Free but not perfect

Men,

After 12 weeks with my head immobilized I've hit a conundrum.

The C1 vertebrae has not healed and prospects for healing are

confusing. I've got some sorting out to do. I'll keep you posted.

sjw

New Team Members

Welcome the following new team members for 2010,

Anita Lopez
Curtis Leschyshyn
Frank Zoldak
Gary Mulder
Grant Holicky
Mike Sutter
Rob Kelly

Team Weekend Rides

Team Weekends rides will be every Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 AM through out the fall/winter months. Meeting place is Vic's on 30th street, in Boulder, if location changes, it will be posted

• Team rides are members only, except for invited guest.
• Attire for team rides is present team kit
• Routes will be decided on the day of the ride through out fall/winter months or when training sessions begin, if you have a particular route, let the team know in advance
• Ride pace is Recovery - Overdistance through out fall/ winter months

'Cross Time

Temperatures are falling, leaves are falling, cyclists are falling...

It can only mean one thing: the craziness that is cyclocross season is upon us, and the mayhem has begun! Overenthusiastic racers who just don't know when to call it a season have been hitting the Colorado 'cross circuit for a number of weeks now. This odd stepchild of bike racing has been growing in popularity by leaps and bounds, and a (un?)healthy number of racers have been turning out for a full slate of 'cross races that run from mid-September to the state championships in December.

So far this season, the conditions have ranged from scorching sun and temperatures in the high 80's to blizzards and temperatures below freezing. The courses have varied from smooth grass to rocky slopes, from packed gravel to bike-eating sand pits, from dusty singletrack to derailleur-destroying mud bogs, and everything in between.



The competition is fierce but friendly, and the physical demands are unusual. As Neal Henderson describes it, 'cross racing is a bit like an intense criterium with the all-out sprint at the starting whistle. If you've pondered life on the 'cross side, now is a great time to come out and give it a try. If you're not quite ready to try leaping over barriers and immersing yourself in freezing mud, consider coming out to harass those who are. Just don't forget your cowbell!

Our Injured Teammates

Marc and I had lunch Monday with Paul and Steve. both seem to be doing well after there recent encounters with the medical profession. Paul should be back in a month or so after a pretty serious back surgery. Steve will be in the neck brace for a total of three months after his accident on the road in Italy.

I urge everyone to keep in touch with our guys as from personal experience I know it's easy to feel a bit left out as you recover from an injury.

Unseen in the photo is the elastic and plastic (and uncomfortable) back brace Paul will wear for another few weeks. Get well soon guys!

2009 Team Photo

Here is the composited Team Photo for 2009.

2009 Race Results for Vic's Espresso/Peerless Cycling

NEW Overall Combined Team Results:
2 World Championships
20 National Championships
80 Top 5 National Placings
2 National Record Holders
1 European Championship
84 State/District Championships
1 Masters Tour de Var Champion
6 Colorado Best All Around Rider Awards
10 or more Colorado Best All Around Team Awards
750 or more Individual Career Wins

2009 was an impressive race year for Vic’s Espresso/Peerless Cycling Team. Members of the team achieved 2 new National Track Championships, 17 new Top 5 National Placings, 3 new State Championships, and 48 Individual and Team wins. We are also currently 3rd in Colorado BAT results, with 4 individual riders in the Top 10 in their age group in BAR results.

• Congratulations to Lars Bosch 2009 Points 60-64 Track Masters National Champion.
• Congratulations to Steve Worley 2009 2K TT 55-59 Track Masters National Champion.
• Congratulations to Burt Henry 2009 SM45+ Colorado State Time Trial Champion.
• Congratulations to Bill Simmons 2009 SM55+ Colorado State Master Road Champion.

Colorado State Time Trial Championship:
Gold Burt Henry
Silver Christy Orris
Silver Zack Gould
Bronze Neal Henderson
Colorado State Masters Road Championship:
Gold Bill Simmons
Silver Brian Todeschini
Colorado State Masters Criterium Championship:
Gold Steve Worley
Silver Joe Paulson,
Silver Bill Simmons
Bronze Jim Kinsinger
National Masters Time Trial Championship:
Top 5 Burt Henry
National Masters Track Championship:
Gold Steve Worley,
Gold Lawrence Bosch
Silver Barry Messmer
Silver Lawrence Bosch
Silver Steve Worley
Bronze Neal Henderson (x2)
Bronze Jim Kinsinger
Top 5 Barry Messmer
Top 5 Jerry Greenleaf
Top 5 Neal Henderson
Top 5 Lawrence Bosch
Top 5 Jim Kinsinger
Top 5 Steve Worley

Congratulations Vic’s Espresso/Peerless (Boulder Masters Cycling Team) on a great race season. The team is still busy racing Time Trials and Cycle Cross throughout 2009 – look for more great results.

To view all race results for 2009 please visit our Team Website at:
http://bouldermasterscycling.com/BMCT/Results.html

Foreign Lands

Men,
I've made the big trip to the EU and have now settled in to ride a bit, work a bit, and generally wrap the old carcass around an eight hour time shift. Couldn't be in a better spot to make the change. First ride - planned 1 hour, and did 2.5. What can I say? I cannot say no to poking around on some new and familiar roads.

To start a panorama view heading out of town (Annecy, Fr.). It is probably obvious there are numerous mountainous road in the vicinity.

Working on my rolling photo shooting and doing an in flight speed check.

Another trilling sport - Frenchies paragliding.

Never a shortage of scenic water stops.

A couple of boys pacing along the Lac Annecy (stage 23 TDF '09). BTW they NEVER ride single file no matter what traffic may be around. And the drivers are not hassled.

45+ Niwot Criterium

Photo Credit: Heather Haupt Enos

Breakaway!

The downtown Niwot Criterium was contested on Sunday, August 16th, under beautiful late summer conditions. Joe Paulson and John Talley represented Vic's Espresso/Peerless in the 40 minute 45+ men's event.

The field strung out from the start, as riders at the front forced the pace to avoid getting bunched up in the tricky acute angle corners on the course. Jimmy Gibson from the Mix1 team was animating the race early, with an early solo escape. Joe was staying right up front to keep an eye on things and stay out of trouble, and on the first prime, another rider unintentionally gave him a perfect lead-out to capture the cash.

When Jimmy went out solo again, Joe knew the powerful Mix1 rider was on good form, and shot away from the pack to bridge up before the gap got too big. Hitching onto Jimmy's rear wheel as they came through the start finish, Joe saw that there were still 21 minutes of racing to go, and wondered if this was such a good idea after all. However, they were now committed, so Joe started contributing as much as he could to work the gap up.

Meanwhile, back in the pack, JT and one of Jimmy's Mix1 teammates were sitting on wheels to frustrate the chasers. The gap started to grow, and Jimmy and Joe kept pouring on the coals, splitting the primes to keep the pace high.

It was a great relief when the time counter changed to 5 laps to go, as the continuous effort was taking its toll on both riders. Just when Joe thought the break was certain to succeed, a couple of the chasers renewed their efforts, and brought the gap way down. At 4 to go, the pack was only a few seconds behind, and the catch seemed to be imminent. Glancing back, Jimmy moaned in disbelief, and dug even deeper to bring their speed up over 30 mph. Joe tried to offer a little more on his pulls as well, and suddenly the gap was creeping back up.

With one to go, they had a little breathing room, so Joe prepared himself, then launched prior to the final corner to take another blue W. Having confunded the chasers, JT was positioned to contend for the field sprint to take the final podium spot, but a lapped rider forced him to hit the brakes in the final corner, relegating him to 4th behind Chris Stout.

Vic's Steve Worley Takes Gold

Wednesday was a good night for the Vic's 55+ riders as Steve Worley took the gold in a perfectly ridden time of 2:27:863. Barry Messmer had everyone's jaw dropping when he rode a first 1K just 1/100 slower than Steve to eventually finish 4th on the night. Had Barry not had to go over the top of the other rider in his heat as he entered turn 1 and 2 he might easy have beaten 3rd place finisher Shannon Fox. Dennis rode to 7th place in the talented field.

Gerry "the Jet" Greenleaf rode to 14th place in the 50+ field which was dominated by a record setting ride of 2:19:661 by powerhouse Larry Norman.

Teammates Spanky, Dean, Randy, Lars, Susan and Brad were all there to see our boys collect their medals

Master National Track - when the blue boys are on

sjw's guess on who is doing what

AM sessions start at 9:00AM, except Sunday at 10:00am
PM sessions start at 6:00PM
{Rain mucks everything up and things shift}

Tuesday AM - Twitch and Lars? 500m, Neal Kilo
Tuesday PM - Jet, Barry 500m, Joe Kilo?

Wednesday AM - Lars and Twitch 2K, Neal 3K
Wednesday PM - Steve, Barry, Dennis, Jet 2K, Joe Points Race?

Thursday AM - Twitch 200m
Thursday PM - Twitch Match Sprints

Friday AM -
Friday PM - Twitch Points Race

Saturday AM - Jet Points Race (?)
Saturday PM - Steve, Barry, Lars, Neal Points Race

Sunday AM - Steve, Jet, Barry, TTT

Vic's Criterium Photos

I've got the first gallery of photos from The Vic's Crit up in the Gallery Section of the Website

This is a gallery covering all the races and podiums. A second Gallery of Vic's riders will be added later. I'm also adding to the Team Album gallery so send along photos you would like to include

Brad

National Masters Track Schedule

The National Masters Track championship schedule is here

Photos From Vic's Prospect

A few shots of the Vic's team