More Pics of ME ME ME!!! Oh, & the New Gitane Definitive

Post by **sandranian** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:18 am

Here is the new kit from Gitane Definitive, which they were nice enough to send to your humble (

) web-page owner. This is a Thursday night criterium series at the old El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, symbol of the United States' victory in and decline after the Cold War. The criterium (more of a circuit race...about 2 miles) loops around on the old tarmac where F-18's, Phantoms, and other symbols of the USA's power used to fly from. Now...empty hangers surround the airfield, which lies in south Orange County, California. Here is a link to where it is, if you are interested in this sort of stuff:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 4&t=h&z=16

It was a hideous outing: Just off work, rushed over there, no warm up, 90 deg. F, suffered, missed the break, small field in the Pro/1/2/3 class, which meant that there was nowhere to hide to recover, and the idiots wouldn't work together to catch the break. So I quit.

But I looked good doing it

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:24 pm

I like the yellow stripes on the helmet and the specs - nice Hommage to Fignon........... and you quit in disgust

Kit looks cool.

Post by **sandranian** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:06 am

Well...things went better last night. maybe it is because I put in 40 miles in the morning...then rode to the race after work. In all, a great 80+ mile day on the bike. Finished the Pro/1/2/3 race in a "bridging" 4 man group about 30sec + in front of the peloton. The winner, Rasaan Bahati, was about a 30sec + up the road with a good size breakaway, which I missed. It is amazing how hard a dead-pan flat race can be!

Here are some pics, including a good one of one of the crumbling hangers at this old air base.

Post by **lofter** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 8:33 am

viva fignon lol

Post by **sandranian** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:05 am

The only differences between me and Fignon are:

(1) I am fat and swarthy;
(2) He could ride a bike...FAST.

verktyg · Post by **verktyg** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 12:23 pm

But at least you didn't loose to Greg LeMond!

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 2:54 pm

Harsh Chas, harsh.

Gtane · Post by **Gtane** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:56 pm

Good to see these old spaces being used for cycle racing but the landscape is certainly not the same as the open road, and flat as you say. Making for some fast racing?

I guess an advantage (for the chasers) is that it's virtually impossible for a breakaway to get out of sight.

Well done and thanks for posting the shots.

Tim