i hope people are taking the time to check in at jim's blog, unholy roleur. it's good stuff and kept more current than most in this area, ours included. his latest post had two things that made me crack up. the story about the hairy-legged fred who wants to race is something we all know. too well. it happens to me on the custis trail all the time. a guy comes by and gives me "the look" (tm)(r)(patent pending). i'm so tired of that stuff. all you guys on lance's tip? that is his legacy. 5 or 6 or 7 tour wins? i can't even remember. battling cancer and becoming a hero. well that's certainly good stuff, but all things fade with time. what will be the most enduring aspect of his appearance on this small blue and green ball? the look. for aeons, people who jut want to ride their bikes at a moderate pace will be confronted with this uber-gestalt of competitiveness. i say it's a killable offense.
the other part of jim's post i liked was the title. i did a longer than necessary ride yesterday. Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan? they sure as hell were not on the roads i was riding. however, i had an unusual experience. crawling back towards vienna on the trail, i passed an elevated section over a valley where i was buffeted (no exaggeration) by alternating hot and cold winds. the wo&d has some unsual properties. in the spring and fall, some parts of it can be frigid due to it being a railroad cut, and the cold air settling still in the cut. but this one was a new one for me. i can only guess that some sort of convection cell was set up where cooler air from the valley was coming up and over the trail. it was wierd. it could have been a hallucination brought on by the early stages of heat exhaustion but i don't think so. messr. jim, les vents froids d'hiver sont ici.
item 2: people, please, can we find an entry into the giro di coppi for aric line? if you have a 3/4 entry that you even think you might not be able to use, drop us a line here as soon as possible: hook_aric_up@racingunion.org. do the right thing. do it now. the union commands it.
item 3: in honor of all the people who went to give it their very best efforts at nationals, I offer you mr. t who in turn is offering the new starts and striped avec chapeau. the 2006 national championship jersey. oh, except it can't be sleeveless. the hardware will also be mandatory (rule 3.K.6). all race winnings will be converted to precious metals and worn by the winners in subsequent events. it's the great equalizer.
look for several of our local riders to be sporting this snazzy new ensemble. and they have earned it. on the serious side, congratulate them often and imagine how hard they had to work to get where they are. and it's not just the winners, we are proud of all who competed. you did good.
- - - posted by scott