cycling vs. nfl

*full disclosure -- I do some part-time training for the Cincinnati Bengals teaching indoor cycling to supplement on field and weight room work. I know both the guys pictured below.

For those that think their sport is clean and cycling is full of cheats with minimal controls. Front page from the Sports section of today's paper shows players wheeling an altitude tent into their room. Sleeping or resting in this simulates high altitude and raises ones red blood cell count thus elevating one hematocrit level. You can get the same effects through EPO or blood doping. Pro cycling has a maximum allowable hematocric level and tests for it in competion and out. The NFL does not have a test or test for it.

New Podcast for 7/26/07

As always, you can go to itunes.com and search for twojohns or cycling, or bike racing, etc. to find the podcast, or click on the link in the upper right corner.


Is this the bottom for pro cycing? Is it good news or bad that so many cheats are being caught? Who won the Tour last year any how?

Saturday

My friend and former teammate Adam came up from Florida for a weekend of training and racing. I usually train by myself because of my lack of tolerance for people who can't ride a steady, reasonable pace, half wheel, blast through stop lights, etc. Yes, I am becoming a cranky old man. Anyway, Adam and I have put in many kilometers together in training and on the course. It was nice to get back on the road with him.

So anyway, we had 3 good days of training and one good race -- we were 1st and 2nd respectively. Here are some images of the weekend.

Pre ride "preparation" not yet banned by the UCI.

I told Adam this was the all the rage in my neighborhood, he complied.



Check the map, check the Tour, and we're out on the road, a.k.a. God's Country Ohio.



Feed zone in Blanchester. Mmmm, nothing better than the mid-ride hot dog.





5k from the end. Rear flat.

Post ride. Wine? In a giant water bottle?

New Bike

I can't remember who, but during a group ride last week someone asked me what kind of bike he should buy next. It is one of those "I've got a bunch of cash from an insurance settlement" kind of situations.

So, if money is no object, this is a good place to start. Behold, Michael Rasmussen's Colnalgo Extreme-C. The perfect combination of Italian beauty and race-tested function. I did not check on price.


The other John has a Colnalgo in his basement. I think it's a C 40.

New Podcast

Gus says - "Don't end up like this mole! Pin on a number and listen to the new podcast."

Rave(ing) Reviews

Pictured above are the 2 Johns reveiving some "constructive" criticism prior to the start of Saturday's race. I couldn't quite decipher all of it, but I think we need to talk more/less about Freds, our shchtick has been done before, we are/aren't good, I should train 12 hours per week, people who live in Cincinnati are pretenders to world that is amateur (and recently retired professional) bike racing, and I will ride you into the ground. The only thing I know for sure is that they did in fact drop me from the break then lap the field. I did end up 6th though, with Eric taking 3rd.


More advice moments befor the gun. I think it continued after race start, but all I could hear were my loose sleeves flapping in the breeze.

Podcast Soon

This top photo could be an announcement for the next podcast....or it could be part of a subversive 4th of July parade in complete with roving security cameras and genetic engineers. I think one of the Two Johns may now be on the government watch list for attending.

Hey Good Look'in

This is pretty much one of my favorite signs in town. It also depicts Team Huntington at the race in Woodlawn- looking sharp!

Manfeast

Should it be "manfeast" or man feast? Grammar was never my strong suit.

Anyway, yes we are men, and bike racers, and two of us are un-married, but we are not total slobs, therefore our "manfeast" may not live up to what you may expect.

Ours started with a bike washing session.




Notice I am the only one washing while Tom and the other John have already started in on the Chimay.


We then moved on to the feast part of the manfeast.



And then finished it off with some tubular tire glueing. Again notice I am the one doing the actual work.

What do you do when the family's away?

Here's what I did:

1) Went on a group ride at 6:30 p.m. Normally I'll ride during the day or in the a.m. and reserve the evenings for family. The ride turned out to be very speedy and well attended -- more on the ride on the next 2 Johns Podcast.


Here's the other John getting the lay of the land and trying to figure out which group to roll out with.

Here is Dan, the ride organizer, shouting instructions about safety, ride speed etiquette, etc... It all went out the window after about 10k's. Yes, that is a whistle around his neck (more about that on the next podcast).

2) Return from the ride and rehydrate with some fine French Ale brewed according to Belgian tradition.

aaahhhh, there's nothing like that first sip after a fast 85k ride in the heat.

3) Eat a tomato, bleu cheese, onion, olive oil salad.

Hey, the wife's out of town. Who cares about onion breath?

4) Watch a movie that my wife would never watch.

Sophomoric, but funny. Not as much nudity as I expected though.

*I've got one more night on Bachelordom. Man Feast in my newly renovated Man Cave tonight with various teammates, pizza, poker, and more Belgian liquid gold... report tomorrow.

New Podcast - TdF Podium Picks

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