Jake Keough and PhilGil FTW

Keough wins after the UHC Blue Train hits the front and destroys the field in the last 5 laps. Jonathon Cantwell from Fly V Australia takes second. Cantwell protested that Keough deviated off his line, which you can see by the video, just didn't happen. Hard to deviate when you're 5 lengths ahead...
Great races last night. Big $ primes kept the pace high in both races. Nothing like starting the women's race with $500 on the first lap and $1000 first lap in the men's.

Local boy Marc 'Coco' Williams lined up last night and made to about halfway/45 minutes, which is about 44 minutes more than most of us would have lasted!

Pics from the race(s)...

And the last kms of San Sebastien...



Paraphrasing a quote from Ryder Hesjedal... "...I hope he gets his big contract and chills the fuck out! He's making the rest of us look stupid..."

Yes, yes he is...

Saturday Night's alright...

If anyone is interested, the hammer with be striking the anvil tonight in Charlotte. The Presby Crit goes off in a few short hours.
$25k purse for the women (6:30 start)
$50k for the men (8:00 start)
Did I mention that it's about 137 degrees outside right now?
My cooler is packed! Mexi-Cokes, h2o and Gatorade...



Good ride this morning. The dirt loop is nice b/c it's mostly under the canopy down near the river. The speed was there, but the legs were fatigued. After a few weeks of injury, and family stuff, a 15 hour week has made my legs mostly dead.
No bikey tomorrow...
Gonna try to ride Monday and Tuesday mornings, as the new addition to the family is scheduled to arrive Wednesday. Of course, the best laid plans...blah, blah, blah...

Enjoy your weekend!

Da News

Rock Racing...again...REALLY? They need to market this shit in Jersey...

USA Cycling figures out yet another way to split races, pit promoters against one another, and try to make themselves more cash...all in one fell swoop...

Hey Team Sky...If 'ifs and buts were candies and nuts, it would be Christmas every day'!!!

Boonen says he's back on track...cites his 19 year old girlfriend and a baggy of Bolivian marching powder as motivating factors...


I miss my BMX bike...


Today was a double day for the kid.

Ride one was a CX ride thru the dirt loop in WeCola. I hadn't planned on riding hard this morning, but the feelings were good when I hit 12th St., so I just sort of rolled it up until it started to hurt...and left it there. The 45 minutes at tempo passed pretty quickly. The dirt is pretty rough right now, but the rain has made it a fast track. The fact I was on a properly built steel bike with good parts, and Clement file tread meats didn't hurt either. 1:45 ride time

Ride two was the group ride in WeCola. I rolled out with them, then turned off where Old Wire crosses 176 and rode home @ SST. Good feeling in the legs, but they weren't happy with the second trip of the day up Gervais. 2:00 ride time

And an opinion- The WeCola ride is big fun, for several reasons. The first, and best reason, is that it's a positive vibe. There are Cat 2 dudes and fat 50 year old women, but it doesn't matter. Everyone is there to have fun and get a good ride. The groups shake out and splits happen...all very naturally. No one is out there to whip out their junk, or to brag about power numbers. Believe me though, if you want to go hard, there are dudes that will push you to your limit. Conversely, if you want to spin around, have a nice ride, and enjoy some nice countryside and nice conversation, that's cool too! There are myriad smiles and laughs, regardless of ability level.
It's kind of what it should be about!
As an aside, there were 50+ on the ride tonight...which speaks volumes for the group and the ride itself.

Morning ride

They graded a portion of Old State. Too say it was wet and heavy would be kind...


Have I mentioned that I hate SRAM?

Nap shortly...second ride goes off in 4 hours.

Edit: Looked at the radar and noticed the pretty colors directly where I'd planned to do ride #2, so I stayed in the house. Should have done a loop of the Fort...
I did get the nap though...

Gotta love the French

...when they aren't whinging or running away...

Now THAT'S WTF Willis was talkin' 'bout!!

Jesus, what a great freaking Stage!

Everyone on this big blue marble, including the peloton, watched Andy Schleck roll away with 60km to go and thought, WTF is he doing? I think we all figured he'd blow over the top, or show his usual skill on the descent, but nooooo. The little Schlit held it all the way to the top of the Galibier. That being said, he was pedaling squares over the last 3km or so...
Cadel...panache...went to the front and killed it.
Voeckler...panache...couldn't help in the chase, but gutted himself to hang on and keep yellow. Dude has spent 20 days in yellow...which puts him @ #20 on the list, equal with Bartali, and above several BIG names!

L'Alpe is tomorrow, and could decide the race. Personally, I think too many matches were burnt today, and some no name will win the Stage. The Tour will come down to the TT. Of course, steaks and T-patches may still be getting passed around in the hotels, so there may be fireworks again.

Either way, I'll be front of the 50", watching with baited breath!

My call for the podium: 1-Evans 2- Andy S. 3-Voeckler

Anywho, Tuesday was a good ride. It's different, fun, and you can make it as hard, or as easy as you like. A few good efforts were made, and I'm starting to feel like a little pre-mancation form is returning. The problem is the fact that is 137 degrees outside in the afternoons, and I'm just too fucking lazy to get up @ 0530 to go ride, although that may change in the near future. I'm just not built for oppressive heat.

Tomorrow may be a Tour Edition picture breakdown post...

Jens and Stuey should really slap him around...

An open letter to Andy Schleck:

Andy, you're a pussy!
I wasn't surprised by your incessant head swivel in the Pyrenees. I understand the unspoken love you have for your brother Frank, and the fact that you lack any style, soul, or panache. We accept these shortcomings. Some don't like them, but we accept them as part of the rich tapestry that IS Le Tour.
Today however, you reached a new high water mark on the 'bitching like a junior high school cheerleader' yardstick. On today's descent into Gap, it was raining, and the road was slick...I get that. I also understand that bombing roads like these is daunting, even in good weather. Hell, I don't like it either!
My, and more than a few people's, problem with you today? The fact that, after you lost time on the descent, you yelped like the spurned last puppy in the litter. To borrow a quote from your teammate Stuart O'Grady, Harden the Fuck Up.
You're a freaking top-flight pro...learn to handle a bike. Call Trek! I'm sure they'd box up a 29er, or a CX bike for you to play with in the off-season. You'd be surprised how much it helps! Or stop by the BMC team bus and have a chat with Cadel. He may be a whinger, but he won the MTB World Cup twice before turning to the road.

Or, if you are against this idea, I've also found a pharmaceutical answer...

Now, I make no claims as to the efficacy of this drug, nor it's legality under current UCI regulations. You may need to add it to your TUE card.

Yours-

Cycling Fans

The Schlecks

Herp and Derp. Andy will also be starring in 'Simple Jack 2'

Matty Goss channeling De Niro...

Nothing to report here, other than I canceled my order for a new group to put on the Ridley this morning. It seems, that in the grand scheme, electronic Shimano loses out to a new 5-ton A/C unit.
On a side note...as soon as I stroked the check for the A/C, my ass began to hurt...weird...

Voeckler part deux

As the Stage yesterday showed, the Schlecks seem to be a Confederacy of Dunces. Andy looked around more than he looked forward. Everyone is likely stressing in the team buses, trying to figure out some overly thought out strategy to get their team leader(s) into yellow.

Voeckler? Nope, he's chilling in the cafe, having an espresso, reading L'Equipe...
Yep, style and soul...style and soul...

Good ride with OSB and Il Prof this morning. Amazing that on a nearly perfect morning, there were three of us at the ride. Headscratcher...for sure. We did a meandering 85km loop through LR and simply enjoyed the day. It was nice...

Voeckler

In watching the Tour over the last three days in the Pyrenees, I've come to a conclusion. This conclusion is mine, and mine alone. You are more than welcome to agree with me however, and I'm thinking some of you may do just that.

Conclusion?
Voeckler is cut from old cloth. He has more heart, soul and style than the 'favorites' in this year's Tour. He's a gritty little bastard who rides completely above himself, and for that, he must be admired. No HRM, no SRM, no radio. If the move goes, he goes. The favorites couldn't drop Tommy today, which leads me to believe that they are going to be forced to do actual work to wrest the maillot jaune from his shoulders. Like the vaunted Honey Badger, it seems that Tommy V "don't care".


Good two hours on the CX bike this morning. Beautiful out in Lexington County this morning. Funny how people are 'discovering' the roads out there lately...

Saw these today

Hoogerland T F U !!!
Ball and stick 'athletes' would go on the DL for WEEKS with an injury 25% this bad. Cyclists...nope...roll on!

Colnago porn and some stuff

I'm not a huge Colnago, nor Campagnolo, fan, but Voeckler's bike sort of speaks to me. In a dirty, Italian supermodel sort of way...

Went out in the 473 degree heat index last night. I knew I was in trouble about 30 minutes into the ride. Stomach bad and malaise. I sat up and decided to pedal home. By the time I got home, the lights were going out...quickly. Sitting in a 75 degree house, not eating much, and being largely off the bike for 3 weeks do not make riding in oppressive heat a whole lot of fun. Note to self : next time the heat index is 118, stay in the fucking house! 18 hours have passed and I still feel less than chippy...

And young Travis Kinley is doing a bit better since falling victim to a 4000 pound weapon yesterday. Young Travis is a good, earnest, genuinely nice kid. He came out to the TNWC not long ago, and was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning to take the beating he was about to receive.
If you follow the link, and read the commensurate comments, I am, in fact, the one ripping the ignorant. I'm not going to rant here, as my thoughts are probably known by all of you.

Please be careful out there folks! I've been to one memorial service this year...don't really want to go to another...

Hoog is tougher than...well...everyone...

Hit by a car, and seemingly attacked by Wolverine...
33 stitches and I'm SURE a large tetanus dose...
To this...

I heard that Jens Voigt wore Johnny Hoogerland pajamas last night! I mean really. How badass? Curt Schilling had a bloody sock and rode that wave for years. Hey Curt, you're a pussy!

Plus: How badass is that Ridley?

WTF man?

Really? REALLY? Flecha went down HARD, and Hoogerland did his best Steve McQueen impression. Betting that the driver of the French TV2 car will be surrendering both his job, and license tonight. See what I did there?

Edit: Hoogerland on the podium today. Dude is a GD stud!


Euro-dogs are the hardest guys on the Planet. If a baseball or football player had been popped by a Citroen, he'd be out for 6 months. Not a Euro-Pro! Hoog was out for 6 minutes!

Bad crashes today. Not a big fan of Vinokourov, but crashing out with a broken femur is just plain bad. VDB broken a collarbone and collapsed a lung, and DZ broke his wrist. Same crash btw...
Edit: Turns out that Vino broke the femoral head OFF the top of his femur. Welcome to retirement my friend!


Another 2 hours on the road this morning. Legs felt better, and my back didn't hurt, so I'll take it. No ridey tomorrow. Junior Management has swimming lessons in the morning.
Oh, and as an aside, the TNWC might be drawing to a close for a while. Construction is going on out on the course, and the City will be digging up the road in the coming weeks to install new sewer/drainage pipes...right on the front stretch. I'll go out and check regularly, but watch this page and my Twitter feed for updates. Cool? Cool! Thanks...

Namaste...

Every damn time...

I've been critical of Cuddles Evans in the past, but he's been riding with a bit more aggression over the last year or so...

...then he turns into his normal bitch self...



Deep down, in my heart of heart, I wish Cav would have punched him dead in the fucking neck! Wanker...

And how the hell is Dan Jones NOT on some Worldwide TV broadcast. These are the interviews people WANT to see!



I actually rode my bike today. It was cool! Two weeks off for a back issue (post crash) makes the body not quite ready for primetime. About 30 minutes in, I had a really bad patch that could likely be attributed to my body asking, "WTF man? We've been laying down for two weeks!"
2 hours easy this morning was good though. No back pain and I got to be outside in the sun.

Check yo self...

Cycling is hard. Racing is harder. Being a pro...fucking tough. The Tour...nearly inhuman and inhumane. Crashes have taken a toll over the last few days. Big names have gone to the house. Boonen, Wiggo, and others. Today though, video surfaced of Horner AFTER the Stage ended. Did I mention that Horner bounced his melon off the tarmac at 50kmh? It's sort of tough to watch. No blood, guts, or protruding bones, but tough on a personal level...

Watch if you'd like...



Fucking guy got off the deck and chased the last 25km without remembering the crash. There's a line between falling off and having a head knock, and a HEAD INJURY! Horner has a head injury, period! Grade 2+ or grade 3 concussion most likely. AND a freaking broken nose...!

I hear the peanut gallery shouting, "You're no Doc, how the hell do you know that?" Well, my dear readers, I bounced my helmeted head off the deck a couple of years ago. I didn't, and still don't, remember the crash. Thanks to Giro, I didn't get hurt a lot worse. Same with Mr. Horner!

I'm all for playing through the pain, but the RadioShack team Doc needs to pull him out of race. Road rash can be scrubbed out, fractures can be splinted. Closed head injuries have a bad habit of getting worse if not treated properly. Horner hits his head again and the result might not be very pleasant.
I know you wanted to do well again this year Chris, but go home and recover!

Porn

Cockpit setup on a Team Sky Pina Graal. That's some custom scheisse right there!

I'm no TTer, but I geek out on TT bikes. The new BMC prototype is just plain sick! Jesu Christo...my pants just got tighter!

Oh, and check this Tumblr site. YAY Cycling! Great photos and commentary...

The Tour started...

I'm excited, but DAMN, it's been boring. I know it's only the 3rd Stage...(yawn).

I do like this picture though...DZ putting his root down!

Stupid News for Le Tour (to this point, of course...): The UCI has dic(k)tated that saddles on TT bikes must be perfectly level. No nose up...no nose down. Really? Is this all the UCI has to worry about at this point? How about the fact that Clenbutador is still riding? I don't think much of Bruyneel, but I'd gladly give $20 towards his fine for 'improper conduct towards officials'. Ridiculous!

No Fab 4th ride for me again this year. It's a ride I really like, but just doesn't like me...at all...
I've broken wheels, frames, body parts, etc., either on, or before, this ride. I don't think I'm meant to do it. Beautiful day for it today though. Hope everyone had a good time!

My SI issue is getting better everyday. Maybe 10% per day. I'm starting to get the junkie Jones to ride. I've been off for a week, laying flat on my back. So enjoyable...

Happy 4th of July!