RUDY! RUDY! RUDY!

Nah..those aren't chants out of the famed movie about the Notre Dame football player...those are chants for the awesome Rudy Sroka. He's the guy you stand around the watercooler and refer to as "the man". He was involved in a nasty crash at RATL this past weekend...He has some complicated breaks in his forearm and wrist and could be in a cast for 2-3 months. Hopefully this is one of those cases where the docs are being ultra conservative and underestimate Rudy's healing time. I'm not sure what he's planning on doing about riding for the next couple of months..but he should be fresh for cyclocross season...I wish him the best and a very speedy recovery!!!!

Covered Bridge Race #2..as I saw it

I guess I missed a lot of the race. How..I dunno. I felt like I was a part of it more than anything. I spent the first lap getting the cobb webbs and the first race of the season gitters out. Near the end of the first lap a gap had formed and Spin and Stark Velo were sitting on the front setting tempo. So I thought I'd take my chance to see if i could bridge the gap...so at 1 1/2 laps into the race I started my run at it. I was able to bridge the gap about a quarter of the way through the 2nd lap. Mind you...there are 7 laps, 5 miles each, total. So their was 4 of us in the break...and I guess a couple more up the road a little farther whom we never saw again. We passed the start/finish line with 4 laps to go when we we realized Paul Martin and Sean Adams (my teammate) had started to bridge across to us. I felt ok at this point, but when Paul took a pull at 37 mph...I had my worries...I lasted a little more than a full lap after that point...leaving less than 3 laps to go...So I sat up and waited for the peloton...which in short order caught up to me. So I sat in and endured, even having to stop for the lovely train...I finished the race dangling off the back of the spread out peloton; which never really reformed after the train. I felt I had a great...hard workout and a good race. Next week should prove to be easier.

I'm not really sure how things in the Peloton played out while I was up the road in the break away. I heard my teammates did a lot of work and chasing. Which awesome. As a team we didn't so well, so hopefully this week we can be more organized in our attemptes.

Whats up??? The Tempeture!!!

Dang it got hot. In a freagin hurry too. At the early part of last week (on our way home from Boston) it was 40 something degrees. By fiday it was close to 80 and was 86 yesterday...ouch! This weekend was my first taste of racing for the '09 season. I'm happy with my effort. i bridged up to the break away which took roughly 2 1/2 miles to do...by myself. After 10 to 12 miles Paul Martin and Sean Adams bridged up to us. I knew I was in trouble when Paul took a pull at 37 mph near the church....I hung in there for about 5 miles before my legs cried uncle and said its better to live to ride another day. I'm happy with how hard I was able to go, knowing everyone else already has race milage in. Good signs!
I want to wish Rudy a fast recovery from his crash at RATL. He has a broken bone in his forearm and one in his wrist. We'll miss him on the road and will be looking forward to his return to the peloton.