Train of Pain V

I've been to hell, and it is cold and rainy . . . .

2011-05-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Day 4, the queen stage. This is the term that denotes the hardest stage of a race - and it was supposed to be today's. However, Mother Nature had something all together different to say - but more about that in a bit.

Today's route took us from our hotel in Grass Valley, out into the hills, eventually bringing us back to town and a well-deserved feast with Andy De Meyer's family. A table full of grilled meats, homemade beans, salads, cookies, fruit and more than enough beer and wine to keep everyone fat, dumb and happy. Added to that was true hospitality and Great Pyrenees dogs – two of them, and they weighed more than most of the riders.

As it turned out, Andy's family lives right along the course, just 4 miles from the hotel. They pulled out all the stops and opened up their home to 34 starving men – all I can really say is what the heck were they thinking!!!!!!!

As to the ride, while the weather did not cooperate, the course was spectacular. Saw tooth terrain, tall trees, rivers, covered bridges, and absolutely beautiful country. Of course, there was also the rain - the cold, wet, really cold rain. This is the kind of rain the soaks straight through. It dribbles down your neck, it stings your eyes, it soaks your feet and turns your hands to clumps. But all that pales when compared to the pad in your bike shorts. The pad that was so carefully prepared with chamois cream before the start of the ride; the pad that soaks up the rain, mixes with the cream and seems to stick and slosh with every pedal stroke. Ah, the pad!

That evil rain held off for the hour anda half, but then came on with a gusto - dry, than downpour, with almost nothing in between. To add insult to injury, Carter had designed today's route so that it passed directly in front of the hotel at the 70-mile point, 24 miles of hills and that cold, wet rain to go.

Now folks, I think of myself as a hard man, a guy that embraces the suffering of both work and sport. An individual that can put up with almost any discomfort. In fact, this is how I think of all the riders on the ToP; remember, this is the Train of Pain after all. So knowing this of myself, you can imagine how I must have felt when I got to the hotel, still with miles to go, and instead road straight into the lobby, set my bike aside for Matty-Matt to deal with, and staggered up to my room and strait into my shower.

Well, you'd be wrong, because I didn't feel the least bit of guilt – in fact, almost everyone else was making the same decision. Remember, I said almost - yesterday's black jersey winner, Jerry Cook, was our lone, stalwart hero; the only one to continue on. He reached the hotel, changed into dry clothes (again, the soaked chamois picture); once dry and relatively warm, he jumped back on his bike and finished off the loop. An hour or so before this monumental decision, as he and I were still finishing off the first loop, he said, "this is the best vacation, all I have to do is ride my bike", apparently he wanted to get his miles worth. Rumor hasit that his gloves iced up as he crossed the 4000-foot elevation - sure, he's hard, but the way I see it, that shower sure felt nice.

As has been the case each day, there were the occasional missed turns – those moments of inattentiveness that result in extra miles, climbs, and curses. Today was no exception, the big difference is that it involved the route planner, Carter, our map savant, who was among a large group made up of Tyler Borgwordt, Dave Crowe, Mike Armbruster, and Scott Duncun. It seems that Carter had made a mistake on the route card – listed a left turn when we needed to go right. An innocent mistake that is completely understandable when you stop to consider that he has listed hundreds of turns over the course of the trip. And while by and large, everyone was able to figure out where to correct, it was Carter, of all people that led his group astray. This little snafu added miles to their trek - again, miles in that rain.

Eventually, the group fell apart, mutiny ensued and they went their separate ways. This left Tyler and Dave to find their own way. As they rode, the temperature continued to drop, the rain to fall, and the joy of the open road to disappear all together. Spying an awning in the distance, they saw their temporary salvation, Any Port in the Storm as they say.

While huddling together, a few moments of respite, the owner of the shop they had chose as their salvation opened the door a few inches; handing Tyler a large cup of hot water, and with the sweetest of grandmotherly voices said, “This is to warm up your hands young man.” This pretty much sums up our experience in Grass Valley.

So, what of this morning’s Black Jersey presentations? Today we had two winners; as you might recall from last nights write-up, the NorCal express took off at mile one, ripping the legs off the rest of the group. This plan was hatched the night before in a closed-door meeting – a meeting called by the team leader, Tom “Dr. Evil” Armbruster. For hatching such a devious, and painful plan, he truly personified the spirit of ToP.

Our second winner, Paul “the Tard” Gruebel was a rider who is back after a couple years away – years that included a significant increase in waistline and only slightly less of a loss of power on the bike. His last ToP was the infamous Portland trip, a trip that included 4 of 5 days in the pouring rain (maybe this weather has something to do with him, but I digress). That Portland edition, he was continually in the mix for the yellow Jersey, battling day in and day out – a never say die approach.

Now back on the ride, his weight once again where it belongs, he began the week with dreams of yellow. As the NorCal train left the station, he sat up, smiled, and threw in the towel. Deciding instead to pull the main group for the majority of the route, content that there was nothing more to prove. He left here an angry rider, arrogant and proud. He returned the rider of the people – we’ll call it Tard 2.0.

Our Jersey hunt continues, with the Yellow and Red mostly decided; the Green is the hot competition for tomorrow, with several opportunities to capture some much needed points.

Grass Valley to Grass Valley

70.7 miles (91.8 for Jerry), 347.3 total
6,385 ft of climbing, 27,476 total

HAVE FUN STORMING THE CASTLE BOYS

2011-05-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

What a day; battles on the road, stunning countryside, and a moment or two to ham it up!

Today’s route took us from Jackson to Grass Valley, covering some of the most picturesque and challenging roads yet. The ride rolled out the first 5-miles of Day-2 before heading Northwest towards the high foothills. Along the way we were treated to a crossing of the Foresthill Bridge, which spans the North fork of the American River. This the highest bridge in California, third highest in the country and the seventh in the world. At 730 feet, this thing is TALL!

When we first looked at the route map, it seemed that the bridge was built to avoid the descent and climb out of the gorge. After yesterday, everyone was glad for that. Of course this was not going to be the case; while it does span a large section of the gorge, it still required a screaming descent of 1300 feet, followed immediately by a long slog up the other side – then we got to cross the bridge. This was obviously some engineer’s idea of a great joke, let’s send the poor sods into the Pit of Despair and see how they do!

As always, the day began with the Black Jersey presentation – this was a tough one – throughout the group, everyone had an epic day, everyone rode at his limit, but not everyone could get the jersey. So we had to look for something special, and in this we found Jerry Cook. Jerry had a less than desirable first two days of his maiden ToP: on Day-1 he broke his rear wheel – now this happens, after all, it’s a machine, and machines break. No problem, he was able to borrow a spare wheel.

Off he went on the monster Day-2 ride. Six times, he made wrong turns, sending him over hill and dale; six times he added miles and elevation gain; six times he could have thrown in the towel. To add insult to injury, at some point he managed to break the borrowed wheel as well. Finally making it back to the hotel, he got a third wheel from Matty-Matt and set back out on the route to do the final lap – alone, in the wind, and with no support vehicle. So for his never-say-die ride, Jerry is our Day-2 winner.

Today marked the middle stage of the ride; with only two more days to go, the boys from NorCal/Pacific Northwest, Nate; the brother’s Armbruster, Mike and Tom; and the ever-young Scott Duncan hatched a plan. Only a mile into the day, they leaped off the back of the group and made a dash for freedom.

It was like a freight train heading up the side of the group and off the front. Zach, who has been edging closer to the coveted Yellow Jersey hesitated thinking they were just messing around, after all, there were still 88 miles and thousand’s of feet of climbing to go. But after the fifth or sixth shout to him to chase, he finally headed out. Young and strong, as fast as the NorCal guys were going they weren’t going as fast as he was. Within what seemed like a blink he had closed the considerable gap and joined the breakaway. For the rest of the riders, it was sweet scene to see the small group rocket away – now they could sit back and enjoy the day.

Five to Six hours after setting out from Jackson, we arrived in Grass Valley – WHAT A COOL TOWN! The town is filled with extremely nice people; some fantastic restaurants; and nice historic downtown to wander through. Of course, no one seemed to have much gumption for sightseeing. So instead it was check-in and stagger off to rooms for much-deserved showers.

One of the great treats of the ToP is that we get to eat as much as we can consume. A day like today will burn 6,000 to 8,000 calories, which is nearly impossible to get back down. This means that as soon as we reach the hotel, get a little cleaned up, it’s off for the first seating. Three or four hours later, it’s off on the hunt again. Tonight, that included a stop to see Bob and his awesome crew of Alex and Vickie, of Gold Rush - Burgers, BBQ and Ice Cream Parlor, who opened up after hours for a large group of us on the search for milkshakes and Hobbit Dinner. Smoked burgers, never had them before, and BOY have I been missing out.

Finally, I need to call out another birthday, Jeff Theders. With the pace and pain of this year’s trip, there were no gifts for Jeff this year – but wish him happy one all the same.

Jackson to Grass Valley

90.7 miles, 276.6 total
7,749 ft of climbing, 21.091 total

BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS!!!

2011-05-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

“Hey, here’s an idea guys, what say we all get together and spend a week riding our bikes. Will shoot for 90 miles or so a day – maybe string 5 of them together – that sounds like fun. “

“You know, if we head up to the foothills below Lake Tahoe we can get a little climbing in – that should really make it fun.”

On paper it all sounded so good – problem is that pesky 2D just doesn’t quite capture the roads that we spent the better part of the day bombing up and down upon. And when I say up and down, please keep in mind that is more often than not the former vice the latter.

Carter once again sold us a bill of goods - with a measly 6000+ feet of climbing; we normally figure another 10% just for giggles – but 50%, what were we thinking.

Now to Carter’s defense, it wasn’t his entire fault. Though the route cards were correct, the tendency to change names, eliminate signs, and generally make navigation in the foothills seems to be in a world of it’s own. The planned route went by the wayside for all but two of ourgroup – Bob

Davidson and Pat Scanlon were the only two to actually find their way. For the rest, we were all over the map, it was carnage on the road today, and the riders rolled back to the hotel from every direction possible.

Since by-and-large, everyone still put in 90+ miles and well exceeded the climbing, it all becomes a wash – but congratulations to both Bob and Pat, I guess we know who takes the lead should we have to set sail for a new world.

As usual, the day began with a gentle roll-out - which lasted all of 100 yds, then it was 20 mile

s an hour through the historic downtown of Jackson. 10 minutes into what would be more than 5-hours on the road, Ken Rodriquez looked over to Andrew, his heart rate already beginning to spike, “these guys never warm up, it’s on the gas from the start”, he gasped, but then, thinking aloud, he thought, “what the heck, have you ever seen a jaguar warm up either!”

The day was not without it’s tragedy; our first crash of the day occurred on a steep descent with about 25 miles to go. It was a rock, a skid, a blown tire, and bike and body sliding across the tarmac. While he will have to give up his

dreams of a career as a leg and cheek model– it is only skin – the bike survived relatively unscathed.

Can you guess who this is?

The first Black Jersey of the week was awarded to Scott Duncan just prior to the start of today’s rollout. As a reminder, this is a daily award that can be for any myriad of reasons. In order to paint the picture of our Day-1 winner, I need to take you back to ToP IV as Scott is repeat winner. Last year, day 3 of the epic Santa Barbara to San Diego edition, Scott experienced two flat tires, one only minutes after the other. This occurred in one of the most inopportune times, just as the front group ramped up the pace on a long climb. Only one rider stayed back with him, helped him get his tubes changed and towed him for miles up the side of a mountain – occasionally dropped, this selfless rider would slow enough for Scott to get back on – encouraging him all the way. A brief descent after the apex of the climb brought them to a van stop where another small pack of riders was getting set. Riders were getting water, food, and cokes – all prepping for the next hard section. Our selfless rider – the protector of Scott – went around the back of the van looking for a private place to do a little personal business. He returned minutes later only to find that not only had all the riders left, but Scott had rode away – thinking only of himself. He was awarded his black jersey because this is the Train of Pain, not the Train of NICE!!!

Flash forward a year and a whole new Scott. Yesterday, as we blasted along a hard and windy section of narrow road a huge explosion of a tube sounded off – a terrible time for a flat as the road was too busy and narrow for the pack to stop – the poor sod would be on his own.

But nope, Scott would not hear of it, he had learned his lesson – and while the rapture may not have happened, he was not taking any chances with Karma – he stopped, helped him change out and towed him for 25-miles to rejoin the group by the next van stop. For showing us the true Yin and Yang of the rider, we congratulate you Scott – now don’t be getting all soft and cuddly on us, this is still the ToP!

Yellow/red is looking like a two-way fight between yesterday’s strongman, Nate and the quiet man Zach Scheetz, who dominated the toughest climbs (topping out at 13%) and dropped the lot of them.

Green – still not locked up by any stretch, but Andrew has begun to make his mark.

94.7 miles – 185.9 so far
8,972 feet of climbing – 13,342 so far

FAST, HARD, and SO BEAUTIFUL

2011-05-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Well, day 1 is in the books – it seemed so much easier on the route card. There, it was a nice flat first 60 miles, followed by a few easy rollers in route to the town of Jackson. Course, nothing is ever as easy in real life as it is on paper.

We rolled out of thefantastic Hyatt across the street to the Capital Rose Garden where Bobbo was setting up for the requisite photo op. This happens every year, and every year we argue, tease, stomp around like children, and basically do our best to get Bobbo to the point that he will yell at us like he was back in to his early days at Sear’s Portrait studio, trying to capture the semblance of calm in some doting parent’s bratty 4-year old.

Still, he once again managed to do us proud – which shouts out that he’s the man to call on for that all important Christmas Card pic; trust me, he’d love to help you out (and could really use the work - it's been a slow year).

Once we were done glamming it up for our adoring fans, it was officially time to get the circus moving. And moving we did; just a couple easy miles down Capital Hwy we hit the bike path for a 25-mile jaunt along the American River.Though I think jaunt might not be doing the pace any real credit; we really flew through this part of the course, which was made even more fun as we dodged bikes, runners, strollers and the occasional tourist that just had to get one more picture of some silly flower – and needed to be standing dead-center in the middle of the path. Now, before you start to think we were riding with reckless abandon, fear not loyal reader, this bike path is actually for BIKES! The rest of the path users are supposed to be on their own portion, safe from the melee.

25-miles of, “bike left; bike right” “Runner”

Now it was during this blast along the river that the first of what would be many cycling faux pas took place. To paint the picture, I need to explain some strict bike tradition, specifically where it comes to multi-day, or better known as stage races. The leader, in this case the yellow jersey wearer, Andrew Lee, had a flat tire 10-miles into the assault. Now tradition states that you never attack the leader when they suffer a mechanical issue. But this is day one, and the OC and NorCal teams smelled blood (meanwhile the San Diego riders were r

eally just trying to hang on for dear life). So here we were arriving at the first van stop, 30 miles into the day, and realized that Andrew was nowhere to be seen – off the back, alone and unafraid – and with a lot of work to get back on.

The next 35 miles were one headwind road after another – I swear, no matter what point of the compass we headed, the wind decided to play out it’s fantasy of that painted wagon’s “Maria”, continually shifting to another face shot. Still, the country was spectacular.

Along with the headwinds, like last year we experienced another minor issue resulting in lots of missed turns, wrong turns and stops where everyone pointed a different direction and looked totally confused. The first thought would be that Carter’s painstaking work in building exquisite turn-by-turn route cards must be off. But no, it’s just the pace and desire has gotten so high that no one pulls their route cards out to take a peek until it’s TOO LATE!

As to the competition, it heated up from the start, but some clear winners showed themselves; the standings as of day-one:

For both the Red and yellow jersey’s of climber and overall, Nathan “the destroyer” Spear showed th

at an entire year of focused training has paid off. He rode everyone off his wheel in a dominant display of strength on the final and toughest climb, bringing him into the Holiday Inn Express the clear winner.

The Green Jersey is hotly contested with the front runners all gaining points:

Steve “The Lion King” Quinn
Andrew “El Heffe” Lee
and Paul “The Tard” Greubel

Now today’s blog will not be complete without a special shout out to Zach’s wife, Maurin, who celebrates her 29^th birthday today. Though she refuses to acknowledge that the ToP is going on (this due to the fact that she wanted to be with us, the opportunity to smack down the majority of the peloton is almost more than she can stand). Sorry Maurin, our old and fragile egos simply can’t take it – but we wish you a fantastic birthday all the same!

91.1 Miles down
4367 Ft of climbing

I don't know about the end of the world, but . . .

2011-05-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Now if you’ve been following the news of late, there are a few points to be paid attention to. Sure, there’s the economy, the floods, the mid-east strife. You could focus on the playoffs or the fall of heroes. But if you’re joining us here this week, all those things pale in comparison, tonight we stand at the eve of the most important sporting event of the year – THE Train of Pain.

Thirty-four grown men; average age of 50; majority level of, oh, maybe 15. Or at least that was how it looked to the poor patrons of Pizza Rock, our kick-off dinner for the 5^th annual ToP. With the rollout of Sacramento, our poor state capital never knew what hit them as the riders arrived throughout the day.

This year’s ride will take us over 456 miles and more than 24,000 feet of climbing over 5-days.

There have been many approaches to the upcoming ride – as in the past years, there are not only bragging rights once you’ve completed the epic adventure, but also more importantly there is the all-important competitions.

To bring you all up to speed, there are six awards on the line.

The end-of-ride jerseys:

Yellow for the overall strongest throughout the week
Red for the strongest climber
Green for the best sprinter
White for the strongest new rider (first year on the ToP)
Each day the Black jersey is awarded – this generally is handed out to someone that does something heroic, something silly, or maybe something just side of shameless

Finally, there is the “Team” competition. This is a perpetual plaque that is contested by San Diego, the OC, and the NorCal/Pacific Northwest.

This last award has been the focus of the day; well rea

lly the focus of the last month. No more so than for the boys from the OC – they have been honing their plans, choosing their points of attack, andmaking their game plan. In fact, rumor has it that there was a team meeting, a thorough power point, and some very stern direction!

YOU WILL ATTACK HERE . . .

YOU WILL ATTACK THERE . . .

As for the promised end of the world, well it seems the Rapture’s been delayed by the Train of Pain – course there’s always next year with that pesky Mayan calendar.

Friday 20 May: THE JOURNEY NORTH

2011-05-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

TEAM SAN DIEGO

It's early. Pre 4:30 am early. I roll out of bed (although Margaret says roll is just

wishful thinking -- it's more like North Dallas Forty). San Diego to Sacramento. A mere 488 miles straight up the 5. The early rise is to try and beat the LA traffic. My co-pilot? Steve Burke. A Jersey-native who never holds anything back. Nothing.

We're lucky. Sail through the grapevine by 9am. Then, a couple of hours later, it hits. We need to fuel the machines. We look for an organic, raw food restaurant – after all, our bodies are our temples. Blast the luck, we're in the middle of nowhere. Convenience will win out, just this once.

TEAM OC

Shh, don't tell but we're going rogue here. A supposed stop to watch the Amgen Tour of California is actually a super secret training day for the two of us. A top trainer has met us at Ballard Canyon to offer last minute pointers.

Thursday, 19 May: THE LOAD UP

2011-05-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

San Diego to Sacramento bound

1 cargo van (thank you Enterprise)

15 bikes

18 sets of wheels

4 cases of food & drink mix

2 cases tires and tubes

Day 5, 26 May: HOMEWARD BOUND (but the hammer will fall)

2011-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Grass Valley to Sacramento

92.3 miles with 1950 ft of climbing

After the tough hills of the past three days, the final stage is set to be a fast and furious descent back to Sacramento. With a net drop of 2300 ft and only a few bumps to keep things honest the battle for the climber’s jersey will be behind us. This day is one for the sprinters and descenders. We should roll back into our original downtown hotel with the residual lactic acid spun free from our legs.

Day 4, 25 May: THE QUEEN STAGE!

2011-05-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Grass Valley to Grass Valley

91.2 miles with 7128 ft of climbing

Another first for the greatest stage event on the calendar: day 4 will be mark the queen stage with a monstrous day topping out with more than 7100 ft of climbing. Rolling out for another two-loop stage, as a little bit of cruelty, Carter has us passing our hotel for a TOUGH final climb and a bombing downhill finish. e’ll also be passing by Andy De Meyer’s parents and sisters homes, so expect a little cheering and offers of refreshments as we roll through.

Day 3, 24 May: THE WEE MEN OF THE MOUNTAINS WILL COME OUT TO PLAY TODAY

2011-05-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Jackson to Grass Valley

89.6 miles with 6027 ft of climbing

Leaving the wine region around Jackson, we head north into the steep foothills that form the base of the Tahoe Mountains. Our shortest day at just 89 miles, nevertheless, this one will be a kick in the tail. A relatively mild first half is broken up by series of climbs gaining the bulk of our 6000 ft of altitude. With two tough days behind us, Day 3 should prove to be a decisive stage as the sprint and climbing opportunities are fruitful.

Day 2, 23 May: Remember, yesterday was nice and flat

2011-05-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Jackson to Jackson

93.1 miles with 6083 ft of climbing

Day 2 marks a first for the ToP, two loops pass us through the picturesque town of Volcano at roughly 18 and 76 miles. Up and down throughout the day, log more than 6000 ft in elevation gain, marking day 2 as number 2 in altitude.

Day 1, 22 May: LET THE FUN BEGIN

2011-05-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sacramento to Jackson

90.3 miles with 3255 ft of climbing

An easy roll out through the downtown and across the valley floor leads us through the first 60 miles of gentle rollers. This will be the gift to the sprinters, with multiple opportunities for City Limit signs to rack up some early points before we hit the first of the climbs. With only 3200 ft of climbing, it comes in the final 25 miles.

Kick-Off Dinner Saturday May 21st

2011-05-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Pizza? You're kidding right? Everyone knows how much Kevin and Carter can't stand the stuff. Yet peer pressure wins out and the kick-off dinner will be at Pizza Rock:

Taking Pizza to the next level, Pizza Rock is the first of its kind. From creative gourmet pizzas paired with specialty cocktails and an extensive imported beer and wine menu, Pizza Rock is THE destination pizzeria in Sacramento for guests looking for a new and fun place to meet friends.

Our outdoor patio features a double sided wood burning pizza oven. This allows patrons to also enjoy the art form of championship pizza throwing – the kitchen staff is trained by the world champion himself: owner/partner Tony Gemignani.

The environment is energetic and artsy. Think: "pizza artisan meets nightlife energy." This is not your traditional pizzeria. Also open late, Pizza Rock caters to the needs of the emerging entertainment district in downtown Sacramento.

"Pizza artisan" sounds perfect for this group -- but "nightlife energy???"

It's Official. 2011 Train Of Pain: May 22-26

2011-05-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

And the trip is finalized:

Day 1 Sacramento to Jackson
Day 2 Jackson to Jackson loop
Day 3 Jackson to Grass Valley
Day 4 Grass Valley to Grass Valley loop
Day 5 Grass Valley to Sacramento

Each day is guaranteed to be all downhill with a tail-wind…

"SERIOUSLY"

2010-05-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Finally a day of rest on the ToP – or at least an easier day than the past week; we still managed just shy of 100 miles, climbed more than 4300 feet and turned in the fastest overall speed day of the week. Still, it at least felt a little easier. Today’s route took us from San Dimas to Temecula and included Bonelli Park and raging waters, through some exceptionally fragrant livestock areas, finally landing us at Chronic Tacos for the post ride feed. Now, being from San Diego I’ve eaten my share of tacos and burritos – but trust me when I tell you, this place is magical. Each burrito weighed in at a healthy pound and a half of rice, bean, meat and salsa heaven.

One of the great things about 5-6 hours a day of hard riding is I no longer have to worry if the bike shorts make my butt look big!!!

So what of our Black Jersey winner for Day Three, this one was tough; we learned yesterday that the second rider on the Glendora climb, Marc Lundgren, was riding with a cracked femur – surely this would be worthy of the jersey. Tyler had developed the mother of all saddle sores (picture a 3” long blister in a place no blister should be), yet he soldiered on - surely this would be worthy of the jersey. Both of these were in the realm of personal heroics – herculean efforts that are worthy of our admiration – but alas, this is the Train of Pain – and a mean year at that. Our jersey winner for Day Three can also stand proud beside Marc and Tyler, the victim of a poorly timed flat at the base of the first climb, he lost contact with the lead group and would not see them for the rest of the day. Still, he persevered, he powered on, and he made the final climb alone.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – how can this top the injuries that the other two suffered through? Well, what I failed to mention is that he did have one rider to help him, one selfless person to tow him up the early climbs, lead him through the headwinds and to guide him down the treacherous descents; and how did he thank him for his sacrifices, he ditched him at a van stop while he was making a nature stop. He jumped onto another group of riders leaving the poor guy alone – a sad and questioning look in his tear brimming eyes. So for reminding everyone that the ToP is about the pain you dish out on others we congratulate Scott Duncan, Day Three’s Black Jersey winner.

For today, though the pace was high, the ride broke into two main groups. Nathan had planned well and made a strategic break at the first van stop and soloed in for the stage win after close to 75 miles alone. Meanwhile, in the main group the fight for the green jersey was hot and heavy with Steve Quinn and Andrew leaping out for the city limit signs – the unofficial sprint locations for cyclists the world around.

Within the other half of the group things were heating up in their own fashion. Poor Mike Witt; yesterday, resplendent in his new jersey ended up wearing Tyler’s lunch; this was trivial with what he wore today. He stood up to power over a small climb and in an instant found himself over the bars, his now broken chain wrapped around him in its own impersonation of a boa constrictor. Covered in bike grease, his elbow skinned and his pride now thoroughly left beside the road. We’ve had a lot of firsts over the years – but never have we had a rider $&@$* slapped by his own chain!

Steve Burke’s pride had its own bruising; as they were approaching an intersection the light switched to yellow. John rolled through, but the remainder of the group was forced to stop. Not wanting to let a gap form, Burke prepared to roll through the red (a no-no in any city) – he looks left, he looks right, he preps for the dart across when he has a second thought. You know how we all have those voices – the one that tempt us to do the wrong thing, and the one that tries to make us into a better person; well it seems in Steve’s case his voice of right and good comes in the shape of a 200 pound policeman, his finger ready to hit the blue lights, and a deep and authoritative voice that simply asked “SERIOUSLY?” Steve, now properly chastised put his foot to the ground and hung his head – Thank You, O’ voice of reason.

So there we are, four down and only one more day to go. It will be long, it will be hard, and it will be worth it. Stay tune tomorrow, I’ll wrap it all up for this year.

ToP IV Day 4

95.5 miles
4393 feet of climbing

BOY, YOU’VE GOT TO CLEAN THAT UP!!!!!

2010-05-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

I know I’m sounding like a broken record – but today was another tough day of riding. The route took us from Santa Clarita to San Dimas and included major climbs through the Little Tujunga Canyon and eventually onto the Glendora Mountain range, providing a leg snapping 8000 feet of climbing.

Like yesterday, the plan included a gentlemanly rollout for the first five or six miles. I say planned, since Tom and Marc thought it would be funny to sprint off the front and see if anyone would react. Unfortunately, no one told Andrew that is was only supposed to be in fun!

But first the Day Two black jersey winner, you’ll remember from yesterday’s report that the rides caboose was egged on by Mike Witt – much to the dismay of his riding cohorts. Now this, in and of itself is nearly worthy of receiving the jersey - this is, after all, the Train of Pain. Yet when asked why, he simply hung his head and said that it was better than listening to his brother Rich’s disappointment if he’d quit. The power of the brotherhood, the pain of the climb – it’s really pretty much the same.

For today, the tough early climbing broke the riders into several smaller groups. Off the front Andrew, Tom and Marc had committed to a long, hard day; meanwhile, the chase took off in earnest with Mike Armbruster leading the splintered remains up the early pitches. Behind them, two main groups formed – misery loving the company it brings.

It would largely remain this way throughout the day; with the jersey hunt beginning to solidify. Andrew attacked throughout, eventually managing to uncork Tom and Marc to take the day – this moves him into the lead for the yellow. Steve Quinn still holds a grip on the sprinter’s jersey. The red remains hotly contested – with Torrey Pines on the final day likely to decide it.

For last year’s Red Jersey winner, Scott Duncan, this should have been a stage tailor made. With three long climbs and good recovery in between – repeating his climbing dominance was in the bag. That is until he began what would amount to four flat tires, leave him an hour behind the leaders and forced to make the final near 20-mile climb all alone.

If you’ve been keeping up with the blogs leading up to this year’s ride, you’ll remember reports of the demands on Scott’s time following his unprecedented win last year – the starlets, the parties, the Wheaties box photo shoots – its a wonder he was able to show up at all. Still, with youth on his side, he may be able to claw his way back into the fight.

So what of the rest; well it wouldn’t be the Train of Pain if someone doesn’t throw up somewhere on the road. This is a tradition that Carter began on day three of our first year’s ride. It scared a poor family from ever taking a vacation again, but established another competition all of its own.

This year’s newest inductee into the “I gave my all for this darn ride and now I have scrape it off my bike” club is Tyler. After digging deep to get himself over the first two climbs he finally rolled up to the van stop. It was here that he made his tactical mistake – it seems that eating everything that he could get his hands on while downing it with lukewarm Pepsi may not be the best “Eat to Win” dietary choice.

After about 20 miles of gurgling, all while rolling through one of the nicest neighborhoods of today’s route the cork finally came loose. Have you ever shaken a soda, pointed it at a friend and pulled the stopper? If you have, you’ll know what poor Mike Witt felt like. There he was in his prize jersey, riding along and minding his own business when suddenly he got to know a little too much about Tyler’s eating habits – last word was that he was still in the shower, scrub brush in hand and mumbling something about finding his happy place.

So there you go, three days down, just two remaining; so far the ride is living up to the hype.

ToP IV 2010 Day 3
93 miles
8000 feet of climbing

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE POLITICKING

2010-05-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today’s route took us from the beautiful central coast through the Ojai Valley, on to Santa Clarita – just outside of Magic Mountain. Carter managed a great route – lots of climbing, cool scenery, a couple of picturesque towns and 30 bikes rolling through.

We kicked off the day with the announcement of the day one’s black jersey winner – Scott Waterman. If you tuned in yesterday, you’ll take note that he was leading the red Jersey competition. It’s probably time that I explain what this is all about.

While the ToP is NOT a RACE, there is a pseudo-competition that unfolds – and is keenly contested. This is the competition for the jerseys. Like the classic stage races that tend to make widows of our wives and significant others during the hours and hours of seemingly non-stop coverage, we “award” a red jersey for the strongest climber; a green jersey for the most consistent sprinter; a yellow for the overall most dominant rider of the trip. Now while these jerseys recognize the strongest, the fastest – it’s the great stories that take place upon the road that make the trip so much fun. For these, we award the daily black jersey. This coveted jersey is painstakingly decided in a secret meeting between Carter, Bobbo and I – what wins it can be whatever strikes our fancy (or really our funny bone).

So, why Scott you ask – as you’ll recall from yesterday, he was in the days winning break- actually he enabled the break as the only rider with the route programmed into his GPS. While the rest of us were trying to decipher Carter’s elusive directions – Scott was clear in where to go. Now, he should have been able to lead us all like Moses and the Israelites to the Promised Land – but this is where he became the winner.

As we began the first of yesterday’s climb, Scott experienced an ill-timed mechanical – this left him behind the lead group and with only Steve and Jeff around him. Next thing they knew, they were off the front and on to victory. So congratulations to Scott – ToP 2010’s first jersey winner.

So, what about today.

Like every ToP stage in our four-year history, today’s route was filled with the good, the tough, and the comical.

Today offered a choice to the riders, 87.5-mile route or a longer and considerably more hilly option. This is due to Andrew Lee’s last minute conversation with Carter.

“Andrew”, Carter asked, “can you take a look at the day’s route and tell me what you think”

“Well”, Andrew answered in a hesitant voice. “This is ok, but the Amgen Tour of California climbed up Balcom and Grimes Canyon, if we could ride these it would be the bomb!”

If you know Andrew, you can almost see him bouncing from one foot to the next in his ADD driven excitement. Carter swears that he had no choice; he had to add them in at the risk of crushing the poor man’s unbridled enthusiasm.

The lead out to the aforementioned climbs began with a very gentlemanly 15 mile group ride – the first part straight through the main street of Santa Barbara. This was more than welcome to the riders – though the nearly overpowering smell of Ben Gay was all most overpowering as we were reminded that the average age of the group was approaching 50.

Of course, nothing lasts, and this was no exception. A left turn landed us at the base of the first climb, which was like firing off a starter’s pistol. The serene and pleasant morning was over and the real ride was on.

The next 44–miles fell into a painful rhythm of hammering the hills, plunging the descents and slowing on the flats to let stragglers back on – all while slowly thinning the heard into a few separate riding groups.

Finally we were at the turn for Balcom Canyon Road, is a monster of a climb with sections exceeding 18%. To put this into perspective, the Grapevine is only 6%. This was so steep that the strongest riders were turning their pedals over at a paltry 4 MPH.

But as I mentioned, this was an option – the sane choice was to take a 4-mile jog that would make a wheat field Kansas farmer green with jealousy. Steve, John, Gene, Doc and Dave, the second group on the road were thinking clearly and sanely made rolled past the canyon turn – a look of relief in the eyes of Gene as he looked up the mountain, a shudder at the sight.

The final group, consisting of Tyler, Terry, Ted, Scotty, and Mike Witt stopped at the turn – which happened to be the van stop. Now here is where it gets a little foggy.

Reports are that Terry looked at the climb, glanced back at his bike – back yet again at the climb and practically demanded that they take the easier way. Ted, whose eyes after the past two days reminded everyone of those WWII photos – the 50-yard stare and heavy black rings of a man who has seen too much (and rode to many hard miles) immediately began pumping his head up and down like a Manny Ramirez bobble head doll. Scotty and Tyler, who by this time in the ride were no longer capable of coherent sentences, just continued to giggle like they were waiting for their escort to the padded room. But Mike, who had ridden more miles yesterday than he had last month, and being form Chicago, the longest climb he done prior was crossing over the Wabash Ave bridge, started working the crowd like he was throwing his hat into the upcoming governor’s race. He was complimenting, cajoling, and selling it like it was their destiny. One by one, they fell to the ever present peer pressure that is the Achilles heel of us all.

Up they went – three pedal strokes forward, two feet rolling back. The litany of colorful and descriptive comments from Terry once they reached the hotel was nearly a thing of beauty.

All in all, another great day on the rode. Two days down, three to go.

TOP Day 2

Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita

101.4 miles

6148 Feet of Climbing

WE GOT TO GO WHERE?

2010-05-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

So the conversation as we were shooting the group photo this morning went something like this,

“If anybody gets lost today they’re an idiot!” Carter sniped, his British nose held high in the air of route planning superiority.

“But aren’t you putting out a change to the route card this morning?”, I tentatively offered – hoping not to bruise his tender self-esteem (it’s oftentimes a tightrope that I walk).

Picture shot, route change delivered, off we roll.

Today’s route took us through Santa Barbara and almost immediately onto the tough Old San Marcos climb – the historic stagecoach trail up and over the mountains. From there we rolled onto the 154 for a short way of dodging 80 mph traffic before we were to roll off to a safe and scenic stretch (which also happened to be the complicated route change that Carter “explained” to our first van stop in Solvang.

Now you’ve probably already guessed it – by the time we reached the turn the tiny details of his rambling changes were a bit lost. Seems there was a fork in the roa d – to the left was the obvious road, to the right was a long driveway. We went left – the driveway was right in both regards.

The road to the left was also a never ending, and significantly steeper climb – gaining another 1000’ and ending on a dirt road that could be better called a gully, which we naturally began to descend – cursing Carter with every rock, hole and trench.

After finally coming to the conclusion that this was clearly the wrong way – made painfully obvious as we looked over the hillside panorama at the miles and miles of trail leading eventually to the coast. Shouldering our overpriced mid-life crises carbon fiber “toys”, we began the mile long slog back to the road.

It was there that we found all but four of the 27 remaining riders – with Terry reciting a stream of colorful comments that would have left the saltiest of Longshoreman disgusted and running for the nearest church.

So, who were the four you ask – Steve Burke, Scott Waterman, Jeff Theaders, and you guessed it, CARTER!

This set up the little group for the surprise of the day – a 40 to 50 minute lead, and with some good teamwork the win for the day. Now for you Tour de France buffs, this was tantamount to Claudio Chiappucci's brilliant break in the 1990 race. American Greg LeMond was the heavy favorite for a repeat victory, having to spend the bulk of the race pulling back the time on his way to his toughest and most satisfying victory. Well, kids, the ToP favorites have a lot of hard riding to pull back the leaders.

I tried to get our breakaway champions to tell me who was the first one to the hotel, who was the strongest on the climbs, and who led out the city limit sign sprints – after all, the green, red and yellow jerseys are on the line. In what is even a bigger surprise of the day – NONE of them would bite, NONE of them would rat out the others, and NONE of them would claim victory. Very unsatisfying to me – but I’ll give them kudos for brotherhood.

Now behind them the feeling of solidarity was not so pronounced. In what has become extremely evident, the NorCal Assassins and the OC have come to the realization they are no match for the tenacity (and significantly slimmer and stronger Andrew “El Heffe" Lee – San Diego’s only hope at face saving after the past two years of being kicked about like poor Cinderella with her evil stepsisters). It was a game effort, but after 80-miles of continues one-two punches, Andrew finally managed to springboard ahead to take the stage among the favorites – of course the ill timed flat tire on Mike Armbruster’s part didn’t help their cause. But as Scott Duncan said early in the day, “live by the sword, die be the sword” – at the end of the day, all’s fair in the ToP.

Stay tuned tomorrow – another stage and all important awarding of day one’s coveted black jersey.

Ride leaders after Day One:

Yellow - Jeff Theaders; Red - Scott Waterman; Green - come on, none of these guys can sprint.

Ride Status:

101.6 done (108.5 for we directionally challenged); 384 to go

6932 feet of climbing

IT’S ONLY A DAY AWAY!

2010-05-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, tomorrow, we roll out tomorrow, it’s only a day away

With a little borrow from that long running Broadway hit –we are finally on the eve of the big rollout. Tomorrow’s first route should have a little for all of us – and just a little more for a few, but all that will be explained tomorrow.

For tonight, let’s just go with everyone arrived safe and sound to our host hotel, a few follies along the way, but the vans are set, the tires pumped up and the bellies full.

For those of you new to the ToP, this is the 4th annual get-together for our 5-day, 500 mile bike ride. Began as an excuse for Carter and me to do nothing of value it immediately became one of those “if you plan it, they will come” things. This year’s ride will take us from Santa Barbara in a south-east route to San Diego – join us here each day for the rides recap.

Day 5 / The Grand Finale

2010-05-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

What a busy day; with all the interviews Kevin & I have been granting to the press – there just has been no time to get this final course e-mail out…seems the whole world wants to know what we have done right. We might be the only two people NOT implicated by Floyd Landis.

But better late than never; so here it is: Day 5:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/temecula/907127432845141786

It’s up, it’s down, it’s the final day; enough said!

ToP Day 4 - Speed will rule the day!

2010-05-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Much like today’s Stage 4 of the Tour of California; our Day 4 will be one with the sprinters in mind. With less than 3000 total feet of climbing the fearless warriors of speed should be there for the day’s glory. This day screams Rick Strauss and Andrew Lee

We have a mix of urban riding along with quiet back roads; and it’s all flat I promise…flat with a tail wind…it’s going to be FAST:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/-san-dimas/556127042963230612

IT’S THAT TIME; PACKING TIME!

2010-05-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Salesman, “Have you thought much about luggage, Mr. Banks?”

Joe, “No”

Salesman, “It’s the Central Preoccupation of my life”

Ok, bonus points to whoever can recall the classic these lines come from; until then, it’s time to make a central preoccupation for you as well. In this case, what do I bring, where do I bring it.

First the what; below is a general list of items you should be thinking of. By all means, add to it as you see fit, but remember, space is not unlimited. There will be a minimum of 30 bags being transported daily – add to that the coolers, food, tools, tires, water, and such that will be in each of the vans – it doesn’t take long to reach critical mass.

Bike Clothes

Arm Warmers

Baselayer (3)

Bibs/shorts (3)

Gloves

Jacket

Knee warmers

L/S jersey (1)

Lef warmers

s/s jersey (3)

shoe covers

shoes

socks (3)

vest

Bike

Chain lube/rags

Glasses

Helmet

HRM/Bike Computer

Tire Kit

Water Bottle

Clothes

Casual Clothes

Flip flops

Light jacket

Running shoes

Shorts

Socks

Swim Trunks

T-shirts (3)

Warmies

Misc

Book

Camera

Cash

Cell Charger

Cell Phone **

Computer

Credit Card

Ipod

Sunscreen

Personal supplements

Toiletries

**Cell phone required for all riders

For the bikes, if yours is being transported up in the vans they will need to be dropped off at Kevin's house by 6:00 pm on Friday. For the OC, you’ll drop them off at Bobbo’s house NO LATER than 09:30 am on Saturday. Gene and I will be swinging by there to load them by about 10:00 am. If you are traveling up on the train on Sunday, please carry your bags with you: we’ll be offloading the vans on Saturday night and I want to limit how much I have to stuff into rooms.

I hope that by now everyone is pretty excited for the kick off - I know that we are. Kevin will be in Santa Barbara by about 1:00 PM on Saturday – Carter a few hours later. Once you get to town, please give me a call.

There is an easy spin planned for Sunday morning, should be about 40 miles or so; for now, plan on about an 8:00 am rollout.

Day 3

2010-05-16T12:03:00.001-07:00

Over today, Monday and Tuesday I will be sending the details for our final days on the route…now for Day 3

TRANSITION: Over the years we’ve all spent countless hours sitting: hopefully on the indoor trainer, but more likely on the couch, watching untold hours of Grand Tour coverage and through this devotion a number of facts certain facts emerge:

1) Podium Girls are HOT!!!

2) No adult male should weigh less than 125 pounds; I don’t care how well they climb.

3) From time to time a Grand Tour requires a transition day; the kind where you get from one good riding point to another…

Well Day 3 is ours; we start with a nice back roads canyon, fall into urban hell; and then finish off with a great climb and decent in the mountains above the LA basin. The urban hell includes a fair amount of stop-lights along this portion, but it could not be avoided…so be careful and look forward to what lays ahead.

Day 3: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/-santa-clarita/294126765128510230

IT WAS THE BEST OF RIDES; IT WAS THE WORST OF RIDES . . .

2010-05-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know – clearly a rip off of that hack writer of Spanish drunken fame; seriously, I never claimed any originality. But really, the title fits the weekends training.

As we officially entered the less-than-three-week out point for the Grande Depart, it has become apparent that sitting around the local coffee shops and talking about our training may not have been the best preparation. So here we are, trying to stuff in whatever miles that can be found.

Saturday was no exception.

Two events dominated the weekend: one, a monster ride lovingly known as the 2010 Breathless Agony. The OC, who have vowed to recapture their long lost glory, stood mono-a-mono with the top climbers as they headed out on what turned out to be a 124 mile, 12,000 foot ascent, just shy of nine hour sufferfest. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a stud ride if ever there was one, especially when you get a late start, make a wrong turn adding a dozen miles and spend the rest of the day chasing the clock and the aid stations, all while begging for tubes and CO2 carts and massaging your aching legs.

For Rick and Bobbo, I imagine this is how their day began,

“Hey JPEG, we better get moving, the ride started 40 minutes ago”, Rick shouts out in what has become a terminal case of disappointment in the choices he has made in friends.

Bobbo, still basking in his new-found sprinters title, simply turned, his nose perched firmly in the air and stated, “That start time is for the lesser riders, I AM A CHAMPION!”

Well you can pretty much figure out where that got them – seems the “Green-Bra” winner at the Biking for Boobs club ride and the Breathless Agony have about as much similarity in cycling circles as the Bingo Kids and Led Zeppelin, you can find yourself humming along to both, but only one guaranteed the chance to woe that local hottie as you riffed off your own version of Stairway to Heaven!

Course’ this stairway led to anywhere but heaven.

Reliving the classic tale of the tortoise and the hare, Bobbo completed his “dominance” in the ride by hammering past those “lesser riders”, only to pull over to the side, time and time again, falling dejectedly to the ground, tear rolling down his cheeks and crying out, “wait, I’m a champion” as those same “lesser riders” rode past – shaking their heads and snickering under their breath.

And what of the long suffering Rick. Well, with the embarrassment coupled with a deep rooted sense of self survival, he did the only thing he could – he dropped his head, gave a tiny wave and rode away – thinking once again of the mysteries of life’s choices.

Down south, the San Diego crew joined an 80-mile gut check in the north county. This included 7000+ feet of climbing and temperatures finally reminding everyone that global warming might be more than a catchphrase that our former VP and inventor of the internet Al Gore made up to explain that mountain man beard he was sporting after his turn away from the big desk in the round room.

With an invitation from the North County Cycle Club, the 30 strong field rolled out for a relatively easy warm-up before being introduced to the famed De Luz climb – a two mile, 9% route that blew the field apart. Nick “it’s good to be 25 around all you old men” Stoner moved to the front, lifted the pace and left the lead group panting in the background. There’s a reason why this team is a Master’s Club – these young kids have little respect for their wise and worldly elders.

With half the ride behind us and a long descent through Rice Canyon it all went bad. Poor Len, just back from his honeymoon – which happened to include a lifelong dream trip to Ireland just in time for that little ash cloud to shut down travel – was finally back on his bike and beginning to find his legs. Trouble was that what he really found was the breaking point for carbon. Seems at 35 mph it’s best to stay on your bike, vice attempting your own version of “don’t try this at home kids”. In full tuck, he hit a bad hole and launched over the bars – his once pristine Felt impacted the road on the back of the seat. Some of you math wizards out there can probably tell us how much force came into the equation, but it was clearly enough to snap the frame and turn 15 lbs of state-of-the-art bike into so much junk. Len came out much better; while he is now about a pound lighter in missing meat, nothing was broken; he could still basically remember his name and stopped drooling after a couple hours. His new wife is still sporting that 5-mile stare at the thought of spoon feeding him for the rest of eternity. I soothed her worries when I reminded her that she never made the “in sickness and health” promise, so she should be ok.

So there we are - broken bikes, broken egos and only a few more days to find that magic training that will lead to the coveted yellow. So here’s to no more crashes, good legs and a couple more weeks till the big ride.

Tick-Tock goes the Clock! The ToP is almost here!

2010-04-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

With only a few weeks left before the “Grand Depart” the training (and smack-talk) is beginning to build. The past couple of weeks have seen some significant advances to everyone’s overall fitness, as the little Spaniard Contador would say, “the leg sensations are good”, though let’s face it, his English would have been so poor that we’d never had understood it.

Like the weekend’s Liege Bastogne Liege podium of the three Alex’s, the questionable finish of our OC brethren in the Saturday edition of the “Biking for Boobs” classic shows that they are coming with the heat! The biggest surprise was Bobbo’s remarkable – read that as “wait for the drug test results for that aha moment” – capture of the sprinters trophy! This is the same guy whose last sprint claim to fame involved a bucket of mild chicken wings and a small child with a short reach. Still, the gauntlet has been more slammed then dropped.

The once mighty SD has continued to suffer with its roster – the young guns come and go, while the veterans are beginning to look a little long in the tooth. Still, Steve “get off my lawn, you young whippersnapper” Burke has begun to show a little life – having finished this past weekend’s Alpine Challenge comfortably in the peloton, stating to anyone that would hear, “I’m not here for the win, just to get in some quality!”

Word of the first glimpse of actual road surface after another West Point winter is right on schedule for Curt’s annual day of training before toeing the line in Santa Barbara. A lifetime at the top of the athletic heap has taught him that the heart is only going to get so many beats, so it’s best to hold off on any training and save them for the actual event. This also serves for providing better photo opportunities as we are treated to the look of pure pain that is reminiscent of those early days of glory.

The great state of Texas is sending it’s favorite sons – well, really those three slow kids from the other side of the tracks – the favorite son is still claiming that a Grand Fondo and a pine wood derby were exactly what was needed to capture his 8^th TdF. Still, we’re expecting tall tales and couple of two-steps in the transition stages this year. “We gave it to ‘em at the Alamo, and will do it again in Solvang!”, Scotty was heard to yell (though completely unaware that Davey and the boys didn’t fare all that well at that faithful fight).

All eyes are on the NorCal Assassins as they continue to prepare for the defense of last year’s pure dominance. In the long history of the ToP, no team has come back to win – they have vowed to break the curse of the perpetual trophy, which is nearly as storied as the World Champions jersey, but not nearly as colorful. Tom ‘the hard man of the north” Armbruster has remained cagey in letting any word of his fitness out. Claims of injury and lack of training as he continues to save the lives of the lesser men, combined with his continued commitments at A16 are being taken with a grain of salt by those in the know. But it’s really Scott Duncan who continues to create the buzz. After coming out of nowhere in his first ToP to capture the coveted red jersey, he has been seen partying into the wee hours, trusting that his “youth” will cover for the checks his “rock-star” life is cashing. It is the dirty little secret of the top tours, the winners can so easily be caught up in the fame and forget “the train”! Still, the bookmakers are sitting firm on their 1-1 odds for a repeat.

If you’re looking for that outside chance, those same bookmakers have Carter at 30-1 to actually ride the whole event this year – who knows, it may be worth a quid just for the dream.

Train of Pain IV - Day 2 info

2010-04-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Day Two / Tuesday May 25th

Start: Santa Barbara

End: Valencia

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/santa-barbara/244125643162719249

Our hotel in Valencia = Hyatt Regency Valencia

82 miles with 3900 feet of total climbing, including a high point for the day just less than 1600’ @ the 41 mile mark. We begin with an easy 15 mile trip southward before turning east and climbing away from the beach… We’ll point up towards Ojai, roll down hill to Santa Paula, chug through Fillmore and heads towards our finish; with one final small tough climb at about 73 miles.

Also I want to add an additional note regarding Day 1: the early climb is tough, don’t under estimate it just because it’s early in the trip…we gain an estimated 2000 feet in about 5 miles; with some steep sections…be prepared!

Train of Pain IV / Transport, Arrival and Day 1

2010-04-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

OK Guys,

The ride is closing in; and it’s time to start getting into the details:

Remember our ride begins the morning of Monday May 24th; and I have arrival dates for all (some on Sat. and most on Sun.).

Our 1st host hotel is the Pepper Tree Inn: www.bestwesternpeppertreeinn.com

For those arriving by train; the hotel does offer a shuttle – let me know what train you book and I will arrange for the van pick-up.

Kevin is putting the final touches on the bike transportation plan. From all riders, we NEED the following information:

1) Travel plans to Santa Barbara: train schedule and if you plan on taking your bike on the train.

2) If you are flying into San Diego, will you be carrying your bike on the plane, or shipping it in advance.

3) If shipping; will you be sending your bike directly to the Peppertree hotel in SB?

4) Are any San Diego/OC riders planning on driving up; and if so will you be transporting you own bikes? Any other bikes?

Actual pre-ride bike collection drop of points will be provided in a future e-mail.

We will have three vans heading out of San Diego on a staggered schedule over the weekend. Please do not plan on riding in the vans; they will carry bikes, supplies and equipment. For now, plan on carrying your bags with you on the train; as we get a better idea on total bike numbers we’ll let you know if there is room.

Day One / Monday May 24th

Start: Santa Barbara

End: Santa Barbara

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/santa-barbara/751126772660744094

101 miles with roughly 4300 feet of climbing including a high point for the day reaching 2300 and coming only 10 miles into the day. We’ll slide by Lake Cachuma; were 26 years ago I nearly drowned and Axe acquired his nick-name, blasting through Santa Ynez and Solvang. Extra points will then be awarded to anyone brave enough to down a full bowl of Split Pea Andersen’s famous fare while rolling through Buellton.

Our final 47 miles of the day will mirror the final miles from day 4 year 1. Returning riders from that year (Bobbo, Jeff, Steve, John, Axe, Curt Kevin & myself) may remember fondly the long drag out of Lompoc; followed by the fast decent to the 101 and the hammer south with the Pacific Ocean just to our right…finishing off the day right back were we started: The Pepper Tree Inn!

Day 1 starts and ends at the same hotel; there will be no need to pack-up that morning.

As always, shoot us your questions – if you’re thinking it, chances are someone else is too.

April 1st; and it's no joke...

2010-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well boys,

It is now April and that means; for good or bad – depending on how your training has been going – next month is the Train of Pain. Yes I understand that we still have all of April and most of May; but the fact remains – next month is our ride. Heck even Steve Burke is starting to consider going on some training rides; he has finally realized that even a broken elbow will garner no sympathy from this group.

For those of you coming in from outside SoCal; if you are considering shipping your bike, here's the ship to info:

Adams Avenue Bikes
Attn: Andrew Lee / ToP
2606 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA. 92116

For those who don't know; Andrew is the owner of Adams Avenue Bikes and will be on this years ride defending his green points jersey from last years edition...he will also take reasonably good care of your bike at his end.

Please e-mail me if shipping so we can keep an eye open for it...and be sure it arrives no later than May 20th...so that we have time to retreive.

For those of you that got me your travel plans and Santa Barbara arrival date = "Thank you"; for those of you who did not, you have until midnight tonight - tomorrow I lock in those rooms with the hotel.

That's it for now; let Kevin or I know if there are any questions…

Canari-NAVY ToP News‏

2010-03-21T15:13:00.001-07:00

We are now 9 weeks out and I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on a few items leading into our ride this year; and I’ll need to gather some information from each of you pertaining to your travel plans…

1) This year our traveling circus will have three vans and drivers supporting us; 2 of these vans will leave SoCal for Santa Barbara early on Sat. May 22nd; the 3rd will leave Sunday morning. Details on pre-transport bike drop-off will be forwarded in a future e-mail.

2) All hotel reservations (for the entire trip) have been made; I have blocks of rooms reserved @ all our stops. There is no need to contact any of the hotels – it’s been handled.

3) Once we arrive in Santa Barbara, we’ll be staying at the Best Western Pepper Tree Inn – the hotel is perfect for our needs as it meets our two main requirements: it’s large enough to accommodate our number, and it’s with-in walking distance to a Starbucks (Kevin demands this). Also for any of you driving to Santa Barbara at the start; the hotel has agreed to allow us to leave cars in their parking lot for the week.

Now for the information I need from each of you: your travel plans:

1) Which day you plan on arriving in Santa Barbara? I have rooms for all of us starting on Sunday, May 23rd; I also have some rooms set aside for those who’d like to roll in on Saturday.

2) Who will need rooms in San Diego? Before heading to Santa Barbara, or at the end of the trip. Remember we have a dinner planned for the evening of Friday the 28th (our final day)…so stay at least that night if you can. I do have a small block of rooms set aside at the Marriott Liberty Station / Pt Loma San Diego. Also, Margaret & Kevin will be hosting an informal pizza party in their back-yard on Saturday, 29th in the afternoon/evening…if you that have not yet experienced: Kevin’s pies are a thing of beauty!

3) For those of you flying in from outside the area; your flight itineraries.

This request is important; as the hotels are already pushing me to release any unneeded rooms – therefore I will work on the assumption that if I don’t hear from you by next Saturday that your plan is to arrive in Santa Barbara on the Sunday and will not need lodging in San Diego.

Thanks, and as always: reach out to either Kevin or I with any questions.

11 Weeks Out

2010-03-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 11 weeks out point until our gathering in Santa Barbara for ToP IV, and we have some good news and bad news; 1st the Bad News = last year’s recipient of the Yellow Jersey, Greg Moore is out of this year’s edition. It seems in his lust to defend his placing he was involved in some secret training and proceeded to get himself doored…resulting in a torn up shoulder that will be requiring surgery…which leads to the Good News = this year the Yellow Jersey competition is wide open. Please remember this is not a race; just a portal to eternal bragging rights – so use your remaining 11 weeks wisely and be ready…about the only given is that the Yellow Jersey will not be ‘won’ by me…too many rainy weekends and apple fritters.

As a reminder; our ride dates are Monday, May 24th to Friday, May 28th with the route being a meandering one from Santa Barbara, ending in San Diego. All riders need to be in SB on Sunday the 23rd; we roll early enough on Monday that there will not be time to arrive that morning.

Over the next weeks I will be pushing out the daily routes and details; but will begin with a little Day 1 info: Riders from year one may remember a section from that year’s Day 4 that included a grinding climb out of Lompoc before a fast decent to the coast and a hammer into Santa Barbara; this section returns during Day 1 this year…

Please note: We still have just a few spots remaining in this year’s ride; I have heard from a number of you with indications of your intentions to participate…but until your Shared Expenses amount is in…nothing is ‘official. So if you are coming…get on it. PayPal or checks accepted! Any questions – let Kevin or I know…we’ll make up an answer for you!

The vans are lined up, the drivers and tech support ready, routes are set and Kevin and I are tired of planning – is it May 24th yet?

Have you reserved your spot for the 2010 ToP

2010-02-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, the spots are filling fast, just got word today that Scott Waterman will be back for the 2010 fun. This means Texas is now a force to be reckoned with. NorCal and the OC are on the boards, with SD nearly fully signed up.

Carter has laid out a great route, great climbs, lots of bragging points, plenty of perfect miles for the week. If you haven't confirmed your spot, don't delay; you can send a check to Canari-Navy Cycling, 1702 Mission Cliff Dr, SD, CA 92116 or take advantage of the PayPal option on the club website. If you need the Invite Code again, shoot me an e-mail.

May is coming quick, so it's time to get out there and train.

Cheers,
Kevin

How can it be February already?

2010-02-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

The fact that it’s now February is just not right: it means May is just around the corner and perhaps it’s time to finally get serious about training in preparation for this year’s version of the Train of Pain.

Things to remember/consider:

Ride dates are Monday May 24th to Friday May 28th. The official course will be announced soon; but basically it’s an indirect route from Santa Barbara to San Diego – which requires that all riders arrive in Santa Barbara no later than Sunday May 23rd. We do finish in San Diego mid-afternoon on Friday the 28th, so for our non So-Cal riders; anyone flying home can book a flight out on Friday night if needed – but doing so will mean that you’ll miss the awards dinner scheduled for the Friday evening…stay until Saturday if you can.

Details on travel options to Santa Barbara from San Diego and Orange County, as well as bike transportation info will follow in the next few weeks.

ToP has reached an all time high for people wanting in, which means that the rider slots will fill up fast.

This year there are two ways to ensure your spot for this year's ride:

1) Via PayPal

Beginning next week: Log on to the club website: canari-navycycling.com and look for the ToP sign-up tab. Please note, there will be a 3.5% PayPal service fee added to the charge. Remember, this is a "by invitation only" event, Kevin or I will send out a code that you will need to enter into the site and gain access to the registration page - look for the e-mail mid week as soon as the link is live.

2) By sending a check; made payable to: Canari-NAVY Cycling to:

Carter Goodnough
7168 Salizar St
San Diego CA 92111

This year the amount for shared expenses is $400.00; which as always covers the vans, fuel, drivers lodging and eats, route cards, mechanical support, bike transport from So-Cal to Santa Barbara, ride incidentals and anything else I can think of…what it does not cover is the rider lodging and meals.

We will not hold spots this year, this will be a first come-first in ride. You know you want to come, so don't delay. Once you commit, start training in earnest and get ready for the annual SD/OC/NorCal king of the ride battle.

4 months

2010-01-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder that today marks exactly 4 months until our May 24th Day 1 roll-out...so whether your training includes Aspen ski trips, Sunday brunch in (finally) sunny San Diego, or even trips to foreign lands - such as Lima, Peru...I do hope you are doing something - May 24th will be here before you know it!

1st Official Announcement of 2010

2010-01-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

Block out the dates lads; we ride from: Monday May 24th to Friday May 28th...

2009-11-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye out - news of ToP 2010 is on the way!

ONE MORE FOR THE BOOKS

2009-05-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, I’m not sure what is the bigger surprise – that the ToP is over after a year of work, or that it ended a week ago and I still haven’t posted the final blog. I guess the latter is really no surprise, between my natural tendencies towards procrastination, and proven science, which states that time speeds up expediently as the vacation days conclude. With my impending return to work just a couple days away, the clock – and calendar – are spinning faster than the gas meter on pizza day.

That said, it’s a wrap for ToP III – the central theme has been spectacular and furious. Carter outdid himself – and everyone’s legs with the route. The general feel of the group could not have been better; everyone jelled together, pushed and supported one another, and had a great time.

The final stage, Santa Rosa back to San Francisco, polished off the week with a fast run into the town of Fairfield and up and over an unbelievable climb through the trees of Mt Tam – but what a doozy. The climb was broken into two stages, with the first sweeping up and over the Alpine Dam, ending at Alpine Lake. Picture the perfect lake surrounded by a thick forest, which formed a canopy over the road. Were it not for the fact everyone was trying not to throw-up for the effort . . .

Finally the route dropped us down into Mill Valley and a much earned regroup and lunch on the warm red bricks of the town center.

The re-group in Mill Valley was the perfect cap. For those that have not visited this post card worthy community, it sits at the base of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. Central to the town is a large town square surrounded by coffee shops, small one-off retail spaces and a terrific Market/Deli. It was the latter that had our attentions – like moths to a naked light bulb we made a beeline to the deli counter. For me, it was the most perfect rare roast beef with horseradish mayo on a French roll. Coupled with the Caprese’ salad and a lemonade, I was sure I’d found heaven. That is until the food was gone, the wind had increased, and the realization that damp lycra does little for raising the core temperature of my now significantly scrawnier body. Try to picture the scene of twenty guys all trying to dig in to the red brick surface in a search for warmth.

Finally, once everyone had arrived, it was time to roll back across the bridge to the shouts and cheers of the fans. Ok, it was really more like shouts of, “Hey, watch it A@$ *^#e), you almost hit me”, and “look, Edith, it’s bicyclists, isn’t that cute”. I’m sure this is what Lance experiences as he nears the end of a stage as well.

We ended the trip with the traditional wrap-up dinner. This year, Ristorante Capannina’s on Union St hosted us – closing off their dining room for the party, and providing some of the best Italian dining I have experienced. We probably emptied out their wine cellar, but may be invited back again.

The final jerseys were presented to rousing cheers, and a couple of “I was cheated” sighs.

Yellow Jersey went to Greg Moore, who dominated the week in the same manner as Tom Armbruster did last year – neither are invited again.

The Red Jersey, for the most consistent climber was an easy choice in Scott Duncan – last word is that Jack La Lane is in contact as his replacement (the juicer is in the mail).

The Green Jersey was Andrew’s from day one, and seemed to fit like a glove.

Three more black Jerseys were presented: Maury, for his silent suffering while completing the trip on a Time Trial bike. This is a bike that is made for only one purpose – to go really fast on a flat course with few turns. Unfortunately, this year’s route was the complete opposite and gave him a whole new appreciation for chamois cream. The second went to Rich for his two days of near solo suffering. The second of these days, which was the longest of the week, and was on the verge of being re-routed, he was the sole voice of “un-reason” when he argued that it should stay because “I’ve never ridden a hundred miles, and want to see what it’s like”. Finally, the third went to John, one of the original ToP participants, and the designer of our jerseys. Both of these are fine reasons for a jersey award, but pale in comparison to the fact that he has also had to put up with rooming with Steve Burke for all of those years – now if you know Burke, you know that deserves an award.

The final award of the year, and new for this year, was the presentation of the ToP perpetual plaque. It has each of the past year’s rides – and the team that won. This year, that honor goes to the NorCal Assassins.

Well done one and all, while Carter worked throughout the year to put all this together, it is the group that makes the week. Can’t wait until next year – anyone for Tahoe?

Thanks also to all those that have frittered away their time reading the blog, it is just one of the aspects of the ToP that wakes it what it is.

IS THIS THE PERFECT STAGE?

2009-05-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today may have been the best stage of the week. Now, granted, one’s perspective is largely based on how they felt – and rode – throughout the day, but still . . .

As has been the norm for the past three days, there was a lot of nervous laughing and ribbing at breakfast this morning. The big heroes of yesterday’s Geyser climb were moving really slow, and sitting VERY GINGERLY – athletes, at the peak of fitness! At least we had a buffet to fuel us up, which a few took full advantage of.

We rolled out of the Marriott Courtyard in Santa Rosa for a loop through the wine country. Before you start thinking it was all wicker baskets and tasting’s, the day began with a very short 8-mile warm-up, followed by a massive climb up and over Spring Mountain Road. This was made even tougher after the pain and miles of yesterday’s ride.

Still, Carter managed to do the day up right, with the majority of the climbing in the first 40-miles. This allowed for the obligatory jousting in the early hours, and a kindred spirit, just trying to get back to the barn in the afternoon – largely fueled by Bobbo, who finally showed himself in the mix.

We broke up into two main groups – the first included all the Jersey hopefuls, and those that just wanted to battle out the climbs. The second group was the smart one; they did the first big climb and then took a slightly shorter route back to the Alehouse Brewery for some well earned food and frosty.

I say they were the smart ones, because the rest of us had a second monster climb up and over Ink Grade Road – as one of our stalwart riders said, any street that has the word “Grade” in it should be avoided at all costs.

Though all was not lost for the first group, after arriving in Calistoga; there was a general consensus that the town was too cool to just roll through. Truth be told, Tom, who was suffering from his solo attack the previous day, simply veered left, rode up the sidewalk, threw his bike into the bushes and stated. “we’re having lunch!”. By the look in his eye, everyone was too scared to argue with him.

Best stop of the day – great sandwiches, nice folks, and chairs (funny how nice a seat that encompass’ your entire backside can be after four hard days).

This brings us to the Black Jersey award for the day. This one was easy, and occurred before we even rolled out for the day. The ever irrepressible Andrew announced that we should all meet up for lunch out on the route – claiming that he has simply not been able to spend enough quality time with everyone.

For those that know Andrew - or, heck, just met him - you are aware that in his world, there are no strangers, just those people that he has not yet met. But, again, I am off on a tangent and need to veer back to today’s winner. Andrew had just stated that he hasn’t seen enough of the riders, and needed a special luncheon bond – to which Steve Burke snapped back, “Well, maybe you should slow the *^@% down”. Congratulation’s Steve, you have brought yourself back to the grumpy New Jersey land of your birth.

One day to go, and the Yellow and Red Jersey’s are still looking pretty tight; Scott and Greg continue to battle it out, with the rest of falling off the leader’s boards. Tomorrow’s climb up and over Alpine Dam should seal the deal.

Andrew continues his lock on the Green Jersey, though Rick received some valuable sprint points in the race to the County line. For all, stay tuned, the coveted awarding will take place at the post ride party tomorrow night.

We’ll be meeting at Capannina’s in San Francisco for a well earned celebration. 1809 Union St, (between Laguna St and Octavia St in Cow Hollow)

Today’s Stage, out and back from Santa Rosa.
95.1 miles with 5980 feet of climbing with a Max inclines of 18%
So far we’ve covered 398.4 miles, with 28,470 feet of climbing

BRING ON THE HORILKA

2009-05-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

“Hoo-Nelly”, still waiting for the easy day – and beginning to think that is not going to come. Today was the Queen stage, this normally denotes the big decisive ride that would shape the final standings in a stage race (though, as I have said along, this is not a race – yeah, right). For ToP III, this would be 118 miles from Bodega Bay to Santa Rosa. Included were two major climbs for the day, Sweetwater Springs and the Geyser – this with its 20% grade at the top.

As has been the case throughout, it was spectacular.

Also, in every race there comes that decisive moment – the one that is known as the final selection. It will represent the majority of the teams, have enough strength to power it to the finish, and either contains the team leaders – or no one of any real importance. That selection happened today – and from this small group the Yellow and Red jersey will land.

So, maybe it’s best to set the stage – 25 riders and 3 drivers; way too many miles – and even more hills. The temperature as we rolled out was in the high 40’s and damp. Since the average age of the group is just a hair under Methuselah – the joints and near-petrified tendons were screaming with every movement. O’, and did I mention that we had 118 miles ahead of us?

The first 25 were relatively flat, just a few rollers as we began to head inland. The van stop was the decision point – take the whole course, or one of the shorter options that Carter set up. The smart money was the easy 75 mile spin, so naturally, the 118 was more appealing. At least this time no one could lay the blame on the route planner.

The one option that the majority took was to eliminate Sweetwater Springs – this was my initial choice, but Andrew, Wayne and Rich – each tag-teaming me with their best rendition of the Jewish Mother’s guilt, made me fall victim. A perfect example of the pressures kids today fall under. I realize that this makes a “kids and behavior” reference in each of the last couple days blogs, but with the announcement that one of original riders is about to be a daddy, I feel that my wise tutelage is in order – that and to remind him that “Kevin” makes a fine name (girl or boy).

Anyway, I digress, I was discussing the selection. Out of the group, eight riders decided to do the whole course. This included:

Greg Moore
Wayne Centrone
Curt Alitz
Scott Waterman
Andrew Lee
Rich Witt
Mike Peterson
And yours truly

Tom had taken a flyer at the roll-out from Bodega Bay, and was not to be seen again.

Up and over Sweetwater would prove to be another suffer fest, and my undoing. While I licked my wounds, the remainder of the group powered on to the 11-mile climb up Geyser. While Wayne took the climb, it was Andrew that took the moment of humor.

His legs screaming in protest, and heart rate through the roof, he grabbed hold of the window frame of the truck for a well earned tow up the final climb – still with his perpetual smile, he reminded Carter and Axe, “it’s ok, I’m not in the hunt for the Red Jersey!”

As he was being pulled up the mountain, his arm comfortably hooked on the window and passing first Greg, then Rich, Curt and finally Wayne (O’ and a Bissell Team pro), he chose to heckle each of them as he rolled.

Once next to Rich, he laughed and said, “Now I’ve got that guy”, and to Curt, “Army’s not so tough!” But the best was the roll past Wayne as he sang, “It’s not the Train of Pain, it’s just the pain!”

That really seems to have summed up the day – and really the week. Can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings.

For the Black Jersey, today was really tough. It has come down to two riders, Tom Armbruster and Wayne Centrone. Tom is in the vote for his 112 mile solo ride. With no one to help him out, he managed to stay off the front for the entire day.

Wayne, on the other hand, drove the selection. He not only took the climbs – practically flying up the Geyser climb, but rode back down one of the 15% grades at one point to bring Rich Witt back to the group. Rich, our resident SEAL, has completely sold Wayne on the “no man left behind” motto.

This one has come down to the Ukrainian Judges discussions, fueled by copious amounts of Horilka. As often happens when the alcohol begins to flow, no decision was made – so it will go to both. But since the committee is no longer capable of clear speech, we will present tomorrow – so pictures will post then.

Now for the Jersey hunt, today really set the bar high, placing Greg Moore in the yellow, and just edging out Scott and Wayne for the red.

Andrew has the lock on the Green Jersey, having taken every intermediate sprint of the day – while still providing the non-stop, laugh out loud quips.

Today’s Stage, Bodega Bay to Santa Rosa.
118 miles with 8100 feet of climbing
So far we’ve covered 303.3 miles, with 22,490 feet of climbing

Finally, I need to give a special thanks to the crew at the Bodega Coast Inn. Having been invaded by the horde, they went out of their way to make our two nights fantastic. If you are heading that way, you’ll love the place.

CARTER, YOU %!#@!%@$

2009-05-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Day two is done, and boy, what were we thinking. I remember Carter sending me the route after he had laid it out; the phone conversation went something like this,

“Did you take a look at the route”, Carter practically screamed into the phone.

“Jesus Carter, I’m pretty busy”, I said, exasperation dripping in my voice, “hold on a second while I open it up.”

“Is it open yet?” he asked – the sound of a kid at Christmas in his voice.

“It looks good, is there a lot of climbing?” I ask, clearly indicating that I had not even opened it up.

“About 6500’ all together”, he replied – his voice now showing the first sign of despair at my reaction.

“Add some more – I feel pretty strong, and I want Bobbo to suffer”, was my final input – right before I said, “gotta go, there’s an episode of Magnum P.I. that I’ve only seen twice, don’t want to miss it”

Carter, being the idiot savant of the Map my Ride world took me at my word. He went back to the course, added another dozen climbs – no doubt with an evil cackle emitting from his lips with every key stroke.

The problem with tackling the route from the comfort of your computer screen is that it fails to capture the true torture that we all be suffering by the fifth hour on the road. He has at least ten new nicknames this afternoon – none of which can be printed here, even Wayne “the nicest guy in the world” Centrone rolled up to the van, having vomited multiple times on poor Mike Peterson, and screamed a solid two minutes of gutter language that would make a New Jersey dock worker blush with shame.

Luckily, we missed one of the two thousand turns along the way, which enabled us to cut a few miles off. I’m sure this was the only reason anyone was able to complete the darn thing. Though, honestly, I wouldn’t swear to the “missing” of the turn – I was on the front at the time, and have to admit that I had a few new names for Carter as well.

Hard or not, the course was beautiful, each day I expect to find somewhere that is just ho-hum, not so far. The highlight today was the Kings Ridge segment. This is widely regarded as one of the classic climbs in the state – and for good reason. It is also possibly the hardest climb I have ever done. Scott and Greg set a pace that was impossible for the mere mortals to stay with, so the rest of us just tried to cut our losses and gut it out. After about 40 minutes of hard riding, we reached what was at least thought of as the top – though the non-stop up and down of the ridgeline made this a charitable description at best. Our two hard men of the mountains had stopped under a tree to wait for the few of us who were still within the same zip code, as I rolled up, the first question was “where are we meeting the van?”

For those of you with kids, you’ll be able to picture my attempt at deflecting the question, “I don’t know”, “I didn’t do it”, and “its Carter’s fault” was the best that I could come up with. As the others began to arrive – all with the same harsh look in their eyes, and empty water bottles on their bikes, I realized I was a little outnumbered. As they began to look at me with a glare that told me all they were seeing was a mirage of an ice cold Hinagan – after all, life is short and we need to live it well, my friends – I figured I needed to call for help. Finally reaching Carter, Axe and Matt, who I’m sure were in the only bar within 100 miles, cold drinks and bowls of peanuts scattered before them, they told me they would be up to us in fifteen minutes – the longest fifteen minutes of my life.

Finally fueled and friendly again, off we rode – still more than half the ride to go – yikes!

Not to worry, everything eventually ends, and today’s ride was no different. To make up for the pain, Carter had fifteen pizzas ordered for Hobbit dinner – like Napoleon’s army, the ToP travels on their stomach. Even the grumpiest can be soothed.

So now for the awarding of the black jersey winner - today it went to Mike Peterson. Not only did he come back from the dead after yesterday’s ride, but he put up with wearing Wayne’s lunch and showed some pretty good spirit in doing so. Well done Mike!

After day two, current standings are:

Yellow Jersey – really a split between Andrew and Greg from yesterday’s performance, but just edged out by Scott Duncan (who is also the oldest rider in the group – I think I may hate him).

Red Jersey is clearly Scott’s.

Green Jersey is still firmly in the grasp of Andrew, though Rick Strauss finally got on the boards with a late day comeback to take today’s stage in a knockdown, drag out sprint with Mike Armbruster.

Tune in tomorrow to see if we have decided to hang Carter form the Santa Rosa town center.

Today’s stage – out and back from Bodega Bay
96.8 miles with 7920 feet of climbing
Total for the trip: 185.3 miles, with 14,390 feet of climbing

Because I failed miserably on yesterday's post, here's a shot of the Sledgehammer all decked out in his black jersey.

Tick, tick, tick

2009-05-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

The clock has run down to nearly zero - it's GO TIME!

Day 1 is upon us...