white supernova's

Word travels fast through alley ways of the cycling community. The support has been incredible and continues to flow, its like I won a big race when really I just get to toe the line with everyone else looking for a little endorphin rush. Thanks!

Ski race at soldier hollow was a great time and despite going down in a heap 3 times (of course no fault of my own) I felt like I skied a little better. My technique is improving but I still have a lot of work if I ever wanted to ski with the real fast guys.

Also could not help but break in the new road bike and saddled up for home from soldier hollow through Kamas with Rog, Bryan, and Mr soon to have a bunch of obsolete sweat bands (cross your fingers). Like I always say the best warm down from a ski race is a 4 hour ride into a north wind. The systemsix rides like a dream and feels very solid for a 15lber. Pictures soon.

Mtn Dell is hanging on by a thread but despite the lack of snow the skiing is good. Got a last minute call from B Firth to cruise some laps on the track to wind down a nice Monday.

Nothing like new equipment to get you jazzed, Rosie is planning to run the SLC 1/2 marathon this spring and just got a sweet new pair of white addidas running shoes. They fit just right are very stable to accommodate her over pronation while running, plus they look good! She has been wearing them all over the house tonight and is just itching to get out the door.

Am I like that with new bikes and skis?

the smog has lifted

No not in SLC. Today I got word from attorney Jared that USADA is dropping my case.

I must warn you that this is a long post for me and at times may not make a lot of sense. I have not had time to sort through my thoughts and feelings but can not resist sharing the good news with all my friends and supporters. Read on!

What are you kidding me? How did this happen? Last thing I knew, we rejected the one year deal that was offered and decided to pursue arbitration. Now Jared tells me everything is being dropped, no arbitration, nothing.

I don't know all the details but from what I understand USADA was not comfortable sanctioning another rider that they knew was not a suspected cheat and took things up with the UCI. After the UCI investigated things they came to the conclusion that internationally riders are not treated equally for a missed test. Meaning some riders are given a 2 year suspension and others (in europe) are not even prosecuted. So long story short the sanctioning rules for missed tests seem to be changing and USADA has been given the freedom to do with my case what they have wanted to do all along, drop it!

I know USADA has received a lot of bad press and surely will receive more for changing their stand on this issue but I must give them credit for seeing the injustice in the current sanctioning procedures and attempting to make changes. I am not sure where this leaves Redpath, Sager, and Pennington but I would suspect their cases may be looked at again and I would hope they will be treated fairly and given time served.

This whole process has not only been a huge inconvenience but more importantly has questioned me as a rider and a person. For those that know me it is not an issue, but my name has been associated with a doping violation and for those that don't know me they have no choice but question me, they don't know the details and I don't blame them. I am now happy to say it is over and hope no one has any lingering doubts about me purposefully missing the test. I am, have been, and always will be performance enhancer free, period. I support doping control and hope that the process and the system can fix itself from within so we no longer have to doubt the sport we love.

In the end I think a lot of good may have come from this process. 1) I have become good friends with attorney Jared. 2) Hopefully riders are more aware of the inconsistencies in the doping control procedures and will take a proactive approach to peeing in a cup. 3) Cases like mine reveal holes in the system, hopefully are leading to change. 4) I found I don't need a UCI license to validate myself as a professional athlete, to quote myself "train for life, not races".

I have to give a huge thanks to my main man Jared Inouye and his law firm Bennett-Tueller-Johnson-Deere for supporting me throughout my case. They represented me for the sake of justice and justice alone. No monetary compensation for hours and hours of work in my behalf. I would be an innocent rider serving a suspension right now if Jared had not had the determination and resolve to see my case to the end. If you are ever find yourself in a situation where you need an attorney don't hesitate to call Jared or his firm. Maybe floyd should give them a call!

So now what? Despite the heroic efforts of Jared, I have been anticipating a suspension because of USADA's arbitration history (they have never lost). So I have been planning a season full of non-sanctioned events including the IC, maybe some of the crazy Russian's races like the E100 ultra, and other cool events. Now I am given the green light to do what I want and I am confused. I don't know if I want to race the NORBA's anymore. Maybe I will just race locally, maybe I will dive in to the endurance stuff, will just have to see.

I do know that for some reason after hearing the news today I am more excited about riding my bike, this also maybe because I have 2 new cannondales sitting in my shop and it has not snowed in weeks.
Either way I going to start getting fast.

A huge thanks to everyone that has supported me, I am a cyclist as much for the people and relationships as for the health and competetion and know it would not be the same without you.

another winter weekend

After skiing quite a bit last week I decided to get back on the bike. Saturday I rode up to PC and meet up with prime rib, free sager, calves thomas, engaged nick, and rad ross for some snow trail shredding. Up parleys I felt good and wanted to up the tempo but had to keep reminding myself to save something for the trails. 3 hours later we had burned up all round valley and jeremy had to offer and finished up in a blizzard. 4.5 hours on the MTB with friends in the mountains, this is why I am a cyclist.

nick martin capturing sager on the phone, fox ready to rip


Full on crown burger movie date with rosie capped off another killer Saturday.

Today after church I meet up with Zach one of the PM&R residents at the VA/university and went up to Daniels summit to ski the 40k loop up onto strawberry ridge. Zack is from Duluth and has skiing in his blood, We had a great time despite the soft track. Hardly a soul around and views in every direction. 3+ hour ski, this is why I like winter.

Looking at timp from the southeast on strawberry ridge

looking at cascade and provo peak from strawberry ridge

Looking east down onto the lake


Zach finishing up into a stiff north wind on soft snow, sure to sleep well tonight.


Playing with kids and BBQ beef sandwich's with friends to polish off the weekend.

Maybe some alpine skiing at Sundance tomorrw?

deer valley in winter

Big thanks to Brandon Firth for giving me a personal tour of Deer Valley today and showing me a few of his personal powder stashes. I am pumped to put more time on my new skis and be at one with gravity. Also got in a quick skate ski this evening but the legs were already mushed. Little going down on the cycling front due to a hopefully shrinking cyst, although yesterday I did ride the MTB up to Park City to meet Rosie. The temperature is a mind game and just kept thinking warm thoughts.

Word on the street is my new race bikes are trickling in, going to be back on a Cannondale and am pumped to shred the scalpel. Pics to come. I need to start updating the sponsors.

enjoy

ultimate winter saturday

-Breakfast and play with Eva
-Skate ski at the dell with attorney Jared
-Home Depot run for paint supplies
-Afternoon of skiing at Solitude
-Out for sushi
-Painting upstairs guest bedroom

Time for bed!

down in the "netherlands"

So for about the last week I have been unable to really ride my bike because of a crazy little cyst that has developed down in my netherlands. This is not a saddle sore which I have had before but a hard nodule in the area of my perineum (at the base of the scrotum). I have learned this is a common area for a cyst and the eitology is not well understood.

So today I went to see a great dermatologist who also is a cyclist and understands my dilemma. The course of action decided upon was an injection into the nodule (which is made up of scar tissue) with the hope that the steroid will help break it down and the body will reabsorb it. What ensued was the single most intense pain I think I have ever experienced, including stiching my self up without anesthetic, poison ivy of the crotch followed by a 24 hr mountain bike race, dangling above ground on a stick stabbed through my inner thigh, fractures, road rash of the face, giardia cramps at 35000 ft over the pacific, and countless other traumas. If you did not already know this area is highly inervated and very sensitive. I know it was a very small needle but I can't began to explain the intensity of this sensation. I got about 4 small injections into a small area which hopefully does the trick.

So for a while I will continue skiing (which seems to be building some serious muscle in my upper back and triceps) and continue telling myself it's only January and I will have plenty of time for pedaling. It's tough to see all these bloggers logging the miles and knowing in a short time I will expect my body to keep pace. I guess if your going to be out of the saddle 10 F daytime highs is a good time for it.

Hope to see you on the road/trail in the near future.

moab winter

Time to get out of the smog and head to the desert, everyone goes to St George but that place is busier than SL. Moab in January is where its at, plus I had a couple nights stay at the Riverside Inn that I won at The Frozen Hog.

Wednesday after a smooth drive down (the least snow I have ever seen in the winter up Spanish Fork Canyon) Rog and I rode out sand flats road to ride porcupine rim. I new we would have snow on the North faces but had no idea that a good share of the ride would be snow, deep snow, and more snow. We had a to put in a few miles on foot which really slowed us up. We hit the 1 track going down Jackass canyon right before dark and if you don't think it's technical enough then you should ride it covered in ice after dark. Made it back and hit up a new hole in the wall BBQ place in town. This place is empty and most of the shops are closed, no bikers, no jeepers,no Asian tourists, just locals.

Rog making it look easy in the snow



Thursday we rode slickrock, Rosie had never ridden it and it has been over 10 years since I burned the loop. It was a perfect day for it and we only saw one other biker. Rosie was a natural with all that traction and I got a great upper body workout wrenching on the bars. Ate at zaks then watched Rosies favorite the OC.

This morning I was hoping to get in another ride but Moab got a couple inches of snow and I didn't want the family to just sit around waiting for me so we burned it home so I could blow the 10 inches of new snow off the driveway. Mtn Dell saved again.

Tomorrow I plan to get in some hours, maybe on the road bike, maybe on skis or a combination of the two, will see what the weather brings.
Have a good weekend

single 07

How about a new years picture share from the cabin!

Hiked in to the cabin in the Bear River area with the Adair's to ring in the new year. Chopped wood, ate well, and used the outhouse.



Eva stuck in the snow!


Early morning quad workout



The skiing at Lily lake is great with hardly a soul around. It seems everyone wants to burn around on stinky snow machines. We ripped all the wolverine ridge trails from the IC race


Rosie coming up a steep pitch in the blue light of a winter afternoon


I could not ask for a better crew, 06' was great but were planning on topping it in 07"


Now the holidays are over I plan to start whittling away at a few extra pounds and preparing to ride my bike fast.

cheers