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.