- - - begin communication

several inquiries on the status of an earlier posting, and the individual responsible, have been logged.  the secret ministry of openness and education in the furtherance of just causes is in the process of  "interviewing" a racing union representative and is slowly helping him to understand the virtues of message discipline.  to call this person a dissident would be to engage in wild hyperbole. 

unfortunately, there have been various media reports indicating there was a detention; characterizing the results as censorship, or worse yet, hinting at abusive interrogation.  the ministry disavows this, in the strongest possible terms, as vicious propoganda and lies most likely initiated by bourgeois cycling clubs with far less committment to changes in cycling and the social order.  the writer in question is being "hosted" in the basement of the ministry's complex and is making tremendous strides in harmonizing his expression with that of the cycling vanguard. 

an exceedingly brief appearance before a "magistrate" earlier this afternoon offered an opportunity for this photo, clearly showing the robust condition of the person in question.  this image has been digitally modified to protect his identity.

the ministry further seeks to warn those who would pursue this story that truth and openness is a principal goal and it can only be served by vigilantly policing the public and private statements of all cyclists. 

- - - end of communciation

WHEREAS earlier today it was discovered by the Ministry of Truth and the Secret Ministry of Openness and Education in the Furtherance of Just Causes that a comrade in good standing of the Union and of the proletariat at large contributed in good faith to the ongoing efforts to spread the word of our cause in a way that has been deemed upon extensive review at the highest levels of the revolution to reach the outer edges of efficacy and honorable discharge of his service; and

WHEREAS the material in question has now been removed to the archives of the Secret Ministry of Openness and Education in the Furtherance of Just Causes; and

WHEREAS the comrade has responded with contemplative and earnest attribution of responsibility and a great love of the Union;

BE IT HERE KNOWN that penance for such offense has been meted out in the form of three weeks of twice weekly LT workouts to consist of 2 x 20 minutes with 5 minute recovery, after completion of which the comrade in question will be reinstated as a beloved brother, with all the rights, privileges and honors thereunto appertaining.

[Image Removed by the Secret Ministry of Openness and Education in the Furtherance of Just Causes]

планирование гонки(расы) велосипеда продолжается. наши силы огромны, но наши препятствия являются очень большими. обязательство всеми обязано вызывать победу, достойную нашей великолепной причины

это - день для очень больших усилий. многие пострадают. будет боль. но также будет слава. причина требует жертву от всех.

величие - там для тех, кто рисковал бы кое-чем. не будьте пассивны. стремьтесь к огромным подвигам. мечта о великолепных победах. участвуйте в гонках храбрая гонка(раса).

- - - posted by scott

in response to the request by the supreme council for propagation of message and truth (solicting suggestions for a patriotic anthem celebrating the revolution in cycling), an anonymous sympathizer submitted this stirring song: 

Youth of Racing Union (to the tune of "Men of Harlech")

Racing Union, still undaunted,
Banners to the sky are flaunted.
Daring hearts and hands are wanted,
Onward! Seek the light.

Racing Union, never yielding,
Swords of truth and courage wielding.
Name of honor ever shielding,
Battle for the right.

Tear the false asunder,
<stomp, stomp>
Trample error under,
<stomp, stomp>

Let valor fly in all the sky,
And virtue speak in thunder...

Racing Union, squad of glory,
Make her name live on in story.
Let the echoes ring back bravely:
Racing Union, fight!

the supreme council for propagation of message and truth was very moved by this ode, inspired by the very principles of the racing union which we all hold dear in our hearts.  the supreme council also liked the part where they got to stomp their feet and thought that this might also appeal to today's youth, the fruit of the union.  indeed, the racing union does rock.

- - - posted by josh

i have a really nice frame.  unfortunately, this past winter, I had a bottom bracket cup fail.  in failing, it just went ahead and toasted the threading in the frame at the same time.  tres bon.  you've all heard the joke about the $599 power amplifier that fries itself to save a $1.39 fuse?  same deal.  the frame is a very nice quattro assi.  and other than the fact that I cannot ride it because i cannot put a crank into it, i'm really happy with the frame.  so what to do?  i frankly regarded the issue as hopeless but was unwilling to part with the frame.  others were notably more optimistic.  principally, i offer a compliment to dr. tim barry who was gracious enough to point me to reviews, possible vendors and offer a small amount of email banter about the likelihood of this working.  i still was not entirely convinced.  i sought out the best mechanical advice i could find. 

deep within the bowels of the racing union commend bunker, well below the plaza de la revolucion, and far outside of any sort of deep-bunker-busting-tactical-weaponery range, i put the revolution's finest minds, the brain trust and science team, to work.  we drydocked the frame and a thorough evaluation was conducted using the most advanced methods. 

in order to fix this, we elected to use a yst bb993 68 x 113 threadless. 

we picked it up fairly cheap from bike tools etc.  it's a full 100 grams heavier than an ultegra octalink bottom bracket, so those of you who are allergic to excess grams will get the hives.  but honestly, at this point where my frame hangs inert on the wall, weight is hardly the issue is it?

in this picture, the bottom bracket is actually reversed.  the threading should go on the left side, but it gives you the gestalt.  the basic approach here is that if you have toasted the threads in the bottom bracket shell on the frame, this will still work. the cups have no external threads so they just slide right in.  for those of you who are curious, you do not need to mill out the threads to get the cups to go in.  they do not need to be pushed or clamped or pressed.  the bottom bracket will be held in place by the tension you produce by screwing the two halves together.

installation is a snap.  the two pieces just slide in.  i elected to use a little bit of the green phil wood grease on the internal threads

you can use a standard shimano bb tool to install it. 

two technical notes.  one thing to note is that if you really plan to tension this thing, you might need two bottom bracket tools.  remember that usually, one side of the bottom bracket seats itself into the frame so you only need to tension one side.  with this product, that's not the case.  the cups can spin in the frame under sufficient torque durign installation.  it does nto appear that this would happen during normal operaiton as the spindle spis free int he housing which is in the frame. 

an altogether more subtle issue is one of installation torque.  you work on bikes for a while and you sort of develop a feel for how much torque something requires.  aluminum on aluminum, steel on aluminum, steel on steel, etc.  this one is tricky.  you don't get quite the same feedback you expect.  knowing you want the bottom bracket to be rock solid, a natural inclination is to really torque this thing down, but you're unsure how strong the threads are.

and this leads us to the ineviable mcgyver moment.  the bottom bracket is not designed the way others are.  i have been trying to figure out how to describe this, and i can't think of a really clear way so i'll just go with what i've got.  the borttom bracket has two pieces: the right side shell and spindle with attached cup and the left side cup which threads onto the shell.  here's the catch.  it's not the case that the right side (shell and spindle) is firmly attached to the cup.  they are attached, and they won't come apart, but if you hold the cup, you can actually move the spindle and shell laterally and foreward and backward.  the only way to remove the play in the spindle/shell is to properly tension the cups.

you may ask why this is an issue and why i'm going on and on about it.  after installing the bottom bracket (effortless and easy by the way) i realized that at the maximum level of torque that i was willing to put into the bottom bracket, it did not take the lateral or fore/aft play out of the spindle and shell.  i checked the installation again and everything looked good.  i needed the shells to be bit closer to take the play out of the spindle.  and so here's the rub.  generally, you get a bottom bracket based on the spindle width, but in this particular case, it appears that the product shoudl be ordered based on the dimenensions of the bottom bracket shell of the frame.

i tried the inevitable mcgyver.  i used a dremel to ever so slightly reduce the outer diameter of a 1" spacer for a headset to try to make a spacer to take up the slack (i.e. help fill the space so that the spindle and bb body shell would be isolated and positioned).  this was more of an attempt to see if i could get the thing working than to come up with a long term solution. 

as an aside to people who are inclined to these types of operations, you'll find that dremels and light aluminum spacers are a bad idea.  the things heat up like mad when you are grinding them down and i suspect the material is becoming exceedingly brittle as a result of "heat treatment".  i had two of them crack.  ironicaly, this was helpful.  i ground down the ends, twisted them and used them like a locking washer up inside the cups of the bottom bracket.

it's entirely possible that the bb shell size is a bit too large for my frame and obtaining a smaller size (109.5 or even less) would work.  i have sort of looked into this option.  you can probably tell from my description that this device only works if you can get it tightened just the right amount.  it looks as if one threading revolution is good for about 1 - 1.5mm.  in my frame, I could turn the left side (tensioning) cup 3.5 revolutions.  when i put the thing together ouside the bike, it takes 4.5 - 4.75 revolutions before the thing is tight.  hnce the spacer idea.  another option is to ream the frame and try to reduce the frame bb shell width or bore out part of the frame to allow the wedge shaped cups to enter the frame slightly farther.

I'll continue today with a search for a washer that is the correct size.  my son and I are headed to home depot for chicken wire to use as a base in fabricating a paper mache nascar body shell for one of his (almost) life size cars.  we'll look for a suitable washer and report back later. 

- - - posted by scott

there's been some news and some odds and ends.  seemed like an appropriate time to write some of them up.  this past weekend was a cause for celebration as two of the unions's most stalwart members saw their children (nils and ryleigh) start riding without training wheels.  congratulations to them.  the fruit of the union is truly taking it to the streets.  please drive appropriately now that you know.  my own son, regrettably, has decided to keep his training wheels on.  regrettable because it's not that he needs them, but that he perceives them as some sort of weapon with which to ram other cyclists.  principally me.  maybe hockey would be a better outlet for him.  in addition, alec rottier was spreading the message on the rock creek ride.  his stylish che t-shirt put the lycra clad to shame.  i only wish i had remembered to bring the little laminated manifestos to hand out.

the weekend news was not all good however.  aric line notified us late friday night that he would miss the saturday rock creek ride.  he had some abdominal discomfort and was going to get it checked out.  saturday afternoon, he was being prepped for surgery to remove his appendix.  for those unfamiliar, here's a schematic:

and just to give you extra value for your blog dollar, here's a dramatic re-enactment of what it must have looked like while the doctors were fishing around inside him to get that thing out.  pretty icky, but then that's why they get paid the big dollars.

the bad news receded quickly.  aric came through fine and actually appeared to be healing at a phenomenal rate.  brother alec completed his first full day of comuting on tuesday and notified us that aric was back on the bike and commuting in to work.  i was dumbfounded and needed to re-read the message several times, but there was no mistake.  but wait, it gets better.  aric emails me thursday morning and tells me he will be at the herndon ride.  amazing.  the guy was out cold being operated on the previous saturday and by thursday, he is hammering off the front of the thursday ride.  that was no mean feat and I have the power meter data to back that claim up.  it was hilarious.  I ended up watching as he soloed away with doctor craig.  i was too amazed to talk any smack, but i guess that just gives me a chance to save it up for next time.

now my real suspicion is that they didn't just pull out his appendix.  my guess is that aric opted for the removal of a number of other extraneous organs (heck, who needs two of those things??!!) and a bunch of connective tissue.  we've all been on aric about his weight.  i secretly suspect that there may have been some pre-op payoff to help yield a better power to weight ratio.  we'll put a crack team on that and report back soon.

a number of us will be at columbia this weekend.  regrettably, the new uniforms have not yet arrived.  we will probably debut them at poolesville and bunny hop.  if anyone else has news to share, post it in the comments.

- - posted by scott

Usted mejor lo mira. bastante pronto, la revolución girará la rueda social

all card-carrying members of the revolution in cycling rush to embrace the three primary virtutes: people, power and pedals.  however, there is a fourth virtue which is more subtle than other three.  pravda.  our ministry for the propogation of message works tirelessly to help bring the glorious word of the revolution to the people.  by continuously repeating the message that all citizens must participate in this voluntary endeavor, we move forward in our work to reshape local cycling activities and social structure and governance.  these comunciations, whose consumption is compulsory, make clear to all citizens how wonderful the mandatory choice of the union is.

when it comes to bringing the word to the people, the union takes second chair to no entity.  period.  however, recently, a dangerous shot was flung across the prow of the s.s. racing union.  at the annual easter egg roll, a number of children were suited up and sang several verses of a new patriotic ditty:

“Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!”

while not choosing to contest the facts that are asserted in this jingle, at this time, the union takes this gratuitous use of children singing smarmy propoganda as a direct challenge to its clear superiority in pravda and pravda-related activities.  (technical note: the supreme council for propogation of message and truth doesn't so much object to the gratuitous use of children singing smarmy propoganda as to the fact that we didn't come up with the idea first) 

an immediate gathering of the supreme council for propogation of message and truth was called at the racing union command bunker to map strategies for countering this potent new mind control weapon communication tool.  various options were considered.  plans are currently being put in place to better understand this new offensive and how it can be countered and it's power can be brought to bear for our the purposes of enhancing the revolution in cycling.

unbeknownst to us, at the same time, a parallel front was emerging.  it began with various public officials and private citizens making misleading characterizations of our manifold and benevelont educational materials.  regrettably, this soon evolved into a full frontal attack on our very ideology. 

this will not stand.  the union accepts this challenge, this direct confrontation.  the supreme council for propogation of message and truth hereby solicits suggestions for a patriotic anthem celebrating the revolution in cycling.  all contributions are encouraged and those cyclist/citizens whose contributions are incorporated into the final product will receive an extra ration of cytomax by order of the supreme council.  video will be produced of young children, dressed in uniforms, celebrating the message of the union and singing the anthem.  the union wishes to complete this endeavor by may day so that children can participate in the patriotic activities celebrating our glorious cause.  all responsible citizens must comply with this voluntary edict soliciting suggestions.  the future of the union may be at stake.  the revolution calls all it's children to their very best efforts.

- - - end of communicaiton

 

i was tempted to respond to rick frampton's query the other day.  i thought rick raised a good question but i think the answer is complicated.  today, messr. basler ups the ante by calling out mabra:

I don't usually get involved - but with this one I must-- I have raced all
across the country and the mid-atlantic region is probably the best racing for
one region . However , D20 , Is without question the worst I have ever
experienced for screwing up results - or delayed results - you get the point . I have
been told a portion of ever enter fee you pay goes towards the D20 budget - so
It is my understanding that the USCF officials bring all the scoring
equiptment with them to the D20 Races-- so If I am understanding it correctly the race
promoters have nothing to do with the results or scoring the results .. So my
question is - why - if a portion of every persons entry fee goes to the D20
-- why does D20 use a $400 video camera to score the race -- No wonder they
can't get the results right- or done quickly--

pb

I'm not sure if the assumption here is that a $400 camera is inadequate or that it's too much given that results are sometimes mistaken.  are we getting bad results because the camera is insufficient, or because of operator error, or is it something else?  there is a tacit assumption that mabra elected officiers and officials are not functioning up to snuff.  I would portray messr. basler's image of mabra officials as follows:

I disagree with this characterization and suggest to messr. basler that this is what he has coming:

only a warning this time.

there are, unfortunately, lots of places where things can go wrong, and there seems to be a lot of confusion about how results get generated.  i tried to explain parts of the process here when a parent became upset about a totally avoidable problem, and there was some good action in the comments below the post.  when a race concludes, the officials use the camera footage to record the numbers and finish order of riders on the following form:

MABRA form - Prelim Finish Order 2005 02 11.doc (255.5 KB)

this is the form that usually goes up for the protest period.  it does not have racer names, only numbers.  if racers cannot be identified, it will carry some information like "red jersey".  it usually has the time written on the form somewhere to indicate when it was posted.  this is when the protest period begins.  you may try to work the refs if you disagree with the results.

after the results are "final", they are transcribed, generally by someone from the promoter's staff, onto the following final race result form:

MABRA form - Final Results 2005 02 11.doc (187.5 KB)

by this time, results should be complete.  that's not to say that they are error free at this point, but in principle, the officials should have produced an accurate numeric transcription of the finish order, the riders should have had a chance to evaluate them, and the numbers should have mapped accurately to names. 

okay, so this is all nice in theory but there is this gestalt out there that it never seems to work out exactly.  is this true, and if so, why is it?  i don't have ready access to data on the normal error rate in reporting results for sporting events like this.  i can only guess at it.  i suspect that the vast majority of correct results are under-recognized while incorrect results are discussed repeatedly.  in the absence of reasonable data, one could make a simple economic argument that if the error rate was, in fact, very high, promoters would be feeling the pinch from racers who refused to do their events or events in general due to the risk of being missed or mis-reported in the results.  but that does not seem to be happening based on how quickly races are filling on electronic registration systems.  whatever the marginal risk of a mis-reported result is, it isn't nearly enough to deter most people from paying $30 well in advance of a given event.

but lets assume that there is a problem, either with the cameras or the procedure for generating results (most parts of which we share with virtually every other cycling distict in the country).  rather than bitch about it, suggest where the process can be improved, either in the work flow or the implementaiton.  if you think the camera is inadequate, propose that we sell the ones we have and get better ones.  in considering this, tell us how much would it cost, and whether it would eliminate the problems you are mentioning.  (note: if it's operator error, then replacing the camera won't help) 

incidentally, i think that there are some real issues out there that do impede the flow of results.  racers wrinkling and then incorrectly placing their numbers for some perceived aesthetic or aerodynmaic benefit is a chronic problem, and i am at least as guilty as anyone of this particular infraction.  racers do not attend the protest period as often as they should.  running lots and lots of events back to back in a race day causes the officials to have to spend inordinate amounts of time looking at tape and less time adminstering the events and answering the inevitable questions that come up during the protest period. 

a final note with regards to race errors: i have previously provided usac official guidance from the quicksilver wrap up post which points out that officials should not stand on demonstrably false results because the protest period is over.

i think rick's original email was clearer in that he was specifically curious about the delay in reporting results by email or web page.  i do not believe that he was upset with the results themselves, just with the timeliness of their release.  if there is a problem with turning the results around, maybe the district should consider procuring a third party event management product such as eric marshall's combined bar code scanning software and results management system.  the advantage of any system like this is that it draws from a database of rider information and can allow race number linkages to accurate rider data.  all the promoter would need to do is to key in the race number and a nice report format would come out.  it's important to note that producing the numerical results is a race obligation of the officials, but much of what happens after that is a bit murky.  the numerical results are generally transcribed onto the final finish sheets by someone on the promoters staff, but there's no usac or mabra obligation to get the results posted in a timely fashion.  you wants results posted?  bring up the following as a proposal for the mabra annual meeting:

require promoters to post a $200-$500 check ont he morngin of the event that is 115% refundable if the results are posted online with 24 hours of the last race concluding, and is lost otherwise.  make the determination subject to appeal by the mabra board of directors.

i'm not convinced whether this is the best approach, and i'll let you make that call.  however, i can guarantee you that racers would see timely posting of results under that policy.  and if that's what you want, go for it.  there is a take-home point here.  mabra is, in principle, an association of member clubs **.  if you are dissatisifed with the current conditions, use your collective voice as racers and promoters and make a change.  the other teams in the district will evaluate your proposal and vote yes or no.  you may get all of what you want, or part of what you want, or (if past history is any guide) all of what you did not want.  but you won't be

- - - posted by scott

** this is actually in the process of morphing, as mabra enters into contractual relationships directly with the usac to reprsent them as a local associaiton.  more on this later.

race report from the Classique Nord Charente
 
The day before Paris Roubaix, is a "mini Paris Roubaix" in north western France. 

Thursday 7th April, I get an e-mail from my DS who has just returned from the tour of Majorca saying that I am racing both Saturday and Sunday.  But Saturday is not just any race.
 
Friday 8th, I load up my car and drive up to Castelsarrasin to the team house where I sill spend the weekend.  John is at the house (of course, he lives there) and so is another team mate who is from central France in Poitier and had to spend most of the week down south for some tests being run in Toulouse.  A number of other people are also at the house this weekend as Saturday morning will be an early start.  We are supposed to have a team meeting Friday evening to discuss our racing schedule for the rest of the season... but in typical French style, the meeting is first put off for about an hour, and eventually put off all together.
 
Fearing that the team meal that night might be a big plate of simple pasta with no sauce etc, John and I sneaked out to get some food, and I also needed a new cassette and some brake pads.  So we hit the bike shop which was miraculously still open.  I got what I needed and we headed towards the shops.  Realizing that if we got some food, everyone would eat it thinking it was team food, we decided against getting actual food and sneaked into the local McDonalds for some rather inappropriate fare.  Making ourselves feel better about our sinful act by recounting the story of Chris Horner's fight to get a burger and fries during last years Tour de France, we munched our food quickly and headed back to the house.  The guys were waiting for us to go and eat... so we all piled into the team cars and went out to a cafeteria for dinner, paid for by the team.  So John and I got in 2 meals that evening.  Americans. puh. (** - see editor's note below) 

Saturday, the big day.  The team loaded the vehicles and got everything ready for the long drive up to northern France for the Classic Nord Atlantique.  2 cars and a mini-bus, 3 drivers and more wheels than you can shake a stick at accompanied the 11 rider team for this mini Paris Roubaix.  After about 2 hours of driving, we stopped for lunch.  John and I looked at each other and people started to pull out Tupperware full of food, we had prepared nothing.  A moment of panic went through us until we found out that 4 or 5 of the other guys also had nothing.  So the team paid for our cafeteria lunch.  The choice was limited, and we needed some kind of carbs.  So I went for fries and sausage, far from ideal.  Back into the vehicles we piled for more driving.  Eventually we get there.  The team helpers get all the bikes out, get everything sorted, fill the water bottles, get our race numbers etc etc.  I had put on my new chain, so I got changed and went off to shake the legs out after that long drive.  5 meters out of the parking area and of course the chain is slipping all over the old cassette.  So I go hunting in the back of the van, all we have in 9 speed is a cosmic carbon with a TT cassette, so I put the cassette on my wheel and off we go to race 130km of dirt on a 11-19 cassette that isn't shifting very well anyway.
 
The race gets underway with a 10km neutral start, after about 20km is the first dirt section.  There are 15 in total, each one named and with a big sign at the entrance with the name and distance up for all to see.  The first hour of racing was at 44km average, and there was no hiding in the field, it was strung out all the way.  I really didn't feel well at first, and not long into the race, that greasy sausage and fries started to come up.  I threw up 3 times and got dropped twice.  I sat in the cars for a while and waited until Marion pulled up in our team car.  For some reason I was really thirsty and had gotten through a whole water bottle in only 30k.  She told me that there was a little group of riders behind me with Thibault Marc (one of our guys) in there, so I could wait for them... she was a little surprised when I asked her for a water bottle this early into the race.  In fact you are not allowed to be fed within the first 50km of the race, but I'm guessing no one saw because we didn't get a fine.  Then I worked my way through the caravan and got back into the race.  Sadly a little later the food came up again to say hello, and I was off the back, this time with Couscous (Christophe Cousinie, one of the area heroes who is on our team this year), he's not in great form at the moment as he was sick over the winter.  I sat in and let the other guys who were with us do a little work, but seeing it wasn't doing much I took control of things.  I worked my way through the caravan and got back into the race once again.  I think Couscous followed me but the other guys dropped.
 
About half way into the race, a break had got away early and we didn't have anyone in it.  As we headed up a little hill John attacked at the perfect moment, it strung us all out and I wanted to kill him because here came the food again.  Sadly for John it came to nothing.  So we put 3 guys on the front to try and close the gap to the group off the front, the 3 were Beaudet, Parks and Trouche, then we had 3 other guys sitting in the field.  As we hit another dirt section everyone flatted, there were guys all over the place.  Seemed like all but 2 or 3 of us from our team flatted.  A few meters later John got a flat too.  This race was absolute carnage back in the team cars.  Cars were stopping all over the place, they were running out of wheels, there was dust everywhere.  Seeing as we no longer had our 3 guys up front I got myself up to the front and tried to control the attacks.  But by the 2nd section of dirt near the front I started to drop back as people let gaps open.  Frankly from this point on I don't know what happened.  There were cars all over the place, riders in ones and twos, guys crashing in the middle of the "road", motorbikes going through farmers' fields.  I do remember being amazed at the amount of spectators out watching the dirt sections.  We would come crashing over the dirt, through a field out in the middle of nowhere, and there were all these people just standing in the middle of a field in the north of France cheering a bike race.  Well the rest of the race is a blur of dust and confusion.  All I know is that less than half of the field finished.  Only 2 of us from our team finished.  I was quite happy to be one of them even if that northern style of riding with lots of accelerations isn't what I'm best at.  I actually didn't flat.  Although a lot of it is luck, I think that my years of mountain biking really helped me to choose the right gear and adopt a pedal style that minimized the risk of flatting.  I was quite amazed actually because before the race I pulled out a big chunk of glass that left a big deep hole in my rear tire.
 
I'm pretty bummed for John who flatted, and then (maybe stupidly) waited for a team mate who also got a flat.  John was riding a very smart race.  Now he wouldn't have been able to do anything about the group that was off the front and stayed off the front, but I feel pretty sure John was on a good day and could have got himself a top 20 finish... which in that race would have been more than respectable.

I may not have got any flats, but I did crack my rim.  I'm pretty annoyed as I now don't have a rear wheel.  That was my race wheel, and I only have a really heavy and crappy shimano rear wheel now.  Sucks.  I also tore my saddle.
 
After the race, it was back in the cars for the long drive home.  We got in at 11pm, and it was off to do it all over again early the next morning for 150km of racing with a slightly different team consisting of 5 riders who had done the Classic Nord Charente.  John and myself were there, but that's a different story.  Another slightly modified team race on Monday as well.  I wasn't part of it, John was the only one to do all 3 days.  He didn't have to, but he chose to go monday anyway, and was totally toasted.
 
Classic Nord Charente (Paris Roubaix) in a few words and numbers:
 
130km
15 dirt section:
1st hour at 44kph
41kph average for the whole race.
 
website: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.baudouin/velo.htm
France 3 coverage:
http://jt.france3.fr/
and click on 19/20 Poitou-Charentes and then click on Dimanche 09 avril.
around  7minutes in
 
Results:
1- LEBRUN Charles Henri (CC Marmande)
2- Limoges V. (Blois CAC 41)
3- Mainguenaud (Deux-Sèvres C)
22- Pozza S. (CC Castelsarrasin)
36- Siméon G. (CC Castelsarrasin)

(** editor's note - - - there is no real literal translation for what sim is giving you here: "Americans. puh."  the french have a stunning array of dismissive gestures and phrases.  the gestures tend to be small.  you are generally not deemed worthy of any sort of vocalization or arm waving unless you run over their citroen with tractor or you're caught stealing their heating oil or groceries.  as a result, the most common thing you're likely to encounter is this "puh".  it's very amusing as i knew immediately what sim was talking about.  to make this work, you puff out your cheeks ever so slightly, form your lips like you're going to say the letter "p" or the beginning of the word "pug" and then push the air out your lips.  the rest of your face is motionless.  to add emphasis, you can supplement this with an almost indiscernable shrug or a barely detectable flick of your hand.  try to look off slightly from the object of your disgust.  these small gestures speak volumes.  oh yah, and i'll try to get some pictures up fairly soon from the race.)

my post from yesterday brought out frustration in the comments

While I don't want to burden you with drama :), I will say that many people credit their recent emphasis on customer service (including the web site) on the very guy they just booted (Bisceglia). I dealt with USA Cycling pre-Bisceglia on a race I helped promote and the customer service was appalling -- not answering phones, not replying to multiple emails or voicemails begging for a reply, etc. It was like a black hole. This was part of the reason that you saw quite a few local associations break away from USA Cycling. It was Bisceglia that brought most of the local associations back "into the fold."

So, hopefully they can retain the customer service ethic that he instituted. If not, we could see the local associations pull away from USA Cycling again. While in the end I don't care if a cool race is sanctioned by USA Cycling or someone else, there could be more "drama" over the next few years as the local associations (and the members) figure out which way USA Cycling is headed.

i think there are two major issues raised here: whether the clear progress usac has made in what used to be it's abysmal customer service will go out the door as fast as bisceglia and what the relationships between the local associations and the national sanctioning body are.

• first, i don't believe that bisceglia was booted.  i saw some emails from usac staff indicating they were surprised by the announcement.  no one in my immediate peer group really knows what happened.  there are assumptions that are likely driven by the suddenness and unexpected nature of the departure.  but until someone comes across with facts, it's prudent to withold judgement. 
• second, i strongly agree with mitch that customer service used to suck and that it has improved dramastically.  the web site alone makes things so much easier.  i deal with the colorado springs staff on a very frequent basis and you can tell that the web site is handling the mundane stuff so they are free to put out the inevitable fires.  work seems to be smoother there than i have ever seen.  my impression is that these types of changes are implemented by the lower-level staff.  they may have been initiated by higher-ups, but they are now routine tasks.  usac sees the benefit in these and i cannot imagine anyone there not seeing the benefit in maintaining what they have (as customer service standards and technology enhancements) at a minimum. 

i know that i sound like an apologist.  a lot of people have been burned so badly, and so repeatedly, that usac has lost the benefit of the doubt.  permanently.  i would suggest having another objective look.  usac was aware of the problems back then and i, personally, have noticed a significant improvement in customer service of late.  there is still room for improvement, but what group cannot say that.

the second issue deals with the nature of the relationship between the local associations and usac.  this is an area that's clearly misunderstood by a lot of people.  you can tell this is the case from emails asking quesitons that confuse the roles of usac, mabra, promoters and indiciduals.  mitch is correct that at least one group that used to be a local association has left the building and started their own thing.  another splinter group was making rumblings about doing the same in pennsylvania this past spring.  i had hoped to interview them and find out what their progress was but have lost contact.  they were unambiguous about their goals: supplanting usac as the dominant sanctioning group in competitive cycling.  some of the people who are influential in mabra made some really disparaging remarks about that group and their goals.  i thought it was silly at the time and i think it's silly now.  usac doesn't have some sort of divine right to run cycling in the states.  if it is inefficient, other options will spring up and usac will be replaced.

which brings us to the crux of the issue.  in our current litigous society, usac will be very difficult to supplant primarily because there are not a lot of other options in terms of getting insurance policies to run races.  read the sentence several times and think about it.  i have contacted several insurance firms.  i've talked to multisport promoters and their insurance companies.  i've talked to adventure racing promoters and their insurance companies.  i have yet to find an organization that can come anywhere close to allowing you to put on a race for $2 per racer.  that's the reality.  you may not like usac, but the promoters in this area can't leave.  they need insurance to run races, and they can't afford to use the other options that are out there.  i played around with the economics of putting on some supported training rides (roling enclosure and catering before and after) this past winter and it simply won't work.  i played around with trying to get third party insurance for a cyclosportif and it will not work.  actually, i should be more accurate and say that i could not make it work.  my breakeven number of riders was ridiculously high and implausable.  i have not given up (i'm still courting alternatives in terms of motor marhsalls and police) but i have to be realistic. 

racers want to race and promoters provide that option.  there are not many practical alternatives to promoters for sanctioning and insurance.  ergo, most use usac.  please note that this is really different than the way that most promoters use bikereg.  promoters love bikereg because it kicks ass.  racers love it because it kicks ass.  but there are still people who use active.com or sportsbaseonline.  promoters can, and do, choose to use whatever service suits them.  the insurance marketplace is really differnet.  i would guess (as an actuary) that the insurance companies see this as low reward and relatively high risk.  if they knew what a bunch of yahoos most bike racers are, they would probably run screaming from any business proposal. 

i think where most of the people who agitate for change fail is in assuming that others are as interested in alternatives (on principle) as they are, and in providing an easy and practical and useful alternative.  anybody can be a hater.  providing an alternative structure is hard.  you must enter whatever marketplace it is you are choosing to compete in, and you must convince others that your way is not just right, but preferrable.  for some you must prove that it is preferrable for economic reasons.  for others you must prove that it is preferrable for social or practical reasons.  you may be able to leverage popular unhappiness.  but the bottom line is that if you don't offer a solution, the status quo has tremendous inertia.  mabra has contractual agreements with usac and is their agent in the mid-atlantic.  so even if the promoters and racers of mabra chose to pull up stakes and go their own way, it's not clear that mabra could come along for the ride.  if you've ever been to one of the late fall annual meetings, you know how hard it is to get the team representatives in the room to all agree on anything.  it would be exceedingly difficult to get them to organize a completely new structure. 

there are not good options for insurance other than usac.  promoters need insurance and support.  they will go where it's easiest to get these things.  local associations that break out will pay a premium for these services so it must provide some sort of abstract return on investment to be free of usac.  i think that it can be done but it will require a comprehensive list of services offered to promoters.  i don't think it will happen until something like tort reform completely changes the landscape of insuring sports events and signed waivers become bulletproof.

- - - posted by scott

I guess we all got the news last week that the previous ceo of usa cycling made a rather hasty departure from his colorado springs suite.  thought there is a brief communication to be found here, he has already disappeared down the memory hole and is gone from the staff directory at the usac site.  a conference call was held last friday between the usac exec-utariat and all of the local cycling associations.  the call was straightforward, and the people from usac basically communciated the same thing you got in your email from them yesterday afternoon.

i have not asked any questions to see if there is something interesting behind his sudden exodus, and to be frank, i don't care a whole lot.  there are two reasons for this.  the first is that i'm not a big fan of drama.  the second is simply that from most of our perspectives, it simply does not matter.  local associations do most of the work that you see on saturday and sunday so virtually nothing will change.  yes it's true that this situation is surreal, like you awoke in some parallel universe to find yourself surrounded by wierd objects, and very, very disoriented. 

but the truth is that if there's drama, it just doesn't effect us in a practical sense.  races will still be promoted, officials will still show up and handle protests over who got 37th place.  racers will still show up and put in 100% and have fun with their comrades.  the reason for this is that a lot of people who you may know do a lot of work behind the scenes.  they don't talk about it, they just do it. 

i am constantly amazed by the amount of actual work that goes into trying to keep mabra organized and running as efficiently as possible.  i don't always agree with the decisions that are made, or how they are made, but i have come to see that the people who make these decisions do it for sincere reasons and a laudable commitment to moving things forward.  and this is how i view the usac by extension.  i don't care for a lot of their initiatives, i don't agree with their view of how to grow cycling here in the states, and the cost of an annual license galls me.  but i know from experience that they work long hours and they want to see cycling move forward.  they have a practical monopoly on road racing in the states and i worry a lack of competition can lead to complacency.**  but some of their recent improvements, most notably the web site, are really aimed at improving the user experience.  they seem to understand that customer service is not a platitude, a nice thought to hang on a wall.

so don't sweat the drama.  thank the officials and the mabra people who make it all happen.  focus on the priorities: people, power, pedals.

- - posted by scott

** (there are groups that are working with a mission to change that and i will address that in a subsequent post)