Road Cycling - Best & Worst of '03 and Resolutions

I know it's early, but I think it'll be fun.

First, what/who do you think was the best/worst ... of '03

Event?
Cyclist?
Equipment?
Crash?
News?

Second, after answering the poll 9which I'll try to expand), wanna expand on your resolution(s)?

Me:

Best Event: Vuelta!
Best Cyclist: Lance (but ole Tyler Hamilton is right up there for his TdF appearance)
Best Equipment: No idea. Poor guy so I don't look lest I drool
Worst Crash: Stage 1 TdF or Joseba's fall later in the Tour
Worst news: Not sure, but Jan's move to a new team is up there...

Resolutions:
1. More miles (2,000?)
2. Less weight (lose 20)
3. Buy my USCF license and finish a real race (maybe enough to get Cat 4 if I have the time)

Event-Giro, first grand tour I watched and simoni inspired me to climb
Cyclist-Heras, I like the climber what can I say, and that last vuelta mt. time trial, wow! maybe mayo or zubelida (sp?) I like their style
Equipment-My new carbon bike with ultegra!
Crash-Beloki hands down
News-Spanish teams leaving, TdF 04 getting more and more challenging for LA

Resolutions:
More miles of course
I want to get onto a club team and try and do some races

Event - Best: Capitol Cup, this was the first bike race I saw in person, it was so cool. Plus I got to see the guys from the shops I visit race.

Cyclist - Hamilton, the last time I can think of watching an athlete work through so much pain was the 96 summer olympics when that gymnast stuck that landing on a severly injured ankle.

Equipment - Best: What I currently have. Worst: the cheap wellgo spd style pedals that came with my bike. I love having clipless pedals, but these suck rocks, hopefully Santa will supply me with something better on Christmas ;)

Crash - I would have to say Beloki like everyone else, especially since that was the only horrific one I know about.

News - I don't keep up with cycling as a sport, so I would have to say the worst news this year has been personal.

Resolutions:

Drop 15 more pounds
Double my mileage from 2003
Continue to be an ambassador for the sport. I have already convinced one person that it's better on the road and I have many more to convert.

I chose three. More miles, lose weight, and get a better bike.

Same three for me. Here is my reasoning:

Better bike = more miles = lose weight

WOW. Three for the price of one. :D

Same three for me.

More miles - hopefully my travel schedule will lighten this year and give me more time to ride.

Better bike - been saving for this one for a while. Buying a house in March, so the new bike will happen after that.

Lose weight - lost 25 lbs this year, and would love to lose antoher 25!

I'm a ways off events, but my big goal for 2004 is to complete a century ride.

Three for me too: more miles, lose weight, and AIDS/LifeCycle.

Best event? Giro d'Italia.

Best cyclist? Paolo Bettini and Susanne Ljungskog :)

Best equipment? Best new equipment for me is probably my SPD pedals. Having only used platform pedals before, I like the extra control (especially in rain or when I'm tired).

Worst crash? Andrei Kivilev — Paris - Nice.


I'd like to do more than 6000kms next year. Did that in 2002, but this year I only did a bit above 5000kms due to lack of motivation and time from mid-July.
I'd like to do the same rides I did last year (200k, 300k, 400k brevets and Vätternrundan (300k) (http://www.cyklavaettern.com/english/)). Maybe add the local century-ish ride, and maybe do a 600k. I don't race, so the only one I'll beat is me.
And of course.. if Eurosport broadcasts a race I'm likely to watch it.

/Csson

I'm hoping by riding more miles (goal is 4,000 miles) I'll lose more weight. :D

Event - TDF

Cyclist - Paolo Bettini (is there even a question about this?)

Equipment - anything I can't afford

Crash - Jimmy Caspers stage 5(?) rump grinder in the TDF.

News - ONCE goes bye bye.

MOre miles than last season, for sure, but I don't need to lose weight. But must improve climbing!

Best Event: the giro is my favorite grand tour, and the best moment of that was the Zoncolan stage.

Best Cyclist: Probably Bettini, but let's not forget Petacchi, winning stages in all three grand tours in one season.

Worst Crash: Poor Kivilev- you can't get worse than that. But for non-fatal crashes, there was also Beloki and Cipo's dramatic exit from the giro.

Worst news- The death of poor Jose Jiminez.

more miles of course, and I want to win at least one race this season, as well as progress to cat 3.

don't need to really lose weight since I'm only 145 :p

I do agree that the worst news is all the cyclists who are dropping like flys.... what's going on :eek:

I am gonna increase mileage from 9000 to 12 - 13 thousand kilometres.

Get a better bike

Win some time trials (that is why I am looking at the Cervelo Soloist 105)

Brendon

resolution: same as for '03

-more quality miles (not necessarily more miles overall)
-injury free
-get faster, longer
-enjoy present bike
-keep positive/keep learning
-breathe better


*'03 was a banner year and we'll see what my 1st true winter training schedule will do for me.

Event: Normally I'd say the Giro but I gotta go with the TDF this year
Cyclist: Patacchi
Equipment: Cinelli Ram Bar
Crash: Beloki in TDF
News: Cipo not invited to TDF

More Miles, complete a century and lose weight! Well, 2 out of three aint bad...