I'd like to offer a few random thoughts on electronic registration and racing in the mid-Atlantic.  I'll offer them at the end of this posting, but first, a brief re-capping of the events of the last few days.

Angry riders, shut out of the chance to participate in long, rainy, and miserably cold road races in March and April became enraged.  After flaming promoters and each other on email lists, they took their wrath to the streets.  Below is an artisits conception of what the great cycling revolt of 2006 may have looked like. 

cyclists were amazed that events with 100 rider field limits filled within minutes.  a pervasive fear settled over all: missing the first races of the season would set one hopelessly behind one's peers, in both fitness and BAR points, which was undeniably the coin of the realm.  new tires and fresh tubs of cytomax would go unused.  The wheel of emotions revolved steadily, from amazement to fear to loathing.  What happened next was utterly predictable.  Riders lashed out, attacking the server farm where bikereg.com maintained it's services.  Like the luddite rebellion that had gone before, these people turned against technology as a bane.

civil defense forces fought to maintain order and contain the damage of a mob of angry, spandex-clad cyclists.  fortunately, their unusual footware made escape difficult.  running was awkward and the clickety-clack of metal devices attached to their shoes caused many to fall and made them easy to track.

team vehicles were destroyed in wanton and wasteful use of moltov cocktails.

a view of the wreckage early the next day brought equal parts anger, frustration and exasperation.  this cathartic release of energy had done little to change the structural relationship between racers, promoters and registration services.  but then again, burning stuff has always been a popular initial response.

It seems clear that electronic registration is a huge plus for promoters.  it allows them to manage a lot of the complex transactions that are part of putting on a race.  it handles the finances, allows one to move riders between fields, issue refunds, and provides a relatively accurate source of data for pre-event and post-event processing.  anyone who has actually handled hundreds of mail in registrations will instantly be able to tell you what a quantum leap this is in efficiency.  similarly, it's useful for racers as they immediately know if they are entered in a given event, who else will be racing, etc.

however, there are some features that have the potential to cause problems.  whole teams can be registered with the click of a button.  This technology seems useful on it's face, but could also prove to be a tool in a race to the bottom.  in events with field limits of 50 or 75 riders, if you have teams registering 5, 10 or 15 riders with a single click, the available slots become exceedingly difficult to come by.  certainly, those that have the luxury of sitting idle by a computer until a particular race opens will have the advantage. 

this situation is hardly unique.  ask any runner who has spent hours on a website trying to register for the marine corps marathon, or a multi-sport athlete who tried to register online for last years reston triathlon, a cluster$#%@ of epic proportions.  I have heard people propose that teams only be allowed to register a certain number of riders for any given event but I'm not sure that is fair to the individual.  a better choice might be to have a pooled pre-registraiton: everyone interested in a particular event can submit an entry and entry fee and the field limit (and wait list) is then filled by random assignment with entry fees returned to those who do not make it into the event.  the nice thing about this is everyone who has an interest has an equal chance of receiving entry to any given event.  the whole process is transparent to the promoter as they simply get a check from the registration service and an electronic listing of the start sheets. 

there are also valid arguments that the current system is not broken but just adjusting.  I'll try to address those in a subsequent post.

- - posted by scott

indeed, the racing union does rock.

the revolution continues at an increased pace and an increased volume.  our numbers are swelling, as riders and racers see the wisdom in our plans.  We're bringing a new approach to cycling which will simultaneously defy the status quo, and become the norm.  Drop us a line to find out more: inquiries@racingunion.org

Conducted over 2 weekends at the end of January, the team training camp is one of the few times we will all be together as a team.  Once the season starts, we will be split into three race programs covering races from France to Majorca, and from Under 23 races to International Elite.  Myself and a couple of the other guys were not able to make Saturday’s standard team training camp ride, due to other obligations such as studies or the track season.  The plan for the morning was a shorter, 80k ride with some hills reps.  Saturday came as a drizzly and gray day, so although the main team group were supposed to do 2 rides, they merged them into one.  They started with some big gear hill reps, and extended the ride to cover 4.5 hours and 140k.

Most of the guys stayed at the team house over night, but some of us elected to stay at home and drive back up on Sunday morning for the second day of the training camp.  We headed off with pretty much the full team: the only absentees were John Parks who is still in the US and has just come back from his own little training camp in Florida, and Christophe Coucsinie who is still in Hospital.  The full 16 or so headed out on the roads around Montauban.  We first had an “easy” 40km warm-up ride all together.  Great warm-up ride at 31kph over some hills.  Then we stopped and formed groups according to fitness and race schedule.  Our 3 groups of about 5 or 6 riders then did four 20 minute team time trial intervals over varying terrain including some mean climbs around the Penne area in the Aveyron Valley.  After each interval we all re-grouped and rode together again for about 10k.  After only the second interval some people started grumbling about the intervals.  I must say it wasn’t easy.  On the last interval, our little group caught the group ahead of us, which had left 2 minutes before us.  We were rolling pretty well on that interval, probably knowing that it was our last one. 

Once the intervals were done we all regrouped once more and rode the 40k (25 miles) back home together.  I must say however that these recovery, warm-up warm-down sessions were a NOT easy… oh well.  At the end of the day we had 160k (100miles) on the clock in a little under 5 hours, and with some pretty good hills… Ok fine, they were climbs!

Next weekend is more of the same.  This time I should be able to make it to both days for the full program.  The plan for Saturday is to be 2 rides, same as this past weekend.  Big gear hill reps in the morning, and some high cadence workouts in the afternoon to cover 140k; then another 160k on Sunday, but this time “harder.”  I’m not sure what “harder” means, but I don’t like the sound of it!!!  Once again these training camps include a DS and team car that follows us the whole way with spare wheels, food, water and anything else we might need.  We actually had both DSs (Directeur Sportif) with us, so that they can 1) tell us what to do and 2) both see how we are riding and how we relate to each other as a team.

It’s been good to get to know everyone, start learning their names and riding styles.  After this training camp, there is another training camp down by the Spanish border for a week.  Sadly I won’t be able to make it to that one.

Overall, my training is going pretty well.  I have just had a load of exams, and I didn’t touch the bike at all all of last week.  So having a pretty good weekend of riding, it was interesting to see how my body reacted.  I thought I would feel really bad, but I felt OK.  Despite my studies it looks like I will be starting my racing program a little earlier than I had initially planned.  I will be starting in the lower ranked races that are in this general area.  That suits me fine, as I’m not going to be ready for the big races half way across the country.

I tried to take some pictures during the rides, but it wasn’t really the sort of riding where you take pictures and look around at the countryside… so I apologize for the poor pictures.  Also note that the team does not have their bikes and clothing yet, so in the pictures everyone looks a bit mix and match; patchwork-bike-team.

This week I will be getting in some good training locally, mainly alone and with Alphonce, then a couple rest days and back to Team Training Camp for part 2.  After that it’s back to school.  By that time John Parks should be here, so hopefully we’ll be able to get in some training together.

Tune in soon for an account of Training Camp part 2.

Thanks for reading.

Sim

simjetlag@wanadoo.fr

posted by scott

I had a chance to chat with Josh Bennett last night.  he's just back from a two week tour of Berlin, both Western and Eastern.  josh is a very interesting guy with a good appreciation for architecture, art and culture.  One of the things we talked about is how different many European cities feel.  Josh mentioned that reduced car traffic had the effect of making the city a lot quieter.  my recollection is that the layout of many cities favors bikes and pedestrians to a much greater extent than virtually all cities here in the United States.  in Europe, vehicles seem to treat cyclists like any other form of traffic.  two things happen: the first is that if you're moving along and not taking up the whole road, they will wait for a safe place to pass and give you a wide berth.  the second is that if you're all over the road and behaving like an ass, they'll slow down and tell you so.

it seems like here, and especially in Northern Virginia, we only get the second one.  I'm not sure how this evolved and I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this in the comments.  Similarly, I'd be interested in comments on other people's experience riding abroad or riding here. 

I'm not especially active in cycling advocacy but I think that may have to change.  traffic seems to be getting worse, but what's really dramatic now is the size of cars and the urgency with which they are driven.  seeing a car passing a whole line of cyclists in the oncoming lane, around a blind turn or over a sharp rise where they clearly can't see what's coming is so common now that people don't bat an eye.  I find myself thinking about the number of seconds such a person would need to wait to pass safely versus the potentially catastrophic consequences to themselves and others of passing the cyclists at any cost.  I don't quite get the calculus that's going on that transaction, and I can't figure out how we can make things better.  you can't legislate stupidity or selfishness out of existence.

Sim Green used to live and race in the US, but now lives and races in southern France. Read more about Sim here.

As seems to have been the case over the past few years of mixing cycling with real life, I have yet another jam packed season ahead of me. For the past 2 years I have been studying, taking planes at the last minute, and racing the day after a transcontinental flight.  I suffered it in 2004, in 2005 and it doesn’t look like anything is going to change in this final school year.  Along with racing and going to school, I have just got news that I will going to Italy in May for the Giro d’Italia.  No, I won’t be racing it, but I’ll be working once more as a guide for Bikestyletours.com.  However, May is when my finals are.  My finals finish on the 19^th, and I need to be in Italy on the… yep, you guessed it, on the 19^th.  I’m not totally sure how this is going to work out, but it looks like I’ll be sitting an exam and going straight to the airport to ride 130km a day after a couple weeks of exams with no training.  It’s going to be both hell, and fun.  I can’t wait.  It’ll be great to be back in Italy, I haven’t been back there since a racing stint 2 years ago.  If anyone out there reading this has booked a trip for the Giro with Biestyletous.com shoot me and e-mail and let me know.

In the meantime I am right in the middle of exams right now (we have 2 big exam sessions a year), I have to go to one in a minute in fact.  I’m not getting in much riding these days.  Last week I only did 2 rides: one was a 130km cold, windy, hilly and pretty fast ride on Saturday.   It felt good to be out there.  I have a team training camp at the end of the week.  I’m really worried because I won’t have been riding for over a week, and it’s really going to hurt!  Oh well, such is the way when you try and mix everything up, C’est la vie.  I hope I get some good grades so that I can concentrate a little more on racing with a clear mind next month.

Things are also taking shape for my 2006-2007 winter.  My plans to spend next winter in the Australian summer, working in a bike shop and riding and racing are slowly coming together. No Cyclocross over there, but I’ll make do with some sunshine instead.  What a tough life! That’s going to be SO much fun!

So until next time with a Team Training Camp update, stay warm and stay riding…

Thanks for reading.

Sim

e-mail Sim with questions or comments on: Jetlagsports@wanadoo.fr

Sim Green used to live and race in the US, but now lives and races in southern France. Read more about Sim here.

For my more serious approach to the 2006 season I have therefore joined a new team.  I was lucky enough to be accepted on the strength of a couple of summer results (some TTs this year and some results from Austria from a European racing tour in Summer 2004), and also thanks to a few well places friends, on the Castelsarasin Bouygues Telecom development team.  January 7^th was our team presentation.  I was asked to join the team for a press release photo package, training ride and press team presentation.  Stupid as it may sound, I was pretty nervous about this.  My aim until May is to get my university degree (something that isn’t easy in the rather strict and difficult French school system, where there is only a 10% success rate), I have therefore not been riding much.  We’ve had a rather cold and frosty winter so far down here in southern France, so I’ve been mainly staying indoors, working on school stuff and thinking about my friends who are spending the winter in South Africa and Australia (lucky bas***ds).  The Bouygues Telecom Team presentation was going to be the first time the Elite team riders got together.  There is a high return rate from last year’s team, but there are also a few additions to the team including 2 pretty good riders, one of which has come from Credit Agricole (sorry, I don’t remember their names).  Most of the guys on the team are full time riders, and what with the European racing season kicking off in the first weekend on February with some big international races, I was pretty sure these guys would be pretty fit even at this time of year.

So I loaded my bike and winter clothing and drove up to a town near Montauban in southern France.  I got to the team house/HQ (where they lodge foreign riders, keep the bikes, team cars etc,) as instructed, but I was a little late.  I was about 10mins late, but this is France and nothing ever runs on time, so…  I walked around hoping to find someone.  Even though I as running a little late, I figured no one else had got there yet, like I said: this is France.  Luckily a van pulled up and parked, and Didier Rous got out and looked around with the same confused expression on his face as me.  We shook hands and embarked on a conversation about where everyone was, how to get into the house and what we should do.  Luckily Didier had the phone numbers of the team president etc, and so it was that we found out we were supposed to be doing the photo shoot in town by the canal.  In the cars we jumped and I follow him around the narrow streets of god-knows-where until we came across the rest of the Elite team waiting by the canal.  We all got changed into our summer team kit, and stood around a team car with the president, Directeur Sportif, etc etc.  We stood there for a while balanced on various parts of the car holding our breath for the photos to be taken… and we waited… and waited, remember that it is January and we are wearing summer kits; we were waiting for Didier to get off the phone and come pose.  Didier was knee deep in a conversation about where he was going hunting later that afternoon.  Eventually the photos were taken, we all got changed and drove back to the Team house to get ready for our training ride.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (team house), the junior and Regional team members had showed up to join us on the ride.  It took ages for everyone to get changed and ready, but we eventually headed out onto the gray-cloud covered open road.  There must have been about 20 or 30 riders, with a team car up front to open the road, and a team car behind with spare wheels etc.  Despite the car having spare wheels, pretty much everyone had a pump and spare tube with them in case of a flat… everyone that is except for our friend from Credit Agricole.  This is where you see the experience of a true Pro.  Obviously used to these kinds of supported team training rides, our friend was riding a bike that hadn’t been cleaned in about 10 years, and rather than ride around the French countryside, he squeaked, cracked and crutched his way around, only interrupted with a bit of silence when he pulled over to the side of the road with a wheel in his hand ready for a spare from the car… evidently he takes about as much care of his tires and tubes as he does the rest of his bike.

So our group pretty quickly split and the Elite team tried to kill each other up every climb.  Luckily I found I was in much better shape than I had thought, and actually surprised myself to find I was one of the 3 or 4 strongest in the team on the hills.  The sitting in a classroom training method seems to suit me.  After 60miles of killing everyone up the hills and generally riding in a manner I wouldn’t recommend for January, we got back to the house, took turns taking a shower and eventually headed over to the town hall for the official presentation.  Here we were all crammed into a little room back stage where we joked around and generally acted like kids.  Why is it that as soon as you get a group of guys together, they all automatically turn into 10 year olds?  After much waiting and messing around, we each walked out on stage and where introduced one my one to the crowd of reporters and… I have no idea who all these people were, or where they came from, but there they were.  After we had all been introduced by name and a few results, we stood for photos; photos on stage, photos in front of this banner, that banner, in front of the team bike, in front of this, in front of that.  Finally we were let loose to get changed.  Our bit was done, so while they still went on talking about the season, sponsors etc, we all sneaked through the crowd and surreptitiously slid out of the room and went on home.

Overall it was a good day.  It was good to meet the team and get together.  It was good for me to find I wasn’t in bad shape.  It’ll be more interesting once the entire team is together.  We are still missing Christophe Cousinie (who is a well known and respected rider who apparently rode for Festina but had quit very early due to knee injury, and is right now in hospital), possibly a New Zealand rider who should be here soon and District 20’s very own John Parks from Warrenton who will be joining us for the whole season starting in February.  The team actually has something of a Mid Atlantic, Washington DC feel to it.  I started riding road in District 20 back in the late 90s early 2000s, John Parks is obviously from D20 and our Team DS is Marion Clignet who also started riding and racing in D20 with NCVC.  I am very excited to work with Marion; she is a very very knowledgeable person with lots of experience and enthusiasm, and I look forward to working with such a great DS.

Over the next 2 weeks we have team training camps locally.  I won’t be able to make the first one as it is exam time in school for me.  Then we have a training camp down by the Spanish border followed by the season opener races that I once again won’t be able to attend.  I’m not too worried about that as they are rather big events with good international fields from Belgium, Australia, New Zealand as well as teams such as Agritubel, Jean Floc’h, FDJ, AG2R etc.  Hopefully John will get here in time for the second round for these big races down in the Basque Country of the Pyrenees.  This is a Stage race that a couple of D20 riders have come over to do in the past.  John and the team will be doing the UCI 2.6 Criterium des Espoir Tour of the Basque country with the Pros.  Good luck to them and good luck to all back over there who are preparing the 2006 D20 season

Thanks for reading.

Sim

almost all of us are passionate about cycling, but often for entirely different reasons.  some people feel that cycling provides a healthy and convenient outlet for exercise.  others use it to channel stress from busy lives into more useful exertion.  some use it to simplify their lives, accomplishing on a bike what many use a car for.  and some just like pedaling as fast as their little legs will take them; trying to go a little faster or a little longer.

it's interesting to read about sporting heroes, but at a certain point, it can be difficult to really identify with their accomplishments.  they are impressive in a herculean way, but their feats can seem distant and unattainable.  on the other hand, there are a lot of ordinary people capable of extraordinary things.  they may be friends or neighbors or co-workers, and doing something new or offering a fresh perspective on something old. 

amateur sports can offer the chance for people to produce stunning and transformative results.  their feats may not be as impressive as a 52 minute 40k TT in an absolute sense.  however, for those people, the struggle to achieve a particular goal, or balance a passion for cycling with work, family and other obligations can be equally heroic.

so here begins some examples.  Sim Green will be our first contributor.  in a subsequent post, you'll find out more about Sim and how he is attempting to balance work and family and school and cycling.  Sim is a very good choice as he used to live and race in our district.  he was a mountain bike and road racer who lived in Warrenton, Virginia for a few years.  he raced with Whole Wheel Velo Club and Evolution, and through hard wark and perseverence, he has slowly ascended into competition at the national level in France.  oh, and he is one of the nicer guys you'll run into over a bike.  Sim is living in the south of France and will be racing in 2006 with the Castelsarasin Bouygues Telecom Team.  we'll try to get updates periodically and will post them. 

We're actively looking for more voices.  If you're interested in contributing through blogging or maintaining a diary, please contact us at info@racingunion.org

brothers and sisters, racers and riders, unite! 

the great cultural revolution in cycling is upon you, bringing years of peace and prosperity to all who work for its glorious cause.  a new day in cycling has dawned.  the subtle tyranny of the status quo will change forever.   people will work for a common benefit.  The shining path awaits those bold enough to walk it.

we are actively seeking comrades and would love to hear from you.

                              info@racingunion.org

our principles are simplicity, minimal organization, and a not-for-profit approach.

you can find more information here: http://www.racingunion.org/Document.aspx?manifesto

you can find the pravda here: http://www.racingunion.org/Document.aspx?propaganda

will you heed to call, brothers and sisters, to help us bring about the great change?