Team Einstein's

My friend Jason Donald, aka The Duck, has started a featured blog on this website. He’s the one with the goofy picture below mine. It’ll be great to follow his progress through the top ranks of cycling. Jason and I started mountain biking together four years ago on Giant’s Rocky Mountain Regional Team. He took 2nd at the Sea Otter Classic his first time as a semi-pro and won Big Bear. From the start, we all new he was going to be kind-of-a-big-deal. The next year he switched to road and tried to talk me into doing the same but I resisted and raced pro the following year.

I finally checked the official results from the Nature Valley Grand Prix and Team Einstein's did some pretty big things. The biggest being that we had three riders in the top ten of the Best Amateur Rider division. Cory Collier took 1st, Jared Berger 7th and Ryan Hamity 9th. Jared also wore the Best Amateur Riders jersey for two days during stages 3 and 4. The team as a whole finished 9th in team GC beating a few big budget teams such as BMC. Whitey DeBroux (me) accidentally won a sprint point and finished 28th in the Sprinters competition.

We started the Minneapolis Downtown Criterium with Jared Berger in the Best Armature Riders Jersey. This is a huge accomplishment for him and the team. We averaged 29 mph during the CRIT and the announcer said there was 35-40,000 spectators lining the 1.2 Km course. All we wanted to do was stay up front and out of trouble so we could keep Jared in the jersey and Cory up in the GC. There were no mishaps and we did exactly as planned. My parents and brother drove over from Wisconsin to watch the race so it was extra special for me.

A nasty storm system moved in during the pro womans race and they called it early due to lightning. Unsure if the pro mens race was even going to happen we still warmed up on our 15 pound lightning rods like normal. The race started just 10 minutes late and all 120 riders went fast from the gun through the fan lines streets of Tulsa. Prime number one was $50 and Team Einstein's rider Brad White took it. Prime number two was another $50 and Brad White took that as well. Then I attacked and went solo for awhile taking a $100 prime in the process.

The time trial was 2.5 miles long and climbed straight up hill out of Devils Den State Park. Cory Colliard finished an amazing 8th place while the rest of Team Einstein's climbers were around the fourties. Matt went so hard he was dry heaving at the top.
Today was the CRIT and the last chance for Toyota/United to get the win. They needed to get a win so the time bonus would overcome the 8 second time gap. Health Net needed to protect the lead while Jelly Belly wanted a stage win for the home town crowd of Jones. With all the different tactics from the big teams all we could do is hold on and try to finish. I got pulled 50 minutes into the race and Derik, Jared and Hamity with six laps to go. Cory rolled a tire and crashed with five to go but was still able to finish strong. Jared also rolled a tire which was taped on instead of glued just like Cory's. So the moral of the story is don't use tape instead of glue on your tubular tires it could cost you the race and cause a lot of pain. Take the time and do it right.

We have raced 202 miles in the last 21 hours. Today's race was 92 miles and we did it in under 3 1/2 hours. Attacks started going off the front early with many failed attempts. Finally a small group got away and the pace slowed just long enough to give them some room. We rode a solid tempo pretty much the entire day and each circuit the climb got harder and harder. On the third and final lap Toyota/United went to the front and started to chase the break. I drifted back on the climb and got gapped with a group of about 30 riders. No one in the group wanted to chase so I went to the front and drilled it for about five minutes until we caught the peloton again. Once we caught them I went directly to the front 20 and held my position up there. Things got pretty agressive and a Jittery Joes and Mexican rider actually had a little fist fight while strolling at 30 mph. Not long after the boxing match, the field was completly strung out and a small group put a small gap on the field. Hamity and Derik went to the front and brought them back just in time for the leadout. It was a downhill sprint and probably the most sketchy one I have ever been in. Overlapping wheels and elbows were everywhere! Results arn't posted yet but I'm sure I was around 15th again. Cory and Jared stayed out of the wind and will be fresh for the TT at 7:00 tonight. Our goal is to get four guys in the top 40.

We made it through the storm with no problems. The last two days we have been hanging out in Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of the Razorbacks. Our host housing situation in much better than in Silver City. We all have our own bed and the backyard has a pool and a campfire pit that are being put to good use. Our host family consists of two very good looking 27 year old single girls who have been cooking for us and giving us wine and inviting all their friends over. We think this might be host housing heaven!

We start the 110 mile road race in three hours and have a solid plan. Watch for some big results tonight.

Team Einstein’s road director/racer, Jack Seehofer, has a massive database of knowledge in his head and when you're lucky, he'll pass a little your way. Today was my lucky day. Not only did he keep us safe during the Thursday Night Throw Down (Bus Stop Ride) but he showed how to remove a rock from your shoe while cruising on a busy highway at 20 mph.

I’m used to peeing off a bike and pretty much not stopping for anything other than a mechanical but removing a rock from your shoe would warrant a stop, don’t you think? Not for Jack, he just unbuckled his shoe while it was clipped in, removed his foot, removed his shoe and rock, clipped it back into his pedals, put his foot back in and strapped up. Maybe he was a Tri-athlete in another life or something. Great, now I’ll feel guilty if I stop to take my shoes off.