Wednesday Roundup

Blogs
Loomdog was in Virginia this past weekend and was running in the mountains when he got passed by Floyd Landis who was naturally on his mountain bike. Loomdog loves running down the mountain, but that running up stuff is tough.

Big Wheel Racing sums up his experience at the SM100 this past weekend in Virginia.

Tom Hodge also posts a report on Sunday's SM100 in which Floyd Landis finished third.

Airing Myself Out is happy her friend Harlan beat Landis, but really wants a new place to live.

Bwana read the Dan Daly piece the other day and he knows what will be said if the arb panel rules in favor Floyd Landis. Bwana feels that Daly should just allow due process to proceed in the Landis case and show some restaint. Thanks for the plug.

Dogzbollux describes the trials of riding the SM100 vividly and had a hard but gratifying day on the trail. He looked to see Floyd Landis in the morning before the start of the race and missed him, but he was lucky enough to exchange a few meaningful words with Floyd's parents, Paul and Arlene, after he crossed the finish line.

[T]he hardest climb for me was the short final climb at 92-94 miles. I thought it was all over! I was past the final aid station and cruising on the asphalt when - bugger me, the course took a right turn back onto steep fireroad! Absolute misery! As I crawled up this section I edged up alongside another rider. Trying to be cheerful I managed to pant out " Hi! How's it going, nearly there now!" The other rider turned his head to me and looked like a man only just holding on to his sanity! I wasn't sure if he was more likely to dive across and try to rip my eyeballs out or to crawl to the side of the trail, curl up into a ball and start whimpering about the "big nasty creatures" that were coming to get him.

We'll wager on "curl up into a ball" as more likely. Everybody remember we cycle for fun.

Wheelset ran a SM100 that with results that disappointed him, but he can compare a bunch of races firsthand. We can't say any of 'em look easy.

Metro Solo had a mellow 14 hour and change SM100, with an hour break at Station #5 and lots of time helping other folks out. He thinks he'll be back looking for a sub-12, and he did get to meet "the man".

Nick Waite worked the SM100, and had some time later in recovery:

Jeff Roommate Schalk pulled a Floyd Landis on Floyd Landis (insane solo win) this past weekend and he hasn't rinsed the grin off his face since. Not to mention a pretty big record fell and is now smoldering out at the stokesville camp ground.

Floyd was in town and I was stoked to tie on more than one buzz with him. That guy knows how to party! Anyway, some boycotted his presence and others embraced it. After all, he's a former local mountain biker and apparently human as well.

Speedgoat rightly brags about one of theirs taking 5th, and says

Included in the very fast field was embattled Tour champion Floyd Landis, who raced a BMC Fourstroke to third place and went decidely logo-less on the podium. Overall series winner and perennial endurance monster, Chris Eatough failed to finish the event, after his bike suffered a mechanical, but fellow Trek/Volkswagen rider Jeff Schalk won the day. Indy Fab's Harlan Price grabbed second after dicing back and forth with a good-natured and clearly happy Landis most of the day.

[,,,] keep and eye on that Floyd character. He may look like he's stifling a burp in this photo, but he damn near reminded us all what it means to have fun racing a bicycle this past weekend, and the kid's got potential.