MUDDY MINISKIRTS, NAKED ANKLES, RIDING WITH SUPER STARS AND WHO'S NUMBER ONE IN CYCLOCROSS?

Great ride last night with lots of Bastards out including Craig aka Flying Bats, Big Mac, Werdy, Ryan aka the new Fangs McGeer, Redline Bastard plus a whole load of new people - and surprises! We must have had about 15 people churning up some pretty deep mud through thick clouds of flying snow.

Now on with the Muddy Miniskirt report.

Yeah, that's a muddy miniskirt and it was on the ride last night. I don't know but I guess rocking a miniskirt when the mud is up over your rims is a good idea. Right? It kinda of keeps the mud out of your butt?

If the miniskirt weren't enough how about wet shoes, no socks and naked ankles, in cold, (34F) mud for a couple of hours? Sound like fun? It definately goes with the miniskirt. But who does this whole ensemble belong to? This person right here ...

We didn't find out until the ride was over that Julie Boonen (pictured above) is Tom Boonen's sister! No wonder she was so tough - I kid you not. She road her thin tires right through the worst slop, without a whimper, unlike some of the Bastards last night.

In case you forgot, this is her brother, another really tough guy.

Don't worry Tom, we were nice to your sister. Not like we had a choice. She could have dropped half the group last night if she wanted to. Anyway she look happy enough after the ride. Actually she looked like this:

Julie Boonen was also accompanied by a bodyguard, sent along by her brother no doubt, just in case. I mean would you want your sister riding with some Crazy Bastards.

This was Julie Boonen's bodyguard. Nice guy, but tough looking. I'm thinking maybe ex-KGB. In fact he look a lot like this ex-KGB guy.

Yeah, that's right, Vladimir Putin was on the ride last night. It was a night of stars last night. Did I also mention that Gary Fisher aka the Fish was also on the ride? Probably on the way back from the ICEMAN and he wanted to do a real hardman's ride before he left the state.

Here's a photo I took of the Fish at the HC. It's kind of dark, but you get the picture.

Here's what the Fish looks like with the lights on, below ...

 WHO'S NUMBER ONE IN CYCLOCROSS?

Have you been following Who's Number #1 video series on Cycling Dirt? It's funny while being so true at the same time. The host, what's his face, Ewen McEwen or Colt McDirtiest or something, is hilarious. Nice production too. It's so good there's no reason to read or follow anybody else after this act. This is up-to-date ranking for the week, leading into this weekend of the USGP in Louisville. The opening of this is also very Honey Badgeresque, you've got to watch it.

Watch more video of Who's #1? Cyclocross Rankings 2011/2012 on cyclingdirt.org

That's it for the week and it's on to racing - if I can manage it. Good luck to you all, and just a guess ... there will be mud, so have the fangs ready!