It's Rrrrracin' time!

Hello! Happy New Year and Cycling Season and all that! Off season is officially over. I was so "busy" w/ off season that I couldn't be bothered to post on the blog. I've stayed alive and well which is not always a given with me (though I had a couple of "close calls" that I'd rather not get into). I'm in Santa Rosa now for team camp which officially starts next week. The Bissell Pro Cycling Team has officially been invited to the Tour of California. So that will be our main focus for the next 3 weeks. ToC is a fun one. Ya got the stellar competition, the incredible venues, and all the media and fanfare hoopla. So I'm looking forward to that again. I went on a fairly long ride yesterday and averaged 16.5 mph so I'm obviously fit...16.5! I can't remember the last time that I averaged that low of a speed and wasn't soft pedaling. Keep in mind that I'm on a $9k piece of machinery that is made for speed. Oh well - hopefully it was just the coastal winds and steady downpour that slowed me down.
Right now, the team has rented a house for the month so we're staying in this decent place right out of town. People think we are spoiled pro athletes but sometimes we have to learn to adapt to any situation and still be expected to perform. I'm used to living in a boiler room w/ just enough room for me to sleep and now I'm expected to sleep in this giant master bedroom with a king size bed, fireplace, giant plasma t.v., huge bathroom with a bath tub and separate shower, and access to the back deck. How am I supposed to sleep restfully when the contrast is so great?? People just don't understand our plight. But I have to do this without complaint. It's rough.
On a different note, the new Pinarello Prince is incredible. You bike nerds need to see this bike (and ride it if possible). We have them equipped w/ easton, sram red, speedplay, and fizik saddles which all are awesome but the bike itself is stellar. And I'll go ahead and make the claim that SRAM Red is the best groupo out there. Okay, I've said enough about that. My point is two-fold: a) try the equipment we're on and see for yourself and b) I feel sorry for the other teams that we race against because they are clearly at a disadvantage. Which means more pressure on us to perform, right?
Okay, happy riding to those of you who do so. And for those who don't...buy a bike or something. Just kidding, spare yourselves the discomfort of wearing spandex.
backyard view from team house in Santa Rosa, CA











roughing it at the team house.












aahhh brings a tear to my eye. I'm not sure I'm worthy.