4-1-2005 Saul Raisin It looks like our local Euro-Guy, Saul Raisin (Credit Agricole) will soon has his own website. Saul is from Dalton.

New Tuesday Ride“Steel Magnolias Ride” sponsored by the Club Team of Team Meehan's / CycleWorks Tuesdays at 6:30 PM, CycleWorks, 4969 Roswell Road, 404-255-2121. The ride will be at a moderate pace with some climbing, no attacking or sprints. Same route as the Wednesday training ride, 25 miles. Come see how the ride got its name! See the website for directions and maps, http://teamcycleworks.net/GroupRides.htm. Helmets required.

Charlotte News From Charlotte Sports Cycling.  "First and foremost, let me start by saying the City of Charlotte unanimously passed the bicycle parking ordinance on Monday, March 21. Thanks to all
who spoke up and showed support for the parking ordinance. For more info, check out http://www.bikementor.org/node/view/73. This weekend, April 2 and 3. The Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas are assembling forces to work on the mountain bike trails at Lake Norman State Park. Come on out and lend a hand, your help is greatly needed. These trails are all built and maintained by volunteers, people like you and I who love to ride. The crew at the park has been working hard to open the third phase of trails, a 6 or so mile loop. It will bring the total mileage up to approximately 13 miles. Trail work will start at 8:30AM each day. On Sunday, we will have lunch and a ride to follow the work. Directions: Lake Norman State Park is accessible off of Exit 42 from I-77 near Statesville.
Driving north on I-77, turn left at exit 42 and follow signs into Lake Norman State Park. We will meet at swimming area parking lot to gather tools before heading out to trail. The Community Building is located off of Group Camp Lane in the Park. No Pets Please. For more info, check out www.tarheeltrailblazers.com or www.firstflight.com

BikeTown USA - The City of Charlotte has been designated 2005 BikeTown by Bicycling Magazine. Basically the magazine will be giving away 50 bicycles to people who feel out the essay about the how the bicycle could change their life. Please help us spread the word about this great promotion. For
more information, check out http://www.bicycling.com/biketown

Upcoming Events
2005 RHBC Spring Omnium April 1 - 3 http://www.rhbcevents.com/
2005 Bike! Charlotte April 29 - May 9 www.bike-charlotte.org
Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Kick Off - April 20 www.charlottemtnbike.com
Details will be posted soon!!
Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life - www.collierlillyride4life.com"

4-2-2005 Central Park Central Park makes the News!

TdG News Velonews has some TdG News up. Gerolsteiner is rumored to be coming with Levi Leipheimer.

HEY RIDE LEADERS! I need your updated ride info. for this year. Email sttarlite at hotmail dot com!

DST It's Daylight Savings Time, and you don't know where to ride?? Check out the Atlanta Rides Page. These are NOT beginner rides. They are for experienced riders and racers only. For more casual and beginner rides, check out the Southern Bicycle League.

Group Ride Etiquette Not sure what to do in a Group Ride? Check out Group Ride Etiquette.

L5Flyers Gets New Sponsor! The L5Flyers have a new sponsor, My Little Pony!!

4-4-2005 DST IT IS DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!!! REJOICE ALL CYCLISTS! REJOICE! LET THE GROUP RIDES BEGIN!

Rock Hill Rock Hill was this weekend. Please email me your reports!

GAP Macon Madness Race Report.

Break fast from the line, break first into the singletrack. Take the lead through 1/2 of the first lap. Feeling great! Love the flat courses! Misshift 10+ times within 4 minutes. Have nearly everyone pass you. Break Frame. Walk out. Go home and cry.

My poor frame! It all started two years ago when I broke it for the first time at West Virginia. Then I broke it again at Carter's Lake last year. This is the last time. It's going to Kelly for some TLC.

4-5-2005 I NEED A REAR MTB WHEEL! My frame is toast and has to go back to Kelly. Thanks to Randy at Boneshakers for his help. I have a bike to borrow for a few weeks, but it needs a rear wheel. It has Vbrakes, and I don't care what kind of rear wheel it is! Please? Does anyone have a wheel that is collecting dust? When I converted to disk brakes, I sold all of my rim brake wheels. Please, ANYONE? Please? Email me.

4-6-2005 Win A Kid's Bike Celebrate the arrival of the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia by stopping in at the Alpharetta Welcome Center to register to win a free Fuji kids bike. While you’re there, pick up your complimentary colorful souvenir poster as a remembrance of this exciting event. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The Alpharetta Welcome Center is located at 20 North Main Street, and their phone number is 678-297-0102. For up-to-date race information, visit www.awesomealpharetta.com

 Tour De Georgia Teams Announced Representing 18 Countries, Pro Cycling’s Best of the Best and the Sport’s Rising New Stars Will Compete this Spring in Ultimate Test of Endurance and Might on U.S. Soil and the Event Heralded as Georgia’s Race to Defeat Cancer

ATLANTA, Ga. (April 5, 2005) – It will be an epic showdown unlike anything the sport of cycling has seen on U.S. soil this April 19-24, when America’s preeminent cyclists, the top international riders and the sport’s rising new stars go head-to-head in the heart of the South at the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia, North America’s premier professional cycling race. Announced today from race headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., officials confirmed the lineup of 16 professional teams set to compete this spring in the six-stage, 642-mile race benefiting the Georgia Cancer Coalition. The truly international final field will consist of 128 riders from 18 countries.

Six UCI ProTeams, two Professional Continental teams, and eight Continental teams will drop the hammer at the start in Augusta and force, attack, breakaway and kick at breakneck speeds across Georgia’s dramatic and often unforgiving landscape. With each team sending its finest sprinters, climbers and general classification contenders, the competition will be fierce along the bluffs of the mighty Savannah River, high atop majestic Brasstown Bald and every pedal stroke of the way, with each team more than capable of claiming jersey classifications, stage wins and the overall Dodge Race Leader’s yellow jersey.

“The caliber of teams matched with Georgia’s beautiful yet challenging terrain ensures the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia will be the best yet. While we’re an invitation only event, we had teams from around the world reaching out to us, clamoring for an invitation and looking to make their mark in front of an American audience,” said Stan Holm, executive director of the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia. “The Dodge Tour de Georgia is the most anticipated stage race in the U.S. hands down and one of pro cycling’s most exciting new races anywhere. And, as many are predicting, this just might be the last time fans can see Lance race here in the U.S. All I can say is get ready!”

Representing the newly created, top-rated UCI ProTour will be six ProTeams eager to take home the top prize on U.S. soil, including America’s Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, led by last year’s Dodge Tour de Georgia champion Lance Armstrong. In defending his title, Armstrong will face a formidable force from the five other ProTour teams that include France’s Credit Agricole, Denmark’s Team CSC, Saunier Duval–Prodir of Spain, the Swiss team Phonak and Germany’s Gerolsteiner Team, the most recent ProTeam addition to this year’s race. Levi Leipheimer, another of America’s powerhouse riders shaking up the European racing scene, will lead the charge for Gerolsteiner. We are looking forward to returning to the Tour de Georgia and will be racing to defend last year's title," said Lance Armstrong of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. "The field of competition is very deep and the course is tougher than last year," added Armstrong.

The highly competitive Professional Continental classification will be represented by two of its most experienced teams. The Navigators Insurance Pro Cycling Team, one of America’s oldest and most active pro cycling teams, will make its third consecutive appearance at the Dodge Tour de Georgia. Joining Navigators from the Professional Continental classification is Team LPR, the Swiss team championed for its robust Italian-Russian flare and tactical prowess.

On the domestic side, the Continental classification will be represented by the most prominent squads competing in North America today. Jelly Belly–Pool Gel, Kodak EasyShare Gallery/Sierra Nevada, Jittery Joes–Kalahari, Canada’s Team Symmetrics, Health Net–Maxxis, Colavita–Sutter Home, and two developmental teams, TIAA–CREF and USA Cycling’s Stars & Stripes (Trish's note: The USA National U23 Program...watch for a few Georgia riders here--Michael Wolf and John Murphy), , have all confirmed their participation and dedication to demonstrating the power and speed of North American racing.

Commenting on the high expectations for the Continental teams in a race featuring cycling’s top echelon, Australia’s Ben Brooks of Jelly Belly–Pool Gel Pro Cycling Team noted, “Being a Continental Team, we don’t get to race against the ProTour level teams very often. We’re ready to test our mettle against many of the world’s best cyclists and show the ProTour teams just how strong and fast American racing is right now. As a team, we finished well in 2004 and we’re always in the thick of it. However, this year we will be giving the overall classification a serious go while playing a major role at each sprint line and King of the Mountain competition.”

Trish's Note: We are all hoping Saul Raisin (Credit Agricole) will be back. To my knowledge, Saul is the only Georgian competing on a Protour Team.

Raccoon Mtn Race Info. From the Raccoon Mountain Race Promoter:
We have been selected as a LAJORS (Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series) race for 2005. The LAJORS calendar from USA Cycling ( http://www.usacycling.org/lajors/lajors.pdf ) currently lists only five LAJORS races from the Southeastern United States (two from TN, one from FL, GA, and NC), and Raccoon Mountain will be the kickoff event in the Southeast. In addition to the Junior 15-16 / 17-18 categories, we have made an accommodation to the youngest juniors (age 10-14) by adding a short loop that encompasses the final half of our regular course. The distance will be approximately 12 miles, and will include several challenging climbs to the finish. Complete Raccoon Mountain info is here: http://www.sceniccityvelo.com/content.php?id=raccoon

Rock Hill Cathy Connell (RBM) checks in with her report from Rock Hill. Cathy got in an early break. Would it stay away? Read her report to find out.

Changes to TBRA Schedule There have been some changes to the Tennessee Bicycle Racing Association Mountain and Road Calendars. See the Calendar page or www.tbra.org for more information.

4-7-2005 Women's Teams for Philly  From Cyclingnews.com: Women's teams for Wachovia Organisers of the Wachovia Liberty Classic, Sunday June 5, have announced the North American teams that will take part in what's considered to be one of the hardest US women's races. The 57.6-mile event takes in four laps of the 14.4-mile course used by the men's Wachovia USPRO Championships including the climb of the notorious Manayunk Wall.

The North American teams signed up for this year's race are: Bicycle John's, BMW-Bianchi, Canadian Elite National Team, Colavita/Cooking Light, East Coast Velo, Lipton Tea, Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club, Morgan Stanley-24 Hr Fitness, Team Basis, Team Biovail, Team Fuji, Team Hub Racing, Team Kenda Tire, Team Quark, Team Terry Precision Racing, T-Mobile, Touchstone Climbing and Fitness, Travelgirl Cycling Team, Tri State Velo, Verizon Wireless Wheelworks, Victory Brewing, Webcor Builders, Wenzel Coaching, and Wines of Washington. Teams from outside the US will be announced at a later date.

Congratulations TravelGirl!

Rock Hill Scott Beam (L5Flyers) has his Rock Hill race report posted.

4-8-2005 DST Extended? Congress is considering a bill that would extend Daylight Savings Time by two months. This would be great for cyclists!

Disco for TdG The eight riders who will take the start line on behalf of the Discovery Channel team for the upcoming Tour de Georgia were announced today by sports manager Johan Bruyneel -

Lance Armstrong | Jose Azevedo | Michael Barry | Antonio Cruz
Tom Danielson | Viatcheslav Ekimov | Jason McCartney | Jose Luis Rubiera

The Discovery Channel team is sending plenty of climbing support to back Armstrong's bid to defend his title from 2004, namely Azevedo, Danielson and Rubiera. In last year's event, Ekimov finished a solid fifth overall, mainly on the strength of a sixth place in the time trial stage in Rome and an impressive eighth in the stage up to Brasstown Bald. Both Cruz and Danielson took part in the first edition of race back in 2003. Cruz finished 37th while Danielson, a member of the Saturn team, finished sixth, one of three Saturn riders in the top six.

Janet Edgerton (BMW-Bianchi) leads Lynn Bessette (Louis Garneau) up the hill at the Rock Hill Criterium. Photo by Dan Edgerton.


 

DLV News We are asking for volunteers to help ready the Velodrome for its reopening in May.

The types of tasks that need to occur and that are to be accomplished
are: * Pressure washing track * Painting the two buildings * Painting poles that hold the boards
* Painting and repair of spectator seating area * Landscaping

Scheduled volunteer work days are:
1. Saturday, April 9th 9:00am to 4:00pm
2. Monday, April 11th 5:30 pm to 9:00pm
3. Saturday April 16th 9:00am to 4:00pm
4. Monday, April 18th 5:30 pm to 9:00pm
5. Monday, April 25th 5:30 pm to 9:00pm
6. Saturday, April 30th 9:00am to 4:00pm
Directions: http://www.savedlv.org/directions.htm Please contact Pete Antonvich 678.362.4046 or info@savedlv.org if you would like to help out.

*****************************************************
Check out the Autographed Colivita Pro Cycling Jersey – to benefit the
Velodrome
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http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=savedlv
Hello from Florida.

FL State RR Championships  From Atomic Racing: On May 28-29, 2005 Atomic Race Team in
Tallahassee, Florida presents the Florida State Road Race Championship Weekend sponsored in part by the Leon County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Sports Foundation. The State Road Race will be held just north of Tallahassee in Havana on Saturday, May 28th in the hills of North Florida. Racers will compete on a course previously used for the US Masters National Championship. The road race will be followed by a Sunday Criterium on May 29th in Tallahassee at
Innovation Park, home to FSU's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. The course is a one mile loop with a small climb and only one left hand turn.

Atomic Race Team is seeking participation from all racers in the southeast and promises to provide the best in southern hospitatlity, especially since the race course travels within a quarter of a mole
from the Georgia state line. This won't be the average Florida flatland race because we've selected a hilly course with over 700 feet of climbing per lap. This means their will be over 4,200 feet of climbing in the 1,2 category.

The great news is this event doesn't conflict with any of your Georgia Cup events, so take advantage of the open weekend by traveling to North Florida to see what's happening South of the *Florida* Border. Learn more about the event by visiting http://www.atomicraceteam.org

 4-11-2005 Savannah The Georgia Cup in Savannah was well run (could they have gotten everything together finally?), and it was fun. I'm tired. Nothing new for today. Check back in a few days for photos and reports.

4-12-2005 From Charlotte Sports Cycling  "Folks Hope everyone is gearing up for another great year of mountain bike racing with the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series, now entering our fifth season. The Charlotte Mountain Bike is set to kick off April 20 at Historic Tuckaseegee
Ford Park(Catawba), future home to the US National Whitewater Center. Yes, the park is closed to the public during construction but will be open for special events, to event participants ONLY. Please be aware if you ride at the park while closed, you are trespassing and subject to prosecution. The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6:15PM. The series will once again be sanctioned through NORBA. The race entry fee is $13 for adults and $8 for juniors with a $3 discount if you hold a current NORBA license. If interested in purchasing a NORBA license,
visit www.usacycling.org. All expert riders must have an annual license. One major rule change: We will have six double points races during the 2005 season. Two will be random and announced on race day while the other four double points races will be held the last four regularly scheduled races of
the season. The best eighteen finishes will be scored in the final results, basically you will be able to drop or miss two races with no worries. The rotation of the races will be HTFP, Beatty, Renaissance and N Meck Park in Huntersville. Please note the week of July 20 and 27, the rotation will
be switched. Renaissance on July 20 and Beatty on July 27. For more info on the series, check www.charlottemtnbike.com. BTW, Shimano has given us a set of XT wheels and a XT crank for prizes. The prizes will be given away by raffle just for entering the races. The more your race, the better chance you have of winning the prizes.
Other Upcoming Events:
April 23-24 – Charleston Race Weekend – 2 days of crit racing
http://www.lowcountryvwracing.com/2005_flyer.pdf
May 7 - Dilworth Criterium
http://www.squadravecchio.com/dilworth05flier.pdf
June 11 - Collier Lilly Ride for Life
www.collierlillyride4life.com
June 25 - Cowbell Classic 12 Hour Mtn Bike Race
More info will be available soon.
July 29-30 – 24 Hours of Booty
www.24hoursofbooty.com

Fulton Flyers Development Team Launch Party The 2005 Fulton Flyers Development Team Launch Party is set for Friday April 15 at Land Rover Gwinnett in Duluth, Georgia. In support of the team, Jittery Joe’s Cycling Team professionals Jonny Sundt, Evan Elkan and Craig Wilcox along with Team Director Ken Mills, and Iona Wynter of the Forum Cycling Team are announced as special guests.  Admission is free, though a donation is appreciated. All proceeds go towards the Team’s trip to Park City, Utah to compete in the USCF Junior National Cycling Championships June 21-25, 2005. For more information see http://devo.fultonflyers.org. For directions and more information about Land Rover Gwinnett see http://www.landrovergwinnett.com/ For 2005 the Fulton Flyers Development Team roster is twenty-one riders and five staff members. Fifteen of the riders are Juniors, six are Espoirs. FFCC boasts one of the largest female devo squads on the east coast, with five young ladies on the team.

2005 Roster Alex Wechsler, Ann Turner, Blain Foley, Brian Ceballos, Chelsea Nealy-Holt, Chris Hong, Evan Halliday, Jafer Beizer, Jessica Avra, John Floyd, Justin Murray, Matt Shirley, Matthew Hildebrand, Noah Fouts, Oscar Clark, Rose Mauney, Ryan Walsh, Stephen Schultz, Thom Shaffer, Thomas Brown, Travis Hagner

Staff  Lamar Mauney, Iona Wynter, Brian Sullivan, Craig Barber, Chuck Stewart

2005 Sponsors
Land Rover – manufacturer of luxury off road and sport utility vehicles.
Siemens Home Appliances – manufacturer of high quality home appliances, including washers, dryers and dish washers.
Aerus Composites – carbon fiber stems, seat posts, and handlebars.
Blue Competition Cycles – high quality racing bicycle frames.
Bosch Power Tools – manufacturer of a variety of power hand tools.
CatEye – bicycle computers, heart rate monitors and lights.
Jittery Joe’s – importer and roaster of custom blended coffees.
Pedro’s –lubricants, bicycle tools and travel gear.
Specialized – tires and helmets.
SRAM – high quality chains and cassettes.
Tifosi Optics – high quality sports eyewear.
TrainingPeaks.com - online coaching system.
Ultrafit – professional coaching and supplier of “Cyclists Training Bible”.
Verge Sport – quality custom cycling clothing.
Bob Ward – patron sponsor
Buddy Bray – patron sponsor

The Masters Field look at each other wondering if anyone brought the tea and crumpets at the Sunday Savannah crit. While they were discussing high tea, a Smith Barney and a RBM rider got away.

Collarbones According to one count from Sunday's crit in Savannah, there were a total of 9 broken collarbones.

Iona Wynter (The Forum) tells Southeastern Cycling what she thinks of the upcoming Women's crit in Savannah on Sat., April 9.

4-14-2005 Brownwood Bike Rally Saturday May 21 2005 Featuring the
Fat Tire Criterium, The Only Fat Tire Crit In-Town!

9:00a Women’s Fat Tire Criterium
9:45a Men’s Fat Tire Criterium
All Races: 30 minutes + 3 Laps, Field Limit 50, 5 Places, Open Category (No Qualification Necessary)
$10 Entry Fee

Rules & Spirit of the Race, Mountain Bike Frames (Rigid forks allowed), Gearing (no Road Cranks or Chainrings) & Wheels With Slick Tires Allowed (Min 1.5” wide)

Pre-Register at www.active.com, http://www.eastatlantakids.org

Other Events
10:45a Kids’ Races Begin
11:50a Citizens’ Bump ‘n Ride (3 Laps)
12:10p Citizens’ Bump ‘n Ride (10 Laps)
Kids Bike Rodeo
Rally and Raffle Prizes
 

Cancer survivor and Paralympian to be honoured at Alabama Criterium Ron Williams will be honoured at the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, Alabama, USA on Saturday evening, April 16. Ron, a 30 year-old who lives in Birmingham, Alabama, was captain of the USA Paralympic cycling team that earned a silver and bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. Ron lost his leg from the knee down to bone cancer as a child.

"We want to recognize Ron not only for his Paralympic cycling accomplishments, but also for the inspiration he provides to cancer survivors everywhere," said Mike Poe, the criterium's director. All of the amateur and pro racer entry fees will be donated to the local Relay for Life cancer research fundraiser, and the organisers hope to raise $10,000. Some of the Tour de Georgia teams on their way to Stage 1 in Augusta have accepted the invitation to not only race to help reach this goal with their entry fees, but also to compete for the $10,000+ Pro criterium purse.

Aside from competitions, Ron rode with Lance Armstrong in the 2003 Tour of Hope and serves on the board of directors of Camp Sunshine, a camp for kids with cancer in Decatur, Georgia.  Full event schedule is at www.sunnykingcriterium.com

Phonak for TdG Swiss-registered team Phonak Hearing Systems has announced their line-ups for the next two ProTour races, Amstel Gold and La Fl裨e Wallonne on April 17 and 20 respectively, as well as their seven-man line-up to contest the Dodge Tour de Georgia, to be held from April 19-24. Niki Aebersold, Auren Clerc, Kike Gutierrez, Robert Hunter, Floyd Landis, Tomaz Nose, Sascha Urweider.

Health Net for TDF Directeur-sportif Jeff Corbett admits the team's performance at last year's Dodge Tour de Georgia, where they won three stages as well as the sprinters and mountains jerseys will be hard to match. "If we can have similar success again this year, we'd be very happy," he said, "but the competition is even stronger this year." Tour de Georgia: Ivan Dominguez, Justin England, Gord Fraser, Greg Henderson, John Lieswyn, Scott Moninger, Mike Sayers, Chris Wherry

Chicopee Work Party From Gainesville SORBA:  Gainesville SORBA will be holding it's monthly work party at Chicopee this Saturday. We will be working on the last section of trail that ties into the new bridge project. Please wear good working shoes and something to drink throughout the work day. Lunch will be provided. Spread the word! Starting at 9:30am, get there early enough to sign in before hand.
We will be done for the day around 2:00pm. Any questions please email gainesville@sorba.org

4-15-2005 Blanket's Creek Work Party From SORBA Woodstock Date: Saturday, April 16, 2005, Time: 8:00:00 AM Location: Blankets Creek Notes: Blankets Creek Trail Maintenance Sat the 16th at 8 am. We will be working on deburmming the South Loop and repairing areas with excessive wear. Many THANKS to Free Flight for providing lunch! Wear long pants, leather shoes, remember posion ivy is emerging, bring gloves, safty glasses, and water. See you there! Charlie Shultz

Southern Appalachian Road Climbs From Frank Obusek: This web site attempts to feature the most significant mountain road climbs in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The map and elevation data should give "the climber" a good idea of the climbs that exist in this beautiful area.  I am running a pre-release of this site as we are getting full swing into the spring event rides."

Savannah I know I promised more photos and such from Savannah, but I'm too tired, busy, and lazy this week. I do have a good excuse!

4-16-2005 Helen Work Party  From SORBA: Helen FTF Work Party Start Time: 09:00 AM
Duration: 04 hour Location: Helen, GA Join us in Alpine Helen as we take care of some trail work before the festival. More trees have fallen since our big trail weekend that must be cleared, plus repair for some drainage problem areas. For directions, visit this webpage: http://www.helenga.org/directions.html We will meet in Helen at the city parking lot on the coner of Chattahoochee and Edelweiss. For more info, Walt Bready 404.423.7275

Buckhead Bellyache Reminders Please remember the following if you park at St. Phillips for the Buckhead Bellyache ride.

1. Use the restrooms inside of the church and do not go into the woods! These are very nice REAL bathrooms with sinks, stalls, and heat/AC!
2. Cover yourself when changing. LARGE towels and Sportkilts are good things. You can also go into the aforementioned nice bathrooms to change. The church members don't want to see your backside anymore than we do.
3. Park at the back of the lot or towards Peachtree St. Please do not park by the church entrance.
4. Be NICE, COURTEOUS, and RESPECTFUL to the church members. Don't use bad language in the parking lot, and don't make a huge scene. Act like your mother taught you to act at church.
5. Be nice to the drivers on the road. They are bigger than you.
6. The Cobb County police have lost their sense of humor when the group crosses the yellow line and with good reason. Don't cross the yellow line! Think of this as a race with the Yellow Line Rule in effect except for getting DQ'ed, you might get a ticket.
 

House for Sale Team Cycleworks Rider Kerry Millar is selling his house in Brookhaven. It's a 3 bedroom/2 bath bungalow. Email him at kerry dot millar at bellsouth dot com for more information and a flyer.

TdG Live Coverage Again, I'll be covering the TdG this year but will not have live coverage. Check cyclingnews.com and velonews.com!

 Barry signing 'Bus' books at Georgia "It's the toughest job in sports-riding for Lance Armstrong in pursuit of a Tour de France victory. But as Michael Barry demonstrates, it is also the most rewarding. A member of the U.S. Postal team from 2002 to 2004, Michael rode in support of Lance Armstrong, Roberto Heras, and George Hincapie, among others. Now he opens the door to reveal what life on the U.S. Postal bus was really like. Don't miss this rare opportunity to meet Michael and purchase "Inside the Postal Bus" at the event. Michael will sign books on Sunday, April 24, at the Roswell Bicycles expo booth immediately following the Tour de Georgia. Please call Roswell Bicycles at 770-642-4057 for more information about the author signing.

Cartecay Easy Ride Join Cartecay Cycling Club! Saturday April 16, 2005. Place Cartecay Bike Shop: Time 09:30AM Trail Red and White Mike will be leading and teaching Mountain Bike 101. The ride takes one hour ten minutes. The Red and White is an entry level trail. Questions? Call 706-635-2453.

4-18-2005

Jennifer, Trish Albert, and an unidentified rider accept their awards for the Master Sport Women 30-39 at the Tiger Rag AMBC Mountain bike race in Clemson, SC. Trish won. Photo courtesy of Paul's Racing.
 

Thanks MM! Thanks MM! The Cdale worked great!--T

4-19-2005 Lance Retiring Ho Hum, Lance announced his retirement today. Maybe now Jan can win a race. Sorry for the lack of updates this week. It's been a week of h*ll at work trying to get things done, so that I can cover a little race in our state later in the week.

Gwinnett AJC? Does anyone get the Gwinnett AJC? Have you seen the letters to the editor regarding an editorial on cycling they published last week? Email me at sttarlite at hotmail dot com.

OTR Makes 11:00 News! OTR-Cycling Strenflex cyclists Chris Hurst and Jeff Wheeler were spotted on the 11 Alive 11:00 pm News on Monday, April 18th. 11 Alive filmed the Vinings Recovery Ride for a short news story about Lance Armstrong's retirement. Two local riders were also interviewed-Mary McEneaney and Don Dutson. 

4-20-2005 Asheville Mellowdrome News As Rumble on the River Returns to the Mellowdrome WHERE: CARRIER PARK, AMBOY ROAD, ASHEVILLE NC.,EXIT 1C OFF I-240 WHEN: MAY 3, 17, 31, JUNE 14, 28, JULY 12, 26, AUG 9, 23, SEPT 6
TIME: REGISTRATION 5-7 PM, FIRST RACE BEGINS AT 6 PM, SHARP!

RACE SCHEDULE

CATEGORY DISTANCE ENTRY FEE
FIXED GEAR EVENT NO. 1* 6-8 LAPS $10
‘B’ POINTS ROADRACE 30 LAPS $5
FIXED GEAR EVENT NO. 2** VARIES -
‘A’ POINTS ROADRACE*** 60 LAPS $10
FIXED GEAR EVENT NO. 3** 15 LAPS -
Kids race start at 5:30
All distances may vary at the discretion of the promoter and official based on time and weather.
*Fixed gear classes will contest a nightly omnium of three races. A minimum of 15 riders is required to split field.
**Race No. 2 & No. 3 of the fixed gear class will vary from night to night.
***There will be a cash payout for the ‘A’ roadrace only. (payout will be determined by field size)
The ‘A’ roadrace will be open to Cat. 1,2,3, and 4 riders.
The ‘B’ roadrace will be open to women, juniors, Cat.4 & 5 riders.
A Women’s race will be added if a minimum of 20 riders are registered.
CONTACT: Hearn’s Cycling & Fitness @ 828-253-4800
COURSE: 500 Meter Newly Paved Almost Velodrome Track.

There are several racers from Georgia will be racing at the TdG:

US U23 National Team
Michael Wolf, Cobb County (?)
John Murphy. Marietta

Credit Agricole
Saul Raisin, Dalton

Navigators
Nathan O'Neill, Brasleton (adopted Georgian)

Jittery Joes...we love all of you guys! (not all Georgians but close enough)
Tim Johnson
Jonny Sundt
Evan Elken
Geoff Kabush
Trent Lowe
Christian Foster
Bruno Langlois
Craig Wilcox

Women's Crit in Macon I heard that Jenn Green (Travel Girl) won the women's crit in Macon on Tuesday. She beat out Lynn Bessette (Louis Garneau) and Shannon Huchinson (L5 Flyers).

Cheaha Crit The Anniston Star  had an article on the Sunny King/Cheaha crit this past Saturday. Jenn Green started here winning streak then with Iona Wynter and Alison Carter (both the Forum).

4-21-2005 Wolf Laurel Cancelled The Cane Creek race at the Wolf Laurel Ski Resort in NC for May has been cancelled.

NARC Juniors Bring Home the Medals 2005 Raccoon Mountain Road Race Seven members of NARC Junior Development Team traveled to Chattanooga, TN on Sunday to compete in the Raccoon Mountain Road. This race is notoriously difficult with several substantial climbs. The team prepared by training together over several weeks, including climbing sessions at Kennesaw Mountain. Their hard work paid off.

In total, the team brought home 3 Gold, 2 Silver and a Bronze medal! This was no small feat given that this Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series event drew racers from Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. In total, 31 Juniors strapped on their helmet and challenged the mountain.

Andrea Beltran (Junior Women 13-14), Jessica Smith (Junior Women 10-12) and Sean Cochran (Junior Men 10-12) placed 1st in their respective categories. Sara Cochran (Junior Women
13-14) and Eli Walsh (Junior Men 13-14) earned a Silver for their 2nd place finishes. Quint Smith (Junior Men 13-14) rounded out the medal collection by placing 3rd. Kyle Cochran (Junior Men 15-16) placed 5th in his age group and 8th overall in the Junior Men 15-18 category with excellent showing. There were 18 competitors in this category. Next up for the NARC Juniors, the Athens Twilight, Saturday, April 30th.
 

Macon Crit Results CYCLE FOR THE CURE TOP 10
Name, Time
1. Jennifer Green, 57:55.8
2. Lyne Bessette, +.4
3. Shannon Hutchinson, +.5
4. Patty Shoaf, +1.2
5. Katharine Carroll, +1.3
6. Elizabeth Morse, +1.5
7. Iona Wynter, +1.5
8. Lee Anne Asbury, +1.8
9. Cathy Connell, +4.7
10. Robin Kavan, +5.0
 

The Macon Telegraph also has an article about the Macon Women's Crit. Several members of the Travel Girl team also wrote to tell me that they had dinner with Phil Ligget and Bob Roll. Very cool!

Travel Girl with the voice of cycling-Phil Liggit-in Macon. Photo courtesy of TG Kari Bradley.

Updates Updates will be sporadic the rest of the week. I'm headed to the TdG tomorrow. I'll be submitting photos to some of your favorite major websites, so keep an eye out on the usual suspects!
 

4-22-2005 TdG I headed to the Time Trial of the TdG in Rome today. Except for some off and on (mostly on) showers, it was a great day. Thanks to Becky and Judy of NARC for letting me hang out under their tent to stay dry some of the time. I'll have tons of photos as soon as I get a chance to get them up. I did not get to walk around much because of the weather. FYI, they are calling for VERY cold temps on top of Brasstown for Saturday. You can see my Stage 3 photo gallery here. You can also see some of the photos on cyclingnews.com.

Lance Armstrong finishes his time trial. He managed to only place in the Top 5.
 

A Unique Perspective Southeastern Cycling friend Bill Parsons was spotted in an unusual vantage point taking photos at today's TT. Scroll down. Bill is the one on the ground.

4-23-2005 Mayor's Ride in Roswell Have you ever wanted to ride around Roswell? In conjunction with the Historic Roswell Crit, Bike Roswell is putting on the Roswell Mayor's Ride. The ride options are 5, 21, and 40 miles. Registration is only $10! 

SE Cycling Photo Reminder As a reminder, Southeastern Cycling photos are copyright Trish Albert/Southeasterncycling.com 2005. They are not for sale and may not be reproduced without my permission. Please contact me for commercial or professional pricing for advertising or other professional uses.

TdG Ride in Roswell RIDE THE OFFICIAL RACE COURSE IN ALPHARETTA OF THE DODGE TOUR DE GEORGIA WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

The North Fulton Regional Hospital Family Fun Ride is limited to the first 200 participants to register in advance, with a $10 per family fee required. All participants will be provided with a souvenir tee-shirt at the check-in tent.

The North Fulton Regional Hospital Family Fun Ride will begin at 1pm on Sunday, April 24, 2005 and last about 45 minutes.

All participants must check in at the North Fulton Regional Hospital Family Fun Ride start line tent no later than 12:45pm. Please bring your own bicycles and helmets. To register on site, go to the North Fulton Regional Hospital Check-In Tent on Haynes Bridge Road (next to Bank of North Georgia) between Noon and 12:45 pm.

TdG Stage 4 Today can be called EPIC! I parked in Dahlonega and rode to the top of Woodys. My teammates were waiting at the top with our EZ Up tent, chairs, and a picnic lunch. My ride started out sunny and somewhat warm. By the time I got up to the top of Woody's, the clouds started to roll in. One guy showed me the radar on his cell phone; a large green blob was heading straight for us. It hit the racers first. About 45 minutes before the racers rolled through for the first Woodys KOM, the wind suddenly kicked up, and it started to storm. Everyone ran for cover. Even under the EZ Up, we got wet. It also hailed for about 5 minutes, and everything was covered in ice. The temperature dropped over 10 degrees. The riders battled this weather for quite a while as the line of thunderstorms followed them. I did not get any good photos at the top of Woodys. After the last of the riders came through, I donned my Gortex jacket and braved the cold to descend back into Dahlonega. I caught the finish and got some great photos. Look for the photo gallery soon. It's late, and I'm too tired to do it tonight.

Hail falls at the top of Woody's Gap.

4-24-2005 TdG Stage 5 It's been a long day on Brasstown. I'm too tired to do anything.

Jittery Joes-Kalahari DS Michah Rice and friend decide to take advantage of the convertible team BMW and ride down Brasstown in the freezing temperatures and snow.

Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) wins the stage atop Brasstown Bald.

Mellowdrome Info. The Mellowdrome in Asheville has its tentative flier up for this year's track racing. The Rumble on the River stars May 3, and the Mellowdrome Championships are June 18.

4-25-2005 SC Heritage Series Uptown (Downtown) Greenwood streets will be filled with some of the top amateur and professional bicycle racers in the world when the third annual South Carolina Heritage Cycling Series returns to Greenwood Thursday night, April 28. “It’s a quieter version of NASCAR,” is how race organizer Gene Dixon likes to describe it in the simplest of terms. “It’s world class athletes going really fast on finely tuned machines.” A purse of $10,000 will be up for grabs when Olympians, Tour de France veterans and Champions from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand compete in the 50-mile, multi-lap criterium event Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Uptown Greenwood. “You’ll never see a better group of athletes in the world,” said Dixon of Swagger, which is the Heritage Cycling Series event manager and technical supplier. “It’s like watching the top end of any sport. It’s not often that you can say you can see the top athletes of a sport.”

The 1.10-kilometer, four-turn course will begin at the corner of Oak and Main streets and run clockwise with right turns on to Washington, Monument and Maxwell back to the start/finish line at Oak and Main. “You get to see the whole race unfold right in front of you,” Dixon said of a criterium.
This criterium racing discipline has bred a unique type of cyclist who must demonstrate top speed and bike handling skills and has been referred to as “America’s contribution” to bicycle racing. Some of the racers will have competed along with Lance Armstrong in the six-day, 600-plus mile Tour de Georgia stage race that ends Sunday before coming to South Carolina. Some will arrive as early as Monday to train on area roads. Many of the racers will also compete in the prestigious Athens Twilight Criterium in Georgia next weekend. In criteriums, the riders maintain a speed as high as 25-35 miles per hour on aerodynamic bicycles made of a variety of different metals that cost in the thousands of dollars. It took the riders less than two minutes per lap here last year with the leaders clocking as fast as one minute and 20 seconds. Emile Abraham of Trinidad-Tobago edged Brice Jones of Fort Smith, Ark., by the length of a wheel to win last year’s Greenwood event. Jones will compete again this week as well as many of the world’s other top sprinters including Ivan Dominguez, Gord Fraser and Jeff Hopkins.

“They are going to be going up to as high as 40 miles per hour and the winner is going to average around 30,” Jim Cox of the Greenwood Cycling Club recently explained. “If you’re going 30 miles per hour in a car, it’s slow. But on a bicycle, 30 miles per hour is flying. “When you say 30 miles per hour to the average guy, he’s going to relate it to his car. If you got out on a bicycle right now, you’re going to be going about eight miles per hour. The average athlete that we are familiar with could not come close to competing in this thing because it is a far greater combination of strength and endurance than any other sport. “It is going to require explosive speed that has to be maintained for an hour-and-a-half. There is no opportunity to rest,” Cox continued. “This is roughly an hour-and-a-half of all-out effort.” As Dixon puts it, “They are going 30-40 (mph) on a bike three inches away from somebody else. It’s crazy. They are on the edge.” Fraser, Hopkins and Jones are a few of the ones to watch, Dixon said. “Gord Fraser is one of the best closers of a bike race because he has so much speed,” Dixon said. “Lance (Armstrong) doesn’t have that kind of speed. It’s a mile (criterium) versus a marathon (Tour de France, Tour de Georgia). Gord is a better criterium rider than Lance. “Jeff Hopkins is probably the fastest rider out there, but he hasn’t been in the right place at the right time. He is a fun guy to watch. He’s got red hair and a great Australian accent. If he can be up toward the front at the end, he has a chance to win.” “Brice is one of those young guys who you could see 10 years from now winning a very big stage race,” Dixon said. While several individuals have hopes of winning the Greenwood race, the riders are also competing with sponsored teams and often sacrifice themselves for the overall good of the team. Each team has its own game plan for winning, and each rider plays a different role in that game plan. The South Carolina Heritage Cycling Series is part of the National Racing Calendar (NRC) and sanctioned by USA Cycling, the nation’s domestic governing body. The Series has two parts, with a similar Criterium in downtown Walterboro on Wednesday night. Merchandise and cash prizes will also be awarded to the winner of specially designated laps during each race. The total purse for the two nights is $20,000.

TDG Stage 6 I had a great ride today in the Mavic car #3! Look for a story and photos soon. Again, I'm too tired to do anything! I also have tons of photos that I took from today. Sleep must come first, though.

The Discovery Channel Team celebrates winning the Team Competition.

Stage 4 Gallery I put up my Stage 4 photo gallery here. I'll work on Stage 5 and 6 tomorrow night. I should also have some photos up at Bicirace.com soon.

4-26-2005 Nothing New I'm tired. I went back to work today and worked a 12 hour day and then did a quick recovery ride. Of course, I had to do a few "real life things" like going to the grocery store, which left me with no time to update anything. I'm still working on the Stage 5 and 6 galleries.

Stage 5 and 6 Galleries I have put up my Tour De Georgia Stage 5 and 6 Photo Galleries. Click here for Stage 5. Click here for Stage 6.

4-28-2005 New Criterium in Raleigh

The Capital Cycling Club and Raleigh All-Stars has announced the inaugural News & Observer Twilight Criterium in Raleigh, NC on Friday, May 27. The race will be held around Raleigh's historic Moore Square, with the flat and fast one mile course encircling numerous popular night-spots. A $10,000 Men's Pro 1,2 and a $5,000 Women's 1,2,3 prize purse will ensure a lively evening of racing. This festival of cycling will include live music, and the proceeds will benefit the Habitat for
Humanity of Wake County. The News & Observer Twilight Criterium fills a gap in the weekend of NRC racing along the East Coast, sandwiched between Thursday's Richmond, VA Cap Tech Classic and Saturday's Kelly Cup in Baltimore, MD. For more information see capcycling.org.

Neutral Support-SSC Sunday I spent the day in Mavic car with with mechanics Alex and Jason. We saw action behind the break for nearly 40 miles. What is it like to work for Mavic? Find out.

4-29-2005 August GA Cup Once again, the GA Cup schedule has changed. Augusta has been moved from May 20-21 to August 20-21 because it "conflicted with Mt. Mitchell" in Spartanburg, SC. Mark your calendars.

Trish the Photog (yep, finally got called a Photog by the pros!) in action at the Tour De Georgia. It was quite cold and wet at the time trial. Thanks to Molly Freeman (L5 Flyers) for the photo.

Share the Road License Plate I pulled this from the SBL website. LATEST (April 2005) -- The Georgia legislature passed a “Share The Road“ license plate as part of the NASCAR license plate bill. Thanks go out to Senators David Adelman and Chip Rogers for helping make this happen. The Bill is awaiting signature by the Governor. The next steps after that would be to “pre-sell“ a minimum of 1,000 of the plates and provide DMVS with a plate manufacturing bond. If all goes perfectly, the plates could be available starting January 2006. To be placed on a list to receive more information on the “pre-sell” and helping us procure a bond, please register on this site (click on the Register text in the upper right part of this screen).

Yellow River News From the SORBA forum (I don't think this is officially from SORBA): ATTENTION

To those interested in changing the Master plan for the Yellow River MTB trails

We can do something to save the Yellow River Creek Side trails from the fate of the River Side. The Park officials have responded to the string of e-mails they have gotten from concerned mountain bikers about the changes on the River Side. There is a possibility to negotiate the future of the Creek Side, but to be effective we must keep up the pressure.
YOU can help by doing the following within the next 2 weeks:
•Be polite but be firm!
•E-mail, write and call the Park and County officials listed below.
•Tell them you are tax paying citizens and don’t feel like you are being represented. These parks are yours!
•You want the Yellow River Creek Side MTB trails to be re-master planned with input from SORBA.
•You want sustainable, intermediate level trails constructed by a qualified MTB trails builder - not a landscape contractor with a bulldozer.
GCPR Directors:
Phil Hoskins: 770-822-8890 phil.hoskins@gwinnettcounty.com
Grant Guess: 770-822-8855 grant.guess@gwinnettcounty.com
Sharon Plunkett: 770-822-8875 sharon.plunkett@gwinnettcounty.com

Also contact the county commissioners. They are:
District 1: Lorraine Green: 770-822-7001 Lorraine.Green@gwinnettcounty.com
District 2: Bert Nasuti: 770-822-7002 Bert.Nasuti@gwinnettcounty.com
District 3: Mike Beaudreau: 770-822-7003 Mike.Beaudreau@gwinnettcounty.com
District 4: Kevin Kenerly: 770-822-7004 Kevin.Kenerly@gwinnettcounty.com

4-27-2005 Charlotte Bike News Kona Mountain Bike Demo this week Once again Scott O from Kona will be will be here to assist with the Kona mountain bike demo. The demo will take place this Saturday and Sunday at Renaissance Park from 11:00 to 4:00. Come test ride some of
the greatest dual suspsension bikes in the world. Bring your helmet, pedals and license.

Summer Solstice Cowbell Challenge 12 Hour MTB Race - Race will be Saturday June 25th at future home of the US National Whitewater Center (Catawba Riverfront-HTFPark) starting at 9:00. This years race will be a solo qualifier for the World Championship 24 Race in Whistler BC
Canada. Cowbell Registration http://active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1215062

New Website There is a new website for Charlotte, www.bikecharlotte.com. You can find out about upcoming rides, races, events, etc.

SE Cycling Photo Reminder As a reminder, Southeastern Cycling photos are copyright Trish Albert/Southeasterncycling.com 2005. They are not for sale and may not be reproduced without my permission. Please contact me for commercial or professional pricing for advertising or other professional uses.

Floyd Landis leads Lance Armstrong and Bobby Julich up "The Wall" on Brasstown Bald during the Tour De Georgia. Photo by LaRue Manus.