Masini's Breaking Away Blog

A New Shock for my Mtb.

2009-11-06T09:45:00.004+01:00

I found a new supplier of the Dew right next to our warehouse in Germany so I decided to upgrade the shock on this Rize... ps - I love this neon bottle. We used it to light up the warehouse later that evening.

Nostalgia... and Rarity

2009-10-29T09:20:00.006+01:00

After losing out on a set of Delta brakes that eventually sold for $480(!), I began to wonder if the somewhat fresh pile of parts in my basement that have become obsolete for today's use will eventually be of value to anyone. I mean, production numbers on everything are so high that you can't really consider anything 'rare'. Plus, mostly-carbon fiber Record groups don't hold the same level of mystique that an old Nuovo Record gruppo does.

I can still remember some of the classic Italian steeds I saw on my first RAGBRAI twenty five years ago. Now, a quick ride in my back yard of France will turn out far more expensive (note I didn't say 'valuable') bikes one after another... all forgettable and likely to be replaced within a couple of years!

Don't get me wrong... I love the 14 lb Super Six that flies up the local hills (when I'm able). I just miss the rarity of it all.

Similarly, my Bucs will be playing in their throwback uni's this weekend. I think the only reason I gravitated to that losing team was due to the orange jerseys and lame logo. Mind you, I was six at the time they joined the NFL.

On a South Dakota farm as a kid, the only time I saw Bucs merchandise was when the JC Penny's Christmas catalog came. Remember the stocking caps with the big ball on the top? I had to have it! I can still remember specific games that were broadcast on CBS back in the day before the NFL Sunday Ticket. Of course, they never won any of them.

But it seems that old is new again... the Bucs will be lucky to win a game this year... just like 1976 all over again! They should stick to the Bucco Bruce logo and creamsickle uni's until they win.

Oh yeah, I forgot. Today, we toss out parts boxes whereas we used to save the packaging! I don't think I'll save the wrapper of any new chainring purchases!

A perfect weekend

2009-10-15T10:39:00.002+02:00

As I sat at my desk until 5:00 am Sunday morning watching the Ironman coverage, something amazing was unfolding... Cannondale pro riders that I work with were winning almost EVERY race being run last weekend! For years, I've combined the results of all my teams - whether it be the Bucs (now again the Yucks), Iowa State, Saeco/Lampre/Barloworld/Liquigas, or whatever - looking for a perfect weekend. I soon realized that I'd be better off focusing on just one sport... and last weekend it was cycling where I came up aces! What a job!

As to the results? Check it out here and here. These are the releases I was busy writing, bleary-eyed, until the wee hours of the morn...

My Ciöcc Restoration Project, Part 1

2009-10-14T20:18:00.007+02:00

There was always something unknown about Ciöcc bicycles back in Iowa in the '80s. There would always be a few on RAGBRAI. Beautiful bikes that nobody knew anything about, starting with how to pronounce the name. I mean, c'mon... and umlaut in an Italian word? And finishing with two 'C's'? I heard all types of pronunciations, just that NONE of them were right!

As to the meaning, even HE isn't too willing to give it up. Check online and you'll see explanations that it is local dialect for "poker-faced", "drunkard", "gambler" and other variations. There's even a story that Ciöcc bikes were birthed over a card game among Giovanni, Colnago (the clubs), De Rosa (the hearts) and Pinarello (the spades for some reason). I've even read that Giovanni is now dead and that his sons run the business (not true of course). Oh well, perhaps the imagination of the internet.

I was lucky enough to mention this to Gian Carlo, one of my ex team mechanics. GCB happens to be good friends with Ciöcc himself and made a call to him one day while we had lunch in Milan. An hour later and I was at his shop, drooling over an old frame from an ex amateur named Musone. It had to be mine. Sure, it was a bit rusty and needed refinishing, but the price was right and the old maestro was just as interested in seeing it brought back to life.

As for the man himself, much like Irio Tommasini - another maestro I've been lucky to get to know - Giovanni is immensely proud of the work he has done over the years. He took me to his desk and we spent an hour going through his old photos and designs. He explained to me all the innovations he made through the years, and the countless victories achieved on his frames, including that of my good friend Claudio Corti. Claudio won his 1977 U23 World Championship aboard a Ciöcc in San Cristobal, Venezuela. Those who remember seeing Ciöcc frames from the 80's will remember that the San Cristobal was the name on most of the imported models. Soon, I'll finally have my own Ciöcc... a 1973 model of a successful amateur racer from Milan... Musone! Now if I can just finish my search for the perfect Nuovo Record group...

l'Etape du Tour 2010...

2009-10-14T15:16:00.002+02:00

Looks like I have my goal for 2010!

Maiden Voyage On My Birthday Present!

2009-08-22T18:14:00.004+02:00

After six months of collecting parts and slowly building this baby up to perfection, today was the maiden voyage of my birthday present to myself... this new Cannondale road tandem! We took it out for an hour and a half (I've been off the bike for a while, and my stoker even longer). Moral of the story... build your bikes slowly - they'll be perfect on the first ride, and all that waiting will be so worth it!

(I won't be saying how old I am Monday...)

Here's the buildup...

	Frame	Cannondale Road Tandem

	Fork	Fatty R Tandem


	Rims	Ambrosio w/eyelet and machined sidewall, 40 hole

	Hubs	White Industries Mi6 Disc

	Spokes	DT Swiss Champion, 14g

	Tires	Schwalbe Durano Plus, 700 x 28c

	Pedals	Crank Brothers Candy

	Crank	FSA Carbon SLK Tandem, 30/39/53

	Chain	FSA, Campagnolo Record timing

	Rear Cogs	Campagnolo Record 10-speed, 12-28

	Bottom Bracket	FSA MegaExo, Cannondale eccentric

	Front Derailleur	Campagnolo Triple

	Rear Derailleur	Campagnolo Record, med. cage

	Shifters	Campagnolo Record

	Handlebars	FSA front, Stoker rear

	Stem	FSA front, Cannondale C3 Stoker rear

	Headset	Campagnolo Record

	Brakeset	Avid BB7 Road Disc

	Saddle	Fi:zi'k Aliente, Viper rear

	Seat Post	FSA front, USE suspension rear

l'Etape du Tour!

2009-07-24T10:46:00.009+02:00

About 25 Cannondalers (including some retailers and a few friends) headed out to Montélimar, France last weekend to take part in l'Etape du Tour. This is a yearly 'race' ('survival' is more accurate) that covers a stage of the Tour de France (usually a tough mountain stage) and attracts about 10,000 entrants. I'll be posting a video soon of the trip, so I'll just jump right into the event itself...

We woke up at 4:00 to load our bikes and then load up on more pasta and whatever we could stuff down our throats that early. 7-10 hours on the bike burns a lot of calories so it's important to eat, even early. The bus ride to Montélimar was quiet, with everyone either trying to sleep or just nervous about the day ahead. We quickly unloaded, got ready and split up into our starting groups. We were split into four groups (out of eight starting zones). When I arrived, I was struck by a horrible reality... there were THREE toilets to serve about 4,000 people in my closest zones! Oh well, time to ride...

5km in, I heard a pop - Erik's rear tubular blew. Being the one with tubular experience, I stopped and changed it with him. We got going pretty quickly, even though his glue was old and his spare tire had a bump and was already separating from the base tape! 5km later, POP! again! That old spare didn't last long. This time, Jan and Stefan saw us and stopped to wait. I gave Erik my spare and he changed it. That meant I had no spare, with 160km to ride still! When you stop, the thing you realize is that you get passed by up to 500 or more people in an instant! With an already poor starting position, we were now near the back! So we took off and TTT'ed it all the way, blazing past hundreds of riders.

The German-American Express

The first rest stop was chaos, so we decided to skip it and conserve water and food. 45 minutes and one more climb later, we found an oasis on the side of the road to refill. At this point, I started to think about the fact that I was definitely riding over my head with younger, faster guys. I knew my time would come and my ticket would get punched. And it did. Jan was the next to flat - and fixed in short order.

We passed a number of our group on a climb, and a slew more riders on the next. The penultimate climb was when it hit. I just lost the wheel of my guys and told them to go on. There wasn't much left and I'd be alone on Ventoux anyway... and I was. I had a good time at the foot of Ventoux, considering three flats in our group. I calculate we lost 20 minutes to flats. But the real struggle came as I hit the forest at the bottom of Ventoux. It's 7-11% with absolutely zero curves and it NEVER eases up. You are just grinding a steep slope for 20km. Even though I stopped (way too) often, I vowed not to walk one step, unlike many around me. Speaking of, there were lots of walkers, pukers, cryers... and all with good reason. This is a BEAST.

I started to cramp up, which cost me more time resting on my feet. In the end, I was satisfied and more than pleased for that climb to be over. I finished 8:42 and if not for the flats, would've been a bit faster. BUT - I also realize that if I were left on my own the whole way, I would've gone slower to begin with, so thanks for the pace Erik, Jan and Stefan. We formed quite a train!

Of our group, everyone finished in the cutoff time and have stories to last a while. Our ringer finished with an incredible 6:38! It was a great team-building trip. I would like to say we all stayed up until the wee hours drinking beer, but we were all so tired after the ride that I think everyone retired to bed asap after dinner.

Views from the top of famed and feared Ventoux

What a day. Once home, a few of us treated ourselves to Basel's best kebabs! I said I didn't even want to look at my bike for a week. BUT - and get this - when I unloaded it from the car... the rear tire was flat!

Off To L'Etape du Tour!

2009-07-18T09:10:00.003+02:00

Wow, what a week. Thanks to all those who sent the love after seeing my Vs. spots. Yesterday, I hosted a group of about 20 friends from Basel who went to Colmar to see the stage. And now we have Pelli in the dots!

I'm now off to the Alps, where on Monday I'll race with 15 guys from Cannondale, and about 10,000 other nut jobs who want to race the Tour's 20th stage. Not sure how I'll do - I've been climbing as much as possible. Just hope my knee holds out! The stats of l'Etape du Tour are... 172km and 4000 meters (!) of climbing. The finish is on top of the summit of one of the most feared cycling climbs in the world... Mont Ventoux!

Me... on Versus

2009-07-12T21:45:00.005+02:00

Here's the first of two tech spots I did last weekend in Monaco with Versus' Robbie Ventura.

Wind Tunelling with Ivan and Quinzia

2009-07-12T10:35:00.001+02:00

So just prior to the Tour start in Monaco, I had some miles to ride... and fly. First to Park City, UT for a weekend of meetings and presentations (and riding), then back home for a day. On the agenda for July 1st was a bit of wind tunnel testing with the guys from Mavic. Our location was Magny Cours, France at the Aero Concept Engineering tunnel ON the F1 track grounds!

I got my new Kodak flip-style video camera in Park City and am quickly loving it. The guys at ACE said it was the first time a video was posted DURING the testing! Here are a couple vids from the day...

I Got A Phone Call Today...

2009-06-23T18:41:00.005+02:00

My past keeps coming back to me... in a good way. Today my phone rang. I didn't know the number and the Italian guy on the other end spoke in that Venetian dialect that I heard so much just a few days ago when I stayed in San Donà di Piave, as I so often do while visiting Team Liquigas. I didn't get the name at first (ok, so my Venetian isn't THAT good), but I quickly put 2 and 2 together and got quattro... that's my first cycling hero ever... calling me!

Growing up in Iowa in the 80's didn't provide many glimpses into the world of professional cycling. I remember waiting for Mom to come home from Ames (a few hours away which back then could just as well been Switzerland) for the off chance that she'd bring home an issue of Bicycling magazine, my only look into what was possible on a bike. I saved my money and bought a Raleigh. But it was my next bike that really did it for me... a Bianchi. I loved the celeste color, the exotic sounding name, the history, the racing heritage. What was it about Bianchi that struck a 13 year old kid in Iowa? I think it had a lot to do with seeing some of the exploits of that guy on the other end of the phone line... Moreno Argentin.

Philly

2009-06-23T18:07:00.004+02:00

Not sure why it's now taking me a couple weeks to get these updated, oh well. Travel does that to you. I may not see home more than a day at a time until the end of the Tour! So, before I head back to the US tomorrow(!) how about a look back at Philly!

Stefano left me in charge of planning the trip and all registration and activities around the race. We visited a couple area shops and ate well at the local Italian bistros. We had a nice 3.5 hour ride on Saturday. One of our guests hit pavement but got up with minor damage. This happened literally a half hour after mentioning to Struve how amazed I was that in ten years of riding on the bike trail with the teams, nobody has clipped a bar or one of those barriers at the intersections. Italian pros unfortunately don't yield the right of way to coming cyclists or joggers. They are, however, incredible bike handlers; however, they don't realize that everyone else isn't! Fortunately, they're only on the tight Philly bike path one day out of the year... sorry Philly!

Tip of the hat to James, my trusted mechanic who leaves us after this race and is head guy in charge of the US national mechanics and material... nice gig! James kept the bikes clean and even changed a wheel... on the second start loop!

That's Struve in the pirate costume!

Joey took this window shot in the waning hours of sobriety Saturday night I think.

James and that wheel change!

Race-wise, we could've done better. There was a crash in the final roundabout which slowed the green guys down. I won't say who may have caused it, but got wind from some of the US directors that it's a bit too common.

Post-race, it was back to CT for some time in the office. Oh yeah, and my real reason for going... Wednesday night world championships! We had sprints for points every three laps after 18 to go. I got two seconds and a third for 5 points and 7th overall. Twas nice to get the legs moving in anger again.

Now, it's off to Park City for some better weather for training (hopefully).

Oh yeah... keep an eye out for a future series on this space. I am getting my Italian bike restoration fix in this year. I just bought a Ciöcc from the 70's from the man himself. I'll try to document the restoration as much as possible and update as it goes.

Back to that crazy ITT in Cinque Terre

2009-05-27T10:26:00.010+02:00

As you may have seen on my Tweets, I had been given the chance to drive the follow car for Liquigas' Gorazd Štangelj. How's that for a name? First, since the guys at Liquigas butcher his name, I went to Wikipedia to analyze a little...

A caron ( ˇ ) or háček (pronounced [ˈhɑːt͡ʃɛk] in English, [ˈɦaːt͡ʃɛk] in Czech), also known as a wedge, inverted circumflex, inverted hat, is a diacritic placed over certain letters to indicate present or historical palatalization, iotation, or postalveolar pronunciation in the orthography of some Baltic, Slavic, Finno-Lappic, and other languages. Š/š (pronounced [ʃ] — similar to 'sh' in she.

Huh?

So after all of that Greek (actually Slovenian), Gorazd told me how to properly pronounce his name (I like to be as accurate as possible). It's "Shtongel" with a soft 'g' like 'go' and an 'o' like in 'on'. There you have it... back to the race.

Mrs. Masini and our 'children' were present as well and I can guarantee that I was the only follow car with two dogs as co-pilots.

There was some confusion from the start, as the Italians have their own ideas about directions and start areas. However, we arrived with about five minutes to spare...

And we were off...!

The course was as bad as everyone else has said. Up and down the whole way. The co-pilots got just a little bit of motion sickness and Gorazd dropped me on many of the descending hairpins. The old VW Sharan minivan doesn't quite handle like a team car, especially with me at the wheel and two complaining wiener dogs to make sick. The crowds were awesome as usual, filling the road at the top of the climbs, and also scattering themselves out into some of the more remote spots.

Gorazd finished 123rd out of 186, 10:52 behind stage winner and new maglia rosa Denis Menchov.

After the finish, it became apparent why logistically it was the right choice to follow, as there was literally one road going anywhere near there! I continued past all the other team cars and parked around the curved cliff road 1km away... and I arrived early. Others had to continue even further and walk. In the end, it wasn't too bad. It was a spectacular place for a stage. If you're ever near Genoa or La Spezia or even Pisa, then Cinque Terre is worth a trip for the hiking and the sights. This is the fourth time I've been there, but the first with a bike race.

After the race, I said good bye to my guests from the US, Tim and Caterina. They had a difficult week ahead of them, staying in Corniglia (one of the Cinque Terre, or 'five lands') to enjoy the view. Of course, we didn't have it too bad either, heading off to Florence for the weekend! I studied Italian there many moons ago and was finally able to eat tortellini again at the Palle d'Oro. The owner still remembers me as the American who ate the same thing three times a week for lunch back in 1992!

Oh yeah, Daisy made more friends and Tucker enjoyed the gum and food left on the old streets of Florence.

Pre-Giro Bike Launch

2009-05-14T18:12:00.003+02:00

Last week I stayed at CastelBrando in Cison di Valmarino for the launch of the new SuperSix. The place was fantastic, as was the riding. Journalists from all over the world were there to test the bike. Some articles are already showing up. Here are a few...

Cyclingnews.com
Bicycling.com
Road Bike Action
Velo News

Some of my extra duties involved our guest riders, Jacopo Guarnieri and Roman Kreuziger fresh off his Tour of Romandie win, and some Cannondale Giro extras like some of the special bikes and the pink jerseys from my personal stash. Here are a couple of articles about those events... Seems the American guys liked the access to those things a bit more!

Road Bike Action

We rode some of the roads that featured in the Giro's stage 3 to Valdobbiadene. My Giro has been great so far. We took the journos to the Lido di Venezia for the TTT. I didn't take too many photos, but trust that a good time was had. Oh yeah, we managed to eat great Italian food for the duration!

Here's me at the end of our ride... note the looming clouds and our castle on the hill behind. Yeah, work sucks!

Ramping Up!

2009-04-26T10:28:00.006+02:00

Skies are full of pollen, and l'Etape du Tour is coming sooner than I realize. It's time to get more distance and climbing in the legs, so I took two days off and set out to do just that. Thursday was four and a half hours with 1500m climbing. Friday was short to rest a bit, and Saturday was another four and a half hours, 100km and 1300m - and windy. Granted, not terribly long or fast, but I'm starting to feel good. I was finally able to navigate to the Passwang, which isn't incredibly difficult, but is close to home and has a few twists in it.

Both rides here...

The view from the top of the Passwang. It was getting pretty late by this time, luckily the road home was downhill... a little!

Notice the vertical jump when I forgot to restart the Edge 705! Also the Biel Benken wall with 12% at the end of the ride.

Even with a Garmin, it is faster to navigate with the tried-and-true tape on the top tube!

Oude Kwaremont

2009-04-26T10:14:00.004+02:00

Just a quick one to catch up a bit on postings and races, etc. I got the chance to ride with Chris Milliman in Belgium during the classics trip that spanned Ghent-Wevelgem through Paris-Roubaix. Milliman's a big guy and in far better shape than I. He also takes great cycling photographs. Were it not for the fact that he shot this with my crappy little SD400, here's a 'great' shot of me on the Oude Kwaremont (Tour of Flanders), which we did a couple of times. I now know for a fact that I'm not exactly built for cobblestones!

The Saturday morning before Roubaix was incredible. We saw more Quick Step jerseys than I care to see in one place. There was group after group of Belgian locals out on the famous roads of the Ronde. Right after our ride, we high tailed it down to Compiegne to get our credentials and a meeting with the Mavic guys.

As for Roubaix, Quinziato put in a great effort, but had a little crisis late in the race. Still, 9th place means he's improving in this race and SHOULD be on lists for the future (if only he came from an english-speaking country! More about that later!).

We were able to get to four different points during the race. I passed a grand total of four waterbottles, one dropped by Quinzia. No wheel changes though - my chance at mechanical fame will have to wait another year!

Am I Hip Enough to Wear This?

2009-04-22T15:41:00.004+02:00

Look what arrived in the mail this morning... The Rapha Bernard Hinault Legend t-shirt. I usually don't consider myself to be retro or cool enough to buy cycling clothes/gear that's not either lime green or plastered with the logos of our sponsored team, but I HAD to get this. La Vie Claire was the coolest team of all time (at least when I first got into the sport). Just put this one down to nostalgia as I approach 40 and try to recapture long-lost youth.

The answer? No, I'm not hip enough. Hipsters rejoice! I also won't be building my old Tommasini into a fixie any time soon!

Ghent-Wevelgem

2009-04-11T11:50:00.005+02:00

I had the eleventh-best seat in the house for Wednesday's race (Team Liquigas was car number 11). It started out windy and wet, and it stayed that way for the whole race. The wind blew the group to pieces just 10km into the race. Strong teams like Quick Step totally missed out (ok, Boonen was in the lead group but once he flatted, it was game over for the Belgian powerhouse). Then, it was crash after crash from the front group. Cervelo at one point had almost their whole team in the break. Rabo had 4. Race radio said we had only two! Once we got permission to pass group 2, we found a nice surprise... Fischer had made the break as well! From there, Liquigas poured on the pressure as Alexandre Kuchynski attacked on the second pass of the Kemmelberg. He got away and was soon joined by eventual winner Edvald Boasson Hagen. Once he joined, we knew we were racing for second. Really, Kuchy did great, but the young High Road rider just has a stronger kick. It was nervous in the car for a bit, but what a way to watch a race!

My view...

My photographer's view...

It's Almost Here!

2009-04-01T09:18:00.003+02:00

I was fourteen years old, and had just gotten into this thing called bike racing. I had not yet adopted my 'Dave Stoller' alter ego. Not yet a word of Italian... but we had Paris-Roubaix on CBS. This is how I became a fan of Greg Lemond. Over-produced, edited, schmaltzy, but it was these rare glimpses of pro cycling that gave me the bug. It's also how I built up an appreciation for this incredible race...

Somehow, I now have the luck to 'work' this race for the fourth time! I'll remember to pinch myself from the bleachers in Roubaix to confirm that it's real!

New Life for an Old Friend

2009-03-28T17:09:00.008+01:00

Some bikes tend to stay with you forever. This Silk Path 500 was built with help from an old friend, frame builder extraordinaire Terry Osell from Minneapolis. I laced the wheels up myself in 1997 if I remember correctly. It was my first urban/commuter/city bike and I got it for a song and replaced some parts with some orphaned mtb items. Strangely enough, it was rarely used and sat patiently to be called into service heavily after our move to Basel in 2005.

Since then, it has been my daily commuter, reliably getting me to and from work as quickly as possible. She began to lose spokes in the back lately and after a few attempts at replacing them, a rebuild was necessary. So there she sat yesterday in the stand, sans rear wheel, and I decided to upgrade parts yet again. When you have a spare parts box full of interesting things, team only parts, one-time anodized CODA 900 cranks, etc... you start to get ideas to put new life into an old bike.

After hours of messing about, I finally found all the appropriate parts, correct-length axle, bearings and the rest. I fitted it about ten times before getting the right combination that allowed the arm to clear the seat stays, the chain guide to pass the chain and the correct chainline that the Nexus 7 will expect. I also changed tires, seatpost, lockout knob and fork boot. In all, I saved 855 grams - get this - for free! I can't wait to get the fresh rear wheel back and rock this thing around town this summer!

I'll get a new alloy tubular rack and some new fenders next week as well.

Carbon riser bars, Ergon grips, and the HeadShok "holee" stem from way back when.

Ever seen a CODA 900 crank anodized in crap? Here it is! Some custom hammering and the chain guard continues to function as it likes.

It's funny how a bike built from odd parts can be more fun to ride than your (or my) latest 14.5 pound road bike built from the latest and greatest. Plus, you can't leave that road bike leaning outside of the local bar without losing your desire for a beer!

La Primavera

2009-03-22T11:13:00.007+01:00

So I've been far more active on Twitter lately, so here goes with a quick post-MSR update. I went down to Italy with the dogs for a bit of pre-race errands on Thursday and Friday. Even though MSR is probably my favorite race (along with P-R), I decided that I'd far rather watch it live on tv than make the trip to San Remo. Plus, with the dogs, even though they don't mind catching a big race now and then, it's far easier!

So I headed to Venice and spent Friday morning at the team warehouse doing some catchup with Gianfranco. After that, we busted tail for Milan. I had some frames that I needed Ivan to sign... some lucky chaps will be the recipients of these!

Then, I spent some time with my friends from Mavic, as well as the mechanics. As usual, Arco and the team got the bikes perfect before the race. Arco is so fast - he bends spokes! Don't believe me, check it out... thanks to the fast iPhone camera!

I spent some time with the big favorite for this weekend, Bennati. This was his first San Remo where he wasn't injured or working for a team leader, and he was quite excited. He is in great form right now and was certain that he'd make it with the lead group into San Remo - and he was right. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side. I think it was the final turn that found him out of position and unable to respond to Haussler's attack - sixth. Anyway, he also had a new paintjob for the race... check it out.

So now it's off to Belgium and the rest of the classics!

ToC Wrap Up

2009-02-25T19:01:00.004+01:00

So Cali was decent for us. No big wins but two VERY close calls by Nibali.

My main responsibility was to interpret the flurry of questions being thrown at me, as most of the guys don't speak english. I also sat up on stage with Ivan at the pre-race press conference. It was a bit strange sharing the mic with Lance, Levi, George and Christian. Luckily, once people realized that he'd need interpreter, they lost interest and refocused on Lance. Then the fireworks came with Kimmage's question!

After that, it was to the start and finish of each stage. I also had Andrea Noe as a guest rider for some test rides and retailer rides. That involved some early morning drives and rides as well. We had a good time and some good riding. Rides and shop visits/autograph sessions were arranged with Mike's Bikes in Sacramento, Herb Bauer's in Clovis, and Swami's in San Diego. Here is a photo from the Clovis ride, taken near Millerton Lake.

We also participated in a climbing camp set up by our Philly retailer, Cadence Cycles. It was a great ride in and around the Agora hills. There were about 40 of us total and the instruction by Brian Walton was great. Andrea was a champ, joking around and trying his best to understand english!

The Solvang TT was a let down. Ivan hit his knee and I immediately went into 'take care of Ivan' mode. I did a press statement with him before rushing him off to Santa Monica for an MRI and lunch followed by a long drive down to San Diego. The next morning was an early flight home for him. That was the second of three 5:00 am morning trips to the airport!

Sunday was another early morning followed by my driving of team car #2, after all my statements that I wouldn't do it again! I picked up RoRo, a Facebook friend who took plenty of photos including this one. The crowds were fantastic and the tension high as Nibali went after the stage win. It wasn't to be, however, and we had to settle for second.

I'm now finally getting ready to fly home. Milan, actually. From there, I'll drive down to Massa Marittima for the CFR team camp. More to come from there!

Big thanks also to Richard and Sharon from Speedplay for the hospitality and restaurant tips!

Tour of California Update

2009-02-20T17:14:00.006+01:00

It's been awhile so here goes! First off, please check my Twitter udpates as I'm doing quite a bit more of that from the races. Also, it's been embedded into Cannondale.com's Liquigas page, so expect more info to come there! We've got lots of info there and a ton of videos posted.

The rain of the early stages is behind us now, and everyone's attitude towards California changed rapidly once the sun came out!

I've been traveling with Andrea Noe, our guest rider, doing some nice training on a borrowed System Six (my new Super was broken in transit and I'm looking forward to building another one up once back home). Today, we have the climbing camp (I need it!) with Cadence Cyclery from Philadelphia. It's kind of a day off for me! I won't even see the TT in Solvang today, I've left it up to my partner in crime Scott to take care of our guests. Let's see if he either learns Italian today or discovers how tough my job really is!

Racewise, Nibali and Basso are sitting pretty in the top twenty with determination to climb further up in today's TT. There is a bit of a running joke among the team directors - when Nibali reacted too early to Levi's attack on the climb on stage 2, race radio announced rider number "66" had gone off to bridge. We now call the Shark of the Strait "66" (in a thick Italian accent of course).

Anyone notice that Ivan doesn't really have a big smile in pictures? Is he Liquigas' Mona Lisa?

ToC Arrival

2009-02-12T14:56:00.004+01:00

Four days into my Cali stay and I'm still suffering from the 9 hour difference. Up at 4:30, little sleep, long days with lots to do... it's tiring! Liquigas is pretty well set up. We've provided our freshly-wrapped (green!) truck for the mechanics to call home, along with assistance from James. We also provided plenty of the mechanics' and masseuses requests so they were able to travel a little bit lighter.

On arrival, I unpacked my new bike... freshly built with one ride... and it was broken. Evidently I packed the box a bit too tight and after the security check it was repacked in a hurry. Oh well, I'm set up with a borrowed SRAM System Six... and the replacement is on the way already.

I picked the boys up on Tuesday night, along with AG2R. Immediately off the plane and they looked like a commercial for a cell phone provider...

Yesterday was their first ride followed by lunch and some wind trainer riding. The cold, wet weather here hasn't been conducive to overcoming the jetlag. Today, we've got some journalists coming along for the ride. We're also filming for a commercial spot. Lots of the guys who were behind the scenes from Napoleon Dynamite are shooting here. They're equipped with the (Oakley) Red camera.

Last night was a bit of karaoke in the hotel bar. I'm no stranger to the mic, but there were some pros there who are better than anyone on American Idol!

More to come...