Pittsburg Olympic Trials
Masters cyclocross in Colorado
Masters cyclocross in Colorado
Thursday
Bio Information
Photo: Just ahead of Lance Armstrong at the 1999 Austin BMC CriteriumAfter competing for 15 years as a cyclist (8 years professionally), I decided to retire, or retire from cycling as a profession. Subsequent to my cycling endeavors I received a BA in Finance and a MS in Financial Accounting and have since begun a career in International Corporate Tax.
This Blog is a compilation of photos and memories from my cycling days, as well as my travels.
Friday
Eddy Winning 1996 US PRO Road Race Championship
All rights to this image provided to Eddy Gragus by:Photo by: Casey Gibson (http://www.cbgphoto.com/)
Outside use of this image is permissible if its creator (Casey Gibson) and his website (http://www.cbgphoto.com/) are sited.
Saturday
Koh Samui, Thailand (second batch)
We are now on Koh Samui and have been here for a couple days. Samui is an island on the west side of southern Thailand and is absolutely stunning. Although it is a bit touristy on the upper west side in ways that I have not seen anywhere else in the world, it remains relatively calm and non-developed elsewhere on the island. We drove around the island on a scooter yesterday and visited some beaches. Got abolutely torched by the sun. We hiked out about a mile across the low tide flats and by the time we got out there we were as red as a lobsters, well I was anyway, Rie was smart enough to wear sunscrean. This put us into survival mode and we headed back to the shade of the shore as quickly as possible. I also rented a dirt bike and spent a day exploring the trails throughout the mountains on the island. Definitely one of the funnest excursions I did during our stay.
Pictures from Chiang Mai (first batch)
This is the first batch of photos from Thailand. I have been trying to get on my Blog but it is like driving with a blindfold. Everything is in Thai on the internet and so I can't read anything and have to try and load these without really knowing what I am doing. Thailand has been amazing. We spent the first few days in Chaing Mai which is is the northern part of Thailand and though it's a busy little city (2nd largest in Thailand) it has the feel of a small city. The people are just amazingly friendly and will invite you into their home for dinner. Rie and I hiked up the Doi Suthep mountain, which was the hardest hike I have ever experienced for such a short hike. In total, it was only 4 miles or so long but steep and slippery is an understatement. The Kaualau Trail in Hawaii doesn't even come close. The jungle is so dense here that you get the impression that if you were to stay in one place too long you would be over run by plants and fungai. Apparently there was a 5.something earthquake while Rie and I hiked but we didn't even feel it. I have more photos and will post them soon now that I know how to do this. sawadeekap, from Thailand, Eddy
Sunday
Is it moving? No, it's just the memory imbedded in your eyes!
A woman looks at an optical illusion at the Optikpark in Rathenow, Germany. Photo: Michael Urban
Kauai, Hawaii (August 2006)
Last August I had the pleasure of going to Kauai, which is one of the more undeveloped Hawaiian Islands. It boasts as being the wettest place on earth, receiving 180 inches of rain annually on the peaks of its mountains. The second day of our trip we hiked the Kaualua Trail up to the waterfalls, an 8 mile hike that is almost impossible to complete during the wet season. Fortunately, August is the dry season so we were blessed with warm temps and very little rain (but when it did rain, wow!, unlike anything I have ever seen). We stopped at Hanakapiai Beach which has claimed more lives than any other Hawaiian Beach (see photo of sign, this isn't a joke). I can see how people could die hear. The beach is narrow, maybe 100 meters, and has a very steep shoreline with steep cliffs on either side. I can almost picture an innocent tourist standing on the edge of the beach as a rogue wave comes crashing in on the fun and sweeps the unsuspecting tourist into the sea. Once in the ocean the rip currents move quickly because of the steepness of the shore and a person would be quickly dragged parallel to the beach until they reached the cliffs, at which point they would no longer be able to climb to safety and would eventually drown. What a hellish way to go out. Anyway, Kauai is a magical place. We snorkeled with green sea turtles who would come within inches of my face at times. Ate some very strange fruit that was impossible to chew, much like bubble gum, it never quite broke down. Mixed with some of the local surfers who demanded that I give them my savored "electricity" shirt in exchange for one of their hand painted t-shirts, which apparently gave entry into their coveted circle of rough edged surfers. Kauai was a trip I'll not forget soon.
Note: click on images to enlarge, it's worth it!
Friday
Academic Pursuits
Offshore fishing about 50 mi off the coast of central Costa Rica. We had a five star day catch two dorado, two sailfish, a marlin and a yellow fin tuna.
Cycling Achievements
1995 Montgomery Bell Cycling Team
1995 1st Stage 4 Tour de Pologne, Zamosc (POLAND)
1995 3rd Stage 9 Tour de Pologne, Warszawa (POLAND)
1995 10th Overall GC Tour de Pologne (POLAND) (Held Leaders Jersey for 6 Stages)
1995 1st KOM CoreStates USPRO Road Championships (100 mi Solo Breakaway)
1996 US Postal Cycling Team
1996 1st CoreSates USPRO Road Championships, (USA)
1996 4th CoreSates Trenton Classic (USA)
1996 1st KOM Thrift Drug Classic (USA)
1996 1st Stage 10 Rutas de America, Montevideo (URUGUAY)
1996 1st Overall USPRO Tour (USA)
1996 5th Circuito de Getxo, (SPAIN)
1996 1st Tour of China Prologue ITT, Hong Kong (CHINA)
1996 2nd Tour of China Stage 1, Yuen Long Industrial Estate Circuit Race (CHINA)
1996 2nd Tour of China Stage 2 Mission Hills-Guangming-Mission Hills (CHINA)
1997 US Postal Cycling Team
1997 5th Stage 5 Vuelta Castilla y Leon, Burgos (SPAIN)
1997 1st Circuit de la Sarthe Climbers Competition (FRANCE)
1997 1st Stage 1, Redlands Bicycle Classic (USA)
1998 OilMe Cycling Team
1998 4th Stage Tour of Langkawi (Malaysia)
1998 4th Stage Tour of Langkawi (Malaysia)
1999 Ikon - Lexus Cycling Team
1999 World Championships (Verona, Italy) R.R. (US Team Member)
1999 1st Austin BMC Criterium (USA)
1999 1st Overall USPRO Saturn Tour (USA)
1999 7th USPRO Criterium Championship12 (USA)
1999 10th First Union USPRO Road Championships12 (USA)
1999 2nd First Union Classic - Trenton36 (USA)
1999 4th First Union Invitational - Lancaster27 (USA)
1999 14th Christiana Care Cup (USA)
1999 10th Sea Otter Classic7 (USA)
2000 Jelly Belly Cycling Team
2000 11th First Union USPRO Road Championships8 (USA)
2000 4th First Union Classic - Trenton27 (USA)
2000 10th First Union Invitational - Lancaster9 (USA)
2000 6th Tour LeFleur14 (USA)
2000 4th Redlands Classic, Stage 4 : Redlands Criterium (USA)
2000 1st Manayunk Wall Hill Climb (USA)
2000 3rd Stage 2 Fitchburg Longsjo Classic (USA)
2000 1st Stage 3 Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, Wachusett Mountain (USA)
2000 2nd General Classification Fitchburg Longsjo Classic (USA)
2001 Jelly Belly Cycling Team
2001 2nd Overall GC Sea Otter Classic60 (USA)
2001 6th Sea Otter Classic, Stage 2 : Fort Oad - Fort Oad (USA)
2001 5th Sea Otter Classic, Stage 1a : Laguna Seca I.T.T. (USA)
2001 8th Overall GC Redlands Classic28 (USA)
2001 4th Redlands Classic, Stage 4 : Redlands Criterium (USA)
2001 3rd Pine Flat Road Race (USA)
Post Retirement Results
2002 3rd Stage 2 International Cycling Classic, Manitowoc (USA)
2003 1st Boulder (b) (USA)
2003 2nd Portland (USA)
2003 1st Prologue Estes Cycling Challenge Colorado, Rabbit Mountain (USA)
2003 1st Stage 2 Estes Cycling Challenge Colorado, Devil's Gulch (USA)
2003 1st General Classification Estes Cycling Challenge Colorado (USA)
2005 2nd Wells Fargo Twilight Criterium (USA)
2006 2nd Melon Criterium (USA)
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