Two weeks out

July 2, 2009

Greetings,
My name is Jon Kobey Ratliff.
I'm a 47 year old guy from Fort Worth, Texas
I used to race road and mountain bikes seriously in my younger days,
(It doesn't seem like it's been nearly twenty years!)
Raising a great daughter, juggling a family and a career tends to detour one's ambitions of ever becoming a professional cyclist, that and the fact that I was never that fast even when I was younger.
I always had the dream of someday racing in Europe.
In a little less than two weeks I will be doing just that, well sort of.
I will be competing in this year's Etape du Tour amateur bicycle race which is 107 miles from Montelimar, France to the summit of Mont Ventoux which will be taking place on July 20th and will be the same route as stage 20 of this year's Tour de France.
While the pros will probably be completing this stage in around five hours, I'm hoping to finish within eight.
I have created this blog for those who are as passionate and crazy for this sport as I am and who might be interested in my thoughts leading up to, during and after my trip.
I would like to thank Gusti, Laura and Debby for their support and encouragement in my training and preparation for this trip.
I also want to thank the guys in the FCS Cycling Club in Keller for kicking my ass all over the roads of Tarrant and Denton County, Texas over the last several months.
You guys have definitely motivated me and pushed me to become a stronger rider than I ever would have on my own.
Doug and Rick at Colonel's Bicycles in Fort Worth, Texas for their long friendship and superb mechanical support.