Time well spent

So, if you haven't noticed, I've been absent for a few weeks. Last week, I was in Southern Illinois as mechanical support for the Illinois Great Rivers Ride. I had never done anything like this before, but it was a lot of fun as well as work. I also purchased a digital camera to document my trip, so now you can see what I see. The first night, we left the campsite on busses which dropped us off at a lock and dam on the Mississippi river. We then boarded a barge which was set up with tables and chairs for dinner. We dined as the barge/riverboat assembly went up the river, through the lock, under the Alton bridge, and made the return trip. It was a pretty fun way to start out the week. Two days later, we were set up in front of a reception center after having breakfast, busy airing tires and adjusting derailleurs.

It was a busy week, and we drove sag while we weren't wrenching. Up at 6:30 most mornings and working 'til 9 one night, but that was the latest. Almost everyone was really nice, and I found it really rewarding to be able to use my skills to get riders back on the road again after a mechanical problem. Plus, most of them tipped pretty well. I originally questioned whether taking a vacation from working on bikes to.... work on bikes..... was a wise choice, but after the week was over, I don't think anything could have been better for me. Did I mention I also got paid?......

Saturday was the last day we were on the ride, and we ended up back in Alton- where we started. Since we were so close, Katie and I (we're back together... more on this later) decided to check out the last stage of the tour of Missouri. We stayed at a hotel in St. Louis and walked in the morning (technically afternoon) to Union Station where we had lunch. We took a seat in the restaurant with a window view of the entrance to Union Station, and had just been served our food, when Katie started giggling and told me "look at that guy.. he's got a number on his bike and everything" I turned to the side, since the rider was now just feet from us, though we were separated by glass, and looked right at the person she was poking fun at. I waved and gave him the thumbs up sign, and Katie stopped laughing as I told her "That's not just some guy... That's Tom Zirbel!" It seems he needed a caffeine fix, and rode from the course over to Union Station, through the doors and into the mall to get to a Starbucks near the entrance. Later, we saw a Symmetrics rider do the same, (without even dismounting his bike) and some Rock Racing support guys with a whole tray full of tall Starbucks cups full of pre- race caffeination.

The race was not that exciting, and was shortened to 52 miles due to flooding on the course, but I still managed to get a few good shots (I think) of some riders. Like local boy Brad Huff, pondering the finish straight and thinking of how not to crash on it this year.

And Jeremy Powers smiling because Kirk O'Bee let him get the primes on EVERY lap.

The obligatory arch shot

Cavendish blowing the sprint or Chicci making a BRILLIANT move (however you want to look at it, but those Italians...)

Mike Sayers in tears at the end of a long career.

And a shot of my next bike, although the guy in yellow kept eyeing me and soon moved the bike behind the fence- I'm wasn't gonna steal it, I was just trying to get a look at what I'll be riding as soon as it's available to the general public!

Incredible week, and just thought I'd share a little of it with you.