I have a lot rambling through my head with plans to write about all of it soon.  Some of it racing related while other info is coaching related, and I will get to all of it as time permits. 

I'm hoping to offer up a Part 2 to my "new normal" article (you thought I forgot!), and I'll put something together about our racing experience in Wisconsin at the Tour of America's Dairyland.  I am racing nearly every weekend now along with the Wednesday night crit series, and as that happens the material just creates itself.  In the meantime enjoy below.....

Mid Town Alley Grand Prix - race video
Hopefully you've read my race report "Concrete Jungle" to get an idea of the wild weather in St. Louis a few weeks ago.  One of the local masters strongmen Dave Henderson is able to take some pretty cool live racing action video, albeit from his bike while racing in the Pro/1 race!  Dave's ending to the video is no surprise considering the conditions.

Tour de Grove - NRC race video
In my "Concrete Jungle" writeup about the Grove race I mention the moment when the three riders get away from the group I was in; one Jelly Belly, one Kelly Benefit and then a masters rider I know.  Dave Henderson is that masters rider and obvious Cat 1, and this video shows the exact moment it happened.  At the 3:30 mark you'll see me riding just ahead of him for awhile, but the critical moment comes at the 7:15 mark when Dave gets on the wheel of the two pro riders.  They eventually made the front pack of 25 riders and he finished the race.  Seeing him do this isn't surprising as I've seen Dave win and succeed several times, so if you're ever racing against him and he's up the road then you can bank on him making it stick!

Zwizanski and Van Gilder take Tour de Grove in intense weather
Here's a good news item from Velonews on how the race developed and ended in St. Louis.  Here's a name for you to watch out for in the future too - Mike Sherer of the Verizon U23 race team out of Illinois.  Sherer got 3rd at the Tour de Grove and has performed quite well during the Tour of America's Dairyland in Wisconsin; winning one race and holding the yellow jersey too.  This guy has a future on the domestic scene here in the US.  There's a couple of other names on that team to pay attention to, so keep your eye out for Verizon U23 results because they've got some solid young talent.  Oh to be a youngster again!

Cycling adventures with Brian Toone
I have raced against Brian quite a bit over the last few years and watched him always be in the mix at every race he attends.  I have been in several breakaways with him and all I can say is he made all of them hurt, but they stuck!  Brian wrote up some info about the Mid Town Alley, Tour de Grove and Tour of America's Dairyland races from Grafton and Road America.  He's knocked out some solid results lately, so look for his name in many of the large regional events east of the Mississippi.  His race reports are always thorough with graphs and analysis, but don't let the data fool you because he does a good job at telling a story.  Plus, he's an all around good dude!

New wave of US cities look at bike-sharing plans
Denver started with 500 bikes and 50 stations.  How about a modest start for Nashville, such as starting with 50 bikes and 5 stations?  A yearly subscription is only $60!  Gosh, I wonder if they are race ready?  With the built in tracking tips there's no worry about theft, and the renter is responsible for the costs related to theft, damage or lost bikes.  This isn't rocket science and can happen in Nashville.  If we can think it and dream it then we can live it out.  The early adopters of programs like this are always the ones who benefit the most.  Get on the front end of cutting edge ideas and you're rewarded; can we do it?

Mark Cavendish Crash - Tour de Suisse Stage 4 2010
In case you've not seen this sprint crash yet here is your opportunity.  This is a high quality video that clearly shows Cavendish not maintaining his line, moving left and creating the massive crash.  Just look at where he was in relation to the road paint and you can get a better idea of how much he deviated from his line.  Obviously it's not something he intended to do, but sprinters at all levels must be aware of their sprint line.  For the announcer to apologize and say it was not Cavendish's mistake is puzzling to me as it appears obvious the blame is on him.  Again, unintentional, but the crash happened due to Cavendish's action.

Backlash against Cavendish after Swiss crash
Not held as the sole responsible, really?  Your hand was completely submerged in the cookie jar and it's on tape.  Own it.

'Speechless' Bruyneel has lots to say about Vuelta snub
One question I would pose to Johan Bruyneel and riders on his team would be, "Have you ever used your influence with a race promoter to discourage them from inviting a particular team or individual to a race you were doing?"  This should be the first question asked of him, and after that answer it should be investigated to see if his words ring true.  If he has influenced a start list in the past then he doesn't have a leg to stand on; suck it up and accept the outcome.  My gut tells me he already knows the real reason(s) why RadioShack wasn't chosen, but I have no guess on what those may be.  Usually organizations or individuals should first seek the answers they want by taking a good long look in the mirror. 

In the big picture I agree with him there should be consistent standards across the board, and if adopted they would help build a more solid foundation for professional cycling.  Ideally the sport would create a business model more similar to the major league sports such as the NFL, NBA or MLB where franchises compete within leagues.  Ownership groups, not sponsorship groups, should vie for teams to be based within specific countries or major metropolitan areas, and promoters should offer events within the major league model only to those teams within the league.  This would be a tall task to achieve, but the current sponsorship model will forever provide upheaval with the structure that exists.

Amazing stunt riding...on a carbon road bike
This video is viral and has made its way around the world in a few days with over 400,000 views.  If you've got skills you've got skills.  My favorite stunt comes at the 4:15 mark.  I bet you've not ever seen that done on a road bike!

Coach John Wooden

I'm going to end this post with a few links of stories about the legendary college basketball coach John Wooden.  If you have followed my writings then you know my life has been shaped by outstanding leaders, coaches and men cut from a similar cloth as Coach Wooden.  I am greatly ashamed to admit it has taken his death at the age of 99 to finally begin reading one of his books.  The title of the book is Wooden on Leadership, which I've had in my possession for at least three years; sad huh?  I pride myself on reading, a lot, but this one just sat there waiting patiently, on me.

Wooden is considered old school, and in my opinion his wisdom is too simple yet too complicated for today's society.  I know some would say his or my thought process is dogmatic at times (minus the arrogance hopefully), but there is no refuting the positive life results that come from following simple principles.  If you are unfamiliar with Wooden's Pyramid of Success then you owe it to yourself to find out; it's a road map littered with gold to a successful life - in sports and in life.  Since his death I have ordered and received a book specifically about the Pyramid of Success that I am excited to read.  I promise to finish both books by the end of summer.

I would have endured whatever necessary to be around a man like Coach Wooden.  Fortunately, I did and continue to have the opportunity through other men like him.  With the passing of Coach Wooden it is up to everyone left behind to continue his progress, forge ahead, hold true to core values, and lead a life full of positive examples for others to follow.  We all will make mistakes, that's ok, but it's how we respond that matters most.  It is hard work, no doubt, but we owe it to ourselves and everyone around us to live up to that challenge.

Life of Reilly - One coach still knows more than all the others combined
Rick Reilly of ESPN had an inside view to Coach Wooden, and in this article he writes for Wooden's great-grandson - a walk on basketball player at UCLA.

What does John Wooden pass to another coach?
This includes some personal stories from basketball coach Steve Lavin, formerly of the UCLA Bruins.  To get a real sense of the quality of man Wooden was the best way to find out is to listen to those who had regular contact with him.  Lavin was definitely impacted by Wooden's guidance and presence, and as you can tell it's the little things that stood out to Lavin - always does right?

The Wizard's wisdom: 'Woodenisms'
It's almost impossible for me to pick out my favorite one from this list, but I think it can all be summed up with, "Be prepared and be honest."  My next favorite from Wooden has to be, "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."  If you only knew how often I have used that verbiage to help cyclists overcome their weaknesses.  It's a message I have to repeat over and over and over, consistently.  I could take every one of these quotes and easily write a story about each one.  What's your favorite?

John Wooden Memorial Service Scheduled For June 26
This service is taking place in Pauly Pavilion, and I'm quite sure it'll pack the house and become SRO.  It's even going to be broadcast live on the Internet at www.ucla.edu.  You know you've lived an amazing and impactful life when over 6,000 people show up to your memorial service.

Rest in peace Coach.