Friday, January 9, 2009

random cycling

Good photos of Belgian CX course pre-riding here. The course is very "slipgevaar". Should be cold and fast.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

homework and heresy

Just got done with my homework.
Homework is how I classify everything you have to do to make sure you have a good weekend of riding. Some weeks it's easy-clean the bike and ride the trainer. Other times its pre-dawn intervals and lunch hour hellrides to the bikeshop. Too often it's mowing the lawn and doing the shit around the house you know you will skip for a longer ride and a nap on the weekend.
What happens when you don't do your homework? Weekend ruined by a dirty, poorly maintained bike. Dropped by your crew to suffer alone. That's right skip on your homework and you fail. There is a lot of homework that needs to get done to guarantee a few hours of fun on the weekend.

As far as heresy. I pretty much follow all of the commonly held cycling rules. But there are a couple I completely disregard. Just like Greg LeMond, I will eat ice cream and I have no fear of air conditioning-especially in motels. The biggest one that I cannot abide is the glasses over the helmet straps. Never been a fan. Don't see the point. Not gonna do it.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Oscar Freire-Need Help

Maybe it was 05 or 06, but a few years ago Oscar Freire in the Tour de Suisse won a sprint finish. He did so by bunny hopping onto an off camber median strip. It was on versus, but I can't find it online anywhere. Any of you lurkers have it?
It was a pretty rad finish,

Sono competitivo

"Petacchi en Bartoli samen in de Ronde?" was the headline that caught my eye. Bartoli comeback rumours have been swirling. Pictures of him training with Basso. Then this.
According to Het Volk, Pettachi wants to ride the Tour of Flanders and hopes Bartoli will be on his team by the Three days of DePanne. That would rule.


Other sites may drool over VDB, but Bartoli was always the epitome of pro style to me. Especially his Het Volk win in the Italian champs jersye with the giant Mapei ski-gloves.

There is an interview in the Gazzetta della Sport where he ethers Riis and CSC. Saying their unorthodox training camps were a disaster that ruined his 04 season.
Hopefully if he does come back at 38, he can be competitive, but that is a tall order.
Attack on the Mur


LBL the next year. The classic Italian attacking out of the saddle in the drops


His last big win Lombardia 2003

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Oddities in OZ

So Rock Racing sends a five man squad to the Jayco Bay Classic. The team includes Bahati? Who I guess gets his place back due to Dominguez,Walker, and Cooke bailing. I hope they got round trip tickets in advance! Walker let his legs due the talking today notching up a win for Fuji-Servietto. Cervelo Test Team got a win the other day withs Gerrans so the new kids on the block will be working hard for invitations to bigger races.
Baden Cooke also shed some unkind light on the Rock Situation. From a 2 year deal to six months? Here to stay! Not so much. But Cooke had to be fooling himself, if he thought Rock was going to be in Europe this year-especially the Giro? Come on.
The Belgian xmas cross attack continues. Good coverage at both Molly Cameron and the Embrocation blog. Embro has some videos up. I may be showing my age, but it is amazing that 10 years ago, you would be waiting a month sometimes to hear race result or read stories, but now you can see video recorded a day or two ago. Pretty rad. Cyclocross mag has a couple racers doing reports as well.
You can even read about and see Groenendaal pulling a major stick and move on Steve Hunter here

Albert shows he don't need no stinking spleen to win. Damn.
I have been having some trouble with the Euro high sock over the leg warmers look that most pros seem to be rocking. Maybe its the white socks/black warmers thing, but this doesn't look very pro to me.

Only in New England

Why is a ride in 20 degree weather better than a ride in the mid 30s? Everything is still pretty frozen at 20, so you spend less time after the ride cleaning your bike.
Call me Mr.Brightside.




When did Jerry A shave his head and start singing for Killing Time? or is that Fat Joe on a rock and roll trip?