Sometimes...

Normally, I don't ride with a plan. Sure, I have a loop in mind, and an idea of variations to mix it up, but rarely do I go out with a "plan". Occasionally, I'll feel chipper after my little spin out, and put down a hard 30 minute "interval", but that may happen once a week.
Most rides these days fall somewhere between a ride for enjoyment, and meandering through new roads.
Yesterday, I meandered...HARD! Between school for the kids, the new bambino, and trying to get the house together to sell, I'm whipped. The ride guilt kicks in though. When it's 68 degrees and sunny with a light breeze, it becomes difficult to sit on the couch.
2 hours of rolling the CX bike through Lexington County was the call.

Smoother than tar and chip in Lower Richland...

Steel is real.

Squirrel's eye view.

Collaborate and listen...

Second ride of the day. This one was good for my soul.

I also got the Salsa 99.5% finished. I just need a longer drop cable hanger for the front so I can flip the stem. I guess a trip to Cycle Center is in order at some point today...

Enjoy your weekend!

A question...?

I need some new bib knicks for the fall/winter. How do the Santini knicks fit? ;)

Good ride yesterday, even though it was a bit dark, and a bit windy. I went out into the wind, hit the heavy/wet dirt, and struggled mightily until the turn onto 12th. Once the wind was at my back, it became quite nice.



Like "taking pictures @ 40kph on 33c tires at 50psi" nice. I normally pop back into the woods, but it's just bad form to not take advantage of a ripping tailwind!

Instead of buying a new bike to ride around town/with the kids/at night, the decision has been made to turn my Salsa Las Cruces into the aforementioned beast. 1x9 with a Deore shifter and XTR rear derailleur, Syncros DH riser bars, Thomson stem/post, carbon cranks...etc.! Yeah, nothing says lovin' like a sub-20 pound townie rig. I'll post pics when the bike is done. For now, I'm less than content sitting here waiting for the parts to hit the door! Grrrrr...

Why do I need a bike like this you ask? Well, riding my custom steel Jericho, or the Ridley, up to school to pick up #1 makes me intolerably nervous. Not the riding part per se, but the 'bike getting knocked over by a spastic 10 year old' scenario. I'd hate to explain to one of the other parents that they owe me $3k for a new frame because their uncontrolled progeny. Betting that would be a thin Christmas around that kid's house!

Enough blathering...Peace! Have a good afternoon!

A holiday?

I'm glad everyone thinks Labor Day is a holiday. The people who think this obviously do not have children.
It's a day off work AND school. So instead of a quiet morning, the Phineas and Ferb movie is rolling on the 50". Oh joy...
There will be little done today that resembles productivity.

Saturday, I slept in and decided to do a loop of Lower Richland. One two hour ride reminded me exactly why I stopped riding out there. The roads are shit. The terrain is shit. The drivers are shit. Nothing like getting buzzed by Methuselah's older brother, driving an ancient pickup truck, pulling a fossilized pop-up camper. Yeah, it's WAAAY safer out there...
Old State Road, which is DIRT, is smoother than about 50% of the tar and chip garbage roads out in LR.
You guys can have it...

(Let's compare)...
A stretch of the aforementioned tar and chip in LR...

Or a stretch of road out in Lexington County...
Tough choice, I know...

Sunday, 5 of us did a really nice ride out into Lexington County. It was quite nice, and the antithesis to Saturday. Nice smooth roads, rolling hills, very little traffic, and a road that had remained undiscovered until recently. We didn't get passed by a car for the first HOUR of the ride!!!
Oh, and for the naysayers, when you ride out into Lexington County, you come home with a tailwind...and it's largely downhill. Shocking, I know!
Downhill + tailwind + 52/12 + 120rpm = yesterday's top speed. As the Brits say, do the maths...

And the rumors are true, Lay-An-Egg Trek is folding itself into the Radio Smack organization. I guess Levi booked out b/c he knew that he'd be playing 3rd or 4th fiddle to the Schlecks...or whoever....
Another rumor floating around is about the custom Pinarellos that were delivered to Team Sky Service Course. They were small frames and had the initials "MC" written on them. Hmmm....rhymes with Park Spavendish...

Anyway...enough of this nonsense. Time to go ride bikes with Junior Management...

Friday Shizz

An article has been going around for the last few days concerning the Lost Art of The Group Ride. It covers pretty much all of the bases that several of us have been grousing about for the last couple of YEARS.
It tickles me to no end when I think of the people who are sitting in front of their computer screens, agreeing with the aforementioned article, yet some of those same people are the very ones who the article is written about/for.
We all know these people. Doesn't take much hard thought for the names to come to mind, does it?
If you have to think about it, or grumble to whoever will listen, then the article is for/about you!

I remember the old school rides in town. The guys then were fast, hard as nails, and actually helped noobs along. Again, it doesn't take much for me to remember a few of the guys that were instrumental in me becoming a part of the group in the early 90s.
People do not remember middle of the road. They recall the positive, and the negative. Which are you?


This year, I can recall about 6 group rides I've actually enjoyed. All were fun, positive, and plenty fast in spots to get work in if one was so inclined, you know, the way rides used to be...

Not much else going on...
Good spin on the road bike this morning. First ride on the Mavic shoes. They are really nice. I just need to get all of the wedges, insoles, and various other scheisse that I require, dialed in. A few more sub-2 hour rides on them, and we'll be good to go.

Pretty nice out there this morning...

I'm sorry...

...did I break your concentration?


Want to touch the hiney...

Silly season begins

Radio Shack/Lay-O-Pard Trek merger?
What are they gonna call the 'Super team'? Radi-O-Pard Shack? Lay-O-Pard Schleck p/b Radio Trek?
Denials are coming fast and furious, but the fact that the angry bald midget signed with Omega Pharma-Quickstep this morning means that there won't be a place for him in the new team structure. Of course, it's a mutually beneficial situation for the team and Levi. They get his UCI points to bolster their position as a ProTour team, and he gets one final big $ contract to grow his 401k.
I think it may have been an oversight on Omega Pharma's part though. They may have believed they were actually getting a pair of denim pants...I don't know...

Type 1 going big(ger) time? Signing another Euro-Dog seems to indicate so...

GreenEdge is signing pretty much everyone! Matty Wilson, Baden Cooke, Tomas Vaitkus, Langeveld, Simon Clarke...

Goss and Eisel to Sky. Can Cavendish be far behind?

Good ride last night. Mega fast first 20 minutes. Don't let the naysayers fool you! It was as fast as ANY 2o minutes of the TNWC...ever. I dropped out of the front group to wait on Il Prof and TVH, but quickly realized my mistake, as I was trapped in no man's land. A little group of us got together and stayed together until my front derailleur took a shit on Gator. Once fixed, I was off the back of the group, and remained within 400m of them for the remainder of the ride. Just couldn't bring it back.
As for the derailleur that's been misbehaving for months, I finally traced the issue. The little bastard of a screw that holds the plates together had taken it's leave, thus the plates weren't moving when they were supposed to. Going up was a struggle, and going back down to the small ring caused all sorts of issues. One new screw and washer, and voila the 6 year old 7800 f/d works perfectly once again! I need to have a chat with my mechanic...oh wait...

Have a good humpday! Namaste!

Edit:
McEwen to GreenEdge
Tejay Van Garderen and Marco Pinotti to BMC

Weekend wrap up

The Tour of Colorado ended today. Great racing in a great setting. Too bad it was won by the angry bald midget. Of course, he's loved because he an American. Nevermind the whole doping thing...
Vanilla is also the favorite flavor of ice cream, and the Toyota Camry is the best selling car in the US, so there you are...
Financing is reportedly in place for 2012 as well, so that's a good thing. Hopefully the politics that are rife in the incestuous world known as professional cycling won't strangle the race.

GP Plouay was today too. Crazy run for the finish...good stuff!



Two good rides this weekend for the kid as well. The quiet and solitude were welcome, considering the sheer number of rugrats running, and laying/crying/pooping, around the house these days.

Saturday was a dirt affair in an effort to stay in the trees, and out of the breeze caused by Irene.



Out in the country, in the open, it was stiff. In the trees, not so bad. The wind had the fauna stirred up out in the sticks though. Several does, a LARGE buck and a nasty little hog were all seen.
The plus? The wind was at my back for the run up Gervais to end the loop.

Sunday was idyllic. Very little wind, no clouds and big blue sky for a nice road ride across LR and back up into the Fort.



Once home, I set up the new Mavic kicks. They feel like slippers! The plan was to keep them sequestered until Spring, but I have a hard time believing that timeline. Call me crazy...

It's Friday, you ain't got no job...

Three long weeks have passed since I'd been to the Chiro/ART Doc. I needed it this morning. My appointments are usually 15-20 minutes. This morning? 45. I was jacked up. No wonder it felt like shit to ride the bike.

On the ride tip, I did an easy 2 hours on the CX bike yesterday. Beautiful morning for it...

Big blue sky, little wind, fertile farmland...

I don't know what the British are selling here, but I'll take 17!

I DO know what Cipollini is selling here, and I'll take 17!

The Vuelta is going on...yawn...
The Tour of Colorado has drawn the big names though. Yeah, yeah, I know that's not what it's called, but I refuse to call it the USPro Cycling Challenge. Sounds like the MS150, or some other charity ride for Pete's sake!
That being said, The Angry Bald Midget is winning. Yawn. Once a doper, always a doper. #bottle
The race and scenery are brilliant though. Colorado (high elevation) in the summer is pretty close to perfect.

Okay...the newest addition to the management trainee program is raising hell...gotta go...

Ridey

Funny how motivation ebbs and flows.
Two weeks ago, I was super motivated. Rode A LOT of hours. Did some quality work. Felt good.
Last week, no motivation at all. Still rode double digit hours. Felt like shit, on and off the bike.

I'm feeling ridey again this week, but I still feel like crap. Personally, I'm blaming the fact that there's a three week old fruit of my loins in the house, and school started. I slept until 8am every morning through the summer. The baby arrived at roughly the same time school started, which means sleep got shot directly in the keester. I'm just tired...mentally and physically. TGoJR made the comment that basically said if there was a reason to be tired and have bad form, a new baby is probably it.

Anyway, I thought I felt okay last night, but just had nothing. I stayed with the lead group until 302, lost a contact, and just sat up and one-eyed it back to the house. This was on top of the TWO flats I had in the parking lot BEFORE the ride started. Maybe I should have stayed home...

This morning, my spirits were buoyed a bit. No, I didn't catch sorority rush again! Junior Management #2 and I had a perfect ride down on the riverfront. Big sun, empty trail and quality time. Not much better!

We rode 5 miles. As usual, he just killed it and never complained once! Ride with your kids people!

And this is just good stuff...



I like Rahsaan. I know Rahsaan. I talk to Rahsaan regularly. I consider him a friend. Rahsaan deserves better than how he's been treated by the cycling establishment. Dopers get welcomed back with open arms, yet one of the best riders in the country can't get a ride? I'd rather have a guy that speaks his mind and raises hell once in a while than some mealy mouthed pack fill, or a 'reformed' doper.
Good on you RB. Let me know if I can help!

Monday morning Cyclocross clinic

For all of you practicing your CX get-off/remount...

Here's a master class in how it's done!

A long-ish turns into...

...a LONG 3.5 hours!
I left on the CX bike with the plan to knock out @ 2.5 hours on the Jericho. I'm trying to loop together some dirt roads out in Lexington/Calhoun Counties for a Toby Porter-style adventure ride. Google Maps is very helpful in this endeavour, if you are planning to ride at whatever altitude the satellite circles the Earth. On the map, the road of choice looked perfetto. It was, of course, at the furthest possible point from the house.

(one of those 'too busy' roads people don't want to ride)

Knowing I should have scouted this loop in the truck first, I left the house. 90 minutes later, I made the right turn onto my 'perfect' dirt cut-through road, only to sink into Calhoun County's finest sand. Yep, the road was completely unrideable. FUCK! I could see the damn thing snaking up the ridgeline, but could do nothing about it.
Walking the 3km to the top help no romance, so I turned around and re-traced my steps home.
80km is a nice jaunt through the country, unless you're pushing 700x33 CX tires with 50psi in them.
Out of food, out of water, and coming apart, I limped the last 30 minutes through downtown/campus, and got home. Did I mention that I rode my tired/sweaty/dirty/stank self through the middle of sorority rush? Nice...

(this buoyed my spirits a bit)

As soon as I hit the door, a Mix1, a San Pellegrino Aranciata, a bottle of water, and a Coke were put down like so many lame horses. Luckily, there were no Krispy Kremes in the house...

No ridey tomorrow...

Maybe I'll watch the Vuelta...or go to Lowe's. Both are right up there on the excitement scale...

Just for Junk (TnA)

Turtle starts with "T" as well...

I saved this big old fella this morning. He was BIG, and I've never seen a box turtle with orange/red coloring. I should have brought him home.
Good ride...no effort was put forth this morning...just rolled it over on the dirt for 1:45.

What a lovely morning...

It was one of those morning's that I really didn't WANT to ride, but I NEEDED to go out. 70 degrees, a light breeze, and the big Sun.
I felt really flat, yet the speed was about normal for the dirt loop. The grand total time difference for the loop...TWO minutes. The long loop normally takes somewhere around 2 hours, and this morning, it was 2:02.
I did make a large mistake though. Instead of taking the regular loop through Five Points, I turned and came home through campus. Today was the first day of classes...
It had a certain Beijing traffic feel. I couldn't even ogle the undergrads for fear that I'd get smashed flat by some fratboy in his bro-dozer.
Note to self, take the long way home...

La Vuelta starts this weekend, if you're into such things...

Motorpace

100km = 60mph+ in old money

Good ride last night, even though I felt like crap. I did feel better once I got home though...one of those days...
Of course, riding in the evenings is a tenuous thing around here right now, considering the H.O. is left with The Three Amigos while I'm out on the bike. She'd better get used to it though, as I'll probably be forced to ride at night this winter...

Not much else going on...Peace!

Danny Mac

Yeah, he's pretty good...

Riding bikes is fun!

Thursday, I did the WeCola ride, even though the weather looked threatening. I guess the spectre of getting a bit wet kept a majority of the group at home. Nonetheless, we still rolled out with 25+.
I did a little bit of Frankenstein-ing to the Jericho, both as an exercise in quelling a bit of boredom, and an honest effort to evaluate how the Foco-tubed steel frame rode with the deep carbon hoops. After the ride, I can say with some certainty that my next frame will be steel. The ride was sublime. Butter on a bald monkey smooth. Love...
Good ride too. The goal was to ride with a little pace for about 30 minutes, then spin home. The first part worked out fine, as did the second. As I was turning onto Blossom to cross the river, a LARGE bolt of lightning hit very close. So much for spinning home...
I walked in the door about 7 minutes before the first drops of the FOUR inches of rain we received, fell.
Friday, CR and I spun for about 90 minutes...another enjoyable ride.
This morning, CR and I went into LexCo and did a completely different and new loop that included a couple of new roads. Good stuff packed into 80km. We also located some excellent sections for a dirt/cx ride this winter. Details will come when I scout the roads in my truck. Invitations will be sent...

Tmrw, JB and I will be hitting some LexCo dirt.

That will make 6 days on the bike(s) this week, and should put me somewhere North of 320km. That's 200 miles in old money, and that hasn't happened since, oh, JUNE!

This is a sample of the horrible traffic that some think exists out in LexCo. Terrible, just terrible...

Mid-week check-in

So yesterday, I decided to run MyTracks during an interval. It really didn't change much, other than the knowledge that a little man in my pocket was tracking my every move.
The results? Like Monday, I pushed a a bit harder than I normally would have...


View 2011-08-09 09:40 in a larger map

No big deal you say. Not that fast you say. Well, take this into consideration...
It was done on a CX bike, pushing 33c tires with 50-55psi...and it was done on the finest Lexington County dirt, and included a section of soft doubletrack through the woods.
31:17 interval time. Click on the 'larger map' link for the GPS specifics...
I'll take it...

Personally, I like Cav. This Nike spot says it all. Naysayers will point out that he needs a leadout, or can't get over a hill, or gets chubby in the off-season. Blah...blah...blah...
20 TdF stage wins say a lot, and I don't remember seeing a leadout when he won MSR in 2009...
Others moan that he lacks panache. Really? Seeking out your teammates to thank them, immediately after winning, is class.

Maybe, as he gets older, he'll turn into a Museeuw type of rider. Johan started as a sprinter, and when his speed fell off, he became a Classics killer.
We can hope...

Monday

Good ride on the Ridley this morning. It always feels weird to get on the road bike after riding the CX bike for several consecutive rides. Sure, all of the fit measurements are the same, but the differences in geometry and material shine through.
I also popped a 2.5mm spacer under the seatmeast cap to raise the saddle a bit. 2.5mm!! When I rolled out of the yard, it seemed like I raised the saddle a foot! Fine lines people, fine lines!
I also tried out Google MyTracks on my phone. Pretty freaking brilliant. No need for a Garmin product...none at all! It keeps track of all pertinent info, including elevation gain/loss, and it actively maps your route. It also made me ride harder, since I knew there was a little electronic passenger tracking my every move.


Robert Forstermann has come for your children. Dude is as serious as a heart attack...

Here's a video of RF and Hoy going after it at Worlds.

Enjoy your week people...6 days until the kiddoes go back to school! Yippee!

For your Sunday viewing pleasure

Vive le tour! from Bear Thunder on Vimeo.

Back on the horse

Steel is real...


Good 2 hour CX ride this morning. The dirt was HEAVY after all of the rain yesterday. Wasn't particularly muddy, but there was definitely enough moisture to come home dirty. Like I've always said, good rides are measured with simple lines...be they tan lines, or dirt lines...
I did get to witness a LARGE redtail hawk make the swoop and grab on an unsuspecting squirrel while on one of the double secret trails. Pretty badass...

Hello World!

We decided to wait to find out the sex of the baby, since the whole thing was a surprise.
Well, not the WHOLE thing...we know HOW it happened! ;)
Lo and behold, we were graced with another boy at 9:34am today. And to answer your next question, yes, he's a big fella. 9 lbs 12oz and 22 inches to be exact. That's 4334 grams for my non-English measure audience.

I'm already sourcing parts to build a wheelset that will carry him over the cobbles...

No name yet...the H.O. is about as decisive as a fat person on the fried food row of the State Fair.
The In-Laws were here today, trying to "help" with names. It seems that they have an affection for names that belong to Jiffy-Lube employees. Colt? Clint? Really?
I appreciate the effort, but...wait, no I don't...

Rides are done for a few days

It seems the H.O. has made it to the finish line, or will in about 18-ish hours, in the great baby race. This means I will be on family duty for the next 3 or 4 days.
Thus, I have been on the bike the past two mornings.

Monday a.m. : CX ride on the double secret dirt loop. Rode hard, put away wet. Second ride of the morning was with the M.T.s to get them used to their new bikes. #1 got a 20" Specialized Hotrock for his birthday, and #2 got bumped up the the 16" Specialized Hotrock. Both handled themselves with aplomb in their maiden voyages on the new whips.

This morning, I did 2/3 of the Iron Cross on the Fort, and just enjoyed the sunshine and quiet.

The only noise other than high dollar Italian rubber on tarmac, and the mechanical whir of the Ridley, was the small arms fire that has become de rigeur on the Army's largest training base.

It's almost comforting. After a solid 50km spin, I came home and loaded the boys up for another ride.
Second day on the new rigs, and they got thrown in the mix. Dirt roads? No problem!


An hour on the dirt in WeCola passed quickly, and without incident. My kids are harder than you!

Some rides are good for your body. Riding with your children is good for your soul! Peace! See you in a few!

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!