It’s kind of hard getting back into any type of normal flow of life when you’ve been so focused on one thing for such a long time. I have a crazy long list of stuff I need to get done before I just hang for a little while, but I can hardly stand trying to prioritize it. Yesterday seemed to have gone by in a flash. I barely got my equipment and van washed before the sunset. I did get out for a couple hour ride, since it was so warm.
I don’t get the number of vacation days Americans get from their jobs. Two weeks to start? That is insanely, stupidly low. I can blow two weeks in a week. Europeans have us beat, hands down, in the vacation category.
Speaking of vacations, I can’t believe how many guys I talked to the last couple weeks that said they were taking a “vacation” from their bikes hanging them up for the next month. Like they were sick of riding them and the season was too long. The season was long because of the movement of cross nationals to January, but come on. I love riding my bike. Why would I want to hang it up for a month? If I have an extra month to do whatever I want to do, I ride my bike. Those guys must not really like it that much. I can’t live without it.
I have no idea why it is taking so long to rule on Contador. This whole process is so long and drawn out that it seems comical. If they kick the guy out for 2 years, nearly 2 years after his tested positive, it seems plain stupid. There was probably something weird was going on during the Tour, when he tested positive, but sorry guys, you didn’t really catch him properly, so try again later.
Did you guys see Jeremy Power’s new national jersey? I think Ralpha makes so pretty good clothing, but I’m not big on this. It is a little too retro for my liking. The rows of stars seem strangely out of place. It sort of reminds me of a confederate flag.
It seems weird that the road season has started and the Pro Tour riders are racing right now in Australia. When the Tour of Texas was in March, it was hard to get into reasonable shape by then. I don’t get much out of shape now, so it would work for me, but for guys that live further North, it isn’t doable. I was telling Adam Bergman, from Minneapolis, about Battenkill in April and he said that it was pretty early for them. It is funny when we go up to Iowa in April and see all the guys from Minnesota and it’s the first time they’ve ridden bare legged all season.
I had hoped to have caught up on sleep by now, but it seems to be alluding me for some reason. I probably have too much going on in my brain and need to get a handle on it. Routine does that some. I usually go out of my way to avoid routines, but sometimes it is okay for short periods.
Jeremy's National Jersey.
See the similarity?
Photo I took walking through the pits at Louisville on Sunday.
Pretty organized and prioritized. Beer seems to be the first
priority here.
Ah, the old Stars and Bars. Here in Virginia, Capital of the Confederacy then and now, we see that everywhere from baby diaper covers to monster trucks. Rapha, being Euro and such, probably didn’t see the similarity. Hope that some of that hateful stuff gets cleaned up before UCI Road Worlds comes to Richmond in 2015. Sorta like seeing swastikas in Berlin.
Something wrong with the confederate flag?
@Sal-
That’s not the stars and bars that Steve has pictured. It’s the confederate battle flag. The battle flag was developed because the “Stars and Bars” looked too much like the union flag. They were getting shot at from their own troups. Yeah, you guessed it, I’m from the South.
@Mark Dotson-
Nicely explained – I learned something.
Thank you-
And, you guessed it, I’m from the North….
It seems to me that the cross season is too long in the US. Not because they changed nationals, but that the racing begins in September, long before road racing is close to ending!
As for the US National Champ jersey, whatever happened to respect of tradition? I am sick of everyone in recent years taking liberties with the design. The “official” jersey issued by USAC should be the design, period; you don’t see the Belgians or Dutch messing with their design. For something to mean something, it has to mean something.
personally I don’t really want to stop riding my bike, I just want to take a vacation from racing…the constant travel grind is nice to put away for a while.
That jersey is retro cool and doesn’t look any more like the much hated flag that has come to represent a refusal to change, than our nations own official flag. It’s red, white and blue and has stars and stripes. I like their style and would love it if they mailed me a L jersey and 1305 Fairview Rd. #2, Atlanta, GA 30306, wink, wink.
Congrats on your win Steve. That Gunnar Shogren is a good mover himself and almost as legendary as you in the East. Good show dude! Also, Thomas “Tucker” in the 30+ is Thomas Turner. He’s our super nice Atlanta area star. A tough loss for a great guy.
Yeah
Somethings wrong with it. It represents racism to a lot of people .it sucks plain and simple
It kinda of looks like a baseball uniform rather than a National Champion’s cycling jersey.
i don’t see the similarity. i like the jersey.