addicted2wheels

3TTT seatpost failure - a reminder

2012-01-13T09:24:00.001+11:00

3TTT seatpost failure_0432, a photo by gtveloce on Flickr.

It's true - aluminium snaps! And it can be very quick (and just as you round a corner)...

Pick the problem here

2012-01-13T09:17:00.001+11:00

Pick the problem_1644, a photo by gtveloce on Flickr.

Yep, it's a broken Felt F75 2009 model single-bolt seat post clamp. Ouch.

And yes, it was a Central Coast pot hole - or sub-optimally completed "road works" if you like. Blew 2 tyres (noticed that!) but didn't notice the fractured clamp for another 3 weeks or so.

Well I noticed that the saddle felt a bit "wonky" but couldn't quite pin down why... until finally the gap widened sufficiently that it wobbled up and down enough to be annoying.... I stopped, inspected and went, "oh, there's the problem, right there!". D'oh, as they say. And other cliches.

You may recall that over the years I have also broken a post (completely, I mean, as in sheared off) and snapped off the bolt that holds the saddle to the post. None of this is recommended practice.

Do you really need a $10K bike? (Short answer = no.)

2011-12-21T11:11:00.001+11:00

But if you have the money to spare, why not?

A $10K bike will absolutely fly, even with me riding it. And it will look great. And it will start conversations and draw admiring glances. Well so you hope, I guess. But the law of diminishing returns applies to bike hardware, big time. That last extra $1K you spend gets you maybe 0.5% more performance. And the preceding additional $5K got you 2%. If that.

Well 2% extra oomph is still worth having, isn't it? You'll win with that, surely? Well, it depends. A $4K bike - or even a $2K one - will be almost as well built and reliable as a $10K one. Sure there will be differences, a top-name brand may indeed be better put together and will most likely weigh less and slip through the air easier, but the differences aren't as major as the marketers and magazine reviewers would like you to think.

A human bieing pedalling a chain driven bike is very efficient anyway and there is little to be gained from the transmission alone. And a triangular frame of any material is stiff by design, so any stiffness (and concomitant power transmission) gains are tiny. And if you think that crank stiffness really matters then you are doing too much time in the gym or are a track sprinter, or both.

You may get some aerodynamic gains - but these don't really matter below 30km/h and only pay off significantly over 40km/h. But even these gains don't really matter unless you are in a solo break, time-trialling or fronting the bunch over long distances. If you are drafting then the savings are non-existent to vanishingly small. But if you are a solo-break kinda rider, especially one with a big personal frontal area, then it may matter; if only to give you more confidence and motivation to stay out there and fry.

You will get some comfort gains, perhaps, or improvements in feel, and maybe - just maybe - better handling from a more expensive bike. But all bike designers know how to make a bike handle, it's not really a black art. And handling will vary with your personal setup and skill in shifting your weight around on the move. So a cheaper bike will likely as not perform much the same as a top-spec one. You may notice a difference when you swap from bike to bike but whether it helps you in a race is debatable. It may all be in the mind.

Mind you, I can't talk: I spent $5K on a Look carbon bike in 1990. That was a lot back then and I thought it would revitalise my racing and training. It was a motivational aid, if you will, and it worked for a while. Until it just became another bike. And then I swapped the groupset to my favourite steel-framed ctit bike and hung the carbon frame up for a while. Mind you, unlike most of my other bikes - and especially the steel ones (all rusted out or sold on) - it's still in my hands and rideable. And it remains light and fast. So it wasn't a bad investment, really.

But did I need to spend top dollar? No. My winningest bike was my first "race" bike, or first bike I raced anyway. It was steel and made in Japan. It was a Shogun. It had mid-spec Shimano components. It was around $700 new in the early '80s. It worked. It won. And as I went up the grades I ugraded from clinchers to tubulars (glue-ons or singles). It went faster still - and still won. But it really wasn't the bike, it was me.

I was motivated, racing was new and fresh to me and I liked winning. So I trained hard and raced even harder. Although I "upgraded" the bike many times (to Gitane, Colnago, Look and a semi-custom steel frame) and went as far as I could go in the local crit grades I never really did any better than I did on that relatively heavy, low-end Shogun.

And to be honest the biggest improvement I ever made to a bike was swapping from clinchers to tubulars. If you really want to go faster, invest in better wheels.

Now if spending big on a bike motivates you to train and race then so be it. Spend the money. You may not get the performance enhancement you expected but you may get a nicer bike that will last longer. And - most importantly - keep you cycling.

Cinelli leather hairnet - blast from the past

2011-11-17T09:01:00.001+11:00

Cinelli leather hairnet_0144, a photo by gtveloce on Flickr.

A what?

Once, long ago, this is what racing cyclists wore on their heads to ward off evil spirits (if they didn't wear a cap and a cabbage leaf as well, anyway). Now they wear plastic and polystyrene foam. Which is weirder?

They were light and cool. They fastened with a simple strap and buckle. They did little to protect the head from anything other than minor object impact. But it's what we had, at least until the "esky" was invented, circa 1980.

The esky was a bulky, hot and heavy alternative that provided much better impact protection but suffered from being, umm, hot and heavy. It was avoided as much as possible - even scorned - at least until the design improved and it evolved into the lightweight, cooler and more effective helmets we wear today.

Another astute signing - Riis signs Cantwell as leadout/sprinter

2011-11-09T09:37:00.001+11:00

The problem with riding and winning consistently in the US is that you get typecast as a "US-based" rider; especially so when you win crit after crit. Everyone knows you are good - but who wants a 'crit specialist' in a WorldTour team? Well Bjarne Riis is taking a punt on one such prolific Aussie rider and I suspect he'll prove a valuable signing for 2012.

Cantwell To Saxo Bank-SunGard For 2012 | Cyclingnews.com

"Jonathan has won many races in the past four years whilst riding in Australia and the States and has shown he is a winner,” said team owner Bjarne Riis. “I feel he now deserves a shot at the very top level. He is a hard working person and a tough guy, and I believe he can further lift his level. So I see Jonathan as an asset for us in the stage races, when it comes to helping out J.J. Haedo in the sprints, or going for a win himself.”

Interesting SBS story on Adam Hansen's adaptation to a new pro team

2011-10-21T08:21:00.000+11:00

Wonder what happened to Adam Hansen? Big news one day, sorta forgotten the next? Well a change of team was on the cards anyway but he jumped ship a bit earlier and perhaps paid the price. He certainly took a while to get his skill-set noticed and used to good effect in his new team. Something to remember when changing teams - or clubs. Unless you are clearly a winning sprinter or top GC rider you have to rebuild your reputation a bit, gain some respect and market yourself. All over again.

It's a good read...

Lotto-Ridley set to strike: Hansen : Cycling Central on SBS

Australian super domestique Adam Hansen is tipping big things for the new-look Lotto-Ridley team and marquee sprinter Andre Greipel in 2012 after a season spent adapting to the outfit.

Prior user Sevilla pinged 6 months for potential masking agent - and other moral dilemmas

2011-09-28T09:20:00.001+10:00

Not that I'm against it at all, doping in sport is as legitimate as breaching technical regs in any sport - or in life generally. After all it's as human to lie, cheat and deceive as it is to be decent, sober and honest. What you are doing is running a calculated risk. If it was motor sport we could almost admire the cheats for their cunning - think about a certain famous Aussie racing driver activating his fortuitously aimed engine-bay fire extinguishers just when his turbo-charged engine needed a denser dose of air - and just let it ride. But when we are the engine on top of the machine it becomes somewhat more of a dilemma. Someone could permanently injure their health by that form of cheating. Should that matter to us, or should we just address the inequity in performance enhancement by drugs?

So by enhancing yourself with a product - any product really - then you are taking yourself into ethically interesting territory. It's just a matter of distinction by degree where you personally draw the line. Drugs vary by effect and danger. Altitude training and cryotherapy costs money and isn't available to all. Some bike makers claim weight, stiffness or aerodynamic advantages that aren't available to others. And so on. How you personally address your individual ethical situation is up to you. You can take a stricter or looser approach and balance your risks accordingly.

Now Oscar Sevilla has previous form here but we should forget that and just look at the situation as it stands. He's a good rider, perhaps even a great one, who has taken decisions that have led to various penalties. He's paid the price. And now he's paying again. Is it any different from speeding in your car and paying the fine or accepting the disqualification?

Sevilla Given Six Month Ban For Hydroxyethyl Starch Positive | Cyclingnews.com

Oscar Sevilla (Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia) has been handed a six month suspension by the Spanish Cycling Federation for his Hydroxyethyl Starch (HES) positive that occurred in last year’s Vuelta a Colombia.

Nice work by Durbridge, Hepburn, Allen at road world champs. Blurred vision and up over the footpath

2011-09-20T08:51:00.000+10:00

It's not just that they are Aussies, it's the style in which they have claimed their medals, too.

Durbridge's blurred vision on lap 1 says it all. Any athlete who has pushed themselves to their limit knows the feeling. Personally I - lowly clubbie that I am - found it easier to achieve on the track in a 1km time trial or 4km pursuit, although I've had it happen on the road when I've been coming back from injury or illness and have tried just a bit too hard to keep up with faster guys or gals in the hills. For the uninitiated it's unnerving and just a little unsafe. You go a bit light-headed and the vision strays a bit. It's a struggle to keep both eyes focused on the one spot. I'm sure many people hold back at that point, if they reach it at all. If you go further then you get the "seeing stars" effect and a general dimming of the lights. Your legs lose their power and you feel all over the place. Now you've gone too deep. (Don't even try it without many months of serious training. And don't blame me if you push your body over the edge and can't come back.)

UCI Road World Championships: U23 Men Time Trial, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

"About a lap in, I was 20 seconds up and then 25 seconds. James (from the team car) told me to keep concentrating and I had little bit of blurred vision because I started fast. But the course suited me and it was just about grinding it out on the flat. In the last 10km, I started to enjoy it. I knew I was up and only had to stay up and bring it home."

Hepburn also had a go, but demonstrated another side of pushing the limits:

UCI Road World Championships: U23 Men Time Trial, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Michael Hepburn of Australia was also favoured for a medal, and set a new best time halfway time. But he appeared to be pushing too hard, one time going up on a pavement after a turn. The final blow came when he took a left hand turn too fast, had his front wheel slip away and down he went. A ripped kit was not the least of his worries, as he had to change bikes as well.

Still, a bronze ain't bad and he certainly got noticed. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. You aim to be fast and smooth but you get fast and ragged instead. One off-line corner leads to a worse one until you are way off course and up on the footpath, or hard on the brakes. Or on the ground.

Nice job by Allen, too:

Allen wins gold for Australia at road world titles : Cycling Central on SBS

Jessica Allen opened Australia’s medal count at the 2011 UCI Road World Championships winning gold in the junior women’s time trial.

And that was just day one.

Nice debut GT win for Sutton at Vuelta - Farrar, Boonen, Petacchi miss out

2011-08-22T08:58:00.000+10:00

I've never met Chris Sutton - but his dad (a world champ on the bike) sold me a track bike once. How's that for a connection? Oh, and I kept a safe riding distance from his hot-headed uncle Shane, too! (I think he's a bit less tense these days.)

Anyway, a nice debut win in a Grand Tour, especially so in front of his mum. I'm sure Uncle Shane wasn't far away either.

Vuelta A España: Stage 2, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Chris Sutton took his debut stage win at a grand tour, out-sprinting Vicente Reynes (Omega Pharma-Lotto) at the end of a disorganised sprint into Playas de Orihuela. The Australian timed his final surge perfectly, jumping in behind Reynes as the Spaniard hit out for the line from the top of the final rise with 300 meters remaining.

One for the trainspotter, the film buff and the freaky bike rider

2011-08-17T13:25:00.000+10:00

Oh I think I can do maybe 1 or even 2% of what this guy can do on a bike. And I'm not going out there now to try some of this out.

It's a nice bit of editing in its own right. Called "Industrial Revolutions", starring street trials rider Danny Macaskill. He's freaky, in a good way. It's been filmed in a deserted Ayrshire industrial area, including a train yard and some derelict buildings. Directed by Stu Thomson. Wow.

Why cycling really isn't a team sport

2011-08-06T11:09:00.000+10:00

A couple of weeks after Cadel Evans has won Le Tour 2011 and I can confidently assert, not for the first time, that cycling is simply, definitely not a team sport. Sure, we dress it up like it is, and we cobble together a passing representation of a team sport at times - look at the team time trial for example - but when it really matters, when the winners stand on the podium, it's clearly, obviously, all about the individual: Cadel won. We glorify the man, who politely thanks his team. But his team, BMC, didn't even get the team prize at Le Tour. Instead they got one man standing atop a podium and a shared prize pool.

This individualism is what appealed to me in the first place. You don't need a team to ride, or to train, or to race. You don't even need a specific time or even an agreed place - you just need you, a bike, some time to spare and some terrain to ride on. After all, it's far more like walking or running than like football or netball, isn't it? Sure, we wrap it all up in an organisation, 'cause people need to organsie things and make it all tidy and legit, but at its essence it's just you and a bike. You call the shots, you hurt, you suffer, you win. Or get dropped. Or whatever.

OK, the teams aspect is real enough at times, true. Cadel didn't win on his own, although at times it looked that way. He had a team behind him who protected him and kept him out of trouble. But when he had to ride, he rode alone against the other talented loners. All of these guys are used to riding long miles on their own. Sure it's great to ride with others, be they teammates or just a loose arrangement of riders you stumble upon. It's fun. It's natural to form a bunch and ride together. But it's neither essential nor the point. Just as surely as it's not about the bike, it's also not about the team, your teammates or your club. Or even your coach. It's about you. And deep down we all know that.

Don't see Gerrans leading the Tour of Denmark every day, do you?

2011-08-06T10:45:00.001+10:00

Lots of Aussies in the mix in Denmark but it's Simon Gerrans who has taken the GC lead. (Nice stage win by Fuglsang, too.)

3 stages to go, including a TT. I suspect Gerrans will be overtaken but I'm not sure when or how. The TT may be the real stumbling block for the Victorian classics and hilly-stage specialist.

Tour Of Denmark: Stage 3, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

General classification after stage 3 Result
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Sky Procycling 13:03:15
2 Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:04
3 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek 0:00:08

Good, short summary by Millar on why Evans won

2011-07-27T12:46:00.001+10:00

Worth a read. Not mind-blowing but incisive and concise nonetheless. Robert Millar was the Scottish climber who really should have won Le Tour but fell short. Life's like that, try and try again as you will but sometimes there's nothing more you can do. Luck can be a factor, as can the presence of another in-form GC guy who just has a better team or better prep. Millar's grasp of the issues makes it plain that the early know-it-all commentary that Cadel's team was wasting energy has a flip-side. But you knew that already, of course.

Why Evans Beat The Schleck Brothers | Cyclingnews.com

In the end, confidence was probably the difference. The whole race, Cadel Evans looked like he was riding to win the Tour, while the Schleck brothers looked like they were trying not to lose.

FWIW I agree with Mia. And I reckon Cadel would, too

2011-07-27T10:26:00.002+10:00

Not that I would presume to know Cadel Evans well enough - or at all - to imagine what he'd think. But I don't believe he'd be so self-opinionated as to back the vitriol that's been poured on Mia Freedman just because she's not prepared to label sportspeople as "heroes". Frankly, it's all about perspective. Athletes, sports personalities, whatever - they may be good, or even great at what they do, they may even inspire you in some way. And that's fantastic. In that way they can be seen as a personal hero - but as a national hero? Well, it's a stretch. Whilst I accept that sportspeople are prominent in Australia's recognised or 'popular' cultural pantheon, if you like, that may have a lot to do with our short history as colonisers here and our lack of knowledge - or recognition - of what came before the British invasion. In time we may well achieve more balance and recognition for others from a wider, more varied selection of fields.

Hopefully from here on we can embrace all achievements in any field and not over-emphasise sport - or Ned Kelly for that matter - over all else. Public holiday for winning Le Tour? I don't think so. However I think there's room here for celebrating Cadel's achievement and recognising that - as he himself has said - he's just a guy riding a bike.

Cadel Evans - is he a hero? Mamamia

I think pursuing a life doing something you’re good at for the benefit of yourself is not heroic. It’s not a BAD thing, I’m not dissing Cadel (of course not!) but the idea that a sports person should be idolised because they can ride far or jump high or swim fast is, to me, a bit odd. I guess I’m just flagging the fact that if you do well in sport, the country and the media stop to worship you in a way that doesn’t happen to anyone else for doing anything else.

The abuse I received was instant and it continues, seemingly unabated. I have a pretty thick skin but by 8:15 I was in tears. I genuinely miscalculated the level of viciousness my comments (which I have made many times before) would provoke. My bad. Not for stating my opinion but perhaps for misreading the mood and the audience.

Many people have made the point that it’s great to have role models for kids to look up to, to encourage them to get on a bike or kick a ball. I agree absolutely. They’re certainly better role models than rappers or reality TV stars.

But I only wish other kinds of heroes would receive the same media and popular adulation, that kids could see that you could be wildly popular for helping others or doing something other than having a physical skill.

Unsurprisingly BMC team would like Evans to win again in 2012. Nice SMH story anyway

2011-07-26T16:42:00.001+10:00

A lot is made of Cadel's age but - despite many falls and broken bones - he's in good health and - for a cyclist especially - he's not especially old at 34. It's not swimming or gymnastics, after all. And in some ways he has also been 'saved for later' by previous teams holding him back from even starting Le Tour; it's not as though he has ridden 16 of them after all. And older, more Grand-Tour-experienced riders like Hincapie and Voigt have shown that Grand Tours can be ridden at seemingly undiminished intensity until you are 38 or 39. Perhaps older. Ekimov comes to mind, too. I guess the Armstrong example also leaps to mind, in the sense that he didn't exactly make his body - and luck - work as well in his last year as he did during his seven straight wins. But how hungry was he, really, the second time around? And what physical effects did the 'retirement' have? Cadel OTOH has not retired and returned, and has just started winning at the Grand Tour level. So his motivation is strong. Personal experience tells me that racing after 40 - even at club level - gets more complicated. But there's little difference in performance between 34 and 35, or even 39, if you maintain a decent level.

BMC chief tipping Evans to go back-to-back in 2012

Evans told his guests at a BMC team celebration dinner on Sunday night that the seed for his desire to one day win the Tour was planted when he was 14 years old. That was in 1991, when he watched Spaniard Miguel Indurain beat American Greg LeMond to win the first of his five successive titles.

''I thought, 'Hey, one day that would be nice to ride that race, wouldn't it'?'' Evans told about 300 guests. ''Many years later, and many, many months, hours and years of hard work, here I am today. Having crossed the finish line on the Champs Elysees with this jersey is really something I can't quite believe.''

BMC chief tipping Evans to go back-to-back in 2012

John Lelangue says Australian is training 'like a junior'. Rupert Guinness reports from Paris.

John Lelangue, the chief sporting director of Cadel Evans's BMC team, says the Australian Tour de France champion could top his remarkable achievement by returning to win cycling's most prestigious race for a second time next year.

On Ligget the Patroniser. Or Forget Le Tour, how about Nankervis winning the Brenco Crit?

2011-07-13T12:27:00.000+10:00

If you were a newbie to cycle racing and took Phil Ligget's word as Gospel truth (God forbid) you could be forgiven for thinking that some - probably most - of the riders in Le Tour had "never won a race in their lives". Believe me I cringe every time he says something patronising like that, as I know that even the lowliest domestique has won umpteen races and could blow apart just about any field in any club race in the world (with the possible exception of Belgian kermesses of course). That they have turned pro and been selected to ride the Tour de France is just another waypoint - a big one, admittedly - in a sporting career that has run for most of their lives. Everyone racing at Le Tour is a winner, even if Phil only counts winning UCI Pro Team points as a worthwhile measure.

Which leads me to mention a US-based ex-Melbourne Aussie cyclist who has 'pursued the dream' on the US crit circuit since around 2006 or so with some success: Tommy Nankervis. Who? Well he has slipped under the radar a bit but here he is picking up a win in Canada's BC Superweek, something not to be ignored. It may not be Le Tour but it's a pro race on a North American racing circuit that pays decent money and employs a lot of Aussie pro cyclists. Well worth noting!

BC Superweek: Brenco Criterium, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Nankervis tops sprint in Brenco

By:
Cycling News
Published:
July 10, 18:13,
Updated:
July 10, 18:14

Full Results
Result
1 Tommy Nankervis (Aus) RealCyclist.com Pro Cycling Team 1:14:29
2 Andrew Pinfold (Can) United Health Care
3 Michael Smith Larsen (Den) Socalcycling team
4 Carlos Alzate (Col) Team Exergy
5 Jacob Schwingboth (Can) Isorex

Peleton skills 101: ride in the middle or the edge? The back or the front? Leipheimer surfs the guardrail

2011-07-08T09:48:00.001+10:00

It's the little details that I like, post-race. What actually happened to Levi? Well he was back too far and on the edge, trying to take his opportunities to move forward. Now if you pick your moment this can be fine - but get it wrong and you pay.

If you are a TdF newbie or have simply never ridden in a large peleton then it's possibly not clear how difficult all of this can be. Deep inside the peleton is warmer, faster and easier - it sucks you along. But it's nervous spot, too. You can't move left or right and there's always someone in front and behind. Getting out of the middle to do anything, be it attack, counter or take 'a natural' involves a lot of work. And if one guy falls, you all go down. So you want teammates around you or 'safe hands' at least and you want to be up the front so you can avoid dramas. Now whilst you may want to be up the front all of the time so does everyone else, and a pecking order develops with special skills employed to enable you to out-compete the others. Sometimes you simply follow a known front-runner and hang on grimly. Other times your team mates take you forward. Or you just give in and make the best of it.

If you are a known rider it may be easier, or harder, depending upon who you need to pass. Risks are taken, and riding on the edge may be the only way to get ahead. And if you are making your way forward just when the peleton gets squeezed by a narrowing road then you have few choices. You ride the grass, accelerate into a gap or drop back - if you can. And if you simply get caught out then you cross your fingers and hope for the best. It may mean a bunny-hop over a gutter or some cross-country work, or a fall. Levi took the fall this time.

Leipheimer Loses Time In Crash | Cyclingnews.com

"You just try to shoot through some gaps and one time, it closed up on me, and I was pinned against the guardrail. I kind of surfed the guardrail for 20 metres. Thankfully that slowed me down.

"Eventually the guardrail ended, and then I fell onto the ground. It didn't do anything. I scraped my elbow a little bit. Compared to yesterday's crashes, that's nothing."

Sunderland makes good sense in his analysis of the 2011 TdF GC riders

2011-07-06T09:29:00.001+10:00

Stage 4 was clearly another short but fierce climb at the end of a punishing stage, one that would sort out the GC guys from the rest - at least by a few seconds. And as expected, Gilbert and Evans were there, their teams making it so by working together in the inevitable chase and final launch. No-one was surprised either to see Contador try to steal some time, although it was a little surprising to see him unable to accelerate into a gap like he usually does. Perhaps the Giro really did take it's toll? Or is he holding back? But in the end it was Evans who had to overcome mechanical adversity, get back to the front and take a gritty win. In so doing he stamped some further authority on himself and his BMC team.

Not forgeting Hushovd's amazing feat in hanging onto the skinny guy's wheels up a wall!

Whilst it's still early days, here's a nice, fair overall analysis by Scott Sunderland from today's SMH:

This time Evans can win, says his spoiler

''Cadel is a very strong time triallist, and a very good climber - the third asset he's got is his positioning [in the bunch]. And in the stages before the mountains he can still do something. We've seen in the classics that he is a bit above Schleck and Contador there … the only thing he is missing is the accelerating speed and power that Schleck and Contador have in the mountains. If he can be calm and reserved and the team and management can protect him, then in the third week when it comes down to attrition, they won't be able to ride away from him.''

Crash splits field, GC leaders wait for Contador... uh, maybe not this time

2011-07-03T11:21:00.001+10:00

Of course it's different if you drop a chain or make a clumsy, newbie gear-change, then you are expected to wait, aren't you? But if a spectator brings half the field down then it's open slather, apparently. (Armstrong proved that in '99.) And of course Cancellara didn't call a "too dangerous" truce this time either. That nit-picking aside, it's sad to see the competition for stage honours reduced in such a way, let alone Contador losing over a minute. And no I'm not a fan of waiting for riders who have made their own mistakes, but it's a fine line that gets drawn sometimes and a difficult one to be certain about. That's bike racing.

I still don't think the pure sprinters had a chance but a few of the more experienced hands would have played things differently had they been able to get up the front, post-crash. Mind you, Hushovd had a dig, unlike Boonen, Cavendish, Renshaw and Goss who seemed to hit the wall somewhat. At least they were there. Can't blame Greipel, he did a ton of work for Gilbert. In the end it was Lotto's protected rider doing what he does on a hill like this, and Cadel Evans pretty well doing what he does best as well - grinding it out steadily up a hill at a pace few can match. If there had been another 100m to go then Evans may well have passed Gilbert, but it's all in the timing, ain't it?

Tour De France: Stage 1, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

when they realised that Contador wasn’t among them, they showed no mercy, driving the group and quickly carving out a forty-second advantage. Behind, Contador seemed isolated.

Sudden interest in this shot of Camperdown velodrome

2011-06-28T09:54:00.001+10:00

Camperdown-velo-Sydney-1000, a photo by gtveloce on Flickr.

Why has this pic of Sydney's Camperdown Velodrome suddenly taken lots of hits on Flickr? Don't know.

This is the Sydney 1000 final in 1982. It was a warm day during a dry spell. The riders, officials and spectators are all (obviously!) much older now - and the velodrome is gone.

The advertising is interesting. Last time I Iooked Cyclesport was still a shop at Thornleigh - but I'm not so sure that Bennett Bicycles is still with us. Fortunately we do still have Tempe and Bass Hill velodromes to play on, and the rest... but a lot of memories went with this track.

I suppose I should mention that Camperdown velodrome replaced my local velodrome at Henson Park in the late 60s/early 70s. It was a massive, shallow saucer around the then Newtown RLFC home ground. Luckily I rode my (road) bike on it before the council ripped up the old track to put in better floodlighting. (Not that it did any good for Newtown, which was relegated anyway). Dulwich Hill bike club got the more compact Camperdown in exchange, at least until about 10 years ago when it was closed down, cleansed and remediated as parkland (apparently the previous use as a tip had left an excess of toxins).

View Larger Map

For some reason I feel awfully sad about those 4 seconds. Cunego was meant to win this time, surely?

2011-06-20T10:42:00.001+10:00

It's something about the company he keeps, I guess. I used to like Leipheimer's style and I guess I still do... a bit. But to my mind Cunego should have taken it. Just one of those feelings I guess.

Leipheimer snatches Tour de Suisse victory from Cunego : Cycling Central on SBS

Levi Leipheimer stole overall victory on the final day of the Tour de Suisse with a strong performance in the ninth stage, a 32.1km time trial won by Fabian Cancellara.

25m? Yes, that's a small velodrome. A TTT would be interesting...

2011-06-16T09:05:00.001+10:00

With thanks to impactcycling forum for pointing it out..

I initially thought "ridiculous" but then warmed to the idea. There were somewhat larger but still small indoor velodromes during cycling's hey-day in Sydney early in the 20th Century, like the (140m?) Surry Hills board track (later moved to Canterbury before being added to the current horse racing reserve). And reportedly an even shorter and steeper(100m?)track in an old shed at Carlton near Hurstville. Some people believe that the shed still exists as an art supplies shop - and whilst I can visualise it (I've been there to check it out) it can't have been even 100 around, surely, and it must have reached the roof to get enough banking... perhaps it was just a bit bigger than this new London one... which is 25m!!

A hot lap is around 3.2 seconds or so... and the trick is to ride smooth with constant pedal pressure and stay low on the banking.

Anyone for a sprint?

What we don't want = possible defendent getting 'awkward' with probable witness

2011-06-15T09:26:00.001+10:00

I can understand Armstrong's position - he has a lot a stake and only one small (annulled) doping violation to his name (for topical cortisol, if memory serves) - yet here he is getting all "awkward" with a doubly-busted-for doping ex-team-mate who has gone public with a bit of a lively story. Be the yarn true or not, why bother talking with the guy? Let alone getting awkward about it. Was he just stilted in his conversation, or was there a bit more aggro there?

SBS: Cycling Central : Awkward encounter for Armstrong and Hamilton

Tyler Hamilton, who recently went public with his claim that Lance Armstrong doped, had an awkward encounter with the seven-time Tour de France champion at a Colorado restaurant at the weekend, US media reports.

ESPN.com reports Hamilton was unnerved enough by the incident to inform his lawyers, who told the sports website they had formally notified US authorities of what they consider "aggressive contact" initiated by Armstrong.

Not sure about traffic laws in NYC but this guy sure knows how to fall off a bike

2011-06-10T12:47:00.000+10:00

Hmm. Stand-up and run "bike" the ElliptiGO has everything except the "go"

2011-05-31T11:29:00.000+10:00

Whilst I can understand the "why" - bikes can feel alien at first, especially for runners - I'm not so sure that this idea isn't so niche as to be next to useless. Unless you absolutely have to stand at all times and can't imagine pedalling, why bother?

Just imagine - standing all of the time, constantly in the wind, creating as much drag as you possibly could. And when you hit a hill over 5% what happens? Do you get off and walk? Just to put all of this in perspective I can "comfortably cruise" at 30kmh on my bike, or walk similar distances at around 10-12kmh. In both cases I can handle inclines of up to 21% or so pretty comfortably. So the ElliptiGO would fall in between but be a real get-off-and-slug up hills. And then there's the price... I guess there'll be a market - there's always a market for something "look-at-me" whacky.

New ElliptiGO 3C 'running on air' bike released

The company says that runners/riders should be able to comfortably cruise at speeds of between 12 to 15 mph (19 - 24 kph) and be able to handle inclines of up to five percent, or can push their workout up a notch and get up to 20 to 25 mph (32 - 40 kph). Different-sized users can be accommodated by adjustment of stride length (between 16-25 inches/41-64 cm) and by way of the telescopic steering column.

Contador victorious in Giro 2011 - for now at least. Do we care?

2011-05-30T09:23:00.001+10:00

It's not just the appeal hanging over his head, it's the whole sense of unease that hangs over the sport. Part - if not most - of which is the residual "Lance effect", that feeling that winning should not look so easy and be so repeatable. As in endlessly repeatable. Yes, I know, you can't judge effort on appearances, and you certainly can't pass judgement on a rider - a person - simply because of their performance on a bike. But Contador was streets ahead, again, against a field that - let's be honest - lacked some of the stars that it should have had. Which probably wouldn't have mattered, given Andy Schleck's current form, but it somehow made this Giro a little less compelling.

Which leaves room to wonder if he'll be able to peak again in July, given that the CAS appeal has slipped back. At least we'll see all of the big guns there, hopefully motivated and on top form for a long, hard - and closely fought - Tour.

And we can't leave Italy without noting the sad loss of life: RIP Wouter.

Giro D'Italia: Stage 21, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) sealed overall victory in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday with a third place finish in the concluding time trial in Milan, won by David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo). In the battle for second place, Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) held off the challenge of a flagging Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale), on a day that saw few decisive brushstrokes added to the Giro's overall picture.

A story worth retelling... David McKenzie and that Giro stage win, 11 years ago...

2011-05-17T11:20:00.001+10:00

It didn't get much notice in the local Aussie mass media back then but it was certainly noted by the cycling community. Not just a stage win but a mammoth effort to ride away solo and win alone, almost a minute ahead of the pack. Hard enough to do that in a club crit let alone in a Grand Tour...

SBS: Cycling Central : L’Amore di Teramo

The stage was 182km in length. McKenzie took flight just 18km in.

Some stories say you made a bet with Robbie McEwen, who was riding for Farm Frites at the time...

“It wasn’t so much a bet. They started the stage (with the) usual attacks, left, right and centre. And then I rolled up beside him, and I was trying to get through to attack. By then everyone had called a truce; they called ‘piano’.

“And they were all across the road, and I said (to McEwen): ‘I want to go! I’ve got good legs, I want to attack!’ And he just said, ‘Go! Duck up the inside here. Jump out.’ You know what Robbie’s like – he’s like, ‘F**k ‘em, just do it!’ That was the conversation. That was pretty much what was said.”

SBS: Cycling Central : L’Amore di Teramo

the peloton completely miscalculated the strength and tenacity of the blond-haired boy from Ballarat, and McKenzie won the stage by 51secs. “Nothing beats it. You wish you could go back and have the last 300m of the stage. Every now and then, I wish I could have it just once more,” he told me in our October 2005 interview, days after he announced his retirement from professional cycling. On the 22nd of that month and following the finish of the Melbourne to Warrnambool, a race he won four years previous, ‘Macka’ called it a day.

Some more background...
Echelon1

McKenzie heralded his coming of age with a career highlight by winning stage seven of the 2000 Giro D'Italia in a 164km solo break-away. He capped off a great year by being named Australian Male Road Cyclist of the Year.

And another retelling of that stage win....
Where Are They Now? -David McKenzie

Dave talks about crossing the finish line as if it somehow broke a spell, and recalls Jens Voigt’s comment once about it being a special moment that only the rider can enjoy and understand. Dave is too positive for regrets, but he would love to experience those last few hundred metres again.

The little Aussie Espresso crossed the line 51 seconds clear and was rugby tackled off the bike by an exhuberant support team. The rest is a blur, except the vivid memory that each and every one of the Aussies racing that day all came and hugged him, sharing his special moment.

Backfire marketing - run a cycling-related competition that excludes NSW, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, India, Rhode Island, New York, Florida, Puerto Rico...

2011-04-29T08:55:00.000+10:00

Don't you love seemingly global competitions that deep down in the fine print exclude significant populations? Yes, I understand national and state laws are the usual "reason" for this but somehow I think it could be worked around a bit better, or at least made more obvious. Otherwise readers just waste their time looking at web pages and filling out forms. And whilst that's the point of this marketing exercise anyway it does set in train some negative feelings when you realise that you've just done what they wanted - for little or no return. You aren't likely to win anyway but in fact you were never even eligible. Sucked in, as they say.

CyclingNews is a familiar culprit and they are up to it again with this Specialized comp (and I like and use Specialized gear, by the way):

Rules - Win Specialized Bikes Gear with Cyclingnews.com

6. Unless otherwise stated, each Competition is open to all who are 18 years and over, except: 6.1 residents of Belgium, Norway, Sweden, India, Rhode Island, New York, Florida and Puerto Rico, New South Wales (Australia) and any country embargoed by the United States

Not forgetting this catch-all that doesn't apply in the case above but is another nagging irritant, especially given that CyclingNews started in NSW, Australia in the first place:

FutureNet - Competition Rules

Unless otherwise stated, each Competition is open to all GB residents of 18 years and over, except employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s).

Grrrr. I must move on and get a life.

A wet Coogee Crit circa 1987

2011-04-27T11:31:00.001+10:00

Coogee Crit 1987_042, a photo by gtveloce on Flickr.

This is a wet Coogee crit during the Bank Race. Judging by the mix of toe clips and Look pedals plus the 'leather hairnets' it's probably 1987 or so.

Dean Woods was in the crowd but strangely enough he didn't recognise me (not that he should've!)

The Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic was Australia's biggest road tour, running for 19 years until (I think) 2000.

Bling takes another win in Europe

2011-04-26T11:34:00.001+10:00

Nice to see that Michael 'Bling' Matthews is back to his winning ways. Meanwhile Cadel Evans returns this week to contest Romandie after quite a long break. Given that he is skipping the Giro this year presumably he'll be fresher than last year when he starts Le Tour. And if that doesn't go well he can always say he was underdone. Let's hope we see no need for any such excuses.

Michael Matthews takes sprint victory in Rund um Köln

Michael Matthews (Rabobank) won the 95th edtion of the Rund um Köln (Tour of Cologne), the race traditionally held on Easter Monday each year, at the head of a bunch sprint. The Australian under-23 World champion outsprinted Marcel Kittel (Skil-Shimano) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Leopard Trek) at the end of the hilly 203.5km race.

Cadel's Diary | Cadel Evans 2011 - The Official Site of Cadel Evans - World Champion 2009, Tour de France runner-up in 2007,2008.

From here, the focus of the pro cycling world shifts towards the stage races. And now, after a month of physio, recovery and lighter than planned training, I get ready to start back at an old favourite race of mine, Tour de Romandie.

Injured Aussie climber Matt Lloyd released by his team? For 'behavioural reasons'? That sounds about right

2011-04-15T09:11:00.001+10:00

Or is he simply injured and struggling to regain form? He has been in the wars physically, especially with the back injury, and coming back to top form after any injury is hard enough (some of us never get back at all, do we?). Well that may well be, but you'd imagine Lotto would stand by him for at least a full season. As a side issue he is also just a bit too philosophical about life, isn't he? And we can't have that! Let's put him in the 'too much like Cadel' basket and move on. Perhaps he'll get an offer from BMC in due course?

SBS: Cycling Central : Lloyd released by Omega Pharma-Lotto

The Belgian Omega Pharma-Lotto team announced today the termination of its contract with Australian rider Matt Lloyd.

The team strongly clarified that doping was not behind the decision but hinted at unspecified behavioral reasons for the termination of the specialist climber.

Omega Pharma-Lotto Release Matt Lloyd | Cyclingnews.com

Lloyd won the climber's competition at the 2010 Giro d'Italia but had a difficult winter after being hit by a car in Melbourne in December. He underwent surgery on his shoulder and also suffered spinal injuries.

Omega Pharma-Lotto Release Matt Lloyd | Cyclingnews.com

"Of late, subconscious elements have crept in slowly and steadily leading to a bogus phase of being so eager to be involved mixed with the slow process of recovery we cannot be 100 percent sure the first race will be of the highest quality, but thankfully the people surrounding me have blessed me with the confidence to once again feel the heat around the corner. Not to mention a brilliant team who’ve given me the opportunity to once again step it up a notch in order to remain directly driven towards the event I anticipate the most - The Giro D’Italia..

"If I've been bleeding in places you cant see, and feeling the affects of doors being locked, I’ve called the people who change the locks, and the gate is open...All I have to do is ‘open the gate’.."

Lloyd Suffers Second Training Accident In Three Months | Cyclingnews.com

"There was a lady and she was on her way to a Valentine's date and she was late," he explained. "She turned into a driveway and she wasn't looking. She said, 'sorry, sorry I'm running late for my Valentine's date.' I said, 'don't worry about it it's just my knee, make sure you're not late for cupid's arrow.' She was pretty nice and I just thought, shit happens, let it go."

Lloyd Breaks Shoulder, Injures Back In Training Accident | Cyclingnews.com

It is his second back injury, following damage to his lower back in a crash at the Amstel Gold Race in 2009. “There’s damage to two or three parts of the upper part of the spine, which is okay for me because I think last year I broke seven of the lower ones so I’m trying to spread it out a bit,’’ Lloyd said.

The X Rays show it’s (vertebrae) a bit buckled and twisted due to the swelling, but generally according to what (the doctors) said that can slowly repair itself and everything can come back together quite smoothly.

Wow. Would make a great crit course - urban MTB race in Chile #cycling

2011-03-31T07:56:00.000+11:00

Boonen wins Gent-Wevelgem but note that Mitch Docker was 6th - ahead of Cookie

2011-03-28T13:16:00.001+11:00

Can't say it's a bad day when you end up 6th in the company of greats in a Spring Classic... plenty of stars (including McEwen) waaay back.

Gent - Wevelgem: Results, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

6 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano

Evans waits and wins Stage 6, and Simon Clarke hangs on to some classy wheels

2011-03-15T08:48:00.001+11:00

A nice win by Evans but whilst the Italians were doing their best to smash each other it's also notable that Simon Clarke was still there in that same lead bunch... and there are some classy riders behind him.

Tirreno-Adriatico: Stage 6, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Cadel Evans (BMC) took advantage of the internecine rivalry between Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) on the final climb to Macerata to strengthen his command of Tirreno-Adriatico. The Australian watched as the Italian pair shut one another down in the finale and then unleashed a devastating acceleration of his own to take a resounding stage victory and consolidate his overall lead.

Tirreno-Adriatico: Stage 6, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Riders of the calibre of Andy Schleck and Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) were among those deposited unceremoniously out of the back once the road pitched upwards, but it was at the front end of the race where the real drama took place.

Tirreno-Adriatico: Stage 6, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

1 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 4:37:58
2 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli
3 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
5 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
6 Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
7 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
8 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
10 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack
11 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team
13 Simon Clarke (Aus) Pro Team Astana
14 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Sky Procycling 0:00:09
15 Marco Pinotti (Ita) HTC-Highroad
16 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:00:11

SBS: Cycling Central : Evans grabs gutsy Tirreno-Adriatico stage win

Evans went into the penultimate stage with just a 02sec lead on Italy's Ivan Basso (Liquigas), and, riding into the finish after strong support from his BMC team, found himself facing several attacks late in the 178km stage from Ussita to Macerata.

The Australian, however, fought back every time a gap opened up, and even had to deal with some elbow argy-bargy in the final kilometre with former teammate Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), before pulling away from a select group in the final few hundred metres.

Should mentions: Goss wins stage, takes Paris-Nice lead, Henderson's sprint win... more from Jens

2011-03-09T08:58:00.001+11:00

Just so I can say I mentioned it... you may have missed it, who knows? Since I was on the website anyway I may as well post something and add to the noise...

Haussler, Goss, Henderson... all have their sprint legs on but have the ability (like Hushovd) to get over the hills, too. It'd be nice to see them all line up in France in July, but it's a long season... and it takes a lot of planning as well as skill, fitness and luck to keep it together throughout a year. Freire is also in fine form and fall-plagued Cavendish shouldn't be discounted. San Remo is certainly looking good.

Nice also to see NZ neo-pro Sergent take a big win. RadioShack seem to be doing quite well without Armstrong...

SBS: Cycling Central : Goss in charge following Paris-Nice third stage

Tasmanian Matthew Goss took the Paris-Nice race lead after edging out Heinrich Haussler and Denis Galimzyanov at the end of the 202.5km stage from Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire to Nuit-Saint-Georges in Burgundy.

SBS: Cycling Central : Henderson wins Paris-Nice second stage

New Zealand's Greg Henderson won a sprint finish to take the second stage of the Paris-Nice overnight.

SBS: Cycling Central : Team time trial to set tone at Tirreno-Adriatico

British sprinter Mark Cavendish and his HTC-Highroad team will hit the ground running at Tirreno-Adriatico starting tomorrow night.

The seven-day race will for the first time open with a team time trial that will set the tone for the 160-strong field competing in Tuscany.

The world’s best sprinters and one-day specialists traditionally use the Race of the Two Seas as preparation for the classics, especially Milan San-Remo (March 19).

SBS: Cycling Central : Sergent claims Three Days of West Flanders

New Zealand neo-professional Jesse Sergent added a big win to his palmares claiming the Three Days of West Flanders overnight in what was a clean sweep for his RadioShack team.

Not to mention yet another word or 1,000 from Jens Voigt....

Cycling Tips

This week Christopher Jones from Bicycles Network Australia contacted me about something exciting you’ll all be interested in. Christopher spends his time living between Sydney and Berlin and after months of trying to line up an interview with Jens he finally got his chance. Once he got Jens on the phone, the next day they were sitting in a cafe around the corner having a chat.

Racing, radios, HUD, SMS, nano-tech... if they aren't puppets on a string yet, maybe next season

2011-03-03T11:49:00.001+11:00

In 30 years of racing I have never used a radio. OK, it was just club racing, I know, but it mattered to us. Nevertheless we always found a way to communicate during a race. Although most of my racing has been as an "individual" rather than in a team, club mates would still magically "coordinate" to be in the right place at the right time, to close down or block as needed. And we usually found out about hazards, too, although the pack of roos suddenly crossing our path during one Canberra 2-Day Tour was an interesting surprise. I doubt a DS on the radio yelling "watch the roos!" would've been of much extra use.

What we didn't always know were gaps, and sometimes - rarely - we missed that a guy had gone "up the road". Until we rolled in later and found out we were only riding for 2nd. Now if we'd had a DS with a radio maybe we'd have ridden harder, earlier, and closed the gap. That's my preamble to this radio debate, anyway.

Now if I can edit this down to a few key lines, the argument against 2-way rider radios in pro bike races is simply that the riders lose some spontaneity and independence in their actions, leading to greater predictability and "sameness" about the racing tactics and strategy. Big, hairy audacious attacks are less common because one team DS will say "no, don't do it!" or the others will say "chase!".

OTOH as Scott Sunderland has pointed out in his interview in the link below some of that spontaneity has been lost anyway because fewer riders are racing all season and using racing as training. They are now racing less but when they ride they are all racing, almost all of the time. So bold moves are shut down quickly in the modern manner. He also notes that poor communication of hazards, incidents or tactics could jeopardise the chances of a key - and expensive - investment, namely the modern pro bike racer. And in the modern world of sponsored teams that matters.

But others will still say that the sport is suffering and that we will all switch off if it doesn't regain that "heroic" scale of bold move again. If the fans switch off then we'll still lose sponsors. We can't win either way so a compromise is in order, perhaps. And so they (the UCI and the teams) will finally sit down and talk.

But what if we went the other way, and we imposed even greater control? Just as an idea, as a concept, it is becoming plausible that the DS in the car could not only direct the riders tactically but also use wireless technology to control the bike. I'm not saying "let's do it" but it's interesting to ponder as a "what if". With electronic gearing there's nothing to stop the team from overriding a rider's gear choice - apart from a missing radio link to the gear actuation mechanism, anyway. With that link in place the DS could look at the biological parameters of their star rider - heart rate, power and possibly in the near future core temperature as well - and choose a "better" gear for their rider than they would choose themselves. Or if a rider disobeyed the DS then they could be overridden by a remote gear selection that slowed them down. It's just a thought.

I'm sure it'll never happen, but like miniature electric motors hidden in hubs or bottom brackets, it could be done. (Riders could also swallow nano-scale biological sensors before their race and relay key real-time data to their support staff. Now that I think will definitely happen.)

SBS: Cycling Central : Different battlefield, different weapons

“A lot of the tactics and analysing the race and how it will go – for example, the year that Stuart [O’Grady] won [Roubaix] – my decisions and tactics come into that. But through the events of the day, they knew where they needed to go and I was just giving them information – time gaps, whether they need to go a bit quicker or slower. They still need to make so many decisions: riding in the wind or out of the wind, what gears they’re pushing... No, they’re not puppets on a string.”

Leopard-Trek have actually won (and placed) a race? My world has collapsed.

2011-03-03T08:16:00.001+11:00

At last.

SBS: Cycling Central : Klemme wins Le Samyn for Leopard-Trek

Germany’s Dominic Klemme celebrated a solo victory at the GP Samyn overnight to put Leopard Trek on the board for the 2011 season.

The 24-year-old attacked on the final climb of the 193.1km race into Dour passing Belgium’s Kevyn Ista (Cofidis) who finished eight seconds off the pace for second.

Klemme’s Leopard-Trek team-mate Robert Wagner finished third in what was a successful day for the new ProTeam outfit that silenced critics questioning its lack of victories this season.

Why did Boonen attack? Did he really think the winning move was at the 6km mark? Practising his TT?

2011-02-28T09:11:00.001+11:00

It looked like he was committed, so he probably meant it. Was it just to show his face to the fans (and sponsors), knowing that his sprint is under-done? Extra intensity training? Anyway, nice lead out work by Sky lead to a good win by Chris Sutton. Dad Gary and Uncle Shane will both be pleased.

OffLine: Sutton wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne classic - Final 6 km video

Sutton wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne classic - Final 6 km video
Sutton clearly wins but the Belgian commentators are somewhat surprised and take a while to be certain. Boonen wastes himself in a bold attack but is brought back. And fun and games as riders miss the roundabout and find a photographer instead (4km to go mark).

McEwen's interesting training ride from Nashik to Mumbai - a good story

2011-02-17T15:41:00.000+11:00

With all of the assumed and presumed doping and what have you going on you could easily lose sight of what makes the bike so enjoyable - the sheer pleasure of covering long distances under your own steam. It's what drew me into the sport in the first place, a mere 37 years ago! Bravo to the likes of Hunter, Elliott and McEwen for taking the scenic route!

Robbie McEwen and Co. head cross-country in India

McEwen was joined by RadioShack teammates Sam Bewley and Robbie Hunter, the South African Bonitas team, keen to put in some miles ahead of next week’s Tour of South Africa, and members of the UK-registered Motorpoint team, including racer/manager Malcolm Elliott.

They rode 140km, heading out of Nashik and taking in the opening 50km of Friday’s race route. Instead of turning around at the bottom of a wide gorge, as they did Friday, they kept on heading southwest toward Mumbai.

Nice win for Moncoutie - Feillu really needed a body swap with his brother to win this one

2011-02-14T10:27:00.002+11:00

David Moncoutie always seems to have the goods when it matters, although this has to be one of his better, more tactical wins. As for overnight leader Romain Feillu, he really needed to swap his sprinter's legs for younger brother Brice's climbing ones. But that's probably not allowed under the rules, eh?

Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel: Stage 5, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Yellow jersey Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil-DCM) was never likely to hold on to his advantage on the 9.9% slopes and he would ultimately lose 2 minutes and slip to 25th overall by the day’s end as the peloton fragmented on the climb.

Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel: Stage 5, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Moncoutié’s Mont Faron experience was to prove telling in a dramatic finale, however, as he intelligently timed his effort. He pressed clear of a ten-man chasing group in the final two kilometres and went on to catch and pass Péraud 350 metres from the line. He came home 7 seconds clear of the AG2R man and 18 ahead of Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervélo). Other pre-stage favourites Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and Dan Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) could only manage 12th and 36th, respectively.

Romain Feillu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Romain Feillu (born April 16, 1984 in Châteaudun, Eure-et-Loir) is a French road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam Vacansoleil-DCM. He is the older brother of Brice Feillu, who is also a road racing cyclist.

The 2 Robbies deliver on flat tyres... didn't Sean Kelly specialise in this sort of rim-riding?

2011-02-14T09:01:00.001+11:00

It's always disappointing to feel that softening tyre under you, more so when you've ridden through all but the last few kays of a race. So Hunter can be doubly pleased to still get the win.

I can recall Irish hard-man sprinter Sean Kelly doing something similar back in the 80's but can't remember which race that was. I think he won on the rim itself - but maybe not? As McEwen said, it's hard to control the fishtailing when you have bottomed out.

The ‘two Robbies’ deliver big weekend in India for RadioShack

“We actually both punctured. He won the race on a half-flat tire. When I was coming off the bridge with about a kilometer and half to go, I felt it was half-gone, but as I got across the bridge, my rim was hitting the road. I couldn’t pedal without my bike just fish-tailing,” McEwen said. “Just as I was about to tell Rob – I saw him bouncing on his (wheel) – he turned around and said, ‘I’ve got a flat!’ I said you have more air than I have, so go for it. Mine was totally gone, but it was too late to change a wheel and get back, it was never going to happen. We were coming down the bridge at full speed, so I told Robbie, you’ve got to sprint on yours because mine is gone.”

Good velonation interview with Lachlan Morton, U23 Aussie rider in Langkawi race

2011-01-31T14:20:00.001+11:00

Being based in Boulder may work against being noticed back in Oz, but he should be...

Lachlan Morton interview: Youngest rider in Langkawi field shining against pro competitors

It’s notable that the Tour de Langkawi race leadership was held this week by a 42 year old, but what is even more impressive is the stunning ride by the Australian Lachlan Morton. He turned 19 years of age earlier this month and in his first race as an under 23 competitor, is underlining why he is regarded as one of the most promising young riders in cycling.

Lachlan Morton interview: Youngest rider in Langkawi field shining against pro competitors

“It went a bit better than my expectations,” he told VeloNation the day afterwards. “I always wanted to do well there – it is the sort of race that I believed would suit me. The team put faith in me and rode for me pretty much all day. When you get to the bottom of a climb like that and you haven’t really touched the pedals yet, I figured I’d better try and finish it off.”

Lachlan Morton interview: Youngest rider in Langkawi field shining against pro competitors

Competing against his own age group, Morton won the 2010 Tour de l’Abitibi. The UCI World Cup race is regarded as arguably the top junior stage race in the world and he took a road stage, the time trial and the overall general classification. In doing so he echoed the earlier victories of Taylor Phinney, Tyler Farrar, Taylor Phinney, Laurent Jalabert and Alex Steida in the event.

Can't wait for the press conf. Only 1 year off for Bert? I guess Andy won Le Tour after all.

2011-01-27T11:02:00.001+11:00

There's so much to think about here. Alberto can appeal, firstly. Or he can cop it sweet and have another rest year. Or he could just retire. It also opens up a spot for an unemployed rider or 2 in Bjarne's team. And it presumably moves Andy Schleck up a place into the winner's spot of the 2010 Tour. He'll really want to win this year to prove himself. And with no Contador it opens up the 2011 season once again. All very bizarre.

It's a tough enough sport anyway without this constant revisionism. Whilst a level playing field is ideal - as a rider myself the concept of "fairplay" makes a lot of sense - this is terrible price to pay for what I described earlier as a homeopathic dose of a drug that may in fact do very little. Sadly there also remains a chance that Contador took it unknowingly, as much as we may like to think we've just brought down another cheat. Either way, rules are rules.

SBS: Cycling Central : Contador one-year ban is offiicial

"Alberto Contador has received today a notification of one year ban proposal by the Competition Committee of the Spanish Federation," said the spokesperson.

"Therefore, together with Bjarne Riis (director of his team Saxo Bank), a Press Conference will be held next Friday, January 28, at 16:00 hours (2am AEDT, Saturday), at the Hotel Son Net in Palma de Mallorca, to express their opinion about this case."

Contador To Receive One-year Ban For Clenbuterol Positive | Cyclingnews.com

Contador tested positive for a low level of the banned substance Clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France's second rest day in Pau. He claimed the adverse finding was the result of contaminated meat. He was provisionally suspended by the UCI in September after the announcement of the test results was made.

Media get braver as Lance gets closer to 2nd retirement. Crucifixion next?

2011-01-24T12:37:00.002+11:00

The "old lies" may well be old but they are getting aired to a wider and deeper audience than ever before. Armstrong has always denied these claims, and he has been deified instead for his achievements as a cancer-survivor, fund-raiser and athlete. But as he nears his 2nd retirement he has become something of a big, slower-moving target. Just as he draws praise for his positive impact on the Tour Down Under, so he comes under fire by the "old liars". It's feeling a bit like open season at the moment, especially with fellow Tour-winner, former teammate and adversary Alberto Contador facing his own inquisition.

The truth is out there, but will it ever be known? Or trusted?

Lance Armstrong faces tough ride - ex mechanic | Stuff.co.nz

A Wellington bike shop owner whose testimony could help bring down Lance Armstrong believes the seven-times Tour de France champion is in danger of becoming a permanent "symbol for decades of corruption".

Matt White wins, gets sacked for 'referring' Trent Lowe to dodgy USPS team doctor?

2011-01-24T09:41:00.001+11:00

Who knows. Was it really because of this 'referral' or was it at least partly because of his suggested 2012 'GreenEdge' connection? Vaughters has certainly played down any speculation about doping, or about a potential GreenEdge or Aussie national team conflict. It has to be said also that Matt White tested clean as a rider and whilst speculation has surrounded his past racing connections it has not amounted to anything more that. So his 'referral' of Trent Lowe (ex-Discovery as well as Garmin-Transitions) can be taken at face value - an arguably poor choice of doctor.

Whilst White's past employment with the US Postal team is well known, there's really nothing proven (in a negative way) about that outfit. The US Postal team has certainly copped flack (read speculation), especially since morphing into Discovery and latterly into Radio Shack - not for what it achieved as a pro cycling squad that successfully launched Lance Armstrong to successive Tour victories - but for what has happened to many of their riders since. The list is long, including Landis and most recently Contador. Sure, it's speculation, but like mud - it sticks.

No suggestion of who will replace White but Henrik Redant (ex Pegasus) is probably available. I'm sure there are several aspirants polishing their CVs...

SBS: Cycling Central : Garmin-Cervelo sacks White

It has just come to the attention of Slipstream Sports Board of Directors that in April 2009, Matt White referred former rider, Trent Lowe, to the Sports Institute of Valencia to Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral.

Garmin-Cervelo Fires Team Director Matt White | This Just In

Del Moral is the former ONCE and US Postal team doctor who has recently been accused of participating in systematic team doping by Floyd Landis. Former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano also claimed that he collaborated with his Kelme doctor Walter Viru, so that his USPS riders knew when International Cycling Union (UCI) doctors would visit the team for random drug testing.

Del Moral denies the charges.

Garmin-Cervelo Fires Team Director Matt White | This Just In

Vaughters added that despite the Spanish doctors controversial reputation, he is convinced that White sent Lowe to see Del Moral for legitimate reasons. “Moral runs a government-funded lab in Valencia. Lowe lived in Valencia and clearly needed body composition and VO2 testing and this was the closest place for him to go. But it showed extremely poor judgment on White’s part and a slap on the wrist is not a solution in this day and age of cycling.”

Trent Lowe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trent Lowe (born 8 October 1984 in Melbourne) is a professional road bicycle racer from Australia. He rode for Garmin-Transitions on the UCI ProTour from 2008 to 2010. Lowe was one of only two Australians on the Slipstream Squad, the other being Chris 'CJ' Sutton who came from Cofidis in 2007. The former full-time professional mountain biker had a breakthrough year on the road in 2005 riding for the US domestic team, Jittery Joe's, where he caught eye of Discovery Channel sports manager Johan Bruyneel. He was signed for Discovery Channel for his superior climbing abilities. In 2002 he won the UCI MTB World Junior XC Championship, then he won the under-23 Australian National Mountain Bike Championship in 2003 and 2004.

Following 2 seasons of injury and chronic fatigue, the young climber signed with the new Australian team, Pegasus, [1] before the announcement that they has failed to obtain an 2011 UCI World Tour license.

Matt White (cyclist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

After 2 years with the Australian GIANT-AIS Cycling Team, White then went through Italian teams Amore e Vita (1998) and Vini Caldirola (1999) before finding himself on the US Postal Service team from 2001 through to 2003. In this period White was not selected to ride the Tour de France with Lance Armstrong but did ride the 2003 Vuelta a España in support of Roberto Heras. [2] In 2004, Matthew moved to the French Cofidis team to join fellow Australian Stuart O'Grady.

A bit of fun as Evans and Gilbert attack and pass a motorbike

2011-01-21T09:37:00.000+11:00

Well I enjoyed it anyway. Tour of Romandie? Was it 2009?

Excuses, excuses. Cancellara excuses his poor road race form because he was concerned about next year. Didn't stop him in the TT though.

2010-10-28T08:55:00.004+11:00

It's hard to think under pressure, especially when fools like me will analyse every word. English may also not be kind to Cancellara's meaning. And he may have been misquoted. True, also, that he does have a lot at stake personally. But telling the world that he was distracted by next year's contract during the World Road Champs and that it "played into" his performance does boggle the mind somewhat. Didn't he win the TT? So by extension we can assume that he only thinks about next year when getting dropped in a road race? Is that what he meant?

Cancellara Set To Join Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project | Cyclingnews.com

"The most important thing is to be with the people I feel comfortable with. I need my mechanic and my soigneur. I need to be in a perfect environment. In joining an environment that I don't know yet, I could lose one year. I thought a lot about it at the Worlds and this played into my performance,” he said.

Compare and contrast Gilbert attacking crashed Nibali with Andy whining when Alberto didn't wait

2010-10-18T09:41:00.002+11:00

Funny how Andy Schleck's supporters got so much currency out of Alberto Contador's apparent (and opportune) ignorance of Andy's unfortunate gear-shift stuff-up during Le Tour yet Phillipe Gilbert gets nothing but praise for his decisive attacking style, even when it's at the expense of a crashed rider. Yes, yes, Grand Tours aren't like one day races. Yes, yes, it's different when you are racing for the last monument of the year - there's no "next day" to make amends. But it's still in stark contrast to the "Contador should have waited" pleadings. Has anyone criticised Gilbert for taking 'undue or unsportsmanlike' advantage?

Oh, in case you don't know, I think that mechanicals and crashes, like illness and weather, are all part of racing and you should just get over it. Whilst I always appreciated a bunch waiting for me (or at least wondering what happened) after a mid-race mishap I never expected them to... it's not a training ride, it's a race. Some thoughtfulness and diligence applies, sure, and there's always room to ride fair and clean - but it's still a race littered with obstacles and what-ifs. And those who get around the obstacles best win.

Gilbert Relishes Cold And Wet Conditions At Lombardy | Cyclingnews.com

Gilbert admitted he heard Nibali crash and accelerated to make sure the Italian did not get back up to him.

"I didn’t see him crash but I heard it. I thought it was him because I didn’t see him and then Lastras told me. I went hard so that he couldn't get back up to us. But that's all part of racing."

I almost agree with Mark Cavendish. Am I going mad? A balanced view on India and the Commonwealth Games

2010-10-10T09:07:00.002+11:00

Given the intensely critical and largely anti-Indian drivel written and broadcast prior (and during) the Commonwealth Games it's somewhat refreshing to read Mark Cavendish's honest and balanced opinion. Whilst I may not say it exactly the same way I tend to agree with the overall tone. The lead-up to the Beijing Olympics was similar with the old media focused on the delays, disease, displaced homeless and poor air quality rather than the opportunity. Yes, these are common problems in developing nations. And so it is with these games and the host, India. Of course it hasn't been plain sailing and there are problems, and it may all go pear-shaped from here. But for mine I think India is doing a great job - and for such an enormous time-critical project it appears to be going - if not perfectly - quite well.

I'm sure they'd do even better if they had the surfeit of public resources that the Western so-called "developed" nations have. Indeed what the Western nations - or at least their old guard media - haven't developed is a sense of decency and fair play in their reporting. That doesn't mean covering up, it means balance. Bravo to Mark C. for his remarks.

Cavendish Frustrated By Lack Of New Contract Deal With HTC-Columbia | Cyclingnews.com

“We’re in India,” said Cavendish. “It’s not a Western country. “I think it's quite ignorant to assume we were going to going to be in a Western-style country. I've been to India before on holiday - I knew what it was going to be like."

“I think it's ignorant not to respect the way those countries are, it's how it is. The reason India's got the Commonwealth Games is because it's a developing country, so you can't expect it to be like going to Hong Kong or something."

Haussler kicks himself for missing out when most kneeded (pun intended). And for Hushovd, what a way to make your season.

2010-10-03T18:21:00.001+11:00

Now that was like a real race. One moment the sprinters were in and then they were out. Gilbert made his expected bold bid but too far out; yet it wasn't his fault - where else could he attack? And when it looked like a faltering Gilbert would get caught by the defending champion, they were all swallowed up by the dropped yet regrouped riders instead. And when the name "Hushovd" was seen to be included in the re-combined front group - well the obvious was about to happen, and it did.

I bet Haussler was kicking himself for racing too soon on that crook knee.

UCI Road World Championships: Elite Men Road Race, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

It was a course for the tough sprinter; a man made of iron that could get over the climbs and launch a brutal uphill sprint: enter Thor Hushovd (Norway). The final sprint in Geelong, Australia was perfectly suited to the Norwegian rider and with a clear run down the left hand barrier, Hushovd secured a year in the rainbow colours of UCI Road World Champion.

More magpie attacks on world championship riders suggest avian plot against cyclists

2010-09-27T10:38:00.001+10:00

At the very least these magpie attacks will make the 2010 World Road Championships in Geelong memorable. But is it an avian plot? Is there a hidden agenda to discourage cycling (at least between September and early November, anyway)?

Herald Sun World Cycling Classic Ballarat: Elite Women, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Swart suffered some interference from a magpie out on the course. “Trixi and I and the other riders in the break, kind of got attacked by the magpies,” explained Swart. “I don’t know if that’s normal, but apparently it happens to be so.

“You come to Australia to see kangaroos but all I have seen is magpies,” she added. “They kind of remind me of squirrels or possums in America, they are always on the road.”

addicted2wheels: Gilbert lucky to survive "large bird" attack. Locals resort to antennae. He' s either on Mars or Oz

Gilbert lucky to survive "large bird" attack. Locals resort to antennae. He' s either on Mars or Oz
I once raced with a Singaporean guy who claimed that "an eagle" (read 'magpie', a fairly aggressive meateater in the nesting season) had attacked him during a race on the old Yanderra course near Mittagong. Well those black-and-white Aussie "eagles" are after the Belgians now....

Gilbert lucky to survive "large bird" attack. Locals resort to antennae. He' s either on Mars or Oz

2010-09-26T07:15:00.002+10:00

I once raced with a Singaporean guy who claimed that "an eagle" (read 'magpie', a fairly aggressive black-and-white feathered meateater in the nesting season) had attacked him during a race on the old Yanderra course near Mittagong. Well those black-and-white Aussie "eagles" are after the Belgians now....

Gilbert Likes Worlds Course In Melbourne | Cyclingnews.com

Gilbert was relaxed and fresh after a few days in Australia, even laughing off an attack from a bird while out training.

"I was riding along the coastline on my own when an unidentifiable object brushed past me. I actually looked around and saw a large bird flying away," he said.

"Now I understand why cyclists here ride around with antennae on their helmets. But I do not intend to do that."

Riis has a whinge about upstart Richie, but if you signed for peanuts and went top 10 in a GT what would you do?

2010-09-24T11:57:00.001+10:00

No-one really expected Tasmanian Richie Porte to go Top-10 in his first Grand Tour, let alone collect best young rider along the way. No-one really expected him to wear the leader's jersey, either. Not in his first GT, let alone first Giro. But he did. And I'm betting he signed up with Team Saxo Bank for a relative pittance. Whilst I'm sure he got some bonuses out of his performances in 2010 and Riis is certainly right - there is a contract and it was Riis who took the initial risk, and that matters too - it's no surprise the guy wants a bit more now, is it?

This sort of public response by Riis is understandable but doesn't foster loyalty and team cohesion, does it? Ahhh, but there's right and wrong on both sides... and as the cliche goes, time will tell.

Bjarne Riis puts foot down: Richie Porte stays

"It's a huge problem in the sport, and this year it has gone berserk. The agents are running around and shop with all sorts or teams, and it's not just us who have these problems. It must stop now, it's unacceptable. The agents bring ideas into the minds of young riders by putting figures in their minds that are completely unrealistic."

Holy Toldeo Batman, Gilbert has some form on the bike. But will he prevail in Geelong?

2010-09-18T10:46:00.001+10:00

I'm tempted to say yes - Philippe Gilbert has to be the red-hot favourite 2 weeks out from the World Road Champs in Geelong. Unfortunately that may just mean we are overlooking a few 'quiet achievers', like Roche or Pozatto. Whilst Farrar is clearly not far off - and Cavendish is further back - those 11 final laps will wipe the grin off all of the sprinters, barring perhaps a recovering Freire and a just-off-the-pace Davis. Which leaves the likes of Evans (little racing since the Tour so big question mark) and Gerrans (better than Evans but not by much) to make a race of it. If they can hang on to Gilbert's wheel, that is.

Vuelta A España: Stage 19, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) gave a resounding demonstration of his world championship credentials with a splendid Vuelta stage victory in Toledo. The Belgian delivered a scintillating sprint on the deceptively tough drag to the line that saw overall leader Vincezo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo) snatch a potentially crucial 12 seconds from his closest rival Ezequeil Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia).

addicted2wheels: Watch Gilbert at Geelong - he'll be marked for sure but he's ideal on the World Champs course

The Vuelta is already looking interesting. We've had Cavendish almost 'accidentally' take the GC lead and then we've seen Phillippe Gilbert earn the leader's jersey. Gilbert is one of the riders destined to fight it out over the last of those horrid, torrid 16km laps in Geelong. There will be riders shelled out the back on each of the small but steep climbs but Gilbert won't be one of them. Expect Evans and Gerrans to be there, too, and possibly - just maybe - some of the tougher, more dogged sprinters.

Fly V gets some UCI points via McEwen, but will it be enough?

2010-09-10T09:00:00.001+10:00

McEwen carries some UCI points with him to Fly V, but they need as many as they can get. It's a start, anyway, and a good omen. It also completes a nice circle for McEwen to end up with an Aussie squad.

McEwen Signs With Australian Super Team | Cyclingnews.com

Three-time Tour de France points champion Robbie McEwen will head up the Pegasus Sports team in its bid to join the ProTour in 2011. The 38-year-old Queenslander leaves the Katusha squad after two seasons to rejoin his old friend Chris White, who is pushing to turn his current Fly V Australia squad into the country's first ProTour team.

"I've known Chris White for 20 years and know many of the current staff and riders," McEwen said in a statement. "The team has built an impressive record in North America over the past two years, and with their move into Europe in 2011, the timing and the vibe could not be better.

Rules are rules, especially when Riis rules. Schoolkids A. Schleck and S. O'Grady bump into Bjarne at a bar

2010-09-08T15:19:00.000+10:00

Seems a bit farcical, pro bike riders - adults at that - have a quiet drink and are back a bit later than you'd expect for athletes participating in a major stage race. Yes, they must have known they were breaking team rules, but it's their swansong with the team and things are a bit more casual than in the recent past. Crucially they bump into their boss at another bar whilst coming back to their digs. With Andy I can understand it - young, out for a laugh with no real pressure on him in this race - and with one eye on 2011 and his new team - but it's hard to imagine a seasoned pro like O'Grady breaking team rules, especially during a Grand Tour... it's a bit, umm, rebellious? Has Riis simply had enough from these admitted defectors?

Vuelta A España: Stage 10, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

The major news on the start line was Bjarne Riis’ decision to send Andy Schleck and Stuart O’Grady home from the Vuelta for breaking team rules by drinking alcohol after dinner the previous night. Once the racing the started, however, the remainder of the peloton showed no signs of a post-rest day hangover as it covered 47 kilometres in a hyperactive first hour of racing.

UPDATED Andy Schleck, O'Grady Removed From Vuelta | Cyclingnews.com

"I acknowledge that I have broken a rule on the team by going out for a drink after dinner and for that reason Bjarne has decided to send myself and Stuart O’Grady home.

"I’m responsible for my actions and even though I think it is too harsh a decision, I respect that Bjarne is the boss and he needs to do what he thinks is the best.

"I was getting back into shape and I would really have liked to stay at the Vuelta and help Frank and the rest of Team Saxo Bank."

UPDATED Andy Schleck, O'Grady Removed From Vuelta | Cyclingnews.com

Both Schleck brothers are leaving the Danish team at the end of this season, to join a new Luxembourg team being organised by Brian Nygaard and Kim Andersen. O'Grady is also leaving Saxo Bank and is said to be joining the new team.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Over the Cat 1 Rat Penat climb, which hit the riders at 142km and averaged 12.5 %, all the usual GC suspects were there except for Andy Schleck, who along with Stuart O’Grady was sent home from the Vuelta for getting caught going out for a drink after dinner last night. Odd to think Bjarne would be so harsh on these two, but we suppose rules are rules. But….really? So Frank was alone with the other climbers. The climb had taken its toll on everyone, and also everyone in the break, but that group reformed over the top.

Saxo Bank drops Stuart O'Grady and Andy Schleck from Tour of Spain | The Australian

“Mate, we stepped out of the team hotel at 10pm and stopped for a couple of beers at a bar in the local piazza,” O'Grady said.

“We had two beers, that's all. Some members of the European press over here have made us sound like we were on the drink all night.

“That's simply not true.

“We had just ridden our guts out in the team time trial. I don't want to sound like I'm whinging, but the decision to pull us out of the race was harsh,” the South Australian added.

“The decision has cost me two weeks of hard racing preparing for the worlds in Geelong.

“ I guess it means that I can bring the family home a little earlier than expected.

“It also means I've ridden my last race for Saxo Bank. This is not the way I would have wanted my career racing for Bjarne Riis to end. I've ridden my guts out on the front for the team for the last six seasons.”

O'Grady has been linked to a move riding alongside the Schleck brothers at Team Luxembourg next season to be run by former Riis staffers Brian Nygaard and Kim Andersen.

“I'll make an announcement where I'm going next year in a week,” he added.

Andy Schleck and Stuart O’Grady out of Vuelta for ‘violation of team’s rules’

Schleck was contacted by Sporten.dk, and said that the reason they were excluded was due to going for drinks yesterday night.

“The fact is that on the rest day yesterday, we chose to go out after eating late dinner, which people do in Spain,” he said. “We had no more than two beers each, then we went home at 1 o’clock and met Bjarne who was sitting at another bar.”

If the Barwon River doesn't go down in 3 weeks time perhaps the world road champs could move to Calga?

2010-09-06T23:17:00.001+10:00

Of course it will go down, but OTOH there's more rain to come... I wonder what happens if too much of the course is affected and bypassing the flooding impossible? Is there a plan B? If there isn't - yet - I'd like to suggest 10 laps of the old highway at Calga would be a suitable substitute. I'd like to see Evans and Gerrans attacking up Blood Hill, chased by Gilbert... of course it won't happen but you never know.

Wild Weather Leaves Worlds Course Under Water | Cyclingnews.com

The two sections of the course affected by flooding includes a temporary bridge and pathway that’s been constructed specifically for the event in Queens Park, as the existing bridge – which sits much higher up – wasn’t wide enough to meet the UCI’s technical requirements. Debris from the rainfall further up the 160 kilometre long river was stuck alongside the bridge today, as the water level sat just inches from the bridge’s surface level, while a tree at the entry of the bridge had shifted awkwardly across the bridge’s mouth as the soil around it was eroded away.

Watch Gilbert at Geelong - he'll be marked for sure but he's ideal on the World Champs course

2010-08-31T16:24:00.001+10:00

The Vuelta is already looking interesting. We've had Cavendish almost 'accidentally' take the GC lead and then we've seen Phillippe Gilbert earn the leader's jersey. Gilbert is one of the riders destined to fight it out over the last of those horrid, torrid 16km laps in Geelong. There will be riders shelled out the back on each of the small but steep climbs but Gilbert won't be one of them. Expect Evans and Gerrans to be there, too, and possibly - just maybe - some of the tougher, more dogged sprinters. Oscar Freire may hang in there, if he's recovered from his surgery well enough. But a guy like Phillipe has the form and the style to win on a course like that. And he's showing that right now in Spain.

Vuelta A España: Stage 3, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

"I've suffered yesterday like 95 percent of the riders in the bunch and I was dropped in the last three kilometres of the Puerto de León," said Gilbert. "I lost maybe 30 seconds but I didn't panic because I had studied the course really well and I knew what I was doing when I rode at my own pace. On the downhill I took a lot of risks to come back. I rode from car to car. When I made it across to the bunch I quickly moved to the first 20 positions to avoid any crashes."

Now I have a SKINS C400 Compression jersey to test as well ;-)

2010-08-31T16:12:00.000+10:00

And I have to say this is the best one yet. I like the SKINS BIB knicks a lot but the jersey + knicks is sensational. Again it's that "1980s-feel" that reminds me of the old Soviet rubber skinsuits - it's like 'preloading' for your body (rather than your bearings). I feel the tightness gripping me all over but it's not uncomfortable, rather it gently - OK, quite firmly - hints that I should crouch down into an aero position and ride harder. I've ridden the full combo in training a couple of times now and I have been quicker, but it's too early to say "it's the SKINS gear". It could also be my new training cycle kicking off after a rest. Instead I can say that the full SKINS C400 combo (undershirt, knicks and jersey) is snug, comfy and warm on a crisp morning and IMHO feels the absolute business. It seems to hold me in a better position, more comfortably, than any other set of standard cycling knicks and jerseys ever have. And it doesn't get soggy either as I warm up. So in terms of feel alone it's a winner. It certainly puts me in the right frame of mind to ride fast.

Thanks again to Matt from SKINS for allowing me the luxury of this C400 apparel test. Whilst I've always wondered 'is it worth it' it's something I would otherwise have put off until later. Whilst I can't yet quantify the difference with any degree of certainty I can certainly say it's been a surprise and an eye opener for me. More soon.

Think you have it tough in a local A-grade crit? How about trying a 169km Dutch Ronde at 46kmh

2010-08-27T15:46:00.001+10:00

Mick Curran is a Central Coast Cycling club A-grader who will quickly become very bored upon his return to the local Oz race scene. He may have to organise a few local races where jumping footpaths and riding eyes-closed on Dutch-style cobbled roads scores bonus points. Either way he will have to cut back on his 26 bread rolls in one hit habit.

For those who care about my Holland/Belgium stint.

Lined up in the 14e Memorial Danny Jonckheere today in Belgium. The race was a 13km Ronde x 13 times giving a 169km outing.

Legs had quit on me Sunday so rested Monday and did some km Tuesday but needed to turn around and go home only getting 2 hours. Not sure what was wrong just worn out i guess. Left me wondering if I should line up the next day? Nothing 26 bread rolls couldn't fix. Thats not a joke, 2 x 10 packs and a 6 pack of rolls. Shocked

I did, and my legs were no different, but after 100km of the 170km they were starting to feel half normal again. By the the 150km mark I was feeling like myself again......just!

180 starters, overcast with showers throughout, 170km in 3hrs40min = Avg. 45.5km/h (just under the elusive 46mark Grin )

Uitslag 14e Memorial Danny Jonckheere 2010-08-25 - Wielerland.nl - Wielrennen

Rnk. Coureur Team Tijd NT WR
48. Michael Curran - -
63. Chris Jory - -
81. Michael England Profel Prorace Cycling Team - -

Some old bike racing programs, including an Oakley ad from the '80s

2010-08-25T15:38:00.001+10:00

Oakley advert_151
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

This Oakley ad brings back memories.. I have a pair just like these ones but I fear that 25 years is just too far out of fashion, even for me. I've dumped some race programs in my Flickr account, proving that I did indeed race with the likes of the McGees and Scott Sunderland, just not in the same grade!

Oh yeah, good to see Old Man McEwen back on the winners list

2010-08-19T16:52:00.001+10:00

Eneco Tour: Stage 1, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Robbie McEwen (Katusha) bounced back from pain and disappointment at the Tour de France to win stage one of the Eneco Tour with a perfectly-timed sprint on a testing rising finish in Rhenen in the Netherlands.

Robbie McEwen wins stage at Eneco; Svein Tuft keeps lead. - VeloNews

McEwen outkicked Saxo Bank’s Sebastien and fellow Australian Allan Davis (Astana) at the finish of the 178 kilometer stage from Steenwijk. McEwen’s lone victory this year was at the Trofeo Mallorca back in February and later notched six top-5s at the Tour de France as he searched for his winning legs.

McEwen’s Eneco Tour stage win boosts world championship chances

Robbie McEwen may well have sealed his place in the Australian squad for the world road race championships today, underlining that he is back from injury when he sprinted to victory on day two of the Eneco Tour. The 38 year old Team Katusha rider ran rings around riders ten years younger than him, proving fastest of the 81-man main bunch.

McEwen’s Eneco Tour stage win boosts world championship chances

Apart from worlds selection, today’s performance also improved his bargaining power in the hunt for a pro deal for next season. “With regards a new contract, I am less sure,” he told Belga. “Next week I'm be sitting down with Andrei Tchmil, and other teams are interested. Next year I'm sure I’ll be in the peloton, but I don’t yet know with which team.”

Nice win for Tanner and Fly V at Tour of Utah, stage 1

2010-08-19T16:37:00.001+10:00

Taking a stage in good - hmmm, maybe even excellent - company can't hurt Tanner or Fly V's prospects, can it?

Tour Of Utah: Stage 1, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

David Tanner (Fly V Australia) is proving to be a major stage victory contender, after picking up his fifth season victory at the Tour of Utah’s Stage 1. The Australian outpaced breakaway companion Alex Dowsett (Trek-Livestrong) to claim the victory, while the Briton assumed the race lead. The dwindled peloton barreled down to the finish line where Javier Megias (Team Type 1) picked up third place on the day.

SoCalCycling.com - Your Cycling Source : Amgen Tour of California, Cycling News, Photos, Bicycle Racing, Mountain Biking,Fun Rides, Event Schedules and More.

Dowsett Moves into GC Lead, Tanner Wins Stage at The Tour Of Utah
8/18/10 - The first stage of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, presented by Zions Bank, came down to a two man battle for the stage win between Team Fly V Australia's David Tanner and Trek-LIVESTRONG's Alex Dowsett. Tanner took the stage win, but it was Dowsett who pulled on the AT&T Leaders Jersey at the end of the day. The University of Utah Health CareOgden to Salt Lake City road race started with three neutral parade laps through downtown Ogden before continuing up Ogden Canyon in 100-degree heat. As soon as racing was under way, subtle attacks drove up the pace. "Today was really fast and pretty tactical," said Siegfried & Jensen Best Utah Rider Jersey wearer, Jeff Louder. "There was a lot of attacking, a lot of gambling, and some bluffing. It was a fast race, but it was pretty typical for this stage."

Tour of Utah - America's Toughest Stage Race

1. David Tanner Fly V Austraila 3:22:15

Fly V to get an upgrade? Does this include Sunderland? Does it really matter?

2010-08-17T09:01:00.001+10:00

As an Aussie and long time club-level bike racer I really don't care if an Australian team - presumably funded by putatively "Australian" or perhaps pseudo-Australian corporations - is in the ProTour or not. Sure, it's always pleasing when Aussies do well in the ProTour and an "Aussie" team (let's face it, it will have international content anyway) will fuel a bit of pride - but I actually have followed the careers of Boonen and Contador as closely as those of McEwen and Evans. I'd be happy if there was less emphasis on nationalism to be honest.

But I do take an interest in the Australians who go to Europe, no matter which club or team they end up in, or at what level they ride. I don't think it matters whether they ride for an Aussie team or not, as long as they get a fair start. Outside of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games nationalism shouldn't matter - although it obviously does. It's nationalism that puts one rider over another, and not necessarily because they perform better on the bike. It's nationalism - in company with commercial imperatives - that selects one rider for a Grand Tour and another for a lesser event. Indeed nationalism, like commercialism, can go too far if you let it. But there will be benefits to Aussie riders to have a "mostly Aussie" team in the ProTour and another rung will be placed in the ladder. It also can't hurt to provide more seats in the bus, as it were. (Ladders, buses - where am I going with these metaphors?)

As an aside, I did wonder if Scott Sunderland's move from Sky earlier this year was in anticipation of Fly V getting an upgrade. There's no sign of Scott at this moment but it wouldn't surprise me to see him take a role. We shall see if that eventuates.

Grand plans for Australian ProTour team

White was unable to name which riders are strong chances to join the Australian team. It is known that triple Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen (Katusha) is one Australian off contract who has been linked with a switch.

White confirmed that Michael Rogers (HTC Columbia) was one Australian he was unable to recruit. "He has already signed with someone else,'' White said. ''I really wanted him."

Fly V Working To Become A ProTour Team In 2011 | Cyclingnews.com

Australian cycling could be about to have its first major team in the European peloton after Chris White of the Fly V Australia team confirmed he is working on plans to secure a UCI ProTour licence for 2011.

Speaking to the Australian newspaper, White revealed he has been working with the UCI on a ProTour application. He refused to name the major sponsor of the team or the name of any major European-based riders he is in talks with. However, veteran sprinter Robbie McEwen could be one target after confirming he wants to race for one last season in 2011. Fellow Australian Mick Rogers is also believed to be considering his future and could be a possible stage race leader for the team.

Fly V Australia squad | Giro d'Italia

To become a ProTour team, Fly V Australia would need to increase its sponsorship to about $15 million a year. The team, which races mainly in the US, needs sponsorship of $8m to $10m to run as a ProContinental team.

There were rumours in last week's Tour Down Under that the Virgin Group, which owns V Australia (the international branch of Virgin Blue) might consider jumping on board in support.

Fly V Australia aiming high - Local News - Geelong, VIC, Australia

"Sporting is have you got riders with enough UCI points to be one of the 18 teams that's going to be part of the Pro Tour," he said.

"Your riders in your squad, your 15 with the most points, determine your squad's points and it's the first 18 teams with the most points that are going to be the Pro Tour."

White said about 12 of his 15 riders currently competing in America could form the nucleus of the team but he would look for about another 13 cyclists from the Pro Tour.

"You've got to go there," he said.

"They're the guys with the points, they're going to get you across the line in that sporting side of things. Riders off contract, (Robbie) McEwen, Luke Roberts we're really, really interested in talking to those guys. Matt Wilson, delightful to have Matt on-board, full of great experience."

Could McEwen lead new Australian ProTour team?

The recent confirmation by Robbie McEwen that he will do a further year in the pro peloton coincides with the news that an Australian ProTour team could be on the cards for 2011.

Team Fly V Australia, which is currently racing at the Pro Continental level, is vying to step up its game and is thought to be just over a week away from announcing a series of Australian and international backers which would give it the estimated €10 million plus budget needed.

Cycling clothing review - SKINS C400 knicks and undershirt - updated

2010-08-04T15:38:00.001+10:00

So how are the SKINS C400 compression knicks and undershirt going, I hear you ask?

Well just fine, thanks. The knicks have become my current favourites and the undershirt is more than OK. To be honest I'm not sure my current flabby physique does either item justice but as I don't have either a TARDIS or a svelte 20-something cycling body handy I'll just have to make do.

Quality remains top notch, no signs of wear after umpteen (OK, 15) rides and washes - as you'd hope, anyway. Comfort is actually even better now with the knicks seemingly moulded to my major cycling muscles, kinda ;-) They have a grippy, springy feel that I previously likened to the 80's-vintage 'rubber Russian skinsuits' of my youth - and it's a feeling I like. So full marks there.

Both the knicks and the undershirt feel fine, if not even great, in a 'forgot I was wearing them' sort of way. The only puzzling bit - which may be an intended effect of the compression - is that they leave me with a pattern of red, presumably blood-infused, skin. It goes away quickly and seems to have no ill-effect at all but clearly - with me, anyway - they bring blood to the skin, even in a cold Eastern Australian winter. (Well, a temperate Eastern Australia winter, anyway. It doesn't really get cold here.)

As far as measurable performance goes I have no comment to make your honour, other than they haven't noticeably lessened wattage or lowered (or raised) heart rate compared to other brands - but it's still early days. I'm collecting the data and sorting it by bike, type and difficulty of ride, tiredness, weather and anything else I can think of... hopefully some statistically significant morsel will come out of it - but either way I'll let you know.

addicted2wheels: knicks

Anyway, the nice people at SKINS (thanks Matt!) have given me a set of their compression gear to test and I'm keen to wear these out rather prosaically by actually keeping upright and not testing their road adhesion. Whilst I haven't paid for 'em they (ie SKINS) and I have agreed that I should be fair and honest and pull no punches in my assessment. So that's what I will do.

Scott Sunderland makes Hushovd's mind up for him over Stage 2. And still we go on about "fairness"

2010-07-28T09:48:00.001+10:00

I wasn't there so I don't know - but I have an opinion on the question of "fairness". And it's a saga that goes on and on, regrettably, without a solution. And isn't that the way everything works these days? The tiniest detail gets pounced upon and sides are taken, black or white. If it sticks and goes viral it snowballs out of all proportion but no agreement is reached or solution offered.

Andy Schleck's so-called "mechanical" when he somehow "lost his chain" (when in fact it appeared to jam on his cogs, as if he'd stuffed up a gearchange) is one example, and Stage 2 into Spa is another one. And now in post-race analysis Scott Sunderland appears to be putting his (possibly biased, being an ex member of what was the CSC team) views into Thor Hushovd's mouth. As well as putting Contador in his place for not waiting for Andy when his chain jammed. But what exactly is "fair"? Is it so black and white?

Now on the day into Spa it appeared (on TV and in post-race interviews, anyway) that Thor Hushovd wasn't very pleased about the bullying tactics used by Cancellara and the Saxo Bank team to annul the slippery stage. So to say that Thor wouldn't have wanted to win like that is certainly going a bit far. If Thor has changed his mind, great - let him say that himself.

Now in principle we probably agree that gaining time by leveraging other riders' misfortune is not how we would like to win a race. But it assumes several things:

Firstly that only the lucky got through unscathed, which is debatable. Wet, narrow descent with or without a crashed motorbike says "keep clear of other riders, slow down, pick your line" to me
Secondly, a corollary to the first, that skill was not involved. Again, bike handling and the ability to pick your line is paramount
Thirdly, that all teams played the conditions the same and were equally affected, which is not true. There was a breakaway and a chase group plus a larger group, all playing out different tactics. There are safer ways to play dangerous situations and some teams did better than others by design
Fourthly, that an independent referee is available to assess the conditions and make an informed but unpressured and one-step-removed decision on conditions and actions to address. Which is debatable. The race referee was certainly there but his decision was visibly informed by Cancellara, who had an obvious (and conflicted) role in firstly waiting for the Schlecks and secondly in coercing other riders from other teams into a go-slow agreement.

Now the other side to the argument is that an unusually large proportion of riders were affected and that several riders reported conditions where "everyone" went down and that even cars couldn't stay on the road. In which case you'd think that the stage should be annulled there and then, rather than let one rider win and take yellow whilst effectively penalising anyone else who'd recovered or avoided the drama.

It's not as if it hasn't happened before. There was for example Le Tour in 1999 when an unusually large proportion of the field went down and lost 6 minutes or more - effectively ending the race for the overall there and then. But Armstrong isn't likely to hand back that Tour win because he didn't wait for Zulle, is he? Indeed his team and others actively exploited the situation. Riders are down, big fall - let's stomp on the gas!

There's always another side, another way to view things. In 1999 you had to get to the front. It wasn't just luck. The same applies in 2010, or perhaps should have applied.

You could say that we must learn for these things, and so we should. But one thing to learn from 2010 is that it isn't appropriate for race officials to appear to do a deal with the yellow jersey where obvious conflicts of interest exist. There must be a better, fairer way to deal with such situations. It isn't necessarily easy but leaving it 'as it is' is inappropriate.

Oh, and jamming your chain is just one of those things that can happen when you make ham-fisted changes on the highly-tuned engineering kludges we call bicycle drivetrains.

Where The Tour Was Won | Cyclingnews.com

Sunderland: "I think the same logic should be applied to the green jersey competition. Thor Hushovd missed out on a lot of points that day but I don’t think he would have wanted to win that way."

1999 Tour de France - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1999 edition of Tour de France had two bizarre moments. The first was on stage 2 when a 25 rider pile-up occurred at Passage du Gois. Passage du Gois is a two mile causeway which depending on the tide can be under water. The second bizarre incident was on stage 10, one kilometre from the summit of L'Alpe d'Huez. Leading Italian rider Giuseppe Guerini was confronted by a spectator holding a camera in the middle of the road. Guerini hit the spectator but recovered and went on to win the stage.

The Tour de France At A Glance - 1999

Frankie Andreu: The main difficulty in this completely flat stage was a four-kilometer causeway that crossed a huge river. It's passable during the day with low tide and flooded during high tide. You can imagine that the causeway would be a little slick and wet by the time we arrived.

The race was calm till the first bonus sprint of the day at kilometer 30. After that the attacks started and the battle for good position for the causeway was already starting. It was still 50 kilometers till we arrived there. To make matters worse it was windy and I'm sure every team told their riders to be first into the causeway.

The battle was furious trying to keep Lance in good position to get across this causeway safely. Looking back it was a good thing we did. After the entrance to this four-kilometer causeway there was a huge crash. Guys went down everywhere. You could see riders trying to brake, but they hit the ground instantaneously. Going across the causeway was very, very scary. It was wet, slippery and windy. It felt like a risk to even turn your wheel to change directions. I was scared to ride on the edge of the road because it was too slick.

Coming out of the causeway the group had split - partially because we went fast and partly because of the huge crash. There was a front group of about 40 and immediately ONCE started riding. It took us a few kilometers to figure out why. We didn't know there was a crash at the time and in the rear group there were a few favorites.

Right away Johan told us to go to the front and help ONCE. The reason was that in the second group were Gotti, Belli, Zülle, Boogerd, Robin, and some other favorites in the overall.

In the second group Banesto started to chase immediately. They came within 30 seconds of catching us, but we were in time-trial mode in the first group with about ten guys. It became an 80-kilometer team time trial, trying to increase the gap between the second group and us. We had five ONCE riders, two Casino, two Cofidis, and Christian and I riding full tilt all the way to the finish. We put over six minutes on the guys behind. Lance lost the jersey today to Kirsipu, who won every bonus sprint, but Lance did manage to eliminate some very strong riders for the classement.

In the race today the Spanish guys had a new nickname for Jonathon Vaughters. They called him "El Gato", the cat. He got the name after he flew into a crash yesterday and went flying. Somehow he landed on his feet; he didn't get a scratch on his body. The bad news is that today Jonathon lost his nickname. He was one of the unlucky ones to get caught in the crash on the causeway.

1999- The Clean Tour - RideStrong

So the Tour had an undeniably "clean" winner, though his (Armstrong's) domination was not the unnatural performance that certain sections of the French press tried to accuse him of. Take away the stage over the Passage de Gois, and his lead over Zülle is a rather more mundane-looking 1½ minutes. And the Tour threw up several other imponderables. There were no French stage winners for the first time since 1926. The transition stages saw breaks of minor riders gain huge leads each day, with the big stars seemingly content to have four days off. Yet for all the drug-free culture, the average speed was over 40kmh for the first time ever. Even allowing for the easier route this year (and arguably it was in fact a harder route than some of those in the seventies and eighties), one is left with questions. If a drug-free peloton could ride so fast, what was the point of taking EPO in the past? And if EPO does have an effect, was 1999 really a drug-free peloton?

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Dangerous course or dangerous force?

It’s been a long time since I’ve witnessed this much carnage at the Tour de France.

The last occasion I can recall such circumstances was 11 years ago, at the 1999 Tour.

What was thought to be a relatively innocuous second stage quickly turned into a massacre, when on the Passage du Gois, a two-mile long causeway that depending on tidal conditions can be submerged in water, a 25 rider pile-up eventuated that split the field to itty bitty pieces and left Lance Armstrong’s most noted adversary, Swiss rider Alex Zülle, behind in a frantic chase that never regained contact.

Zülle along with Jan Ullrich were arguably the only two riders to really challenge the Texan during his Tour reign, and Armstrong’s 7’37” winning advantage did not really tell the full story.

I’m not saying Zülle would have beaten Armstrong in the first of his seven straight wins, but had he not crashed, the race would without doubt have played out very differently.

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Dangerous course or dangerous force?

But read this from cycling legend Eddy Merckx, who told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf after Stage 1: “It’s part of the job. Especially in the beginning of a Grand Tour, you can not blame the organisation. It is the riders themselves who [must] bear the blame. If you do not want to brake and if you are not afraid to go for an opponent who is faster, then do not be afraid of crashing.”

In the end Monday, the Schleck brothers were saved by an entente cordiale initiated by the erstwhile maillot jaune of Fabian Cancellara, who relinquished his golden fleece to perhaps the most popular guy in France right now, Sylvain Chavanel.

Where The Tour Was Won | Cyclingnews.com

Scott Sunderland: "Contador pulled on the yellow jersey in Luchon but when he heard the crowd whistle and boo him, I'm sure he realised he'd unfairly taken advantage of Andy's mechanical problem."

'I know the race was 'on', that everything was decided in split seconds and the other riders attacked too, but Contador was the first to go clear and kept going all the way to the finish thanks to a special 'friendship' with Samuel Sanchez, who guided him down the descent."

I think he should have at least of asked the other riders to wait. I know these guys are competing against each other but there must always be room for some sportsmanship in cycling. The riders share the same road and face the same difficulties. Alberto is a special champion but missed an opportunity to show he has a special sense of fair play."

Whatever it takes, Part 2. More on Jens Voigt, the gendarme and that "junior" bike that saved his Tour

2010-07-27T16:52:00.001+10:00

To me it's probably the story of Le Tour - how Jens Voigt was able to ride his way to a stage finish when all hope appeared lost.... if you persist with the video Jens describes in detail (and in his cracked Germanic-Aussie English) exactly what happened, including Bjarne Riis commanding a gendarme to wait by the side of the road with a new bike for Jens.

Jens Voigt: I borrowed a children's bike...

Pez CyclingNews: "Why on earth was Jens on a kid's bike? Well he crashed very heavily on the descent of the Col de Peyresourde and all the team cars passed and left him behind leaving him with only the ambulance and broom wagon left to help him. He could either go to hospital in the ambulance or to the finish with the broomwagon. They were his two choices as he lay bleeding, injured next to his broken bike on the side of the road. Jens didn't like either of these choices though and instead demanded for a bike to finish the race, but nobody had one! It was at that stage that chance shined upon Jens as a promotional car carrying kids bikes happened to pass by.

Jens commandeered one of those bikes and was able to remount the too small bike with toe clips and continue the descent. Check out the youtube video here for a great photo of Jens decending the Peyresourde on this bike and an interview of Jens in English as he explains his story. Chapeau Jens!"

addicted2wheels: What would Jens do? Whatever it takes. Follow this to video, pic, words on Jens on the "junior" bike

TdF Friday | lovingthebike.com

“The worst thing of all was that I almost got forced out of the Tour for a second year in a row. The problem was that the first team car was behind Andy Schleck, and the second had decided to go up ahead to hand out water bottles at the foot of the next climb. As a result I had no bike, because mine was shattered.

So then the broom wagon pulled up and was like, “Do you want to just get in?” And I said, “Oh no, I don’t need YOU!” But there I am with blood spurting out my left elbow and no bike. Finally, the race organizers got me a bike, but it was this little yellow junior bike. It was way too small for me and even had old-fashioned toe-clip pedals. But that is the only way I could get down the mountain, so I had to ride it for like 15-20 kilometers until I finally got to a team car with my bike.” – Jens Voigt

And a special note: Just as an aside Jens is unofficially part of the 'Aussie' contingent, having been contracted by then Aussie road coach Heiko Salzwedel to race with the ZVVZ-Giant-AIS Cycling Team in the mid '90s. Although that squad lasted only 2 years it dates back earlier, starting in 1991 with GIANT bicycle company sponsorship and was involved in the later success not just of Jens but also Matt White, Pat Jonker, Henk Vogels, Dave McKenzie and Robbie McEwen in the road sphere and Cadel Evans in the mountain bike field. There were many other great riders to come out of that program - Nick Gates springs to mind - and it's interesting to reflect on where some of those have ended up post-career. Voigt and McEwen of course are still racing, but their long days sitting on pro bikes are surely numbered... and DS roles will just as surely beckon.

Let Tour 2010 - Stage 20 - The (sadly so predictable) End. It's the journey, not the destination they say

2010-07-26T14:12:00.000+10:00

After all of the crashes, the cobbles and the boring yadda-yadda-yadda over a s0-called "mechanical" we finally get to Paris and see Armstrong and his team playing silly games with the rules. Yawn. In a nutshell - whilst it was compelling viewing simply because it's so damn hard to string so many stages and individual performances into one long race and keep everything hanging together - it was also probably the best example yet of how much better the Giro is as a Grand Tour.

Now whilst this year's Giro was possibly flawed by a lack of some key players - like Contador and Armstrong to name but 2 - the organisers still pulled off a magnificent race as well as a spectacle. It's the racing that has deteriorated in France whilst it has prospered in Italy. Yeah, OK, I didn't ride Le Tour this year - or any year for that matter - but I know what I like. And the racing was effectively a fizzer, outside of the points and climbers classifications at least.

Of course even a fizzer of a Grand Tour beats just about anything else in sport. But it was still a dud in comparison with past glories. (I'm sure those who raced it and suffered have a different opinion but there you go. I'm one of the customers and we - all of us - are always right, eh?

Petacchi Emotional About Green Jersey Success | Cyclingnews.com

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) finished second behind Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) but had plenty to celebrate as he looked up to the Arc du Triomphe after crossing the finish line on the Champs-Élysées. With Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam) only finishing seventh, Petacchi was confirmed as the winner of the points competition.

Tour De France: Stage 20, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

"This victory cost me a lot," he said, "and I'm very moved. I suffered a lot, but that's what you have to do to win the Tour."

And when the fat lady was warming up her vocal chords, readying her wide-berthed-self to sing to the tune of the Spanish national anthem, with all his might and power, down came HTC-Columbia's Mark Cavendish on the Champs-Élysées, proving for a fifth time this race, he still is the world's best sprinter.

Reactions From The Tour's 20th Stage | Cyclingnews.com

Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) - 89th on stage, 126th overall @ 3:23:31: It's the 13th time I enter Paris after a long and tiring Tour de France and I have the exact same feeling every single time: goose bumps. It's a goose bump situation.

Last year I wasn't able to go all the way with the guys but this year, I would have done the final stage on a three-wheeled bike to cross the finish line with my friends.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Alberto Contador has now won the Tour de France three times. In two of those victories, he’s won by fewer than 40 seconds (23 seconds in 2007 and 39 seconds in 2010), and in 2009 he beat Andy Schleck by 4:11. Winning is what matters most, but especially this year, Contador never had a secure lead in the yellow jersey until the final 10 kilometers of the Stage 19 time trial. That’s a stressful way to win the Tour, and a risky one.

Worth a look. Always funny - in a sometimes disturbing way - and always cryptic. Matt Lloyd's blog

2010-07-26T09:48:00.001+10:00

Matthew Lloyd : home of the professional cyclist

I think my antioxidants levels might be high after I get to Paris and enjoy a glass or two of wine and to say I am hankering for a beer is an understatement. I am also at a deep point emotionally ….. I am suffering a deep and highly involved craving ….. its a craving that is going to be dealt with and dealt with, with Authority. I don’t care what they put on their Fries in Paris I am going to be devouring some McDonlds in the very near future.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 19 - Hesjedal and Menchov impress, but the expected happened. Except for Van Summeren's spectacular tumble

2010-07-25T11:01:00.001+10:00

Forget the private race between friends Alberto and Andy, it was Menchov and Hesjedal that made the running. The usual Phil and Paul TV commentary was appalling and made it all sound more exciting than the fizzer it really was. But that's showbiz and the game we are playing these days. If you want to make money, make it dramatic - be it politics or sport, it all comes down to the artificial: the soap-operatic drama of it all. Thus we get the endless inquisition on the so-called "mechanical" and now how the race - a 3 week race, mind - was "really" lost on day 1 (the prologue, I mean) because of a wet road for Andy.

Perhaps we should hold Le Tour inside on single-speed bikes under controlled conditions to save ourselves from sloppy gearchangers and the vagaries of weather?

OTOH just imagine the race we may have had if Cancellara hadn't annulled stage 2. Imagine if Andy Schleck was left holding his arm on the side of the road, waiting for a new bike - and was significantly gapped by a host of riders. Imagine if Hushovd and McEwen had got a significant swag of points instead of nothing. Just imagine. And unlike the hamfisted "mechanical" or the state of the weather it was Andy's teammate Fabian who changed the direction of the whole race. We shouldn't worry about the little details, it's the bigger fish we have to fry instead.

Contador Elated But Admits He Struggled | Cyclingnews.com

"The truth is there's a lot of emotion. I think it's the first Tour to give me this much emotion. You can't imagine how much I've given. Yes, there were few days when I wasn't in my best form, and that might be why I'm so emotional."

"The last year has been difficult for all kinds of reasons," the Spaniard said. "This year I've not been at my best all the time and that was the case today. But of course in the end I'm very happy with how the year has now turned out. All the victories this year have been the result of a lot of hard work. It's been said that I've not competed in a lot of races but I've spent a lot of time away from home preparing for this objective."

Contador Elated But Admits He Struggled | Cyclingnews.com

"But this year I've not been in my best shape. Today I didn't feel too well. I didn't sleep well and woke up with stomach ache, but ultimately the day turned out pretty well for me, although I suffered more today than at any other time this year."

He would not be drawn on how far he was below his best or what his worst days had been. "I can't really say what percentage I was below my best, but there were some moments that I had the same good sensations as last year. I wasn't at the same level as last year, but I still managed to win. I won't say which my bad days were. I'll keep that to myself for obvious reasons.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

The wind makes Denis Menchov’s ride all the more impressive. He was the fourth from final rider to leave the start house and he managed to finish 11th in the time trial and take two minutes out of Sammy Sanchez. He was the top-placed rider of anyone in the top 10 overall, and his performance moved him ahead of Sanchez and into third place overall. For years, Menchov has been talked about as a potential Tour de France winner, but in each of his previous attempts at the race he’s cracked and fallen out of contention. This year he quietly rode a nearly-perfect race. He wasn’t able to stay with Andy Schleck or Alberto Contador in the mountains, but with the 2009 Giro d’Italia victory in his back pocket and a really strong performance in this year’s Tour de France, he could very well return to the Tour in 2011 as a very serious contender for the overall victory. This would be especially true if the 2011 edition of the race has two long individual time trials and/or a team time trial.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

There’s also no doubt that the chance to take the yellow jersey off Contador’s back today provided immense motivation, perhaps more so than last year when the two riders entered the final time trial separated by 2:26 (a gap Schleck knew to be unassailable).

But I have a hunch that Schleck’s result today was not an anomaly. I don’t think he pulled a once-in-a-lifetime effort out of his body today, but that he’s significantly narrowed the gap between himself and Alberto Contador in terms of time trials. And if Andy Schleck continues to improve in the mountains (he and Contador were equals in the mountains this year, where Contador could accelerate away from him last year) and in the time trials, he could very well beat Contador in the 2011 Tour de France.

Tour De France: Stage 19, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

"I did the first 40km really, really fast," said Schleck. "I lost more in the final 10 kilometres than in the rest but I fought to the end."

The Luxembourger accepted his defeat, even more so because it did not come down to the mechanical. When asked about the 42 seconds he conceded to the Spaniard on the Tour's very first day, three weeks ago, Schleck said, "The prologue was terrible for me but it's part of the Tour de France. I haven't got any regrets. Anything can happen in the Tour. I know that. I'm satisfied and I'll be back next year to try and win," he said.

Tour De France: Stage 19, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Menchov will thus be the third man to feature on the famed podium on the Champs-Elysées Sunday evening, with the rest of the top ten classification unchanged except for Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions), who moved up from eighth to seventh: an excellent performance for the 29-year-old Canadian.

Tour de France Stage 19

Garmin team rider Johan Van Summeren of Belgium falls at the start of the individual time-trial. Photo: Reuters

Hesjedal into 7th overall, DZ takes 5th on day – Tour de France, stage 19 – Team Garmin-Transitions

Hesjedal’s amazing run up the overall began after the crash-marred stage 2 that saw Christian Vande Velde abandon.

“On the morning of stage 3, Matt White said, ‘It’s open, give it the best you can.’ I didn’t wait around,” he told Velonews’ Neal Rogers.

“I went for it, and I wanted to keep that going the whole race. I didn’t want to be high in the standings and fade away through the Tour de France. I wanted to stay up there.”

“I’ve always believed I was capable, and here I am now.”

addicted2wheels

I guess yesterday's - or last night's - debacle at Le Tour can be blamed on too many riders on too-narrow roads. Add some rain and maybe a sprinkle of oil and bingo, they all fall down. Well, some had better luck than others. Chavanal made his own luck and kept well clear, making his win a deserved one - but the points and time gap were not a "real" result and I'm sure even he feels a bit cheated that the remaining riders - and not just Cancellara, although he spontaneously took up the 'lead coordinator' role - turned off the chase. Yes, it was the right thing to do when big names were splattered all over the road - it's meant to be an athletic contest, not a smash-em-up derby after all. But many of us have been in bike races where conditions were bad - rain, hail, dirt roads, crashes - and still the race went on. So why last night was different I'm not sure. It was bad and riders were confused, but did it need to be neutralised all the way to the end...? What if Cancellara and others were not just seeking to be "fair" to the fallen but also hoping that their teammates made it back, too?

Phil (Anderson) was also asked about Cancellara's 'control' of the "risk" on the stage won by Chavenal, at the expense of those who had suffered and clawed their way back to the front in search of points (like McEwen and Hushovd). Rightly, Phil pointed out the obvious conflict of interest in a rider seemingly annulling a stage (his teammate Andy Shleck had been gapped for example) and pointedly called Cancellara a "bully". Well Fabian may actually be a very nice guy (Scott Sunderland said so earlier this week so it's probably true) but he certainly displayed a degree of self-assured "Tour Patron" aura not seen since Lance was the Boss. Or maybe not since Hinault last pulled on the yellow jersey and gave the peleton a piece of his mind.

OTOH there's money on the line here and decisions were made on the road by individuals with a vested interest in the final result. Now if the riders were not connected by radio to team directors I'd be less inclined to question their motivations, but in any event it was obvious that neutralising the stage was in the best interests of several teams - and perhaps the majority. And the minority who were coerced into following what the Saxo Bank team wanted could do nothing. Oh sure, they could've attacked when the main field regrouped but they would also have been chased down by the man with the yellow jersey on his back and given at least some sort of tongue-lashing, or worse.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 18 - An otherwise dull day. TT aside, we turn to Thor and Alejet for escape from the predictable

2010-07-24T09:59:00.001+10:00

Another fizzer, unless you like a rest day on wheels. Yeah, I know, (a) easy to say, harder to do and (b) gotta admire someone who can repeatedly win at this level, even if it means admiring Cavendish. A bit.

I think I need a ride myself. TT aside, we turn to Thor and Alejet for escape from the predictable. Anyone? Vino again with a late attack? Or will McEwen repeat his first win in Paris, when he said farewell to Rabobank in the best possible way?

Tour De France: Stage 18, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

The closing sprint was the only excitement on an otherwise dull day, and even it was pretty much of a foregone conclusion. Sky led the way into the final kilometre, hoping to set up Edvald Boasson Hagen, but the young Norwegian couldn't hold his own against the top sprinters.

Petacchi Retakes Green Jersey | Cyclingnews.com

Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) was unable to match Mark Cavendish's late burst of speed on the banks of the Garonne in Bordeaux but the Italian veteran made sure he finished third and so took back the green jersey from Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam), who was only a distant fourteenth.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Under the final kilometer banner and Sky was still on the front. Oscar Friere loomed in the back, the front end fattened up some and Thor got through with some of his teammates. Cav was right where he needed to be, so was Petacchi. Cervelo led out Hushovd perfectly and then the big names got launched and Thor faded quickly. Petacchi cut left and Cav chased his wheel, enjoying the Italian slipstream.

A second later Cav launched to the right and was gone, having time to almost taunt the rest of the field by looking over his shoulder not once, not twice, but three times before sitting up and sticking his fists in the air. Petacchi slipped in for 3rd, and that was enough to take the green jersey off of Hushovd’s shoulders. Thor’s job just got pretty tough with only the stage to Paris remaining to get points back.

What would Jens do? Whatever it takes. Follow this to video, pic, words on Jens on the "junior" bike

2010-07-24T09:31:00.000+10:00

If you want to read, see and be inspired by a guy who just keeps on trying, click the link!

TdF Friday | lovingthebike.com

“The worst thing of all was that I almost got forced out of the Tour for a second year in a row. The problem was that the first team car was behind Andy Schleck, and the second had decided to go up ahead to hand out water bottles at the foot of the next climb. As a result I had no bike, because mine was shattered.

So then the broom wagon pulled up and was like, “Do you want to just get in?” And I said, “Oh no, I don’t need YOU!” But there I am with blood spurting out my left elbow and no bike. Finally, the race organizers got me a bike, but it was this little yellow junior bike. It was way too small for me and even had old-fashioned toe-clip pedals. But that is the only way I could get down the mountain, so I had to ride it for like 15-20 kilometers until I finally got to a team car with my bike.” – Jens Voigt

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 17 - Armstrong wishes he was younger, faster: don't we all? Well some of us anyway

2010-07-23T11:56:00.001+10:00

Le Tour - any Grand Tour, in fact - is a beautiful thing to watch, and this one is no exception. It has had the scenery, the colour and spectacle; the bare, stripped humanity of pain, suffering and glory; as well as the day to day grind and the tactical toing-and-froing that makes long stage racing so engrossing. You can keep your World Cup football, thanks: as wonderful as that round ball game may be it still boils down to short games of skill played by 2 opposing teams on flat pitches; whereas a 3-week bike race is a far longer journey made by individuals and teams over almost insurmountable obstacles, both literally and figuratively, where they all end together, covered in glory.

Anyway, it's also boiled down to a battle between 2 riders for top dog status, and that's what we expected anyway. So no real surprises there. And if Contador wins overall in Paris we still won't be surprised. Sure there have been other surprises along the way, and lots of colourful detail to savour. So it remains compelling, whilst perhaps not being the best example of a Tour de France to date. But it is the one we have.

Armstrong: I Wish I Was Younger, Faster | Cyclingnews.com

Did the RadioShack team leader have any regrets this year? “I wish that I was younger, faster. I’ve had my time and I’ve got a long history with the Tour de France. I’ve had lots of good moments, got lots of good memories, I’ve also had some good luck, so I can’t complain and I won’t complain.”

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

By the time Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador reached the final three kilometers of Stage 17 – and this goes for all the riders behind them as well – there wasn’t much else for them to do but maintain as high a steady pace as they could. At the intensity they were holding, and at that altitude, you only have the potential for one or two big accelerations, and pulling the trigger on those efforts could just as easy backfire on you and push you over your limit. So don’t mistake what you saw in the closing kilometers of the Tourmalet today for a passive ride to the summit; it becomes increasingly difficult for racers who spend very little time competing at elevations above 5,000 feet to launch searing attacks on the upper slopes of the high mountains.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

As the gradient kicked in, Boasson Hagen was the first to be jettisoned from the leaders, Burghardt and Kolobnev pushed on leaving the others floundering in their wake. Meanwhile Saxo were setting up the play for Andy Schleck. Cancellara, followed by Chris Sorensen and then Fuglsang layed down a blistering pace sending many riders out the back; Basso and Evans the most notable, later to be followed backwards by Vinokourov!

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

All the pressure was on the young Luxembourger, he had to lead Contador, Schleck needs time in hand for the time trial, but with only 5 kilometres to the line he was running out of road to make his move. The gap between the Schleck/Contador tandem and the hopefuls was creeping over 1 minute.

Nico Roche was yo-yoing just behind the chasers, showing how just how fast the climb was being ridden (and how good he is!). Schleck wanted Contador to come to the front, but that was not going to happen and then at 3.8 K’s Contador shoots past, but Schleck counters and rides up to his shoulder.

Looks were exchanged between the two that would have killed lesser mortals.

Through the mist and the mad crowd the two battle on, as they come to the 1 kilometre flag and the barriers to give them a clear road to the line. 500 metres and Schleck is still on the front as both struggle towards the finish. Out of the darkness Contador comes next to Schleck, but he crosses the line half a wheel behind the young rider.

Interesting site with epic bike riding vids... the @skinsiders facebook and twitter sites

2010-07-22T09:39:00.001+10:00

Some good first-hand accounts of real people riding their bikes the way they were intended to be ridden. Unlike my bikes, which are collecting dust whilst I get over another cold. Keeerchew! Sniff.

Yes, these are commercial sites and I am testing their product. Still a good read.

SKINS (skinsiders) on Twitter

@skinsiders

Facebook | Skinsider

SKINS Compression Sports Wear
skins.net

Follow us at:
twitter.com/skinsiders

And my previous mention...
addicted2wheels: Cycling Clothing Review - SKINS baselayer and Compression Knicks

...the nice people at SKINS (thanks Matt!) have given me a set of their compression gear to test and I'm keen to wear these out rather prosaically by actually keeping upright and not testing their road adhesion. Whilst I haven't paid for 'em they (ie SKINS) and I have agreed that I should be fair and honest and pull no punches in my assessment. So that's what I will do.

What I am testing right now (well not right this minute as I'm at the keyboard) is a C400 men's mesh tank baselayer undershirt (well I call it an undershirt, anyway) and a pair of C400 men's compression BIB shorts. I am hoping to get a sample jersey to test as well. The size is medium and it's a fine - if snug - fit on my 1.69m and overweight 73kg body. I like snug. I can't fault the undershirt at all (only the body underneath, frankly) and the BIB shorts (I really only wear the BIB style, it's the only way to fly) are well made and a good fit.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 16 - Armstrong definitely human this year. Nice one Fedrigo, Moreau, Hushovd. Shame about crazy, antsy Barredo

2010-07-21T14:07:00.001+10:00

OK, good to see Armstrong have a go - but all it really did was show us even more clearly that whatever advantage he had in the past he doesn't have right now. He looks and rides just like old, attacking and almost unbeatable Armstrong but everyone just follows him now - before attacking him.

Somehow a more sluggish Lance (it's all relative - he's a rocket compared to most of us) looks wrong, just as it looked like Barredo had drunk too much red cordial during the stage. He kept attacking and getting caught, like it was some sort of sure-fire plan to soften them all up. And yes, it definitely softened a few legs, including his own. It may have softened his brain, too, when he finally got away with a long, long way to go. "Oh sure, I can hold all of 'em off." Armstrong, Horner, Cunego, Casar, Fedrigo, Moreau - bunch of no-names really. He managed to fool the "expert" TV commentators, too, who proclaimed "they won't catch him now" just when his pursuers got serious and started, umm, catching him. Which they duly did. Gosh, caught at 1km to go, who would've thought?

Oh well, at least it was interesting viewing, unlike the laughing bunch of happy campers in the peleton behind. You know that when Hushovd is still there despite some big, big climbs - nothing much was happening in the GC bunch. Oh sure it was tough enough to hurt. But Hushovd was probably the most interesting to happen outside of the frantic first hour and the quality breakaway. Moreau clearly profited, too. Scenery's nice too.

And as for Schleck's "fury" at Alberto's "mistake", well that's all in the past. Gosh, can't remember the Badger being so forgiving in his day.

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Fedrigo makes it six for France

The Luxemburger, who rides for Saxo Bank, is still eight seconds behind Spain's two-time champion ahead of the race's second and final rest day and two days before the final day of climbing to the summit of the Tourmalet on stage 17.

A day after they fell out because Contador attacked as Schleck tried to fix his mechanical setback, the pair had shaken hands and made up.

But Schleck warned: "It's the last week of the Tour and I'm sure that we'll be battling a lot on the (Col du) Tourmalet," he said. "The Tour is not over."

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Fedrigo makes it six for France

FDJ rider Casar, who had shown his finishing skills on a similar profile to win Stage 9, had lost ground with the frontrunners on the race's fourth categorised climb, the Col de l'Aubisque.

But after he made up his gap of 1min 35sec on the descent, Barredo, perhaps sensing the danger, went off on his own only to be caught, agonisingly, with one kilometre to race.

Armstrong, who had been resting his legs for most of the last few kilometres, made a brief bid for the stage win in the final 500 metres.

However, Fedrigo dropped down a cog or two and maintained his power to surge up the inside of the barriers to beat Casar into second place at the finish line.

Casar said: "I spent a lot of energy just trying to catch the breakaway, but in the sprint I knew Pierrick would be very fast."

Armstrong's team manager at RadioShack, Johan Bruyneel, said Armstrong had told him he was tired with around 15km to race.

Contador And Schleck Make Up On French TV | Cyclingnews.com

GH (referring to the video that Contador posted on Youtube in the evening after stage 15): Alberto, is it true that you apologised to Andy?

AC: Yes. I didn’t need to. But we’ve got a very strong friendship and it was for that reason that I wanted to apologise yesterday evening.

AS: I realise that after what happened at Spa the race could already have been over for me. That day the peloton waited for me. Yesterday the situation wasn’t the same, and I realised that I shouldn’t fret about it too much.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

It was flashes of the Lance of old, but one thing had changed, this time his attacks were answered – first by a very strong Carlos Barredo (QS) – this time using his legs and not his fists to do the talking, and then by Bbox’s Pierrick Fedrigo who also looked very strong. It was an exciting stage – but not because of the gc – this one played out much like a transition day with the breakaway providing all the action.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Days like Stage 16 are included because of how they fit into the big picture of a three-week Grand Tour. If you wanted to make every stage of the race decisive, you could easily create a course so brutal that it would be inhumane. As it is, in this third week of the 2010 Tour de France we have four mountain stages in the Pyrenees, two of which have summit finishes (14 and 17), one which had a descent straight to the finish (15), and today’s. Stage 16 included two Category 1 climbs and two Beyond Category climbs, so even though the race ended with 60 kilometers of gradual descending roads to the finish, it was bound to be a very hard day in the saddle. And that was its biggest contribution to the race.

Just love following real race reports from local Aussie clubbies having a crack at Euro racing

2010-07-21T11:16:00.000+10:00

Whilst I like and enjoy Le Tour - and are compelled by strange forces to watch it - I rarely get a big buzz out of it. Most of the time I'm enjoying the scenery more than the racing, which can be too controlled and predictable these days. Sure you get the odd crazed breakaway but I miss Hinault taking everyone on in the mountains when it looks hopeless and then having a crack at a bunch sprint to boot. Or Anderson taking on Hinault to Bernard's obvious displeasure. Or Roche's wonderful set of wins, the Giro, Tour and World Champs all in a row. Or Virenque off on a wild, mad sortie for polkadot points. OK, I should let go of the past - but maybe it really was better when we saw and read less but what we got was higher quality? (And when riders actually had to learn how to change gear properly instead of going click-click-click and expecting it to "just work"!)

OK, I'm a bitter old codger. But hear me out.

These days we see too much dross and get a sanitised and false "bipolar" view. Usually it's a faked you take one side and I'll take the other style of commentary; or - even worse - the real issues are completely ignored. Yes, twitter has opened up an avenue into the rider's real thoughts, perhaps - but the "expert" analysis elsewhere is both ubiquitous and too-often trivial. As in Phil will say "I think he was wrong to do that" and Paul will say "Well you know Phil I think he did the right thing". And then they agree to disagree on that point but agree later on some inane "safe" point like "I can't remember when the French have had a better Tour". And then the blogs and social media sites are full of regurgitated, unenlightened comment, often without regard for the fact that everyone who's interested has already heard Phil and Paul's "analysis". So repeating it without attribution or addition is adding lameness upon lamenosity. Even when Paul and Phil say something insightful I nod off and watch the scenery again.

But folks, ignore the Tour for a moment and instead Google up some real race reports - from the racers themselves - battling to make a mark, a career or just have a go in Europe. They may not be professionals but they are experiencing something that is a level or 2 - or more - above what the "average" club level racer may see back home. There's more genuineness here than you will see in 20 Le Tours. Below are some excerpts from Mick Curran's Dutch/Belgian race reports. Mick is otherwise an A-grader at the Central Coast Cycling Club, 100km north of Sydney, Australia. (oh yeah, and I'm a D or sometime C grader at that club so a tad biased.) You can find many similar reports from many riders in similar situations with a quick web search. You can also find some great helmet-cam reporting on YouTube from real bike riders just having a go.

For those who care about my Holland/Belgium stint.

Team headed to Belgium on Sunday to compete in the 58th Edition of the Drie Zustersteden!

I was a kid in a candy store today. Sitting on the line ready to start the 160km classic in the north of Belgium i was rubbing shoulders with Davitamon Lotto squad, USA Nation squad, Fuji Test Team squad along with many other pro-conti teams......then, lil' ol' me! Wink

Team plan was to be present in Early Break and hope it stayed away Undecided failing that, get Arjan Dekker up for a top 10 finish.

Starters = 200. 24deg medium wind. Sunny.

First 800mts was neutral, 200riders behind a red car itching to go. My nerves could not handle this s@#t fight again so lined up early (top 30) and bullied my way to the referee car via the footpath Grin and gaps that were not there Lips sealed

Plan worked, flag dropped and I went. Before i knew it i was at the 159km to go mark and in a break of 10 with 190 guys chasing. The blackboard told me that the bunch was continuing to chase and gap never blew out over 1min.

0-40km = early break of 10. (plenty of tv time so it was all worth it Grin ) Break did not have USA National team or Lotto represented so it was a formality really that we were caught but fun while it lasted.

40km-80km = legs felt great, stayed in front 20 and chilled (if you can chill at 50km/h)

We covered 48km in the first hour. Shocked.

For those who care about my Holland/Belgium stint.

Crit 1: Thursday 15th July. 1hr30min+2laps. Wind, wind + more wind Shocked

- Felt the strongest i've felt whilst over here.
- Found myself in peloton with break of 6 up the road @1min. Did not panic because top 3 riders were still with me.
- Ended up chasing across gap with said 3 riders and 2 others to form 11. 11 was ripped apart by strong efforts in the gutter.
- Ended up being me and said 3 strong riders. 1 was my Team mate the other 2 were continental riders from separate teams.
- Team mate went with 2km to go. Plan A = If other 2 didn't react he would win. Plan B = if they did I would be on their wheel and roll them on the line.
- The other 2 played into our hands and chased therefore dragging me within striking distance. I jumped leaving the other 2 for the win, team mate hung on for 2nd Smiley

For those who care about my Holland/Belgium stint.

Last lap = I was feeling really good and got a bit excited about the whole atmosphere and dodgem cars etc so went for glory Cheesy 800mts from home, guess what? It didnt work. I was i caught by.....let me see.......20 guys in the last 300mts Ha Ha, what a move. Still gave me 25th overall pay to 30 Wink and was just stoked again to be one of the 35 finishers out of 80odd starters.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 15 - Contador capitalises on Schleck's stuck gear. So?

2010-07-20T16:18:00.001+10:00

Did Contador even know what happened? One moment Schleck attacked and put a gap into the others - and to my mind Alberto matched him easily and drew up to his rear wheel. But as Andy went for another gear I presume the chain got stuck between cogs, locking the back wheel solid. Schleck's momentum rotated the bike's rear-end upwards - the point where he could have fallen - but he stopped safely, all chain tension gone as the chain fell off the chainring. He fixed the chainring issue but then realised he had to fix the chain wrap too. It took time and his helpers - his teammates - were absent - they had burned themselves out on the climb. Alberto and the others just carried on - afterall they may not have known what had happened anyway. Being a bike race, they carried on with the momentum that Schleck's attack had generated.

I guess if Contador had known that it wasn't just bad bike handling - in other words a good 'ol hamfisted power-on gearchange - then he should have waited. If he had known it was a true "mechanical" - a breakage - or even a fall - then I suspect he would have waited. But it happened suddenly and the cause wasn't obvious, although someone in the bunch should have seen it clearly enough, even if Contador didn't. Even after numerous replays I still don't exactly know what happened, but assume that it was caused by pedalling during a gearchange, possibly made worse by a stuck chain link, a broken cog or something similar. In any event the problem didn't seem to recur - so he either worked around it from there or there never was a real problem - other than "rider error". It's not the first time a bike race has turned on a mechanical, but it's rarer in these "softer" days of STI-style click-click-click gear changing. (Bring back friction shifting and the fine art of getting the gear "just so" I say.)

Personally I wouldn't have waited if I thought he'd just stuffed up his gearchange. That's part of racing - we have to get it right, even gearchanging. If it was obviously a mechanical issue - and I was aware of it - then I would seriously have considered waiting. But if everyone else continued racing I'd join in - I may say something about it, but I'd go with the majority. After all, it's not as if Schleck had seemingly ridden off a cliff like Ullrich had done a few years ago!

Menchov Focused On Contador, Didn't Know About Schleck | Cyclingnews.com

On Monday afternoon three men took profit from the mechanical of Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) on the Port de Balès: Alberto Contador (Astana), who took over the yellow jersey, was the primary beneficiary but the third and fourth-placed riders on general classification, Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Denis Menchov (Rabobank) respectively, also reduced their time gap to Schleck.

Menchov responded to the attack from Contador and said that he was focusing on following the Spaniard, rather than checking out what was going on with Schleck. "I can't explain [what happened with Schleck] because I didn't see what happened. We know that Alberto and Andy play with each other. We have to follow one of them. I saw the reaction of Contador and I thought it was decisive, so I tried to follow him," Menchov said.

Menchov Focused On Contador, Didn't Know About Schleck | Cyclingnews.com

When asked if he felt that what Contador did was fair play or not Menchov passed on the question to the Spaniard. "I don't know. You'll have to ask him. The question [what to do with Schleck] didn't come up in me [during the race]," Menchov said.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

The precedent that is most relevant, in fact, is the 2003 crash of Lance Armstrong. Lance was in the yellow jersey, Jan Ullrich was 15 seconds behind Armstrong in the overall classification, and the crash happened in the heat of the racing on the final mountain of the stage. Today Contador was 31 seconds behind Schleck, who was in the yellow jersey, and although it wasn’t a summit finish, they were on the final mountain of the stage and in the heat of the race. In 2003, the lead group – including Ullrich – appeared to wait, at least for a little while. This year, Contador didn’t wait – but neither did Sammy Sanchez or Denis Menchov.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

When do you decide to wait for a rider who has a mechanical or a flat tire, and when is it “acceptable” to press on? Does it matter if the flat tire or the mechanical problem was the result of the rider’s choice (poor time to shift, ran into a pothole, jumped a curb, etc.) or out of their control?

There are precendents on this side of the argument as well. In 1999 there was a crash on the Passage du Gois that split the peloton. Alex Zulle lost six minutes to Lance Armstrong, who was in the front group. Lance Armstrong was certainly a yellow jersey contender this year during Stage 3, but he got a flat tire at a crucial part of the race on the cobblestones, and no one waited. He crashed on Stage 8 in a roundabout, no one waited. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that there are more examples of the race pressing on after a mishap involving a race favorite – in stage races and one-day races – than there are examples of the race waiting for a favorite to rejoin the lead group. It’s a race, not a tea party, and not a popularity contest. It sucks when you’re the one who falls or has an ill-timed mechanical, but that’s the way it goes. There will be another time when someone’s ill-timed crash or mechanical plays a role in allowing you to win.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

if I had to make a decision today I would say that it would have been nice to see Contador wait for Schleck, but I don’t think he was obligated to. The decision to press on, however, may well haunt Contador later in this race or in the future.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

The twenty or so seconds it took Schleck to remount his chain set up a no holds barred chase and duel to the finish, as both Contador and Schleck drove the pace in their respective groups, and overshadowed what would have otherwise been a big story in itself – French Champ Thomas Voeckler’s solo win on this brutal day. The gritty former Yellow jersey emerged from the day’s escape as last man standing – attacking his break mates midway up the final climb, and soloing to an inspired victory.

Procycling's Daily Tour De France Dispatch - Stage 15 | Cyclingnews.com

Astana directeur sportif Giuseppe Martinelli in Bagnères de Luchon: "The most important thing for me is to have a clear conscience and I have that tonight. I didn't tell him to wait, that's for sure..."

Good news, Alberto - you don't even have to tell us your radio wasn't working this time...

Riis Preaches Calm In Aftermath Of Schleck's Disappointment | Cyclingnews.com

To the thorny question of whether Contador should have waited for Schleck as he attempted to fix his chain, Riis shrugged again. “I would have hoped he would have waited, and I think I would have waited... I think he did wait at the beginning but then it was a while before Andy was on the bike again.

“I don’t know. Was it possible for Contador to wait in that situation, with [Samuel] Sanchez [Euskaltel] and [Denis] Menchov [Rabobank] attacking? He has to follow those guys, for sure. He might not need to pull [with them] or attack, but he has to follow those guys.

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Contador waves off controversy

Schleck had taken a 30-metre lead on Contador but just as the Spaniard began his counter move Schleck came suddenly to a halt. By the time Contador had closed the gap and passed the Luxemburger, Schleck was off his bike and screaming in frustration.

With Schleck left on his own to fix his mechanical problem, Contador raced ahead with Russian Denis Menchov and Spaniard Samuel Sanchez to crest the summit just over 20sec in front of the stricken Luxemburger.

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Contador waves off controversy

However the Luxemburger has a short memory, according to Contador.

The Tour de France champion was among the riders and teams who went beyond gentlemenly fair-play and waited for Schleck and his brother Frank after both were among the multiple crash victims on the rain-hit stage two to Spa.

But the Spaniard went further. Playing down Schleck's setback - which to most experts is simply part and parcel of racing - he said that he has race to win.

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Schleck's complaints given short shrift

Bruyneel said the real issue was whether Contador knew Schleck had encountered a problem and deliberately tried to benefit, a suggestion the Spaniard refuted.

When Jan Ullrich crashed in 2001 Armstrong waited for his German rival, who returned the favour in 2003 when Armstrong crashed, along with Spaniard Iban Mayo, on the climb to Luz Ardiden in the Pyrenees.

But Bruyneel was quick to remind Schleck that when the race is really on, you don't wait around for stricken rivals.

"The question is whether Contador was counter-attacking or just took advantage of a mechanical (problem)," said Bruyneel.

"In the heat of the race and in the final... you can't say to Contador, 'Hey, wait for Andy'. Andy didn't wait for Contador on the cobblestones (stage three) either, I guess.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 14 - Interesting to watch but basically fizzer. Looked like a fun training ride

2010-07-19T10:04:00.001+10:00

Fun for some, anyway. Schleck and Contador look as happy to chat and play cat and mouse games as to actually race. When do they get serious? When Menchov gains minutes instead of seconds? What if Menchov blitzes them both in the long TT? Will this gamesmanship be enough to keep me watching? Probably.

Contador: Andy And I Marked Each Other | Cyclingnews.com

“We went head-to-head and didn’t really watch the other riders too closely,” said Contador. “We controlled each other and I think that the fact that we came in together suits me more than him,” he added, alluding to the fact that the Spaniard will be heavily favoured if his deficit on Schleck remains at 31 seconds going into the Pauillac time trial on the penultimate day of the race.

Schleck Plays Mind Games At Ax-3-Domaines | Cyclingnews.com

"To win the Tour, sometimes you have to risk something. I'm well aware that it's better to have Armstrong ahead these days than Menchov," said Schleck. "Don't forget that Menchov is far enough down on us in the general classification. For now, Menchov and Sanchez aren't a real threat to us. That means there's a bit of space to [play] poker around," Schleck said.

Procycling's Daily Tour De France Dispatch - Stage 14 | Cyclingnews.com

None-too-impressed with Andy Schleck's descending in the Alps last week, Fignon was dumbfounded today when the current maillot jaune fetched his own food and drinks from the Saxo Bank team car high on the Port de Pailhères.

"I've never, ever seen a captain do that when they've had a teammate in the group. He's playing with fire!" the 1983 and 1984 Tour champion gasped.

No such fun for McEwen...
Procycling's Daily Tour De France Dispatch - Stage 14 | Cyclingnews.com

Robbie McEwen, also a victim of the second stage crash-derby, has been struggling just to hang onto the laughing group. "Being in the gruppetto?" he asked rhetorically. "[On Stage 12 to Mende] I was with one other bloke – that's not a gruppetto. F***king alone every day, I've hardly been in the gruppetto. [Stage 12], it was me and Bert Grabsch for 120k, just two of us.

"I've had two bad crashes, lost a lot of blood in the first one because I severed a small artery – the UCI anti-doping people said they could see it in my blood profile that I'd lost a hell of a lot of blood. After that, I was given a tetanus vaccination at the hospital which I told them I didn't need; they slid it in there without me knowing, which gave me fever for four days, so I'm absolutely f***king terrible just as I started to feel better.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 13 - Petacchi gets baulked and misses his 3rd win... oh, except it was for 2nd

2010-07-18T22:00:00.001+10:00

Vinokourov took it, and a bold and exciting attack it was... by Ballan. Shame he couldn't keep it up. Vino caught him and won the stage but Petacchi would have won the sprint for 2nd - if he hadn't backed off as his gap disappeared. As he backed off (having jumped first) Cavendish accelerated down the middle. Petacchi re-opened full throttle but it was only good enough for 2nd, or 3rd, rather. Shame.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Before the base of the climb the three were recaptured and the speed increased as Cervelo and Milram joined the fray. First to attack was ex-world champ; Alessandro Ballan, then Nico Roche and Carlos Barredo tried to catch him as Vinokourov and Luis Leon Sanchez came past them to bring the lead together, but Vino was the strongest and was off trying to do it on his own.

Tour De France: Stage 13, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

"It wasn't the plan to try today," said Vinokourov, "But I'm going very well, and, after Ballan and Luis Leon Sanchez [Caisse d'Epargne] attacked, I counter-attacked and then decided to press on and try to win.

"I knew I'd be protected by my team behind, and it was important for us [to win] after the disappointment of yesterday."

Contador greeted his teammate with a smile and a high five at the finish, suggesting there were no hard feelings - at least from the Spaniard. "You'd have to ask him," shrugged an impassive Vinokourov when asked about Contador's reaction. "But you could see how happy he was."

Cadel's Diary | Cadel Evans 2009-2010 - The Official Site of Cadel Evans - World Champion 2009, Tour de France runner-up in 2007,2008.

This time Vino did a very strong move bridging up to our own 'Ale' Ballan and continuing solo. Behind, the fast 2k climb had eliminated most of the guys to chase, so the speed was a bit irregular, making it hard to judge the sprint, even just to stay safe for that matter. Cav was impressive coming back on the descent, glad he didn't take out the Caisse d'Epargne guy in front of me as he passed on the inside....it was close...

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 12 - Tyler finally concedes best not to race with a broken wrist

2010-07-17T08:55:00.001+10:00

Sad to see Tyler Farrar go out of the Tour, taking a lot of interest out of the sprint battle. Interest will now centre on whether Cav can win without Renshaw, and can Petacchi make it over the mountains? How many more breaks can Hushovd get in? Or perhaps can McEwen get any more broken than he already is and still sprint? Of course there's also that side battle between friends and holiday buddies Andy and Alberto, but do we really care how much Alberto wins by?

Maybe it's just me but Le Tour ain't what it used to be. It's no worse and in some ways it's better - but is this rolling soap opera as compelling?

Farrar Out Of Tour De France | Cyclingnews.com

White explained that, while Farrar could overcome the pain to sprint, he paid for the effort the following day. "Sprints are easier for Tyler to get through because the adrenaline in that situation helps mask the pain.

"Today was the hardest day of the race so far and the kind of climbing and descending these guys did is incredibly painful for an injury like Tyler's. Having to brake on the descents is probably the most painful thing to do with a broken wrist.

"We're obviously sad to see him go but, at the end of the day, his health comes first. Tyler won't be able to heal until he goes home and rests and that's what he'll do from here."

Hushovd Views Petacchi As Main Rival For Green | Cyclingnews.com

"It was a good move today," said the Norwegian champion. "My legs felt good this morning but I was also feeling a bit angry after the stage yesterday because it wasn't a clean sprint."

The Cervélo rider admitted he may try the same tactic again on the stages still to come, and insisted breaks through the mountains are very much part of his make-up as a rider. "I don't think I'm a true sprinter like Cavendish. I think I more of an all-round rider, someone who rides well on all kinds of terrain, and I think that's why I won the green jersey last year. I think I can win it the same way this year but we're a long way from that yet."

Schleck Longing For Pyrenees After Pistolero Show | Cyclingnews.com

“I'm not disappointed,” said Schleck. “It was really tough and I suffered a lot today. I didn't feel good all day long and knew that the finish would be tough for me. I don't like this climb. I told my team that I would try all I can but that the climb doesn't suit me too much. The climbs in the Pyrenees suit me much better."

"I wasn't surprised that I couldn't stay with Contador on this climb. Bjarne [Riis] warned me today that I shouldn't panic when I wasn't able to stay with Alberto when he attacked because the climb suited him much more. I think I did pretty good by losing only ten seconds.”

“This finish didn't suit me because it's short and steep,” Schleck continued. “You come down after that long downhill. You're riding on the big ring and suddenly it's so steep. You don't have time to adjust to the rhythm. You can't compare it with a mountain pass. Its steep and short character makes it really hard.”

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Carmichael: Why did Saxo Bank feel compelled to chase a break containing Vinokourov when Alberto Contador is the team’s primary yellow jersey contender? Because you can’t hand a guy like Vino the yellow jersey in the second week of the Tour de France and assume you’ll ever get it off his back again. Plus, it wasn’t just Vino in the break. Andreas Kloden was there for Team Radioshack. He started the day nine minutes behind Andy Schleck, but he’s finished second in the Tour de France on two occasions. But perhaps the most dangerous man in the breakaway was Garmin-Transitions’ Ryder Hesjedal. He started the day in 12th place, 5:42 behind Andy Schleck and he’s the now the leader of the Garmin team. An 18-man breakaway has the horsepower to finish 10+ minutes ahead of the peloton if you don’t organize a solid chase, and you can’t let Vino, Kloden, and Hesjedal gain that much time at this point in the race.

A quick selection of sites relating to Carbon Fibre recycling. Bottom line - not a widespread practice but it can be done

2010-07-16T17:49:00.001+10:00

It's used increasingly in aircraft, cars, laptops and of course my personal favourite - bicycles. But the question is often raised: how do we recycle this stuff?

Well first up, you may not have to - it lasts a long time, given proper care. My 20 year old Look carbon bike is still going strong, whereas my 21 year old custom steel crit bike has long ago been retired due to rust, despite much love and care - and resprays - to extend its life. But if carbon fibre does break or crack and can't be repaired, it can be recycled. It's just a bit more difficult and currently less organised than with "traditional" (and more common) materials such as metals or more straightforward plastics. But it can be done.

The next material to be recycled: carbon fiber? — Autoblog Green

Today, the majority of the material makes its way into airplanes. As these planes become obsolete, companies are currently looking into ways of recapturing that expensive material. The actual method requires that the carbon sheets be shredded so that the desirable fibers can be reclaimed. Auto manufacturers such as Volkswagen are intrigued in the possibility of integrating new lower-cost carbon fiber content into its less expensive products.

Recycled Carbon Fibre Ltd

Welcome to Recycled Carbon Fibre Limited, home of the world’s first commercial scale continuous recycled carbon fibre operation. The UK site is based in the West Midlands and our global expansion plans include the launch of new operations in the US, the EU and the Far East.

Our goal is to help businesses avoid the unnecessary cost of disposing of their scrap waste and end of life carbon fibre composites to land fill or incineration plants. Each alternative has both a cash and an environmental cost. Recycling is a positive action in avoiding long term damage to our environment.

We offer our range of high quality recycled carbon fibre products at competitive prices such that they are an attractive alternative for use in a wide range of industrial applications. We also provide help and advice to clients on how best to incorporate our products into their composite processes.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have an almost infinite service lifetime when protected from the sun, but, unlike steel alloys, have no endurance limit when exposed to cyclic loading. When it is time to decommission CFRPs, they cannot be melted down in air like many metals. When free of vinyl (PVC or polyvinyl chloride) and other halogenated polymers, CFRPs can be thermally decomposed via thermal depolymerization in an oxygen-free environment. This can be accomplished in a refinery in a one-step process. Capture and reuse of the carbon and monomers is then possible. CFRPs can also be milled or shredded at low temperature to reclaim the carbon fiber, however this process shortens the fibers dramatically. Just as with downcycled paper, the shortened fibers cause the recycled material to be weaker than the original material. There are still many industrial applications that do not need the strength of full-length carbon fiber reinforcement. For example, chopped reclaimed carbon fiber can be used in consumer electronics, such as laptops. It provides excellent reinforcement of the polymers used even if it lacks the strength-to-weight ratio of an aerospace component.

A blizzard of words on Renshaw's expulsion from Le Tour

2010-07-16T09:17:00.001+10:00

Bathurst won't be a happy place this morning, will it? But you can't get into a guy's head and read his thoughts: the judges have to go with what they see. And we all saw what they saw.

addicted2wheels

So 2 strikes against Renshaw, really - headbutting to possibly protect Cav's gap, and then impeding Farrar, intentionally or not. Still I didn't think "exclusion from tour", rather "fine and loss of points". Oh well, I can see both sides... but it does make things more interesting again, doesn't it? (I hope the race judges didn't have that thought, too.)

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Carmichael: Instead of continuing forward side by side, the two leadout men made contact with each other. This in itself is not unusual or against the rules. Contact happens, and it’s usually shoulders and elbows pushing against each other. Renshaw escalated this normal situation to one that drew the attention of the race officials by repeatedly hammering his helmet into Dean’s shoulder. One tap with the helmet, OK. You won’t get in trouble for that. It will seem like you’re just keeping the other guy at a safe distance. But leaning on a rider and using your helmet as a hammer is viewed as being aggressive and unsportsmanlike.

Renshaw claims that Dean was moving over in his direction, forcing him closer to the barriers. I know things look and feel different in the heat of the moment, but from the replays I saw – and that the officials were viewing as well – it doesn’t appear that Dean was encroaching on Renshaw. What is more likely is that Renshaw knew that with Dean on his right and Garmin sprinter Tyler Farrar on Dean’s wheel, the only lane Cavendish could use to get to the finish line was to Renshaw’s left. That meant Cavendish was going to have to sprint between Renshaw and the barriers.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Carmichael: Some people are pointing to Renshaw’s move to the left after Cavendish passed him as a second instance of unsportsmanlike conduct, since it impeded Tyler Farrar’s progress toward the finish line. If anything, I’d say that was a more severe infraction than the head butting. As a sprinter or a leadout man, he was supposed to continue in a straight line – or at least if he moved off his line it shouldn’t have been in a manner that impeded another sprinter from challenging for the stage win. Renshaw opened up the lane to his left for Cavendish, and then slammed the door shut on Farrar by moving to the left. Normally I don’t like it when riders take their hands off the bars to push someone out the way, but I think Farrar prevented a potentially very serious crash by reaching out and stopping Renshaw from moving any farther to the left.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

With a little head-butting from Renshaw to Dean, this opens the door for Cavendish to go early, Petacchi sees the move too late and can’t get on terms with the flying Manxman who has a bike length in hand.

Dean wanted to close the door on Cavendish to let Farrar come round on the other side, but Renshaw kept it cool and the gap was there with 350 meters before the line for Cav to go for a longer sprint than he would normally want, it worked and no one could get near him.

Robbie McEwen (mcewenrobbie) on Twitter

history will now show that combining the 2 aforementioned tactics will get u sent home...greater than the sum of it's parts

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Renshaw booted from Tour

in the final 500 metres of the 184.5km stage from Sisteron, the normally affable Australian lost his head when he tried to headbutt Garmin-Transitions' Kiwi lead-out man Julian Dean three times.

Cavendish eventually raced on towards his third stage win of the race, and 13th of his career, as Renshaw then produced another blatant blunder by trying to block Dean's sprinter, Tyler Farrar, as the American tried to come up the inside of the barriers.

Top race official Jean-Francois Pescheux said they only needed to look at the television pictures once to make their decision.

"Renshaw was declassified immediately but we have decided to also throw him off the race," said Pescheux.

"We've only seen the pictures once, but his actions are plain for all to see. They were blatant. This is a bike race, not a gladiator's arena."

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Renshaw booted from Tour

"The guy (Dean) came across from me. Either he keeps turning left, puts me in the barrier and I crash, or I try to lean against him," he said.

"I didn't have another option. It's all about sprinting straight."

Although saddened by the decision, Cavendish laid some of the blame on Dean, claiming the Kiwi "hooked his elbow over Mark's right elbow".

"Mark used his head to try and get away. There's a risk when the elbows are that close (that) the handlebars are going to tangle," said Cavendish.

"That puts everyone behind in danger. Mark (Renshaw) gave us a bit of space that kept us upright."

Le Tour - Stage 11 - Rest day on wheels ends in head banging and expulsion. Harsh but fair?

2010-07-16T08:58:00.002+10:00

First time I saw the sprint I thought Renshaw had gone a bit overboard. It happens in a sprint, though. Things happen fast, you protect your line and hold your ground. I rewound the tape (OK, it was on a HDD but you know what I mean) and watched it a few times. Dean provoked it, possibly - he certainly had an elbow out, but whether that was to instigate and intimidate or to fend off Renshaw I can't be sure. Either way the two of them were veering towards the barriers, or the road narrowed - again I can't say; but Renshaw seemed justified in holding his line and ensuring that he didn't hit the barriers. Of course he was also ensuring that he left a gap for Cavendish. I'm not sure what was the more important to him, only he would know that. Whether that justifies repeated headbutts I'm not so sure. Whilst all of this is going on Lampre looks to go for it, and simultaneously Cav comes off Renshaw and dives through the gap.

Now it gets really interesting as Farrar wasn't on Dean's wheel like he probably should've been. Instead he was following Cav. At that point Renshaw realised that Cav had gone - I think it surprised him as he seemed to be preparing to sprint himself and launch Cav a bit further on - but now he needed to sprint to take points off Hushovd. So he naturally chased Cav's wheel to the left, as you would. You see a wheel and you grab it. But in so doing he impeded Farrar. Now in some sports that could be seen as a foul, but was it intentional? Did he know Tyler was coming? The more I looked at it the less convinced I was that the intention was to block Tyler Farrar. Whilst it's just a racing incident it was probably within the last 200m and thus an illegal change of line... in any case it looked bad to the judges.

So 2 strikes against Renshaw, really - headbutting to possibly protect Cav's gap, and then impeding Farrar, intentionally or not. Still I didn't think "exclusion from tour", rather "fine and loss of points". Oh well, I can see both sides... but it does make things more interesting again, doesn't it? (I hope the race judges didn't have that thought, too.)

Renshaw Kicked Out Of Tour De France | Cyclingnews.com

Renshaw was told that he had been disqualified by Cyclingnews reporter Jean Francois Quenet. His immediate reaction was: "I can't be out of the Tour de France if Barredo and Costa only got a fine a few days ago."

"I'm extremely disappointed," he continued. "I'm extremely harshly done by the decision of the jury. I've never had anything against me in the past. I've never done anything wrong. The process of this decision is abnormal. There's no possibility of appeal to this decision."

Cavendish Unhappy With Renshaw's Ejection | Cyclingnews.com

From there Cavendish moved on to face the press, and it was immediately clear that his post-stage euphoria had gone. Asked straight off about the commissaire's decision to throw Renshaw out of the Tour, he responded: "I understand the commissaires have made their decision. It's against what we as a team believed happened. So we'll just have to see how the situation evolves. It's very sad."

Cavendish Unhappy With Renshaw's Ejection | Cyclingnews.com

Cavendish then described his view of the final stages of the run into Bourg-lès-Valence. "We came around the last corner in a good position. Bernie [Eisel] went to lead out and Mark was on his wheel, and Julian Dean came around on the right and put his elbow from the left over Mark's right. Mark used his head to get away. There's a risk when your elbow's that close that you could end up in a tangle and that puts everybody behind in danger. And Mark gave us a bit of space, which kept everybody behind upright."

Vaughters Says Renshaw Disqualification Was Fair | Cyclingnews.com

"I saw the video and I think it's a fair decision,' Vaughters told Cyclingnews.

"I would never want to see one of our riders doing that. I understand that sprints are very hotly contested and I understand it's a long hot, hard Tour but you can't do that."

Vaughters was angry how Renshaw first head-butted Dean and then also clashed with Farrar.

"It's the head-butting and then he put Tyler into the barriers after. I understand it's intense competition but we all have to respect the rules," he said.

Farrar And Dean Furious With Renshaw Over Tour Sprint | Cyclingnews.com

Renshaw, leading Cavendish into the final few hundred metres of the stage was seen head-butting Garmin-Transitions lead-out man Julian Dean and then squeezing Dean's charge Tyler Farrar into the barriers, impeding his sprint.

The American rider was furious after crossing the line, even though he was able to recover and sprint on to third place. "That wasn't a good sprint from Renshaw; that wasn't normal. Renshaw shouldn't be riding like that. It's so dangerous. I almost crashed," Farrar said.

I use an Elite mag trainer but the Wattbike seems to be a well thought out indoor cycling tool

2010-07-15T15:57:00.001+10:00

I've chewed up a few tyres on a range of trainers, the last couple being fairly standard Elite units. I think the first indoor trainer I tried was in the mid-'80s and was called a 'Racermate' or similar. It was a wind trainer with a finned 'fan' at the back. It wore out both rear tyres and itself, but I kept it going for maybe 10 years all up before moving to an Elite mag unit. I sweat copiously and am not afraid of a 1 hour session - my all-time record on one of these things is 100km - and every unit seems inevitably to rust. Not to mention the bike, too. I've tended to use either sacrificial "retired" steel bikes or newer aluminium ones and catch the sweat with a towel. I've tried a fan but prefer a "semi-outdoor" airy under-the-back-deck location. And I use an ibike power meter these days to capture some data from that spinning rear wheel. Whilst it all works OK, there are better indoor trainers with bigger flywheels out there these days. And really, nothing really beats riding on the road.

But maybe the latest crop of indoor trainers, including the interesting LeMond creation (which ditches the rear wheel entirely) will tempt me. The fancy Wattbike has also caught my eye... not that I can justify the expense!

Wattbike Polar View - Wattbike

When cycling, you can play around with the graph – pushing on the left leg will create a large force shape on the left, pushing hard on the right leg will enlarge the graph on the right. You see a percentage beneath each side, telling you how much power each leg is generating. Standing up and altering your cycling technique will produce a change in the graph.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 10 - Paulinho takes one for the 'Shack. Nice attack. Nice scenery

2010-07-15T09:12:00.001+10:00

I found it somehow hard to watch. The scenery was great, as usual, but the race was a yawn. If I'd been racing myself (highly unlikely, I admit) then I may have felt differently. Of interest was that Pineau took back the dots and Cav took the belated sprint. And some people with broken bodies made it to the end unscathed. But it did drag along somewhat.

Tour De France: Stage 10, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

"I knew I had to attack to get away from the group, and I actually felt pretty good," Paulinho said after the stage. "I was just a little bit stronger than Kiryienka, and waited until the last moment to make my move."

The victory was an important boost in morale for the American team, whose leader Lance Armstrong had his dreams of an 8th Tour win all but dashed on the road to Morzine on Sunday.

"We did a lot of work for the team in the first week of the race. The last two stages were very important to the team, and we were quite strong. All we really wanted was to get a stage win," Paulinho said.

"In the team meeting this morning, we were told we needed to have someone in the breakaway. We also had to look out for the team classification, so when I saw a rider from Caisse d'Epargne go, that's when I decided I had to be there."

Tour De France: Stage 10, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

The only semblance of racing came from king of the mountains contenders Pineau and Charteau, the French duo tied on points in that classification with the Bbox Bouygues Telecom rider wearing the jersey courtesy of a countback. They scavenged the remaining points on offer, with the Quick Step rider doing enough to take back the polka dot jersey he has worn for much of the last week.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

At this point, there was not a single Frenchman represented in the move of the day - unacceptable. Just to make things interesting, the French duo of Maxime Bouet (AG2R) and Pierre Rolland (BBox) spotted the break two minutes before setting off in pursuit. 30 kilometers later, and the two made the juncture, after that, it was just a matter of staying attached along the rest of the route, which included 3000 meters of climbing. Not bad for what turned out to be an easy-ish day.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Fast forward back to the present, and the turn that effectively ended the career of Beloki is decorated with yellow steps to commemorate the path that Lance Armstrong took in a move that saved his Tour de France. The race passes the turn with no incident, but the view is almost eerie.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Lampre put together another solid leadout with Danilo Hondo doing the business for Petacchi. Petacchi started the sprint early as he is want to do and had the measure of Green Jersey, Thor Hushovd. Unfortunately for Petacchi, Mark Cavendish was right there and beat all comers with ease. You'd be foolish not to put your money on Cavendish in tomorrow's stage.

Cycling Clothing Review - SKINS baselayer and Compression Knicks

2010-07-14T16:44:00.000+10:00

I have to admit that I've worn out a lot of cycling clothing over the last 30-odd years. Sometimes - luckily - it's just been good old fashioned wear and tear. Less luckily I have managed to write-off valuable gear on even just the first or second ride, by the application of unintended deceleration. Memorably I wrote off a pair of shoes by the simple expedient of snagging the right-hand shoe on the large chainring - something I've done just once in over 250,000km of serious riding and never got near to doing again. I can't even work out how I managed to do it! The shoe simply ripped apart. Mind you bike riders are apt to do strange things when training at 04:30 in the morning. Like most riders I have also written-off a few jerseys and knicks by testing their ability to slide over asphalt and gravel.

Anyway, the nice people at SKINS (thanks Matt!) have given me a set of their compression gear to test and I'm keen to wear these out rather prosaically by actually keeping upright and not testing their road adhesion. Whilst I haven't paid for 'em they (ie SKINS) and I have agreed that I should be fair and honest and pull no punches in my assessment. So that's what I will do.

What I am testing right now (well not right this minute as I'm at the keyboard) is a C400 men's mesh tank baselayer undershirt (well I call it an undershirt, anyway) and a pair of C400 men's compression BIB shorts. I am hoping to get a sample jersey to test as well. The size is medium and it's a fine - if snug - fit on my 1.69m and overweight 73kg body. I like snug. I can't fault the undershirt at all (only the body underneath, frankly) and the BIB shorts (I really only wear the BIB style, it's the only way to fly) are well made and a good fit.

First impressions of the compression shorts (or knicks, if you prefer) are of something akin to the "Russian Rubber skinsuit circa 1980" feel - a sort of elastic "springiness" that almost helps bring the upper leg back up. It's a very slight effect but noticeable. I like it, it brings back good memories of when I was younger and fitter...

The 'compression' certainly leaves its mark on my pudgey body, though. There's a faint but visible reddish outline on my upper legs that becomes apparent only upon removal, post-ride. And no, it's not a rash or other skin irritation. It's also not uncomfortable at all and the mark disappears quickly - it was a surprise to see it, frankly. It's not like the sort of mark tight elastic leaves, rather a broader, wider fabric 'impression' that suggests surface blood flow. It may well be a sign of improved circulation - I can't be sure. The chamois is also comfy and I have had no issues with badly-placed seams or other possible pain-points. If anything after 3 short rides in this gear my incipient saddle sores have markedly improved; but again I can't be certain that's because of the SKINS product. It might be, though. The chamois in any case is broad and deep, ideal for my purposes, and caused no chafing or rubbing in any sensitive spots - unlike some brands.

Both products ooze quality and compare well with anything I've used in the past, be it a premium brand product or something quite cheap that I got for Christmas (in many ways the best knicks of all are free). I did think that the packaging is superb but tending towards overkill, however my 4 year old son has taken a liking to the boxes so perhaps they are re-usable after all ?

This is a long term test, and I'll post regularly on progress with both pics and data (I'm logging power, speed and heart rate and looking for improvements that can be attributed to clothing alone - a challenge I know but I have a standard protocol in place and my spreadsheet awaits my command). To paraphrase the words of Eddy Merckx, all I have to do now is "ride lots", I guess.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Stage 9 wrap-up with video, analysis and regrets. Armstrong tells team to stay away from his phone

2010-07-14T13:30:00.003+10:00

Nice competitor.com video analysis of stage 9, including Contador explaining his 'agreement' with Schleck. Also Armstrong talks post-race on his luck. Lance on his team: 'fraternity-style' funsters but 'stay away from my phone and away from my wine'. And at the same site, the stage 9 highlights. I would take issue with the description of Cadel being "hysterical, crying" after the stage, although he was certainly crying and emotional. Otherwise fair analysis and interviews.

Bad Day On The Madeleine Ruins Rogers's Tour | Cyclingnews.com

After a bad day during the toughest mountain stage in the Alps, Rogers didn't know what to expect for tomorrow's medium mountain stage to Gap. "First, I have to recover from today. I had a bad day today, but I might have a good day tomorrow. You just don't know how they're going to come."

At the end of the stage Rogers finished in a group together with other GC contenders like Bradley Wiggins and Carlos Sastre, losing 4:55 on the lead group behind winner Sandy Casar. The result moves Rogers down four positions into 14th overall, at 7:04 from race leader Andy Schleck.

Wiggins Still Aiming For High Tour Finish | Cyclingnews.com

Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) again lacked the acceleration and pure climbing ability to go with Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck when the race exploded on the Col de la Madeleine. While the other two fought it out, often shoulder to shoulder, Wiggins fought his own battle to limit his losses and hang to the hopes of a top ten placing overall in this year's Tour de France.

The 30-year-old Briton finished 30th on the stage, 4:44 behind stage winner Sandy Casar (Francaise des Jeux) and is now 16th overall, at 7:18.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

BMC had done a top job controlling the pace over the first 3 climbs, but as Saxo & Astana dug in deep and drove the pace up the Madeleine, the BMC redshirts were gone from the front, and soon the yellow jersey of Cadel Evans was dropped. The elite group contained Contador, Levi, Andy Schleck, Armstrong, and Sammy Sanchez. The screws turned tighter, dropping Armstong and all the others.

Then Andy drew first blood, laying down an attack that pulled Contador clear, so soon just the two gc big boys were alone and battling shoulder to shoulder. The Astana threshing machine had done away with all the contenders save one.

VeloCenter: TdF Stage 9 Highlight | CompetitorTV

VeloCenter: TdF Stage 9 Highlight

Maybe it was the translation but I'm sure Andy Schleck could work on his diplomacy skills a tad...

SBS: Tour de France 2010: Evans admits his Tour is all but over

Schleck said afterwards he did not regard Evans as a big contender anyway, given the Australian's efforts at the three-week Giro d'Italia in May.

"I'm not really surprised Cadel had a bad day today, especially with the Giro behind him. I didn't really see him winning this Tour," Schleck said.

"He's got a fracture in his arm, and that doesn't make things easier. Unfortunately he lost the jersey but that's the race. I'm happy that I now have it."

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 9 - There's only so much pain you can bear. Evans cracks in more ways than one

2010-07-14T09:09:00.001+10:00

It was a hell of a stage. 2 cat 1 climbs and an HC to boot. And to attempt that ride plus a yellow jersey defence with a fractured elbow takes some doing. But in the end he just couldn't muster enough pain management to get over that last mountain with the leaders. Cadel's GC hopes have effectively ended, although like Lance Armstrong he wants to ride on.

I must admit I wasn't so surprised to see him crack, but the magnitude was way out of proportion. That blue tape on his left arm was a bit of a clue but otherwise it just looked like he'd absolutely had enough. The fact that Sastre and Wiggins were also in trouble made it more believable, but clearly there was more at play here - like a fractured elbow. Hopefully he can claw back some pride with a stage win from here.

Otherwise a nice show on the road with a great win by Casar. And Vino attacking, clearing the way for Contador; and Voigt doing everything to pace Schleck up to the summit. And Schleck himself doing almost everything possible to drop Alberto, to no avail. But what a chase by Samuel Sanchez. To be so close for so long, but so far...

So now it's the Schleck and Contador show with perhaps Sami Sanchez, Menchov - maybe even Leipheimer - the most likely intruders into the party. If they can keep up. Falls aside, Contador is looking good for the overall.

Fractured Elbow Shatters Tour Hopes For Evans | Cyclingnews.com

"The team was just fantastic but I'm the one who had the crash two days ago. I'm the one that is wearing the jersey and I'm the one that is vulnerable. I'm not my normal self if I get dropped by a group like that. Normally today was a chance for the stage win and it wouldn't have an effect on the GC. Now I'm pretty sure it's all over for this year."

Evans apologized to his teammates and team owner.

"This year there's been two health problems: the Giro and now here things aren't at my normal level. I put in a lot of work and I suffer on my bike everyday and I do it with pleasure. For the guys who have supported me and been so good, the team and Andy Rihs, the owner of the team and everyone who has believed in this project, I'm just so sorry to let them all down."

Ochowicz explained that the fracture to Evans' elbow was discovered during the rest day on Monday, but the team did not want to reveal the problem before the stage today.

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Evans was involved in a crash just six kilometers into Stage 8, where he apparently suffered the fracture. He nevertheless managed to stay with the leading group of yellow jersey contenders and moved into the overall lead after Sylvain Chavanel was dropped. According to the team, they kept Evans’ injury a secret during the rest day in order to see how Evans would fare today, and he did pretty well over the first few climbs of Stage 9. But the Madeleine is a brutal mountain and the pace set by Astana and Saxo Bank at the front of the yellow jersey group pushed Evans – and pretty much everyone else – over the limit. It’s a very unfortunate turn of events for Evans, as he appeared to have better overall form this year than he had at the Tour de France last year.

Cadel's Diary | Cadel Evans 2009-2010 - The Official Site of Cadel Evans - World Champion 2009, Tour de France runner-up in 2007,2008.

A HUGE thank you to all the BMC boys who showed what they're made of today. The staff here at the Tour, they didn't know their leader was starting with broken arm - I didn't want to demoralize them.

Tour De France: Stage 9, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Shortly after the catch of Vinokourov, the inevitable happened and Andy Schleck hit out with about 40km to go, the attack followed only by Contador although soon the two were joined by Samuel Sanchez, who impressively rode past the pair and with a constant grimace continued on in an attempt to put time into the group behind.

But no sooner had Sanchez rode past and BOOM, it was time for Schleck to go again and again in an attempt to break the elastic between himself and his closest rival, who was content to follow the Luxembourger's wheel as Sanchez was quickly relegated. Ahead of them the leading quartet had opened the gap to 6:20 over the maillot jaune of Evans and 3:37 over the battling duo of Contador and Schleck.

The young pair, which is expected to fill the top places on the general classification, carried on its merry way as those behind, the other overall contenders such as Van Den Broeck, Menchov, Ivan Basso and Leipheimer - assisted ably by Lance Armstrong - maintained a steady rhythm and held the gap between themselves and the Saxo Bank-Astana alliance to 1:30 with about 35km to go.

And Robbie McEwen updates us all on his back injury....
Robbie McEwen (mcewenrobbie) on Twitter

http://twitpic.com/24zpg3 Btw, this is how my lower back is looking thanks to the tool at finish a few days ago. Hip & leg look similar

Full-carbon, aluminium + carbon fork and aluminium + carbon fork and rear end. And steel. I've tried 'em all. And the difference is?

2010-07-13T15:36:00.001+10:00

I'm tempted to say 'not worth arguing over', but my last steel bike was a beauty: custom higher bottom bracket height for crits, Campag all over it, fast wheels. Bought it in 1989, resprayed it in 1995 (to fend off the rust). Replaced the groupset with Mavic gear off my 1990 Look KG76 Carbon Kevlar (which took on 105 instead). Retired it for good in 1999 (rust again). Frankly, steel is a pain to maintain.

I sweat a lot, and I don't mind riding in the rain. I always clean, lube and rust-protect my steel bikes (including my Saronni-Colnago track bike, which almost never sees rain and has survived with scars and 2 re-sprays) but inevitably they rust. And I don't see (or feel) any advantage over other materials. So steel is just off the shopping list, at least for me. However my kids have cheap and cheerful steel bikes, and training wheels!

I should however say that my '85 Colnago Mexico was a great steel road bike. Smooth, effortless and hardly rusted at all. It was a great road bike but not handy at all in crits, so I got rid of it before I scratched it. As far as I know it's still intact (a friend bought it off me) and perhaps it proves that the initial treatment and care in manufacture of a steel frame makes the difference. But I can't be bothered with further experimentation given that I've already had, umm, 2 steel track bikes and 6 steel road bikes. And seriously - be they a custom frame, a Colnago or a Gitane, or even an Apollo or a Shogun - they weren't any more comfy or faster for being made of a rusty metal.

Which brings me to carbon. My Look KG76 (skinny carbon/kevlar tubes bonded to aluminium lugs) distinguished itself almost immediately by being the first bike in my experience to make 200km feel like a doddle. Seriously, it was a revelation and even put my comfy steel-framed Colnago into perspective. Whilst I can't say it was the carbon alone that made the difference, I can say that over 20 years later it's still rideable. In fact I'd race it without hesitation. What I would say is that the laid-back French frame angles matched with light but less-than-stiff wheels was the real differentiator in the comfort stakes.

One thing I have learnt from my 35 odd years of bike riding is that things break. My brother broke the steel forks on our old steel road bike. But the frame was getting close to 50 years old by that stage and the forks may have been original! Anyway, they broke catastrophically and without warning, much like my lightweight aluminium seatpost did years later...

Which brings me to aluminium frames. I have just 2 of those, both by Felt. They are ridden almost every day in all kinds of weather and raced on fine summer days. The F50, an aluminium frame with carbon fork is 6 years old (and counting) and has just broken its first spoke. The F75 is just 4 months old and has a carbon rear-end to go with a carbon fork. It's a size smaller than the F50 which fits me better but is noticeably more lively. Given the extra carbon some readers may think it would be more comfy but it's not, it's stiffer and harsher - as well as faster. I put that down to the smaller sized frame and the newer, slightly stiffer wheels rather than frame materials.

Now it gets complicated. I use 3 road bikes regularly but each is a different size with different angles, and a different mix of frame materials and wheelsets. I have Mavic vs Velocity clinchers and a variety of tyres, too. So how could I definitively "prove" what I feel? I can swap wheelsets around a bit and standardise on tyres, I guess. And I can run some tests using my power meter. But frankly, whilst I will almost certainly run some comparisons just for the heck of it, I don't think it matters too much. I can simply summarise my feelings and you can pick and choose what you want to believe. I'll even link to some further opinion afterwards ;-)

In summary I believe that :

Frame materials do NOT inherently "feel" different. If the angles are the same and the material stiffness is the same then they will "feel" the same - to me at least. Which debunks the 'steel or carbon fibre is more comfy' theory
However my Look KG76 Carbon Kevlar is the most comfortable road bike I've ever owned - but I put that extra comfort down to the wheelset and frame angles rather than the carbon
Wheels really matter - stiffer wheels degrade comfort but add speed; lighter wheels add speed (or acceleration) but may be softer, especially when cornering (depends on stiffness, again)
Carbon frames (at least those made by Look) can be stiff or soft by design and can last 20 years or more, even when raced and trained on, without any noticeable change in "feel", either
Aluminium fails suddenly and catastrophically and like all frames should be keenly examined for damage, but after 6 years of training and racing my aluminium Felt F50 remains failure-free (touch wood!) and just as nice to ride as on day one
Steel rusts. It can be stiff or soft by design. It also doesn't "age" and become somehow less "springy". At least not in my experience!

Some other people think differently, at least in part....

Is Carbon Fiber really worth the cost of a new bike? | Ask MetaFilter

I have been convinced that carbon fiber ages significantly every time it flexes, as does aluminum to a much lesser degree. Steel on the other hand, can flex a million times with very little measurable change in springiness. Just imagine how well a coil spring made of carbon fiber or aluminum would last.

Bicycle Frame Materials - Steel, Aluminum, Titanium and Carbon Fiber, by Sheldon Brown

Did you know that:
* Aluminum frames have a harsh ride?
* Titanium frames are soft and whippy?
* Steel frames go soft with age, but they have a nicer ride quality?
* England's Queen Elizabeth is a kingpin of the international drug trade?
All of the above statements are equally false. There is an amazing amount of folkloric "conventional wisdom" about bicycle frames and materials that is widely disseminated, but has no basis in fact.

The reality is that you can make a good bike frame out of any of these metals, with any desired riding qualities, by selecting appropriate tubing diamters, wall thicknesses and frame geometry.

Lifespan of Carbon Fiber Frame - Topic Powered by Social Strata

I have over 15000 miles on a 2004 Trek 5200 and I personally cannot tell any difference in the ride from the firt day to today. The frame has its share of scratches dings and such but its as supple as the day I bought it. My feeling on CF bikes is when there is a major malfunction it will just break and thats the time to replce it. I rode Steel in the 80'2 and could definitely tell age on the ride and performance after many miles. Same for an aluminum bike in the 90's. Probably not the most scientific answer you could get but its just my $.02 worth. 300 miles on a frame isnt much if you feel the bike has been cared for.

STEEL, ALUMINUM, TITANIUM, CARBON, or Some Combo!

But let us not deceive ourselves. The slight weight disadvantage that comes with a steel frame makes it unusable for racing at the highest levels. A steel frame can be made that weighs in the mid to low 3-pound range. Over a non-compact aluminum frame, this is a penalty of about one pound. This is just too heavy to chase Tyler Hamilton up a category-one climb. That is why the professional peloton uses aluminum or carbon. But for the rider who does not compete at the elite level, that one-pound penalty as part of a whole rider/bike package that approaches 200 pounds (or may generously exceed it) is insignificant. And for that pound, the rider gets a bike that can take advantage of the high-tensile strength and springy elasticity of modern steel and ride a bike that is an absolute dream. No bike rides as well as a steel bike built by a skilled builder. People who disagree with this conclusion usually have either a commercial interest in other materials, or have not ridden modern steel bikes.

STEEL, ALUMINUM, TITANIUM, CARBON, or Some Combo!

I believe that the feel of the road is a large part of the feedback I am looking for as I ride my bike. I am not looking to isolate myself from my cycling environment. I want to be part of it. For me, then, carbon works against my cycling goals. I have never ridden a carbon frame or fork that gives the fine, pleasant, comfortable ride under the widest set of condition that steel gives.

My Felt F75: 4 months later (updated!)

2010-07-12T14:39:00.003+10:00

Well I paid good money for it, so I expect a solid ride with good, fast sensations that lifts my performance to a new level. Well actually I just expect a decent, hard-working bike. If it's faster than my Felt F50 or the old Look KG76 then that's a bonus.

The good news first. Nice build quality and very slightly lighter than my old F50 (talking sub 8kg fully built with pedals on my scales). The red, black and white paintwork is also very cool. Just stepping on the pedals for the very first time I thought "whoa, this is quick" - but that could just be gearing, eh?

Not being one to use first impressions as a definitive guide, I made some subtle adjustments mid-ride until the saddle was just so in terms of post height and rails, and measured everything as best I could to get my position to where a true comparison would be possible. And it still felt faster, if less so. The trouble with first impressions is that mere change - just being different - can fool you into thinking it's "better". And laying out a couple of grand psychologically puts you into a defensive 'of course it's better' frame of mind anyway. Even so, first impressions weren't bad, so that's good.

The not so good news. Nothing to blame Felt for, the fit and finish is excellent for the sub-$A2,300 I paid for it. That's around $200 cheaper than the 6 year old F50 was when new and half the 1990 buy price of the all-carbon Look. However a bike is only as good as its assemblers can make it and the LBS that put it together wasn't 100% on the money. (I still like 'em though!) Trouble is I bought it from an LBS that really specialises in mountain and kids bikes. So I had to remove the plastic protective bits, the bell and the streamers. OK, I'm joking about the streamers.

I also had to adjust the headset and reroute a brake cable to make for better free movement. And tighten a few bolts that were looser than I expected.

The empirical data. So is it really faster? Well that's a harder one to answer as at age 52 with a few kids to distract me from real riding my fitness is up and down. So I have to remove the outliers in the data and "normalise" a few things. All things considered, my 'standard' rides were immediately faster - an astounding 2km/h over 30km and amost 3km/h better over 50km. I was stunned. It not only felt (ha ha) faster, it was faster. Sadly - call it 'new bike fever' - after a month the gains had almost completely disappeared. I think I just got used to it. After averaging it all out and taking into account fitness and weather variations the F75 is still up on the old F50 by 0.5kmh average overall and I'm prepared to say it has an advantage, but it's a small and diminishing one.

In terms of power I really don't expect much if any variation. I'm the same person with the same potential, and the bikes are set up pretty close to "the same". So the power I can put out should be about the same, if I have set it up right! And I haven't been able to do really fair tests as my ibike got drenched in some wet weather and has started to really eat batteries. However the few measurements I have got out of it actually do show gains in power on the flat and on "power" hills of around 20-30W average (5-10% grade). Maybe. It gets murky when comparing steeper climbs as the new bike has a compact 34/50 crankset whereas I have 39/50 on the older bike. It ain't apples to apples but I do prefer the 34 over the 39 for most hill efforts (talking 15-20% folks). Maybe the weather has been more conducive to me pumping out the Watts on the fresh new bike, or this is just normal variation in daily average wattage. I'll try to do more scientific testing as soon as I can. For now I feel faster on the new bike and it's showing in slightly higher speeds and power outputs. But I'm wondering if I should actually be getting faster speeds and lower average Wattage... hmmm.

What else can I say? Well it's standard box-section Mavic clincher rims on both bikes but the new bike has a stiffer single-cross front wheel lacing pattern. If anything the stiffer front wheel explains the 'faster' feeling, and probably translates into better overall performance - at the expense of comfort. As I really only do crits these days I'm not concerned, and the odd 50km road race isn't a problem. 150-200km road races may be different. It can be a bit jarring over rough roads.

Finally I have to say that the Dura-Ace components on my 6-year old 9-speed F50 have a better feel to them than the new 10-speed 105 groupset. Especially the gearshifting. In fact if anything I prefer the 9-speed 105 gears on the Look, circa 1998! Perhaps it all has to just wear in?

Verdict: Would I buy another one? I sure would! I'd be careful where I bought it and make sure it was set up perfectly, but it's definitely a killer bike for the money.

Schleck thought the peleton should've waited for Lance. And more reports on Stage 8, if you have time and motivation ;-)

2010-07-12T11:09:00.001+10:00

Some varied views on what happened...

First up is Bob Roll commenting on Lance in particular - and it's a fair and balanced view overall. A reporter (Frankie Andreu, apparently) and the co-host put a pro-Lance spin on it though, the reporting theme being "bad luck x 3" for Lance. But when you clip a pedal in a corner that's miss-applied skill, timing and judgement as much as "luck", isn't it? (And I say that as someone who has come off the bike whilst leading a race... by clipping a pedal. You should know better but sometimes it just happens. It hurts, too.)

Interesting that Andy Schleck thought the peleton should have waited for Armstrong - which admittedly sometimes happens and perhaps should always happen when the GC leaders are affected by such incidents - but as the bunch was so large with so many teams in with a chance it wasn't really an enforceable option. Perhaps he could have gone to the front and called a truce, a la Fabian on the stage into Spa? Not that team Astana was likely to agree - they were keen to gain time on the 'old man'.

Interesting also that Lance rolled a tyre in the pedal-clipping incident. You'd get a fine and a few weeks 'rest' for that sin in these parts.

Lance Update - Stage 8 - Versus

From the 2010 Tour de France - Stage 8

Interview with Cadel Evans - Post Stage 8 - Versus
From the 2010 Tour de France - Post Stage 8
SBS: Tour de France 2010: Evans bounces back to take yellow
"I don't know if everyone saw my fall after 6 km. I thought then that the Tour might be over," said Evans, who had to ride most of the 2008 edition hampered by injuries after a crash early in the race.

"I had to get treatment from the doctor."

As Chavanel is not a specialist climber the Frenchman knew he would give up the race lead, but it was not until late on the 14km climb to Avoriaz that Evans was assured of the yellow jersey.
SBS: Tour de France 2010: Evans bounces back to take yellow
Despite Evans' scrapes from his crash, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong came off far worse, the American crashing before the climb to Ramaz and losing nearly 12 minutes to finish more than 13 minutes behind Evans.

While Schleck suggested the peloton owed it to the American to wait, Evans was less generous in his assessment.

He remembers only too well the times rivals did not wait for him: "To have a crash in a mountain stage of a Tour can be really difficult.

"Today I crashed but two years ago when I crashed in the Tour I had one of hardest days of my career on the stage to Hautacam, with all the bruising and pain.

"That day, I got dropped with (sprinter) Julian Dean on the first climb and was fighting for yellow at the end of day.
SBS: Tour de France 2010: Sastre happy to move up
While another challenger, Andy Schleck, attacked in the final kilometre to win the stage, and Evans took the yellow jersey, Sastre moved up 14 places to 12th overall at 2min 40sec behind the Australian.

"I am satisfied with today's stage. I was with the leaders of the race and I didn't lose time to any important riders in this Tour de France," said the Spaniard.

"It was a very hard stage. The first nine days of the Tour were not easy for anyone. I am happy that all the problems we had at the beginning of the race are behind us.

"Now everything is good. I am feeling better every day and can be optimistic for the coming days. I am very satisfied.
Evans secures yellow jersey - TourDeFrance - Sportal Australia
Evans (BMC Racing) finished in a group 10 seconds behind to become the first world champion to take the Tour race leader's yellow jersey since Greg LeMond in 1990 but Armstrong saw his dreams of winning another title fall into oblivion.

"My Tour's finished," said seven-time champion Armstrong, who finished third in his comeback year in 2009.

"But I'll hang in there and enjoy my final Tour."

"I'm not going to complain. This is just a bad day."

"It went from bad to worse."

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 8 - Surprises abound! Armstrong hits the ground, doesn't bounce. Evans bounces, Schleck pounces.

2010-07-12T09:13:00.001+10:00

What would you say about Paris in 2 weeks time, all things being equal from here? Schleck 1st, followed by Contador and Evans? Too early to be sure about Contador? Thinking that Evans will bleed time on key stages but gain it back on the long TT? Concerned about someone else falling, or a joker in the GC pack, perhaps 1 or even 2 minutes back, biding their time?

It feels more like the '80s again. At least in the warm, fuzzy glow of hindsight, anyway. I mean before it got a bit too predictable, with the strongest TT rider (usually someone called Indurain or, later, Armstrong) claiming the overall win in Paris. Again. And again. Usually achieved more by 'best average performance' than by bold and exciting moves, too. Yes, OK, there were some classic attacking performances in the past 25 years or so, but how many tours were won more by grinding obsessives rather than mercurial pirates? (Let's leave the pharmaceuticals out of it for the moment and just consider the drama.)

Whether the peleton has become "cleaner" or not is debatable, but we are - arguably - seeing more variation and a greater degree of suspense over the whole 3 weeks. (Yes, it is just week one but you know what I mean.) Whilst we may recognise Contador as king we also harbour doubts - we see a chink in the armour. And can Schleck keep it up? Is Sastre planning a big attack later in the tour? Will Evans keep close enough in the mountains to win it back in the TT? What of Menchov, Rogers and Basso? We can see a competition every day.

And there are so many possibilities. Whilst we can write Armstrong off overall he may well turn super-domestique for Leipheimer. Sastre and Menchov may save it all up for week 3. Evans and Basso may limit their losses. Wiggins may strike back. Even more likely, though, is that Contador may have just had his 'one bad day' and will come back fighting.

It's all possible, rather than predictable.

Tour De France: Stage 8, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com
"I've got to get my head around the position that I'm in now," said Schleck, with a rest day ahead of him tomorrow. "There are still a lot of very hard days, but I am pretty relaxed for the moment. I've done my thing, and I hope I can do a great race and I hope I don't have a bad day."

Ten seconds behind, the group was led in by another of the day's aggressors, Robert Gesink (Rabobank), with Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) fourth and Contador fifth. Sixth, though, was the day's other big winner, Cadel Evans (BMC), who survived an early fall to claim the yellow jersey.

Evans now leads the general classification ahead of Schleck by 20 seconds, with Contador up to third, 1:01 behind the Australian.

Many will expect the overall winner to come from this trio, meaning, inevitably, that one of the day's big stories was the end of Armstrong's challenge - indeed, the definitive end of the Armstrong era.
Schleck Gives Warning Of Things To Come | Cyclingnews.com
“I really felt good. My legs were turning well, and the team was great. On the last climb I had no problem. I thought about attacking earlier but I have a plan for this Tour and I’m going to stick to it. Pressure motivates me. I’m here for a goal, to win in Paris, but if I can win a stage, I’ll take it,” he said at the finish.
Vinokourov Fills Domestique's Shoes | Cyclingnews.com
Vinokourov didn't expect Armstrong to disappear so quickly from the top positions of the classification. "I think he suffered in the heat," said the Astana star. "He also crashed quite a bit as well. Now he's out of contention for sure. We'll see - day after day - how we can get rid of our other adversaries."

Saxo Bank's Andy Schleck, who won the day's stage, isn't a major concern for Vinokourov. "He hasn't taken much time on Alberto, I'm not worried," he said.
Evans Gives BMC Its First Yellow Jersey | Cyclingnews.com
Evans played a somewhat cagey game, aware that his team will shoulder the responsibility of controlling the race before the Pyrenees start. "We'll wait for stages after tomorrow, but I'm happy it's a rest day. We'll think about it and come up with plan but the Pyrenees are very hard, Andy (Schleck) is going well, (Alberto) Contador and Astana (are) really strong, so we'll have to see and decide how to approach the mountains."
Wiggins Limits Damage In Tour De France Test | Cyclingnews.com
"I felt pretty good most of the day, especially on the second climb. It was just on the last one that I was overcooked and there came a point when I had to back off so I wouldn't completely blow. It was a damage limitation exercise,” he said at the finish.
Armstrong's Tour Challenge Collapses | Cyclingnews.com
"I clipped a pedal [in the roundabout -ed.] and next thing I knew I was rolling on the ground at 65 kilometres per hour," Armstrong explained after the stage. "I didn't make it back on until la Ramaz and I was pegged."

His jersey torn, Armstrong was slow to remount but made contact before the critical climb of Col de la Ramaz. However Sky and Saxo Bank set a strong pace, and it proved too much as the American slipped back from the leaders. At first he was assisted by Chris Horner but later Janez Brajkovic took over, as Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden stayed with the leaders.
PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling
Back in 1996, the cycling world wondered whether Miguel Indurain could become the first cyclist to win the Tour de France six times. He had dominated the race for five consecutive years by steamrolling the competition in the time trials and riding steadily in the mountains. But 1996 he struggled, and on Stage 7 he was suddenly unhitched from the lead group in the mountains. The calm demeanor and steady pedaling action were gone and Big Mig was in trouble. He lost more than 4 minutes that day, and by the time the race reached Paris, Indurain finished what would be his final Tour de France in 11th place, more than 14 minutes behind winner Bjarne Riis.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 7 - Redemption, confirmation. Whatever. Chavanel proves something, anyway

2010-07-11T09:50:00.001+10:00

No so surprisingly Sylvain Chavanel had something to prove after that slightly hollow win a few days ago. And equally fittingly the main agitator for that earlier non-race - Cancellara - was spat out he back.

For the rest it was a bit of a sorting out, a prelude for tougher days ahead, but told us nothing really. We expected Cancellara and Saxo Bank to rest up, there was no need to defend the yellow on Stage 7 - but every reason to prepare to launch Andy Schleck in the mountains to come. Evans equally didn't want yellow just yet. And the domestiques of the GC leaders had a quiet day in expectation of the real battle to come in Stage 8.

A small surprise was Kloden's failure to match the GC leaders, but he hasn't lived up to expectations for some years, has he? He will be back - rehydrated - and up to the task of helping launch Armstrong's attack. It's just up to the others to match Armstrong, to keep him in check and leverage any opportunity that subsequently comes along. Basso and Sastre will also want to join in, even if it's too early in the tour to commit everything they, like Armstrong, will be keen to reduce the gap to everyone else.

Contador will also look to gain time on Schleck and Evans if that chance comes up. He may well launch Vino as a distraction... with Vino up the road Contador and Astana will hope to draw out the real GC favorites. It will put Menchov, Rogers and Wiggins to the test as well.

And then there could be the odd surprise... Hesjedal? Roche? Van Den Broeck?

Tour De France: Stage 7, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) won his second stage of this year's Tour de France at Station des Rousses on Saturday, and completed another double, taking over the yellow jersey, just as he also did in Spa at the end of stage 2.

Unlike in Spa, however, the history books will show no asterisk against Chavanel's name after this victory - which, again, he achieved alone.
Tour De France: Stage 7, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com
But while the Croix de la Serra acted as the launchpad to Chavanel's victory, and effectively ended Fabian Cancellara's (Saxo Bank) spell in yellow, it told us very little about the climbing form of Alberto Contador (Astana), Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) or Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), with last year's top four all present, correct and looking comfortable.
Armstrong Keeps His Cool Despite Heat, Saddle Sore | Cyclingnews.com
"I suffered," said Armstrong. "I think about everybody did. It was so incredibly hard. It was just the heat. Everybody really paid. Everybody would say it was much harder than we'd think because of the temperature. If you get a little behind on hydration and nutrition - that's what happened to Klödi (Andreas Klöden) - the man with the hammer comes and you're done."
Leipheimer Keeps An Eye On Vinokourov | Cyclingnews.com
Levi Leipheimer's task during stage 7 of the Tour de France was to mark Alexander Vinokourov (Astana). The RadioShack rider, who finished alongside Vinokourov in the lead group of GC contenders, said that the Astana rider was too dangerous to escape without company from someone on Lance Armstrong's Radioshack squad.
Van Den Broeck Ready For Battle In The Alps | Cyclingnews.com
"Today went well," he told Cyclingnews as he warmed down on the team bus. "It was an easy day with no problems but tomorrow will be all out war."
Van Den Broeck Ready For Battle In The Alps | Cyclingnews.com
In Matthew Lloyd, Van Den Broeck has a strong mountain domestique and the Australian is sure that his teammate can make a serious impression on the race over the coming two weeks. "Today we made sure Jurgen was fresh all day, especially when the speed was relatively high."
Roche Passes First Mountain Test | Cyclingnews.com
"I passed the test but I'm exhausted," Roche told Cyclingnews as he ground to a halt after the finish line.

After downing a bottle of water, the 26-year-old looked up and gave his impression on day that saw all the yellow jersey contenders finish together.

"I was feeling good but I guess there was a big group at the finish. It just proves that it's going to be pretty tough to stay with these guys," Roche told Cyclingnews.
PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling
when BBox Telecom missed the breakaway today, their team manager sent them to the front to chase. That brought the breakaway close enough to the peloton for French National Champion Thomas Voeckler to attack for a possible stage win.

- By Chris Carmichael -

Not to be outdone by his countryman, Sylvain Chavanel (winner of Stage 2) set off in pursuit. Chavanel had a great ride and won the stage, and took the yellow jersey for the second time in this year’s race, but the Battle of the Frenchmen – along with the heat - also made the stage much more difficult than many riders had anticipated.
PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling
If the lead group of yellow jersey contenders is all together at the bottom of the final climb, I fully expect Alberto Contador to attack on the final climb of Stage 8. Right now there are too many riders who are close to him on the overall classification and he’ll take the opportunity to ‘thin the herd’. The big question is how well the others will respond. Cadel Evans is better than he was in 2009, and so is Lance Armstrong. Andy Schleck was the only man capable of accelerating with Contador last year, but his pre-Tour preparation wasn’t as perfect as in 2009. And what of the dark horse in the periphery, Ivan Basso. He’s looking to make up some serious time in the overall race for yellow, and the mountains are where he overcame a big deficit to win the Giro d’Italia earlier this year.
Robbie McEwen (mcewenrobbie) on Twitter
@bdlancaster i was swearing at you for going so quick but thanks mate. expected bigger time cut. was too delerious to work it out

really had to battle thru tday, world of hurt as they say, but made it. v sorry 4 my team+roommate StijnVdb, outside time limit.
Cadel's Diary | Cadel Evans 2009-2010 - The Official Site of Cadel Evans - World Champion 2009, Tour de France runner-up in 2007,2008.
Why is it the roads always melt in Europe? More hot-mix less blue-metal?...feels like riding on underinflated tyres. So much so, that the GC teams did not want to lay it on the line today. Allowing break away specialist Chavanel to win the stage and reclaim the yellow jersey. It's been a great start to the Tour for Quick-Step so far, they were not in the greatest moods with the omission if Tom Boonen. Carlos Barredo gave them all a moral boost yesterday, you have all seen the post stage 'fight' on YouTube? Our dinner table was entertained.... How he got away with only 400CHF in fines mystifies me.

Le Tour and riding the cobbles... LeMond and Anderson. And Cancellara called a bully

2010-07-10T12:13:00.001+10:00

Both Greg LeMond and Phil Anderson have said it - the Tours of the 80's regularly included cobbled sections; indeed it was a great and exciting part of the race. A painful one, though, and one to be avoided if at all possible. But if it's part of the race, so be it. Like the mountain stages and the flat stages, the slippery roads and the crosswinds: it's what makes up a Tour de France. Yes, it adds risk - but surely no more so than racing down a mountain pass or taking on a twisty, narrow sprint finish. Phil (on SBS TV) called modern riders a bit "precious" about this year's re-inclusion of cobbles whilst admitting it makes a great spectacle for the viewer rather than an easier, safer ride for the pro bike racer.

Phil was also asked about Cancellara's 'control' of the "risk" on the stage won by Chavenal, at the expense of those who had suffered and clawed their way back to the front in search of points (like McEwen and Hushovd). Rightly, Phil pointed out the obvious conflict of interest in a rider seemingly annulling a stage (his teammate Andy Shleck had been gapped for example) and pointedly called Cancellara a "bully". Well Fabian may actually be a very nice guy (Scott Sunderland said so earlier this week so it's probably true) but he certainly displayed a degree of self-assured "Tour Patron" aura not seen since Lance was the Boss. Or maybe not since Hinault last pulled on the yellow jersey and gave the peleton a piece of his mind.

Cobblestones, Crashes, And Potential Winners Of The Tour | Cyclingnews.com
Anyway, the inclusion of cobbles was a controversial move in this year’s race, and led to a lot of complaints. What people forget is that up until the mid '80s, the Tour regularly featured a Paris-Roubaix-like stage. By the time I raced in the Tour I had already competed in three Paris-Roubaix races.

One difference between then and now is the fact that many of the current Tour riders have no experience on the cobbles. But when I started racing, the fascination with cycling wasn't just the Tour de France. It was the photos of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix which hit my imagination. That was a big part of the romance of the sport. And that’s why, just after the first Junior Worlds I rode, I jumped at the chance to go race in Europe with Kent Gordis. We were competitors in my first year of racing, but by this time we were friends.
addicted2wheels: On conflicts of interest and cycling - or how vested interests can pervert an event
there's money on the line here and decisions were made on the road by individuals with a vested interest in the final result. Now if the riders were not connected by radio to team directors I'd be less inclined to question their motivations, but in any event it was obvious that neutralising the stage was in the best interests of several teams - and perhaps the majority. And the minority who were coerced into following what the Saxo Bank team wanted could do nothing. Oh sure, they could've attacked when the main field regrouped but they would also have been chased down by the man with the yellow jersey on his back and given at least some sort of tongue-lashing, or worse.

McEwen's post-race fall caused by a cameraman.

2010-07-10T11:17:00.001+10:00

SBS: Tour de France 2010: McEwen in doubt for rest of Tour
After looking at video footage of the incident Tour de France officials later said that a cameraman, working for international broadcasters, had been at fault.

They handed him a sanction by excluding him from Saturday's seventh stage from Tournus to Les Rousses ski station.
SBS: Tour de France 2010: McEwen in doubt for rest of Tour
"We will assess with our team doctor how bad Robbie is on Saturday morning before the stage before making any decision.

McEwen said: "I just saw the guy jump in front of me to go behind Cavendish. I was still riding quite fast so I couldn't avoid him."

McEwen was reported to have been helped up by someone working for Vittel, one of the many sponsors on the race.

The Australian and his team originally believed the Vittel employee had caused him to crash.
Robbie McEwen (mcewenrobbie) on Twitter
so it seems the idiot who knocked me off is a tv journo. only banned for one day. check out what he did here http://tinyurl.com/365uw79

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 6 - Cav find his legs and is suddenly 'untouchable'? Renshaw did the hard work. McEwen down after the finish line

2010-07-10T11:08:00.001+10:00

Untouchable is overdoing it. Actually a lot of HTC Columbia riders worked hard to get the bunch together, and then Lampre and Garmin did their best to make it interesting. But they lacked the killer punch in the final kilometer. They got gaps but also gapped their own guys, allowing other teams to bridge up. Whilst it looked promising, it was HTC's Renshaw who picked his way along the stepping stones, finally sprinting at full pace to bridge the last gap, not letting up until he had got Cavendish into a clear launch position. No-one else got a leadout like that, and they were left in the dust.

Call it good timing or just great teamwork, it was like watching Geert Steegmans launching McEwen four years ago - when it went right it went spectacularly right. Of course the flip side was when Geert went too early and Robbie got caught before the line. And of course Steegmans harboured ambitions to win sprints of his own, so the partnership was shortlived. Arguably neither rider has prospered to the same degree since, despite briefly reuniting at team Katusha.

Cav will be hoping that HTC can keep the bottle on Renshaw's own ambitions for a while, ensuring that a successful combo is kept alive. Although plenty of others will be seeing Renshaw as hot property in his own right.

Tour De France: Stage 6, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com
Untouchable. Just 24 hours after taking his first win of this year's Tour de France, Mark Cavendish equalled the record of his sprinting mentor, Erik Zabel, and with a superb sprint in Gueugnon indicated that yesterday was no fluke for the Isle of Man's greatest cycling export, who now has 12 Tour de France stage victories to his name.
Gert Steegmans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Although Steegmans was already known in Belgium, he gained more popularity outside Belgium as he piloted Robbie McEwen to two stage wins during the 2006 Tour de France.

During the second stage of the 2007 Tour de France, a Liquigas rider fell sideways in the last 3 kilometres causing others to fall. Around 20 riders fell blocking the entire road and leaving approximately 30 riders to sprint for the victory, eventually taken by Steegmans in his home country ahead of his compatriot and team-mate Tom Boonen, who took over the green jersey by coming second in the stage.

On July 6, 2008, it was announced Steegmans signed a two-year contract with Tinkoff Credit Systems.[1] In the Tour de France, he won the prestigious stage at Champs-Élysées. Team Tinkoff later folded under that name, and the management and ridership re-emerged as Team Katusha.
Fight Breaks Out After Tour Stage 6 | Cyclingnews.com
Robbie McEwen had his own reasons to be upset after stage 6 after another incident. The Katusha rider's bad luck at the Tour de France continued when he collided with someone from the race organization at the end of the same stage. The Australian was taken to a hospital after the incident, but no fractures were found.

"[I] got taken out at 60kph by a podium chaperone 75m after the finish," tweeted an irate McEwen. "He literally jumped in front of me and ran into me. Nothing broken."
PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling
Under 1km and Garmin swooped to the front and took control. A right hander and then a quick left, with Julian Dean leading out Robbie Hunter at the very front, with the elbowing going on behind. Mark Renshaw came out of nowhere at 500m to go with Cav on his wheel and Farrar back in the mix glued to Cav.