Johnson is pumped for Tibor ("It's going to be a shit show") and Kentucky

With the lack of racing this week I’ve had to make do with news of race announcements, race cancellations, team announcements, doping allegations, very creative graphs and of course new electronic gadgets to lust over. So yeah, it was a full week for me.

First off we’d been hearing rumbling earlier this week that the UCI had Louisville, Kentucky on the short list for the cyclocross world championships for 2013. Louisville and particularly the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross have a good reputation of promoting and running a high-level race. I attended the November USGP in New Jersey a couple of months ago. It seemed well run but I can’t be sure, we were all pretty drunk for most of that weekend. Tim Johnson Skyped me yesterday from Tabor, just prior to going to diner (and massage) to tell me how pumped he was about the race being awarded to Louisville. This will give the sport of cyclocross some legitimacy here in the States and hopefully a wake-up call to USA Cycling that they need to throw some dollars at this discipline. As a warm up the UCI also granted Louisville the Master’s Cyclocross World Championships in 2012. I’m planning on being there and probably mostly sober. I’m told that the Louisville Park and Recreation Department is planning on building a cyclocross park. How cool is that? I say take a hunk of property and make a BMX track, cross course and a velodrome. At least that’s what I’m going to do when I win the lottery and I’ll name it The Browne Eye Sporting Complex.

And speaking of rumblings, I’d been hearing for a while about the formation of a cycling team with Yahoo as the title sponsor. With ex-Rock Racing rider Haldane Morris directing, this northern California based team is an elite amateur squad. I was far too optimistic and hoped it was going to be a pro team. Morris wants to take the team to a professional level, unfortunately half of his squad is over 30 and two of those riders are over 40. Those older guys would need to be jettisoned like used water bottles in order to satisfy the UCI’s rule on the average rider age of a team. Also there’s the fact that Yahoo, the company, hasn’t had that great of a 2009. While I like the idea of an elite team being formed with a well known company as a title sponsor, I’m not so excited seeing that half the team are master racers. We need to develop young riders, not guys who are still living the 12k dream.

This is why there's no TT up Paris Mountain - 28 degrees and snow

One race cancellation that hit me hard personally was the Paris Mountain time trial here in Greenville. Apparently there was a very strong chance of snow, ice and rain putting the race into the Jens Factor 5 zone. So for safety’s sake the time trial was postponed till March. I had been planning for weeks to make a run at my personal best up the hill. I had been doing interval training and marking off timing landmarks on the 2.2 mile road (at the halfway point where the road slightly levels off I had hoped to be at 5:50). Now I’ll be reduced to training indoors. However I have a great excuse to try out an indoor training video from Suffer Fest. They sent me a copy of Fight Club and I’ll let you know how that does, but I can guess it will be ugly.

Speaking of weather, as a very-recently-former Californian I am still wrapping my head around the fact that there is adverse weather conditions. And by adverse I mean the temperature drops below 60 degrees. But like a cockroach I have adapted and survived in the often inhospitable 40 degree temperatures that I’ve been reduced to riding in. But to make sure I’m not riding in too inhospitable weather conditions I consult my Jens Factor chart from the Cyclocosm site. Cyclocosm designed a graph that tells you what factor of climatic hell you are about to ride in and how you should dress. This chart is so important that I have created a spot on my training log to record what Jens Factor I rode in. As someone who has had his fair share of chemistry classes and is a well known bike dork, I’m mad at myself for not creating the Periodic Table of Professional Cycling that Cyclocosm also created. He has taken all the major, and not so major races, and broke them down into the periodic table with the three Grand Tours at the top going all the way down to races no longer on the race calendar such as the Tour de Georgia. Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time printing them. Just go to his site, purchase the posters or a shirt and fly your bike dork flag proudly.

Don't they make a cute couple?

Not too shocking is that Riccardo Ricco’s girlfriend, recent mom and second place finisher in the Italian cyclocross national championships, Vania Rossi was popped for CERA. Ricco was all set to return to professional cycling on the Flaminia team, but I have to be thinking that the team is going to unleash the lawyers and get rid of Ricco before it’s too late. I can’t wait to hear some kind of public statement from either one of them. “She was doing what? I had no idea what those viles in the fridge were for. I assumed it was breast milk!” My career advice would be for Ricco to return to teaching Spin classes to cougars and not ride a bike professionally. Ever.

Finally the biggest hype of the week goes to Apple for their launch of the iPad. I won’t even go into the well publicized fact that they couldn’t have chosen a worse name for a product. Regardless, it won’t do flash, it isn’t a phone, has no USB or HDMI ports, no camera, no multi-tasking and yet I still want one. Damn you Apple hype machine!

LATE BREAKING NEWS:

Well I said it was going to happen and it did, Tom Zirbel’s “B” sample came back positive for DHEA. Tom says on his own blog, “There will probably be a hearing in a few months whereas I will proclaim my innocence. We all know the drill! How many times have we been through this with this sport? I even secured one of those lawyer fellas to help me through this. We are still attempting to figure out how this happened and I’m optimistic that we’ll have an answer in time for the hearing.” Unfortunately we do know the drill. I hope Tom can mount some kind of defense and explain how it happened, but he’s done.

Vania Rossi issued a public statement regarding her positive for CERA! “I’ve never taken banned substances and I especially haven’t done it now because I’m a mum and I’ve been breast feeding my baby boy since last July.” Apparently she’s going with the tried and not so true, ‘Just had a baby so no way would I take anything to harm my child’ defense. All I know is get an eye on that kid when he gets older. He’s going to kick ass!

I like to get up close and personal when I do interviews. Lucas, me, Levi

Lucas Euser did not have an easy 2009 racing season. He came off a strong 2008 season and was aiming to ride the Vuelta in 2009. However, he was struck by a car in May 2009  resulting in broken ribs, fingers and a shattered patella, effectively ruining his season. Released from Garmin-Transitions for the 2010 season, Euser is getting back into the peloton with the Canadian team, SpiderTech presented by Planet Energy. I caught up with Lucas Euser as he was putting in early season miles in Santa Barbara and discussed his injury, the hardship he’s had to overcome to recover, the new team as well as his plans for the future. I’ll post the full interview soon. For now I thought I’d leave you with his answers to questions I received from Twitter.

@Lowcadence: Is Hannah (Lucas’ sister) faster than you on foot versus you on a bike?
Lucas: I think if she was a cyclists she’d be a wicked good sprinter. I did get her on a bike and she pedals now and then. But the answer is no, she can’t out run me on a bike, but she sure can out run me on foot, even if I was 100 percent healthy. She would crush me.

@Kirkflinte: How many marshmallows can you put in your mouth?
That’s a task I’ve never tried, but willing to take on. I’ll try it tonight. I will say that I like the triple marshmallow smore. It’s chocolate intertwined and it makes a delicious treat.

@GregKnottLeMond: How was your experience at Levi’s Grand Fondo?
It was extremely difficult for me with me knee not being 100 percent and riding 105 miles. It was pretty friggin hard! But I had some good support out there and I finished. It was a good boost for my motivation. I had a great time out there. The event he put on is incomparable to any other event put on in the U.S. The way he captured all the excitement in NorCal, and cycling all over the world for that matter, and to translate that to a bike was awesome.

@Districtcycling: What are you listening to on your iPod?
My latest kick is Mumford and Sons. They are an Irish quartet. They do all their percussion with string instruments and they all sing. They all have great voices. Look up “Little Lion Man”. I think it’s one of the best songs on the CD. It’s not crazy upbeat, but it gets you in a good positive mood. I like that folky, alternative, indie, whatever you want to call it music. Bon Iver, Soul Season, Drive-By Truckers.

Tim Johnson: Tell him sorry we didn’t make it to the movies last night. Was it good?
It was awesome. We had man night out. We invited Tim, but he was connected to his partner. He didn’t want to have fun. We saw Youth in Revolt. I’m here in Santa Barbara with a few of the Team Type 1 guys. It’s a killer movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, go see it. The best part about it was that there was not one cell phone in the entire movie. That’s awesome to be able to capture a movie without modern technology in it. Check it out.

Michael Creed: How’s it like to be a hippster?
I’ll answer that if he answers: What is it like to be a disgruntled ex-Postal employee?

Team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com entered the weekend of the United States Cyclocross National Championships as three of the favorites in an Elite Men’s race that featured one of the deepest talent pools of all time. The team came in with high expectations heaped upon them after finishing up the regular season with twenty-one wins as well as the overall victory in the North American Cyclocross Trophy series. All of their prior results would go out the window, however, when Johnson, Powers and Driscoll hit the line for one last time in America.

It did not take Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com long after the starter’s gun fired to open up the throttle. As has been his trademark all season, Jeremy Powers grabbed the holeshot and shifted the pressure onto his rivals. “I wanted to take off from the beginning,” said Powers. “I saw in the earlier races that that was the way to go. I saw guys taking off and holding on to the race, so that’s the plan I wanted to follow.” Powers quickly opened up a gap over an elite chase group that quickly formed behind. As Johnson bided his time, waiting patiently for the right time to strike, the chasing was left to Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) and Ryan Trebon (Kona/FSA). Just behind, Jamey Driscoll was working his way through the field, closing in on the action at the front. The team’s tactics allowed Powers’ gap to extend, as Powers continued to press his early advantage. Jonathan Page was first to exit the chase group, as he headed to the pits to grab a bike with better tire pressures.

Noting the absence of one of his rivals, Johnson decided the time was right to open up his race, inching both closer to Powers and away from Trebon. Before long, Johnson’s pace had pulled him up to Powers’ wheel, and Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com was firmly in the driver’s seat of the biggest race of the season. Johnson made sure that when he got to Powers, he did so alone. “There was very little drafting out there, so when I went across to Jeremy, I went across clean, and there wasn’t really any pulling going on at that point.” Not far behind, Driscoll was hard at work keeping tabs on Page and Todd Wells (Specialized), ensuring that the dangerous pairing did not make inroads into his teammates’ advantage. “I rode a pretty smart race and went as hard as I possibly could. I’m pretty pleased with how I did,” said Driscoll of his day.

Powers was having the best Nationals ride of his career, and looked like the only man who could challenge Johnson for the title. Disaster struck midway through the race, when a slick, off-camber corner sent Powers to the ground, allowing Johnson and Trebon to ride away and battle for victory. Powers, however, was determined not to let the crash faze him, as he remounted and charged off to salvage his day. “On that course, 15 seconds was an eternity. I left it all out there, and I know other guys did too.” Powers found Driscoll for company, fighting amongst Page and Wells for the final podium spot. A trip to the pits to switch back to his original bike for Powers, and accelerations by a resurgent Page and Wells saw Powers and Driscoll left to fight for fifth. Driscoll and Powers remained together for much of the race, with only a sprint for the line separating the two. “We were both trying as hard as we possibly could,” said Driscoll of racing with Powers. “We were racing our brains out because it’s the National Championships, and that’s what you do.” Powers managed to out kick Driscoll, finishing his day in fifth, with only meters separating Driscoll in sixth.

Up ahead, Johnson had eked out a four second advantage over Trebon, and had lost himself in the task of holding off the motivated Bend native. Johnson’s only goal for the remainder of the race was to ride as smoothly and safely as possible while keeping himself and the rest of the field at bay. “I really just kept my head down and tried to steer my own bike, and not really think about anything else.” As the laps melted away, Johnson was able to extend his lead little by little, but the race never looked as it had a clear winner. “If you got too out of control or too aggressive, you’d pay for it by dabbing or crashing. I kept an eye on the field and I knew that if I got a little bit of a gap and was going as fast as I could, the chances of holding on got better.”

Behind, Powers’ sprint for fifth place matched his best ever finish at the National Championships, but the manner in which Powers animated the first half of the race speaks volumes to both Powers’ ability and his potential. “I’m happy that I was able to throw down, and give myself an opportunity to win. We rode strong all year and it’s a great way to cap the year.” Driscoll’s sixth place finish, too, signals that the best things are yet to come for the young man from Vermont. Finishing the day in first, fifth and sixth met and far exceeded the expectations put on team Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com.

The twenty-five seconds that stands as Johnson’s victory margin does not tell the story of how hard Trebon pushed Johnson throughout the race. In the end, however, Johnson emerged with his third Elite Men’s United States Cyclocross National Championship – adding to the Elite titles he won in Kansas City in 2000 and 2007 – and his sixth National Title overall – having won Espoirs titles in Fort Devens, Massachusetts in 1998 and Presido, California in 1999, as well as a Junior title in 1995 in Leicester, Massachusetts.

Johnson described the win among the biggest of his career thus far, saying, “I’d say this win ranks at number one, maybe number two. In 2007, I only got the lead with one lap to go, but this one I led for so long. The longer you lead, the more chance you have to lose it, so it was pretty exciting to be able to hold on for that long. I was thinking this morning that I didn’t want to get too nervous, because I realize just what it feels like. All I wanted to do was give myself the opportunity to win.” Johnson will not be satisfied to end his season with his Nationals victory, and will now turn his sights to the year’s biggest goal: a top ten finish at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic on January 31. “I want to be top ten at Worlds, and that’s not going to change. The course is pretty similar to this weekend, and I think if I’ve got some good training, I’ll be in a good position.”

All three Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com team members will head across the Atlantic this week, arriving in Belgium on Thursday. Jamey Driscoll will be the first of the team to open up his European campaign at the season’s next World Cup in Kalmthout, Belgium on December 20th. Shortly thereafter, Powers will join Driscoll in the European peloton at the Noordzeecross in Middelkerke, Belgium on December 23rd. Johnson will take some time away from racing and put in a hard training block before heading to Europe on January 20, tackling the World Cup in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands on January 24 to begin his European season.

Johnson will be swapping out the green for red, white and blue

Without a doubt Tim Johnson of the Cannondale/Cyclocross World team is one of the good guys in the bike racing world. This guy is a true pro and his C’dale teammates have been killing it all season long. The highlight is undoubtedly his National Championship win in Bend, Oregon. Tim took time out after his dentist appointment to talk about the last 24 hours. One hint – wait for the pregnant pause when Johnson talks about teammate Driscoll.

It has been awhile since I blogged. I have various excuses. Most notable excuse was the Amgen Tour of California. Once we returned from that it was time to spew forth that issue. We finished the other day and it is 140 plus pages devoted to just the race. So to ease myself back into blogging I thought I would go back and answer questions that I get to the various posts.

Anonymous: That’s 100 kph an hour, right?

Neil: As a rule I never drive Euro cars! If I see any kilometers on the gauges, including the speed, I refuse that vehicle. This all goes back to a rather nasty encounter I had a Spanish police officer. On the advise of council I cannot say if I was going 100 miles per hour in the V6 Highlander.

Cycle Momma: Nice. I am wearing those 2XU compression tights right now! I don’t have any bulges though.
Neil: We are going to need photos to verify that claim.
Anonymous: Judging by that extra foot in the picture, Tim is obviously very excited by the presence of the person behind him…

Neil: Tim Johnson is excited all the time. Whether it’s the start of a stage or 2:00 a.m. in a New England bar, Johnson is excited and loves to talk.

Ping Pong: Tell Tuckerman Ping Pong says hello.

Neil: I will.

Anonymous: I can’t wait to see the rest of the [Rock Racing] women’s team.

Neil: Here you go!

XXX: This blog sucks ass!

Neil: I know. Try this blog instead.

I’m at a sponsor’s photoshoot for a compression tight called 2XU. Johnson always the joker, stuck a sock down his tights. That’s what I love about the bike industry. It’s filled with jokers.

I was about to post about my recent trip to the Shimano factory in Malaysia when suddenly my cell phone kicked to life. It was recent cyclocross national champion Tim Johnson. He was sitting in the Boston airport on his way to Belgium to contest a few World Cups. I conducted my interview discussing such topics as the national championships in Kansas City, designing the perfect gloves and having a bike named after him. Then halfway through the interview he says he needs to send me a video. It’s Johnson driving circles in the rental car at a snowy abandoned Kansas City parking lot. His partner in crime is Jeremy Powers. So for your viewing pleasure I present driving with Johnson.

Get the full scoop on their driving adventures at Jeremy Power’s blog.

When I come to Starcrossed I always eat at Dick’s

So with minimal preparation I am winging my way to Seattle to participate and report on the Starcrossed cyclocross event. Basically Starcrossed is an outdoor party which just happened to have a ‘cross race break out. I did a quick loop of the infamous Fullerton Loop the other day to test my limited ‘cross skills. This included doing a few quick dismounts and run-ups and I seemed to remember how to not make a complete fool of myself. I gotta remember to thank Tim Johnson for the great cyclocross clinic he put on for a few editors late last year. Those skills saved my bacon several times this year.

When I was in Seattle a few weeks ago, I laid the groundwork with the folks at Raleigh to borrow a ‘cross bike for Starcrossed. So far I must have not annoyed them too much because they are letting me destroy/race their cross bike kitted with FSA, Shimano, and Mavic components. Downside to this is that like last year when I raced on a Ridley, I wouldn’t have thrown a leg over the Raleigh till my race. So with that in mind and with my high intensity training/threshold very suspect, I have limited goals. My first goal is not to smash my grill into a barrier. I’m not that pretty, so keeping my face intact is paramount. Second, don’t get lapped. This is a little trickier as I have a feeling that the Washington riders are itching to get their ‘cross on and I will be mowed down like overgrown grass. Still, I need a challenge and that’s as good as any. So as we say at work, “I’ll be pinning it to win it!”

I’m in Seattle now and staying at the promoter Steve Westover’s house. As you might have read before, I prefer to stay in a house than a hotel anytime. Staying in as many hotels as I do is bad for the head. Anyways I stayed here last year and they have a great boxer dog named Eddie. Let’s just say that he is really affectionate and will probably be sleeping in my bed tonight. Also they have two young kids, a three year old girl and 20 month old boy, so this place has been bustling with activity since I’ve been here. I’ve been told they like to get up early, so I fully expect a 7:00 AM wake-up from the little girl.

So if you are at Starcrossed look for me flailing in the “B” category race and have a beer ready for me when I cross the line.

This is down the street from where I am staying. They make great cakes according to Steve.

I’m not sure what to say about this sign

This is Eddie. He really likes me.

Tim Johnson absorbing maximum Neil mojo

As I looked back at the past season and reflected I couldn’t help but notice that the pros who rode with me had a successful season. Early last year I rode with Tony Cruz a few times. Last season he rode strongly and notched up an overall win at Tour de Nez and re-signed with Discovery Channel. Then I rode with Floyd Landis at his PowerTap training camp. As we all know he won several stage races and was voted by VeloNews as their North American rider of the year. Then the racing season started in full force and I wasn’t able to train with any pros. But as the season wound down the requests to ride with me started to come in. I can only guess that word had started to spread within the peloton that riding with Neil at ROAD enabled riders to ride stronger. Immediately following the USA Cycling road race in Greenville, South Carolina I drove down to ride with Nathan O’Neill. We trained together for two days in the rolling hills of Georgia. Then just yesterday, O’Neill convincingly won his national time trial championships. In fact his average was 12 watts faster than the previous year. Coincidence? I think not. As the ‘cross season approached I trained with Tim Johnson. Johnson had a strong season and the only reason I can think that the full effect of my magical mojo didn’t completely rub off on him was due to the fact that other journalists rode with us. These other journalists probably bleed off some of my mojo that was intended for Johnson. I heard that the guy from Pez Cycling News had a great ‘cross season following our session with Tim. I think the lesson there is that pros need to ride with me alone for full effect.

Nathan and I in Georgia

I have recently ridden with Tony Cruz again. We tore up PCH doing lung busting, leg searing intervals. He’ll have a good season. At the end of the month I am going to the HealthNet training camp to do a little bit of riding. I believe that other journalists will be there as well, but if team management is smart, they’ll have a “Neil only” ride so riders may absorb maximum Neil mojo. Then in February I fly to Mallorca, Spain to ride with David Millar, Gilberto Simoni and Iban Mayo of Saunier Duval. Needless to say, I think you can look at these riders to have a fantastic season once I’m done with them.

So if you are a pro and you want to step up to the next level drop me a line and I’ll try to schedule some one-on-one time.

Cruz wanted my mojo so bad he moved into my neighborhood

I hung out with Kelli Emmette for two days in Idaho and afterwards she won the Iceman mountain bike race

I’ll be riding with these guys soon. Strong results will follow

These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA. Your results may vary.

]]> http://neilbrowne.com/2007/01/why-pros-should-ride-with-me/feed/ 6 http://neilbrowne.com/2006/10/cyclocrossing-in-idaho/ http://neilbrowne.com/2006/10/cyclocrossing-in-idaho/#comments Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:20:00 +0000 Neil http://neilbrowne.com/2006/10/cyclocrossing-in-idaho/

I’ve been coast to coast participating in some really amazing cyclocross events. Starcrossed in Seattle is an epic race that reinvigorates your cyclocross soul. The Crankbrothers series is important in the quest for valuable UCI points. But without regional events we would not have discovered the Tim Johnson, Barry Wicks, or Ryan Trebons of cyclocross. These guys all started at the regional level and worked their way to the top. I was there at 6,000 elevation racing the Idaho Crosstober Fest and getting a flavor of the local action. And like a lot of regional events this one has a hook to lure spectators in, Octoberfest. With polka music interspersed with some techno-beats, large beer mugs filled with your favorite adult beverage, and spectators madly ringing cow bells, the atmosphere is alive. In addition to the sponsors booths, the live music inside the lodge and kids races, Crosstober Fest attracts the strongest riders from Idaho and Montana. This first day of racing included the masters world cyclocross champion, in addition to the strong local talent that is forged in the surrounding mountains. This hour of racing was sure to be full gas from the gun! And sure enough the field was quickly spread across the 2.3 mile loop. And when it looked certain that the reining masters world champ had the race in the bag, his chances were dashed by a mechanical dropping him to second. But that is cross. You are not only pushing yourself to the limit, but your equipment as well.

I lined up for the Category B race also looking to push myself and the equipment to the maximum. Tim and I had a busy week prior, as we were putting this issue together. When we are under deadline, we seldom get a chance to escape the office and get in a training ride. The week prior was no exception, as we got out and rode just once. While I knew I’d be pushed to my maximum, I knew that at least my equipment could handle it. I was racing the Scott CX Cross Team. I’ve had the Cross Team for a couple of months, so I knew its nuances, which is critical when you decision making skills are hampered by the lack of oxygen going to your brain. One skill I remembered was from Tim Johnson’’s cross clinic, move a little forward, placing my weight on the front wheel. I swear that technique kept me up on two wheels as other racers were washing out on the 180 degree gravel turns. After 45 minutes of pain, exhilaration and moments of self-doubt, I finished with all my skin attached. Once again racing cyclocross has cured me of the off season doldrums.

I line up again tomorrow, which is the state championships, so our field of 65 racers is sure to swell. Me, I’ll be lined up at the back of the starting grid and staying out of trouble.

Adrian “Marketing Man” Mongomery getting some shots in between schmoozing the crowd

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