The Gap Fire has been making life a little nerve wracking in the Santa Barbara area. But the haze didn't effect the Saturday morning ROCO lake ride that was as well attended as any other Saturday. They lifted a lot of the mandatory evacuation warnings yesterday evening so a couple of my friends who were evacuated were able to return to their homes last night which I'm sure must have been very comforting. Officials are saying a 24 % containment, but were emphatic that we are a long ways from being in the clear.

The Air quality has been bearable down past the downtown area... Not great, but I would imagine it to be no worse then sucking down a pack of cigs or living in LA. So the impact on training has been minimal.

Last weekend I headed down to Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. Seth and I decided to ride over to the venue from our hotel and my dyslexia and I managed to get us lost with a couple left turns that should have been right. But despite all that, I made it with just enough time to pre-ride the course. The staging area had well over a hundred riders and with the tight 180 degree turns and a packed race I knew from the gate that I wanted to stay near the front. We started late so they chopped off a couple of minutes of our already short race. Every lap was a prime and it provided a great opportunity to read the final sprint. I stayed near the front the whole race and followed a couple wheels off the front but didn't attack or contest any primes. with 3 and 2 to go I made the same mistake coming into the first 180 and got boxed in, by the same rider who came around on the outside and then just stoped right next to me, then a big surge came around him and I was stuck right in the middle of about 70 riders. The last lap that was NOT going to happen, so I made a move early and realized that it is going to be better to be on the front this lap lap then back in the mayhem. Cory Williams the young sprinter from major motion came around me right before the last turn and I was elated. I had the sprinters wheel. Perfect. Until he attacked into the turn and took an extremly aggressive line. He came out of the turn and already had 3 bike lengths on the field. An Sc Velo guy came around and pulled me to the guy in third who I didn't quite come around at the line. I ended up 4th and was stolked. It was an awesome course, and although it was a little short definitely put a little sting into my legs.

Props to team mates Cookie and Marco who toed the line with the best of the best and definitely held their own.
Congrats also to Zpack took a 10th in his third Cat 3 race.

Marco Fennelli is the new captain of the road squad as Dr Professor Smitty and Gary Anne just have too much on their plate to give it the time they deserve. No doubt Marco will brings his years of wisdom to the squad. I Cant wait to see what happens... Maybe a pop tent? That would be PRO.

Right after this post I'm heading down to Dominguez Hills for the Paramount Crit. My plan is to be sitting third or fourth wheel coming into the final sprint and then Unleash the Beast.

I'll be sure to let you know how that goes ;)