GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN - ON THEIR BIKES

One of several of our favorite shots from the weekend: Katie Compton & Ellie Burke get close in Cincy.

While the galaxy focused on ICEMAN this weekend, there were other cycling races to be had across the country this weekend. Photos floating in from the internets brought us back photos of our favorite female racers - from here and there. Above Ellie Burke chums it up with her new BFF Katie Compton at one of the days in Cincy this past weekend. Word is (and I haven't checked the stats or wattage meters) but it looks like Ellie had another great weekend, along with her husband Tom Burke in a super tough and pro men's race.

More bike buddies: MacKenzie Woodring and Georgia Gould @ ICEMAN 2012

More pro-bike chicks, as they say on TMS. Here our own 'Kenzie gets a hug from ICEWOMAN winner Georgia Gould. MacKenzie had a super ride with fourth, just a hair of the podium in a tough sprint finish. Who sprints in a mountain bike race anyway? This year Gould has a Bronze Olympic Medal and numerous other wins after sucking sooooo bad last year there was a face book page dedicated to heckling her. Never give, is the rule, I guess.

McKenzie gives it full gas uphill and through some sand. It looks like it hurts.

This looks like it could hurt too, but in an entirely different way. Wonder how she finished at ICEMAN? Probably some Halloween Cross Race left-over no doubt.

Gran Fondo, Italian-style.

The Grand Rapids Gran Fondo 2013 introduced itself to the biking world at ICEMAN this year in the expo center. We'll have more about this later, with dates, details and all the goodies that are going with this upcoming cycling event. I'm just wondering if we're going to get a Gran Fondo gal like this to represent?

To all the West Michigan Women that raced this weekend - great legs ladies, you rock!

Congrats to other women that raced this weekend, especially Julie (Boonen) Whalen on her win at ICEMAN, as well as Amanda Schhaap, Kati Krikke and Laura Korienek and all the rest of you who did such great jobs at ICEMAN and in Cincy this weekend.

I'll try and get to the men's story in tomorrow - as well as the rescue of Etho-Bastard on the road to Kalkaska, if you even care. 

A last thought - here's some tough and tumble World Cup racing from Europe from this weekend. It's worth the look - thanks to Adam McIntyre for digging this video jewel up. See you tonight at the ride. Should be a nice easy roll - that's what I think anyway - if it's recovery from last weekend or prep for the next one. Now grab yourself a Belgy brew and view the following and find out how much of a contact sport 'cross can be.

ICEMAN 2012: THE WEATHERMAN LIED

Do you need a degree in advanced meteorology to know those clouds are full of snow?

Yesterday the buzz-wuz: it's gonna to be nice warm and sunny. This morning not so much. It appeared that the Weatherman once again lied, but nobody died, they are just going to get a little wet and snowy.

Just moments ago outside Crazy Bastard Reporting Headquarters.

Within a few minutes the snow was coming harder and harder.

Best quote of the morning overhead while walking through the parking lot, from a young woman racer: "I can't wait until tonight when this is all over." Apparently she doesn't do cross.

AM Rain / Snow Showers. Where's my rain jacket?

This was the word via one video feeds inside the Crazy Bastard headquarter nerve center, moments ago.

Outside our hotel's ICEMAN FEEDZONE 1 - last minute repairs, this guy gives us the standard ICEMAN "fingers out salute."

This poor guy, above, was keeping a positive spin on the fact that his front fork would neither hold air or lock-out. Still he gave me the thumbs-or-fingers out sign that is "in" with this year's ICEMAN participants.

This familiar West Michigan racer give us his own version of the ICEMAN Salute over his race breakfast and an iPad. He's probably reading this blog in the future right now. Good luck!

This scene is taking place in every motel with a feedzone in the Traverse City right now.

Above is ICEMAN FEED ZONE 1. You're next in line. Get used to it, your entire day is going to be like this, standing behind somebody, waiting to get through to the good stuff.

Caleb McGraw awaits some morning grub.

 Another ICEMAN getting ready to carb load - Caleb McGraw. His Mother never shot such a lousy photo of Caleb in all her life. Good luck to all the McGraw's racing today. We look forward to seeing Julie McGraw's photographs later today.

Back at the Crazy Bastard Nerve Center.

 This is how I'm rolling. The CB Nerve Center is pretty much a comfy Queensize Bed, a laptop and coffee and cable television. Think I'll turn up the heat now. I feel a chill from the windows. Wonder if my Belgian Waffle is done?

Outside, ready to roll.

Out in the cold and snow the racers are getting to roll. We'll have another report on the thing that's called "racing" a little later today - I hope! Good luck racers and race watchers. Let the ICEMAN GOETH!

ICEMAN 2012: IT'S A NUMBERS GAME

At ICEMAN you think you're a name, not a number? You could be wrong Mr. or Ms. 4,987 in the 85th Wave.

I was told today that if you took all the ICEMAN 2012 registration packets and put them end-to-end they would reach around the moon, bounce off Venus, and land back in Lake Michigan. Yeah, there's like 20 Million entries this year. It's true! (no it's not) You needed to be in top form just to find your number and your starting wave today - especially you, for example, who are probably number 4,897 in wave 85, leaving a little before the time change Sunday Night. Turn out the lights when you're get in, will ya?

Registration pick-up was like rush hour at the Velveeta Cheese Factory - squeezing them out one at a time.

Who am I looking for again? Who am I? Have I lost my identity? How am I ever going to suck Harry/Jimmy/Eddy's wheel when they are starting in the 3rd Wave and I'm in Wave 85?

You're here somewhere here. I just don't know where. You're in Wave 85 so I don't why you should care so f*&^ing much. And stop crying!  The Broom Wagon has some great beer and porn videos.

Ride or Die. So I did. I just can't remember which right now, but I'm guessing ride since I'm still typing.

After a long morning at the the Expo Center (see this morning's post here) and watching and listening to people talk incessantly about who was going to suck who's wheel, and who was going to feel bad if they got caught by so-and-so, I had to get out and ride ... or die ... like the shirt said.

The calm and sleet ride before the storm.

 I took a short, but death defying ride from Traverse City to the Expo Center and back just to clear my head. People wondered what kind of bike this was since it wasn't a Niner and didn't have any springs anywhere. Actually it was a great day for a ride, no matter what the bike. And this was the perfect bike for today.

On my ride I discovered some classic Traverse City landmarks that I had never seen before - like this Coca Cola machine. Oh, and I got to SEE IT MADE ... Well that was awesome let me tell you.

The Whiz wobbled in, wobbly at first, and then more Whiz-like.

Back at the nerve center of ICEMAN 2012 (Expo Center) after my short ride I once again started to see familiar faces drift in - most of them looking for numbers and bad coffee after a shaky day on the road.

Craig gives the place his Pre-Race Crazy-Eye, while Fast Freddy looks on with his trademark Fast Freddy Smile™.

The Dark Knight, Don Cameron. When he isn't laughing at me, he's laughing at you. Yeah, he is, really.

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Randy was still rocking after a hard day in the Expo Center being the best Promosapien he could be.

Meanwhile, back at the Motel, Laura K was calmly and happily waiting for the family/team condo to open up. She's writing a scathing letter to her attorney here - but with a smile.

All the while the buying and selling continued back at the Expo ... let the games begin.

Hopefully we'll have some racing to report tomorrow ...

ICE MAN 2012: RISE OF THE PROMOSAPIEN

Welcome to ICEMAN 2012 - I can see you but you can't see me! Can You?

This weekend I will be offering almost live coverage of ICEMAN 2012, which you can file right along with all those almost live feeds of your friends' ICEMAN racing data  that you'll be getting annoyed with on Face Book all day tomorrow. So far I must say day one has been an eye opening experience. It's is really showing me how we humans have evolved over eons; starting as gooey microbes, becoming homosapiens, and now reaching our final destination as PROMOSAPIENS- that is an upright, walking organism that is in a constant state of promoting and selling stuff.

The tip-off that we are living in the age of the Promosapien hit me in the parking lot outside the Expo Center at the Grand Traverse Hotel. This Promosapien-vehicle made the trip all the way from Japan, I think. Isn't that where they grow 4G?

Everywhere you turned there was another promosapien concept at work - here a little guy is trying to crawl in the window of the CLIF Bar truck and get one of those amazing ENLARGING CLIF BARS I've heard so little about.

I love Promosapien vehicles that tell you what you could be, if only you did something, like cycle!

On closer inspection I could see it was just our old Cyclocross friends, those damn racing Greyhounds. Those guys are already fit, you think they need to talk about it so much?

Bike companies were also on hand to do battle Promosapien style. Like this Scott Bike Sprinter Van ....

...which will no doubt be fighting it out with this heavy-weight Specialized truck later on in the day. It will probably be like a Transformer battle, I'll bet.

What's it all about Alfie? Promosapienism, that's what. Here are boxes of stuff that will suck in any logo and adhere to it. What it is, isn't exactly clear, but all it needs is a logo to come to life.

Like these ICEMAN Jersey's! Yeah if you didn't bring a kit, you can buy one right in the hotel expo center. At least you'll know what race you're in!

Stuff, stuff, stuff and more stuff. Stuff is the word for it.

Inside the Expo there's better stuff, like Soigneur embrocation and chamois creme. Stephanie will be there representing the brand - nice hat!

You can ride more with Soigneur, but do you know how to pronounce it correctly?

Soigneur chief, Dan Socie figured that since this race is all about mountain bikers, and not cyclocross or roadies, he might be better served to offer the name of the product phonetically. Genius Dan! 

Speaking of soothing the pain in my ass when I ride, who should I see but my favorite cross announcer, who gave me such a good heckling at Lake O last week, and Mr. Specialized himself, Dave Massey! Nice job on the sand last week by the way, Dave.

More friends with good stuff showing that Promosapienism isn't all bad, Dennis selling out the Hell Yes fine riding wearables - that's clothing for you mountain bikers out there.

Making at hit at the entrance were Kim and Kim introducing the maddening crowds to next year's Gran Fondo in Grand Rapids. More about this event later.

We also ran into some nice people, like Kurt and Noel Potocki. Kurt made the purchase of the show. I'll be sneaking into their room later to steal these ...

That's right, valuable an practically unobtainable Cross Crusade socks! 

If you don't believe me all you have to do is take Kurt's shoes off and read it!

While sitting around drinking Starbucks Coffee and tapping away on the machine I started to notice some other strange happenings in addition to the Promosapien thing. Watching people taking their bikes up to their rooms was a little disturbing, I thought.

One woman, two bikes? I could only imagine what kind of weirdness would be happening upstairs later on tonight. A velotrois?

Some weirdness though wasn't going to wait until after dark. Yeah it's John Osgood and Brad Lako shaking with anticipation, or something ...

Don't believe me it's weird here? Take a good look at this and try to get a good night's sleep tonight.

Stay tuned for more almost live reporting from ICEMAN 2012, later tonight.