January 2005 Archive

1-3-2005 Where Did the Stories Go? Wondering where all of the stories, news reports, etc. that are usually at the bottom of the index page went? I archive them every year. They are here in the 2004 archive.  

Thanks RB Guys! Thanks the Reality Bikes guys for pulling me around the Airport Ride on Sunday. See, Peer Pressure works, Todd! Thanks to DK and KW for helping keep the boys in line! My legs are sufficiently toasted for a few days. 321 miles since last Sunday....not bad for me in the winter and 22+ hours on the bike. I also got the inside scoop on some of the Georgia Cup races for this year from the promoter. Racers...this is going to be a great year of racing in Georgia! There are some really cool things on tap.

1-4-2005 Ride Sunday From Cartecay Bikes: Happy New Year! Are You Ready to Ride!!!
Meet at the Big Creek Fire Station in Ellijay, Sunday Morning at 10 am, bring your Mountain bike or Cyclocross bike. The ride is a intermediate level ride. Twenty seven miles on gravel roads and some payment. Beautiful scenery along the way. Directions from Atlanta, take interstate 75 North to interstate 575 North which turns into GA State HWY 515, Turn left at the Hardee's in Ellijay, cross over the Cartecay river, the road ends into GA HWY 52 East, Turn right and go 5 miles to BIG CREEK Road, Turn Left onto Big Creek and go 9 miles to the Big Creek Fire Station on your right. BE There ready to ride. Thanks Mike

1-5-2005 Roswell Bike Lanes Meeting This Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m., you are invited to a meeting at Roswell City Hall, Room 220, to discuss the City's proposal to become a Bicycle Friendly Community.

Adding bicycle lanes is an expensive proposition. If you want to make Roswell's streets safer for bicycles, you need to come to the meeting, bring your cycling friends, and show your support for bike lanes. Jere Wood, Mayor City of Roswell Phone: 770-641-3729 Fax: 770-594-6414 E-mail: mailto:mayorwood@ci.roswell.ga.us.

TN Calendar I just added the Tennessee races to the 2005 Calendar--road, mountain, and cyclocross. These are tenative dates, and I'll check in a few weeks to see if they have been changed. The NC, GA, AL, and SC calendars have NOT been released. I will put them up as soon as they are. Rest assured that the promoters ARE working on it. I'm also working on the calendar at the top of the page. Most races do not have links yet. I'll get to it later on in the week.

Cyclist charged in road death (Trish's note: How ridiculous is this??)
Police allege misdemeanor violations by victim Serrano's companion
By JOHN GHIRARDINI, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Published on: 01/04/05

Gwinnett police filed charges on Monday against a bicyclist whose riding companion was struck and killed by a car on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in August.

Cyclist Brian Mock was cited on misdemeanor charges of riding too far into a through lane and not having a red reflector on his bike, said Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. Dan Huggins.

Anthony Serrano, 35, who was riding with Mock, was struck and killed about 5 a.m. Aug. 26 by a 1987 Honda Prelude driven by Luke Joseph Nicolosi, 19, of Alpharetta. Mock received minor injuries;
Nicolosi was unhurt.

According to police investigators, the collision occurred at a part of Peachtree Industrial where two through lanes adjoin a right-turn-only lane.

Serrano was in compliance with road rules, police said.

Mock was at least 5 feet out into the right through lane, police said. When Nicolosi tried to evade Mock, he struck Serrano.

Investigators deemed the collision unavoidable, Huggins said, and did not charge Nicolosi, who was driving within the speed limit. "It was just a tragic accident," Huggins said.

A local bicycle advocate questioned the charges against Mock.  "My concern is a cyclist being wrongfully charged," said Dennis Hoffarth, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign.

State law allows cyclists to occupy a lane further to the left than normal if there are unusual circumstances, Hoffarth said. Those include width of the lane and possible hazards on the road.

The Bicycle Campaign intends to meet with Gwinnett police to clarify the department's interpretation of the law, Hoffarth said.

From the Gwinnett Post: LAWRENCEVILLE — A confusing aspect of state law governing
bicycles on roadways may have contributed to the death of a bicyclist struck by a car while pedaling down Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, officials said.  Controversy over the interpretation of bicycle laws in Georgia has swirled during the four-month Gwinnett police investigation into the death of 35-year-old Antonio Serrano. The probe was one of the most in-depth that the Accident Investigation Unit has ever
conducted, according to its supervisor, Sgt. Wayne Thaxton.  Authorities Monday announced charges were filed against Serrano’s friend and cycling partner, Brian Mock, for minor traffic and equipment violations. Police allege Mock was riding too far inside the right through-lane of travel on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. That section of the roadway has a right turn lane about 1,000 feet long — 10 times
longer than most turn lanes, according to Thaxton.  The driver of a 1987 Honda Prelude came up behind Mock, who was about 5 feet inside the lane, swerved to miss him and then struck Serrano. Serrano was riding a few feet ahead and to the right of Mock on the edge of the right through-lane.
Serrano, a father of two who competed in triathlons, died at the scene. Mock suffered minor injuries. The driver of the Prelude, Luke Nicolosi, was not injured.  Bicyclists were assuming that the edge of the roadway was the fog line dividing the right through-lane from the right turn lane, according to Cpl. Dan Huggins. Police initially said the bicyclists should have been riding next to the curb in the right turn lane. However, they now acknowledge that the law could be interpreted both ways. “The current bicycle laws can be confusing to the riders,” Thaxton said. “The issue needs to be resolved.”  Thaxton said he will notify the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety’s legislative liaison and the deputy legal counsel for Georgia State Patrol about the problem. Both agencies would be able to lobby for a change in the law at the state legislature. Still, Thaxton said the cause of the fatal collision was Mock’s failure
to ride along the edge of the right through- lane. Mock’s presence in the lane prompted Nicolosi to take evasive action and then collide with Serrano, Huggins said. Mock also was cited for not having a
red reflector on the rear of his bicycle. No charges have been filed against Nicolosi. Mock could not be reached for comment on Monday. Serrano’s brother, Victor Serrano, said his family is ready to move
on. He doesn’t hold any ill will toward Mock for the collision. On the contrary, Victor Serrano believes Nicolosi should shoulder some of the blame for the accident. “I still think he’s partially at fault because I think he was distracted,” Victor Serrano said. “I think if he would have been paying attention, he could have avoided it.” Bicycling enthusiasts hope Serrano’s death will cause motorists to pay more respect to bicyclists and promote a clearer understanding of the law. Dennis Hoffarth, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign said he still has some questions about why police faulted Mock instead of Nicolosi. In some circumstances, Hoffarth said his organization advises bicyclists to “take the lane” and ride in thecenter to clearly signal to approaching vehicles that there isn’t enough room to pass.  “We need to be very careful that they are accurately interpreting the law at this point,” Hoffarth said. “We have asked them for a meeting, and we hope to meet with them soon about that.” A clarification in Georgia law about where bicycles should ride with respect to turn lanes would benefit both cyclists and motorists, Hoffarth said. One Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 40-6-291) states that the rules of the road apply to bicycles. Another law (O.C.G.A. 40-6-294) states that bicyclists should ride as close to the right side of the roadway as practical.

SORBA to Get New Website From SORBA: This is an informal post, nothing official, but I wanted to give you forum users heads-up--on Jan. 6, we are moving the SORBA site to a new hosting platform. The site will have a slightly different look and feel, and some new functions. The forum will be very much the same. During the DNS transfer, you may have trouble reaching the site. Be patient, it will come back in a day or so. Here is the official post, in case you haven't seen it. (I'm not sure how it was to be distributed): New SORBA Website Debuts in January! On January 5th, SORBA will introduce a new SORBA.org website with improved functionality. What’s New? The new site offers several new features to help get info out to members more efficiently. Members can use the Calendar/Scheduler, similar to the one on clubMTB.com, to post rides and events.. Members can also upload photos to the Photo Gallery. The site also has a News section that will be filled with articles sent in by members If you have something to say, send it in and our Web Guy will get in on the site. We have a new Web Guy, too, Jeff Gandy. (((What about newsletters?)))

What Do You Need To Do?
If you are a current registered forum member on SORBA.org, you don’t have to do much. When the new site launches, log in with your current forum ID and password, and you’re in. If you are a current SORBA member, please take the extra step of clicking on Your Profile on the MySORBA page, and enter your SORBA membership number in your profile. If you don’t know your SORBA number, send an email to membership@sorba.or, and ask for it. Also select a home chapter to belong to, or select member at large.

If you are not a SORBA member, click on the Join SORBA link and pay your dues! It’s that easy (wink wink, nudge nudge).

All users should click on the Your Profile link on the MySORBA page (you must be logged in to reach the MySORBA page) and go to the bottom to select any chapters you want to receive info on. Your selections are used to send you information about that chapter. For example, when someone adds an event to the calendar and selects to notify people of the Atlanta chapter, you will receive an email if you have selected the Atlanta chapter.

How Much Downtime?
Because SORBA is changing hosting providers, it could take a couple of days for the updates to propagate throughout the internet. If you can’t get to the site right away, try again later. The forum on the old site will be closed around noon on January 5th. When you are able to reach the new site, the forum will be on.

If you have any questions, send an email to webmaster@sorba.org. Happy Holidays, Your SORBA staff Robin Allen SORBA Director of Public Affairsb

WBL Women's Ride This Saturday, 8 January 2005, the WBL is proud to present the First Annual Women's all fer nuthin winner-take-all ($200 cash!) IN PRAISE OF WOMEN MADISONIAN CLASSIC. (what?) Info concerning this ride is now posted at www.winterbikeleague.com

And read all about the seedy (but sensual) Doug Pomeranz's fine day on January 1 in his ride story, Pomegranate's Fine Day, now posted. P.S. There will be nice prizes for 2nd and 3rd women this weekend.
 

-10-2005 Gainesville College Trail News  From SORBA:  Effective Jan. 4, 2004: No mountain bikers may go down the paved road past the first entrance to the trail!! You must enter and exit the trail from the top of the hill!! The reason for this is the construction going on at the bottom of
the hill. A rider was almost hit by a dump truck. The entire trail  system remains open, but you must enter and exit from the top of the hill! This policy will remain in effect for the duration of construction.

Asheville Mellowdrome Update From George Riedesel: In September 2004 following serious flooding by Hurricanes Fran and Ivan the Mellowdrome at Carrier Park in Asheville, NC was heavily damaged. The back stretch and turn three area of the Mellowdrome was destroyed, the lighting system was condemned, and the concession stand and other parts of Carrier Park sustained heavy damage. Asheville Parks and Recreation has remained committed to the success of the Carrier Park in general and specifically to maintaining the Mellowdrome as a multi-use track and bicycle racing venue. As of December 2004, the repair to turn three has been completed and the basic integrity of the track is intact. The surface suitable for racing and the track is open for use.  For the 2005 season, measurement, sprinter’s, and stayer’s lines will need to be relocated and repainted on the back stretch and turn three
area. At the present time a basic measurement line is marked with tape. The repainting work should be completed in the early spring. The Asheville Parks and Recreation Department intends to restore the lighting system sometime during the 2005 season. Although we have suffered a setback in out track program in Asheville, thanks to Asheville Parks and Recreation, the support of area clubs and shops, and the hard work of many volunteer hours put in on cleanup and repair, we are back on course and are looking forward to another season of growth for track racing in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

General Information

Asheville, NC has what is best described as a training velodrome. Fondly dubbed the Mellowdrome, the 491m, asphalt oval is a freshly paved, gently banked (4 to 8 degrees), retired motor speedway that is now part of the Asheville City Parks and Recreation Department. The track is asymmetrical in shape with each corner having a different radius and degree of bank, however the track is striped and marked as a velodrome. Access to the infield is controlled by a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the track. All races are run under track racing rules and etiquette. A summer race series is conducted every other Tuesday night, featuring two fixed gear omnium fields along with a card of points races for road bikes. A typical schedule would follow this order:

Youth Race
Fixed Gear Scratch Race A & B Fields
B Points Race (road bike)
Fixed Gear A & B event #2 TBA
A Points Race (road bike)
Fixed Gear A & B Points Race

Racing begins at 6:00PM and runs about three and a half hours. In addition to the race series, a Saturday morning training session is conducted at the facility with focus on familiarization with track rules and etiquette. During the winter, there is a weeknight-training program under the lights. As track culture continues to grow in this area, the biggest challenge will be that the park is a multi-use facility. On the infield there are a roller hockey rink, a basketball court, a playground, and sand and grass volleyball areas. Additionally, the periphery of the park houses softball fields, bocce ball courts, and an area for ultimate Frisbee. This is becoming the city's busiest park. Unless the facility is reserved under a USCF race permit the track is open to all. Extreme care must be taken when using the track during general use times: Roller bladers may share the wide apron with walkers, baby strollers, and children on bikes, while up-track riders of all abilities mix in traffic. Each corner is different and has its own personality. There is no motor use of any kind on the track, including motor pacing. 2005 will be the park's fourth year of operation, and while cycling represents only one use of the track, Parks and Recreation has strongly
supported the race series as well as the use of the oval for training sessions. We believe this facility represents grassroots support at its best.
 

Pacesetter Steel Service Cycling Team Pacesetter Steel Service, the US leader in coated steel distribution, has teamed up with Atlanta, GA, USA based elite amateur cycling team to form the 2005 Pacesetter Steel Service Cycling Team. The team will be presented by Colorado Altitude Training, developers of altitude training systems.  Pacesetter Steel Service Cycling Team will have a dual focus of road and mountain bike racing throughout the Southeastern US and select events nationally, including races on the NRC, NCS, and AMBC schedules. The team will consist of 8 elite riders competing in the Pro1/2 category on the road, as well as a developmental squad of riders competing in categories 3 and 4. Mountain bike focus will be on Pro, Semi-pro, and Expert categories.

Team members for 2005 include: Chris Brown (semi-pro, category 2, TN), Bob Cagle (pro, category 2, GA), Ben Carter (expert, category 2, GA), Chris Chotas (expert, category 2, GA), Mike Gann (expert, category 1, TN), Russ Griebel (expert, category 2, GA), Lucas Livermon (pro, category 2, NC), Charles Rossignol (expert, category 2, GA), Tyler Grahovec (expert, category 3, GA), Bill Feier (sport, masters, GA), Cy Hedrick (expert, category 3, GA), David Homansky (expert, category 4, GA), Daryll Mckenzie (expert, category 3, NC), Lu Livermon (expert, masters, NC), Travis Livermon (expert, category 3, NC), Joel Price (sport, category 4, GA) and Bryan Schoeffler (expert, category 3, GA).

The team will be competing on Litespeed titanium bicycles and Real Design wheelsets, Thomson stems and seatposts, and Schwalbe tires. The team will exclusively wear Rudy Project eyewear, Shain Helmets, DeFeet socks and accessories, and DMT shoes. Clif Bar is the official energy food sponsor of the Pacesetter Steel Service Cycling Team. Shop support is provided by Roswell Bicycles of Roswell, Georgia.
 

Event Questions Please direct all event questions to the promoter of the event! Trish and Southeastern Cycling do not promote events. Je repete: Please direct all event questions to the promoter of the event! Trish and Southeastern Cycling do not promote events. Questions regarding events (except promoter submissions) will be ignored. Submissions to SE Cycling or the calendar are always welcome and will not be ignored. I do NOT know what time the Masters 55+ Cat. 5 race at the Bum !*!*! Egypt crit starts, so don't ask!

Pure Sweet Hell CX Documentary For those that love Cyclocross, you can see the trailer for the documentary "Pure Sweet Hell" by clicking here. This cyclocross documentary premiered at the national championships in Portland, OR in Dec. 2004.

Thanks Thanks to the BOD Group, Tucker & crew, and everyone else for a great ride at Bear Creek today! About half of us had not ridden Pinhoti. If you like Stanley Gap, you will love the climbing on Pinhoti.....I hate the climbing at Stanley Gap, but the Cohuttas is my favorite place to ride in North Georgia. Great ride guys!

2005 NARC Race Team Roster NARC has announced their 2005 race team roster.
Junior Devo Racing Program: Kyle Cochran, Sean Cochran, Sara Cochran, Quint Smith, Jessica Smith
Junior Devo Road Racing Director: Scott Cochran
Masters Road Racing Team: TR Maloney, Travis Nuemuller, Chris McCory, Dub Smith, Jeff Shockley,
Joe Knoerle, Tom Vaughn, Scott Cochran, Derek Wasson, Rudy Johnson, Eggy Beltran, Rod Dubois, Herman Dean, Courtney Davis, Owen Janeway, Dave Maglure, Jerry Keyser, Ray Miller, John Burch
Masters Road Racing Director: TR Maloney
Cat 3-4 and Mountain Bike Racing Jonathan Trapp (Cat 4), John Allison (Cat 3), Bill Stovall (MTB)
Racing Director: Dub Smith
NARC Racers will be focusing on events in the Atlanta area. Everyone is welcome to join up, come out and racing along with us. How? Just join NARC and show up and race! Feel free to contact the Directors. They will be happy to let you know what races we will be at and how to get started.
 

Bikes on MARTA Don't forget that you can take your bike on MARTA! What a great way to get to work...ride and then take MARTA. I may be doing it this week while my car goes into the shop.
 

1-13-2005 Nathan's New Website Navigator's pro and Georgia resident Nathan O'Neill has a new website.

GAP Awards Ceremony The GAP Awards Ceremony will be held Jan. 30th at the East Roswell Park in Roswell. I hope to have more details later on.

Send a Rider to CX World's From the CCA (Carolina Cyclocross Association): Some of you watched my Easton/Kona/CCA teammate Troy Wells wreak havoc on the A men field this weekend at the NC Series 'cross races. He was here in search of warmer weather and some training races in preparation for the World Championships. There is a fundraiser auction underway on eBay to help cover his expenses to attend the UCI U23 World Champs at the end of this month. Various items will be auctioned ranging from many autographed jerseys (Tom Danielson, Ned Overend, Todd Wells, and others) and various team clothing from Kona riders Ann (Grande) Knapp, Ryan Trebon, and Barry Wicks. Several items are currently up with much more on the way. All proceeds will help Troy with his travel expenses. Another item of note up on the blocks is a one hour consultation with Andy Applegate of a2 coaching and Ultrafit Associates--the bidding starts at just $10 so you could get a bargain as well as help a talented college kid with no USA Cycling support represent the States overseas! The current links are listed below, but more items will be added (like Ryan and Barry Kona knickers and tights), so keep your eyes peeled and do an eBay search of user id gmb1223 And, of course, if you have anything you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please let me know! Trish's note: Todd Wells, former CX National Champion, is Troy's brother.

Nathan Wins National Championship While we are about to start freezing our tushies off here again in the ATL, Navigators pro Nathan O'Neill won the Australian Men's TT Championship.

1-15-2005 Bear Creek Trail Work Title: Bear Creek Trail Maintenance Start Time: 10:00 AM, Sat., Jan. 23 Location: Gates Chapel Road & Trail Entrance  Other Information: Work on one of the most beautiful trails in the area. For more info call Robert McBride at 770-846-8255.

Women's Racing Site Thanks to one of SE Cycling reader for this link. The website covers professional cycling--women's only. It looks like they have good coverage of the major European races.

MTB Skills Clinic From Sherri Hall/events@sorba.org: On January 22, join me at 11am at Yellow River for the first "Skill of the Month" ride. This month we will be concentrating on downhill and braking skills. This is something new I am trying out and will continue if people are interested. These rides are geared towards the beginner rider who wants to learn new skills and/or become more comfortable on the  bike. The plan is to talk about only one or two skills per month so each rider can concentrate on one thing and not be oversaturated with lots of instruction all at once. This month we will be concentrating on downhill skills. We will briefly go over proper body position..like getting those butts off the seat..and proper braking skills. At each ride, we will spend about 15 or 20 minutes going over the skill, talking about it, doing a few drills and then we will hit the trail. The ride will be a very slow paced ride and at the top of the first few descents, we will stop, talk about the downhill, and practice skills. We will then ride each downhill as many times as everyone wants. As we ride, we can choose to ride the entire loop or just ride part of the trail, it's completely up to all the particpants. Anyway, I hope you can join me. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please let me know if plan to attend and if you have any questions."

WBL Hot off the presses: This weekend's (Jan.15) battle royale is The Dave Martin Royston Classic. All categories can sprint! Check out the complete details of this week's 80-mile adventure at www.winterbikeleague.com (details now posted). Lines in the sand already drawn by several teams that wish to start off the year with a win, including: Nalley-Lexurs, Team Locos!, Kalamari, Jittery Joes, Genesis, Team Quark (3 quarks for Muster Mark!), John Deere, Krystal, Team UGA, Cruz Campo, Nastros, etc. Help defend the crown!

And check out the details of the Dahlonaga Dominatrix's (Tina Mayola-Pic) stupendous win in this week's ride report, Mayola-Pic's Big Long Scratch, to be posted later today. (This week's report was delayed due to a Petition for Injunction filed by Mayola-Pic, which has now been crushed by WBL lawyers and rebels.) There will also be a sag wagon this week. Give $1 or more for gas!

1-17-2005 Bear Creek Video My buddy Al put together a GREAT video of a ride at Bear Creek 20+ of us did last week. The roadies are probably asking "Where is Bear Creek?" It's one of the best trail North Georgia has to offer. There are about 10 different routes that can include it. We did the Bear Creek trail to the Overlook to the BC Upper Parking lot, down Bear Creek, left on Pinhoti, and down the Forest Service road back to the cars on Gates Chapel. The video is here (streaming). Beware! It's 95 MB! You can also right click here and choose Save As. Save to your harddrive. 

Are You A Race Promoter? Are you a race promoter or does your club put on a race, and you don't see your race listed on the 2005 Calendar (other than the road races that are not finalized yet...yes, they are working on the calendar!), drop me an email with the name of the event, the date, contact info. (email address), and a website. Sorry, I cannot host your race's flier. The GAP calendar is not finalized, either.

Have a Team Press Release? Does your team have a press release or roster announcement? I'll post all teams for the Carolinas, GA, TN, AL, etc. Send me an email at sttarlite@hotmail.com. (yes, two t's).

To Be A Winner To be a winner, you have to work and do your share!

1-18-2005 Help the Velodrome The Velodrome is looking for some help this Saturday, January 22 at 9:00 am to help build the judge's stand. Email Pete Antonvich if you would like to help.

Ten Reasons to Ride Your Bike Velonews has published "Ten Reasons to Ride Your Bike." Why do YOU ride your bike? Email me at sttarlite at hotmail dot com, and I'll post a few of them.

1-19-2005 WBL Headline News: This week's ride is the Rollicking to Rayle Classic. Get all the info on this week's ride from the site: www.winterbikeleague.com (info now posted!). And: order your coffee and pick it uo from this week's and next week's rides. See and read the message forwarded. And don't forget Alto: 29 January 2005. And finally: read all about the riveting, nail chewing details of this past weekend's Dave Martin Royston Classic in this week's ride report, Sheezam!, posted later today.

Help Junior Cyclocross Riders From the WBL: WBL riders, Please consider contributing to the following program. Cyclocross worlds are in two weeks, in St Wendel, GER. Most of the riders are already over there, and most of them have paid for their trip out of their own pocket. This coffee sale is to help offset some of those costs. After the 2005 world championships, we will continue to collect funds and provide scholarships each year to the Junior cyclocross team. This will be the only funding of its kind now that the US Cyclocross Foundation is no longer in operation! For this week and next, if you order your coffee by Thursday I will have it for pick up at the WBL (www.winterbikeleague.com). Saturday morning. In this way, you can save the shipping and handling charge –a perk for the SE locals.

Feel free to contact me directly at jed@jedschneider.net. Thanks,  Jed Schneider

For Immediate Release: Dec. 28, 2004, Contact: doperssuck@hotmail.com, Coffee Sales To Help Send Juniors to Cyclocross World Championships, Boulder, Colo. - Doperssuck.com, Jittery Joe's Coffee and Victory Circle Graphix have teamed up to offer a legal, performance enhancing product that not only tastes great, but will help send U.S. Juniors to, the Cyclocross World Championships: coffee. Dopers Suck Special Blend coffee, roasted exclusively by Jittery Joe's, is now available at dopperssuck.com. Purchase a 12-ounce can for $12 (plus $3 shipping and handling) and all the proceeds will help offset the exuberant fee that each Junior needs to pay out of their own pocket to race in the 2005 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships, January 29-30 in St. Wendel, Germany.

WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!!! The GA/AL Road Schedule is here! I will be going through it over the next few days and adding individual races to the calendars. I'm working on getting a copy of the NC/SC schedule. I'm leaving the large schedules in their native formats. If you do not have Word, go to www.microsoft.com and download the Word Viewer. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, go to www.adobe.com to download it. Both are free. You may kiss my feet now :)

1-20-2004 Mt. Mitchell Route Change The route for the Assault on Mt. Mitchell is changing this year because of hurricane damage to the Blue Ride Parkway. The ride will also be on a Friday instead of a Saturday because park officials would not issue the permit for a Saturday.

DC TDG Lineup From a Daily Peloton Interview, Discovery Channel DS Johan Bruyneel reveals their line up for the Tour De Georgia "Yes, we'll be there. A big part of that team is going to do the Giro. Danielson will be there. Michael Barry will be there. Tony Cruz will be there. Jason McCartney. Creed."

1-21-2005 New Crit in Spartanburg, SCFrom the front page of the Sports Section of today's Spartanburg Herald-Journal: Posted on January 20, 2005 Spartanburg to celebrate Bike Week
By Gary Henderson | Staff Writer gary.henderson@shj.com

Spartanburg will get its first major United States Cycling  Federation-sanctioned criterium race in May as a part of the city's  Bike Town activities. At a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Bill Barnet rolled out details of Spartanburg's week of activities surrounding the Assault on Mount Mitchell. Events begin May 14 and end on May 21 with a downtown criterium, or closed-course race. The "crit," as cyclists call it, will run from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. Criterium Director Andrew Danfy said the race would draw at least 350 riders from several Southern states. "We have some big prize money for this race," Danfy said. "That's $5,000 for the pro and semi-pro categories." The criterium racers will make laps on a seven-tenths of a mile course through downtown streets, which will be closed to other traffic. Danfy, a member of the Freewheelers of Spartanburg bike club, said,  "everybody's pumped up" to see that the race is successful. "We've hit several problems, but somebody always jumps up and says, 'I can handle that,' " Danfy said. Riders in the criterium must be licensed in one of the five USCF
categories, which run from Category 1 pro/semi pro riders to beginners at Category 5. Races will be run by category. Beginning riders who would like to ride in  the Category 5 event can sign up for a one-day license the day of the race. The criterium will wind up a full week of cycling events that begin on May
14 with the Lollapalooza Loop -- 100-, 50- and 25-mile rides sponsored by the Spartanburg County Public Library.  Bike Week continues with city bike tours, a bike expo, a bicycling film festival and the Assault on Mount Mitchell, which will take place on a Friday this year for the first time. Assault riders will be taking a longer, more difficult route to the summit of Mount Mitchell because of road washouts caused by Hurricane Frances last September. The Assault and its shorter sister ride, the Assault on Marion, are expected to bring 1,400 cyclists from 40 states to Spartanburg. "For the first time, the City of Spartanburg and many organization and volunteers involved in the Assault on Mount Mitchell are coming together to celebrate bicycling and our desire to make Spartanburg into a bicycle-friendly community," Barnet said. "We're proud that the Assault on Mount Mitchell brings people here
from all across the country and we're ready to show off for them."
 

DLV Judge's Stand Steve has posted some photos of the new judge's stand at the velodrome on the Spin Cycle.

GAP Awards Ceremony The GAP Awards Ceremony will be Jan. 30th at East Roswell Park. The doors will open at 1pm, with award presentations starting at 2pm. Dress is casual; bring your family and friends. We will be using the Community Room in the Recreation Center building. Consider this your invitation to the GAP Awards Ceremony. East Roswell Park is located just east of Hwy 400 off of Holcomb Bridge Road. Take GA 400 and exit Holcomb Bridge going east. Drive 2.2 miles and turn right on Fouts Road (across from the Kroger shopping center). That road dead ends into the park. Street address - 9000 Fouts Rd Roswell, GA 30076.

1-22-2005 Road Bike Skills Training Clinic-Charlotte Want to learn bike handling and cornering skills?  Want to feel more confidant making tight U-turns in a single lane or high-speed turns on race day?  Want to learn how to ride a pace line or what to do in a  group ride when someone bumps into you?  This is a FREE hands-on skills development session for novice or age-group triathletes and new cyclists that want to improve their bike handling skills in the off-season. When:     Sunday January 30, 2005, 1:00 PM  The class starts at 1, so please be set-up and ready to go at 1.  We should be done by 2:30PM. Where:    Parking lot of Alexander Graham School on Runneymeade. What to bring:  bike, helmet, cycling clothing, cycling shoes and running shoes.  We're not riding out of the parking lot, but we will be practicing several skills/drills.  It is suggested that you wear long sleeves, long gloves, etc. as they offer some protection.  Yes, falling can occur when we're learning how to corner. Instructors:    Skills development will be taught by Melinda Yelton and Daren Marceau.  Melinda is a USAT and USAC coach in Charlotte area. Daren Marceau is a visiting RATS (Raleigh Area Triathlete) member and a USAT and USAC coach. Inclement weather - If there is a weather concern, you may call Melinda at 704.527.8080 on the event day.

WBL Weekend Update From the mind of the Whetherwoman: The Rayle route will be shelved for a shorter loop to make sure we finish before the inclement weather arrives. Bad weather due to arrive late afternoon. We will ride to a point, then do circuits on a 15 - 20 mile loop that includes the Attack Zone. We will do no more than 4 hours, and on one of the circuits, the last, blow the whistle and sprint. The Attack Zone is the same with FULL PRIZES and CASH on the line. See www.winterbikeleague for info on this week's Attack Zone. You have no excuses! We will never be too far out in case we need to dive back home. By Order of The Whetherwoman!

Cycleworks Team Announcement
North Georgia Cycling Association is proud to announce their 2005 title sponsors, Meehan's Public House and Cycleworks. Supporting sponsors include Turner South and Neurosport Physical Therapy. The Meehan's/Cycleworks Team will ride Specialized bikes and equipment, as well as Speedplay pedals, Maxxis tires and Hincapie Sportswear clothing. The 2005 Roster includes 26 Atlanta based cyclists who will compete at the Cat 3, 4, 5 and Masters levels, as well as a Women's Cat 4 team. The team's primary focus in 2005 will be defending the Georgia Cup Title, after Eric Edgar won the Cat 4 series in 2004. Cat 3 State Crit Silver Medalist Rich Saunders also returns to the Team for 2005. For more information and a full Team Roster of the 2005 Meehan's/Cycleworks Team, please see our website at http://northgeorgiacycling.com

Meehan’s Public Houses are located in Brookhaven, Vinings, Alpharetta, and soon to open in Sandy Springs! With Irish charm and Blarney Stone to spare, Meehan's is a neighborhood hub where you can relax and enjoy good food, good drinks and good company. www.meehansalehouse.com

Cycleworks is now located in Sandy Springs, Roswell, Duluth, and Marietta. As Atlanta's premier full-service cycling and fitness retailer, Cycleworks provides service for all types of road, mountain and triathlon bikes, as well as stocking bikes by Specialized, Trek, Guru, Klein, Gary Fisher and Lemond. www.cycleworksinc.com

Do You Have a Press Release? Does your team have a press release, team roster, or photo that you want published? Send it to me at sttarlite at hotmail dot com. Mountain bike, road, freeride, DH, etc. teams are welcome! (sorry, no BMX, Tri-, or Adventure racing b/c SE Cycling does not cover those sports.)

Chicopee Closed 1-27 According to SORBA, Chicopee Woods will be closed Jan. 27th for the day. The night ride for that date has been cancelled.

USA Cycling Track Training Camp Several Georgia riders are participating in a USA Cycling Track talent discovery camp including Tina Pic and John Murphy.

Greenville Training Series Rumor has it this is the schedule for the Greenville Training Series. The dates are confirmed, the venues are subject to change:
February 26-27 (Donaldson Long Course, Donaldson Long Course)
March 5-6 (River Falls, Greenville-Pickens Speedway)
March 12-13 (Donaldson Long Course, Donaldson Short Course)

1-25-2005 GA/AL Race Schedule I posted the GA/AL race schedule in PDF format to make it easier to view.

1-27-2005 Forest Service Road Ride From Cartecay Bikes: Fabulous Forest Service road ride! Date: Sunday January 30, 2005. Time 10:00 AM. Place Big Creek Fire Station Number 4, Ellijay GA. Miles: Twenty Seven or Forty Three. Big Joe will lead the Twenty-seven mile ride and Doctor D! will lead the Forty-three mile ride. Bicycles types: Mountain bike or a Cyclocross bike will be appropriate for the ride. The first two and a half miles are on the Up the Chute climb to the Tennessee Divide. All the streams, creeks, and rivers flow North from the crest of this climb. Beautiful Valley! Bring a Camera! The Twenty-seven mile ride will be a intermediate ride with plenty of stuff to intercommunicate about! The Forty-three mile ride is a adventure on both pavement and Forest Service roads. This is an Advanced ride! PLEASE BRING PLENTY OF WATER, FOOD, FRUIT, AND LUNCH (SANDWICH ETC....). BE A PACK MULE!! The average speed is between eight and ten MPH. Camaraderie is key on all the rides. Directions from Atlanta: Interstate 75 North to Interstate 575 North which will turn into GA HWY 515 North to Ellijay! Turn Left at the Hardee's in Ellijay, the road will cross over the Cartecay River and dead end into GA HWY 52. Turn Right onto GA HWY 52 East bound for Five miles to BIG CREEK Road, Turn left onto Big Creek road and go nine miles to the Big Creek Fire Station on your right. Both rides will start at 10:00 AM. Questions about Doctor D's Discovery Adventure Ride: Contact mike@cartecaybikes.com or call (706) 635-2453.

Camp Highlands Racing Good The Nouveau Velo Cycling Team based in Cumming, GA is now racing on behalf of Camp Highland Adventure Camp in Ellijay, GA. They are are co-sponsored by RBC Centura Bank, domnick hunter inc., and Metalforming Inc. along with industry sponsors
Banactiv, Maxxis, Rudy Project and Watermoc. Team members will be racing on 2005 Giant TCR Composite bikes provided by Mama's Board-n-Bike (Suwanee, GA). There are 11 riders ranging from Pro-2 to Cat-5, including one woman and several multi-sport participants. They will be racing the full schedule this year starting in February with the Hincapie Spring Series right on through to the Greenville Cycling Classic in October.
 

Central Park Work Day Title: RAMBO Work Party Start Time: 09:00 AM Location: Central Park
Category: Trail Construction Other Information: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2005!!! You're invited to put your stamp on the Central Park trail as we hope to knock out the last of the trail and add the finishing touches to the first official SORBA site in Forsyth County! We have lots to do so come prepared to work hard and play hard. Lunch and a group ride will follow the work party, of course! Directions: Central Park is located in Forsyth County. Take 400 North to Exit 17/hwy 306 head west 1/2 mile and the park entrance is on the left. Follow the drive to the back of the park on the right-past the police dept. behind the Maintenance shed.

Tour De Georgia Route The Tour De Georgia Route announcement will be Feb. 2. I'm going to try to convince my wonderful boss that I really need to go.

Suggestion Box Like something about Southeastern Cycling? Dislike Something? Want to see something covered? The Suggestion Box is always open. That would be my email. Just remember that if you want something or an event covered, you may be asked to do it! :) I'm still looking for writers and photographers for this year. Just send in anything you have, anytime!

Nalley Crit News ROSWELL, Ga. (January 26, 2005) – The 4th Annual Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium returns on Sunday, May 1, 2005 as one of the marquis recreational events in the north metro Atlanta area. It has become one of the premier one-day professional cycling events in the United States, attracting over 7,500 spectators and 400 elite road cyclists who will compete in eight different races for $20,000 in cash and prizes. "May is National Bike Month, as well as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, and what a great way to call attention to better health and recreation than with this great event for the whole family. This year I'll be leading a recreational bicycle ride for cycling enthusiasts, the morning of the criterium, so residents, neighbors and Roswell visitors can experience firsthand the City's commitment to being a bicycle-friendly community," said City of Roswell Mayor, Jere Wood. The 2005 edition of the Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium will be as much a participant event as a top spectator event to reinforce the national fitness focus. After the Mayor's Ride, the Bikefest Expo will be open from Noon to 6pm, providing educational information on safe cycling and recreation opportunities as well as interactive entertainment displays for children. The Bicycle Safety Rodeo, a free two-hour clinic for children 6-12, will be enlarged to accommodate 250 children. And, the City of Roswell plans to use the event as a community platform to promote Bike to Work Week, May 16-20, and introduce residents to safe cycling routes in the area. "Nalley is proud to renew its commitment to the community for the fourth year of this quality event that families can enjoy," said Kimberly Gentile, Director of Marketing and Advertising of The Nalley Automotive Group. Four Nalley dealerships in Roswell will support the race – Nalley Audi, Nalley Chrysler/Jeep, Nalley Jaguar and Nalley Lexus. "The event places an emphasis on fun and safety for athletes of all ages, from the bike rodeo and races for children, to the exhibits at the expo. Safety is important to all of us so we can enjoy a good quality of life." The day begins with a Mayor's Ride on Sunday morning. Two ride options, approximately 12 and 36 miles, will be offered for cycling enthusiasts of all skill levels and ages. Mayor Wood and the Roswell Velo cycling club will lead these non-competitive events, with goodie bags awarded to all participants. The City of Roswell has applied for national recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and the Mayor's Ride will showcase safe routes in the area for people to enjoy year round. Other activities in the historic Roswell area include the interactive Bikefest Expo, restaurant and gift shop specials, live entertainment and events for children – the Children's Bicycle Safety Rodeo and Shimano/RBC Centura Youth Races.

The Children's Bicycle Safety Rodeo will be managed by the Kiwanis Club of Historic Roswell and is supported by Roswell Bicycles and Harry's Farmers Market. Children can also participate in the Shimano Youth Series races, presented by RBC Centura Bank. The youth races are complimentary to any children who complete the Rodeo and are held on the same race course as the pros. While not the fastest races of the day, the youth races are some of the most entertaining.

The leading attraction of the afternoon will be the eight different bicycle races for elite men and women from across the U.S. and abroad. Races begin at Noon and end close to 7:30 p.m using a one-mile, closed course on sections of Canton, Norcross, Green and Woodstock streets. As in the past three years, the start/finish line area will be located across from Founder's Hall on Canton Street. Spectators will enjoy all the thrills and spills of this flat but technical course, as athletes can reach speeds over 36 miles per hour along "Nalley Alley" near the start/finish line on Canton Street. The $20,000 in cash and prizes makes this one of the richest events on the National Racing Calendar, sanctioned by USA Cycling (USAC). Last year, New Zealand's Greg Henderson, riding for Healthnet/MAXXIS, won the Men's Pro 1 race. The Women's Pro race was won by Dahlonega's Tina Pic of the Genesis Scuba team. Pic is the two-time U.S. National Criterium Champion and has won in Roswell the past three years.

1-28-2005 WBL CANCELLED FOR SATURDAY!! From The Board: The 29 January 2005 WBL ride is CANCELLED due to forecast and inclement weather's impending arrival. Next ride: PORTERFIELD TIRE ALTO WORLD CUP EVENT: 5 FEBRUARY 2005. Stay posted for a description of Alto, a summary of this epic's history, and a little advice from those who've been there before! From Alto with Love.

Tundra TT News DO NOT CONTACT ME! Email Mitch at maskew6@yahoo.com. This is in regards to the Tundra TT. I grabbed it off one of the message boards: "Jim and I have been monitoring the weather closely. Jim and I will make the final call Friday at 6 p.m. Jim will send an email to all race participants at that time as to whether or not the event will be held. I will notify all of you at that time via email. I appreciate all of your patience and support in this."

1-24-2005 More Reasons to Ride a Bike Velonews.com has more reasons to ride a bike. I guess no one in Atlanta rides because I got no responses from my earlier inquiry.

Can't See the GA/AL Race Schedule? I've had a report or two about people not being able to get to the GA/AL road racing schedule. It is in Microsoft Word format. If you don't have Word, download the Word viewer, which is free. I will try to remember to put it into a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) later this week. In the meantime, if you get a password box, click CANCEL. It will let you through.
 

1-29-2005 Tundra TT Cancelled From the Organizers: After consulting the meteorologist, USCF Officials, and looking outside, we have determined the weather is too much for us to be able to provide a safe & fun race environment. We are postponing the race this Saturday (Jan 29th). We have been working diligently to move this event to another date. The event is being rescheduled to the following weekend (Sat Feb 5th). If you have already registered online for the event, you are registered for the Feb 5th race. Time of Events: 7:00 – 8:00 AM Registration. 8:31 AM First racer launches

Please forward this to your friends. Online registration will be available through next Thursday (Feb 3rd) until 6:00 PM (late fees apply). Race day registration will be available (additional late fees apply). All riders who registered online will have their time pre-assigned. These times will be assigned based on order of registration. We will post these times by Friday (Feb 4th) at 6:00 PM to www.SurgeSports.com. Registration will only be open between 7:00 – 8:00 AM. You must still sign in and pick up your race packet during that time. This year, we’ve made a few changes to help improve the race. We have improved the parking facilities, and you will be able to park closer to the race. Racers will also be launched with 30 second increments to help improve the duration and flow of the event.  Hope to see you out there next week. Good Luck To All, Jim Burt Jim@SurgeSports.com, Mitch Askew Mitch@SurgeSports.com
 

TdG News Phonak is bringing a good contingent to the TdG including Floyd Landis.

Maps, Maps, Maps! Thanks to Coach Chris Andrus, I will have more maps for local Atlanta rides as well as the Metro area. Visit Coach Chris's website. Chris is a cycling and triathlon coach. He is currently teaching a windtraining class at Athletic Training Systems on Roswell Rd. More info. and the maps coming when I get time to put them up. Thanks Coach Chris!!

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