PIGS FLEW TODAY

HOLY CRAP...did that really just HAPPEN????

PIGS FLEW YODAY YES THEY DID AND ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH WON THE ATHENS TWILIGHT CRITERIUM. NO JOKE. I can't believe it myself.
I found myself in an early break and 8 of us lapped the field. My teammate marco aledia dragged me around for the last 15 laps, turning himself inside out for me--there is absolutely no way I could have done it without him. With 6 laps to go there were 2 enormous crashes that I managed to avoid. I ended up staying upright and taking the win.
It was INCREDIBLE...I still can't believe it.
YES I DID WIN TWILIGHT...UNBELEIVABLE!!!!!
Gotta love the crits. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN SO DON'T STOP RACING UNTIL ITS OVER.
There will be a full report and tons of pictures of all the podium girls and myself coming soon!! Check this out in the meantime masiguy
Here is the only picture that matters out of everything...

Fastest Lap--have no idea when it was, but I'll take the $$

Podium

THE A&F BOYS AND GIRL

so far so good in athens

so far so good on our huge road trip. We did the qualifying on computrainers last night. I managed to win my heat with an average wattage of 449 for 6k and went on to get 2nd in the finals. It was sweet, and as a result I get a first row call up and get to wear #2 in the race today. The finals had 8 podium girls who were very easy on the eyes. I will post pictures in a little bit, but it was AWESOME. Our team is having a great time and everything is going well. Tonight is the big race so hopefully the front row call up will make life a bit easier. $RICH$ is currently telling me how good combos are for you for pre race food and then how they help the beer afterwards.
stay tuned.
Jim Baldesare has bleach blond hair and is super pretty right now.

waiting to race

Not much going on here these days. We leave fri for the USA SE CRIT SERIES. 8 races, all at night, and all worth 10k. I can't wait. My leg is bouncing up and down as we speak. It will be a ton of fun. 7 people living out of a van for a week and half. WOW.
Happy Birthday to my brother Rich. He is 31 today...gettin old. crazyness. So i thought I would post some pictures for him. Here is chad (boss man) lubing up his legs. So sexy.

This is $RICH$ not my brother...thank goodness. $RICH$ is modeling his new rudy project "hater blockers" looking good there playa.

finally did it

I finally did it!!! I cracked the top ten in an NRC race!!! I somehow managed to lap the field in dark rain soaked 90 minute crit! IT WAS INSANE.
It was pouring at the start (8pm) and I hit the deck within three laps hard, no worries, took a free lap, worked up to the front again, hit the deck hard and slid 15 meters into a curb, took another free lap, worked my way up to the lead group again, three slid away, i was in the first group, crashed for the third time, took another free lap, worked my way back up, pretended to go for a prime and took off, two bridged up to me and we lapped in probably 9 laps, after that I sat in and tried not to break my collar bone (i think there were at least 2 of those breaks last night). I ended up 6th. There were 120 starters, all super fast people. It was surreal. One racer commented that it was like vietnam. I wasn't in nam, althoug I am old today (my birthday is today--shameless plug) 29 Years Old now...WOW. Anyway it was straight out of a vietnam movie. It was dark and pouring with random super bright lights and there were literally bodies flying EVERYWHERE. One crash I slid 15 meters on the pavement into a curb, really. I would like to thank those kind drunk people on turn 1 for catching me and pulling me back up and encouraging me. People were dumping it everywhere. It was an epic race and I can't believe that I managed to pull out that result. It may not seem that big and all, just 6th, but NRC races are the real deal and to get a top 10 as an amateur is a dream i have had for my entire life.
I almost quit after each crash, but I kept on going, you never know what is going to happen in these races. This is so exciting for me, as the criterium season is gearing up in full swing here within the next two weeks. Hopefully I will survive these crazy races.
I like the rain for the simple reason that if you crash, you slid, and it doesn't hurt to bad, although I have random bruises and cuts all over my body and i tacoed a $1000 wheel--on its maiden voyage. Thank goodness for sponsors.
Ha this is a birthday i will never forget(i think it is narcisistic to mention that a second time). I am so happy, i think my broken wrist was the best thing that ever happened to me by forcing me to chill out and put everything into perspective.
So enough gushing--it is 230am and I just got home from driving 8 hours in the car so I feel a bit weird now and i should prob just go to bed.

FLORIDA HERE WE COME

So the season is already here already. Tommorow night is the first NRC criterium on our schedule for the year, and after that it is balls to the wall for while here. I can't believe it is already the middle of april. Time goes by so fast its crazy. I am more excited to race this year than I can remember. I don't know if it was the long layoff, or the feeling that I actually might have trained properly for the last four months; either way I am excited to race.
This weekend is going to be fun $RICH$ harper and myself are driving down to jacksonville together and stopping in at the rock hill street sprints on the way. $RICH$ is hoping to choke again this year and get second after a stellar leadout. Saturday night is the big race under lights in downtown jacksonville. Sunday morning we do a 100 mile road race in fl as well, and then drive home.
Should be fun, the team always seems to make things fun regargless of the situation.

What does this thing sound like?

I wonder if I remember how to put this thing together?

Oh yeah...reeds...yeah.

I wonder what all these buttony things do?

Look, pigs must have flown today, I am actually practicing. Oh yeah, I actually enjoy this, I keep on forgetting.

Yes I did it, I finally dusted it off and put it together, I guess I have thinking about it quite a bit lately and finally decided that with my obscene amount of down time (when I am home) I might as well be productive...go figure. I forgot how much I actually enjoy playing, isn't that funny. I was relived to find that I didn't forget at all how to play. I even played for an hour before my lips completely gave out. In bike terms the way I played today would be the equivalent of taking an entire year off the bike and then clipping in and IMMEDIATELY doing zone 5 sprints for an entire hour. In bassoon terms I instantly played through Rite of Spring followed by Beethoven 4 solo followed by some Marriage of Figaro and now my mouth feels really weird. No long tones in this house!

The Party Continues

Winston-Salem is the best place to live. It has been so warm here, in the 80's everyday. It has been wonderful. I hear it is cold in MI, that is really to bad.
My brother, Rich, and sister in law, Rachael came down to visit me this past weekend, it was great weather for them and we had a bunch of fun. Rich and I got some good warm weather riding followed by some really tasty beer. They brought down oscar (dog) who evidentaly is terrified of cows.
Rich and Me after the ride (with oscar)


Other than that I have just been quietly training my ass off in preparation for our first NRC (National Race Callender) Race next weekend in Jacksonville FL. It will be interesting to see how we do. I feel like the fitness is coming around, but those races are so dangerous and such a crap shoot that anything can happen. I LOVE IT. It is like you are either going to do well or leave on a stretcher...JUST KIDDING MOM. They are actually quite safe...nothing like racing at 30+MPH at night, in the rain, around painted turns, in a pack of 150 crazy cyclist.
I can't wait .
Enjoy the snow MI...I am on my way to buy more sunscreen.