Malaysia
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Hello Readers
I have not been neglecting you, I have been out of the country! Although I could have been blogging while on my trip, I wasn’t- for a variety of reasons but all closely linked to the central fact that I was basically just too tired to do so. I guess I didn’t announce where I was going in my last post, so to fill you in I was racing the Jelajah Malaysia, April 19th-26th.
This race ended up being longer, harder, and hotter than I had anticipated, but as it was eight days long and covered over 1200km, it was excellent preperation for the events coming up here at home, and served as a quick and dirty way to get me right back on track following time off with my last injury.
However, it was HOT, as I believe I mentioned. Unrelentingly hot. 100-110 degrees with 90-95% humidity. HOT in other words. I don’t like the heat, in fact I loathe it and it cramps my style as well as my legs terribly. Actually I very rarely cramp, but the point is the legs don’t like it! In fact, the neccessity to better manage myself in hot weather was a deciding factor in why I moved down here to Georgia.
Faced with the conditions assaulting me each day upon leaving the air conditioned hotel cocoon, I had little choice but to man up and somehow get through it, and I must say that having done so, I think I am nearing a point where I can start performing at my best, if not better, in the hot races. One thing that really helped me with this was an awesome tip I got from Matty Rice. He claimed that keeping a jersey zipped up and constantly wet, preferably with cold water, is much cooler than keeping it open. The big man knows his stuff, and I hereby hand him my accolades and thanks on a nice cool silver platter. Managing your jersey in this way is akin to air conditioning for the core, as it cools air entering the jersey. Magic! Also, it saved me from exposing my unsightly and deathly pale British lineage present most prominently in the flesh and form of my chest. What a relief!
I would love to say that I have some great culture notes from the trip, but sadly I do not, having been bogged down in the mire of the stage race schedule. I began writing it out for you here, as I assume this might be interesting material, but in the aim of keeping entries shorter, I will save it for my next post. I will say, regarding the trip, that Malaysian people are some of the nicest and friendliest I have yet come across, and that this race was exceptional in its organization. For the next few days I will be getting my sleep back on track, eating a lot of nice healthy food to recoup some strength, and keeping the legs open with some long noodling around style rides.
Time for breakfast, catch you later!
Crane
The Daily Grind
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Oh man my life has been boring this past week! Sitting on the couch right when I was starting to get the ball rolling has been frustrating, but approaching it all with a healthy consideration of “it is what it is” has kept me in good spirits. To alleviate the considerable amount of cabin fever I am experiencing, I have devised a few activities to keep me from lashing out a la Jack Torrance.
(In order of awesomeness, strictly relative to circumstance:)
1) Enlightenment regarding use of milk steamer, resulting in fiendish pursuit of ideal cappuccino. Daily consumption count is reaching upwards of three (nearly perfect cappuccinos), but all in the name and for the sake of my future profession as a world famous barista.
nb: Steaming a pitcher of milk requires no particular skill or undue effort. Nor does adding it to coffee. Try it sometime; the results are delicious and members of the opposite (or the same, perhaps in between-your preference) sex will find your coffee preperation abilities an alluring addition to the charming character traits they are already aware of, and which undoubtedly led them into your residence in the first place.
(Plus you’re a cyclist. If you don’t own an espresso machine you can’t possibly have any conception of the joy resultant from procrastinating in kit with aroma and crema rich micro coffee in hand. Without this vital chamois clad daily routine, you will never truly understand cycling, and will be forever heckled by not only fourteen year old boys yelling “LAAAANCE” at you, but also by Italians and especially wanna-be Italians the world over.)
2) Trips to the office of Dr. Steve Hatfield, who has been instrumental in helping me with various injuries, and who is a huge resource for the cycling community. Guy knows his stuff! (http://www.elitesportsmedicine.com/) Latest prognosis: I’ll be on the trainer tomorrow! I just need to continue with ice and compression to reduce swelling under the patella, which is restricting- painfully-my full joint movement.
3) Reading Tom Robbins’ Another Roadside Attraction. If not already aware of the massively entertaining work of this fiendish genius, I suggest you become acquainted. His writing is intricate without being overly complex, and his mastery of literary device, if not the outright humor contained in the plot, combined with stark gems of life wisdom and musing, will have you enthralled or at least very entertained. I promise!
4) Use wages from Bantam Publishing, which is in NO WAY affiliated with the great Tom Robbins to buy hand strength improving grip thingy. Use sporadically throughout day as sole means of exercise.
5) Eat copius amounts of cake as comfort food.
6) Owing to loathsome feelings regarding television, watch DVDs non stop, even if they are of television shows, although this transgression is limited to Entourage and select others of high quality content.
And that’s basically it! The list has met with few revisions, save a really exciting trip to Target last week, where I was more than happy to take advantage of the motorized shopping cart, which I have come to realize exists more for the use of those made immobile from obesity than from injury. What a world we live in!
Stop drinking coffee and go ride!
Crane
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Hey Everyone-
Well, it looks like Missingsaddle.com is down, and so am I! Clearly some sexually frustrated malcontent is responsible for the bug attack on an innocent and friendly cycling website, and to the hacker responsible I say get either a therapist, a girlfriend, or as it is likely that you are lacking in the life and social skills required for either, a six pack, a bag of Doritos and a tube sock. No but seriously, put down the keyboard and go for a walk outside. Exit the snobby online forum for immature and vindictive sad sack hacker wannabes, and try having a real conversation with someone. High school is over, and the jocks who picked on you are likely stuck in miserable desk jobs wondering why they hate themselves. Forget them and your agenda against mean old mankind and pull yourself together you sad little boy. And please leave the cycling community alone if you insist on venting your pathetic inconcequential feelings in destructive ways. Everyone is too busy worrying about everything bothering them to take pity on you, so if you wonder why no one pats you on the back and says its all ok, its because no one cares. Knowing this, you can hopefully focus more on dealing with your issues and stop putting the impetus for it on the world around you. Life sucks and then you die you sniveling mouse jockey, get over it and make the most of the first part before the inevitible happens.
Anyway, the fact that I’m down right now can’t be blamed on an emotionally retarded weakling, but strictly on myself. Although quite how I’m not too sure, as I was on the ground before I even had time to notice I was no longer on my bike. We were setting up a leadout for Brad with about 10 minutes left to race in the Redlands Criterium, and entering the second to last corner, I dumped myself on rough pavement, resulting in a grisly sight when I picked myself up off the ground: my exposed patella. Yup, I took a good chunk out of myself!
I was taken to Redlands hospital following some excellent assistance and care from the Mavic neutral service crew and the race medics, and in the ambulance was thankfully relieved of the sizeable pain I was in with a bit of morphine. As it was a busy night in the ER, I was kept waiting for a few hours before the doctor could see me, but this was alright as it occassioned more offers of narcotic bliss.
When Dr. Fiore was able to see me, and began going to town cleaning out the injury, two things came to light: First, that the wound was a lot deeper than we suspected-the view of my joint capsule and the inner workings of my body beneath the skin being an indication of depth; and second, that there was asphalt deep inside of me that would require surgery to remove.
A night in hospital isn’t something I would normally call pleasant, but my room was comfortable, the nursing staff was very helpful, and I was able to watch Adult Swim catroons before drifing off into a long drug induced sleep; so all in all it was an approximation of pleasant.
Surgery went as planned in the morning, and by evening I was ready to be released. It was good to see the team again before I left the next morning, and I got to show them the photos you are about to see below
(GORY!)
Morgan and Reistad were essential in getting me home comfortably, but with their help the flight wasn’t bad at all, and as a perk for wheeling me around and being at my beck and call, they were allowed to jump security and boarding lines with me. I’m back in Athens now resting up, and on Friday I’ll get word from my doc about how best to proceed with getting back on the bike.
Keep It Upright,
Crane
Redlands and Introducing Phil the Thrill
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Turns out I’ve been drinking decaf the past week-or at least it feels like it-because I have had very little to say, which for me is virtually unheard of. Historically this means that I’m in a good place racing wise, so after this past weekend’s tune up in San Dimas, I should be firing well for Redlands…or at least that’s the plan.
Speaking of San Dimas, I feel a shoutout is in order for Phantastic Phil Gaimon after the nice little win he snagged in last Saturday’s road race. Phil made a good move at a good time and used his considerable strength to
hold off the field to within a bike length at the line. He didn’t get much mention in the press for virtually riding away from the pack at 7km out, but if he can uncork more days like that one, it won’t be long until he gets his dues.
Anyway, following the San Dimas Stage Race, I have been staying with the rest of the team at the Rubio household in Redlands. There is more food here than I have ever seen at a host house, so I’m enjoying myself immensely.
The Redlands prologue tomorrow will be a good test and it’s a course I like a lot, so I’ll be looking to move up on last year’s 17th place, although with the large and strong field present, perhaps I should have an eye on improving in time and not standing. Regardless, this promises to be a good four days of racing, and I’m looking forward to it.
Reistad and I did a school visit today and got the local kiddies jazzed up for the event, although I may have dampened their enthusiasm somewhat when I tried to explain the intricacies of stage racing, as they were after all no older than ten. However, they were well behaved given the tantalizing lure of Jelly Beans promised on good behavior. Some even gave us hugs after the demo! Social control would be so easy if the government maintained the sweet tooth we all have as children…
“This is big brother speaking: do not be alarmed, today’s chocolate snack break will commence as sheduled contingent on quotas being met as prescribed by comptroller b…”
Well, time for me to get to bed so I can rest up enough to suffer in speedy fashion, likely for a bit longer than 10 minutes, but ideally not much more than that…not much more or at all if things go my way…
Eat more Jelly Beans…
Crane
Here’s Phantastic Phil being fantastically creepy at our tour of the Jelly Belly factory. Creepy facial hair=creey facial masks.
Two Weeks of…
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
My legs are starting to regain their form after California, but not as quickly as I would like! With such a hard tour coming so early in the year, I have been feathering the edge I gained from 8 days of heavy pressure to avoid finding myself cracked in a month’s time. To achieve this, my first week back at home involved nothing but easy spins, a few days off, and LOTS of food. However, simple tasks like navigating the grocery store without bumping into people have been slow in coming back to my stage race addled nervous system.
(Homemade pasta night and my sandwich making skills)
After a respectable snow storm hit Athens last week, my girlfriend (yes, the devoutly single Crane has been captured and bound, but happily so) and I fled to Florida for a few days of warm weather and spanish moss before driving to a local stage race for the weekend. A few days of easy km’s in the sun with arm warmers rolled down for a bit of tanning, some prime dirt roads, and good local cuisine all helped move things back on track nicely. However, on Thursday’s ride my body wouldn’t or couldn’t-or maybe I’m just soft-put out the energy necessary to make the pedals move. I told girlie to ride on without me (yes, I voluntarily dropped myself on an easy ride) so that I could noodle home with the pedals slack and the pace my own.
The next day I felt better on the bike, but decided all the same to call off racing for the weekend, especially as my motivation and desire to race were as deflated as my ego. However, later in the day I really felt like myself again, and was full of piss and vinegar to get the legs going again and race regardless of having an inexplicably crappy ride, as my legs had been good the day before. With a continuous finger on my pulse and an open ear to the inner workings, I was able to pick up safe cues to pin on a race number, as my energy levels felt high, the pulse was literally strong, and my head was ready to go. So onwards to Regions Bank race weekend in scenic and sprawling Albany, GA!
I must have made an accurate assesement, because I was able to win the prologue on my road bike by a good margin, thus setting me up with win #1 of the year, and giving me a good boost of morale. A few other factors hindering me in the race contributed to this feeling of well being, but I won’t list them for fear of gloating. Anyway, the rest of the weekend went well, and with super teammate Phil Gaimon helping to control the race, I was able to make nothing but offensive moves in attempts to win, while he took care of all the defense action. Thanks Phil! I didn’t win the G.C, but we did a good job holding our own after being relentlessly worked over by everyone else taking a stab at the pros. So some good training, and the legs are opened up again, although I’m still pretty tired, so a bit of caution this week is in order.
I’m back in Athens now, and enjoying the beginning of spring. Been reading lots of Calvin and Hobbes, buying a barbeque today, and then having a coffee ride. When I come up with things to report, you’ll hear about it here!
Be Well or Better-
Crane
Having My Day
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Hi Everyone,
While training/riding/commuting, do you ever picture yourself riding in a breakaway towards a potential stage win in a big race? Or at the very least, can you appreciate how surreal it was for me to be doing just that after years of kilometers with such dreams dancing through my head?
Well, yesterday was my day to get out front, represent my sponsors and myself, and in the closing kilometers attempt to hold off the charging peloton.
The move formed very quickly after I counterrattacked the day’s first break attempt, and from there I was joined by the other five riders who would become my comanions in toil for the next 200 kilometers. For a little over four hours we worked in a civil and professional manner, and with the strength and class of the move’s composition, we maintained a nice gap with a smooth double file line along straight windy roads that often didn’t change direction for 20-30 kilometers.
However, with 35km to go, it was time to test out the weaker links and try and compress the group to achieve a
more concerted effort. Peter Wiening laid down an attack on a small climb, and it was here that we lost Louder and Gunn, and but for a supremely deep dig, almost yours truly, as I was at the back when he jumped.
From here it was all guns blazing in an attempt to stave off capture. With a gap of 2 min 30 and 20km to go, we had a fighting chance. Time to down some caffeinated Sport Beans and get in the drops. Behind us Columbia was dialling up the chase to near nuclear output, and we soon saw our respectable margin plummet.
I now knew the time had come to go for broke and try and bring another strong rider with me in a final all out run for the line. Four guys pulling through at 48kph doesn’t have a chance no matter how you look at it, but two rolling at 55 might just make it happen. With this in mind I jumped 8km out, and got a small gap. No one on my wheel, but the other guys clawed their way back to me, not without a good amount of trash talk once they made the bridge.
However, rather than flick me into pulling, they all resumed pace setting, and not only did they allow me to get on the back, but skip a turn to boot. 7km now, less than 30 seconds to the peloton.
Approaching a small rise I take a few deep breaths and cut across the road giving it everything to jump clear. Looking back, I see arguably the day’s strongest guy, Cam Evans, riding up to me, with Chadwick and Wiening side by side looking dropped. When Cam got on my wheel I kept rolling then signalled his turn to pull. No go. Now some harsh words on my part, response from him being to the effect that he won’t work with me. 6km to go now and he’s thinking tactics when it’s time to sell out for potential glory.
I put him all the way to the right and roll hard, then swing off again. Guy has his mouth closed, but won’t work. Here I have no choice but to sit up, and allow Wiening to come back up to us with Chadwick.
I get lambasted, and then we rotate a bit before getting caught. I think I’m a fair competitor and treat guys with due respect, but I have to say that Evans threw away what COULD, maybe, you never know, have been a big day. Lesson here guys is cycling is a sport that requires a lot of thought, but sometimes you just have to GO. Why tear yourself to pieces all day just to hold back in the finale? Sorry buddy, you deserve to lose a few nights sleep on this one.
Anyway, I got the Most Courageous Rider jersey for my efforts, and but for almost falling onto one of the podium girls from exhaustion, really enjoyed my trip to the stage.
I was torn to pieces last night, but got a great massage and a good night’s sleep, so am ready to give it my best go today in the time trial.
Thanks for Reading,
Crane
Day 2, Some Good Climbing
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Alright, two days of wet cold racing out of the way, by the looks of it one more to go, and then maybe some sunshine, but no hopes or promises…
The conditions here at the AToC have indeed been soggy, but the racing has been anything but. Given the talent present in the field, that being the vast majority of cycling’s elite; I am glad to simply be in the mix and able to look for oportunities against the guys setting off the inferno of pain in my quads each day.
Those opportunities come for me largely in the form of breakaways, but my chances for getting in one were hampered today by a slew of mechanical troubles before the neutral section had even finished. Luckily, they started after we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, so I was able to at least enjoy that before my woes commenced. After a few bike changes to keep me rolling-however uncomfortably on a bike not setup for
me- I was able to get back on my newly repaired steed following some handy rooftop repairs at the hands of Niel the mechanic.
However, the break had rolled by the time I rejoined the pack at km 30, so I focused on eating a lot, staying out of trouble, and positioning myself properly for the day’s two climbs, a cat 2 at km 75 and a cat 3 right before a 20km descent to the line, making the day a virtual mountaintop finish.
There was the typical scrum for the front coming into the base of the final climb, and I threaded the needle nicely to get myself in the top 20, right behind non other than Mr. Armstrong himself.
Here things get hazy, as it was ballastic throwdown mode from pitch one. I dug deep and reached for progressively higher gears and willed myself as hard as possile to stay in the best contention possible. Teammate Will “The Goose” Routley and I more or less stuck together in our own worlds of suffering, and found ourselves as the final debris of the comet so to speak. We rolled in behind the almost entirely pro tour front selection about 5 minutes down for inconsequential placings in the 40’s, but worth being happy about nontheless.
So the legs are good, and so far as I can control it, so is the luck. Lots of racing left, and plenty of breakaways to look for. Read missingsaddle and find out more about how it goes!
Time for bed!
Crane
Stage One: The Bus
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Welcome to Stage One!
Prologue is out of the way, and even though my placing wasn’t as high as I was shooting for, I couldn’t have gone any faster or harder, so am more than content with the day’s effort. B-Rad Huff rocked in for 15th, a nice effort and a good sign of his form for this week.
I’m in the team RV right now about to consume a coffee, and after that it will he time to drop trow and get ready for what will surely be a wet, windy and wild day out on the roads between Davis and Santa Rosa. We have all hands in deck for some opportunistic racing, and of course we will be looking after fast guys Brad and Jonny in the finale.
In the meantime you ladies will be excited to hear about the sweaty half naked dude fest that is the team’s hideout before each race. On second thought, the goings on inside our RV shouldn’t be shared with any self respecting member of the public, so I’ll give you some photos and let your sordid imaginations do the rest to fill in the blanks as to what it is our pre-pubescent antics entail…
Photos today include: Our personalized bean trays, containing each riders’ favorite flavor/The mess from changing/Our lovely Katie who braves the scene to take care of us/And the convoy itsself
Pre Cali
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Hey There Race Fans,
One day out from Tour of California, and the final preperations are falling into place, mixed in with some sponsor obligations- which is an unfair term as anything involving candy hardly needs to be forced upon me.
Wednesday saw the team and staff divided into two camps and brought around the Jelly Belly factory for an intimate insider’s look at the specific magic that goes into the creation of each bean. It is a labor intensive process that requires no less than a week to create most flavors, and up to three for others. The results are well worth the effort though, which is why one of our complimentary 3 pound bags of beans will be staying in my posession for personal consumption. So far my favorite flavor is whatever winds up on the palm of my hand. Have I mentioned my British lineage? My blood screams for sugary confection at every opportunity; think of Oliver Twist, except, sir, I would like another…and another…and another…
Some bad news from the tour however. An overeager teammate placed a hand in a batch of beans to retrieve one, but without a glove on his hand, resulting in the entire batch, and a large expensive one at that, being disposed of. No, the culprit was not the greedy Pommy sweet fiend I just mentioned…
Oh well, at least I know I’m eating some clean beans. Check out the factory pics, and check back here for some Matt C (yeah thats third person, too hopped up on beans to care) specific race updates.
Check you later,
Crane
PICS: Factory Store/Jelly Belly mascot that I found creepy in the same way that makes me terrified of clowns/Autograph session/Random pic of Lucy Crane, because she’s the coolest
Race Day One…er…
Posted by mattcrane | Filed under Uncategorized
Well, the first race of the year is over, as in over before even starting. Sitting on the start line in 40 degree sleet, I still couldn’t help relishing an opportunity to test out the legs and get back to the world of clicking gears and whirring wheels that I love so much. However, the aforementioned weather conditions made for treacherous pavement, and I lost control of my front end when I tried to flick the bike over a crack in the road. Picking myself off the ground 200 meters from the start line, I could only gape in awe at the situation; what a way to start 2009. It’s hardly as if I haven’t flicked a gap before, what with time spent on the concrete slabs of Belgium, so I can only say that perhaps in my excitement I didn’t take into proper account quite how much finesse was needed for the manouever today. If anybody else crashed on my account, ill say that’s bike racing, but I hereby apologize all the same. To the guy who called me a “jackass” as he rode by, I offer no such pleasantries, and likewise, it’s bike racing.
Anyway, we have a crit tomorrow, likely with warmer, drier conditions, so I’ll get a proper race in then and finally get the pegs pinging. With such an inauspicious start to the year, I’ll need to work a turnaround to get my spirits and ego back on track, and I think a good old criterium throwdown will do just that. Or at the least I’ll get race day #1 over and done with. Nothing to do but try again!
Stay Upright,
Crane
Bloody Rain Cape/Snowy Team Car
