m2sport

Pics from last years criterium in East Grand Rapids.

Mark Warkentin qualified for his first Olympics at the age of 28 today at the 2008 FINA Open Water World Swimming Championships in the 10K open water race. The National Champion earned his spot at the Olympics after finishing 7th in a time of 1:53:37.1. The top 10 finishers in the race automatically qualified for the Olympics where the 10K marathon swimming event will make its first appearance at the Olympic Games. Warkentin is the first swimmer to be named to the U.S. Olympic Team, with Olympic Trials for pool swimming being held June 29 - July 6

My friend Jamie wrote a really great book about bike racing. I’m thinking about buying a copy for everyone who doesn’t understand why I ride. Also some fantastic supporting illustration from Jef Mallett. Creator of Frazz. It’s a lot more fun to read a book when you know the author and illustrator.

Here a nice article from the Freep about the guys.

Get your copy here

by Jamie Smith, Illustrated by Jef Mallett
Veteran race announcer and long-time cycling enthusiast Jamie Smith sets out to explain the sport he loves and the roadies who live for it in this lighthearted treatise on bike racing. Finally, a book to explain those people who roll out for a ride dressed in technicolored Lycra at the crack of dawn on Saturday, and return at sundown with a glow of satisfaction and even stronger tan lines.

Perfect for anyone who has ever known a roadie, considered becoming a roadie, or walked away from a bike race completely puzzled, Roadie addresses all of the curiosities that accompany the sport of cycling, from shaved legs to colorful jerseys and unbelievably expensive bicycles, shoes, and components. Every seemingly neurotic tendency is explained and celebrated with humorous illustrations from nationally syndicated cartoonist Jef Mallett (also rumored to log thousands of miles of riding per year).

Explaining strategy and races from the famous Tour de France stage race to the local criterium, Roadie brings the excitement of bike racing alive for anyone with an appetite for adrenaline. And for the thousands who purchase a shiny new road bike each spring, it’s a much-needed primer on the politics of a group ride. Pacelines, drafting, sprinting, climbing, and breakaways are turned into everyday commonsense with colorful anecdotes.

Whether interested onlooker or cycling aficionado, readers will find themselves laughing out loud as they revel in the roadie’s world.