Catwonsports: April 2007

We don't exaggerate...

I actually heard the brakes squeek today.

Here is Daisy's version of squeeking brakes (sound #3 with the intonation rising).

for the nerds of madera

it means something to me...

Linda Locke Valley Spokesmen 7 5 10

ok...11 measley years ago, 2nd year of racing, I was a 4, and there were only 7 of us, circa 1996.

But, it's 2007 now, and I have a job to do. I always do better and have more fun when I have a higher level focus; i.e. it's not just about me. So, I am very excited and can't give away too much of the team tactics. I am bringing my bathing suit though.

lauren is cool

and smart...thanks for the tip...but now I don't have as many comments......

bring it on...

I don't want to do prep for tomorrow's road race in Livermore. Today, I feel like hanging out and relaxing. But, Wente is a hard road race, and I feel like I need to do prep. I am a bit afraid that if I don't do it then I will do worse in the race than I am already expecting to do. This race was my first ever attempt at bike racing and that was in 1988. I was under 30, what a longtime ago. It was such a wonderful experience that I gave up the idea of bike racing for 7 years. Ten years later in 1998, I raced Wente again. Despite my history with Wente, the funny thing is, I am looking forward to the race tomorrow. Crazy huh? It must be the Bellas.

Here is some good reading from a literate lamb. A second installment.

And here Miss Mary has a really good account of our yearly race down in Monterey. I loved this report because Sea Otter has always been a hard race for me. I raced the circuit race years ago and raced the road race a few times too. Miss Mary's report made me feel like I could have done more. Instead of racing this year, Marscat and I worked at the Velo Bella booth. It was a wonderful place to be for lots of reason. One, it was dry. Two, the company was really fun. Three, there were lots of people that I wanted to see and did as they walked past the booth: Lauren and her family and a wet Panda. But what I meant by doing more was that Miss Mary is the best at taking care of all us racers. She brings food and drinks, etc... I look forward to volunteering because I know Miss Mary is there and we will be taken care of. She makes a mean teryiaki chicken. But, Miss Mary raced at Sea Otter this year, and I just think, why didn't I bring something for her like she does for us? I know that wasn't what her post was all about, but I wish I could have been there with something other than fresh mint and a mojito.

Yea...

From cyclingnews.
USA Cycling announced that it is opening a training facility in Lucca, Italy for its women's national team and development programs. The Tuscan location for the European residence centre will allow the women close proximity to European races, favourable weather conditions, and excellent training.

The first group of women moved into the residence this week. Kristin Armstrong (Team Lipton), Katheryn Curi (Webcor Builders), Lauren Franges (Team Lipton), Rebecca Larson (Aarons), Alison Powers (Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light), Brooke Miller (Team Tibco) and Christine Thorburn (Webcor Builders) arrived in Lucca after a week of racing in Belgium and the Netherlands.

"The opening of our European residence centre represents the next step in our efforts to develop the next crop of world-class women cyclists," explained Pat McDonough, USA Cycling Director of Athletics. "Right now, our women’s endurance program is enjoying unprecedented success across all disciplines of cycling and the opening of this facility is a crucial component in sustaining that success long after the current class retires."

"In order to replicate the achievements that the men’s program has yielded over the years, and to be able to consistently compete against the world’s top teams and nations, the women we have in the development pipeline need this type of stimuli on a regular basis." McDonough continued. "And, by involving proven veterans at the height of their career throughout this process, USA Cycling is providing the up-and-comers with another valuable resource that is paramount to their long-term success."

Pearie (spoiler)

is happy for the Winner of the Paris Roubaix

The Flying Scotsman

In 1995, I was in Colombia watching the Worlds and staying at the same hotel as the Italians and British. There were many things that stand out from that trip. Seeing the British women who were racing in the Worlds road race and not knowing who they were was big bummer. It was such a statement about women's cycling that women weren't getting the press, getting the pics in the mags, shown on tv, etc... so I didn't know who they were. It's sad how things haven't changed a lot since then. (thank goodness for OV's posts) But, I digress.

One day, we saw the men's ITT on tv. There was one guy who had a really really bad race. He was barfing, could barely finish the race or stand up after. Since I hate ITTs, I could kind of relate in a silly way. Turns out that the same guy had just won the Track pursuit world championship and set a world record the week before. Since the Brits had a spot in the ITT and the previous winner had gone and broke his ankle at the 1995 TdF, this trackie had to fill in at the Worlds road ITT. A 5k race is a lot different than a 43K race. So anyway, this poor trackie had to do the World ITT, and he didn't have any fun at all.

A day or so later, we were eating breakfast, and there was this guy at the table. He was eating scrambled eggs and looked pretty darn happy. He looked like someone who was finished with racing and didn't have a care in the world. Turns out, it was the trackie who had the bad ITT and was also the pursuit World champ. It was Graham Obree. He was really friendly and chattty.

Now, he has a movie coming out, and I can't wait to see it. The movie is based on his autobiography. He wrote the book as part of his therapy after his wife found him hanging by a rope in their farm house. Mr. Obree has suffered all his life from depression. His book was sad, wonderful, and eventually quite uplifting. If you get a chance, grab a copy. The movie should be in SF soon.