Get well soon Smathers.

and for those who don't know scottie v (aka the ragin asian, surfernick.com blog contributor/writer, and a good friend).. here's a pic. he's come a long way.. and his rise has just begun. he's the next texas superstar : )

i'll post the pedal by pedal tomorrow... latest thursday. you can read the ftw star telegram interview here.

2006 Texas State Criterium Champion - SURFER NICK

so i've been on a movie kick lately.. have you seen the movie The Weatherman? it's not one of my top picks but a few points ring close to home.. case in point.. the whole "tartar sauce" thing. it simply amazes me how many time i go to pick up dinner, or anything for that matter, and forget something... "don't forget to get me an ice tea"... 3 out of 5 times, i forget the ice tea. it's not like my life is that demanding or stressful. i mean.. i work, ride 10 speeds, and spend time with the family. so why is it that 2 minutes down the road i forget whatever it is i'm not supposed to forget?? whatever.. hummmm.. well.. not much else has been happening. i'm riding like crap right now.. overtrained?? i think i'm just tired. i don't know. i'll probably race a couple times this weekend and then try and rest before tulsa. scottie v. was chillin at the t-niter this week.. always good to see him. bret's not riding much.. probably already knew that. as kyle would say, "the lake as killed dallas cycling". i think farley had a nervous breakdown or something.. i hope you get better soon bro. that's all... oh yea. check out hippstar's pictures of the san clemente challenge. surfy

last day.. feeling a little sad

i was actually a little sad lining up for the last time : ( today's stage is another short 4k circuit consisting of four 90˚ corners. out of the last corner it was a 500 meter drag race to the line. today there wasn't too much that could split the field.. with the exception of some water in turns 2 and 3. up to yesterday i hadn't been feeling that great so i wasn't able to contest any of the hot spot sprints. not only did these sprints carry points but they also carried a little $$ as well. the race began pretty fast but wasn't too terribly difficult to sit in. for the first part of the race we were all pretty attentive. the belgian team just sat at the front and rode a steady tempo to try and discourage any breakaway attempts. there were three guys who where close in the sprint competition so the sprints were going to be fast and hotly contested. as we were coming into the first of the sprints, i decided that i was going to try and freelance to pick up a few extra $'s for the crew. coming into the last corner i was in perfect position. as we came out of the turn, i was nudged out by the australian and had to start my sprint a little earlier than planned. with 450 meters to go, the sprint was awn. as i jumped, i immediately shifted down to my 11. head down, legs pumping, i look up to see that i have a small gap but still have 200 meters to go. head back down.. i give it everything. at near max, i'm 50 meters from the line and starting to fade. maxed out.. i look to my left to see three riders blast by. once again i'm a bridesmaid.. about this time i'm starting to see double. i decide the best tactic would be to go to the back and try recover. my recovery took a little longer than i anticipated... like almost the entire rest of the race. while i'm back in the smoking section.. my teammates are up at the front riding their hearts out. as the race was coming to an end.. a field sprint was inevitable. feeling better, i ride through the pack to find tilford and co. as i near the front, i find jonny cat, victor, and steve all together. the plan was for victor to stay on the green jerseys wheel and then jonny and tilford were going to lead me out. as we enter the last lap, all four of us are near the front. coming out of turn one, victor changes up a little and wants to either ride off of my or tilfords' wheel. i decide that it would probably be best if tilford leads it through the last corner and then i wind it up with victor on my wheel. great plan... coming into turn three, jonny nails it. with the strength of two men.. he leads a strung out field through the corner. coming out of the turn victor starts to lose my wheel. i sit up and let a few guys some through, very bad decision. then tilford takes over. tilford takes a huge pull.. pulling through the final corner and then all out until 300 meters to go. as he begins to pull off i hesitate.. i only hesitate for a split second but in a sprint like this.. the difference between 1st and 5th is a split second. as the sprint starts, the front blows apart in every direction.. kind of like buckshot out of a shotgun. i try shooting up the left side against the barriers.. starting to gain some ground, i catch a rider from champion systems coming from my right. next thing i know.. i'm pinned against the barriers with no way out. i stop pedaling hoping that can move around his rear wheel, i finally get out, reaccelerate, and move back to the right side of the road. by this time, the sprint is over... kam po wong wins again for the second day in a row and we take 7th and 10th. i felt terrible. not that i would have won the sprint but i feel like i would have at least been on the podium. steve and jonny sacrificed their race for me... and in the end i flailed. i guess that's bicycle racing.. ya win some.. ya lose some.. and some you just completely screw up. tilly, i owe you a lead out! it was a great experience.. gus and trudi were AWESOME. i can't thank them enough. everybody rode great. jonny was always up in the mix. tilford was the smartest man out there.. always in the right place at the right time. lex was in every move that mattered. victor rode unselfeshly.. always at the front. and surge.. what a great kid. super strong and super talented. keep it up! it was truly an honor to race with these guys. all the stories and all the laughs.. that's what life is all about. well.. back to dreaming. c ya out on the road. surfnick

another hong knog picture.. one of my favorites another picture of downtown shanghai.. it's lit up like vegas at night

getting better... transfer day and stage 3

wow.. it's amazing what difference a day can make. my stomach was still feeling a little queazy but 90% better none the less. we had a transfer to hong kong on friday. typical day.. up at 4:45.. check my email.. get jonny cat up (my roommate).. head to breakfast.. pack our things.. then it's off to the airport. we're on the bus by 7am and fly out at 12pm. get to hong kong around 2:30.. unpack.. build our bikes.. eat dinner (much better food in hong kong).. and then it's off to bed to get ready for tomorrow's festivities. SIDE NOTE.. when i mean transfer, i mean transfer. the ENTIRE race caravan moved. it was quite a sight! stage 3 - when in hong kong.. do as the tilford does?? this race is right up our alley... a 2k circuit with one euro style roundabout and a sharp u-turn. knowing that the rest of the field wasn't use to riding such a technical criterium.. it was imperative to start at the front. 10 minutes before the start of the race, the vergesport crew lined up and was able to weasel our way onto the front row. after the starting ceremonies, complete with two dancing dragons, the horn was sounded and we were off. just as we suspected.. it was mayhem as we entered the u-turn for the first time. one of the hong kong national team members came into the turn a little over-zealous and laid it down.. causing a huge bunch in the corner. as the front of the race was going into the next corner, the rear of the race was just coming out of the u-turn. with many of the teams sensing that a split was inevitable.. the attacks were awn. jonny, steve, surge, and i tried to cover as much as possible. jonny, victor and steve were animals.. always up there reacting to everything trying to keep lex in good gc contention. half way through.. a group of 20 splintered off the front including, ever present, lex, surge, and the belgian who was second overall. notably missing the move were 1st and 3rd in gc. as the gap began to grow, the race leaders' team organized and tried to manage the gap but couldn't quite get the "hot-line" on the tight corners. with one lap to go, the gap was over 2 mins moving our gc guy, lex, into second overall. with half a lap to go i attacked the group trying to get some of the 20 seconds (a penalty i received the day before) back over my teammate (and friend) steve tilford. my effort was fruitless.. the group caught me as i crossed the line as the bridesmaid (21st, one place out of the money). surge and lex had a good day finishing 8th and 9th in the front group. all-in-all it was a great day. we moved up to second overall and had a great time doing it. tilford is THE MAN. that dude's not only one of the greatest guys i know.. but also one of the smartest. not only was he killing any attempts of a real chase, the guys were actually thanking him as he would SOMETIMES let them back into the rotation. he's truly an icon.. surfy

Stage 4 results: 1 Kam Po Wong (HKg) Tarbes Pyrenees Cyclisme 1.25.24 2 Tim Meeusen (Bel) Pictoflex Bikeland Hyundai 3 Darren Harry (Aus) City of Perth 4 Takeaki Ayabe (Jpn) Aisan Racing Team 5 Lisban Quintero Blandon (Col) Champion System 6 Michael Simms (Aus) City of Perth 7 Nicklaus Kiernan (USA) US Team presented by Vergesport 8 Boldbaatar Bold-Erdene (Mgl) Mongolian National Team 9 Kai Tsun Lam (HKg) Purapharm 10 Victor Ayala (Mex) US Team presented by Vergesport

I told you it wasn't a typo, Nick.

from tough to tougher..er

from the start of the day (on thursday) i haven't felt well at all. the food isn't something that i'm accustomed to eating.. especially pre-race. we had another presentation before the start and then a 10k neutral roll-out to the "official" start. during the roll-out, actually the entire race, my stomach was killing me. all i could hope was that it eventually would settle and i could contribute to the team plan. didn't happen. i was on the rivet the E N T I R E day. always in the gutter.. suffering. the wind blowing at 15 - 20mph, my wheel constantly against the curb, and my tongue dragging the ground. 60k before the finish surge flatted and i decided to wait. a slow wheel change and 1 minute later, surgio was riding up to my rear wheel at near exhaustion. at the back of the race caravan now, we had to ride through all the cars and try to make it back to the field. a few minutes later, hanging on by our toes, we make it and try to sit in to recover. still tail gunning it (tail gunning is a term for literally being the last guy in the group), i occasionally look up to see all my teammates up there killing it. 40k from the finish, the race begins to blow apart and my teammates pay for their super human efforts. lex and victor are able to hang on to the dwindling field and finish in the second group. the word on the street was that victor stayed on the front during the closing km's trying to keep lex out of trouble. a small group got away but victor and lex were able to finish in the field. the rest of the vergesport team limped in about 8 mins later in the laughing group of 20. not a very good day us but we're staying optimistic for the upcoming stages. tomorrow we're transferring to hong kong for a 80k american style criterium... can't wait! nick

hong kong at night.. crowded but VERY cool! (you can click on the pictures to get a larger image)

i'm surviving... barely! stage 1

i'm cracked.. it's 9pm (on wednesday when i began writing this) here and i just took 1.5 ambien.. so if i start talking crazy you'll know why. stage one was a 120km, 16 lap circuit race in shanghai china. hard.. very hard. the vergesport team: - jonny sundt - the next great american domestique (team player) - victor ayala - the socal sprinting superstar (actually he's from mexico) - surgio hernandez - the up and comer - steve tilford - father time... one of the most experienced guys in the peloton.. not to - mention on of the nicest - lex nederlof - dutch.. need i say more. his experience includes 27 years of racing. - me the plan: a stage win and finish as many people in the top 20 as we can.. the morning started with a tour de france style team presentation. when i say presentation, i mean PRESENTATION. complete with confetti cannons, 100's of balloons, a huge 200ft stage, 2 50ft jumbotrons, and thousands of spectators. the am festivities were followed by a 12km neutral "ride" with the local cycling community to the official race start. the actual race course consisted of 16 flat circuits finishing in front of the world's largest skate park (i'll include some pictures later bRet). the team plan was to be attentive and never stray far from the front. the points classification consisted of 3 intermediate sprints and then points 10 deep at the finish. during the pre-race meeting i was told that victor and i should try and test our legs against the other sprinters for the points competition. the race started fast.. and.. well.. ended fast, averaging about 28mph. the first move of the day came on lap one containing 12 guys including steve, surgio, and i. immediately had a pretty descent gap, 40 sec's, and the field didn't seem too enthused to chase. half-way through the second lap the break started loosing focus and the attacks were awn. feeling pretty good at this point i was able to follow most everything just trying to keep the 4th lap sprint in sight. as we started the third lap, the break was whittled down to four riders, including me, but the field was closing fast. 5km before the sprint we were caught and a 7 man counter rode off the front uncontested. with super sundt in tow, the break managed to gain a minute. three laps later, with the gap at 1:14, the mongolian and hong kong national teams decided the separation was a little to big for their liking and began chasing. 20mi's later.. the leaders were in sight and the counter attacks were inevitable. i was the first to go... with dreams of victory, i rode through the break like the hippstar on speed. about 2 seconds later, i started questioning my idiotic dream of success and was caught exactly 4 seconds later ; ) the deck reshuffled. this time seven guys went and lex, always attentive, made the split with four others bridging up a mile later. from that on it was head down, wheels in the gutter riding. with the race up the road a couple teams tried to organize but it was too late. as we started the last lap the break was at 2:30 and the winner was coming from that group. when the smoke cleared, it was a belgian rider rode away solo. second place was decided by a small group sprint with our man, lex, taking third. the rest of the vergesport crew rode in safely tucked in the back of the field. it was a fair day for the team.. i think that everybody rode well but not quite at 100% due to the jet-lag and the air quality. till tomorrow.. nick

the presentation stage The Crew.. (from left to right) surgio, me, tilford, gustavo (team director), and lex outside of our hotel in hong kong the start line of stage 1

sorry for the delay...

sorry it took so long to get the first update out.. i haven't been feeling too well. it's been VERY difficult to eat. so far breakfast has been consisting of a couple pieces of white bread with butter, a little fried rice, some noodles, and LOTS of coffee... not my typical race food. yesterday i (we) ate something that didn't agree with me at all... needless to say... i was very sick before the start of the race and just hung on for dear life the gutter the entire day. even tilford said that he's never felt so bad at a race before and he's been racing 20 years. for dinner last night i had two rolls, some white rice, 4 bananas and something like 10 glasses of 7up. although it was a small dinner, it did the trick and i started feeling better as the night wore on. it's 5:45 am here on friday.. 13 hr time difference. my morning usually begins around 4 - 5am and ends around 10 - 11pm. last night i slept for only 4:45. hopefully i get some sleep on the plane... we have a transfer to hong kong today so i'll have my race reports posted for the first two stages tonight. i hope everybody is doing well... i miss mama and baby! wish me luck! and a prayer or two wouldn't hurt as well... nick