June 2004 News
WE ARE BACK!!
6-4-2004 WE ARE BACK! I know, it's been a while. I had problems with my hosting company, which was bought out. The reseller that I work through had major problems, and I had to change hosting companies. All is well now.
Gaggioli Suspended Cyclingnews.com reports that Roberto Gaggioli has been suspended for the
remainder of the racing season. He is charged with attacking Jittery Joes rider Jonny Sundt after the Cheaha Challenge in
Anniston, AL. Sundt's bicycle was injured in the fight. -Cyclingnews.com
O'Neil and Ewing Marriage Nathan O'Neil (Cola Vita) and Karen Ewing got married May 9th. Nathan and Karen met when she presented him flowers at the 2003 Tour De Georgia. Nathan now lives in the Peach State (rumor has it Gwinnett County). -Velonews.com
ACVB President Fired The president of the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB). DeSales Wagster, has been fired under what has been touted as a "change of direction." The ACVB was responsible for getting the Tour De Georgia finish in Alpharetta as well as the Duathlon World Championships. Does this leave the possiblity open that Alpharetta will no longer host world class sporting events? -Northfulton.com
Dahlonega Race Cancelled The Dahlonega Round of the Georgia Cup has been cancelled. The Augusta Cyclismo results are up. -Georgia Cup
Mt. Mitchell Times The times for the Assault on Mt. Mitchell are up. -Spartanburg Freewheelers
Garrett Wonders The resolution naming the bike-pedestrian lane on the new Charleston Bridge for Garrett Wonders passed both chambers of the SC legislature this week. It is on its way to the Governor for his signature.
No More SORBA Discounts From the SORBA forum: "After careful consideration and discussion with bike shop owners, SORBA will no longer ask member shops to grant discounts to its members. The shops help SORBA, our trails, and you (our members) in so many more important ways. Member shops support work parties, make direct donations to chapters, sponsor events, and work with SORBA arm-in-arm on local advocacy issues. We are grateful to all our member shops. So please, when you make a purchase, thank the shop for its support of SORBA, and please do not ask for a special discount."
6-6-2004 The Bike Shop Ride Looking for a Saturday morning ride on the West Side? The Bike Shop in Hiram has a ride at 8:00 am. Average speeds are 17-20 mph over 25 miles of hilly terrain with a few sections on the Silver Comet. There is one regroup at the half way point; the route is not marked. Meet at the Bike Shop at the corner of Hwy. 278 and Hwy. 92. Call the Bike Shop in Hiram at 770-222-7559 for details.
Bush vs. Kerry Should President Bush and Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry square off in a bike race? Bush rides mountain bikes; Kerry is a roadie. -New York Times.
Georgia State RR Championships Full results are now posted for the Georgia State Road Race Championships. Congratulations to the winners.
-State RR Results
Men 1/2/3 David Guttenplan (Locos-Bling/Bling)
Women 1/2/3 Cathy Connell (RBM)
Women 4 Suzanne Watkins (Forum Cycling)
Masters 30-39 Tony Scott (FFCC)
Masters 40+ Jon Atkins (FFCC)
Cat. 4 Tyler Grahovec (Georgia Velo)
Cat. 5 Andy Baker (John Deere)
Juniors 10-14 Kyle Cochran (Free Flite/NARC)
Juniors 15-18 Andy Scerano (Georgia Velo)
Under 23 National Team John Murphy (Roswell Velo/Nalley) has joined the Under 23 USA National team in Europe for the summer. He will be doing the major Espoir races. Good luck John!
Bump N Grind Congratulations to all the Atlantans who placed today at Bump N Grind, an AMBC mountain bike race in Alabama. Bicycle Outfitters, APB, L5 Flyers, and Clif Bar had strong showings. Placings I recall are: Jennifer Wills-L5 Flyers (Beginner Women 5th), Trish Albert-Boneshakers (Sport Master Women 3rd), Sam Kaine-Cycleworks (Sport Master Women 2nd). As usual, results took about 3 hours to be finalized and awards given out. It was a fantastic race otherwise, and the course is always one of the best in the Southeast with a good mix of climbing, singletrack, doubletrack, and Blood Rock.-Bump N Grind
Thursday Night Time Trials The SORBA Thursday Night Time Trials are back for the summer of 2004 at the Chicopee Ag Center. The dates are June 24, July 8th, and July 15th. The winner of each category overall will receive a medal. You must be a SORBA member to participate. Complete rules are available on SORBA's website.
Dahlonega Cancelled A reminder that the Dahlonega Georgia Cup has been cancelled! Don't tell me I didn't remind you!
Go Fast Freddy Fred Rodriguez (Acqua and Sapone) won the US Professional National Championship today in Philadelphia. It is Fast Freddy's third national championship. Visit your favorite site like velonews.com or cyclingnews.com for all the details.
6-8-2004 Bump Well, what do you know? I was 2 minutes faster at Bump N Grind this year than last year. Scary! I was 4 minutes ahead of my time at the top of the hill and until after Blood Rock. The BONK hit, and I lost about 2 minutes in the last 4 miles. Guess being sick might have something to do with it.
Southern Lights 24-7 The Southern Lights 24-7 24 Hour Race was held this weekend at Heritage Park near Athens. All participants reported a fun race. Conditions were much drier and much better than last year's mudfest. Vetran racer Buddy Mendias (Ellsworth) won the solo men's division, and Pam Wendel won the solo women's category. Teams from Ride, Eat, Sleep won both the 2 person male relay and 5 person coed. -Southern Lights 24-7
Gaggioli Responds Roberto Gaggioli has responded to the suspension USA Cycling gave him after attacking Jittery Joe's rider Jonny Sundt with a 2x4. Sundt's bike was the major victim of the attack. He compares himself to being great like Mario Cippolini. He also says that he single handedly showed Europeans that there was bike racing in America. The interview is quite amusing. -Cyclingnews.com
Acworth Metric Century The North Georgia Bicycle Dealer's Association will host the first Acworth Metric Century on August 7th. Details are available on the NGDBA website. (Trish's note: Don't forget that the Southern Bicycle League maintains a great listing of local centuries and group rides.) -Acworth Metric Century
Mt. Mitchell Results Mt. Mitchell times are posted. See how your favorite Georgian did. -Mt. Mitchell
Crossers rejoice at Interbike!
From: Interbike News - Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Laguna Beach, CA – With preparations already underway for this year’s OutDoor Demo - the cycling industry’s premier new product testing event - Interbike is pleased to announce the addition of several enhancements to the popular kick-off event.
New for 2004, the OutDoor Demo will feature the Dirt Jump Demo sponsored by Kona Bicycles - with professional jumpers showcasing the excitement of this high-flying segment of the sport. Also in the plans for this year’s event is a specific cyclocross section for testing the latest in 'cross bikes and equipment.
Held for two-days under the sun-filled skies of Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV, this festive outdoor event provides buyers and media the opportunity to see and test the latest cycling innovations firsthand. A complete testing environment, the OutDoor Demo features all things cycling – everything from bikes and accessories to energy food and sunscreen will be on display.
OUTDOOR DEMO
Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City, NV
Monday, October 4 - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 5 - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
“Bootleg Canyon is a testing environment that suits every segment of the sport. With an extensive network of trails, a DH run, BMX track, a completely closed road loop, and the new cyclocross section, this year’s OutDoor Demo will offer a little of everything,” said Lance Camisasca, Interbike show director. “Plus, the Kona Dirt Jump Demo is sure to add an exciting spectator element,” Camisasca added.
Other refinements to this year’s OutDoor Demo include the addition of a road/recumbent bike exhibit area near the road loop to enable easier access to the pavement, as well as a car-free expo area to reduce congestion and minimize dust (shuttles will drop off attendees at the lower parking lot).
Articles??
I've had a question as to why I haven't published many articles lately. The
answer...no one has given me any! Is the well dry? Does no one want to write
anything? Why not get some free publicity for your team? Email
me a report, photos, anything! I can't do it all by myself and be at all
the races.
Tour De Georgia Tracy Farrell (Bike Town) was a course marshall for
the week at the Tour De Georgia in April. She got to meet many of the riders
and see what the Tour was like behind the scenes. She's written a great
report! -My Week With the Tour De Georgia
APB At Bump I got word from the Atlanta Pro Bike team that two of their riders had great rides at Bump N Grind. Pete Joski won the Expert Master Men, and Patrick Jones was third in the same division.
New Website for Bicycle Outfitters Bicycle Outfitters has launched a new website.
Sam Kaine-2nd-(Cycleworks-left) and Trish Albert-3rd-(Boneshakers-right) on the podium for Sport Master Women at Bump N Grind
6-9-2004 Rebecca Checks In Rebecca Leeb posted her Stump Jump and Bump N Grind race reports on mtbr.com complete with a bathtub photo (she was soaking in ice water). -Rebecca's Race Report
Women's MTB Ride From Sherri Hall: "How about a women`s ride Saturday morning at the Ag Center at 10am. All are welcome to come but please understand that this trail is considered an intermediate trail. Also, I am planning for this to be a preride for the ag center race on June 20. I would like to spend some time at that rooty section at the end and find the best (and safest) line. I have heard it is much rootier now. See you all Saturday. Let me know if you have any questions. Note, ride will be canceled if raining or if the trail is wet. I know the trail is going to be gone soon but let`s not tear it up just yet. Let`s keep it in good shape for the race." Email events@sorba.org for more information.
6-15-2004
Cowbell Challenge "The dirt, the sweat, the bikes, the glory...The Summer
Solstice Cowbell Challenge is back, and we need your energy! On Saturday, June 19th, the Charlotte Jaycees
are hosting the 3rd annual Cowbell Challenge, a 12-hour endurance bike race at
Catawba Riverfront Park to benefit the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Here
is your chance to defend your title or be this year's winner! Directions, registration, and general race
information can be found on our website at
http://cowbell.charlottejaycees.org. Be part of the
2004 Cowbell Challenge excitement! You can register
online at www.active.com or to fill out a registration form, click here: http://cowbell.charlottejaycees.org/cowbell_registration.pdf"
Cartersville Century One of everyone's favorite training centuries is coming up June 26-the Cartersville Century. Registration is now available at active.com.
Maxxis Super Series The Maxxis Super Series Downhill information is now online. The next event will be July 17-18 at ETSU in Tennessee. -Maxxis Super Series
FFCC for Tour de L'Abitibi Fulton Flyers Georgia Based Juniors Head to Le Tour de L’Abitibi
Atlanta, GA - The Atlanta based Fulton Flyers Junior Development Team will race the 34th Le Tour de L’Abitibi. Team Director Tim Hagner is accompanying a team consisting of four local FFCC juniors, along with two juniors from other local teams. The team is riding under sponsorship of Genesis Scuba, with two secondary sponsors making this trip possible.
FFCC riders are Jafer Beizer, Thomas Brown, Evan Halliday and Stephen Schultz. These riders are currently in final preparations to peak for L’Abitibi. In addition to regular team training, they are competing in local races, including the Georgia Games road race and
criterium.
Two southeastern businesses’ supporting sponsorships allow these cyclists to compete at L’Abitibi. Hi-Tec Plating of Seneca, SC is a leading supplier of thin dense chromium and nickel composites used in the manufacture of corrosion proof precision bearings
(www.hitecplating.com); Yeager Precision Products of Nashville, TN is a manufacturers' representative of precision factory automation components, serving mainly the southeastern United States
(www.yeager-precision.com).
Local FFCC rider and reigning National Junior Time Trial Champion, Zach Taylor, is also riding L’Abitibi as a member of the Hot Tubes Elite Junior team.
Founded in 1969, Le Tour de L’Abitibi classic cycling represents the one and only North American event of the Junior World Cup. The race spans July 19 to 25, with nine stages. Each year the best junior cyclists in the world give themselves a rendezvous in Val D’Or, Canada at the end of July for this prestigous competition.
Trish's
note: Good luck to the best Junior men of Georgia! The Tour de L'Abitibi is the
premier stage race for Juniors in North America.
West Virginia NORBA NCS Congratulations to the Georgia Residents who
raced at the NORBA NCS (National) race in West Virginia this weekend! John
Lilly (Cycle South) won the 50+ Men's Marathon, and Pete Maisel
(Specialized) was 2nd in the Marathon Men 40-49. Erin Winter (Orbea) was
16th in the Pro Women. Thomas Turner (Cannondale) was 20th in Pro Men. Jeff
Welp was 12th in Master Expert Men 30-35. John Myers (RBM) was 5th in Master
Expert Men 40-44. The Sport Ladies did very well. Jessica Thomas (Bike Town)
won the Junior Sport Women, and Trish Albert (Boneshakers) won the Master
Sport Women 30-39. I will have a full report later in the week including
photos of exploring TN Walmarts.
Trish Albert (Boneshakers) and Jessica Thomas (Bike Town) celebrate their wins in the Sport Division at the Snowshoe, WV NORBA NCS Race
6-16-2004 NARC The North Atlanta Riding Club has race reports up from SERC 5 and 6, the Augusta Georgia Cup Omnium, and the Helen Fat Tire Festival. -NARC Racing
New SORBA Chapter A new SORBA Chapter has been formed
in Chattanooga, TN. Plans include to continue advocacy and trail construction in or close to Chattanooga,
have a recreational race team, sponsor Trips for Kids, hold the SORBA Chilhowee Challenge & Festival (October
22-24), and put on the Lula Lake 12-hour mountain bike race (spring 2005).
rish's note: I will be checking their website
regularly as many mountain bikers from Georgia enjoy the TN trails. Trish's note: I will be checking their website
regularly as many mountain bikers from Georgia enjoy the TN trails. SORBA-Chattanooga
6-17-2004 Roan Groan John Fillyaw (Reality Bikes.com) did the Roan Groan RR in Tennessee last weekend. The RG is known for having one of the hardest climbs in racing in the Southeast. It is 8 miles long with an average grade of 7%. -John's Roan Groan
John Fillyaw (Reality Bikes.com) battles his way up the big mountain at the Roan Groan RR.
Off Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell Can't get enough climbing? The road version of Mt. Mitchell wasn't
enough for you? The Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell is a 55 mile mostly off road bicycle route which has
13,000 ft of accumulated climbing. It will be held July 25 in Old Fort, NC.
-OFAMM
SORBA Woodstock Work Party From SORBA Woodstock: "Please come join the Woodstock chapter of SORBA this Saturday (19th) 7:30AM - 1:00PM for new trail construction and a cookout afterwards. We are finally doing a reroute to eliminate the last of the old 4wheeler trail. This is an ambitious undertaking as we look to complete this in one day. Last year Blankets Creek saw 75,000 cars enter and leave the parking lot; if half of those had 2 riders then we're looking at roughly 112,500 riders in a year.... we average 15 folks per work day and it's the same 15; you do the math. If you ride Blankets Creek it would be very much appreciate by the regulars if you would come to just one work day a year. We are asking that this Saturday be that day. If you can't make this Saturay and still want to come out and help we have a work day on the third Saturday of every month. Check www.sorbawoodstock.org for more details. We will provide the tools, knowledge and food. Bring your own water, gloves and eye protection. Sturdy shoes are recommended as well as long pants." Trish's Note: This work party is at Blanket's Creek.
DLV Auctions The benefit Ebay Auctions for the Dick Lane Velodrome continue. Current items include a Marty Nothstein signed jersey, vintage bikes, and a Cartier ring (yes, a lovely Cartier ring!). I have been told there will be some exciting Velodrome news in the days to come. Stay tuned! -Velodrome Benefit Auction
Racing California Style Atlanta trackie Steve Hill decided to escape the rain and head to San Diego, CA to spend some QT with his wife and track bike at the San Diego Velodrome. He threw in a little racing for fun. -Steve's Report
Work Sucks Work sucks. I'm only half way done the West Virginia race report. To see what conditions were like, read Rebecca's take on the race at MTBR.com. I think she was the smart one!
Union City The Union City Mayor's/Hank Aaron BMW Omnium is this weekend in, well, Union City. The race bible is online. You must preregister for the TT. -Georgia Velo
Ag Center Finale The final race at the Chicopee Ag Center is this Sunday. As many of you know, the Ag Center is closing around the first of August because construction will begin on a new Hall County school on the property. As a reminder, SORBA was supportive of this decision. Come out and give the trail a final goodbye! -Early Harvest Race at Ag Center
6-18-2004 Tour De Georgia The Tour De Georgia brought in over $70 million to the economy of the state of Georgia. The full economic impact has been studied and the studies released. -Tour De Georgia Economic Impact.
Bye John Lieswyn John Lieswyn (Health Net) announced today that he will almost certainly retire at the end of 2004. He has been talking about it for several years. Velonews.com quoted him at saying "This was probably my last chance at winning the national title," he said. "It's not 100 percent, but I'm pretty much done." Lieswyn is one of my favorite domestic pros. The guy has a lot of class but is not afraid to tell it like it is in his diary on cyclingnews.com. He and his wife own a house in Asheville, where they lived before she enrolled at vet school in Iowa. -Velonews.com
Taylor Wins US National Championship The US Elite Road Championships are this week in Redlands, CA. Velonews.com report had this about local guy Zach Taylor: "Racing in Redlands opened with a junior men's race that served as a qualifier for the 2004 world championships. That spot went to Marietta, Georgia resident Zach Taylor (Hot Tubes), who soloed off the front on the last of four laps on the same course the elite men used, winning by 1:15 over a chase group of 11." "I was getting dropped on the climb," explained Taylor, who is the defending national junior time trail champion. "But I thought that if I could get over the climb solo, I could hold it to the finish." Luke Penning (Bike Gallery) won the sprint for second ahead of Michael Sheppar (Major Motion)." Taylor also took third in the Junior Time Trial on Thursday. -Velonews.com
Share
the Road Tag From Lee Boatright: "If you have not heard or read already, GEORGIA BIKES! has an ongoing
fundraising effort related to our Share The Road specialty license plate initiative. Since the
plate is not yet a reality (see Initiatives on our Home page for the plate's current status),
"Share The Road"
and "Share The Roads & Trails" license plate FRAMES are available in a few select bike
shops. They are Cycleworks, Free Flite, Silver Comet Depot, Bicycle South, Chain Reaction,
At The Hub, and Outback Bikes (thanks folks). Each frame sold by a shop results in $3 to
$5 being fundraised for initiatives of GEORGIA BIKES!" See http://home.att.net/~thetandemlink/GATagInfo.html
and www.georgiabikes.org for more
information.
Volunteers NeededFrom SORBA Woodstock: "Our second week of bike camp is coming up June 21 -25 and we need volunteers to help with the rides at Blankets on Wednesday and Friday. The kids come by boat from the Y and are dropped off on the dwelling loop where the trail comes very close to the lake near the up and down rooty double track section. We usually arrive about 9:30 and leave at noon. We need your help riding with the kids, giving encouragement and riding tips. If you can help please let me know. We will ride at the Y the other three days and volunteers are needed there also. We will have camp June 21 -23, July 19-23 and August 2 -6. Any week you can help is great. Thanks for helping out. We could not do these rides without the help of SORBA! John."
6-21-2004 This is
from Kim Sawyer (Travel Girl). Reprinted with Kim's permission. "I hope this is one of those e-mails I get 14 times because you've all forwarded to everyone you know, and it ends up back with me! I love riding at Kennesaw mountain and would not want this opportunity to end.
At any rate, PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND TAKE CARE WHEN PASSING WALKERS AT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN.
Through my job, I've gotten to know the superintendant of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield and happened to mention that I ride up and down it. I spoke with him today about some work stuff, and he was kind enough to ask my advice on slowing cyclists down and getting them to pass walkers in a considerate manner. He has gotten many complaints and, without any change in behavior, IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING SHUTTING THE ROAD TO CYCLISTS.
He is a very thoughtful man who is trying to find a solution that will not result in this, but he says the complaints keep coming and the cyclists' behavior (apparently) continues. He asks the following:
1. Obey the speed limit when descending. Not to sound preachy, but remember the training aspect for us is related to going up, so just chill when going down.
2. Leave plenty of room between you and people you are passing while descending.
3. If they look startled or snap, try and keep your cool. You probably just scared the s&*t out of them, so they're going to snap.
I know most of us ride respectfully, but please make an extra effort. He realizes the majority of us don't behave this way, but says that, unfortunately, if it doesn't stop, those few are going to ruin it for us all.
Please forward this to all cycling friends. Thanks! Kim Sawyer" Trish's
note: Discussion on the Atlanta women's race list pointed out that walkers
do not always obey the signs that say for them to stay to the left and that
often people have their dogs on a very long lease, which allows the dog to
wander into the road. Courtesy is required on the parts of all user groups.
(Email me if you want to be added
to the Atlanta Women's email list. umm...women racers only, please. Sorry
guys!)
Chattahoochee Park Plan. The National Park Service is retooling the plan for the Chattahoochee National Park, which encompasses the Chattahoochee River in metro Atlanta. Plans proposed would limit motorized boats on parts of the river and would seperate hiking and biking trails. The full plan can be seen at http://www.nps.gov/chat/gmp.htm. -Marietta Daily Journal
Snowshoe Report I finally finished my Snowshoe, WV NORBA NCS report. It is complete with photos. I didn't venture out too often with my camera because of the rainy weather, so there are not as many photos as I would like to have. -Snowshoe NORBA NCS
Union City and Early Harvest Race Alas, I was too lazy to take many photos of the races this weekend. I was too busy hanging out and having fun. Congratulations to all of the winners at both races! My race at the Early Harvest MTB race was alright. I left my legs and lungs back in West Virginia. I was only 5 seconds out of second place in Super Sport against the boys. Not too shabby. Don't even ask about my TT at Union City. I think every rider beat me (see the comment about my legs and lungs). My race report for Union City: Saturday was hot...so hot that I went home in the afternoon and took a nap instead of sticking around to watch the races. Good job Bones boys, Cycleworks boys, and L5Flyer boys in the Cat. 4 crit! I heard that Marianna Holt (Travelgirl) showed the guys who is boss in the Master 45+ race. You rock Marianne! There were also some brave women that tried the Men's Cat. 3 crit. Frese Frame Photography was taking pictures at Union City. Alicia's photos are very reasonably priced! I will be featuring some of her Union City photos later in the week.
6-23-2004 French Broad Classic The French Broad Classic is July 30-August 1 in Canton/Asheville, NC. Another change to the road race is coming to this Southeastern race calendar staple. Because of safety concerns by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and USCF Officials, the road race course will be almost entirely different and rather flat. The promoter told Southeastern Cycling that the club had no choice but will try to fight for a more hilly/mountainous course next year. The NCDOT would not approve the race without major course changes. The promoter also said that flyers will be available in a few weeks. More information as it comes.
Velodrome
Makes It to $100,000!! Fundraising Reaches $100K Level (East Point, GA)—The months of May and June have seen the fundraising efforts of the East Point Velodrome Association take a major step forward, as the Association’s fundraising efforts have now reached the $100,000 mark.
Two major events contributed to this success. The first, the EPVA / Forum Spin-A-Thon, saw many volunteers step forward to raise pledges and ride spin bikes in Atlanta’s Lenox Mall. The second, the EPVA eBay-based charity auction, saw items donated from some big cycling names, including Team CSC’s Bobby Julich (THREE signed jerseys!), the Navigators Insurance Cycling Team (a signed Marty Nothstein jersey and ball cap), the Jittery Joe’s cycling team (signed jersey), and Specialized (S-Works track frame, and
a Mario Cipollini-signed jersey). Combined, these two efforts raised over $17,000. In another exciting piece of news, eBay Giving Works (http://pages.ebay.com/sell/givingworks/index.html) auction management organization, and Mission Fish (http://www.missionfish.org/About/aboutebay.jsp), which manages eBay auctions for non-profits like the EVPA, selected the EPVA as the recipient of a $5,000 dollar grant
(http://www.missionfish.org/About/mfnews/mfn_061704.jsp).
For more information on racing, volunteering, community programs, or corporate sponsorship, visit our website at
www.savedlv.org or www.dicklanevelodrome.com , or contact the EPVA at
info@dicklanevelodrome.com.
Tour De France Showing in Atlanta! (Trish's Note: The date is July 17 at the Regal 10 Cinemas near Perimeter.) The Tyler Hamilton Foundation is holding live broadcasts of stage 13 in Regal Theaters around the country. Here in Atlanta, it is at the Regal Perimeter Point 10 at 7:00 AM. One can register for either $25 or $40 (with or without T-shirt) and breakfast is included. Registration is available on Active.com and links/information is available at the Foundation's Web site: http://www.tylerhamiltonfoundation.org/tdf25.html.
Looking for Charlotte Info? Are you looking for information on riding in Charlotte? Check out www.smallbrowndog.com and the Tarheel Trailblazers at www.tarheeltrailblazers.com. Both are fantastic sites for the Charlotte, NC area.
6-25-2004 Athens Date Change The Athens road race that is part of the Maxxis Cup is now called the Bishop Cycling Classic and has been moved to Bishop, GA. According to the Georgia Velo website: "The Bishop Cycling Classic will be held in Bishop, GA (near Athens, GA)on July 17-18, 2004. This event will be part of the 2004 Maxxis Cup Southeast Series and will feature a road race and crit. The crit will be ran in a classic fashion with the route running clockwise one day, then counter clockwise the next day. For more information on the Bishop Cycling Classic, contact Wes @ 770.486.9252." -Georgia Velo
Thursday Night Time Trials From SORBA regarding the Thursday Night Time Trials at the Ag Center: "Due to trail conditions at the Ag Center on June 24th, SORBA and BikeTown have decided to postpone the first event until July 8th. The final time trial will now be on July 22nd."
99X
At It Again From the AJC: "Program Director at 99X suspended over controversial
ad parody
By RODNEY HO The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/23/04
Three months after 96rock's popular morning show Regular Guys were canned over an indecency problem,
rival radio station 99X is in trouble for making fun of children with disabilities.
Several parents called the rock station to complain. The parody included an incest joke and called special
needs kids "lumps." "It was inappropriate and cruel," said Theresa Waldron
of Marietta, who has a 9-year-old autistic son. "In this world of evil people, why pick on innocent
disabled children?" Mark Renier, general manager of 99X (WNNX-FM), who was on vacation when the fake ad ran last Thursday,
suspended Program Director Chris Williams Tuesday. In an e-mail responding to one of the upset parents,
Renier wrote, "We agree with you that it was offensive. . . We do not feel this type of program
content is appropriate nor necessary to succeed. We
apologize." In an interview, Renier said he suspended Williams "indefinitely." He wouldn't say when or if Williams
will return. Williams has been at 99X for several years and didn't return calls for comment.
Renier so far has not punished the morning show itself. Don Miller Morning Show co-host Jimmy Baron said he
felt the bit was "fairly tame." "We certainly feel bad if something we've done causes someone pain," he said.
"But again, it was only a small smattering of people who complained." Every Thursday, employees of businesses ask their
bosses for a day off in exchange for 99X playing a parody-style 60-second ad about that business. Last
Thursday, an employee at Babies Can't Wait, a state-sponsored network that helps special needs
children, wanted a day off. So show producer Gary "Wally" Wallace created the ad,
in which a fictional mayor "seeks" special needs kids for Babies Can't Wait and talks to a fake father. The
father, realizing his child is "special," ends the ad by wondering why he had slept with his sister.
The parody was aired, then posted on the 99X Web site but taken down after complaints rolled in.
Tom Taylor, editor of trade publication Inside Radio, said the parody, however tasteless, didn't fit the
definition of indecent that would cause the Federal Communications Commission to fine the station. But
mocking kids with disabilities is playing with fire. "There's a social compact between a radio station and
its listeners," Taylor said. "There's a trust there. You don't want to violate that."
The FCC has been more vigilant about content over the airwaves since the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident
and Congress has passed bills upping fines for indecency." Trish's
note: According to an email I was copied on, 99X has not aired any of the
promised Public Service Announcements (PSA) about cycling. Mark Ranier of
99X says that they will be "ready in September." We'll see.
West Virginia Race Report
The Daily Peloton has published my West Virginia race diary. Cool! -Daily
Peloton
Tour of Ohio Several Georgia residents are taking part in this week's Tour of Ohio. Georgia riders and teams include (a few guest riders are in there): AG Edwards-Nalley Lexus: Jed Schneider, Tim Henry, Michael Wolf, Brian Bibens, Reid Peacock, and Creed Sewell (AG Edwards Nalley Lexus), Sonic/Gran Fonda: Daniel Banks, Locos/Georgia Cyclesport (aka Bling Bling): Dave Irving, Kurt Garin, Daniel Holt, David Guttenplan, and Phil Southerland. Stage 1 highlights include a 6th place for Jed Schneider and 14th for Michael Wolf. Jed was also in the top 5 on stage 3. Check out all the action on cyclingnews.com -Tour of Ohio
Union City Photos Bill Parsons of the North Chattanooga Cycle Club captured some great photos of the Union City race. Bill is one of the best amatuer photographers in the Southeast. His works have been featured in race brochures and on cyclingnews.com. -NCCC
Looking
for Study Participants From UGA: "Matt Ganio still needs just 3 more male cyclists to complete a study
investigating the effect of fluid ingestion during prolonged cycling on VO2max. The testing is for
completion of his master's degree at UGA. Seven other cyclists are in the middle of successfully completing the study
with no problems and have found that it is not as difficult as one would think.
It is just important that you are accustomed to (and can complete) a two
hour ride at a moderate intensity. Testing is taking place now. You can come in when your schedule allows
you (weekends, nights, mornings, etc). Three sessions will take 3.5 hours of
your time. The other two will take 1.5 and 2.5 hours. We try to separate each trial by 5-7 days.
Each cyclist will ride for up to two hours in 86 degrees F with a strong fan
blowing on you the whole time. During some sessions you receive PowerAde to drink. After your ride, you will complete a VO2 max test (very much like
a sprint finish up a hill) to determine the effect of fluid ingestion during
the ride. Each rider will receive $100 for completion of the study and valuable
physiological data that you can use in your training. This includes your VO2max (approximately $300 value) in a variety of conditions, an
estimate of your lactate threshold (along with your heart rate at the intensity),
and your sweat rate (and other data about how your body responds to dehydration). Each subject will also be able to do a free VO2max test
later in the year to monitor their training progression. Thank you for taking the time to consider this study. The information
I'm trying to gather could have big implications for your sport. Please let me
know if there is a possibility of you being able to take a part in this study or if you have any further questions.
Matt Ganio, Graduate Student in Exercise Physiology, University of Georgia,
Mstueck@uga.edu."
6-28-2004 Weight Watchers Recipes This has nothing to do with cycling. These Weight Watchers cards from the 70's are downright scary. Look at some of the props! Be prepared to laugh. Yes, I do more than surf cycling sites at work! (If you are my boss, you didn't read that.) -Cards
Cartersville Century It looked like there were quite a few people at the Cartersville Century today. The RBM, Boneshakers, and Tortilla boys set the pace early and were off the front within the first 5 miles. Dark green and dark red arrows poorly placed caused many people to take wrong turns. Some people did 110 mile centuries and 70 mile 53-mile option rides. I managed to do the 53 with only one overshot turn (by about 50 feet). Next year they need to mark the route before the turns with bright paint. May I recommend fluorescent orange or green? Still, it was a great ride.
Craig Lewis Craig Lewis, the TIAA-CREF rider that was injured during the TdG TT is back with his team. He appeared a celebration honoring Colby Pearce's inclusion on the USA Olympic track team. Lewis said that he is riding his bike easily. -Velonews.com
Oxford Closed I heard recently that the Oxford Road and Trail Cyclerly trail closed. Can anyone tell me if this is true? If so, please email me.
Win for Shannon Shannon Hutchinson (Cola Vita-Bolla) won the first stage of the Wendy's International Classic. It was a 30 mile crit. -Cyclingnews.com
6-29-2004 Southeastern Rider for ESPY Awards Alabama resident Ron Williams has been nominated for the ESPN ESPY awards in the "Athletes with Disability" category. Ron is a Cat. 3 cyclist who races with Kalhari and a Sport mountain bike racer. He also rode the Tour of Hope for cancer last year across the US. Ron can often be seen on the roads in races in the Southeast. The ESPY Awards are based on audience voting. Give Ron your vote. -ESPY Awards
Oxford Is Closed Several people emailed me to confirm that Road and Trail Cyclery and the Oxford mountain bike trails are now closed. Signs were posted at the trails. Bye Big Al!
To Drink Coke or Not to
Drink Coke Coke Brannon Amtower (APB) gets his question about
Coke and race nutrition answered on cyclingnews.com's weekly Fitness and Nutrition Q&A.
-Cyclingnews.com
Tour of Ohio The Tour of Ohio wrapped up Sunday with the Chagrin Falls Circuit Race, which was 40 miles. Jed Schneider (Nalley) won the stage with teammate Michael Wolf taking 5th. In the final GC, Micheal was the top Georgia finisher in 12th at 6 minutes, 33 seconds off of the leader. Jed won the Mountains competition. Phil Southerland (Locos/Georgia Cyclesport), Daniel Holt (Locos/Georgia Cyclesport), Reid Peacock (AG Edwards Nalley Lexus), Daniel Banks (Sonic/Gran Fonda), Kurt Garin (Locos/GeorgiaCyclesport), and Tim Henry (AG Edwards Nalley Lexus) were the other finishers from Georgia. -Tour of Ohio
Cartersville Photos The photos from the Cartersville Century are online. I don't know who the photographer was. -Cartersville Photos
Union City Photos Frese Frame Photography
now has the Union City Omnium photos online. -Frese
Frame Photography
NARC Race Reports NARC has several new race reports up including the Union City Mayor's Omnium and the Early Harvest mountain bike race in Gainesville. -North Atlanta Riding Club
99x I was invited to a meeting with 99x this week about why they have not produced the Public Service Announcements as well as not following through on promises made to the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign after their bashing of cyclists earlier this spring. Unfortunately, I cannot make it because of work (yes, I have a "real" day job!). I will have a report after the meeting from other attendees.
My New Bike Finally, I have a new bike. My faithful Casati gave me five and a half wonderful years of service and many, many miles and memories. The beautiful lugged steel frame, the glistening Ultegra triple, the carbon fork.....time and miles have not been kind to her despite regular maintenance and the valiant efforts of mechanics. Cassie has been retired to "rain bike" status as a new bike has come into the stable...my first custom road bike. Thanks to Randy at Boneshaker Bicycles, I am now riding a custom Dean Titanium road bike. It measures out to about a 45.5 cm, just slightly smaller than the Casati. Black and silver, I kept the color scheme simple and timeless to remind me of Cassie. I traded out the unused triple for a Dura Ace 10 speed gruppo. The only place I will miss the triple is Hogpen. The Dean is over 6 pounds lighter than the Casati. It should drop another pound when my new wheels arrive from being on back order. I'll have a better photo up soon. This was taken on a rainy Friday night just after getting it. -Complete Dean Specs
Trish's new ride....isn't it pretty?
6-30-2004 Georgia Games The Georgia Games will by July 10-11 in Atlanta. The crit will be at "the Crit" at the West Oak Business Park in Marietta. I don't think there are many racers in Atlanta that do not know the Tuesday night course. The road race will be in White County on a 17.5 mile course with no major climbs. NARC is assisting with the promotion of the race. -Georgia Games
Barking Dogs Does anyone have a remedy for a neighbor's barking dog? Email me.
The Men's Cat. 4 crit field at Union City