So we did go see Sammy Hagar at Naperville's Rib Fest Friday night. I was excited we were going, (and that he was playing there with his old band the Wabos) for a charity. Here's where it gets strange. We show up around 6ish for an 8pm show. The front of the field near the stage isn't filled for the opening band. Regardless, we decided to keep the kids one sction back so there was room for the blankets etc. The later it got, the more I was surprised at the room to move around. It was like everyone was at the rib tasting and vendor booths. Then someone says it.... Juliane Hough will be coming up next. WTF? Turns out we were sitting by the wrong FCKUING?!?# stage! Did I say WTF?!?!We picked up and ran to the other side of the festival where we found another stage and hundreds of people walking toward us. Gates closed, filled to capacity. A lot of bummed out/pissed people. We cut thru the crowd and made our way to some bleachers near a fence outside the stage are, but within earshot. Turns out there was a policeman there and a crowd growing, at one point he moved to the other side and a gap in the fence appeared, that was our ticket in, bewildered kids and all! - hey this is rock and roll baby, they don't see us in concert mode often LOL. Right on time for the start of the show at 8:08 ("It's time to rock!!)- a good time. The fact that Sammy was at a festival is still not completely sittin well with me even if it does have the charity spin, but even Diamond Dave played there about 5 or so years ago so MAYBE it's a tad above one of your favorite musicians playin a neighborhood fest LMAO...
I went out on the 4th of July for the 100k ride down in Joliet, it's a good way to start the holiday each year, and. I make it a goal to break 3 hours so I am sure to get some good quality hard miles in my legs for the coming weeks of summer. This year was windy and by the later part of the morning getting hot. So I head out a bit after 8, and a small group of racers (from a team I will not name) roll past and one of the riders calls me out on the kit I was wearing. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in France?!" chuckle.... At that point I'm flabergasted (at least on the inside.) these riders were half my age. I was racing when they were 10 years old WTF? Hypothetically speaking they may have been in a kit of the team I last raced with, or a kit of the team I decided to join this season I felt fukcing Fredded - All because I have style. I'm talking Mario FCUKING Cipollini style, and if Im decking myself out in some sweet lookin red and white polkadot colors complete with red shorts and shoes to compliment it, it's because I can. Kids...they don't even know who the Fck Super Mario, or Zaskula, or the pre L.A. era of cycling is all about. Legalize Spinacci- maybe ancient lore to them LOL. Lemond who right? SLX steel? chromed lugs on a Tomassini sintesi, Knowing what a Carbitubo rode like, or own a Leather hairnet because it made for a kick ass christmas present.? . WTF, I was a bit taken aback by the smart ass comment... So inevitably the group of racers form up in a pack, and I jump on. They proceed to animate the pack to shake off as many stragglers as possible and at times the pace was moving along quickly. They stopped at the first rest stop, but I decided to roll thru. That first stretch presented a small dilema, I want to ride this alone, I can't break away from the group I just jumped on, because Mob Rules in this situation, AND I'm a bit miffed at feeling a ridiculed and literally out of the click based on comments from that group of riders that just rode by. Another thing worth mentioning, I said hi to about 4 or so racers in kit - hypothetically speaking they may have been in a kit of the team I last raced with, or a kit of the team I decided to join this season, at a few different times while on the ride.Once as they were on the side of the road with a flat. - One of em looked agast as I called out asking if they have all they need.and completely ignored me. The other time was when myself ,and the guy who continued on with me from the first rest stop rode up and past another (racer in kit's) small group. I called out a hello when I seen the familiar kit, but did not get a response. MAYBE if I was in a race kit....They would have been friendly But today I wasn't representing albeit my own colors on a sick bike with what looks like no local race team affiliation. FCUK!!! are these guys that fcuking JADED nowadays? That's such a bad rap for the snobbie roadie!, and here I have just found myself on the other side of the current racers fence. All because I am out of a local kit and unrecognized by the current locals (or even teammmates)albeit the guys I've seen out there forever as well I think I'm gonna be sick... . I did not stop with the group at the first rest stop because it would have been a free ride all day in the pack, and I needed to get a hard bit longer effort in the tank for training purposes. I was also not completley enjoying that certain pace you get to called race pace in a group of seasoned racers who have been stretching the elastic for the last few months, and wasn't lookin to do that all morning, althought I was surprised and a bit happy to experience that electricity that develops when the pack turns the screw and your moving along with it. Either way I did not want to hang with the race click at the time. So 2 of us continued on and pretty much time trialed on and off (more so on) the rest of the hot windy morning alone, and did stay away from the race pack the remaining 2/3rds of the ride..I broke 3 hours for the 100k again this year. The winds made riding with my new buddy Victor appreciated during some of that bitch slappin winds, and it was a feel good to hear him ask if I raced as a cat 1 or 2 when we were talking about our racing past and current happenings.
Allez
Ray
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