Inane Asylum

Well, today was Paris Roubaix…the Queen of the Classics. And it was one for the books. I woke up at 5:30am and quickly called it up on my computer…used Eurosports this time. The feed was flawless, only when I go full screen (I have a 22” widescreen monitor) the guys get a bit fuzzy…definitely NOT HD! But the price is right…thou I do miss Phil & Paul & Bobke.

I picked up the action right at 65k to the finish. And it seems it was just the right time. Boonen had just crashed AGAIN and was picking himself off the deck. His teammate Chauvenel was also on the deck at least twice I think…and whereas Boonen later abandoned, I saw Chauvenel regaining the peleton with his kit all torn up. You ROCK Sylvian!

And the real action was up front…the large breakaway composition working against Fabian. It’s a real shame Leopard Trek doesn’t seem to have anybody to support Fabian in these classics…if only he had a guy in the break. As it was, Thor did and was able to mark Fabian. I loved it when Fabian did split the chase group, but Thor was able to make the split and finally Fabian realized that he might well pull Thor all the way to the front. So he sat up. Certainly Thor wasn’t going to pull for him with a teammate (and eventual winner) up in the break. And I can’t fault Fabian for not wanting to pull Thor to the front. I was sad for Fabian…the strongest man in the race all alone, unable to go for the win. Thor (who certainly was entertaining thoughts of winning himself) most likely would have LOVED to help Fabian get to the front (or maybe not…hard to say). I give credit thou…Thor played the teammate and just sat marking Fabian. It must have been killing him, especially as the kilometers dwindled away and both their chances to win were finally gone. Sure, it’s great for the team to get the win…but Thor surely wanted that win for himself.

And you can’t take away anything from Spartacus…when he FINALLY got Thor off his wheel (at 3.7k to the finish) he lit off like he had an engine in his bike! And when push came to shove and they finally crossed the line in Roubaix, he wasn’t far behind! If it had been another kilometer he would have taken the win. But you can’t take away anything from Van Summeren either…he was the good teammate until it became clear (or was it?) that the chase group wasn’t going to make it, and was given the ok to fly for the win. It LOOKED like Rast on Radio Shack was going to get at least third…and then Spartacus unleashed his unbeatable breakaway and surged ahead of all but Van Summeren. It was just awesome to watch. Had Fabian been able to actually catch Van Summeren, well…I think Thor would have been cursing the tactics. But even if Thor had helped Fabian go to the break, I don’t think he would have been able to match Fabian’s move when it inevitably came. But we will never know…because this one is in the books, and we have a breakaway winner for a change. Garmin gets the results (Vaughters must be beside himself!) on a dusty dry day.

It was an awesome race and I can only be sad that I had to watch it all fuzzy on my PC (note to Team Leopard Trek: I had a VERY hard time picking out Fabian..your kits look too much like Team Sky’s….please do something about that if you don’t mind!)

On a personal note, I went Mt biking both days this weekend (Jeannie was doing our taxes and such and didn’t care to do anything, and also didn’t mind getting me out of the house…good for me!) So I hammered pretty much all of the Cuesta Ridge just north of San Luis Obisbo. On Saturday I rode the east side (I had to cross the 101 freeway on my BIKE at the top of the grade to get over to the east side….and then again to get back over to the west side on the way home….a bit harrowing I must say). On the east side I can only go about 5 miles back where it hits wilderness and personal property. But the views are awesome, and right now everything is still green. After I did my measly 10 miles out and back on the east side I rode up the west side and did the Morning Glory loop. The downhill that I took SHOULD be called the Rocky Balboa loop…I can’t recall a rockier ride. Pretty spooky coming down fairly narrow singletrack that is just pure rocks..some that move and some that don’t. For sure you DON’T want to crash going downhill in rocks…that’s how you break an arm, or wrist, or worse. The climb back up the ridge is pretty nice singletrack. Only problem is that the downhill’ers use it to go downhill…fast. They shuttle up in the back of trucks and then BOMB the downhill. Which isn’t too cool..it’s a multi-use trail. There are always hikers and runners going both directions. But I guess they don’t care. I know a few scared the bejesus out of me. Whatever happened to the rule “the climber has the right of way”? The downhiller’s don’t know that rule I can assure you. No wonder most everybody hates them. I hate them! (well, not hate, but surely I HUGELY DISLIKE them for sure). And there are horses here now and then too. I bet THAT goes over well. 

Anyway, today I went right back to the Cuesta grade and did the West side again, this time going all the way back on it to Hwy 41 (that cuts across between Paso Robles and the Cambria area). Well, I didn’t actually get TO the hwy…but I did make it to (and did) the Cerro Alto loop, which is 5 additional miles and 1500 MORE feet of climbing. At the far point the loop brings me withing about a mile or 2 of the highway. I had never done the Cerro Alto loop and was wanting to try it someday…and today was that day. The climb back up to the Cuesta Ridge from the Campground was crazy STEEP! It climbed over a thousand feet in just one mile…I think that puts the grade up around 18 to 20%. All I know is that it almost killed me. After the climb back up to the ridge I was spent…and I still had 12 hard miles of ridge-line to get back to my car. And like any ridge trail, it goes up and down and up and down and up and down…you get the picture. By the time I was in the final 3 miles I was ready to lay down and rest….I was beat and my neck was hurting. But I finished the ride… 28 miles, 5000’ of climbing in just under 4 hours of ride time (this is not counting the time I stop to eat).

The legs are coming back, and it’s always so much more fun to go Mt biking than road biking I have re-learned. I still plan to road ride after work and such, but for now will concentrate on the dirt for awhile. Though I will need to get busy on the road sometime before July…as I have the LIVESTRONG ride to do as part of Team Fatty (on the 10th of July). Greg will be there, and he is in ANIMAL mode right now…on Sat while I was out playing on the ridge, he was doing the first of this years California King of the Mt series…the Mullholland Challenge. It was 112 miles, 12,750 feet of climbing…haven’t yet heard how he did, but last year he finished in around 9:20 and was hoping to break 9 hours this year…from what I’ve seen when we’ve ridden this year I’m sure he beat that. 

OK. Another week has gone. April is here in full swing, hopefully the crazy weather we’ve had will leave us and give way to our ‘usual’ central coast weather.Wherever you are, get out and do SOMETHING fun!

Game ON.