Well, pink actually, but the Giro is his hood. A Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal, leads the GC on the Giro d’Italia!

General Classification after Stage 9
1 HESJEDAL, Ryder (GARMIN-BARRACUDA) 36:02:40
2 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Joaquin (KATUSHA) + 0:09
3 TIRALONGO, Paolo (ASTANA) + 0:15
4 KREUZIGER, Roman (ASTANA) + 0:35
5 INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA, Benat (MOVISTAR)
6 BASSO, Ivan (LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE) + 0:40
7 CARUSO, Damiano (LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE) + 0:45
8 CATALDO, Dario (OMEGA PHARMA-QUICKSTEP) + 0:46
9 SCHLECK, Frank (RADIOSHACK-NISSAN) + 0:48
10 CAPECCHI, Eros (LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE) + 0:52

Heading into season eight and the rides are still going strong! 14 riders today, great weather, lots of positive chatter, strong pulling made the serious headwind a much lessor force than nature would have it to be, the Cat Sass served up a tasty breakfast (or hefty lunch in Chris’s case – was it imminent prenatal anxiety or real hunger? – in any case he inhaled one humungous burger and fries). The ride started with media interviews and a photo shoot with a Steinbach Online reporter. A gorgeous red fox running in the ditch beside the peloton, a flat for Duester, and a hot new Wilier ridden by Shorty (who knew the Springhill Hutterite Colony was blowing out new high end road bikes purchased at a fire sale? Evidently he did!). This prompted a discussion on whether the venerable brand is Italian or Basque? A search of the inter-web suggests its an Italian brand, founded in 1906, and the name is an acronym of “W l’Italia liberata e redenta”, which translates “long live Italy, liberated and redeemed”. Too cool, now I want a Wilier (in spite of the fact that the MIT standard for Italian stallions is COLNAGO…although we have allowed the odd Bianchi in the pack as long as they keep a respectable distance). On the way home a robust round of happy birthday for MARK, topped off the day. Best wishes to Chris and family – it could be a laborious weekend!

Hey all!

I know I’ve been AWOL at any rides lately…yes, I have been forgoing the riding for the sake of running as of late but that will change soon enough, I promise.  Of course, I am a bit concerned you’re all going to ride me into the ground on the first few, but stubborness has got to count for something to help keep me hooked onto the pack!

Anyway – wanted to share this video link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o  with a bit of history as to how Holland developed its path system.  I so wish some sort of similar political will could be found here someday…

See you all soon – Val

Jac, Jim, Rob, Curt, Hans, Merle, Mark, and RJ formed the double echelon and rotating paceline that pushed it’s way to St-Pierre-Jolys on this spring morning. Riding with the Gonad in the better (back) half of the double echelon: I was again blown away with his powerful gap-closing-pulls of our labouring quartet back into proximity of the out-front fearsome foursome of Hans, Merle, Mark, and Curt. Ah well, all pulled into the junction of PTH 215 & 205 at about the same time. Several hearty booger clearing snorts ensued and we were on our way, with some relief from a stiff headwind.
Caffeine fueled chatter percolated at the always accommodating Le Routier (or, as my oh-so-not-francophone Dad says, “the router”…I didn’t know he even knew what a router was). Jac explained how you can get two Paraguayans to produce 32,000 pallets in 32 minutes (or something like that). Curt explained how his PHD-MBA powered brain managed to save all his staff from federal cuts – and then forgot his credit card PIN and couldn’t pay for breakfast. RJ’s lesser mental powers, which have never failed when it comes to PIN codes, have not managed to find a strategy to save the likely loss of his job – but he did contemplate the benefits of a summer spent riding everyday (er, I mean job hunting…yeah, that’s right honey, I’ll get one of those business suit graphics cycling kits and ride to all my interviews). It’s not entirely clear how Jim and RJ ended up discussing the pro’s and con’s of riding in their wives one-piece or two-piece swim suits – but the outcome of the debate seemed to be a draw. Mark confessed to cyber-stalking this website several times a day in hopes of pointing out his name (Mark) on the inter-web to his wife. Jim confessed to feeling a lot safer around Mark since he stopped bearding. Sexual orientations of progeny were speculated (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Curt proposed un-Godly 7AM start times for all future rides. Jac affirmed his dictatorship over this matter and declared he would issue a decree in coming days. RJ & Jim tried the Southland Sprint on the ride back, only to discover that it now ends in gravel (a tradition ends because MIT does not ride gravel).

Being a numbers nut (among other kinds of nut – I confess to being!) I would like to challenge MIT riders to rediscover the joy of riding for the sake of riding. I refer you to the article posted in RBR (http://www.roadbikerider.com/current-newsletter) and I quote – “Riding was and is supposed to be fun.  Low-tech training can help keep it that way for some of us.”

I was talking to Roger LaRiviere yesterday at the bike shop. He was riding with Arne when he was hit by the truck. It made me realize again how lucky I am to be able to do what I do.