Moving Target

House of Pistard sticker competition - Moving Target version
8 September 2010 by Buffalo Bill

Those clever people at House of Pistard have come up with a fiendishly difficult competition to win a pack of their new stickers. It’s really quite difficult, so we at Moving Target have come up with a much easier version, so that the less culturally enriched amongst you stand a chance. To win all 4 of the stickers shown above, email movingtargetcomp@me.com, with the correct answer to the question that follows.

CMWC 2010 is being held in Panajachel, Guatemala. This is only the 3rd time that CMWC has been held outside of North America or Europe. Which of the following 3 cities has NOT hosted a CMWC?

A. Tokyo
B. Sydney
C. Glasgow

Oh, and I should have said there is one set, and one set only, the lucky winner will be notified by email on Sunday 12th.

La Ocho Finals
8 September 2010 by Robin Superkid

Tuesday evening Robin raced La Ocho finals badly. The track was lit by car headlights as it started late. Racing in the dark created a great atmosphere, and made a nice a change from racing in daylight. The finals had some great racing and great crashes with Ivonne Kraft claiming La Ocho Title.

Results from the official CMWC site here.

Lake Atitlan Ride
8 September 2010 by Robin Superkid

Stray dogs in Pana like to accompany visitors in the hope of getting a bit of free food. One was especially determined. On Tuesday we went on a group ride around parts of Lake Atitlan along with a Panajachel local doggy who was christened Girlie. After hopping on board the boat, and refusing to jump off when we disembarked, she followed us on our ride through some beautiful scenery, with very steep ascents and descents, for about 8kms before she was given a ride in our police escort’s pickup.

Our trip included a stop for breakfast in Santiago and very steep and brutal ride towards San Pedro La Laguna where Sarah ended up being given a ride in the police escorts pickup. Girlie was delivered safely back to Pana in the final leg of our journey by ferryboat.

La Ocho Lives!
5 September 2010 by Robin Superkid

After losing a large section of the racing area in the river, the track, La Ocho has been moved to the local football pitch. The new La Ocho, however, is flat, still a figure 8, and so it obviously has a central crossover for playing chicken (pollo?). Racing today will be one timed lap with a rolling start, it looks like tomorrow we´ll be racing 3 at a time, doing 5 laps.

The weather has been much better, it’s hardly rained for 24 hours, the roads have been cleared and people should start arriving from antigua. In Guatemala you’re allowed to carry a gun provided you have it on display. I ran in to a courier today who brought his own gun from the states. Have a look at moving flickr: radio, phone, 9mm. nice!

We made it in one piece!
5 September 2010 by Robin Superkid

Greetings from Panajachel, we’ve made it in one piece despite 48 hours of rain across the country. Guatemala has been hit by the tail end of a hurricane and has experienced the heaviest rain for sixty years. Our journey here was stalled briefly by falling trees and mudslides, however, we’re here now albeit we can’t get out as the road is blocked.

Good thing we don’t want to. The town threw us a party and the mayor gave the race organizer Nadir Olivet the key to the city.

Overdrive beaten by girl
1 September 2010 by Buffalo Bill

He looks pretty pleased with himself here, after having won the minor event of the Fixed Gear London event last Friday, but in the real thing, which was the sprints, Jon got beat by Juliet. Oh, the shame. Read all about his humbling on Juliet’s blog (or one of them, anyway) Hell Yeah.

Next event is in a couple of weeks. I would mention more details, but they seem to be trying to keep it quiet, and only inviting people on Facebook or something.

Update from Guatemala
1 September 2010 by Buffalo Bill

Lola from Atlanta has just arrived in Guatemala for the CMWC, which is taking place over the next weeks in Panajachel. She has posted some impressions on the CMWC site. The whole thing is well worth a read, and the pictures of the construction work on La Ocho are pretty amazing. I am even more jealous of Robin & Sarah, who will arriving there later this week.

These guys showed up for the Gran Premio on Saturday looking haggard as hell, but AMPED to ride. Some had come from over 100km away, and they weren’t about to let the closed roads keep them from qualifying for the WORLDS! After slugging through the debris and cliff-hanging pieces of cement left where the road used to be, they made it to the race, dirty socks and all. This ten year old even competed, and he hauled! There was an article in today’s paper (NUESTRO DIARIO-A Guatemalan National newspaper) about the race. The title is Qualifying for the Worlds. The best part for me, working at the race, was when a bunch of competitors came up to me after the race to ask: “Para que clasifique?” (What did I just qualify for??) I was told that some of the exhausted racers biked the 100km back home….

London's Calling 17th - 19th September 2010
31 August 2010 by Buffalo Bill

It’s back: the third edition of London’s international messenger event – sprints, skids, roller races, fun & beer. More details, including full programme of events over at the official London’s Calling web-site. Register now!

Appeal for children's shoes for Panajachel, CMWC
30 August 2010 by Robin Superkid

The organisers of the 2010 Cycle Messenger World Championships, which are being held in Panajachel, Guatemala, are trying to contribute to the local community, the art show is the medium through which they are doing this, they intend to have 200 local kids come to the CMWC site and create artworks which they will then sell to the visiting racers and guests.

In addition to this they hoping to gather together some shoes for the local kids. The shoe idea is to help out by kicking down a pair of good shoes to a kid. Simple, not some grand gesture, just allowing a kid to run around more effectively. Sarah and I will each be able to take an extra piece of hold baggage and were hoping to bring a over a bunch of shoes from London.

Ignore Bill & have a great time
30 August 2010 by Buffalo Bill

Several years ago, a guy called Nadir spoke to me about hosting the CMWC in Guatemala. Having had a lot contact with an organisation called Peace Brigades International, a human rights witness organisation that had a long-running project in the country, and being aware of the long-running civil war and continuing human rights abuses in the country, my reaction was overwhelmingly negative. The last thing Guatemala needed was yet more gringoes looking for a party, even if they were riding bikes, I thought.

hellCat of the North 11th November, Lille
26 August 2010 by Buffalo Bill

Most people reading this will know that the Hell of the North means the Paris – Roubaix professional road race, which is also known by the French as ‘la Pascale’, as it used to be held on or near Easter. Therefore most readers will know that the defining features of the race are the cobbled roads, some of which are little better than stony farm tracks, which are collectively known as ‘le pavé’. Some readers may even have ridden the pavé. However, if you have not, here is a fantastic opportunity to do so under race conditions.

The organisers say:

the Hellcat is a sort of bicycle party during 4 days (Nov 11st is a free day in France, the end of WW1). The main race is an alleycat on Paris Roubaix’s cobbles, but there is also a tricks contest, a relay race in the streets & maybe a goldsprint contest, movie projections, etc …

More details on the hellcat website.

Roller racing in Ecuador
26 August 2010 by Buffalo Bill

I really like this poster. It’s off the andando en bici carajo site, which seems to be a cycle activism & events blog based in Quito, Ecuador. Dolor, sufrimento, licra, sudor, aero wheelz must be pain, suffering, lycra, sweat and aero wheelz needs no translation.