Jonathan Page

I watched the world cyclocross championships on cycling.tv yesterday. What a great race! Crashes all over the place and a ton of bad luck for the favorites, especially Wellens and Nys. The one guy who seemed to avoid the nastiness was Page, who capitalized and got a close silver. I was screaming for him toward the end, but Vervecken was just a bit stronger. No shame for Page, he made Vervecken suffer for his win. I really felt sorry for Wellens, who was nearly taken out of the race after a moto bumped a barricade into him on a fast section, taking him and Nys down. I thought he was out, but he got back up and fought to a brilliant 4th. I felt sorry that is until he said this:

"Even though I had the best legs of the season I couldn't do much more than what I did. The jersey went to the wrong person, he shouldn't have won it even though he's a teammate. He deserves to be on the podium but the other guys don't."

I can understand his frustration, but what a sore loser! In such a situation just shut the heck up. Whoever is on the podium is on the podium. That's racing, unless you are accusing someone of cheating.

Nys on the other hand just gave up after his 3rd crash. His dismal performaces at worlds continue. But what about Page! US CX is on the map. And a world cup race in the US next year. You think there will be a "Lance effect" in cyclocross? I think unlikely.

Epic Ride

I've ridden a couple of times with Justin M. now. We have very similar riding styles, both being somewhat larger riders (me quite a bit more than him) and being flatland pedal mashers. Big difference being about 50-60W threshold power Justin has on me. Nevertheless, riding base the two of us together works well. When the spring season starts in earnest, I'm going to have to just let him do his thing.

Justin mentioned we should ride to Washington, MO, so we decided to head out there yesterday. I had an extended hall pass from my dear wife, so there would be none of that guilt I know so well of knowing you've been out too long and what will await you when you get home! I have never ridden west past St. Alban's but I had an idea it was pretty hilly.

Anyway, our lesiurely ride changed abruptly when Shawn O'Neal overtook us on WHC Rd. I honestly don't think the guy knows how to just ride endurance pace. Every time I have ridden with him it is all hammer, hammer, hammer. He decides he's going to come with us, so I know right there I'm going to suffer.

Let me just say that the hills on hwy T are a bitch. There are three long steep climbs in rapid succession right around St. Albans and the rest of the way is big rollers, up and down, steep with no flat ground at all. I'm either at 400-500W or coasting.

Back to Shawn. He wants to stop in Labadie to get a drink. As we pull up to the gas station, a girl walks up. She's not ugly, but no big prize either. Probably quite a catch for a Labadie guy. Shawn starts to unapoligetically hit on her, following her into the store. I'm not sure where he intends to take this, but he's all hot and bothered when we start riding again, talking about how she wanted to go out with him and all. Justin and I could only shake our heads. In my experience, most women are not turned on by men in tights, even if you are riding a $6k bike with an SRM. Especially if you exude a certain kookiness like Shawn.

After we got to Washington and turned back, Shawn says he needs to put his thicker gloves back on, "go ahead, I'll catch up with you." Given that he had been towing us most of the way till now, I had no doubt that he would. Well, we never saw him again. Kept looking back, wondering if we should stop, never even spotted him in the distance. My guess is he finally succeded in picking up a choice woman at the feed store on T and old 100!

This is where things went downhill for me. My quads started cramping a bit and by the time we were back to Labadie and the three bitches my legs were staging a massive coup d'etat. I crawled up the last hill to Ossenfort at a pace I will not repeat on these pages, not being able to stand due to my quads locking up. I thanked the Lord quite literally to see the flat earth of WHC again. Justin was very cool to hold up on a few stretches for me. We ended up riding to the new Chipotle on Baxter and Clarkson and eating burritos. I felt like a new man afterwards.

90 miles total, average speed 17.6, 4000kcal burnt, and I am one tired puppy. I will think twice before doing that ride with people who are better than me again.