The 2nd coming of Jan

U-23 Dutch world time trial champ and cyclocross extrodiraire Lars Boom is the one to watch. Clean or dirty.

Just Kickin some Cross

you only beat me because(insert lame excuse) and sandbagging

well here we go again lots of pain and punishment to begin the end of year cyclocross season . I did have one of my better cross races finishing 6th, however I have found two more things to be angry about the first which really only concerns me is when someone who you just beat comes up and claims he would have beat you for whatever reason. (because any excuse is really lame and this one was very weak) if you really had the ability to beat that guy in front of you i dont think a 5 sec situation is going to change anything especially if you then lose to the guy in front buy 30 sec or more. The next thing for me to bitch about is the notorious ed delgros who for what ever reason decided to race b masters it would have been bad enough for him to race b again which i could have dealt with but to race b 40 + when there is an A 40+ is crazy. the guy(Rick A) who came in sec in the b masters is the real winner of that race. The race its self was really good I had a below average start didnt really see the eventual winner (tony marut) after that point. i worked my way up to the lead group and figured i would just do my best to hang but the make up of the pack changed constantly with guys falling off and people catching on and going right buy. i eventually ended up with rick from snakebite for about a lap or two then i was alone for a whole bunch of laps with a group close behind. the small group did catch me and one guy came around and punched it so i jumped and found his wheel for a lap then we ran into traffic and he made a mistake trying to go wide around a guy in the tight downhill corner and the slower rider stopped to run down the hill. i had chose to go through on the inside and went through with no problems . so i then went the last two laps with out incident except for delgros passing me and watching him crash into the backstop fence. so it was a good race for me i could have done somethings much better and got lucky on some others including missing tearing my head off buy about six inch's

Cross is hard

This graph shows ya, no elevation. Just flat and as hard as you can go in grass and dirt.

L'Alpe d'Charm

The signs are everywhere.

Glogg

Heroes Glug Glögg (Swedish hot mulled wine)
By Craig Goldwyn

Samuel Johnson wrote "Claret is the drink for boys, port for men, but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy." By that definition Swedish Julglögg, will make us superhuman.

Glögg, pronounced gloog, is a high octane, hot mulled wine made with a potpourri of spices and all three of the above: Claret (red wine), port, and brandy. It is the perfect cold weather drink, warming the body and soul from the inside out.

There are as many recipes for this old traditional winter beverage as there are for chili. Instead of brandy, the original Swedish recipe calls for aquavit, a distilled spirit frequently flavored with caraway seeds. I know of an Irishman who uses Irish whisky and I've tasted it made with bourbon and vodka. But I prefer the taste of glögg made with brandy.

The spices and flavorings change just as frequently, with most recipes calling for cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, orange peel, raisins, almonds, and sugar. Some people use dried cherries. Some swear by dried orange peel, others use fresh. Sugar content can be varied according to taste, and I have tasted it made with honey and maple syrup. Some brew it and drink it on the spot, and others age it. I usually do both. My wife and I like to make some for Thanksgiving, and age some for Christmas.

One thing is certain: the aroma in the kitchen of mulling glögg is heavenly, and when it is served steaming hot in a mug after a hard day of skiing or shoveling the sidewalk, the body offers thanks. Glögg also makes a good marinade for beef or venison. Here is my tried and true recipe.

Swedish Glögg
Makes about 1 gallon
1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive dry red wine
1.5 litre bottle of inexpensive American port
1 bottle of inexpensive brandy or aquavit
10 inches of stick cinnamon
1 Tablespoon cardamom seeds
2 dozen whole cloves
Peel of one orange
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups sugar
Garnish with the peel of another orange


Notes
There is no need to invest in expensive wine or brandy because the spices are going to preempt any innate complexity of a fine wine, but don't use anything too cheap. Remember, the sum will be no better than the parts. Do not use an aluminum or copper pot since these metals interact chemically with the wine and brandy and impart a metallic taste. Use stainless steel or porcelain.

Cardamom comes in three forms: pods, seeds, and powder. Do not use powder. If you can only find the pods (the look like orange seeds), take about 2 dozen and pop them open to extract the seeds. Cardamom seeds may be hard to find, so you may need to order them from a spice specialist like Penzeys.com.

Assembly
Pour the red wine and port into a covered stainless steel or porcelain kettle. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange peel, raisins, and almonds. Warm gently, but do not boil. Boiling will burn off the alcohol.

Put the sugar in a pan and soak it with half the bottle of brandy. Warm the sugar and brandy slurry over a low flame. The sugar will melt and bubble until it becomes a clear golden syrup of caramelized sugar. If you wish, you can speed up the process a bit and create quite a show by flaming the brandy. Flaming will create a 2 foot high blue flame, so be sure there is nothing above the stove that can catch on fire. Then, stand back and light the brandy. Turn out the kitchen lights and watch it burn! This caramelization is crucial to developing complexity.

Add the caramelized sugar to the spiced wine mix. Cover and let it mull for an hour. Just before serving, strain to remove the spices, and add brandy to taste (about 1/2 pint). You can serve it immediately, or let it age for a month or two. If you are going to age it, make sure the bottle is filled as high as possible and sealed tight.

To serve glögg, warm it gently over a low flame or in a crockpot, and serve it in a mug. Garnish it with a fresh orange peel, twisted over the mug to release the oils.

You can easily tailor the recipe to your own tastes by changing the sweetness, potency, or other ingredients. Try brown sugar if you wish. Or Southern Comfort instead of brandy. The orange peel garnish, however, is essential to the fragrance. Drink while seated and give your car keys to a friend.

The Non-Fat Fat Cyclists

Angry and Drunk both have complexes about their uber cool imgaes they pose for while they are racing. Most of the time we look like two fat dudes trying to race but I found a couple of pics where we don't look like two bloated turds on a bicycle.

P.S. Note the Garmins on our bikes. We do that for the pro geek feel.

What happened to all of the good bands?