camp back in January.  I was riding really well and climbing better than I ever have before, but that was the last time I felt really strong on the bike.  At the Tour of Taiwan I had a few good moments, but still wasn’t feeling great that entire week.  Ever since Taiwan in mid March I’ve been sick.

Well, I’ve had the chance to exercise patience and spend a lot of time at home, soon enough I’ll be back in the mix and I really can’t wait!

(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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Posted under ROAD BIKE

I’m really sick again for the 3rd time in 2 months, not so psyched about it.  Last night was my 3rd night in a row with a fever, I had on PJ pants, a T-shirt, an Oakley Hoodie, a beanie hat, a fleece blanket and an LL Bean 0-degree rated sleeping  bag, and I was shivering out of control.  So yeah that was brutal, and today my head is pounding, but hopefully it will be over soon.  My immune system has practically been MIA since I was in Asia in early March.   I don’t know what the heck I ran into over there, but apparently it is pretty potent.  

On the bicycling side of things, I got a new mountain bike from Jamis, a sweet Dakar XCR Pro.  It’s the first mtb I’ve owned it at least 5 years, and my first dual suspension at all, so I’m psyched!  I’ll be using it for a lot of training leading up to the ‘cross season.  I’ll try to get a photo up here soon.  

Other than that I’m kinda sidelined from road racing until I get healthy again, I’m looking forward to returning with some normal levels of energy.  

(3 votes, average: 3 out of 5)

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Posted under ROAD BIKE

I just finished the Southeast crit series in Georgia and South Carolina, glad that’s over and enjoying being home.  I’m looking for a new car to buy, can’t really figure out what I want though.  I bought a bunch of parts for my dirt bike to get that thing ready for the summer, can’t wait to rip it up in the woods!  

I have my health and energy back, I was pretty tapped after Taiwan.  Next up for racing is going to be a few mountain bike events, then some more crits and 1-day road races in the mid-atlantic.  I can’t wait to do a long, hilly stage race at some point this year.  Either way, I’m going to be riding in the dirt as much as possible over the next few months.  My plan is to fill in my non-road-race weekends with mtb racing, and in between those spend some time on my dirt bike, yeah let’s have some fun!  

Not really any pics to put up here now, maybe if I get a new vehicle soon.

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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Posted under ROAD BIKE

I just got back from almost 4 weeks in Asia.  It was a really long trip.  It started with a 90 minute crit in Singapore, which was pretty cool.  Unfortunately I crashed 10 minutes into the race when someone overlapped wheels and fell over right in front of me.  It was raining, so I didn’t get much road rash, but the impact certainly hurt enough.  I got back in and rode the rest of the time, but I was feeling the effects of it all by the last few laps.  We had a tough roll of the dice and our sprinters came up a little short at the end, but it was a pretty cool race to start off the year.  

Next I spent 10 days in Malaysia trying to train for the Tour of Taiwan.  It was pretty tough training staying in hotels without many of our usual conveniences, like laundry.  Also the roads weren’t that great and traffic was terrible, but we worked through it and did what we had to do.  

Finally I got to the Tour of Taiwan and was really excited to race.  I felt pretty good, but definitely didn’t have much snap the first few days, but I came around about halfway through.  I lost a little time to the front group on stage 2 in the crosswinds near the finish, but other than that I was in the front every day.  I was trying to help out Aldo in the field sprints, he was riding pretty well and we were confident he could win a stage.  Alas he became incredibly ill on stage 4 and had to drop out.  We lost Phil and Joe that day too so then it was just Ken and I left to duke it out the rest of the week.  

I got 2nd in the first KOM of the race on stage 4, and set my sights on capturing the polka dot jersey on stage 6 when the 2 final KOM climbs came.  I also finished 5th on stage 4, which had a sweet 600 meter climb to the line.  Ken kept me in good position for the final few kms into the bottom, but I was out-gunned by a few Asian guys in the last few hundred meters.  

On stage 6 I got in a break on the first climb and got top points, then we rolled with 7 guys to the next climb and I pretty much had the jersey locked up so I just rode my own pace over the top and secured the jersey.  It was a great feeling to accomplish something at the race, since we were really hoping to win a stage, but came up short.  

Anyway, next for me is the San Dimas stage race, then Redlands and I’m going HOME!!!  Can’t wait to be back in Mass and hang out with my girlfriend and all my friends and family too.  

(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Posted under ROAD BIKE