Went to church this morning since there was no evening mass on christmas day. There was a ride leaving Lindbergh and Clayton @ 9:10 but I had no expectations of making it there in time. As it turned out, mass was a little shorter than normal. I ate breakfast and quick loaded up the car in the hopes of driving ahead of the others and being ready or at least stopping them as they went by. I thought 141 and Conway was a good location and got there 30 minutes after they were supposed to start. I got ready in a few minutes but still no riders. Then I rode east on Conway for a few minutes but still no one in sight. Either I just missed them or the didn't ride west on Conway.

At the time, the skies were cloudy and the temps were in the low 30's so I just headed out toward Chesterfield with the faint hope that I would run across Ted and Glen along the way. My legs were sluggish but I think I climbed reasonably well. It's always hard to judge when you are alone with no computer although I've gotten pretty good at reading my body. I stayed in 39x15,16 until the flats when I put it the the big ring while staying in the same combos in the back.

I did a simple out and back with the bottom of doberman hill being the turn around point. Total time was a little less than two hours

News Item of the Day: Erwin Vervecken Sunday's edition of the SuperPrestige series in Diegem, Belgium, finishing ahead of the formidable Sven Nijs, who maintains a lead in the series.

Belgian Sven Vanthourenhout finished third and Dutchman Richard Groenendael took forth. Americans Ryan Trebon, Erik Tonkin, Barry Wicks and Ben Turnerfinished 18th, 27th, 28th and 35th respectively. U.S. 'cross champ, Jonathan Page did not finish.

Viewpoint: Nice job by Ryan Trebon in his first Euro-race.