Bitterroot Classic Triathlon Allstars!

CONGRATULATIONS TRIATHLETES!

How about a big round of applause to all of those local triathletes that competed in the Bitterroot Classic Tri this past weekend. Looks like there was a lot of Orange out there again. This is a good fast-paced race that brought out some good times. Kudos to Monica LaBarge for taking the women's title. nice swim/bike/run girl. Props also go out to my friends Jean Higgins-Peretto and Lauren Fern for posting solid times!

And how about our consummate Master's Triathlete, Jeremy Oury and his daughter, Racine. Way to go you two!

Geoff L'Heureux taking the whole race, Bryan Broscious 2nd and Oury 3rd. Nice run Jeremy. Dean McGovern had a solid performance as did Jeff Crouch.

ADVERTISEMENT: Five Valley Velo Blog Administrator wanted. As most of you know I'm in California now and not so much a part of the local scene. I'd love to see this BLOG continue and I'm looking for someone to post on it. Anyone interested? It has been a blast this past year, posting basically anything I've wanted to post. (Thanks for putting up with me) Contact me if you're interested. It's a fun pastime.

Bearmouth from the Press Box

And I'm not talkin' about the Grizzly Headquarters on Van Buren!


All I can say about today's race is WOW. I had the opportunity to put on my first ever race today with the Bearmouth Road Race. I am a little bummed that I wasn't able to ride it, but I'm very glad to have been there supporting my team and (hopefully) putting on a choice event for the bicycle racers of Montana.


Susan and I got up early this morning and started up the Rocket, our two-person, stove top espresso maker. Weekends were made for caffeine, especially if you're out camping with 3 dogs! And you know that I have to be keen as Race Promoter for today's 64 miler out in Granite county.


The early morning cloud cover and light breeze made me feel easy. I knew that it would be a good day of racing. We pitched the trademark, Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo tent and started signing riders in. At first it was slow, but then the rush came. Bozeman was there in force (as usual), Flathead, Sportsman's and Great Northern were there. Five Valley, of course, was present and even a Spokane rider, Anthony Aleto, from Spokane. With the Master's men and Women we had 50 riders in total. This was a good showing for a mid-summer event.


I scrambled to find even 3 wheel cars and I had to man the 2nd turn around/feed zone as there were literally, only a handful volunteers from our team there to assist. Thanks Dean, Kyle, John and Miles for stepping up. A HUGE thanks to NRO for stepping up and providing 2 wheel cars. You guys were AWESOME.


Even so, we started within 10 minutes of our scheduled start time. First out was the biggest group of the day, the Cat 1/2/3 men. 24 riders, half the entire showing headed out. In them were Matt Seeley, Elliot Bassett, Willy Zellmer and John Weyrich. Today would turn out to be a test of the riders' resolve and ability to negotiate the climbs in 90 degree heat. Think of a stage through the Pyrenees during the tour. As I said, I was Marshall at the 2nd turn around (~mile 32) and Brad Morgan had a 30 second gap when he passed us. The riders took their water from us (thanks G.A.S. ladies) and started lap two. I was thankful to see our team all in the main group at the half way mark. Now only another hour and a half til the finish...


At 2:30 or so I talked to Shaun, who unfortunately didn't finish, and he said that he saw Weyrich out on a solo break during lap 2. Shaun figured it a sacrifice, but I wondered if the cagey veteran didn't have another plan in mind. We waited, I worried, and then we saw them round the last corner. It was a big group. They must have caught John. Who would be the winner? It was going to be close, and it was an incredible finish. Anthony Aleto (Emde) took it by 1/2 a wheel from our very own John Weyrich. Russ Schneider (Cat3 Flathead) was third, and first in his category. If you listen to the reel from the video, "WOW" just about describes how it looked. Seeley took 6th.


After the race I met up with John and it looks like he and Brad had it going on for a little while, but then Brad got into trouble and that left John along to hang on. Without Brad, a hard chase ensued. If the two of them had been able to work together, the entire outcome may have been different.


Men's master's B contained 6 riders, two from Five Valley Velo. Dean McGovern and John Weston were there to represent. Dean hung on to Big, Cliff Sheehan's (NRO) wheel for a solid 3rd place finish.


Men's Cat3's: Willy Zellmer has shown that he is learning how to play with the big kids in the playground with a 3rd place finish (10th in the bunch sprint). He's the one that looks like everyone else, deftly hiding his 15 year age!


Cat4/5 was graced with the presence of Dr. Struckman, who had to remember how to ride a bike, but came in with 3rd overall. I thought he was going to have it as he and Michael Longmire (Master's A, NRO) had about a minute on the field at the feed zone, but both of them must have tired over the hot asphault on the backside of the course. NRO crushed the field by taking 1,2 in the Cat4/5's and first (Longmire) in the A's. Nice work guys...we secretly hate you.


The ALL WOMEN'S field, Cat's 1/2/3/4 took off last (but not least). It was a powerful group of 9 women who battled it out over every hill and came down to the finish. Tamara Bessette (NRO) took it in the sprint, but Mario Schat hung in there 'til the end. Nice work ladies! You Cat4 ladies need to keep your radar out for Caroline Roy (Delphine) who took 3rd overall and 1st in her category.


A big thanks to the many who came out to race and the FEW who volunteered. The Bearmouth Road Race is truly a great race that suits any racer and we at Five Valley Velo have put it on for years. It would be a shame to let it die due to lack of team support in putting it on. We need more local races, not less.

Bearmouth this Weekend!

Hey there bicycle racing fans. Bearmouth is this weekend and it looks to be a hot weekend. Here are a few pictures of the course from last night's drive out there. The pavement is in good shape with only a few potholes that will be marked. It's really nice out there. Have a look.

See you Sunday!

BASSETT WINS MISSOULA MARATHON

Promising, young Elliot Bassett set out from Frenchtown at 6 am this morning with one objective; to win the 2nd Annual Missoula Marathon. And he did. Elliott finished the course in 2:44 and change, nearly beating the inaugural event's winner, Keifer Hahn, who had 30 seconds on him. Way to go Elliot!

The conditions were perfect for a "summer" marathon, that is, not a hundred degrees. Elliot found his pace (6:16/mi) and never looked back. The closest man to him finished a staggering 10 minutes back. Ouch!

So it looks like Team Stampede is back on top. Interesting how the Missoula Marathon keeps being won by cyclists, hmm.

I'll post the official results when they come in. NOW up: www.theracershub.com

Also check the video: http://videos.missoulian.com/p/video?id=1996974

BEARMOUTH ROAD RACE

Don't miss this summer "Classic" Road Race!

The Bearmouth road race is a go and will take place Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 11 am. This race is known for its desert-like appearance and conditions. Temperatures may reach 90+ degrees with very little shade. This race will test the will of the riders! There are no big climbs, but this course is one big set of rollers that will wear you down by the time it's all over.

So, who will bring home the glory? Will Northern Rockies continue to rob 5VV or will the Orange Crush dominate the field? Let's get a big turnout and show the rest of Montana how it's done. I'll post more in the next week, including a slide show to preview the course.

Paradise Lost - The Eden Race Report

Many of you are anxiously awaiting the details of this weekend's State Championship Road Race and I appreciate your patience. Here is my account from the back...

Sunday we awoke to rain and wind here in the Garden City. John, Nadia, Geraldine and I loaded up the now, NRO/5VV team van for our trip to Eden, Montana. I wasn't worried about our weather here as Great Falls is usually sunny, but how would the wind be?

We arrived at 9:30 am with the Men's Cat 1/2/3's slated to go off at 10:30. It was a beautiful, sunny morning with only a slight breeze. We began our pre-race rituals and warmed up some. But by 10:30 am the wind was steadily picking up. It would be a crosswind from the southwest today.

The fields were all scrawny, half the size of Star Meadows. Many riders, such as Bob Presta, Elliot Bassett and Matt Seeley were missing from the roster, so it would be a test. Who could keep it together in the wind and on the hills, over 46 or 75 miles of terrain, t be crowned the best of Montana's road racers for 2008.

Present was Willy Zellmer, the 15 y.o. junior from Missoula, in his Cat3 debut. John Weyrich and I rounded out the team. Again, this was a far cry from our dominant presence up in Whitefish. The Cat 4/5 field held NO Five Valley Velo riders, which I think is a travesty, seeing how we've been leading the MBRA series, both in individual and team standings. You guys really should've been here. You would have SWEPT the field. I know how you guys have been riding!

The women's fields were competitive, but also minuscule. I wouldn't be surprised if there were only a dozen ladies, total, in all of the fields. Northern Rockies took just about all of the placings, but our own Sarah Halverson came and rode hard. Nice to represent, Sarah!

Joel "Cosmo" Kramer took third in the juniors race. Joel has come a long way this year and you should be keeping an eye out for this guy over the next two years. I think he's got the toughness to make this sport a way of life for him!

So back to the Big Boys. John and I talked about each trying to get into a break to see where it might lead us. Without any real team it would be up to ourselves to make something happen. We took a neutral rollout and a slow climb up the first hill and then things began to develop. John went out in the first break, but was reeled in after only 5 minutes or so. Of course, there is a counter and some big names go up the road. This was also at the beginning of the first, big climb of the day. I worked hard to quickly bridge up to them and then began to climb. It was then that they put on the burners and cranked it up the hill. I immediately know that I wasn't going to be hanging with these guys and I eased up.

That was the race!

It was definitely my race, but also the race for everyone else, everyone who wasn't in that group. The pace that they set forced a hard chase from the peloton which quickly began to shatter. It was like a bomb had gone off in the middle of the bunch, halfway up this long, stairstepping hill and into the wind. WOW. I was quickly running out of steam and dropping back in the pack. By the time I crested the hill I was in the last group of two with Tomas Dubrovsky (G.A.S.). John had survived in the chase group, and Willy had made it up with Howard Williams, a solid rider. So at 12 miles or so into a 75 mile road race, I knew I wouldn't be finishing. We were on top of this plateau and the wind was fierce. And it was only Tomas and I. We began to work together, but also started a dialogue about just how far we would ride today. "One lap only" seemed to be the agreement as neither of us wanted to suffer out there for 4 hours.

The state Championship Road Race course was just that, a champion's course. It was 75 miles of rolling hills with two longer climbs and was an out-and-back-and-out-and-back-and-out-and-back course of three laps, measuring ~5400 vertical feet of climbing. And did I mention the wind? It was plenty enough to make a grown man cry.

So the field was split into several, small chase groups that were all probably only 30 seconds apart, so like any self-respecting cyclist we all gave chase. Nothing like continued and sustained pain to take your mind off the hills and the wind. Tomas and I chased. John chased. Howard and Willy chased. Shaun chased. At each turn around we could see that we were all within either seconds or minutes of the leading groups, motivating us to continue. Willy eventually tired and dropped from Howard back to us and finally Tomas dropped the two of us. Before I knew it we were climbing out of Eden (an oxymoron as far as I'm concerned) and beginning our final run to the finish. My legs were totally spent and Will gapped me. Now he should've waited for his (elder) teammate, but he's young and inexperienced so I didn't give him grief. We solo rode the last 15 miles at 45 seconds apart for the final two finishers of the day. A little different ending than I had envisioned.

The lead group of 6 or 7 riders thinned down to the final three: Kiefer Hahn, Josh Tack and junior, Marshall Opel. It came down to a sprint. Kiefer went at 200 mts, too soon. The other two came around to duke it out. Tack took Marshall at the line. John came in a respectable 8th or 9th. Final results should be posted soon.

So this seemed like a true Montana race. There was the battle of the terrain, the elements and the toughest riders this side of the Mississippi River.

~out~

The State Championship Road Race

A week from today Montana's strongest cyclists will be battling it out over the hilly, Eden road course. So who will be crowned "The Best?"

Eden is going to be exciting. It's a new course that has lots of climbing, open and exposed sections and at 75 miles (Cat1/2/3) should be tortuous. Will the Five Valley Velo boys come out in force? Will Montana Velo finally put together a winning combination or will G.A.S. continue to impose their will onto the peloton?

I can foresee lots of attacks on the hilly sections that will keep the pace high and the legs and lungs burning. G.A.S. will be organized and it will be up to the other teams to break them up. Matt Seeley took the "W" at Star Meadows last weekend and John Weyrich has been riding well, but NRO may be a little bitter and will definitely be gunning for them. Right now, I don't think anyone can beat Seeley!

The Cat 3's have been showing their strength over the last few weeks and several of them will be vying for the top spot. This course really suits the aggressive riding style of our own Elliot Bassett, but if Jean Meyer (RUR) or Bob Presta (NRO) get away, it's all over. I will be fighting just to stay in the group!

The Cat4/5 group should be a great race, as usual. This year's group of 4/5's has been big, bad and strong! Five Valley Velo's "farm club" has been dominating and it's been awesome to see. Looks like we're going to have even more guys moving up to the 3's by next year. I can see Twohig getting away, but with Rob Gillespie and Kyle Shannon riding better each week, it's anyone's race...Willy got his upgrade and will be racing with the "Big Boys" this weekend. Good luck Willy!

The other strong field has been in the women's Cat1/2/3/4. Tamara Bessette (NRO) has been riding with the men, so Danyel (NRO) has stepped up and will be hard to stop. Lisa Curry (G.A.S.) may be the strongest woman on the road, but without teammates, will find it hard to come up with the win. This race is too close to call.

So come next Sunday we'll find out who will be crowned the Kings and Queens of Montana road racing. Stay tuned.

Fish Trails Criterium Photos

It was cold and VERY wet.

TEAM STAMPEDE Rocks the 70.3

Now I knew we had a lot of talent on our team, but I have to say that I was awestruck to see all of the names listed in today's Missoulian. And that wasn't half of the athletes who competed in Half Ironman Triathlons this past weekend. Team Stampede showed the triathlon world again that we are a force to be reckoned with.

Beginning in Canada, "resident" Pro Triathlete Adam Jensen took 4th overall with a 4:10 time. Alison Forney Gorman took 1st in her age group (the fast women's group), and Donn Livoni beat everyone in his group by 20 minutes!

Congratulations to all of you who participated and thanks for showing North America how tough we are.

Oliver 1/2 Ironman

Adam Jensen (PRO) 4.10.41 4th

Dean McGovern 5.01.56

Jeff Bookwalter 5.04.23

Alison Forney-Gorman 5.04.50 6th, 1st AG

Edie Vanburkirk 5.22.37

Monica LaBarge 5.29.08

Renata Bush 5.32.48

Mark Hebblewhite 5.45.48

Boise 1/2 Ironman

Ben Hoffman (PRO) 4.01.55 6th

Brendan Halpin 4.18.15 18th

Michael Gordon 4.18.31 19th
Linsey Corbin (PRO) 4.34.17 4th

Geoff L'Heureux 4.28.51

Kyle Hummel 4.32.55

Joel Carlson 4.58.43

Jen Leubke 5.05.51

Jesse Agner 5.08.15

Rhea Fuller 5.09.16

Armando Gama 5.34.33

Mark Burke 5.48.23

Molly Bradford 6.42.14

Jennifer Vanderweide 7.46.05

I hope I got everyone!

Five Valley Velo-A Cow Country Classic

Wow, it looks like the team did fantastic over at Wolf Creek this past weekend. Our Cat4/5 team has become quite the dominant force in the peloton this year and we are starting to build up a Cat1/2/3 field. It may not be like the "good old days" yet, but I can see it coming. Our team is getting stronger and the vibe is so positive right now. Great job guys (and gals).

Jeff Twohig and crew rode hard all day and posted SIX guys in the top ten, but the performance of the day has to go to our junior "pro" Mr. Willy Zellmer. Willy had a 40 mile breakaway with Jason Ames that only got caught in the last mile of the race. Willy hung on to 4th. Kyle took 2nd, Rob Gillespie 3rd, Jeff 5th and Travis 6th places overall. Lucca Scariano made it in the top 10. I guess the team put a hurt on the peloton and dropped just about everyone!

I'm now feeling bummed that I didn't make it, but had other commitments. John W. and Elliot represented in the 1/2/3's over the long course. Good job for hanging in there guys. Next up, Whitefish, for the State Championship Criterium. Can anyone say "Fast and Furious?"

Big Thanks to Natasha Westphal for the photos.

Bon Voyage Triathletes

Good evening in the Garden City!

Missoula will be noticeably more quiet this weekend as we give a big send off to many of our triathletes. There are a pair of 1/2 Ironman Triathlons this weekend, Oliver in B.C. and the Boise 70.3.

We are sending a big team to each of these two events and there are bound to be a lot of yee haws and cowboy hats to let everyone know that the Stampede is there. Good luck to all of you. You have trained hard and I hope you all have great races!

The half-iron is the perfect race as far as I'm concerned (not that I've ever raced in one). It pushes you to train long and hard, but isn't as devastating on the mind and body as the full Ironman. It tests one's endurance and takes months of preparation, something you can all be proud of. If I didn't
suck so badly at swimming, I'd be right there with you.
But alas I am more reptilian these days than amphibian, so you'll have to go it alone. But maybe next year...

Have a great weekend everyone and let the rest of us know how it went.


photos are from the '08 Grizzly, of course

More Photos

Now that's what I call racing.

Tour of the Bitterroot - Day 2

So this is what Sunday morning looked like. Do
like it? The Criterium, or Crit as it is called, is an
adrenaline-charged, fast paced race around a short
multiple corner course. It's exciting to watch and
even more so to race. The pace is set high and it's
survival of the fittest, literally.



The day began with the juniors (which I wasn't there to see) then the Men's Cat5/ Master's B. There were several new-to-crit racers including our own Travis Howard, who when I met up with him later said, "Man, what a rush." He's hooked!

The women's Cat4's were next and TS5VV's Jen Luebke rode hard and put up a good showing for our team. Way to go Jen!

The men's Cat4/ Masters A race was the big showdown between 5VV and G.A.S. and between Big Al Gallegos and Michael Longmire (NRO).
Alex put the hammer down from the start and began to make everyone hurt. This race saw many riders unable to keep up with the pace and those who were left were grimacing. It came down to Alex taking the "W" over Longmire. Brian Fryckman (G.A.S.) was also trumped by our own Jeff Twohig in his first Crit win. Right on Jeff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A shout out for former teamie, Howard Williams for taking the Omnium GC, the whole tamale.

Alex's wife, Sarah returned to racing this year and fought hard in the Women's Cat1/2/3 race, but it was powerhouse, Tamara Bessette (NRO) who took top honors. Nice racing ladies.

In the men's Cat1/2/3 race it was hot from the word GO. Five Valley Velo had a solid team of 5 riders. John Weyrich and Adam Jensen raced the 2's while Elliot, Brendan and I cut our teeth as Cat3's. Our field was a combined total of 25 riders and was rockin'. Racing with the big boys is a lot faster, but also much smoother and generally safer. I felt good for half the race then fell off the back, but Jensen, John and Brendan mixed it up and did well. Elliot raced well, but it was Bob Presta (NRO) who took the field sprint and won it for the 3's. The Cat1/2 win was a two lap breakaway by Missoulian, John Curry (G.A.S.) who called his move, "perfect timing." Nice work guys. I'll talk more about the Time Trial tomorrow.

Tour of the Bitterroot - Day 1

Today was hard. Today was wet. Today was awesome.

Stage 1 of the TofB was the road race with distances ranging from 27 miles to 75 miles. The course is the same as last year with two major climbs per lap, Airport Rd. and El Capitan. They're not big climbs, but are always taken at a hard pace and often decide the outcomes of the races.

Five Valley Velo came out in force with all categories represented. Congrats to Sarah, Renate and Jen for representing the women's fields. You ladies rock! The men's Cat5/Masters B field had several triathletes (including Jeremy, Donn and John from the bitterroot), Travis and Greg. The men's Cat4/Masters A's was totally stacked with all the usual suspects and for the first race in a long time, we had 5 guys in the men's Cat1/2/3 race. Too bad we didn't get Seeley to race with us for a big 6.

Now I didn't get to talk to everyone after the races, so there will be a lot more info coming by the end of the weekend, but FVV did GREAT! Greg Larsen won the Cat 5 race, we had 3 of the top 7 spots in the 4's (Willy, Jeff T. and Rob Gillespie) and Adam Jensen WON the Cat1/2 with a killer sprint at the top of Airport Rd. Great job guys. Sorry, but I don't have the stats for the women yet, but will get them soon.

Today was torture for some as well. Steve Zellmer crashed hard in the Cat4 race and the weather was the demise of many a cyclist. I was bringing in a solid last place in the Cat1/2/3's until my chain snapped with 3 miles to go! There were lots of DNF's that took us out of contention for the Omnium overall, but we will still get to race for some of the cash and primes in tomorrow's Crit and Time Trial. Today sort of reminded me of Frozen Flatlands as it poured rain for almost the entire race. Brrr!

So lets hope for better weather tomorrow and for another great day of amatur bicycle racing here in western Montana. Signing off.

Tour of the Bitterroot - A Call for Volunteers

The Tour of the Bitterroot Omnium is this weekend and Team Stampede is sponsoring it. This means that we need LOTS of volunteers to make it run smoothly and safely. Now is the time for all of the triathletes and cyclists to step up and volunteer in any way possible. If you aren't racing definitely be there to help out. We need marshalls for the road race and crit, for the feed zone at the top of Airport Rd. and lots of registration jobs. Contact Robin Pruitt at robin.pruitt@bitterrootlandtrust.org or our own John Weyrich at john_weyhrich@yahoo.com

I'm not sure, but we should be getting together this week to discuss volunteer jobs. If not, just show up Friday night for the sweep as we will be driving down to the Stevensville Road Course to sweep up the corners. Or show up early on Saturday (~11am) at the St. Mary's Mission in Stevensville. You will definitely get a job. Thank you all so much for supporting the cycling half of the team!

It will be awesome to see all of you on the corners as we go racing by. Be sure to look for lots of orange as we will be out in big numbers this weekend. The Tour of the Bitterroot is a classic and is the highlight of our racing season. Our Cat 4 and Cat 5 fields are stacked! Cat 1,2,3 will see the likes of Elliot and I, John Weyrich and hopefully Matt Seeley (2nd last year). And maybe we'll even get some women this year.

The Long Awaited Belt Race Report

Hey Y'all. Sorry about the delay, but here is a nice, little report, courtesy of our own Jeff Twohig, recounting the day's events. Jeff took second in the Cat4/5 road race last Saturday and Five Valley Velo posted strong standings again. Way to go boys!

Jeff wrote: When I showed up for the RR with Kyle and our fresh legs, from not doing the TT, we were informed that Willie had rode a great TT (Willy took 2nd). Since he had the best shot at the overall (Omnium), Willy would be our protected rider for the day.

With the wind at our back on the first stretch out of Belt we cruised the first few miles of the race with Steve Zellmer (4th in TT- NRO), Kyle, Howard Williams (Great Northern Cyclery), Tamara (NRO) and myself up front. Andrew, the Mountain biker from Missoula, launched an attack on an early climb. With nobody giving chase, he managed to open up about a 1/2 mile gap. This gap was closed a mile or 2 after heading into the back stretch with the fierce head/cross winds.

After a few minutes of slow pace and no action, Miles and Tamara Attacked into the stiff wind and stretched out the peloton into single file. Guys were trying to find any draft they could. Once Miles and Tamara got caught, I decided to counter attack from about 7 spots back, at about mile 15. By the time I passed Tamara I had a good head of steam, put my head down and hammered into the wind.

I looked back after 3-4 minutes, expecting to see the peloton right behind me. To my surprise they were a good 200-300 yards back, so I continued to push. Knowing I had teammates to block or sit in, I pushed as hard as I could to make the other teams work. However the wasn't much willingness to chase a solo break early into the race. At the turn the peloton was about 3 minutes back, and I thought, "I might be able to stay away".

After the turn, Brian Fryckman (GAS) , another GAS rider and 2-3 others pushed hard to chase in earnest. I know Kyle, and Travis worked hard to keep Willy with the chase group, but the chase group got away. Just before the top of the last climb, having gapped the remaining chasers, Brian caught me and created a gap for himself. My 18 miles off the front had come to an end.

Working together to insure 1st and 2nd, Brian and I worked into the wind on the home stretch and with about 300 yards to go and Brian on my wheel, I asked my weary legs for one more good effort. I pushed down on the cranks, out of the saddle, but my legs told me we would be finishing second today...

Willy finished just off the podium in 4th Overall (9th in the RR) & I finished 6th (I should have done the TT!). Other finishing numbers were: Kyle (11th RR), Travis (13th), Ely (17th) and juniors Joel Kramer (2nd in 13-14yo) and Adam Cook (1st 17-18 yo). A job well done. I (ErikD) struggled the entire day and placed way down in the Cat3 Omnium. All I could think of was high school initiation...ouch.

Team Stampede's First Annual Spring Potluck/Kickball Tournament

That's right, you heard it. This Monday night was what I hope will become an annual tradition-the Spring Kickball Tournament. We had a blast!

It was a beautiful night...no rain, and there was A LOT of food and beer. Being athletes, most of the dishes were some kind of past, but the college kids didn't disappoint and served us up with Taco Bell and Albertson's chicken. YUM.

Kyle passed out the new team kits and they are sharp. Although Jeremy's tri suit does look a little see through. It should make for an interesting Bitterroot Triathlon.

All-in-all it was a good night of socializing and team bonding. It's events like these that keep me coming back to the team. Thanks guys and gals for a fun night.

Belt, Montana

The Belt Omnium is this weekend! This is the first road race after the Rocky Mountain Roubaix and Five Valley Velo is planning on sending a strong group of Category 4 and 5 riders. So far we have Jeff Twohig, Ely Wilkinson, Kyle Shannon and Willy Zellmer. All of these guys have been coming on strong over the past few weeks. In the Cat 1,2,3 we won't be as well represented, but I'll try and make a go at it.

Belt is a great, early season road race and is a must-do for anyone who is planning on racing The Tour of the Bitterroot. This race consists of a 5 mile time trial in the am and the 40 mile road race in the pm. The road course is a rolling hills course without any big climbs. The one thing that riders may have to contend with is the wind. Let the Orange Crush dominate like we did at the Roubaix. I'll post a report after the race.

Check this guy out!

Glory Days

I worked this weekend at the hospital and when I rotate through my weekend I have to take a couple of days off, one each week. So today, I had the day off. It was one of those perfect days. I got to sleep in, make a bacon and eggs breakfast, caffeinate (on tea, remember..wife, no coffee) and get ready for a late morning group ride. Now that is my kind of day!

But it got me thinking about old times as I never get to do this sort of thing, being the 8 to 5'er that I am. I did get a nice taste of this last Monday, too. Thanks for the company Linsey.

So I rolled up to Le Petit and grabbed my pre-ride croissant. I have to say that I'm liking the whole Le Petit vibe, not to mention their awesome baked goods. The group gathered. Alex and Sarah, Monica, Travis, David G. and I and we headed out.

The sun was warm and the pace was easy. I could have happily napped on the back of the paceline. I started daydreaming about my days as a college student...when I had free time to make the daily group rides that our local club put on. I was a club rider long before I was a racer. My idea of fun was a few hours of casual riding to a nice bakery where we could have a pastry and espresso and then motor back home. We had all of our favorite routes, determined by the destination food stop. But don't think Missoulians on Bicycles folks. These guys (and gals) moved along nicely and we covered some ground. And there was always one significant climb that was involved.

We cycled up Hwy 200 and Alex reminisced about his racing days, when all he had to do was ride the bike. Sara wore her vintage, Louisville club jersey and the two of them rode side-by-side like boyfriend and girlfriend, no kids, no worries. David could've been on a country road west of Kalispell and Monica on Ironman Canada, both putting in endless miles. And Travis was sporting a symbol of a past conquest with his LOTOJA jersey. There was a great mix of riders, just like the group rides of my past.

Alex and Sara turned back at the Potomac store and the rest of us headed up towards Lubrecht. At the Garnet turn off we made the right and began the nearly 4 mile climb to the end of the pavement. It has been a few years since I've done this hill and with its 14-18% grade sections about ripped our legs off. It reminded me so much of the canyons in the Santa Monica or San Gabriel Mountains that we used to ride. Our food stop was the Potomac Store, a far cry from Cafe Casino in Santa Monica, but allowed us a few minutes to refuel before working the last 25 miles home.

So thanks to everyone who played a part today in jogging my memory and stirring up some happy images.