So I heard from a couple different people regarding the 1/2 finish, hopefully this does their versions of the story justice.
Zach's(CMG/Alpine Mortgage) take: He started the race with one bottle, assuming a feed would be available. After he took the last hot spot by a healthy margin, Zach sat up and asked the officials if he could take a feed. They told him he could so he just asked if anyone had a bottle he could borrow. A nice lady watching at the finish ran up and handed him a bottle from the left side of the road. He didn't know her, she did it on her own volition, it wasn't a teammate or planned deal, she was just being nice to this guy who had been off the front for half a race and needed a drink.
OBRA Official's take: Basically that 1/2's should know better under the circumstances and that there was a chance to make an example. Paul(Hutch's-OIC) was apparently "livid" crossing the line saying that the feed was one of many violations committed by Zach throughout the race.
I did get the impression that Zach might have a bit of a target on his back regarding this sort of behavior.
The break: It sounds like the break went like any other break in a bike race. Paul and Zimbleman(Z Team) needed Zach just as much as he needed them. I'm guessing they gave him the sprints because there was no use contesting them, why go for them when chances are that Zach will win them either way, might as well save it for the end.
The break must have worked okay together for the most part because it was not ideal for any team. CMG/Alpine Mortgage probably would have rather had at least two guys in the break(Donald was active in forming a chase group but couldn't get the split), the Team S+M/SCR guys were putting up quite a fight, despite their bad luck with flats. They stayed away for three laps, I'm guessing they worked together pretty well.
As for the last lap, well duh, they were all trying to win. Zach probably saved it up for a bit and then gave it a go. If the other two guys could have hung they would have. I'm guessing they weren't shocked when he attacked.
I hope all this doesn't sound like I'm coming down on the OBRA officials. I'm just trying to objectively look at what happened in a dramatic race (let's face it, any break involving Zach and Paul is going to have some entertainment value). I just hope they apply the rules consistently throughout the year when similar situations arise. All OBRA officials and volunteers deserve a big thanks and a ton of credit.
As for comments, I am only sort of surprised that people will go through the whole registration process just to leave one obscene sentence on my goofy little blog. I'm not going to moderate them because it puts me in a place where I have to justify why I leave some comments up while erasing others. There's been more than a few comments that I don't think are appropriate, but I don't know if there's a solution. I think comments are what make blogs interesting, obviously there's a downside.
19 comments:
There are ip address based ways of determining who is visiting your blog and who is associated more than once w/ that same address, i.e. maybe posting w/ multiple fake profiles. Look up "stat checkers" and there are many to choose from. You can imbed strings of code that collect information from visitors and which are not visible to the web site viewing layperson. Some blogs even publish the ip address with the comment box. Others require a real email address that is not published (but viewable to the administrator). In general, folks who stand behind what they say will use their real initials or name, and speak respectfully. It's easy to skim over the silly juvenile stuff that doesn't add anything meaningful to the discussion. Just like when you use a public toilet and there is graffiti on the wall.
I always read the "free cowboy hat dispenser" graffiti though. That's just too clever.
Keep on throwing down the smack, you all, and let's see some more clever fake profile names. You can do better than that!
Good insight blogger, but not too objective. You come off as one of Zach's buddies, not that there's anything wrong w/that, just saying...If Paul was in fact, "livid," about other violations, what were they? Just curious if you heard from anyone, not named Zach, that was in the break. How about some posts on the bad blood between Paul and Zach? Regardless of what the results say, Zach won that race and we know that, but just like his God judging him post (I thought it was funny, but was he serious?), karma bit him in the butt. Do you think when he attacked that Paul and Dave talked about not chasing him 'cause they were gonna protest anyway? Another thing regarding the sprints, I don't think I would assume anyone would, "win them either way," when DZ in involved.
P.s. When did Zach go solo?
My defense of the officials is this. Rick was the follow official for the 1/2. Lynn was the Chief Ref. Neither one of them knows Zach or his reputation. His history had no part in their decision.
I guess it was announced at the start of the race that their was 'no feed'. I am the judge, I did not get told this. I was asked at the line by a supporter if there was a feed. My thought was "66 miles, that is over the 60 mile minimum, sure." I confirmed with the race organizer and radioed Rick that it was ok with me if they fed at the finish line on non hot spot laps. I was under the impression that go conveyed to the racers.
The officials are guilty of lack of communitcation.
The race rules are:
11. - RIDER CONDUCT
11.1 - Riders are responsible for their own conduct, including arriving on time with the correct equipment. No rider shall benefit from his or her misconduct. No team shall benefit from its misconduct, or the misconduct of one of its members.
11.2 - Misconduct may be punished at the discretion of the Chief Referee
-
- Violating any of the OBRA Racing Rules
11.3 - It is the rider's responsibility to know the course and the rules of the event. It is forbidden to take any other route.
communication between themselves.
and more to the point
15.1.4
Feed Zone rules
- Feeding may only take place from designated feed zones
- All feeding will be done from the right side of the road.
Candi
Dear Uzi,
This is, hands down, the best blog on the internet. Stories this juicy should be on Entertainment Tonight... only it's all ours.
God, I love good gossip. You have every rider I know checking this page out daily. Even my wife, who would rather eat spiders than talk bike racing, has bookmarked you.
Keep it coming brother.
Gary Malcolm
Maybe Paul shoud just ride faster and then he wouldnt have any thing to complain about. =) You cant see whats behind you.
it doesn't matter where zack went. the only reason a guy like paul wants to make a deal is to save face. he doesn't race to win. his tactics are based on a free ride. good on you zack. but now that paul is in the hunt someone better give him some ideas how to finish someone off that is stronger. good luck...
It matters for those of us who are curious where he put in the final move. It is a race report after all, right. Plus, it doesn't sound like he took a free ride.
So, while we're hammering on Zach for taking a drink - shouldn't we also be noting the fact that the driver of the lead car in the P/1/2 race handed up a bottle (lap 1 or 2 - can't remember, but it was before the red headed stepchild, angry little man and gnarly old dude got away) to a rider during the race? What's up with that? Who was driving the car? If it was an official, did they immediately DQ the rider they handed the bottle to?
It is not illegal to hand up things from a car. The rules readL
15.1.2
-Items may also be handed up from a vehicle if allowed by the Chief Referee
15.1 4 Feed zones -
- Feed zones will be placed at the widest possible point, preferably on a slight uphill.
- Feeding may only take place from designated feed zones
- All feeding will be done from the right side of the road.
- Feeding will normally not begin during the first 50 kilometers of a race, and will end 30 kilometers from the finish. The Chief Referee may make exceptions to this in case of extreme weather.
- Riders may accept food and drink from spectators or bystanders only at their own risk.
paulbajitbag sounds like he is a little butt-hurt over being beaten by Paul in the past.
Paul doesn't race to win? WTF? It is obvious from that quote that you have NO idea about Paul or how much he loves cycling and competing against the best riders around.
I guess it is a little easier to come on here w/ a fake name, and talk shit about someone then it is to use your real name.
Hey paulbajitbag, what's like to suck at life so bad you have to come on here and talk shit about someone you don't even know?
Question for the blogger: why have you posted Zach's story and OBRA's story? Yet you never posted Paul's or Zimbleman's side of the story? Seems only fair to get all sides of the story before you post. Unless your objective was to just see what kind of shit you could start.
You have stated you started this for fun, but a couple of times now it has gone "over the top" in my opinion. First w/ Rubicon and now Paul. So if you are going to take the responsibility to post stuff about a race, get your facts straight, and in a situation like this, get ALL sides of the story.
Otherwise, when everyone finally finds out who you are, you're going to have quite a few enemies!
Zach and the OBRA officials sent me e-mails. I'll gladly add to it. I just haven't heard from anyone else.
tjmax,
who are you? you and paul play in the same D and D league together? just admit that paul is a baby. you are talking from a different realm.
i was wondering were we could find tjmax and someone suggested pauls briefs. if you don't like the "over the top" try the bottom.
so ah, Paul has his own boutique? I guess his briefs are soiled in tjmax's lip stick marks. tjmax prolly has paul's briefs wadded up somewhere wierd.
WOW, how cute we have two little 12 year olds trying to act tough on a blog. P-A-T-T-H-E-T-I-C
Why don't you tell everyone who are? Or let me guess it's easier to hide behid your fake name(s)?
I guess the question for the group now is why do "bigtime" and "paulbajitbag" keep spouting off homosexual insults? Experience w/ those sorts of activities boys?
no tj, but your still reading/responding sweet cheeks!
I talked to Paul a bit on a ride last night.
I think he was still slightly pissed at Zach, but mostly just astonished on how much press he's getting :-)
He said that before Zach got the illegal feed he begged water off Z (I don't know if he succeeed) and that Paul gave him half a bottle.
He also seemed to suggest that Zach was playing weak for the last lap but hammered when the opportunity arose for him to break. Apparently this did not sit well with Z or Paul. Also, Paul and Z gave Zach the primes, but even after telling Zach there would be no contest, Zach still attacked each point sprint. This did not add to the camaraderie with Paul.
I think Paul sounded quite reasonable and sane in his complaints and basically just shrugged the whole thing off as racing...
That's my two cents
Gary
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