Bright Lights Big City

After today I can officially say that Diegem is the coolest race I have ever done. At night, under the lights, tens of thousands of superfans, pouring rain, mud, sand, barriers, screaming fast descents and lung searing climbs. What more could you want? It all started when Josef arrived with a smile on his face.....he received a new GPS from his daughters. Now we will never get lost again! Maybe?

We arrived with plenty of time even though the UCI officials were giving us some looks. Pretty soon the head honcho started telling me we need to arrive 1 hour before the race. I said to him, "I know we are stupid Americans, but we are strong and Matt Kelly was our first World Champion, and we have 2 hours before the race." He looked at his watch and realized we really had 2 hours which was plenty of time and then apologized.

Then we went back to the warming van...I'll hold of on the warming van bit until thursday with the cyclingnews diary....

The course was brutal...it was pouring rain the entire warm up laps and my B bike front brake cable pulled through and back to the bars. I went for the A bike, but a valve stem had been ripped out of the rear wheel and the front shifter was blown....its tough communicating with the mechanics..... I opted for the B bike after a quick adjustment of the front brake.
I was a little cautious on the start circuit, but as I hit the lap I started feeling the good sensations. I was able to step on it and go. I was riding the mud sections good. I was riding the climbs fast and the bike was working good. I was suffering the good way and was pretty happy. Guys were dropping left and right and I was slugging it out. I had one bad lap with 5 to go and lost a group I had been riding with, but then got it back together and finished strong.

After the race the people were crazy. The disco was still rocking, the drunks were holding the drunks up, some crazy Belgian actually jumped into the front window of our van as we were driving(slowly), and on the other side of the van another drunk Belgie decided he would direct traffic for us be reaching in the window and wailing on the horn and waving people out of the way....it actually worked too.
The drive home was comical with the FOX behind the wheel. Then the real pain set in, I think I spent more time cleaning my stuff than I did on the race course. The power washer was a rocking spraying off the 2 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of riding clothes, etc, etc.
Now I'm having a hot chocolate and waiting for the washing machine. Troy and I have not only been racing on the course but also racing to get the blogs updated. Check his out...its pretty funny.

Zolder WC

I was battling with Pauwels the last lap...unfortunately it was not for the win if you know what I mean. 56th. Not quite as good as last year, but I rode as fast as possible. After the race in Kalmthout I was really focused on having a good start and I killed it.....through the pits on the first lap I was 3 spots behind Page. I was pretty happy with this....then when it was time to put out the power I was lacking. Maybe I was too focused on a good start and after I accomplished my goal I didn't know what to do next??? Sometimes you can focus on one aspect way too much....or maybe I overcooked it and then suffered for the next 2 laps until I could recover. Not sure, but I think I'm still improving. Had I felt this way last year I think I would have been lapped. So I think in general I am stronger and my off days are better than in the past. I just hope I have a really good day in the next 4 races. At least I got some good TV time here in Belgium as I was holding off Pauwels at the line(stupid american)!

Tomorrow is the Superprestige in Diegem. The race is super cool and is held in an urban setting. You can watch the race LIVE here. Thanks for reading.

Special Post

Just before bed in Belgium....having a glass of tea thinking back on all the X'MAS mornings as a kid. My memories wouldn't be complete with some thoughts of my Aunt Marge who passed away this summer. I'll be thinking of her when I'm racing tomorrow.

Rain & Ice

Here is a pick from my 23rd place finish last Wed in Middlekerke. Again Merry Christmas to all back home. I hear the weather is pretty nasty. I love it that Sheboygan weather is constantly more brutal than Belgian weather. It makes it just a little easier over here knowing the weather is slightly nicer. Today is the day before a World Cup. Today is also Christmas. So the house is pretty quiet. Geoff Proctor spent the day in Zolder inspecting the course and picking up race numbers.

The rest of the staff was either busy preparing for the race or spending time with their families. Most of the riders went for an early morning trainer ride and only a handful of us braved the morning wet. The snow and ice is almost gone after the rain last night. I heard the course was very icy, but after a few complaints from the big dogs they managed to get 3 salt trucks on to the F1 circuit to help melt the remaining ice. Here is a quick video highlight from last years race.

Most of the day after the ride was spent relaxing and reading. Just finished up The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom and started A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. In the afternoon we took a little cruiser ride in search of some fresh air and a good cappucino. My cruiser was in surprisingly good shape. Nothing was open though and it was a little chilly so it was a short lived ride. Now its time for a little snack and then an early night to bed. We will leave the house at 10am tomorrow and then race at 3:00. After the World Cup most of the races will be live online at sport.be Stay tuned for tomorrows race report.

Christmas in Belgium

It's Christmas Eve in Belgium and the 24th is when they celebrate here. We had a team meeting earlier and then Powers and Driscoll came over for some Q & A's and some free advice. Els has been busy in the kitchen all day cooking up some mean turkeys.

The champagne was flowing for the ECC toast and the JR's are drinking their Pepsi. Dinner consisted of turkey, belgian stuffing, peas, rice, cranberry sauce, and pears. Mario is dressed as Santa and everyone is in a good festive mood.

We even got a killer dessert!

Merry Christmas to everyone back home. I wonder what Andrea & Rosco are doing?

Noordzeecross

Race 2 is under the belts! I felt much better today than I did in the World Cup in Kalmthout. I finished 23rd and was on the lead lap. It was snowy, windy, muddy, but not too muddy. I crashed once, not paying attention as I was passing someone. After the crash I got a new bike and something clicked with the handling skills. All the sudden I could ride around corners 2x as fast. The gaps were big but I was able to ride from the mid 30's to the low 20's. Check out www.cycling-pics.be for some photos. This is one of the races that I considered not doing and I was glad I made the decision to race. I am pretty confident each race will be better and better.

The morning started as most mornings start here at Eurocross Camp. The JR's being really loud as they prepare to leave, then a little break in the action for a few hours before the Elites and U23's take off. During the 2 hour break I checked my e-mail 15 - 25 times, made some Ham &

Cheese samies, packed the race bag, and did a little reading. Josef was the driver once again. He is still, in my book, the unsung hero of the camp even though someone managed to lose the keys to one of the vans we were supposed to be driving. We were running a little late and in his broken english he said he generally knew where we were going. I think some of the guys were a little nervous, but we made it with plenty of time and only one wrong turn. Most of the races are held in towns that are half the size of Oostburg, WI and you can easily find the church in the middle of town and then find your way to the race.

After the race its pretty crazy in the house. Els is making dinner, guys are rushing for the hot water in the showers, mechanics are riders battle for the power washer to clean bikes and shoes, and the laundromat is filled with 'stupid Americans. With 18 riders and 10+ rotating staff its tough to keep the house clean. So there is a chore list and tonight I was on Pots and Pans duty which is the most despised. So pretty much what I'm saying is a race day in Belgium is a full day even though the race is 45 minutes from the house and only and hour long. Can't wait for tomorrows recovery day.

Broke in the new Gear Grinder skinsuit today it has much more white on it......good to get it a little dirty. Everyday there is a special message and a word of the day....Troy came up with this one!

Day 4

This is the 3rd day in a row that I have been awake at 8:30am....this is good. I think I'm finally adjusted. I was on the bike at 10:30 and got in a good cross practice in a nearby park. I was able to play with tires and pressure and get a good feel for the snow and the ice. This is what the streets looked like on the way to the park! Gotta love Izegem!

After the ride Proctor and I enjoyed some good ol' Ham & Cheese. Then we took a quick trip over to a bike shop. Now I can call it a business trip! The place was called Sportiva and it was pretty much everything you could ask for. Top of the line stuff everywhere you looked. The shop must be killing it because they have about 10x more dollars in inventory than SBC. I'm assuming its the off-season here for the majority of cyclists.

After the trip to the bike shop I had a cup of coffee with the Fox and then took a solo stroll into town in search for a power adapter. It was actually pretty nice out...I even saw one of the JR's dressed as Santa trying to climb back into their room. Tomorrow is the Noordzecross in Middlekerke...

Brugge by Camera

A French Fry Team

Tearing into a waffle!

Mmmmmm

Brugge

My 5th Beer ever!

Troy's new Euro scarf!

Kalmthout WC

First race in Belgium is now under the belt. Luckily my bikes arrived and I was able to race the Blues. Todays unsung hero is definitely Josef. I think he has already made 15 trips to the airport. And each trip he is battling baggage claims and waiting for hours for someone or somthing who might not even be showing up. Today he was the man and left for the airport at 4:30am and delivered my bikes to Kalmthout by 12:00. We arrived about the same time.

It was a crazy snowstorm. You know you are in Belgium when you get rocked out of your sleep by someone pounding on the door and yelling something that ends with "we leave in 30 minutes." The rush was on because of the 4" of fresh powder. The news was in the my bikes had arrived, but I wasn't so sure they weren't someone elses.

So we arrived to the craziness of a Belgium cross race. Troy and I went on a mission to find the WC

and Inschription. We suited up and went out for a lap on the snowy icy circuit. It was like doing a lap on a frozen tundra. Driscoll went down on the pre-ride. I didn't but it was sketchy. They had a salt truck on the start stretch and they were brooming the slush of the pavement sections.

After a lap it was back to the warming van for a change of clothes and a little time on the trainer. I was called to the grid in the 6th row. I think 85 guys started. The start was a little crazy with a left on icy pavement and then a U on icy pavement and then to the course. Pretty much the whole course was single file. It was crazy with 85 guys fighting for one line. Snow was flying and all sorts of guys were sideways. I had a bad start. After that there is not much you can do....ride single file and wait....or try to pass in the deep snow and risk crashing and losing 5 - 10 spots. By the middle of the race I was moving up as guy were getting cold and dropping out. Page was 17th Driscoll was 38th, Wells was 50th and I was 63rd. A little dissapointing.

Now that my stuff is in order I can focus a little more...less time in Skype with United, more time thinking about racing. Plus a race in the legs after close to a month of no racing and a little jet lag. Should only feel better and better as time goes on....thanks for reading....

Day 1

No bikes yet....latest news is they are in London? I hope they show for tomorrow. I'm registered for the WC in Kalmthout. Call up in row 6. It looks like a good course....mtb style with some long wooded sections. It would be really nice if I don't have to ride J. Pow's 5 year old Salsa that now is basically a permanent training bike at the house. I heard Tyler Farrar was the last guy beating up on it.....they tell me it will be fast if it comes to a sprint. I didn't get to ride it today though. Instead I was riding a national team road bike on the ice with a really tight headset.....no crashes luckily.

I had my first bar of chocolate from the wall. Monday looks like the day to head to Brugge for the Leffe and the waffles. Stay tuned for tomorrows race report.

Travel Time

Well I made it to Belgium!

The journey started early Thurs morning with a drive to Milwaukee where I picked up a bus to O'Hare Intl.

I was pretty pumped that I only had to shuffle a few items from duffel bag to bike box to make the weight restrictions and carry on limits. Only $200 for bikes on plane. Luckily they didn't weigh the bike box. So I thought it was smooth sailing from then on. A direct flight from Chicago to Brussels with a small stop in Washington DC...same plane though. Well a little hitch with the plane in DC and 2 hours later we were airborne for Europe. Powers, Wells, and I were all rollin' big in the Business Class section! White table clothes on my folding tray table was a first for me!

The plane landed in a snow covered freezing Belge after a good nights sleep(3 hours).

Baggage took 1:45 to come out of the carousel??? Belgium is on of those places that can't handle snow very well. Kind of like snow in Virginia. They just don't have the goods to de-ice or remove. So I waited with Powers and Wells. It was pretty comical until my name was called over the loud speaker. No Bikes :( Now how can United manage to lose the bikes when it was more or less a direct flight? Anyway they did....

So I lugged my wheels and bags out through customs to meet Josef. Our favorite driver! We only got lost once on the way home, but that was because we were searching for the wrong house number to pick up a BMC mechanic? Always something crazy going on here in Belgium. Troy and I were cracking up though as we were lost again in Belgium.

We finally made it to Izegem after about 24 hours of travel. I made my first Ham & Cheese, built up Troys bike and went for a spin on ice covered treacherous roads. No crashes. Then took a freezing cold shower, and made my bed with tiny sheets and tiny pillow. Radio Donna is blasting and Scheldecross was broadcasted live on TV. All is normal....

Not sure if I race tomorrow. Depends if bikes show?

Go Time!

It's been a little hectic finalizing all the details and making sure I am well prepared for the trip. I think I nailed it though...now I just have to see if I can fit it all in my bike case/wheel box/duffel bags! I hate traveling with bikes these days. Overweight and Oversize fees are most of the time more expensive than the plane tickets themselves.

As far as training it's been good. 2 solid rides over the weekend on the beach with quite a few 15 minute efforts and a good run the day before. Today was a brutal day. 14 degrees with 15mph winds...it hurt, but the good news is I don't think it will hurt that bad over in Belgium! I managed to get the old ticker up to 182 at 14 degrees putting to sleep the notion that you can't get the HR up in the cold!

I'm flying out of Chicago Ohare Thursday afternoon and arrive in Brussels Friday morning. Saturday is a local race to shake out the legs and then I'll jump right into the World Cup in Kalmthout(only a few km's from Hoogerheide!). Here is the full schedule!

19 Lichetrvelde, National B race
20 Kalmthout, World Cup CDM (Elites; possibly JR and U-23 races)
23 Noordzeecross, Middelkerke, C2
26 Zolder, World Cup CDM
27 Diegem, Super Prestige C1
29 Azencross, Loenhout, GVA C1
30 Tourhout, C2
1 Grote Prijs Sven Nys, Baal GVA C1
2 Grote Prijs der Ster, St Niklaas, C2
3 GP Groenendaal, St Michielgestel Holland C2

I'll do my best to find some links so you can watch the races live!

A huge thanks goes out to Bruce LeBlanc, my MOM, Chris Newlin, Dano, Adam Biwan, David Compton, and John Hughes for EuroCrossCamp donations! Another thanks all my sponsors for getting me hooked up with all the small odds and ends to make to trip complete!

and of course to my wife Andrea for putting up with me leaving 2 x-mas' in a row...

Inside Out

Quick update......

The last 3 days has been pretty rough weather wise in Sheboygan with wind chills close to -20. So it has been intervals on the trainer and a few short runs outside. It's warmer this weekend so I'm heading outside for a couple solid training rides! Gear Grinder T-Shirts are just a couple days away. Stay Tuned.

It's GO time

It's been a busy week trying to clean up the muddy mess from Jingle Cross, get plane tickets, and get out on the bike. I'm looking forward to my first weekend off from racing in over a month. I also finally got a slew of things listed on ebay. So bid high. All $$$ will go direclty towards Euro Cross Camp. If you want something but don't want to go through ebay just let me know... brian@sheboyganbicycle.com

Here is a picture of some secret training routes in Sheboygan.....kinda like Belgy land eh!

Jingle Rockin' Good Time

How do I walk away of 3 days of running through ankle deep mud in 40 degree, temperatures, with full body aches, but still have a smile on my face???

I think stuff like this helps....

Anyway Day 3 of Jingle Cross was another battle between the midwest guys. This time it was Marko, Tristan, Dave H. and Jake Wells, all battling for the 3rd spot on the podium. There was a slight chance 2nd place was coming back to us, but his effort during the first 1/4 of the race was too big to bring back.....

One of my favorite parts of Jingle Cross is the huge variations in speed.....one minute your are suffering like a dog going 2 mph up Mt. Krumpit....the next you aer closing a gap at 30+ mph down the start stretch....ouch

Ended up 5th on the day and was pretty happy. All of us were pretty strong in the chase group, and Marko earned his Podium spot for sure.

All in all Jingle Cross has been the best weekend of cross season so far this season...and for one reason(not the bikini race)....the Superfans....It truly sounded like Belgium at the top of Mt. Krumpit!!!!! Huge props to the Jingle Cross Rock crew for rounding up the racous spectators.(no spectators in the photo because we weren't even close to the top...it was a long brutally hard run up)

Another huge THANKS goes out to Mike and the MY WIFE INC team for being the best pit crew of the season and keeping the Norcross' looking clean!!!! Thanks team.

Now it's time to rest up.....and get ready for Euroland! It's going to be an expensive trip , so I'm gathering up some goodies and going to get an ebay auction going. The Matter Supporter Gear Grinder T's are almost ready. I also have a couple bikes for sale. Or if your just having a great day and feeling generous, I am excepting donations via paypal(upper right corner of blog!)

Thanks again for reading.....stay tuned for some Belgian style preparation w/ a Sheboygan twist!

Jingle Cross Day 2

Much better today....didn't get the holeshot and I think I had a little more gas on the brutal run up on lap 1.....ended up in the chase group with Tristan, and Marko.....half way through the race we caught Ryan Iddings and the battle for the top 5 was on.

Marko crashed with 3 laps to go descending Mt. Krumpit.....Tristan started killing it with 2 to go and all I could do was hang on....stayed in good position and rode smooth lines....on the last lap we were dropping Iddings as Marko was quickly closing the gap. Marko ran out of time in catching us even though he got pretty close....Tristan finished 2nd and I was 3rd.

Happy to be on the UCI podium for the 2nd weekend in a row.

Photos soon...

T-Day & Jingle Cross

I'm a travelin' again....after a little bout with food poisoning at Mom and Dad's (barfing and the shits for about 12 hours) I headed back home Wed just in time for Chicago rush hour traffic jam.

Thursday was a good day watching the Packers win and having a good dinner with Andrea and her family.

Friday was on the road again down to Jingle Cross....if you live in the midwest and want to watch a good cross race this is the one! Tons of Superfans.....and tonight we raced under lights. Unfortunately things weren't going my way...a crash on the descent and some cramping in the hammies.....but I got the holeshot! I think I finished 8th or 9th...ouch...not what I was hoping for....that's why there is always tomorrow in bike racing....so until then time to go clean mud off my bikes and do some hotel room laundry....

Belgium here I come!

I'm going back to Belgium! I wonder how many Ham & Cheese Sandwiches I'm going to eat this year? I'll try to get a Ham & Cheese meter going on the blog! I am pumped to be going back again and can't wait to be heckled by the Belgie superfans!

I don't have dates or plane tickets nailed down quite yet, but it'll roughly be 2 weeks and 6-8 races. You can check out the schedule at www.eurocrosscamp.com

Team Gear Grinder is working on some new and improved Matter Supporter T-Shirts and planning a huge cyclocross party fundraiser on the weekend prior to departure.

I wonder if it's going to be muddy over there this year, or if we are going to be racing on frozen ground....either way I'm ready to rock!

NCCX GP #2

Day 2 of the NCCX was a whole new ball game. After some killer mexican food with team Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and a little college football Saturday night I was ready for day 2 Sunday in NC. With rain in the forecast I was ready to swap over to the EC90 Aeros and get the Norcross a little dirty!

We arrived to the race 2 hours prior to start and I was able to get 2 full laps on the course before the women raced(props to team Planet Bike for crushing the womens field both days). This was key in dialing in tire pressure and finding the good lines, before the course was completely destroyed from the constant 40 degree rain. I spent a good amount of time on the trainer and did one more recon lap just after the womens race. A quick change into a fresh (dry)Gear Grinder skinsuit, socks, shoes, and gloves kept me nice and warm during the calls ups.

We started and Frattini got the holeshot, but I passed hime before the first off camber muddy corner. Shriver and Jake Wells soon made there way up and Shriver was once again drilling it...at the end of lap one there was a bobble at the top of the wall and Frattini had a gap. Shriver jumped, but didn't have the legs to go across. Jake and I soon reeled him in and by the end of lap 2 had gapped him. Frattini was 10 seconds up as Jake and I attacked each other/worked together for the next 4 laps. With 3 laps to go my hands and feet started losing sensations, but we were in a heated battle and I knew if Frattini had one bobble we would be racing for top spot on the podium. With 2 to go I almost lost it on an easy corner and Jake hurt me a little, but I bridged on the wooded climb.

I noticed I was riding the off camber section a little fast than him so on the last lap I made sure I led through that section and into the wall. I relly let it rip figuring if I crash I'm still on the podium, but if I nail the line I get 2nd. I nailed it.... After the race it was a little rough, but I survived and I'm now in Athens, OH with Mom and Dad all cleaned up...

The Blue's rode awesome in the mud and the new geometry is amazing for handling in the greasy conditions. It might have a little something to do with the super stiff Eastons too....or maybe the Rhynos with the perfect tire pressure.....either way the motivation is growing for the remainder of the cross season!

Thanks to all who cheered in the rain and thanks to the NCCX crew for putting on a great race.

North Carolina Podium

After a great visit with Grandma and one last stop to check out Jamestown and the history of John Smith and Pocahontas it was time to head south to the UCI in North Carolina.

A short race report goes like this....

Took the holeshot(that's my shadow)! After a few laps the lead group of 4 was formed. Frattini, Shriver, J. Wells, and myself. We all tried a little something, but nothing was going early on. The course was awesome, but overall very fast! With 2 to go Shriver countered Frattini move and mad the race. Shriver was opening the gap while Jake and I were playing a little cat and mouse and trying to catch Frattini. The gap was only 10 seconds but we couldn't close.

With 1k to go I attacked and got a small gap....up the last steep climb I still had a few seconds and then Jake rolled a tire and I cruised in 4 or 5 seconds behind Frattini for 3rd!

Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow so that might shake some things up.... until tomorrow

ps... Huge thanks to Janet and the NCCX crew for the host housing and the great race!

Colonial Williamsburg

Made the drive to Williamsburg VA after the subpar performance in New Jersey on day 2.

Long story short I rode the first 3/4 of the race in 45th position with 10psi too much in my tires....let some air out with 4 laps to go and finished 27th...

After the race it was back to Brooklyn for Sunday night football and some homemade Indian food....mmmmm

Monday morning we were on the road again heading down the east coast to visit my Grandma...I haven't been to her house in a long time....I spent an entire month here when I was 10 and it was awesome!

We spent the day in Colonial Williamsburg brushing up on the history of the good ol' USA! I think tomorrow we will go check out Jamestown and the Nina Pinta and Santa Maria...

Some photos from the old days.....

Dirty Jersey

Quick update from Mercer Cup USGP...

I was feeling pretty blown out and not motivated after 2 days in the car. Luckily I started feeling much better a lap into the race. I started in the middle of the 3rd row and was pretty far back after lap 1. I started to find my legs on the 2nd lap and started passing guys. I was riding with Carl Decker again, and Adam Craig. Bikes were weighing in at 30+ lbs after a half lap of mud and grass. Luckily Andrea was in the pits for me killing it....

Long story short I finished up 18th behind Decker and ahead just ahead of Marko. I found a little motivation though and think tomorrow will go much better...

until then...it's time for some nutella and oats

Iceman (until next year)

That was the fireworks on the last climb.......

Now its time to load up the Hyundai again, hit the east coast, race some cross, and visit some family...stay tuned!

Iceman (the bike)

A huge thanks goes out to the fellas at Trek and my good buddy JR for letting me use the dream bike set up for Iceman.

I rocked a 2010 Elite 9.9. It was without a doubt the fastest, stiffest, and lightest bike I have ever ridden. I didn't officially weight the bike, but I'm guessing in the 16lb range as it was only slightly heavier than my cross bikes.

I opted for a fully rigid 26 inch race bike. Bontrager X Lite Switchblade Fork & X Lite wheels with Bontrager XR1 tires. Bontrager XR1 tires where the only tire on the mens podium at the Iceman!

A XTR drivetrain and of course 4ti Crank Brothers pedals were being pushed on by some super light weight Pearl Izumi shoes....

The Bell Volt helmet along with the Oakley Radars w/ Photochromic lens kept my eyes and head straight in the blinding setting sunshine.

All and all it was a pretty sweet set up and I wouldn't change a thing if i had to do it all over.....except I would win of course!

Iceman

What a weekend! Iceman has to be my favorite stop of the Triple Crown....the most Superfans, the fastest racing, and the toughest competition. This was my 15th Iceman!

We started off as we always do loading up the Hyundai friday morning for the long drive up and over Lake Michigan. We picked up Tristan and were on the road earlier than last year...right? Every year we leave earlier, but for some reason it always gets dark before we finish our warm up ride. The bike was great, the trail was in top notch condition, and I was ready to rock....

We hit registration, saw old friends, had some dinner, and finished off the night with a little ice cream with my dad.

Saturday morning was a little breakfast and then a short drive to Kalkaska in the afternoon for the race. It must have been the warmest Iceman to date....

The call up was odd as a bunch of roadies were called to the line and the US National MTB Champ was not....

The start was smooth for me at the front of the race, but someone went down and the not so good noise of metal and carbon scraping against the concrete, along with tires exploding, had me happy I was at the front. I filed into the woods in about 5th wheel.

Tristan made the first move after Simonson was pulling...I sat up and started blocking...midwest on the offensive....it was fun....

A couple miles later after the Tornado singltrack Tristan and JHK took 2 hard pulls and the gap opened. The 2009 Iceman was down to 6 men. JHK, Sam, Carl Dekker, Mike A, Tristan, and Myself. I attacked multiple times only to be marked by the duo on the 29ers. I gave it one really hard effort just before the Vasa Trail, but JHK shut me down. I was starting to feel the efforts, the pace was slowing and I think all 6 of us were hurting....

With 3 miles to go I started to get the twinges in the right quad. Not good....

I positioned myself good up the Ice Breaker climb and was stuck like glue on JHK's wheel. He gapped me by 1 second out of the final singletrack and had a little more punch up the wood chip climb. Sam caught me by the top jumped in front of me and opened up the gap. Once he started ramping it up again there was no way I was coming around him through the campground maze.

I'm a little bummed to lose out on the double triple, but I raced aggressive and only missed out by 12 seconds. But, at the same time this is my 4th podium in a row at the Iceman...and 2 outta 3 ain't bad. JHK said it best, "I just wanted to make sure you were the only "one" to ever win the triple crown!"

Andrea capped off an awesome season with a 16th in the pro womens race....I think the womens field was even deeper than the mens. She was really strong the entire season and I'm really proud of her...I think shes going to come back even stronger next year.

The best part of the Iceman is always seeing the old familiar faces...after the race I hung with Mesko, Precthl, Buermans, my old soccer coach Dennis Massey, Bernie Smith gave me a newpaper clipping from 1996.....so many stories, so many good memories.....

Thanks to all who have supported along the way...

Iceman (quick)

A quick update before this mornings Omlette run....

3rd place yesterday. It's hard to race the Iceman with a big X on your back....especially when its the dude in the stars and stripes chasing down evey attempt you make.

JHK 1st
Sam Schultz
me
Carl Decker
Mike Anderson
Tristan

Andrea finished 16th in the toughest midwest field of the year.

All in all a sweet weekend though hanging with the ol' MI homies....full update later