The bike shop where I bought my Felt roadie is also a very large Giant dealer.

The Rabobank team has been hanging around Boulder since the USAPCC ended doing a little training before a race next weekend in Canada.

Apparently, the team contacted the store yesterday about organizing a group ride for today. 

Emails and Facebook postings went out.

I rolled up there today and joined a 30something mile ride with them.

The Rabobank riders were: Robert Gesink, Stef Clement, Dennis Van Winden and Pieter Weening.  All four were super cool guys. 

Stef got a flat 10 minutes into the ride - no fun on tubulars and no team car.

About that time, Timmy Duggan from Liquigas/Cannondale rolled by (he's a local) and he joined the ride.

Once we got out on the open road, the team riders and a few of the hard core locals dropped a few of us like rocks. 

I missed a turn and had to make my way back, not knowing the route they took.

Was fun and a good ride, nonetheless.

That's pretty cool.

Quote from: Randimus Maximus on September 03, 2011, 04:45:59 PM
Once we got out on the open road, the team riders and a few of the hard core locals dropped a few of us like rocks.

Pretty amazing the sorts of accelerations those guys can put on, isn't it?  I've never had the chance to ride with someone of the caliber of a pro team, but I have been humbled by some fast local guys often enough.  Must have been pretty cool to turn gears with them. 

Quote from: DRKWNG on September 03, 2011, 07:24:00 PM
Pretty amazing the sorts of accelerations those guys can put on, isn't it?  I've never had the chance to ride with someone of the caliber of a pro team, but I have been humbled by some fast local guys often enough.  Must have been pretty cool to turn gears with them. 

Yeah, it's pretty crazy.  Gesink is 6'2" and 150#.  His power to weight ratio is a lot better than mine. 

Team Saxo Bank did a ride with another bike shop in Boulder last week too. 

It's really cool to see the teams & riders doing stuff like this. 

Added another 2 wheeler to the stable:



Got it cheap enough, as the local shop needed to make room for winter clothing!

No spoilers here, but did anyone see the men's Professional World Championship road race today from Copenhagen Denmark? Pretty damn awesome!! I won't spoil it with results but the guy who won it is the guy I wanted to win it so I was pretty happy.

I got drafted into doing the 24hrs of Moab on a 5 man team. (no pun intended, but happy with the outcome regardless)

2 weeks before the race.

Fitness level? It requires fitness? 

Should be fun anyway.

You can do it!

With a 5-man team, how much riding is there each?!

I thought the toughest part when I did it years ago (when I was young and fit), on a 4-man team was the down time.  By the time your lap came around you are cooled down.  Taking a trainer may be a good idea!

Have fun & go fast! There's something wonderfully surreal about racing hard at 3 a.m. 

Quote from: Bick on September 28, 2011, 07:22:24 AM
You can do it!

With a 5-man team, how much riding is there each?!

I thought the toughest part when I did it years ago (when I was young and fit), on a 4-man team was the down time.  By the time your lap came around you are cooled down.  Taking a trainer may be a good idea!

Der, I think we're hoping for 4 laps each, but I'm thinking that's pretty optimistic.
We'll see when we pre-ride on Friday (next week).
I don't think I'm not serious enough to bring the trainer along though.

Quote from: triangleforge on September 28, 2011, 09:31:22 AM
Have fun & go fast! There's something wonderfully surreal about racing hard at 3 a.m. 

We're out there to have fun (I think).

I can't wait to be all bleary eyed and pedaling in a little tunnel of light.
Going out tonight to do a night practice ride on-trail.

Look out bunnies!

This could be a derby.. but oh well....
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201109/craziest-bike-race-earth?page=1#sT

Anybody see this one? Now that would be insane.

That's gonna leave a mark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S2oymHHyV1M#!

If you're in the Southwest this weekend, make the trip to Prescott for the first annual Wonderschlautt MTB Festival http://www.wonderschlautt.com/ - I guarantee you will have no unpleasant encounters with large African wildlife (offer does not apply to domestic deer, skunks or javelina). If you're a real beast, you should attempt to complete the Wonderschlautt Epic; if you're not, yours truly will be leading a way more intermediate Saturday a.m. loop out of Thumb Butte on some of my very favorite trails on the planet.

Holy shit! It went straight for him! Must be friends of the wild turkey that attacked me!!

Luckily we had no animals like that in Moab.

I saw a little mouse peek its head out to see what was going on at 2:00 AM, but not much else.

Quote from: Fresh Pants on October 11, 2011, 05:14:56 PM
Luckily we had no animals like that in Moab.

I saw a little mouse peek its head out to see what was going on at 2:00 AM, but not much else.

The main wildlife I've had to worry about during 24 Hour race night laps were the blue hippos and other hallucinations out at the edges of the light...

I did have a bobcat cross my path one night during the 24 Hours of Snowshoe in West Virginia; I'm relatively certain that one was real.