Got the following e-mail from Greg Hockensmith on his Fuji climb

We are safely back at sea level. We made it in 13 hours 48 minutes! It
was about one of the hardest things I have ever done, we all worked very hard.
Don't worry, we have LOTS of photos, we will actually have to pass out No-Doze
out at the door when we get around to having a picture showing party. Stay
tuned, will have written accounts out shortly. And Tatsuo from GSA took lots
of high def video on the newest Sony camera so sometime in the near future
there should be a 30 minute video made on the trip.
Pretty mind blowing stuff up there in the thin air, won't ever forget it.

Greg Hockensmith, MS
Rehabilitation equipment specialist

Arizona Lift and Care Specialists
cell (520)401-4411
fax (520)690-0845
email greghock@...



Mark Drake <wwifup@...> wrote: Ian,
Great reporting! Your leadership USHF is making a difference>
Mark Drake

Ian Lawless <ian@...> wrote:
GOLD for Albor @ worlds! U.S. Handcycling Federation
September 17, 2006
Aigle, Switzerland
True to form, Alejandro Albor (Elk Grove, CA) bounced back from disaster and
won the World Championship road race Sunday in Aigle Switzerland by a convincing
margin. After not being allowed to start Friday’s time trial — a race he was
favored to win — the 40-year old was able to reverse his fortunes and took home
his first official title as World Champion. Widely regarded as the best
handcyclist in the world for the last 18 months, Alejandro had yet to scribe his
name in the books as a true international champion, but that honor is now
official. Albor joins Scott McNeice, Greg Hockensmith, Jim Harlan, and Monica
Bascio as one of five world champions from the U.S. McNeice is the only double
champion, winning both the road race and time trial in 1998. Hockensmith,
Harlan, and Bascio all earned their glory in 2002 in Altenstadt, Germany where
Harlan took the road race, Bascio and Hockensmith, the time trial. Although
Albor is certainly happy with the win, it does leave the
question: If he had been allowed to race the time trial, would he have captured
the elusive “double” as McNeice did in 1998 ?

In a very similar situation at last year’s European Championships, Albor
crashed in the road race….only to rebound and win the time trial the next day.
Alejandro tends to excel when the odds are stacked against him. Throughout his
six years racing in the U.S. and abroad, he has shunned criticism of his unique
equipment and riding style. Never an official member of any major team besides
the U.S. Paralympic Team, he makes his own bikes and usually keeps to himself at
races. In his early years of racing, he was always in the lead group but
couldn’t quite grab a victory as he battled with the likes of McNeice, Michel
Bond, Craig Blanchette, and Carlos Moleda.

In his first-ever trip to Alaska, Albor was with the leaders on day two and
crashed spectacularly in to the tundra….only to get up and contest for 4th
overall. The next few year’s would see similar crashes at numerous events —
particularaly criteriums — as Albor worked on his equipment and technique.
Throughout the seasons however, he was always on hand at the big races and was
always the lone rider, fighting for position against teams like Invacare.
In 2004, something clicked for Albor. He arrived at the Rocky Mountain Omnium
in Colorado (see adaptiveadventures.org) with a new bike and some awesome
fitness. He dominated the event that year (also the National Championships), and
won a silver medal at the Athens [Greece] Paralympic Games a few months later.
He has been basically unbeatable ever since, including four victories at the
Sadler’s Ultra Challenge in Alaska. Although it turns out to be the only
handcycling medal for the U.S. at this year’s World Chamionships, it’s a
biggie….and nobody deserves it more than Alejandro Albor.
For full event results, click HERE.
For more news on the World Championships, click HERE.
To visit Alejandro Albor’s website, click HERE.

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