VeloViet: Preparation for 2013 Palm Springs Century...

Hi VeloViets,

Palm Springs preparation starts! Here is last year's recap and some photos from today's ride!

2012 PSC RECAP - The sandstorm kicked up wildly scraping the VeloViet Gladiators faces raw and left them bleeding as if a hundred claws had scratched their tender cheeks. Rider’s carcasses littered the dessert highway and vultures circled the high in the sky waiting for this meaty feast.

The hardest Palm Springs Century ever smacked the VeloViets right in the face and in the first 5 miles of the ride no less. The Dessert Goddess retaliated to the VeloViet intrusion with all of her might and fury to stop this Army’s assault. Her crosswinds were so strong that it knocked even Dan, our massively muscled rider in the pack, around like as if he was a ragdoll. Our lightest rider in the pack, Karen, was bouncing around as if she was walking in bare feet on burning charcoal.

This is it I thought, this is the end even before it started. All the preparation for nothing and thought back to the weeks prior to this concluding death…

TWO WEEKS BEFORE

The pain etched heavily on his face. He had suffered tremendously in the last few miles, and leaned heavily on his bike similar to a gladiator leaning on his sword after a fierce battle. He is uncertain that he will be able to survive this long battle. He looked back and viewed the tired faces of his comrades.

The battle plan has been drawn months ago. The A1 Team, under the supreme leadership of Cap't Thomas, were to be a fast moving commando team, striking hard and fast into this desert land, to pave the way for the massive A2 Army. The A2 hard men and women were to sweep and take care of any remaining BARBARIAN HORDE.

But these A2 faces are new, and the A1 Team is long gone. Most of the Army here are virgins to this mighty Century battle. They had came to the VeloViet eager to prove themselves, to show that they are worthy to be with the best of the best. But the preparation has not gone well, his own self included. Plague by a cold, he had sat out on the last two practices for this war, and these were the most critical of practices to survive this weary battle. The A2 Army preparation has also been lacking too as the A2 Road Captain Toan, the person who normally lead this Army on these practices, has gone to the great motherland to take care of something even greater than this war.

The gladiator stopped and inspect these tired faces again. He squinted his eyes, under his Chinese made Oakleys, in the bright sun and looked closely. Underneath those bloodshot red eyes of the riders still shine a strong will to survive and a will to conquer the ride. Then he remembered what they had came for.... to fight for HONOR, for PRIDE, and for a sense of ACCOMPLISHMENTS in this life's battle with their brothers and sisters in arm. Then he suddenly realized... he is not alone... they are here with him.

He turned and face the windswept desert, and lifted his 5-foot long Bianchi Ducati sword. He lifted his face and howled madly at the bright sunlight. If he were to die... he will die fighting! To hell and back we will go... he swored!

This Sunday is the final and last PSC preparation ride as a group the VeloViet will take. Please come out and do this ride with your VeloViet teammates if you are doing PSC. We will conquer Palm Springs... or until our legs muscles seize up and we can no longer pedal! We might be weak... we might not be prepare... we might not finish.... but no one can say that we f'ing did not try!

To the Kingdom of the Sun we go my teammates!

Photos from today's ride: