I'll do my best to help this go viral... SBS TdF campaign by Razor Group

Hardly a surprise, but if you want to burn fat well - exercise more

Well what a surprsie. It's not proof per se but it does indicate that the fitter you become the more likely you are to burn (rather than store) fat. And that process is cumulative - ie a good pattern of exercise behaviour fosters a positive feed-back loop of fat-burning potential.

Phys Ed: A Workout for Your Bloodstream - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

What they found was that after 10 minutes of treadmill jogging or stationary-bicycle riding, the healthy adults showed enormous changes in the metabolites within their bloodstream, as did the less-fit group, although to a lesser degree. In particular, certain metabolites associated with fat burning were elevated. The fit adults showed increases of almost 100 percent in many of these molecules. The less-fit group had increases in those same metabolites of about 50 percent. As for the marathoners, their blood contained up to 10 times more of the fat-burning markers.

The lactic acid myth, massage and other contradictions

I never get a massage post-exercise - and yes, I have tried it. Like "warming up" by stretching it just didn't seem to make much sense (instead I warm up by gradually increasing my exercise intensity from a low level). Many others report - or at least hold - a different view. And the article quoted below may help explain at least why some myths persist and why sometimes we do things that we don't actually understand...

So does massage reduce the lactic acid build up? No. But then again why is lactic acid painted as a 'bad guy'? It probably isn't.

Phys Ed: Does Massage Help After Exercise? - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Lactic acid is widely believed by many of us outside academia to cause muscle fatigue and soreness after exercise. Physiologists are more skeptical. Recent studies have found few negative effects from lactic acid and, in fact, have shown that it provides fuel for tired muscles. But the studies are not definitive, so “it’s still theoretically possible” that lactic acid has some impact on fatigue

Phys Ed: Does Massage Help After Exercise? - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

As a “direct result” of the lessened blood flow to their muscles, Mr. Tschakovsky says, the volunteers being massaged wound up with far less lactic acid removal than the groups who recovered passively or actively. Massage “actually impairs removal of lactic acid from exercised muscle,” Mr. Tschakovsky and his colleagues wrote in their published study.

Phys Ed: Does Massage Help After Exercise? - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

“This experiment had a specific aim, to see whether massage improved blood flow and lactic-acid removal in an exercised muscle. It did not. That does not mean massage doesn’t have other beneficial effects. We just don’t necessarily know what they are yet.”

Spot the contradiction - Kirchen has "heart attack", put in coma but "infarction ruled out". Huh?

There's clearly something seriously wrong with Kim Kirchen, bad enough to be put into an induced coma. But the reports leaking out are careless and contradictory. That's the nature of news - reactive and uninformed speculation first, then (with any luck) a careful reappraisal and statement of the facts. Hopefully this is a recoverable situation for Kim Kirchen.

More strangely, there is a report that Kirchen had "experienced similar problems in the spring". Surely not too similar, or he'd have been advised to rest at the very least. More to come out here I'm sure.

Cyclist Kirchen in coma after heart attack - UPI.com

LIESTAL, Switzerland, June 19 (UPI) -- Cyclist Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg was in a medically induced coma Saturday, hours after suffering a heart attack while riding in the Tour of Switzerland.

Kirchen was stricken Friday night, hospitalized at Zurich University Clinic and put into a coma, where he will remain for 24 hours while being evaluated, Team Katusha said in a statement.

An infarction and thrombosis have been ruled out in preliminary tests, the statement said.

Cyclist kept in a coma after heart attack - Cycling - Yahoo! Sports

“We were all together when it happened yesterday evening at the hotel,” Katusha sports director Serge Parsani said. “He felt really bad and we immediately sent him to the hospital.”

Parsani said Kirchen experienced similar problems in the spring.

OK, it's an advert and highly edited but it's still great riding...

Riders send a message to Cavendish after his crash-thru sprint (zagging all over the road) followed by a dummy-spit

Sprinters tend to be fiery, edgy characters but they usually have at least some sense of self-preservation, especially when they reach pro level. But they (and we) all make mistakes. When there's something at stake - like a sniff of victory - sprinters tend to throw caution to the wind and go for gaps that perhaps aren't there or make moves they regret later. McEwen himself has been accused of recklessness in the past but as a successful, experienced pro-rider he has earned some stripes in this debate. And when asked by a reporter what he thought about Cavendish's actions yesterday he was measured but forthright. Cav was wrong to swerve into Haussler and even more out of order with his petulant behaviour afterwards.

McEwen Ready For Tour De France | Cyclingnews.com

"There's a fine line between right and wrong in sprinting," McEwen said, "and it was definitely crossed yesterday."

The riders staged a brief protest at the start of today's stage to send a message to Cavendish not only for causing the crash, but for reacting to criticism by spitting on the ground.

"The one minute delay at the start today was a signal from his peers that what happened yesterday, the spitting incident after the crash in particular, is not acceptable and I'm sure he understands the message."

Cavendish has not been winning this season with the ease that he experienced last year, and McEwen thinks the pressure has gotten to him.

If Cavendish could just ride straight he'd win... it's not easy at that speed but...

There's something in the water in Tasmania - Matthew Goss wins again

I last saw Matthew Goss racing in Launceston just a few.. hmmm... quite a few years ago. Nice to see him get another win. Often the lead-out guys don't get many chances, so it's always good to see them take a win. What interests me here though is this continuing Tasmanian connection. Is it the water? The smaller cities and quieter lifestyle? The mountains? Or just small-town luck?

It seems to be all of the above, but it doesn't hurt to have ex-pros like Michael Wilson and Danny Clark hailing from the same state either. It also doesn't hurt that Tasmania has kept up the good old Aussie tradition of a track circuit, where velodromes are actually put to use, fostering clubbies and drawing crowds. Once you have the fostering happening and a pattern of support the rest seems to happen. Break the chain somewhere and it collapses, leaving velodromes idle and crowds going elsewhere. I know it's a leap from country track carnival to global ProTour but you have to have a solid base to grow on.   

Philadelphia International Championship: Results, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

HTC-Columbia sprinter Matthew Goss got his wish, to turn from lead-out man for the team's top sprinters Mark Cavendish and André Greipel into a race winner. The speedy Australian powered to the line to beat Liquigas-Doimo's Peter Sagan and young BMC sprinter Alexander Kristoff from a 34-rider front group.

Never celebrate your win too early... or 2nd place wins

I never used to worry, I just dodged the dangers. Now I see danger all around me. The fears of the paranoid cyclist

I could cut this short and write "don't do interval training on roads with intersections, driveways or other potential hazards" but it's more complex than that.

At the bitter core of the road cycling training apple is a big, hairy, dangerous risk. If you are on a bike and ride like you 'need to' in order to train "properly" then you exacerbate that risk. You probably ride fast, sometimes as fast as (or faster than) the traffic (there's good and bad in that, I know). Sometimes you do intervals or sprints, both of which increase the difficulty drivers (and pedestrians and in my area dogs for that matter) have in judging closing distances. Sometimes - heaven forbid - you get with other riders and on rare-ish occasions perform small-scale impromptu "faux races" on public roads. Not real races, mind, 'cause that would be illegal. We all know the feeling though - that competitive streak comes out and suddenly you must win that KOM or sprint, even if it means increasing your "road risk". I understand all that, it's human - even car drivers do it at times (which must be worse, surely?).

I also understand that many drivers make it all so much worse by not being aware of a wide range of possibilities and in turn making incautious and uninformed decisions. Thus they overtake bike riders when they really needn't and shouldn't (like across double lines, around fast downhill corners or just before some other hazard) and pull out in front of them at intersections. In a perfect world both drivers and riders would see all hazards, understand each other's needs and make optimum decisions. But it isn't and they don't.  

And whilst I don't want to pick on one incident, particularly one I don't have the full facts about - the accident linked to below is one I 'just' manage to avoid almost every day and feel I need to comment upon. Whilst I have an understanding of the hows and whys of these things and take due care, I suspect there's an inevitability about bikes and cars clashing on shared roads. If I want to continue training on public roads, I run that added risk. I accept it and simply continue to minimise the risk by prudent training risk management (I'll explain that concept in a momemt). When I was 25 and riding about 5 or more times further per week than now I didn't have exactly this level of fear and expectation but I did take similar precautions. I was also fitter, faster and had better reflexes. I'm more than double that age now and have to take that age into account.

The basic problem is that in order to train properly I have to:

• ride faster than many drivers expect (exposing myself to 'intersection hazard')
• ride even faster in short bursts I feebly call 'intervals' (increasing my unpredictability in 'intersection hazard' situations)
• sprint up hills (again increasing my unpredictablity as many drivers just can't imagine the possibility)
• do all this on public roads.
  

Ideally we'd have safer closed roads available just for training (and yes there are some places like that but they are usually small, offer inadequate terrain and are hard to find - and in any case involve a ride or drive just to get there). And often otherwise ideal training grounds are increasingly flawed compromises - look at Centennial Park in Sydney, once a haven for cycling but so emasculated by speedbumps and car-friendly regulations as to make it almost unusable (but we use it anyway as otherwise..?). OK, we have to share public facilities but sometimes sharing doesn't work very well. I don't see much "sharing" going on with other 'dedicated' sporting facilities, so why is road cycling subjected to this restriction? Golf courses are for ruined walks, rugby fields for mudwrestling and so on. If I dared to take my bike onto a hallowed field I'd be removed - permanently, I suspect. I also accept that sometimes car and bike racing facilities are shared but there aren't too many of those around and training is usually not permitted. At least track cyclists have a few velodromes to use.

None of this is going to change overnight. A set of reserved training roads in public parks doesn't just happen (although such tracks at Maroubra, Hurstville, Sutherland and Lansdowne in Sydney are good examples of what could be done) and improved driver awareness of cyclists' needs takes time. In the meantime we cyclists must endure and adapt...      

So what are my methods of 'prudent training risk management'?

• Use a dedicated car-free area if available - but not a narrow public cycleway or shared-use footpath unless visibility is excellent (a couple of tracks in parks I know are suitable)
  
• Avoid peak hour unless travelling in the opposite direction
• Avoid competitve bunch rides where taking risks has become endemic
  

• Choose safer roads with fewer or no intersections or driveways, blind spots and other hazards
• Be aware and cautious where risk is likely and always have a 'safety margin'
• Back off if you see are driver about to make a decision - assume the worst
  
• If in doubt use an indoor trainer instead. 
  

And here's the incident that started me writing...

Romoli Seriously Injured In Training Accident | Cyclingnews.com

Romoli was doing an interval ahead of her two training partners near Airuno in Lecco when a driver turned in front of her. The rider from Treviso crashed into the side window and suffered deep lacerations to her face and fractured vertebrae.

I'm willing to bet this is one saddle design that doesn't make it into the pro peleton: the 'Manta'

The Manta bicycle seat - umm... wow

First of all, let’s just say it: this is the most bizarre-looking bicycle saddle of all time. Feel free to disagree, but c’mon, just look at the thing - it’s like the bike is sporting a leaf rake, or perhaps even a rib cage. Like most funny-looking bike seats, however, the Manta promises to rectify one of the most common of cyclists’ complaints... the all-too-familiar “numb bum.”

Being liked doesn't win you the bike race, but it must boost morale. Nice report by Pez on behind the scenes

PezCycling News - What's Cool In Pro Cycling

Cadel is loved by the fans here, and regularly gets a huge ovation at sign on. It struck me how much quieter the fans were when Vinokourov signed on. I suppose he’s payed his dues according to the rules of cycling, but perhaps public opinion doesn’t follow those same rules.

How powerful is the "team effect" in cycling now? Porte claims it kept him going, anyway. Basso/Liquigas proves it

Some of the sadder forum-based armchair critics like to dismiss every winner - and even some 2nd placed riders - as "cheats" based on a vague feeling about what is "possible", or their look or style on the bike. They dismiss them as 'ugly' riders with dysfunctional personalities, or as a rider who should simply give up. But unless you are the athletes themselves - or perhaps incredibly close to them - it's just not possible to know "the truth" about them. But this Giro has certainly underlined for us  that no matter how prepared you are, how fit, skilled and motivated you may be, it's often the team that makes the difference between winner and non-finisher. Plus a little 'right place, right time' luck, of course.   

Richie Porte makes a comment along just those lines, and we can all see how Basso has been protected and aided by his strong team. It doesn't win you the race but it surely helps keep you in the hunt. 

Porte Secures White Jersey And Likely Top-eight Finish | Cyclingnews.com

When he showed up to Città Sant'Angelo at the start of stage 12, he hadn't slept at all that night. "I had diarrhea and a bit of everything," said the man who was up sick all night. "My health was pretty bad, and I didn't really enjoy being in pink because I was suffering badly during those days, but my team decided to keep it quiet so as not to let our adversaries know about my sickness and weakness."

Porte had a hard time again as the race went up to Livigno during stage 20 on Saturday. "I was dead," he said. "I was finished. It was hard to fight up that hill, but my whole team dragged me back, and I was ok later."

He'll be criticised by the anti-everyone mob but Evans weighed the options and missed the win by seconds

There are commentators and armchair critics - I'm one of them, but only 'cause it's hard to type and ride - who will critique the late attack on Passo Tonale by Cadel Evans and suggest he should have gone earlier (probably true, but we'll never know will we?), or even suggest he shouldn't have gone at all (given that the GC was pretty well locked up what was the point, apart from ensuring lesser prizes?). Others may suggest he should have made the break with Vino and Sastre (if only he had that luxury of choosing - 'I'll take that break, thanks'). But none of it really stacks up. We face similar choices every day in our own lives and base our decisions on our own value systems, feelings, skills, talents and experiences. Only Cadel can know exactly what was possible for him personally - and no-one can know what may have happened if he had chosen differently. A stage is an experiment we can run only once, isn't it?     

Evans Fights Back With Late Attack | Cyclingnews.com

Evans jumped away five kilometres from the finish and just failed to catch Johann Tschopp (Bbox Bouygues Telecom). In the final kilometre, he could see the Swiss rider ahead of him but crossed the line 15 second behind him. "I perhaps left it a little bit late. I was there and almost caught him because I could see him with just 300 metres to go," Evans said after pulling on the red points jersey over his rainbow jersey yet again. "It was a complicated situation because there were Vinokourov and Sastre in the break, then there were people going for the stage victory, and I also had to think about the points jersey because Vinokourov could have got it, and there was the overall classification too."

"I had to wait for the end because the longer you wait, the more you've got left in your legs for one last effort. Of course if you wait too long, you don’t have enough to time to pull it off. I tried to calculate things perfectly and it almost came off."

Basso improves, Evans declines - we can all see that. And Liquigas is an evenly strong team. Together, a winning combination

It's a proven Grand Tour formula, come in just slightly underdone and improve as the weeks pass. Even if it doesn't always work - you can surely be too underdone and just weaken as the race progresses - Basso is clearly operating along these lines and peaking when it matters. It doesn't hurt his chances that his team is way out in front, either. Liquigas has put together an even team who have all progressed along a similar path to Basso, graduallly getting it all together and meshing in the 3rd week. Ideal, really, apart from the risky first week or so when everything seemed in upheaval. Point is that Sastre, Evans and Vinokourov each have what it takes to win this race but they have all suffered to varying degrees from crashes, loss of teammates and a gradual loss of form after some horrifically arduous stages. With a stronger team protecting him Basso has had an easier run and has saved more gas in the tank for when it matters. Just a couple of percent difference means a lot. If he doesn't have a horrible day tomorrow he'll take this race, deservedly.     

Evans Admits Giro Podium May Be Out Of Reach | Cyclingnews.com

"Like they've done all week, Liquigas was really strong and can ride a really high rhythm on the climb. There's five of them and there's one of me and the rest of us are all left as the best of each of our team. They've got the strength in the numbers and also the strength of their leader."

Evans admitted that Basso has improved in the second half of the Giro, while he has faded.

"Ivan has been consistent and a little bit better than me in the second half of the Giro," he said.

"I had a few problems, which I'll speak about in Verona. It seems I'm not at the same level as I was at the start. But there's still another day tomorrow. We'll see."

Titantic battle on Mortirolo shows Liquigas team clearly strongest - again - I blame the ToC

It's been a great Giro, full of drama - and it's not over yet. But I can't help feeling that it could have been better if the teams had been on a more equal footing. To me Liquigas looks strongest and has acted tactically and strategically as though they want to win. Whilst Evans, Vino and Sastre have had to rely on individual brilliance to stay in - or out of - contention. Now I can't blame Liquigas for bringing the strongest team, working with other Italians or choosing a strong combo like Basso and Nibali, but it does weaken the competition overall. To me the simultaneous running of the Tour of California overly distracted the other teams and caused a split of resources - not just riders but of all resources - that has dented the Giro and made it both wonderfully diverse and pathetically predictable at the same time. Diverse in the individuals who have made it happen, predictable in that the "super team" will win. I hope I'm wrong (much as I'd like to see Basso win) but I just feel it's become  a race for the minor places. Still better than Le Tour but way less exciting than it could have been. Oh well, who knows - tomorrow's horror stage may indeed be the bloodbath when the weaker teams get away.

Giro D'Italia: Stage 19, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Ivan Basso blasted open the 19th stage and the Giro d'Italia itself, shedding his rivals on the Motirolo with the help of his Liquigas-Doimo teammate Vincenzo Nibali, and donning the maglia rosa for the first time since 2006. The third man in the group, Michele Scarponi (Androni Giocattoli – Diquigiovanni), took the stage win..

The attack from the Liquigas pair took place on the day's biggest climb, the Mortirolo, with over 40km and another unclassified hill-top finish still to go. One by one, the morning's leader David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne), Cadel Evans (BMC), Carlos Sastre (Cervelo) and Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) were ridden off the train, while only Scarponi could hold the pace of Basso and Nibali.

From Tasmanian pool attendant to high-GC contender. What next for Porte after this Grand Tour?

There's a lot of luck involved in all sports, as well as dedication, professionalism, hard work and the backing of a good team. Now we can all apply ourselves to a sport like cycling and do the big miles, watch our diet, learn tactics and skills as we go and still get little back other than some great memories, lasting friendships and a feeling of "what if". As in 'what if I'd given up my day job?' or 'what if I'd started racing when I was 16, or even 12?'. Maybe even 'what if I'd gone to Europe?'. Now if you are young enough you can still attend to some of these choices - as that's what they are. Life choices. Not guarantees, mind, but an opportunity that probably only comes along at that exact moment in your life. Choose it or loose it. Of course you may choose to pursue something else and make a success of it, but that "other" option is gone.

On a personal note I can still remember (it rings in my ears) a coach suggesting to me that I needed to decide what was more important - to be as race-fit as I could be or to maintain a full-time job. Well at the time everything else in my life had confirmed to me that a stable, full-time job was essential, so the choice was automatic. For me cycling remained a hobby, a great big one that has almost consumed my life at times, but a hobby nonetheless. 25 years later my perspective is different and I can assess these life-choices more clearly, but I can't go back.

With that preamble in mind, what if you lived in Tasmania, far from the Euro-pro cycling world but were lucky enough to be influenced by a small group of current and ex-pro bike racers who lived nearby? You got into the sport, did well, and had the connections to get you to Europe on a good squad. You did well - very well - but came back injured and a little disillusioned. What if you got a pep talk at just the right time and went back to Europe and got yourself into one of the top pro teams? What if you found that your "engine" was as good as anyone's and on your day could spring a big surprise? What if you found yourself in the right break that propelled you into the lead of a Grand Tour and led to you holding onto a top-3 position on GC into the 3rd week? Well there's a mix of fortune, circumstance, opportunity and ability to marvel at.

And you'd be Richie Porte, wouldn't you? 

Porte's Dream Continues At The Giro | Cyclingnews.com

At his first attempt in a Grand Tour, Richie Porte remains near the top of the Giro d'Italia standings during the third week after producing a solid ride up the Plan de Corones.

Arrrgh. I wish Basso hadn't dropped everyone. I blame the ToC.

There's more than one odd thing about this year's Giro. The ups and downs seem more severe, possibly hinting at a tireder, more human and ultimately cleaner bunch - not that you can really tell. They all seem to be superhuman on these consecutive 200km stages into the clouds. And the tactics have been unusual, too. Like take the lead then look the other way as the biggest move of the race flies up the road. Please, you chase. Oh no, after you. No, I insist... you first. Oh look, they've gone!

Which leads naturally to the U23 young rider leading overall and hanging onto 2nd for yonks. And to Basso and Nibali playing 1-2 as one strong team corrects its earlier mistakes and finally gets its act together. Indeed I'm tempted to blame the simultaneous running of the Tour of California for the whole mess, with teams split up between 2 continents. It's addled their minds as well as their legs. In this theory - the 'tour of chaos' theory - as the ToC ends today (thankfully) we'll finally see the Giro settle down into a real race with sharp minds concentrated on hard physical efforts and good tactical decisions. We may even get consistent, repeatable results. Alas, that may mean that just one team will be the strongest and will mop up the rewards. If they can catch what remains of the guys they let fly, I mean.

At least it's been memorable. Go Ivan! (And Cadel, of course.)

Giro D'Italia: Stage 15, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

The first round went to Ivan Basso of Liquigas-Doimo, who dropped all his rivals on the steep and painful slopes of the Zoncolan. World champion Cadel Evans (BMC) was the last to crack and they finished one-two on the stage after distancing all the other contenders.

Sunderland leaving Sky means something - or nothing

There's plenty happening in Pro Cycling right now, especially with a crazy up and down Giro on at the same time as the Tour of California (and why is that, pray tell?). We have Giro leaders not chasing major breaks and consequently losing large chunks of time; Giro leaders crashing and GC contenders attacking (they wouldn't have done that to Lance, would they?); and an outbreak of pre-Tour de France anti-Armstrong dopage accusations from the ever interesting Mr Landis.

And then there's Scott Sunderland quitting Team Sky for personal, family reasons. The best reasons of all, really, and I wish him well. I do however wonder if there's more to it that just that, though. When Scott left CSC a few years back there was a puzzling lack of detail about what he may or may not do next; and whilst we have slightly more detail this time around it's only clear that it doesn't involve Team Sky but will involve cycling. It will also be better for his family. Could it be another role with another team or cycling-related organisation, something that is in process now but won't be born for a year or so?

Or should we not read more into it than what he has stated? Time will, of course, tell.  (On a personal note the one race I can remember 'sharing' with Scott as a rider - in the late '80s - we were at opposite ends of the peleton, me going backwards faster than Cadel's self-described disgraceful "bus going downhill".  Ahh, memories.)

Scott Sunderland Leaves Team Sky | Cyclingnews.com

Team Sky and senior directeur sportif Scott Sunderland have issued a joint statement confirming that they will immediately end their working relationship. Sunderland says he has decided to spend more time with his wife Sabine, and two young sons Tristan and Saën.

Armstrong donated $100K to UCI in 2005

Paul Kimmage may have an axe to grind - and a fairly extreme perspective on Armstrong - but the Landis accusations are certainly major. Interestingly Armstrong apparently donated $100K to the UCI in 2005 for the development of the sport. Nothing wrong with that, unless clearly linked favourable treatment followed. And there's no evidence of that - is there?

In aid of transparency and the resolution of any apparent or perceived conflicts of interest it'd be interesting to see details of all such donations to the UCI over the past few years. Have other riders given similar sums?

Kimmage: Landis Allegations Will Decide The Sport’s Future | Cyclingnews.com

He did acknowledge that the UCI had received money from Armstrong. “The UCI received $100,000 from Lance Armstrong in 2005, four years after this incident was supposed to have taken place.” McQuaid then explained: “The UCI would accept donations from anyone who’s prepared to give. We’re a non-profit-making organisation so we’re prepared to accept money from anyone who’s prepared to assist us in developing the sport.”