Jonez World

We've Moved!

2007-12-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

http://www.christopherjones.info/

Be sure to update your links, you should be automatically redirected soon...

The trip...

2007-11-30T13:22:00.001-05:00

After staying behind for the weekend to work in New Jersey, I had to catch up with the B-Day cruise. Here's a picture of me flying into St. Thomas. Yep, I had a 'private' charter.... that's how we roll at Jonez World.

As I mentioned before, the reason for our vacation wasn't Thanksgiving,Formal night... very exciting,
The cruise was great. The line dancing, snorkling, sun tanning, zip line, hanging out with the in-laws, swimming, and tons of eating was just what we needed to get away and relax after a busy fall.

Now it is time to finish off strong. Three weeks of school and cross left, then home for Christmas!

Now it is time to prepare for the races in Portland and some of this:

learn to do this while you're on vacation...

2007-11-19T04:54:00.001-05:00

My 'cross mechanic, Chiubaca, said I can on go on vacation if I learn how to do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aty-FEnPb08

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We're going on Vay-k!

2007-11-18T23:05:00.001-05:00

This weekend's races were forgetable, hopefully I can forget them soon.

Well, birthday season has evolved into birthday month which has led to birthday week. Some of you are probably asking youself, who's birthday? For who!?!! Blasphemy! #1 of course. Who else would be able to convince her ENTIRE family that she needs and entire season and vacation to celebrate her birthday? So we're off to the beach.

See you in a week.

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Holy Belgian Butt Kicking Batman

2007-11-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

1st Belgian Cross race finished
1 practice lap before race
1 broken rear derailure on practice lap
1 bad call up (63rd)
1 horrible start
2 crashes on the 1st lap
1 where I forgot where I was
1 lap down at the finish
1 call for me to be random doping control
1 major arse whooping
2 the number of times you can see me on this video:

The morning commute in Holland

2007-11-14T15:57:00.001-05:00

...started out plesant...

...BEFORE it started to snow on me!

Jet lag blunder #1

2007-11-14T15:54:00.000-05:00

Yes this is a picture of our toilet...
... And yes that is the top to my water bottle. Good thing I planned ahead and brought two!

Belgian Truck Stop Breakfast

2007-11-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Mechanic Nik enjoying some of the local flavor:

Chainbiter

2007-11-05T09:50:00.000-05:00

Phew, I finally shook the curse of 3rd place (for a day) and made the top step of the podium. I'll spare you the play by play, but if you want to read about it go here. It was great to win my first professional cross race and I am hopeful that the form will carry over to Pijnacker, Ned. next Sunday for the World Cup. Stay tuned for plenty of pictures and hilarious stories of me being a klutz while I try to shake the jet lag...

Business Time

2007-11-03T08:59:00.000-04:00

Some, or all, of you may have seen this. Even if you have it is still hilarious.

Business hours are closed.

Hmmm...3rd again

2007-10-24T23:32:00.001-04:00

Word Jumbling with The German

2007-10-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

My German suitemate from college, Christian Vlach, is visiting Cassarole and I right now. Like any good Euro Christian speaks quite a few languages, while Cass and I hack away with adding Spanish. Over breakfast we were discussing how the definition and use of a word in Spanish varies by country. Christian then told us this gem, "I started learning the Queen's English in 5th Grade. My first week at Point Loma I leaned over and asked the girl next to me if she had 'a rubber I could borrow.' She looked at me with her mouth wide open and a red face. It took me a while to figure out why she didn't answer me."

We're in Delaware for 'cross racing this weekend. I brought #1 and Christian along, so I have doubled the size of and added some Euro flare to my cheering section... hopefully I've increased my luck as well.

Stuck in a rut...

2007-10-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

Not that third place is bad, but four times! I had a great weekend at Gloucester and seem to be almost fully recovered from the cold that #1 gave me. The fans, course, competition, and weather were all awesome, but two things would have made it a perfect weekend, if Cassarole had attended and the obvious; if I had won. If you are bored and want to see me in tight lycra check out a couple of photos here and here.

The announcer, Richard Fries, has been saying for the past month over the PA that I have a girlfriend who goes to Yale. Here I am asking him to stop spreading rumors, because my wife wasn't to happy to hear that I had a girlfriend.

After the race people kept coming up to me and asking, "where did you come from?" How I am I supposed to respond to something like that??? Also, I have graduated from being called "cheeky" to "a stunningly strong Chris Jones" by the cycling press. Fun.

Oh yes, I did have one of my all time favorite breakfasts on Sunday, pumpkin bread french toast. It is the 'off-season' so I can eat yummy food like this and dude it was so good.

Time for a nap so I can shake this cold thing...but first one last shot from my stud pit guy who is an awesome photographer, David.

A little vacation

2007-10-05T09:31:00.000-04:00

After a short trip to Las Vegas for a cross race I headed out to Moab with Mark and Co. It was advertised as a guys trip with some 4x4 action... I didn't realize how hardcore the off-roading would be! These guys took me over some crazy terrain. No trick photography involved:

We're headed to the Hamptons this weekend, for a cross race, go figure.

Team news: I can't tell you guys yet, but 2008 will be an exciting year.

Siesta Time

2007-09-13T09:26:00.000-04:00

The off season has officially started! Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement this year. The road season was pretty successful, stay tuned for some exciting announcements about next year in the next couple of weeks. Other than taking naps not too much going on... well our building caught on fire the other night...

Cross season starts in about a week and a half and Cass has been running with me. Yes, I said running. Here's my plan:

Walk: 5min.
Run: 2 min
Walk: 3
Run: 1
Walk: 3

We've ran twice this week and I am incredibly sore. Thankfully Guy was able to work on me the other day and ease the pain. I hope to get up to a solid 6 min. of running by the end of next week. Cassarole is able to run the entire time without soreness, go figure.

Check out one of the new cross frames:

USPro

2007-09-06T09:50:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I traveled to Greenville, S.C. to compete in my the US Professional Championships Road Race. USPro was my 'big' race for the second half of the season, so I was excited to be there, but nervous at the same time. Here's the short, and self-centered, version of the race. 1st big lap I broke a rear wheel, blah blah blah, sprint for 9th. Met my goal of a top 10 and top 5 domestic rider. Only one race, Univest, left and then some carrot cake.

I found this t-shirt in the DC airport on my flight down. Kind of funny.

For those of you who are looking for something to do this Saturday, check out the Univest GP. live on Al Gore's creation. Click here. There are options for live streaming video, text, & audio.

One for all you Nazbos

2007-08-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

While updating Cassarole's facebook account I found Nazarene Nooz, which pokes some fun at all you Nazbos. Here are a couple of posts.

#1:

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (NN) -- The Board of General Superintendents made a bold missional statement on the opening day of the M7 Missions Conference by partaking in the world famous chicken wings and other attractions at a local Hooters restaurant.

Nina Gunter, the only female on the Board of General Superintendents was overheard in an unusual public dissent about the work of the BGS. "I voted for eating at Denny's, but I was outvoted 5-1. They told me this place was like Rainforest Cafe and that 'Hooters' was a tribute to owls and winged wildlife. That's the last time I listen to Jim Diehl."

All was not wasted however, as several of the buxom waitresses expressed sincere interest in missionary positions.

General Superintendent Paul Cunningham defended the choice of Hooters as a venue for breaking bread. "Just because these girls look like they have loose morals doesn't mean anything. If I had a nickel for every young lady who paid her way through Midamerica Nazarene College as a cocktail waitress or a Hooters girl, I could get another jumbo plate of extra spicy chicken wings. I consider it an honor that so many Nazarene girls have the goods to work in a place like this."

The Board of General Superintendents concurred with Dr. Cunningham on a vote of 5-1.

#2 - Maybe only funny to me since, a) I attended an Assembly of God Church & b) my mom was a music pastor.

Heterosexual Worship Pastor seeking ministry opportunity
(Nazarene Nooz periodically has to put gas in the Nazarene Nooz Van, so we solicit the occasional bit of shameless self-promotion.)Anointed Worship Pastor, Louie Gossett

Hi, I'm Louie Gossett and I love to praise Jesus. I have been a Nazarene all my life, but I attended an Assembly of God church when I was in high school so I could get some credibility in Holy Spirit driven worship. God works in mysterious ways, and my calling to ministry has more twists than a dyslexic sidewinder. Click Here to read more

WOW!!!

2007-08-27T23:50:00.000-04:00

Dude, I saw this on Letterman tonight and started crying. So funny...

U.S. Americans!?! Do you think she could find the U.S.A on a map?

Chicago

2007-08-17T21:36:00.001-04:00

Crit Nats Sunday in Downer's Grove. This will be my first time racing for a USPRO national champ jersey. Our sprinters are coming into form, so hopefully I'll be able to help them win the stars and stripes.
The mayor of New Haven held a joint press conference with the police chief yesterday. Apparently crime is on the rise in Ghetto Haven, shocking, can the crime be any worse?!? As a concerned citizen of this fine city this press conference was of interest to me. So, how are they going to combat crime: More cops, stiffer penalties, or less arrests? Just like a multiple choice test, if you don't know the answer go with C. Yes folks they are going to prevent crime by arresting fewer people. A city in The South pioneered this idea and found that offenders who were not arrested were half as likely to commit another crime as those who had been arrested previously. This concept struck me as odd until I walked out my front door when I watched four kids steal a bike from a city bus' front rack. While observing this disturbing yet slightly humorous situation, the humor came from the bus driver who tried to run the thugs over as they went for the second bike, I
realized that I shouldn't call the cops because justice was taking place right in front of my eyes. By not arresting the thugs, as the had mayor explained earlier, they have now learned stealing is wrong and are 50% less likely to do it again. Genious. Anyone want to buy an ocean front condo in a safe town?

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Chicago

2007-08-17T21:22:00.001-04:00

The mayor of New Haven held a joint press conference with the police
chief yesterday. Apparently crime is on the rise in Ghetto Haven,
shocking, can the crime be any worse?!? As a concerned citizen of this
fine city this press conference was of interest to me. So, how are
they going to combat crime: More cops, stiffer penalties, or less
arrests? Just like a multiple choice test, if you don't know the
answer go with C. Yes folks they are going to prevent crime by
arresting fewer people. A city in The South pioneered this idea and
found that offenders who were not arrested were half as likely to
commit another crime as those who had been arrested previously. This
concept struck me as odd until I walked out my front door when I
watched four kids steal a bike from a city bus' front rack. While
observing this disturbing yet slightly humorous situation, the humor
came from the bus driver who tried to run the thugs over as they went
for the second bike, I realized that I shouldn't call the cops because
justice was taking place right in front of my eyes. By not arresting
the thugs, as the had mayor explained earlier, they have now learned
stealing is wrong and are 50% less likely to do it again. Genious.
Anyone want to buy an ocean front condo in a safe town?

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Isn't she cute

2007-08-11T21:56:00.001-04:00

Bike Dork

2007-08-11T21:50:00.001-04:00

Some guys will do anything to beat their buddy. Check out the aero helmet. This picture was taken at the top of 2 mile climb...hmmm... I wonder how much time it saved him.

Driving shoes

2007-08-11T21:38:00.001-04:00

Cass bought me some driving shoes. Big deal you might say. Well, the r&d was done by actual NASCAR drivers, which makes me feel pretty fast driving our 4 cylinder sedan.

Party Time

2007-08-08T20:35:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the 6th anniversary of our first date I bought Cass a...well I should bak up and explain our first date. I received some SF Giants tickets for my birthday one year and took Cass along because everyone else in my little black book bailed out on me, seriously. On the way to the game we started talking and the conversation went like this:

Cass: I love the Giants.
Chris: Really?!? Cool. Who's your favorite player?
Cass: Mark McGuire
Chris: Uh, he plays for Oakland.
Cass: Yeah, the Oakland Giants!
Chris: Oh silly me I thought the Giants' orange SF logo stood for San Francisco, I should have known that it was for Oakland (This was said with heavy sarcasm, which she didn't catch. She still thinks the Giants are in Oakland and Mark McGuire is still her favorite player on the team. Thankfully she can still save your life without sporting knowledge).

Fast forward four years. On our first shopping trip in the Haven, and as a married couple, I tried to convince Cass that we needed one of those collapsible shopping carts so we didn't have to make multiple trips to and from the car unloading groceries. At $25 I figured it was quite the bargain, #1 who is a credit unioner's daughter, thought otherwise. And so it has gone on for the two years we have resided here; me complaining EVERY single time I have to carry stupid grocery bag in and Cass saying that we didn't need to spend the $$... that is until today!

Check it out:

Le Tour Doping Article

2007-08-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

Article

Lobstah Dog

2007-07-26T18:35:00.000-04:00

Last week ,for a pre two anniversary event, #1 and I went to Old Saybrook for some Lobster Dogs. They are exactly what they sound like, a lobster hot dog. Here are some pictures, as you can tell Cass was very impressed.

2007-07-11T20:08:00.001-04:00

2007-07-10T13:55:00.000-04:00

Lance Armstrong was always talking about how he'd reconed this stage and pre rode that stage in order to prep for the Tour. So, I took a page out his book and made it better. I watched the NASCAR race at Infineon raceway, not once, but twice on TV to prepare for this past weekend's bike race at the same race track. Did it pay off? Yes! I won two tickets to the '08 NASCAR race weekend at the raceway. #1 is pretty stoked as she's always wanted to go to a race. Mark your calendars for sometime in June of next year so we can all party at the race. I know some, well maybe all, of you are going to laugh when I say this, but it really was a highlight of my racing career to be able to race on the same road circuit that stockcars and indy cars race on. All I could think about the entire time was how cool it would be to race a car around the track. I wanted to take the rental car for a hot lap or two but the security gaurd thought otherwise...
Off to Bend today.

Tough Negotiations

2007-07-05T20:10:00.000-04:00

Lot's of bike racin' has been taking place, but that's not why you stopped by. You stopped by to see something like this:

Yep, it's a gas OR electric powered cooler! It will keep your beee...I'm mean soda cold. They claim that it will do 13 mph and has a range of 15 miles! I thought this would be a perfect feed zone machine, #1 wasn't really too into the idea until she saw that you can get a trailer to pull your dog in:
Marriage is all about compromise, right? Well I may have to give in on the dog...but it would be worth it get the motocooler and an iphone. I'll keep you updated on the negotiations. Did I mention that the cooler comes standard with disc brakes and aluminum rims.

Traveling

2007-06-27T18:47:00.000-04:00

My butt has spent more time planted on the seat of a car the past 5 days than it has on a bike seat... New Haven to Rochester to Providence to New Haven to Exeter to Fitchburg, phew. Lots of travel, but the team has been posting some awesome results. While hanging out and racing with the dudes is fun, I wish I was here with the #1 & The Law:

Corny joking

2007-06-21T21:57:00.000-04:00

After today's trip to the beach and TJ's we were hungry. As many of you who have visited us know, shame on those of you who haven't (jesse & lynn), the Haven has tons of local restaurants that serve up great food. So you'd think that in our quest for food tonight we'd just walk down the street, but some how we ended up driving to the Texas roadhouse of all places. All of that babble to set up this conversation we had on the way to dinner:

Chris: He's a fun guy.
Cass: Oh, he's a mushroom.
Chris: A what?
Cass: You know, a fungi!
Chris: ?
Cass: ha rofl ha snort snort ha hyperventalating ha ha cough
Chris: You stole that joke from your dad didn't you.
Cass: (proud) Nope, made it up myself.

Now you know why I married her.

Why you shouldn't run red lights:

2007-06-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

People in the ghetto haven are constantly running red lights. They need to install red light cameras like we have in Nor-Cal, but as is typical with the haven PD they'd rather assign their resources to construction sites than protect to public. I should explain this phenomenon to my west coast peeps, any time there is construction that might touch the road, like a guy replacing a bulb in a street light, one and more often two cops are assigned to 'protect,' more like BS with, the construction worker. In theory it was a good idea, but in reality what a complete waste of money. I'll have to post some pics.

Anyways, this poor fella ran one too many (not sure if he's okay). This happened at the end of our block yesterday... ouch.

Making 'em suffer

2007-06-20T09:23:00.000-04:00

Click on the picture and check out the guys' faces behind me...

Where have you gone?

2007-06-18T13:44:00.000-04:00

Life has been rolling along lately and I've now been home for 7 of a solid 14 day stretch. This two week period is the longest continuous time I've spent at home all season...#1 is ready for me to leave.
Here's a short recap of the races... Mt. Hood was gorgeous and I had 1st class accommodations and support which made the racing much easier. I went in with a goal of a top 10 on GC and fell a little short. It was a weird week for results, as I was placing top 10 in field sprints, not so well on climbing days, and had one of my best TT's...maybe I'm a field sprinter now. Philly was awesome. When Cassarole and I embarked on this cycling voyage we discussed how it would change out lives and what we wanted to get out of it. Being the goal oriented person that I am, I picked out two races that I wanted to do; The now defunct San Francisco G.P. & Philly. On June 10th I was able to live out one of my dreams with my mom, sister, #1 fan, and 499,997 other people cheering me on. As we came into the final three small laps I got the chills because the noise from the crowd was so intense. I wish all of our races had a turn out like this. The end result wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I avoided a crash in the last turn and can't wait for next year. After the race I felt a huge sense of relief and was so stoked; I just wanted to ride around in my kit all day enjoy the accomplishment. When we started this cycling journey 5 and went full time 1.5 years ago , we had no idea where it would take us and how much it would affect our lives but we've rolled with the punches and had a great time. Now it is time determine the next milestones we are aiming for in cycling. Word is that there are some pictures of the race floating around. I'll try to find some and post them here shortly.

Oh dude, on a side note, I received my 10 year high school reunion packet in the mail...man I'm getting old.

Don't run away...

2007-06-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, #1 says ya'll run away if I don't post something soon. Been traveling quite a bit and having quite a bit of fun doing it. I get to see #1 on Saturday and race Philly on Sunday so it should be a pretty exciting weekend! More updates to come...

And she returns!

2007-05-30T00:13:00.000-04:00

After eating beans and rice for every meal, a run in with a tarantula, a bout with the fresh water sharks, and helping some kidos with their health issues, #1 has returned to the Haven in one piece. Party! Speaking of parties, mark your calendars for Memorial Day 2008, aka. the day Cass graduates with honors!

Biking news: After a chaotic lead out from the Periwinkle Train, Adam saved the day and busted out a killer sprint to win the Hartford Crit. last weekend. The boys turned around on Monday and helped land Adam in 9th at the sprinters delight; Sommerville. I heard rumors of the P Train going head to head with the Nav's...

Whoops

2007-05-25T19:56:00.000-04:00

Giro TV coverage catches affair in action:

According to Reuters, a man visiting the beach with his mistress made a mistake in attracting the attention of a helicopter TV crew covering the Giro d'Italia. Making an unanticipated appearance on national TV, he was inadvertently discovered by his wife.

The man waved at the passing camera crew, which zoomed in. The man's brother-in-law saw the coverage and called his sister, the man's wife, who he thought he saw with the man on the beach. Instead of reaching his sister on the beach, she was home, where her husband, upon returning from his excursion, would have to do some accounting for himself.

From cyclingnews.com.

Interview for you

2007-05-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

Quite of few people have been asking about Casserole and her trip, and since I don't really know I asked her a few questions. I'm the one in blue by the way...

What color shirt do you have on? white with specks of soot and dirt and sweat.

How many days in a row have you worn the jeans you have on? no jeans, way too hot for jeans. worn the same pair of shorts every day. nasty.

What is the funkiest smell you have smelt so far? today on the drive to granada i smelled something funky and looked to the side of the road in time to see a decomposing cow

Best food item? rice and beans with homemade salsa and tortillas. (you would be soooo jealous)

Who is your roommate? Julie and Jenner

Have you been shopping yet? of course, we went today. i had to go to the atm because i forgot my money. went to the masaya market which has amazing Nicaraguan made things. went to another local market--contemplated buying apiece of raw chicken covered in flies but decided against it.

Did you see the fresh water sharks? only one in the toilet at the restaurant today

Any monkeys? no just very large lizards and lots of bats in the bat caves. one flew into my head but luckily i was wearing a helmet. we went spulunking!

Have you shot anyone (with a needle) yet? no shots this trip. government will give the immunizations

Have you been drinking the water, I heard it has an extra kick? No way! we have bottled water

How many bowls of RB do you think I have eaten since you left (your cereal is good too by the way)? You better not be eating my cereal!! you better buy me some oatmeal crisp before i get back! Bowls of RB=9

Are you hablaing Espanol? Si senor. Mi espanol es muy mal.

Since it is like 200% humidity there, are you actually drinking water for once? Do you think you mom would be forced to drink water, or could she survive on her usual diet coke with lime? Water is a necessity. although I have to say that fake nalgene we bought is dumb! if it tips upside down it just pours out the side! weak! i believe that being here, my mother would actually be able to drink an ice cold bottle of water a day, supplemented by a few ice cold diet cokes with lime.

So do you miss me? About as much as I miss my homework.

Home alone :(

2007-05-18T19:17:00.000-04:00

Yale school of Nerds sent a team, including cass, to Nicaragua today. This is the first of what YSN plans to be an annual adventure to help immunize the children in Managua. So we packed #1 up, in not one but two suitcases, oh the horror of using two suitcases. I've never met another person that freaks out when they have to use the overflow (read: shopping) duffel to begin a trip with. For that matter, until we met I didn't even know what an 'overflow duffel' was or that it was standard issue in the Lance family when vacationing. So back to packing, the school had each of the students take down medical supplies including needles, hand sanitizer, vitamins, surgical gloves, and cool little surgical gowns. Considering the current state of cycling I couldn't have been happier when the needles left our house.

Nicaragua was originally settled by the Spanish, is approximately the size of New York state, home to the 2nd largest freshwater lake in Central America, and some 5,465,100 people.

Random facts:

-1988 inflation rate: 13,500% - ouch

-1990: 1st Latin American country to elect a woman president

-Nicaragua is one of three countries in the world where abortion is completely illegal

-Lake Nicaragua is home to the world's only fresh water sharks

-People in Nicaragua have two last names. For this trip Cass is known as Cassandra Lance-Jones.

-And is home to Joya (Jewel) de Nicaragua which are rated 'Classic.' (I'm not sure if classic is a good rating)

-GW was cheerleader at Andover:

Hopefully #1 will return with plenty of stories and pictures to entertain you with, until then lots of NASCAR and Raisin Bran for me.

The Sunny Factor

2007-05-14T09:36:00.000-04:00

Frobes just released a list of America's overpriced home markets and #1 on the list was...

Sunny San Diego.

Forbes states that, "A slumping housing market, where only 5% of residents could afford to buy the median home, and a high price-to-earnings ratio have made the oceanfront city the nation's most overpriced real-estate market." They continue on with this insightfull statement, "Had weather been included as a statistical measurement, there's no doubt San Diego would have avoided our list of top 10 most overpriced cities, but we didn't factor in sunshine. "

Sounds like Forbes needs a new way to analyze real estate markets, because dude what is San Digeo without the Sun!

If you want affordable without sun move to Fargo:

In cycling news:

The team was reunited at Sterling MA. this past weekend and as predicted the boys were flying.

1. Nerac Pro Cycling - Jones

2. Nerac Pro Cycling - Adam Meyerson

3. Nerac Pro cycling - Aiden Charles

Heading out the door...

2007-05-09T16:37:00.000-04:00

...but Cass says that I need to update 'our' blog. Here's the skinny and the fat:

We're in Redding for a little down time with the family and some friends. The weather has been great and the training is always awesome this time of year. Did a little bit of mt. biking with big ring bill, hit my favorite training route yesterday and racked up 104mi., 5300kj's, and 16,000ft of climbing, now I'm heading out the door to recon the local World Championship course for tonight. Oh and Cass, yeah she is going shopping.

Team NERAC update: Looks like the guys rode pretty well at USA Crits. Adam scored a podium and narrowly missed an over all podium. We are all headed back to N.E. this week and it will be nice to race with the fella's this weekend at the local events. I'm sure they are all flying after 8 days of motorpacing in the crit. series.

This week in New Haven History

2007-05-03T18:46:00.000-04:00

Many of you know that #1 and I have been temporarily relocated, for three years, to New Haven. The Haven is also home to Yale, one of the finest education institutions on earth... next to PLNU (nice choice by the way Kate). And being the home for such a wealth of knowledge many inventions have been born right here on the streets of Ghetto Haven. From time to time, when racing is slow and I'm procrastinating on home improvement, we here at Jonez World will share some of what we have retained from the 54 (and counting) Yale tours we have taken, on what makes the Elm City so unique.

And now for the first installment of Haven History:

The Frisbie:

Between 1871-1958 Frisbe Baking Company of Bridgeport, CT. sold pies to Yalies who soon discovered that the pie tin could be thrown and caught. This lead to endless hours of entertainment during reading week. Another tale has it that a Yalie by the name of Elihu Frisbie grabbed a passing collection plate from the chapel and tossed it and there by became the 'first to fling.' Either way, and contrary to what others claim, the first frisbie was obviously tossed here at Yale. The spelling was later changed to Frisbee to avoid copyright issues with the pie company.

Interesting eh?

Put a fork in me!

2007-05-01T16:56:00.000-04:00

I owe many thanks to all of you who were my e-cheerleaders during the TofVa! Thanks for all of your support.

I've made it back home and am looking forward to some R&R here in The Haven. We may even cram a quick trip home in next week to stock up on some quality time with the family before #1 heads way south of the border and I get back to racing.

Talk to you soon.

Stage 7

2007-04-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

Seconds needed to move into 3rd: 8
Seconds ahead of Alejandro (2nd on GC) today: 120+

Finial Results:
1st: Columbian
2nd: Dan Bowman
3rd: Christopher Jones

...more details to come.

Going for an 8 Second Ride

2007-04-29T07:14:00.000-04:00

1 Javier Zapata (Caico) 15.41.07
2 Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid Pro Cycling) 0.09
3. Dan Bowman (Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast) 1.04
4. Christopher Jones (VMG Racing) 1.12

A handy little time bonus earned during the crit last night has brought me within 8 seconds of the podium. I figure that people ride bulls for eight seconds at a time, so I should be able to make that much time up in today's stage.

Tour of Virginia Stage 3 Pictures

2007-04-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

Stage 5

2007-04-27T22:07:00.000-04:00

Today was advertised as an easy day, but with the combination of rain, wind, and aggressive riding, it was anything but easy. Kevin and Scott rode awesome again today. No change on GC. Crit tomorrow.

Tour of Virginia Stages 1-4

2007-04-26T21:56:00.000-04:00

So most of you have seen the results are probably thinking what the heck is VMG and what happened to NERAC. VMG (Velocity Made Good) is the name the United States National team races under in non-uci races. I have the privilege of guest riding for them this week since NERAC chose to focus on the South East Crits instead. Anyways, this week has so far been awesome. I haven't laughed this much in a long time. It's soooooo nice to have some good clean humor. The team is very well run and when I showed up they had a ton of clothes and two of these waiting for me:Chann McRae is the DS and is a wealth of knowledge and humor. The guy is full good tactical advice, which is what I have needed for a long time. I can't even begin to explain what a difference it makes in my riding with him guiding me through the race, I guess the results speak for themselves. Yesterday he was explaining to us that the Cat. 3 climb coming up was an easy one because, "there are a lot of trees and trees produce oxygen, so we shouldn't have a hard time breathing."

The team is the next generation of American cyclist and are all good guys. They have been working their butt's off for me and I owe them many thanks. Today two of the guys were chasing back a break for us. Each time we would hit a roller they would shoot backwards. Then as we hit the descent they would come flying back to the front and repeat. Kevin and Scott killed it today, oh and they brought the break back too.

The support staff is top notch too. It reminds me of the TARGETRAINING days, when I didn't have to worry about anything. The bike is clean, they take us to the race and I do my job and mine only (which is race my bike well), and they do theirs. Novel concept and it seems to work!

Thanks to everyone for your words of encouragement. 3 stages left and only about 8 seconds to the podium.

Coffee Shop Ride

2007-04-21T00:56:00.000-04:00

I invited Cass for a bike ride to the coffee shop today... I didn't realize that she was going to attack and drop me:

Yep, those are pegs...lucky.

Throw some d's on it

2007-04-19T19:34:00.000-04:00

While watching Bowling for Columbine tonight I had a random reflection of the last two weeks, which included my first trip to The South and my first run in with Hooptie Bling. "Hooptie bling would include but is not limited to: $4000 wheels on a 1980 Honda Civic; $2500 in dash DVD player in a '95 GEO Metro..." so apparently I had some hooptie bling! Man was I cool, I need to post some pictures of the Geo. I would have fit right in, the only thing I was missing were the 24's.

These cars were all over the south, kind of like seeing a lifted truck in nor-cal. Here are some pictures of hoopties:

Throw some Mickey D's on it:

Thank you so-cal...

2007-04-17T21:40:00.000-04:00

...for teaching me how to ride a crit. I'd also like to thank beautiful nor-cal for forcing me to learn to ride in the rain. The race in Jacksonville, FL. was a crit + rain = fun, a near miss at the podium, and a torturous 4th place.

Since the equation we used on Saturday didn't net a 'W', we switched it up on Sunday (not by choice). Not sure where we went wrong...

100 mile road race + 85 degrees + 30 mph winds - any team support to feed us = total dehydration, massive cramping, and unhappy teamates...lame.

I think I solved it...yep I sucked becuase my tires were underinflated, that must be it.

It is great to be home and I can tell by the weather that The Haven missed me. #1 is pretty excited too. She claims that the house is messier when I'm home, but I'm not sure if that is true.

She Passed!!!

2007-04-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

#1 Fan passed her NCLEX exam! Look how happy she is:

Speechless

2007-04-13T21:40:00.000-04:00

I saw this sign at a barber shop in Athens, GA.

The Perfect Storm - US Open of Cycling '07

2007-04-09T17:47:00.000-04:00

The day started off like this:

So it looked like all of that time suffering through the 'mild' New England was about to pay off.

These snowbirds who spent the winter in Tucson were less than stoked.

And after a flat and losing a wrestling match with some trolley tracks ended like this:

and this.

It has always been a dream of mine to race over a cobbled climb with fans screaming and yelling in my face. It was exactly like it had imagined; chaotic! In the gutter one minute and climbing on the grass to avoid the cobbles and barely missing fans the next. This is what the U.S. needs more of; hard races. I hope y'all caught it on NBC, if not buy your airline ticket to next year's edition. The end result wasn't what I had hoped for, but the race was awesome and I can't wait until next year.

NASCAR meets Cycling

2007-04-01T08:24:00.000-04:00

Great news from cyclingnews.com:

NASCAR looking to create new US pro team
By Mario 'secret cycling tragic' Andretti
In an effort to expand its cross-promotion efforts, the National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) announced today that it is looking to be a title sponsor of a US cycling team. The team, tentatively called Team NASCAR, is building its programme around the criterium racing circuit in the US. "It's a natural fit - criterium cycling and stock car racing!" said Buck Bretherton, vice president of promotions for NASCAR.
Though Bretherton declined to comment specifically as to whom the new team was looking to fill its roster, he did indicate what the criteria would be. "We are talking with current pros who fit the 'image' of NASCAR - both in terms of look and racing style." Along those lines, rumors as to likely candidates have circulated through the pro peloton. The recent talk is that Aussie sprinter Jeff Hopkins, currently racing for the Jittery Joes team, is high on the list with his trademark mullet. An inside source told Cyclingnews that original plans were to offer the team directing job to Viatcheslav Ekimov -- until the Russian trimmed his mullet.
Cal Naughton, Jr., senior vice president for marketing, also said NASCAR is looking to launch a criterium series tied to its racing series. "We want to have races going in the speedway parking lots while the fans are arriving. That will help them get them in the mood."
Two more names have also surfaced in the search, with Bretherton only eluding to the two having an interesting history which is why the team is interested. "That is exactly the type of rider our fans want to see racing," said Bretherton, "Remember the old NASCAR saying, 'Rubbin' is racin'!"
Riders interested in submitting resumes for possible spots on the team are encouraged to send them to: bubba@nascar.com

April Fools!

April Fools

2007-03-31T23:11:00.000-04:00

This is not an April Fools prank. One of the, if not the, best movie of all time is on tomorrow night, where band is not for geeks, where joining the band requires making it through boot camp,

where you can see Double G,

and "Half time IS game time!"

This Sunday April 1st at 8 PM tune your televisions to TBS for some of this:

Seriously, you've got to love the EWF!!!

Enjoy!!!

Time for bed. Biking tomorrow at mahhhbellhead.

Spring Trip Wrap

2007-03-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

My spring California racing for 2007 is complete. I'm not sure what place I finished today or in the GC, but unfortunately I didn't meet my only goal of the spring; to make the finishing circuits at Redlands. I had numerous other successes and the team is starting to ride really well. We head back to CT. for our team presentation next weekend. I'm really looking forward to seeing my #1 fan and finishing our remodel. Thanks to everyone who helped make this trip possible and sent encouraging emails.

Redlands - Oak Glen & Crit.

2007-03-25T00:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's RR was crazy! It was one of those days when after the race I was amazed that I wasn't seriously injured in one of the many near misses with cars, motos, cops, or construction equipment that was on the course! In the heat of the moment, while racing, it doesn't seem so crazy but afterwards it sure does. The end result was 18th place for myself after some fancy protection from Adam leading into the decisive 2nd KOM.

My parents and Jen arrived last night and we had some brunch today. Dr. Thomas showed up, which was cool. The crit wasn't too exciting for me, but Adam scored 9th place and Todd 20th. Great result!

TARGETRAINING recently overhauled their website, and I found this nice little quote in my bio, "He then returns back to the Northeast where he resides with his lovely wife in New Haven." Isn't she precious...

The last thing I have to babble about this evening is B-La. You know there is friendly competition, and then there is COMPETITION and we are nearing that point. I received a tip, from a source who shall remain anonymous, that B-La was trying to steal one of my recipes! Com'on just admit that my cooking is superior and I'll gladly share the recipe with you.

Redlands - Prologue

2007-03-23T01:10:00.000-04:00

Short, but hard day at the office. 5K of false flat to straight uphill racing. We didn't fare so well today, but watch out for us tomorrow...

My family is on their way down to watch for the weekend which is cool...

San Dimas

2007-03-19T17:02:00.000-04:00

It is over, and if you'd like you can read more about it here. There are also a few pictures of the team and Adam on the podium.

Now it is time to recover and gear up for Redlands. Our host dad took us on a recovery ride this morning. We told him an hour to hour and a half would be perfect...I should have known we were in trouble when he handed us each two gu shots as we headed out the door. I told him I wouldn't be needing them and he response was, "Trust me, you will." What?!? Two hours later, Aidan and I had a serious discussion about if it was "professional" to use a gu on a recovery ride. We both did the macho thing and didn't give in and subsequently bonked and barely made it back to the house.

Speaking of Aidan, he helped me in my ever present quest to be a better chef/cook/baker than B-La. Last I checked, in some weak attempt to top my tortillas she had made some wussy hamburger buns. So toady Aiden introduced me to the fine art of making pene pasta with an almond butter and honey sauce. I should have taken some pictures, but I'm sure you can imagine how appetizing it must have looked (email me for the reciepe as it is too long and complicated to post).

Sporting

2007-03-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

I don't have to report to the office until later this afternoon, which is great because the greatest sport in the world is on TV this morning. If you have extra time, watch Fox at 10:30 PST or 1:30EST. If you don't have extra time, make some!

California

2007-03-15T01:55:00.000-04:00

As always, things have been busy. I tried to sneak out of Connecticut before Valentines Day to save some cash on presents (yes I am that cheap). Well the plan totally backfired... I got snowed in and had to, I mean was able to spend two Valentine dinner's with my #1 fan. I was also there to witness her opening the flowers I had delivered to her; a dozen dead roses. Talk about not scoring points! Her face was so disappointed as she opened the box and I couldn't figure out why until she lifted the flowers out and all of the rosebuds fell off of their stem. Ah my luck sometimes... I did redeem myself by taking her to a fine establishment by the name of the Union League for dinner. While eating it occured to me that God blessed everyone with a unique set of talents and one of the many that #1 has been blessed with is the ability to pick THE most expensive thing out and choose it was the, "one she loves/ needs." Whether we are picking out clothes or choosing a tile for the bathroom, she will gravitate towards the most expensive. Amazing!

I finally made it out to Nor-Cal and now down to So-Cal. Both are as I remembered; beautiful! We've been doing some racing and I've found my legs... yep they're blindingly white. I haven't really posted any stellar results yet, but they are just around the corner.

Here's a couple of pictures from today's ride to anger all of you who are still in the frigid north east.

Back with a laugh

2007-02-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

Whoa, life has been busy but I'm back. Race season has started and the snow seems to be following me around the country. Life could be a lot worse; I could be as smart as this guy:

You CAN believe everything you see.

2007-02-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

Nope this isn't trick photography, if you look closely you can see #1 Fan using the vacuum. Life sure is full of surprises... She must be up to something... or sick...

That cycling thing starts up again next week. I'll be in Tucson for a while and end up visiting up both Nor & So Cal. Until then I don't have time to write, sorry, boss' orders. I have to finish phase #1 of the condo remodel before I leave, or the Cass will regulate and sell all 6 of my bikes in the house while I'm gone instead of the just the two that put me over the four bike limit.

Seriously who throws a shoe?!?

2007-01-26T09:23:00.000-05:00

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A ruling party lawmaker threw a shoe at the speaker of Taiwan's legislature on Friday and assorted colleagues pushed and shoved each other, throwing the final day of the winter legislative session into chaos.

What I'm watching right now...awesome!

2007-01-20T17:22:00.000-05:00

Party

2007-01-12T09:06:00.000-05:00

The fam, more specifically the loud Lances, are visiting us this week. Last night we headed out to Bar for a good time. Afterwards we decided to keep the party going and get crazy with some speed scrabble. Yep, we know how to p a r t y! Here are some pictures.

Cass winning again:

The Cass, Pete, and Bets...(We brought Bets in to consult via video conference from Korea)

This is awesome! I need one.

2007-01-09T22:44:00.000-05:00

iphone

A little comedy for monday...

2007-01-08T16:27:00.000-05:00

Home alone...

2006-12-16T21:03:00.000-05:00

Went for a ride with SD crew today. I'm not sure if they were in offseason mode... I sure hope they weren't because they were hurt'n me! The weather is greeaaaattttt.

She'll be here tomorrow...

Aeropuerto = Dude fest

2006-12-14T16:35:00.000-05:00

Not sure what the deal is but I would say that the ratio here at BDL is 100 dude : 1 Chick. Weird...

Studying...

2006-12-11T13:24:00.000-05:00

While looking for a permit on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's website I came across this under their FAQs section and it just seemed weird to me...

"What are the permit requirements to export or re-export products, such as handbags or skulls, of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)? "

Movies, Korea, snow, being kind

2006-12-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

Friday night we watched part of a movie that I had never seen before after Yale got their butts kicked over at the whale.

So B-La is headed to Korea soon. Not the safest place in the world right now. B, if you remember not to fall victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is, "Never get involved in a land war in Asia." But only slightly less well known is this, "Never go in against a Sicilian, when death is on the line" you'll be a-okay.

Yep, it is going to snow tonight. Inconceivable you might say, but true it is. The white stuff is on the way. Should be a cold one at the office tomorrow. For those of you about to make fun of me for being a wuss about the cold... You mock my pain! Life is pain! Anyone who says differently is selling something.

#1 has been studying ALL day. Talk about boring. I was so bored at one point that I actually started studying too! While she was studying groins, I was studying groins too. Funny eh? Anyone want to learn about Geotextile tube with a Ellicott Series 370 to create a groin? Yeah, me neither.

Oh yeah the nice thing... Cassandra informed me that I need to be kind to her. What better way to be kind that to post a picture of the one you love... she's the one on the right.

If you'll release me whatever you ask for ransom, you'll get it I promise you. ..And what is that worth, the promise of a woman? You're very funny Highness.

Okay kids, here's a little history lesson...

2006-11-29T09:23:00.000-05:00

Quick which of these is found in Rome???

#1 The Pantheon

VS.

#2 The Parthenon

According to The Law #2 is found in Rome. Even though I swear I ate dinner in front of something that was strikingly similar to the Pantheon... My dad, who is a wise old fellow, told me to never disagree with The Law. Man I sure enjoyed seeing the Parthenon in Rome.

Smooth Hoops

2006-11-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

Five Star Rating

What the?!?

2006-11-25T23:11:00.000-05:00

SatDec 2
Snow Shower
44°/29°
30%

Fun Right?

2006-11-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

MAC Series - Tale of two states

2006-11-14T09:15:00.000-05:00

This past weekend #1 and I completed our last weekend of racing for '06. First we hit up Harrisburg, PA and went to see E.S. and his crew at Messiah. He took us to watch their futbol team and I was impressed. He then took us to Panera which impressed #1. Saturday's 'cross race was about a mile away from the college, so E.S. took a study break and joined us. The race started off fine for me... then I crashed, crashed again, and crashed again. The weather was beautiful and the course was fast, but my skills were somewhere else. It was a good time though.

Sunday was so Jersey; rain, crappy directions, and traffic. The race was nasty, but tons of fun. Here are some pictures of the race... I'm the guy in brown.

Time for the off-season to begin. Vacation starts Thursday! Check back for some pictures of Cass' B-day trip.

Cycle-smart Cross

2006-11-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

Sunday was a little bit better than Saturday. This time I only faded to 11th. Here are some cool pictures from the race on Sat.:

Look at those hoops from williamscycling.com!

Eneas, all business as usual.

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago, but contains a clue about my team for next year.

In case anyone was wondering this is #1's b-day month. Yes, it means a month long celebration of her birth. Crazy!!!

Speaking of birthdays, Dr. Thomas Fitzpatricks' birthday is tomorrow. Happy Birthday Doc.

Backwards

2006-11-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

Ouch. I started 1st today and went backwards for the remainder of the race. Not good. Tomorrow will be better though. First on team GC for the day was a bright point.

Southington

2006-10-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

The leaves are changing colors, 'cross racing is in full swing, and the pressure is on now that the second bike has arrived. Raced this past weekend in Southington... good times. #1 and B-Lance were there to cheer me on with inspirational sayings such as "shake and bake." I mean seriously who says shake and bake, just like who throws a shoe? Crazy fans. I only crashed twice, but both times in the same place. Pictures are somewhere in the dark room. I'll post them soon.

Here's a couple of quick shots of #1 and B-La's art project in our living room.

Pics.

2006-10-17T12:45:00.000-04:00

Maine Event

2006-10-17T09:02:00.000-04:00

Casserole and I traveled to the great state of Maine this past weekend for some shopping and a little bit of racing. Warning to future travelers of Maine, stay away from Lewiston, but if you happen to find yourself in Lewiston eat at Governor's for B-fast. Maine is the home of L.L. Bean and TONS of outlet stores. Trust me, I think we visited every single one of them. What is all of this grumbling about, you may ask. Well I placed a dismal 17th on Saturday, so Cass decided that I didn't deserve to put my feet up and relax in the hotel room and took me shopping as punishment. Talk about motivation to place better! There is something about outlets, Cass feels obligated to buy something in every store, "because it is so cheap." I don't understand this logic, but scored some new clothes. After our half marathon shopping spree the pressure was on to place better Sunday because I couldn't handle any more shopping. The race went well on Sunday and I placed 5th, in my 5th cross race, kind of funny. I'd like to say thanks to Jelly for taking care of my bike's set up. So now I have some UCI points and won't have to start so far back anymore. Pressure is on now! I'll post some pictures later today.

'Crossing it up

2006-10-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

I have been sitting here trying to think of a way to describe 'cross and why I've had a blast in my first three races, but writter's block has taken over my brain... that is until I surfed over to the CrankBros. GP. website.

This how they describe cross:
"The NASCAR of bike racing"

Enough said!

Weekend totals:

0 Flats
0 Bike changes
1 #1 Fan who forgot the camera
2 days of racing
2 crashes
2 10th row starts
100 guys passed
150 times I heard some dude yell, "Jones, Horner can ride that section, why aren't you!!!" My response in two words or less Mr. Smarty pants: Pro Tour!

Man the off-season is fun.

A fair day

2006-09-25T20:07:00.000-04:00

A wise man once told me, "Jones, relationships are like bank accounts. All season long you are making withdraws and the off-season is time to make deposits." I followed this sage's advice and scored huge points yesterday.

We set off to the fair to see already living animals ... and the creation of some more.

Hey look... Twins!!!

#1 was so excited to see the tractor pulls...

... and the horse pulls. ***Important Horse Pull etiquette update: Do not, I repeat, Do not cheer while the horses are pulling. Only one driver is needed and he is right behind the horse.*** Heeding this advice will save you from being ridiculed by fellow fans of the sport and being singled out by the crazy judge. Just ask our friend Christy.

Ever heard of spin'n a yarn?

After feeding the camel, Cass decided that we need one...

And one of these...

And a goat...

I'm thinking of selling the condo to buy an ark.

What fair experience isn't complete without a fried Oreo...

Yankees - Bosox

2006-09-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

Saturday brought a much needed reprieve from the jaws of honey-do's, in the form of a bike ride. I joined up with some teammates from TARGETRAINING and Crawford for a "leisurely" ride with some TT clients. It was good to ride with Ale one last time before he headed back to Argentina. As if a bike ride wasn't refreshing enough, #1 set up a trip to watch the pinstripes and bosox for the evening. We headed down with some of her Yalie friends, so I had to bring my smart hat and be prepared for educated conversation... so I slept during the train ride. Here's a picture from the game...

yes we're in the bleachers and yes that is a dual straw tin foil lid. Apparently they don't stock lids at pinstripe stadium and if you ask for one, you get tin foil. We had a great time, but come on is baseball really a sport? Are the players really athletes? The way I look at it, they wear tight clothes just like bike riders, but stand around the entire time, are fat, get more chicas, and receive a much larger pay check than most cyclist... dang I'm in the wrong sport.

Mr. T said, "Creesss you had a very good year, but need much rest now." So it looks like I'll have plenty of time to continue improving the casa this week.

Easy button

2006-09-14T09:53:00.000-04:00

Can I get one of these for painting???

Color

2006-09-12T15:51:00.000-04:00

So the road season over. The past month has been a blur and it feels like I've slept in a different place almost every night! I had a great time this season and would like to thank all of you for your support. Keep your fingers crossed and prayers coming as I seek out another contract for next year.

On to the good stuff... as many of you know #1 fan (who is very ready for the off season too) and I purchased a condo. We have only been here for a few days, but are loving it already. Here's a before and after picture of the kitchen wall. #1 thinks that since I'm not riding as much right now that I have plenty of time to paint. I think she needs to review the meaning of "off-season." I have the feeling she'll win. Man, I hate losing. Incidentally, anyone who would love to paint please feel free to come on over.

2006-08-17T02:04:00.000-04:00

Travis Pastrana 1st Double Backflip in Competition XGAMES

Okay; I'll admit this is WAY cooler than bike racing.

2006-08-17T01:49:00.000-04:00

Injured

Ouch!

2006-08-17T01:43:00.000-04:00

OK GO Treadmill Dance

Funny, eh?!?

Thin air

2006-08-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Tour of Utah -

I'm riding for the KJZZ composite team. We're loaded with talent and looking for a win. The guys are all cool and I'm having a good time.

Stage 4-
Ouch! Today hurt! The plan was the get Neil and I into a break so we could have a head start on the climb. It worked, but an untimely flat and suuuuuuupppper slow wheel change (1 min +) and I was out of the group. I slowly slipped back and finally pulled the plug to save it for another day. We topped out at 9300'. It sure is hard to breathe up there!

Tomorrow - downtown circuit race. 30,000+ people expected. Should be fun. Expect a victory from the team.

Pictures

2006-07-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

My steed for the week... smooth as silk and fit perfectly thanks to Jelly the mechanic.

285 - Pippy 280 - Eneas 286 - Mr. www.mattshriver.com

Every legit professional team needs a Canadian - Dustin

New England Allstar, The Hoss, Mr. Dan "The Man" Greenfield

hasta luego altoona

2006-07-30T20:22:00.000-04:00

Bitter sweet ending for me today. I had a great time riding for TARGETRAINING this week and was pleased to see that our hard work netted Mr. Pippy a top 10 on GC, but I'm bummed that it is over. The old timers on the team warned us this morning that the crit would be fast and furious with few finishers. I love these kind of crits. Pippy and I pulled a so pro move and rolled up to the front of the line after 99% of the field was lined up. Front row baby. Usually people will harass riders for this kind of maneuver, but they were afraid of my guns. Only something like 68 dudes finished the race today. That means that almost 100 people dropped out this week...pantsies. Oh the race, we rode around in circles, a group got away, it came back and there was a field sprint. Crits are much easier and shorter than climbing, so I think I may start to be a crit specialist, the only problem is I am lacking a sprint...

Headed home to Nor-Cal tomorrow. Actually I'm not sure where my home is right now...

One more picture of #1 fan and I on our wedding day...

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

2006-07-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

YEP, SHE'S HOT. SORRY BOYS, SHE'S TAKEN.

Workin' for the man

2006-07-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

Well the major GC shake up prediction was correct. Today was tough no matter how you slice it. From the gun we put Billy and Dan on the front to help the Health Nuts set tempo. I think we averaged 30+ mph for the first 1:45. Over the top of the first climb Wherry, Baj, Baldwin, and some Navs made it over first with the second group containing Frank, Dustin, Health Nuts, and myself. On the backside we nailed it with Dustin and I trading pulls with Mr. Wattage (O'neil), TJ, and Louder. You ever been on that group ride where the guy in front of you is pulling super hard and you are struggling just to hold his wheel... well that was what I felt like pulling through behind O'Neill. We were gaining time on the lead group when we went off course and lost about 25 seconds. This allowed a group of about 25 to catch us that contained Henderson of HN and Shriver. So we had three to work up front. The second climb caused us to lose Dustin and others. By the time we hit the bottom of the third climb the 2:30 gap was down to 1 min. As we started to climb, I blew. I cracked harder than I have in a long time. Matt lasted almost to the top of the climb and did the same. This left Frank to fend for himself. He did a good job and is in 7th on GC tonight. He's just a few seconds out of first and there are tons of time bonuses up for grabs tomorrow, so my works not done.

Stage 5

2006-07-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

Not too much to report. We went around in circles, with the Health Nuts pulling us around. Finally the HN got mad because they were the only ones working so the TTrain boys went to the front to pull the break back. O'Neill, ha... Henderson who? We have big names like Greenfield, McBurnie, & Elliston. In true Tour fashion we hit the front with 30k to go and pulled a 2:30 gap back to 20 sec and maintained Frank's 2nd place on GC. Tomorrow is the stage that I have been nervous about all week. Shriver & I have been protected all week for tomorrow's stage so we can support Frank. Time to suffer. Big climbs and major GC shake ups are in store tomorrow. I'm having a great time and enjoying the week, also I'm learning a ton which is really cool. Time for bed.

Twice?!?

2006-07-27T13:41:00.000-04:00

I crashed not once, but twice today. Yesterday a guy crashed coming out of the parking lot and I made fun of him. Today my pay back arrived. I was descending around a right hand turn on the first lap when my front tire blew out. I hit the deck and my bike went flying. Ouch. The worst part was that I was about 6th wheel and Frank (2nd place) on GC was on my wheel. All I could think about was please don't hit me Frank. That would have been a great way to make an impression on the team. So after all 180 riders passed me without hitting me or my bike, I got a quick wheel change from the boys at Mavic and it was off to the races. Dustin came back and paced me up to the group, then Billy took over. Just as we were about half way through the pack another crash happened! This split the field and half of our team was caught behind it, including me. Oh man that was another tough chase. We got back on as the break went, so things finally slowed down which was nice. I caught my breath and hung on until the finish. With about 200m to go a Colavita guy's front wheel turned sideways in the railroad tracks and went down hard right in front of me. I made it around, but am not sure it I got pack time or not. We'll see how it goes. Time to rest up for tomorrow. Today took a lot out of me.

WE WON!

2006-07-27T07:17:00.000-04:00

Quick update, but we... more specifically Frank won, and Matt and I pretended like we got the victory by putting our hands up too. Pretty sneaky of us actually because all of the reporters couldn't tell which one of us had won;) Okay, check out cyclingnews.com for the details.

Red Carpet Treatment

2006-07-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday I received a phone call from the director of the Nor-Cal powerhouse team, Owens Healthcare. The call went something like this:

OHC: Interested in racing the state championships this weekend? If so call me back... oh yeah, not the CA state championship.
CJ: Not the CA... hmmm I sure hope it is Hawaii.
OHC: Well, not quite Hawaii, but close. Meet me at the airport at 6:45pm.
CJ: The airport?!?
OHC: Yeah the airport. Hanger #... Here's the code.
CJ: Okay.

I rolled up to the airport to see the new OHC Sprinter Van. A nice ride in normal circumstances, but just beyond the van was our mode of transportation for this trip... yep, the team plane complete with a pilot who loaded my bags. We hoped in the plane and a quick two hours later landed in Montana. Not just anywhere in Montana, but northern redneck Montana. As we rolled up to the hanger for the evening, some guys came running toward the plane. I was like what the heck is going on? Then I realized what was happening, they were rolling out the red carpet for us! Yeah, that's how I roll.

On to the race. Smallish field. We set out to try and get Mr. OHC some upgrade points. About 5 miles in, I attacked trying to set something up and it stuck. Oh boy, not what I wanted. 55 miles solo. People were yelling, "Go Floyd." And I was thinking to myself, well actually I was in the hurtbox so I wasn't thinking anything. But, if I had been thinking clearly I would have packed 71 water bottles like Floyd did on his epic stage, silly me. After I was caught, I set out to help Mr. OHC who ended up 2nd. Not a bad result.

After the race I got a phone call from Targetraining saying they would like me to race Tour de Toona with them. So we jetted, literally, back to Redding. I booked a flight out for the next day and after 20+ hours of travel, three cancelled flights, and a shuttle ride I made it to Altoona. The TT guys are pretty cool and seem to be riding well. I'll let you guys know how the race progresses.