Maybe I found something to do afterall.

Up next on the agenda is the Tour de Burg. This is 100% going to happen again for me this year, although at the end of last year's event I swore I'd take a year off. It's hard to step away from this race though, as it is known as "The only race that matters," and "Cheaper than living." I spent a portion of my lazy Sunday getting my road bike ready for the beat down days on the pave' and gravel.

This bike is ready for battle, the kinda riding that I think voids my very restrictive warranty.

Big Worm hooked me up with a set of wire bead 28mm Conti Gatorskins that only see use at the Tour. Too much tire for around here, and almost not enough for the Tour.

Punctures. I has them. Last year I took a hard hit on a gravel descent. It helps to be prepared.

Flat number one will be handled with the tube, a fat MAXXIS lever (hooray wire beads!) and a Genuine Innovations 16gram cartridge on the stem held in place with a soiled Zone strap.

Flat number two will be handled with shit under the saddle, though I doubled up on CO2's in case I have to start patching.

You may notice that I sheathed the spare tube with a piece of mtn innertube. This is just in case the high frequency vibrations of the gravel vibrate the tube on the rear bolt of the seat clamp. This is just a precaution, and I'll inspect the sheath after le Tour to see if anything happens.

This is only a test.

Flimsy stainless steel cages swapped out for hardly-can-get-my-bottle-out Rib cages. Did I mention "high frequency vibrations?"

After le Tour is over I don't have anything on the schedule until "the most important race on the international cycling calendar," ORAMM. I don't feel any pressure as I have in years past. Not being a returning champion means all I have to do is not suck to make great bike race. Winning will be really hard in 2011, and if I was a betting man I'd throw my money on Andy Johnston. Not only is he a pro-licensed rider in the single speed class, he's also a successful coach and he's got great hair.

Image poached from a cyclingdirt.org video of Andy

I mean, it's as if David Lee Roth's hair had a baby with a clone of David Lee Roth's hair and that magnificent hair baby decided to live on Andy's head. Andy's around my age, and I'm as bald on one end as the other. Virility, racing know-how, pro license... yeah, he's gonna win. Me? Maybe a podium this year if I can keep my shit together, and I don't blow myself out doing this the week before:

One hundred kilometers up in Damascus, VA. I've only ridden there once in the past, and I'd love to go back and race. If I can figure out a way to do back to back weekends with those two races, I see no reason why I wouldn't just go ahead and sink my battleship the next weekend at the W101.

Now were talking. I haven't tried to blow myself up like this since 2008.

Now to see if the ducks are willing to line up in neat little rows.

Play us off David....