Hopeful Friday 3/12/2010

Must. Train. Fucking. Harder.

Then fucking train harder, jimmy. And CJ a sandbagger? I just laughed so hard I shit my pants.

who rides a smart gyro?

What if it were you
Hanging up on this wall?
If it were you in that sandwich
You wouldn’t be laughing at all

The future of our sport is in competitive handlebar tape wrapping.

Isnt racing This board is a waste except for pics

I think a bunch of those dudes did upgrade. Should be no problem for you now. Unless there is a new batch of Cat 4's who will steal all your glory.

B field still too competitive. I wish Leskek would upgrade so he quits beating me.

And while we are at it, Marmo, Leong, Jacaruso, CJ, Mygera and Everett -- will you guys please upgrade and quit beating me too.

That way I can maybe get some upgrade points myself and go languish in the 3s forever more.

I thought we were done talking about some ancient Cat 4.
He obviously doesn't have the ability or desire to upgrade to cat 3. Let him stay with the crashy, cat 4 squids. That's what cat 4's are for, to finance the rest of us.

CRCA rules say cat 4's race the Bs and cat 3 and higher race in the As. When Leszek is a 3 he will move to the As. Not a big deal. In the last club race he did not place.

...in the long run we're all masters.

i got first in the race to 25th in my last race. can i upgrade?

"If you wait to only get first place results to upgrade, you'll mire in the muck of cat 4 forever."

not me. i waited until i got first place results to upgrade. took me a couple of years. well worth the wait, tho.

Yawn. Is this a repeat of last year's finale of "Cat 3 Eye for the Cat 4 Guy" or is this a brand new episode?

less sandbagging, more sheepshagging.

Being on the podium is not a loss...even if it's third.
If you wait to only get first place results to upgrade, you'll mire in the muck of cat 4 forever.

I agree with 6:04. After a park race last summer I looked for Leszek (correct spelling or you can go for "Lance," his American name). He had crawled off to vomit. That's how hard he rides -- all the time.

the one you in which you have finally reached your level of incompetence

Sandbagging - Deceiving someone by pretending to be weak.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbagging

Lester does NOT pretend to be weak when racing, all his cards are on the table. Since you so closely analized his results, you should admit that he looses MOST (say 59 out of 60) of the Cat.4 races he enters, he has won 1 so far.

If he (or anyone for that matter) wins, say 3 races in a row, with a solo breakaway, then you can start to argue that he seems not challenged enough and should upgrade. If a rider is top 10 but seldom 1st, he's not dominating, he's just being competitive.

Don't crunch numbers or look for names, instead understand the intent of the upgrade rule. The upgrade rule is there to give USAC comfort that a rider who says he's ready, really is ready. If Lester says he's not ready, I believe him. He's not the type of rider that would waste his time being bored.

I'll bite—which category is the worst to spend the rest of your days?

Milton comes to mind

Cat 3 is more likely Purgatory, whereas 4 encompasses all nine rings of Hell.

is fun Cat 2 sucks No mans land I'm Too fat to be a 1

Cat 3 is the category of the damned. Beware.

Definitely looking toward upgrading to the 3s, where everyone is fast, cool, never crashes and never bitches about anything.

Ah, the bagging of sand argument, a timeless rhetorical struggle which basically boils down to "Please upgrade and stop beating me."

It sounds like 4:43 has no clue about the upgrade/points system.

There's never a requirement to upgrade. Period.

I would put money on the fact that poster 1:48 has no idea how points are accumulated, what placings qualify for points and how many points are awarded. There is absolutely no requirement to upgrade until you hit the mandatory points requirement - i.e., 30 points in a 12 month period.

the day when the anonymous masses fight over whether I'm sandbagging or not. I blame all of this on that Svengali Jack Baranski (another Pole - I'm seeing a pattern here).

Can we get back to the course safety argument? Sandbagging is so last year.

i wonder how it feels for you cat 4evers when a rider spends a month in the cat 4s?

"it's only his 2nd year as Cat.4"

If some Cat 4 wants to fester in Cat 4 and risk getting crashed into oblivion, let him. He's not harming anyone but himself..

This argument never dies. Last year it was Capala in the 3s (now a 2) and various other more talented riders being called out (Prensky). The fact is, the 4s complaining want these guys to upgrade so they have a better chance of getting upgrade points to then upgrade themselves to race a field of 100 Lezneks. This guy is definitely strong (espcially for a 40 plus guy with kids). But if you think by him leaving the 4s you will all of a sudden start climbing the podium week in and week out you are mistaken. There will always be a stronger guy coming up. If you do upgrade you will have strong cat 3s on the verge of going to 2. It never ends and only gets tougher. Just enjoy racing and dont worry about anyone but you and your team.

GOD, he won't even LIST them. what a DICK.

Please list the 5 or so guys in Cat 4 that have as many points as Lesnek. Please list anyone that's even close.
No doubt he works hard for his wins. No one is saying he is coasting across the finish line, but come on... pull up his record on USA cycling and then tell me he shouldn't upgrade. He has almost three times the points needed to upgrade. He placed 3rd at Beam Mtn. last fall and he wins crits. He's obviously not a one trick pony. Why waste your time in Cat 4? Bigger payouts in Cat 3, more of a challenge...

Julien, Lennert, i'm defending riders like him in response to your comments, otherwise I could care less!

I actually spoke to him, he said it's only his 2nd year as Cat.4 but he will upgrade the minute it's no longer a challenge, most likely very soon, but for now "every placing was hard work" he said while coughing up a lung yesterday.

As also a Cat.4, I know that currently there are 5-10 Cat.4 guys equal or stronger than him in the NYC area that you are not calling out. What that tells me is that you're either fixated, or on a competing team, or both.

There's no such thing as USA Cycling forcing riders to upgrade. No matter how many points they accrue. No one at USA Cycling is scouring the results of the local park races. "Mandatory" upgrade means that the rider requesting an upgrade cannot be denied his upgrade request. Good luck for now.

good guy, i enjoy racing against him. he'll move up when it suits him

No beef with the guy.
He may have only won one open raced, but has gotten top 5 in a dozen or so races.
Fact is the guy has over 50 points. He should have been forced to upgrade by USA cycling.
No problem with him personally, but come on...rules are rules.
Why are you defending him so strongly? Should he continue to beat up on cat 4's when he can clearly be competitive in cat 3?

Amazing, why are you picking on him? As others said, he has only won 1 open race. Why aren't you naming the other 5 guys that also place top 5 and often ahead of him? what is your specific beef with him and not the other guys? Do you have "nice guy" envy?

I've always enjoyed racing with Leszek. He will work in breaks, and isn't a sit in and sprint guy. Cat 4s should want more guys like him racing.

I wonder if capala is a 2? Sandbagging cant be a Polish thing? Tadeuz upgraded

He is a nice guy...
He also has about 50 upgrade points, from 2009 alone. Including 3rd place at Bear Mtn. The guy needs to upgrade. The mandatory upgrade at 35 points obviously doesn't work.

http://www.carpediemracing.org/2010/01/2010-ris-van-bethel-results.html

circles yesterday (well, it was actually ovally). It wasn't anymore dangerous than any other race. The 4 race (for shame that a mere 4 would dare to comment....) was speedy with the fifteen getting away quick and then working together to stay away. One of the more interesting phenomena of the race was watching the field get blown about five feet to the left whenever they came out from the wind cover of Riverside Church.

Leszek did a ton of work at the front and kept attacking (again and again and again...enough enough already). His win definitely didn't come from sitting in the field and then sprinting at the end.

The Columbia kids worked hard to get the race off and they should be complimented. Registration consisted of a cheerful volunteer sitting in the passenger side of a van while we lined up soup kitchen style.
Nobody complained or carried on.

Overall it was a lot of fun (if you factor out the crosswinds, driving rain and cold).

i am already hungover...can somone make me a ham n eggs omlette with a blood mary...

shame on them for even having 4s on the course at the same time Always a yard sale Fat slobs

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/06/photos/2009-mt-hood-classic-stage...

crashing the pro field
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/03/news/amateur-crash-neutralizes-tu...

Not sure I follow. 4:27 was saying that it's the officials call...not the promoter. The officials let the race go on, ergo the conditions were race-able. Beyond that it's up the racer to decide if they want to swing their leg over the bike.

Standing water or lightening...blah, blah...

Leave the course on your own. What do you do for an encore after you're done here, see who you can sue for unsafe conditions?

For bitterrness, hating and great for promoters. Get out while you still like racing. Lesniak is a good master .

Kind of funny to watch a bunch of fours argue course safety. Officials have the power to red flag a race. What's it take? Standing water or lightening.

The haters are going to be disappointed that the 3 lap spring series race wasn't long enough to qualify for upgrade points.

"whether it was the promoters' responsibility to call that race off in those conditions"

absof-ckinglutely not.

if you don't think its safe, dont race.
if you're racing and don't like it, drop out.
if you think your money should be refunded (!?!), go ask the promoter.

plenty of us wanted to race, and did. having the race gives us that option, as well as giving you the option to sit on on your a55 and watch if you weren't comfortable racing.

mickey deez doesnt make you fat. philip morris doesnt make you smoke. promoters don't make you race. personal choice - exercise it.

"in CRCA Cat 4 races had three wins"

traditional (unofficial) rule is 3 CRCA B wins = auto upgrade to As. (most riders were sensible enough to go up after 1 or 2 wins, anything more is hogging. weak.)

Bs, you are the majority of the club - if someone is stealing all your cheese unnecessarily just speak up in the right manner. ie, ask the dude (he's your clubmate, after all) at the next race

Give Sniadowski a break. This is his first win in an open race (sorry CRCA kids, your CP races are for training). He'll upgrade as soon as its appropriate. It seems his biggest transgression is having a half dozen USA Cycling results pages.

Hey guys, I'm not a teammate of Leszek, but i think he is an asset to the cat 4 races.

Great bike handler
Changes up his strategy quite a bit from race to race
Good sportsmanship

Why all the hating? Seriously? He's a guy that has family commitments and age working against him and he still finds time to commit to and support this sport. Whether he races A or B, 4 or 3, is meaningless to those who appreciate a little competition.

Stop the hating and grab a pint with him instead.

It's up to the riders to decide if it's too dangerous for them. Take some resposiblity. Folks like PSH are just new to the sport or kind of dim.

"A promoter is also implicity saying that the course is safe enough for racing..." Sheez, its not a 100k loop where the promoter may have some eyes out on the course and have some extra insight the racers don't have. Everyone could check out the small crit loop at Grant's and make their own decision. And if you anything beyond a newbie CAT 5, the racer likely knows better than the promoter. Get a grip PSH.

I was in the middle of a race last summer when an afternoon thunderstorm moved in. Sheets of rain, 40 mph wind and a lightning stike 200yds from the course. I asked the promoter if he was going to stop the race. He shook his head no as we rolled by. I was racing in 1/2 of water, the road couldn't drain faster that it was coming down. As I went past the parking lot...........I made a right turn and called it a day. It wasn't importantant enough to me. I pulled the plug myself. If you are worried about being safe, you picked the wrong sport. Go do a triathlon or stick to your trainer. Your saftey is up to YOU not the promoter. Take some personal responsability and man-up.

Grandmaster, yesterday the course was clear and shortened for safety, there were no crashes in 4s or 3s and the spread out fields were small to begin with. you can sure have an opinion but i disagree with you, i didn't see a single mary poppins out there, it was hard but not unsafe.

Ernesto, i feel for you, like the guy that likes to count other people's money, oh how i hate that, but you conveniently forget to mention that pretty much every local Cat.4 team (including yours i'll venture) currently has a Cat.4 star rider that has beat Lesnek in sprints multiple times. So since i'm sure your motivation is firmly grounded in fairness, (ha!) lets first upgrade to 3s all those that beat him, now that would be objectively logical and fair no, since they must be even stronger?

what, you can't do a couple of loops and figure it out?

take a deep breath. or go take your meds, whatever. it's a fair question - racers are going to race, because they're sort of nuts, and promoters are going to let them, because they want to make money. it's racers' choice whether to line up or not, but on the other hand, a promoter is also implicitly saying that the course is safe enough for racing when he/she lets the race go on. yesterday was definitely right on the line, and it's certainly not unimaginable that a serious accident could have happened with that wind, debris on the road, etc.

come on. the organizer is good enough to hold a race, and not cancel in heinous conditions for those that want to race. your choice to participate or not.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vracing/sets/72157623494044417/

Hmmm...he questions whether it was too dangerous to hold a race.

Well, he answered his own question. It was not too dangerous, since he raced. If he didn't agree with holding the race he should've stayed on the sidelines.

If you think VO2 has anything to do with a podium finish you should read a book about race tactics.
The only person who should complain about someone sandbagging is the 2nd place finisher(the first loser). If you finish in the pack why care who's on the podium?

No yours

Your logic makes no sense.

You seem to think the promoter should have cancelled. And you wanted a partial refund. Fair enough. Except you raced anyway, so you're logic makes no sense. Or did you think you had to race because you paid anyway? Please explain.

its not up to the rider if you are talking USAC categories. if you haven't done enough races you are a cat 5 like it or not. The point system for cat 4 to 3 is also cut and dried. Every cat 4 I know, including some of the fastest guys, are shooting for an upgrade. Guys racing in open races like the spring series will be upgraded as soon as they have the points. CRCA has some discretion for its own races but again, riders can't just upgrade on their own without permission.

Leszek last year in CRCA Cat 4 races had three wins, one second, three thirds, two fourths, and one fifth. Frankly, I personally would be embarrassed to come back the next year in the same category with those results. That's just plain sandbagging.

i don't know, man. not saying sandbagging doesn't exist, just saying that the mere fact that he's better than you doesn't mean he has to be itching to upgrade before he feels he's ready.

to have several results (enough to upgrade), but you don't upgrade? It means that you are more interested in winning than getting better (big fish in the small pond).

so we just all just take a VO2 max test and be categorized based on that?

Sandbagging has nothing to do with having kids or not having kids, having full time work or having no work. It's about how much genetic talent you have and how it responds to any amount of training. If you have several top 5 results including wins in cat 5 or 4 and you don't upgrade, you are sandbagging. There are those that do this each year in both categories.

worst conditions i've ever raced in, by quite a bit. the wind was really something else. wondering whether people feel that yesterday was actually too dangerous for a race.

were there any crashes? not in the 1-2, but it was a small field, and guys can generally handle the crap or else know enough to stay away.

even without tons crashes, i think it's a fair question to ask whether it was the promoters' responsibility to call that race off in those conditions. personally i think they probably should have. it was definitely a smart move to take out the claremont ave. section because of all of the manholes and grates, but it was still crazy out there. obviously a cancellation cuts into profit, but can't you offer just a partial refund? we understand that it takes a lot of money and effort just to be out there.

Eddy have plenty of kid. Eddy not complain.

I never really understood how much harder it was to fit training and rest in for guys who have kids. Now that I have a child its a whole new world. Try training after you put a days work in at the office, then another 5 hours after work at home playing with the kid(s) and if you have an infant getting up at all hours of the night. Your lucky to have the energy for a 1 hour coffee shop ride. On top of this you have to get your training in at the ass crack of dawn to be home early to hang with the family (no 2 hour recovery nap).

My hat goes off to all the moms and dads who race from Cat 5 on up.

you guys are ripping on a 40+ dude with kids about when he upgrades?

Breach- Mengoni
a kissena dude
Louden- Sids

Break of 5 or 6. Everyone started together.

Original break had 2 Masters guys that finished ahead of their field. Gary Steinberg was 1st and a Die Hard guy second. Frank Arroyo won masters sprint for 3rd.

Lowe won the 1,2 sprint for 6th

Great job, and nothing but respect. Can't wait to see how this 45 or so year old father will do in the 3s later. Great work ethic, smart off season prep, real nece guy, clean racer.

When you picket outside his house what will your sign say? "I have nothing better to do that hassle volunteers". Until Leszek is a 3, you have nothing to complain about. Right now it looks like he will be a 3 soon enough.

one place where i'm glad i wasn't today: a 60+ man collegiate C field.

I heard Wiswell got a stick in his gears, got a lap and got back in? but no matter, tough race, tough finishers!

http://www.velocityresults.net/results/247/eccc-week-2-columbia-universi...

http://bit.ly/bv8KI0

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=152716&id=154070243314

ah well the "official" results will be here late enough that we can discuss further for a few weeks...the Big W to AXA thats for sure!

Ker Chow!!!

I think Wiswell pulled out half way into the race.

Jermaine Burrowes WS United was 3rd to round out the podium. And i am pretty sure

Grant's Tomb

David Wiswell, 3rd, Jordan/Zephyr

to round out the podium...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vracing/sets/72157623490552889/

AXA 1st and 2nd in a nasty looking race.

What no results yet ?

SS race marshal or crossing guard? Where's his smoke?

he'll kick all your asses in a perogie eating contest

biggest dork of the year?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4429938435_4ce1f664b2.jpg

big yellow rain pants during a race?! seriously, wtf dude?

there is no such thing as "seasoned 4's"

a cat 4 is a cat 5 with 10 races. a "seasoned 4" is a cat 3.

Cat3 ones coming soon. Unfortunately, the weather finally got into me by 1pm. I wasn't able to stick around for the women and men pro, cat1, and cat2.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vracing/sets/72157623489648425/

Leszek is not Superman.
Sure, he needs to upgrade but that doesn't mean you don't need to train harder. Did he lap the field? Is his sprint 20 bike lengths farther than everyone else?
He can and has been beaten in a sprint by seasoned 4's. There will always be a pool of people that are stronger than you are in any field/category, that's bike racing. Instead of anonymously whining about alleged sandbagging why not let your legs do the talking?
You probably didn't even race today. I guess it's safe to say that he's more committed to his success than you are to yours. Get on the trainer now!
If it isn't him you'd be hating on someone else. Maybe if you applied the same energy to racing you might pass the line first, slacker..

Sam Crank: post of the year. Truer words not spoken.

The delivery guys, and especially the guy who just delivered my still steaming hot pad Thai. It's Thai after 2 hrs on the trainer in the dry comfort of my apt. Tip them well tonight guys.

a Slanket- he was too cheap to buy a Snuggie.

to the A's I'm going to picket Mike Green's Apartment Building. I'm all for good competition but he had his way with us like a lobbyist does with a congressman.

slap chopping

snuggiebagging.

The world of cycling is now ending....

Heard the Pro 12 set to go off at 4:30.

Are there really races still going on? News Radio 880 referred to it as hardcore cyclists.

I was actually wearing a snuggie, not footie pajamas

Van Dunk won't cancel the race until guys are at the line and the parks dept pulls the plug on him. Doesn't seem like too many guys registered for the whole series anyway.

actually it's a crapload of wind and rain.

Dan Chabanov of Adler Racing solos wins the 3 race

Who cares if he sandbags. He makes the lot of us ride faster. Pshaw....Heck, CJ didn't get out of his footie pajamas to come and race this morning.

In other news, is the Spring Series still on for tomorrow? Can someone check Twitter and get back to us.

Should I or should I not to get off the couch and go down to ride the P/1/2? Please decide for me.

The heavy stuff should be here in time for the 1, 2 race.

i have a problem with teabaggers

Or feedbagging

the heck with the guys who were sandbagging. that's yesterday's news. what about the ones who are currently douchebagging?

If Sniadowski was sandbagging then what about Barouh, Jammet, Savory, Marmo, Abdullah and all of the other guys who could upgrade? It was a strong field.

Of course they did not cancel. They cannot afford to cancel. This race makes a substantial portion of their operating budget. Not matter, it's only a little wind and rain. On the GT course 122 and, to a lesser extent, 120 are wind tunnels, so cutting those out of the race was a good idea. I'm glad I'm not there . I hope everyone there dressed properly.

Lezak is 78, but has a Hot Tub Time Machine

he can flat out beat most 3s, even takes JJ in a sprint.

“I’m anxious to see where I fit into things. I’m prepared for a smashing. If I can be inflicting damage on other people rather than on me I’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Sahmalz I think O'Neill owes you for this quote on cyclingnews.

is sand bagging the 4s.

Course shortened to the oval around grant's tomb - no loop around the city block.

A break of fifteen solidified fairly early. There was some late attacking in the final four or five laps.

Sniadowski won in a sprint, Barouh from Kissena finished second.

shortened how? cut laps, or changed the course?

Those plucky college kids put on the race this morning. Shortened course due to weather but good fun. Lezsak from organic won the cat 4 going away after escaping from the break of of fifteen.

Everyone else got pulled.

You race somewhere called Grant's Tomb? Are you crazy? Thank God I don't live near NYC.

I liked Goldman and O'Donnell. They might be too intense for some, but as far as I was concerned they were always super nice. O'D lent me a 1080 front once without the slightest hesitation, Goldman's always put on the most organized events.

Does someone force you ass clowns to read the posts on his bulletin board?

I think Steve's a great guy. Sure, he comes off a bit strong sometimes...but he's just a passionate dude. I think we've all said/done things in and around races we're not particularly proud of. I know I have, but when your hearts racing...sometimes the brain is a little behind. I don't think the fact that he was being "challenged" exactly helped his decision...but I don't think it was THE reason either. He's always been nice to me, always willing to answer my questions. I wish him nothing but the best

Goldman isn't a particularly likeable guy. But he worked hard for the results he achieved. Now he's on to the next thing that he'll likely do well at. He's put on some good TTs, and has helped to support some of the area's top racers. The sport needs guys who are willing to dedicate time and money. Lighten up. There's more to life than winning the b racevon Saturday morning.

This seems a bit unfair Mr. Anonymous. Steve Goldman, by his own admission, isn't THE most gifted. He put a great (and admirable) combination of dedication, research, money and time into what abilities he does have. That combination resulted in some very respectable results and palmares that almost any cyclist would be proud to have. I am not his #1 fan, nor a Westwood groupie, but I do have to call it like it is. I am guessing your results don't compare. Don't hate, dedicate yourself and see if you can get his results.

Had the points to upgrade to Cat2. He has many wins and more top 10s. Colts Neck I think he won twice and he won Mengoni out of a break in 08 with a helmet cam. Also a few top 5s in Prospect 1-3. I am too lazy to bring up his USA results but from memory alone he had the points.

I dont know him at all and only raced him a handful of times.

I think his "retirement" has more to do with the fact that he actually was challenged last year in the TT's....even losing the state championship....so I think he realized he wouldn't be able to simply BUY another victory this year....he may actually have to do something other than tempo for 5 hours at 4am

Constant Sorrow by The Soggy Bottom Boys

Wasn't Grant's Tomb canceled two years ago due to snow? These early season races seem destined to run into weather issues. I know it was an argument from a month ago (or something like that) but early March in the northeast is a tough place to start a season.

table making some oatmeal.

Driving rain, 39F but feels like 29F.

Alright, let's race.

Hello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnJwEtv9avQ

I know this post is from the same guy as the last one but since I am one of the promoters I can 100% confirm that the race has been canceled. The parks dept. is having some flooding issues and asked us to cancel this weeks event. See you next Saturday.

Tom Mains

I didnt know you could use TTs to upgrade HAHA

schammy on tha ground...
schammy on tha ground...

lookin like a fool!

witcha
schammy on the ground!

carbon in ya mouf!
bars turned sideways!

Jeez. Someone has wood for Westwood. Did they reject your resume?

Who cares, good riddance with the cry baby control freak. No way he makes it to Rolex unless he buys a ticket I am sure he can do that though

AND

Not a real DR goes to West Coast (to be one with? what his cats?) and all of a sudden goes CAT2 in 3 weeks. Yeah OK, he wasn't sandbagging in the NJ Cat3 for 3 years.

Buh Bye

i will be wearing a wet suit

The weatherman says lots of wind and rain. So bring a sail boat and have fun. At least you know the course is not going to flood.

Any branch brook confirmation? Bike reg doesn't seem to support that post.

If everyone follows your advice, the peleton will actually start to go backwards.

And as for your Captcha question. The Terrible, is a perfectly good answer to "What is Ivan's last name?"

Goldman quitting racing to race cars or Dr. Will O finally upgrading to Cat 2 out on the West Coast.

Have fun cat 4

Why? Is you retarded sister coming?

Sure will be a lot of lycra pants on the ground tomorrow with the helmets turned sideways

The Essex County Parks department has contacted us and asked to cancel the race for tomorrow. They are having some flooding issues on the course and feel that the conditions will continue to worsen and they don't want to have unsafe conditions for us to race in. I guess more of you will have to go to Grants and crash in turn 1. We'll see you all next Saturday.

Tom Mains

Steve Goldman has given up racing - guess it was not expensive enough for him so he is switching to car racing. F- him

hilarious when that 3 went down. Not a 4 but a 3....

hey guys remember the guys in the 3/4 that crashed at the start last year. LOLS!

my money is on mike margarite, rainy crit specialist.

True. The Luzzo's guy pictured was 15 years old before the race and look at what happened to him. AND, the weather was decent last year. Don't mess around with Grant's Tomb, bitches.

1. The racers will be carying a lot of extra water favoring stonger riders.
2. The corners will be slippery favoring experinces better skiled riders.
3. Drafting will be difficults as the water will shoot up your nostrels, befind the shades (if you can wear them as they probably will fog up).
4. The cold will get to your souls, making the race seem much longer.

i'll bring my fishing pole, maybe land an excitable fish in the gutter.

No extra tickets, it's a sell out.

shaved legs and wet pavement to secure me from any injury. That and the shrine I'm erecting to Jens in my backyard tonight.

My prediction is pouring pouring downpour 'get two animals and meet me in the Ark' rain tomorrow morning. Puddles on the course and lifeguards will be needed.

Hey Schmalz, you got an extra ticket?

Grant's sucks. Primarily because I've never won it. Or placed. Or crashed.

If the Grant's Promoter wants to have a little fun they should award a prize to everyone who crashes in the first turn. Oh man it's a high-larious Grant's tradition - that pile-up in the very first corner right after everyone leaves the start. Maybe they can get Tegaderm or something, or a free registration to the Harlem Skinscrape.

i have preemptively stocked up on tegaderm as i know there will be a run on the stuff tomorrow

Holjaline! will be the most overused phrase tomorrow. That, "$%^&@ PULL THROUGH" and, my personal favorite, "WHY WON'T ANY OF YOU WORK!?!"

Good showing = crash a lot

Guys, gives us a good showing tomorrow. I and couple of local photographers are shooting the race the whole day tomorrow. Good luck to you all tomorrow....

Very funny

Or a sitcom

Gui and the Meatball has the makings for a great band name.

That was Gui Nelessen and the meatball, breaks do happen at Grant's, and they are rare and exceptional.

Sometimes breaks succeed. Remember the year Friedman and another guy rode away and almost lapped the field? Zoltan won out of a break too.

In my dreams.

Are you going to have him sign your arm and then get the signature tattooed?

Good times.

http://www.bardavon.org/event_info.php?id=243&venue=bardavon

Eric Carle. the Very Hungry Caterpillar, a Color of your Own any many, many more exciting stories.

only a parent of toddlers would know this. or care.

I don't hate bike racing, I just love Eric Carle more.

jesus, if this is your perspective, i can see why you won't be racing.

You've got it wrong—you come for the crashing and stay for the racing.

Now that's how you promote a race! Come for the race, stay for the crashing.

you can see the break from teaneck, retiree hitting a farmers market!!!

Dan you are not running out of funny stuff

"Then when the poor fellow who decided in a fit of delusion that Grant's would be his first race of the year starts wobbling and resting his head upon his front tire"

AKA Cat 6 Spontaneous Bitchup

Oops, corrected—thanks.

Branch Brook is on Saturday, not Sunday.

"the front of the back."

best term of the year!