Have no fear.

Tim Saari (with 2 A's!!!) Tim is one of the few guys that pull double duty all season. road and cross, no problem If you have never met Tim, he may seem like just another quiet racer, NO flash, or crazy style here, just a tough sportsman. with a tad more fine tuning, There people pegging him on taking a Elite cross win/ and or the overall in the near future. We wouldnt argue that, one bit! Read on and find out what makes Tim, Tim.

1.What nationality is Sari

?Saari (two A's!) is Finnish. I actually found a Finnish National Champion Jersey a few years back and break it out on occasion to break up the monotony of wearing the same kit every day.

2. Married? Kids

I've been married for almost 8 years to my high school sweetheart Christina. We've got one little girl named Kate and she's just over one year now. She running a little on the small side so far, and has a great set of lungs which she uses daily to let me know that I'm not Mommy. So I'm thinking pure climber.

3. Favorite riding buddy?

I've got two favorite riding buddies actually. Tony Ponton and Todd Frerichs. Both of them are willing to ride pretty much anywhere, anytime, in any weather. Which is great for me because with the arrival of Kate, I like to get it done early and I'm not afraid of the cold. Apparently they're not either or they wouldn't get out of bed at 5AM on a Sunday morning to ride their bikes in January.

4. Strengths?

Unfortunately I'd have to say climbing. Too bad there's nothing around here that qualifies as a climb. Since the terrain around here doesn't suit my natural abilities, I'd say I'm more of an all-around rider. (read: pretty average at everything else)

5.what are some of your secret cravings?

There's no secret to what my cravings are. I'd eat ice-cream 7 days a week if I could. Anything with chocolate in it really. I've got a serious problem when it comes to junk food.

6. what are your weakness, cycling specific?

Can't sprint.

7. how many bikes do you own?

At the moment, I've got 7: 1992 Specialized RB; 1998 Fisher Aquila MtB that I've turned into a ghetto single speed; 2002 Litespeed Pisgah MtB; 2001 Klein Quantum Pro RB that I'm going to use as a TT machine; 2005 Salsa Las Cruces CX Bike; 2007 Scott CR1 Limited Edition (any buyers out there??); and finally my 2008 Scott Addict for this coming season. I like to think of bikes like dogs. You don't just get rid of your old hound just because you've got a new puppy do you?

8.What are some of the funniest cycling moments you have had?

I think the hardest I've ever laughed was when I was out for a ride with one of my "favorite riding buddies" at Bloomer Park when we first started riding. We had just bought MtB's and we were going to ride them through everything and anything. We'd find every filthy mud puddle we could, and ride right through the longest section of it. It was mid-march and we were riding along one of the banks of the river where the trail was on the absolute edge of the river, and it was a pretty steep maybe 8 foot drop to the river. I was leading with my buddy close behind me. I heard a splash, looked back and saw the bike upside down on the bank, and Tony was gone. Completely submerged! He came jolting out of the water like a Friday The 13th movie! I guess he slipped or something because he went right back under the water before he came blasting out again, and finally scrambled up the bank. After I realized he wasn't hurt, I laughed nonstop for 20 minutes while he stood there in the sun trying to warm up, with his clothes hanging all over the trees around us. Hah! It still cracks me up!

9. what races do look forward too?

I look forward to all of the cross races, but especially the ones I can ride to like Bloomer and Stony. On the road side, my absolute favorite local race is Maillot Jaune in Fenton. It's a great loop and I love heading over to the French Laundry for breakfast afterwards. If we could just shorten the opening ceremony a bit, it would be perfect! I also always look forward to Cone-Azalia, and I really liked the new Frankenmuth race last year too.

10.big goals this season?

To help Essex Brass score some wins. We've got some real horses and some new blood so there's no reason we shouldn't do well this year. Michigan is a sprinters paradise and we've got a couple of the best in Bruce Rivera and Terry Palmer. Also, I'd like nothing more than to win an Elite Cross race or two as well. We've got so many great quality crossers here, it's a huge task. I think it hit me what a strong field we've got when both Wiz and Pony won national level races last fall; and Card has shown he can beat them both on any given Sunday as well. Throw Foshag, Simonson, and your occasional dark horse mountain biker into the mix, and we're looking at a pretty deep field! Wish me luck. Ill need it!

11.Have you have been injured? I broke my leg at my first race as a Cat. 2 at Cone-Azalia in 2006. All I wanted to do was finish the race with the main field. About 20 of us made the final right hand turn onto the finishing stretch, and I started to get a smile on my face because I thought I made it. Then all hell broke loose. The group was weaving all over the place and started riding in the gutter on the wrong side of the road, someone up front got off into the gravel shoulder and took a bunch of us down. Not a pleasant drive home.

12. Are you coached or self coached?Self coached.

I use Joe Friel's book as a guide.

13. Big hour training week?

12 - 13 hours.

14. what other interest do you have or hobbies?

Where do I start? This cycling thing has really stifled all of my other interests. I'm pretty much a complete sports fan and I love anything that has to do with the outdoors: hiking, skiing, golf, adventure racing, etc. I'm always down for a good vacation, and I'm always looking for a great new restaurant to try out.

15. favorite place to ride?

In Michigan, I'd have to say that the area around Harbor Springs is pretty fantastic. No traffic, nice climbs, good roads. I guess they used to race up there but that was before my time. I'd definitely make room on my schedule for a state champion ship road race there. I've ridden a little bit in California, Arizona, and Georgia as well and they are all fantastic places to bring your bike. Notice that all of those places have mountains.

16. Friday night, in a NON race time of year? what happens in the Sari house.

Friday night is Pastie night during the off-season. Finnish soul food baby! I'm only 50% Fin, but we need to pay a little homage to our roots every now and again. Alternatively, we might find ourselves in downtown Rochester for dinner at Sumo Sushi or one of the other great places down there.

17. Last C.D. you bought?

Glen Phillips - Unlucky 7. (former Toad the Wet Sprocket lead) 18. good book or Ipod?A good book. I tend to like nonfiction best, but I'm good with an occasional novel as well. IPods are for solo training rides and college students pretending to study.

19. what does ben do on friday night?

You'd have to ask Ben. (editors note, Ben was unable to comment on this at the time)

20. Favorite day of week ?

No doubt Saturday. An early bike ride, big breakfast, some housework, some hammock time in the summer, and family/friends in the evening.

21. occupation ?

I work in the Market Research Dept. at Henkel Corp. doing mostly competitive intelligence. We make Loctite, and chemicals that make paint stick to metal among other things.

22. do you follow a strict diet?

No. Anything in moderation is my motto.

23. would you still ride if you didn't race?

Absolutely. Racing is fantastic, but really it's just the cherry on top. All of the hours spent adventuring around here and there, chatting with friends is what makes riding the bike what it is.

24. CROSS or Road if you had to choose?

Cross!! Knobby tires, drop handlebars, light bikes, carbon fiber all over, dirt, pavement, hills, sand, strength, speed, tactics!!! A little bit of everything cycling has to offer. Nowhere to hide.

25 THANKS your one of the best!! and thank those that keep you rollin!!! Just wanted to say thanks to my wife who puts up with my need to get outside and compete. I know she'd rather have me home more. Thanks to my training partners, especially Todd and Tony, who are so flexible and keep me motivated all year long. Thanks to Jeff Noftz at Kinetic Systems for the occasional attaboy while I was with the Rhino's and for introducing me to cross. Of course thanks to Essex Brass and all our sponsors for having me on the team. And finally, thanks to TMS for the cool blog. Bring back some cross coverage for 2008