Pez v2.0

Just to keep everyone in the loop, my latest diary went up on pezcyclingnews.com yesterday.

The hand still looks like an inflated rubber glove, but it's feeling better already so I'll probably be back to training shortly.

Later,
GReain

On the DL

This is gonna be exceptionally short because typing right now is exceptionally painful. I crashed in training yesterday morning and damaged my left hand pretty badly. The X-rays say there is no fracture, but mobility is bad and there is plenty of swelling. So, no racing in the Verge series this weekend. I'd really like to not talk about how it happened because it is rather embarassing. Glamour factor = very low.

After Nationals, Aurora and two top tens in Verge NE series competition, I am now sitting in 48th on UCI world rank. I'm pretty happy with that as it will help my contract negotiations with my team and with the European promoters. I'm due to head back over there in early December so this kind of stuff needs to be sorted quick snap.

I've accepted my spot on the Canadian team to CX Worlds in Zeddam, Netherlands, so that puts me in Europe till at least the end of January. I have to return to Hamburg first in order to get things dialled with the team, but ideally I'd like to be based in West Flanders like I was last year. The CX racing scene is so hot there, it'd be hard to pass up. I just have to find a place to live...

That's about all I can handle right now, but I'll try to keep you updated on my situation.

GReain

Back from the Dead

Aw man, I'm trying so hard to get another diary entry out for Pez right now but it really is not working at all. That, and I'm supposed to be getting all my crap ready to go to the Verge series races in CT and MA tomorrow morning. I thought that the LCBO would help out in that department but it is apparently failing me miserably.

Ok, I've been suitably chastised by most of you for not keeping you informed of my actions since I got back from D-land two and a half weeks ago so this is me keeping you up to speed. Partly I was trying to keep things a little under wraps prior to CX Nats cause I didn't want to give any hints as to where my form was at. The reality was that I had been very tired and sick (hence my non-appearance at Gloucester USGP), but I was in fine form come Nationals. I was definitely a little sketched out about where my form would be at, but after turning some laps on Friday I knew it was going to be a good day for me. I took it at about 80% off the start, and that was OK but soon it was time to get it started for real and by midway through lap 2 it was just Wedge and I out front. I still wasn't at max power, so I decided to test it a little bit on the acceleration front and I could feel that I was a little stronger than Peter in that area. I rode the main climb on the third lap (we had been running it until that point) and I think that ahowed me that I was definitely strong enough to ride for the win. Sadly, I blew my line through the sand pit about 20 seconds later and landed on my face. That was an event that could hardly have gone unnoticed by monsieur Wedge and he punched the throttle open. I would have done the same; in this game you don't leave anything to chance if you can help it.

So that's the story of Canadian Nationals - silver medal. Worlds qualification, check. Better than last year, check. Still wanting the jersey, you bet. Next year. And yes, I did hear everyone yelling for me out there on Saturday and I will never forget it. You all gave me so much motivation to keep driving out there in the rain. Really cool. Thanks.

Hey, Aurora was cool. Tim Johnson and I kicked it from then gun and never looked back. I think that we had about a 10 second gap after like one minute of racing. I felt pretty damn good, but TJ was rocking and he just rode away like it was nothing. All I wanted was a little wheel to suck but he was not helping me out there. Actually, I don't get much draft off that dude anyway, so it's debateable whether it would've helped at all. Two minutes is a big gap. I absolutely love that course in Aurora and I hope I get to race there many times in the future. Thanks Scott.

I won't be at Ontario Provincials, so go nuts boys. I would love to be there and contest the title on the ground where I first started CX racing many years ago, but I have to go and dice it with the big boys in New England. Bam.

GReain