Well, its done, i'm home. Not too much to talk about. I went with the GE/BikeBarn team. It was an 'okay' experience, but just that. We had to get up at 4 am on both Sat and Sun, so that seriously messed up my sleep schedule. So i got total 8-9 hrs of sleep this weekend? Anyway i achieved my objective in getting in earlier, i got into la grange at 2:30pm, starting from Tully stadium (100 miles), and i got into austin at 12:30, taking the 'short' route without the huge hills in Bastrop State Park (it was 68 miles). So total on bike 12 or 13 hours, plus rest stops, total distance 168 miles. So that's 14 mph. Minus rest stops is probably closer to 16.8 mph.

Anyway here is a chronicle story about it, the picture is of Tully Stadium at the start.

here is a 'just the facts' story.

Another color story is here and here and here

Good coverage by the chronicle (for once)!

Update: Here is my post to the pearland cycling group forum.

I guess I'll add my experience. I was with the GE/BikeBarn team. We
showed up at Tully at 5:15am to load gear and sit around and wait.
(SAW). The launch from Tully was pretty good, a few very short
speeches from higher ups, and the top 5 teams got to go first, i was
in the 5th team i guess. Every time a team went a cannon shot out
(see the chronicle story).

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/3812919.html

We had a tail wind for the first 30 miles or so? I didn't pay much
attention, just noting we didn't have a headwind. Everyone did well
in that part, and I was able to see a bunch of PCC/FS people at the
Saturday lunch, including Sara & Camille, Gaye, Donny, and Melanie.
After lunch it was tougher, and the last 20 miles were erased from my
mind. I got into La Grange at 2:30 and went to the FS tent, saw
Aaron, mumbled something I think, and left. I was pretty far gone at
that point. Unfortunately the GE/BB tent was at the opposite end of
the camp, so i hung around there the rest of the time. The food was
not as good as FS, the masseuses
were working until 8pm (for $1/min), and I think like Rich said the
camradire (sp) was missing.

Sunday, wake up again at 4am, pack gear, and have a less than good
breakfast (bran muffin and a soda repackaged as an energy drink). Get
bike at 5:30 from corral. Hurry up and wait, start biking at 7:30,
the second or third group out. Took easy route because my saddle
pressure points were killing me, got to lunch at 10ish, got to Austin
at 12:30. The added 12 miles on the hill route dissuaded me. Aaron &
Daryl flying past me after the merger didn't help matters. One great
thing about FS/PCC is we have so many levels of riders, so people like
Aaron & Buzz are definate role models. Austin, again. More crowds in
Austin I think that 2004. But less people on the roads enroute
cheering us on; it wasn't as inspring as '04. I didn't think the
hills were a problem at all, Chappell Hill has steeper gradients. Of
course I didn't do the hill route. One guy I talked to said he
thought the hills approaching austin were worse than the hills in the
park route. I guess everyone has their personal demons. Seeing the
capital/capitol was definately motivating. All in all a good ride but
not memoriable. The training helped alot, the Brazos bend and
Chappell hill rides particularly. Knowing you can get through it is a
big comfort when your body is threatening to shut down.

Best food: lunch the second day, with a mountain dew. Worked wonders
for my energy level. Best memory: fiddler on tractor (see chronicle
story)