Greetings -

Well it's nearly midnight on the 14th and I am one of the hundreds who will be up another two hours
or so to register online at 1:01AM CST for the 2008 National Championships in Kansas City three
months hence. I'm already logged in to sportsbaseonline dot com and as soon as I pull the trigger
on my registration I'll go back to view the pre-reg list to see what kind of losers (like me...) spend
so much energy trying to get to the front of the race without even a pedal stroke. The riders are all
lined up in order of registration (except a reigning National Champion who may get a front row start
as a courtesy). The rest of us need hi-speed internet atmo*.

Today was the beginning of the racing for the Richard Sachs 'Cross Team. As noted a few days ago,
Amy, Matt, and I were to descend on Amysbury, Massachusetts for the Amesbury Cross, a fine event
promoted by Noreast Cycling. As it was the first race of the season for many, it was especially important
to use the day as a guage to see where the Spring and Summer training has taken us. For our little
group, the day also served as a shakedown so we could all put our SRAM Rival equipped team bicycles
through the paces. Some decent weekend rain showers left the venue moderately muddy and slick, and
quality equipment as well as some luck would be good allies. As it happened, we had a GREAT day on
the new parts. I was second in my 55+ 1/2/3 race, Amy was fourth in the Elite Women's race, and Matt
had a banner start by getting second in the 35+ 1/2/3 race and then winning the Elite Men's event later
in the day. The parts held up wonderfully and my team mates did as well. I can't recall a better first day
to a 'cross season.

I did add a few images to the 2008 Flickr Site and I'll paste in a few here so that you can share in
our rites of passage into another four months of 'cross bliss. Start here -














Mmmmm cupcakes atmo. As we all know by now, Jack Chapman pioneered the cupcake culture
in this neck of the woods when he offered up the badboyz as race food at his famed Sucker Brook
'Cross last year. But our team decided too much of a good thing is just a start, and have spent the
last 12 months developing a new angle to the 'cross gig on this side of the Atlantic. For us and any
with the waistline to join us, Frites and Mayo have been pushed aside; the new feast of choice for
discerning cyclocrossers is the cupcake - and the taller and with the more icing, the better atmo.
Faith Popcorn missed this trend but we won't.

Well there ya' have it atmo. Next weekend we'll be in different places with Pookums heading south to
the MidAtlantic region for Nittany Lions Cross UCI-2 race on Saturday and the Charm City Cross in
Baltimore on Sunday. Meanwhile, Issimo and myself go for the calories and head back where it all began;
we'll be in Auburn, New Hampshire for the Sucker Brook Cross a.k.a. The Super Cupcake of Cross!

Hey - thanks for reading.

e-RICHIE©™®
www.richardsachs.com
http://rscyclocross.blogspot.com
Richard Sachs Cycles
No.9, North Main Street
Chester, CT 06412 USA

*according to my opinion