The Horn Squad

It is almost time for the SF Grand Prix and I am signing up members for The Horn Squad. Buy your shirt and meet me in the city...its a fun day.

I like Chris Horner...but you have to admit, he's kind of a dick. That said he's the most interesting American at the tour this year given he's smart racer, fit, and willing to kill for some Euro results.

At the end of the day he always tells it like it is. Sadly it comes off sounding a little like he's a total asshole. Examples below...

• Tour de Suise Vincenzo Nibali wouldn't work
• 2005 US Pro Pate wouldn't work
• 2004 Olympic Trials MCartney wasn't the best guy

I'm totally psyched he made it to the tour with his win in Switzerland. He's been the blue collar star of US cycling for the last several years. His stint, and dominance on Webcor last year wast cool. He's always willing to lay it down for teammate as seen at last years SFGP for Charles Dionne and the US Pro championship for Mark McCormack in 2003.

His ride at the tour into Montpellier had me on the edge of my seat. And the best party is he was fined swiss france for throwing a water bottle at a guy that wasn't working in his break and then tried to take off. Show those frogs how its done Chris! God i bet it felt good to nail that guy.

I envision him being this blue collar guy wholives in Bend, OR to save money and has a million kids. Thats so cool...i think the only problem is he's not smart outside of cycling. I think he could be the first good American Director Sportif when his career winds down. Next year will be interesting with him riding at Davimaton Lotto with Freddy and McKewan.

Regardless I am forming a fan club called the Horn Squad. The point being you honk when he wins anything. It would be like when the Portuguese or Mexicans beat anybody in soccer...you drive around in your car with flag on the window honking. Join me...i'm getting an air horn.

Le Tour Preparation - American Style

It's the only time of year that leaves a hole in my heart when it is over. The tour has replaced Christmas as my favorite holiday. Every fan has his own way of getting ready...


1. Place your bets
that's right...get them in while its hot. The odds suck...10-11 for lance to win but hey, its easy money. I got my 20 in this year. Last year I lost on Kerry, I lost on Tyson, but lance made it all back. I'm ready to go.

To get going

• Go to www.sportsbook.com
• Create Login and well...Login
• Go to "Other" bets in nav
• Scroll to "Exotic" (how weird is that)
• Click "Tour de France"
• Do you damage

2. Set up your TDF Fantasy team on Cyclingnews.com

These games always frustrate me but I play none the less. I can't really get the strategy down. I like to pick names I know and last year I spent a shit load on Pettachi..and he SUCKED. I like Horner this year, he's going for a stage. He wants to be the next Ekimov....my next piece will be on him.

3. OLN TV Schedule - Know your time difference

I get screwed being on the west coast but all you East coast guys are SET! You get into work and tune into OLN on TV or the Internet. OLN coverage is awesome...I remember the days of ABC broadcasting highlights on weekends...those were the dark days. I always find the easiest thing to do is tune into the official website at www.letour.com and get the broadcast or updates from there. I love cyclingnews.com and velonews live race coverage but the graphics and time splits on the letour.com site are awesome.

Race hard and watch TV...you'll never be a better cyclist after july!

A Serb, A Tool and A Dog Lover

Dedicated to Dominic who lent me his bike..thanks-it saved my ass

Every year there is a surprise in the US peleton...last year it was Webcor this year it is Ivan Stevic and the Aerospace Engineering Group team. Stevic won the RR at Sea Otter and then hammered the field in all three races at Bisbee! Who the hell is this guy...Serbian National Champion I know but thats like being the strongest guy in the room of computer geeks. Check out the Aerospace Engineering website...http://www.aerospacecycling.com/ once you start digging there is something weird. Lots of eastern europeans, based in florida, incorporated in the bahamas...its just different to say the least. Still...they got some shit going on, i need to add their link to the team list.

To answer some friends....

Why is Tom Danielson a Tool by me

Exhibit A. Personal Website (thanks for the wedding pictures form last winter dumbass)

Exhibit B. Cyclingnews.com journal - when you win the biggest race of your carreer for the best team in the world you might want to get a few words in there. Have your freaking mom do it for christ sake. Oh hell, i'm cheap, i'd do it for a hat!

Exhibit C. The hair must be fixed

And Tyler Hamilton is almost completely detached from reality now...its pretty interesting to check out his website. Half ode to dogs, half invective about the unfairness of life and the USADA.

The Next Cool American

All this talk of lance retiring and the next generation of cyclists bugs me. Tom Danielson, recent Tour of Georgia winnner seems like such a weenie...I like Dave Zabriske, I saw him at Morgan Hill and he kicked ass. The duel between him and Clinger (who looks bad ass, DON"T LOSE THE INK CLINGER!) was cool.

I remember back in 97-98 the next great American hope was going to be Bobby Julich. I know I should be happy for Bobby Julich's victory at the Paris Nice and his renewed vigor the last two years. He's a great comeback story afterall. I just can't shake the feeling he is a tool.

When I was a junior, and Bobby was a junior, I heard from a bunch of friends that went to nationals that he was target of a lot of pranks. I thought this was kind of cruel until they explained it was because he would throw temper tantrums when he couldn't find his vitamins. To the point that he would call his Dad in Colorado crying. Sounded weird.

I was pretty impressed that he made it over to Europe with Motorola. I was even more impressed when he finished third in the 98 tour with Cofidis which I covered for AOL. He seemed to avoid all the doping scandals going on at the time.

It was a tough time for US cycling and he looked like the next great hope. In 99 he was poised to do great things.... but he crashed, Lance won, and the rest is history. Apparently he was a real pain in the ass while on Credit Agricole. He wanted his own cook, and better rooms and all kinds of stuff that the French team balked at.

Let's hope that SO PRO Jones makes it over to Europe...he could be the coolest thing in American cycling since Bob Roll. SO PRO just needs to change his website to something other than PINK...whats up dude, you trying to get on T Mobile?

DO YOU GET THAT WEB MASTER? NO PINK

California Racing

For Hal, stay on the bike

In Europe spring is time for the hard nose races of Northern France and Flanders. In the US it means C-A-L-I -F-O-R-N-I-A! You have to admit that American's flock to the promised land for sunny stage races while the Europeans tough it out in snow and rain across hard cobbled roads.

It was a big month for California racing...

It all started off with the San Dimas Stage Race (formerly the race known as Pomona Valley) down in So-Cal. Their website is down...i guess they shut down after the race is over. HealthNet just crushed the field in the opening Time Trial placing 4 guys in the top five. One of the resident Canadians (Gord Fraser) went on for the win.

The Tour of California was announced for next February. This sounds very cool but it sort of has this wishy washy United Tour of Texas vibe going. Either way. it is right by my house...SWEET!

Simultaneously some dipshit city councilman tried to put the Kaibash on the San Francisco Grand Prix because of police costs. They will probably move to Seattle or some other annoying west coast city. Email the annoying councilman and give him a piece of mind.

Anyway...Redlands just finished. HealthNet dominated again, getting win for Wherry but they are starting to lose some friends in the pack. Apparently Healthnet just rode the legs off of everybody (April 1 post) for the hell of it.

Sea Otter is up next...its the last of the big Cali races until San Francisco, if it happens. A bunch of cool european mtn bike pro's usually show up for this one. Last year Belgian doper,Filip Meirhaeghe, showed up for the Mtn bike race and did some local Cali road races before he tested positive. I supposed Healthnet will dominate again unless Horner comes back with some Spanairds.

Track Is Back!

Dedicated to Brian who made his sacrifice this weekend to the Sacred Oval in Hell

The most exciting sports event in the world is coming up in LA on March 24...Track World Championships. Dollar for dollar you will not get any better than this. I have been reading Hearts of Lions and the first half of the book is about the US track scene in the early 20th century. It was huge, and my guess is a huge party, considering the amount of liquor, gambling, and fornicating that took place at Madison Square Garden and other venues. My theory is the track was so big back in the day because it was a big center of crime, booze and partying much like the modern Japanese Keirin Circut.

What is the tie in to D3 you ask? Oh...many my friend. For starters, the Hombre himself Marty Nothstein will be making his FINAL worlds appearance. This guy is HUGE, 6'2" 188 lbs, and is still plugging away for the Navigators. Let's hope Marty can tear himself away from the ladies to grab one last medal. It might help him sell some of his videos...

Jame Carney, which is a name that should go down in the history books if you ask me, is putting in an appearance. This guy has been around forever. He's Jonas's brother and he can sprint like a mad man, he won the scratch race at the Moscow world cup last month. But this dude has some bad hair...check the mullet

Colby Pearce, probably the best chance the US has for a medal, is taking time off his gig as coach for TIAA CREF to race. Bobby Lea, who i remember as this little skinny kid showing up for kiddee junior races back in Jersey and PA is also on the team. This kid is going to be a monster...he's 21 and winning races.

There are three foreign contingents you have to check out.

1. The Aussies - They are BAD ASS. They all train at the AIS which is like the Thunderdome...only the fit survive.
2. The Dutch - Coolest bikes ever!
3. The Chinese- This one girl they have Shuang Guo is the next big thing. She's fast and mean. Hopefully she'll be there.

Buy some tickets and get to the races...they should be pretty sweet

Be Way Cool and Get a Used Keirin Bike

George Hincapie: Cool American

It warms my heart when Americans do well in Europe but when Georgie wins I get really excited! He was the big man in Ghent a few years ago, was Lance's Hammer at the tour last year and showed those Belgians a thing or two on Sunday. I love it when Americans beat belgians in belgium. I hope he takes the Paris Roubaix in April.

Back in the day George and Jonas Carney were the big guns on the East Coast Junior circut. George was a huge kid even then. My recollection is at 14 he was six feet and 170 lbs. I was a good two years older at 5'2" and 115. At big NJ crits like the Nutley Classic and Tour Of Sommerville George would crush the under 14, crush the under 16, win or place on the podium for under 18 then get top 10 in the Pro 1/2. That's talent no matter how big you are.

Even though Georgie got busted at Corestates for drafting a team car in 97, which i think is very cool, I always heard he was a nice guy. Apparetnly he would split primes with guys that used ot lead him out. The only negative thing i heard is he wasn't too bright at 14. Afriend told me he always mis-spelled "junior" - "junor." I guess he doesn't really care now if he was a great speller.

It's On

Racing has started! Finally... I couldn't talk about the Belgians any more.

Tour Down Under - Navigators get crushed, read a the tale of survial

Tour of Langkawi - O'Neil get the TT, their russian gets a couple of thirds

Tour de Med - Navigators 12th in the TTT )I kind of feel bad for Navigators, they need some belgian milkshakes )

St Valentines Day Massacre (Brea Crit) - Saunders power meter file

El Cajon Crit - Dan Schmatz Recap is cool...sprinters perspective (2.14)

Valley of the Sun - Roberto Gagioli came in 2nd in the crit...i thought Roberto was banned?

Problem Child - Compare and contrast 2004 Clinger to 2005 Clinger

For Sale and Other Stuff

• So Pro Clothes and Equipment
• Saunders cool bike
• Work for the Ford Basis Women...they are cute and funny!
• Winter Inspiration from Endeavor Neo Pro

Decanio and the Belgians

It is just too easy this week. Please, please go to www.stolenundergound.com if you have not already and see just how C-R-A-Z-Y Matt Deccanio is. It really is a bizzare experience. Look...I am with him on his whole anti drugs thing, but nobody... and i mean anyone, should ever say they are doing something "for the kids." It sounds way, way, WAYYYY too much like a weird Michael Jackson quote. I love Saunders little bit on how you should know what you are getting when you hire a crazy mofo like that (1/25.) He is even selling "The Official Matt Deccanio Termination Letter" on ebay... it is all so punk i love it. I'll hire him for my D3 Team next year...

Speaking of anti drugs... it is the World Cyclocross Championships on Sunday. Guess who is favored to win...hmmm... i don't know, maybe, could it be, perhaps a Belgian? I mean do the odds... which country of ten million people wouldn't sweep a major international sporting event. I have been searching for the official sports book odds on who will win and the best i can do is an article from L'Equipe, which predicts Nys. They are really streatching it there. Good luck to Page and the Velo Bella girls. You are going to need it.

Small stuff
-I guess Danny Pate is a bit of a tool (1/27), he apparently fled from the Tuscon home in dead of night
-I love all the Velodromes that keep it going... St Louis is hardcore!
-I like theprostuff.com, Henk Vogels bike. How cool is that?
-Lance has a radio show, email him @ LanceArmstrong@Sirius-Radio.com and request some AC/DC for me

Training Camps and Boredom Shopping

Outside of reporting on how many Belgians might be doing dope there isn't anything good going on. Discovery Channel's training camp sounds a little creepy so far. Poor Salvodelli broke his collar bone, and they have a bunch of "staff updates", and pics of bikes and what not on the Paceline site. I think i am a little creeped out by the "casual shots" of Lance and the local reporters articles. I know she writes for the Daily Peleton but it still has a stalker vibe to it.

Everybody else is waiting for camp...So Pro is getting pumped for his own Solvang trip, McGuires camp isn't till February (see 1/18 entry), and the Navigators are just skipping camp and gettting to it Down Under. I was looking at some of the links in other guys journals, John Lieswyn, to the races in NZ and AUS and they get on these regional teams for local races. They look so bizarre dressed up in their weird euro/Japanese style cartoon outfits. To be honest the most interesting stuff I have read is form Barbarella who is making a go of it on the women's CX circuit overseas this year, now that is hard core

Any hoo... not much else to do but cruise and look for stuff to by. So Pro is auctioning a jersey for a charity of sorts. Saunders is trying to move his old track bike (1/17) and I been spending my time trying to figure out if i got ripped off for this stupid shirt i ordered from Italy. I crossed the line from cyclist to weird fan guy when I put in the order.

Oh Really! Belgian 'crosser Berden positive

Now nobody can tell me they didn't see this coming...Belgian 'crosser Berden positive

Week 2 Going Crazy and Doping in Belgium

Things are slow all over. Our domestic guys are going stir crazy with their winter training. Saunders is posting movie reviews and So Pro Jones is creating a completely alternative universe where bike teams and coaches work more to his liking. These guys better hit a race soon or they might damage some neurons. Things definitely are slow when the Velonews announces the Subway team roster as front page news. Here is a tip though guys. When you make your announcement send a team photo and your jersey logo.

(At a minimum send your sponsors logo in an EPS or GIF. Everybody is so desperate for news this time of year they will probably publish it. Your sponsor will love you and it will add some nice filler to your roster press release.)

I know it is old news but it makes for a good segue into what I really want to talk about. Tyler Hamiltons post on December 12 is chock-a-block CRAZY. Apparently there is some scandal about a former racer trying to black mail the Phonak team. It is one of those... this guys said I would be positive and other people would be positive if you don't pay me deals. Very 24ish... but hamilton goes on with all these quotes from different publications and how independent observers tagged him as positive, yadda yadd a yadda. I got tired just reading it.

But you know who never gets tired? THE BELGIAN'S!

I feel kind of bad for our guys slugging it out on the Euro cross scene. Page, Treefarm, Powers, and all those guys are putting their livelihoods on the line and are up against they (obviously) doped up Belgians. I mean come on...give me a break. Here are some loosely related facts to help you make the connection.

5. Museeuw Guilty - The Lion gets the hook

4. Even the Americans are suspicious - "Gee... i don't know why the belgians are so strong every week. It makes you wonder!"

3. Top 5 CX UCI Rankings - Belgian, Belgian, Belgian, GOOSE! If there were five americans in the top of the tour de france you would wonder right? Remember, Belgium is only a population of 10 million.

2. De Clerq named - Former Belgian and World CX Champ tied into the Landuyt doping investigation ... not looking good.

1. Even the Filip Meirhaeghe - I mean i know he's not in CX but this belgian guy didn't even pretend. He just quit and packed it in.

Good luck to the yanks at St Wendel... i think you will need it.

Week 1 - US Teams and Ill Will

USA Cycling had a sent out a little press release on 12/21 listing the new US teams for 2005. I love looking up stuff on their site, it always seems like a mess. I talked to their web guy on the phone once, and he seemed nice but a little over his head. I wanted to get to a list of press releases and I got an index file. Anyway...After looking for half an hour in the USA Cycling site I had to go to Spokepost.com and find the press release on the addition of Endeavour and Sierra Nevada - Ofoto team to the roster of US D3 teams. Open note to USA Cycling - Put a link on your site that says Press Releases, it just might help! No wonder USA Cycling is going bankrupt all the time.

I guess the UCI made some late additions, which is a little weird. There seems to be some ill will going on with some of the riders that were on Ofoto and McGuire. It is hard to get the whole picture at the moment but it sounds like some folks got screwed: Check out Eric Saunders comments regarding the "disbandment and looting" of the Ofoto team(see Dec 2 entry.)

Erik has ended up on McGuire, the former or current team of Mike Taylor. I need an update here people! I can't tell from Mikes sigos (significant other) last entry on the Ritchey site if he is still with McGuire or not. Joni, the sigo, is a total tease. It sounds like some assistant manager on McGuire or some other Nor Cal D3 team did something they shouldn't have, but no good details are provided. She goes on to compare the D3 cycling world to the Sopranos, dead bodies and all. Totally bizarre, but some obvious hurt feelings are out there. Come on Joni... share the details. Tell me where the bodies are buried!