I just woke up this morning to a loud speaker blaring “good morning and welcome to the UCI World Championships”. I guess this is going to be a daily occurrence. It’s fine, it wasn’t early and shouldn’t be early any day.
Yesterday was really a long travel day. I had enough time to go for a little ride in Minneapolis and then went to the airport and sat. I sat because my flights were late the whole day. I ended up getting to Richmond a little after midnight, which is only 11 midwest time.
Trudi was there to pick me up. She is in full-on race mode, so it wasn’t anything big. We came back to the hotel and then decided to take a little stroll around downtown, when the race is.
I’m surprised how abandoned the downtown is. Lots of empty building and homeless people. I saw two people sleeping on benches last night. That isn’t that unusual, but the weird thing is that they were both sleeping in a upright position. Maybe there is a law that you can’t sleep horizontal on a bench but you can sleep sitting up?
The junior men’s time trial is going on right now. I’m going to wrap this up and go and watch.
If you read my blog you are most likely pretty into the sport of cycling. And this is the pinnacle of the sport, for a one day event. It’s not too late to make a spur of the moment decision and head out here for the weekend. Gas is at a recent historic low, so it shouldn’t cost much, unless you’re from Seattle. I did this exact thing when I drove up to Hamilton Ontario for the Worlds. It was great. Actually, I do spur of the moment road trips all the time and have virtually never regretted them after the fact. So think about it.
View from the hotel room window. I think this is a Brazilian junior.
I rode by QBP yesterday in Minneapolis. I didn’t even know where it was.
This was in the bathroom at the Atalanta airport. I wonder if anyone has been “saved” by this being posted.
These two were in the Richmond airport late last night. They stayed in this embrace for over 5 minutes, never saying a word. It was touching.
Not sure what this badge is going to do for me, but we’ll see.
Spur of the moment trip….not possible for most of us….that is why we come here each day and live vicariously thru you….
Joe–>Ditto on that!
Right. I mean, good for Steve, the lovable cycling hobo, but most people have real jobs and real commitments. He can be so out of touch sometimes.
I’m almost there. If I see you i’ll say hello. But considering how much you and your followers hate Lance, I don’t plan on getting in a long drawn out conversation.
Guys-I’m not out of touch. 5 pm Friday after work, all nighter, then head back after the road race on Sunday. Get at least one other guy to drive and you can get back to work on Monday. You have at least 12-15 hours of driving after the race, so depending on where you live and you can keep a 70 mph average, that is anywhere within a 1000 miles of Richmond Virginia. Or, just take 1/2 a day on either end and expand the distance. I used to do it all the time in school. Leave late Friday, drive to Milwaukee, race and be back early Monday morning. I guess some people don’t remember road trips and the memories they leave.
“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”
I was in Europe for my honeymoon during Zolder World’s in 2002 and my wife was nice enough to make a day of it. Will never forget it. Super excited for this one so close to home.
The east coast is so driveable and Richmond is within 10 hours of a whole lot of this country’s population. Leaving Thursday night, driving back to Jersey on Monday. Two vacation days will be worth spending. Can’t wait! If I spot you you’ve got a beer on me!
Wife, kids, second job, budget, aging parents etc. I signed up for my other priorities. …that is why I love coming here each day…to see how someone else does it. I wouldn’t give up my priorities to live another way…just like reading about another way….
Sounds great! Maybe that guy squatting at your house will mow my lawn sometime this weekend.
Richmond is within 10 hours of most of the country’s population, as long as you define county to mean east of the Mississippi. It would take me almost 8 hours just to get out of Texas. I’ll admit, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I should have planned better. I just burned thru most of my vacation last winter in the hell of the north, while my daughter was in the Mayo Clinic for a few months, so there is no way. I’m surprised there are hotels open downtown, although the cost is pretty high. Airfare and $350 a night for a hotel make for a pretty pricy weekend.
I’m definitely going, but then I’m in Raleigh, and it’s an easy drive. My wife and I went up and back on Sunday to watch both the men’s and women’s TTT. We’re heading up for the weekend Saturday morning. I’d be up all week, except for other priorities similar to that of Joe W.
Downtown is normally dead in Richmond (or was 20 years ago when we lived there). You either need to head to Shockoe Slip or Shockoe Bottom (follow the course to the east), or to the Fan (follow the course out Monument Ave.)
How in the world did we let a curmudgeon get ahold of one of our credentials????!
Ditto on Joe and Jeff, not on Bob.
If I wasn’t helping with a charity century here in Atlanta this weekend I would seriously risk incurring the wrath of the wife to go.
(yes, I am going to plug the century: Recsue1Century http://rescue1century.com)
You ARE out-of-tough Steve, I’m sorry to say. It’s a STUFF world rather than an experience world these days. All these so-called work commitments revolve around having STUFF, fancy houses, cars, bikes, electronic gadgets, etc. etc. I battle this all the time with efforts to convince bike riders to skip that next $10K bike purchase and instead spend the money to join us in one of cycling’s holy places – Italy. Despite boatloads of studies showing EXPERIENCES beat the crap out of owning ever more stuff when it comes to happiness, I fear it’s a losing battle. I treasure the memories of the ’86 and ’03 World’s I attended and went to both because as you point out, they were not that far away and held only rarely in North America. For the same reason we’ll be in Richmond from Thursday through Monday afternoon.
Enjoy the big show Steve! And thank you for encouraging others to participate as spectators, because that is what we need in order for cycling to grow and be a part of the mainstream sporting scene here in the USA. As far as commenting on your lifestyle, well I think it is an awesome one and you seem happy to me. As for the rest of us, we make our own choices, and some are happy and some are not. For those who choose to belittle your choice of lifestyle, Im guessing they are not too stoked about the choices they have made. Boo hoo…
So sorry Wildcat. I booked-out Steve’s house on AirBNB to allow me to go to worlds. That paid for the airfare. It also happens that the couple I rented the house to are (conveniently) from Richmond VA, so I’ll be squatting in their house while they’re staying in my (Steve’s) place in Topeka. Life is good!
The only way I can fly all over the country, spend a month-plus in Colorado, etc., is by working to get enough money to do so. No matter how many friends help me drive halfway across the country, I still can’t stay there a week, two weeks, or a month.
Just saying.
Same way one got elected President of UCI since forever…….I guess.
Steve,
Thanks for all the great blog posts and wonderful stories you have to share. I know it’s probably difficult, but please try not to let all the negative commentators on here bring you down. Why they feel compelled is beyond me. For every one of them, I’m sure there’s a few hundred folks like myself who enjoy following your adventures and are just happy to read about someone who is so stoked on bikes. Keep it up and have fun out there.
Steve, you sound ridiculous. Of course you don’t have kids, your “wife” is gone most of the year, and you simply travel wherever you feel like it whenever you feel like it. That is so off the charts living in a fantasy world it makes me laugh. You have never held a real job, have never raised children, and obviously have forgotten completely how the average person lives today. Enjoy your play time in Richmond, but don’t speak at the rest of us like we aren’t trying hard enough to take care of our families, which you have no concept of how to do since you don’t have one.
Spend your time making money & spend your love making time…
So many unhappy people just got to bring the man down.
Time & your body is all you really ‘have’ so use them wisely. Or bitch about all your responsibilties. Your mother…huh wife…kids (you had a choice?)…job (for the wife)…blah…blah.
That looks like a line-up photo. Good thing you didn’t drive the creeper van, you’d be arrested immediately
Drive all night to see a bunch of guys that just shot peds into their veins pedal by on bikes? Are you serious? I’d rather just go for a bike ride and feel the wind on my face.
You should stop off at the nearest WWE event on your way home. It’s just as real as that nonsense.
Och, I need a favor. I cant get a spur of the moment hotel room booked. Can I stay at the BMC flop house, too? I have groupies in tow.
euro, I bet you’d do your family a favor getting out of the house some. Smile some.
Ditto Gabriel and Ducky. Steve, don’t let the negative (if not self righteous) comments from a few be the voices you hear most loudly. Frankly, my lifestyle and many of my beliefs are very much different than yours, but I certainly don’t think you’re “wrong” and I’m “right”. I enjoy your posts and appreciate your perspective. I also have a strong appreciation for what you continue to accomplish athletically…..very inspirational.
” Complaints Dept. ” is NOT Located HERE !
Those arriving on this Blog KNOW that they are going to read of ” Tilly’s adventures ” and LifeStyle , so why treat the rest of us to their negatives ?
Bet those whiners aren’t commenting on the 2million doing the ” Haj “, i am sure there are Blogs that are relating the adventures of people at that Event ?
Each time i visit this Blog , i learn something , but , i see a lot of people HIDING behind a pseudonym that are JEALOUS of HIS choices .
Last year i hitched out of Austria to the Vuelta , arriving later than i had hoped . Because i have limited resources , i stayed in Very Cheap Hostel Accomodation even through to the end of the Worlds in Ponferrada before hitching back .
These were MY Lifestyle choices , but even though i accomplished a great deal in endeavouring to get ” Safe Cycling ” more visibility , i see few if any of the whiners visiting ” VisionZeroWorldWide ( see the photos ) ” to assist .
Seems they want an audience to see their Negativity ?
I didn’t need the dog collar , to talk to Och or Andy R., let alone Big Mig or Perico . Fact is the general public got a better deal there , than those that were in the fenced off areas !
IF i had got the means to be in Richmond , then i would have enjoyed seeing the upside down flags and potholes .
Only thing wrong about ” Tilly ” that i can see , is he is TOO Generous with his time and has not chosen to delete comments from the disenchanted . About time they were shown the road ?
Good luck to ALL the Racers , hope that you enjoy the experience , BUT , when you are back in the TRAFFIC next Week start using YOUR Social Media to ensure YOUR Fans remain safe !
UNLESS the Racers support ” Safe Pass of 5ft ” and ” Presumed Liability Laws ” then the rest of us will be left hoping to endure the road we are riding , rather than the knowledge that ” A. & E. ” is NOT part of a Bike Ride !
No room, Nudge. Some old dude with crazy hair showed up and took the last spot. Caught him digging thru our spare parts bin, too
Skippy, Stay away from the BMC VIP area. We have no more room
As of yesterday there were decent hotels in downtown and adjacent areas (the airport is 10 miles away) in the $50 – $100 range.
Steve is onto something regarding the road trip.
I just did a three day 1800+ miler from Chicago-Grand Island, Nebraska-Glenwood Springs, Colorado-Phoenix, AZ. 600+ mile days. Who would have thought that it’s solid corn from Chicago, Illinois to Eastern Colorado? Probably 800 miles of continuous corn farming. Blew my mind.
Mid west. Rocky Mountains. Navajo lands.
The USA is a huge country. So much to see. It’s affordable. And just a “sick call” away.