I popped the Bianchi into the trainer last night for a really rare Monday of training. I wanted to do some harder efforts but wanted to work into the harder stuff in a few days so I was going to keep it in an easier gear. After a warmup, I kicked up the intensity for a five minute effort. The last couple minutes seemed to drag on but the suffering was not awful. Then, after 5 minutes of cooldown, it was back on again. I dropped the rear down one more gear for a little more grunt. The five minutes actually went by a little quicker. The body must have been more properly warmed up. It was then that I looked down and realized I was in the bigger ring when I had no intention of getting out of the small ring. At that point I decided to stay there and do the final effort in the big as well. Afterward, was 30 minutes of tempo riding. Nothing hard except getting the legs going again. Total ride was 1:10.

My trainer distraction turned out to be the stage we raced in L'Etape. I've been trying to catch up and actually watch the tapes I had recorded during the Tour and this stage was next in line. Seeing the pros climb the Aubisque was interesting. Several spots were familiar as the racers passed by. That is one cool thing about having ridden several of the climbs. You flashback occasionally to how you were feeling at the time or what a certain stretch of road was like. I wish OLN had had some coverage of the Marie Blanque so I could be completely disheartened by how well they went up those nasty final 5k. Anyway, I finished my trainer ride as they were descending the Aubisque and will watch the finish in a day or so. I can't remember who won that stage but I think it was Savoldelli. The strange thing is that he has been completely non-existant in the coverage so far. They didn't show him going over the summit or in any of the breakaways. I could look up the results but ot will be more fun to watch the finish.

Viewpoint: I guess I will start my year-end awards with some local stuff before moving on to the pro scene. Any "winners" are based solely on my opinion, participation and observation. Nothing is based on past experience or reputation.

Best Crit Course goes to... Overland Park Grand Prix

My performances are really hit and miss on this course and more often than not it has been miss. A good starting position is not vital but it is REALLY helpful. You have big fields and the course is technical enough to string the fields out. The need for a good spot is the one mark against the course. Otherwise, it has much good to offer. What the OP Grand Prix is not.,, A four-corner crit... A sweeping course with no real turns... A parking lot crit... The course IS a modified figure-8 with seven turns. I say modified because the far end is about a 140 degree turn, while the rest are 90-degree turns. It has a couple small rises about 15 ft high that meet at the intersection of the figure-8. The course is quick, selective, aggression is rewarded and it makes you think tactically about what to do next. Breakaway wins are not rare. If you are strong and smart, you can avoid the big sprint gallop to the finish.