OUCH team captain Mr. Tim Johnson shows off his glove selection at the start of the race today. Cyclingnews.com correspondent Kristin Robbins said "I get the impression that morale is pretty low. Everyone, both the riders and the directors are just trying to stay positive..." or something to that effect.
Yet, I didn't see that with Johnson. He was cracking jokes and smiling the whole time I talked with him. Other riders confirmed this as well that his attitude is what makes him a natural leader in the peloton. His going off the front to get a few KOM points during Stage One confirms this as well. I'll just come right out and say it, I'm a fan. He's personable on and off the bike, a fierce cross and road racer and wore a skinsuit that looked like Captain America for the entirety of the season. What's not to like?
Plus, his glove selection for the day not only shows off his mindfullness of spending hours in the saddle, but his support, in every way for the Livestrong foundation. In a manner of speaking. What I really want to know is what is this jacket that he's wearing? It looks good. Functional and good.
Brock Webster (or BRock Lobster as we've come to call him) is one of my traveling partners for this trip. He is also the owner of Steamboat, CO based Orange Peel Bicycles, was regalling me with tales of the days when he would race bicycles in the wet early spring of PA. I didn't believe that he would duct tape dishwashing gloves to his wrists for the really wet days. Now I do.
My buddy Colin asked to see more stuff from New England racers. So, there you have it. Tim Johnson and his former CCB teammate Tyler Hamilton. I asked him what it was that was making his legs shine from miles away. He smiled when I asked and I thought he wasn't going to tell me, then he snickered and said "vaseline." In other news:
Rapha crew continues to dazzle.
Is dazzle the right word? I think so. BikesnobNYC called us "studiously edgy." So I think that we'll go with that for the moment. What does that actually mean though? I do wear glasses sometimes, but that's because I like to do things, like see, for example. He also lambasts us for our ice bath scenario. The funny thing was, I sat in the ice bath because after riding 300 some odd miles in two days my legs hurt. I guess there's no way to avoid contrived if someone is following you around with a camera all the time. Ah well, at least we weren't painting anarchy signs on everything.
And Damn if those pesky edgy Continental riders aren't everywhere. Seven Cycles recently announced that they're building a bicycle for a certain new addition to our East Coast crew. Does that mean that we're going to have to take another boyband photo? Cause I don't know if we can replicate that. I flexed my calf so hard for that shot that I couldn't walk for days after it, let alone ride down from Mt. Wachusett where we "staged" (ie: rode 100 miles) to get to.
Sigh.
Speaking of Seven. I saw a Triad at Paolo Alto bicycles today. I don't think I've ever seen one of these bikes up close and I was intrigued, in more ways than one. One because I've been testing a carbon bike that I'm really liking and I wonder how the two stack up. And two, because of the name. Seven always keeps me guessing about their names and where they get them. Does Rob name them all? Is Triad Latin for Dragonfly?
I think not.
