Have you ever heard someone say "If I could only be 21 again but with the knowledge I have now, I would..." Knowledge is power...so they say... so that must be the trade off, youth for knowledge. It is amazing how much I crave knowledge. There was a time when hotties would whistle at me, now they just call me sir. The strange thing is, I know that a full head of hair would take 5 to 10 years off me and yet I spend money on books instead of Rogaine. I like what I have learned so much I seek knowledge more then ever before. One of the reasons is that I love to share. Knowledge is something you can share but not loose. No matter how much you share, you will always have it. It feels good to share. (For the record I did not share the hotties as freely as I do knowledge.)

Time to share. One of the most valuable bits of knowledge I have acquired over the years is this. Things don't make me happy. Well... okay, for a brief moment, they do. It's kind of like climbing Honey Run Rd. You work your tail off to get that thing but once you are there, it's over. Once I get to the top I am happy it is over but, it is not being at the top of Honey Run that I remember, it is getting there that I like to reflect on. The Journey. You suffer up, Reach the summit, your glad you did and then you descend. When the day is done, you don't talk about what it was like at the top, you talk about the climb. It's the same with any accomplishment. What comes to mind most often are the hardships and sacrifices we made to get there. The wisdom I gained is this; reaching a goal is not the reward, instead it is the memories of the journey that is most rewarding.

So what does this have to do with cycling? Maybe nothing. However, I have a vision for Chico Cycling I would like to share. I see a day when a Chico Cycling team is atop the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association's Best all around Team list. I see a permanent velodrome and I see a very important 3 stage race hosted by a Chico Cycling club each year. I see Chico turning out some of the best new riders in the country via its youth racing programs.

I invite all 211 subscribers of this newsletter to join me in this goal. It is all achievable if we unite and pursue it. Share the dream with your friends. As we accomplish pieces of this goal, the vision will become more clear and even contagious. Chico will once again become the best bike town in the USA. Not for one year like in the past, but for all years.

There is a lot of work needed to bring this to reality. But here is the best part. The more you sacrifice to help bring this vision to life, the more memorable journey you will have. And that my friend, is a reward worth chasing.

If you're looking for one of the most challenging road races this summer, then drive 10 hours North to Baker City, Oregon on June 22-24th and you will find it.

The Elkhorn Classic Stage Race is a three-day, four- stage race.

Day one gets the legs more than loose with a 75-mile road race and approximately 3,000 feet of climbing.
Day two hosts the criterium and a 10-mile all out time trial. The first 5.5 miles of the TT has you descend about 400 ft, while the last 4.5 miles presents some rollers and a 300 foot ascent. And if three stages in two days were not enough, then the final day will certainly test the mental and physical strength of the racers.
Stage four is a 101 mile road race!

Yes, 101 miles for all categories! The first 90 miles has three climbs, two at 600 feet and one at 1,000 feet. After the third climb, the racers have a chance to re-group with 25 miles of flat roads before taking on the final 11 mile climb to the summit of Dooley Mountain. This is a climb that will create conversations on the way home! A 5-6% grade that has numerous tight switchbacks, magnificent views, photo opportunities, and a chance to really shake up the general classification. So all you Chico racers, let's travel North in June and show our biking mates up North why Northern California is home to the strongest bikers in the country!

Contributed by Mike Ricks

We would like to thank all of you who came out to the Honey Run Road Time Trial. There were a total of 15 competitors. The weather helped as it was a perfect day for a ride. We saw a lot of guys climbing the hill on this day that were not timed, including Rich Thurman and Aaron Timmel. Are you a curious as I to see what there times would have been?

The time to beat was set by Jim Roberts of Magalia 23:36 and Jim bettered his time by 8 seconds.
Here is how it all turned out:

1. Jim Roberts - 23:28 (and 2nd time winner of this event!
2. Michael Cordova - 23:51
3. Zach Yeager - 24:18
4. Benjamin Bryant - 24:32
5. Jeff Galland - 25:12
6. Kyle Hughes - 25:14
7. Andy Grayson - 28:19
8. Daniel Henning - 32:18
9. Brian Oppy - 32:38
10. Sue Kamrer - 33:26 (1st place woman!!)
11. Laurie Gallagher - 35:49 (2nd place woman!!)
12. Jay Coughlin - 36:14
13. Amy King - 37:51
14. Jenn Gruber - 38:44
15. Shirley Adams - 41:04

Thank you all again for coming out - we'll be doing this one again next year. In the meantime, get ready for more upcoming time trials - including River Road, Jack & Jill TT, North Rim Trail, Cohasset Downhill, Cohasset Uphill #2, Forest Ranch and Humboldt Road!

Come Join us at Mt. Mikes Pizza at 5th and Nord.
We will chat about upcoming races & century rides. And like always it is always a great social gathering.

May was a good month for Chico Corsa despite the temporary loss of strong men, C.J. Humphries (Hit by car on the way to the 50) and Mike Ricks (Crash in the 50) the two podium placers of the Madera Stage Race at the end April. The team still did well. James Plummer is still in great from

May 20th
Golden City Criterium-
1st Place James Plummer CAT 4

Modesto Road Race-
2nd Place Mike Cordova CAT 4
2nd Place Tyson Schroeder CAT 5

May 6th
Clo-terium-
1st Place Creighton Gruber Kids race 5 yrs and younger

May 12th
Berkeley Hill Road Race-
1st Place Janeen Thorpe (Friend of the Club)

April 27-29
Madera Stage Race-
Elite 4 General Classification
3rd place Mike Ricks
5th Place C.J. Humphries

Mike was just :17 seconds back after placing 3rd in the TT and 5th in the RR. C.J. 1:41 back placed 10th in the Crit, 7th in the TT and 10th in the RR. Great Job guys.