CFT Cycling Team Tuesday Night Ride

Last night was a great reminder of why we love cycling, was it sunny and 70? No. Was it without incident? No. Did we have a flat? Yes. Were we dialed in together and running like a Swiss watch? No. But was it fun... oh... son, it was up and out. MSU grad and bodynazi Nick Weirszba told me he tried to organize a ride in his adopted home town Napa like TNR but no one came, he asked around and found out coaches told the locals 'it was not in the training plan.' Sad, cycling is about community, mutual suffering, respect for each other, a love for being outside and feeling free and... having fun. Taken too seriously not even the simple joy of riding your bicycle is fun anymore. Diatribe over.

Alan and Mike were climbing good to contest the first KOM, good luck Alan at Nationals in Alibami next week along with Rhone and Anthony and the other brothers.

"El Presidente" Blaine Benson took the prize last night by winning the sprint to the Mason City limit sign. Blaine held off Craig Newell, who won almost every race he entered last year, for a fine win. Blaine and Brian were in coastal Georgia last week logging over 400 miles. The collegiate brethren are rolling fast right now.

We saw some old faces reemerge like Bo and Cody and some familiar faces fit as a fiddle like Mustapha and Mike. Cody was up to visit his girlfriend. 800 miles! She must be some kind of girl, or was it TNR? Alex was new to our ride as well as some others. I promise we will keep it together next week, it's all of our goals to see everyone together at the Mason City limit sign. Until next week...

Breaking News! Before Fox News gets on this we wanted to be the first to break the story about how the Brethren fared at the Killer Gravel Road Race last Saturday, so straight to the point. Adam York, TNR alumnus and MSU grad finished 5th overall in the 65 mile race mixing it up with former Winner of The Iceman Commeth Challenge Tristen Schouten and beating former Iceman winner Brian Matter, Cheese and Rice! Adam, you are hard to the core, nice work.

So if that was not impressive enough Wade Burch attacked the 35 mile Killer Gravel Road Race , Wade was 10th overall in the 35 miler, Tenth! Wade was with the leaders most of the way and finished with a strong group in a sprint finish, I'll save the names of the really fast brothers Wade beat but add that Wade's average speed was about 20 MPH, this with 2000 feet of climbing in 35 miles with pitches up to 20 percent, in March and against about 1000 competitors, this is an amazing result, Wade, outstanding! Way to represent.

This Saturday I received word that Dr. Michael Clayton Kemp is leaving us to move to Wisconsin. Mike's attacking style and analytical views of racing will be greatly missed, and he is a funny son of a b@#%h too. Mike has been working with a grant in the MSU Neuroscience Program but that program has run it's course so he has decided to move to Wisconsin to work for a private firm. Many of you probably do not know this but before academia at the University of Arizona et al Mike was a professional mountain bike racer. In fact his NORBA license number was 007, NO! I am not making this up. Mike traveled the country racing his bike and living the life. I will personally miss Mike and we will need some other brothers to step up and initiate some attacks so we all do not start to suffer from ADD (Attacking Deficit Disorder). Sadly we had no time for that last ride together. If you want to wish Mike good luck with an email or call let me know and I will get you his information.

Farewell Number Seven, Webbcorp

T(W)NR re-kicked off in style Wednesday, with a turnout in excess of 20, some of whom were still hiding behind beards grown out to fend off the Michigan winter. I didn't manage to get a firm head count, as College is now reminiscent of the worst parts of the Oregon trail, and the 5 of us riding down from campus were a few minutes late thanks to our 2 flats en route. The group was nice enough to wait for us, but Jeff Chapin had no intention of repaying their kindness with anything other than pain. Things started out aggressively, as the MSU boys were excited to show off their new kits and wasted no time in going on the attack. A group of 4 broke clear before the turn on to Annis Road, and in a sprint to the line, win accounts were opened for the 2011 season. With the splintered group back together the pace stayed high through the second sprint, before MSU once again tried to escape following the first KOM. The break was ill-fated though, and they were pinned back in the last 500 meters by a concerted chase from the field. Light is a precious commodity these days, and the pack opted to skip the tunnel of trees in order to make it to back to Mason and the Secretary of State before dark. A large group kept the pace high coming into the town line sprint, and only fractured under the pressure of a long, fast sprint.

The first edition of the T(W)NR bodes well for a successful season: many new faces, aggressive riding, and a high tempo despite the early season. People have been putting in the time and effort this the winter, and all signs point to 2011 being even faster and more competitive than 2010. Get back on the bike everyone, next week is going to be even faster!

-Brian

Though I was not there I did get an update from Doug. He said:

"Nine of us headed out and endured one of the most brutal rides I can remember. That includes riding when the temp is in the teens or single digits and doing 24 hr races. Last night was one of the most miserable rides I can remember being on, but still worth doing because it was good to get out with some other people on Tuesday night."

Misery loves company my brothers.