How to get race ready - ride the giants on your vacation (col de mente, port de bales, tourmalet,); get on the spinner at lunch; take the long way home on the single speed; and drink just enough beer and eat just enough pork to neutralize the effect of all your time in the saddle. Now you are race ready.
The pandas had a good showing at the first Super Prestige with dave and christine finishing in the front while mike, mike, jeremiah and chris are solid mid packers who might just become top thirds. Might. I'll spare you the details, but Merritt college was a flat technical course whose loose gravel and rocks claimed many tires, knees and elbows. Not sure whether more people visited the neutral pits during the race or the medic's tent afterwards.
Erik represented pandas in oregon, though there is no report how he did except that he looked incredibly smart in the new kit.