The Altoona Buzz

I'm writing this from a free wi-fi hot spot at Panera Bread Co from Altoona, PA. I'm here for them Tour of Toona, one of Americas most prestigious stage races. There are 200 people registered and we will be racing on roads made for wagons. It should be fun, but unfortunately I won't be able to post too many blogs. Later today the race will be on and getting out from our ghetto sorority house will be, well, not really happening.

Yesterday was the TTT. I detonated early and had a terrible race. I guess I need to get my head into the game. I'm having a terribly hard time jump starting my motivator and ability to suffer.

I wonder what all my people in Durango are doing. Probably riding mountain bikes and floating the river in tubes with delicious SKA....

VT time and Little Bellas

Chillin in Vermont looking for Ben and Jerry. I hope I find them. Seriously though I am in Vermont after I was supposed to race Mt. Washington hill climb. That didn't happen because of the rain and nasty weather so...next year. Maybe even in August.

I infiltrated the Little Bellas on Sunday. Little Bellas is a mountain bike program, just for girls, that are just getting into the sport. Lea and Sabra Davison put this program together and are doing such a good job. I was able to see the action first hand and there are some ripping little youngster that are going to be great. Sabra and Lea are amazing, great teachers and were encouraging the kids to have fun above all else, and the kids were. Out on the slippery trails of VT these girls were crashing left and right, but always got right back on their bike and kept on going with the coaching of the two pro mountain bike sisters. Lea and Sabra are like mentors to these girls who are entering a sport dominated by men and that is going to be so good to help promote womens cycling.

The sisters have started a program that I think will be a template for other people to follow who want to start a program like this. If you have not heard of it yet, you will. Its going to be big. Trek bikes is backing them up along with several other donors to make the program happen.

Its the eye of the tigres!

Mt. Washington Delayed

The Mt. Washington Newtons Revenge has been delayed for one day due to crazy weather. I woke up at the un-godly hour of 5a.m to choke down some breakfast. Always hard to do. Rolling out the door my friendly nieghbors at the hotel wished me good luck-as they were going to the race as well. On the way over to the race I stopped into the hotel that Mr. Cesar and Micah were staying at for some good coffee. I rolled up and they were shaking thier heads like: don't even think about bumming coffee off of us Hagman. Then they said that the race was off: winds were at 71 mph, temps at 40, wind chill 27 and
visibility 0.

I probably would have been blown off the mountain, shortly after skinnier Grajales would have been.

The road far below

The Ski Area across the way

These were all the way up the Mtn.

Be a good sport...

The incident that involved three riders (Jame Carney, Mark Hardman, John DeLong) and a fight during the final stage of the tour of Virginia has come to a close. All three have been suspended for one year. The fight was funny as hell, at least from the side lines. I have never seen anyone pick up and throw a bike around like Jame did. Cyclingnews.com has all the details.