News
Articles: Four Corners, Two Wheels
WE had awakened before dawn to get a jump on the desert heat and rolled out under a headlight moon, pedaling fast in the cool morning of the Dolores River Canyon. There were no cars, not out here. There was only the sound of bike tires on asphalt, the river’s murmur, the cascading song of a canyon wren and that beginning-of-the-world smell of river mud in the blue morning. Horses nuzzled the rough cottonwoods by the riverbank. Pale sandstone walls rose up around us and caught the colors of sunrise.
A day like this couldn’t last. “You know what Dolores means, don’t you?” our guide, John Humphries, had asked us earlier with his I’ve-got-plans-for-you grin. “It means sorrow, or pain.”
Soon enough, I would know exactly what he meant.
Published: Jul 31, 2010 - 10:04 AM
Articles: Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian - Luis Leon Sanchez wins three-rider sprint
Caisse d'Epargne rider beats Vino and Sastre
Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) got to pose in the classic Basque Txapela hat after winning the Clasica San Sebastian on Saturday.
Sanchez was the first to attack on the second ascent of the Jaizkibel climb, 40km from the finish, and was joined by Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) and Carlos Sastre (Cervelo TestTeam). However he was far more confident and faster in the sprint and so gave Spain another victory in the only major one-day race on the Spanish calendar.
... CyclingNews
Published: Jul 31, 2010 - 09:09 AM
International News: Cycling News Roundup - 30 July 2010
RadioShack
Teams Announced for Coming "Replacement"Races
Johan Bruyneel on non-invite to Vuelta a Espana... “All of these one-day races are part of the replacement program we had to put in place after we were told we’re not welcome in this year’s Tour of Spain,” continued Bruyneel. “I hope that our victory in the Teams Classification in the Tour de France may be an answer to the organizers of the Vuelta. It feels bitter: the best Team in the World’s hardest race not being invited to participate at the Vuelta. ‘Other teams offered us better options on a sporting level,’ they said to us. We disagree.”
... to read more international news ...
... Daily Peloton
Published: Jul 31, 2010 - 09:03 AM
International News: Schlecks quit Saxo Bank team
Luxembourg pair Andy and Frank Schleck are to leave their Saxo Bank team with a view to joining a home-based outfit next season, Cyclingnews reported the pair as saying on Friday.
"It's official that we will not be riding with (Saxo Bank owner) Bjarne (Riis) next season," Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck said in a message published on the site. "We are going to leave at the end of the year," he added.
Recently, the brothers have been considering setting up a Luxembourg outfit with Saxo Bank set to leave the sport at the end of 2010.
... BikeRadar
Published: Jul 31, 2010 - 08:48 AM
Articles: Sima gets $1.5M from Cannor, adventure park on its way
Some people scoffed when Mt. Sima Ski Resort received $49,000 from Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (Cannor) in April to conduct a “feasibility study” into whether an adventure park at the resort would be a good idea.
“Why not just use the money to start construction?” thought some.
As it turns out, the $49,000 was just the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks to positive feedback provided by the study, Cannor announced Tuesday it will provide Sima with additional $1,555,880 for the construction of an adventure park that could open as early as next summer.
... Yukon News
Published: Jul 30, 2010 - 04:08 PM
National News: Story of the strange ...
Teens suspects for fired cannon
The La Plata County Sheriff's Office has identified several teenagers suspected of firing a cannon at a Durango bicyclist who organized a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis.
Investigators plan to interview the juveniles with their parents present next week, said Ed Phippen, investigator with the Sheriff's Office.
The incident occurred about 8:15 a.m. Sunday on the Colorado Trail, northwest of Durango.
... Durango Herald
Published: Jul 30, 2010 - 09:58 AM
Articles: My latest observations from China
As I mentioned last week, I want to share a few general observations about bicycle use in China. Some of you may remember a post from September of 2008 in which I said that there seemed to be less bikes overall on the roads (I realize I should have said fewer, but cut me some slack…I was still jetlagged). In that post, I pointed out that many of the bicycles that I had seen on previous trips had been replaced with mopeds, motorized scooters, motorcycles, and even electric bikes. I was back in China a couple more times in 2009, and on each trip that same trend toward motorized transport (and away from the traditional Flying Pigeon bikes and pedal powered cargo trikes) seemed to be continuing.
... BicycleDesign
Published: Jul 30, 2010 - 09:03 AM
Articles: The Cycling Library
Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to get to spend the week in New York City. Wow, what a place, that city. A worthy adversary for sure. And now that we are on the subject, I think that it is safe to say that I know why people call it ‘the City.’ It used to piss me off when people from NYC would say that, referring to the place that they call home ‘the City.’ It just sounds so uppity and fucking annoying if I am allowed to speak plainly. And I am.
But when you spend a little time there you start to realize why it has earned its moniker. It has something to do with the people on top of people, but also the accesibilty of everything. The City itself defines exactly what it means to be a city, and then takes it to such an extreme that you cannot help but succumb to it. At least I did.
... Embrocation
Published: Jul 30, 2010 - 01:38 AM
Articles: Saxo Bank finally nails Contador?
Rumors are flying, or should we say pedaling really fast.
Is Alberto Contador about to sign with Bjarne Riis and Saxo Bank. If so, we salute the genius of Riis for having the ability to always turn most every situation to his favor.
What, Andy Schleck and his brother Frank skipping out on you for their own private Luxembourg squad with your former and since fired director sportif? Difficulty lining up a big budget sponsor to keep the team going in the Shlexodus? Rest of the Saxo roster uneasy and wondering if they should blow doors, too?
... Twisted Spoke
Published: Jul 30, 2010 - 01:32 AM
Articles: L.A. Cyclists Fed Up With Sentencing Disparities In Hit And Run Cases Form “Life Before License” Campaign
This photo is from a protest July 27th at the Beverly Hills Courthouse. Cyclists covered themselves with fake blood and met to protest the light sentencing of Celine Mahdavi, who hit a cyclist and fled the scene–she got 90 days community service and 3 years probation, the judge did not restrict her in any way from driving again. If that’s not bad enough, Celine was 18 at the time of the accident and, when pulled over later, tested positive for alcohol. The cyclist she hit,Louis Deliz will be permanently disabled. Read the gory details here. Another protest is planned for this Friday.
... BikeRumor
Published: Jul 30, 2010 - 01:24 AM
Articles: Dave Weagle’s Split Pivot Suspension System Awarded Patent
Dave Weagle, inventor of the DW link, the critically acclaimed suspension system used on Turner and Ibis bikes, amongst others, has just been awarded the US patent for the Split Pivot, the world’s first patented Concentric Drop Out Pivot Suspension system. It’s all very technical but the basics theory is that the rear axle of the bike works as the rear pivot. This allows the separation of the acceleration and braking forces in the suspension as well as giving a very flexible suspension system that can be applied to a wide range of designs. This suspension system is very similar to the Trek ABP system, although it doesn’t seem that this patent is going to affect them at the moment.
... BikeRumor
Published: Jul 29, 2010 - 02:01 AM
Articles: Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian - San Sebastian, ESP, UPT (ProTour)
Barredo back to defend title
Reigning champion brings form to northern Spain
A cure of sorts for the post-Tour de France 'hangover', the Clasica San Sebastian is often a chance for those who missed out on glory in France to take their own piece of the ProTour in a race that means a lot to the Basque locals.
Five of the winners since Erik Dekker's victory in 2000 have been Spanish, such is the meaning of a San Sebastian title to the local riders, many of whom compete in the event off the back of the Tour; a good Grand Tour doesn't mean favouritism status, but it can go a long way in the race.
... CyclingNews
Published: Jul 29, 2010 - 01:55 AM
Articles: Bruyneel apologises for unprofessional Tweet
Team director to apologise to UCI president
Radioshack team director Johan Bruyneel has issued a public apology for unprofessional comments about race commissaires that has seen both team and director become the subject of UCI disciplinary proceedings. Bruyneel lashed out via Twitter after his squad was prevented from wearing an unauthorised jersey during the Tour de France’s final stage.
During the final stage Bruyneel vented his frustration via Twitter, saying: “Ok people! Now it’s official! To be a race commissar you don’t need brains but only know the rules! Their motto: ‘c’est le reglement!’”
... CyclingNews
Published: Jul 29, 2010 - 01:46 AM
Local News: Mt. Sima mountain biking hits snag on opening day
Mt. Sima Ski Resort’s new downhill mountain biking initiative is already facing an uphill struggle.
Just two hours into offering downhill mountain biking to the public for the first time - on one of the hottest days this summer - the motor of the chairlift used to ferry cyclists and their bikes to the summit overheated.
“People have to realize it’s not a safety issue,” said Mt. Sima area manager Guillaume Rochet. “It’s just because it’s warm and the shack at the bottom is not insulated. We have to make sure it works when it’s too warm.
“We have to come up with a solution that provides a lower temperature in the engine room.”
... YukonNews
Published: Jul 29, 2010 - 01:42 AM
Articles: Race tech: A day in the life of a Tour de France race bike
By now, we all have a pretty good idea what riders go through day in and day out at the Tour de France: wake up, breakfast, prepare for the stage, head to the start, sign in, race, head to the next hotel, massage, dinner, sleep, repeat.
But what about the bikes? Just like the riders, there's more to their daily lives than what happens in between the start and finish lines. To find out the rest, we tagged along with the Garmin-Transitions team and followed the primary race bike of sprinter Tyler Farrar from sun-up to sundown on stage 7, five days before he was forced to abandon the race due to earlier injuries.
... BikeRadar
Published: Jul 29, 2010 - 01:37 AM
Articles: Defending the Throne
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. When Lance Armstrong announced he was coming out of retirement in September of 2008, many presumed he would take up his career where he left off—winning the Tour de France.
Popular speculation was that Johan Bruyneel’s protege, Alberto Contador, by dint of his young age could conceivably rack up a longer streak of wins at the Tour de France than Armstrong. And if there’s anyone who hates to be beaten, it’s Mellow Johnny.
Some took a more cynical view. At the point of Armstrong’s retirement, Team Tailwinds, the company behind the US Postal and Discovery Channel Team was facing a fair amount of investigation related to doping. Dissolving the formation took the heat off all involved. And with the investigations into the various scandals sufficiently exhausted, Armstrong returned to the sport with a seemingly fresh start.
... Redkiteprayer
Published: Jul 28, 2010 - 11:03 AM
Articles: Retirement Party
So Alberto Contador won the Tour de France by a margin slimmer than many said was possible, a margin equal to what he clawed out with the aid of Dennis Menchov and Sammy Sanchez on stage 15. We can argue about all the places each rider gained or lost time, but really, the race comes down to two fateful events: Schleck’s mis-shift on 15 and his later 39-second gap in the final time trial. The symmetry of the two events is more difficult to ignore than the economy.
And just to be ultra-clear about this, yes, I’m saying that without help from both Menchov and Sanchez, Contador wouldn’t have won the Tour.
... Redkiteprayer
Published: Jul 28, 2010 - 11:00 AM
Articles: Last slice of Tour de France cheesecake
Twisted Spoke made all sorts of fundamental mistakes at out first Tour de France. Not having a GPS, forgetting France is a huge country, not bringing fast drying underwear.
But perhaps most egregious was willfully ignoring the two cardinal rules of search engine optimization in the Tour de France. If you ain’t writing about podium girls or Lance Armstrong, you’re just plain stupid and not making google cash.
... Twisted Spoke
Published: Jul 28, 2010 - 10:55 AM
International News: Tour de France - Petacchi refuses to talk to police
Italian Alessandro Petacchi, the points classification winner in the recent Tour de France, stayed silent on Wednesday when he met police investigating if he has committed a new doping offence.
"He wanted to speak but I preferred that he kept the right to remain silent," his lawyer Virginio Angelini said after the meeting in Florence.
... to read more click HERE
Published: Jul 28, 2010 - 10:50 AM
International News: Contador to leave Astana
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has decided not to renew his contract with Astana and will leave the Kazakh-funded team at the end of the season.
"Although the position of both parties was not so far from each other, the team wanted to know urgently whether or not (he would renew his contract)," said a statement from Contador's press officer.
"Alberto Contador has rejected the ultimatum of Astana," the statement read, adding the team had expected a decision by Tuesday at the latest on their offer to extend his contract for an unspecified number of seasons.
... Eurosport
Published: Jul 28, 2010 - 10:46 AM
Articles: Haribo makes Andy happy
Luxembourg's Andy Schleck celebrated his third consecutive white jersey triumph by guzzling a whole packet of Haribo sweets during Sunday's showpiece stage to Paris.
While his grown-up rival sank glass after glass of vintage champagne, Schleck feasted on foam eggs and jelly bears, making sure he kept a few of those red heart-shaped gummy chews for his special friend Alberto.
Schleck's close confidants say he is already hoarding a load of multi-coloured rings from the Starmix selection in the event that the Spaniard will accept his hand in civil partnership before next year's race.
... Eurosport
Published: Jul 27, 2010 - 08:24 AM
Articles: Results Now In of London’s First Ever Urban Hill Climb
London’s first ever hill climb TT, held on Swain’s Lane, a 750m kicker on the fringes of Highgate, was a great success yesterday.
An early shower half an hour before the first competitor took to the slope, which starts gently next to Highgate Cemetery but then brutally ramps up to around 20%, left the conditions slippery, but the event passed smoothly and saw lung-busting efforts on featherlight road bikes, fixies and even Bromptons, as the city’s cycling population united in pain.
Winner was Chris Metcalfe of Matlock CC in 1:32.86, closely followed by Germain Burton of De Ver Cycles in 1:33:70 and Dave Clarke of British pro tour team Pendragon-Le Col-Colnago in 1:34:06. It’s a fantastic result by 15-year-old Burton, who beat scores of decent club riders to mark himself out as one to watch for the future.
In the women’s competition, meanwhile, Claire Beaumont of London’s Condor bike shop took top podium position in 2:08:35, ahead of Alexandra Marzec in 2:14:90 and Jo Perriam in 2:17:83.
... BikeRumour
Published: Jul 27, 2010 - 08:19 AM
International News: Armstrong In Hot Water Over Tour Clothing Breach
LONDON (Reuters) - Lance Armstrong and his team RadioShack will face disciplinary proceedings for breaching riders' clothing regulations during the Tour de France, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said in a statement on Monday.
The American, who was diagnosed with cancer before going on to win seven successive Tours from 1999-2005 and returning to the sport in 2009, was riding the famous race for the last time and attempted to wear a black Livestrong shirt instead of his team's red and grey strip during the final day on Sunday.
Published: Jul 27, 2010 - 08:15 AM
International News: Tour de France - Cav wins as Contador makes it three
Record-breaking Mark Cavendish won the showpiece final stage on the Champs Elysees as Alberto Contador became a triple Tour de France winner.
HTC-Columbia's Cavendish beat Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) with an emphatic dash to the line to become the first rider in Tour history to win successive stages on the Champs Elysees.
It was the Briton's fifth stage victory on this year's race - but not enough to move ahead of Petacchi at the top of the green jersey standings.
... Eurosport
Published: Jul 25, 2010 - 09:06 AM
Articles: Tour de France - Chaos over Armstrong jersey
The start of the Tour de France final stage was delayed by 15 minutes in a row over Lance Armstrong's jersey.
On the last day of his final Tour, the American had hoped he and his RadioShack team mates would be able to wear special black jerseys marked with number 28.
That is a reference to the 28 million people Armstrong's Livestrong foundation estimates are living with cancer.
A cancer survivor himself, Armstrong has been promoting the Livestrong foundation on the Tour but his final attempt was denied by the International Cycling Union (UCI) stewards.
... Eurosport
Published: Jul 25, 2010 - 09:03 AM
Articles: Tour de France 19: Contador clinches Tour in close battle
Spain's Alberto Contador virtually secured his third yellow jersey victory in the Tour de France Saturday following the penultimate stage time trial won by Swiss Fabian Cancellara.
Astana leader Contador went into the 52km race against the clock with only an eight-second lead on Andy Schleck and the Luxembourger pushed him all the way before having to settle for second place overall.
... BkeRadar
Published: Jul 25, 2010 - 08:28 AM
Articles: At Taxing Tour, Another Battle of Stamina and Beauty
BORDEAUX, France — Over 3 weeks, 21 stages and 2,263 miles, the Tour de France may be the most grueling sporting event in the world. But a closer look reveals another contest as competitive as what the cyclists have faced along the route that ends on Sunday in Paris.
The unlikely contenders are officially called Tour hostesses but more commonly, and somewhat indelicately, are known as podium girls. These poised and photogenic women have the high-profile job of handing prizes to riders at the finish line of each stage.
As the Tour ends, the hostesses’ finish line is also fast approaching. The plum assignment is to award the jerseys to the top riders in Paris, where the stage is set on the Champs-Élysées. Pictures from that ceremony are seen worldwide.
Published: Jul 25, 2010 - 08:22 AM
Articles: Floyd Landis repeats charges against Lance Armstrong on ‘Nightline’
Floyd Landis took to the airwaves on Friday to repeat his charges that his former U.S. Postal Service teammates — among them Lance Armstrong — transfused their own blood and used banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Landis told ABC’s “Nightline” over the course of a 90-minute interview that he saw Armstrong take transfusions, and that the seven-time Tour de France champion gave him testosterone patches.
“Lance Armstrong handed me some testosterone patches,” Landis said. “It’s just a little patch that you put on your skin. It’s not like it’s a — I mean, a blood transfusion is a bit more dramatic. It’s a large needle. And it’s blood. But a patch that delivers testosterone? A transdermal patch? Not anything dramatic.”
... VeloNews
Published: Jul 25, 2010 - 08:15 AM
