Which bike is better? Team Corsa Carbonio 2003 or Team Alex C1 2005?

I have both of these and aren't sure which is better. C1 is full carbon. Avanti is 200g lighter. I think I'll sell one and keep one.

CoT Blog posts of all time

From 15 April 2006 - Present (2 June 2006) the totals are as follows:

Gunsle - 34
Timmy - 12
Monster - 8
Ant - 2

56 posts total.

2 posts is not really much of an effort.

CoT Blog Posts Count

Since the 10/5 the counts is including this post

Gunsle - 17
t(e) - 5
Monster - 3
TheKillerAnt - 1

Gunsle

The Ultimate Monster Sandbagging Specialized.....

After much deliberation, I've worked out the Ultimate bike for Monster.

Given the list of requirements I took all these in to consideration when working out the bike to best suit Monsters needs.

• Stiff for Out Sprinting friends @ Pedestrian Crossings on short irregular training rides when it's not raining
  
• Light for Climbing up the 1/20 where you want to smash your mates.
  
• Responsive handling for Crit Racing
• Compliance for sitting on the back all day absorbing all the pot holes that haven't been pointed out by cunt$ up ahead who are shitty with you for sitting on all day not taking a turn.
• Perfect Body Geometrical Size for Monster
  
• Cheap for a Tighta$$ fucker.
• Customized asthetics for grade sharking, obviously this is very important when asking for B grade, you don't want them to see you on a bike that turns too many heads or they'll think you belong in a higher grade.
• Available on eBay as that's the only place Monster ever buys things from these days. Yes he's adickhead. I mean addicted.

So I decided on this Shogun Ninja Road bike.

Shogun Ninja Road Bike. 56cm Frame. Full 16 speed Shimano RSX gears, Shimano RSX brakes, Ridgida Wheels, Shimano RSX STI leavers, VP clipless pedals, San Marco non slip saddle. This bike was purchased new for $1200.

As you can see from the photo this bike is in as new condtion. It would not have be ridden more than 500km. It has been garaged its entire life.

This bike also comes with a rear tail light, Sigma Sport BC 800 cycle computer, two drink bottle stands, and a San marco tube carry bag.

If you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask.

Thanks,

Conrad

Excellent condtion

I honestly belive this bike to be perfect for Monster, my reasons for this are as follows.

1. Price, always his No.1 consideration, this bike is well priced @ $400 should fit within his Tighta$$ budget. Also and almost more importantly it Cost $1200 so Monster will enjoy the fact that some poor fucker has lost $800 on this bike and he's getting an ABSOLUTE Bargain. He's not happy unless someone else is losing out. Make him feel better.
   
2. It's on eBay, Monster doesn't buy from anywhere else.
3. It's a racing bike that is UCI Legal
4. Has a Steel Frame which will be very compliant when he's sitting on the back coping those Pot Holes.
   
5. Asthetically it suits his sandbagging/grade sharking needs.
   
6. It's done less than 500km, like monster it's not likely to clock up many Kms.
   
7. Being Steel it should be stiff enough for those crossing sprints.
8. Light, um well yeah it's cheap that's important.
9. Responsive, um it has um Fork Trail. I don't know the Head Tube angle or Fork Rake but um it was cheap.
10. It's a 56cm so should be near enough for Monster

So yeah basically the Ultimate bike for monster.

Bid Away Lad...

Gunsle.

This reminds me of the start of the Macedon Ranges Teams Classic

Hey guys, have a read of this diary.

Ant, you honestly can learn a lot from this article by reading it carefully. I say this to you Ant coz you have less racing experience than the rest of the CoT.

I found the first 11 paragraphs very accurately describes what it is like to ride in a massive bunch on narrow roads into cross winds (just like the Macedon Ranges Teams Race). He also talkes about how the starts are very dangerous coz everyone wants to be at the front and how riders ride 1 inch from the edge of the road. (Rob R probably lacked the experience/hard-man/psycho attitude needed to survive the first 10kms of a crazy start, much like the start of a Bay Series Crit.). This racing in the Netherlands sounds pretty full on, I reckon it would be cool fun (but for hard men only). I reckon a fit Steeley would love it.

"I have developed some good tactics to make it to the finish. One is screaming abuse, this often stops crazy Dutchman from doing something stupid in front of you. Another is to get angry and very aggressive in how you ride, letting no-one push you around. It's like when you go to jail, you should find the biggest baddest guy and knock his arse out."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2006/diaries/dflcn/?id=jeremy0601

INEXA The Great Mystery

Ok here's some points on the INEXA.

Here is their Geometry Chart From their website.
Facts

• These geometries provided are at the very least VAGUE! They provided no head angle, seat angle, front centre, rear centre, fork rake and certainly no trail.
  
• They are also Untrue, the top tube measurements stated are incorrect. What the hell is B & C? They appear to be the same? But the measurements are different. 1 can only assume that one is Actual Top Tube Length and that the other is Virtual Top Tube Length, if this is the case the longer of the two measurements should be the Virtual Top Tube Length because it deviates from the true line of the top tube, this deviation of course makes the length longer. The REAL Virtual Top Tube Measurement of the XL is only 58cm a far cry from the 60cm they state. The M's REAL Virtual Top Tube Length is only 53.5cm.
  
• Monster rides a L for argument sake.
  
• Ricky Peoples Fell on the last corner in A Grade @ Glenvale crescent last December, after the fall it was found that his fork had snapped of with a clean break @ the top of the Alloy shim. Did the fork break first or because of the fall?
• A friend of the WA Sales representative was out on a ride with his buddy, the Rep, and his Fork Snapped off clean whilst riding along a flat road. It was found to have snapped CLEAN off @ the top of the fork crowns Alloy Shim,
• Hence INEXA put out a voluntary recall of all their forks on the C1 Bikes.
  
• This secret recall was so well advertised that they only informed you if you first asked about it.
• Then a customer who hadn't heard about the SECRET RECALL was riding in the 'Great Tasmanian Bike Ride' and when crossing some train tracks in Launceston when her forks suddenly snapped, funnily enough, clean break, on the steerer @ top of the alloy crown shim.
  
• So you tell me, did Ricky Peoples fork break as a result of the accident or did it break and cause the accident? You decide.
  

Timmy's Body Geometry Bike Fit...

Fuck you Timmy, I don't wanna charge you shit. I'll work on a referral process. It'll be good practice anyway.
I'll be better equipped once we get the new shop. But I can do it now.

Bring both bikes in some time.
Some points to make.

• Both bike ARE completely different, ie different materials and different geometry so you can only do as much to set them up similar, they'll still handle and feel different no matter how much you do.
• Umm hang on I think there was more points.
• Your Specialized frame has a 73.5degree seat tube and head tube with a 40mm Raked fork. This will handle dramatically different to a Colnago which for a similar size has a 73degree seat tube but a 72.13degree head tube with a 43mm raked fork.
• This means the trail of each bike is a world apart. Put these figures into a TRAIL Calculator.
• http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/elenk.htm
• The head angle is first 72.13 for the Colnago and 73.5 for the Specialized
• Then the wheel diameter 67.8cm (typical for most 23c road tyres.)
• Then the fork rake 4.3cm for the Colnago and 4.0cm for the Specialized.
• The Colnago has a Trail of 6.4cm the Specialized has a trail of 5.9
• These figures basically give you a true reading of the stability and responsiveness of each bike.
• The lower the figure the more twitchy & responsive a bike is.
• The higher the figure the less responsive and more relaxed a bike is.

That is why I think a Specialized Roubaix bike would be Puuurrrrffeeect for you.

Your Colnago has a long wheel base as it is designed as a bike to be good over long distances and rougher roads. The downside of this is the sluggish and relaxed steering. Which makes it less versatile for shorter racing with more corners etc. i.e. Crits.

Where as the Specialized Roubaix is a world apart from it's brother the Allez. It has a wheel base of 1010mm (5mm longer than the LONG Colnago. ) and 27mm longer than the Specialized Allez you currently ride.

BUT!!! And here's the biggy. The specialized has a 72.5degree head tube, similar to the colnago, but has the new custom made 49mm Rake forks that Specialized make themselves. In the past forks have only been available in 40,43 & 45mm, limiting the head tube and handling of frames.

So the Specialized Roubaix still pulls out a Trail figure of 56mm meaning it will handle as well as any bike (my tarmac is also 56mm trail) around corners but still be long and compliant over the longer rides and rougher roads.

So here is a bike that can be raced in crits and can be competitive, is light (lighter than my Tarmac), still extremely stiff in the BB and Torsionally stiff so that it corners well, but being a long wheel base and carbon will be super comfy and compliant on long rides and rough roads.
In a 56cm this frame weighs only 1065grams (1455gram including fork!!)

This frame is also the only frame in the Specialized Range that Shares the super expensive E390 Carbon that is also used exclusively on the Specialized Tarmac SL. For interest sakes my Tarmac uses the cheaper E294 Carbon and most carbon manufacturers generally use the cheaper again E240 carbon(Also known as T700 carbon which is the widest used carbon in the bicycle industry.).

The roubaix also features the Zertz dampening in the fork, handlebar and seat tubes. Making it their best combination of compliance, weight and stiffness. Over 50% of the Gerolsteiner Team ride the Roubaix, MORE than ride the SuperLight Tarmac SL.

Also the roubaix has an extended head tube so that handlebar can be a little higher without the need of a stack of spacers.

Gunsle-Doesn't like to hard sell but thinks Timmy is a major candidate for a bike more suited to his needs.

Da Kasierbikes, Da spunky yikes!!

The Big man Jan Ullrich now has his own line of bikes for sale. They are available as frame sets only, and I reckon are pretty damn sexy!! I alway think the Euro's know their style better than the yanks. Here are two of the better models:

Da Spiffy "Olymp" Und Da Sexyer "Grand Tour"

Da Granda Tour ist Da reported at ist 5.89 kg und will make dat difficultun to riden in da UCI cycleishtan racenspline. Und eina minutten, eina minutten.... Das ist notten ine boobies!!!!

T(e)einflienkensplein..

Le Stolen Car Take 2:

Ok.
Here is T9e0's take on the whole stolen car issue. I would like to raise a couple of different scenarios of said stolen car and their outcomes:

Take 1:
Car was stolen by some drug dealing killer type from the northern Territory and Gunsle found it thus:

Take 2:

A European super model "aquired" the car in Ringwood, was feeling homesick for more european climates and Gunsle found the car thus:

Take 3:

One of Melbourne's gangland MoFo's "Borrowed" the car, picked up one of his "Hommies", drove to Lygon st with some "Bling" to find some "Bitches", but got distracted by some "Booty":

Or I could be wrong about the whole thing, but...... Oh crap Gunsle, drive man, drive!!!

Too late......

Le Beast, Le Stolen, Le Crashed, Le Dead.....

Le Sometime between Le 10am-3:45pm Le Yesterday, Le Tuesday 30th of Le May, Some Le Prick, or Le Pricks, Le Stole this Le Beast from outside my Le Workplace, LE TOUR.
I Le walked to the Le Ringwood Le Police Station, where I Le reported it Le Stolen.

Last Le Night, Le Cops, Le Rang, Le Men to tell me they'd, Le Found it. It had been Le Crashed and Le Driver had Le Pissed Le Off. Le Passenger was Le Injured and was taken to Le Hospital, so Le Beast had been Le Towed to a Le Tow Yard, where it is Le Waiting for Me to Le confirm it being Le Written Le Off.
So I'm gunna drive there now, to Le Huntingdale, Le Macks Towing to inspect it. I'll take some photos.
It was Le Crashed in Le High St Le Ashburton.
Le Cops said it was a Le write-off but I'll Le Decided myself, since I have a pretty good Le Knowledge of these Le Commodores.

Le Fucking, Le Spewing, No Le Insurance, Not my Le Car, Now I gotta Le Pay for either another Le Car for my cousin or Le Money for a Le New one.

Le Gunsle


Le P.S. I Le wish I Le knew which Le Hospital Le Passenger was Le In cause I could Le go and Le Strangle Le Fucker or Le Cut off his Le Lifesupport.

2006 Macedon Ranges Teams Classic

20 teams of 7 = 140 riders entered. 138 riders took to the start line. 2 riders from each team were nominated to start in the front group of 40 riders on the start line. The BBN team captain (Guy G.) nominated Wayne E. and Steve M. to start at the front. The other 5 riders from each team had to fight it out at the back off the start line in a group of 98 riders. It turned out that VB and GG found themselves positioned well in the front group of 40 so Wayne and Steve suggested they stay there and chose to fight it out amongst the masses.

The race started very nervously with a lot of close calls (near crashes) and stop-starting, with most riders very eager to make their way to the front. Accelerate, brake, accelerate, brake for the first couple minutes then BANG, the pace was on. The first KOM was at the 8km mark and this is where Rob R. lost contact with the main bunch. Many riders were dropped before him, at the same time as him, and just after him. He formed a chase group which either picked up or flew past riders being dropped left, right, and centre. Their chase was futile, as the peleton covered the first 18kms at an average speed of over 47km/h (with over 100km still to travel). I never saw Andrew Rolland during the race but assume he was dropped within the first 18km and continued chasing with a group.

Guy, Steve, Wayne, VB, and Jamie all completed the first 2 laps (60km without incident) in the peleton, avoiding the odd crash here and there, and averaging over 44km/h to this point. A few kms into the 3rd lap (of 4) there was a sudden urgency at the front of the peleton and the field of around 65 riders was strung out, single file, into a crosswind, doing around 50km/h. Guy (being both strong and wise) was towards the front, while VB, Jamie, Wevans, and Stevie were unfortunately too far back (somewhere between the middle and two-thirds of the way back) when the pace went crazy. Gaps started opening up and we attempted to jump across and bridge but the pace up front was relentless. We formed a chase group of around 15 riders and picked up riders as they continued to be shed from the peleton. At the end of lap 3 most of this group pulled out of the race but Wevans and Stevie continued for the final 30km lap. Joined by a few other riders, the group of 5 or 6 finished only 10 minutes behind the peleton, with Stevie and Wevans finishing in 48th and 49th place (7 seconds in front of their small group due to a well timed attack on the last rise approx. 1km from the finish). Average speed for these 2 boys was over 38.5km/h.

Of the 20 Teams entered, only 14 teams finished with 3 riders, with BBN finishing 12th overall (based on first 3 riders from each team). BBN also finished 4th out of the 7 Club Teams entered.

New Dog Food Ads from NZ.....

Some funny pics a friends sent me.

Lunch @ Le Tour

t(e) & Gunsle share a lunch break.
Le Tour
The new Beast

Mmmm Cans.... I mean Cannes....

Some nice pics of the Cannes film festival..
You should recognise all of them.

T.

Chris Winn now has a Blog too!!

Well our Brother in Cycling & Legendary Mountain Bike Racer dude, with Kick-Ass Sideburns CHRIS WINN! Now has a Blog TOO! He's even used the same skin as us! So he obviously has taste!!

Anyway it's worth a read.
I'm pretty sure you've all met Chris, he's a top bloke.

Gunsle

New CoT challenge..

Maybe one for the teams event at Macedon??

Water-carriers battle in the Giro
Cycling is traditionally divided into stars and water-carriers and while battle rages at the top of the Giro d'Italia rankings between stars such as Ivan Basso, José Gutierrez and Paolo Savoldelli, a literal contest among water-carriers has been going on further back.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport Quick-Step's José Antonio Garrido recently set a new record by carrying 16 water bottles simultaneously from the team car to his team-mates. With one bottle in his mouth, two in the cages on the bike, two in his pockets, six under the front of his jersey, and five under the back, Garrido lugged over five litres of water to his team-mates.
In yesterday's stage, Fabio Sacchi (Milram) beat Garrido's record by carrying 18 water bottles simultaneously, but Garrido thinks he can beat the Italian. "I've already done a test, and think I can manage 20 bottles," he said.
There's more than just bragging rights at stake too. At the end of the Giro on Sunday, Italian cycling legend Francesco Moser will present a prize to the man who manages to carry the most bottles: a bottle of wine for each of the bottles carried. "It will be a kind of miracle: water will be turned into wine!" said Moser.

Can't Post Photos!!! :(

TheKillerAnt is BACK

The ANT is BACK!!

MoFoZors!! was up?

Im back, Im sexy, Nearly time for the full leg wax as my form is almost back...

WEvans Crashes Out on Wet Rainy Day.

This morning WEvans was reported to have crashed out. The accident which occured whilst out training on his own (apparently his specialized training regime didn't suit his team mates or training buddies) on Canterbury Rd, Kilsyth.
He feared for his life as a he tried to change from the edge of the road and the lip on the edge of the road caught him and he fell off sliding towards the traffic. Cars braked, skidded and swerved to avoid him and a motorist was reported to have had to help him to get up and remove his foot from his pedal as he had become trapped under the bike.
He re-grazed the wounds from a similar fall a few weeks ago.
But was cheery enough to say he'll be back out there soon.

Gunsle

Stupid Questions about Gunsle's Diff on eBay

Q: forgot to ask when in melb r u?
A: I'm in Melb most of the time. I live in Bayswater.

Q: how you going i have 2 auto meter gauges one being a monster tacho with shift light and the other an oil pressure was wondering if you would be interested in a swap for the diff? both are almost brand new and in perfect condition and are white faced. would you be interested?
A: Hmmmm sounds interesting. But I can't fit Myself, the Mrs + 4 kids in a Monster Tacho? And it my struggle to tow my caravan. Even if I do get enough $$$ to buy my next car I don't think a Monster Tacho and Oil Pressure Switch will be that helpful in my 7-Seater Nissan GQ Patrol.

Q: hi, i have a used but in good condition blue healer, can probably tow the caravan down hill, give hours of fun for the kids and the wife, and is experienced in patrol interior remodelling, tempted? seriously, how are the clutch packs(both wheels turn together and cannot hold one and turn the other)p.s i have pidgeon and goldfish too.


Here's a question about Des's Campagnolo Zonda Wheelset on eBay.

Q: Pot f'ing hole. I told Des I wanted these frigin wheels. Why the fark did he get you to put them on Ebay? He knew I was waiting for him to drop them off to you for me to look at. I told him I would buy them off him then sell my awesome scirocco's on Ebay myself. Where does he get off doing this to me? Doesn't matter - no-one will buy them coz the hubs are screwed and the 2nd hand tyres are nearly worn out and the rims are worn.
A: Thanks for your query on these wheels. Obviously you know the true condition of these wheels so your not eligible to bid on them. Ill post your question for other bidders to read. Thanks for shopping with TheBikeAuctionGuy

T-Lowe in Volta a Catalunya

24th on GC in 86th Volta a Catalunya, Spain.
22nd place in the 4th Stage.
2nd place Discovery Channel Rider on GC.
He'd have to be happy with that and keep the team happy too.

Gunsle

Update!!
Final GC in the tour T-Lowe finished 21st!!!!

1 David Canada (Spa) Saunier Duval-Prodir                     25.06.26
2 Santiago Botero (Col) Phonak Hearing Systems                0.02
3 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R Prevoyance                     0.08
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Phonak Hearing Systems                 0.35
5 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel                     0.48
6 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) T-Mobile Team                         0.57
7 Francisco Mancebo (Spa) AG2R Prevoyance                1.11
8 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears       1.24
9 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank                                1.27
10 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears          1.35
20 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner                         3.29
21 Trent Lowe (Aus) Discovery Channel                         3.33
37 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto                          9.48
52 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram                                         12.59
76 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole                               26.49
80 Erik Dekker (Ned) Rabobank                                                                          27.48
84 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom                       29.12
92 Stuart O'grady (Aus) Team CSC             32.13

Ghey CoT? I guess we've all been a little ghey @ some stage...

Winner By a Country Mile!!

A Close 2nd

3rd Place
Hmm maybe if I bend over just a bit more....

4th and the Original

5th Place

"Yeah, I think pink is my colour, actually I reckon I might paint my wang pink to go with the kit"

Thursday DISC racing results - 20th April 2006

Joe Ciavola Velodrome, Melbourne, Australia
Apr 20 2006
Mike Goldie

Results
A Grade 36 lap (9 KM) Scratch Race
1 Steve Martin Blackburn (Steve was fresh)
2 Stuart Vaughan Hawthorn
3 Ivor Reid Scotland

A Grade 36 lap (9 KM) Point Score
1 Ivor Reid Scotland
2 Stuart Vaughan Hawthorn
3 Steve Martin Blackburn (Scottish guy just got over Steve in the final sprint - so close!)

A Grade 36 lap (9 KM) Scratch Race
1 Ivor Reid Scotland
2 Steve Sansonetti Northcote
3 Stuart Vaughan Hawthorn
5 Steve Martin Blackburn (Steve was fully stuffed)

Hey guys, just some results from the Thursday night DISC track racing. Steve is planning on getting out there at least once a month. How about you?

Have you seen this rider???

Apparently there are some riders who have the ability to teleport during races. This phenomena was captured on Saturday at Crib Point.

Either that or the rider has a "Blur" mode to confuse his opponents...

The Bikes I Rode.

Specialized Tarmac SL Full Record Krapsium SL Wheels.

Specialized Tarmac SL With Dura-Ace and Krapsium ES Wheels.

Specialized S-Works Stump Jumper with Brain Shock.
And Specialized S-Works Carbon Epic with Brain

Here's some of the bikes I Rode whilst in the USA.

Gunsle

Colin Rourke's Blog Spot

Hey you guys know Colin Rourke, the old painter guy that comes into Le Tour and races with Carnegie? He does Nth Rd ride and stuff. He's friends with Bruce Wills.

Anyway seems I showed him to much about blogging now he's got one.

http://www.colinrourke.blogspot.com/

Gunsle

The REAL story....

Ok, we have heard a lot about our good friend Steeley in the good O US of A, but I have unearthed the real facts about his story to try to get into Universal Studios....

After Steeley let another one rip before bording his plane..

(I know it's a reoccurring theme, but you should have been in the van at the TOFH!)

He bumped into a dodgy bastard who reckoned he could scam some tickets to get into Universal Studios....

Which caused a rare and hardly ever seen phenomena of Steeley running. Now I am still yet to see this so I can only imagine what Steeley running would look like....

(Maybe something like this..)

Although I did hear he made a new friend in America...

But he finally was able to flee the scene and catch a plane back to the greatest country in the world (where else but Australia!). The only problem is that a lady friend that he got rather friendly with while OS found out where he lives and is currently on her way over...

Welcome back O valued CoT member!! Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures!!

Net terminals.......

well I've seen a few now, this ones smells like sweaty ass crack, lovely, the price I pay for keeping up with you guyz....

A dude tried to con or rob me this morning giving me help getting to Universal, he said he worked thereand could get a $145VIP entry for $30. He showed me which buses to catch etc. Then made what appeared to be a dodgy phone call to his boss apologizing for being late and asking for a Staff Discounted entry forhis 'brother-in-law'.
I think it was dodgy so when he went to his supposed office, i fucked off fast.

funny really.
He asked if i had cash and i said NO the he suggested i withdraw some, i said i can't, i havve to pay by Credit Card. Then he went to his office or some shit @ kodak theatre on the way in holywood i ran off, suitcase and all. He wasn't big or anything but sus. more later...


Comon guyz.....Blog Me I got 2hrs....

Gunsle

Santa Monica Bikeshop...

Found a bikeshop in Santa Monica, this place is cool, it's dark now and it seems like it comes alive at night. I bought some Chamois Creme and a Jittery Joes jersey for Pothole. I also bought some cool Pearl Izumi socks as gifst for you guys. My money is running out now thought. Just transferred some online.

Bike shop was cool, busy as!!! Used to be a SuperGo store.
They had S-Works Road shoes but only in 39 and 48. $149US!!! Cheap they were the older 2005 model though. They don't sell Specialized and more.

I need some footbeds for myself when I get home.

Gunsle

TOFH KOM - Saturday 8th April

Steve on his way to a valuable 3 second time bonus and $5 cash for 2nd place in the first KOM (stage 2) at the TOFH. Too bad Steve cramped on the 4th and final KOM of the stage (around the 78km mark) and lost 9 mins 16 seconds! Steve rode around 145kms total for the day (stage 1 was approx 40kms that morning). He also hurt his knee because he hadn't lowered his saddle position after changing his pedals, shoes, and saddle. Steve abandoned the tour during stage 3 at the same time as former tour leader and stage 1 winner, Andrew "Big Man" Steele who has now retired from cycling.

CoT well represented at Lang Lang!?

Hey there. I turned up to Lang Lang and entered B grade at 1pm (so did Guy Green and over 60 other people). I decided that was soft so I changed to A grade at 1:15pm. Other A grade riders included Pat Shaw, Robert Crowe, Murray Spink, Vaughan Bowman, Wayne Evans, Justin Davis, etc. etc. I did about an 8km warm up then started the race in pole position. The first 5kms was under control and coz I'm so strong and not weak I sat on the front for the first 3km (also to complete my warm up). I then slotted into the peleton and got serious about the race. I stayed near the front up the hill to Poowong (sat second wheel on Bring Sing I think his name is). After Poowong an attack went with a few riders but we caught them after around 8 or 9 kms. Another attack went (including Murray and Crowe) and we caught them too. Bring Sing nearly came down after being chopped into the gutter by Pat Shaw and some guy wearing a pink jersey (they were really pissed off at him as was the whole bunch coz he was blocking for Murray and wouldn't roll through).

We hit Heath Hill and I rolled past the strugglers (including VB and Wevans) and stayed with the front of the race (6 of us away). VB was next on the road in "no man's land". I tried to wait for him to catch up (by not pulling hard turns) but we were going too quick. He dropped back to form a chase group with Wevans and about 5 others. They chased for around 5 kms before catching us then Matt Chessum and I rolled off the front of the bunch (at around the 60km mark). We saw that we had a gap on the peleton so we started working together. We got 100+ metres then Robert Crowe tt'd across on his own. With 3 of us working well together we pulled away until we got out of sight. We were still out of sight when we got to the final ascent of the race (Heath Hill) which is about 20kms from the finish.

Chessum got dropped as soon as the hill started, leaving just me and Crowe. I felt absolutely great apart from starting to feel my legs on the verge of cramping so I backed it off a bit and paced myself gently up the climb. Pat Shaw and Bring Sing were flying up the climb behind me (everyone else was still out of sight). I jumped on Brian's wheel and was following these 2 guys back up to Crowe. Brian dropped Pat's wheel and apologised to me so I jumped around him and set off after Pat. I was third on the road and feeling great apart from cramps starting. I eased up and decided to work with Brian to get back to the 2 leaders (I did not see him as a threat in a sprint). We got over the top of Heath Hill with Pat only about 25 metres in front and Crowe about 20 metres in front of him. I was confident I'd get back on them easily. This was about the best I've ever done in a 100km A grade Combine Road Race. I started thinking that if I don't cramp I'm a certainty for a top 3. I was so hungry for the win and feeling great....apart from that bloody friging cramp!!!

At the 81.5km mark it happened (just 16 flat kms from the finish). My left hamstring cramped up and there was nothing I could do about it. Gone were my goals of a top 3 A grade finish for Le Tour. Gone were my goals of a top 3 finish for the CoT. I couldn't pedal. I had to pull over and was stopped for about 7 minutes. I watched Murray chase the 3 leaders (he only caught and passed Brian, the other 2 were gone, Crowe taking first and Pat taking 2nd). Then there was a gap back to a chasing Justin Davis then a massive gap back to a very small bunch including VB and Wevans. I just watched them all go past from the side of the road.

Gunsle Still grounded.....

Here I am boyz still present on the Blog.
Just paid $12.50 for 2hrs internet couldn't get better value blogging for that!!!

Blog away I'll be here until the final boarding call @ about 12:30

This PC is pretty cool even has firefox so I've got like my standard 10tabs open.
Hotmail, CoT Blog, Blogger, Cyclingnews, GameKnot, Angelteens Porn Forum. j/k that was for timmy.

The net connection is pretty crapz0r though, I'm used to my ultra-speed cable connection, this is broadband but not what I'm used to. Pages take like 2-3seconds to load.

I was worried about my flight being delayed causing problems @ LAX connection to San Jose but apparently Qantas organize all that sh!t automatically whilst ur in the air. Thanks for your help with the phone number Ant.

I love you guys...

Gunsle


P.S. How good is this Blog....seriously.

Rich(e) is finally racing!!

Athens Twilight Criterium - NE
Athens, GA, USA, April 29, 2006

ResultsPro Men
1 Vassili Davidenko (Navigators)
2 J.J Haedo (Toyota-United Pro Cycling)
3 Gord Fraser (Health Net)4 Brice Jones (Jelly Belly)
5 Viktor Rapinski (Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home Wines)
6 Trent Wilson (Jittery Joe's)
7 Richard England (Priority Health)
8 Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United Pro Cycling)