Cullman Cycling

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Since the last post I thought I better get back to cycling. For some reason when you post a picture of a female and mix in cycling I have to delete a bunch of comments posted by readers. Its all fun, sometimes you wonder what the Blog is about anyway.

I selected a few pictures from the past week or two.


This picture is called "Pain Locker"...for obvious reasons. It was taken at the Cullman Spring Classic with Austin and Country Al laying down the law. I wondered if CA would really work for Austin or if it came down to it he would drop the hammer on his own team mate.

You know we like to poke at SuperDave but I have to admit hes been riding better than I have ever seen him. I would like to say he was sucking some wheel etc., but it more accurate to say he was hammering with two very strong riders. Even though they were dropped from the lead group they blew away what was left of the peleton. The white jersey is James Hall of Team Smith Lock who had a team mate in the break and in the CSC kit ubermaster Chris Rossi.

One of our road marshalls was none other than Bill St. John. Pretty sweet ride! Bill hosts the CSC and as always, a very premier event.

The pictures below are from a training ride we did this past week. This goes back to how you meet the most interesting people through cycling. We had a couple of guests so where do you take them? Skyball Mountain. Hopefully these guys will be back for the Tour de Cullman this fall. They got a little primer this week.

Warren St. John was in from New York for a tour with his new book (somehow he escaped without me getting a signed copy). Chris Ullrich was in from California for the upcoming AMA SuperBike races at Barbers Motorsports Park. Both these guys ride very strong.

On the foothills of the famous climb. They didn't get to see it all but climbed to the top of Skyball Mountain.

Almost to the top enjoying the nice weather and calling for the team car. I think we lost a rider along the way.

European Update Please!

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Leading up to and during the Cullman Spring Classic this year one of the more mysterious and famous Cullman Cycling Blog readers was in Europe. I remember during the Classic commenting to a fellow rider about getting a text message from Paris. I was getting text messages wanting an update on how the race was shaping up and my current position.

Modern technology is amazing sometimes. I remember back in the early 80's following Paris-Roubaix or the Tour de France and there were no live feeds or anything resembling that. We would read results in USA Today or the NY Times two weeks after the race if we were lucky.

Now there is such a huge controversy from the old pros about "Race Radio", which there was never in the day. The best review I read recently was from an old pro and whether they should allow them in pro cycling. He said the use of them was 50% yes and 50%no. Strategy with them doesn't always seem fair but it seems overwhelmingly important to use them now because of safety.

"Give me an update....please!" Runonce trying to be patient at a Paris train station.

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Definitely a mistake to discuss cycling with an Italian. Seems to be a disagreement over a triple versus a compact crank set.

"Country Al" Bashes 'Em Again!

The inferno was lit early, actually Friday night.

Nashville's "Country Al" scorched the field in a very strong showing represented by Cullman Cycling Club, SmithLock, MedPlan and Team BikeWorks. More details coming soon but the brief results were:

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1. Country Al Mittlesdorf

2. David Darden

3. Austin Oliver

The early selection was made consisting Darden, Spence, Country Al, Oliver and Overton

Cullman Spring Classic: It Really Is A Big Deal

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CSC 2009: Ticket to Torture

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Spring Classic Preview: The Hard Part

A week out to the 2009 Cullman Spring Classic, and the roads around Cullman and Blount Counties have been busy with cyclists. The photo below was emailed to me with an unknown rider who was seen on a stealth ride previewing the very technical new course. His kit said something about "Road Racing World" and "Los Angeles".


If Austin is working for another rider from Colorado who is this guy working for or who is working for him next Saturday? Rumor is Country Al will have his California team mates with their mandatory prerace meeting Friday night, What about Goldweber? What colors is he flying? Rossi? Philip Thompson is rumored to be bringing double trouble. Smith Lock will be in force but is this their tactic to finally put a guy on the podium? Or maybe is someone going to keep them off the podium. Smith Lock might be marking this unidentified rider while Austin rides his captain to the the summit of a wicked new climb? Maybe a BikeWorks drone launching an attack in the confusion on one of the dirt gravel roads....I doubt it. Will someone finally find their legs and bring it home for the locals?

Many questions only to be answered Saturday afternoon. Only the finest after the dust has cleared when the peloton and tifosi break bread in celebration of another Spring Classic.

Tuscaloosa Roadside: The Oliver Report

The 2009 Tour de Tuscaloosa, again being part of the Lance Armstrong Race Series, featured 50 junior riders which is the largest in the races history.


Cullmans own Austin Oliver made a fine showing finishing 2nd in the criterium getting pipped at the line by a half wheel and finishing 2nd in the road race but getting some payback for the crit.

To quote Dr. Tom Oliver:

"Frazier boys out of GA showed up in force and tactically set their guy up for the win but when Austin attacked on the final hill, Frank said he maintained over 500 watts for over a minute and easily dropped everyone he was with except the cat 3 that won. I have no idea what that wattage means, but apparently it’s pretty good according to Frank."

Next for Austin is the Spain Park Crit, then Barber Motor Sports Race. Down the road rumor is that the Boy Wonder will be riding as a super domestic for his Boulder based coach at the Cullman Spring Classic April 18th.

Austin is on a mission for his goal of qualifying for Nationals in Bend, Oregon in July.