I'm in the dark waiting for everybody else to wake up, so we can start the day. I need breakfast, preferable something big and greasy. Brian's horse snoring woke me up about 2 hours ago, so I just got up and stayed up.
'Cross Vegas is not a great race to spectate at. It's pretty easy to lose sight of the big picture and then it just becomes guys on bikes whizzing past. It is, however, a great place to run into all kinds of people that you know and haven't seen in a while. Today should prove to be more of the same on that front.
Today is appointment day, so we will be hustling around doing bidness like the wheelers and dealers that we aren't. I'll also be grabbing every poster I can get my hands on and hopefully getting some autographs. I'm still hunting for Phil Ligget's autograph. I got get his soon while he still remembers his name...
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
crazy vegas cabbies
vegas cab drivwrs are totally willing to sacrifice the lives of pedestrians and other drivers in order to get you wherever you are going as fast as possible.
personal space
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Vegas Experiment
Tomorrow afternoon, I land in Vegas. I am mentally and physically prepared for the mental and physical test that is Interbike. It is always risky to plan your season around one big event, but like Armstrong and Evans, Ullrich and some other guy who only raced to win the Tour de France but I can't remember his name right now, I feel my time has come.
I will be (hopefully) live blogging throughout the entire trip via cell phone in an attempt to bring you to Vegas with me. This could be an epic fail, but I have faith.
I will be (hopefully) live blogging throughout the entire trip via cell phone in an attempt to bring you to Vegas with me. This could be an epic fail, but I have faith.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Post B2B
A long, tough weekend and I didn't even ride in the Bridge to Bridge.
To everyone who participated in the event this year: Thank you for the graciousness that you took the news of the last moment route change with and the understanding for the tough situation that the organizers of the event found themselves in at the eleventh hour.
To the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce: You are to be commended for pushing through and making the ride happen despite monumental obstacles. Rick Rasch deserves much applause for middle of the night course marking, Deborah Ashley for working the phones to negotiate all of the myriad details, and Melissa Eastman for handling her trial by fire as the new ride director with grace and aplomb.
Please keep all of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Department in your thoughts as they search for the man responsible for the death of their fellow deputy. May a peaceful end come to this horrific series of events.
To everyone who participated in the event this year: Thank you for the graciousness that you took the news of the last moment route change with and the understanding for the tough situation that the organizers of the event found themselves in at the eleventh hour.
To the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce: You are to be commended for pushing through and making the ride happen despite monumental obstacles. Rick Rasch deserves much applause for middle of the night course marking, Deborah Ashley for working the phones to negotiate all of the myriad details, and Melissa Eastman for handling her trial by fire as the new ride director with grace and aplomb.
Please keep all of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Department in your thoughts as they search for the man responsible for the death of their fellow deputy. May a peaceful end come to this horrific series of events.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Unretirement
Now that Armstrong let the cat out of the bag, no self respecting retired pro cyclist is going to sit idly by and watch LA get all the glory. Michael Boogerd and Joseba Beloki are both considering returning to the peloton. But Jan Ullrich has issued an emphatic, if not muffled, "Nein!" when the question was posed to him while consuming his weight in schnitzel.
Up next will be the unretirement of the Merckx's. When questioned about who would ride for whom, Eddy stated, "Axel knows he should be honored to fetch waterbottles for me. I won 5 Tours, he never even won a stage. He rides as a domestique or not at all!" Neither Axel Merckx nor Axel Rose could be reached for comment.
But the fun shan't stop there. With the powering on of the Large Hadron Collider, the very fabric of the space-time continuum is now called into question. Preliminary reports indicate that Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil have both been spotted swirling around in the ether and are in negotiations with several big teams in anticipation of staging comebacks.
Rumors of a return to the peloton by Miguel "Big Mig" Indurain have proven to be unfounded. Indurain has been determined unfit to return to racing by software technicians who have been unable to update the firmware in his CPU and have found that most of his joints are completely fused from neglect while he has been in storage. They did not rule out building a completely new Indurain v2.0 at some future date.
Lastly, Le Blaireau, Bernard Hinault may have to lay off the bread and cheese for a while if he hopes of even spotting his ideal riding weight on the distant horizon. But never fear, last reports indicate that Laurent Fignon no longer sports the pony tail that cost him the 1989 TdF by 8 seconds and that when convinced of the superior performance advantages of an aero helmet, he will be unstoppable!
Up next will be the unretirement of the Merckx's. When questioned about who would ride for whom, Eddy stated, "Axel knows he should be honored to fetch waterbottles for me. I won 5 Tours, he never even won a stage. He rides as a domestique or not at all!" Neither Axel Merckx nor Axel Rose could be reached for comment.
But the fun shan't stop there. With the powering on of the Large Hadron Collider, the very fabric of the space-time continuum is now called into question. Preliminary reports indicate that Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil have both been spotted swirling around in the ether and are in negotiations with several big teams in anticipation of staging comebacks.
Rumors of a return to the peloton by Miguel "Big Mig" Indurain have proven to be unfounded. Indurain has been determined unfit to return to racing by software technicians who have been unable to update the firmware in his CPU and have found that most of his joints are completely fused from neglect while he has been in storage. They did not rule out building a completely new Indurain v2.0 at some future date.
Lastly, Le Blaireau, Bernard Hinault may have to lay off the bread and cheese for a while if he hopes of even spotting his ideal riding weight on the distant horizon. But never fear, last reports indicate that Laurent Fignon no longer sports the pony tail that cost him the 1989 TdF by 8 seconds and that when convinced of the superior performance advantages of an aero helmet, he will be unstoppable!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Other cycling news
Lost in the shuffle of all of the comings and going and reemergences of cycling's top stars, there was a story of the unfortunate passing of a man living the dream of riding as a way of life.
From Cyclingnews.com:
Ian Hibell, legendary adventurer and rough-stuff cyclist, was knocked off his bike and killed in late August, aged 74, whilst riding on the Athens-Salonika highway. Although reported as a case of hit and run, the car's number was taken and the driver later arrested.
Ian Hibell was best known for his cycle treks to little-visited corners of the world in an age when such places really were the back of beyond for westerners; Antarctica, the Amazon, the Sahara and remote Indonesian islands. This incredible man was credited with one the first (possibly the first) true non-motorised crossing of Colombia's Atrato swamp and Panama's notoriously marsh ridden Darien Gap as part of a Trans-American journey. To this day there remains no road connection between Colombia and Panama.
He left a secure job in Devon in 1963, determined to see more of the world, and spent much of the rest of his life cycle touring, often in extreme climate and terrain. His initial idea of a two-year tour turned into ten-year odyssey. Marathon cross-globe treks included Cape Horn to Alaska and a trans-Amazonian journey. His travel anecdotes included over-curious elephants and lions as well as the more friendly interest of a Dyak headman in Borneo and an Eskimo.
Custom bikes were another reason why the intrepid traveler garnered interest from throughout the cycling community and beyond. Ian didn't rely on retro-fit pannier racks but insisted that racks be welded onto his Argos frames.
He was honoured by the League of American Wheelmen (now League of American Bicyclists) and by the CTC for his 'trail-blazing' tenacity. Invited to address Yale University, he subsequently lectured on both sides of the Atlantic. His book 'Into Remote Places' recounts many of his cycling exploits.
What a life. It is a thing to envy, the life of adventure. Imagine just chucking it all and taking off on a ride and never finishing it. Just one long ride to wherever in the world you end up that day... Beats punching a time clock.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Stop the presses
The whole world seems to be all atwitter with the confirmation of earlier rumors that Lance Armstrong will be returning to the pro peloton. Could this be the return of a living legend? Or a way of firmly setting his legacy of being a phenomenal and clean athlete.
This comeback is pretty much a no-win situation for Armstrong. For him to prove that he won 7 Tours drug-free, and firmly erase doubt about his past, he will have to win the Tour de France. Anything less and a cacophony of naysayers will steadily point their fingers at him and cry "J'accuse!" at the top of their lungs. This is a shark jump of epic proportions and we are all in on the ground floor.
It is truly audacious, but I don't think it is the best idea. Sure, Trek are probably sacrificing every virgin they can get their hands on in an effort to get this deal done and in the books. Oakley reps are probably holding them down for 'em... There isn't much to gain from this kind of comeback, but there is much to lose. Remember Michael Jordan retiring and playing pro baseball? Remember him playing for the Wizards? Sometimes the competitive urge whispers in your ear and you've got to ignore it.
This comeback is pretty much a no-win situation for Armstrong. For him to prove that he won 7 Tours drug-free, and firmly erase doubt about his past, he will have to win the Tour de France. Anything less and a cacophony of naysayers will steadily point their fingers at him and cry "J'accuse!" at the top of their lungs. This is a shark jump of epic proportions and we are all in on the ground floor.
It is truly audacious, but I don't think it is the best idea. Sure, Trek are probably sacrificing every virgin they can get their hands on in an effort to get this deal done and in the books. Oakley reps are probably holding them down for 'em... There isn't much to gain from this kind of comeback, but there is much to lose. Remember Michael Jordan retiring and playing pro baseball? Remember him playing for the Wizards? Sometimes the competitive urge whispers in your ear and you've got to ignore it.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Friday, September 05, 2008
Oh the things we'll do out of love...
The first cyclocross practice session is tomorrow at 4:30 at the Rotary Soccer complex on Zack's Fork Rd. Bring a bike (obvious) and your running shoes (onerous, perhaps) so that we can ride and then do a nice trail run. For most cyclists, running is akin to non-elective surgery: you don't want to do it unless you really have to, it's painful and you feel pretty crappy afterward.
But love knows no bounds. While getting a Tasmanian Devil waving a Confederate Flag tattoo at the urging of some girl you barely know, but looks cute while your drunk, isn't exactly the foundation for a rock solid relationship, mixing running in with your cycling is the ideal foundation for a strong 'cross season. Think of running as a benign tumor that bulges out of the side of your head. Sure, it isn't hurting you and your just fine without the surgery, but imagine how much of an improvement it'll be to get it removed. Just as a road bike frame will not collapse the second its wheels touch dirt, your spindly cycling legs will not be crushed into dust by the repeated impact of heel on Terra firma.
In other news: while my bike still hovers at the 16 lb 2 oz mark, Jeff has remarkably shaved a significant amount of weight off of his new 'cross bike and now has it down below 15 lbs! Weighing in at a remarkable 14 lbs 50 ozs, he may finally be up to bunny hopping the barriers!
In addition to running and riding, don't forget to be doing some upper body workouts as well. Those cowbells get heavier and heavier as the laps go by and you don't want to enter the season unable to adequately ring on the run ups! My coach has me on a strict regimen of 12 oz curls and while they are dastardly in difficulty, I marshal through knowing that the season awaits!
But love knows no bounds. While getting a Tasmanian Devil waving a Confederate Flag tattoo at the urging of some girl you barely know, but looks cute while your drunk, isn't exactly the foundation for a rock solid relationship, mixing running in with your cycling is the ideal foundation for a strong 'cross season. Think of running as a benign tumor that bulges out of the side of your head. Sure, it isn't hurting you and your just fine without the surgery, but imagine how much of an improvement it'll be to get it removed. Just as a road bike frame will not collapse the second its wheels touch dirt, your spindly cycling legs will not be crushed into dust by the repeated impact of heel on Terra firma.
In other news: while my bike still hovers at the 16 lb 2 oz mark, Jeff has remarkably shaved a significant amount of weight off of his new 'cross bike and now has it down below 15 lbs! Weighing in at a remarkable 14 lbs 50 ozs, he may finally be up to bunny hopping the barriers!
In addition to running and riding, don't forget to be doing some upper body workouts as well. Those cowbells get heavier and heavier as the laps go by and you don't want to enter the season unable to adequately ring on the run ups! My coach has me on a strict regimen of 12 oz curls and while they are dastardly in difficulty, I marshal through knowing that the season awaits!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Tyler
Tyler Hamilton is the new USPRO National Champion. Let that sink in a little. Cyclists seem to fall into two camps over the guy either loving him or loathing him with very few people in between those opinions. While no one has even remotely hinted at caring what I might think about the situation, I'll jump right in and give my two cents worth anyway.
Tyler tested positive, was found guilty of a doping violation, and served a two year suspension plus a further two year banishment to the kids table after that. When he signed with Michael Ball and Rock Racing it seemed like some horrible Vegas sideshow of a comeback, destined for some kind of spectacular "Where are they now?" type of flame out. And then with the signing of other convicted dopers, coupled with Ball's over the top "look at me, look at me!" persona was just a "Jerry Springer is our new director sportif" announcement away from a complete fruit salad.
The Tour of California shadow tour didn't allay these fears. Content with spectacle over substance, I was afraid that Ball was in cycling for all the wrong reasons and was going to do more damage than any had imagined. Little by little, the hype machine wound down and the riders spoke with their legs and not their mouths. Hamilton's performance at the USPRO Championships spoke much more than even Michael Ball could have done.
The fact of the matter is that Hamilton has served his suspension and is back in accordance with the rules of the sport. Now it seems like that isn't good enough. Now people want some weepy, Oprah moment where he admits to everything, wails he is sorry and begs for forgiveness. This only brings closure to the voyeur inside us who secretly enjoys the trainwreck of innuendo and quasi-objective scientific testing data that lands someone in the powerful clutches of WADA and USADA. Innocent or not, the guy has done his time and deserves to find his place in the sport once again.
For comparison, I would like to refresh memories of David Millar, convicted doper turned anti-drug advocate. Millar was allowed to return to the top end of the sport directly from his two year suspension, unlike Hamilton who was convicted after Millar. Hamilton's is a much tougher road to comeback on. That alone deserves respect. Mistakes in the past do not make for evil futures and it is up to Hamilton to plot his own future wisely.
Tyler tested positive, was found guilty of a doping violation, and served a two year suspension plus a further two year banishment to the kids table after that. When he signed with Michael Ball and Rock Racing it seemed like some horrible Vegas sideshow of a comeback, destined for some kind of spectacular "Where are they now?" type of flame out. And then with the signing of other convicted dopers, coupled with Ball's over the top "look at me, look at me!" persona was just a "Jerry Springer is our new director sportif" announcement away from a complete fruit salad.
The Tour of California shadow tour didn't allay these fears. Content with spectacle over substance, I was afraid that Ball was in cycling for all the wrong reasons and was going to do more damage than any had imagined. Little by little, the hype machine wound down and the riders spoke with their legs and not their mouths. Hamilton's performance at the USPRO Championships spoke much more than even Michael Ball could have done.
The fact of the matter is that Hamilton has served his suspension and is back in accordance with the rules of the sport. Now it seems like that isn't good enough. Now people want some weepy, Oprah moment where he admits to everything, wails he is sorry and begs for forgiveness. This only brings closure to the voyeur inside us who secretly enjoys the trainwreck of innuendo and quasi-objective scientific testing data that lands someone in the powerful clutches of WADA and USADA. Innocent or not, the guy has done his time and deserves to find his place in the sport once again.
For comparison, I would like to refresh memories of David Millar, convicted doper turned anti-drug advocate. Millar was allowed to return to the top end of the sport directly from his two year suspension, unlike Hamilton who was convicted after Millar. Hamilton's is a much tougher road to comeback on. That alone deserves respect. Mistakes in the past do not make for evil futures and it is up to Hamilton to plot his own future wisely.
Monday, September 01, 2008
an experiment
I'm conducting a little blogging experiment in the hopes of providing some real time posts while things are actually happening. I got out and did a trail run/mtn bike ride today. I''m trainig for the dark mtn. offroad duathlon next month. Running and then riding was a new sensation for the legs. That coupled with the fact that my mind kept wandering off on tangents, made for an interesting day. Hope you had a great Labor Day... now get back to work!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
a day of labor
Today didn't quite work out like I would have hoped. I was hankering to go mountain biking, but things just didn't work out and we ended hanging around the house and puttering. Got the lawn mowed, so maybe a mtn. bike ride is in my near future after all...
In case you haven't read about it yet, Tyler Hamilton won the US National Road Championships today in Greenville, SC. Whether you believe or not, you gotta have a little bit of respect for the way this guy has come back from his suspension and raced again. This win also has to give some serious cred to Michael Ball and his Rock Racing team.
I got the new 'cross bike built up and have done a few rides on it. It is especially evil to be yearning for 'cross season and doing 'cross rides in sticky, muggy heat! I want cold and rain! The first race is 41 days away! Oct. 11th will be the first race of the MSG Cross series in TN. The next weekend will be the double race weekend kick-off for the NC Cyclocross Series and then BANG! 'cross season will be on with a vengeance!
Here is my new bike:
This bike is so fast you can only take blurry pictures of it! Note that the blurriness factor does not include the rider...
And just in case you were wondering:
The "no excuses" bike...
Here is the first course of the MSG Cross series:
View Larger Map
Better start running and practicing those barriers! 'Cross is bearing down on us like an angry god looking to wreak vengeance!
In case you haven't read about it yet, Tyler Hamilton won the US National Road Championships today in Greenville, SC. Whether you believe or not, you gotta have a little bit of respect for the way this guy has come back from his suspension and raced again. This win also has to give some serious cred to Michael Ball and his Rock Racing team.
I got the new 'cross bike built up and have done a few rides on it. It is especially evil to be yearning for 'cross season and doing 'cross rides in sticky, muggy heat! I want cold and rain! The first race is 41 days away! Oct. 11th will be the first race of the MSG Cross series in TN. The next weekend will be the double race weekend kick-off for the NC Cyclocross Series and then BANG! 'cross season will be on with a vengeance!
Here is my new bike:
This bike is so fast you can only take blurry pictures of it! Note that the blurriness factor does not include the rider...And just in case you were wondering:
The "no excuses" bike...Here is the first course of the MSG Cross series:
View Larger Map
Better start running and practicing those barriers! 'Cross is bearing down on us like an angry god looking to wreak vengeance!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
end vow of silence now - full stop
It has been a week and change since I got back from Switzerland and dove head first into the new school year. The sheer volume of brain power required to get all of one's ducks in a row for the new school year is unbelievable. I found it easier to take a break from posting in order to conserve the precious few brain cells that I have left as they were starting to get crispy and needed to be babied if I had any hope of keeping them with me.
Now that I have emerged from the stress cave, I'm ready to dive into the pain cave. Hell yes boys and girls, cyclocross season is inching towards us with the ferocity of a CX4 field approaching the barriers on the first lap. Jeff and I have been hard at work procuring, finagling and building this season's 'cross machines for our personal assaults on the NC Cyclocross series! We have gotten everything pretty well built up and have stepped up our efforts with some new bits and modifications.
We are now both sporting SRAM brake levers sans ft. shifter mechanisms since we both run single ring setups. The removal is fairly easy once you get past the whole "holy crap - I'm taking this thing apart" phase of the process. Tomorrow we start gluing and taping tubulars to our respective carbon wheels. I'll post pics of both bikes in full race livery once they are complete so that I can go completely over the top and reveal myself as the deep down, hardcore bike geek that I am!
Suffice it to say that Jeff and I both have taken our love of 'cross up to a level that can best be described as a missionary-like zeal. To further the madness, we have taken to proselytizing the joys and benefits of the single ring setup and are attempting to convert all who wander into our path. We are maintaining our dignity though and have not followed our brother-in-arms Preacher Todd has he wanders the lonely path of the singlespeed 'cross rig!
Besides cyclocross (only 53 days 'til Race #1!), we have the Lenoir Triathlon this saturday, Bridge to Bridge in 3 weeks and then the gathering of bikes, booze and debauchery known as Interbike in Las Vegas! Needless to say, there is a lot of training in multiple disciplines necessary for the upcoming months, but do not fear! We have our noses to the grind stone, our shoes running the trails, our tires on the ground and our glasses filled to the brim with all of the necessary inducements to top cyclocross performance! So get out and run, ride, and drink in hard, fast bursts from now until the cowbells incite you to go harder than your gag reflex will allow, for the best time of the cycling season is swiftly approaching!
Hup! Hup! Hup!
Saturday, August 02, 2008
The long road home
Geneva, Switzerland -
I am completely exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night. Tonight I am flying to London where I have an overnight layover and then final flight to Charlotte in the morning.
Today I left Crans-Montana and got dropped off at the Geneva Airport. I met up with the guys from the UK that have been on the trip and we went and bummed around Geneva. They headed back to the airport a few hours before me, so I just wandered the streets for a few hours before taking the train back to the airport.
The trip has been unimaginably wonderful and everybody at BMC really busted their butts to make this a fantastic 3 days. I have limited internet time, so I will briefly describe the Gran Prix d'Alex Moos as really f'ing hard. I'll go more in depth later.
Switzerland is fantastic and I can't wait to come back. The mix of german and french cultures, combined with stunning natural beauty has made this trip exceptionally memorable. All of us celebrated my birthday pretty much the entire day Thursday and BMC was beyond generous in giving me a birthday present.
I have done as much as I could to dive into Swiss culture in the short time I've been here. As I write this, I'm eating a gruyere sandwich and drinking a Rivella (a soft drink made from milk). Besides these things, I have experienced fantastic cheeses, fresh breads to die for, warm croissants every morning that are so good they almost make you cry, Raclette (the simplest and most awesome food ever invented), panache (beer and lemonade), and multi -course dinners everynight. I have also gotten to see and understand BMC in a way that just isn't possible in anywhere but Switzerland.
See you soon!
I am completely exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tomorrow night. Tonight I am flying to London where I have an overnight layover and then final flight to Charlotte in the morning.
Today I left Crans-Montana and got dropped off at the Geneva Airport. I met up with the guys from the UK that have been on the trip and we went and bummed around Geneva. They headed back to the airport a few hours before me, so I just wandered the streets for a few hours before taking the train back to the airport.
The trip has been unimaginably wonderful and everybody at BMC really busted their butts to make this a fantastic 3 days. I have limited internet time, so I will briefly describe the Gran Prix d'Alex Moos as really f'ing hard. I'll go more in depth later.
Switzerland is fantastic and I can't wait to come back. The mix of german and french cultures, combined with stunning natural beauty has made this trip exceptionally memorable. All of us celebrated my birthday pretty much the entire day Thursday and BMC was beyond generous in giving me a birthday present.
I have done as much as I could to dive into Swiss culture in the short time I've been here. As I write this, I'm eating a gruyere sandwich and drinking a Rivella (a soft drink made from milk). Besides these things, I have experienced fantastic cheeses, fresh breads to die for, warm croissants every morning that are so good they almost make you cry, Raclette (the simplest and most awesome food ever invented), panache (beer and lemonade), and multi -course dinners everynight. I have also gotten to see and understand BMC in a way that just isn't possible in anywhere but Switzerland.
See you soon!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Ross ist gut!
Grenchen-Nord, Switzerland
It has been a long, long day of travel and resetting the internal clock. It was really hot and humid when we finally got to our hotel beside a little airport. We drank some beer and watched the airplanes towing liders into the air for a good part of the afternoon. I went up to my room to just chill and ended up passing out within about 5 minutes of sitting on the bed. I woke up in a sweat due to the total absence of air conditioning in the hotel room and the building humidity. We hooked up with a lot of the other BMC folks for dinner shortly after I regained consciousness.
So far, the participants are from Slovenia, France, the UK, Benelux and China. There are others set to meet up with us tomorrow at the BMC facility, about 500m from the hotel. We are oing to see the new 2009 BMC line tomorrow and then go to Futek where all of the frames are tested to meet the EU safety requirements.
Tonight's dinner was a lot of swiss beer, horsemeat and salad (with these great pickles that tasted more like cucumbers), and pistachio ice cream for dessert. We head to Crans-Montana tomorrow afternoon and have already been served notice that we will be eating and drinking a lot tomorrow! Where we are headed is famous for its raclette, which is food that involves a great deal of cheese (like fondue but with more work), so I'll be giving it a full review.
It has been a long, long day of travel and resetting the internal clock. It was really hot and humid when we finally got to our hotel beside a little airport. We drank some beer and watched the airplanes towing liders into the air for a good part of the afternoon. I went up to my room to just chill and ended up passing out within about 5 minutes of sitting on the bed. I woke up in a sweat due to the total absence of air conditioning in the hotel room and the building humidity. We hooked up with a lot of the other BMC folks for dinner shortly after I regained consciousness.
So far, the participants are from Slovenia, France, the UK, Benelux and China. There are others set to meet up with us tomorrow at the BMC facility, about 500m from the hotel. We are oing to see the new 2009 BMC line tomorrow and then go to Futek where all of the frames are tested to meet the EU safety requirements.
Tonight's dinner was a lot of swiss beer, horsemeat and salad (with these great pickles that tasted more like cucumbers), and pistachio ice cream for dessert. We head to Crans-Montana tomorrow afternoon and have already been served notice that we will be eating and drinking a lot tomorrow! Where we are headed is famous for its raclette, which is food that involves a great deal of cheese (like fondue but with more work), so I'll be giving it a full review.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Anticipation
I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting to catch a flight to Switzerland. The shop won a trip to Switzerland for a corporate tour and to participate in the Gran Prix d'Alex Moos on August 1st (Swiss National Holiday) at the Interbike tradeshow last year. After a grueling selection process between Jeff and me, Jeff was originally awarded dibs, but has generously deferred the trip to me. This will be my first time out of the country (except for trips to Canada, which, let's face it, is a cleaner, nicer, cooler version of what the US could be) and to say I am excited is an understatement. I'm flying overnight to Frankfurt and then catching a plane to Geneva. The tour will take place on Thursday and then we will transfer to the Alps for the ride/race on Friday. There will be multiple hotels, restaurants and probably a healthy amount of German beer, since we will be in the German portion of the country. I will post pics and commentary as I can.
Several of you have asked for my thoughts on this years Tour and I have been contemplating it since it ended on Sunday. I have a lot of faith that the sport is lurching towards a dope-free future, but there are going to be some definite rough spots between now and then. I think that the strong performance of Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia have gone a long way to restoring some people's faith in the sport, but the outpouring of love and devotion to Ricardo Ricco show that cycling still has a long way to go.
David Millar was criticized by some for statements he made about Ricco, saying that he was "too good to be true". I don't think that Millar went far enough. Watch those stages that Ricco won. When you see the top riders in the world obviously riding at their limit and you see a rider right in the middle of them barely breathing hard, you're seeing doping in action. What's worse is that Ricco was an arrogant little prick and now there are reports that he may have begun doping at the age of 15. 15! Having just seen a bunch of wide-eyed juniors overflowing with energy lining up for our local crit series, I can't help but think about what may await them if they head over to Europe to pursue "the dream"...
For me, cycling is the same beautiful sport that I fell in love with 20+ years ago. I still remember running in the house from outside to watch Paris-Roubaix on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The Phil Ligget pre-written soliloquies, the John Tesh soundtrack, the way John Dockery butchered the pronunciation of every french town that the peloton passed through. Though I would come to learn that the spectre of doping hung thick and low over the riders in those days, I still hold strong to the idea that my heroes were clean. I'll never forget seeing Andy Hampsten sitting silently, holding his head in his hands at the end of an alpine stage of the Tour; coming to the realization that he wouldn't win the race... again.
We have come to expect the riders to be superhuman. In some ways we have made them become subhuman. We applaud their strength and cruelly hammer them when they show weakness. I long for the fragile hero, the quicksilver flash of brilliance that comes when I man finds some untapped power within himself and pushes to a new realm of pain and suffering. I yearn to see a rider throw it all out on the table in some hellbent-for-leather, go for broke attack that will spell everlasting glory or doom, like Icarus in his dash to the sun. I want a rider with passion and ethics.
I firmly believe that Andy Hampsten left the guaranteed success of La Vie Claire for the complete roll of the dice of 7-Eleven because he knew that you didn't have to dope to win. He said at the time that he wanted to do things his way and I believe that way was clean. Hampsten embodies the ideal of the Grand Tour rider for me and I saw that again this year with Christian Vandevelde. Vdv's 5th place was a confirmation for me of how things should be. Next year, instead of the top 10, Christian will hopefully be aiming for the podium.
Several of you have asked for my thoughts on this years Tour and I have been contemplating it since it ended on Sunday. I have a lot of faith that the sport is lurching towards a dope-free future, but there are going to be some definite rough spots between now and then. I think that the strong performance of Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia have gone a long way to restoring some people's faith in the sport, but the outpouring of love and devotion to Ricardo Ricco show that cycling still has a long way to go.
David Millar was criticized by some for statements he made about Ricco, saying that he was "too good to be true". I don't think that Millar went far enough. Watch those stages that Ricco won. When you see the top riders in the world obviously riding at their limit and you see a rider right in the middle of them barely breathing hard, you're seeing doping in action. What's worse is that Ricco was an arrogant little prick and now there are reports that he may have begun doping at the age of 15. 15! Having just seen a bunch of wide-eyed juniors overflowing with energy lining up for our local crit series, I can't help but think about what may await them if they head over to Europe to pursue "the dream"...
For me, cycling is the same beautiful sport that I fell in love with 20+ years ago. I still remember running in the house from outside to watch Paris-Roubaix on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The Phil Ligget pre-written soliloquies, the John Tesh soundtrack, the way John Dockery butchered the pronunciation of every french town that the peloton passed through. Though I would come to learn that the spectre of doping hung thick and low over the riders in those days, I still hold strong to the idea that my heroes were clean. I'll never forget seeing Andy Hampsten sitting silently, holding his head in his hands at the end of an alpine stage of the Tour; coming to the realization that he wouldn't win the race... again.
We have come to expect the riders to be superhuman. In some ways we have made them become subhuman. We applaud their strength and cruelly hammer them when they show weakness. I long for the fragile hero, the quicksilver flash of brilliance that comes when I man finds some untapped power within himself and pushes to a new realm of pain and suffering. I yearn to see a rider throw it all out on the table in some hellbent-for-leather, go for broke attack that will spell everlasting glory or doom, like Icarus in his dash to the sun. I want a rider with passion and ethics.
I firmly believe that Andy Hampsten left the guaranteed success of La Vie Claire for the complete roll of the dice of 7-Eleven because he knew that you didn't have to dope to win. He said at the time that he wanted to do things his way and I believe that way was clean. Hampsten embodies the ideal of the Grand Tour rider for me and I saw that again this year with Christian Vandevelde. Vdv's 5th place was a confirmation for me of how things should be. Next year, instead of the top 10, Christian will hopefully be aiming for the podium.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Fin
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- A thrilling and dramatic finish along the Champs Elysees saw one last shakeup in the standings of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!". With the performances of Thor Hushovd and Robbie McEwan, DS John McMenemy's team was able to slip into the top 3 ahead of Charles Bennett's Team Far North.
The final podium of the 2008 Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!"
1st place - Howard Hesterberg, Team Birra Carolini
2nd place - Charles Hicks, Team High Life powered by Miller
3rd place - John McMenemy, Team Meatballs
Complete Results
The final podium of the 2008 Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!"
1st place - Howard Hesterberg, Team Birra Carolini
2nd place - Charles Hicks, Team High Life powered by Miller
3rd place - John McMenemy, Team Meatballs
Complete Results
Saturday, July 26, 2008
LCFTdFpbUCDCfM Newsflash: Time trial may render final decision
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- With a huge victory in today's stage, Sylvain Chavenal moved Team Birra Carolini in to first place in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" DS Howard Hesterberg has shown the skill and savvy that he has gained over his long fantasy cycling career. While not a commanding lead, the odds are in Team Birra Carolini's favor as they have a deeper pool of talent for le contre la montre than Team High Life presented by Miller.
Current Standings
Current Standings
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Queen stage proves no lady
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- French riders David Moncoutie and Sandy Casar put in phenomenal top 20 performances on Alpe d'Huez proved decisive in the standings of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!". Tomorrow's stage has not appeared on the radar of any reporters as being one of significance, but it seems like the kind of stage that could prove dangerous given the right aggression from the right rider.
Complete Results
Complete Results
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
LCFTdFpbUCDCfM Newsflash: Hard day in the mountains may cause difficulty for riders who can't climb well
Damiano Cunego denies rumors that he's ill prepared for the Alps today. Photo courtesy Jason DardenLenoir, NC (LC Press)- Today's difficult stage in the Alps could see another day of fireworks amongst the top GC contenders. A strong showing by french riders could spell upset amongst the teams contending the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!". Stay tuned for updates throughout the day.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Really tired guys rest after actually racing their bikes.
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- After a stage that some have described as the best day of racing they have ever seen, the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" takes the day off. The top 6 are all in with a shout as they are all within less than a minute of the golden fleece.
The LCFTdFpbUCDCfM team competition has tightened up after the disqualifications of 4 riders for positive doping tests. Frenchman Sandy Casar has singlehandedly boosted the standings of several teams with a strong showing in the mountains.
While the French riders seem to be aggressive and are finding some success, they still have not performed at a level that would make recent criticism unwarranted.
Complete Results
The LCFTdFpbUCDCfM team competition has tightened up after the disqualifications of 4 riders for positive doping tests. Frenchman Sandy Casar has singlehandedly boosted the standings of several teams with a strong showing in the mountains.
While the French riders seem to be aggressive and are finding some success, they still have not performed at a level that would make recent criticism unwarranted.
Complete Results
Saturday, July 19, 2008
LCFTdFpbUCDCfM Newsflash: A lot of guys go really fast in final kilometers. Really, really fast guy wins!
Lenoir, NC(LC Press)- Stage 14 is in the books and little has changed in the overall standings. Tomorrow's mountain stage should toss things up a bit. The biggest news is that Mark Cavendish looks like a man about to leave the race as he struggled to maintain contact today and was nowhere near the front at the end.
Complete Results
Complete Results
Friday, July 18, 2008
LCFTdFpbUCDfM update
Raise your hand if you're doping...Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- The Amoury Fantasy Sports Organization has officially declared all results by Moises Duenas, Ricardo Ricco, Manuel Beltran and Leonardo Piepoli void and has recalculated all results for affected riders. Further, a fine of 1 double iced Americano is levied against Team Not Caught Yet and Team Far North. It is not necessary for either team to completely withdraw from the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" at this time.
Complete Results
More Manuel
"Dancing to rock around...
To rock around...
it's right on time
it's tricky.
It's Tricki, Tricki, Tricki..."
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Unimportant action dominates stage
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Today's stage of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" made little impact on the overall standings of the teams. As men of little consequence were given room for fleeting glory, the real players in this poker game on wheels marked each other and called as the bet came to them. In the coming days, we shall see these men throw "all in" in an effort to win the maillot jaune and distance themselves from the competition.
Moises Duenas, however, will not be in the mix as he has been very naughty with respect to illicit substances. Not only did he pop positive for EPO after the stage 4 TT, but a subsequent search of his hotel room found lots of things he shouldn't have possessed. Isn't it interesting though that we are seeing climbers getting doping positives for time trial stages. After targeting the 10 riders with suspicious blood values, 2 have now come up positive. Who will be next?
Complete Results
Moises Duenas, however, will not be in the mix as he has been very naughty with respect to illicit substances. Not only did he pop positive for EPO after the stage 4 TT, but a subsequent search of his hotel room found lots of things he shouldn't have possessed. Isn't it interesting though that we are seeing climbers getting doping positives for time trial stages. After targeting the 10 riders with suspicious blood values, 2 have now come up positive. Who will be next?
Complete Results
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Rest day
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- The only thing guaranteed to be more boring than a Tour de France with Lance Armstrong racing in it is the Tour rest day. But in what has become a Tour that defies categorization, the rest day proved to be full of theatrics as well. Today, all 17 ProTour teams participating in the TdF announced that they would not renew their ProTour licenses. This sets up an interesting set of scenarios with regards to the current anti-doping crusade within cycling.
Firstly, a rider like Floyd Landis who serves his two-year suspension (ending in Jan. 2009) now finds himself capable of returning to the top end of professional cycling since the Pro Tour Code of Ethics banning riders from riding for Pro Tour teams is no longer applicable if there is no Pro Tour. Could Landis be spared banishment to the doper's purgatory of Rock Racing?
Second, in an effort to appear completely, 100% squeaky clean, above reproach, "this isn't about money, it's about integrity", anti=doping the teams shut out riders like Landis, who legitimately serve their two year suspensions and want to return to the sport. This would be incredibly bad and, one could argue, short-sighted given the extreme anti-doping stance of David Millar, a convicted doper who served his suspension and returned to the forefront of pro cycling.
Third, the whole sport comes crashing down and next July I'll have to content myself with play by play of Extreme Cage Fighting on Vs. Good god, I hope somebody does something to make everybody come to their senses before that happens...
Firstly, a rider like Floyd Landis who serves his two-year suspension (ending in Jan. 2009) now finds himself capable of returning to the top end of professional cycling since the Pro Tour Code of Ethics banning riders from riding for Pro Tour teams is no longer applicable if there is no Pro Tour. Could Landis be spared banishment to the doper's purgatory of Rock Racing?
Second, in an effort to appear completely, 100% squeaky clean, above reproach, "this isn't about money, it's about integrity", anti=doping the teams shut out riders like Landis, who legitimately serve their two year suspensions and want to return to the sport. This would be incredibly bad and, one could argue, short-sighted given the extreme anti-doping stance of David Millar, a convicted doper who served his suspension and returned to the forefront of pro cycling.
Third, the whole sport comes crashing down and next July I'll have to content myself with play by play of Extreme Cage Fighting on Vs. Good god, I hope somebody does something to make everybody come to their senses before that happens...
Monday, July 14, 2008
Changing of the guard
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Team Far North leapt into 1st place on GC today after strong performance by Ricardo Ricco put him in both the maillot a pois and the maillot blanc. Strong showings by Ricco and Sandy Casar also gave Team Far North the stage win on Hautacam today. Team Baisez-vous! began their march to the top of the GC today with a strong second place showing in Hautacam.
*Reporter's note: a birthday celebration for Mike McClinton turned ugly as several directeurs sportif drank more liquor than would normally be advisable. Your humble reporter was definitely in the course de la tete and paid dearly for his efforts on Sunday. Thus, no posting until today.
Complete Results
*Reporter's note: a birthday celebration for Mike McClinton turned ugly as several directeurs sportif drank more liquor than would normally be advisable. Your humble reporter was definitely in the course de la tete and paid dearly for his efforts on Sunday. Thus, no posting until today.
Complete Results
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tricky, tricky...
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Howard Hesterberg continues to dominate the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!", in what is shaping up to be a wild and unpredictable race.
In other race news: Manuel Beltran became the first positive test in the Tour this year. If the B sample confirms the result, this will set Team Liquigas back a cool 100,000 euros in ASO fines. Beltran's positive nullified his placing in the fantasy race, moving frenchman Sandy Casar up to 35th place. Also of note, Team Basez-vous! lost half of their team with Christophe Moreau and John Gadret failed to make the time cut off and are now out of the race.
*Reporter's note: My apologies for the lack of daily reports. I have been in a secluded retreat, preparing for today's Grizzly metric century. Up until now, I have been adhering to a rigorous training schedule that focused on positive visualization and active rest. I felt it necessary to take a break from this regimen, clear the important chakras and detach myself from this physical reality in order to arrive at the line refreshed and ready. Now that The Grizzly is done, I can get back to my real fantasy job of reporting on fantasy cycling.
Complete Results
In other race news: Manuel Beltran became the first positive test in the Tour this year. If the B sample confirms the result, this will set Team Liquigas back a cool 100,000 euros in ASO fines. Beltran's positive nullified his placing in the fantasy race, moving frenchman Sandy Casar up to 35th place. Also of note, Team Basez-vous! lost half of their team with Christophe Moreau and John Gadret failed to make the time cut off and are now out of the race.
*Reporter's note: My apologies for the lack of daily reports. I have been in a secluded retreat, preparing for today's Grizzly metric century. Up until now, I have been adhering to a rigorous training schedule that focused on positive visualization and active rest. I felt it necessary to take a break from this regimen, clear the important chakras and detach myself from this physical reality in order to arrive at the line refreshed and ready. Now that The Grizzly is done, I can get back to my real fantasy job of reporting on fantasy cycling.
Complete Results
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Huge win for Hesterberg!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- The sensations were more than good for Team Birra Carolini today as they approached the start ramp of the first individual time trial of this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" with all cylinders firing. Remarkably, all 4 riders for Team Birra Carolini placed in the points with Sylvain Chavenal earning an incredible 140 points for his performance.
True to form, Team Not Caught Yet has indeed been caught and passed by Birra Carolini for the top spot in the GC. Further danger is posed at the head of affairs by Team Crawford Complete Auto as they muscled their way into the top 3 on the GC.
Despite huge points gaps among the competitors, Birra Carolini's performance today shows that huge point gains are possible in a single stage and that this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" will continue to excite and delight with its remarkably volatile nature.
Complete Results
True to form, Team Not Caught Yet has indeed been caught and passed by Birra Carolini for the top spot in the GC. Further danger is posed at the head of affairs by Team Crawford Complete Auto as they muscled their way into the top 3 on the GC.
Despite huge points gaps among the competitors, Birra Carolini's performance today shows that huge point gains are possible in a single stage and that this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!" will continue to excite and delight with its remarkably volatile nature.
Complete Results
Monday, July 07, 2008
The 7th Seal
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Fantastically, improbably a Frenchman won the third stage of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men "For all your hard to reach hairy places!". Not only did a Frenchman find his way to the line before anyone else, but now a Frenchman has donned the maillot jaune. Could Romain Feillu be the next Bernard Hinault? Or is he the next Jean-Francois Bernard?
After this reporter's assessment of Team Crawford Complete Auto came out with all cylinders firing. Their stage win netted them 140 points, moving them into 4th place overall. DS Jason Darden did not react well to the criticism of his team, but his fire may have been the catalyst that his team needed.
Team Not Caught Yet is still leading the GC, but 3 teams are rising fast and now the difference between the top 4 teams is only 60 points.
Complete Results
After this reporter's assessment of Team Crawford Complete Auto came out with all cylinders firing. Their stage win netted them 140 points, moving them into 4th place overall. DS Jason Darden did not react well to the criticism of his team, but his fire may have been the catalyst that his team needed.
Team Not Caught Yet is still leading the GC, but 3 teams are rising fast and now the difference between the top 4 teams is only 60 points.
Complete Results
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Winkler maintains early lead, devasting team implosion likely
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- John McMenemy's Team Meatballs took an impressive win in today's stage of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!". However, the special classifications bonuses are proving to be the decisive factor in the General Classification competition as Team Not Caught Yet maintain their lead in the overall.
Directeur sportif Eddie Winkler's team is known for surprisingly fast starts, but their performances this year leave little doubt that their success is just a phase that they will soon ride their way out of.
Also of note is the meteoric downfall of Team La Negro as they shoot down the rankings. Having seen a glimmer of success in the opening stage, they have overcome this out of character performance and gotten back to their tried and true method of mindlessly turning the pedals as if out on a coffee ride. Perhaps they will stumble upon another successful performance at a later date.
Aging veteran DS Jason Darden also finds himself saddled with also rans as Team Crawford Complete Auto has yet to find any good sensations in their legs or anywhere else for that matter.
Not surprisingly, the all french team Baisez-vous! finds themselves in last place with a vengeance. While the press concentrates on the anti-doping efforts of such high profile teams as Columbia and Garmin-Chipotle pb H3O, Baisez-vous! may turn the tide and show the downside of all the anti-doping hysteria. Perhaps next year the french riders will get TUE's for lacking talent...
Complete Results
Directeur sportif Eddie Winkler's team is known for surprisingly fast starts, but their performances this year leave little doubt that their success is just a phase that they will soon ride their way out of.
Also of note is the meteoric downfall of Team La Negro as they shoot down the rankings. Having seen a glimmer of success in the opening stage, they have overcome this out of character performance and gotten back to their tried and true method of mindlessly turning the pedals as if out on a coffee ride. Perhaps they will stumble upon another successful performance at a later date.
Aging veteran DS Jason Darden also finds himself saddled with also rans as Team Crawford Complete Auto has yet to find any good sensations in their legs or anywhere else for that matter.
Not surprisingly, the all french team Baisez-vous! finds themselves in last place with a vengeance. While the press concentrates on the anti-doping efforts of such high profile teams as Columbia and Garmin-Chipotle pb H3O, Baisez-vous! may turn the tide and show the downside of all the anti-doping hysteria. Perhaps next year the french riders will get TUE's for lacking talent...
Complete Results
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Tour underway
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- An unorthodox and nervous start to this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all those hard to reach hairy places!", has already seen one French rider abandon. Herve Duclos-Lasalle lost a fight with a musette in the feed zone, breaking his wrist in the process. Frenchman Jerome Pineau got lost in the bunch and discovered himself at the head of affairs, netting himself an improbable 3rd place on the stage. Otherwise, things were decidedly ordinary as no other Frenchman managed to make it into the top 40.
As for the day's stage, Team Not Caught Yet has taken the lead in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all those hard to reach hairy places!", despite being beaten for the stage win by Team Birra Carolini. Surprisingly, directeurs sportif Charles Hicks and Jeff Welch sit in 2nd and 3rd overall, signaling a reversal of fortune for their teams which have, thus far this season, sucked.
In other news, the Amoury Fantasy Sports Organization announced today that 100 points would be awarded to any team whose French rider wears the maillot jaune. Further, they announced harsh fines for any team who has a rider test positive during the Fantasy Tour. If a fantasy team loses a rider due to a doping violation, the directeur sportif must pay a fine of one (1) double-iced americano with cream. Their hope is that this will make directeurs sportif "think twice" before allowing a suspicious rider on the fantasy team.
Complete Results
As for the day's stage, Team Not Caught Yet has taken the lead in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all those hard to reach hairy places!", despite being beaten for the stage win by Team Birra Carolini. Surprisingly, directeurs sportif Charles Hicks and Jeff Welch sit in 2nd and 3rd overall, signaling a reversal of fortune for their teams which have, thus far this season, sucked.
In other news, the Amoury Fantasy Sports Organization announced today that 100 points would be awarded to any team whose French rider wears the maillot jaune. Further, they announced harsh fines for any team who has a rider test positive during the Fantasy Tour. If a fantasy team loses a rider due to a doping violation, the directeur sportif must pay a fine of one (1) double-iced americano with cream. Their hope is that this will make directeurs sportif "think twice" before allowing a suspicious rider on the fantasy team.
Complete Results
Friday, July 04, 2008
Fantasy Tour de France entry deadline extended
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- The Amoury Fantasy Sports Organization has announced that the deadline for team entries in this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Depilatory Cream for Men, "For all your hard to reach hairy places!", has been extended to midnight tonight. There are currently 11 teams entered.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Independence Day
Each summer since we have lived here, Golden and I have had some big thing planned for each summer. Cross country road trips occurred a couple of times, but mainly we have been staying closer to home and concentrating our efforts on big home improvement projects. The one constant of our summers in Lenoir has been that I usually do something pretty stupid, but manage not to do any permanent damage to myself.
This summer is no different. The big project, currently underway, is building a new porch on the side of the house. Now the old porch and me... let's just say we have some history. Ever since the porch tried to kill me, I've had it in for it.
It was July 4th, about 3 or 4 years ago. G and I had gone for a 3ish hour ride, planning to grill steaks and drink beer and generally enjoy the holiday. We got home, put up the bikes and decided that she would shower, while I got the grill started.
Now, let me preface by saying that I am a long time devotee of gas grills, so our new charcoal grill was a bit of a new experience for me. I put in the briquettes and tried to light them. No go. I tried to use kindling a la campfire starting. No go.
For anyone who knows me, it probably isn't readily apparent that I am an analytical thinker who considers problems carefully before enacting a solution. So I considered my problem of how to start the charcoal without the use of lighter fluid, since I didn't have any and didn't especially want to make the trek to get any.
I remembered that I had Coleman stove fuel. You know the big gallon metal can of white gas. Owing to the fact that I have had an unfortunate incident with this very substance which nearly started a forest fire in the White Mtns. of eastern Arizona, I was naturally cautious about how to approach the proper use of the fuel in this situation.
I went down and got the can, brought it up to the porch where the grill was located and proceeded to pour a small amount into the cap of the metal can. I poured the fuel onto the charcoal and tried to light it. A little tiny, infinitesimal flame barely licked one of the briquettes . Now I thought to myself, "Just pour a little more on and it should be all good, but be CAREFUL!" So, I tipped the can up and just poured a dash of the gas onto the briquettes.
I distinctly remember watching the little tiny nothing of a flame grow very large and travel up the stream of gas towards the can in my hands. I distinctly remember thinking, "OK, don't panic. This isn't a problem. You can deal with this." There was now a flame at the opening of the can. I knew that the solution was to just set the can down, and put the lid on it to deprive the flame of oxygen and smother it out. I slowly put the can down, but somehow the bottom edge of the can caught in the space between two of the porch decking boards and caused it to tip over, spilling flaming, white gas all over my porch.
The neighbor across the street immediately yelled, "You got a far!" To which I thought, "No s*it, I'm in the middle of a burning lake of fire." I ran inside the house, yelling, "Call 911! Call 911!" Golden looked at me, fresh from her shower, and said, "What have you done?" in an eerie deadpan. I called 911 and got the firetrucks on the way.
I went back outside, where I discovered a small crowd of people had gathered in the hopes of watching my house burn down. One of them was my neighbor from a few doors down, who a co-worker of mine had always referred to as "Dumbass David". It is completely relevant to this story to tell you that David drove a riding lawn mower everywhere because he was no longer allowed to ride moped due to causing an accident to an ambulance while chasing fire trucks on their way to a call. In southern parlance, David is someone who would be referred to as "simple" and would usually have "bless his heart" uttered after his name. As in, "Oh you know David, bless his heart, didn't mean to run over that dog with his lawn mower."
David came right up to me and said, "Where's your hose?" Realizing pretty quickly that a probable pyromaniac of questionable mental ability was probably not anyone's number one pick for go-to guy in this situation, I said we should wait for the fire department to arrive. Sure enough, red trucks with lights and sirens come blasting down the street. A bunch of guys pile out, hoses are pulled out and I walk up to them and say, "It's a white stove fuel fire." Hoses go back up, chemical extinguishers come out and after about 30 seconds, I'm no longer barbecuing my porch.
The head guy from the fire crew came over to me and asked me what caused the fire. I replied, "I was doing something stupid." I like to think that the expression that flashed across his face was an appreciation of my blunt honesty, but I can't be sure. Needless to say, however, is that that was the day the porch tried to kill me and I swore that I would kill it first.
So now porch is torn off, but hidden by its decrepitude was a 10ft. section of rotten sill that ran from the front corner of my house to the midway point of the wall. I had no choice but to cut it out and replace it. This meant jacking up the corner of the house from underneath and then cutting the board out and putting a new one in. A touchy, tricky affair, but doable.
This brings me to an inescapable rule of carpentry in the Moore family: I will hit myself in the head (one of the balusters from the porch railing) and my Dad will, at the very least, bleed profusely from some wound that he is completely unaware of. So, here we are, father and son, carefully preparing to undertake this daunting task. We are prepared to stick the sawzall into the hole in the board and we get my Mom to do a final check to make sure we won't cut anything but the sill. Mom gives us the all clear from down in the basement and we start cutting.
If you have never used a sawzall, I highly recommend trying it out. Pick some unneccesary wall in your house and just cut a big ol' hole in it. It is immensely satisfying, I assure you. Anyway, we are cutting right along and we hit a little something and a spark jumps out. Dad stops cutting and we figure he must have hit a nail. He starts cutting again and my Mom runs out of the basement, yelling "Stop! Stop!"
Let me pause here and tell you that we have been trying, unsuccessfully, to kill my father for many years. Like the Terminator, nothing seems to phase him and his cutting through a 220 volt, live electrical wire with the sawzall, was no different.
It seems that my Mom giving us the all clear, was part of a grander master plan to, for once and for all, dispose of my Dad in an "accidental" way. We got the sill replaced, but now my Dad is truly convinced of his invincibility and my stove doesn't work until the electrician comes to rewire it.
So, enjoy your Independence Day! and don't do anything that I would do...
This summer is no different. The big project, currently underway, is building a new porch on the side of the house. Now the old porch and me... let's just say we have some history. Ever since the porch tried to kill me, I've had it in for it.
It was July 4th, about 3 or 4 years ago. G and I had gone for a 3ish hour ride, planning to grill steaks and drink beer and generally enjoy the holiday. We got home, put up the bikes and decided that she would shower, while I got the grill started.
Now, let me preface by saying that I am a long time devotee of gas grills, so our new charcoal grill was a bit of a new experience for me. I put in the briquettes and tried to light them. No go. I tried to use kindling a la campfire starting. No go.
For anyone who knows me, it probably isn't readily apparent that I am an analytical thinker who considers problems carefully before enacting a solution. So I considered my problem of how to start the charcoal without the use of lighter fluid, since I didn't have any and didn't especially want to make the trek to get any.
I remembered that I had Coleman stove fuel. You know the big gallon metal can of white gas. Owing to the fact that I have had an unfortunate incident with this very substance which nearly started a forest fire in the White Mtns. of eastern Arizona, I was naturally cautious about how to approach the proper use of the fuel in this situation.
I went down and got the can, brought it up to the porch where the grill was located and proceeded to pour a small amount into the cap of the metal can. I poured the fuel onto the charcoal and tried to light it. A little tiny, infinitesimal flame barely licked one of the briquettes . Now I thought to myself, "Just pour a little more on and it should be all good, but be CAREFUL!" So, I tipped the can up and just poured a dash of the gas onto the briquettes.
I distinctly remember watching the little tiny nothing of a flame grow very large and travel up the stream of gas towards the can in my hands. I distinctly remember thinking, "OK, don't panic. This isn't a problem. You can deal with this." There was now a flame at the opening of the can. I knew that the solution was to just set the can down, and put the lid on it to deprive the flame of oxygen and smother it out. I slowly put the can down, but somehow the bottom edge of the can caught in the space between two of the porch decking boards and caused it to tip over, spilling flaming, white gas all over my porch.
The neighbor across the street immediately yelled, "You got a far!" To which I thought, "No s*it, I'm in the middle of a burning lake of fire." I ran inside the house, yelling, "Call 911! Call 911!" Golden looked at me, fresh from her shower, and said, "What have you done?" in an eerie deadpan. I called 911 and got the firetrucks on the way.
I went back outside, where I discovered a small crowd of people had gathered in the hopes of watching my house burn down. One of them was my neighbor from a few doors down, who a co-worker of mine had always referred to as "Dumbass David". It is completely relevant to this story to tell you that David drove a riding lawn mower everywhere because he was no longer allowed to ride moped due to causing an accident to an ambulance while chasing fire trucks on their way to a call. In southern parlance, David is someone who would be referred to as "simple" and would usually have "bless his heart" uttered after his name. As in, "Oh you know David, bless his heart, didn't mean to run over that dog with his lawn mower."
David came right up to me and said, "Where's your hose?" Realizing pretty quickly that a probable pyromaniac of questionable mental ability was probably not anyone's number one pick for go-to guy in this situation, I said we should wait for the fire department to arrive. Sure enough, red trucks with lights and sirens come blasting down the street. A bunch of guys pile out, hoses are pulled out and I walk up to them and say, "It's a white stove fuel fire." Hoses go back up, chemical extinguishers come out and after about 30 seconds, I'm no longer barbecuing my porch.
The head guy from the fire crew came over to me and asked me what caused the fire. I replied, "I was doing something stupid." I like to think that the expression that flashed across his face was an appreciation of my blunt honesty, but I can't be sure. Needless to say, however, is that that was the day the porch tried to kill me and I swore that I would kill it first.
So now porch is torn off, but hidden by its decrepitude was a 10ft. section of rotten sill that ran from the front corner of my house to the midway point of the wall. I had no choice but to cut it out and replace it. This meant jacking up the corner of the house from underneath and then cutting the board out and putting a new one in. A touchy, tricky affair, but doable.
This brings me to an inescapable rule of carpentry in the Moore family: I will hit myself in the head (one of the balusters from the porch railing) and my Dad will, at the very least, bleed profusely from some wound that he is completely unaware of. So, here we are, father and son, carefully preparing to undertake this daunting task. We are prepared to stick the sawzall into the hole in the board and we get my Mom to do a final check to make sure we won't cut anything but the sill. Mom gives us the all clear from down in the basement and we start cutting.
If you have never used a sawzall, I highly recommend trying it out. Pick some unneccesary wall in your house and just cut a big ol' hole in it. It is immensely satisfying, I assure you. Anyway, we are cutting right along and we hit a little something and a spark jumps out. Dad stops cutting and we figure he must have hit a nail. He starts cutting again and my Mom runs out of the basement, yelling "Stop! Stop!"
Let me pause here and tell you that we have been trying, unsuccessfully, to kill my father for many years. Like the Terminator, nothing seems to phase him and his cutting through a 220 volt, live electrical wire with the sawzall, was no different.
It seems that my Mom giving us the all clear, was part of a grander master plan to, for once and for all, dispose of my Dad in an "accidental" way. We got the sill replaced, but now my Dad is truly convinced of his invincibility and my stove doesn't work until the electrician comes to rewire it.
So, enjoy your Independence Day! and don't do anything that I would do...
Tour kicks off this weekend!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Both the Tour de france and the more prominent and better known Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Uncle Chuck's Classic Depilatory Cream for Men, start this weekend. The most talented and hard working directeurs sportif have been working hard to finalize their rosters for this, the most important event in the cycling and fantasy cycling world.
But this wouldn't be a Tour de France (fantasy or otherwise) without a scandal and a small contretemps has already arisen for Charles Bennett and his Far North Team. Mr. Bennett tried to circumvent the new rule requiring at least 1 french rider per team by including the french-sounding Phillipe Gilbert on his squad. A warning letter was sent to Mr. Bennett by the FUCI, but he has yet to respond.
Other than the deception of Mr. Bennett, no issues have arisen from the team submissions and all riders are fit to compete for their respective teams. The deadline for team rosters is Thursday at midnight.
But this wouldn't be a Tour de France (fantasy or otherwise) without a scandal and a small contretemps has already arisen for Charles Bennett and his Far North Team. Mr. Bennett tried to circumvent the new rule requiring at least 1 french rider per team by including the french-sounding Phillipe Gilbert on his squad. A warning letter was sent to Mr. Bennett by the FUCI, but he has yet to respond.
Other than the deception of Mr. Bennett, no issues have arisen from the team submissions and all riders are fit to compete for their respective teams. The deadline for team rosters is Thursday at midnight.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
New Product Newsflash!
Ever felt that you just weren't getting the maximum comfort out of your saddle and chamois combo? Felt dissatisfied by various chamois cream products? Ever wanted to know what US Time Trial champion Dave Zabriskie's crotch smelled like? Well the answer to all of these questions can be found right now, at Luna Cycles!
We now proudly stock DZNuts chamois cream for your chamois-time pleasure! Pleasantly scented and slicker than snail snot, DZNuts is designed for LOTS of time in the saddle.
From the packaging:
It truly is time to wet your chamois with excitement!
We now proudly stock DZNuts chamois cream for your chamois-time pleasure! Pleasantly scented and slicker than snail snot, DZNuts is designed for LOTS of time in the saddle.
From the packaging:
Proper MAINTAINTANCE of the perineal area is essential during high level training and racing. Nothing can ruin stage race success faster than an infected saddle sore.
It truly is time to wet your chamois with excitement!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Outer Banks Headwind Tour
I'm finally recovered enough and back in the swing of non-vacation life enough to write about our trip. We took off from Manteo, not knowing how Owen would respond to doing A LOT of miles in the trailer and not knowing how he was going to take camping in a tent for a week. Both things he took completely in stride and never had an issue, other than thinking the tent was a little play room and wanting to do crawling laps all over mom and dad when they were ready for sleep.
We battled STRONG headwinds and heat from Manteo all the way to Ocracoke. If you ever need to get strong in a hurry, tow a baby trailer behind you into a headwind for a few hours a day. I had to tell myself I was being belgian by pulling into the wind all day, every day and the trailer just amplified that feeling.
We had a great time, played in the ocean and on the beach, saw lots of boats plus 3 lighthouses, ate some great seafood and enjoyed an awesome tailwind all the way home!
We battled STRONG headwinds and heat from Manteo all the way to Ocracoke. If you ever need to get strong in a hurry, tow a baby trailer behind you into a headwind for a few hours a day. I had to tell myself I was being belgian by pulling into the wind all day, every day and the trailer just amplified that feeling.
We had a great time, played in the ocean and on the beach, saw lots of boats plus 3 lighthouses, ate some great seafood and enjoyed an awesome tailwind all the way home!
We have a winner... finally!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- After much deliberation in which both the FUCI and FADA did eveything they could in order to figure out a way to disqualify him, DS Jack Brown's Team Mahagoff has won the Luna Cycles Fantasy Dauphine Libere presented by Chuck L's Old-Fashioned Brown Eye Ointment.
The Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France is gearing up and FUCI president, Julian Pomme de Terre has released a statement outlining the rules for this year's race:
Final Results
The Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France is gearing up and FUCI president, Julian Pomme de Terre has released a statement outlining the rules for this year's race:
Because the Tour de France is a french race, we require that every team, in addition to having their usual 3 riders, must include a fourth french rider on the team. This french rider will be scored differently from non-french riders in that scoring will be for a finish in the top 40 on the day's stage. A win by a french rider will be worth 200 pts. as opposed to the 100 pts. given for non-french riders. The points scale will be adjusted accordingly from there. Teams whose points totals for the days stage are in the top 3 for that stage will also receive a point bonus a la the Dauphine. Point bonuses of 50 points will be given for every day that one of your riders wears the maillot vert, blanc or maillot a pois, but not for the maillot jaune. This should prove to be an exciting race, so teams will not be allowed to have more than two riders in common. In the event that more than two riders are shared, the team that submits their roster first will have precedence and the other will be informed to resubmit. All team rosters will be due the Thursday prior to the start of the race.
Final Results
Saturday, June 14, 2008
I'm out
Sorry for the delay in scoring the Dauphine. Ever since 3 frenchmen made a break stick and Tom Boonen tested positive for cocaine, I've just been out of sorts. To put things right, I'm leaving for a bike tour of the Outer Banks in about 5 hours. I'll sort out the mess of the Dauphine when I return and our ignominous winner will be duly crowned and heckled!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Disaster!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- An unthinkable stage ending resulted in all but one team being shut out of the top 10. Team High Life presented by Miller racked up big points with a runaway stage victory with a 45 point differential to the rest of the teams.
In other news, Ricardo Cabeza, head of FADA, has issued a statement in reference to recent allegations against GS Spurtschnookers and Team Birra Carolini.
Complete Results
In other news, Ricardo Cabeza, head of FADA, has issued a statement in reference to recent allegations against GS Spurtschnookers and Team Birra Carolini.
After investigating recent allegations, FADA has determined that there is no evidence of widespread doping within GS Spurtschnookers and Team Birra Carolini. After conducting surprise inspections at rider's homes, we are satisfied that there is no systematic use of orange juice and cat urine in order to boost athletic performance. While most riders had several cats as pets and had small orange groves in their backyards, these things do not constitute evidence of doping. We must now turn our attention to the fact that there were 3 french riders who crossed the line first in today's stage of the Dauphine. Come on, a french rider winning a stage is suspicious enough, but the top 3? That's got doping written all over it.
Complete Results
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Day 3 Dauphine surprise
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Little success among the teams is keeping things close. Team Mahagoff still leads, but the point differentials aren't enough to say there is anybody walking away with this one... yet.
In other news, Julian Pomme de Terre, head of the UFCI has announced that an investigation is being opened regarding allegations that both GS Spurtschnookers and Team Birra Carolini are involved in a performance enhancement drug ring. An unidentified witness has testified to FADA that both teams have been using a new substance made from orange juice and cat urine. Ricardo Cabeza, FADA commissioner, was unable to be reached for comment at press time.
Complete Results
In other news, Julian Pomme de Terre, head of the UFCI has announced that an investigation is being opened regarding allegations that both GS Spurtschnookers and Team Birra Carolini are involved in a performance enhancement drug ring. An unidentified witness has testified to FADA that both teams have been using a new substance made from orange juice and cat urine. Ricardo Cabeza, FADA commissioner, was unable to be reached for comment at press time.
Complete Results
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The Dauphine begins
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- After a red eye flight direct from the French Riviera, I have arrived just in time for the prologue of the Dauphine Libere. Team Mahagoff scored a big win by landing the first 3 places in the prologue. The race is on and bonus points could prove a big deciding factor in this short 7 stage tune-up for the Tour de France.
Complete Results
Complete Results
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Getting in gear
thanks BobkestrutAs I sun myself beside the cool, azure blue waters of the Mediterranean, I can't help but reflect on the epic, hard fought battles of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. As the directeurs sportif make preparations for le grand boucle in July, they must now turn their attention to the Luna Cycles Fantasy Dauphine Libere. Due to the anti-doping crusade of both the FADA and UFCI, little notice is being given to teams of this upcoming race. To that end, entries for this race are due to me by 8am EST on June 8th. The format for this race is slightly tweaked from the Giro. Choose 3 riders. They will be given the usual points based on their finish in the top 20. In addition, there will be point bonuses of 20 pts, 10 pts and 5 pts to the top 3 teams of that day's stage, based on placing points. This is a test run of one of the scoring changes for the upcoming Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Chuck L's Old-Fashioned Brown Eye Ointment. Get those entries in tout suite!
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Bottle caps fly as Fantasy Giro wraps up!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- As his team downed the classic Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream winner's bottles of Boone's Farm Strawberry Wine, DS Ron Swenson was able to reflect on how Team Shooting Star Racing was able to hold the maglia rosa all the way to the finish.
Shooting Star Racing would like to thank the organizers of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream for putting on a great race. We are honored to have won this first edition of the Giro against a first rate field and anticipate an equally exciting Tour de France in July. Our team is savoring this victory now and will begin preparing for a defense at the Tour. We have no comment at this time about the "points for prostitutes" scandal or the alledged accusations leveled at officials regarding scoring inconsistencies.
Director Sportiff - Shooting Star Racing
Ron Swenson
The UFCI released a statement congratulating Swenson and his team.
We are sincere in our congratulations to Team Shooting Star Racing for showing that a team can win without resorting to the immoral tactics that lesser talented teams have come to rely on. We look forward to seeing Mr. Swenson try to win the Luna Cycles Fantasy Tour de France presented by Chuck L's Old Fashioned Brown Eye Ointment in July.
Julian Pomme de Terre, Director UFCI
Another hotly contested prize was sewn up by DS Jeff Welch's team as they scored zero points in their 12th stage of this 21 stage race. This truly remarkable performance earned Welch the coveted maglia nero. It remains to be seen if Welch plans on trying to capture the lanterne rouge in July.
John McMenemy's Team Cheeseballs and DS Todd Braswell's team took 2nd and 3rd respectively. Congratulations to all of the competitors for a hard fought race.
Final Results
Friday, May 30, 2008
Brutal day ahead
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Today's stage did little to change the standings of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. Braswell's stage win of 100 points did little to close the gap on Team Shooting Stars as they earned 97 points on the day.
Tomorrow will be a day of fireworks as the race will cross the Passo del Gavia, Cima Coppi and will finish on the infamous Mortirolo. Expect serious fireworks from Ricco, DiLuca (il killer de Spoltore) and maybe even Simoni. Contador's lead is slim at best and everyone will be gunning to gain as much time on him as they can to offset any deficits they may incur on Sunday's final stage time trial.
This will be a stage worth watching live. If you don't have cycling.tv there are still ways to get the live feed. Check this site out for free live feeds!
Complete results
Tomorrow will be a day of fireworks as the race will cross the Passo del Gavia, Cima Coppi and will finish on the infamous Mortirolo. Expect serious fireworks from Ricco, DiLuca (il killer de Spoltore) and maybe even Simoni. Contador's lead is slim at best and everyone will be gunning to gain as much time on him as they can to offset any deficits they may incur on Sunday's final stage time trial.
This will be a stage worth watching live. If you don't have cycling.tv there are still ways to get the live feed. Check this site out for free live feeds!
Complete results
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Welch all but locks up maglia nero
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- While the battle to win this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream is still way up in the air, DS Jeff Welch has all but ensured his quest to win the battle at the other end of the GC: the maglia rosa or numero nero. While winning the GC takes determination, strength and luck, those riders who find themselves in contention to be the last placed slot on the GC must use wit, cunning and guile to win the race for last. A stunning stage win by DS Charles Hicks' Team Straightouttamyass has wrecked his chances to be in contention for the coveted black number and handed apparent victory to Welch.
In other news, Team Far North has become deeply embroiled in scandal as they have admitted to receiving to many points for their performance in stage 17. Earlier today, Bennett released this statement:
An internal investigation by the UFCI has revealed that there may have been collusion between Bennett and several UFCI officials in a "points for prostitutes" setup. The UFCI would not release the names of the implicated officials, but has assured the press that they are no longer officiating the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. No sanctions have been made against Team Far North as the UFCI is likely to try to discretely put this matter to rest.
The battle for the overall win begins tomorrow as the roads turn upward for the final weekend of the race. All eyes are on DS Todd Braswell as he looks to be poised to unleash fire and brimstone in a bid to win it in the mountains.
Complete Results
In other news, Team Far North has become deeply embroiled in scandal as they have admitted to receiving to many points for their performance in stage 17. Earlier today, Bennett released this statement:
To further enshrine the spirit of competition and sportsmanship I would like to point out that FADA was simply doing their job, though I would ask that testers not report all the extracurricular activities they may have witnessed at the hotel. I would like to further solidify my popular place in UFCI history by reporting that, once again, there have been scoring errors made with team Far North for stage 17. Though these scoring errors will certainly spell my doom come this weekend, I feel it necessary to 'ride clean'.
Charles Bennett, DS - Far North
An internal investigation by the UFCI has revealed that there may have been collusion between Bennett and several UFCI officials in a "points for prostitutes" setup. The UFCI would not release the names of the implicated officials, but has assured the press that they are no longer officiating the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. No sanctions have been made against Team Far North as the UFCI is likely to try to discretely put this matter to rest.
The battle for the overall win begins tomorrow as the roads turn upward for the final weekend of the race. All eyes are on DS Todd Braswell as he looks to be poised to unleash fire and brimstone in a bid to win it in the mountains.
Complete Results
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Open letter
Dear lady who honked her horn at me for over a mile,
I wish we could have had more of a discussion about the rights of cyclists on the road in NC. Since you seemed so disinterested in what I had to say ("You just shut up!", seemed to be your favorite thing to say. Except for "You're going to Hell!!" which was easily your most uttered phrase.) Since you didn't want to hear what I had to say, I would like to clear up some things that may have been causing you so much distress.
In NC
I understand you were late for your doctor's appointment, but I would like to point out that you wasted a lot of time riding behind me laying on the horn and passed up several opportunities to safely pass by and go about your merry way.
I hope you have pleasant driving experiences in the future and I suggest repeating the following mantra: "Cyclists are friends, not obstacles."
Thanks!
p.s. I apologize for asking you how that $3.90 a gallon gas is treating you, but if you would like to give bike commuting a try I know a great bike shop that can help you get started!
I wish we could have had more of a discussion about the rights of cyclists on the road in NC. Since you seemed so disinterested in what I had to say ("You just shut up!", seemed to be your favorite thing to say. Except for "You're going to Hell!!" which was easily your most uttered phrase.) Since you didn't want to hear what I had to say, I would like to clear up some things that may have been causing you so much distress.
In NC
I understand you were late for your doctor's appointment, but I would like to point out that you wasted a lot of time riding behind me laying on the horn and passed up several opportunities to safely pass by and go about your merry way.
I hope you have pleasant driving experiences in the future and I suggest repeating the following mantra: "Cyclists are friends, not obstacles."
Thanks!
p.s. I apologize for asking you how that $3.90 a gallon gas is treating you, but if you would like to give bike commuting a try I know a great bike shop that can help you get started!
Dyer dances with glory, Bennett drained
Lenoir, NC (LC Press) - Team Low Road scored a subtle victory over Rising Star and Team Cheeseballs, moving himself into 3rd overall. Thursday's stage will be the last before the seriousness sets in, the roads tilt up and the contenders go for broke.
In other news, Team Far North was visited by FADA (Fantasy Anti-Doping Association) representatives at 4 am in their hotel. Blood samples were taken and tested from the team and the hotel rooms were searched. No illicit activity was found. FADA President, Ricardo Cabeza, made a statement to the press stating that FADA had merely conducted a routine, surprise inspection. He emphatically denied the rumor that the inspection was conducted as retaliation for recent press statements made by Team Far North's DS Charles Bennett with regards to scoring discrepancies from Stage 15 of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream.
Complete Results
In other news, Team Far North was visited by FADA (Fantasy Anti-Doping Association) representatives at 4 am in their hotel. Blood samples were taken and tested from the team and the hotel rooms were searched. No illicit activity was found. FADA President, Ricardo Cabeza, made a statement to the press stating that FADA had merely conducted a routine, surprise inspection. He emphatically denied the rumor that the inspection was conducted as retaliation for recent press statements made by Team Far North's DS Charles Bennett with regards to scoring discrepancies from Stage 15 of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream.
Complete Results
Monday, May 26, 2008
Braswell makes it a triple
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Brawell's team has made it 3 stage wins in a row and he has now moved into 3rd overall in the GC. Tomorrow's rest day will be a good chance for the top riders to decide their next course of action. Friday and Saturday's stages will be the last mountain romps and will see the final maglia rosa taken.
Complete Results
Complete Results
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Two for two in the lofty reaches of the atmosphere
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Todd Braswell's team made it two in a row with another stage win today. This now moves The Chosen into 4th place on the GC and they are rising like a rocket towards the podium and a possible maglia rosa. Ron Swenson once again took the overall lead with strong showings by Contador and DiLuca, but Ricco and Simoni paid off huge dividends to Braswell. The next few mountain days could provide a turbulent outlook for the GC.
Secure in the lantern rouge position, DS Jeff Welch is all but assured a coveted last place finish in the overall GC at the end of this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream.
Complete Results
Secure in the lantern rouge position, DS Jeff Welch is all but assured a coveted last place finish in the overall GC at the end of this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream.
Complete Results
The Chosen tem scores big in first ascension into the heavens
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- DS Todd Braswell took a much needed stage win in the first true test of this year's Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. The stage also brought a shake up in the GC as Team Low Road vaulted from 3rd to 1st overall.
Complete Results
Complete Results
Thursday, May 22, 2008
McEwan misses, Bennatti blazes
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Max Dyer's new sponsors at Lick Log Biological Testing Labs may have given Team Low Road the extra oomph needed to win today's stage in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. A huge 230 point victory has brought the top 3 GC teams within 64 points of each other.
Meanwhile, the other teams are languishing further and further behind. The coming mountains may be the key to a wholesale change in the overall standings. Friday's stage will be the last romp for the sprinters for a while and, as DiLuca has stated, the real Giro starts Saturday.
In other news, it has been rumored that Chuck L's Mangina Cream may seek an injunction against Dave Zabriskie to prevent the sale of his new line of chamois creams, DZNuts. It is unclear at this time what the legal justification for this action is, but we can only speculate that Chuck Luddeke, owner of Chuck L's Mangina Cream, is afraid of losing market share to Zabriskie due to the inherent coolness of the product's name.
Complete Results
Meanwhile, the other teams are languishing further and further behind. The coming mountains may be the key to a wholesale change in the overall standings. Friday's stage will be the last romp for the sprinters for a while and, as DiLuca has stated, the real Giro starts Saturday.
In other news, it has been rumored that Chuck L's Mangina Cream may seek an injunction against Dave Zabriskie to prevent the sale of his new line of chamois creams, DZNuts. It is unclear at this time what the legal justification for this action is, but we can only speculate that Chuck Luddeke, owner of Chuck L's Mangina Cream, is afraid of losing market share to Zabriskie due to the inherent coolness of the product's name.
Complete Results
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
All quiet on the Italian Front
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- A tie between the 1st and 2nd placed GC teams for today's stage meant little change in the order of the standings. While the gap to 1st and 2nd place widened a bit, the gap between 1st and 2nd remained the same.
There are two days for the sprinters before the roads soar skyward. Saturday will be brutal, but Sunday's stage looks set to be agonizing. Those teams stacked with sprinters may find themshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifelves riderless after the mountains. Time will tell...
Complete Results
There are two days for the sprinters before the roads soar skyward. Saturday will be brutal, but Sunday's stage looks set to be agonizing. Those teams stacked with sprinters may find themshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifelves riderless after the mountains. Time will tell...
Complete Results
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The gap widens
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- A big win by DS Charles Bennett's Far North Team was not enough to wrest the GC lead from Ron Swenson today. Swenson's lead now stands at over 100 points on second place. The DS's need to do whatever it takes to get their GC contenders to put up some big numbers or Swenson will walk away with this one!
Complete Results
Complete Results
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Scandalo!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Max Dyer took a huge stage win today, racking up an astonishing 210 points and moving himself into 2nd place in the GC. Cleared of doping charges just a month ago in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Paris-Roubaix, Dyer's finish today might be viewed by some as simply a remarkable result by a remarkable team. The second place stage finish by Dyer's former team doctor now directeur sportif of Team Cheeseballs, John McMenemy, has raised eyebrows amongst fantasy cycling's top officials.
While no charges have been leveled or even discussed, the officials in charge of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream have assured the tifosi that this year's edition is totally clean and they restated their zero-tolerance policy for doping.
Amongst the long time reporters of this Grand Fantasy Tour, the opinion most shared was that today marked a solid performance by the sprinters. The widely held belief was that any rumors of doping were unjustified and took away from the hard work put forth by the riders today.
Tomorrow brings a much needed rest day before Tuesday's individual time trial. Discussions amongst the team directors show David Millar as the odds on favorite for a stage win. A strong showing by the overall favorites could shake up the GC profoundly. DS Ron Swenson will be able to relax after today's successful defense of the maglia rosa knowing that tomorrow the jersey will remain his without a fight.
Complete Results
While no charges have been leveled or even discussed, the officials in charge of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream have assured the tifosi that this year's edition is totally clean and they restated their zero-tolerance policy for doping.
Amongst the long time reporters of this Grand Fantasy Tour, the opinion most shared was that today marked a solid performance by the sprinters. The widely held belief was that any rumors of doping were unjustified and took away from the hard work put forth by the riders today.
Tomorrow brings a much needed rest day before Tuesday's individual time trial. Discussions amongst the team directors show David Millar as the odds on favorite for a stage win. A strong showing by the overall favorites could shake up the GC profoundly. DS Ron Swenson will be able to relax after today's successful defense of the maglia rosa knowing that tomorrow the jersey will remain his without a fight.
Complete Results
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Birthday brouhaha brings bicycling brilliance for Darden!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press)- Placing 2 riders in the top 3 and having a third rider finish in the top 20 of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream brought much needed smiles and points to GS Spurtschnookers directeur sportif Jason Darden on his birthday. His tally of 175 points on the stage brought him a narrow stage victory over DS Todd Braswell who posted a not quite good enough 170 points on the day.
Having languished in the basement since the start of the race, Darden has pulled himself back in with a shout and now lies in 6th place overall. The whole standings have taken a dramatic change-up and DS Ron Swenson's formerly staggering lead has now been whittled down to a tenuous margin. DS Todd Braswell's 2nd place performance today was enough to move him into 2nd place overall with a gap of just 48 points to the maglia rosa.
In further news, DS Jeff Welch's gambit of stacking his team with young up and comers has not fared well and he has now fallen back to the lanterne rouge position. Could the broom wagon be looming large for this team?
Complete Results
Having languished in the basement since the start of the race, Darden has pulled himself back in with a shout and now lies in 6th place overall. The whole standings have taken a dramatic change-up and DS Ron Swenson's formerly staggering lead has now been whittled down to a tenuous margin. DS Todd Braswell's 2nd place performance today was enough to move him into 2nd place overall with a gap of just 48 points to the maglia rosa.
In further news, DS Jeff Welch's gambit of stacking his team with young up and comers has not fared well and he has now fallen back to the lanterne rouge position. Could the broom wagon be looming large for this team?
Complete Results
Friday, May 16, 2008
The long and winding road
Some of you have noticed my posting from far afield these last few days. I have spent the last four days on a bus trip with the Early College freshmen to the Outer Banks of NC. I just got home and am exhausted. Rest assured that I have not made my fortune in either the bike business (Ha!) or teaching (HA HA!) and retired to a secluded beachside bungalow. Besides, the mountain biking looked pretty nonexistent and the road riding opportunities seemed to be confined to a single road. Who would leave our little bit of cycling paradise for that? Although surfing looked pretty cool...
Swenson savors sweet success!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press) - Shooting Star Racing had another perfect day in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. By claiming the stage victory with a huge 90 point day, DS Ron Swenson has once again taken the maglia rosa with a substantial 83 point margin over second place. This strong team looks to be asserting itself as a major factor as today's stage saw a throwdown of sorts from the major figures in this year's race.
As the true contenders assert themselves, those teams heavy on sprinters and other stagiere opportunists may find themselves slipping out of contention with no real hope of recovering. Other teams just need to have riders place in the top 10 instead of the top 20 to make a go at the lead in the GC. It seems that now the directeurs must rely solely on the fates and fortunes of their most mercurial team members: the pure climbers and the GC contenders. The next few days may very well see a winnowing of the wheat from the chaff.
Complete Results
As the true contenders assert themselves, those teams heavy on sprinters and other stagiere opportunists may find themselves slipping out of contention with no real hope of recovering. Other teams just need to have riders place in the top 10 instead of the top 20 to make a go at the lead in the GC. It seems that now the directeurs must rely solely on the fates and fortunes of their most mercurial team members: the pure climbers and the GC contenders. The next few days may very well see a winnowing of the wheat from the chaff.
Complete Results
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The mad scramble continues
Beaufort, NC (LC Press)- The lead in the GC of the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia has switched yet again. In what is quickly shaping up to be a battle amongst the sprinters on each team, chaos reigns in the overall battle for the maglia rosa. Taking the lead once again, Eddie Winkler is showing a no-holds barred attitude in placing his team firmly at the head of affairs.
A scoring mix-up from two stages ago has been corrected, but even this was not enough to rescue DS Jason Darden from the depths of despair. Despite his team having "good sensations" they were unable to pull off any meaningful placing today and managed to only garner 1 point from Paolo Bettini's 19th place finish.
The team sprinter's have not managed to rack up huge points in the last few stages, so it remains to be seen if the large point margins that the leaders now enjoy will be enough to fend off the charges of those teams that have placed their emphasis on climbers and time trialists. Several of the mid-pack teams may prove to be snakes lying in wait in the tall grasses of the Alps.
Complete Results
A scoring mix-up from two stages ago has been corrected, but even this was not enough to rescue DS Jason Darden from the depths of despair. Despite his team having "good sensations" they were unable to pull off any meaningful placing today and managed to only garner 1 point from Paolo Bettini's 19th place finish.
The team sprinter's have not managed to rack up huge points in the last few stages, so it remains to be seen if the large point margins that the leaders now enjoy will be enough to fend off the charges of those teams that have placed their emphasis on climbers and time trialists. Several of the mid-pack teams may prove to be snakes lying in wait in the tall grasses of the Alps.
Complete Results
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sprinters robbed, dicey day for directeurs
Kitty Hawk, NC (LC Press)- Another day of movement and turmoil in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. DS "Redline" Ron Swenson seized his team's first maglia rosa with a mere 16 point gain in today's stage. Swenson now holds a tenuous 7 point lead over DS Eddie Winkler.
Many teams have been hit hard by the lack of consistency from their sprinters, while other teams are hoping for better performances as the roads tilt upward. The strategies are beginning to play out more like gambles, but there is still a lot of race left to be ridden.
GS Spurtschnookers are still languishing in the basement. DS Jason Darden may be seeing his career ending with a whimper in what could be his last Fantasy Giro d'Italia.
Complete Results
Many teams have been hit hard by the lack of consistency from their sprinters, while other teams are hoping for better performances as the roads tilt upward. The strategies are beginning to play out more like gambles, but there is still a lot of race left to be ridden.
GS Spurtschnookers are still languishing in the basement. DS Jason Darden may be seeing his career ending with a whimper in what could be his last Fantasy Giro d'Italia.
Complete Results
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The switcheroo
Kitty Hawk, NC (LC Press)- A romp by the sprinters brought a much needed stage win to DS Max Dyer's team. Heavy on sprinters, this was the stage finish that Dyer needed to drag himself out of the basement.
Eddie Winkler's team still remains in the lead of the GC, but that lead is not out of reach of several teams. Another strong sprint stage could bring his lead to an end. Many teams now find themselves in a must win position in order to remain in the chase for the maglia rosa. DS Jason Darden, though blessed with years of experience, may be seeing hopes of glory in this race fading as he has come to own last place in the GC. A good result for this aging veteran would be a feel good result that would delight the tifosi'
Complete standings
Eddie Winkler's team still remains in the lead of the GC, but that lead is not out of reach of several teams. Another strong sprint stage could bring his lead to an end. Many teams now find themselves in a must win position in order to remain in the chase for the maglia rosa. DS Jason Darden, though blessed with years of experience, may be seeing hopes of glory in this race fading as he has come to own last place in the GC. A good result for this aging veteran would be a feel good result that would delight the tifosi'
Complete standings
Monday, May 12, 2008
Winkler regains lead in crash filled stage
Lenoir, NC (LC Press) - Eddie Winkler has retaken the lead in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream.
Complete results
Complete results
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Winkler wins, then washes out!
Lenoir, NC (LC Press) - Not since the spectacular implosion of Team 7-11 at the Tour de France in 1986 has a team gone from ecstasy to agony in so brief a time as DS Eddie Winkler's team at this year's fantasy Giro d'Italia. Saturday saw a dominant performance by the team in the most technical of cycling disciplines: the team time trial. With an impressive 1st, 2nd and 4th places in the TTT, Winkler took control of this year's fantasy Giro in commanding fashion. The elation would not be lasting...
Like Icarus, Winkler's team may have flown too high in yesterday's stage for today saw them humbly tumble back to Earth, exposed as the mere mortals that they truly are. Yesterday's stars failed to post a single rider in the top 20, and thus they fell from 1st to 3rd in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream general classification.
The truly remarkable story of today was that of DS Todd Braswell's team. A respectable, but uninspiring effort yesterday by the team was nicely disposed of with an emphatic stage win today, vaulting the team from 10th to a tie for 4th in the general classification. The team now lies within 9 pts. of taking the 3rd position from Winkler's team.
Two solid performances by DS Jeff Welch's team have moved him into a remarkable lead of 30 pts in the general classification. Welch has obviously come to this years fantasy Giro with a singular goal of winning the overall in a display of pure dominance. He now has 19 stages left to prove himself.
Complete results
Like Icarus, Winkler's team may have flown too high in yesterday's stage for today saw them humbly tumble back to Earth, exposed as the mere mortals that they truly are. Yesterday's stars failed to post a single rider in the top 20, and thus they fell from 1st to 3rd in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream general classification.
The truly remarkable story of today was that of DS Todd Braswell's team. A respectable, but uninspiring effort yesterday by the team was nicely disposed of with an emphatic stage win today, vaulting the team from 10th to a tie for 4th in the general classification. The team now lies within 9 pts. of taking the 3rd position from Winkler's team.
Two solid performances by DS Jeff Welch's team have moved him into a remarkable lead of 30 pts in the general classification. Welch has obviously come to this years fantasy Giro with a singular goal of winning the overall in a display of pure dominance. He now has 19 stages left to prove himself.
Complete results
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Fantasy Giro - TTT Quick Results
LC Press (Lenoir, NC) - Preliminary results are here. Full story to follow.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Fantasy Giro d'Italia, scoring breakdown
Pick 3 riders. They will be scored as follows-
PLACE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
POINTS 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 15 10 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1
Riders will only receive points for their stage placing. NO POINTS FOR GC OR ANY OTHER CATEGORY! Riders will receive points for the TTT based on the team's finish.
If you need further clarification, just drop me a line!
PLACE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
POINTS 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 15 10 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1
Riders will only receive points for their stage placing. NO POINTS FOR GC OR ANY OTHER CATEGORY! Riders will receive points for the TTT based on the team's finish.
If you need further clarification, just drop me a line!
Homage to il pirata
Nobody rocks the pink jersey like an Italian and the one who stood out above the rest was Marco Pantani. The classic combination of Bianchi's trademark Celeste (a color that seems to go with every other color you put it with) and the fabled pink hues of the maglia rosa just ooze an italian sense of style that no other riders seem to be able to touch.
Let Marco remind you to get your Giro team picks to me by Saturday at 8am. Imagine him in that inimitable style: hands in the drops, standing up on the pedals in some insane gear and flying up improbably steep climbs, and now think of him chasing you down, screaming at you to get your team together!
Also, remember that Cycle to Serve is this Saturday at 8am. There will be a 40 and 60 mile route, so there's a little bit of pain to go with any rider's needs! And don't forget: top 5 finishers in each ride get a homemade cake. CAKE! And everybody gets to partake in a huge potluck lunch that is the best post-ride meal I've ever encountered. Beats the hell out of those off-brand sandwich cookies at the top of Grandfather Mtn. at the end of Bridge to Bridge!
Come out and ride the beautiful roads that we get to train on all the time!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Fantasy Giro d'Italia approaches
Lenoir, NC (LC Press) - The tifosi are swelling with excitement in anticipation of this weekend's kickoff of the greatest Grand Tour of the season. Team rosters are being finalized, while some fantasy directeurs sportif are playing the waiting game and not releasing their rosters, presumably waiting until the last minute to do so.
By all accounts and armed with the rosters that have been posted, this year's fantasy Giro looks to be an epic contest of strategy and a true battle amongst the top fantasy teams in cycling today. Noticeably absent from the listings are the two men responsible for dominating this season's fantasy Ardennes classics: Howard Hesterberg and Max Dyer. Dyer was truly coy and cagey when confronted about finalizing his team roster, remarking, "I have until Saturday morning at 8 am." Other than a minor rules clarification, Hesterberg has been incognito. Could these two teams be tired from their incredible run at the final week of the classics season? Or will they pull another rabbit out of the hat and continue their dominance of the fantasy peloton?
By all accounts and armed with the rosters that have been posted, this year's fantasy Giro looks to be an epic contest of strategy and a true battle amongst the top fantasy teams in cycling today. Noticeably absent from the listings are the two men responsible for dominating this season's fantasy Ardennes classics: Howard Hesterberg and Max Dyer. Dyer was truly coy and cagey when confronted about finalizing his team roster, remarking, "I have until Saturday morning at 8 am." Other than a minor rules clarification, Hesterberg has been incognito. Could these two teams be tired from their incredible run at the final week of the classics season? Or will they pull another rabbit out of the hat and continue their dominance of the fantasy peloton?
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Il Giro d'Italia di fantasia
The need for some rules clarifications in the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream has reared its head. Howard Hesterberg has correctly nailed the crux of the competition on the head: you choose 3 riders for the entire Giro, not 3 riders per stage. This is where the strategery comes into play. Since the riders are only given points for finishing in the top 20 of each stage and no points are given for any overall classification, you gotta make some tough choices to field the best 3 man team you can. *You do not need to be local to play! (I will mail you your prizes if you win!) Email your 3 man team picks to me by 8am est, Saturday, May 10th!
In a completely unrelated and nonfantasy sidenote, none other than President Bill Clinton came to Lenoir today to speak. This sort of thing would be a big deal anywhere, so the fact that he was a block from the bike shop and a 1/4 mile from my house makes it pretty cool. It is also pretty cool that the NC primary will actually mean something. Usually, things are pretty well locked up by May in the presidential primary season, but this one looks to be coming down to the wire! You know it's serious when they start posting primary results from Guam. I didn't even know they had a primary...
In other shop news, we are swelling with 2008 bikes! Just got in the new BMC Trail Fox long-travel full-suspension mountain bike, and the '08 BMC SL01 in the new stealth black-and-white paint scheme! Lots and lots of Specialized bikes are in, too, including Roubaixs and Tarmacs. Come check it out!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Fantasy Giro d'Italia
Il Giro starts on May 10th and so does the Luna Cycles Fantasy Giro d'Italia presented by Chuck L's Mangina Cream. The race format will be simple, yet like many "simple" games, there is a hidden degree of complexity.
So, the deal is this: you pick 3 riders. Those riders receive points based on their finish in the day's stage provided they are in the top 20. There are NO points for GC or any other overall competitions. Fantasy GC will be tallied daily. Prize list is being finalized this week, but the real reward comes from the spirit of competition!
Picks are due in my inbox by 8 am, Saturday, May 10th. Also, don't forget that May 10th is the day of Cycle to Serve, so come get your ride on!
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