In the "Mean Gene Okerlund" voice hailing from Chicago,Illinois weighing in at a combined weight of 943lbs for 4 riders(should be 1218,but Ryan Hale out?) xXx 4 Horsemen!!

So wake up a little late 715 to ride down with Biachi,but realize I'm late for him to pick me up. I phone him he says he is late as well. I say just go with out me I'll be down later. I still have to fix a pinch flat puncture in the sidewall from riding last night.

I decide to ride down, and warm up with 13 miles to get me loose. I hit the lakefront path at Soldiers Field it looks fine, and plowed, pretty clear. Until I hit Oak again I see at the last second a sheet of ice on the path all the way around. I slam my left knee into the ice as I go down. I try to get up,but can't like in the cartoons when you keep falling. So I crawl off the ice,and drag my bike with me. I thinking am I okay to race? Alright put a go to it. This is not the way I want to start the day. I see another rider down on the other side of the ice patch. He says he went down and he's going to Montrose too. (I'm thinking what is it going to take a cyclist drowning to fix this part of the path?)

I get down to the Harbor register and try to stay warm with a practice lap with 3 other xXxer's. Course is very frozen,and I have low pressure as I go,but the cement transfers could pinch flat,maybe bunny hop,or lift the front wheel out on these parts. The run up before the barrier is all frozen ice. I have upgraded to stainless steel toe spikes earlier this year. They make all the difference in the world. I don't fall all day. Finish the lap, and the 4A team is starting, the fans are going nuts screaming,yelling,cowbells ringing. 30 ft from the start a sick crash. I see in the pack someone go perpendicular to the ground over the handlebar. Note to myself and multiple teammates tell me a big hole on the right stay left until the first turn.

I see Bill Mcdade trying to stay warm. I told him I couldn't believe he over took me at the long climb at Woodstock. He replied just determined to get up. My goal today fight Bill off. LOL, We joke a little more. But the race starts soon and we get ready to line up. Now marks go off and the lead group takes off to make it thru the hole shot. No crash but someone goes down in front of me in the frozen ground at the 1st turn have to dismount go around and remount into the 1st decent. Get though fine. Fight everyone off into the long climb. Now when now when 200lb men climb hills you don't think of Phil Liggett saying "he's dancing on the pedals!,he's thrown the gauntlet down!" (okay maybe throwing snowballs). But hills are horsepower vs weight ratio vs gravity it just kills you if you are over 200 much less 275. Yet the bright side comes is the decent where Sled hill turns for 275lbs. man 25-30mph coast into a straightway to make up as much time back. But I just take it at low 20's cause the frozen ground into deep snow to a barrier run up. I power slide into the end of a decent into the tunnel and save it. SuperFans from CuttingCrew are grouped here yelling after seeing me powerslide thru the turn. So the first 2.5 laps only hit with 1 snowball (Dave Dokko) I see Bill Mcdade,and John Boggs hunting me down. They are close but I try to pick it up before the last turn into the sand trap hills. I must have came out of the corner to fast cause next thing I remember is hitting the leaning tree. I get that knockout reaction where you see stars,flash of light,birds going around your head. I shake my head to get some of my senses back. Bill yells are you all right? I wave him off. I try to fix my seat bent up to sky. Shifter bent inside but fine. I'm thinking can I finish the race? I look at the clock 20min. Alright 10/12minutes left I'll give it a go. The sand hills is where all the xXx's have came to stand with a assault on me with snowballs. I get hit I think about four times. What everyone waits till after I hit the tree to throw snowballs? LOL But I finish as strong as I can.

John Boggs is at the last sand hill decent and is off the bike I call out I'm coming down. I'm a little shaken from the crash still trying to shake it off. I finish up as strong as possible.

I have a tree welt on my right shoulder that looks really nice today. But all in all the season was really fun. Lots of racers and great courses all around a great improvement from last year. Not that technical for me, but a plus from previous years. 4's are averaging from 85/109 racers. Fans are getting much bigger,and much louder. This will be a great feeder for the next year.