Transformation

Giants vs Brewers

Last Friday our company went to see the Giants lose to the Brewers, but everyone managed to have a great time and even picked up a Crazy Crab Bobble Head. During the 4th inning I went to the concessions stand and bought some garlic fries and a Coke. The garlic fries were tasty for about the first 3 minutes until the greasy goodness settled into my stomach - I had to tell myself the fries were covered in olive oil and that everything was going to be OK. What was I thinking?

News Flash

Friday, July 18

Cycling News Flash - Riccò and Piepoli sacked by Saunier Duval

Are you shocked?

Patiently Waiting

It's supposed to arrive this Friday...

Will I climb like the Schleck brothers?

Probably not, but I can pretend to ride up hills fast.

Speaking of riding up hills fast...

Ricardo Ricco tested positive for EPO and was pulled from the Tour before the start of Stage 12 this morning. His team (Saunier Duval) decided to leave the event as well - because there was no longer a GC contender - hmmmm

What about Leonardo Piepoli?

Oh wait! He's involved with a doping probe as well -->

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/06/28/cycling.piepoli/

Enough said...

Nice Ride

I saw this car parked across the street from my hotel in Italy during my trip and fell in love with its unique look and sporty curves. My co-worker from Spain said they will be arriving in the United States soon...

I can hold my breath - but for how long?

Fun Wind

Yes, those are my chicken sticks out on the windsurf board at Shoreline Lake in Mountain View. On Sunday I decided to change things up and spent a few hours on the water battling the wind and getting a massive workout. There were no problems falling asleep last night and I woke up addicted to the board. On a funny note - we all know my legs are skinny with small ankles and it seems that many things gravitate to them - such as windsurf boards. Well, I originally learned to windsurf at Lake Balaton in Hungary and was hit in the ankle by another windsurfer during my lesson. Well, another windsurfer slammed into my ankle again and it was funny because I mentioned this to my friend, Shannon, prior to the accident. Anyway, it's the power of the chicken sticks or frog legs as my teammates call them - like the Death Star's tractor beam.

Davis July 4th Criterium

There were many turns on the course and the Elite 4 group managed to escape without any injuries or major crashes. Before the race I rode through the surrounding neighborhood with Willem and Lloyd to get the blood flowing in the legs and could tell it was going to be a great venue. Later, we met up with Matthew at the hay bails in the first corner and pre-rode the course together before lining up. During our warm up I scanned the road surface and memorized the surface blemishes and even got to hit a few turns with speed to find the lines. We lined up and the race took off with Third Pillar and Berkeley Cycling Club doing their best to get up front. The usual suspects were there and everyone handle the corners well for such a large group. Willem, Lloyd and Matthew rode aggressively at the front of the main group - we controlled several laps and made a strong showing during the entire race. At one point I bumped shoulders with a Berkeley Cycling Club rider who seemed a bit sketch. During the middle of the race Lloyd went to the front of the main group and put some pressure on the pack. Willem and Matthew looked very strong during the race with many appearances at the front of the group. With 4 laps to go I heard a preem and noticed two riders who managed to hold the group off the previous lap. Both were on the podium at the Burlingame Criterium, so I made the decision to close the gap. With three laps to go I sprinted for the preem with the other two riders. I got the preem and decided it was time to make a move on the main group. Once ahead of the two riders, I focused on hitting the corners with more speed and taking smoother lines. Eventually, I pulled away from the group and kept thinking about a time trial and putting as much force on the pedals as possible. Luckily, my legs responded each time and I was able to build a solid lead each lap. Willem made a great move in the main group and controlled the pace once I was gone - an excellent tactic. Overall, we rode a great race and I managed to pick-up a preem, the most aggressive rider award and the win. The Elite 4 team made an excellent showing and I was so proud to see everyone riding so well.