Will they pool their unemployment/severence checks, move into a burned-out warehouse in Red Hook, and connect their trainers to the grid to power their 3-walled training squat? Sponsored by Tahitian Treet “energy drink” and Saltine “energy wafers”?

Citi/AIG Presented by Big Auto.
Their daily stipend for food is only $6 but apparently the team can use the corporate jet to travel to local races and if you happen to break a toilet seat somewhere they’ll reimburse you $500 to replace it.

Hookers & Lobbyists

I hate it when its the same guys who have all the luck. Some guy will be winning all the races, and be able to hide out in med school, or make a huge bonus in his hedge fund/ law firm/ investment bank. I’ll save my hate for that guy.

I was out of work for a little over a year (recently got a part time gig in my field). I thought the extra time to train and rest would translate to better cycling, but truthfully, I had a lousy season. I think the stress and lack of confidence from being unemployed combined with the guilt of having my wife support me had a negative effect on my training that more than countered the extra training time/rest.

unless you’re a pro training 5 or 6 hours a day, not having a job doesn’t really help a whole lot, as long as it’s not a psycho stressful, 70 hour per week, stand on you feet kind of deal.

Having been laid-off myself, I can tell you that it makes you slower. Racing is escapism for working people who hate or might not like their jobs.

Seriously Though has it right. I’ve been out of work all year, and job prospects lately don’t look so hot. Having free time (and a payout package) let me train seriously and do Floyd regularly last summer, enough to learn how badly I suck on that course. Too guilty to spend money going to races out of town. Conclusion: a job would certainly make me a better racer and a much happier husband.

Life is what you make it. If you want more time to train you can take a job with lower stress and equally lower pay (think bike shop guys, bartenders, etc).

It’s kind of a methaphor for this site… Would the content be any better if Schmalz, Andy, and Alex had corporate banking jobs? No, it would blow. Luckily they are all creative guys with equally creative and flexible schedules… And Dan is still mid-pack fodder, though faster than me.

their kits looked good.

one guy set a world masters track hour record if i remember correctly. that’s huge!

he must be a mortgage trader, channeling market rage into forward momentum!

i think they are all employed now. we’ll see what happens next year.

Most people can’t handle back to back 20 (or even 15/16) hour weeks without seriously risking burnout. I think a lot of guys are coming at this in their late 20s and 30s. You’re going to need to accept some limitations. Instead of overtraining, maybe try applying for more jobs … especially ones that will offer you a flexible schedule. You can be extremely competitive by taking a couple days off during the base and build periods to really lay on the volume. And if you make $s, you can actually afford to visit someplace warm.

that would be too stressful

That wasn’t Alan’s – that was the first-place trophy at the Staten CX C race

Agree. Being laid off takes it’s toll on your head and mustering enthusiasm to work out, especially if one has family responsibilities. You question your priorities, even if you have more free time. Although, once one experiences the forbidden fruit of CP mid day, mid week, it’s hard to go back to working out before the sun comes up or goes down. Especially during winter. A successful freelance business is a nice balance.

pimpin ain’t easy.

new reality show: “dancing with the schmalz.”

the best solution is to be self employed/freelance/work from home…at least when it’s going well.
you can pop out for a mid day ride and feel good about it, and not have to answer to anyone. But too much economic stress fux everything up if biz is not going so well…like, now.

admits to “intention” of doping after bags of blood are IDed, serves a convoluted suspension as he did still race in that period, the 2 years rule should really be 2 full road seasons (and then some)…
but I really want to know why he should be “welcomed” back without even a helpful hint on the “omerta” or “trade” that exists in this spectacle we call pro cycling???
How helpful are the team/independent testers, or valid the UCI/WADA methods when more and more continue to find ways around the blood profile???

UCI/Cyclingnews dont reply, to my suggestion that a counter-intelligence operation would be the best way…infiltrate with a “pro”, maybe at the end of their career, or caught and forced to inform on the system, WHILE STILL RACING???

anyway, back to the Astana news conference, or what ever else has been previously scheduled for mass consumption…

Roller races – inside – hot, sweaty, getting screamed at….

New Year’s Day Century – outside – cold, frozen, screaming at the bike….

Highlight of last year’s century – stopping on the way back at a little deli to warm up and having the disapproving owner stand next to us and mop the puddles of water collecting at our feet.

You’re mine this year, Wolfe…

MINE!!

Brian G.

He figured out way to make thousands of dollars a week from the comfort OF YOUR OWN BEDROOM. This, people, is the pefect job for cyclists. And the client never stops in a recession. Yes!

Architect / proj.mngr

that is so well put. bravo.

don’t hate because you got 17th place in your last cat 5 crit.

besides, my mom makes better meatloaf than your mom.

cheers.

mom MEEEEEEEATLOAF!

if you can’t get a really nice car doing something, then it’s obviously a stupid thing to try and do. if you do things that don’t result in ownership of a really excellent car, you could probably be diagnosed autistic (by the far reaching web of profit hungry academia, obviously).

would the fine readership here accept a job that, due to professional/time demands, would all but eliminate serious training and leave time for just casual weekend riding? discuss…

a good portion of the fine readership would probably accept whatever you’re offering.

this sport takes way too much time.

i wonder how many marriages are BETTER because of that!?!?

the strongest team will be pissed off husbands whose wives are even more pissed off that they can’t order delivery from nobu 57 for the kitty cat, now that hubby’s hedge fund blew up. that’s allota angst, man, enough to fly a 53×12 up harlem hill…