2008 Rock Racing and More

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admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:52:00 GMT

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Oscar Sevilla killed it Yesterday

admin — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:05:00 GMT

Oscar Sevilla Rocks Reading With Solo Victory

Rock Racing scored its biggest victory of the season Thursday when Oscar Sevilla soloed to victory in the Commerce Bank Reading Classic.

The Spaniard attacked a trio of breakaway companions in the final six miles of the 74-mile (119 km) race that finished with three ascents of the challenging switchback climb of Mount Penn. Sevilla crossed the finish line six seconds ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team High Road) while Bernhard Eisel (Team High Road) won the field sprint for third three seconds later.

In the decisive moments, Sevilla rode Bernardo Colex (Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara) and Moises Aldape (Team Type 1) off his wheel before dropping Team Type 1’s Valeriy Kobzarenko midway up the final climb.

“I am on good form after the Vuelta a Colombia, which was very mountainous,” Sevilla said. “The race was hard but my team was very good today. This is a fantastic moment for Rock Racing.”

The victory was Sevilla’s third of the year and the 18th overall by Rock Racing this season. Sevilla also scored wins at the San Dimas Stage Race (Stage 1) and the Vuelta a Colombia (Stage 9) in May.

On Sunday, Sevilla will lead Rock Racing’s assault on the Philadelphia International Championship. His teammate, American Fred Rodriguez, is a three-time winner of the race, which is the signature event of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling.

“Oscar’s win sets the stage for us perfectly for Sunday,” Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball said. “He animated the race in Allentown on Tuesday and won decisively today. But we have a lot of weapons in our arsenal – guys like Freddie, Tyler Hamilton, Victor Hugo Peña and Mike Creed are all on great form. Any one of them is a threat to win.”

In addition to a talent-laden roster, Rock Racing will also be a prominent part of the race in the Lifestyle Expo, as well as the sponsor of the famed Manayunk Wall, a challenging climb featuring a 17 percent grade.

Sunday’s 156-mile (251 km) race begins with three one-mile parade laps around Central Philadelphia’s Eakins Oval and Logan Circles, followed by 10 laps of a 14.4-mile (23.1 km) circuit that begins and ends on Benjamin Franklin Parkway near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Lehigh Valley Classic

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:35:00 GMT

Have you ever been hit in the head by a baseball bat? Or how about stumping your toe so bad that it starts to bleed?
Yeah hurts huh…I know, that’s how I felt today in the first race of the Triple Crown. Well not really but boy was it fast and hard.

The competition this year is more stacked than two fat girls hugging. From lap one of the 85 mile race, the pace was “sky high” and guess what…I hung in there. I had very good legs. Over all the climbs I had great position and power.

Every lap, more and more guys were coming off the back because of the high speeds and difficult terrain. Jermiah Wiscovitch looked very well including Freddie and all the other guys. Mike Creed and Doug Ollrenshaw both had bad luck with crashes and flats but overall the team looked very good.

With only 1 lap to go, I found myself still racing but as the speed got higher, I lacked the power to hold my position which I did the entire race. As I’m hurting I’m just thinking about only if I had done some races like this prior to this series I would have no problem.

So I came in with a small group behind the main group and felt content giving the circumstances of having horrific back problems.

During dinner, Victor Pene and Tyler Hamilton were talking to management about me and he said one thing that really pissed me off but also motivated me.
He said…”I don’t know who said Bahati was only a crit racer, sometimes on the climbs he was dropping me and he look really good”. “I thought after 60k he would be out in the bus, but every lap saws him in the front”.

Some of you may say, why did that piss you off…well because that means someone in or on the team has said the only thing I’m good for is a crits and that has prohibited me from making progress in my career this year.

Hands down, if I had California or Georgia in my legs I feel confident that I would have been in the sprint today. No matter how hard and long I train there is no way possible I would be more ready for these races. I HAVE TO RACE TO COMPETE.

So two days off and on to Redding, PA, which is a race that’s a little more difficult for me, do to the mountain they put in the middle.

2008 CSC report

admin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:32:00 GMT

So with all the anticipation of becoming the first pro man to win CSC invitational consecutively was just about to be underway.

The night before as I did two years ago with Tiaa-Cref, Tiny, I friend and mine and immense cycling fan invited the team over to his home for dinner and a good time. I few of us headed over the bridge into D.C and had a great time.

In the team meeting I said to everyone that the Slipstream boys wasn’t to excited about doing a crit and would race really aggressive to disrupt the field and have a small group get away. Well only 15 minutes in, a group of 13 rolled away. Four teams missed the break. Kelly’s, Jittery, CSC and Rock and a few other smaller teams.

After the group gained about 15 second I knew it was important to bring this break back. I can go on and on about how I tried to motivate my team to help the chase but untimely we never caught the break. With one last chance, I attacked the field going solo getting within seconds of the break but when I had nothing left I pulled of with no help from the 5 guys who came across to me.

The group of 13 lapped the field and at the end I finished 19th.

It could have very well been a very good day for me. The legs felt great but still had the back problems however I was so determined I blocked the pain of my back out. As you know you can’t win them all but I sure damn try.

….so yeah im staying and doing the triple crown….i start tomorrow with Lehigh Valley

2008 CSC

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:47:00 GMT

When I return from my ride today ill update you and give you the blow by blow on CSC.

see ya soon

Espn

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:56:00 GMT

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=3403545

Please educate yourselves....

Major Taylor Momument Dedication...please read

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:44:00 GMT

Major Taylor monument dedicated

Edwin Moses, Greg LeMond, hundreds attend event

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Robert Nasdor, Lynne Tolman and Edwin Moses lift off the parachute covering the statue at the official unveiling today. (T&G Staff/CHRISTINE PETERSON)

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Keynote speaker Greg LeMond holds up a t-shirt before signing it prior to the start of the program. (T&G Staff/CHRISTINE PETERSON)

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' Gen. Dallas C. Brown Jr. didn’t realize how much this city cared for his grandfather until he tried to book a hotel room here recently. Surprised that the hotel had no vacancies, Brown searched the internet to see where exactly it was located.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” Brown said.

The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 35 Major Taylor Boulevard.

“I felt guilty because I’d done nothing to enhance his legacy,” Brown said. “But this city has done do much.”

Worcester and the world turned out by the hundreds this afternoon at the Public Library for the unveiling of a granite and bronze monument honoring Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, a black man of faith and conviction who overcame racism and prejudice to become a world champion cyclist in 1899.

The large monument at 3 Salem Square includes a bronze likeness of Taylor standing in front of his single-speed bicycle at an Australian velodrome on the front, and the cyclist in competition with two other riders on the back.

“He’s standing in front of his bike because I wanted to honor Major Taylor the man, not just the cyclist,” said sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez, whose statue is the first to honor a cyclist in the United States and the first in the city dedicated to a minority.

“He walked a tightrope as a black man in a white man’s world,” said Lynne Tolman, a founding member of the Major Taylor Association and the person most responsible for the decade-long effort to honor the athlete known as the “Worcester Whilwind.”

When the ropes were untied and the white and blue parachute was pulled off the monument, an overflow crowd that stretched into the library’s parking lot applauded loudly. Invited guests included three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and three-time Olympic medalist Edwin Moses, as well as city and state officials and members of the cycling community from as far away as Oregon, Minnesota, Tennessee and Washington.

Moses, the honorary national chairman of the Major Taylor Association, said Taylor’s name deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as others who have broken racial barriers, such as Arthur Ashe, Tommy Smith, Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, Jack Johnson, Jessie Owens and Jackie Robinson.

“Today, Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor takes his place at the top of that list,” said Moses, who quoted Edmund Burke, who said “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Taylor found few good men in his native Indianapolis when he moved to Worcester in 1895 at the age of 17. Four years later, he won the mile championship in Montreal to become the second black world champion, following boxer George Dixon.

“Major Taylor was a man of all-time in the world of sports,” Moses said.
LeMond reminded those in attendance that cycling was the biggest sport in the world at the turn of the century.

“And it was a sport dominated by white men,” he said. “I know what it’s like to be a target in a race, but Major Taylor was a target of discrimination. … But he had courage and was able to endure in a sport that was very competitive.”

Others in attendance included Nelson “the Cheetah” Vails, a former New York City bike messenger who became an Olympic silver medalist, and John Howard, an Olympic cyclist and past winner of the Ironman Triathlon. They were joined by Bill Humphreys, a member of the famous cycling “Raleigh Boys,” who toured Europe in the 1970s, and Terry Longsjo, the wife of late Fitchburg cyclist and figure skater Arthur Longsjo, who competed in both the Winter and Summer Olympics in 1956.

Tolman said the “finish line looked so distant” when the Major Taylor Association first came up with the idea to honor Taylor with a statue 10 years ago. The group received a big boost courtesy of $205,000 in state funds, which supplemented hundreds of private donations.

Robert Nasdor, president of the Major Taylor Association, said he often had doubts yesterday’s unveiling would ever happen, but credited Tolman for never giving up.

“There were some very difficult times when I just thought we should put a plaque on George Street (one of the city’s steepest hills where Taylor used to train) and call it day,” Nasdor said. “But Lynne wouldn’t hear of it.”

“It’s been a long road — more of a test of endurance than speed,” Tolman said.

Sevilla’s Delivers Rock Racing Another Win

admin — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:01:00 GMT

Manizales, Colombia — Oscar Sevilla had the fastest finish among a shattered peloton that was reduced to 12 riders Tuesday to win the ninth stage of the Vuelta a Colombia and secure Rock Racing’s third victory of the 15-day, 14-stage race.

Due to landslides in the area, more than 30 miles had to be trimmed off the original race route, reducing the race to 86 miles (138.9 km).

Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said Sevilla was motivated to get in an early move. But Freidrick preached patience.

“I told Oscar they were not going to let him go since these guys know they can lose five-and-a-half minutes in a single stage," Friedrick said. "So he decided to play it safe and wait until the last climb.”

The Spainard becomes the third different rider from Rock Racing to win a stage in this year’s Vuelta a Colombia, joining Santiago Botero (prologue time trial) and Victor Hugo Peña (Stage 7).

The victory is Rock Racing’s 14th of the season and it came on the 37th birthday of Haldane Morris, Rock Racing’s assistant team director.

Friedrick also noted the aggressiveness of Rock Racing’s Tyler Hamilton, who was off the front in a breakaway nearly the entire stage – a feat that earned him the white “excellence” jersey.

“As I said before, Victor (Hugo Peña), Tyler and Sergio (Hernandez) are the ones to get in breakaways and go for stage wins,” Friedrick said. “So for Tyler it was an excellent day. He was the aggressor and the one who created the breakaway. He's been persistent enough and, who knows, he might get one.”

Sevilla continues his reign as the current wearer of the points jersey, signifying him as the race’s most consistent finisher. In addition to a number of top 10 finishes, he placed third in the prologue behind Botero and Peña and was a close second on Stage 2 to Jhon Freddy García (UNE). His result Tuesday also climbed him two places to 11th overall, 5:44 behind red jersey wearer Giovanny Baez (UNE).

Wednesday’s stage is 77.6 miles (125 km) and features one climb between the start city of Manizales and the downhill run into Mariquita. Only two more climbing stages and a flat road stage remain before the tour concludes with a flat circuit race Sunday.

— RRC —

Photos Courtesy: Hector L. Urrego, www.revistamundociclsitico.com:

RRC_Celebrate.jpg:

Rocking the podium are (from left): Rock Racing Assistant Team Director Haldane Morris, Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla and Team Director Mariano Friedrick.

RRC_SevillaWins.jpg:

Oscar Sevilla delivers Rock Racing's third stage win at the Vuelta a Colombia Tuesday on Stage 9.

Major Taylor monument: A legend comes to life

admin — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:26:00 GMT

"Simeon Commissiong was my roomate in college and is a great person on and off the bike"Rahsaan Bahati

Indy man says it was an honor to serve as model for sculpture of biking great

As a bicycle racer, Simeon Commissiong was inspired by the story of Marshall "Major" Taylor, a black cyclist from Indianapolis who overcame tremendous discrimination to become a world bicycle racing champion in 1899.

And, for a brief period, Commissiong became Taylor when he served as the model for a sculpture that will be unveiled Wednesday in Taylor's adopted hometown of Worcester, Mass.

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"It's a huge honor. I still haven't taken it in yet," said Commissiong, 24, a native of Trinidad who lives in Indianapolis. "He's such a great inspiration, a role model for people."

Taylor remains one of Indianapolis' most significant figures in social and sports history. More than a century ago, when track bicycle racing was a popular spectator sport, Taylor was its biggest star.

Like Taylor, Commissiong is a cycling champion. He has won races at Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis and in Trinidad. He also competed in Indiana University's Little 500 as a member of Team Major Taylor, a squad named in honor of the cyclist.

In a twist of fate, a sculptor's quest to create a realistic monument of Taylor led him to Indiana, where Taylor got his start as a racer in the 1890s.

Toby Mendez, the sculptor hired by the Massachusetts-based Major Taylor Association, was researching Taylor on the Internet more than a year ago when he came across information about Team Major Taylor.

Mendez contacted the team's founder, Courtney Bishop, to say he was looking for a rider with a physique similar to Taylor's, Commissiong said.

Mendez soon found his model.

Commissiong is a sprint specialist with a muscular but sleek build. He's 5-9, 165 pounds, about the same size and build as Taylor.

"It was kind of like it was meant to be. . . . He was very familiar with who he was posing for and how important it was," Mendez said.

In May 2007, the sculptor drove from his studio in Maryland to Indianapolis and spent 21/2 hours taking photographs of Commissiong. Using calipers and a ruler, he took about 100 body measurements.

Mendez, whose previous works include sculptures of Gandhi and former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, said he carefully studies photographs of his subjects but also needs a human model to create realistic three-dimensional art.

One side of the monument is a statue of Taylor standing aside his bicycle, behind him a relief showing a velodrome, or racing track. On the other side is a relief based on a 1903 photo taken in Paris that shows Taylor racing. Information about his life is also included.

Taylor was a devout Baptist who didn't drink and refused to race on Sundays. He was known for his quiet determination in the face of racism.

"He didn't retaliate," Commissiong said. "He just tried to be smarter than everybody else."

Commissiong, whose father was a racer in Trinidad, said he had heard of Taylor, but only after coming to IU did he learn details of Taylor's inspiring life and tragic end.

One of eight children, Taylor was born Nov. 26, 1878, on the outskirts of Indianapolis. For much of his youth, he lived with a wealthy white Indianapolis family that employed his father as a coachman, according to the book "Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer" by Andrew Ritchie.

Around 1892, he worked performing cycling tricks outside an Indianapolis bike shop. His costume was a solder's uniform which led to his nickname, "Major."

He soon began racing and would leave his hometown in search of top competition on the East Coast and overseas.

In the 1890s and early 1900s, Taylor was an international star at a time when bicycle racing rivaled (and by some accounts topped) baseball in popularity in the United States. Tens of thousands of fans regularly packed venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York to watch the races.

Taylor held multiple world records and won numerous races, including the one-mile world championship in 1899.

"He took on the best, and he beat them at their specialty," said Peter Nye, a cycling author and Ball State University graduate.

Taylor drew huge appearance fees, such as $10,000 for racing in Paris at a time when the average American made about $500 a year, Nye said.

He also endured abuse.

In one race, a white rider was so enraged at losing to Taylor that he jumped from his bike and choked Taylor until police broke up the attack, according to "Hearts of Lions," a history of U.S. cycling by Nye. The judges then ruled that the riders should re-ride the race, which the injured Taylor was unable to do.

Taylor was also banned from Indianapolis' Capital City track after unofficially breaking two world track records in 1896. "Taylor offended white sensibilities," Ritchie wrote.

Taylor, though, also found help, from the white riders who helped pace him in Indianapolis and from his mentor, Louis "Birdie" Munger, a white man who moved with Taylor from Indianapolis to Worcester.

But the stress from years of racism helped lead to a personal breakdown about 1904 that marked the end of his cycling stardom, Nye said. "He just refused to ride anymore."

Despite a comeback, Taylor's life fell apart. He was estranged from his wife, lost his wealth and suffered from poor health.

Taylor died in the charity ward of Cook County Hospital in Chicago in 1932 at the age of 53 and was buried in an unmarked grave. A group of former bike racers later had him reburied at a marked site at Mount Glenwood Cemetery in Illinois.

"He held to the principles of tolerance that religion at its best encourages," Nye said.

Commissiong feels the same way about the man who shared his build: "He didn't fluctuate from his beliefs."

Peña Delivers Rock Racing Another Victor

admin — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:09:00 GMT

La Union, Colombia — Victor Hugo Peña scored Rock Racing’s second victory at the Vuelta a Colombia by attacking out of a 12-man breakaway three miles from the finish of a cold and rain-soaked Stage 7 on Saturday.

Peña, a former yellow jersey wearer at the Tour de France, freewheeled across the line 18 seconds ahead of Edwin Orozco (Orgullo Paisa) to win the 101.6-mile (163.6 km) race. Wilson Marentes (Colombia es Pasión-Coldeportes-Alpina) was third, 32 seconds behind.

Peña’s win comes 10 years after he last won a stage in his national tour.

“I’m very happy for this win because it has been several years and I haven’t had a win,” Pena told Luis Barbosa of Ciclismohoy.com. “I was amazed that I could take such a hard stage of the race in such difficult conditions. I dedicate this victory to my wife, Erika, and my sons, Mateo, Sofia and Paolo.”

The victory is the 13th by Rock Racing this season and Peña’s first win in four years in his 12th season as a professional.

Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said the pre-race strategy was to get either Peña or teammate Tyler Hamilton in a breakaway. Peña bridged a 45-second gap to join the decisive group.

“With such powerful climbers in the break, we came up with the idea of attacking in the flats to get them into oxygen debt before the last climb,” Friedrick said. “We also agreed that Victor needed to keep his own rhythm rather than following attacks because it was going to kill his legs.”

Peña survived a flurry of action at the base of the final climb, then threw down his own attack to shed everyone but Orozco and Marentes.

“He kept a time trial effort up the climb and then hit it again and dropped the rest. It was fantastic,” Friedrick said.

Sunday’s stage is a 19.2-mile (31 km) uphill time trial from Cri Medellin to Santa Elena. Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla lies 13th overall, 3:57 off the overall lead of Wilson Cepeda (UNE).

— RRC —

Photo Courtesy: revistamundociclistico.com

RRC_PenaWins.jpg:

Rock Racing's Victor Hugo Peña celebrates his solo victory on the seventh stage of the Vuelta a Colombia.

Rock Racing’s Sevilla Dons Green Jersey

admin — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:19:00 GMT

Rock Racing’s Sevilla Dons Green Jersey

La Dorada, Colombia — Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla was awarded for his consistency Thursday at the Vuelta a Colombia.

The Spaniard pulled on the green jersey of points classification leader after finishing third in the 83.8-mile (135 km) race from San Francisco to La Dorada. The podium finish – his fourth Top 10 finish of the event – put him three points ahead of John Fredy Garcia (UNE).

Sevilla’s hopes for overall victory suffered a slight setback on Stage 4 Wednesday when he finished in the pack, five-and-a-half minutes behind two breakaway groups that escaped during the 119.3-mile (192 km) race from Tunja to La Vega.

“My strategy is to take this race one day at a time,” Sevilla said. “This race is like a lottery – anyone can still win it. Unfortunately, we are competing against some really strong teams who are surely going to make it hard for us.”

Sevilla said Colombian teammate Victor Hugo Peña has been a faithful lieutenant, along with Tyler Hamilton and Sergio Hernandez, the only other Rock Racing riders remaining in the race.

Friday’s Stage 6 is a short 71.4-mile (115 km) race that features a mountain-top finish at Santuario. The stage is expected to go a long ways toward deciding the final contenders for the overall crown of the 14-stage, 15-day race.

Rock Racing’s Sevilla Second While Botero Bows Out

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:05:00 GMT

El Socorro, Colombia — While Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla narrowly missed out on a victory on Stage 2 Monday at the Vuelta a Colombia, his teammate, Santiago Botero, retired from the race, citing fatigue and a desire to do well at the Olympics.

Botero had claimed victory in Saturday’s prologue time trial, leading Rock Racing to a 1-2-3-4 sweep. But the race’s defending champion is looking ahead to an even bigger goal – success in the Olympic Games in Beijing later this year.

“Santiago has been training super hard since November of last year to win the Tour of California – a race he unfortunately was not even allowed to start,” Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick said. “Fortunately, he had enough fuel in his tank to win Redlands and do a very good job at the Tour de Georgia. Ultimately, he knew he didn't have the form to win this Vuelta and mentally he needs a rest.”

While Botero withdrew at the 37-mile mark (60 km), Monday’s stage was well-suited to an on-form Sevilla, who finished third in the prologue. With temperatures soaring over the century mark and high humidity, the peloton was reduced to fewer than 40 riders by the time the final 25-mile (40 km) climb began. Rock Racing was well-represented with both Sevilla and Victor Hugo Peña – who finished second in the prologue.

“Oscar looked relaxed and composed at all times, and under no circumstances was he in trouble,” Friedrick said.

Sevilla bided his time on the final ascent, covering several attacks in the closing kilometers before making a go of it on his won with 300 meters left, only to be passed by Jhon Freddy García (UNE) just before the finish line.

The result did not significantly change the overall standings, though, and Sevilla remains in sixth place, 42 seconds behind overall leader Carlos Ospina (GW-Shimano-EPM).

Tuesday’s Stage 3 departs from Piedecuesta and finishes 103 miles later (136.4 km) after passing over three categorized climbs, including a Category 1 ascent.

Sevilla Climbs.jpg:

The major mountains on Monday's 84.7-mile (136.4 km) stage didn't seem to bother Rock Racing's Oscar Sevilla.

Botero_Climbs.jpg:

Santiago Botero won Saturday's prologue in spectacular fashion, but the Rock Racing rider wasn't faring as well on the long climbs.

Botero_Withdraws.jpg:

Rock Racing's Santiago Botero withdrew from the race, citing fatigue and a desire to rest for the Olympics.

Sevilla Second.jpg:

Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) is edged at the finish line of Stage 2 by Jhon Freddy García (UNE)

Decision Time 08

admin — Sat, 10 May 2008 08:35:00 GMT

Decision time 08

So… its time for me to make a mature decision about the condition of my leg and how I will approach the second half of the season.
I have been reaching out to curtain specialist MD’s from hip doctors to back doctors and I even had a conversation with Floyd Landis about his doctors and past experienced with having hip problems.

With a swing of big races coming up and my condition getting worse, I feel that getting the surgery would be the wisest thing to do. At this point racing on the flats is no issue because I can stay seated for the most part and use the peloton to my advantage and make no effort until the end of the race, as I did at Athens.

Even though I won Athens, medically I should have been dropped in the first 20 minutes. The little hill on the backside of the Athens course gave me tons of problems however I didn’t show it. I just sucked it up because I was riding for the moment.

I figured I could spill the beans right now sense I was informed already that I’m not on the list for Philly week, I would go ahead and get the surgery in the next few weeks and pray I would be back for US Crit Nationals in Chicago.

Ill keep you all posted.

Bahati to visit Naperville

admin — Sat, 03 May 2008 21:16:00 GMT

Bahati to visit Naperville

May 2
2008

Filed in: Non-racing

Comments (13)

Last week I was contacted by Marc O’Shea (Turin), an English teacher at Naperville Central High School. One of his classes has been immersing itself in legendary American cyclist Major Taylor. In addition to reading everything they get their hands on about him, they’ve learned about cycling and have even monitored their own cycling performance to get a feel for the racing experience. “The students are reading everything on Taylor and analyzing his motivation, perseverance and so on,” O’Shea says. “They’re studying his bike racing tactics and movement in and out of Chicago during his life.”

It gets cooler: The unit inspired the students to design and produce wristbands that they will sell to raise funds for World Bicycle Relief. “They’re pumped,” O’Shea says. “They have become so appreciative of bike racing. The power of the bike in life on man and the lives of many in need has marveled them as they’ve read.”

Here’s where it gets really cool: When O’Shea learned that Taylor was a major influence on Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing), he invited Bahati to come speak to the class -- and he accepted. Next week the sprinter and former national champion will spend two days with O’Shea’s students, meeting with them in small groups to discuss Taylor, bike racing and minorities in sports.

Bahati, fresh off a win at the prestigious Athens Twilight Criterium, is bringing their studies to life, O’Shea says. “He is the bridge between the past and the present.”

Paying the bills to get Bahati here? None other than Rock Racing owner Michael Ball.

Say what you will about Ball and Rock Racing, I think we all can agree this is a pretty awesome gesture. I’m so impressed by the project that I’ve offered to publish an edited interview conducted by the students. They’re preparing their questions at this moment. Look for the results in the next week or two.

Midnight Madness in Athens

admin — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:04:00 GMT

Everyone knows the about the world famous Athens twilight Crit held on the streets of the University of Georgia. It was really stressful getting to this race from a logistic point of view and from knowing that I have a serious injury and that could prevent me from performing at my best. However I still had faith that Justin Williams, who’s coming off two victories in Trinidad and Tobago just last week and Peter Dawson who is coming into great form would have a good ride. As usual the race started out super fast and cash primes came flying at us every other lap. My main goal was to (if I had good legs) let the race come to me and not force anything. 10-15 laps in Peter Dawson aka P-diddy went free and was joined by two other riders who gained about 42 seconds, I believe and were in sight of lapping the field near the half way point. I stayed cool the whole race…just followed wheels and didn’t make any unnecessary efforts what so all. As three teams started to chase the three leaders, the time gaps started to come down and when I saw the 35 second lead come down to 15 seconds with about 25 laps to go of the 80 lap race, I knew that it would become a fight to the end for the sprinters. As the closing laps count down and the cheering crowed of about 40, 000 yelled at the top of there lungs….for me that helped me fight each and every lap. I could try and explain to you how crazy the final laps where fighting for position, but until you do it yourself you have no idea. Going into 2 laps to go, Jeff Hopkins went wide left with the flow of he leadout and I needed to make up a few spots so I went hard right just before the right hand turn. He looked and seen me coming, I cleared him, however in the turn I feel like I just got hit by a football player. Jeff hit me so hard we both nearly crashed. After that move I lost a lot of respect for him. Its one thing to fight for a wheel, it’s to try and crash someone. If you remember last year in my blog from Elks Grove I got into a battle for wheels with him in the final laps and his whole team tried to crash me and was unsuccessful. Anyways, he’s yelling at me and I yell back and continued to race. Going over the line on the bell lap I was 8-9 guys back right behind Jeff Hopkins. Turning the second corner going over the hill, Kelly’s rider Alex Candelerio attacked over the top of the Colivita train and I slipped right on in and that got me out of the last corner 5th. Going into the last corner I had to decide rather to use my 12 or my 11 for the sprint because I didn’t want a miss shift on the rough roads so I decided to use my 11 and when I came out the last corner I immediately started to sprint. After 3-4 pedal strokes I knew I was going to win because I passed everyone else like they were standing still and I claimed win number 5 of the year and my first major win of the season. p.s. if you read the cycling news article about all the excuses everyone had about why they didn’t win was all B.S and just like CSC 2nd place had more than one excuse why he got second. Ill tell you what. Crit racing has a lot to do with luck and making the right split second decision. Pro Men 1 Rahsaan Bahati, Rock Racing 2 Sebastian Haedo, Colavita/Sutter Home 3 Kenneth Hanson, California Giant Berry 4 Keven Lacombe, Kelly Benefit Strategie 5 Jeff Hopkins, Inferno Racing 6 Kyle Wamsley, Colavita/Sutter Home