Still struggling to get back on track with the multi media updates, as stages 3-6 had us in the sticks.
Blake and Sager wrapped up a great week here, with the courses and competitors much tougher than in 2011. Blake finished fourth overall and came terribly close to taking the win on stage 5, while sager won stages 2,3 and 6 to finish second on GC to an impressively strong Stefan Sahm, of Germany.
We’re about to jump on a plane….here’s a video to hold ya over, and keep your eyes peeled …

We’re doing a pretty rough job with keeping all forms of intranet updated….facebook, instagram, cyclingnews.com journals, Vimeo videos and Cyclingdirt.org, where does one end and the next begin?
For now…we’re heading into stage 3. Harlan’s sitting in 4th, Sager’s in 2nd after winning yesterday’s stage. We’re both dragging from our great idea to race an “opener” marathon in Osorno, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. What would you do? You’re in Chile, its NOT SNOWING (like at home)?
You’d race your bike, that’s what you’d do.

As we speak, we’re on our way down to Osorno, Chile for the Conquista Volcan de Osorno, and then the Trans

Dude. We’ve been up to a lot, but at the same time, it’s been a pretty low key Fall since Blake raced the Breck Epic.
Local racing, resting, some training, then a really long and convoluted series of plane flights to get us to the Langkawi (Malaysia) International Mountain Bike Classic.
Results were mixed, Thomas Turner and Blake Harlan starting the week off strongly while Sager was sick, then as Sager came around, TT and Blake started feeling a little goofy themselves. In the end we ended up with top 20′s …

Adam Snyder checks in from the Downieville Classic.
Downieville Rocks!
The trails are sweet and I had a really fun time pre riding the course this year.  This was my 3rd time here so I kinda know the course now so even on my first run I was able to open it up and shred.  On my first run I actually hit my fastest top speed of the weekend, topping out at 35.6.  Yeah that’s right 35.6 on a mtb and on single track…What?  That’s just how sweet it is here.   The …

Blake checks in after finishing his first world championship event, the Marathon World Champs in Italy.

Well I’m happy to report I made it.
I finished the race yesterday , completely blasted, but I finished.
The 118km course was fast and relentless. Short steep climb after short steep climb with paved or smooth descents in between left little room for recovery. The most important factor of the day however was the heat. Getting into the low 90′s and riding kilometer after kilometer in the exposed roads and vineyards took it’s toll on me …

Blake checks in from Italy before his first world championship event…
My last update was Alpentour right? Well I think some catching up is in order… photo dump.
After Alpentour we headed back to Germany for some R&R where I was introduced to Klaus’s train hobby…

Klause conducting.

Attention to detail.

Eight years in the making.

After Germany it was back to my European HQ, Stappenbelt House. Gert, Roelien and the fam continued to show me a great time. Gert and I hit up the street crit in downtown Tilburg. Knowing I was still a mess …

Israeli and US Collegiate champ Rotem Ishay checks in before his Wisconsin-Quebec- New York-Israel-Montana-Slovenia-Italy hop skip and jump.
Getting ready for a full summer of racing!
After racing collegiate road nationals I was ready for a little break – some time off to take the stress off the early season and finishing up winter semester.
I took a week completely off the bike and I went straight from Madison, WI to visit my brother, Lior, up in Toronto, Canada. Since I have seen him exactly a year ago, Kior have recovered from a …

Adam Snyder checks in from Ashland, Oregon’s 12 Mile Super D.
Well my first Ashland Super D is in the books.
It didn’t go as planned but you know how that is things never really go as planned when racing a bike.  Even though the race wasn’t a true success the experience was.  I love Super D racing and the atmosphere of the races.  Everyone at these races are there cause they love shredding a good trail and that is what the course was a really good trail, and they like having …

Schladming, the small ski town in Austria has hosted both world cup ski and mountain bike events. Additionally every year it hosts the Alpentour, a 4 day mountain bike stage race.
I have never been to Austria before and thus far it’s awesome. Similar to Germany but different. (Which, by the way, is the official marketing slogan of Austria.)
After hooking up with Ben and Poppa Benny in Frankfurt we made the 7 hour trek to Schladming in nonstop rain. We arrived here late last night and this morning it’s dry. Sweet! …