12.16.2009

168: With a Little Help From...


Sometimes I have a tough time at events like Nationals. Everyone comes in from around the country and I want to meet up with and hang out with each and every one of them. Luckily for me the USGP also happened to be in my backyard so I could spread it out for something like three weeks. And soon I will need to sleep for something like three weeks.

This really is why I like things like Interbike, the N.A.H.B.S. and Cross Nats. Meet new and equally excited people and pass out handshakes and hugs to the ones you have been waiting to see all year.

1) Dan Action

D - before the start of the Men's Pro Race.

He is definitely one of these people. We have ridden countless hours together through our journeys with the Rapha Continental and the various and sundry race situations that we have been in. He reminded me last night about the Sterling Road Race that we did together one year. Dan had been off the front attacking maybe four or five times when we found ourselves in the strangest crash I have ever seen. It all happened in slow motion. Not that type of slow-motion where actually you're going fast, the type that is really actually slow. And then we were both out of the running. Which kind of sucked.

We have also gotten ourselves into a fair bit of trouble in other locations around the country, and always with these crazy bicycles. He rides an Igleheart, I ride a Sachs, I ride an Igleheart, he rides a Circle A... We also have an affinity to the handmade bicycles. And Bullet Bourbon. So there is that.

2) Matt Roy

Seen here giving Tim the winning tips.

Really like seeing this guy. Funny is a good way to describe him. Really smart and funny and one of the best mechanics that I have ever seen. I lent him my bike last week so that he and his wife Mo Bruno-Roy (the other half and other half of MM Racing) could do some riding together. When he dropped the bike off, after riding it maybe two times, it was spotless. The kind of spotless that makes you look everything over thinking that maybe he crashed the bike somewhere on the road and then just went and bought a new one. So good looking. And what did I do with that clean bike? Muddy it up of course.

This is what he travels with FYI. You might think of a PRO mechanic traveling with all sorts of tools, but this is it.


3) Richard Sachs

I caught him with a few short minutes as he made his way to pit for his Pro Men.


I cannot tell a lie. Whenever I head toward a race where RS is going to be I will be on the lookout for him. His racers are pro, his kits and sponsors are pro, and his bikes...well, that is another story. When we first started putting together a cross team years ago this was the model that we used. Grassroots and awesome. Great looking kits. Really nice people. It is all there and I do not care what anyone says. Richard Sachs has been a role model and hero to me since I have been racing bikes and I was thrilled beyond belief to see his "Bearded Gent" take 8th. And they all seem like such nice guys. He has helped to develop some of the US's best cross racers (Page, Myerson, Spinelli) and it is great to see that tradition continue. And besides, he loves Twizzlers, which is pretty much the best food on the planet.



4) Adam Myerson
Speaking of Adam Myerson I got to spend a considerable ammount of time with Adam and his lovely girlfriend Janice. We had a strange occurance with a real photographer at the race venue though. Because, and I was not really aware of this, but Janice is kind of famous on the interwebs. Thanks creepy photog for pointing that out.

In any case I had a great time hanging out with Adam. He has a definite teasing style about him, which is a light way of saying that he likes to give me shit. So there is that. Maybe one of these days I will get around to following him on Twitter which will finally ease all of the pain that he has been having in that arena.

"If only there were 16 sets of barriers..."

However, in all seriousness he has done a lot for this sport so it is great to be able to snag a few free moments of his time. Between talks of UCI boards and general advancement of the sport of cyclocross, after words on running races and free trips to Worlds, Adam also raced his bike. This is how it went for him...


Even with a horrific crash in the opening laps that left him with a few scrapes on his hip and a broken shoe Adam still managed to finish 21st on the day. That is what I call attrition. Sticking it out and making the best of every situation. Which is really what you are doing for this whole hour long extravaganza that we call Cyclocross. Problem solving. I like it.

I have a few more for you and even a few of the new crew that we hung out with over in Bend.

To Be Continued...