Tour de Toona Race Report

[fstrthnu]

Stage 1 Prologue: 16 turn in 5.6km : Pre-rode the course 10 times and still braked in the turns. Lost about 40 seconds on Menzies. Got "randomly" tested by USADA after. AMEN!

Stage 2: Johnstown circuit race, 117.3 km in 2hr 13min.
Relatively boring stage: Finished s.t. and out of trouble.

Stage3: Johnstown - Altoona, 158.8 km in 3hr 38min. Got dropped by a 200 pound sprinter up a mountain. *** is that all about? Scott Moninger who destroyed this race last year was dropped too. I just don't get it. Maybe I'm fat.

Stage 4: Hollidaysburg circuit race, 96.6 km in 2hr 7min
Broke away with some heavy hitters on the courses only climb only to be reeled in because there was a Health Net rider in the break. Hey, I tried. Time gaps opened in the finish because we went about a million miles per hour coming off the climb, down the descent, through a neighbor hood into a slight uphill finish. Lost a few seconds.

Stage 5: Martinsburg circuit race, 123.6 km in 2 hours 53min
Rode behind the Health Net train the whole day.

Stage 6: Altoona road race, 149.5km in 3hrs 38min
OK... That was just RIDICULOUS. 150km with 3 mountain passes and up and down in b/w the mountains all in 3 hours in and 38 mins... *** IS GOING ON!!!
I got dropped on the last climb along with all the other non-terestrials and tried to stay away with Jeff Louder from 20k out we got caught by a small group containing Barry Wicks, Ryan Trebon, Mark McCormack and some other guys who are normally minutes ahead... not behind.

Stage 7: Crit to fast for fstrthnu
I cant even begin to describe how fast this was. I got shelled with ten laps to go and at that point the field had already been wittled down to 50. To add insult to injury they did not pro-rate my time and I got a big fat DNF. MP.

I am giving it one last huge, pull out all the stops push for August.

Wish Me Luck.

Fstrthnu

[Grant McLean]

I got the download from my jet fuel pals when they got home.

My bud Keith Moore was just freakin' smoked. The road race was hot
and fast, they were toasted out the back, but somehow finished all the
stages and drove home to Toronto. Keith mentioned the big sprinter dude
hammering everyone on the climb, he couldn't believe it.

I say all you guys are rock stars.

g

[e-RICHIE]

--
awesome preseason report atmo.

[obtuse]

ha ha! you got a random!

that's funny.

obtuse

[swoop]

you coming out for manhattan beach?

[Climb01742]

clean is good. be proud. be very proud.

[Too Tall]

GREAT report :)

[sspielman]

...the Altoona Road Race...or whatever they want to call it...I don't know how they have tweaked the course here lately, but there used to be two of the climbs that were realy tough. The first one was the "horseshoe curve" one....the total climb is about 8 miles...mostly at 5%, but there is a pitch about a mile above the tunnel that is about 25%- no kidding- for about .2 miles or so....and you don't see it until you are on it because you are in the trees and it begins on a bend. The other real tough one is "blue knob". This one is about 10 miles total with the first part only at 3% or so...but then it gets tougher..I have never climbed anything with that many grade changes. I think Moninger designed that road.....

[fstrthnu]

you coming out for manhattan beach?

That would be cool but I don't think My Team can make it out for that one.

[david]

that was fun to read. thanks