Vermont is spelled with a capital “V”, surely no coincidence. With the loads of mountains and climbs available, it had to start with a “V”. I mean, if it was mountainous enough to draw a runaway “loose” nun who left the church for a sailor, it must be good, right? (Great nordic skiing there””Trapp Family Lodge, if you are there in the winter months as well).
Anyways, being a seventh generation “V”ermonter myself, who was raised on a family farm on Rogers’ Hill in West Newbury, VT (which was hand cleared and settled in 1763 by my G-G-G-G-G-Grandfather and still owned by my father) I have a deep love and feel for VT, liberal politics notwithstanding. So when I heard about the 200 on 100 “Dumptruck of Awesome” that was available, I just knew that I had to do it. And not only that, I knew that I had to share this beautiful “Ode to the V in Vermont” with all of my best cyber-cycling-soul mates. Okay, soul mates might be going a bit far there, but you get my meaning.
So, enough with the intro.
Break out the rollers, get on the trainers, find your winter gear; lay off the seconds, nurse that one glass of booze, hold the toasting to one drink, dodge Cupid’s chocolates and shoot the Easter Bunny because training for this bastard started yesterday and you’ll be paying for it on the 28th of June, 2012 in spades!
See you in the pre-dawn hours on the Canadian border with our eyes firmly fixed on the prize of the Massachusetts border. Let’s drive this dump truck like Mel Gibson leaving the compound in a post-apocalyptic world, baby!
Route and location details on the Cogal Event Page.
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View Comments
@Steampunk Are you ready? Go 106km at 3hrs.
@Steampunk
Hollow eyes, hollow cheeks. You are Schleckian in your readiness. Weight-wise - not phychologically-wise. I hope.
You look badass.
@frank
My right BFG is still bigger than both Schlecks put together.
@Steampunk this is an example of the transformation that the V transfuses into even a humble academic! I remember an image of you in some club kit from a year ago and you looked puffy and anemic...
Take note @all you too could become this if you doned the sacred Vestments and maned up for a cogal!
Counting Crows:
Scaring Crows:
@Nate
Just you try & hand in that assignment late!!!
@Rob
Any issue with manning up for a cogal and then donning the sacred Vestments? Will the size I ordered pre-cogal be all wrong?
@mcsqueak
I feel like a kid a Christmas right now! Over the next 8 days, it's going to be EVEN MORE about the bike:
My cycling sensei is on his way down from Ottawa as we speak, a package from realcyclist should be delivered today (including lights for VT--just in case), and vacation starts tomorrow. Will be on the bike everyday except Tuesday between now and June 28: 60km on Thursday (taking my sensei on a training ride from my grasshopper days), 25km on Friday, 165km on Saturday (Savage Century--too close to the cogal, but too late to back out of this one). The focus will then be on rest and recovery with recovery rides on Sunday and Monday, drive to Vermont on Tuesday, light spin on Wednesday morning, ride the big yellow bus full of awesome Wednesday afternoon, and cogal on Thursday!
For some reason I was sending some photos, and now I'm locked out of the 2much gmail account.
So I'll ask here, who will be:
Meeting at Porches:
xyxax
cal
captain kidders
MJMoquin
roger
kurt
Meeting at Burlington:
canuckchuck
quattro creep
Going straight to North Troy Inn:
Longest day/shortest night, new moon and eight days to go!
Great group - Check (thanks Velominati)
Transport in style - Check (huge thanks to Rogggger)
Housing - Check (ok, one end is sketchy but were only in it for maybe 6 hours and it's not like there were choices, actually our hosts sound terrific, it's just that the VMH heard that it was a dorm and....)
Sag - Check (thanks to the Canadian contingent and M.J. From Boston - Huge!)
Route - Check (kudos to Vermont the most sensible state in the Union)
This has all the signs of being epically awesome or at the very least epically interesting, never to be forgotten and hours of B.S. stories for the grandchildren!