Dog days

Nevertheless, a lot has been happening. After racing the Creampuff, Nelson is on The Continent racing TransAlp. Gant and Grant (I love typing that) rode a super consistent race for the entire BC Bike Race and did themselves proud.

For those with less time on their hands, Portland STXC is keeping Julie, Brynje, David, Dan and Patrick busy. The latter two have been helping bring some little grommets along by holding a junior clinic, and it looks like David wrapped up the Expert 40+ series.

Christian continues to rack up PIR points like there’s no tomorrow. If it’s flat, fast, and hard, he’s your man.

Browning and I decided to race Cascade on a lark. Despite the somewhat last minute decision, we did a credible job of faking it in the 35+ field despite each being on the downslope of some previously decent form. John was 9th on GC and I was 10th.  Aaron Sander also had a very good GC effort.

John, of course, took the Tabor series title the week preceding Cascade. My series result was more a reflection of showing up to race every week than actually riding fast. Sometimes showing up is half the battle, eh?

More to come soon. The mornings have been a bit chilly lately. What does that mean to you?

Kevin Thompson is a farking genius

Why? Because he proclaimed that, after finishing second in the master race tonight, John would assuredly flip-flop what’s become his Wednesday night 1-2 routine by winning the big boy race.

Kevin was right. John finally got the win after a string of close calls. Aaron rode really well, and even though my strength seems to have left my body with the steady stream of green snot I’ve been expelling for several days, I tried to make it hard a few times and covered here and there before just hanging on to the end. John handled it by his own badass self tonight. Tuckerman handed out post-race margaritas. It was lovely.

Tresser gets the shout out for a fourth in the master race, and Dan got a strong third in the fixed category.  Well done lads.

Not to be outdone, Catherine and Ann accomplished their goals of hanging on longer in their respective races than the previous week. A good night.

Finally, although I’m green with envy (and snot), big warm hugs to Gant and Grant while they’re in the midst of the BC Bike Race. What I wouldn’t give…go boys!

Win and out

Bravo celebrated winning the 40+ race at Tabor last week by going out and breaking his collarbone on the mountain bike this weekend. Odds are very good John will be rested, fresh, and ready to break legs come October.

It’s the season of low-impact, easy-to-get-to racing. Gant finished a fine fourth at Tabor last week in the Cat 3s, and Dan Porter and Nelson Snyder pushed OFS at last night’s STXC to good finishes. The ladies of Cyclepath Racing are emerging too, with Julie, Brynje and Catherine all racing Monday night. Team co-DS Joshua Hutchens showed up to prove shop owners really can ride, and ride well.

David Diviney finished 3rd in the Expert 40+ at Pickett’s Charge and rode well at the next day’s STXC. Gant and Grant are about ready to graduate from Cyclepath Racing’s triathlete rehabilitation program by starting the BC Bike Race later this week.

On the road side, Aaron Sander and Patrick Wilder soldiered through Elkhorn for admirable GC efforts in the pro/1/2 and 3 fields, respectively. Finally, John Browning is sitting pretty atop the Tabor series standings.

It’s the BBA. Ask John.

Word is apparently getting around

Hardware

The super-domestique rushes to take the 2008 OBRA Road Race Vice-Champion’s steed.

“Some tall skinny guy beat me, but I waxed everyone else.”

Summer starts with Tabor #1

I have a man crush on John Browning. Who wouldn’t?  He won the masters race trying to lead out Tresser, who came in with John for the Cyclepath Racing 1-2.  John then coyly worked the 1/2 race, slipping away with young Rathe to take second to the kid.  Sander dug hard in the sprint for 7th after riding aggressively all night, and I gambled and lost on a bad line to finish 12th after going across to a move or two that looked good.

Bravard hung tough and was right there.  In the 3s, Diviney gutted it out with the whippets on their own terrain and Patrick picked up a $40 prime, trading glory for cash. He’s smart like that.  Porter flew the funk flag with a fifth in the fixxxie field. Fantastic.

Tabor rules in any weather. Clark works his ass off to make these races happen. Thank him the next time you see him for nurturing one of the real gems of racing in Portland.

Firecracker

A sweet course where Cyclepath was the primary sponsor put on by our friends at Half Fast Velo. The Cyclepath boys showed up in force.  Nelson rode really fast and took the Single Speed gold.  Porter rode less fast and got the silver.   Gant had a nice ride and place 3rd in the expert ranks. 

Nelson

Snyder won the 24 hour shindig in Spokane.  Yikes.

Summer’s here

And with it, more racing.  John Browning put in an impressive ride to take 4th on GC in the 35+ field at Mt. Hood.  I’ll give John an unofficial best Oregon rider designation, as someone whose name is pronounced Gar-thee-ya might not qualify.  (Seriously, props to David for a great ride, too.)  Debate the merits of masters racing all you want, but those guys are strong as hell.  Aaron Sander gutted out a good ride in the Cat 2 field, and threw down a particularly impressive TT. 

On the dirt side, PeeDubba was the fastest semi-pro (again!) at Bear Springs, which I consider the finest XC race in Oregon.  The curse of Bear Springs struck me, but I’ll say that I was happy with how I rode when I was on the course and not ripping down a moto trail wondering why things were all quiet and lonely.

Last but not least, and perhaps most importantly, Cyclepath Racing wishes to note that the 2008 racing debut of John Bravard occurred at PIR last night.  That’s right, folks: the season of impossibly red-faced suffering is upon us.  Welcome back, Bravo.

Cooper Spur circuit 35+

John Browning had a great ride Thursday. It looks like he was 4th, 14 seconds down, after cramping in the last km. From John:

“Best part was the course and riders making the splits. No wanker negative racing. My legs ache and it’s only day one.

Peace.”

What more can you want? Go get ‘em John.