I remember visiting the old Holocaust museum in El Paso as a child, and entering those doors hearing Itzhak Perlman playing the violin. Schindler’s List had come out not too long before that, perhaps the year before. Looking around to the displays on the wall, the photos, it was all very powerful and brought it to life for me. The train exhibit was what I remember the most, and the garden outside. Still, it was very hard to fathom so many people suffering, and dying because of the power of one man over a people. Even today when we learn of the War in Iraq the numbers pale in comparison of soldiers killed, even civilian casualties are not anywhere what they were during WWII. Still questions linger in my mind that I cannot comprehend. Sure it was different times, people were not as aware as we are today, the average person did not have access to information like we do now yet the stories were there, the photos were there, and still people turned the other cheek. Perhaps in their own suffering they forgot about the suffering of others. The goal of the museum is to inform people so they never forget what happened, and to teach tolerance and to fight against racism so that this never happens again. Yet we are guilty of the same thing, after 9/11 the United States sent hundreds, perhaps thousands of Muslims to what we know now were torture camps because of fear of the terrorists! Had we not learned a thing from WWII? It worries me, but at least we have places such as this museum to remind us what can happen if we again choose to turn the other cheek.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLK5OWU2YGw
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Gone too soon...
My worst fear has been realized. I could never imagine him growing old but at the same time I could never imagine the world without him. I prayed that the Lord would take me before him so that I would never have to face this day. This man who has impacted my life in a way that only few can understand, a man who I never met yet loved with all of my heart and soul, is gone. A man that taught us what true love really is, what innocence means, compassion and magic. Even now, 3 weeks to the day, these words don't register like they should...remembered, memory, legacy, these words just do NOT fit in the same sentence as his name. I wake up now with a little more realization, not normality because the world will NEVER be normal again. Perhaps it is finally beginning to hit me that he's gone. That magic is gone forever.
Everyday is a struggle, went on a ride today, was feeling good and then was hit by waves of sadness which I tried to surpress with sprints of anger. Each day I run into people wanting to know details of my experiences, 'what was it like', 'how did you get there?' and I feel guarded. You criticized me, laughed, and now you find it fascinating? I see through it so, thanks but no thank you. We were a family, and only my family understands just how much my heart is bleeding now. Perhaps its our turn now, for his was bleeding for so long.
I wake up now, and have that feeling now that perhaps I can move on. Sean calls, after speaking and catching up with each other's lives...silence. "I know, its so weird that he's not here anymore. Hard to accept." The hardest thing in my life so far. Perhaps because he wasn't just family to us, he was the essence of my childhood, my inspiration for so many different things in my life. I want to be selfish and rewind the clock to bring him back. He was making his comeback, so excited about the future, London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Sydney, so many possibilities, the sky was the limit once again. God needed him more I guess. So many stories are coming out, none of which I care to hear. "He was a 'hit' Rebecca, I feel it in my gut, someone wanted him dead." It doesn't matter, it won't bring him back I say. "It was since the trial, they weren't going to stop until it was complete." A life cut so short, I want to remember him for showing me the person I could become. For motivating me to fight, to keep the faith, to know that I wasn't alone.
Trying to move on, everyday is a struggle. I'm sure its better on the other side, but now we're left alone we roam around now like lost children. Our magic has gone. God help us, God be with us, lead us to where we go from here. He was Your 'instrument of nature', blessed with so many gifts, to bring the world together. The fans and Michael, we were family. Lord help us understand, why you had to take our angel from us.
There is not a time in my memory when I did not know who this man was. My first memories are filled with watching him on the screen, moonwalking across that stage at the Shrine so many years ago. When the world discovered he wasn't some over grown child star, but rather a diamond in the rough that was about to shoot out of this atmosphere. A talent that no one had ever seen and would never see again. I am so thankful, and proud that I was alive to see him shine so bright.
I have always been a fan, but it wasn't until the early 90s that I became involved within this wide community that I now call my family. The internet was just coming into play as the possibilities seemed endless as to what we could do, who we could meet, what could be organized. Meeting Cas and so many others, then Donna and organizing the Fanatics, going to the countless MJ Days. Our fan club were the first fan club to ever be personally invited to the ranch by him. "yes! You MUST come, I want you to see EVERYTHING!" he told us. We were treated to a full day at the ranch, and for the first time ever, a full tour of the main residence. I will NEVER forget that first trip as it was the most magical and special day in all my life. After that first trip in 2000, he invited us back each year, sometimes more than once a year, until the trial in 2003. I still remember sitting on the side of the pond after the arraignment in Jan 2004. There were media helicoptors hovering over head and you could just feel the negative energy, all that wonderful magic and sense that you were truly in another place, was sadly gone. It made me soo sad for him. Although I wished it had never been, I completely understand why he never wanted to return to Neverland and ultimately left it for good. It made my heart hurt so much for him because that place, it was who he was, it was the essence of him. Our bond grew so strong through those years, the fans and Michael - with every new lie that surfaced that threatened to bring him down, we fought even harder and each time we came out triumphant. We suffered right along next to him, even if he was the man who had to be the target, we all tried our best to protect him from the brunt of all the evil and anger that tried to break him. We loved him like no other.
And now he is among the Heavens, as we are left here to find our way. I'm so sorry Michael, I'm so sorry for what the world did to you. I chose not to go to London when I heard, I was trying to be responsible for once in my life, trying to finally finish school. "I'll see him when he comes to the States, he MUST come to LA or NY, he simply has to!" Who knew our time was running out? I could have gone to see you in February, I was there for a bike race. Spending an evening at the Hitching Post journalists ask me, "Are you from here? You seem to know your way around this town pretty well." No, I used to visit often, I tell them...I stop by the Ranch one last time on the way out. "THIS IS NOT NEVERLAND ANYMORE, keep moving!" the guard yells. "Yes," I say..."you don't have to tell me, a Neverland guard would NEVER talk to me like that, besides I can see all the video cameras and the 'mailbox' that is gone now." I leave for what I think is the last time I'll ever stop by this gate. I drive back to LA, and don't even think to stop by Beverly Hills to see by some wild chance you're home. I feel like I abandoned you, but I know I never did in my heart, I simply was distracted but I miss you so much, and will always love you so much more than you'll ever know. You are among the Heavens now yes, and we cannot touch you or see you physically anymore that's true but we will NEVER let your magic die, you will reign forever in our hearts, and souls. We will do our best to spread your magic and love to the all the lost children, and among ourselves. Thank you, Michael, thank you sooo much for giving so much of yourself, even if the world took soo much from you. I pray you are at peace now. I love you forever more!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Gravel Road
Stuck in a hole, in slow motion, emotions running rampid. I did it again didn’t I? I swore I never would, I struggled so much the last time. We needed each other, that’s what I try to tell myself. I’m tired of doing this alone, I’m tired of feeling like this! What is this, is it a curse? No, that’s too dramatic. Then what? I don’t need medication, I can get through this but I’m still alone. I want to be alone, sometimes. It hurts, I want to leave but I can’t, need to finish what I started. 10 years have gone by and what do I have to show for it? Good stories, travels, interesting people, but I’m still at home. I miss Michael, I miss Mikey, I miss it all so much. Needing to move on, I hope he leaves, I hope he goes away for good. It will do me some good I think. This secret that we keep, is eating away at me. We go to a party…he sits as far away as he can. His chuckle, that resonates in my head. I can’t hear what people are saying to me, all I hear is his chuckle. Is he afraid that it will show? Is he afraid of me? Is it not obvious already? It’s not worth it, none of it is. I am worth more than all of it. I’m tired, can’t get enough sleep, I’m hating all of it. It’s eating away at me little by little. 3 hours, 6 hours, 9 hours, never enough, perhaps 12? I need to get away…
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tour of Gila
What a whirlwind! I knew from the beginning that somehow I would make it to the Gila. I was tight on funds but I'm always tight so that's nothing new for me. My only issue was trying to find a reason to convince myself that I HAD to go to this race no matter what. About a week before the race began, I got an email and later a few phone calls asking me to cover the race since Betsy, who normally does, was being reassigned to a race in Arizona. It's all you baby! Okay so I had a little experience of a professional race in California. Volunteering in various cities I got a good idea how the caravan works, the rolls of course marshals, when is the best time to get some face time with the riders, etc. This time however I was going to have an actual assignment, I would be depended on. Immediately I started freaking out. Sure, I'm approaching 30 very quickly and should have the confidence by now to go full speed ahead and get what I want kind of thing but unfortunately it’s not that easy for me. However, this was going to be a chance of a lifetime. I simply had to go for it.
This was not the only thing I had to wrap my head around. About a month ago, a friend of mine and I started a local Livestrong Army chapter here in El Paso. The goal being to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation through organized running/cycling events. Rumors were flying around that Lance may race, even though the UCI was trying everything in its power to stop him (something I will never understand). Either way, our Army was brand new, we hadn't had any materials printed for a booth and were still waiting on a lot of items to be mailed from the foundation. Pending all of this we had decided to skip the Gila, which gave me time for my assignment. However, with just two days before the start of the race someone had contacted the foundation asking if there was going to be a presence there and could he help in any way.
I got an email Wednesday morning, the day the race actually started. "Hi Rebecca, do you think you could set something up for us? Justin from New Mexico is willing to help out." Um...sure, why not since I don't anything else to do! It's funny how when something is meant to happen, how easily things fall into place. After a long afternoon of being on the phone for hours on end, everything was set into place. We had a location for our booth, a tent and table provided for us on site, while I spent most of the night before heading to Silver City printing name tags, business cards, and putting together binders filled with information about the LAF for those who would be running the booth while I was out reporting. Needless to say I didn't get ANY sleep that night, and what's worse, Silver City morning news had called and asked me for an interview at 7:15 a.m.! Sure, this would be great to help get the word out but I would be on television after driving from El Paso with little to no sleep. Nice!
I had arranged a carpool, driving Melisa, Evelyn and Ricardo up to the race with me that first day. "We're leaving NO LATER than 4 am folks!" 3:45 a.m. Ricardo calls, "I haven't slept any, have you?” Nope. “Someone else needs to drive." No matter how much I prepare for a trip I am NEVER on time when its time to leave. Everyone arrived on time at my house yet we didn't end up leaving until nearly 5 am because of me. Great, this means we would have to haul ass to make it in time for my interview. I drove to Deming until it was absolutely necessary that I get some shut eye, "can you girls wake me up in 20 minutes?" All the while Ricardo had been sleeping soundly in the back...must be nice! I woke up after what seemed like 2 hours when in reality it had been about 25 minutes, "What time is it?" 7 a.m., we were still outside of Silver City and I had to be on the air in 15 minutes. CRAP! At this point I was so tired I didn't really care if I made the interview. No, no, we needed this. I had no make-up on, I had done my hair but I looked like death rolled over. I phoned the reporter, "Rebecca? Yes, we're on the air, get here as soon as you can!" "How far away are we?" "Probably 10 minutes?" Hmm, just enough time for me to get ready. Five minutes later we rolled up to the station...crap! I felt so disorganized, after throwing some make-up on and contacts, I grabbed my binder with all the speaking points I had wanted to make and ran upstairs. Wish me luck guys!
"Are you Rebecca? Great, have you been on television before?" "Yes, yes, I understand the deal." "Ok great, there is a black 'X', when she calls you up sit at the black 'X' and look at the camera on your right." Gotcha. Damn it, it was 7:20, we were supposed to meet Beverly and Rachel from the Gila Regional Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. at the finish line to set up the booth! Great...I had forgotten to tell the guys and now they had to wait for me to finish the interview, I had left my phone in the car so I couldn't call Beverly to let her know. The morning show was very small and quaint. Filming with what looked like a home video camera, with the weather report on a print out from the Internet, I sat waiting on a couch...yes folks welcome to Silver City. Either way I was thankful to have been invited. They introduced me as I quickly took my spot to begin. "We're here to support and raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was founded by Lance in 1999.."SHIT I mean, crap..."1997, excuse me, after he was diagnosed with cancer. We're also here to support his return to the professional peloton, come stop by our booth and say hi or volunteer if you'd like!" Quick, and to the point. Besides that little mess up, I think I did ok. "Thank you Rebecca, now for our weather.." I quickly said my thanks, grabbed my notebook and ran downstairs...time? 7:43 a.m. Late yet again!
"How did it go?" As I opened the van..."um, great, very small production but hopefully some people saw it." "You're phone has been ringing off the hook, we didn't know if we should answer it." Lovely. On to Tyrone...as I'm on the phone w/ Rachel, "Yes, I'm sorry we're on our way." We arrived and right away saw team Mellow Johnny's trailer, Trek/Livestrong were setting up along with Colavita. "Yea yea, just park here, we'll be fine." Once we parked I didn't know where to go, what to do first. Ricardo right away was seeing a lot of people he knew so he disappeared very quickly. Nice, thanks buddy! I noticed Liz Kreutz off in the distance. I had brought some Starbucks for her after reading some tweets about looking for coffee the day before. I signed it, "From El Paso Livestrong Army, enjoy!" We still hadn't known for sure if Lance knew we were going to be there. Perhaps Liz wouldn’t mind passing the message along? I hurriedly walked over to the trailer..."Good Morning Liz, I brought this for you. I'm on your twitter site." "Oh wow! Cool, thank you so much! Wait, we've got to take a picture together so I can post this on Twitter." Cool :) "What should I say? How do you spell your name? Okay, 'Rebecca from EP Livestrong brought me coffee, friends for life!' that work?" Sure! "Thanks!" Hehe friends for life. :) Okay, now to go set up the booth.
Still, no Ricardo. Ugh, can't worry about that now. Ricard from the New Mexico tourism board came by. "Hi Rebecca, is this location ok? Let me know if you need anything else." We had been set up right next to the official’s trailer where all the times would be posted. Hopefully this would generate more people for our booth since there were not many booths set up that day. Most organizations were waiting for the following day to set up, during the Criterium that would be held in downtown Silver City. No biggie, there would be plenty of people out. Once we got things set up I got my binder together, made sure my voice recorder was working, along with my video and 35 mm camera. Yes, I only have two hands but I had to make sure I got as much material as possible. "Hey, need any help?" Ricardo asked. Oh wow, nice of you to show! Actually, I was happy to have him with me. He was the reason why I had gotten into the sport in the first place. He owned his own bike shop and was a mechanic so I was hopeful he would go around with me doing interviews and give me pointers. However, one I was out there I began to freeze. We ran into Ivan, and Porras, some other good friends. "Hey Becca! Are you ready? Who are you interviewing first? Axel is over there, but you should also talk to Lucas Haedo." They were all listing stats, giving me ideas of what I should ask...all of the while all I could think of was numbers and names and who was who. Great, how am I going to get through this?!? "You need to just jump in there! Don't get so star struck!" All of a sudden I was wishing I was alone like in California, without this added pressure from my friends. I appreciated their help but it was really overwhelming me. "Thanks guys, I'll be back."
I was so nervous and frozen I didn't know where to begin. "Just take a deep breathe, you can do this." The Livestrong/Trek team had arrived and were relaxing, getting everything ready. I must have stood by their cars for a good 15 minutes, staring down at my notebook trying to decide who was who, and what I should ask, who I should try and approach first. Then all of a sudden Ricardo shows up again, "Axel, do you have a minute?" "Yea sure, let me put this away first." Ricardo turns to me, "There, he's all yours...go do it!" What?! Damn it, I haven't even thought of what to ask...as Ricardo stands back to watch. Great, "hi Axel, thank you for talking with me. I'm from US Cycling Report." "How is your team doing in the race so far? How is the UCI rule affecting your team?" Ugh, that rule only applies to the Pro-Tour teams...nice one Rebecca! "Well, it hasn't affected our team at all because it doesn't apply to us." Nice...first interview and I've already made a big fool of myself. Wonderful, I don't really remember what he said after that. I was trying to pay attention but I was mortified. Here he was, the son of Eddy Merckx, the best cyclist in history (IMO) and I was asking these stupid questions. Great. "Okay, well good luck today. Thanks again." "Sure thing!...Taylor...let's pin that number on"
Moving on, I had to take a break. I told myself, you know the best thing to do is just pretend you're back in California. You're just here like anyone else enjoying yourself, appreciating that these guys traveled so close to your home town to race. Appreciate this opportunity and you'll do just fine! Back to the booth..."How is it going?" Evelyn asked me. Umm...good I guess. I head back out and ran into Liz again...I showed her a photo I took of Chris Horner coming in to the finish. It had been a lucky shot, in focus as he had been passing me going roughly 30 mph. "Not bad! These shots take a lot of practice." Thanks Liz :) Heading back out I figured to just walk around and take pictures to help me relax. I got some great photos of Lucas Haedo warming up but decided it wasn't the right time to ask him questions.
I arrived at the Trek/Livestrong U23 cars, set up right next to Team Mellow Johnny. Right away one notices the relaxed vibe among the group or perhaps they’re just used to this sort of thing. Many of these riders are the next big stars, their faces resembling young boys rather than professional cyclists. This is a team that is owned by Lance Armstrong to develop young American talent. I wonder what it must feel like to have to race against ones’ boss. Do you let him win or help him if the opportunity arises, or is he simply another competitor? Funny these questions come to me now, when while I was sitting in front of these guys for a good 20 minutes nothing was coming to my mind. Either way, they looked relaxed, poised for the individual time trial. The back drop was nothing but dirt and rocks…home sweet home for me but would the dryness in the air dehydrate them? How were they fairing against the altitude? Right away I recognized Axel and Phinney as their photos are everywhere. Just like in California I had put together a packet of information with photos and stats so that if the opportunity arose I would know who I was speaking with and also show them a little respect for their accomplishments. Instead, I looked like I had a lot to learn, turning around trying to study my photos. Wait, is that Ben King? Wait, no Bjorn is in the lead but that can’t be him, I can’t tell with all their gear on! All of the while a few of my friends were lined up behind me watching me embarrass myself. “Come ‘on Becca! Get in there!” Nice, now I really feel like a professional, thanks guys! “Axel, do you have a minute?” my friend Ricardo asks. “Sure thing, let me just put this in the car.” Ricardo turns around to me…”He’s all yours!”
Many times I have listened to interviews, frustrated at the journalist for not asking the proper questions or showing the person enough respect. I am a big admirer of cycling and what these men do and wanted for that to come across in my interviews. However, when I look at someone like Axel Merckx I can’t help but get star struck. Just last week I was watching Stage 12 in the 2005 Tour de France, where Axel had broken away in the mountains only to be caught by David Moncoutié. Now I was standing in front of him watching him pin Phinney’s number on his back. Besides the fact that we find ourselves in one of the smallest towns in New Mexico, who would have thought these guys would be here? Honestly, the interview happened so fast I hardly remember what I asked him, only hoping I hadn’t made a fool of myself. This was not as easy as it looks.
After a quick picture with Phinney before he jumped on the trainer for his warm up, I left to try and find Scott Nydam. Ricardo and I went to check it out, (Ricardo was responsible for getting me into this grand sport). As we were sitting outside BMC’s truck hoping for Nydam to jump out, Ricardo was drooling over the BMC frames and telling me just how much each wheel costs, why that nose was chopped off the saddle, just how much the power meters cost, etc. All very interesting but where was Nydam? I had been so focused on the European squads in California that I had completely missed him in February. This time around I was determined to meet him and see how he was doing. Reading his blog and listening to past interviews he seems to be a very passionate person who loves what he does and has a special place in his heart for the Gila. We waited a while but never saw any of the riders, figuring they had gone out on the course to warm up instead. No biggie, I’ll catch him tomorrow. I left Ricardo (still fixated on the bikes) to try and find Ben Jaques-Maynes from Bissell who lucky enough wasn’t parked too far away.
The Bissell team had a full squad competing so they had a good chance of taking the over all lead. The mechanics had Ben’s bike ready to go, #77, as other team mates were already warming up. Such a different vibe than what we had seen in California. This was my chance to get to know the American squads. Who were these men, and what stories did they have to offer? Once again, I opted to take photos instead as I had frozen up. As I was getting ready to approach one of the mechanics to see if Ben was there, I heard the commotion that Lance had arrived. “Rebecca, let’s go!” Ricardo yelled.
“Lance of Enchantement” they called it in the local papers. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny his talent or perseverance. I sat just feet away from him as he warmed up for the Time Trial. I turned around to look at the crowd and their reaction as we sat quietly watching his pedal strokes. A couple of young riders stood next to me. Part of the development squad of Felt/Slipstream, they could not have been much older than fifteen. Perhaps the next generation of big stars of cycling, here they were vying for an autograph, or just happy to be watching one of the legends of our sport warming up in front of them. This is what is special about someone like Lance. The inspiration he brings to both the weekend warrior, and the up and coming generation of professional cyclists. Soon after, he was off to the start as I left to catch a glimpse of Floyd Landis. As seems to be so often the case in the life of a professional cyclist, Floyd had served his suspension and was now back. He had been a part of one of the most successful teams in cycling history yet now he was struggling to even be noticed, not riding nearly as well as before with hardly a mention in the Tour of California and now struggling to remain in the top 50 at the Gila. At least he seemed to be having a good time, joking around with his team mates during the warm up. Recalling to memory the struggles of Pintani and Ullrich, I guess as long as one is able to ride, enjoying what they are doing, it does not matter what others believe or say. Once again I had to ask if we were indeed in New Mexico.
That first day turned out to be a big success. Even though I had frozen up in the beginning I was able to get a few questions in with Kristen Armstrong, and later Lance. Easily the biggest star in attendance, Lance was the easiest interview. Perhaps it is his wide experience with the press but I was impressed at his patience and thought he gave to each question proposed to him. “How are you feeling for the Giro?” “Feel good, feel good” he tells me. “Step by step, it’s a good first race back so I can’t complain. I didn’t have any grand expectations.” All in all a great first day, now to break down the booth, grab something to eat before heading home for some much needed shut eye only to wake up once again at 4 am to start all over.
How I wish I would have stayed in Silver City that evening. Once again we were only able to get about an hour of sleep. I could barely think I was so tired but I had a job to do so we were off once again before the sun rose. What was so special about this race was that they had all categories participating. Not only did you have the pros, but also the women’s race, and beginner categories down to Cat 4. Some cyclists had shirts that read, “I raced Lance Armstrong.” What a story to be able to tell in the future! The crit ran all day, with a citizens race sandwiched in between, just before the pros began. I had set up the Livestrong booth again but this time had many more volunteers.
Another day, another opportunity to run into Scott Nydam, instead I met a few of his team mates Chad and Martin. The squad had been on a training ride but no sign of Nydam. Hmmm, perhaps I’ll see him later that afternoon then. Stopping by Mellow Johnny’s trailer I manage to get in a few words with Chris Horner. “How is it being back racing the Gila?” “It’s great. Yea, it’s good to be back. It’s always nice coming back to a place you’ve raced before.” And won before? “Yea! Yea! [laughing] I have won this crit before,” as he turns to sign many autographs that are waiting. Roaming around on my own this time, I stopped to speak with Team Type 1. Hardly anyone was around them, remembering in California how they easily rode by people as fans would say, “oh yea they are the diabetes team” but had anyone actually stopped to ask what that meant to them? They were all very nice, and happy to tell their story about why the team was put together. No, not all of the riders have type 1 diabetes. Actually, only one rider present, Fabio Calabria has the disease. So I spoke with Fabio briefly about how he watches his insulin while racing. “I’ve got an insulin pump. Basically it’s like having an artificial pancreas that I control so it’s not too bad. We’ve got the technology now and the medical information to keep it under control.” Wow. I have a hard enough time learning how to maintain my glycogen levels during rides, let alone having to worry about diabetes on top of this. Definitely inspiring and goes to show you that somehow there is always a way.
Heading back to the race I ran into Ben Jaques-Maynes. Watching the women’s pro race, he signs my Santa Cruz paper from February. “Wow, cool where did you get this? So you were there on Bonny Doon? That day was horrible!” We spoke for a good twenty minutes. Being an avid year-around cyclist myself, at times I caught myself talking to these guys as riding buddies rather than a formal interview. “We must have had a head wind from every direction the other day! It was unreal.” Believe me, I understand! “What’s your name again? Okay, US Cycling Report? Yea I’ve heard of it, I’ll look out for it thanks! Take care!” I think perhaps I may be getting the hang of this! So much better from the day before when I could barely get two words out, I had actually managed to get some good material.
As is the case with these events, you find these guys scattered in among the crowds. As my friends holler at me from across the street, I run over to join them. Without even noticing who was standing next to them, “Rebecca, this is Johan.” I look up and Johan Bruyneel kindly shakes my hand as he excuses himself. He has the team radio in his ear as he tells the boys quickly who is in front. Behind him stands Richie, the team’s sougnier and Chris aka “Pink Pants” the team mechanic. The three of them go back and forth speaking Flemish, something I find amusing until I remember reading in Johan’s book that he speaks that with his team whenever he doesn’t want others to understand. Hmmm okay I can take a hint. Actually, they were a lot of fun to speak with and very kind. “Have you announced the team for the Giro yet?” I ask. “Well big guy, have we announced the Giro team?” Chris relays to Johan as he just looks at him with a big grin…”Well we can tell you that there will be three Americans on the team!” Nice, thanks guys! Oh well, so much for the inside scoop!
The crit ends with no major crashes. I later find out that Nydam had crashed but besides some minor road rash he was okay to race the following day. Phinney and Levi had also crashed but finished fine and would be ready to go for Stage 5. Just before heading back I caught up with Bjorn Selander of the Trek/Livestrong team at the finish, “How was it today?” “It was good, we [Trek/Livestrong team] were very active today. The winds weren’t too bad.” What type of speeds did you guys reach? “You know I don’t know. I usually have a power tap on but I forgot it at the house this morning.” Wow, okay? Ever raced the Gila before? “I’m usually racing in Europe right now so this is the first time I’m racing the Gila.” What’s next after this? “Heading home, then back to Belgium. I’ll be racing the under 23 Paris-Roubaix.” Wow! The under 23 course is very similar they too ride through the Trench of Arenberg forest. What’s that like? “It’s a lot tougher than it looks.” It looks pretty tough so I could not imagine. “The amount of energy you’re using. When you’re going on the cobbles, and then you try to do the same, go just as hard on the flats it feels so much harder, it’s weird. Your body goes numb when you’re riding.” Still living in Wisconsin? “Yea but I’ve been living with Taylor [Phinney] in Colorado lately so haven’t been home in a while.” Well good luck tomorrow. “Thanks!”
Having secured a press pass, I was told I would have a spot in one of the support cars in the race caravan the following morning. I could not believe it, it would be the opportunity of a life time! Not only that, but I was told there were not many cycling media in attendance so they were happy to accommodate me however they could since I understood how the race worked, the rules of the peloton, etc. I could not believe how lucky I was. Just one year ago I was learning what a peloton was; now I would be directly in front of it watching easily the biggest star in the pack racing for a win!
Waking up once again bright and early although following four hours of sleep this time, I quickly got ready and head out the door. I was told to arrive by 7 a.m. to get a spot in one of the SRAM cars. I had spoken with Ben from SRAM earlier the day before. “You know, you’re probably better in the media car. It’s a convertible so you’ll be able to get photos and videos much easier. In the support car you only have one view.” Hmm, okay sounds good. I hope I wouldn’t regret my decision. True, I’d have a 360 degree view in the media car but we would be in front of the race rather than driving in and around it. Either way I was glad for the opportunity. Ricardo and the gang had arrived just in time to bring me extra video and audio tapes, thanks guys! Once I had my spot I took off to look for Nydam once again. It seemed like I ran into everyone but Nydam, was I ever going to meet him? This was getting very frustrating. I wandered around aimlessly, running into the Trek/Livestrong squad again, “Hi Bjorn! Good luck today!” “Good morning, and thank you!” Then Team Type 1, riding past me to the starting line. I had parked directly in front of the OUCH team car so I decided to go check them out before heading back to BMC for Nydam. Luckily I had caught them right in the middle of their team meeting. “Okay we’re adding the climb right here. You climb over it, drop down turn around and come back up. The hardest part of the climb is actually the bottom, it’s the steepest part. There are couple times that you’ll have a few false flats so keep that in mind. As far as GC goes today, we’re all hands on deck. Focus on more than one guy in the group today, getting in that breakaway. Bringing it back, if we don’t then we don’t. The last 200 meters are still hard, so keep that in mind. Everyone got that? All hands on deck, look for that move, again more than one guy.”
Looking at the clock, it was 5 minutes until start time. I ran back to the car and made it just in time. Once again, I had missed Scott Nydam. I scanned the crowd quickly before we took off but could not see him. Hopefully I would have a chance at the finish line. Here we go! I had secured a seat in the back of the car so I would be able to face the race, sitting on my knees the majority of the time. Other reporters present - one camera man from Channel 7 ABC affiliate in Albuquerque, “I just need to get the finish, whatever else doesn’t matter.” Great. In the front seat we had the New York Times, “I wish I knew if Armstrong was in that pile. It would be a lot easier for us if he wasn’t” Of course, only worried about Lance. I remained quiet, not saying much at all. The race radio comes in, “114 and 58 have now joined the lead group, now 11 riders, 11 riders in the lead.” Nydam (114) had caught the breakaway! “Lead group is approaching the turn…3..2..1..mark. Copy onto 152.” Now let me just say how insanely difficult it is to shoot video while halfway hanging out the back of a convertible going at speeds of 30 to 40 mph on farm roads. It’s not easy! Just when the car would slow down enough so that the picture wouldn’t shake, the radio would yell “MEDIA! MOVE! They’re right on us!” Nice. Needless to say, it was definitely a learning experience.
“I’ve got rider 122 looking for service. ‘Medics here, coming around.’ Copy that.” 122? Taylor Phinney! He had been caught up in a crash shortly after the start, hope he was ok.
Our car was just two cars back from the lead car, while we had one other car and two motorcycles weaving between us and the breakaway. Best seat in the house until we reached the windy roads where you couldn’t see anything or the descents when we had to fly down the road so not to interfere with the riders coming up behind us, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph or more at some points. Just then, race radio, “114, 114 - copy that 114 what’s the status? – Medics come forward – copy that, coming forward.” Wait, 114? That was Nydam, as I strained to listen in. “Comm 3 to Comm 1, we were doing approximately 50 mph when he went down.” All at once, we looked at each other, did he say 50?!? “Comm 2 to Comm 1, not sure if you heard that or not, rider was going 50 mph when he went down.” My heart sank to my stomach, was he moving? Was he conscious? Nothing but silence and static, “Turning onto San Lorenzo…3..2..1..mark.”
Shortly after the first feeding zone there was another crash, 1/3 of the peloton had gone down with nine riders abandoning. No one was badly injured this time around, thank goodness, still no word on Nydam. “Okay folks I’m going to stop at the next feed zone. The riders will be going down into the valley, turning around and climbing back up. We’ll hang out here and wait for them.” We were sitting at the top of the descent down to the Gila’s visitor’s center where the riders would turn around and climb back up. I had just gotten out of the car and situated myself on the ground with my video camera when I heard the train coming. I looked up and Lance, Horner, and Levi were steering the train down the descent, each rider sitting just inches from the wheel in front of them. I was lying on the ground at this point, trying to get a good shot while praying no one crashed into me. Literally in the blink of an eye they were gone, having flown down the mountain side. I don’t think it was until that moment that I truly appreciated the kind of speeds they reach and the level of bike handling skills they maintain. Simply amazing!
As I walked from car to car I noticed Phinney. He got out of his team car and was getting bandaged up. Derek Loudermilk from Team Horizon Organic came up to the Trek team, “do you have any extra bandages? I went down in the first crash as well.” What happened? “Two guys were handing bottles to each other. I think they clipped handle bars, the wheels turned and I was right behind them.” Any news on Nydam? “I passed him, he was still laying on the ground.” Phinney tells me. A war zone? Perhaps while one surveys the scene, one by one riders are coming up with bloody fingers, road rash on their backs, thighs, knees, arms, trainers are picking gravel and rocks out from flesh. Who says cycling isn’t a tough sport? I ask around but there is still no news on Nydam.
I find one of Ben Jaques-Maynes team mates, Jeremy Vennell, relaxing in their team van. “Were you involved in any of the crashes today?” “Nearly, I was pretty lucky though. I think everyone is just tired today. There were a couple crashes on the descents; there was one shortly after the feeding zone. I was the last rider to make it through that one so pretty lucky. You have a bad day like today, its going to be a long day, and I don’t like the attitude at all. I’m just tired today, our next race is on Thursday so...” I hope Ben wins today, I’ll be cheering for him. “Yea, thanks! I hope so too, nice meeting you.”
On the way back I run into Lucas Haedo, winner of the second stage. Unfortunately he didn’t speak any English so it was time to test my skills. Luckily we managed to understand each other okay. “No, I dropped out today because I’m tired. We have our next race at Joe Martin in Arkansas so I’m resting up for then. Today was very hard, a lot of crashes too. I saw Nydam, he looked very bad. So I’ll rest up.” Onward, back to Phinney as I ask how long he’ll take off before riding again. “I didn’t break anything so I’ll probably ride tomorrow. If I’m really sore I won’t ride but the main thing is it will be sore sleeping tonight. I go to Europe on the 16th, back with the Trek guys, racing with the Development team later on.” Hopefully the week faired better for him. It was time to jump back in the car before the guys caught up with us. Race radio, “The leaders are now in the feed zone. 5 leaders, rider 85 [Ben King] has now joined the lead group.” Whew, made it just in time!
Twenty miles now from the finish, Team Mellow Johnny was now in the breakaway with Horner and Lance taking turns pulling Levi. I turned to catch a glimpse of the riders before turning yet another corner when I saw the black jerseys of Team Mellow Johnnys. Lance & Horner are in the front! The other journalists in the car immediately grab their equipment and jump around. “Which one is Horner?” Lord, here we go. The one with the yellow shoes, then next to him is Lance, behind him in the leaders jersey is Levi. As I’m fixated on getting a good shot of the boys flying up the mountain we pass Ricardo and the gang cheering them on. “Here they come! Here they come guys! GO LANCE!!!” Race radio – “coming up to mile 93, no feeding past mile marker 93.” What? Wait, no, we can’t be nearly finished; it has only been three hours! For comparison, my buddies and I usually do a century in just under six hours. Three hours is insanely fast, I couldn’t believe we were nearing the end. The last 10k went by in a breeze. Even though Levi would later tell me the group had decided to “take it easy because of accidents that happened last year” they were still flying by my book. Philip Zajicek from Fly V Australia took the stage win, with Lance next and Levi third, winning the overall general classification. Catching his breath, Philip managed to answer a few questions. “I just sat on Levi’s wheel, my team did an incredible job, took care of me all day. My parents and wife are here watching me, incredible beating Lance and Levi. Lance put in a good attack on the downhill, Levi too went so fast. I just knew I had to follow, last 500 meters I just gave everything I had.” Turning around I run into Chad Beyer of BMC who had finished 4th in the stage. “Levi and Lance were setting tempo, pretty fast. A couple technical spots but not too bad, the climbs were hard. I hung in there with the top guys so I think I did okay.” Finally an update on Scott Nydam from one of the sport directors of BMC, “On a helicopter right now on his way to El Paso, he was fine initially and conscious when I first walked up to him. The team doctors are with him and have talked to him. He just is in that rutt that all pro guys go through at some point.” At least he was going to be okay. I also managed to speak with Peter Stetina, an amazing young up and coming talent, had been in the top 5 but due to stomach issues had dropped to 10th overall. Ben Jaques-Maynes had finished strong as well, even though after leading the break away for nearly half of the stage, had dropped back. Happy with his finish, Bissell had won first place in the team competition.
Overall an amazing race, I had missed Nydam but there would be other times I’m sure. At least we knew he was going to be okay. Coming in on that last stage, the pros had caught the men category 4 racers as they were finishing the last climb. Legs struggling with every pedal stroke until they heard the motos, turned around and saw Lance, Levi, and Chris Horner leading the break away, after which smiles beamed on their faces, “HI MOM!” as they waved to my video camera with a burst of energy. What it must have felt like finishing a race with these world class cyclists that we would be watching in just a few days time, climbing the legendary mountains in Italy against the best in the world. Yet today these cyclists got to experience something they would never forget, surely stories to keep for a lifetime. Shortly after the podium ceremony Lance took a minute to speak with reporters. “I felt good but didn’t realize that the finish was such an uphill climb. I tried for the win but then told Levi, ‘you better go for it’ instead. Thanks guys, on to Italy now!”
As quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. Heading back to Silver City for a quick bite to eat, it had suddenly looked like a ghost town. So soon, the crowds were gone; teams were already on their way home. None of the restaurants were open because it was Sunday afternoon, my friends and I left as well. A magical weekend none of us will forget anytime soon. A few of the group had raced, and were still trying to process what had happened. “When is the next race, Rebecca? We’re hooked, this was amazing!” Not sure but soon, very soon. For now, back to the real world once again.
This was not the only thing I had to wrap my head around. About a month ago, a friend of mine and I started a local Livestrong Army chapter here in El Paso. The goal being to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation through organized running/cycling events. Rumors were flying around that Lance may race, even though the UCI was trying everything in its power to stop him (something I will never understand). Either way, our Army was brand new, we hadn't had any materials printed for a booth and were still waiting on a lot of items to be mailed from the foundation. Pending all of this we had decided to skip the Gila, which gave me time for my assignment. However, with just two days before the start of the race someone had contacted the foundation asking if there was going to be a presence there and could he help in any way.
I got an email Wednesday morning, the day the race actually started. "Hi Rebecca, do you think you could set something up for us? Justin from New Mexico is willing to help out." Um...sure, why not since I don't anything else to do! It's funny how when something is meant to happen, how easily things fall into place. After a long afternoon of being on the phone for hours on end, everything was set into place. We had a location for our booth, a tent and table provided for us on site, while I spent most of the night before heading to Silver City printing name tags, business cards, and putting together binders filled with information about the LAF for those who would be running the booth while I was out reporting. Needless to say I didn't get ANY sleep that night, and what's worse, Silver City morning news had called and asked me for an interview at 7:15 a.m.! Sure, this would be great to help get the word out but I would be on television after driving from El Paso with little to no sleep. Nice!
I had arranged a carpool, driving Melisa, Evelyn and Ricardo up to the race with me that first day. "We're leaving NO LATER than 4 am folks!" 3:45 a.m. Ricardo calls, "I haven't slept any, have you?” Nope. “Someone else needs to drive." No matter how much I prepare for a trip I am NEVER on time when its time to leave. Everyone arrived on time at my house yet we didn't end up leaving until nearly 5 am because of me. Great, this means we would have to haul ass to make it in time for my interview. I drove to Deming until it was absolutely necessary that I get some shut eye, "can you girls wake me up in 20 minutes?" All the while Ricardo had been sleeping soundly in the back...must be nice! I woke up after what seemed like 2 hours when in reality it had been about 25 minutes, "What time is it?" 7 a.m., we were still outside of Silver City and I had to be on the air in 15 minutes. CRAP! At this point I was so tired I didn't really care if I made the interview. No, no, we needed this. I had no make-up on, I had done my hair but I looked like death rolled over. I phoned the reporter, "Rebecca? Yes, we're on the air, get here as soon as you can!" "How far away are we?" "Probably 10 minutes?" Hmm, just enough time for me to get ready. Five minutes later we rolled up to the station...crap! I felt so disorganized, after throwing some make-up on and contacts, I grabbed my binder with all the speaking points I had wanted to make and ran upstairs. Wish me luck guys!
"Are you Rebecca? Great, have you been on television before?" "Yes, yes, I understand the deal." "Ok great, there is a black 'X', when she calls you up sit at the black 'X' and look at the camera on your right." Gotcha. Damn it, it was 7:20, we were supposed to meet Beverly and Rachel from the Gila Regional Medical Center at 7:30 a.m. at the finish line to set up the booth! Great...I had forgotten to tell the guys and now they had to wait for me to finish the interview, I had left my phone in the car so I couldn't call Beverly to let her know. The morning show was very small and quaint. Filming with what looked like a home video camera, with the weather report on a print out from the Internet, I sat waiting on a couch...yes folks welcome to Silver City. Either way I was thankful to have been invited. They introduced me as I quickly took my spot to begin. "We're here to support and raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was founded by Lance in 1999.."SHIT I mean, crap..."1997, excuse me, after he was diagnosed with cancer. We're also here to support his return to the professional peloton, come stop by our booth and say hi or volunteer if you'd like!" Quick, and to the point. Besides that little mess up, I think I did ok. "Thank you Rebecca, now for our weather.." I quickly said my thanks, grabbed my notebook and ran downstairs...time? 7:43 a.m. Late yet again!
"How did it go?" As I opened the van..."um, great, very small production but hopefully some people saw it." "You're phone has been ringing off the hook, we didn't know if we should answer it." Lovely. On to Tyrone...as I'm on the phone w/ Rachel, "Yes, I'm sorry we're on our way." We arrived and right away saw team Mellow Johnny's trailer, Trek/Livestrong were setting up along with Colavita. "Yea yea, just park here, we'll be fine." Once we parked I didn't know where to go, what to do first. Ricardo right away was seeing a lot of people he knew so he disappeared very quickly. Nice, thanks buddy! I noticed Liz Kreutz off in the distance. I had brought some Starbucks for her after reading some tweets about looking for coffee the day before. I signed it, "From El Paso Livestrong Army, enjoy!" We still hadn't known for sure if Lance knew we were going to be there. Perhaps Liz wouldn’t mind passing the message along? I hurriedly walked over to the trailer..."Good Morning Liz, I brought this for you. I'm on your twitter site." "Oh wow! Cool, thank you so much! Wait, we've got to take a picture together so I can post this on Twitter." Cool :) "What should I say? How do you spell your name? Okay, 'Rebecca from EP Livestrong brought me coffee, friends for life!' that work?" Sure! "Thanks!" Hehe friends for life. :) Okay, now to go set up the booth.
Still, no Ricardo. Ugh, can't worry about that now. Ricard from the New Mexico tourism board came by. "Hi Rebecca, is this location ok? Let me know if you need anything else." We had been set up right next to the official’s trailer where all the times would be posted. Hopefully this would generate more people for our booth since there were not many booths set up that day. Most organizations were waiting for the following day to set up, during the Criterium that would be held in downtown Silver City. No biggie, there would be plenty of people out. Once we got things set up I got my binder together, made sure my voice recorder was working, along with my video and 35 mm camera. Yes, I only have two hands but I had to make sure I got as much material as possible. "Hey, need any help?" Ricardo asked. Oh wow, nice of you to show! Actually, I was happy to have him with me. He was the reason why I had gotten into the sport in the first place. He owned his own bike shop and was a mechanic so I was hopeful he would go around with me doing interviews and give me pointers. However, one I was out there I began to freeze. We ran into Ivan, and Porras, some other good friends. "Hey Becca! Are you ready? Who are you interviewing first? Axel is over there, but you should also talk to Lucas Haedo." They were all listing stats, giving me ideas of what I should ask...all of the while all I could think of was numbers and names and who was who. Great, how am I going to get through this?!? "You need to just jump in there! Don't get so star struck!" All of a sudden I was wishing I was alone like in California, without this added pressure from my friends. I appreciated their help but it was really overwhelming me. "Thanks guys, I'll be back."
I was so nervous and frozen I didn't know where to begin. "Just take a deep breathe, you can do this." The Livestrong/Trek team had arrived and were relaxing, getting everything ready. I must have stood by their cars for a good 15 minutes, staring down at my notebook trying to decide who was who, and what I should ask, who I should try and approach first. Then all of a sudden Ricardo shows up again, "Axel, do you have a minute?" "Yea sure, let me put this away first." Ricardo turns to me, "There, he's all yours...go do it!" What?! Damn it, I haven't even thought of what to ask...as Ricardo stands back to watch. Great, "hi Axel, thank you for talking with me. I'm from US Cycling Report." "How is your team doing in the race so far? How is the UCI rule affecting your team?" Ugh, that rule only applies to the Pro-Tour teams...nice one Rebecca! "Well, it hasn't affected our team at all because it doesn't apply to us." Nice...first interview and I've already made a big fool of myself. Wonderful, I don't really remember what he said after that. I was trying to pay attention but I was mortified. Here he was, the son of Eddy Merckx, the best cyclist in history (IMO) and I was asking these stupid questions. Great. "Okay, well good luck today. Thanks again." "Sure thing!...Taylor...let's pin that number on"
Moving on, I had to take a break. I told myself, you know the best thing to do is just pretend you're back in California. You're just here like anyone else enjoying yourself, appreciating that these guys traveled so close to your home town to race. Appreciate this opportunity and you'll do just fine! Back to the booth..."How is it going?" Evelyn asked me. Umm...good I guess. I head back out and ran into Liz again...I showed her a photo I took of Chris Horner coming in to the finish. It had been a lucky shot, in focus as he had been passing me going roughly 30 mph. "Not bad! These shots take a lot of practice." Thanks Liz :) Heading back out I figured to just walk around and take pictures to help me relax. I got some great photos of Lucas Haedo warming up but decided it wasn't the right time to ask him questions.
I arrived at the Trek/Livestrong U23 cars, set up right next to Team Mellow Johnny. Right away one notices the relaxed vibe among the group or perhaps they’re just used to this sort of thing. Many of these riders are the next big stars, their faces resembling young boys rather than professional cyclists. This is a team that is owned by Lance Armstrong to develop young American talent. I wonder what it must feel like to have to race against ones’ boss. Do you let him win or help him if the opportunity arises, or is he simply another competitor? Funny these questions come to me now, when while I was sitting in front of these guys for a good 20 minutes nothing was coming to my mind. Either way, they looked relaxed, poised for the individual time trial. The back drop was nothing but dirt and rocks…home sweet home for me but would the dryness in the air dehydrate them? How were they fairing against the altitude? Right away I recognized Axel and Phinney as their photos are everywhere. Just like in California I had put together a packet of information with photos and stats so that if the opportunity arose I would know who I was speaking with and also show them a little respect for their accomplishments. Instead, I looked like I had a lot to learn, turning around trying to study my photos. Wait, is that Ben King? Wait, no Bjorn is in the lead but that can’t be him, I can’t tell with all their gear on! All of the while a few of my friends were lined up behind me watching me embarrass myself. “Come ‘on Becca! Get in there!” Nice, now I really feel like a professional, thanks guys! “Axel, do you have a minute?” my friend Ricardo asks. “Sure thing, let me just put this in the car.” Ricardo turns around to me…”He’s all yours!”
Many times I have listened to interviews, frustrated at the journalist for not asking the proper questions or showing the person enough respect. I am a big admirer of cycling and what these men do and wanted for that to come across in my interviews. However, when I look at someone like Axel Merckx I can’t help but get star struck. Just last week I was watching Stage 12 in the 2005 Tour de France, where Axel had broken away in the mountains only to be caught by David Moncoutié. Now I was standing in front of him watching him pin Phinney’s number on his back. Besides the fact that we find ourselves in one of the smallest towns in New Mexico, who would have thought these guys would be here? Honestly, the interview happened so fast I hardly remember what I asked him, only hoping I hadn’t made a fool of myself. This was not as easy as it looks.
After a quick picture with Phinney before he jumped on the trainer for his warm up, I left to try and find Scott Nydam. Ricardo and I went to check it out, (Ricardo was responsible for getting me into this grand sport). As we were sitting outside BMC’s truck hoping for Nydam to jump out, Ricardo was drooling over the BMC frames and telling me just how much each wheel costs, why that nose was chopped off the saddle, just how much the power meters cost, etc. All very interesting but where was Nydam? I had been so focused on the European squads in California that I had completely missed him in February. This time around I was determined to meet him and see how he was doing. Reading his blog and listening to past interviews he seems to be a very passionate person who loves what he does and has a special place in his heart for the Gila. We waited a while but never saw any of the riders, figuring they had gone out on the course to warm up instead. No biggie, I’ll catch him tomorrow. I left Ricardo (still fixated on the bikes) to try and find Ben Jaques-Maynes from Bissell who lucky enough wasn’t parked too far away.
The Bissell team had a full squad competing so they had a good chance of taking the over all lead. The mechanics had Ben’s bike ready to go, #77, as other team mates were already warming up. Such a different vibe than what we had seen in California. This was my chance to get to know the American squads. Who were these men, and what stories did they have to offer? Once again, I opted to take photos instead as I had frozen up. As I was getting ready to approach one of the mechanics to see if Ben was there, I heard the commotion that Lance had arrived. “Rebecca, let’s go!” Ricardo yelled.
“Lance of Enchantement” they called it in the local papers. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny his talent or perseverance. I sat just feet away from him as he warmed up for the Time Trial. I turned around to look at the crowd and their reaction as we sat quietly watching his pedal strokes. A couple of young riders stood next to me. Part of the development squad of Felt/Slipstream, they could not have been much older than fifteen. Perhaps the next generation of big stars of cycling, here they were vying for an autograph, or just happy to be watching one of the legends of our sport warming up in front of them. This is what is special about someone like Lance. The inspiration he brings to both the weekend warrior, and the up and coming generation of professional cyclists. Soon after, he was off to the start as I left to catch a glimpse of Floyd Landis. As seems to be so often the case in the life of a professional cyclist, Floyd had served his suspension and was now back. He had been a part of one of the most successful teams in cycling history yet now he was struggling to even be noticed, not riding nearly as well as before with hardly a mention in the Tour of California and now struggling to remain in the top 50 at the Gila. At least he seemed to be having a good time, joking around with his team mates during the warm up. Recalling to memory the struggles of Pintani and Ullrich, I guess as long as one is able to ride, enjoying what they are doing, it does not matter what others believe or say. Once again I had to ask if we were indeed in New Mexico.
That first day turned out to be a big success. Even though I had frozen up in the beginning I was able to get a few questions in with Kristen Armstrong, and later Lance. Easily the biggest star in attendance, Lance was the easiest interview. Perhaps it is his wide experience with the press but I was impressed at his patience and thought he gave to each question proposed to him. “How are you feeling for the Giro?” “Feel good, feel good” he tells me. “Step by step, it’s a good first race back so I can’t complain. I didn’t have any grand expectations.” All in all a great first day, now to break down the booth, grab something to eat before heading home for some much needed shut eye only to wake up once again at 4 am to start all over.
How I wish I would have stayed in Silver City that evening. Once again we were only able to get about an hour of sleep. I could barely think I was so tired but I had a job to do so we were off once again before the sun rose. What was so special about this race was that they had all categories participating. Not only did you have the pros, but also the women’s race, and beginner categories down to Cat 4. Some cyclists had shirts that read, “I raced Lance Armstrong.” What a story to be able to tell in the future! The crit ran all day, with a citizens race sandwiched in between, just before the pros began. I had set up the Livestrong booth again but this time had many more volunteers.
Another day, another opportunity to run into Scott Nydam, instead I met a few of his team mates Chad and Martin. The squad had been on a training ride but no sign of Nydam. Hmmm, perhaps I’ll see him later that afternoon then. Stopping by Mellow Johnny’s trailer I manage to get in a few words with Chris Horner. “How is it being back racing the Gila?” “It’s great. Yea, it’s good to be back. It’s always nice coming back to a place you’ve raced before.” And won before? “Yea! Yea! [laughing] I have won this crit before,” as he turns to sign many autographs that are waiting. Roaming around on my own this time, I stopped to speak with Team Type 1. Hardly anyone was around them, remembering in California how they easily rode by people as fans would say, “oh yea they are the diabetes team” but had anyone actually stopped to ask what that meant to them? They were all very nice, and happy to tell their story about why the team was put together. No, not all of the riders have type 1 diabetes. Actually, only one rider present, Fabio Calabria has the disease. So I spoke with Fabio briefly about how he watches his insulin while racing. “I’ve got an insulin pump. Basically it’s like having an artificial pancreas that I control so it’s not too bad. We’ve got the technology now and the medical information to keep it under control.” Wow. I have a hard enough time learning how to maintain my glycogen levels during rides, let alone having to worry about diabetes on top of this. Definitely inspiring and goes to show you that somehow there is always a way.
Heading back to the race I ran into Ben Jaques-Maynes. Watching the women’s pro race, he signs my Santa Cruz paper from February. “Wow, cool where did you get this? So you were there on Bonny Doon? That day was horrible!” We spoke for a good twenty minutes. Being an avid year-around cyclist myself, at times I caught myself talking to these guys as riding buddies rather than a formal interview. “We must have had a head wind from every direction the other day! It was unreal.” Believe me, I understand! “What’s your name again? Okay, US Cycling Report? Yea I’ve heard of it, I’ll look out for it thanks! Take care!” I think perhaps I may be getting the hang of this! So much better from the day before when I could barely get two words out, I had actually managed to get some good material.
As is the case with these events, you find these guys scattered in among the crowds. As my friends holler at me from across the street, I run over to join them. Without even noticing who was standing next to them, “Rebecca, this is Johan.” I look up and Johan Bruyneel kindly shakes my hand as he excuses himself. He has the team radio in his ear as he tells the boys quickly who is in front. Behind him stands Richie, the team’s sougnier and Chris aka “Pink Pants” the team mechanic. The three of them go back and forth speaking Flemish, something I find amusing until I remember reading in Johan’s book that he speaks that with his team whenever he doesn’t want others to understand. Hmmm okay I can take a hint. Actually, they were a lot of fun to speak with and very kind. “Have you announced the team for the Giro yet?” I ask. “Well big guy, have we announced the Giro team?” Chris relays to Johan as he just looks at him with a big grin…”Well we can tell you that there will be three Americans on the team!” Nice, thanks guys! Oh well, so much for the inside scoop!
The crit ends with no major crashes. I later find out that Nydam had crashed but besides some minor road rash he was okay to race the following day. Phinney and Levi had also crashed but finished fine and would be ready to go for Stage 5. Just before heading back I caught up with Bjorn Selander of the Trek/Livestrong team at the finish, “How was it today?” “It was good, we [Trek/Livestrong team] were very active today. The winds weren’t too bad.” What type of speeds did you guys reach? “You know I don’t know. I usually have a power tap on but I forgot it at the house this morning.” Wow, okay? Ever raced the Gila before? “I’m usually racing in Europe right now so this is the first time I’m racing the Gila.” What’s next after this? “Heading home, then back to Belgium. I’ll be racing the under 23 Paris-Roubaix.” Wow! The under 23 course is very similar they too ride through the Trench of Arenberg forest. What’s that like? “It’s a lot tougher than it looks.” It looks pretty tough so I could not imagine. “The amount of energy you’re using. When you’re going on the cobbles, and then you try to do the same, go just as hard on the flats it feels so much harder, it’s weird. Your body goes numb when you’re riding.” Still living in Wisconsin? “Yea but I’ve been living with Taylor [Phinney] in Colorado lately so haven’t been home in a while.” Well good luck tomorrow. “Thanks!”
Having secured a press pass, I was told I would have a spot in one of the support cars in the race caravan the following morning. I could not believe it, it would be the opportunity of a life time! Not only that, but I was told there were not many cycling media in attendance so they were happy to accommodate me however they could since I understood how the race worked, the rules of the peloton, etc. I could not believe how lucky I was. Just one year ago I was learning what a peloton was; now I would be directly in front of it watching easily the biggest star in the pack racing for a win!
Waking up once again bright and early although following four hours of sleep this time, I quickly got ready and head out the door. I was told to arrive by 7 a.m. to get a spot in one of the SRAM cars. I had spoken with Ben from SRAM earlier the day before. “You know, you’re probably better in the media car. It’s a convertible so you’ll be able to get photos and videos much easier. In the support car you only have one view.” Hmm, okay sounds good. I hope I wouldn’t regret my decision. True, I’d have a 360 degree view in the media car but we would be in front of the race rather than driving in and around it. Either way I was glad for the opportunity. Ricardo and the gang had arrived just in time to bring me extra video and audio tapes, thanks guys! Once I had my spot I took off to look for Nydam once again. It seemed like I ran into everyone but Nydam, was I ever going to meet him? This was getting very frustrating. I wandered around aimlessly, running into the Trek/Livestrong squad again, “Hi Bjorn! Good luck today!” “Good morning, and thank you!” Then Team Type 1, riding past me to the starting line. I had parked directly in front of the OUCH team car so I decided to go check them out before heading back to BMC for Nydam. Luckily I had caught them right in the middle of their team meeting. “Okay we’re adding the climb right here. You climb over it, drop down turn around and come back up. The hardest part of the climb is actually the bottom, it’s the steepest part. There are couple times that you’ll have a few false flats so keep that in mind. As far as GC goes today, we’re all hands on deck. Focus on more than one guy in the group today, getting in that breakaway. Bringing it back, if we don’t then we don’t. The last 200 meters are still hard, so keep that in mind. Everyone got that? All hands on deck, look for that move, again more than one guy.”
Looking at the clock, it was 5 minutes until start time. I ran back to the car and made it just in time. Once again, I had missed Scott Nydam. I scanned the crowd quickly before we took off but could not see him. Hopefully I would have a chance at the finish line. Here we go! I had secured a seat in the back of the car so I would be able to face the race, sitting on my knees the majority of the time. Other reporters present - one camera man from Channel 7 ABC affiliate in Albuquerque, “I just need to get the finish, whatever else doesn’t matter.” Great. In the front seat we had the New York Times, “I wish I knew if Armstrong was in that pile. It would be a lot easier for us if he wasn’t” Of course, only worried about Lance. I remained quiet, not saying much at all. The race radio comes in, “114 and 58 have now joined the lead group, now 11 riders, 11 riders in the lead.” Nydam (114) had caught the breakaway! “Lead group is approaching the turn…3..2..1..mark. Copy onto 152.” Now let me just say how insanely difficult it is to shoot video while halfway hanging out the back of a convertible going at speeds of 30 to 40 mph on farm roads. It’s not easy! Just when the car would slow down enough so that the picture wouldn’t shake, the radio would yell “MEDIA! MOVE! They’re right on us!” Nice. Needless to say, it was definitely a learning experience.
“I’ve got rider 122 looking for service. ‘Medics here, coming around.’ Copy that.” 122? Taylor Phinney! He had been caught up in a crash shortly after the start, hope he was ok.
Our car was just two cars back from the lead car, while we had one other car and two motorcycles weaving between us and the breakaway. Best seat in the house until we reached the windy roads where you couldn’t see anything or the descents when we had to fly down the road so not to interfere with the riders coming up behind us, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph or more at some points. Just then, race radio, “114, 114 - copy that 114 what’s the status? – Medics come forward – copy that, coming forward.” Wait, 114? That was Nydam, as I strained to listen in. “Comm 3 to Comm 1, we were doing approximately 50 mph when he went down.” All at once, we looked at each other, did he say 50?!? “Comm 2 to Comm 1, not sure if you heard that or not, rider was going 50 mph when he went down.” My heart sank to my stomach, was he moving? Was he conscious? Nothing but silence and static, “Turning onto San Lorenzo…3..2..1..mark.”
Shortly after the first feeding zone there was another crash, 1/3 of the peloton had gone down with nine riders abandoning. No one was badly injured this time around, thank goodness, still no word on Nydam. “Okay folks I’m going to stop at the next feed zone. The riders will be going down into the valley, turning around and climbing back up. We’ll hang out here and wait for them.” We were sitting at the top of the descent down to the Gila’s visitor’s center where the riders would turn around and climb back up. I had just gotten out of the car and situated myself on the ground with my video camera when I heard the train coming. I looked up and Lance, Horner, and Levi were steering the train down the descent, each rider sitting just inches from the wheel in front of them. I was lying on the ground at this point, trying to get a good shot while praying no one crashed into me. Literally in the blink of an eye they were gone, having flown down the mountain side. I don’t think it was until that moment that I truly appreciated the kind of speeds they reach and the level of bike handling skills they maintain. Simply amazing!
As I walked from car to car I noticed Phinney. He got out of his team car and was getting bandaged up. Derek Loudermilk from Team Horizon Organic came up to the Trek team, “do you have any extra bandages? I went down in the first crash as well.” What happened? “Two guys were handing bottles to each other. I think they clipped handle bars, the wheels turned and I was right behind them.” Any news on Nydam? “I passed him, he was still laying on the ground.” Phinney tells me. A war zone? Perhaps while one surveys the scene, one by one riders are coming up with bloody fingers, road rash on their backs, thighs, knees, arms, trainers are picking gravel and rocks out from flesh. Who says cycling isn’t a tough sport? I ask around but there is still no news on Nydam.
I find one of Ben Jaques-Maynes team mates, Jeremy Vennell, relaxing in their team van. “Were you involved in any of the crashes today?” “Nearly, I was pretty lucky though. I think everyone is just tired today. There were a couple crashes on the descents; there was one shortly after the feeding zone. I was the last rider to make it through that one so pretty lucky. You have a bad day like today, its going to be a long day, and I don’t like the attitude at all. I’m just tired today, our next race is on Thursday so...” I hope Ben wins today, I’ll be cheering for him. “Yea, thanks! I hope so too, nice meeting you.”
On the way back I run into Lucas Haedo, winner of the second stage. Unfortunately he didn’t speak any English so it was time to test my skills. Luckily we managed to understand each other okay. “No, I dropped out today because I’m tired. We have our next race at Joe Martin in Arkansas so I’m resting up for then. Today was very hard, a lot of crashes too. I saw Nydam, he looked very bad. So I’ll rest up.” Onward, back to Phinney as I ask how long he’ll take off before riding again. “I didn’t break anything so I’ll probably ride tomorrow. If I’m really sore I won’t ride but the main thing is it will be sore sleeping tonight. I go to Europe on the 16th, back with the Trek guys, racing with the Development team later on.” Hopefully the week faired better for him. It was time to jump back in the car before the guys caught up with us. Race radio, “The leaders are now in the feed zone. 5 leaders, rider 85 [Ben King] has now joined the lead group.” Whew, made it just in time!
Twenty miles now from the finish, Team Mellow Johnny was now in the breakaway with Horner and Lance taking turns pulling Levi. I turned to catch a glimpse of the riders before turning yet another corner when I saw the black jerseys of Team Mellow Johnnys. Lance & Horner are in the front! The other journalists in the car immediately grab their equipment and jump around. “Which one is Horner?” Lord, here we go. The one with the yellow shoes, then next to him is Lance, behind him in the leaders jersey is Levi. As I’m fixated on getting a good shot of the boys flying up the mountain we pass Ricardo and the gang cheering them on. “Here they come! Here they come guys! GO LANCE!!!” Race radio – “coming up to mile 93, no feeding past mile marker 93.” What? Wait, no, we can’t be nearly finished; it has only been three hours! For comparison, my buddies and I usually do a century in just under six hours. Three hours is insanely fast, I couldn’t believe we were nearing the end. The last 10k went by in a breeze. Even though Levi would later tell me the group had decided to “take it easy because of accidents that happened last year” they were still flying by my book. Philip Zajicek from Fly V Australia took the stage win, with Lance next and Levi third, winning the overall general classification. Catching his breath, Philip managed to answer a few questions. “I just sat on Levi’s wheel, my team did an incredible job, took care of me all day. My parents and wife are here watching me, incredible beating Lance and Levi. Lance put in a good attack on the downhill, Levi too went so fast. I just knew I had to follow, last 500 meters I just gave everything I had.” Turning around I run into Chad Beyer of BMC who had finished 4th in the stage. “Levi and Lance were setting tempo, pretty fast. A couple technical spots but not too bad, the climbs were hard. I hung in there with the top guys so I think I did okay.” Finally an update on Scott Nydam from one of the sport directors of BMC, “On a helicopter right now on his way to El Paso, he was fine initially and conscious when I first walked up to him. The team doctors are with him and have talked to him. He just is in that rutt that all pro guys go through at some point.” At least he was going to be okay. I also managed to speak with Peter Stetina, an amazing young up and coming talent, had been in the top 5 but due to stomach issues had dropped to 10th overall. Ben Jaques-Maynes had finished strong as well, even though after leading the break away for nearly half of the stage, had dropped back. Happy with his finish, Bissell had won first place in the team competition.
Overall an amazing race, I had missed Nydam but there would be other times I’m sure. At least we knew he was going to be okay. Coming in on that last stage, the pros had caught the men category 4 racers as they were finishing the last climb. Legs struggling with every pedal stroke until they heard the motos, turned around and saw Lance, Levi, and Chris Horner leading the break away, after which smiles beamed on their faces, “HI MOM!” as they waved to my video camera with a burst of energy. What it must have felt like finishing a race with these world class cyclists that we would be watching in just a few days time, climbing the legendary mountains in Italy against the best in the world. Yet today these cyclists got to experience something they would never forget, surely stories to keep for a lifetime. Shortly after the podium ceremony Lance took a minute to speak with reporters. “I felt good but didn’t realize that the finish was such an uphill climb. I tried for the win but then told Levi, ‘you better go for it’ instead. Thanks guys, on to Italy now!”
As quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. Heading back to Silver City for a quick bite to eat, it had suddenly looked like a ghost town. So soon, the crowds were gone; teams were already on their way home. None of the restaurants were open because it was Sunday afternoon, my friends and I left as well. A magical weekend none of us will forget anytime soon. A few of the group had raced, and were still trying to process what had happened. “When is the next race, Rebecca? We’re hooked, this was amazing!” Not sure but soon, very soon. For now, back to the real world once again.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Hillsboro Classic RR (my first RR)
Holy hell that was hard! I was in Cat 4 Women, which was the last group to start at 10:20 am. Luckily the weather was nice, warm and not windy. I had hydrated and warmed up for a good 20 minutes or so before the race started. I said a quick prayer that I don't come in last, crash, or get a flat. Right from the start there was a pretty good climb, not long but short and steep. The race was "neutral" until we got over that hill. I was in the front of the pack which I knew was stupid because the best place to be is either in the middle, or back of the peloton to conserve energy. Well it didn't last long...all of a sudden the girls took off and I was dropped, only 5 miles into the race. I looked around and I was in last place! That didn't last long though, I caught up within the next 10 miles.
From there on it was nothing but rollers, and I'm not talking small little hills, but some GOOD hills...non stop which is when we realized why they call Hillsboro HILLSboro. So the race was hard and I was nervous as all hell, even worse than Danskin, but I got through it. The last 9 miles was a climb of about 1100 ft. So basically Transmountain but instead of 5 miles it was stretched out to 9 (not as steep tho). My legs were hurting pretty bad the last 5 miles; it was a 35 mile race but it felt more like 70. I finished and that was the important thing. No I didn't win any prizes but it boosted my confidence and now I know what work needs to be done. Hope you all had a good weekend!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
As you've never seen it before
Through the fog, you find absolute beauty.and this is why I adore black and white photography. You see so much more than you ever would in color. This man is amazing.
http://www.timmkoelln.com/lo_stelvio/
I have to tell you, I've never felt so much betrayal, pain, anger, sadness, and hatred in all my life. Perhaps because I must encounter the cause of this everyday and I am unable to escape it. My escapism has fled me while I am trying so hard to grasp it. I'm floating in and out of a foggy haze that I'm not sure will lift. The facade faded long ago, I'm exhausted and want to be done but yet I'm trapped in it. Its consuming me little by little, more and more each day. My weakness is feeling, honesty, and passion. Nobody is true anymore, nobody feels anymore, nobody is honest anymore, those who are don't succeed or they are eroded. Surreptitious, passiveness, ageism, artfully cunning behavior is what one needs. Only time will tell if I survive...
Today was a horribly black day. perhaps I'll see about Wednesday, if tomorrow is better.
http://www.timmkoelln.com/lo_
I have to tell you, I've never felt so much betrayal, pain, anger, sadness, and hatred in all my life. Perhaps because I must encounter the cause of this everyday and I am unable to escape it. My escapism has fled me while I am trying so hard to grasp it. I'm floating in and out of a foggy haze that I'm not sure will lift. The facade faded long ago, I'm exhausted and want to be done but yet I'm trapped in it. Its consuming me little by little, more and more each day. My weakness is feeling, honesty, and passion. Nobody is true anymore, nobody feels anymore, nobody is honest anymore, those who are don't succeed or they are eroded. Surreptitious, passiveness, ageism, artfully cunning behavior is what one needs. Only time will tell if I survive...
Today was a horribly black day. perhaps I'll see about Wednesday, if tomorrow is better.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Beat Freaks FREAK THE DREAM!
These ladies are beautiful! They were the first all-girl dance crew to make it to the finals on America's Best Dance Crew. Just want to give a big shout out to Bgirl Shorty! This girl is amazing, as the rest of her crew is but damn...head spins and all there's nothing she can't do!! Its groups like these that give me the inspiration to get the all Womens Team El Paso going and FREAK THE DREAM!! Unfortunately, they didn't win on the show but sometimes winning isn't everything. I know these girls are going to blow up after showcasing how much talent they have.
It was a pleasure watching you girls each week, I can't wait to see what is next in your careers.
Much love!
It was a pleasure watching you girls each week, I can't wait to see what is next in your careers.
Much love!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
He's back!!
"Everyday of my life it has been your presence, your faith, your loyalty that has given me great strength during difficult times and it was you who inspired me to work hard and deliver, I owe YOU. Over the years we have become family, my family is your family, my children are your children. It was YOU who put your heart on the line, it was YOU who stepped forward to defend someone you love. It was YOU, on a worldwide basis that supported me as my army of love. Whenever there was injustice against me, you were always there, always loyal and I love you forever for this. I will make you proud of me, proud to be a Michael Jackson fan."
~Michael Jackson 2003 speech to the fans
It is January 16, 2004, I'm sitting out by the pond at Neverland Valley Ranch, helicopters blaring overhead - hovering just over the tree tops not moving but making so much noise I can barely hear my own thoughts. Michael and his family are in the guest house just a few feet away trying to compose themselves after a stressful morning. It's the day of the arraignment, hundreds of fans are scattered all over the ranch along with media and locals from Santa Ynez who've come to get a glimpse of what's been behind the gates all these years. I've been here before, back before it was invaded, back when the magic was palpable in the air. Back then, you would walk inside the gates and feel as if you've entered a mystical world - animals roaming freely, classical music blaring around statues of children playing as the sun is shining through the morning fog around the grand oak trees. Back then you entered those gates feeling like a child again with all the joy childhood brings, the imagination and innocence. I saw GROWN men come "I'm here with my wife, she's the fan" they'd say, later I'd see them running around the fields, riding the rides and raiding the candy shop as if they were 10 again. That was the magic of Neverland. Now, sitting by this pond watching the swans swim by all I feel is a horrible, negative energy. The main house is still in ruins, from the over 40 police officers who trashed it, looking for "evidence" that was never discovered. Perhaps its the helicopters, or the journalists that I over hear as they pass me "this is a circus, meant for a freak" whatever it is I become completely overwhelmed as the tears began streaming down my face. Katherine Jackson sees me from the window, her face showing the compassion and hurt she's feeling. They tried so many times to ruin him, to kick him out, I think they finally succeeded. A friend of mine comes over..."this is a nightmare, but he's going to get through this, he's very strong. Good always triumphs over evil." Perhaps but Neverland will never be the same, will Michael?
June 13, 2005 - Vindication Day! Michael Joseph Jackson, Defendant found NOT Guilty of 14 counts. The "walking skeleton" as the journalists have coined him now, is making his way out of the court house. He looks to be in a daze, and very sick but he's free. Back to Neverland where his employees and fans are waiting for him at the gate to celebrate. He still has not stepped back into his house, been spending his days at the guest house. He never will again. Shortly after returning home he is whisked off to Bahrain, a tiny little country Southeast of Saudi Arabia. That's the last I see of him for the next 3 years.
Off and on pictures surface, features in magazine but not much else. A house in Las Vegas? Moving to Ireland? Shopping in Beverly Hills? Nothing on the music front, never gave any interviews, been very quiet. I can't be selfish though. This man has been in the public eye for over 40 years, was famous by the time he was 6 years old and successful every since. He deserves a quiet life now, to spend with his kids and enjoy their time. I'm happy for him, although sad as I find out that he's getting rid of Neverland. He's broke they say, sick others report but no one really knows.
I find other things to fill the void. I take up cycling and fall madly in love with it. All the things I used to do relating to Michael I find myself doing for cycling now. Websites, events, volunteering, interviews, articles...so I find myself in Solvang once again. No, not to go to Neverland but rather for the biggest cycling race in North America. Who knew this existed here. Its very strange being back without the Michael connection. I decide to stop by Neverland on my way out. It's been sold now, or at least that's what I've read in the news. The animals adopted by local zoo's, statues, rides, trains, mementos all going to auction next month. I stop by and notice right away its just a place now. Shrubbery is overgrown, plants wilted, video cameras are everywhere even nailed into the storybook oak tree we used to sit under. The security guard comes to the gate, "May I help you? This is NOT Neverland anymore, you need to move on." I take one last look and tell myself this is the last time, its nothing like what it was before.
March 4, 2009 - "Rebecca? Wow, I hoped you had the same number - have you heard? He's BACK! Press conference is Thursday in London! Going to make a big announcement!" I get inundated with emails from people I haven't heard from in years. "Rebecca! I need you on the news team immediately! We need your expertise! It's crazy, we've had calls flooding in, I'm being interviewed on Sky News tomorrow LIVE directly after the announcement."
Thursday morning I wake up right at 8:45, turn on CNN, MSNBC, BBC - all showing live shots of Michael's caravan heading to the arena. What?!? This is the USA, its happening in LONDON and they're showing it LIVE in the US? Is this for real?!? Aerial shots of his hotel and the route to the arena show fans lining the street, media chasing with cameras...shooting pictures of black tinted windows hoping to get some sort of shot. 1000 fans are in the arena, along with media. It's nearly 10 am, he's an hour late. Why did I wake up early?!? He's NEVER on time, DUH!! The crowd is on their tip toes in anticipation, over 200 fans are up in the front...finally 10:23 am after a video montage of his career, "You've waited long enough, London welcomes the KING OF POP!! Mr. MICHAEL JACKSON!" The curtains part and he appears. He's thin, but he's always been extremely thin...he looks good, he looks HAPPY! "These will be my final performances in London. THIS IS IT, and when I say that I mean it, my final curtain call. I love you, I really do, I love you so much you have to know that...from the bottom of my heart (peering down at the fans). This is it, I'll see you in July."
For now, 10 shows confirmed beginning July 8, 2009 at the O2 Arena in London. Promoters say that they are in negotiations for up to a 3 year contract which will include New York City as well but its not confirmed just yet. I attend a meeting the next night, everyone is coming back. Trish pops up again, Simone, Anika, Danny, MANU! I'm sure Justin is out there in the crowd somewhere as always. Looking at the video again I recognize so many faces from years past. "Are we ready for this again Rebecca? How crazy must we be!" While my priorities are set in place this time around, I've decided to help and work as much as my time allows. I am on staff now, and will be taking over the news department once I get back into the swing of things. Interviews are being planned, staff organized, event ideas discussed...he's back! :)
"We are delighted to facilitate the return of The King of Pop, long may he reign!"
- Rob Hallett, President International Touring, AEG Live
-MichaelJackson.com struggling to cope - receiving 16,000 hits per second
Thriller back on the charts, certified 28 mil sold
Certification Date 03/06/2009
Label EPIC
Award Description 28.00x MULTI PLATINUM (www.riaa.com)
No, this is NOT the 80's folks, March 6, 2009 in London (SCARY!):
http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=099ca9f4-6d1c-4108-87e4-c090ff5cae8f
~Michael Jackson 2003 speech to the fans
It is January 16, 2004, I'm sitting out by the pond at Neverland Valley Ranch, helicopters blaring overhead - hovering just over the tree tops not moving but making so much noise I can barely hear my own thoughts. Michael and his family are in the guest house just a few feet away trying to compose themselves after a stressful morning. It's the day of the arraignment, hundreds of fans are scattered all over the ranch along with media and locals from Santa Ynez who've come to get a glimpse of what's been behind the gates all these years. I've been here before, back before it was invaded, back when the magic was palpable in the air. Back then, you would walk inside the gates and feel as if you've entered a mystical world - animals roaming freely, classical music blaring around statues of children playing as the sun is shining through the morning fog around the grand oak trees. Back then you entered those gates feeling like a child again with all the joy childhood brings, the imagination and innocence. I saw GROWN men come "I'm here with my wife, she's the fan" they'd say, later I'd see them running around the fields, riding the rides and raiding the candy shop as if they were 10 again. That was the magic of Neverland. Now, sitting by this pond watching the swans swim by all I feel is a horrible, negative energy. The main house is still in ruins, from the over 40 police officers who trashed it, looking for "evidence" that was never discovered. Perhaps its the helicopters, or the journalists that I over hear as they pass me "this is a circus, meant for a freak" whatever it is I become completely overwhelmed as the tears began streaming down my face. Katherine Jackson sees me from the window, her face showing the compassion and hurt she's feeling. They tried so many times to ruin him, to kick him out, I think they finally succeeded. A friend of mine comes over..."this is a nightmare, but he's going to get through this, he's very strong. Good always triumphs over evil." Perhaps but Neverland will never be the same, will Michael?
June 13, 2005 - Vindication Day! Michael Joseph Jackson, Defendant found NOT Guilty of 14 counts. The "walking skeleton" as the journalists have coined him now, is making his way out of the court house. He looks to be in a daze, and very sick but he's free. Back to Neverland where his employees and fans are waiting for him at the gate to celebrate. He still has not stepped back into his house, been spending his days at the guest house. He never will again. Shortly after returning home he is whisked off to Bahrain, a tiny little country Southeast of Saudi Arabia. That's the last I see of him for the next 3 years.
Off and on pictures surface, features in magazine but not much else. A house in Las Vegas? Moving to Ireland? Shopping in Beverly Hills? Nothing on the music front, never gave any interviews, been very quiet. I can't be selfish though. This man has been in the public eye for over 40 years, was famous by the time he was 6 years old and successful every since. He deserves a quiet life now, to spend with his kids and enjoy their time. I'm happy for him, although sad as I find out that he's getting rid of Neverland. He's broke they say, sick others report but no one really knows.
I find other things to fill the void. I take up cycling and fall madly in love with it. All the things I used to do relating to Michael I find myself doing for cycling now. Websites, events, volunteering, interviews, articles...so I find myself in Solvang once again. No, not to go to Neverland but rather for the biggest cycling race in North America. Who knew this existed here. Its very strange being back without the Michael connection. I decide to stop by Neverland on my way out. It's been sold now, or at least that's what I've read in the news. The animals adopted by local zoo's, statues, rides, trains, mementos all going to auction next month. I stop by and notice right away its just a place now. Shrubbery is overgrown, plants wilted, video cameras are everywhere even nailed into the storybook oak tree we used to sit under. The security guard comes to the gate, "May I help you? This is NOT Neverland anymore, you need to move on." I take one last look and tell myself this is the last time, its nothing like what it was before.
March 4, 2009 - "Rebecca? Wow, I hoped you had the same number - have you heard? He's BACK! Press conference is Thursday in London! Going to make a big announcement!" I get inundated with emails from people I haven't heard from in years. "Rebecca! I need you on the news team immediately! We need your expertise! It's crazy, we've had calls flooding in, I'm being interviewed on Sky News tomorrow LIVE directly after the announcement."
Thursday morning I wake up right at 8:45, turn on CNN, MSNBC, BBC - all showing live shots of Michael's caravan heading to the arena. What?!? This is the USA, its happening in LONDON and they're showing it LIVE in the US? Is this for real?!? Aerial shots of his hotel and the route to the arena show fans lining the street, media chasing with cameras...shooting pictures of black tinted windows hoping to get some sort of shot. 1000 fans are in the arena, along with media. It's nearly 10 am, he's an hour late. Why did I wake up early?!? He's NEVER on time, DUH!! The crowd is on their tip toes in anticipation, over 200 fans are up in the front...finally 10:23 am after a video montage of his career, "You've waited long enough, London welcomes the KING OF POP!! Mr. MICHAEL JACKSON!" The curtains part and he appears. He's thin, but he's always been extremely thin...he looks good, he looks HAPPY! "These will be my final performances in London. THIS IS IT, and when I say that I mean it, my final curtain call. I love you, I really do, I love you so much you have to know that...from the bottom of my heart (peering down at the fans). This is it, I'll see you in July."
For now, 10 shows confirmed beginning July 8, 2009 at the O2 Arena in London. Promoters say that they are in negotiations for up to a 3 year contract which will include New York City as well but its not confirmed just yet. I attend a meeting the next night, everyone is coming back. Trish pops up again, Simone, Anika, Danny, MANU! I'm sure Justin is out there in the crowd somewhere as always. Looking at the video again I recognize so many faces from years past. "Are we ready for this again Rebecca? How crazy must we be!" While my priorities are set in place this time around, I've decided to help and work as much as my time allows. I am on staff now, and will be taking over the news department once I get back into the swing of things. Interviews are being planned, staff organized, event ideas discussed...he's back! :)
"We are delighted to facilitate the return of The King of Pop, long may he reign!"
- Rob Hallett, President International Touring, AEG Live
-MichaelJackson.com struggling to cope - receiving 16,000 hits per second
Thriller back on the charts, certified 28 mil sold
Certification Date 03/06/2009
Label EPIC
Award Description 28.00x MULTI PLATINUM (www.riaa.com)
No, this is NOT the 80's folks, March 6, 2009 in London (SCARY!):
http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=099ca9f4-6d1c-4108-87e4-c090ff5cae8f
Michaelmania is in full force...
Sunday, March 1, 2009
"Every path you take, you're leaving your legacy..."
Everyday is a new day, and when one door is closed, another is opened. I have parted ways from Revolution Cyclery for this blog, thus the new layout and title. Unfortunately, their website has been shut down so the only way to contact them is by email or phone. I will keep this URL for the next few weeks so that people realize that it will be changing, after which the NEW url will be:
http://rebeccareza.blogspot.com
Simple and straight forward. I will continue to primarily write about cycling, however I may throw in other subjects every now and then. I am also writing now for
www.uscyclingreport.com so check that out as well.
This year I am an officer with the El Paso Bicycle club and will be assisting in organizing the 2009 El Paso Chili Pepper Challenge. In addition to that I have just registered a local chapter of Livestrong, and am currently looking for volunteers willing to help me spread Livestrong's initiative in the fight against cancer here locally and help raise money for the cause. I'm excited for the future and to see what it has in store for me.
Ciao!
http://rebeccareza.blogspot.com
Simple and straight forward. I will continue to primarily write about cycling, however I may throw in other subjects every now and then. I am also writing now for
www.uscyclingreport.com so check that out as well.
This year I am an officer with the El Paso Bicycle club and will be assisting in organizing the 2009 El Paso Chili Pepper Challenge. In addition to that I have just registered a local chapter of Livestrong, and am currently looking for volunteers willing to help me spread Livestrong's initiative in the fight against cancer here locally and help raise money for the cause. I'm excited for the future and to see what it has in store for me.
Ciao!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Good News!
I'm sure Ricardo will be most happy about this as I won't need to be filling up the shop site with my reports anymore. However, I wanted to let you know that I have been asked to join the staff of www.uscyclingreport.com who are based out of the San Francisco area in California. They have just recently posted the TOC wrap up I wrote on their website, you can check it out here:
http://uscyclingreport.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1258&Itemid=1
In addition, I will be writing for them on special assignments, and possibly future US cycling events. I'm thrilled with this new opportunity and look forward to what is to come.
Rebecca~
http://uscyclingreport.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1258&Itemid=1
In addition, I will be writing for them on special assignments, and possibly future US cycling events. I'm thrilled with this new opportunity and look forward to what is to come.
Rebecca~
Sunday, February 22, 2009
As the journey comes to a close...
There is a scene in "Hell on Wheels" (the documentary on T-Mobile at the 2003 Tour de France), where one of the soigneurs is sitting on the final train ride home and he says, "The war is over, back to normal life." As I sit in the LAX airport waiting for my plane, I can't help but sympathize to those same feelings. Sure this is not the Tour but its safe to say that it was the closest thing you'll get to it here in the States. I had a slight idea of what I would experience but the real deal went so much further than I ever imagined.
My teams are Saxobank with Bobby Julich as the new Rider Development Manager, the Schleck brothers - Andy & Frank, JJ Haedo, and Jens Voigt. Then there is the new Cervelo Test Team with Sastre, Hushovd, Rollin, and Hayden. Last but definitely not least we have Ivan Basso with his new Liquigas team. There is Alessandro who seems to be the joker of the bunch; I don't think there was a time I saw him where he wasn't laughing or having a good time (Jens is the same way). Then Kjall & Gianni who both look very young, Jacobo (the quiet one) and Chicci (Alessandro's partner in crime). Then there is the staff. Following the tour I got to know the Cervelo team mechanic, Alejandro who I kept calling "alessandro" oops! Hailing from Spain, he was very nice in showing my friends and I around the bikes while he was working. He shared cookies with us while we all suffered in the freezing rain - a lot of fun. Then Francesco from Liquigas, who is a massuer for the team. I seemed to be the lone fan that would stop by their bus each day on the tour. If only I spoke Italian! Francesco was very cordial with me even though we had a slight language barrier.
In Sacramento, waiting for Ivan Basso, I met three lovely cycling fans. Dominique who came down from Oregon, and Oron & Jo all the way from Ireland! It seemed we were some of the few that were following the race the entire way. "Isn't this just marvelous? You can't get this close in Europe, especially to the Schleck brothers. It's nice that Lance is here distracting everyone!" Jo said, I couldn't agree more!
So it's the end of my journey. From the prologue in Sac town, which seemed to be an overload of the senses, to the final start in Rancho Bernardo saying my goodbyes to everyone. Everywhere you looked at each stage, another pro was weaving in and out of the crowd. At times you would miss them, since many of the public were arriving on the scene wearing the full kits from their favorite teams. Then the rains came and oddly enough, even though we were soaked to the bone and freezing, the spirit and excitement in the air never dissipated. Somewhat lonely at times since I was traveling on my own, it also gave me a chance to observe and witness how things worked within the teams and the fans who came, many for the first time because of Lance's return, but also to witness so many cycling greats race in person on US soil.
From what I witnessed, the teams are like brothers, the peloton - their extended family. They respect one another and have a good time, even in the worst of conditions. This is when I missed riding the most, when the peloton would pass me early on, not attacking just yet but simply chatting among themselves with big grins on their faces as if it were a reunion. And perhaps it was? Having Armstrong return after three years, there was Basso, Hamilton, and Landis back in the mix as well. Then you had those who retired not too long ago like Julich, and Aldag, trying to get comfortable in their new roles. "Yea, they had me following Frank today, it was nuts!!" Bobby says in the distance. Those of us who were following the tour became friends as well. Frank and Andy Schleck would wave to Jo & Oron as they were out on the course each day. Oron became known as the "7-eleven guy" due to his jacket of the old 7-eleven team he'd wear each day. They ended up getting water bottles, mussettes, and special momentos as a thank you from the team. In the meantime I followed team Liquigas and Ivan Basso every day, receiving my own mussette at the end of the tour (thanks Francesco!). One particular moment was at the top of Bonny Doon, I had a video camera in one hand and my 35mm in the other with a cowbell hanging on my arm...what can I say I multitask pretty well! ;) Anyway, it seemed Basso had a good laugh when he passed me.
Solvang is another point that will stick out when I remember this tour. I had finally gotten my picture with Sastre and was thus watching Ivan warm up for his time trial. I noticed that his knee was tapped up pretty good while instead of having tunes blasting through headphones, he had his trainer whispering in his ear. "If its still bothering you and you can't generate the power than you're just wasting your time but I think you'll be just fine." "Yes but when I push just a little, I feel pain." Basso replies with that thick Italian accent. Minutes later, he clipped out, disappointment and frustration written all over his face. Yet even then he stops to sign a few autographs before disappearing onto the bus. I knew that was the last time I would see him at the race, he was going to abandon. You couldn't help but feel for him, how many times have we all been sick, or injured at the most inopportune times and there was absolutely nothing you could do about it? Sure enough, it was announced shortly after that he was missing his start and having to abandon due to injury. Just a case of bad luck. :(
Finally, what seemed like ages of pouring rain, at the point when you thought you'd never warm up..the sun peaked through the clouds. Now THIS is California! Modesto was the point where the teams began recognizing that we were following the tour. Guys like Thor Hushovd, the Schlek brothers, and Ivan Basso would wave to us, or give us a wink when they passed, while Sastre never said much other than bowing his head with those humble eyes and smile. What can I say, I love this relationship between spectator and athlete. No, cycling will never be what football, baseball, or basketball is here in the States because in my opinion it can never generate the kind of money that those sports can. Perhaps that's what will keep cycling special in the hearts of those, (like me), who are so passionate about it and appreciate it for what it is. Many who showed up each day didn't know a lot about cycling outside of Lance which was a shame. They would hang around the European teams until Astana arrived and then in a flash they were gone.
I also found it interesting to see the differences between the dynamics of each time. There was Rock Racing who seemed like they were on a rock n'roll tour instead of a cycling race. Then Astana, the celebrity dream team of the bunch. Instead of having a 15 passenger van, or their team cars for their equipment they had escalades, black with heavily tinted windows. Then there were the American national teams like BMC, Bissell and Jelly Belly which seemed to be forgotten about with all the other world class teams that were present. Finally, Cervelo Test team, sitting quietly under the radar until Stage 3 when Thor won in the final sprint.
They came to us, a country known for its fast food and football, yet the crowds came out in droves, showing their appreciation. I hope we did them justice for getting out there in such horrendous conditions this early in the season. As I sit on the plane over Arizona and New Mexico headed home, somewhere over the Atlantic Basso and Sastre are heading home as well, while others will follow suit soon. I return to the monotonous mornings of serving coffee at Starbucks and going to school, while catching what I can on Versus of the spring classics and later on grand tours (when they decide to air it)...remembering the time in February when I was there to witness it all. Until next time...when I don't think I can make it up that next hard climb or maintain the sprint, I'll remember your efforts in my mind and know that somewhere deep down I'll have it in me, I'll know that it's possible. Thanks for the inspiration & motivation! Have a wonderful, healthy, and prosperous year boys!
My teams are Saxobank with Bobby Julich as the new Rider Development Manager, the Schleck brothers - Andy & Frank, JJ Haedo, and Jens Voigt. Then there is the new Cervelo Test Team with Sastre, Hushovd, Rollin, and Hayden. Last but definitely not least we have Ivan Basso with his new Liquigas team. There is Alessandro who seems to be the joker of the bunch; I don't think there was a time I saw him where he wasn't laughing or having a good time (Jens is the same way). Then Kjall & Gianni who both look very young, Jacobo (the quiet one) and Chicci (Alessandro's partner in crime). Then there is the staff. Following the tour I got to know the Cervelo team mechanic, Alejandro who I kept calling "alessandro" oops! Hailing from Spain, he was very nice in showing my friends and I around the bikes while he was working. He shared cookies with us while we all suffered in the freezing rain - a lot of fun. Then Francesco from Liquigas, who is a massuer for the team. I seemed to be the lone fan that would stop by their bus each day on the tour. If only I spoke Italian! Francesco was very cordial with me even though we had a slight language barrier.
In Sacramento, waiting for Ivan Basso, I met three lovely cycling fans. Dominique who came down from Oregon, and Oron & Jo all the way from Ireland! It seemed we were some of the few that were following the race the entire way. "Isn't this just marvelous? You can't get this close in Europe, especially to the Schleck brothers. It's nice that Lance is here distracting everyone!" Jo said, I couldn't agree more!
So it's the end of my journey. From the prologue in Sac town, which seemed to be an overload of the senses, to the final start in Rancho Bernardo saying my goodbyes to everyone. Everywhere you looked at each stage, another pro was weaving in and out of the crowd. At times you would miss them, since many of the public were arriving on the scene wearing the full kits from their favorite teams. Then the rains came and oddly enough, even though we were soaked to the bone and freezing, the spirit and excitement in the air never dissipated. Somewhat lonely at times since I was traveling on my own, it also gave me a chance to observe and witness how things worked within the teams and the fans who came, many for the first time because of Lance's return, but also to witness so many cycling greats race in person on US soil.
From what I witnessed, the teams are like brothers, the peloton - their extended family. They respect one another and have a good time, even in the worst of conditions. This is when I missed riding the most, when the peloton would pass me early on, not attacking just yet but simply chatting among themselves with big grins on their faces as if it were a reunion. And perhaps it was? Having Armstrong return after three years, there was Basso, Hamilton, and Landis back in the mix as well. Then you had those who retired not too long ago like Julich, and Aldag, trying to get comfortable in their new roles. "Yea, they had me following Frank today, it was nuts!!" Bobby says in the distance. Those of us who were following the tour became friends as well. Frank and Andy Schleck would wave to Jo & Oron as they were out on the course each day. Oron became known as the "7-eleven guy" due to his jacket of the old 7-eleven team he'd wear each day. They ended up getting water bottles, mussettes, and special momentos as a thank you from the team. In the meantime I followed team Liquigas and Ivan Basso every day, receiving my own mussette at the end of the tour (thanks Francesco!). One particular moment was at the top of Bonny Doon, I had a video camera in one hand and my 35mm in the other with a cowbell hanging on my arm...what can I say I multitask pretty well! ;) Anyway, it seemed Basso had a good laugh when he passed me.
Solvang is another point that will stick out when I remember this tour. I had finally gotten my picture with Sastre and was thus watching Ivan warm up for his time trial. I noticed that his knee was tapped up pretty good while instead of having tunes blasting through headphones, he had his trainer whispering in his ear. "If its still bothering you and you can't generate the power than you're just wasting your time but I think you'll be just fine." "Yes but when I push just a little, I feel pain." Basso replies with that thick Italian accent. Minutes later, he clipped out, disappointment and frustration written all over his face. Yet even then he stops to sign a few autographs before disappearing onto the bus. I knew that was the last time I would see him at the race, he was going to abandon. You couldn't help but feel for him, how many times have we all been sick, or injured at the most inopportune times and there was absolutely nothing you could do about it? Sure enough, it was announced shortly after that he was missing his start and having to abandon due to injury. Just a case of bad luck. :(
Finally, what seemed like ages of pouring rain, at the point when you thought you'd never warm up..the sun peaked through the clouds. Now THIS is California! Modesto was the point where the teams began recognizing that we were following the tour. Guys like Thor Hushovd, the Schlek brothers, and Ivan Basso would wave to us, or give us a wink when they passed, while Sastre never said much other than bowing his head with those humble eyes and smile. What can I say, I love this relationship between spectator and athlete. No, cycling will never be what football, baseball, or basketball is here in the States because in my opinion it can never generate the kind of money that those sports can. Perhaps that's what will keep cycling special in the hearts of those, (like me), who are so passionate about it and appreciate it for what it is. Many who showed up each day didn't know a lot about cycling outside of Lance which was a shame. They would hang around the European teams until Astana arrived and then in a flash they were gone.
I also found it interesting to see the differences between the dynamics of each time. There was Rock Racing who seemed like they were on a rock n'roll tour instead of a cycling race. Then Astana, the celebrity dream team of the bunch. Instead of having a 15 passenger van, or their team cars for their equipment they had escalades, black with heavily tinted windows. Then there were the American national teams like BMC, Bissell and Jelly Belly which seemed to be forgotten about with all the other world class teams that were present. Finally, Cervelo Test team, sitting quietly under the radar until Stage 3 when Thor won in the final sprint.
They came to us, a country known for its fast food and football, yet the crowds came out in droves, showing their appreciation. I hope we did them justice for getting out there in such horrendous conditions this early in the season. As I sit on the plane over Arizona and New Mexico headed home, somewhere over the Atlantic Basso and Sastre are heading home as well, while others will follow suit soon. I return to the monotonous mornings of serving coffee at Starbucks and going to school, while catching what I can on Versus of the spring classics and later on grand tours (when they decide to air it)...remembering the time in February when I was there to witness it all. Until next time...when I don't think I can make it up that next hard climb or maintain the sprint, I'll remember your efforts in my mind and know that somewhere deep down I'll have it in me, I'll know that it's possible. Thanks for the inspiration & motivation! Have a wonderful, healthy, and prosperous year boys!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Greetings from Paso Robles
It's the fifth stage of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. I'm exhausted sitting in my hotel room in the next little town somewhere in central California. I had planned to run everyday, brought all my stuff but each night I am so tired I end up eating a little something and crashing right after. I have a new appreciation for what these guys do each day. Okay so they have drivers, and chefs and souniers and mechanics that do just about everything for them but they're still riding out in the elements, 100+ miles everyday. Right as they finish the winners go to the press conference, after which they go to change/freshen up and get their massage in before dinner. Then, they have a short while to relax before going to sleep for the next morning to wake up around 6 am, get ready, eat breakfast, have their team meeting and drive to the start. I've known about this but actually following the tour myself now, I'll be so happy to sleep in my own bed and it's only been 5 days!! Seriously...perhaps its standing out in the FREEZING rain for 4 days that did it, but I can't imagine doing this, and riding 100 miles a day for 3 weeks straight!
California itself is beautiful though, having traveled through most of these United States I have to say that it's on my top favorite list of States to visit. It's an adventure stopping by each town and finding your way around. You learn, following the tour to stop to buy the local paper upon arrival because it has the map of the race, start times and local events, road closure, etc. From there I usually get some cash for my spending quota for that day which is minimal at best for merch/parking/and food expenses that day. I've managed to snag some cool things though...Livestrong scarfs, Astana/Rock Racing/Columbia team shirts, posters, socks, pins, etc. It's amazing the kind of discounts I get just wearing my volunteer shirt and showing up each day.
So if its a finishing line city then I would have driving an hour or two in the morning after getting up at 5:30 to pack up, set my route from the map, and take off. I will arrive in the city (or town) a couple of hours before the cyclists are expected in order to enjoy the local festivities and watch a bit of the tour on the jumbo trons. About 30 minutes or so before arrival I would have scoped out the team bus location and am looking for a good viewing spot, hopefully on a corner near the buses. If I'm volunteering then I go to my post at this time. I wait for what seems like an eternity until the convoy arrives..."ARE YOU READY!!!?" The announcer calls out, who is in a lead car with speakers..."WELCOME THE AMGEN TOUR OF C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A!!! Riders are ___________ miles (or minutes) behind with the breakaway about to be caught. MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!"
The cyclists pass shortly after, in a blink of an eye. "Was that Basso? hmmm he was in the front but no, it's a sprint so could it have been Chicci perhaps? Where was Lance? He's wearing his Livestrong helmet but wait is that him in yellow or Levi?? Was that Sastre at the back end? No, why would he be at the back??" All of these questions start popping up because you don't have the luxury of hearing Phil & Paul making the call (BOY do I miss them!!). The stage is over, only press is allowed around the award presentation stage, while the VIP tents blocks any possible view...so you go back to the team buses instead. "OOO!!" There's Andy Schleck! Boonen, Cavendish, Basso! Wait...JENS! Worn out, dirty, starving, still on their bikes looking for their buses but yet they stop anyway. "sure I'll sign, where?" "Picture? SURE! of course!" They're so tired, they don't say much else except for Jens, "How are you? You following the tour? Cool! Yea, stage was pretty difficult today but good, SO glad the sun was out today" Wow, hell of a guy and a DAMN good cyclist! :)
I didn't know exactly what I expected before I came. In only the past year I have fallen in love with a sport that at first intimidated me because of all the jargon and foreign language on top of the complex strategies that are involved in winning a race. Yet it all fascinated me, and now that I'm completely submersed I am convinced this is the best, most invigorating sport there is! Until you have ridden a century yourself and know the fatigue one feels after riding such lengths, compare that with the gradients and elements these men ride in will you have any idea of how inspiring this is to watch. While being so generous to their adoring public, and how accommodating they are, will you understand the appreciation and passion I feel for this sport, even more so after this experience.
It's been an exhausting, invigorating but most of all, truly inspiring adventure so far. Onward...
California itself is beautiful though, having traveled through most of these United States I have to say that it's on my top favorite list of States to visit. It's an adventure stopping by each town and finding your way around. You learn, following the tour to stop to buy the local paper upon arrival because it has the map of the race, start times and local events, road closure, etc. From there I usually get some cash for my spending quota for that day which is minimal at best for merch/parking/and food expenses that day. I've managed to snag some cool things though...Livestrong scarfs, Astana/Rock Racing/Columbia team shirts, posters, socks, pins, etc. It's amazing the kind of discounts I get just wearing my volunteer shirt and showing up each day.
So if its a finishing line city then I would have driving an hour or two in the morning after getting up at 5:30 to pack up, set my route from the map, and take off. I will arrive in the city (or town) a couple of hours before the cyclists are expected in order to enjoy the local festivities and watch a bit of the tour on the jumbo trons. About 30 minutes or so before arrival I would have scoped out the team bus location and am looking for a good viewing spot, hopefully on a corner near the buses. If I'm volunteering then I go to my post at this time. I wait for what seems like an eternity until the convoy arrives..."ARE YOU READY!!!?" The announcer calls out, who is in a lead car with speakers..."WELCOME THE AMGEN TOUR OF C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A!!! Riders are ___________ miles (or minutes) behind with the breakaway about to be caught. MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!"
The cyclists pass shortly after, in a blink of an eye. "Was that Basso? hmmm he was in the front but no, it's a sprint so could it have been Chicci perhaps? Where was Lance? He's wearing his Livestrong helmet but wait is that him in yellow or Levi?? Was that Sastre at the back end? No, why would he be at the back??" All of these questions start popping up because you don't have the luxury of hearing Phil & Paul making the call (BOY do I miss them!!). The stage is over, only press is allowed around the award presentation stage, while the VIP tents blocks any possible view...so you go back to the team buses instead. "OOO!!" There's Andy Schleck! Boonen, Cavendish, Basso! Wait...JENS! Worn out, dirty, starving, still on their bikes looking for their buses but yet they stop anyway. "sure I'll sign, where?" "Picture? SURE! of course!" They're so tired, they don't say much else except for Jens, "How are you? You following the tour? Cool! Yea, stage was pretty difficult today but good, SO glad the sun was out today" Wow, hell of a guy and a DAMN good cyclist! :)
I didn't know exactly what I expected before I came. In only the past year I have fallen in love with a sport that at first intimidated me because of all the jargon and foreign language on top of the complex strategies that are involved in winning a race. Yet it all fascinated me, and now that I'm completely submersed I am convinced this is the best, most invigorating sport there is! Until you have ridden a century yourself and know the fatigue one feels after riding such lengths, compare that with the gradients and elements these men ride in will you have any idea of how inspiring this is to watch. While being so generous to their adoring public, and how accommodating they are, will you understand the appreciation and passion I feel for this sport, even more so after this experience.
It's been an exhausting, invigorating but most of all, truly inspiring adventure so far. Onward...
Men who would be giants...
(from Sunday morning, since I didn't have Internet access until now...here it is)
I'm in Davis, California. It's pouring rain but the cyclists are still getting ready to ride. They never cancel a race, no matter what. So the rain is coming down, I decide to look for Sastre since everyone seems to be transfixed on Landis, Armstrong, Levi, & Hincapie. I'm outside Cervelo's Team trailer when I catch a glimpse of Sastre. I'm a little embarrassed because at the moment I've got on a huge navy blue poncho on, looking like a tent as its covering my backpack and me from the rain. I yell anyway, "Carlos!" He looks up and tells the mechanic going into the trailer to wait, gesturing to keep the door open...looking to me..."Carlos, do you mind signing this?" SHIT! The jersey that I have ready to sign is stuck under the poncho as I'm trying to find the opening to show him. He asks the mechanic to get it for him..."Thank you!" I tell him, as the door shuts. A minute later, the door opens again, as a man steps down to bring me the jersey, I look into the bus and Sastre is watching, making sure I get it back and waves to me..."Gracias Carlos!" A soft spoken man, he steps down from the bus and looks for his bike to head towards the starting line. "Buena Suerte, Carlos" I tell him, as he looks at me, nodding his head in thanks and smiles.
Later the next day, I'm walking through the hotel back to my car. It so happens that I had parked in the team hotels' parking lot without realizing it. I'm in Modesto, getting ready to leave for Merced. It's been a very long, wet, and cold day waiting for the guys to come in. I had been outside in the rain again watching the Cervelo team mechanics get Thor Huschovd's bike ready for the next day. Freezing, I decided to walk through the hotel to the garage to warm up a bit. I'm heading for the door as I look up and see Sastre walking towards me. I'm surprised, there are tour staff all around us chit chatting so I don't want to bother him for a picture, or be rude but it's a little awkward. It seems he's surprised that I recognize him, or perhaps he remembers me from the other day, but why should he be surprised that I know who he is? Is it due to Lance fever here in the States? Who knows but he seems embarrassed or shy or something I can't quite figure out. I hope I'm not making him uncomfortable, so a few awkward moments and I simple tell him..."Good job today, buenas noches." He smiles and waves goodnight to me.
I'm so intrigued by these men. It's as if they're shy of their own fame. I meet Cavindish the following day in Clovis after he narrowly beats out Boonen. Same thing happens, I called out to him to ask for his autograph as he's heading into a building for the press conference. He stops abruptly and gestures for me to come over. He waits for me, signs my magazine as I thank him and congratulate him on his win. "Sure thing, thank you very much" smiles at me and is gone. Oddly intriguing, these giants of their sport and heroes to thousands, yet so fragile and humble in person. You begin to feel ashamed when you try to compare them to other professional athletes in American football or baseball, of which there is no comparison. In cycling, there is no separation from the athletes and the spectators, no outrageous ticket prices to pay to see them create history. Yet they are so humble, some of the lowest paid professional athletes in the world, while they endure double what say a football player would endure on his worst day. Whatever it is I'm completely fascinated and inspired by their dedication and sacrifice they give day in and day out for a sport that is so brutal and unforgiving in return.
Rebecca Reza
from Stage 1, of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California
I'm in Davis, California. It's pouring rain but the cyclists are still getting ready to ride. They never cancel a race, no matter what. So the rain is coming down, I decide to look for Sastre since everyone seems to be transfixed on Landis, Armstrong, Levi, & Hincapie. I'm outside Cervelo's Team trailer when I catch a glimpse of Sastre. I'm a little embarrassed because at the moment I've got on a huge navy blue poncho on, looking like a tent as its covering my backpack and me from the rain. I yell anyway, "Carlos!" He looks up and tells the mechanic going into the trailer to wait, gesturing to keep the door open...looking to me..."Carlos, do you mind signing this?" SHIT! The jersey that I have ready to sign is stuck under the poncho as I'm trying to find the opening to show him. He asks the mechanic to get it for him..."Thank you!" I tell him, as the door shuts. A minute later, the door opens again, as a man steps down to bring me the jersey, I look into the bus and Sastre is watching, making sure I get it back and waves to me..."Gracias Carlos!" A soft spoken man, he steps down from the bus and looks for his bike to head towards the starting line. "Buena Suerte, Carlos" I tell him, as he looks at me, nodding his head in thanks and smiles.
Later the next day, I'm walking through the hotel back to my car. It so happens that I had parked in the team hotels' parking lot without realizing it. I'm in Modesto, getting ready to leave for Merced. It's been a very long, wet, and cold day waiting for the guys to come in. I had been outside in the rain again watching the Cervelo team mechanics get Thor Huschovd's bike ready for the next day. Freezing, I decided to walk through the hotel to the garage to warm up a bit. I'm heading for the door as I look up and see Sastre walking towards me. I'm surprised, there are tour staff all around us chit chatting so I don't want to bother him for a picture, or be rude but it's a little awkward. It seems he's surprised that I recognize him, or perhaps he remembers me from the other day, but why should he be surprised that I know who he is? Is it due to Lance fever here in the States? Who knows but he seems embarrassed or shy or something I can't quite figure out. I hope I'm not making him uncomfortable, so a few awkward moments and I simple tell him..."Good job today, buenas noches." He smiles and waves goodnight to me.
I'm so intrigued by these men. It's as if they're shy of their own fame. I meet Cavindish the following day in Clovis after he narrowly beats out Boonen. Same thing happens, I called out to him to ask for his autograph as he's heading into a building for the press conference. He stops abruptly and gestures for me to come over. He waits for me, signs my magazine as I thank him and congratulate him on his win. "Sure thing, thank you very much" smiles at me and is gone. Oddly intriguing, these giants of their sport and heroes to thousands, yet so fragile and humble in person. You begin to feel ashamed when you try to compare them to other professional athletes in American football or baseball, of which there is no comparison. In cycling, there is no separation from the athletes and the spectators, no outrageous ticket prices to pay to see them create history. Yet they are so humble, some of the lowest paid professional athletes in the world, while they endure double what say a football player would endure on his worst day. Whatever it is I'm completely fascinated and inspired by their dedication and sacrifice they give day in and day out for a sport that is so brutal and unforgiving in return.
Rebecca Reza
from Stage 1, of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California
Saturday, February 14, 2009
So the adventure begins...
If I wasn't a believer I definitely am now! Cycling has to be the most invigorating sport out there! What other sport lets you have so much access to your sport heroes? What other sport lets you see them FOR FREE?!?!? When I first heard that Lance Armstrong was returning to cycling and would possibly be racing in the Tour of California I immediately signed up to volunteer. Not that I'm "gaga" over Lance, although I do admire and respect him a great deal, more importantly I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see such a legend of the sport compete live and in person. Once he was confirmed it seemed every major international team began taking this race seriously, sending their a-list guys to participate. The media quickly coined it as the "mini-Tour de France." Never before would so many top, world class cyclists be competing on US soil. Now there was no question, I was going to come here somehow, some way. Although I tried to find someone to join me on this journey, it quickly became apparent that I would be trekking it alone.
As you all know, cycling is not that big here in the States. Local papers in Sacramento were reporting such stars as Cavendish, and Boonen walking around town freely, while there was a circus around Lance. While its a shame this sport isn't appreciated here as in Europe, it was perfect for me; following professionally cycling like I do I would be able to meet and greet the other guys pretty easy (so I hoped). I was a little weary once I landed, it began hailing and was cold the rest of the evening. We were worried that the start wouldn't be dry this morning but we lucked out! I hadn't had any sleep the night before trying to get everything together, so I turned in early at 8 pm. I was to report at 8:30am, and after a quick run to Starbucks, I was one of the first to arrive. My post? Right at the starting line making sure the press core didn't get into harms way or interfere with the riders. DARN! I knew this was going to be a difficult job! hehe
The activities didn't start until 11:30, it was not even 9 am. I wondered around for a few hours, watching the team mechanics unload the bikes, adjusting every little screw making sure each bike was set for each rider's needs. Passing through the Lifestyle Fesitival, I was like a kid in a candy store. Jerseys, pedals, wheels, carbon fiber bikes...the new Cervelo P4(!), wow!! If only I were rich, right? They did have drawing give aways at about every booth so...wish me luck! Volunteers were told to check in at 10:30 at our posts, but nothing was going on so I kept wondering around.
I was by the Saxobank team bus when someone yelled..."WATCH OUT! Riders coming through!" I turned around and nearly got hit by Levi, Lance, Chechu and the rest of the guys passing by on their warm up. Holy crap! Of course, after that it wasn't hard to hear them coming as word quickly spread, you could hear the screams from blocks away as they would come around. My next mission? FIND LIQUIGAS! It seemed I ran into every team bus BUT theirs...then I got a message from twitter "leaving for the start in 30 minutes-Ivan Basso" yea baby! After another quick check in at my post I continued on my mission. Finally, nearly 4 blocks away, I found it! "Hey! So are you wanting to meet Liquigas as well?" These two guys, Nicolas, and his friend were from Oregon. His friend was Italian and spoke it fluently (boy did that help!). We started talking, "Man I can't believe you know so much about these guys! Its rare to find a girl that is so into the sport like you!" hehe thanks? They had gone last year and had some GREAT shots of Basso and Levi, were hoping to get them autographed. "Excuse me guys, car coming through!" Basso? Nope...Rabobank! Gesink, Friere, and the rest of the guys passed. Damn! We were watching them drive by and then right behind them...Liquigas. :) It was pretty quick. I didn't go to Ivan right away, it seemed like out of no where 50 people showed up. Instead I went to the rest of the team. I met Gianni, very nice guy but unfortunately had a little trouble signing the jersey (I think I'll wear it tomorrow to make it easier), so I didn't get the other guys. Basso was surrounded by then so I went to get his autograph before he got on the bus. He did, as I wished him a Happy Valentines Day and got a quick picture. Yes ladies, the man is as beautiful in person! damn... lol
The rest of the day I spent at the starting line. I must say I had the best seat in the house! I was the first volunteer right behind the photographers so hopefully I got some good shots. The guy that was in charge of us was a bit of an ass though. When the riders were warming up I was yelling and clapping for them as they passed. "um excuse me but you can't do that if you're going to be working here" huh?!? "I'm just kidding, you're into cycling eh? DO you know this guy?" A friend of his came up to us...um no, sorry..."He used to race professionally, he was on Moterola with Lance." Um, sorry? Even now I can't remember his name! Neway, Carlos Sastre looked great, even after being sick with the flu earlier in the week. Its funny how big these guys look on TV and how much smaller they are in person. Some great names to mention, Cavendish did great today, had the best time for a short while...another one was Zabriske of course (thank god he shaved off that mustache!) Boonen was great. Hincapie's bike was REALLY cool! EVen though I could do without the new highroad jerseys, his bike was pretty cool.
I spent most of the afternoon freezing my butt off, but overall it was a GREAT experience. I can't lie in that I missed hearing Paul Sherwan and Phil Liggits commentating but luckily they are airing it again shortly. I nearly met them as well but they were in a rush so I didn't bug them. I met Joyan Bruyneel at a book signing after the stage, as well as Bjarne Riis. Crazy stuff. So that's it for now...on to Davis tomorrow morning and then I'm off to Santa Cruz. I won't have access to the internet so I'll be updating via twitter. Wish me luck...and don't forget it's LIVE on Versus all week! :)
Rebecca Reza~
As you all know, cycling is not that big here in the States. Local papers in Sacramento were reporting such stars as Cavendish, and Boonen walking around town freely, while there was a circus around Lance. While its a shame this sport isn't appreciated here as in Europe, it was perfect for me; following professionally cycling like I do I would be able to meet and greet the other guys pretty easy (so I hoped). I was a little weary once I landed, it began hailing and was cold the rest of the evening. We were worried that the start wouldn't be dry this morning but we lucked out! I hadn't had any sleep the night before trying to get everything together, so I turned in early at 8 pm. I was to report at 8:30am, and after a quick run to Starbucks, I was one of the first to arrive. My post? Right at the starting line making sure the press core didn't get into harms way or interfere with the riders. DARN! I knew this was going to be a difficult job! hehe
The activities didn't start until 11:30, it was not even 9 am. I wondered around for a few hours, watching the team mechanics unload the bikes, adjusting every little screw making sure each bike was set for each rider's needs. Passing through the Lifestyle Fesitival, I was like a kid in a candy store. Jerseys, pedals, wheels, carbon fiber bikes...the new Cervelo P4(!), wow!! If only I were rich, right? They did have drawing give aways at about every booth so...wish me luck! Volunteers were told to check in at 10:30 at our posts, but nothing was going on so I kept wondering around.
I was by the Saxobank team bus when someone yelled..."WATCH OUT! Riders coming through!" I turned around and nearly got hit by Levi, Lance, Chechu and the rest of the guys passing by on their warm up. Holy crap! Of course, after that it wasn't hard to hear them coming as word quickly spread, you could hear the screams from blocks away as they would come around. My next mission? FIND LIQUIGAS! It seemed I ran into every team bus BUT theirs...then I got a message from twitter "leaving for the start in 30 minutes-Ivan Basso" yea baby! After another quick check in at my post I continued on my mission. Finally, nearly 4 blocks away, I found it! "Hey! So are you wanting to meet Liquigas as well?" These two guys, Nicolas, and his friend were from Oregon. His friend was Italian and spoke it fluently (boy did that help!). We started talking, "Man I can't believe you know so much about these guys! Its rare to find a girl that is so into the sport like you!" hehe thanks? They had gone last year and had some GREAT shots of Basso and Levi, were hoping to get them autographed. "Excuse me guys, car coming through!" Basso? Nope...Rabobank! Gesink, Friere, and the rest of the guys passed. Damn! We were watching them drive by and then right behind them...Liquigas. :) It was pretty quick. I didn't go to Ivan right away, it seemed like out of no where 50 people showed up. Instead I went to the rest of the team. I met Gianni, very nice guy but unfortunately had a little trouble signing the jersey (I think I'll wear it tomorrow to make it easier), so I didn't get the other guys. Basso was surrounded by then so I went to get his autograph before he got on the bus. He did, as I wished him a Happy Valentines Day and got a quick picture. Yes ladies, the man is as beautiful in person! damn... lol
The rest of the day I spent at the starting line. I must say I had the best seat in the house! I was the first volunteer right behind the photographers so hopefully I got some good shots. The guy that was in charge of us was a bit of an ass though. When the riders were warming up I was yelling and clapping for them as they passed. "um excuse me but you can't do that if you're going to be working here" huh?!? "I'm just kidding, you're into cycling eh? DO you know this guy?" A friend of his came up to us...um no, sorry..."He used to race professionally, he was on Moterola with Lance." Um, sorry? Even now I can't remember his name! Neway, Carlos Sastre looked great, even after being sick with the flu earlier in the week. Its funny how big these guys look on TV and how much smaller they are in person. Some great names to mention, Cavendish did great today, had the best time for a short while...another one was Zabriske of course (thank god he shaved off that mustache!) Boonen was great. Hincapie's bike was REALLY cool! EVen though I could do without the new highroad jerseys, his bike was pretty cool.
I spent most of the afternoon freezing my butt off, but overall it was a GREAT experience. I can't lie in that I missed hearing Paul Sherwan and Phil Liggits commentating but luckily they are airing it again shortly. I nearly met them as well but they were in a rush so I didn't bug them. I met Joyan Bruyneel at a book signing after the stage, as well as Bjarne Riis. Crazy stuff. So that's it for now...on to Davis tomorrow morning and then I'm off to Santa Cruz. I won't have access to the internet so I'll be updating via twitter. Wish me luck...and don't forget it's LIVE on Versus all week! :)
Rebecca Reza~
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Twitter anyone?
We are now on Twitter! The latest craze on the web. We'll be using it mostly for posting updates and pictures from our rides. Need that little extra motivation on your lazy days? Connect with us! Plus, as you'll see on my profile, many of your favorite professional cyclists are on twitter as well, posting pics and texts during races and training rides. If you are not familiar with twitter it is like a summed up myspace/facebook. Very short and to the point but the great thing about it is that you can update your profile directly from your cell phone. This is exciting as we will be posting pictures and short texts during our rides.
Ricardo Vega:
http://twitter.com/ricardovega
Rebecca Reza:
http://twitter.com/smthcriminal
In addition, I leave for California next week to follow the Tour of California, February 14-22. This will be my first professional race that I will see in person so as you can imagine I'm pretty stoked about this. I am volunteering in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Modesto, and Merced and will be posting pictures and messages on my twitter account directly from the tour. :) Hopefully I can get some decent pictures of Lance, Ivan, Carlos, Fabian, etc. Look for them here, only at Revolution baby!
I will also be posting blogs when I have access to the internet. Otherwise I'll post them on my twitter profile. So log on, and connect so you can keep in touch! I'll be sporting some Tour of El Paso gear on a few days...so if you see a girl on the side of the road with obnoxious yellow and green kit on yelling after Ivan Basso or Lance...it's probably me. haha j/k I can keep my composure (for the most part).
Ok, well that's it for now...keep in touch and see you out on the road!
Rebecca~
Ricardo Vega:
http://twitter.com/ricardovega
Rebecca Reza:
http://twitter.com/smthcriminal
In addition, I leave for California next week to follow the Tour of California, February 14-22. This will be my first professional race that I will see in person so as you can imagine I'm pretty stoked about this. I am volunteering in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Modesto, and Merced and will be posting pictures and messages on my twitter account directly from the tour. :) Hopefully I can get some decent pictures of Lance, Ivan, Carlos, Fabian, etc. Look for them here, only at Revolution baby!
I will also be posting blogs when I have access to the internet. Otherwise I'll post them on my twitter profile. So log on, and connect so you can keep in touch! I'll be sporting some Tour of El Paso gear on a few days...so if you see a girl on the side of the road with obnoxious yellow and green kit on yelling after Ivan Basso or Lance...it's probably me. haha j/k I can keep my composure (for the most part).
Ok, well that's it for now...keep in touch and see you out on the road!
Rebecca~
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Part of cycling that I love so much is the random people you'll meet on rides. Today was no exception! Reaching the summit of my weekly trek up Transmountain, a gentleman on a bike approached me. He was pretty packed down with stuff and didn't look from around here. "Hey, I'm Boz." "Man, and I thought I had a hard time up here...you rode up with all that stuff?" "Yea from the eastside" Damn! Amazingly enough Boz is in the middle of a cross country trip on his bike, starting all the way from Atlanta! Now I've gone on long road trips before, once took a two week tour of the Eastcoast from Greenville, SC and looped around back to NYC, visiting just about every major city in between, before heading back down to South Carolina. It's amazing to take a trip like that, meeting all kinds of people and seeing how they live. That was one of the best trips of my life, I can't imagine doing something like that on a bike! Just cycling around El Paso has made me appreciate our city so much more than I ever have driving around it all my life. I can't imagine the adventures one would have doing this on a bike from Atlanta all the way to San Diego!
This is the adventure Boz has embarked on. Apparently he began his trek in early December of last year and hopes to make it San Diego by mid to late February. I think its simply fasinating! He has a mission as well, he is riding for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and has thus far raised $1,535. Unfortunately, he had already spent some time here and was heading out. He needed some maintanence so I told him to stop by the shop, explained its more of a hang out spot for cyclists than a shop but that we could help him out. "cool! ah man, that sucks...thanks but I better start heading out, but I'll remember it" Perhaps next time?
He's got a blog here on blogspot if you'd like to check out pictures from his trip thus far or drop him a note:
http://www.myspacetimebicycle.blogspot.com/
You can donate to his cause here:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Events/HOM-General?pg=fund&fr_id=7540&px=5475565
Good Luck Boz! It was great meeting you, perhaps our paths will cross in California next month...
Rebecca~
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Exciting news!
We have learned this week that El Paso Magazine will be featuring us in their March issue so keep an eye out for it. ;) Also, we are happy to announce that we are joining forces with the El Paso Bicycle club in organizing our beginner and intermediate rides. The schedules are being worked out as we speak. Check back here for updates! Thanks.
Rebecca~
Rebecca~
Friday, January 23, 2009
This weekend...
All group rides this weekend have been canceled here at Revolution Cyclery. The only one will be for Sunday, the east side women's ride at 11:00 am from Danielle Franco's house. This coming week we will have a concrete schedule which may incorporate all levels of riders. Thanks for your understanding and hope you enjoy your weekend riding.
Ricardo Vega
Ricardo Vega
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Night Rides changed!
Due to changes in our schedule, we wanted to let you know that the Wednesday Night rides, hosted by Revolution Cyclery are now changed to Thursday. The start time will be the same, 5:30 PM. This will be the norm from now on. Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience. See you tomorrow and get ready to drop the hammer.
Ricardo Vega
Ricardo Vega
The Next Level...
by Rebecca Reza
As with any new sport one adopts there comes a point in time when we ask ourselves how we can go about getting to that next level. Many of us have very hectic lives having to balance work, school, and family on top of getting our weekly workouts in. Since our time is precious we want to make sure that every hour we spend out on the bike is worth while and improving our fitness. We begin to look at other aspects of our training such as what we are feeding ourselves, what our sleeping schedule is like. However, the more specific concerns are our goals on the bike. Whether it’s to tackle the next big hill or mountain, going that extra distance, or perhaps simple improving our fitness on our weekly rides, we end up seeking guidance. There are hundreds of books and publications out there tackling just about every subject and training plan so how do you make sense of it all? The best plan in my opinion is going to a clinic or camp with professionals that have the experience and knowledge to help you make sense of it all.
Until this past weekend, one would have to travel to either Tucson or perhaps Colorado or California to attend such an event. On top of that, the cost is more than many people can afford ranging up to $4,000 in some cases not including the travel costs. It was the vision of Ricardo Vega to bring such an opportunity to our community here in El Paso at a cost that people could afford. Ricardo had had the experience early in his career of being a certified coach by Carmichael Training Systems along with an old friend and colleague, James Herrera. James had gone on, moving high up in the company gaining invaluable experience coaching some of the top cyclists in the USA, before starting his own coaching company, Performance Driven where he continues coaching. Ricardo had taken his experience and returned to El Paso to open up his own bike shop, Revolution Cyclery in 2004. He had hoped to one day expand the cycling community here at home where the weather in El Paso is opportune year around for such an event and our rolling hills and mountains can be utilized.
I’ve been cycling about a year and a half now and although I feel I’ve made huge improvements I felt it was time to seek coaching opportunities. I began brainstorming with Ricardo and another cyclist from the El Paso bicycle club as we got the ball rolling on organizing a camp, which would be the first for our city. Within the last year alone I had noticed the number of women taking up cycling had nearly doubled! Cycling can be a pretty intimidating sport since its one of the many that is male dominated. We felt because of this it would be a great opportunity to create a clinic that would cater to women only. Ricardo contacted James, as we began work on what would be three months of hard work and planning. After a few bumps in the road, the dates were set for January 9-11, 2009. A great way to kick off the New Year!
I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from the experience since I had never attended such a clinic before. Ricardo, myself, and James worked very hard in the weeks leading up to the event to make sure that every participant would have a blast and leave with a fantastic experience and knowledge no matter what their level of fitness or how long they have been riding. It proved to be a challenge having to accommodate so many levels but it turned out beautifully! We knew we would have some kinks to work out the first time around but luckily we had a very enthusiastic and dedicated group of about thirteen women to start us off.
The camp kicked off on Friday evening where we had a short meet and greet and quickly jumped into James’ first lecture on the basics of cycling - positioning, equipment, and training. I had gone that morning for a 55 mile ride and then having to get things ready for the evening; I hadn’t realized just how exhausted I was once I got home. However, I was blown away just by that first night alone! The lectures so far had far exceeded any expectations I had had. James was such a great public speaker and was wonderful at answering questions with great detail and background knowledge, while Ricardo had the mechanical know how which complimented the lectures nicely. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were to be able to have such valuable coaches at our fingertips, ready to guide us. We had learned a ton and it was just the first day!
Saturday ended up going over schedule. We began early in the morning, and had scheduled a ride leaving at 10 am. However, following the lecture James and Ricardo took the time to personally fit each rider on their bikes. This was a wonderful surprise and steal for us since usually something like this cost close to $100 on its own while that’s what the entire weekend was costing! Of course, no one complained that we ran over time and didn’t end up leaving on our ride until nearly 12 o’clock. I had created maps of our planned rides for the riders to carry but due to weather and the drills they wanted to cover we ended up scrapping those plans. No one seemed to mind, especially myself, because we worked on drills such as cornering on a 90 degree turn, as well as group riding – pace lines, single pace lines, and rider etiquette. It was pretty cold, in the low 40s and overcast but no one seemed to mind. Unfortunately, one of the riders, Ida had fallen on a bad shoulder during one of the climbing drills and had to abandon the ride but overall everyone did very well. We arrived back at the shop close to 3 pm, a full two hours later than what we had posted on the itinerary. Everyone was having so much fun; we had a quick bite to eat at the Bagel shop next door before leaving for a short break before dinner that night at the Italian Kitchen.
Dinner that night was wonderful. Although we didn’t load up on carbs like most magazines on endurance sports would suggest, we had a wonderful dinner which included a lecture on nutrition and recovery. It ended a little late so few people stuck around long, instead wisely choosing to get home and in bed to prepare for another day of riding and lectures. Just before closing for the night, James and Ricardo announced that instead of climbing up Anthony Gap like they had originally planned, they thought it would be a much better challenge and workout to climb up, over and back over Transmountain! Naturally many were pretty nervous having never climbed it before but I thought it was a wonderful idea. I had yet to climb with my new crank set up and was anxious to see how I’d do…and yes a bit nervous but what better time than with two coaches and 12 other riders encouraging you on?
Arriving early the next morning, I was realizing just how exhausted I was and hoped it wouldn’t interfere with my ride that day. We had a late start yet again but yet another great lecture this time given by Ricardo on basic bike mechanics – adjusting the rear derailer, flats, etc. We ended up leaving for the ride closer to 11 am this time while James announced that there would be a "king of the mountain" prize for the first rider to crest the summit of Transmountain each way. I wasn’t sure if I could do it but I was going to give it my best try! We gathered for a few group photos and took off. Luckily it was a beautiful day, sunny and little to no wind at all. Ricardo took the more advanced group while James worked with the others. I had never done a specific workout up this climb, usually I tend to just get to the top any way I can so this was a bit of a challenge. They had us do a muscle tension workout climbing up the Westside of the mountain, while doing an aerobic workout climbing back from the Eastside. I was feeling rather strong and ended up winning the prize on both sides of the climb. J It was so amazing to see the beginners tackle Transmountain, some after only a couple of weeks on the bike! It took me months to give it a try, so that was incredibly inspiring to witness. Goes to show you that you can do anything you put your mind to, with that extra support and encouragement!
Overall, the weekend proved to be invaluable! The camp was a huge success for the coaching staff, for the shop, and most importantly for those who participated. After getting back from that last ride no one wanted to leave. We had met new riding partners, and had had such a great time we were sad to see it end. However, because of the success and great turn out, Revolution Cyclery along with Performance Driven are in the process of planning out a camp schedule for the entire year. I personally have to thank James Herrera and Ricardo Vega for their tireless efforts in pioneering such an event in El Paso. It was a lot of hard work but definitely worth the effort. We are very fortunate to have such great coaches and professionals that are so passionate about cycling in our community. Although James works and lives in Colorado Springs, he is committed to continue traveling to El Paso for future camps. Until next time…
As with any new sport one adopts there comes a point in time when we ask ourselves how we can go about getting to that next level. Many of us have very hectic lives having to balance work, school, and family on top of getting our weekly workouts in. Since our time is precious we want to make sure that every hour we spend out on the bike is worth while and improving our fitness. We begin to look at other aspects of our training such as what we are feeding ourselves, what our sleeping schedule is like. However, the more specific concerns are our goals on the bike. Whether it’s to tackle the next big hill or mountain, going that extra distance, or perhaps simple improving our fitness on our weekly rides, we end up seeking guidance. There are hundreds of books and publications out there tackling just about every subject and training plan so how do you make sense of it all? The best plan in my opinion is going to a clinic or camp with professionals that have the experience and knowledge to help you make sense of it all.
Until this past weekend, one would have to travel to either Tucson or perhaps Colorado or California to attend such an event. On top of that, the cost is more than many people can afford ranging up to $4,000 in some cases not including the travel costs. It was the vision of Ricardo Vega to bring such an opportunity to our community here in El Paso at a cost that people could afford. Ricardo had had the experience early in his career of being a certified coach by Carmichael Training Systems along with an old friend and colleague, James Herrera. James had gone on, moving high up in the company gaining invaluable experience coaching some of the top cyclists in the USA, before starting his own coaching company, Performance Driven where he continues coaching. Ricardo had taken his experience and returned to El Paso to open up his own bike shop, Revolution Cyclery in 2004. He had hoped to one day expand the cycling community here at home where the weather in El Paso is opportune year around for such an event and our rolling hills and mountains can be utilized.
I’ve been cycling about a year and a half now and although I feel I’ve made huge improvements I felt it was time to seek coaching opportunities. I began brainstorming with Ricardo and another cyclist from the El Paso bicycle club as we got the ball rolling on organizing a camp, which would be the first for our city. Within the last year alone I had noticed the number of women taking up cycling had nearly doubled! Cycling can be a pretty intimidating sport since its one of the many that is male dominated. We felt because of this it would be a great opportunity to create a clinic that would cater to women only. Ricardo contacted James, as we began work on what would be three months of hard work and planning. After a few bumps in the road, the dates were set for January 9-11, 2009. A great way to kick off the New Year!
I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from the experience since I had never attended such a clinic before. Ricardo, myself, and James worked very hard in the weeks leading up to the event to make sure that every participant would have a blast and leave with a fantastic experience and knowledge no matter what their level of fitness or how long they have been riding. It proved to be a challenge having to accommodate so many levels but it turned out beautifully! We knew we would have some kinks to work out the first time around but luckily we had a very enthusiastic and dedicated group of about thirteen women to start us off.
The camp kicked off on Friday evening where we had a short meet and greet and quickly jumped into James’ first lecture on the basics of cycling - positioning, equipment, and training. I had gone that morning for a 55 mile ride and then having to get things ready for the evening; I hadn’t realized just how exhausted I was once I got home. However, I was blown away just by that first night alone! The lectures so far had far exceeded any expectations I had had. James was such a great public speaker and was wonderful at answering questions with great detail and background knowledge, while Ricardo had the mechanical know how which complimented the lectures nicely. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were to be able to have such valuable coaches at our fingertips, ready to guide us. We had learned a ton and it was just the first day!
Saturday ended up going over schedule. We began early in the morning, and had scheduled a ride leaving at 10 am. However, following the lecture James and Ricardo took the time to personally fit each rider on their bikes. This was a wonderful surprise and steal for us since usually something like this cost close to $100 on its own while that’s what the entire weekend was costing! Of course, no one complained that we ran over time and didn’t end up leaving on our ride until nearly 12 o’clock. I had created maps of our planned rides for the riders to carry but due to weather and the drills they wanted to cover we ended up scrapping those plans. No one seemed to mind, especially myself, because we worked on drills such as cornering on a 90 degree turn, as well as group riding – pace lines, single pace lines, and rider etiquette. It was pretty cold, in the low 40s and overcast but no one seemed to mind. Unfortunately, one of the riders, Ida had fallen on a bad shoulder during one of the climbing drills and had to abandon the ride but overall everyone did very well. We arrived back at the shop close to 3 pm, a full two hours later than what we had posted on the itinerary. Everyone was having so much fun; we had a quick bite to eat at the Bagel shop next door before leaving for a short break before dinner that night at the Italian Kitchen.
Dinner that night was wonderful. Although we didn’t load up on carbs like most magazines on endurance sports would suggest, we had a wonderful dinner which included a lecture on nutrition and recovery. It ended a little late so few people stuck around long, instead wisely choosing to get home and in bed to prepare for another day of riding and lectures. Just before closing for the night, James and Ricardo announced that instead of climbing up Anthony Gap like they had originally planned, they thought it would be a much better challenge and workout to climb up, over and back over Transmountain! Naturally many were pretty nervous having never climbed it before but I thought it was a wonderful idea. I had yet to climb with my new crank set up and was anxious to see how I’d do…and yes a bit nervous but what better time than with two coaches and 12 other riders encouraging you on?
Arriving early the next morning, I was realizing just how exhausted I was and hoped it wouldn’t interfere with my ride that day. We had a late start yet again but yet another great lecture this time given by Ricardo on basic bike mechanics – adjusting the rear derailer, flats, etc. We ended up leaving for the ride closer to 11 am this time while James announced that there would be a "king of the mountain" prize for the first rider to crest the summit of Transmountain each way. I wasn’t sure if I could do it but I was going to give it my best try! We gathered for a few group photos and took off. Luckily it was a beautiful day, sunny and little to no wind at all. Ricardo took the more advanced group while James worked with the others. I had never done a specific workout up this climb, usually I tend to just get to the top any way I can so this was a bit of a challenge. They had us do a muscle tension workout climbing up the Westside of the mountain, while doing an aerobic workout climbing back from the Eastside. I was feeling rather strong and ended up winning the prize on both sides of the climb. J It was so amazing to see the beginners tackle Transmountain, some after only a couple of weeks on the bike! It took me months to give it a try, so that was incredibly inspiring to witness. Goes to show you that you can do anything you put your mind to, with that extra support and encouragement!
Overall, the weekend proved to be invaluable! The camp was a huge success for the coaching staff, for the shop, and most importantly for those who participated. After getting back from that last ride no one wanted to leave. We had met new riding partners, and had had such a great time we were sad to see it end. However, because of the success and great turn out, Revolution Cyclery along with Performance Driven are in the process of planning out a camp schedule for the entire year. I personally have to thank James Herrera and Ricardo Vega for their tireless efforts in pioneering such an event in El Paso. It was a lot of hard work but definitely worth the effort. We are very fortunate to have such great coaches and professionals that are so passionate about cycling in our community. Although James works and lives in Colorado Springs, he is committed to continue traveling to El Paso for future camps. Until next time…
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