A Near Miss at Bethel for Graham Lang

CRCA JrDev's Graham Lang almost snagged the team's first win of the season this past weekend at the CDP Gold Race in Bethel, Connecticut. The Junior event in this early-season series ran in conjunction with the Masters and a combined field sprint decided the outcome. Graham thought he had the win but Bob German of CCNS/Pedal Power was lost in the chaos of the dual-category field sprint.
"I was feeling strong," Graham explained, " with a lap to go it got a bit sketchy so I cut to the outside for the sprint and hammered it up the hill. I was in the front 10 [of the] combined [field]...I thought I won the JR's but the camera showed some kid that nobody thought was a jr, was on the far outside about a bike length ahead of me."
Lang does not consider field sprinting his strong suite, so the result was particularly satisfying.

Bethel CDP Gold Race, Sunday, March 25, 2007
Juniors:
1. Bob German, CCNS/Pedal Power
2. Graham Lang, CRCA JrDev
3. Kyle Foley, ACT
4. Filip Capala, Capala Brothers/Polska
5. Ryan Barlow, ACT

Pre-Season Fund Raiser: James Startt Photo Auction

Lance Armstrong at the top of the Champs Elysées, Tour de France, 1995

James Startt, Bicycling Magazine's European Correspondent and a veteran photographer of the continental racing scene, has donated a selection of his most iconic photos, to be sold at auction to benefit the CRCA Junior Development Program. Startt is most famous for his Nike campaign shot of a post-brain-surgery Lance Armstrong, as well as the cover of Armstrong's autobiography "It's Not About the Bike". Most recently Startt shot the Look pedal systems campaign "Thanks To Those Who Continue the Legend", featuring Robbie McEwen and Thor Hushovd.
The photos above and below will go up for auction on March 17th. Check back soon for the link. They were part of an exhibition supporting the launch of Startt's book "Tour de France / Tour de Force" in 2000. And comprise a broad survey of Startt's work from the early 1990s. The photos are 30x40cm framed, museum quality archival C-Prints and are numbered in a limited print run. Stay tuned for auction details.


Stephen Roche and fans, Tour de France, 1991


Jan Ullrich, Tour de France, 1996


Johan Museeuw, Paris-Roubaix, 1996


Bjarne Riis, Tour de France, 1996
all photos © James Startt

Lesson # 1: Squirrel Avoidance

Liam Quigley's knee and hospital bracelet. Courtesy of Liam. Do I see an art project in the works?

The 2007 season is opening in fits and starts for CRCA JrDev. Two of our neophyte crew made their debut this Sunday at the New York City Spring Series and it wasn't pretty. Liam Quigley and Khary Ward were riding midway down the category five field on their last lap when the directionally challenged gentleman in front of Liam (hereafter known as "The Squirrel" ) decided that the small divot in the road ahead of him was too large to ride his $2000 wheelset over, choosing instead to take the long way around. The resulting circumnavigation took out innocent Liam's front wheel and sent our man to the ground. Khary, sitting tightly behind Liam was the next to fall, followed by three other riders. Liam hit his head hard enough to warrant an ambulance ride to St. Vincents. Khary was bruised but otherwise unfazed. The Squirrel unrepentantly soldiered on.
It was Liam's first race ever. Upon returning from the hospital Liam went straight to wrenching his battered bike back into shape, and is by all accounts looking for redemption next week.
In other news Ian Harris rode solidly in the category four event, taking a brief flyer with Metro-Sanchez strongman Scot Willingham and generally behaving aggressively at the front of the bunch. Despite his efforts the race came down to a field sprint and Ian has not quite mastered the art of the elbow, finishing strongly, but out of the "money".
The remainder of the team slept in, laid low, and went to SAT prep classes.
In more other news loyal Director Sportif Craig Cook got dragged around Central Park by his fingernails in a large and unwieldy breakaway for the better part of five laps in the 1-3 race. Ah, training.

Notes: Spellcheck breaks Scot Willingham's surname into the words "Willing" and "Ham", if anyone is interested.