The Flying Scotsman

For all you trackies and time trial enthusiasts: Make sure to check out the new movie about Graeme Obree coming out in theaters in two weeks. It's a really cool story about the Scottish Cyclist who won world pursuit championships and had the hour-record in the 90's. I had the chance to read his book while being in Belgium last year and it was really fascinating to read (that means a lot coming from someone who usually doesn't read books). One review says: "The ups and downs of the story are cleverly balanced. The euphoria of cycling is played against the loneliness of an isolated mind." Check out the trailer!

Toughing it out in cold Oklahoma...

I just got back from my friends in Tulsa after two days of good racing in the VeloCup Series. Saturday I was able to get 2nd and today I had to settle for third as Bill Stolte (HRRC) took the honors both days. The average temperature on Saturday was 40 F and my legs definitively felt it. But, the competition had the same conditions so it was okay. The "switchback-training" earlier this week at Mt. Scott helped me to make the selection of four (Adam Mills - thanks for reading my blog regularly, Bill Stolte, and Brice Jones) in this 50 mile race. It came down to a cat & mouse game in the last lap after I "tested" my legs up the finish hill w/ 1 to go. Eventually, I got away with Stolte and he did what he was expected to with 2 guys in the break of 4 - winning. I got 2nd and it was good. On Sunday we had more guys out and Mat Ankney cleared the way for us early on so Alex and me got in a break with Janne (Tulsa) and Stolte again. Unfortunately for us, Stolte was super strong again and outsmarted us the last 2 laps (although my legs were hurting pretty bad, too). Got to ride & race 90miles today as we rode out to the course w/ Chad (a.k.a. 53x11), Alex, Mat & Bam-Bam.

Keirin, heads, etc. at the track

I went out to the track last night to "play" a bit. Seriously, it was a lot of fun although the temp's in the low 40's made the warming-up part very difficult. I survived the cold and won the omnium. I just had my new FUJI bike built together last week and wanted to try it out...well, I probably should have chosen a different day because it was freeeezing cold out there. But you "gotta do what you gotta do". I got 2nd in the Keirin Heat #1 and took the final, followed by a "V" in the Unknown Distance. It was fun, I need more speed workouts like those. The final event, a 12-lap scratch race (WAY too short), I didn't go for it knowing that it doesn't matter for the omnium and let the Compl. Depot guys sprint it out between themselves.

Belterra & Tunis-Roubaix

Having not raced for two weeks my legs felt "funny" at Belterra and I only managed 8th place. The next morning I got myself pretty dirty at Tunis-Roubaix where I rode to 3rd place after the THSJ boyz played cat and mouse w/ me. Having scored 2nd place last year at that race I wanted to repeat but my legs were not going at all after haven't be able to train a whole lot that week due to a cold. I never felt strong and managed only 8th place. Oh well, I thought and was looking forward to the epic Tunis race the next day. Having won that race before in the College category I was hoping to do well again, and my legs felt better than yesterday. Thanks to my training wheels (and 25mm MAXXIS Detonator tires) I didn't flat and I tried to make a decision in the dirt but the field wouldn't really break up. Finally, I ended up with two Hotel San Jose guys and they did what the had to do, attacking me left and right until I cracked and so I finished 3rd...Oh well, Mercy has been doing that to them multiple times before :-)

The adventure comes to an end...

Thanks to Dave, Jared, Tom, Simon, Dan, Flo, Louis, Tang, Man, Daniel, Pong for my best off-season ever!

Visit www.bikemen.net for a huge selection of photos from Tour of South China Sea and Tour of Siam.

Stage 2-6 wrap-up

(that guy Koji, above, pissed us off when attacking the field in the draft of a team car on Stage 5. Man, I was mad, as you can see. Oh well, how else do you communicate with a Japanese when you're German and race in Thailand?)

On the way to the BKG airport. Finally, 1900miles, 1 flat, 1 crash, 6 weeks later - traveling home now. Stage 2: through the mountains, finished 28th, 2min behind solo stage winner 'druggy' Koji of Japan. Stage 3: easy transfer- stage at HR avg. 132 w/ field sprint. Stage 4: made the early break w/ the big players, 4th at KOM before leading trio rode away from everyone. In 2 chasegroups, going up 20% climbs and 60mph downhill, ended up in 'field' of 30 guys finishing 34th Stage 5: 170km flat back towards bangkok, survided the cat & mouse play of the yellow jersey and druggy Koji of Japan. Came off the bike 'unpurposely' in last K but no blood or bruises. Stage 6: The thai lunchboxes were a bad idea - tom and me spent half the night in the bathroom. Had to find a bathroom 60km into the last 190km stage and abandoned. Got a sweet ride in the AC-bus to the finish. Had lunch and beer at the palace. The hamburger for dinner made me even more eager to get home quickly.

And the winner is...

..Ray & Corie Wyrick! I will have jersey for you in the mail as soon as I get back to the States. The correct answer was: Mehdi Sohrabi (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Cycling Team.

Thanks for all the e-mails; I didn't know so many people read my blog.

On a side note: Finished 28th today.

Stefan

Going 28.3mph to the River Kwai Bridge

So here I am - in the River Kwai Hotel in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Today's 1st stage of the Tour of Siam over 155km was another fast "windfest" where the field was strung out long and a field sprint ended the day after 03:25hrs (avg. 28.3mph). I finished somewhere in the pack; nothing for me when local riders sprint like nuts for 47th place. My roommate for the last 2 days - Thomas B. - was our MAN in the only break-away of 16 guys today. Unfortunately, with 20km to go it got caught and we went 50kph towards the finish. Good job, though. That way, Dave, Jared, Simon and myself could take it easy in the peloton (if you consider 28.3mph going easy).Tomorrow is the day of truth with 115miles through the mountains of Northwest Thailand.

Other than that, Thailand welcomed us very warm; literally with temperatures in the mid-90's every day. Everything is very green around here, rice is growing left and right from the street and the local "Seven 11" is the place to buy cheap things.

Here are a few impressions I shot with my Canon Ixus over the last 3 days:

Enter to win...

Okay, so after a while shooting at my readers with a lot of words and random talk, here's something for you guys:

Tell me the name and the team name of the cyclist shown above between me (r) and Jared (l) and you enter a drawing for a original Champion System Team Jersey. Deadline: January 20, 8pm US CT.

Send your e-mail to stefan_rothe@web.de

If you've been following this blog and the results it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out.

Stefan

A random Day in KL, Malaysia

7:30am - say good morning to Jared, turn around again 8am - get up, make coffee w/ french press, eat cereal + sweets from bakery, more coffee 9am - nap, computer, bike maintenance 10am - go ride, get cut off by one of million scooters on interstate 1, see wild monkeys cross the street, dehydrate in 80% humidity and 95¤F 2pm - get home, shower, WATER, coffee, instant noodles + bakery sweets, do laundry, nap or read Dan Brown books 4pm - take subway to KLCC, check out mall, look at bootlegged DVD's (James Bond, Rocky Balboa...), Starbucks, head back to condo 7pm - dinner at Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant, pay $12 US for the 4 of us 8pm - stop by chin. bakery, walk back 8:22pm - see bunch of cops outside condo, don't know if homi- or suicide happened? 9pm - watch movie (Conan, Police Academy 3), 11pm - bed time Good Night, Stefan