The Finishing: Prediction Sure To Go Wrong

 First of all, let me say that I've always believed that an athlete should never lose their position due to injury. Therefore, Wout Van Asphalt will remain as Mongo's "Guy" going into the 2025 season.

You may be saying to yourself that with three wins in the Vuelta a Espana shouldn't his position be unquestioned? Well...no!

Let's keep it "a hunned"...There is better competition in an unsanctioned, Cat 4 alley cat scramble. The Vuelta is the Florida of Grand Tours. Has beens, wannabees, dopers, old guys, young guys, domestiques looking for their chance at glory...it has it all. If any Tour de France level winner shows up, no one else has a shot. Otherwise, it's like a Saturday night at Club Juana in Orlando...anything is possible.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PREDICTION

"TADEJ POGACAR"

W.W.R.G.D ?..."I'm A Worm Y'all"

A lifetime of lifetimes but a child once again

Beginning a journey with no destination

Wisdom from our youth is the foundation of forever

Walk with me and let me grow old in your eyes

The Oracle Of Delphi...Car Stereos

 

So... Mongo has been on Summer hiatus.

I know Van der Poel won E3 Saxo, Flanders, and Paris -Roubaix along with the Cyclocross World Championship. (The Road WC is still to come)

I know Tadej Pogacar won the Giro and Tour de France in dominating fashion.

All of these results were predicted by Mongodamus long before any of the injuries and races happened...February 1st, 2024... "Here

Also...

After much speculation amongst the masses about his status, considering the mediocre results of the year thus far, Mongo has decided to put Wout Van Aert on double secret probation and re-evaluate after the Vuelta on his "My Guy" position moving forward.

Jorgenson, Powless & Quinn

 

Golf And Alabama: Haiku

 Lost two friends this year

Both left imprints on my life

For Johnny and Mike

White Lightning: Triple: The Beginning: Haiku

 

Finding fulfillment

More than a four letter word

Inspirational

I've Still Got It...The Juice Is Flowing

 

  

                                                                                                                                                   (Getty Images)

It is well known among cycling scholars that if one is anointed by Mongo as his "Guy", good things immediately start to happen. Nothing has changed in 2024.

Most people would be content with being Belgian, handsome, and having some of the best hair in the game, I know I would, but WVA also likes winning bike races.

After a third place podium finish at Fruitloop Net Hasselblad, the one man boy band comes back strong the next day and wins Karen-Brassieres-Karen.

As significant as these results are, the legit Spring Classics are right around the corner and it's about to get real.

Mongo is ready...I'm talking to you, Van der Poel!

Hard Tales...The Pun Isher

                                                                                                                                                                                     

   I assume that most of you know by now that Mongo was one of the original pioneers of mountain biking in the United States and the lower Americas.

 Patrons in the hallowed halls of smug, cycling centric coffee spots, along with those who like to hot-box in a Subaru whilst traversing a Taco Bell drive-thru, all put Mongo's name on the Mt Rushmore of legends with the likes of Fisher and Ritchey and Knievel.

 Unlike fellow hall of famers, Mongo's mountain biking journey to greatness began in 1992 in the hotbed of the scene...Miami, Florida!

...To be continued!?

The Season Approaches...I Need A New "Guy"

 

   Where to begin?... No, really, where should I begin?

There is so much to talk about but so little effort on Mongo's part to do anything about it. Sitting down and writing these days is harder than prying a half-priced Margarita from the hands of a frustrated school teacher at a Bennigan's happy hour who is already two and a half deep in the first hour and is woo wooing every time a new person arrives while getting the judgmental side-eye from most of her colleagues . *(60 Word Sentence...Illegal in nine countries)

 I will do my best and try to power through the malaise and regale everyone with my verbal gymnastics, but instead of insight and thoughtful prose, there will more than likely be unsubstantiated proclamations and unfounded predictions mixed in with a smattering of hack writing and laziness. Here we go!

1...Wout Van Aert is Mongo's "Guy" for 2024  ( RIP Edvald Boasson Hagen (He's not dead)...Previous "Guy")

2...Tadej Pogacar will win the Tour de France

3...Mathieu van der Poel will win three Monuments and repeat as World Champion

4...Mongo is back, baby! (We'll see, I still have my doubts)

5...To be continued

Time To Musk Up

Well, another year has passed and Mongo has tied the record for fewest blog posts attempted or delivered in said calendar year. The magic number is three. This dismal effort has been repeated four times since Mongo first started the now world famous blog in 2007. It is a horrifying statistic that would stand on its own as a low point if it were not for the fact that the year 2022 does not exist in the table of contents.

   Apparently, Mongo was embarking on his Vision Quest in Bolivia and things got a little out of hand. The entire year was a blur and details are scarce, but a short stint at The Canyons after returning stateside seemed to do the trick.

   Mongo's official slogan for 2024 is "Go For Four". 

Mongo would like to get back into double digits if possible. It may seem like a tall order for all those who doubt the likelihood, but for the tens of people who have been with me since the beginning will know, way back in 2009 Mongo had 460 posts. The internet access at Rikers was surprisingly good for the time, and it turned out that some of the guys on the yard were big fans of Andreas Kloden.