Rolf Devinci

Monday night I went out to photograph some teammates riding the Monday night crit series. A neat course, it is held in an old DND housing neighborhood that is scheduled to be demolished for the athlete`s village when the Commonwealth games come to town. Kinda surreal....to be surrounded by vacant buildings and empty playgrounds. Something right out of a sci fi movie. Rumor has it the original 5 event series will be extended into July. If so I think I will sign up and do the rest of the races....looks fun and is definitely a good way to practice criterium style racing. Here are some shots of the fun! Geo

Probably my favorite cycling kit of all time was the former Once pro team apparel. The colors and design have always appealed to me so over the last 4 years I`ve put together a kit through Ebay. The one piece I was missing was the cycling cap and with the demise of the team I thought I would never have the chance to find one. Turns out I discovered some new(old stock)ones listed upon Ebay and, having placed a bid, won myself an ONCE Eroski cycling cap. I gotta tell you it was kinda bittersweet. My best buddy in the club died last summer on a Saturday ride and he often wore an ONCE cap under his helmet. A couple months ago his widow asked me if I would pack up his gear as she was selling the house and making a new start. Before long I found the faded, sweat stained hat. It was only an insignificant piece of Garfield`s gear but held immense importance to me. Jane graciously insisted I keep it, along with his last set of BNS race numbers from the 2005 season. She also told me to take...

A buddy sent me this photo. Taken prior to the start of the race....I was still smiling......lol.(wink) Geo

The weather was near perfect for the event, the rain held off but remained overcast so it wasn`t too hot for the hilly course. I found myself at the start finish line photographing the participants....5k,10k,relay, half and full marathoners.It was really cool and I developed a new sense of respect for folk who run. They also suffer for their sport. In the crush of bodies I tried to capture some of the emotions on the finish line through the faces of those who ran in the various races. Geo

Wow....wet and drizzly this morning at 7AM but by 10AM the sun was out and the roads dry! Sweet! We had a great turnout for the club ride. The long weekend is a success...I got a good ride in with great company. Might get out again tomorrow if the weather cooperates. If not there is the Bluenose marathon taking place downtown. Could head down there with my cameras and cheer on the runners. Yup.........even managed to blend out the funky bike tan while hanging out on the deck this afternoon. With the exception of this damn cough it was a good day. Geo

Heading into the long weekend yet looking at a weather forecast that is dreary and wet. Hopefully there will be a lull in the rain so old Georgie boy can get in a bike ride. Not looking good.......rain to the West and South all converging upon the Maritimes.Factor in this nagging cough and tightness in the brochial tract that just won`t quit......ugh! No matter.......went grocery shopping tonight and stocked the bar fridge with a couple bottles of wine and a few beer(low cal Sterlings...I`m in training....lol.) Got a couple new books to start....serious stuff about current events. A War Against Truth and Friendly Fire dealing with Iraq and Afghanistan. With the dreary weather I might be in the mood for something less foreboding so I might head to Chapters and pick up a cycling mag and revisit my "delusions of grandeur." I`m such a wannabe........lol.(wink). C`mon Ivan! Here`s hoping he wins the Giro. Basso all the way! That said I think Jan won the ITT? Good for him! How ...

Three different rides scheduled for Sunday, 2 heading to Peggy`s Cove and one doing the Annapolis Valley. Unfortunately my spouse is working a day shift so I`m doing the daddy role. Looks like the weather is gonna be nice(sunny and +16) so I thought we would head to Bridgewater and visit Mom and Nannie. Alas.......I`ve come down with an annoying cough and some stuffiness so I guess that is out of the question. With Nannie starting to feel better the last thing I need to do is bring a virus down for all to catch. Ugh........I hate getting sick. This suxs. Managed to get a ride in today regardless. It was the usual Saturday club ride but since I was feeling peckish I rode with the slower group. Sure felt good to get out in the fresh air. Mind you I feel like I`m gonna cough up a lung tonight. So I think tomorrow will bring a quiet day soaking up some sun and hanging with the kids. No doubt Princess Chelsea(see pic) will keep me busy....lol. Geo

Race number 3 is scheduled for June 4th in Yarmouth but I don`t think I`ll make it...the logistics just won`t work for me between work schedules and family comittments. Instead I`ll take advantage of the window of opportunity and try to prepare for the Provincials in Riverport scheduled for mid June. Gotta try and get in some quality saddle time! Geo

Both the race and my legs! Holy Frig! The weather was awesome....hot and sunny. I actually got a sunburn on my legs from mid thigh to knees and from jersey sleeve to fingertips. If there`s one thing I can take out of the day is an early start on the funky bike tan.LOL. Essentially I rode with the Master B,C/Junior pack to the last leg of the first lap. Picture the course as a 20 kilometre square....first leg was slightly downhill, second was rolling hills,third was the same and the forth leg began with a nasty climb followed by a series of smaller, but painful, ascents. OUCH! I`m not a climber and quickly got dropped off the back, along with several other riders, on the first big climb of the last leg. I managed to hook up with 3 other riders for the second lap, dropped two of them on the third lap but was unable to keep up with the remaining rider. I managed to keep him in sight but was experiencing some cramping in my right quad and decided to recover, get some fluids and save s...

Well......after the hurt of the AMP I`m ramping up for the 2nd race of the season in Brooklyn. 80k race comprising 4 laps of country roads. Rolling hills with a couple steep climbs on the backside of the loop. Weather forecast is promising.....cloudy with sunny periods and somewhere around 13C. Lets hope it holds true. I`m not feeling the best. Kinda fatigued all week and it cannot be overtraining as I have tapered down my activity the last couple weeks. Went to a spin class tonight and felt off my usual form. Oh well...hopefully it`s not another flair up of Henleyinitis, that mystery ailment that plagues my siblings and I. Well.....I think I have it as well but am too damn stubborn to keep going back to the doctor for blood work. Essentially it involves low blood platelets, muscular pain/stiffness and fatique. Alas...this too shall pass. Gonna do the Saturday group ride at a leisurely pace, zoom in my bike fit and get ready to roll on Sunday. Hoorah! Geo