Monday, November 24, 2008

For Sale: Slightly Used Bike Racer

Very experienced; high power-to-weight ratio; excellent endurance; sprint needs a little TLC.

Salary is negotiable.

For your investment, you'll receive a former Elite RR National Champion...


...the 2008 winner of the season-long SoCal points competition...


...and most significantly, the winner of the Bates Road sprint on the Sunday Worlds a few weeks back...


Current owner, Time-Sport USA, may be pursuing other options for 2009.

But seriously folks, C-Walk needs some help finding a team for 2009. Unlike most of us who spend absurd amounts of time on computers and the internet, CW goes without those luxuries in favor of spending MORE TRAINING TIME ON HIS BIKE! Of course, that handicaps him when it comes to modern-world communication and information gathering. So I'm trying to help (and will forgo my usual agent's fee).

Serious inquiries welcome. Rather than put his phone number on this blog, where it might be seen by millions of daily visitors, you can email me and I'll facilitate further communication. The address is over on the right somewhere. Please speak up if you know of a team that would be interested.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry, there are not any "pro-master's" teams in low cal.

we have 40-70 hour work weeks, pay for most of our stuff and have a family to raise...still got in 15 hours last week though...

best wishes for C-Walk....

Low Cal Masters...

Marco Fanelli said...

> Sorry, there are not any
> "pro-master's" teams in low cal.

Are you sure about that???

But anyway, rather than cherry-pick all the Masters races, he plans to continue in the P/1/2 where he's obviously still quite competitive.

Anonymous said...

>>Sorry, there are not any
>>"pro-master's" teams in low cal.

I can name two masters squads where guys get paid. Not a livable salary (as far as I know), but enough to make the extra hours on the bike worthwhile.

Anonymous said...

...I said "Low Cal" not "So Cal"

Anonymous said...

DUDE, C-WALK IS THE MAN!

40+ and extremely competitive in the PRO FIELD.

THAT GUY IS AN HERO, AND AN INSPIRATION.

EVERYBODY SHOULD JUST GIVE HIM ALL OF THEIR MONEY SO HE CAN KEEP DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST- DOMINATE!

Marco Fanelli said...

That last one pegged my sarcasm meter. Unless it was from Chester... it has a bit of Chesta-like style!

Anyway, I try not to judge. More than that, I admire people who take the road less traveled, as CW clearly has done. 47 years old and still one of the best roadies in the US ...not because of any natural physical talent, but instead because of extremely hard work and sacrifice.

Who's to say what the future holds for him ...or for any of us... but I give the guy credit for pursuing his passion 100%.

Unknown said...

You caught me... That last anonymous comment was me and I really do think C- Walk is the man when it comes to two wheeling about... No sarcasm intended. Like you said, you have to admire someone for sacrificing nearly all to pursue what they love.

Marco Fanelli said...

Haha Chesta! Your over-the-top enthusiasm gives you away.

Unknown said...

He just needs his own team- to find a business willing to sponsor him individually. He does most races sans teammates anyways, so he doesn't require that type of support.

P.S. Chester, we know you too well.

Anonymous said...

I want the dude above to name the 2 squads where the guys get paid salaries. You sound very confident in that statement, so let's have it.

Anonymous said...

i think there is room in Obama's administration for him since Obama is not hiring the old political cronies of the past...

Anonymous said...

Personal sponsorship is a good idea for Walker. So who will lead the charge in SB to help him find it? I hope it works out for him. Chris is a great rider and I really enjoyed racing against him.

Jake

Marco Fanelli said...

Anony said:
> I want the dude above to name the
> 2 squads where the guys get paid
> salaries. You sound very confident
> in that statement, so let's have it.

I can't speak for him, and the teams he's thinking of, but I'm pretty sure he's right ...although I sure wouldn't use the word "salary" since that makes it seem greater than it probably is. More correct would be one of two situations: (1) a small stipend for certain highly-accomplished riders; or (2) a bonus scheme for results in high-profile races. Many people who've been doing SoCal Masters races over the last 10 years know that a certain team (run by a well-known, passionate, and wealthy lawyer) reaped in very generous bonuses for lots of victories. Plus, that team paid a stipend to a couple of the very top riders. It's not my place to divulge the amounts, but let's say the stipends were between $0 and $1,000 monthly and you can take the average if you want. That particular team is no longer active, but others have filled in that void. I'm thinking of three 2009 teams that I'll bet provide some kind of monetary support to a select group of Masters riders. Two of them are essentially new Masters teams, although one is already doing it on their MTB side. Yes, it's cheesy for me to say that and then not list them, but I think the 2009 results in both 35+ and 45+ will pretty clearly suggest who they might be. And just to be clear, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Jake said:
> Personal sponsorship is a good
> idea for Walker. So who will
> lead the charge in SB to help
> him find it?

There hasn't exactly been a stampede of volunteers yet, Jake. As you well remember, CW hasn't really integrated himself into the broader SB cycling community. He rides alone 99% of the time, which partially explains his success in my opinion. He'll find something for 2009, but I doubt it will be a nice as what he had the last five years (Time and Labor Power). He'll also still have a few side gigs, like his bonus deal with Michelin.

Anonymous said...

I guess I shouldn't have said salary. On the two teams I spoke of above, it is Marco's situation (1) for sure. The team I am most familiar with does not do (2). I can't say about the other.

It shouldn't come as a surpise to anyone who the teams are. Check out the rosters and who runs them. Both run by people with money and both have guys that typically don't race for a free kit or two. Like Marco said, the 2009 results will speak volumes if you're really curious about who they are. Look for a some names you haven't seen in a couple years.

Anonymous said...

sure hurts the regular guys, oh well, life isn't fair anyways.

just keep on keepin' on for all the guys who are training hard; risking their marriage, families and jobs they have worked so hard for.

One day we all gorw up up, sooner or later.

I will be the soon divorced father of 2 trying to hang with the wanna be pros at 47 (or so)

See ya (i'd have a blog too if had more time; book time for the kids and then rest for more mileage)

Marco Fanelli said...

> sure hurts the regular guys,
> oh well, life isn't fair anyways.

You seem a little bitter about all this. That's unfortunate if it taints your enjoyment of cycling and bike racing.

Long ago I accepted that there's always going to be somebody who is: faster, stronger, better trained, more rested, smarter, braver, ...just plain better than me at bike racing. And it would be true no matter what, even if I structured my entire life around cycling. That's just how it is. And really, it's the same for everyone. Maybe some big-fish riders should try swimming in a bigger pool sometimes, but that's a choice only for them to make. And frankly, as I've said before, I prefer it when the fastest eligible riders do Masters races. It improves all of us.

I'm rambling, but I guess my point is that bike racing should be more about the journey of personal improvement and team spirit, and less about specific placings in SoCal industrial-park crits or hardscrabble po-dunk road races.

That's my two cents. I hope you can manage everything in your life and still keep a place for bike racing, and most importantly, enjoy it.

Anonymous said...

...not bitter, it is always harder to juggle more than one ball. i think i was born a one baller and am faced with a good half dozen...

i bet i could have been one of the best one ball jugglers; oh well, i will do the best with the balls i have been given. (that sounds weird)

:) Happy as a Clam in Low Cal

Anonymous said...

show air, Rock and Amgen :) and i'm not even in the loop anymore!!

Marco Fanelli said...

Scottie, those are the three I was think of also. However, after talking to C-Walk, it sounds like Rock may have fizzled out already. He says that Greg L. and Mark Scott are back with Cynergy for 2009. Who knows....

Anonymous said...

> it sounds like Rock may have
> fizzled out already.

That is the word on the street. I guess MB forgot what it was like to have to train and didn't like it so much.