Sydney and Beijing repors

Australia and china trip update:
First, I want to thank each of those who have donated and made this trip possible! It was such an amazing trip. The racing was the best I've ever seen (and those that have been in this sport much longer agreed). I learned so much, and am eager to take those lessons to create better results in the future. Having the World Champion, Olympic Champion, and World Cup Leader all right next to you in a race, is a pretty awesome experience!

I think I've put on a few pounds, due to all the HUMBLE pie I've been eating! One of my biggest lessons was to respect the level of racing I am participating in. The riders who are consistently successful have been racing and training at this level for years.

On the track, things happen so quickly, there is such a small margin for error. Positioning is so crucial, and it takes constant jostling to keep your position. Two times I was close to making the cut for the finals. Lack of experience, and knowledge of the race that held me back. I am confident that I have it physically, thanks to my coach Jeremy Storie. I need to utilize my strengths and race with confidence in order to make that next step.

My team was great! It was quite a whirlwind in Sydney. We rented a car, and had minimum of one-hour drive to the track everyday. We struggled with the map, and driving on the left side of the road (Dave McCook was the only one willing to drive, and did like a madman). The host family we stayed with showed us huge generosity, and hospitality, really making the trip much more enjoyable!

In Beijing, we stayed at the host hotel, so meals and transportation were taken care of, which was perfect. I had been so worried about the food quality, but we were at the nicest Holiday Inn I've ever seen, and the food was great. The track was amazing so smooth, and quiet. You could smell, and see the dust from the newly constructed building. It was pretty cool to ride such a new track. The stand up toilets offered great conversation topics throughout the racing!

Thanks so much to Nicola Cranmer, the Proman team manager for both Sydney and Beijing. She had the busiest jobs of all of us, and did it with finesse. Especially because it was her first World Cup level track race, she did an amazing job! I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to have someone organized, and on top of things helping out! Thanks Niki!!

Back at home, after a week of trying to get back on this time zone. Training has begun again. I've gone back to a little endurance riding, and will hit the track probably later this week. The Burnaby six-day starts December 31^st, and that's my next adventure! My teammates Dave McCook and Roman are coming, I'm really looking forward to it!

Off the bike in Beijing!

Our Beijing home! This was our waitress staff all week. Everyday they dressed like this. I think they escaped from Santa's Sweat Shop....the working conditions here are much better!
Christine corners one of the characters that were the 'entertainment' all weekend. Where they came up w/ this, who knows. It was pretty entertaining!!

It's so much wider than I expected. In Italy this would be considered a major interstate!
What a background! I think I see a Mongolian invader!!

We had a great day bartering together and gawking at the enormity of it all!!
The Great Wall was overwhelmingly huge, and beautiful, and full of history....and of course, merchants!At the base of the wall!
The steps were super steep. It's amazing someone carried all these stones up here!

The crew gathered around, we heard there was a great show on tonight...
And Boy were we right...Meatball gave us a show we'll never forget! He won the scratch race!! Biggest of congrats to you Mike. And thanks for the victory dance!!

Adam always an eye for the camera....or anyone who will pay attention! This was our last night, chillin' enjoying the relief of being finished!

More tidbits...

These were the containers every team kept their bikes in.
Look how many teams, and containers...I wonder how many millions of dollars are stored in these containers??
Man love!

Sightseeing in Sydney!

This was the view from a bluff in Manly, where we stayed for the Sydney World Cup! This is the Sydney harbor (I think).
This is Manly Beach. And all those people in red shirts are in high school gym class. Not quite what my gym class was like.
We enjoyed lunch by the beach, with our host mother Sue!

Another great view. This is further in the harbor from a ferry we took on the last day!
Same shot just further away.
The Proman squad. I'm lookin' a little gruff, I know. I was in these clothes for 3+ days because my bags didn't arrive.

Ni How....chinese for Hello..spelled wrong

We had a serious welcoming committee when we arrived to the Beijing airport. Straight off the plane, through customs, every step of the way were these super nice volunteers trying to make us feel welcomed. It was very sweet.
OH MY GOD, I wish they made a small model of this, it would look so good on a shelf in my living room!! Cool huh!!

Beijing has it's fair amount of smog. Many of us have carbon filtered masks worn at all times outside. It is truly amazing how bad it is. On a bad day, you can almost taste a gas like flavor in the air.

Oh goodie, here we go. A brand new track, an Olympic track!!

A beautiful 250 wooden track. In a huge venue, with heated infield (the floor). It's SOO smooth, and quiet. That normal rumble of bikes on wood is absent, it's crazy. But there is a bit of dust, because it's so new. It just adds to the stellar air quality!

More awesomeness!
Dotsie is SO PRO, blending right in on her trainer with the Russian National team!! Whoa, no one warned me about the stand up toilets! And what's the hose on the wall for??? And anyone heard of TOILET PAPER?? This should be interesting!
Adam is the only one to brave the 'Pork Trotter' from the buffet (as in feet)

"God I hope I don't regret this"....

I asked to go to a traditional Chinese market to shop. And the first thing I see is.....STARBUCKS....yeah, that's historic!
But, of course, I had to try it! It was amazingly similar. But they wouldn't let me take picture of the menu...communist!
Dostie, Sarah, and I went to Tian Amin Square (yeah, I know that's SO wrong, spell check isn't helping).

Sarah, putting the HAM in Hammer!!
Dotsie, is such a natural!
So, on the way home, we decide to take the Subway! Yeah, that sounds fun, cheap, and easy. At first we though it was! We laughed and laughed when we first got on because it was SOOO crowded, it was ridiculous!!
10 min later, joke was over...it was so stuffy, tight, and took forever!! Our chipper moods quickly changed to...."How much longer!!!!"

So, that's a taste of my Beijing adventures so far. Racing starts tomorrow!

Fun shots Sydney!

Mandy Poitras warms up!

'No, no, no Brad...you ride BEHIND everyone else till the last 100m!!!' says Becky. Lettin' Brad in on some tried and true racing secrets. She is getting ready to take 6th in the Scratch final, and 4th in the Points! Awesome work. The highest finish of all the American Endurance riders!! (Jennie Reed scored a smokin' Silver medal in the Kerin!! and 6th in the Sprints!!)

Check out the guy in the middle w/ the black shirt...its Cadel Evans. He was promoting a charity event involving scooters!

Meatball is ALL BUSINESS!!

Here Dave, Shelley, and Niki all prep for the Point/Scratch heats.

BoBelly get's her engine rollin!

Antonio, gets some shut eye before his riders show up. He's helping the South Bay Wheelman team, and it's amazing how much work it does take to keep up w/ 3 riders! He is greatly appreciated!

Bobby Lea in his new Rite Aide kit, warming up! He kinda' looks like he's blowing kisses in this shot....

Here's Zack Bell of Canada! Holy Smokes, he raced an Awesome race, in the Points final! It was so fun to watch. Nice work Zack!!

Gary Ryan of the Verducci team give me the ol' thumbs up. He's such a nice guy, always in a good mood, positive, and fun to be around. He's married to the speed demon Teresa Cliff-Ryan, another super cool person!

Anyone know the comedian Greg Giraldo? He does a great skit about this line!!

The morning we flew to Beijing we first took a ferry to the Opera house, a beautiful park, and a little craft show! Here we are barely squeaking onto the ferry.

Here we are on the ferry, you can see the Opera House and Sydney Bridge (I think that's what it's called) behind us.

A few Aboriginals entertain us with music, and traditional dress!

Look at the birds just eating out of hands at the beautiful park!This was a great park, just nestled into the city, allowing for a great ride right by the water. Lots of unique trees, plants, and animals!

And, OH YEAH, crafts!! A weakness! But I love the local feel of such small events, I feel like they give a more true representation of the culture.

The Sydney Opera House. I learned that a distant relative of my husband helped design this roof top. It was breath taking!

Next we sped off to the airport...quite literally!