Go Georgie Go!!!

It's time to claim your crown...

Getting ready for Flanders...

I'm doing it... Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen) ride on 04 April.  I don't have the fitness to ride the full 256km.  So, I'll do the 140km ride. 

 

I think that 90 miles on steep, cobbled roads (in the cold/rain) should be adequate to confirm that I don't have what it takes to race as a Belgian Pro:-)

I think it will be a ton of fun.

Thank God it started snowing again...

Now, I'll have more time to wear my sweet new HUP Woolie... Classic Euro-chic while totally functional... Flanders, here I come!

Birthday dinner

Not Robert, Rachel, nor Penny's cake, but... Hey, after today's ride... EVERYTHING will taste good.

First day of Spring

12 miles of hills...  Warm(ish) weather... Nice people...  La Primavera...
A view from the top of "auchthell" (8-hell)... 8 minutes of steep climbing... Someday, we'll run it 8 times...

The decision has been made...

Heidelberg...

We ended the day with a great dinner.  Eating outside for the first time (albeit with a blanket on my lap).  It was relaxing to sit and watch the crowds pass.
John and I at the Neckar River.
This guy seemed to be living a life of luxury at the Castle Garden.  He's looking pretty fit for a 300 year old man...

A few highlights of my weekend...

On the left is Paolo Colnago.  He once fit Eddy Merckx to his bike.  On Monday, he spent an hour fitting me to mine... In a great twist of irony, I traveled 9,000 miles to learn that I should ride a stock size 52 sloping... I guess that shouldn't be a surprise since I've ridden my current Colnago more than 40,000 miles (happily).  

On the right is Andrea Cinelli.  He's the son of Cino Cinelli (founder of the company).  He's a man of grace and a true gentleman.  
As I wandered through Milan, I really hoped to see a sheepdog... Imagine my happy surprise when I ran into 2 of them... And they were both cousins of Boo (who is celebrating her 2nd birthday today!).

Decisions, decisions...

Zabel paint scheme... Retro cool creates an interesting contrast with the super-high-tech bike.  The blue is metallic, but consistent throughout.
2009 Euro-Blue stock paint.  Pictures don't do this one justice... It has a slight fade which causes the blue at the edges of the paint to really shimmer.  It gets lighter/darker as the light reflects upon it.  

I'm soliciting feedback on this one...

Which paint scheme should I choose?

My first ride in Italy!

Italians are an outgoing people with a passion for cycling... This was the perfect weekend for me.  Germans are a stand-offish culture.  While every culture has it's value, I really prefer the spirit if Italy.  

Embracing life, cherishing friendships, and taking the time to reflect... In a troubling global environment, we can learn a lot from the Italians.

I had the great joy of riding with the Cycling Team from Cavanega on Sunday.  We rode around 100km.  The weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the day (even after I took a little spill when my chain broke).

Here's a quick shot of the lake near Bergamo (I think) where we rode.  I had my first Espresso at a cafe on the side of this lake.
Just one of the MANY groups of cyclists riding on Sunday.