June 2008 Archive

6-1-2008 Good Luck Everyone! There is a lot of racing happening this weekend. Good luck to the roadies at the Union City Georgia Cup and Georgia State Road Race Championships on Sunday and to the mountain bikers at BUMP in Birmingham, AL.

Brownwood Bike Rally and Races Trish's note: I am so there! I've missed this the last few years and can't wait to race it this year!
http://www.eastatlantakids.org/rally08main.htm, Registration Link
Brownwood Bike Rally 2008
Date: Saturday, June 07, 2008
East Atlanta
CycloCross Track Course Info
The race is a blend of Road Crit, CycloCross and Short Track MTB. (Half the course on road and the other half on the South side dirt trails of Brownwood Park) Racers will head south on Brownwood Ave, left on Pendleton and right over the curb into the South Loop in Brownwood Park. Racers will do a loop in the south portion of the park and come back out onto Pendleton, then around the crit course back to the start /finish line.CycloCross Track Race Format

(Group A) Open to Men (and women who would like to take on the men) meeting USA Cycling Road Category & Cyclocross Categories 1/2/3/4 and MTB Categories Pro / Semi Pro/ Expert/ Sport
(Group B) Open to all women meeting USA Cycling Road Category & Cyclocross Categories 1/2/3/4 and MTB Categories Pro / Semi Pro/ Expert/ Sport
(Group C) Open to Men and Women beginners and race novices wanting to try some off road racing!

Distances and Start Times
Youth Races & Bike Rodeo 9.30am-12:30pm
Age Groups 5-7 / 8-11 (1 lap) / 12-15 Kids (2 laps) will do 1 race heat (10.15am) and one final (11.45am).
Adult “Fun” Race Start Time 11.00am 3 laps (approx 1.5 miles)
CycloCross Track Races
Group C (Beginners Men & Women) 12:15 pm – 15 minutes + 1 lap
Group B (Advanced and Intermediate Women) 12.40 pm 30 minutes + 1 lap
Group A (Advanced and Intermediate Men) 1.20 pm 30 minutes + 3 laps
This event benefits the East Atlanta Kids Club, a non-profit after-school mentoring and enrichment program for underprivileged youth. The club provides a safe space, supportive adult mentors and resources to promote the healthy physical, mental and emotional development of all the youth who participate in the program. EAKC has year-round cycling and triathlon training programs for the kids.

Trek Demo at Blanket's Creek From Free Flite: Trek Demo truck will be in town full of cool bikes for free test rides at Blankets Creek Saturday June 21st. From 9 AM until 3 PM you can stop by and throw your leg over one of the below bikes for test ride.

I addition to the Trek demo's Free-Flite Bicycles will be there too. Were grilling free hamburgers, hotdogs :D l: and will also have our own demo fleet available for test rides.

Trek demo list:
Fuel EX 9.5 S, M-17.5, L, XL
Fuel EX9 M-18.5
Gary Fisher HiFi Carbon Pro S, M, L, XL
Gary Fisher HiFi Pro Med
Gary Fisher HiFi GS 15.5
Trek Womens Specific Design Top Fuel 9.8 Med
Trek Top fuel 69er Med
Trek 69er geared hardtail Large
Trek 69er Med, Small
Gary Fisher Super fly XL
Gary Fisher Paragon Large
Gary Fisher HiFi pro 29er Med, Large
Trek Remedy 9 Med, Large
Madone 5.2 (performance fit) 52,54x2, 56x2, 58x2, 60, 62

Free-Flite Demo list:
Trek Fuel EX 8 Sm, Med, Lg, XL
Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe Sm, Med, Lg, XL
Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe 29er Med, Lg

Tiago Update I pulled this off of a local forum: Tiago DePaula update - May 30th, 2008 "Tiago had surgery on Wednesday - all day. On Thursday, they took him off the ventilator and he did fine. They had told him that 95% of the people who get a tracheotomy panic when they wake up and realize that their breathing is different and will try to rip the tubing out. They feel like they're drowning. Fortunately he was in the 5% who do fine. He was awake and as cognizant as you can be after being under for 12+ hours. The swelling in his face went down quicker than they expected, but he is still swollen a lot. He can see a little bit where the swelling has gone down. He has a board where he can write messages and he was doing that yesterday. He needs practice writing in English anyway, so there's a benefit there too."

CNN Story CNN has a story airing this weekend about bike commuting in Atlanta.

6-3-2008 Dog Days Race Weekend Aaron’s Cycling and Team Cycleworks p/b HDR to host Dog Days of Summer Race Weekend in Atlanta

Atlanta, June 2, 2008 - The most exciting weekend of Pro/Am bicycle racing is coming to Atlanta on August 9-10, 2008. The Dog Days of Summer Race Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia will be comprised of the Team Cycleworks p/b HDR Cherokee County Road Race and the Aaron’s/L5Flyers Cycling Team Grant Park Criterium.

The very popular Cherokee County Road Race, with all its’ twists, turns and wide open finishing stretch, will be staged on Saturday, August 9th, 2008, and is being hosted once again by Team Cycleworks p/b HDR. Said Eric Murphy (Team Myogenesis), 2007 Pro 1,2 road race winner, “I’ve raced all over Europe and this course ranks right up there with the best of those.”

The Grant Park Criterium, presented by Aaron’s/L5Flyers Cycling Team, returns on Sunday, August 10th, 2008. The same great course in the heart of downtown Atlanta, historic Grant Park, offers a unique race experience for competitors and spectators alike. Everyone will enjoy the course as it winds through the oldest park in Atlanta. Spectators can visit Zoo Atlanta or just take in the scenery while watching the race on the hillside. Proceeds of the race will be donated to the Grant Park Conservancy and Grant Park Neighborhood Association.

Parents are invited to bring their children out to the Grant Park event, as there will be plenty to do and see including a race just for the kids. Both races will be straight forward category racing with great payouts and fantastic primes.

For more information: www.aaronscyclingteam.com  www.teamcycleworks.net

Women's MTB Clinic When: 9am-1pm Saturday June 28

Where: Conyers (GA Int'l Horse Park)- meet in the main parking lot, steeplechase side

Who: Women who are interested in getting into endurance racing or MTB racing in general. You should be somewhat comfortable riding at least the steeplechase side of Conyers.

What: We need your input here. Let us know what you want to cover! Some ideas we had are: How to ride trail more efficiently (braking, cornering, switchbacks, climbing, descending, rocks, roots), On-trail nutrition for riding and racing, basic preparation for your first event, etc. The clinic will be a combination of outdoor classroom type Q&A and actual trail riding. Your clinic leaders will be Sherri Stevens and Namrita O'Dea. Sherri is an excellent mtb clinic leader and has a great deal of experience working with women and beginner riders. Not to mention, she has some SKILLZ! Namrita specializes in endurance mountain bike racing and is finishing up her Masters degree in Sports Nutrition.

To RSVP and request specific topics to cover, please email sherri.stevens at gmail dot com There is a limit of 15 riders for this clinic. Please bring drinks and snacks with you. Thanks! Namrita & Sherri www.55nineperformance.com.

Also from Namrita: Due to popular demand..

Meet in the parking lot at Conyers Horse Park Sunday June 29, 9 am-11 am for a beginner ride and on-trail clinic. We'll have one or two ride leaders and a sweeper to make sure everyone stays together. Bring your questions and we'll do our best to address them! :)

Namrita & Sherri

BUMP Article The Birmingham News had a great article on Bump N Grind.

Create a Bio! You can now create your own Bio on the GA Cup website.

State Champions Congratulations to all of the new Gerogia State RR Champions. Results are up here.

6-2-2008 Have You Seen This? This is sad, if you haven't seen it: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,362147,00.html Just look at the photos. The driver admitted to taking cocaine before the accident.

Cartecay 4th of July Ride Cartecay Bikes 4th of July Ride and Santa Cruz Bicycles Appreciation Day. Come out and join us on a great holiday ride over at the Ocoee Whitewater Center Pavillion Area at 10:00am. A,B,C group rides. Great place to cool off after ride. Santa Cruz owners who purchased their bikes through Cartecay Bike Shop will receive swag courtesy of Santa Cruz Bicycles! All bicycles welcome to join us. Bring a dish to share for the 4th of July Potluck Lunch. For More Details Call Cartecay Bikes: 706-635-2453

TdG Economic Impact The TdG had more than a $38 million impact on the economy of Georgia.

6-5-2008 Blanket's Creek Work Parties From SORBA Woodstock: We meet with Cherokee County EPD yesterday at the trail. Good news! They have provided us with the Land Disturbance Permit to finish the work. Now the rest is up to you! To be able to open the Mosquito Bite and VMT trails we have to complete the remaining erosion control punch list items. The more folks that show up to finish this work the faster we get permission to open the trail! How fast we can open it all depends on you!

We will be having work parties every Saturday (starting this Saturday) at 8am (to beat the heat) until these punch items are complete.
Dates are:
Saturday, June 7 @ 8am
Saturday, June 14 @ 8am
Saturday, June 21 @ 8am

We have permission to pull down the orange fences and open the trails once these erosion control issues are complete. Which means if we get a ton of volunteers and finish the work on the 14th, we can open the trail immediately after the work party. If participation is low then it will take longer and we will continue to work on it every Saturday until completed. Talk it up to your fellow riding buddies and commit to helping out. If you haven't done a work party yet, NOW is the time to help! We could have this trail opened ASAP if everyone dedicates a Saturday morning! We are so close. Please help us open these trails for YOU! Thanks for your support, Jay Wilkes

Paulding SORBA Work Party From Paulding SORBA: Our next work party will be Saturday June 14 th, starting at 9 AM. Meet at the Paulding Chamber Of Commerce trailhead of the Silver Comet trail. Directions can be found here. This is a two part work party; we will be working on clearing a corridor for trail construction, a bridge, and performing finishing work on some new single-track. We will also be armoring a very muddy section of trail just east of this.

NC Cyclist Killed A cyclist has been killed in Orange County, NC.
 

6-6-2008 Cobb County Voters It's time to vote Jim Thompson out of office! Mr. Thompson was the Cobb County Commissioner that railroaded the single file ordinance at Columns Dr. through the Council. He is faced by two challegers in the Republican primary on July 15th, Bill Ott and Ron Sifen. Mr. Sifen appears to be the most friendly towards cyclists. There may be a forum with Bike Cobb and Mr. Sifen, and if there is, I will post it here.

Gone Riding There is a nice article on the wonderful Berger family of Gone Riding here.

Want to Climb Better? Check out the upcoming FS Concepts climbing camps! I had a few friends do one earlier this year, and they really enjoyed it.

6-10-2008 Brownwood Bicycle Rally Results Brownwood Bike Rally 2008
Cyclocross Group A 1 Tim Henry – Jittery Joes 2 Colby Millen – Peachtree Bikes 3 Tim Barrett – Myogenesis 4 Brady Rodgers – Myogenesis
5 Whit Clifford – Locos Cycling

Cyclocross Group B 1 Kim Sawyer – Reality Bikes 2 Ellen Carroll – Cycleworks 3 Holly Longley – Sorrella Cycling

Cyclocross Group C: 1 Rob Evans 2 Gabriel Sharvat 3 Allison Williams 4 Stephanie Ryan 5 Jill Seider

Adult Fun Race: 1 Charles Adkins 2 Cara-Lee Scheinfeld 3 Stephanie Akstein

Ft. Mountain GSC Race It was announced today that the Ft. Mountain race will use a variation on the Goldmine loop used in year's past, not last year's Cool Springs loop.

Bike Auction SORBA Paulding is auctioning off a 1986 Gary Fisher Procaliber signed by Gary Fisher on Ebay to raise money for new trails

Woody Gap I have heard from several sources that "tar snakes" have made an appearance on Woody Gap. Be careful when the temperatures are high or it is wet out. They can be nasty can cause wrecks. Photos are here of Woodys. Supposedly, part of the Gap is going to be resurfaced this summer. Here is the original post from a Sportbike forum:

Here's a heads up to all riders in Northern Georgia. GDOT is in the process of installing a new type of seam sealer on Highway 60 north of Stone Pile Gap extending to the top of the mountain at Woody Gap. Road maintenance personnel refer to this new sealer as "rubberized asphalt". It seems to be more elevated above the road surface than the old style water based product and seems to me to be MUCH SLICKER than the old product. I have experienced slides on these "tar snakes" in hot and dry weather. I can only imagine what cold temps and rainy weather will add to this environment.

This new product is supposed to be much longer lived than the old style product and is NOT supposed to "wear in" or get less elevated OR less slick over time. Its use is designed to extend the useful life of the roadway as it keeps water from permeating the road bed where subsequent freezing can cause the road surface to break up.

This same type of sealer is also in use on Highway 9 north of Dawsonville.

Be particularly careful on these roadways whether dry or wet as significant tire slippage or wheel oscillation can be produced by this new seam sealer. Maintenance personnel offered today to look into possible solutions to this perceived problem of reduced traction on the seam sealer.

One good piece of news from my research of this problem is that money was previously budgeted for the re-paving of Highway 60 from Woody Gap to the Fannin County Line. I made a personal appeal to the project manager to try to minimize the effects of corner cutting 4 wheel traffic causing gravel to be thrown onto the highway on the particularly curvy sections about 1.5 miles north of Suches.

If you find these roadways to be hazardous, please POLITELY voice your concern to the DOT office at 706-348-4848.

Give fair warning to your motorcycling and bicycling buddies!!! I have a concern that some of our comrades may start braking when small slides occur and cause a small problem to become a much larger and more hazardous issue.

SEW News For immediate release. ATLANTA, GEORGIA 2008 marks a resurgence in women’s cycling with the introduction of the Southeastern Women’s SEW Cycling Series. More than one hundred women have competed in SEW events in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. With four race weekends remaining in the series’ inaugural yea, racers are looking ahead to the Edgar Soto memorial criteriums in Nashville, TN June 13-15. The weekend kicks off at the Music City Motorplex race track with a one kilometer time trial and a unique “sprint criterium,” an all-out effort over just a few laps where the first person across the line wins. Saturday’s spectator-friendly criteriums will be held in downtown Nashville with the weekend of exciting racing finishing up in Brentwood on Sunday.

 
“The Edgar Soto Memorial Race weekend is well-known in the Southeast for being a high-quality event. The promoters take excellent care of the racers, and this is the first year that the women’s races have been separated into two fields. “We think that will attract even more women for the weekend, with fields of 30-50 racers possible,” said Molly Freeman, one of the SEW Series Coordinators. Many women’s teams from the Southeast will be represented, including Reality Bikes/Camp Highland, Sorella Cycling, Team Kenda Tire, Team MedPlan/TriStar Cycling, and Vanderkitten. SEW is pleased to announce that double points will be at stake for the Edgar Soto Memorial races. In addition, SEW is offering prizes for top places and primes from series sponsors Rudy Project, Bailey Works, Reynolds, Specialized, Deuter Bags, Hincapie Sports, The Sweet Project, and Hutchinson Tires.

 
The Southeastern Women’s Cycling Series has been a tremendous success in its first year, attracting racers at all levels. To be included in the series, promoters agree to offer separate Category3/4 and Pro1/2/3 races, showcasing the top women racers by placing their criterium before the men’s Pro1/2 event.

Few Problems If you don't see an update for a few days, my provider appears to be having problems with making changes to Frontpage websites.

6-11-2008 Ryan Barnett Update I spoke to someone Tuesday night that saw Ryan this weekend RIDING a bike around Piedmont Park with Mike Scop! Yes, Ryan was riding a handcycle through Piedmont Park! He even tackled the infamous "Piedmont Park Hill." You know you are a cyclist when they finally let you leave of the hospital for an outting, and you ride a bike! Here's to a speedy recovery for Ryan!

Tiago DePaula Update I spoke with a teammate of Tiago's Tuesday night at the crit. He said Tiago was home and resting comfortably.

Van Micheal Salons Supports Tiago's Recovery Fund If you go to Van Michael Salon, please print out this coupon and take it with you between now and July 6th.

http://www.tiagodepaula.org/vanmichaelcoupon

Cyclist Tiago DePaula (Team Aerocat) was hit by a car in late May while warming up for a bike race in Buford. The car pulled out in front of him, claiming to have not seen him. He has extensive facial fractures, including a broken orbital. He will require multiple surgeries to reconstruct his face and skull. Thankfully, his eyes sare fine, and he suffered no brain damage. Unfortunately, as with many pro cyclists, Tiago doesn't have health insurance.

Van and Michael Council, owners of Van Michael Salons, will generously donate 40% of the price of any treatment or service at their salon to the Tiago DePaula Recovery Fund. If you go to VM for salon or make up services, please print off the coupon. I'm taking my coupon to my appointment with Piper tomorrow. The coupon is good at all VM locations! (BTW, ladies, Piper at the Sandy Springs location rocks!)

You can also make a donation by going here: http://www.tiagodepaula.org. A Paypal link has been set up.

Team CTM Podcast Team CTM from SC/NC has a great podcast covering racing in the Southeast. You can subscribe on Itunes.

Chicopee Work Party From SORBA Gainesville Join us Saturday, June 21st, for trail work at Chicopee Woods MTB Park. Meet in the MTB parking lot at 9:00 AM and wear work/hiking boots. Bring gloves, snacks, water and a friend. We’ll work until 12:30 then eat lunch which will be provided. We'll be raffling off some nice SWAG for anyone who shows up! You can also join some of us for breakfast at Curt’s restaurant in Oakwood (Behind Sonny’s BBQ) around 8:00. We’ll be working on the new trail. Feel free to call 770-845-8738 if you have any questions.We also have work parties planned for Saturday, July 12th and July 26th.

Blanket's Creek Work Party From SORBA Woodstock: That's right folks...We are this close!

We had an incredible 30 person work party last weekend to fix all the erosion issues on the goat trail and finish the remaining backcut/clean up. Thanks to all that showed up and helped us out! Now, we have to connect the trail back together. There are 3 small sections left that we have to handcut to make it all one trail again. With another round of 30 folks, we can finish the work and open the trail immediately following the work party! Do your part! Attend the work party and be a member of the inaugural maiden voyage ride of the official opened and completed Van Michael Trail. Join us this Saturday, June 14th @ 8am. Bring your bike for afterwards to ride the new trail! Please attend and help. If enough folks show up, we can hammer this work out in a couple of hours. PLEASE help us out and attend! As always, thank for you support. Jay Wilkes

Thursday Night Time Trials From Gainesville SORBA: ark your calendars for the Thursday Night Time Trial series at Chicopee Woods MTB Park!

July 10th - Coyote Loop (aka Devil's Backbone) - Clockwise direction
July 17th - Coyote Loop - Counter-clockwise direction
July 24th - Coyote Loop - Clockwise direction
July 31st - Coyote Loop - Counter-clockwise direction

We'll be raffling away some cool SWAG so come out and join the fun! More details coming soon.

6-12-2008 Ron Williams Makes Paralympic Team

6-14-2008 Rumors about Jody Lecraw and Sid Carter The rumors are true...they are getting hitched! Congratulations to two of the nicest people I know and two o f my dear friends!

6-16-2008 Georgia Cup News From an email the Georgia Cup sent out.  All event details can me viewed at www.georgiacup.com.

June 21 - 22
Lagrange, GA - Stage Race & USA CYCLING CRIT State Championships. Be sure to review the flier here --> http://www.georgiacup.com/files/08lagrangeFlier.pdf for details on the CRIT distances.

June 28 - 29
ROME, GA - Omnium Race & Team Time Trial Register here --> http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6699

August 2-3
Elberton, GA (30 minutes from Athens) Omnium Race & USA Cycling State Team Time Trial Championships! Registration coming soon.

UPDATES Augusta, GA Race has been changed to September 27 - 28 Dahlonega has been changed to TBD probably in Sept or Oct.

Bull Gap TT From COGS: Make plans to participate in the Bull Gap Time Trial held in Sylacauga, Alabama on the morning of July 27th. COGS members enjoy staging events for our fellow cyclists and doing the little extras that make our events special. We think you'll find we have the right combination of physical challenge and hometown hospitality to make you glad you've come.

Van Michael Trail Open From SORBA Woodstock Well folks. It's done. After 9 months of hard work, 2500+ volunteer man hours, with suprises and paperwork galore, we have an open trail system! Today's 37 volunteers finished the reroutes, covered the old access trails and made it all connect. The Mosquito Bite trail reroute that was done today now makes the trail start and stop at the same point off Mosquito Flats. The old Big Rock entrance to VMT was abandoned and is now at the giant switchback on Mosquite Bite (above the Big Rock)

Now we need riders to come ride and bed the trail back in. I'm sure that won't be a tough request. Thanks to all the volunteers that have shown up once or repetitively to work parties to make it happen. Also thanks to the generous people that have donated money, food and swag to raise the funds to rent the equipment and pay Pro-Trails to cut the trails. On behalf of the SORBA Woodstock - Board of Directors, we thank everyone for all the time, work and money you have given to make this trail system a success. Cheers! Jay Wilkes
 

 For the second time, Birmingham resident Ron Williams makes a Paralympic team, this time for Bejing in 2008! Ron has only one leg as he lost the other one to cancer when he was a child. He can be seen regularly in the Cat. 2/3 and Pro/1/2 peloton as a member of Team Myogenesis. Congratulations, Ron!

New Fork Technology Just look....

From the AJC:

6-13-2008 Junior Race Camp On June 29 - July 4 there will be a USAC sponsored Junior mountain bike camp in Brevard North Carolina (Pisgah). If you have National caliber goals and want to get faster/stronger this is for you. The past several years we have had National Champions and Worlds qualifying racers in attendance with lots of racers from all over the United States. We would love to have several fast Juniors represent from the South East. For more info go to: http://www.mtbcamp.org

Pepper Place Title Sponsor Found This year's PPC will be Smith and Nephew presents the Pepper Place Criterium. You may remember Smith and Nephew as the manufacturer of Floyd Landis's hip replacement. Yes, rumor has it that Floyd will be at the crit! (not sure if it's racing or hanging out)

6-17-2008 Endurance Racer Julie Gazmararian (Sorella/Team Emory) recently competed in the Race of the West, part of RAAM. CBS 46 has a nice video about here up.

First Glance at Dedicated Athlete Products As some of you know, I had nutrition issues the first few races this year including getting "the shakes" during the race and having a very upset stomach. What I'd been doing for the last 3-4 years was not working. I am using Dedicated Athlete products this month. So far my favorites are the Orange Rapidade and Vanilla Rapid Recovery. I still have to try the Very Berry and Grape flavors. Disclaimer: Vanilla and Orange are two of my favorite flavors of anything, so don't be surprised if they are still my favorites in a few weeks. I used the orange Rapidade in a race this weekend for the first time. I did not cramp or have any stomach problems in the 90+ degree heat. I'll admit that I had a large vanilla milkshake at the Clemson University Ag Sales Center instead of the Rapid Recovery, so I'll try that after the next race. I went to Clemson and worked in the dairy making the ice cream my Senior year. In addition to good memories it brings back, Clemson ice cream is truly the best there is in the country!  Back to the nutrition products...My husband is using the Berry Rapidade right now and likes it. I'll review the products more in depth after a few more weeks.

Want Your Product Reviewed? Do you want me to review your product? Email me at sttarlite@hotmail.com for more information.

Georgia State Single Speed Championships Venue Change With the unfortunate destruction of the Arrowhead trails at the hands of the Macon tornados, The GS has been changed to East Macon Park. Yes, the BMX track will be part of the course!

6-18-2008 Need a Flyer Designed!! Do you want to help me design a flyer to advertise Southeastern Cycling? (This could be a paying job!) Email me at sttarlite@hotmail.com. I am going to start putting flyers out at races and other events. I want something that looks professional. The one I did, well, it stinks!

Kudzu.com Team Blog The U23 Kudzu.com has a new blog at  http://teamkudzu.blogspot.com.

6-20-2008 Changes to Six Gap From the Organizers:  We are pleased to announce that the Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty Bike Ride has a Presenting Sponsor this year! Dahlonega Wheelworks is located in Dahlonega and specializes in sales, service, and racing. Be sure to stop by and visit them next time you're in town! In celebration of this year's anniversary, Six Gap is getting a "makeover". We have given the Six Gap Century an updated route - the first major change in twenty years - in an effort to expose cyclists to more of our scenic mountainside and to make the ride safer, both for cyclists and motorists. The new route will cast a special spotlight onto Yahoola Valley and R-Ranch in the Mountains, but will still include the most challenging climbs of the ride, including Hogpen Gap. We have also signed a contract with Buttar, Inc. to provide all of the timing services for this year's ride. Buttar, Inc. uses the AMB Activ System that has also been used in the Tour de France and 2004 Olympic marathon and triathlon. In addition to providing overall times for the ride, Buttar, Inc. will also be timing the climbs up Hogpen Gap and Wolfpen Gap. Photography this year will be provided by ASI Professional Sports Photography. ASI Photo strives to capture an athlete's greatest moments on film. They will be set up on each of the six gaps to give each rider their best shot at a great photo! The Official Six Gap jerseys will be provided by Hincapie Sportswear this year. We have THREE great designs being finalized, including a special, limited-run 20th Anniversary edition. Be on the lookout for another email in the coming weeks regarding order information. For a complete list of sponsors and for information on becoming a sponsor, please visit the Six Gap Century website at http://www.CycleNorthGeorgia.com. If you have any comments, feedbacks, or suggestions about the ride or the website, please feel free to contact me at stefani@dahlonega.org or 706-864-3711. Thank you for your help in making Six Gap one of the best rides in the Southeast!

Silver Comet Heads Up! Be aware that there have been two incidents involving teenagers on the Silver Comet in the last 10 days. From the emails I've seen, one woman was robbed near Smyrna. The Cobb County PD has been looking for the suspects in the robbery. I have no further details.

O'Neill Receives Ban From Cyclingnews.com: O'Neill receives ban

Australian Nathan O'Neill has been banned for 15 months for a positive anti-doping test for appetite suppressant Phentermine last fall. The 33 year-old will be able to race again November 12 according to AFP, due to the back-dating of the decision announced by Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this morning. O'Neill, multiple time trial national champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the same event, tested positive following USA's Tour of Elk Grove in August. The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) announced the ban after it received the news from CAS. "In making the ruling, the CAS determined that Mr. O'Neill had been able to demonstrate a degree of no significant fault or negligence and thereby imposed a lesser penalty," ASADA stated in a press statement.

6-23-2008 Team Medplan Website Team Medplan has a new website. Check it out!

Bike for Sale Travis Sherman has a Blue bike for sale.

Travis's Bike for sale

Cobb County Commissioner Candidates Forum From Bike Cobb The two non-incumbent republican candidates for District Two, Bob Ott and Ron Sifen will be present to speak to members of BikeCobb and any other interested citizens this Wednesday night, June 25th from 7-9 pm at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta. Joe Thompson has not accepted the invitation. We have tentatively set up for about 30 people, theater style with a head table in the front. Water and coffee will be provided.

Location/Directions : 500 Atlanta Country Club Dr SE, Marietta, GA 30067 (770) 953-1211 http://www.atlantacountryclub.org
Further Questions: Karen O'Riordan kkor@mindspring.com

6-25-2008 Tiago Benefit http://www.tiagodepaula.org/ From Don Dutson: We have a cycling friend who faces some serious medical expenses, and he needs our help. Several weeks ago, Tiago de Paula was involved in a car/bike crash while warming up for a race. The accident resulted in some serious, serious medical expenses. Tiago needs some help, and a lot of us need a good meal. Doce Sabor restaurant has agreed to provide dinner for free in exchange for a $10 per person donation to Tiago's medical expense fund.  Please round up a few friends and enjoy a nice meal together on Sunday evening, June 29th. How reasonable; we'll be doing something very positive while enjoying each other's company.

Please join us at 8:00 on Sunday, June 29th. Doce Sabor Restaurant, 1360 Powers Ferry Rd., Marietta, 770-226-0434

6-28-2008 AJC Article The was an article about Russell Tindol, the Frazier Cycling Junior racer who is battling cancer, in the AJC the other day.

New Blog Dedicated Athlete has a new blog.

Gwinnetians-Vote for a Cyclist! If you are in Gwinnett County, Doug Stacks, a former mountain bike racer, is running for Gwinnett District 3 Commissioner.

LaGrange Cat 2/3 Crash Video Big Scott took this video of the crash at the LaGrange Georgia Cup in the Cat. 2/3 Crit. Jason from the Cannondale Allset Cycling Team is now enjoying his painkillers and healing some broken bones. Heal quickly!

Ergo Power Meter Review Travis Sherman has a rather interesting Ergo Power Meter review over at Alabama Cycling News. 

New Poll

6-30-2008 Charlotte Happenings Wednesday, July 2 The third round of the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will hit Beatty Park next Wednesday. A great way to kick off July 4th The course is in great shape and should be a fast and an exciting place to race for the Summer Series.

For more info on the Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com
***********************************
July 25 - August 3 - 9 DAYS OF FAST RACING IN NORTH CAROLINA
$55,000+ purse of the 9 days of racing
UPDATED INFO HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE WEBSITE
Taylorsville-Lenior-Morganton-Mocksville-Concord-Salisbury-Statesville-Harrisburg-Winston-Salem
Check out www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com
***********************************
Sunday, September 7
Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon
Presented by US National Whitewater Park and SouthPark Cycles
The Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon is the Southeast Mountain Bike Marathon Championships. The 50 mile race will test you both physically and mentally. We will crown 12 southeast champions at the event. We will also have duo categories at the event. Info can be found at www.charlottemtnbike.com
***********************************
See you on the bike. Neal, Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc. nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com www.charlottesportscycling.com

Tiago's Benefit Dinner Chris and I went to the Benefit Dinner for Tiago De Paula Sunday night at the Doce Sabor Restaurant in Marietta. Over 100 people showed their support for Tiago's recovery. Didn't get to go? You can still donate online to Tiago's recovery fund. Tiago was there and looked great! He gave the dinner his thumb's up!

A recovering Tiago De Paula at a benefit dinner Sunday night.




 

Tiago...Email Me Tiago, if you are reading this, email me at sttarlite@hotmail.com. I have some photos for you from the dinner! I can't find your email address. OR if anyone has it, drop me a line.

Beginner MTB Clinic From the SORBA Forum: There will be a beginner clinic the morning of July 19 at the Blankets Creek trail system. It is being offered by Outspokin Bikes of Woodstock the same day as their bike demo day. Space is limited so get your name on the list quick. There is a small fee that will be donated to SORBA Woodstock for trail maintenance. Email gibsonra@juno.com for registration and more details.

Camp Thunder Closed Word on the street is that the trails at Camp Thunder near Thomaston are closed to the general public permanently. I'll post any updates.