A Perfect machine??

Sprinting has always been a very interesting and favorable topic for me in the sport of cycling. I like being involved in sprints, watching them, critquing them, and learning how to particpate more effectively in them. I have learned a lot about sprinting this year and I attribute that to two things.

1. Sunshine Cycle shop Hour of Power rides

2. HTC Columbia's amazing team work and powerful accelerations to the line.

It seems that the HTC Columbia team can not be beaten in a Sprint to the line. Are they a perfect machine or do they just have the fastest sprinters in the world. I think it is a little of both. Probably 60% fantastic lead out and 40% fastest sprinters in the world. This week at the Santos Tour Down Under the Columbia team has been proving that Mark Cavendish isn't the only guy who can win a sprint on their team. Andre Greipel has been dominating the sprint for the line at the TDU and showing me and everyone esle that his Columbia team may be one of the best lead out teams the world has ever seen.

Here's a few videos to back it all up and to entertain:

Stage 21 of TDF: a great example of the tactics of a sprint and Team Columbia's ability to control it.

TDU: Andre Greipel and team HTC control the sprints again in 2010.

Cavendish puts it best:

With some of the best talent in the world in the lead out train and at the Caboose the HTC Columbia team will be nearly impossible to beat again in 2010. Guys like Bernie Eisel, Mark Renshaw, Micheal Rogers, Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel will show the world why they are the best sprinters team in the world.

Oh yeah and not to mention a guy named George Hincapie who was a pivotal part in all of the 2009 wins that Mark Cavendish racked up at the Tour. He will be hard to replace but it seems, at least from the Tour Down Under, that he is not irreplaceable.

2010

Wow, is it really already 2010? Life is going way too quickly. Well with the New Year comes a few new ideas some wisdom learned in 2009 has helped shape my 2010.

Last year I was so worried with just sitting in the right place in the pack to use the least amount of energy. It was my first season doing road racing and I was a little scared/intimidated and in the earlier races I was humbled by my fitness and the fitness of those around me. I had a great summer of training, racing and learning. That lead into a confident fall and I did a few cross races- which were loads of fun- and now here I am with spring just around the corner. My fitness and racing brain have developed a lot in a year. So that leads to the resolution.

In races this year I want to be more of a factor. I don't really care if I win or lose, I just want to participate- rather than just survive- and leave my mark on the races I do this season.

Another resolution I have for this year is to update my blog more often than I did last year. This is the first update in months and for that I apologize.

I also want to learn some skills on a mountain bike and race next mountain bike season.

I have made a training plan to get me to the start of road season and I would like to continue and get better at training myself.

Just an update on whats been going on since November:

I've been riding a lot more this winter than I did last winter thanks to Santa Clause and his elves. I got lots of warm goodies for riding.

Another semester of college has come and gone and here I am about to start the next one.

I put the first 1000 miles on my new road bike. ( For those of you who turn up your noses at that I also got a cross bike this year and I rode it a good bit)

I did a tempo workout the other day. Those things suck! But, they'll make me stronger so I'm gonna do them.

I think that covers everything.

Have Fun,

T Crotts