29 May 2011

Il Giro is over...

Not gonna post video of 20 and 21. There are NO good clips of the climb of La Finestre, and the TT this morning was so boring, I went outside and mowed the grass.
Congrats to Clenbutador for dodging the bullet that is the looming CAS hearing. Of course, now the hearing has been pushed back yet again, to AFTER the Tour begins.
So a doper will continue to be allowed to race, while another guy, who doped YEARS ago, is chased through the countryside by angry villagers with pitchforks and torches? Ah, the joys of equity!

No ride today, as I'm tired, lazy, and there's much to do around the homestead. The yard got attention, both vehicles received a scrub, and my new/recycled trailer hitch got de-greased, stripped and painted. The Salsa will be getting stripped down this afternoon, so the parts can be transferred to the Jericho. The SRAM will go on the Salsa, so it's merely a switcheroo.

Yesterday, however, I had an interesting ride. After doing some exploring out in Lexington County, I rolled through the woods, and jumped on 12th St. Ext., near Amazon. No more than 400m passed under the Clement LAS tires before a carload of future recidivists rolled by, slowed down, screamed something at me in a language that can only be described as 'indigenous', then threw a half-full Coke bottle at me. It missed.
I left forth a stream of expletives that would make a Navy Vet proud, and gave them a double, single finger salute.
No more than 5-7 seconds passed before I heard the sounds of a vehicle slowing behind/beside me. A beige Chevy Tahoe rolled up, and lowered the passenger side window. Inside, a Cayce Police officer, and his K9 partner. He asked me if the car had thrown something at me, to which I answered in the affirmative. All at once, the truck down-shifted, and the lights and sirens came on. He was ON IT!
I rolled up around to Old Wire, and there were both the dipshits, and my LEO friend. He was in process of pulling them from the car when two more LEOs pulled up. Three crusiers, three human cops, and one BADASS looking Belgian Malinois police dog. Sweet!
I kept my distance, but could hear everything that was going on. All of the future guests of the SC Penal System were searched and sat in the grass, while the K9 had a good sniff of their vehicle.
One of the back-up officers approached me, and asked if I'd like to sign a complaint. Hells Yeah! I filled out an incident report, signed it, thanked all of the officers (including the dog***), and went on my happy way. Sometimes, the Madonna del Ghisallo looks out for you!

I called the Lexington County Sheriff's office yesterday afternoon for info, and spoke to the very officer who took the report. He said they wrote the driver AND the bottle-thrower EACH a $250 ticket for harassing me, and they'd be required to appear in Court in June. Nice!

SECTION 56-5-3445. Harassing or throwing object at person riding bicycle; penalty.

It is unlawful to harass, taunt, or maliciously throw an object at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.


*** I was opening a Honey Stinger Waffle when the K9 was near. The dog walked over, and sat in front of me. He went from badass police dog, to a normal, begging-for-a-bite housedog in 2 seconds. I gave him half, and a good rub behind the ears! Good boy!

27 May 2011

19...and I'm perplexed by it!



So, it's easy to see that Clenbutador is the pipe-swinger in the Giro, and it's also easy to see that he's likely still on the AvGas. Today, however, I am perplexed and conflicted. He could of easily gone by Tiralongo with such speed that the turbulence would have blown poor Paolo over the barriers. Instead, Bertie came around him, told him to catch the wheel, and towed him to the line...gifting Tiralongo the win. Loyalty to an old teammate, and a very selfless act from El Pistolero? Almost the act of a patron...
I know, I know, one act of class doesn't undo the accumulated douchebaggery, but Bertie showed me that he's making an effort. Sometimes, that's enough for a day...


I did NOT ride today. Just had other crap to do, which included going to the Pick and Pull Junkyard on a search for a receiver hitch for the truck. $150-250 for a new one from various places is quite ridiculous, especially when one considers the meatball nature of a Chevrolet truck. I walked the yard for exactly 5 minutes before an older model of my particular vehicle appeared in front of me. 15 minutes more passed, and the broken old truck surrendered it's booty...off it's...booty...
$29 and a grand total of one hour, including travel time was spent this morning! Hey, it's 'green' as well. Reduce, re-use, recycle...
Another $4 for a can of industrial spray paint, 30 minutes of sweat, and I'll have saved at least 80%.
More cash for bike stuff...

18




Good ride last night. It was one of those rides that gets better as the evening progresses. I didn't feel all together chipper when I left the house, but seemed to improve the longer we stayed out. By the time we hit Dixie for the run back in, I felt better...not great per se, but chasing Kevin up the rollers didn't seem to be very troubling.
On the flip, "fresh" is not a word I'd use to describe my legs this morning...

I should probably ride though, to a)spin my legs around, and b)this will be the last morning I can get out for a while...last day of school for the MTs today...

And the initial thoughts on the Zipp 404FC wheels are...
1) Fast. They just ROLL at speed.
2) Stiff. Stand...apply power...move forward...
3) Not the best in a crosswind. Sketchy may be too harsh, but twitchy is definitely in the ballpark.
I need to ride them a few more times before writing a proper review...

25 May 2011

Think you can handle a bike?

Can you bunnyhop a hole in the road @ 70kmh on a mountain descent? Well...Nibali can...

Stg17



Come faccialo per dire, "Forearm shiver"? I guess that's one way to handle having the door shut on you!


TNWC Update: Thin turnout last night, but still a good time. It wasn't horribly hard, but it was enough to get work if you wanted it. Some worked, some surfed. Ted and Der Kaiser got away, and stayed away. There just wasn't the HP to bring it back.
I dropped my chain about 20 minutes in, had a Schleck moment, and watched the group roll away. I finally got it back on and just rode around until the group caught me. From that point, I surfed...
Oh well, it was a good time, and my second ride for the day. I ended up with 3:45 on the bike(s) yesterday, and right at 120km for the day.
Ted, Chad and I met for a spin thru Calhoun County this morning. 80km later, we were home, and I was DONE. 6:30 and 200km on the bike in the course of 24 hours makes the not-very-fit boy's legs feel like hollow meat sticks! Gotta break it down to build it up...

A nice visit to Renick is on tap for the morning...

Peace...

24 May 2011

Clenbutador wins Stg16




Ride one was good this morning. Can't really beat a nice ride on some quality dirt roads...

Break it on down

So, when does the time stop for this race? On the sensor crossing the line, or the rider? (hint: look at the left fork blade)


Coming soon to a trust funded, hipster douchebag near you...


And last, but certainly not least, proper fitment of a skinsuit...

Time to go ride...

23 May 2011

GdI Stage 15



Clenbutador took off like CERA shot from a syringe. What bad analogy? Too soon? I think he knows that he's about get suspended and is just showing off...
Big respect to Mikel Nieve for the win. That dude was pedaling squares on the last pitch of the climb. I really like how the organizers threw a 150m dirt section in at the finish line. "We know you just rode 7+ hours, but screw you, here's some strada bianche for good measure."

And congrats to the redneck, Chris Horner for the W @ the Tour of California. Dude is on fire! If he stays on form, look for a podium in July. And speaking of form, Schleck better find some. Contrary to what the resident dumbass at the shop has to say, ole Andy wasn't "toying" with anyone on Mt. Baldy. He was busy getting dropped like a fat girl before the prom. Matthew Busche did the work, then Horner and ABM* just rode away.
Schleck won't ever win the Tour. He doesn't have the requisite amount of hate in his heart that's necessary, "Stomach of Anger" or not...

Can't find any video of the final ToC stage(thanks NBC/Universal...you suck), but if you saw it, you saw some serious speed. 45kmh average for the stage. Brutal...just brutal...

Good ride yesterday. Slept in a bit, ate a good brekkie, then did 2 hours on the Jericho. The new Shimano Pro PLT deep drop bars made all the difference in the World. Makes the SRAM stuff almost bearable....

And RIP to Xavi Tondo of Team Movistar. Poor guy died in his driveway after his garage door collapsed and fell on him as he rolled out for a training ride. Jered Gruber said he was a good egg...good enough for me! 1978-2011 (Pic of Ashley Gruber & Tondo on the Sormano last year)

Enjoy your Monday...

* - Angry Bald Midget

21 May 2011

13 and 14



Clenbutador gifts it to Rujano...
On a side note, I hate Contadope, but DAMN he's pretty when he's dancing on the pedals!



Is it just me, or is Zoncolon steep as fuck?

Great ride yesterday! Did an easy little spin on the CX bike. It got even better when I rolled up to the house and my new Shimano Pro PLT deep drop bars were waiting on the porch. No more dumbass-ed ergo bars. Those things should be banned. Needless to say, I broke myriad traffic laws on the way to CC to get some new cables. The bars are on the Jericho and they are perfetto!

This morning, I rolled out early for the 8 o'clock ride. Didn't feel great, but went anyway, in the hopes that folks would show up. As usual, the turnout was anorexic. 4 of us rolled out through LR. Nice meandering loop that only exacerbated my poor performance, and the fact that I now felt like shit. NID and Adam split off to go back into the Fort, while Joel and I turned to go home via Double Homey.
I figured out that I was a bit dehydrated and the sushi I had for dinner just was not enough to feed my fat self. I didn't visit Mr. Bonk, but I was very close to his house.
Only wish more folks bothered to show up, especially those who wanted the ride moved to 0800 in the first place. Anyway...
85km in the big sun before 11am was just fine though.
I came home, ate the kitchen, drank Cokes and water, and fired up the new pressure washer. 3100psi and 3.5gpm make short work of whatever jobs one may have. In this case, the front of the house and the back steps. The 205cc engine also renders one with ever-so-slight cases of tinnitus and carpal tunnel syndrome. I was careful not to sweep my leg with the spray nozzle, as it would likely strip flesh from bone!

Now for a (hopefully) quiet afternoon!

Peace!

20 May 2011

Stage 12



Cav wins again, takes his ball, and goes home...

And by now, I'm sure everyone and his brother has seen this 60 Minutes interview with 2-time loser Tyler Hamilton. Yeah, like any of this is actual news. A jilted and jaded doper, who has been suspended for 8 years, with is a de-facto lifetime ban, making claims against Lance. Now, I have ZERO belief that LA won while racing 100% clean, but (and that's a Kardashian-sized but), he has been tested 500+ times in 20+ years of racing and never failed. Was LA clean? Probably not. Did he have his 'program' figured out? Looks like it. Did he work harder than everyone else ON the bike? Definitely!
None of the claims are new, nor are they surprising from ole TyTy. The guy is dead-ass broke, and reports are already circulating that he accepted nearly 7 figures for the interview. Yeah, that makes you even MORE believable Ty! Just when you Hamilton seemed to be coming out of the rabbit-hole, this surfaces. It's almost like he was sitting around and said, "People are starting to like me again...I don't want that! Where's the "How to be a Douchebag handbook?"

Let's be serious for a moment. Hamilton and Landis sell. People want to hear this shit. The problem? Both of them would make HORRIBLE witnesses under oath. In a Court of Law, Armstrong's lawyers would crucify both of them on the stand. Both admitted dopers, who are banned from the sport, and both with obvious mental health issues. Almost as good as jilted lovers...
The other problem? The Court of Public Opinion usually doesn't require actual facts, just accusations and name-calling.

I don't care if LA doped. ALL of the top riders from that period were on the AvGas, period! It was the environment of the sport.
Cycling in the U.S. of A is where it is today because Lance performed in Europe. This sport is built on the backs of giants. Stop trying to tear it down!
Funny part? All of the internet knobs who are crying for LA's head on a stake were sitting in front of their TVs in 2001, screaming at the top of their lungs for Lance to break everyone's legs. Selective amnesia is a MFer, ain't it!

18 May 2011

Stage 11



Great finish!

I haven't watched it yet (TiVo), but Horner blew UP the ToC today! 40 years old, clean, and showing how it's done! Yet, for some odd reason, he says he's still working for the angry, bald midget. I don't get it. Last year or so of your career Chris...grab it by the balls! Screw Levi. He can only follow wheels, and just doesn't have the balls to attack. He's proven this over and over...for years.

If you follow me on the Twitter, I had an interesting, if not odd and completely random, exchange with Vaughters last night. That guy has some serious issues to work through, especially when one takes into consideration the fact that he's in charge of one of the biggest cycling teams on the planet! RW had a similar exchange two nights ago, except Vaughters went full retard on him. I won't go into specifics, but believe me when I tell you that JV's responses to RW where off the chart arrogant. Crazazy...

Last night, the TNWC kind of went off. The skies were DARK and ominous to the West. The 9 who bothered to show up warmed up, did the neutral lap, and then started. A few GIANT drops fell and I decided I wasn't excited about riding around in the circles in a thunderstorm. Chad joined me, and we bailed for home. As soon as we rode under I-77, lightning flashed. We rolled home quickly, with the storm following us like a feral dog. 5 minutes after I rolled into the yard, the sky went all Wizard of Oz, and all hell broke loose.
RW, DerKaiser, GW, and Flamingo stayed out and rode in the maelstrom. Good on you mates!

I missed a solid hour of riding last night, so I made up for it this morning with 2 good hours on the CX bike. The Salsa got the call today, for the first time in months. Discoveries of some good trails were made. Big fun!

Peace!

17 May 2011

Stage 10



When Cav gets his head, he's just unbeatable! Respect to him for doing the interview on Italian TV this morning...in Italian!
My only issue...the black shoes...oy vey!

Also, much respect to GW for his 15th @ Mitchell. 5:25 is no bullshit.

16 May 2011

Guess I spoke too soon...

Stage 9



God, I dislike that fucking guy!

First stage of the Tour of Cali was canceled yesterday due to inclement weather. I'm no meteorologist, but common sense would dictate that there would be a chance of snow, in May, @ 9000+ feet elevation. Hell, years ago, we hiked to the snow line in Breckenridge in July!

There was talk of the Donner Pass, and the racers agreed that if they got stranded, they would eat Liquigas, since everyone likes Italian. The Spanish riders were spared because of the threat of failed drug tests for Clenbuterol.

Good ride yesterday morning. It was a bit breezy, but a 70 degree, low humidity morning shouldn't be wasted. Same loop as Saturday, only on purpose this time.
Wildlife count-
Baby pond slider turtle- 1 (saved him crossing the road. That's 3 in 3 weeks!)
Rat snake- 1 (6-7' long and sort of angry at being run over by a CX bike!)
Rabbit- 1 (dude was fast!)
Hog- 0 (didn't see the hog itself, but the tracks were fresh and NOT small!)
College Girls on walk of shame- 2

Have a good Monday!

15 May 2011

Stage 8 (or...at least Contadouche didn't win!)



Had a nice CX ride yesterday. Did the old Heathwood dirt loop and planned for 90 minutes. As anyone who lives in Columbia knows, Norfolk Southern sometimes changes your plans for you. There was a train blocking Rosewood, Assembly, Whaley AND whatever the street is that runs into the Greek village/country club. Ergo, instead of just turning to go home, I was forced to ride through Olympia, up through campus and Shandon, then home. What's an extra 30 minutes between friends. It was a 'no plan' sort of day, so I really didn't care about the extra time. I did see about 20 things that I wanted to take pictures of, but as it usually works, I left the damn camera on the table!

Once home, I had to get ready for the onslaught of a gaggle of 4 year olds for #2's birthday party. Mayhem...

This morning, the alarm went of at 0600 for the group ride. My body, however, stated that it was just fine under the covers. My eyes finally opened at 0830. Almost 10 hours of sleep does wonders...
Gonna go ride the CX again shortly...

Enjoy your sunny Sunday!

13 May 2011

WTF Google?

I guess the roundheads at Google finally got their shit figured out, after two days of Blogger being down...
Anyway...
Last night on The Fort, we got stopped by some random, pseudo-power hungry full bird Colonel. He explained to us that there were 'new rules' in effect for cyclists on the base. He stated that cyclists were to ride single file EVERYWHERE on Fort Jackson now. Il Prof and I asked when the rules changed, and Colonel Powertrip said new traffic rules went into effect when the new base commander took over.
Short story long?
Colonel Douchebag was 100% incorrect. I looked up rules for cyclists last night, and the old rules are still in effect. These rules were put into place in 2004, and remain as such. Thinking that I couldn't necessarily trust Google, and in an effort to do my due diligence, I called the MWR office @ HQ on Ft. Jackson this morning. I asked if the rules for cyclists had changed. The VERY nice Sergeant I talked to stated that nothing has changed. Thank you very much Sergeant, for the info, your service to this country!
You want even more info? After perusing the pages of US Military Code, I found out that traffic Laws on low/medium/moderate security posts, like Ft. Jackson, must follow the traffic Laws of the State in which they are located. Additional rules MAY be added in sensitive areas, but the Laws of each State take precedence.
So to that Prius-driving DB of an Officer who decided to TRY to throw his weight around last night, I say _________________________! (Fill in the blank with what YOU think I would say...)
Hell, there are articles written in the Ft. Jackson (on post) newspaper that call the base 'a great place to train', and show the Deputy base commander with guys from the Wounded Warrior/Ride to Recovery program.
End Rant./

Giro Stage 7


Remember, Saturday ride leaves at 8am from the traffic circle.

11 May 2011

Stage 5

Crashes



Highlights

Get Microsoft Silverlight

10 May 2011

Stage 4 finish...tribute to WW



Much respect to the Giro, the riders, the Tifosi and to Trek-Leopard today! If the above video doesn't move you, even a little, then you have a lump of charcoal residing in your chest!

As an aside, I'm going to inject my personal opinion here...

These guys are gladiators, plain and simple. They put themselves, mind and body, through more punishment and suffering than should be allowed. If you made a normal human being do what they do on a daily basis, it would violate the Geneva Convention.
Sports 'experts' can thump their collective chest about how tough other athletes may be, but pro cyclists lay it out there EVERY time they throw a leg over the top tube.
When is the last time you did something that was as inherently dangerous as riding a bicycle, at high speed, and did it while ostensibly naked?

Doping, race radios, the UCI...it all goes away on days like the last two. Cycling is a sport of history, beauty, speed, finesse, violence, panache, pain, and sometimes even sadness. This is the reason that those who partake are drawn to it, for better or worse. It fills voids on every emotional level. Watching the end of today's stage was simultaneously heart-wrenching and uplifting...

Don't stop riding, as that would mean that the fear has taken hold of you, and won the battle! Ride your bike, love your family, be good to your friends, and enjoy the time on Earth that you were given!

09 May 2011

Well...that just sucks...

RIP Wouter Weylandt. I didn't see the crash, and really do not care to...EVER. I saw the aftermath video and it's more than a bit disturbing. I will not post it here, so don't ask!
Weylandt was the consummate pro. Winner and worker...



I'll remember him this way! Resto nella Pace! 27 September 1984 – 9 May 2011

Here's the Stage 3 overview...minus the crash (thankfully)...

08 May 2011

Giro Stage 2 (or Petacchi shows how to sprint)



I've come 180 degrees on this one. When I watched the stage this morning, I thought Cav had been wronged in some cosmic way, but now that I've seen it several times, and read other opinions, my view has changed.
Cav started to late, and Ale-Jet taught a master class in Euro-Dog bunch sprinting. He got the clean air and slammed the fucking door! Class dismissed!
Sure, Cav was/is pissed, but he's aiming his ire at the UCI officials in Italy. Time for a geography lesson Mark.
You're racing IN Italy. Petacchi IS Italian and universally loved by the tifosi. Ergo, he's gonna get the call. The ONLY way a relegation would have happened is if Ale-Jet would have ejected from the cockpit of his Wilier and tackled you off the bike at 70kmh.
We can all agree that the UCI is stupid, but they aren't suicidal!


Good ride Saturday with Corbett and the Kaisers. Beautiful morning thru LR. We did the old Thursday Bunky's loop and it had been the first time out that way in a great while for all of us. It's a great loop, and we should ride it once in a while on Thursday nights.

No ride this morning. Got up and cooked brekkie for the H.O. Happy Momma's Day! She's a good wife, and a great mother! A nice family walk at the river followed. Can't do much better...

06 May 2011

Non dimentichi...

Il Giro dell'Italia comincia Sabato!!!



And as usual, the organizers of Il Giro have made it fun and interesting...

Colla della Finestre at the very end (Stage 20) may not determine the winner of the Giro, but it's surely going to make thing interesting! Looks all romantic in this long helicopter shot, eh?






Sure, maybe, but you may want to ask the Geox boys how they felt about it after recon yesterday! It may actually warrant the word 'Epic' this year!

Last night's ride was good. Old feelings are starting to return on the bike. I surprisingly okay. I'm working SLOWLY to get back this time. Last time I had surgery (hernia), I tried to get everything back too quickly and ended up just being peaky all year. I'll just ride and smile this time!
And I'm discovering my love affair with the new Helium. Look for a review in the coming days...

Peace! Have a good weekend! Watch the Giro and ride your bike!

04 May 2011

Hump Day

Some videos...
Some news...
Some reason...

See Floyd, all you had to do is STFU and go away, but NOOOOOO...

Contador says this Giro will be the hardest Tour he's raced. Probably because he knows he has to race it clean!

Local? Speedweek is going on. Last night was Beaufort. Tonight, Walterboro. Friday...Sparkle City. Saturday, Dilworth.


How a Vitt tub tire is made...pretty interesting. thought there'd be a bit more mystique to the whole thing though. Seemed very industrial and clinical...
Rather unlike the FMBs that are made by a few Frenchies...in a garage...



And a note to Wes concerning his newest injury...



The H.O. came home yesterday to find me lazing about on the couch, and asked if I was going to ride. I shrugged and said, " I guess..."
This was the level of motivation I had for the TNWC last night. It would reason that my level of motivation, and the speed of the TNWC, would be diametrically opposed. Last night was just fast. Not that I really know, considering half the group got gapped in turn 4 of the first lap. I chased at 55kmh and closed the gap, thus burning the single nub-of-a-match I carried to the course. From that point, I just gave up and rode a light tempo for the remainder of the time. The chaff got separated from the wheat throughout the race, leaving a dozen or so to battle it out in a largely single-file deathmarch.
Der Kaiser and JayC got away with 2 to go, but NFGT (NewFastGuyTed) ripped across to them and won handily.

Thursday night
6:15 @ the Circle

01 May 2011

Weekend...



(Lango Powelltani)

Well, I'm wasted...
Drive to Beaufort Friday and get on the boat for the afternoon. No sleep in the hotel...
7 hours at the MCAS Beaufort Airshow yesterday, followed by the drive home.
110km with the group this morning.
Full weekend for a brother!