::: www.egglestown.com ::: Eric Chrabot

Win a MattChrabot.com "Go Back to Baby School" fan t-shirt at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championships - Washington DC this Sunday, June 21

2009-06-13T23:30:00.020-04:00

For many people, ITU triathlon is somewhat of a foreign sport. It is the only triathlon event featured in the Olympics where racers complete a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike race, and 10 km run. The race allows drafting just like in bike racing and all three events are completed one after the other.

This Sunday, June 21st, the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series will be making a sweep into Washington, D.C. as part of its world tour.

Here is the calendar for the global series:
Tongyeong, South Korea - May 3
Madrid, Spain - May 31
Washington, D.C.
Kitzbuhel, Austria - July 12
Hamburg,Germany - July 26
London, England - August 16
Yokohama, Japan - August 23
Gold Coast, Australia - September 13

But I thought you were a cyclist and this is a blog about cycling!?
Well, my brother Matt will be lining up in the Men's Pro Race at 9:10am (starting on the Potomac River). He will the the favored local boy, so in preparation, I made a batch of one of a kind t-shirts for his cheering fan section.

How in the world did you create this brilliant t-shirt?
For the design, I collaborated with his former GMU swimming teammates and came up with something Matt used to say quite a lot: Go Back to Baby School. The front image of the shirt has Matt's face cropped into the body of Skeletor, the antagonist from the Master's of the Universe Series, which was taken from his myspace page that a friend had made for him as a gag a few years ago. The back is finished off with a creative triathlon themed design and his branded website.

Why Did I Choose a Jellyfish?
When we lived in the Philippines almost 20 years ago, Matt was stung by a box jellyfish that caused him to stop breathing and put him into the hospital for 3 days. Fortunately, all that he took away from the incident was a very bad scar on his stomach.

So what...
In order to bring as many people as possible to cheer on Matt, everyone reading this blog has the chance to WIN A FREE T-SHIRT (sizes S, M, L) AUTOGRAPHED by the man himself. Simply find me on race day (I'll be wearing one) before the finish of the race and tell me why I used a jellyfish to represent the swim on the shirt. Your name will be put into a hat and after the race the winning name will be drawn. If you don't win, you still can purchase them for the production price.

Good Luck and see you Sunday! (also, when you find me, ask me about the running gerbil)

Finish Location: Pennsylvania Ave NW & 11th St NW Washington, DC 20004 at 11am, June 21.

Facebook Group: Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series - Washington D.C.

PS, keep this a secret from Matt. It's supposed to be a surprise!

And based on the already popular demand, and the already huge response I've already gotten, FULL PRODUCTION will begin shortly and sold on http://www.mattchrabot.com/.

In the mean time, if you will be unable to attend the race but would still like a shirt, comment on this blog post and include your email address or send me a message on the Facebook Group.

How to 360 a golf cart

2009-05-19T22:59:00.005-04:00

This manuever can be done on both dry and wet surfaces but it is easier after a fresh rain storm. The fairway requires less speed than the rough does and wet conditions allow greater flexibility with surface choices.

1. Start by putting the pedal into the floor. Use a hill to get even more speed, but don't get too crazy (20 degrees was frighteningly fast enough.)

2. Once you reach top speed, slam on the brakes and let it skid for about 1/2 second.

3. Throw the wheel to the right as hard as you can and keep the brake on.

4. At 90 degrees you are going to feel like the golf cart will tip over and smash you. Don't worry, most gas carts weigh approximately 800lbs and tend to be very bottom heavy.

5. When you are at 180 degrees throw the wheel in the opposite direction. The important part during the whole trick is to keep the break buried deep in the floor, otherwise you are going to flat out and revert.

6. Hold the wheel in the opposite direction and the brake until you are back facing the same direction you started in.

7. In one fluid motion, ease back into the gas and roll away.

Top Sporters do DC

2009-05-06T21:57:00.017-04:00

Last weekend Owen and I ventured into DC! We were really nailing it on the Custis Trail getting into town. The trail is only about 5 feet wide so danger was constantly around the corner. Roots making uneven pavement, bends, bridges, pedestrians, and of course, the inevitable cyclists travelling in the opposite direction proved to be challenging targets that we had to dodge.

We saw the Lincoln Memorial. This is the second time I've seen DC like this in person. I'd like to make more trips and see more things inside without wearing a chamois. I've seen the Air and Space Museum and Natural History Museum, but would like to check out the American History Museum and possibly some of the art museums. Does anyone know some cool coffee shops in the area?

The Washington Monument. The temperatures warranted sleeves and legwarmers as rain was scheduled for the day. Despite the weather, the area was packed with people. We were scoping the babes and playing hot or not.

The White House. If you really squint, you can see the security officer on the top near the flag holding an M4 assault rifle. Best keep your distance, sporters.

The Supreme Court. This was the least crowded of the landmarks and it was kind of out of the way.

The new bike was confiscated by the Police for questioning and weighing. The cop was on a segway and ended up loosing battery juice in the chase to issue an inspection. Owen got close lined by a tree but claims he saw his 2nd highest power number for a sprint (near 1300 W) on the Power meter. Speaking of power, who digs the front mounting system set up for the Power Tap? It is being produced by NOVA Cycling Products (NCP) and will be available to the market soon, perhaps even being featured on bikes like Cadel Evans in this years Tour. If you'd like to get a pre-order prototype, comment on this blog post and we can set you up.

The back of the Capitol. Check out the Euro classic bend bars and the switch to SRAAM. Yes I made the leap, will you?

The front of the Capitol. Again, another security officer at the top of the stairs (TOTS anyone?) holding an M4. Owen and I were wondering what this guy would say what he does for a living, "I guard the Capitol building and my best friend guards the White House. It's a friendly rivalry and we frequently debate on who guards the more important building of the two. We wouldn't call it a turf war and we respect each other's landmark...but we wouldn't switch for the world."

The DC Segway Tours were everywhere. Owen was really getting a kick out of these guys. Apparently they're doing pretty well with foreigners and their stronger currencies (leveraging the Purchasing Power Parity; a little applied economics for Stevo.)Phenomenal business idea.

Athens Twilight Criterium

2009-04-25T19:14:00.003-04:00

Founded in 1980 by Gene Dixon, the Athens Twilight Criterium was the first nighttime race in the United States in over 60 years. What began as one race with 40 competitors has since grown to offer eight separate race classes and 150 cyclists competing in the main event, the men's criterium, a 60-km race around downtown Athens.

Heralded by VeloNews as the "Criterium Not To Miss" and voted first by their poll of professional and amateur racers, Twilight is a highlight of the pro cycling season. For the past 18 years, the Twilight has been part of the National Cycling Calendar, and it hosts the largest and oldest handcycle race in the United States. The Twilight has always stood apart from other criteriums and is popular not just with racers, but with its huge crowd of spectators, consistently drawing over 30,000 spectators and some of cyling's hottest stars to the streets of the Classic City annually.

Twilight's location in the thriving entertainment district of downtown Athens and its consistently large, passionate crowd ensure the Twilight's special status. Athens' uniqueness and charm is supported by the thousands of UGA graduates who view the Twilight as a homecoming occasion. Second only to football games, it is the largest event in Athens and is the highest income-producing weekend of the year for downtown retailers. Over one million people have viewed the Athens Twilight over its 29-year history.

The Twilight weekend has become an annual springtime tradition in Athens, as well as attracting spectators and participants from around the world. Professional athletes and spectators comment that there is no other event anywhere in the world as diverse and all encompassing as the Athens Twilight.

www.athenstwilight.com

How a Top Sporter must prepare for race day

2009-04-09T23:02:00.005-04:00

Vince Roberge, 2007.

I met Vince in 2007 during my three month stay at the Cycling Center (now JBCA/CC) in Hertsberge, Belgium. Don't let his boy-bandish looks fool you; Vince is a bandit in Monopoly and will own the whole board in five rolls of the die while conquering with the thimble. He is also a solid bike racer and one of the few guys who made it through four straight seasons (2005-08) in the land of chocolate, diamonds, and beer.

Paris-Roubaix venue change?

2009-03-31T23:43:00.001-04:00

Major race organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has stumbled upon a major hurdle for this month's Paris-Roubaix, with the famed Roubaix velodrome unavailable for the historic Spring Classic. ASO, which also organises the Tour de France, is currently trying to negotiate an alternative with the velodrome's owners who have double booked the venue with a local Easter carnival, the Roubaix Poisson d'Avril, on April 12.

This year's event is the first time Paris-Roubaix has clashed with Easter weekend since the 2004 edition, when Magnus Bäckstedt claimed victory. Over the past five years a local Easter festival has grown to such a degree, that in 2007 it started using the velodrome site in order to cater for increased attendance.

"It's an embarrassing oversight by the velodrome owners," an ASO insider told Cyclingnews. "They simply didn't realise that our event fell on Easter Sunday this year. It only happens every once in a while, so it's an understandable mistake to make."

ASO hopes to have a resolution to the issue by week's end. Several options are being considered, with negotiations between it and the Easter carnival organisers underway which would see the festival moved to the neighboring football grounds.

Should a deal between the two organisations fail to materialise, ASO will consider asphalting the old running track that surrounds the football field next door and erecting a temporary grand stand for the event. While it's considered an extreme measure, ASO wants to ensure the event stays close to its roots.

"We are working with both organisers and the velodrome owners," said a local council member. "If ASO must resort to its back-up measure, the local government will offer its resources to help lay the asphalt in time. Roubaix is proud of this event and doesn't want to see the finish moved to another province, not even as a one off."

An ASO official admitted that while paving the running track next door wasn't ideal, it was the most attractive alternative. It wishes to stay close to the site where race founders Théodore Vienne and Maurice Perez held the first event in 1886, ruling out a one-off move to a nearby city.

The organisation had also considered postponing the event for one week, but has since decided that's not an option. With a temporary alternative in place, the organiser didn't want to upset fans or teams who have all booked accommodation and travel for the existing date, in addition to athletes timing their condition specifically to that date.

What do big waves, a bond stuntman, and meatloaf have in common?

2009-01-20T17:42:00.004-05:00

Laird Hamilton

"Meet a man who is to his sport what Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Lance Armstrong are to theirs." - Leslesy Stahl, 60 Minutes

Aug 17, 2000 Teahupoo, Tahiti

Die Another Day, 2002 20th Century Fox

"Laird Hamilton is known as the guiding genius of cross over board sports, and he is truly amzaing in the water. His size - 6'3", 215 pounds - makes him seem indestructible. Laird is the elder son of sixties' surfing legend Bill Hamilton and is a throwback to that time when surfers prided themselves on being all-around watermen.

His mother, JoAnn, gave birth to him in a "bathysphere" with reduced gravity as part of an experiment at the UC Medical Center in San Francisco. JoAnn was also a surfer and decided to move the family from California to Hawaii when Laird was just a few months old. They lived on Oahu's North Shore and later in a remote valley on Kauai, not far from one of the world's best surf breaks.

He learned to surf between the ages of 2 and 3 on the front half of a surfboard; and at age 8, his father took him to the 60-foot cliff at Waimea Falls, where Laird looked down, looked back at his dad, and jumped. 'He's been bold since day one,' says Bill, 'and hell-bent on living life to the extreme.' He lives in Hawaii and California with his wife and three daughters." - Forces of Nature
2002 HawaiiWeb.com

Laird's Favorite Meat Loaf

Recipe courtesy of Gabrielle Reece, Forces of Nature

3 lbs 85% lean ground beef
1 lb organic turkey
2 cups canned corned
2 cups grated Cheddar
2 cups rolled oats
4 eggs, beaten
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, diced
Parchment paper (I used aluminum foil)
1 bunch kale
3 TBS barbeque/teriyaki sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine beef, turkey, corn, cheese, oats, eggs, salt, and pepper. Do not overmix.

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring for 5 min until soft. Add to other ingredients and mix in.

Line 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer meat mixture to pan and pack densely (mixture won't rise).

Peel kale stems and place over top of meat loaf so it forms a skin. Drizzle barbeque/teriyaki sauce over the top of kale in a grid patter. Bake for 1 hr 15 min, then remove from the oven and let sit in pan for 30 minutes. Serve from pan or transfer to platter.

YIELD: 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

Google yourself and see what happens; Contrary to what many think, your computer does not explode

2008-12-14T13:00:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I find that to truly get a gauge on how famous you are, it's appropriate to Google your name every once and a while.

My roommate,Owen, thought it'd be cool to Google his name
For this search, here is a list of things that can and do happen on the world wide web:

1. Your name gets confused with big-dog name actors named Owen Wilson, who have slightly more hair than you

2. Embarrassing pictures are found by co-workers who then print them for bulletin board posting

3. Your blog is discovered

4. A person with the same name as you lives on the other side of the world and has many better stories to tell than you

5. You realize that the internet is a time capsule that will bring up cached pages from now until eternity.

6. Mo Nielsen and Owen A. Perkins have put together another nature hike report.

7. News articles written about you appear having never even given an interview yourself.

8. Bad comedy movies made by the big dog actor with the similar name pop up.

9. You discover that you're on Facebook.

10. Your friend Steven is included in the images search.

Video:
Feathers

Just because it's the off-season...

2008-12-02T21:30:00.006-05:00

...doesn't mean you can take time off from injury.

Chavanel injured in oyster incident

Cofidis rider Sylvain Chavanel has injured himself while trying to open an oyster. A knife the French rider was using to open the oyster slipped and cut one of his fingers down to the bone, a wound which required 13 stitches to close it. Doctors said that Chavanel will have no feelings in the finger for several months, according to hln.be. Despite the lack of feeling, it is not expected to interfere with his training. 11/19 Cyclingnews

Cavendish injures self with "Wii" game

Mark Cavendish is a two-time track World Champion and had the most victories of any rider in the peloton in the 2008 season, but he has come to woe in the off-season because, of all things, a computer game. He was playing a snowboarding game on his Nintendo Wii console when he fell from the board and hurt his calf muscle. "It's a pain, but it's a minor injury in the off-season and not a huge problem," Cavendish told eurosport.uk. 12/1 Cyclingnews

This sport is tough.

Hot or Not?

2008-11-15T18:57:00.006-05:00

Today I went riding with my training partners, Owen and Steven. The legs felt great, but the power was not so good. We also played Hot or Not with the women on the trail today; I think Owen won. The ride was a good 4 hrs with lots of rain so I'm surprised the pictures can out. We hit Chipotle afterwards.

A top sporter must always cover his legs. He must also wear real cycling shoes. Steven violated both today.

Sometimes you're the new kid and you have to be cool

Send Me On My Way

2008-10-13T20:54:00.033-04:00

(For the truly hippy experience, try playing this song while viewing this blog)

This summer I took a trip out to visit my buddy Paul in New Mexico. The trip consisted of a 4 day 55 mile hike that took us through the Gila Wilderness.

I decided about 3 weeks into my summer that I wanted to visit New Mexico and see what all the fuss was about. After hopping on the 6:30 am flight, I arrived in San Antonio, TX midday.

This is a wooden road runner that stands about 20 feet high. It lives on a hill next to the highway. If you have seen this, I'll give you a dollar. After arriving at Silver City, NM we hit up a local bar and grill to sample the beer and draw on table coasters. That night we packed our hiking poles, macaroni and cheese, and a flint and steel fire starter (Bear Grylls style.)

The next morning we arrived on site bright and early. This specific photo was taken near the penultimate climb in the Tour of Gila. We had to retake this one to get a good sleepy smile in.

This picture was taken along the West Fork River. For those of you familiar with the area, Paul and I hiked from Sandypoint where we were dropped off Wednesday morning, all the way to the Wild River Hot Springs to make a bbq that Saturday night. We didn't get rain the whole trip (actually it was the Gila's "monsoon season," but I must've brought the good weather.)

The first water stop was at Hobo Spring, high in the mountains. This little trickle needed to be filtered at least several times before drinking. Paul insisted on getting Giardia. He is also a Virginia Beachean.

About 3/4 into the way into the first day, we reached the top of Mogollon Baldy, a staggering 10770 ft high. From the top of the peak, you could see thuderstorms in the distance and mountain ranges in Arizona.

Here is our campsite the first day. I created fire while Paul put up the tent, fetched water, and cooked the food. It actually was easier to start the fire than find the fire wood, unbelievable I know. It had been a rainy week before I arrived and things were still a bit damp. This was a popular campsite so the only wood we found had to be broken off dead pine trees.

We frequently took breaks to eat beef jerky, granola bars, trail mix, and drink filtered water with splenda koolaid. Oh YEAAHHH! Whenever we stopped to sit on a fallen tree like this, we made sure there were no rattlesnakes to greet us by spearing our hiking poles into the shadows beneath.

Towards the middle of the second day, I had the worst blisters in the world. I had been wearing my younger brother's hiking boots that were never broken in. I'm not even sure they were hiking boots because they had steel toes. They weighed about 6lb each and were a hassle to carry on your pack. I opted to leave them near the river on a boulder for some unsuspecting hiker who would desperately need a fresh change of shoelaces. I circled the location in the photograph in case you'd like to EBay them.

The second day was probably the most physically demanding day. 1/2 way through we lost the path due to a landslide from rainfall. Paul was hurting bad and needed some Tylenol. Good thing I brought 10 200 mg tablets, two numbers much too small for the Gila Wilderness. On several occasions we had been tacking down hill on grades as steep as 50 degrees. I couldn't believe someone was actually follwing me as huge amounts of earth had tumbled to the river bed leaving little if any foot holds. Atta boy Paul!

When you wear the shoes that were meant to be your fireside slippers on your feet all day, through river crossings, and jumping canyons, you begin to get some knarly blisters that need more than a band-aid. The blisters you see were actually caused by the boots, and the wrinkles of course were from wading in the river. The following day I was actually able to jog down some of the steep dry creek beds due to lighter feet (and perhaps 400 mg of Tylenol). Going downhill is the hardest part of hiking with a pack. An unconditioned body that is not used to the pounding on the joints can lead to very sore knees the following morning.

The third day we got into some fun getting lost coming out of the canyon. I had to use my topographical map reading skills that I learned in Boy Scouts to get us to the trail. Pauls good judgement and direction kept us on course. We ended up on of a table top plateau that had lots of pine trees. It actually looked like a golf course in North Carolina, almost like a tobacco farm had been leveled and pine trees had been planted. It was a very open area with some sparse meadow grass. I was almost certain this is where we would run into a rattlesnake but we didn't. We decided to haul for lost time and made up 3 miles in 55 minutes. Wearing a 45 lb pack and walking the fastest you've ever walked in your life was one of the hardest things that I had ever experienced. We descended that mountain in about the same time but it was 1 mile straight down to the river again. We soaked our feet and filtered some water. This was the beginning of easier times.

By the end of the third day, we were at the Jordan Hot Springs, one of the Gila's natural little paradises. The hot spring here was actually about 85 degrees year round and the sulphur in it keeps the algae at bay. There were several up the mountain that spilled out into a creek that flowed into this one, cooling the water at each stop. That night we made a big fire and finished off our friend Jim Beam.

This one is for the ladies. Merry Christmas (although,the hummingbirds were too fast to snap a picture of.)

Hear is the view from our campsite at the Jordan Hot Springs. It was probably the best site I've been to in all my years of camping. Paul says people sometimes climb these faces to get a better lay of the land and then climb down. 'Paul, I'm pretty sure those were Pueblo Indians and they dug caves on the sides to create a home.' 'Well, if you ask me, if I saw somebody crazy enough to climb that right now and fall, I probably wouldn't help them until tomorrow morning. They probably would die in the fall and we would get lost in the woods with the sun setting, besides, I'm sore as s*** and I need a drink." (Or something like that.) That night we counted 12 shooting stars, 3 satellites, and 1 new moon.

The next day we made little vienna sausages on a stick and our daily free trade french pressed coffee and oatmeal. It was interesting how much lighter the packs were by the end of the trip, without all the food. I carried most of the food and Paul carried the tent. I'm prett sure the tent never got lighter. This was the last day and we would be out of the woods by 2 o'clock and trekking along a highway for 4 miles. We made it to a cool convenience store for ice cream, cokes, and potato chips: three luxuries that we were apart from the whole 4 days in the woods. That night we met up with Paul's friends and had a jolly good time at another spring called the Wild River Hot Springs, which is actually next to the river so you can jump into 110 degree water then cool off in the 65 degree river. We had some really good bbq food and drinks all around. Our journey was incredible and remarkable, but if I had to do it again, I'd probably shorten the distance per day and bring better shoes.

The next day, we visited a true hippy farm. Paul milked the goats and we made feta cheese for our bagel bite pizzas the following night. These things kick so we had to lock them up in a "milking stall."

This was the alpha rooster in the coup. He had horns like the devil and had the ego to prove it. He also had some nasty looking hooks on this feet that probably would be good for some good 'ol fashion cock fighting. I think he was the only rooster in the coup.

In New Mexico, you actually bite the heads off chickens before you cook them. This was called a mini hen and had really small eggs. The eggs she sat on were actually not hers. Her job was to hatch more chickens while the other hens laid eggs to be taken and sold at the market.

Paul decided to bring this one home.

Videos

Trampoline mischievery

Welcome this is a farmhouse

Making cowboy coffee

Thanks for reading,

E

broski takes 4th at Elite Tri Nationals

2008-09-22T19:28:00.004-04:00

[Heading into the men’s race, Olympians Matt Reed and Jarrod Shoemaker had to be considered the favorites among the 39 racers, especially after Hunter Kemper (injury) and Andy Potts (training for Kona) pulled out late in the week. But when Shoemaker failed to make it out of T1 on Saturday, it set the stage for the powerful Reed to grab the title, and he didn’t disappoint.

The 2008 Olympic Trials champion was with a group of four, including Matt Chrabot, Joe Umphenour and Brian Fleischmann, early on the bike, but Reed and Chrabot pulled ahead and easily distanced themselves from the chasers for the remaining bike laps.

“I wanted to do the first part of the bike hard and see if we could break it up a bit. I saw Matt Chrabot, who’s probably the best biker in the field – apart from myself,” said Reed. “Once I saw him in there, I knew we were going to get away.”]

Full article

mattchrabot.com

Taken from The Word

[[I’m sitting here at home typing this entry and I can still feel the fatigue in my legs from the race two days ago. I have been training on hills for the past month preparing for the race, but since I didn’t exactly know how intense the course was, I guess you can say I may have been slightly under prepared. The bike course was super hilly, and I’m always up for an insanely hard bike. I thought I was ready for the run as well. But this is how the race unfolded for me…

It was a chilly overcast day at Hagg Lake just outside of Portland. It was a no wetsuit swim, so we all put warm clothes on after the swim warm up. Unfortunately for Jarrod Shoemaker, the cold got to him the worst and had a touch of hypothermia coming out of the water.

I thought I was having a great swim the first 200m until I looked up to my left to see I was in basically in the last group. I actually stopped for a second to empty water out of my goggles before really putting the hammer down. After a solid, all out effort, I finally found a position in the field where I felt comfortable with: on the leaders’ feet.

Coming into T1, I really hit it hard and was first up the hill on the bike out of transition. I found myself off the front with Matt Reed, Joe Umphenour, and Brian Fleischmann. I led the group into the hairpin turn around and hit it real hard coming out. Matt came around me real fast. He opened up a gap, so instead of going to the back of the group, I filled in and sat in on his wheel. This was the beginning of what became the hardest race of my life. The two of us rode away from Brian and Joe.

Making a move like that would have been almost suicide if I chose to sit in on any other rider on this course. Since it was with Matt, I decided only to speed up and ride away from Brian and Joe even further.

For the next 30Km, I took my equal share of pulls. After that, during the last two laps the hills finally started to break me down. Matt dropped me after riding through transition and sat up to wait for me at the top of the hill. I was completely spent and I really respect the sportsmanship he showed by waiting a few seconds for me to catch up. I refused to ask Matt if I could sit in and I still tried to take my fair share of pulls, even though the it was no longer 50/50.

Heading into the run, I thought I was done. We had opened up the gap on the main chase group by about 1:40. The run course was the same as the bike leg…only the hills felt 5 times as long. I felt ok the first lap of 2.5K, great the 2nd lap, started to fade on the 3rd lap, and was on survival mode on the last. I held onto 2nd until Joe and Ethan Brown pasted me with less than a mile or so to go.

Finishing 4th wasn’t my goal for Nationals, but it was the most gutsy race I’ve ever done. After I crossed the line I was so tired I sat on the boxes of Gatorade for ten minutes. I didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed with my race. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t show any emotion. I wanted to just lay down, thought about going to the medical tent, but didn’t want any real attention. A massage would have been ideal, but I couldn’t remember where that was.

All in all, I’m happy with my race on the hardest course I’ve ever done.

I fly out to France on Wednesday morning and race on the coast of Brittany in Lorient for the next World Cup.

Until next time…
MC ]]
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In other news, the Javelin is being built up again...whoohooooo (and I got some new hood name plates after the crash at super week crushed the old ones, schwing).

Cruisin'

2008-08-23T15:21:00.001-04:00

Back at the beach

2008-07-27T21:28:00.002-04:00

Virginia Beach is exactly where I left it. I went into the ocean for the first time since last August and I must say, it was quite delicious. I forgot what it was like to sleep with sand in your bed and waking up with a big salt lick hair-do. The bike frame needs to go back to PA so it's in pieces at the moment. Poor Fuji. Tear.

Smile.

Super Week

2008-07-17T16:11:00.008-04:00

Stupid Week, as it is also known as, was really sweet actually. The Pennsylvania Lightning raced the first 4 days scoring a 5th, 6th, and several top 30's. We also got a prime. The courses were really fast and the field was pretty solid. It is a mix of good pro teams and some not-so-good amateur teams which can lead to a strange racing style. 100k crits are all that goes on in this 16 day festival, with the exception of 2 road races. I crashed the 3rd day sliding out in a corner, no worries though, I'm okay.

We stopped for a quick rideski in Indianapolis. The place is all about the Colts and NASCAR. Apparently riding along in a tie on motorcycles blasting hip hop radio is also how they do it in this Midwestern metropolis.

Here is a scene right out of Lord of the Rings. We saw the Sears Tower get hit by lightning three times on the way into Chicago!

We stayed at Mike's uncle's house in Northbrook, IL. My room had some Micro Machines that I got to play with, sweet.

It's been a long time since I've been to the top of that. Straight from Wikipedia.com >>>The Sears Tower is a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. It has been the tallest building in the United States since 1973, surpassing the World Trade Center, which itself had surpassed the Empire State Building only a year earlier. Commissioned by Sears, Roebuck and Company, it was designed by chief architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Construction commenced in August 1970 and the building reached its originally anticipated maximum height on May 3, 1973. When completed, the Sears Tower had overtaken the roof of the World Trade Center in New York City as the world's tallest building. The tower has 108 stories as counted by standard methods, though the building owners count the main roof as 109 and the mechanical penthouse roof as 110. The distance to the roof is 1,451 feet (442 m), measured from the east entrance.[4]

After racing 14 out of the last 22 days, I am glad to be back in Philly taking some time off. Going to VB soon.

Here is a sweet picture from the last day of Tour of PA from Cyclingnews (Greg Sailor). Time Pro Cycling's Andy Baker crashing on the slippery first turn on Stage 6 with yours truly on the left staying alive.

Fitchburg Longsjo Classic

2008-07-08T15:09:00.007-04:00

Fitchburg didn't go as well as I thought it could have. I broke a chain and derailleur hanger during the 6th lap in the road race after dropping it a few times. It seems that the last day of Tour of PA had come back to haunt me. The derailleur hanger was damaged in the crash fest and I didn't find that out until the road race in Fitchburg. I had been in the small chain ring all week doing recovery rides and it wasn't until I began shifting into the big ring on Friday that the problem began to escalate. I had not been feeling perfect but I was getting over the feed zone climb in the front so I was a bit disappointed to say the least. On a different note, I felt great during the time trial and placed 30th out of 120 riders. The circuit race went okay and the crit I was behind a crash in the last lap. 8 hours of driving for 4 days of good road racing action, sweet!

Ben lost his saddle on the way back from the TT.

After the circuit race, we went to a good 'ol fashioned Massachusetts barbeque. Anyone else know how to play bocce ball?

We stopped in West Point, New York on the way back to break up the drive. This is Bear Mountain, one of the tallest peaks in the area.

After a day of hanging around and not riding, I will be leaving for Chicago, IL tomorrow to race the first 5 days of Super Week.

ICC Super Week schedule:

Beverly Hills Cycling Classic presented by Vee Pak/Beverly Bike & Ski
Friday, July 11, 2008
Chicago, Illinois

St. Francis Hospital Blue Island ProAm
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Blue Island, Illinois

Olympia Club Criterium
Olympia Fields, IL
Sunday, July 13, 2008

Richton Park Criterium
Richton Park, IL
Monday, July 14, 2008

Ray Basso Bensenville Criterium
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bensenville, IL

Other races:
Mt. Holly - Smithville Invitational GP
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Mt. Holly, NJ

Carytown Bicycle Company Bryan Park Circuit Race
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Richmond, VA

Peter Teeuwen Time Trial
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Chesapeake, VA

Stage 6 - Pittsburgh Circuit Race

2008-06-30T10:07:00.002-04:00

The last stage of the Tour of PA was as wet and wild as your elementary school glory days when you and your friends broke out what every 8 year old loves most on a hot summer day: the Slip'n Slide.

Racing bikes in the rain is very much like playing on a Slip'n Slide. The objective in both activities is to have as much fun with as many people as possible. Speed is required and you normally fall with grace onto your stomach or back, and the faster, the better. You get wet, you have fun, then you do it again.

Yesterday's race saw 89 starting racers at the line. At just 1/2 lap into the race, somebody turned on the garden hose. Before we knew it, the sky began to dump buckets on us. It wasn't until the 2nd lap in that the first rider had gotten to christen the pavement. Unfortunately I was behind the bloke and had to put a foot down and resist the temptation to join the in the fun so early in the game. I took a free lap then was back in the action.

We found that the bricks provided the best sliding surface. The was a long stretch of these on the top half of the course. With enough speed, you might have been able to slide going up the hill. Also, I noticed all the motor oil in the corners that had to be taken advantage of. This little secret treasure had provided the best opportinity for the pensive kids to take a turn on the pavement.

With 8 laps in, 40 participants got a taste of the action. This time, I made sure I didn't miss out. I grabbed my front brake on the first corner as hard as I could, then dog piled onto another racer. My bike was tangled in 3 other bikes so it took a while to get to the wheel pit.

The field was neutralised until the rain let up and the tornado warning went away. We got back onto the starting line with an eager grimmace on our faces: Round 2. With the GC sealed, prize money donated to charity, and the laps pro-rated, the field was content to take it easier. The noted changes took out the risk of guys going as hard as they normally would. The stage race had ended. Now guys were just going to play for fun on national television. Some guys couldn't stand the fun anymore so they pulled out. Others protested by not starting back up. As for myself, I hadn't had enough.

The race started up and the water was turned on. More fun-loving souls splatted onto the road with screams of joy and laughter. The large audience was eating up every bit of it. By now with 5 laps to go, there were only about 30 participants still in the race. My team mates had had their fill of the water and watched me from the sidelines, cheering all the way.
With 1 lap to go, I was beginning to grow quite sad that the week and races were over. It had been quite a journey and the team and I had a lot of fun. What had seemed so far away in January when I had first heard of the race was now about the end. The time during the racing had just been a blur while the transfers and hotel moments had frozen into one solid memory.

A tear came to my eye on the 2nd turn on the last lap. The race was about to be over. I took the turn with the speed everyone else had but on a farther line on the outside. I squeezed my front brake and noticed my rear wheel beginning to lose its grip on the smooth bricks. At the last moment I braced for impact and took one last Slip'n Slide turn into the curb. Sweet, maybe they got that on television, I thought. I got up and pedaled to the finish line with the tear gone and a smile in its place.

Thanks for reading,

-e

Stage 5 - Ligonier to Pittsburgh

2008-06-29T12:18:00.001-04:00

Racing was really tough. Crosswinds tore through the peleton. The finishing circuit was fast. There were a lot of people hitting the pavement during the day and there were many flats. Check out Versus tonight for 2 hours of tonights race live. Lunch time.

- e

Stage 4b - St. Vincent College's Dorm Room Biking Extravaganza

2008-06-27T20:19:00.004-04:00

Stage 4 - Bedford to Latrobe

2008-06-27T17:17:00.007-04:00

Two-Step

Showmanator

Goyle

Chris

Nails

Chrabot

Stage 3 - Camp Hill to Bedford

2008-06-26T20:04:00.003-04:00

Celebrity Shot: Taylor Brown.

today was a manly race that went from the gun and did not stop until Turner crossed the line line after eating shit down a narley climb. The team did well and we are all still kickin, on the high note it was nice to see someone else choke right before the line...... ha bike racing is awesome the best man almost never wins and wimps always lose

Stage 2 - Downington to Carlisle

2008-06-26T08:03:00.004-04:00

Due to the inability to access the internet via PC, I have cleverly resorted to mobile blogging. It seems more like text messaging using T9Word than writing into an electronic journal.

Yesterdays stage was the start on the road west. Racing from location to location can be fun but a little unsettling at times. Here are some things to remember when you are racing across a state:

- Though you may be tempted, fore go the 6am interview and instead get that extra 20 minutes of sleep. You are not Lance Armstrong nor do you have anything interesting to talk about.

- When taking your game winning billiards shot, take your time and look behind to see if there is an unsuspecting ping pong playing cyclist that will ruin your chances of winning.

- Be sure to skip the dinner at the Skyline Chili joint whenever possible.

- A masseur can kick your ass on the table. Say thank you.

- Grab the extra bottle for the jersey pocket on a long day in the heat. The salt on your butt means your past dehydration, not full of electrolytes.

- While traveling west for longer than 3.5 hours, take time to ride the same amount of time back east after the race is over, this way, the sunburn on your left calve would not feel so left out.

- Coffee kills. Drink less than 5 cups before your race starts.

- Free strawberries are wonderful; free diarrhea is not.

- The news stations need a Cycling 101 lesson every time you interview with them, despite having already been told the same thing in their previous interview. Show them the race bible.

- It always rains from Camp Hill to Bedford. Pack a rain jacket.

Stage 1a & 1b - Philly TT and Crit

2008-06-24T22:03:00.004-04:00

Showman put in a good effort today.

Fellow Virginia Tech rider, Ben King, put in a good effort as well.

The team is now being presented by memory and hard drive storage conglomerate, Seagate. (www.seagate.com) Check them out and support the team!

As for myself, my results were somewhat undecent. Good legs, but waiting for the mountains. I am happy with finishing upright and looking ahead to tomorrow's stage. Massage time. Good night.

-e

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article

2008-06-22T12:08:00.001-04:00

Top young cyclists to tour state
By Karen Price

Last summer, up-and-coming cyclist Eric Chrabot had to go to Europe to get the type of racing competition he needed to properly further his development.
This summer, the best young racers from Europe, Australia, Africa, North America and South America are coming to Pennsylvania for a race that ends in Pittsburgh.

The American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania, presented by Highmark Healthy High 5, is the first and only Tour de France-style stage race for cyclists 24 and under in the United States, and competition will be tight for Pennsylvania's two teams.

One advantage the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Lightning and Pittsburgh-based Pennsylvania Elite Velo team will have is the opportunity to ride and scout the six-stage course, which covers 450 miles between the two cities and begins June 24.

"This is the most important race of our calendar," said the Lightning's Chrabot, 22, of Virginia Beach, Va. "It's really important that we do preview this course."
Five members of the Lightning picked one of the worst weeks in May to ride two of the longest -- and what they believe will be decisive -- stages. In cold and rainy weather, they rode Stage 2 from Downingtown to Carlisle, Stage 3 from Camp Hill to Bedford and part of Stage 5 from Ligonier to Pittsburgh.

They hope the reconnaissance mission will help them plan where to make tactical moves.

"We expected a pretty challenging course, but once we got out there, we realized exactly how hard it is," said Michael Chauner, 21, of West Chester. "Some of the climbs we rode over are pretty tough, and the weather we rode in made things harder. But riding under those conditions in high winds and heavy rains prepares us for anything."

With $150,000 in prize money, the race is the richest in the world for riders under 25. Only eight international teams and 12 American teams were invited, for a total of 120 cyclists.

"All the foreign teams that are coming are national teams, so these are the best young riders in their respective countries," said Chauner, a former junior national champion and the son of two-time Olympian and United States Bicycling Hall of Famer Dave Chauner. "It's a really competitive race."

The topography of the state also contributes to the distinctiveness of the race.

"We're all used to doing one-day races where we'll know if it's flat or hilly," said Jeff Salvitti, 19, of West Chester. "But a race like this has everything because you're riding through flat farmland, and then Pennsylvania changes. You get out west a little bit, and you're in the mountains."

As for in-state bragging rights, Chauner admitted there might be a bit of friendly rivalry with the Pittsburgh team, sponsored by Penn State Cancer Institute/GPOA/Cannondale.

"We've raced them a lot before, and we're friends, so we'll be looking out for each other out there," Chauner said. "It's good to have another team based here."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tour of Pennsylvania
Top cyclists age 24 and under will race 450 miles between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Here are the six stages:

June 24, Stage 1 -- Prologue individual time trial (1.5 miles); Philadelphia Criterium (30 miles)

June 25, Stage 2 -- Downingtown to Carlisle (91 miles) road race

June 26, Stage 3 -- Camp Hill to Bedford (105 miles) road race

June 27, Stage 4 -- Bedford to Latrobe (87 miles) road race

June 28, Stage 5 -- Ligonier to Pittsburgh (85 miles) road race, ending with circuit on South Side

June 29, Stage 6 -- Pittsburgh downtown circuit race (50 miles)

Karen Price can be reached at kprice@tribweb.com or 412-320-7980.

Pittsbugh Post-Gazette article

2008-06-22T12:04:00.002-04:00

Bicycling's Tour of Pennsylvania is a 450-mile test of endurance Sunday, June 15, 2008 By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Not only will Eric Chrabot be riding into history this month as a member of the Pennsylvania cycling team competing against an international field in a first-of-its-kind race across the state, he'll also be riding along with history.

His precision bicycle, made of carbon fiber and titanium, will follow in the wheeled tracks that Conestoga wagons made 250 years ago when the first primitive route was cut by the British Empire from Philadelphia across the primeval mountains to the Forks of the Ohio, the site of present-day Pittsburgh.

"This race is special," he said. "It has the biggest purse any of us have competed for. It's an awesome time for families and kids to get to know what cycling's all about, and people will get to learn their history at the same time."

Officially known as the "American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania presented by Highmark Healthy High 5," the race is a 450-mile test of speed and endurance for riders between the ages of 18 and 24. Featuring 20 teams of six riders each from around the country and around the world, it will be run over six days from June 24 to June 29.

Riders will be competing for $150,000 in prize money, the richest purse in the world for an espoir, a French word that translates to hope, in that the competitors hope to compete in the Olympics or Tour de France-type races when they get older.

The race is also a signature event in the yearlong celebration of the 250th anniversary of the naming of Pittsburgh and the birth of communities such as Bedford and Ligonier, which began life as outposts along the Forbes Trail in 1758.

The race course will be run mostly on U.S. Route 30, which roughly parallels the first route over the Allegheny Mountains that involved the wheel. That road was hacked out by 6,000 British and colonial troops -- including a young George Washington -- under the command of Gen. John Forbes.

The British intent wasn't so much shock and awe as it was brute force logistics to bring to bear the overwhelming force of a superpower. The route was needed for scores of horse-drawn wagons to haul siege cannons, ammunition and tons of supplies to evict the French from Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War.

"It's how Pittsburgh came to be, and it shaped the map of Pennsylvania by eliminating claims to the region by Virginia," said Bill Flanagan, executive director of Pittsburgh 250, an umbrella organization promoting the birth and history of the city of three rivers. "But it also re-shaped the map of the world because whoever controlled the Ohio would control settlement of the continent. With a bicycle race that follows the original road, we connect our past to the present and to tomorrow."

In short, the event is a road map to the origins of a city, a state and a new nation that started with troops wearing red coats or buckskins and now features cyclists wearing lycra, nylon and aerodynamic helmets. During the race, 120 bicycles will be speeding to Pittsburgh along the route that 120 or so wagons, the 18-wheelers of their day, first crossed the rugged mountain chain that serves as the backbone of Pennsylvania.

Long and hilly

As the manufacturers of orange cones and Jersey barriers can attest, Pennsylvania's geography is a challenge to road builders and travelers even in modern times. Imagine what it was like without pavement, tunnels through mountains or bridges across valleys, streams and rivers into territory occupied by indigenous tribes wary of outsiders.

In 1758, there was a rudimentary dirt road leading from Philadelphia to Carlisle, with a ferry across the Susquehanna River. But at the first mountain barrier, Tuscarora Summit, the only way into the outback was a Native American foot path.

Troops that marched to the skirl of bagpipes and the cadence of drummers assaulted the unbroken forest with axes, mattocks and shovels. Their reaction was similar to what cyclists felt when they negotiated the terrain during a recent reconnaissance run.

"Pretty tough," said Michael Chauner, a rider with the Pennsylvania Lightning cycling team and a senior at Bucknell University. "It'll be a long test for us."

The Lightning is a developmental team of college-age riders. Formed last year to promote cycling in Pennsylvania, it competed in 40 events against national and international racers, posting a dozen top-three finishes. Most of them have competed in national championships and in Europe, where bicycle racing and soccer are what football, baseball, golf, tennis and other sports competitions are to American youth.

"We definitely have the makings of a really good squad," said Mr. Chauner, 21, of West Chester, Chester County, whose father was an Olympic champion.

Also part of the Lightning are Taylor Brown, 20, of Fleetwood, Berks County, who with Chauner rode on last year's team; Chris Ruhl, 21, of Quakertown, Bucks County; Kyle Wagner, 23, of Bethlehem, Lehigh County; Jeff Salvitti, 20, of West Chester; Ben Showman, 22, of Fairfield, Ohio, a West Point cadet; and Mr. Chrabot, 22, of Virginia Beach, Va., and captain of the Virginia Tech cycling team.

Other teams will be fielded from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden plus U.S. teams from Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota, New England, New York and North Carolina.

And what can spectators expect?

"Cycling is a mix of chess, Formula One racing and marathon running," Mr. Chrabot said. "It almost turns into a poker game on wheels. You have to be thinking at 30 mph. And then, when you get near the finish line of any of the stages, it turns into football or rugby. The competition is really fierce."

Finish Downtown

The finish line for the final stage of the race is the intersection of Stanwix Street and the Boulevard of the Allies, a short sprint away from the site that Gen. Forbes claimed 250 years ago. The racers will have come a long way to miss The Point, which has gone through several different lives to become a state park with a signature fountain. The park is restricted pending completion of a renovation.

Blood was shed during the campaign as the Empire struck back, but in the final assault, Gen. Forbes never had to fire the cannons that took so much effort to haul. Just the knowledge that a deadly force was bearing down from the east prompted the French to exhaust their gun powder by blowing up Fort Duquesne before fleeing north on the Allegheny River. Gen. Forbes found a smoking ruin and claimed the site for the Empire, naming it for William Pitt, the British statesman who organized the expedition and whose black-and-gold coat of arms now flies on the city flag.

In his letter of triumph back to England, Gen. Forbes referred to the place as "Pittsbourgh" and prophesied that "these dreary deserts will soon be the richest and most fertile of any possessed by the British in North America."

Gen. Forbes, mortally ill from an ailment that could have been stomach cancer, departed with his main force a week later. He died within days of returning to Philadelphia. A hardy band of 200 soldiers stayed behind to endure the winter and build Fort Pitt.

A city did rise from the site, but it came into its own under the Stars and Stripes instead of the Union Jack. And at the very least, it will be the finish line to the richest bicycle race in its class.

Robert Dvorchak can be reached at bdvorchak@post-gazette.com.