Okay, T-minus a few hours. I don’t think I’m riding that good, but sometimes I surprise myself. I hope today is one of those times. Whatever the result, it is going to be a good day. I have ridden this course so many times, there is nothing out there that I don’t know.

I did an interview a couple days ago and one of the questions was, “Why do you like the Chequamegon Fat Tire so much?” I answered that one of the main reasons the race attracts my interest is because I do well at it sometimes, even though the course doesn’t suit me. Chequamegon is really a power rider’s course. It is nearly a gravel road race now. I usually need some technical and sketchy sections to separate myself from the guys I race here. But, for some reason, one that I can’t really identify, I sometimes have a bunch of power racing here.

That being said, it is what it is. I wish that Gary would give us number plates that reflected the rider’s place from the previous year. Most everyone here knows me, but I only know a few of the guys that are up in the front group for the first hour.

Honestly, I think there are going to be a lot of riders together at the finish. Lots of the sections that help weed the group down to the “good” guys have now been turned into maintained roads. I would really be surprised if the winning time isn’t less than 2 hours. The course is a little different, especially at the end, but it is essentially the same race. Someone is going to win. I sure hope it is one of the guys that have paid their dues racing their mountain bikes and not one of the guys here to “cherry pick” the race.

Catherine, Gary CrandAll, and Trudi.

Our gang heading out to pre-ride the course.

This is the woman that registered me tonight. She took my license, looked up at me and said, “I guess you’re the one.” Made my day.

I met my old Raleigh team mate, Mark Frise at the expo. His friend from LaCross, Jamie, was doing an expo for the Davis Phinney Foundation.

This is really the brains behind the Fat tire, Trish.

This is Gwen going out for a 12 mile run, after riding with us on MTB bikes. Then she swam 3 ish miles. I think she burned more calories than the rest of us yesterday.

Matt Busche, Nissan-RadioShack, won the race today up here in the North woods. He dropped Mike Anderson, Bissell, with less than 2 miles to go. I was having a pretty off day. I finished 10th, which was about the best I could have done, which is good, I guess. I rode the last 1/2 the race by myself, after getting popped out of the front group on a road section. I’ll write more later. Here is a link to the complete results. There is a bunch of wood to cut, split, and stack. Plus, margaritas to drink.

Matt telling me the play by play of the finish.

Top 20. Click twice to enlarge.