Long story short, the big items for this weekend are:

      - Kline won the race on Sunday, and we actually have photographic evidence to prove it. - The guys sucked up huge amounts of points on Saturday. - Erik and I got a paltry few points (yay for us!)

     But, most importantly:

      - Controversy still rages as to how to conduct the final tabulation, but it does appear that our own Michael Ondik did indeed eat at least 9 and possible as many as 11 heaping plates of food at the Chinese Buffet on Saturday.

     Full race resulits:

      Men B Crit (55 starters) 25th Erik da Silva (1 sprint pt) 37th Joe Kopena (1 sprint pt)

      Men D, Div 2 Crit (34 starters) 2nd Chris Hair 4th Dan Moyer 5th Justin Kline (3 sprint pts) 6th Brian Muka (2 sprint pts) 23rd Mike Ondik

      Men B Circuit Race (53 starters) 12th Joe Kopena 47th Erik da Silva

      Men D, Div 2 Circuit Race (35 starters) 1st Justin Kline 6th Christopher Hair 14th Dan Moyer 19th Brian Muka 28th Mike Ondik

     If you're curious about those results, they actually had to split the D race into 2 because there were so many people registered. Their fears were pretty much validated on Sunday when the D1 race had a huge pileup in the first corner, just a couple hundred feet down the road.

     Contrary to previous races at Rutgers, weather was actually not overly terrible. Bad enough that we had to listen to Erik complain all weekend and I couldn't feel my toes for much of it, but it could have been a lot worse. Namely, it could have rained like the past couple years. Instead we had balmy 30 degree, partially overcast skies.

     I went almost completely hoarse screaming at everyone. Sunday morning especially I tore my throat up, then went out in the cold air and rode for 2 hours in the race/trainers and made sure the job was done. At different points in the van on the way back, Dan and Chris were asking me stuff and I was just sitting there thinking "Please don't ask me any more, it's like cats clawing at my throat..." Just one of the sacrifices we must make to be one of the loudest teams around.

     As noted above, Cutes did indeed win the race on Sunday. I'm chalking it up to me graciously letting him use my 2005 all-weather vest to stay warm before the race. As far as I can tell, he pretty much sat there in the group like a lazy bum and then charged at the end (pretty much as he should have done). His only comment afterward was "I saw Kopena standing there as I was sprinting and knew I'd made a huge mistake, 'cause he was just going to start complaining more about me not upgrading." Sure enough, this has already started.

     In my races, one of the most memorable parts was probably the "chit-chat lap" in the crit, which featured Erik and I just kind of sitting there, not paying attention at all, and chatting away about something or other. Best though is probably the end of the circuit race. I was up near the front of the group when Erik showed up and came through. I tacked on his wheel, and we were quickly just slightly off the front with a couple guys. I was thinking we could maybe finish chasing down some three guys up the road, so I come by Erik and start up the road, thinking him and another guy are behind me. All of a sudden I hear this "Noooo Joe, noo!" and I look back to see Erik nowhere near me. Continuing this mid-race team soap opera, I yell back "Come on, can't you make it?" Right then, as I'm facing the wrong way, yelling back and forth with Erik, an MIT guy launches off the left side. Erik yells back "No, but this guy can!" as the kid hurls past me. Sigh.

     Seriously though, the racing went well from my end. I feel pretty strong, stronger than I can use in getting through corners and the field. We'll see how some of the road races pan out. I'm looking forward to the season, everybody seems to have improved a fair bit and to be pretty strong so it could be a lot of fun.

     Last but not least, of course one of the big items this weekend is that the Ondiks came up to watch the races. I think we always do better on weekends with family there. Best though, Saturday night they took us all out to not just a chinese buffet, but the best, biggest chinese buffet any of us had ever seen. Before we got there I was very concerned. I didn't know how much vegetarian food they'd have, and wasn't looking forward to everyone spending the morning race vomitting everywhere.

     However, once we got there I was forced to concede that it was totally the right move. I haven't been so overwhelmed by food or had that much fun just eating tons of different things since a buddy of mine and I used to stay in the cafeteria 8--10 hours in a row on study days freshman year. As you might guess, we consumed disgusting quantities of food. Mike had an entire aquatic ecosystem going in his stomach---squid, frog legs, shrimp, fish, snails, clams, everything. I also enjoyed the two very different styles of our official coaches, what with me worrying on the way over there about everyone getting sick only to have Erik sit there next to me shouting at Mike to eat 1 more plate, we can't leave until you eat just one more plate.

     Anyway, it was a lot of fun. It was very cool to have the Ondiks out. They seemed to enjoy the racing (and it was good we at least looked presentable this weekend :), and I'm looking forward to them maybe coming out again later in the summer.

     So, yeah, it seems that the 2005 season has started in pretty good style. I'm enjoying it. I expect to get nothing done from now until May as each day I just sit and wait for the weekend to come.