Reid and I met up with Scottie and rolled to Floyd, touched the Blue Ridge Parkway. 87 miles 4:48 ride time. A good start to a weekend training camp to get us rolling for the fall races.
15 hours ago
Univest Grand Prix 2002
Recieving Univest Grand Prix 2002 Best local Rider award
Friday, August 14, 2009
Training with Scottie and Reid
Reid and I met up with Scottie and rolled to Floyd, touched the Blue Ridge Parkway. 87 miles 4:48 ride time. A good start to a weekend training camp to get us rolling for the fall races.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Photo links
My Blogging is lacking I tend to tire myself out to much to think about blogging. Here are some links.
Pictures and some results of the races
Zele 7/12/2009
Photos http://www.cyclingnews.nu/fotopaginas%202009/ZeleHeikant12-07-2009.htm#Zondag
Results http://www.cyclingnews.nu/uitslagen/2009/Zele12-07-2009.pdf
Sinaai 7/13/ 2009
Photos http://www.cyclingnews.nu/wedstrijdverslagen%20weg%202009/Sinaai13-07-2009.htm#13
Wachtebeke 7/14/2009
Photos http://www.cyclingnews.nu/wedstrijdverslagen%20weg%202009/Wachtebeke14-07-2009.htm#14
Results http://www.cyclingnews.nu/uitslagen/2009/WachtebekeOudeSluis14-07-2009.pdf
My Pictures from to and from Wachtebeke
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=2394795&id=6228845&ref=mf
Borsbeke 7/19/2009
Photos http://www.cyclingnews.nu/fotopaginas%202009/Borsbeke19-07-2009.htm#Zondag
Strijpen 7/20/2009
Results http://www.cyclingnews.nu/uitslagen/2009/Strijpen20-07-2009.pdf
Reid’s blog he I keeping up with the daily reports
Monday, July 13, 2009
Belgium 2009
So last year I was going to blog about my 2008 week to
Maybe this year I will blog about my 2009 Belgian trip, it is the same week that I came last year so a chance at the same races. So far, it is a different trip. I am staying at Kenneth’s new apartment in Balegem, Be. It is located just north of the Flemish hills, perfect for exploring and training on the RvV (Tour of Flanders) hills and course. The town is a lot quieter than
Kenneth and his girlfriend have been taking care of us and it is an amazing trip, strait into the culture of the country. Catching up with Kenneth’s family has been great; they are some of the most generous people I have ever met.
Last year I was returning form my suspension and had been putting some huge endurance training, and I put out some strong results for my one week in
This year I have been going well in the USA, so the races in Belgium I felt would go better but the styles are to different and I am missing the fire I had last year. The weeks leading up to the 2009 Belgian trip were very stressful and my training was not as I would have liked. I thought I would be okay.
So far, I have been tired. The lacks of training and mistakes have delivered what I see as poor performances. Sunday we raced in Zele, Be. We left late to the race and I jammed up there. Then once in Zele I was unable to find the race and it demoralized me. We found the race 30min after I thought I started but they said we had 10min until the start. In the race I felt great and made, what I thought would be the break to the finish but I weakened due to lack of water because of not preparing correctly after being late. My final group was going for something in the teens but I did not contest due to the disappointment.
Monday I returned to Sinaai for the same course I place 7th the year before, Kenneth drove us to the race so I felt the pressure was on but my mind was not in it and I was feeling the 140miles that I did on Sunday. I sat last wheel for the first four laps and then moved up to just miss the move. I rode until two laps to finish and I thought my group was going for something in the 20s so I quit. I was a bit upset with myself. The race was won by Guy Smet winner of the 2008 Tour de Faso, I would have been lucky to hold his wheel on a good day. Last year at this race, I had a norm power of 304 and average of 284. This year my power meter broke in the race due to the rough roads but it would have been lucky to have an average power of 240.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sanofi-aventis Omnium, Roan Groan Road Race, Time Trial, Crit
Blue Plumb bike race weekend
Photo: Dave Boyd
So I was nervous about the road race and wanted to get in the early move and make it a hard day, mission accomplished. I am not good at short time trials, but I made a go at it, and somehow finished in 6th place. Did the masters crit and it was a nice preview. Pro crit, team hit it hard winning primes, and then an opportunity presented itself on the final lap and I took it to the line. The weekend was full of great team riding, tough competition
Sanofi-aventis Omnium Weekend video overview Johnson City Press
Sanofi-aventis Omnium Roan Groan preview Johnson City Press
Roan Groan Road Race write up Johnson City Press
Pictures by Bart Nave
My Roan Groan road race finish on top of Roan Mt.
Crit win Johnson City, TN
Crit Pictures by Dave Boyd Johnson City Press
Blue Plum Crit youtube video
Reid's blog of the weekend
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Battenkill Training
Didn't make it to Belize for the 81st Cross Country, but Scottie and I had a great time batteling on some gravel and recording with his new video camera. Here is a picture he has clipped out of the video and tuned up.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Preview - Owen Cup Saturday, February 07, 2009
Preview - Owen Cup Saturday, February 07, 2009
Owen Cup Course
The Owen Cup Course is on open road so all traffic rules must be followed. Never cross the yellow line and if there is not a yellow line do not use the left half of the road, this must be left open for oncoming traffic.
Owen Cup is made to be fun, it is a race ride where the collegiate riders come out to test there strengths against the local cyclist. Gaining group riding experience and safety are the two main goals.
The group will gather at Bollo’s café and bakery and then proceed down N Main Street to Mt Tabor Rd. The group will pause in the parking lot of Slusser’s Chapel Church of God. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3 and equivalents will give everyone else a 5min head start. Mt Tabor Rd is one of the tougher sections of the course with large rollers that consist of varying inclines and ripping descents. Right turn Sandyridge Rd watch out for gravel in the turn, the road descends and there are blind turns so don’t cut the turns. Right turn onto Blacksburg Rd, in this direction it is slightly down hill with rollers this time of year there is normally a head wind. Continue onto Harding Rd up the climb to Blacksburg. Right turn on to Happy Hollow Rd this is a screaming decent followed by a steep climb. Right turn back onto Mt Tabor Rd this completes a lap. Repeat as many laps as needed. For your final lap continue on Harding Rd past Happy Hollow Rd and the course finishes at the Blacksburg town limit sign.
Players
The namesake Owen Nielsen, graduated from Virginia Tech after being part of VT cycling for five seasons, two of those season he also raced professionally. After graduation Owen started a “real job” and had to give up cycling training for running. He may be missing some cycling endurance but his fitness should be good and if he is with you and the finish line is sight watch out.
Owen Cup Champions
Owen Cup Champion 2006, Mark Hardman earned his bachelor degree at VT and continued his education to get a law degree at some other school. While at this other school Mark won colligate national road race and the overall omnium twice. Mark has been working hard as a lawyer and unable to train at his previous level. He was recently spotted at the Repella Sport Spectacular where he won the Sandyridge sprint. He then put Facebook statuses up that made it seem like he was training in Ecuador at altitude and visiting his South American doctor. Mark could possibly deliver a repeat performance of his 2006 win.
Owen Cup champion 2007, Aaron Snyder has represented VT at colligate mountain bike national where he delivers VT’s best performances. Currently he is racing Mountain bike professionally. Last year he focused on 24hr events but this year he is focusing on qualifying for world cup XC events. Aaron is reported to be bring some of his mountain bike training partners for backup to help defend his title at the 2009 event
Owen Cup Champion 2008 Ben King is just a sophomore at VT and might be the most talented rider to come through the VT program. He has raced professionally in the United States, represented the US national team at world cup junior events and the world championships. Currently Ben is training with the Live strong U23 team managed by Axel Merckx. Since the end of the 2008 fall semester Ben has spent time training with Lance Armstrong and living in his guest house. Lance may have taught Ben the secret of maintain 18mph through the Harding notch. Ben has been the most secretive about his Owen Cup plans and we will find out on race day if he will arrive to unleash some watts.
Teams
Rogues Racing the local Blacksburg road racing team, just finished up the spring training camp. They worked on their team strategy while based in Dalonega, GA. Where the scouted the Tour de Georgia climb Brass Town Bald, it is rumored that they practiced some kind of team time trial that they plan to use to deliver Jon Webb to the base of Harding Rd where he can blast the strength he honed in Georgia.
Virginia Tech cycling 2009 held a team training camp over Christmas break in Daytona, FL. The riders in attendance pumped out some big miles and may have come back with strength equal to the redness of their sunburn.
Others
Steven Gordon graduated early from VT after winning the ACCC individual championship while being part of the strongest road teams to represent VT. Steven is working on his MBA at another school and will be racing the 2009 season professionally. Andrew Olson has developed himself as the Blacksburg local legend, locally he is known as the world’s strongest category 2 racer. Myself John Delong well I am not good at tooting my own horn but I have been training and plan on delivering some watts to the roads on the day of the Owen Cup.
Cup Format
In the past the Owen cup has started as a large group, and sorted itself on the road. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3, women 1, 2, and equivalents would do 3 laps. USA Cycling categories 3, 4, women 3, and equivalents would do 2 laps. USA Cycling categories 4, 5 women 4, and equivalents would do 1 lap.
Handicap Race
Then handicap race is something we practice some on Wednesday worlds. It is a race style where the slower or less experienced riders get a head start. On Wednesday worlds we practice this so that newer riders can gain experience of riding longer with a larger group and getting a chance to see the more experienced guys in action.
This past Monday at the VT Cycling meeting I proposed that we try a handicap style race for the 2009 Owen cup. The proposal was approved. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3 and equivalents would give everyone else a 5min head start. If you are or were a professional, ex-national champion, Category, 1, 2 and think you should also get a head start you can apply by sending a 500 word essay, about why you need a head start, to the VT cycling list serve. On Saturday morning there will be a vote on the starting position of the riders that applied for head start.
Owen Cup Course
The Owen Cup Course is on open road so all traffic rules must be followed. Never cross the yellow line and if there is not a yellow line do not use the left half of the road, this must be left open for oncoming traffic.
Owen Cup is made to be fun, it is a race ride where the collegiate riders come out to test there strengths against the local cyclist. Gaining group riding experience and safety are the two main goals.
The group will gather at Bollo’s café and bakery and then proceed down N Main Street to Mt Tabor Rd. The group will pause in the parking lot of Slusser’s Chapel Church of God. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3 and equivalents will give everyone else a 5min head start. Mt Tabor Rd is one of the tougher sections of the course with large rollers that consist of varying inclines and ripping descents. Right turn Sandyridge Rd watch out for gravel in the turn, the road descends and there are blind turns so don’t cut the turns. Right turn onto Blacksburg Rd, in this direction it is slightly down hill with rollers this time of year there is normally a head wind. Continue onto Harding Rd up the climb to Blacksburg. Right turn on to Happy Hollow Rd this is a screaming decent followed by a steep climb. Right turn back onto Mt Tabor Rd this completes a lap. Repeat as many laps as needed. For your final lap continue on Harding Rd past Happy Hollow Rd and the course finishes at the Blacksburg town limit sign.
Players
The namesake Owen Nielsen, graduated from Virginia Tech after being part of VT cycling for five seasons, two of those season he also raced professionally. After graduation Owen started a “real job” and had to give up cycling training for running. He may be missing some cycling endurance but his fitness should be good and if he is with you and the finish line is sight watch out.
Owen Cup Champions
Owen Cup Champion 2006, Mark Hardman earned his bachelor degree at VT and continued his education to get a law degree at some other school. While at this other school Mark won colligate national road race and the overall omnium twice. Mark has been working hard as a lawyer and unable to train at his previous level. He was recently spotted at the Repella Sport Spectacular where he won the Sandyridge sprint. He then put Facebook statuses up that made it seem like he was training in Ecuador at altitude and visiting his South American doctor. Mark could possibly deliver a repeat performance of his 2006 win.
Owen Cup champion 2007, Aaron Snyder has represented VT at colligate mountain bike national where he delivers VT’s best performances. Currently he is racing Mountain bike professionally. Last year he focused on 24hr events but this year he is focusing on qualifying for world cup XC events. Aaron is reported to be bring some of his mountain bike training partners for backup to help defend his title at the 2009 event
Owen Cup Champion 2008 Ben King is just a sophomore at VT and might be the most talented rider to come through the VT program. He has raced professionally in the United States, represented the US national team at world cup junior events and the world championships. Currently Ben is training with the Live strong U23 team managed by Axel Merckx. Since the end of the 2008 fall semester Ben has spent time training with Lance Armstrong and living in his guest house. Lance may have taught Ben the secret of maintain 18mph through the Harding notch. Ben has been the most secretive about his Owen Cup plans and we will find out on race day if he will arrive to unleash some watts.
Teams
Rogues Racing the local Blacksburg road racing team, just finished up the spring training camp. They worked on their team strategy while based in Dalonega, GA. Where the scouted the Tour de Georgia climb Brass Town Bald, it is rumored that they practiced some kind of team time trial that they plan to use to deliver Jon Webb to the base of Harding Rd where he can blast the strength he honed in Georgia.
Virginia Tech cycling 2009 held a team training camp over Christmas break in Daytona, FL. The riders in attendance pumped out some big miles and may have come back with strength equal to the redness of their sunburn.
Others
Steven Gordon graduated early from VT after winning the ACCC individual championship while being part of the strongest road teams to represent VT. Steven is working on his MBA at another school and will be racing the 2009 season professionally. Andrew Olson has developed himself as the Blacksburg local legend, locally he is known as the world’s strongest category 2 racer. Myself John Delong well I am not good at tooting my own horn but I have been training and plan on delivering some watts to the roads on the day of the Owen Cup.
Cup Format
In the past the Owen cup has started as a large group, and sorted itself on the road. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3, women 1, 2, and equivalents would do 3 laps. USA Cycling categories 3, 4, women 3, and equivalents would do 2 laps. USA Cycling categories 4, 5 women 4, and equivalents would do 1 lap.
Handicap Race
Then handicap race is something we practice some on Wednesday worlds. It is a race style where the slower or less experienced riders get a head start. On Wednesday worlds we practice this so that newer riders can gain experience of riding longer with a larger group and getting a chance to see the more experienced guys in action.
This past Monday at the VT Cycling meeting I proposed that we try a handicap style race for the 2009 Owen cup. The proposal was approved. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3 and equivalents would give everyone else a 5min head start. If you are or were a professional, ex-national champion, Category, 1, 2 and think you should also get a head start you can apply by sending a 500 word essay, about why you need a head start, to the VT cycling list serve. On Saturday morning there will be a vote on the starting position of the riders that applied for head start.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Polar Bear Ride
Polar Bear Ride 2009
Saturday was my fourth year at the Polar bear ride. Normally I attend the ride so Missy and I can catch up and ride with her friends and teammates, but she had other plans riding from Knoxville, TN towards D.C. via KY, WV, and Virginia. She and her friend Sam are collecting letters and signatures against mountain top removal. Check out their website it is a very impressive cause http://lookoutdoornews.com/voices/
This year I went down by myself to catch up with my new team and Missy’s friends, and good times were had। My goal for the 2009 Polar Bear ride was to not tow everyone around and pump out some solid watts. I was stuck in the peloton for the first 45min trying to move to the front without crossing the yellow line. It bothered me that so many people on the ride had little concern for others as the rode on the wrong side of the yellow line, luckily nothing happened, there is a lot of risk on an open road. Once I made it to the front I rolled off easily just to take off my vest. I started to wait for the group but they weren’t coming so I started to time trial. One rider decided to come up to me and we started to hit it. We picked up another rider that had been riding backwards on the course. The three of us drilled the tailwind sections and worked and nice echelon in the cross wind. During the cross wind section my teammate Reid Beloni bridged up and the attempt to out run the peloton began. We were making great time and the peloton was out of sight. About 15miles from the finish into a direct headwind on some long false flats our group of 4 became 2 hard working riders with 2 sitting on. Reid and I drove hard but kept it in check so we could stay at the front once we were caught. The catch happened on a hill with 8miles to go, Chris Harkey hit it and Reid and I countered, there was lots of firing off but luckily once the road quality deteriorated the racing slowed and the ride was completed. I spent about 1.75 hours rotating with a small group and was able to rack up the watts I wanted. I put out my second best 1 hour watt average and some strong numbers for 30min to 150min efforts.
Sunday was a team ride; it was a great time to get to know some new teammates। Even though I have been dreaming about race wheels with 80mm rims I was convinced mostly by price to go with some 50mm rims। I think they will be a solid choice and quench some of my need for speed.
Saturday was my fourth year at the Polar bear ride. Normally I attend the ride so Missy and I can catch up and ride with her friends and teammates, but she had other plans riding from Knoxville, TN towards D.C. via KY, WV, and Virginia. She and her friend Sam are collecting letters and signatures against mountain top removal. Check out their website it is a very impressive cause http://lookoutdoornews.com/voices/
This year I went down by myself to catch up with my new team and Missy’s friends, and good times were had। My goal for the 2009 Polar Bear ride was to not tow everyone around and pump out some solid watts. I was stuck in the peloton for the first 45min trying to move to the front without crossing the yellow line. It bothered me that so many people on the ride had little concern for others as the rode on the wrong side of the yellow line, luckily nothing happened, there is a lot of risk on an open road. Once I made it to the front I rolled off easily just to take off my vest. I started to wait for the group but they weren’t coming so I started to time trial. One rider decided to come up to me and we started to hit it. We picked up another rider that had been riding backwards on the course. The three of us drilled the tailwind sections and worked and nice echelon in the cross wind. During the cross wind section my teammate Reid Beloni bridged up and the attempt to out run the peloton began. We were making great time and the peloton was out of sight. About 15miles from the finish into a direct headwind on some long false flats our group of 4 became 2 hard working riders with 2 sitting on. Reid and I drove hard but kept it in check so we could stay at the front once we were caught. The catch happened on a hill with 8miles to go, Chris Harkey hit it and Reid and I countered, there was lots of firing off but luckily once the road quality deteriorated the racing slowed and the ride was completed. I spent about 1.75 hours rotating with a small group and was able to rack up the watts I wanted. I put out my second best 1 hour watt average and some strong numbers for 30min to 150min efforts.
Sunday was a team ride; it was a great time to get to know some new teammates। Even though I have been dreaming about race wheels with 80mm rims I was convinced mostly by price to go with some 50mm rims। I think they will be a solid choice and quench some of my need for speed.
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