Meet The Press

The expressions on the riders' faces tell the story.
It was a hard race.
Salt Lake City - Things are heating up for me at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. The press is on the prowl - and that makes me a lot busier.

Rock Racing moved three riders into the top 10 overall and Team Type 1's Glen Chadwick (the only Olympian in the race) is the new King of the Mountains leader. So that meant two press releases, plenty of interviews and a long day of driving.

My routine the first two days of the race has pretty much been the same: Wake up around 5:30 a.m. Hit snooze. Finally get out of bed before 6 a.m. Catch up on a dozen or so e-mails that arrived overnight. Get ready for the day. Stop at Starbucks for a piece of coffee cake (or pumpkin cake, as it was this morning). Drive to the race start (usually an hour or more away). Coordinate pre-race interviews. Leave the start before the actual start to get to the feed zone. Lend a hand at the feed zone. Zoom to the next feed zone. (Repeat help at the feed zone.) Zoom to the race finish. Watch the finish. Oversee (and conduct) interviews. Drive back to the hotel. Write press releases. Update Twitter feeds. Review photos. Wait for approval. Send out press release. (Try to eat dinner sometime in between.) Watch Olympic Games (tape-delayed in the Mountain time zone). Update blog. Go to bed sometime before 1 a.m. (if lucky).

On the subject of the stop at Starbucks. It was originally (Rock photographer) Mario's idea. He needs his coffee. I don't need anything. But when we made our first stop there on Wednesday, I nearly left without paying - but not intentionally. One of the co-workers there mistook me for a police officer (who apparently get free breakfast there). I was dressed in Rock Racing black from head to toe and the crest of the team's logo vaguely resembles a police badge.

On the drive between start and finish venues today, Mario turned my attention to this ski jump. Wow. I can't even imagine going down something like that. The girls, Danielle and I have seen one even closer during our trips to the Shrine Hospital in Minneapolis. But I marvel at the bravery of these (crazy) athletes.

I also have to mention the price of gas - which is no where close to being under $4 a gallon. Most places, it is $4.15 or $4.20. Ouch.

While waiting for the riders to arrive at the first feed zone this afternoon, I spotted this guy on a horse and immediately had to take a picture for the girls. Check out his dog that was tagging along. It was something you might see in Nebraska.

I also caught up with Fabio Calabria's parents - who are here all the way from Australia - and met Rachael, a friend of former Toyota-United rider Burke Swindlehurst and soigneur for the Bissell Pro Cycling Team. She will be competing in a triathlon Saturday that includes a one-mile open water swim, an 18-mile mountain bike ride (which is up the side of a mountain) and a six-mile run. And the high temperature is only expected to be in the 90s. (Ouch, again.)

Speaking of soigneurs, Rock Racing has a new one for this race: Jen (pictured at right). She comes to the team from a stint with Health Net earlier this year - and Navigators Insurance last year. If you think my day is long, just ask her about the massages, lunches, laundry, shopping, water bottle preparation, etc., that fills her schedule.

The scenery and beautiful weather continues to amaze me. Today it was the reservoirs that spotlighted several canyons the race traveled through on its way from Ogden to Salt Lake City. Taking in the view can be dangerous, though, on narrow mountain roads with steep drop-offs.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the finish before the racers arrived - and neither did the soigneurs who were in front and behind of my car. Those things happen. Thank goodness for Mario - whose pictures told the story.

Friday night is the downtown criterium in Salt Lake City. It will be a much different routine, since the race doesn't start until 7 p.m. However, it is a Holy Day of Obligation, which means Mario and I will be on the road again early for mass.


Neil and Tim from ROAD did a pre-race interview with Tyler Hamilton.

The climb to the feed zone was 10 percent grade - and three miles long.

I handed up water bottles, while Jen had the mussette bags. When Jen and Sergey had to leave for the next feed zone, I handed up the mussettes to the two Rock Racers who were behind the leaders.

I promised a picture of "The Beast" but you will have to settle for the Rock Racing motorcoach. Stay tuned.


Back home in Omaha, I understand the girls spent the day with Grandma & Grandpa YD and Aunt Bridget and Uncle Jon. Swimming, possible swimmer's ear (Julia) and a trip to Bag 'n Save for popsicles were just the highlights. I missed it all, but hope to hear more about all the fun when I get home. I miss you and your Mom.

The Race Is Underway

This picturesque waterfall was the highlight
of the 90-minute drive to and from Wednesday's race.
Park City, Utah - Little did I know when I finished my first blog entry last night that my evening was really just beginning.

Part of my job (in addition to staffing the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah) was to follow Rock Racing's rider competing in the Olympic Games Tuesday - or actually Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, Santiago Botero did not finish his ride until the wee hours. And the event itself did not wrap up until around 3:30 a.m. So I was working on limited sleep heading into Wednesday's opening stage of the race here in Utah.

A couple random observations before today's photo gallery:

- What is up with the stars on homes here in Utah? We have speculated that it has something to do with the number of wives you have.

- There are an inordinate amount of stands selling "shaved ice" along the roads here.

- The affable boys from ROAD magazine (Neil and Tim) are here. They said I can expect to be the subject of a future video.


The mountains cast an imposing sight as we drove through Provo (home of Brigham Young University).

Fred Rodriguez places his numbers "European style" - which is contrary to the rulebook. He told me this morning, "when the promoters start paying me, I'll start covering up the logo of the guys who sign my paycheck now." Great approach. (But it will probably cost him $20 in fines tomorrow.)

I finally ran into my buddy from Toyota-United, Reed McCalvin.
He's sporting a goatee, which he said might scare the girls.
Girls, how about it?

Here is a look at the team's "recovery" cooler of beverages.
I wonder if they noticed the missing Orange Fanta.

Joining Mario and me at dinner tonight (at the same restaurant as last night) was Dan (right), the father of four girls and one boy. He drives "The Beast" for Rock Racing. (Picture of that vehicle coming tomorrow.)

The girls asked for it and here it is: My Murphy Bed pulled down. It is very comfortable - especially compared to the cot that I have been sleeping on the past month. Unfortunately, my head was only on the pillow about two hours.

And yes, Julia, I do sleep lying down. Only astronauts sleep standing up!

Here's my office - on the dining room table.
Everything I need to do my job.

Want to read what I wrote about today's race? Click here for the update on Team Type 1 (and to see one of Mario's photos).

Tour of Utah: And So It Begins

I lunched outdoors at The Corner Cafe in Park City, Utah, while doing my weekly Team Type 1 conference call.
Welcome to my personal blog. Because of some circumstances beyond my control, I am no longer (publicly) updating the YD Cafe blog. So in the interim, I hope you enjoy me sharing my personal and professional experiences. Not everyone is a proud father of five beautiful girls you know!

Today was my first off-site work assignment since the Tour de Georgia - way back in April. Since then, I've started getting my teeth straightened (thanks to a nice little retainer) and I have lost more than 30 pounds. The latter has had a very positive influence on my cycling.

And cycling is what took me to Utah (helped along by a ride to the airport from my great dad and his 4:50 a.m. wakeup call). I will be here for nearly a week, staffing the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. Here is my day in words and pictures:

Above is the view of the Arizona desert as I made my way to Salt Lake City via Phoenix. The temperature in "Sun City" was 92 degrees. Once on board the "regional jet" to SLC, I endured two hours of brutal in-flight instructions from JoAnn, who was undergoing flight attendant training for US Airways. It was painful to watch - particularly when her trainer got on the intercom and asked her to return to the front of the plane to close the door so we could get ready to take off (20 minutes late).

This is my kitchen in my personal room at the host hotel of the race. It's nearly as impressive as my apartment. The only thing that's missing is food.

Yep, your eyes are not deceiving you. That's a Murphy Bed in my room. I have never slept on one. Based on the fact that it's past midnight right now and I have to get up at 5:45 a.m., I won't be enjoying much time on it.

This is the view of my "dining room" where I am typing this right now. My room looks over a gigantic parking lot that is virtually empty today, but probably packed in the ski season.

Right outside my hotel is the mountain. No skiing at this time of the year, but they tell me more than 500 inches of snow fell here this year - and it was on the ground until June.

Here are the Rock Racing guys getting ready for what was supposed to be a 45-minute training ride. Unfortunately (for me), they were gone nearly three hours. That meant having to postpone a TV shoot with a Park City station. I did my "song and dance" routine to keep them on-site as long as possible. Afterwards, one of the team mechanics said I would make a good used car salesman.

This is Mario, one of the Rock team photographers. He tried out the "six beer sampler." One of them wasn't very good, he said. (I don't recall which one.) I went all out and ordered a Dr. Pepper.

Has it really been six years since Salt Lake City (and Park City) hosted the Olympic Winter Games? This downtown park area commemorates the occasion.

And next to the area above is this torch-like display. Very cool at night, as you can see.

So that's Day One of my blog - and my Tour of Utah experience. Girls, I miss you. And I miss your Mom, too.

Heading Home

Updating the blog (this post) at the Milwaukee Airport.
Milwaukee - So I am headed home after two long days of work in Milwaukee. The airport here is about the size of Omaha's Eppley Airfield in that it has single drop-off terminal. Getting through security was a breeze, too, especially late on a Thursday afternoon.

Girls, I hope you have a fun time trick-or-treating tomorrow night. Be sure and say "Thank You" nice and loud and don't run from house-to-house like a bunch of juvenile delinquents. (Aunt Dee-Dee will explain what that means.)

I had a tremendous time being with you in costume last Friday! I love you.

Meetings (and A Morning Workout)

The conference room where I spent much of Wednesday and Thursday.
Milwaukee - Plenty of discussion, lunch and a nice dinner filled my day on Wednesday. I was able to catch the final outs of the World Series at the dinner. I enjoyed a macaroni-and-cheese-and-chicken dish, plus a piece of pepperoni pizza off the sampler appetizer tray.

Wednesday morning began with a walk down 13 flights of stairs (I was staying on the 16th floor and the workout facility was on the third floor) and 30 minutes on a very cool workout machine with a TV built in. (Sorry, no pictures.)

Joe Eldridge and Phil Southerland each brought
little guns (that shot harmless rings) to the meeting.

It wasn't very exciting at times, as you can see,
but we did accomplish quite a bit.

On The Way To Milwaukee

A tram goes between terminals at the aiport in Minneapolis.
Milwaukee, Wis. - My first trip to Wisconsin since 2003 promises to be a busy one. It's always a rush to get to the airport (no, I don't arrive two hours early) and I usually find myself scrambling to get everything packed. Deciding what to take for what essentially amounts to a two-and-a-half day trip can be tough. And the other consideration is Northwest's $15-per-bag charge - meaning that I have to have room to pack my "sleep machine" in my suitcase on both ends of the flight.

In the interest of saving time, here is Tuesday in pictures (and some words):
A bird's eye view of some of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes.

The plane's shadow is cast on an enormous cloud bank.
I really thought this was a cool part of the flight between Minneapolis and Milwaukee. As we neared Milwaukee, we began traveling over a massive cloud ceiling. It was almost as if we were traveling over a floor or platform of clouds. What was even cooler was the fact that it was brightly lit by the sun - and knowing that everyone beneath the clouds was not seeing the same late-afternoon sunshine.

What is also bizarre is the little ring around the plane (click on the photo to enlarge it). It's almost as if we were in the "sights" of something larger. Weird. When we finally descended through the cloud ceiling (which was probably about 1,500 or 2,000 feet) it wasn't as bumpy as I would have imagined.

The team trucks for Timex (left) and Team Type 1 outside Team Sports.

Inside, a giant poster of the old Saturn Cycling Team
(that's Harm Jansen leading).

Girls, you remember Tom Schuler (from my conference calls).
Here, he poses with "Mr. Twinkie" - another star of the calls.

A photo of the Tour of Americas, featuring Schuler (looking down at left).

Marco (left) and Matt eat wings at a smoky little tavern.
Boy, I love wings! Not. So when I heard we were going to a place that "has the best wings in Milwaukee," you might as well told me we were going for Chinese or Indian. But I toughed it out. Unfortunately, this little place was crowded as heck and we stood for an hour before we got a table.

Then, the smoke started driving me crazy. But I did try some of the "naked" wings that weren't so spicy. Thankfully, Matt Vogels ordered a chicken sandwich - which cleared the way for me to order one. I also helped myself to lots of free popcorn. Jen, our server, enjoyed a nice tip and was probably glad to see us leave after all of our special requests.

Check out all the clocks in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency.