What is it about Adam Myerson that causes other riders to want to punch him? Read this story on cyclingnews about Jonathan Baker getting suspended for punching Myerson at this year’s National Cyclocross Championships. Two of the three suspensions mentioned in the story were incidents where Myerson was slugged by another rider, resulting in a suspension. The third incident involved Roberto Gaggioli hitting Jonny Sundt with a piece of wood. I don’t get it. Sundt is a pretty nice guy, and I have known him for a long time, since he went pro in mountain bike racing and I was sponsoring him when I worked at Arnette sunglasses. Sundt had talent to burn, maybe that’s what pissed “Rob” off. Gag owns some crazy statistic as the winningest bike racer, but that’s only because he’s raced for 80 years. He only got suspended for 6 months FOR HITTING SOMEONE WITH A 2 x 4?! I think he should have been deported, but I don’t think Italy would take him back. Oh well, you can’t have enough Spinning instructors in Southern California, so I think Gag is still stateside. Back to Myerson. I always knew Adam to be a pretty nice guy, except for the fact that he raced for UMASS in college, which would pretty much make you want to punch him, or anyone else who raced for UMASS back then. But we never did. Then again, The Pixies came from UMASS. Maybe it was just the UNH vs. UMASS rivalry we had back then. I rolled up beside Adam in the Downer’s Grove National Criterium championships a few years ago, after not having  seen him since college days. We were the lettuce and tomato in one of those 24′ long sandwiches they used to make for office parties, part of 200+ rider field, trying to move up on a course that was suitable for about 80 riders. He was friendly and cordial, and I was astonished he remembered me after I disappeared from the New England scene and moved west. Maybe it’s all just a coincidence for Adam. We’ve all thrown an elbow or a punch here and there. T-Mac and I went after it once, then ended being being team mates and good friends. I think we made our peace after driving to the Elko 4th of July Criterium, listening to Van Halen the whole way there. Littlefield and I have had our differences in the past. He kicked me once in a training race, all the while we were in a breakaway and he might as well have been pedaling with one leg. He ended up winning, even though I was so jacked up after the incident. He was so fricking strong that year he would have won anyway. I wanted to punch him afterwards, more for winning than for kicking me, but thought better of it. I allegedly head butted him, but we both had our helmets on, so it was kind of silly. I ended up getting revenge my revenge by kicking his ass in just about every RMR for the next 3 or 4 years. I don’t think I ever forgot that incident until I stopped going to silly bike races. But I still consider him a friend. What happens at the RMR stays at the RMR. I’ve got nothing but love for the guy. Seriously, guys, punching another rider at Nationals, whether it happens to be Adam Myerson or not, should get you kicked out of the sport for more than just three months. Just sayin’.

We are back safe and sound after a soggy but rewarding Loop the Lake. A full report will follow, once we get all of our video diaries compressed, images collected, all that kind of digital stuff. But first, here’s some Monday morning commentary from our friend Dave Z:

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