Race Across America? - Spokes Magazine

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COLUMNS THE ROOKIE +1 by MATT COOKE youvebeencooked@yahoo.com THE SEASON IS OFFICIALLY UNDER WAY and I’ve already had my first crash. I like to get them out of the way early. Here is what happened and why. After a good prologue for me, 18th, and a great one by my teammate Rory Sutherland, first, we had the yellow jersey to defend in stage one of the Redlands California Classic. The short of it is we messed up that first day, big time. There were time bonus sprints located just at the top of a tough climb on several of the laps of the circuit. The best plan of action in this scenario is to allow a breakaway to get up the road that contains riders who are not considered threats to Rory’s lead. This breakaway will take the time bonus sprints and neutralize any more attacks on the field behind the break. Because the field is settled down a bit it is easier for the leaders team to control the race and in theory bring back the break before the finish which would allow them to keep the yellow jersey. This is great is theory but if the leader’s team can’t bring back the break before the finish, well, they just may lose the lead. And that is exactly what happened to us. Several strong riders got up the road. One of them being Santiago Botero, a two time world time trial champ. He showed that day that he deserves those titles because he soloed away from the break, won the stage and took the yellow jersey from Rory. The reason we didn’t pull them back like you’ve seen so many times in the Tour de France comes down to miscommunication. We were not sure of the time gap and not sure of who was in the break. Those are critical pieces of information. It was a quite ride back to the team house that day. The next day was a crit that was fast and technical but thankfully uneventful. As my old competitors in DC and Maryland know, I can ride crits but I really don’t like them. The last day was the famous and dreaded Sunset Circuit Race. We did two laps of the crit course then headed up to a very hilly and technical 10k loop that we did 12 times before coming back to town for five more crit laps. The great part is that exactly half of the 10k loop is a brutal uphill that just drags up and up. Everyone on the team has a job in a race as tough as this and for me it was to make the other teams hurt as much as possible. We did the two crit laps and then headed out of town toward Sunset. The field was extremely tightly packed, like I could have stuck out my tongue and touched the rider next to me. There is always some bumping and screeching of breaks that I have grown to expect by now but a full on crash just sucks. I could see a few guys in front of me go down and I thought I might stop in time but there was just too much speed. I went over the handlebars and landed on my teammate Matt Crane, who’s wheel I was following. The next thing I remember was him telling me to get up fast because I was laying on his bike. I got up sort of slowly and started looking for my bike. I had to untangle the bars from some other guys wheels but soon Crane and I were riding our asses off to get back to the pack. We did make it back and like good racers we went right to the front, there is no reason to mess around in the back. I could tell right away my wrist was broken. It hurt like hell but I kept riding and did pretty much exactly what I was told to do for the day. After some huge efforts for one of my teammates I blew big time and my director signaled for me to pull the plug and drop out of the race. I hate not finishing but when you blow up that hard there is little else you can do. A small bone called the pisiform in my wrist is broken but I am still training and I will be at the Tour of Georgia in less than a week. It’s the same bone I broke two years ago en route to winning Green Mountain. It’s more uncomfortable than painful but I think I can still race well on it. I finally got a stack of “trading cards” or whatever those things are called and I am super stoked about it. I finally have something to give to people when they don’t believe that I race a bike for a living. EDITOR’S NOTE: Matt Cooke, 28, of Washington, D.C., upset the nation’s elite road racing hierarchy, July 8, 2006, by winning the 176-mile national championship road race in Seven Springs, Pa. He rode as an amateur member of the LSV/Kelly Benefit Strategies team in Baltimore, but last year he became a pro racer. After his team Navigators Pro Cycling Team folded, Matt signed on to race for Health Net-Maxxis in 2008. Matt will continue to educate and entertain SPOKES readers each month with his description of life on the road. Matt would love to hear from you, email him at youvebeencooked@yahoo.com A-1 Cycling TWO LOCATIONS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! Mon - Sat 10am-9pm Sun 12pm-6pm HERNDON Clock Tower Shopping Center 2451-13 Centreville Rd. (703) 793-0400 MANASSAS Next to Best Buy 7705 Sudley Rd. (703) 361-6101 www.A1Cycling.com Bicycles & Equipment for the Whole Family! COMPETITIVE PRICES WITH HOME TOWN SERVICE SINCE 1980 A-1 is a family-run business focusing on quality and service. Our staff is trained to superior standards to create a bicycle enthusiast's dependable source. COME EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE! We stock products from: Giant Thule Specialized Burley Raleigh Speedplay Felt Sigma Sport Haro Descente Hoffman Camelbak Minoura Continental CTS Serfas 26 May 2008
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Griffin Cycle 4949 Bethesda Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 656-6188 www.griffi ncycle.com Road, Hybrids, Mountain, Kids Parts & Accessories for All Makes Trailers & Trikes Family Owned – In Bethesda for 37 Years FEATURING BIKES FROM: To be listed, send information to Spokes, 5911 Jefferson Boulevard, Frederick, MD 21703 or e-mail: spokesmag@comcast.net MAY 3 – PEDAL THE PARKWAY Ride the Colonial Parkway from Jamestown to Williamsburg, Va., without a car in sight. The nine mile section will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information log onto www.wabonline.org/ MAY 4 – AIR FORCE CYCLING CLASSIC Cyclists of all abilities from rank beginners to America’s top pro racers will be able to participate in U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic in Arlington, Va.Participants will be able to ride on a 12 1⁄2 kilometer circuit in Arlington, Va., that will challenge them for up to 8 laps or 100 kilometers. Following this amateur ride, a series of amateur and pro races will be held on route in Arlington and Crystal City. Registration for the amateur participatory ride is now open. Log onto www.arlingtonsports.org. Active duty and reserve military personnel receive a $10 discount. MAY 10 – JAMESTOWN TO RICHMOND A new ride for this year, the Virginia Capital to Capital ride follows the proposed trail route that will connect Jamestown to Richmond. The ride will have starts in both Richmond and Jamestown. There are parts of the trail that have been completed at both ends and a new section is scheduled to open about the time of the ride. Gov. Kaine has committed to complete the Capital to Capital Trail by the end of his administration in 2010. Families can ride from Jamestown for shorter distances on a paved off road trail or continue on the road for different distances. Registration and information can be found at www.virginiacapitaltrail. org/events.html. MAY 16 – BIKE TO WORK DAY Join thousands of area commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work! Meet up with your neighbors at one of 26 pit stops all over the Washington metro region, ride into the city with experienced commuter convoys and meet your colleagues at Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue. Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections invite you to try bicycling to work as an alternative to solo driving. Help the Washington region become a better place to ride. Bike to Work Day is a FREE event and open to all area commuters! For details log onto www.waba.org MAY 16-18 – TOUR DE CHESAPEAKE Celebrate the arrival of spring with a bike tour through the wonderful, scenic and flat Mathews County backroads along the Chesapeake Bay. Join 800 cycling enthusiasts on this tour, perfect as a family’s first biking adventure, or maybe the intermediate rider’s, and even the experienced veteran’s, season warm-up. Choose tours of 17, 40, 60, or 80 miles. Families especially will enjoy the abundant quiet, scenic lanes winding down to forgotten coves on the Chesapeake Bay, the East River and the North River. Pedal in and out of the beautiful salt marshes instead of traffic. Visit www.bikechesapeake.org for details and to register online. For inquiries, call (757) 229-0507 or email info@bikechesapeake.org. MAY 17 – NATIONAL CAPITAL CENTURY Young Life Metro DC hosts this 100 mile ride, with shorter rides of 25 and 50 miles, to benefit Metro Washington teens with special needs, teen moms, disadvantaged and typical teens. Rides begin and end near the FDR Memorial in West Potomac Park, D.C. and loops into Virginia and Maryland. Food, support, and T-shirts for all riders. Details and registration at www.NationalCapitalCentury.com or by phone at (703)549-2246. MAY 17-18 – BIKE MS: BEYOND THE BELTWAY Join over 750 participants from across the mid- Atlantic to celebrate the National Capital Chapter’s 26th Anniversary Bike ride. Presented by the Washington D.C. area Land Rover retailers, this year’s ride begins and ends from Franklin Park in Purcellville, Va. The ride takes you through beautiful Northern Virginia wine country over a one or two day period. Choose from a variety of mileage options, and enjoy this unforgettable experience complete with live entertainment, great food, picturesque views and more. For details log onto www.MSandYOU.org; call (202) 296-5363, or email MSBike@MSandYOU.org MAY 17 – BIKE & BOAT DEMO DAY From 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Lake Needwood Park in Rockville, Maryland. Hudson Trail Outfitters invites you to this popular event at which representatives from Giant, Felt, Rocky Mountain and Fuji, as well as well as a number of boat manufacturers to permit test rides. Admission is free. For details and directions to the park go to www.hudsontrail.com for more information. MAY 17 – MOONLIGHT MEMORIAL RIDE See our Nation’s Capital as few have - on your bicycle under the glow of the moon and stars. From the Capitol to the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial to Hains Point on the banks of the serenely rippling nighttime Potomac. Participants will be given a route sheet and receive limited emergency mechanical support from roving mechanics on bikes, but organizers request that bikes be in working shape before beginning the 15 mile ride. The ride is free of charge; donations, recommended $10, are encouraged for the Potomac Area Council of the non-profit Hostelling International, (formerly AYH). Ride begins at the PAC HI Hostel, 11 th & K Street, NW, at 9 p.m. Refreshments served beginning at 8 p.m. Bikes must be equipped with working lights, and organizers will have some available at wholesale cost. Support and refreshments provided by Mt Airy Bicycles/College Park Bicycles. Please be aware the ride is on city streets and NOT closed to traffic. For further information, call Larry Black at (301) 831-5151 or 301-538- 5637 or go to www.bike123.com. MAY 18 – COLUMBIA TRIATHLON Celebrating its 26th year, the Columbia Triathlon is famous for its outstanding race organization and its fun and extremely challenging race course. Held in Centennial Park, Ellicott City, Md. Consists of a 1.5k swim, 41k bike, and 10k run. For more info call (410) 964-1246 or visit www.tricolumbia.org MAY 18 – SOUTHERN MD CRITERIUM A new, technical course with 11 turns on tight 1 mile loop on the beautiful LaPlata campus of the College of Southern Maryland. Benefits the Special Olympics. A MABRA BAR Event. Register on-line at BikeReg. com. Non-licensed racers must obtain a one-day USCF license at a cost of $10 the day of the race; this is for WHAT A NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE SHOP IS ALL ABOUT! 9544 Old Keene Mill Road, Burke, VA 22015 Monday-Friday 10:00-8:00 • Saturday 10:00-6:00 • Sunday 12:00-5:00 SPONSORS OF: Trips for Kids Metro DC www.tfkmetrodc.org Evolution Cycling Club www.Evolutioncycling.org Potomac Velo Club www.potomacvelo.com CALENDAR continued on p.28 SPONSORED EVENTS: • MORE Trailwork Series • Cranky Monkey Mtb series • Wednesdays at Wakefield • Reston Town Center Grand Prix • Fitness Concepts Greenbriar Challenge • Venturequest and more! Join the Bike Lane’s Weekly Ride/Event Announcements for our: • Weekly Mountain and Road Rides • Monthly Bike Maintenance Clinics • Monthly Skills Clinics • Family Rides and Bike Rodeos • Sales and other events! (703) 440-8701 www.thebikelane.com May 2008 27
Page 1 and 2: Serving Cyclists in the Mid-Atlanti
Page 3 and 4: ON COVER THE Having completed many
Page 5 and 6: The American Diabetes Association p
Page 7 and 8: Shuart (left) with RAAM teammates J
Page 9 and 10: ANNAPOLIS MAYOR ENVISIONS BIKE FRIE
Page 11 and 12: COMMUTER CONNECTION by RON CASSIE r
Page 13 and 14: Arlington County Board member Chris
Page 15 and 16: ARLINGTON TO HOST TWO PRO BIKE RACE
Page 17 and 18: THE CYCLIST'S KITCHEN by NANCY CLAR
Page 19 and 20: friendly greeting or bell is consid
Page 21 and 22: manage my travel, training, and wor
Page 23 and 24: COLUMNS SPOKESWOMEN by ANNE MADER
Page 25: At press time we are rapidly approa
Page 30 and 31: CALENDAR continued from p.28 JUNE 7

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