Name: Eddie "Goldie" Goldenberg
Age: 24 (February 1993)
Nationality: American
Place of Birth: Las Vegas, NV
Residence: Las Vegas, NV
Specialization: All-Round

Name: Fred "Radio" Markson
Age: 21 (June 1996)
Nationality: American
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, NYC
Residence: Brooklyn, NYC
Specialization: Sprint

Name: Max "TDF" Power
Age: 23 (January 1994)
Nationality: American
Place of Birth: Corpus Christi, TX
Residence: Port Aransas, TX
Specialization: Sand

Name: Chris "Rock" Young
Age: 24 (May 1994)
Nationality: Canadian
Place of Birth: Toronto, ON
Residence: Toronto, ON
Specialization: All-Round

Part 1: Fractions
Phone Call
Pre Season
Fun @ The Beach
Belgian Openers
Australian Adventures
New Zealand News
Portland Power
Route 101 Races
Super Cali, Francis Ballistic, Etxeberdea et al Atrocious

*ring ring*
*ring ring*
"Hello?"
Hey Goldie, it's Max. How's it going?
"Not too bad, you?"
Fine, yeah, fine. Had enough of a break, ready to get back to it?
"errr..."
Eddie, it's been over a month now. We'll just win it this year. We'll crush it if we start working now.
"....."
Just come and stay with me down here. BBR have already been down to start improving my training track. It's going to be incredible! You can stay in the spare room and we'll finish the track in the days and go riding in the evening. It'll be fun.
"Yeah ok but..."
Chris has already said he's coming down for a month. The three of us could really get a headstart on this off-season.
"Fine. Fine. I'll come down next week. Is Radio coming as well?"
Ummmm, no. He said he'd rather stay in New York for the moment and do whatever he does. But ignore him. Get here and we'll have a laugh. Get you back on track. Plus i've put Vague's face on a dartboard for you.

2018 World Championships Route Confirmed!
Katowice, Poland, will host the 2018 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships. The race will take place in the Park Slaski in the north of the city. With a finish line right in front of the Planetarium we will have a cracking race for sure. It's sure to be a hard race with pleny of off-road mud expected, and mixed with some cobbles and jumping obstacles. Notably there will be no sand in this years race, and almost no climbing. The race, based on current route information, will be for the power men and having a good sprint will be crucial.

__________

Hi guys, and welcome to our first Blue Bell-Revolution team meeting ahead of the 2017/19 season. We're here today for a quick catch up and to lay out our goals for the forthcoming season. Once we've finished you can focus your training in the remaining months before the season starts in 2 1/2 months time.

Eddie - Your goal again will be the World Cup. No major changes means you'll be right in the fight again. You won't be racing the Hobart Classic, saving energy for Melbourne and a winning start. As a team we're going to skip the New Zealand races and come Stateside early, take part in a National race and focus on the Americas races and associated business.
Eddie, you'll also skip Rio. Heading straight from Antofagasta to Port Elizabeth. We'll race Herne Hill in it's new position a few days after Lee Valley. Once we've left the UK it's your choice if you want to race the other European rounds in December. You'll skip Hagfors, being sandwiched between Torku and Trondheim we can't risk it. And like last season you can skip the two final Classics if you want to.

Chris - We think you'll be great in the Classics and Olympics. Helping Eddie in the World Cup of course, you'll get a Free Role in the Classics, Solar Impulse and Superprestige. It's a first full season so we'll adjust as we go and see what happens. If you are on a good day you could win any race, so lets go and get a couple of wins.

Fred - Support Eddie in the World Cup. We'll see how things go as to what races you can challenge for. Certainly the Contis is a good chance for you, and the Worlds potentially if the course is as flat as reported. Otherwise it'll be working with Chris outside the World Cup.

Max - Duinencross and Blaarmeersan again. Hobart will be a good test. We've got to win Rio eventually. Otherwise it'll be teammate duties for whoever needs it and you can help at the time.

Lets up our win tally and bag a major trophy lads. We'll meet up again about a month before the season begins to go over anything new or any proposed changes. Just go back to training hard and lets smash this season and show why the Americas matters in modern CX!

Fun @ The Beach 2017
The unofficial opener in 2016 returned for 2017 and expanded. Alongside the Dune Challenge, and Jumping Contest the organisers added Head-To-Head Sprint, small knockout sprint contest, and The Mechanic Trophy, who's the best mechanic!

Dune Challenge
Everyone expected a Vague-Goldenberg-Cook battle, and when Cook rode 605cm (2 further than 2016) they seemed right. However it was a much improved Oliver Dubois who took the crown with a staggering 617cm, relegating Cook to an eventual 4th place as Vague did a 610cm and Goldenerg a 608cm. But the takeaway is that the riders seemed stronger than ever!

Jumping Contest
Jan Soucek crushed the event last year and set the early pace. At 55cm we had Vague, Goldenberg, Dubois, Soucek left like in 2016 but as Van Dyck and Anders Haugen. Dubois came up short, as did Van Dyck. 4 riders going for 60cm, but Vague can't clear and neither can Haugen, although the neo-pro was hugely impressive. Goldenberg vs Soucek at 65cm. Soucek vs Goldenberg at 70cm! Soucek clears, but Goldenberg needs a second attempt to get clear. Small increase to 72cm, and it's too high for the American. Soucek wins again, the guys is practically a kangaroo, or whatever jumps in the Czech Republic.

Head-to-Head Sprint
We'll skip forwards to the final, which was Fred Markson vs Baris Dao over 100m. The former teammates both showing impressive acceleration and resistance in their previous heats. But after several sprints it may be decided on recovery. The flag drops and Dao gets a great launch, whilst Markson struggles to seat his gears. Dao has opened a big gap by halfway but his stroke is irregular. Markson is settled in and still gaining speed asDao fades. But the sprint isn't long enough and Baris Dao wins, but only due to his competitors mistake.

Mechanic Contest
A straight fight to see which rider could be their own team. They must remove both wheels, change both tyres, tighten the brakes, put on a new chain, put the wheels back on, and then ride the bike to the finish line and stop. No-one knew who would win, we never see our pros doing the dirty work.
Milan Listerijn appears to be first to finish but as he goes to ride it's clear the chain is not done properly and it falls apart. Hafthor Eldfjallsson almost does it as well, but the judge has to remind him his bike needs brakes.
We end with a mad dash between neo-pro Chris Young and fan-favorite Estifanos Muthai. Both dash to the finish line, but Muthai's brakes arn't tight enough and he goes straight into the barriers. The Canadian Chris Young wins, showing good fingers and knowledge.

__________

All fun and games in the autumn sun down by the sea, but the riders havn't forgotten the hard work starts tomorrow with the Duinencross and Blaarmeersen back-to-back this weekend, and Hobart down under in just 8 days time.

TDF

I won, somewhat surprisingly even for me, Duniencross last year. This year the result wasn't quite so surprising. That said i managed 4th place through the sand and that's no bad thing. Elliot Cook is back with a vengence and he tore through the course to win. Dubois was distanced for 2nd. I lost a sprint to Muthai for the podium. Gotta be honest, 1) I had no idea the Kenyan was that quick, and 2) I had no idea he had caught me until he came past. Poor racing on my part.

Behind me Rock was on the pace with 7th. Radio 16th and Goldie 19th showing our team is strong and ready to get going.

__________

Radio

16th in Duniencross. I didn't get a great start and just kinda struggled a touch. But Blaarmeersen, now that was a better race!

Rock and I got cracking starts and found ourselves in the lead group. Vague was out to get a good start to his Superprestige campaign and was pushing the pace. He was taking us two, plus Soucek, Lipawsky and Van Dyck away from the rest of the race. Not sure how this formed up as it did, i was too busy concentrating on getting to the front.

Our group built a lead over the following laps until Soucek took a flyer with 2 to go. Vague didn't seem to worry so i thought why not and went to join Jan. We managed to pull about 8-10" with just under a Lap to race. If i could stick with Jan it would be an easy win. I didn't count on Rock being an idiot behind.

The guy single handedly chased Vague and Lipawsky up to us. And promptly the two big names flew by and away, with Rock blowing. Vague didn't have too many issues beating Lipawsky. I beat Jan to the line for 3rd. Rock really blew, finishing 9th in the end.

Safe to say i will be having some... choice words with him tonight at the hotel.

TDF

Victory! Hobart Sunny Classic added to my, slightly, small collection of wins. There was no haning about in the race at al. Schiltz got a flying start and was quickly chased by Bollinger, Dubois and Listerijn. I could bridge across through the sandy sections to join them. Such a strong quintet was always going to be succesful, and whilst a few guys behind tried hard to pull it was never enough.

Bollinger attacked with two to go, putting on a show for the crowds. Over one of the bridges Schiltz slipped and fell, taking down Listerijn at the same time. Bad luck for the Belgian but i wasn't going to wait. Dubois and I worked up to Bollinger with a lap to go. Dubois tried a flyer up the first climb but Michael kept him in touch. So i attacked in the deepest sand.

From there it was all about not crashing. Solo victory by about 7" ahead of Bollinger and Dubois. Listerijn did get fourth and Schiltz fifth. What about the ever consistent Vague? 6th of course. Goldie saving energy was just 21st. Radio was 12th and Rock 16th.

_____________

Goldie

Melbourne Beach Race. The World Cup opener. And a very techincal and sandy based race, with little climbing and a few cobbles. Nothing less than a Podium would surfice. And with that i told TDF to sheperd me as best as possible, whilst Radio and Rock would try and control things as best they could.

Dao and Etxeberdea played the roles of Hare today. Going out early and providing a chase point for the rest of us to go after. It was a pretty quiet race for the first 5 of 7 laps. It was on Lap 5 that Dao-Etxeberdea were pulled in, but Radio who was stellar. Cook was the first animator with a few testing accelerations. This cut the lead group down. Cook, Vague, Lipawsky, Dubois, Van Dyuck and Myself and TDF.

Lap 6 and Van Dyuck attacked, helping Cook. TDF went with him. What this did was force Dubois, Vague and Lipawsky to work or lose the race. Peter and Max made a fight of it and entered the final lap with a lead of 15"! Dubois was fading and Lipwasky and even the unbeatable Vague were looking tired.

Time to move. I launched into the hurdles, gaping my competitors. Pushing hard i could see TDF just ahead, catching him would be simple. But no sign of Peter Van Dyuck. Or anyone on my wheel either. Dropping down the stairs i saw Van Duyck ahead but my word the young Dutchman is quick. I did all i could to catch him.

Second place in Melbourne. I'll take that, Peter was just too strong at the end. Great ride from him, i can respect that. TDF put in the ultimate team-mate ride, just holding on for 3rd place. Lipwasky out sprinted Vague for fourth, so that's a good gain made on him already. Dubois rounding out the Top5.

Race 1 ticked off. 30 Points gained on Vague. Last year i lost by 12, so yeah good stuff. The team was fantastic, stronger than ever. More rides like this and Francis won't have a hope in hell.