California Bicycle Racing (CBR)

Without MJ and JP, racers seemed lost, like sheep looking for their shepherd. I marked 4 racers: Evan Teske, Brian Keate, Shane Lawlor, and John Van Dyke. At the end of the race, I was reminded why Evan pisses me off. Not only did he lead out the final sprint from Turn 4, but he had such a gap by the time he hit the finish line that any real racer just watches and gets immediately demoralized. I couldn't touch him-on his worst day and my best day.

Not only that, but he works full-time and all I do is pick my nose and ride. Every time Evan (1st) comes out to play, that's just one more racer I gotta watch & target, and even though I know who to watch, there ain't nothing I can do to come around him, and that's why he pisses me off. Brian had a great ride (4th), and I tried really hard to come around him. Brian rode hard & aggressive the entire ride, and if everyone rode like Brian, all of us would be stronger and faster. What's nice about Frank Schroeder (3rd) is that his team works, whether they are chasing, setting up for the sprint, or blocking...the team gets it. John Van Dyke made the right move at the right time for 5th place, and Gary Wall took 6th!

I'm very appreciative for my teammates Julio, Jim, and Manny. They did exactly as they should, and when the situations are reversed, I will do for them as they have done for me...this is a team sport, and for those that don't comprehend the team concept, they will remain forever in the dark. I got lucky today and had a good ride; the planets aligned in the right direction. Today was good.

Russells Shapley/Simple Green pulled some hard efforts. With smart training comes power & speed, so I tend to notice the racers in front of me. It's hard to notice anyone making serious efforts if they are behind you. Banning's Bikes is slowly getting their act together, and if Tony Sanchez keeps doing what he did, then he will have an awesome season. For Tony to improve, he needs to train his weaknesses, which is not his sprint-that's fine, so sprint training for him is a waste of time, energy, and effort. Tony needs to strengthen his breakaway ability, and when that's accomplished, he'll have the better sprint in the break!