HUP UNITED 2005-6 Recap Part I

Back in the summer of 2005, my good friend Jamie from C'Ville wrote to me to tell me about this new team he had just joined called HUPUNITED, which concentrates its efforts, as well as its $2.5M budget to solely focus on cyclocross. Not knowing anything, or have ever heard of HUPUNITED, I did some serious web based research on them. I had just moved up to Boston from Baltimore and was mostly riding with the Quad Cycles guys, but only 2 -3 of them were interested in cyclocross. I ended up doing a Tour de France ride from Red Boned one day in July and met up with Zac. He was in his full HUP kit and was riding some sort of a sexy Seven prototype machine. Luckily I was in full form and broke away on mile 7, 15, and 56 to convincingly win that group ride and gain the respect and admiration of this entity known as Zac. Hence, making me the first signing of the fall 2005 season.
Fast forward to Fall 2005. I haven't seriously raced since my racing days at the University of Virginia....and was pretty damn nervous, not to mention I loved smoking Nat Sherman Hint of Mint. (Kids, smoking is bad, unless you have an iron will like me and can quit anytime. Actually what made me quit was that I no longer thought it looked cool, but more myspace than anything.) I showed up at the first edition of Sucker Brook and ended up meeting Zank(who I thought was a little scary at first) as well as Jimbo(The nicest dude, ever. He even cheers for me when we are in the same race!) and Justin Ziemba(One of these days I will bring a small leather briefcase filled with $$$ for JJ to come over to ride with us). I didn't meet PVB that race, but he totally dominated the race to finish 5th or something...

One thing I don't understand is why we got rid of the cheerleaders after 2004????

Part II to follow...

a) the epic ride to New Gloucester
b) gloucester
c) Sterling
d) The Enormous room
e) and other adventures.