Eve of the Bridge

We stuffed 900 rider packets this evening for the Bridge to Bridge particpants. Big thanks to Jenna, Tammy, Mark, Mark Hites, Charles, Different Charles, Jack Brown, Mikey MC and B-Rock for lending a big hand to get it done. Jeff has been in overdrive getting all the last minute details straight for this weekend. We now have Luna waterbottles and new Luna T-shirts in 3 different styles in stock. We are stocked up on every conceivable item that a would-be Bridge rider could possibly want and to top it all off, we're having a sale! All sunglasses, shoes, Mavic computers and Sugoi shorts and short-sleeve jerseys are on sale for 10% off! We also have 2007 road and mtn. bikes on sale! If you've been waiting to wheel and deal, now's your time!

We will be having a mellow spin ride Saturday morning at 8 am, leaving from the shop. Our hours will be extended this weekend in order to accomodate the Bridge to Bridge schedule. Saturday we will be open from 11 am to 7 pm and Sunday from 7 am to 9 am (B2B start time). I will be doing a feed towards the top of 181, so come see me if you want me to hand up bottles and/or food to you.

It has been a long week and the weekend will hopefully be a busy time. If you are coming in from out of town for B2B, be sure to stop by. We will be more than happy to give you the beta on the new course, make ride suggestions for any pre-ride spins you want to do and we can also offer local knowledge on dining options and that all important Sunday morning caffeine urge!

Don't forget that once Bridge is over, the riding season is still going on. We are fortunate to have a fairly mild winter here, so outdoor road riding is a year-round possibility. However, as the weather gets cooler and the days shorter, it comes time to explore other 2 wheeled pursuits like mtn. biking. For us at Luna, Fall means one all consuming two-wheeled passion: CYCLOCROSS! We will once again play host to a cyclocross race here in Lenoir, but this year we are now a part of the prestigious NC Cyclocross Series Fall Cup! Our race will be Sunday, November 4th. Saturday, Sept. 22nd, we will begin cyclocross practice at the Zack's Fork Soccer Complex every Saturday at 4:30. Bring any bike you want, a helmet and you'll be one step closer to running through barriers and doing two wheeled drift turns in the drops.

The worm is turning...

I have come down with whatever funk Owen brought home from daycare. I'm not sure if I'm going to still have a voice tomorrow, so teaching should be interesting. I'm going to limit my students to yes/no questions 'cause then I can just nod one way or the other. It'll be good for 'em...

It has been a while since I last blogged and many things have transpired that were worth mentioning, but the moment has passed. We can never capture the time that was lost, so we should get past it and move on.

The big thing to move on to is the greatest part of the cycling season: CYCLOCROSS SEASON! You can see who the real 'cross junkies are right now. They'll be the guys shuffling around the bike shop wanting to discuss the merits of various 'cross tubulars or feverishly asking when 'cross practice starts (4:30, the saturday after Bridge to Bridge, Zack's Fork Soccer Complex) or asking to see pictures of the new 'cross bikes from different manufacturers. Well, the first fix is almost here fellow 'crossers! There will be a season opening tune-up clinic/race in Salisbury on Sunday, September 30th. Details to follow soon. Jeff and I will get the true whistle whetting experience during Interbike in Las Vegas as the Cross Vegas UCI race will be held while we are there. 'Cross World's silver medalist, Jonathon Page, is a confirmed starter. It should prove to be a fun night of 'cross and beer gardening!

Hopefully some of you will be able to tear yourselves away from doing 181 climbing repeats this weekend long enough to make the saturday morning group ride at 8am. The group has thinned out substantially as Bridge to Bridge draws nigh, but hopefully things will be back to normal once it is over and done with...

Viral attack

I have on very sick and pitiful little baby. Owen has a severe sinus infection that blew up this weekend. It is really heartbreaking to see just how miserable he feels.

Time is in short supply for me right now, so not much posting here. I am happy to report that there was a HUGE turnout at the County Commissioner's meeting monday night. So much public outcry against the proposed Wilson Creek PUD seems to have definitely made the difference. We must remain vigilant so that our open spaces won't be cavalierly developed for such silly reasons as "someone is going to do it eventually". On another happy note, the Lenoir Convenience Center is open! Now get to recycling!

Mark it on your calendar!

Here is more of the story on the proposed development of Wilson Creek. The County Commissioners meeting is this Monday, August 27th at 6 pm. We need as much public opposition to this proposal as we can muster, so please, please, please come out and lend your voice to the cause!

In reading the News-Topic article, I especially like the developer's comment that Wislon Creek is going to get developed eventually. You know, we don't have to roll over and play dead for land developers. Development of wild and scenic areas is not inevitable. But just like any treasure, someone will surely steal it for themselves if you don't protect it!

Got a good soaking on my afternoon commute yesterday. I also managed to break a bolt that holds my panniers to my dropout. Fun times limping it to the shop, hoping that the friction of my fender being pushed against my tire by a pannier loaded with textbooks wouldn't cause the tube to explode going down the one sketchy descent. It broke up the routine of my twice daily rolling meditation.

I enjoy my solo morning commute the best. The air is cool and there is usually a slight mist close to the ground. Traffic is light and I am left to my thoughts. Maybe it is the fact that I am not fully awake when I leave, but the whole commute seems to take on a transcendental mood. I find myself to the point of disconnecting my thoughts from the rest of my body. I can feel myself pedaling from a distance as my mind seems to be more immediate. I kind of dig that feeling...

Immediate attention required!

Our fair county has decided to lift a one year moratorium on development in the Wilson Creek area in order to slip in a big land development deal. You can get the full story here. You can email members of the County Board of Commissioners here. Please voice your opinion to leave Wilson Creek undeveloped and stress the importance of outdoor areas for recreation. The future of Caldwell County lies in the outdoor recreation opportunities that are here and are just now beginning to be truly shared with people from outside of our region. We need to allow the developments that are already being built in the nearby Collettsville area to be completed (and their impact assessed) before irrevocably damaging the beautiful Wilson Creek Gorge area! This will be discussed in an upcoming board meeting. I will keep you updated in an effort to rally some vocal opposition to this proposal at the meeting!

Long time, no see

I finally have enough time to spout off some more drivel. Life has been hectic this past week and it doesn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon. Just in case you aren't in our area, it is unreasonably, unbearably, bewilderingly hot here right now. Add to that a hefty dose of no rain and you've got yourself a good old-fashioned drought. Commuting back and forth to school has become an exercise in asceticism. Each day, I arrive at the shop from school streaming sweat and red as a fire truck. I can't wait to be able to complain about how cold it is. The nice thing has been that mornings have been cool with a good layer of ground fog and some spectacular sunrises that tend toward the pink and turquoise.

Today was Owen's first day of daycare. He seemed to be pretty fine with the whole thing, but there was definitely stress on our part. I never realized all of the feelings and emotions that go along with parenthood. It is a really primal protectiveness that you feel for your child. It's nice being reminded of your animal nature.

I spent today tubing the New River with all of the students from our school. It was hot and slow. The water level was way down, so a lot of walking was involved. Not quite tiring, but not quite relaxing either.

Jeff and I have committed to going to Vegas for Interbike this year. It's been a while since I've gone, so I'm definitely excited about going. I'm really curious to experience Interbike from the perspective of a shop owner, instead of the employee's perspective. I'll try to give some sneak peek reports from the show while I'm there.

The weekend is nigh and I am truly ready for it. Hope to see you in the shop this weekend!

Pinch me

My new teaching position is better than I dared to imagine. I find myself, in the middle of teaching, having an out-of-body observation of our interaction and seeing that they are actually engaged in learning. It's really weird how these kids do all of the things that you wish for your students to do. You ask them to think about something and "POOF!", they actually think about it. It is a sight to behold...

I've been to busy to actually update this blog in a while. Seems a lot has been going on in the cycling world. I'm watchin', I just haven't been sayin' anything.

First off, Team Slipstream has secured the services of Magnus Backstedt and Julian Dean. I want to point out that my good friend Jason scooped everybody with that tidbit at his blog schnooked in der spurt. A chance encounter with Frankie Andreu at the Charlotte NRC critertium gave him a leg up on everybody.

Secondly, WADA vs. Alberto "the Kid" Contador, who's gonna win that? Contador and Bruyneel have scheduled a press conference (all statement, no questions). I think the pot is on simmer right now, but be looking for an increase in temperature in the near future.

Lastly, Kash Kasheykin (ASTANA) has turned up positive for homologous blood doping in an out of competition test. These guys aren't even racing and they're testing positive! I am beginning to feel beleaguered and bewildered about this whole mess. I know there are clean riders, but are the dopers really this stupid? Would you undergo a procedure that your team captain tested positive for less than 3 weeks ago? Have the UCI controls been so lax in the past that riders new the odds were in their favor if they gambled with doping? And while everyone gets bitter and pissy about doping in cycling, has anyone bothered to take note of Barry Bonds breaking the all-time homerun record with nothing more than a suspicion of steroid abuse? There are a lot of dirty houses out there, not just ours.

Our car got egged and keyed in front of our house last Friday night. I called the police to come and make a report. The officer asked me if I could think of anyone who might do such a thing. I informed him that both my wife and I were middle school teachers, so it could be any number of former students from the past 5 years. He asked if I could "narrow it down". I asked him if he could make a list of all of the people he had pissed off during his career as a plice officer. He said, "Yeah, I see your point." I'm not worried about who did it, it's just a car and it can be fixed.

Luna Cycles socks are in stock! $8.99 a pair, or 3 pairs for $24! Email me if you would like some, but can't make it in to the store. If you have been by lately, you've probably noticed some half finished remodeling of the back area of the shop. Soon, the mechanic's area will be pushed back to the back room in order to create more floor space and to accomodate our new bike fitting area. Come by and check it out as we start finishing it up this week!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I am worn out. We've had 3 open house sessions at school in the past two days. I have given the same 5 minute talk a total of 12 times. I'm beat. In addition, my daily commute is now a 30 minute, one-way ride with a distinctly rolly texture to it. I'm riding my '70's era, dumpster rescued Raleigh Gran Prix which now sports flat bars, 7 spd Deore thumbshifters, and a Brooks B-17 saddle (not like we want anymore kids...). With the Jannd mtn. rack and panniers I think I'm pushing about 45 lbs back and forth to school. And the thought that keeps going through my mind: 'cross season is coming...

A new beginning

My summer is now officially over. Unlike the rest of my fellow Caldwell County educators, I start school tomorrow. This is no great sacrifice given the position and school that I will be teaching in. It is a little bit daunting to now have to face Sophomores in high school rather than the middle schoolers I am used to. This is a welcome change and a breath of fresh air. I will readily admit that I was beginning to get a bit toasty if not fully burned out.

Well, le Tour will not go away. Mayo has tested positive for EPO. Wow, dope your way to 16th place in the Tour why don'tcha? Idiot. And now the big implications about Contador and his Puerto links are picking up steam. If Prudhomme thought the Chicken shouldn't have started, what about "the kid" Contador?

To: Shawn
From: Eddie

Damn;
This Tour just will not die! Check this out, and now there seems to be even
more proof coming out to link Contador to Puerto. I still can't believe that
Valverde is still racing. I mean how hard is it to figure out a code name
like Valve?

I sure love to watch bicycle racing, but I just don't know what is real
anymore.

Take care and good luck with the job.

Yep, those good ol' cryptic code names. Jorg Jaksche copped to the fact that he was, indeed, "JJ". Good thing he admitted it, 'cause nobody could have figured that out. Now, who could possibly be tied to all those bright, ruby red bags of high test blood marked with the code name "AC"? You better believe that teams of cryptographers from Scotland Yard and the NSA are on the case...

Rejoice in the fact that Team Slipstream has signed David Millar, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie. They have also, rather coyly, announced that they have signed a former winner of Paris-Roubaix. Current favorites from our group ride discussions of who this signee might be are Maggie Backstedt and Stuey O'Grady. Whoever it is, these guys are serious about a wild card selection to the '09 Tour. Hell, with their testing protocols, they might be there next year...

finis

Cadel tried valiantly, but Contador felt the jersey slipping away and managed to keep a grasp on the hem. Levi rode with the vengeance of what could have been and layed down the 4th fastest TT in TdF history. How different would this podium look if Rasmussen had not been allowed to start and his vicious accelerations in the mountains had not made their withdrawals from the other riders energy stores. Leipheimer, the consummate nice guy, selflessly rode for young Contador and setting him up for the win. Evans looks to have regained the confidence and promise of his early career to ride with aplomb and tenacity. Contador, recently cleared of the Puerto implications, has managed a win of both the yellow and the white jerseys.

I will not be one of those hysterical and histrionic people who says they won't watch pro cycling anymore or that all riders are doping. This is the only sport I have loved and I have been in love since I was 14. This sport is changing and change can usually be painful and this change is no different. I believe that we are going to go back to a pro cycling like that that existed up until the very early 1980's. Lemond is often credited with a great influence on American cycling and on the use of technology and equipment in the European peloton, but he also did much to elevate rider salaries and usher in a more modern expectation of prize money. Prior to 1984, the winner of Paris-Roubaix received about $2000 for winning the greatest one-day bike race in the world.

The big money corporate sponsors are going to pull back their support for pro cycling. I think we will see the rise of trade teams once again, as the only ones with a vested interest in professional cycling are cycling related companies. As the money shrinks, the large team budgets will disappear and teams will have to run leaner staff numbers. I hope we don't reenter the days when domestiques were true to their title and were in charge of laundry and fixing meals and serving the needs of the team stars both on and off the bike. I remember watching Rabobank Directeur Sportif Theo de Rooj racing for the Panasonic team in the 1985 Paris-Roubaix. He had made the winning break early in the race, riding in horrendously muddy conditions on cobbles slickened to a glass-like polish. This was in the early days of cycling coverage in the states, and it was a taped and edited race that CBS showed with a dramatic narration/commentary by Phil Liggett. In the midst of de Rooj's break, CBS showed a human interest piece on him. It showed him waking up Panasonic team captain Eric Vanderaerden, making breakfast and washing team kits. The most striking thing was how the rider's had their names on their respective room doors. Vanderaerden's name was literally written on a large foil star, presumably to insure that he was treated with the proper deference. Theo crashed out while riding in a straight line on one of the many crowned cobble paths, thus ending his dream of winning the race. By the end, de Rooj's breakaway companions (the enigmatic Patric Versluys and the Daehnens brothers) were caught outside of Roubaix by Panasonic team star, Eric Vanderaerden. Reportedly, Vanderaerden caught the break and said, "I'm here boys, now what are you going to do?" Vanderaerden smoked the sprint and took the win from his domestique competition. de Rooj was interviewed in his team car. He was nearly unrecognizable with head to toe dried, caked on mud. He said, "You're out here riding like an animal." When told that his team captain had won, pain flickered across his demeanor at the thought of what could have been his. He then stammered, "I know I'll never... I know I'll never be the captain of... I know I'll never be the leader of a team." Let's hope that our new cycling era will be able to insure the dignity of every rider, at the very least.

Pro cycling will survive. We must also keep in mind that cycling is doing far more to combat doping than any other major professional sport. Every sport has its complimentary performance enhancement products, just take a look at the IOC's banned products list. I have to be honest and say that no matter what, I'll be right there glued to the monitor or the tv, soaking in the racing coverage.

le grande finale

I believe in Cadel. Cleared or not, Contador is hinky given the reports that there have been phone calls about his reports to Dr. Fuentes of Operacion Puerto fame. And what to say about Levi? I want to see an American do well, but Discovery is dirty somehow. There is something up with that program...I just don't know what it is. Oh well, tt showdown, should be a good one.

The sky is falling...

no more Chicken...

Damn

Disappointed and dejected.

28:50

I am a partisan no more. Hoping against hope for the rabbit to come out of the hat, I admit that I had unreasonable expectations to see Alexander Vinokourov rise like a phoenix from the ashes and seize this Tour de France as his by rights. After today's stage, Vino' has shown the limits of his superhumanity and has revealed that he is but a man. Now, I am free to watch this Tour without that aching glimmer of hope for a comeback like I had in 1988 when Greg Lemond lacked just a few seconds to take the maillot jaune going into the final stage time trial against Laurent Fignon. Now, I can just watch this fantastic Pyreneean showdown.

Today was amazing with riders attacking again and again, never gaining until they were able to break their competitors. I think that now you get a good idea of who the true contenders are: Rasmussen, Contador, Evans, Leipheimer and Kloden. With two mountain stages and a time trial left, a grand game of cat and mouse is solidly afoot. And now that there is (theoretically at least) no doping, the riders seem to suffer more and to recover slower, paying for their efforts with huge chunks of time in the subsequent days. This makes the fireworks today seem all the portentious for the efforts to come. This could swing favor to someone like Levi Leipheimer who, as Shelly put it, is a "steady Eddie", not capable of matching the accelerations of the pure climbers, but not losing huge chunks of time either. Both he, Evans and Kloden would have to be ranked as the best tt'ers in the bunch at the top and this could spell more swings of fortune for the top 5 come time trial time. At this point, it's a crapshoot.

"You tell'em I'm comin' and hell's comin' with me!" - Wyatt Earp, Tombstone

Tomorrow is looking to be the day that Astana sets the world on fire. After today's tt, the peloton has definitely been served notice of the hard times to come! Vino' uncorked a huge performance today and let it be known that he plans on attacking in the Pyrenees. And remember, this guy doesn't throw down an attack, get caught and then play shrinking violet with the lead group until someone else attacks. No no no, this guy attacks, get's caught and then attacks again. And again. And again. As Golden put it so well this evening, "that guy's not a shit talker, he's a shit doer". (Ah, just a glimpse at one of the many reasons why we're married)

I spent today tubing the New River with my new colleagues at the Early College High School. We had a sort of floating faculty meeting. It was great, much better than I had anticipated. Even though the water level was way down, we were able to float most of the time with only minimal amounts of pushing. I remembered the sunblock, so I am not currently looking like a lobster!

You'd better get up early and watch the stage tomorrow at 7:30 'cause you just don't know what is going to happen! I predict Astana will use the Vino'-Kloden one-two combo to maximum effectiveness in the next few days. I can't wait...

Now it's gettin' spooky...

OOOOOOOOOh, Vino's maaaaaaaaad. Was today a prelude for a wreaking of vengeance upon the peloton, Kazakh-style? When Astana went up to the front and drilled it in the crosswinds, they were throttling everybody for a good 20k at 29 mph. Think about their situation for a moment. Astana hasn't had to do any work to defend or chase anything for the past week. With Kloden riding well and a Vino' wild card to throw, they could potentially put the other contenders into a serious spot of bother.

Saturday's tt is the beginning of the weeding out process of the hopeful and the pretenders. I think after Saturday, you'll have no more than ten guys with any legitimate shot. The Chicken has got to have the tt of his life to stay in contention.

Then after Saturday, Sunday's Pyreneean jaunt will whittle down our little bunch of hopefuls to a solid group of 5 riders who can even dare discuss the maillot jaune with any confidence. The Pyrenees should prove to be epic.

Luna socks should arrive next week. I'll post some pics, so if you aren't local email me if you would like to purchase some. Waterbottles are in the works also.

We've started the expansion and remodel of the shop, so excuse the disarray when you stop in.

Don't forget the new Saturday ride time is 8am to beat the heat!

and now a few for the sprinters

Okay, time to look like a hyper astute sports know-it-all. My predictions for the next few stages are as follows: a few guys attack early and stay away for a long time, just when you think they could stay away the sprinter's teams make the "professional catch" and setup for the final 2 or 3 kilometers. Everybody goes really fast and then this one really fast guy crosses the line first. There. Now watch and see if I'm right.

The real days are Saturday's time trial. The Chicken better have his A game for that one 'cause it has some descending and we all know how well he has handled those types of tt situations in the past. Kloden could become a real giant killer on such a stage. And then on Sunday we hit the Pyrenees with a vengeance the likes of which haven't been seen since the K-T boundary event that wiped out the dinosaurs. (Sorry, trying to get back into teacher mode)

I hope that Linus Gerdemann has coughed up the 5 cents that Lucy charges for psychiatric counseling since he lost the white jersey to Contador. Oh yeah, and his T-Mobile teammate Sinkewicz managed to hit a spectator coming down the mountain after Sunday's finish which left him with injuries that forced him to withdraw from the tour and then just happened to test positive for testerone with a 25 to 1 t/e ratio. Remember that Landis' t/e was 11 to 1 at last year's tour, but Matthias Kessler came up positive earlier this season with a t/e ratio of 85 to 1. Due to this positive test German TV has ceased airing coverage of the Tour.

On the lighter side of the Tour, check out this article on the superfan phenomenon at the Tour:
William Fotheringham essay

For those of you without VS. network coverage who can't make it by the shop to watch each day's stage, check out the Euro play by play call by the boys at The Guardian by clicking on the Tour de France - Live! link.

Pardon the mess at the shop right now, we're doing some demo work and remodeling. We'll put the hammers down and hang out when you come in though!

In Vino' veritas

My hope against hope that Vino' was playing possum just a little bit was shown to be false. The man is human after all and I don't know if he can put in the herculean effort needed to put himself to rights in this year's tour. The one thing that is for sure is that he is going to have to be forcibly pried from the bike to give up. I don't so much think that it is pride or hubris, but determination to see the thing through that is keeping him going.

The good news for Astanais that Kloden seems to have had his tether cut and is free to make his own race now. He looked pretty comfortable today and could prove to be a threat in the Pyrenees. Cadel Evans came to the fore today and rode like a man who has confidence in himself. He actually went on the offensive, something I have never seen him do. Contador put in a spectacular attack with a huge, mind-boggling acceleration. All of that is well and good, but the bloom comes off the rose a bit when you can't make such an attack stick and even with the aid of Popo', they were unable to stay clear. Alejandro Valverde is losing massive street cred with the Luna tifosi. Is insistence on riding wheels and attacking out of the group at the end to pick up little time bonuses is the style of a man trying to recapture the halcyon moment when he was touted as the next "big thing". His feeble attacks today were quickly and succinctly nullified and he was left to go for the snatch and grab time bonus at the line.

Levi Leipheimer hopefully has a card to show in the Pyrenees because so far he is not riding like a man that has "it". Better make that a whole deck of cards...

Lastly, Linus Gerdemann better share his safety blanket with his teammates as the run of bad luck continues for his T-Mobile squad. Today, Marcus Burghardt nailed a yellow lab that had wandered onto the course. I got this email from Chris in Tally about it:

From: Chris in Tally
Re: The Yellow Lab incident

Yo. Click on the arrows and check out the Marcus Burghardt-Yellow Lab
collision. That's one solid effing dog.

link to Guardian Photos

There's still a lot of days left in this free for all!

I'm rested already, let's see some racin'

Sunday has just whet my appetite now. Come on, a rest day in the middle of the alps? Well, I know Vino' and Klodie needed it, so that's a bright spot in this dull shades of gray rest day.

Now tomorrow starts off in some serious no joke territory right from the gun. A note to the Chicken: now that you flew away on the first real mountain stage and then went and ran your mouth about wanting to win the tour, you're probably not gonna be given nearly as much freedom as you got on Sunday! Rasmussen needs to take some more serious time out of the other main contenders. Remember, there is still 100km of time trialing on tap in this race.

As for the in-betweens like Evans and Valverde, they need to show a willingness to go big in a do or die kind of style. The days of conservative racing to make the podium on a step below Lance are long gone my friends. I don't think someone is gonna have this tour by the scruff of the neck until the Pyrenees, at least. Remember that we will have the Tour on at the shop all day, so stop by and play hooky from life for a while.

Due to the incessant rise in temperature, the Saturday group ride will start at 8am instead of 9. Please help spread the word! Luna socks are on the way from DeFeet, we should see them in a week. Next up are waterbottles, new Luna t-shirt designs, and Luna jerseys and shorts (on the horizon, so to speak)!

Chapeau!

In a true edge-of-the-seat performance, today's stage was one of the most electrifying in years. Hats off to Christophe Moreau for showing more aggression and heart than any frenchman since Thomas Voeckler held the maillot jaune. You can definitely see who is a contender and who is a pretender at this point. Cadel Evans and Alejandro Valverde did not acquit themselves like men who think they can win the tour. Their insistence on merely following wheels and looking to others to do the dirty work does not bode well for them. A true contender has got to have the wherewithal to lay it out on the line and hammer a move home. By marking Moreau and working against each other in a potentially dangerous move, they showed a timidity that speaks volumes about their chances for the overall.

Hats off to Linus Gerdemann who rode with aplomb to lose the Maillot jaune by only 10 seconds or so to a positively unstoppable Michael Rasmussen. Linus must have cuddled his blanket last night because he truly rode beyond his years, especially given the soul crushing fall suffered by T-Mobile team leader Michael Rogers, who went from the virtual yellow to DNF in a blindingly quick flash.

Vino' lost time, but limited his losses and made it to the rest day. The bigger story was how Kloden worked so hard to keep Vino' in contention and even waited for him. Remember how much promise they showed together (along with Jan Ullrich) on T-Mobile? How could that team not utilize those 3 weapons against Armstrong? With three big guns like that, they should have blown Armstrong away...

Last but not least: Rasmussen has asserted himself as a danger man, but the big question is his time-trialing ability. Another big scary wild card is Alberto Contador. That guy was climbing like a scalded dog after his wheel change. Just remember the old adage: good days in the Alps mean bad days in the Pyrenees; bad days in the Alps mean good days in the Pyrenees. The one thing that is for sure now is that the shadowboxing is over. It's put up or shut up time.

Merde

Despite a plethora of frenchman in the big break of the day, there was no french win on Bastille Day. Le pou pou. However, Linus Gerdemann absolutely immolated himself to take the stage, the maillot jaune and the maillot blanc. It looked to me that he was in some sort of quasi-religious state of agony towards the end of his little solo jaunt. In all his effort it appeared that he forgot to drink any water and the salt goattee encircling his rictus-like smile could signal a brief reign in yellow for Linus. Hopefully he is sucking down the saline iv's this evening trying to reverse his dehydration.

Vino' finished in the bunch with all of the other main contenders. He managed to blow out of all of the stitches in his knees and elbow. He finished dripping blood from all of his wounds. My word of advice to Astana: superglue. Oh yeah, and duct tape. Glue him together, tape him up and send him out on his merry way.

Tomorrow's stage looks to be a real beeotch. Vino says he wants to limit his losses tomorrow and then recuperate during the rest day monday. We shall see...

You can follow the physiological live data of select riders mapped in real time on Google Maps at this site.

Last, check out this techno song about Tom Boonen (thanks for finding it Jeff!)


Tommeke, Tommeke, Tommeke, Tommeke, Tommeke, Tommeke!

Boris Karloff eat your heart out...

Looking like an overzealous actor at a casting call for "The Mummy Returns", Alexander Vinokourov toed the line and finished with the bunch today. I don't have high hopes for him starting tomorrow, but dammit, I want to see this guy recover and light up the tour. I've been accused of some BMC partisanship, but that is not the case. Vino' is the most exciting rider to contest the grand tours. I want to see him make good on all of the crazy, attacking, Kazakh promise that he has shown in year's past. I want him to exact retribution for his undeserved exclusion from last year's tour. I want to see a guy who doesn't follow conventional wisdom or tactics. I want to see a rider who serves up old school beat downs with the ferocity of Bernard Hinault. I want to see a rider who is willing to lay it all on the line in a gamble between heroism and foolhardiness. Vino' is the rider who can deliver this and it truly breaks my heart to see such a cruel blow dealt to the man.

Astana still have the Kloden card to play. His previously feared broken ass has turned out to be just a fractured ass. Hopefully, this will mean a speedy recovery and subsequent aggression.

Alright, so everybody and their brother jumped on the bandwagon for defending CSC. Boo hoo. Sure, Discovery (nee US Postal) did similar work in defense of Sir Armstrong's bid for the maillot jaune. Notably the infamous '99 Passage du Bois debacle that saw Armstrong put a huge time gap between himself and eventual 2nd place finisher Alex "I need a seeing eye domestique" Zulle. But let's put it in perspective: take away the huge time gap gained during the Passage du Bois pileup and Alex Zulle is the winner of the '99 TdF. Sure, rubbin' is racin', but don't you want to see a winner who earns it through legs and not through luck? I mean, who makes the better '06 TdF champion: Landis with the incredible audacity of the stage 17 solo attack or Oscar Pereiro who benefited from a bit of maillot jaune largesse?

Tomorrow will see the first true anger of this tour and maybe that will settle my unease...

"You wanted to call down the thunder?!!"

Cheap move, cheap move. For shame CSC! Vino' goes down hard and the boys in red and black go to the front and drill it in a show of unethical riding. The only problem is that now CSC has gone and pissed off the most volatile rider in the peloton. Oh, and who has his back? A whole team full of eastern bloc goombahs who are just as unpredictable as their leader.

Another victim on the day was Vino's Astana teammate, Andreas Kloden. Preliminary reports have Klodie suffering a broken coccyx aka the ass bone. This should provide no problems for Klodie. He's german; the culture that brought us nihilism, so riding in pain shouldn't be an issue for Klodie since life is pain.

Tomorrow we should see another no hoper break off frenchmen, a last few kilometers catch by the sprinter's teams and then some super crazy sprint. At least that's my prediction...

You're right, I'm wrong

The tour has begun and right off the bat, I'm 0 for 3 in the predictions dept. Dave Z did not take the yellow in the prologue. Oh, well. We'll have to wait until the very end to see the genius inherent in my other two predictions.

Well, the tour is on and you know what is going on as well as I do. The sprinters are ruling the long and boring days of the flat lands. The real players are just trying to keep it upright and avoid serious injury in the crazy crashes that seem to be inevitable at the beginning of the tour these days. As much as I hate to say it, Robbie McEwan's sprint in stage 1 was unbelievable. That guy seems to have an extra cylinder that all the other sprinters are lacking. The sheer ferocity of his dusting brought to mind the viciousness of Sean Kelly back in the day.

We took off yesterday and headed up to Damascus, VA to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail. It was Owen's longest ride at 12 miles long. The trail was a very nice rails-to-trails conversion and was populated by a very high number of obvious non-cyclists, riding unhelmeted and not a properly adjusted seat height to be found! We stayed the night in Abingdon, VA (Owen's first overnight). We slept with Owen between us in the hotel bed and made the startling discovery that he is a little unconscious tornado at night. The smallest member of our family took up an enormous amount of space in the bed and had a big negative impact on the restfulness of his parent's sleep! Today, we went for a hike at Grayson Highlands. We got to see about 20 of the wild ponies that populate the area.

It's good to be back to our nice, freshly painted house! Tomorrow, I start on all the other summer home improvement projects! Does it ever end?

let the silliness begin

The TdF starts Saturday and the idiocy and hijinks have begun in earnest. First off, Alessandro Petacchi is officially suspended from Milram due to his non-negative test results for salbutimol at the Giro. Scratch one sprinter from your TdF fantasy team.

Second up, the red-headed step child of the ProTour peloton, Unibet.com, have been denied a start at the Tour because they have not shown good results this year and do not have a high ranking in the team standings. Imagine how it feels to be the team owner who jumped through untold numbers of hoops, ponied up insane amounts of euros just to get a ProTour license and then your team isn't allowed to race over half of the ProTour events due to some obscure French law regarding advertising for gambling and lotteries (yet, somehow Lotto is okay). Then you are denied a spot at the most prestigious Grand Tour of the season, despite having changed your title sponsor to appease the law, and the reason given is lack of results as in a "you didn't race very well in all of those races we didn't let you race in" sort of thing. Further, no one seems particularly eager to take up your cause, either. Pissed wouldn't begin to describe how you'd feel. Oh, and by the way, Unibet are ranked 19th, just ahead of Milram (who are headed to the Tour) and just got second overall in the team competition at the Tour de Suisse.

I don't know if you have noticed that all of the Operacion Puerto coverage seems to always mention the "complex" system of codenames that was used to identify the rider's blood bags. Hmmmmm, let's see Jorg Jaksche's codename was "bella Jorg". Wow, the stunning decryption capabilities needed to crack that code are mind-boggling... Are you kidding me? 9 year-olds can come up with better codenames.

Well, the house painting has reached a point where the use of a ladder is no longer remotely safe and I have to go rent some scaffolding. Amazingly enough, the painting has gone far quicker than I imagined and the house looks sooooooo much better. I can't figure out why we waited this long to paint it.

Hope you had a good 4th. We had a little cookout with the folks. They bought a new grill and I think they are trying to use it as much as possible. We did benefit from their acquisition of a new refrigerator by getting their old refrigerator. Ours was in its death throes as it would wheeze its way through the night, occasionally peeing water into its little tray and freezing all of our lettuce out of spite. Here's to you dented up old refrigerator with no handles. Good riddance.

ketchup

It's been a few days since my last post. There has been a lot going on this past week and I have needed some down time in the evenings. Last night, however, was a different story. Last night was our buddy Jack "Mahogoff" Brown's bachelor party.

The day started innocently enough. The normal Saturday group ride saw 20 people show up. 4 of the riders had never been on the ride before. Have you ever noticed how when new people show up on a ride, you try to give them a heads up as to how things are going to go? Well, here I am telling them it's an out and back ride, it will start mellow and then pick up, but the route is easy, etc... Anyway, right before we take off, Chuck announces that this is Jack's last ride since he is getting married. Not last ride as a single man, but the dreaded LAST ride - ever. Now Jack is a calm and implacable guy, but the drillfest that ensued from the opening moments of the ride belied a touched nerve. As we shot down 90 at between 28 and 30 (so I heard, I don't ride with a computer for the very reason that I don't want a number to go with the pain), Michael (our first timer) rode up beside me no less than 4 times and asked, "Is it going to stay this fast?" Since I was having to put so much effort into breathing I wasn't able to articulate, "Dear god I hope not" and managed to say, "No". Sure enough it eased up a bit after Sand Mtn. We got to the end of Anthony's Creek and Chuck felt like thanking us for the pace of the ride; his first in a month. Now, I'll have to admit that I thought Chuck was taking his jersey off to cool down, but no, when you wear bib shorts the jersey has to come off before you can drop trou' and moon everyone. Someone remarked that they could see hemorrhoids, but Chuck assured him that those were his tonsils.

Fast forward past a busy day at the shop to the start of the aforementioned bachelor party at good ol' Sledgehammer Charlie's. Knowing that you are about to throw down with the owner of the restaurant gives one a certain amount of confidence that they won't get kicked out... As per the usual, we proceeded to order for Jack every strong and disgusting drink we could come up with. The restaurant staff got in on the act and started looking up bachelor party drinks on the internet. The rest of us maintained a strong and steady pace, setting tempo to Jack's breakaway. Needless to say, there are pictures and some video. Our bachelor took it all in good stride, wearing the numerous panties that he received in good humor and later donning the most alluring pair to be captured for all of posterity. I walked home, enjoying the light of a full moon and remembering the staggering intoxication of my own high altitude bachelor party...

It looks like there will be a break this week in the saga of thunderstorms we have been having. Hopefully, this will be my window of opportunity for house painting. Wish me luck...

I see a bad moon arisin'

I just took the flower quiz at Grom's mom's 'blog. Come to find out:

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

I have no idea what that means, but a snapdragon doesn't seem to be such a bad thing to be.

The Tour de France starts one week from Saturday. I (naturally) have a couple of predictions right out of the gate: 1. Dave Zabriskie will take the prologue and the yellow jersey, 2. Alexander Vinokourov will win the Tour (provided he is not screwed out of starting again this year), and 3. Levi Leipheimer will finish on the podium. Only time will tell how brilliant or extremely idiotic I am.

Not to switch gears on you too fast, but there is a full moon this Saturday and thus, the return of the Luna Cycles Full Moon Sale. The sale will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and check out the sale!

Last, but not least, check out this little communique from Howard Hesterburg:

Shawn, If anyone up your way is interested, the TT is this Thursday. 1.4 mi to the top. Start is up the mountain a way from intersection of Church and Barrett Mtn Rd.
Recommended parking at Clayton Marcus furn. plant on Teague Town RD. near 127 for a 7 mi. warm-up. Thanks
See ya
HH

If you feel the need to hurt yourself in an uphill sort of way, check this out!

weekend update

The Lenoir criterium has come and gone for another year. Racer numbers appeared to be higher this year, but I think local spectator numbers were down. Seems that most people are on vacation right now, but that certainly didn't dampen the action.

There were a couple of teams of juniors this year. A vast improvement over the 3 total juniors last year. I really enjoyed helping the juniors out who came into the shop. It reminded me of when I started racing as a junior 20+ years ago.

The highlight of the day for me was riding shotgun with Chuck in the lead car during the Pro,1,2 race. I don't know the rider's name (Terry?), but on about lap 3 an All Star rider went for a prime, got a gap and held it all the way to the finish some 32 laps later. Having a front row seat for that kind of effort was truly amazing.



The fam ventured out of Caldwell County today. We headed up to Roan Mtn. to check out the rhododendron bloom. We did a couple of really cool hikes with Owen riding shotgun in the backpack. We also spotted Cecilio Cruz doing some secret squirrel training up 181. We had a great time and everything was going swimmingly until we started heading down 181. The twists and turns caught up with Owen and an epic bout of carsickness ensued. Pull over, change baby, clean car seat, all systems go...



Just read about some hinky test results from the Giro. Seems that DiLuca, Mazzolenni, Simoni and Ricco all had abnormally low hormone levels and CONI is looking into it. When will this end? Do doctors even have a good baseline of data to really understand the ongoing physiological changes that these athletes undergo over the course of a Grand Tour? AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! The Tour is days away and we have these implications, we have the "men in black" crap that the WADA is feeding to the press, when will this mess end? I just want an exciting Grand Tour with lots of attacking, no certain winner and no drug innuendo for the victor. I thought the Giro fit that bill. Well, guess 2 out of 3 ain't bad...

Winds of change

The Crit is tomorrow from 9 to 4. I get the feeling that the fields will be a bit bigger and a bit stronger this year over last year. Being the second year of the race, I sense that there are more people willing to make the trip here and check it out. Hopefully, some good word of mouth for the strong job that Alex and Chuck did last year, has been passed around. Come down and check out the most exciting form of bicycle racing (for spectators, at least)! The shop will be open from 9 to 4 to take care of any last minute needs. We'll have bottled water on ice all day!

I've been out of town most of this week at a teaching workshop for my new position. Suffice it to say that I definitely got recharged and I am buzzing with new ideas. That is always a good feeling to have as a teacher. A truly remarkable thing happened today. A former student came into the shop and apologized for their behavior in my class. It was the first time that has ever happened to me and it definitely made an impression on me.

No group ride tomorrow, but we'll see you at the race!

1 week to pain...

The Lenoir Criterium is one week from today! Here is the link to the official website, complete with race schedule. And yes, there is a kid's race!

It's sexy time!

photo courtesy "Operators are standing by" under the Creative Commons license

The TdF is starting soon. Vino' just put the eastern bloc smackdown (with Adreij Kaschekhin) on the Dauphine field today. All of the Puerto names are supposed to be released on June 19th , so there's no telling who will be in it this year. Jason D pointed out that no Frenchman was a contender because they aren't testing positive ergo they aren't doping ergo they aren't willing to do what it takes to win the Tour! Cynical, cynical. More cynical though is the treatment of Bjarne Riis by the TdF organization. They have wiped his name from the record books and are entertaining the notion of not allowing him at the Tour this year. Interesting, given that the man presenting all of the jerseys on the stage at the end of each day's stage is 5-time, French Tour winner Bernard Hinault, who actually avoided a mandatory drug test and can reasonably be presumed to have not won all of those races on mineral water alone. He was also quoted as saying that no one wins the Tour without a good doctor...

I want to jump the gun on the Puerto announcement and go on record now that an American will test positive in this Tour, if they post a decent result. Odds on favorite according to the Luna Cycles cognocenti is David Zabriskie. He stands a good chance of taking the maillot jaune on the prologue tt and that kind of pou-pou ain't gonna fly with the French. I give Dave Z. a 5 to 1 chance of testing "positive". Dark horse in this competition is Levi Leipheimer. He will have to settle in a bit and prove himself a capable climber and dangerous late race tt'er to warrant a "positive" test. My odds are 25 to 1 for Levi. Now the real fun in this little pool is the question of when will they come up "positive"? When they win a stage? Take the yellow? Hold the yellow for a little too long for comfort? Or, hidden option number 4: before the race even begins? Why take le chance, eliminate them early. Let's see what machinations will come into play to insure a win by a "true" european!

June 23rd is the Lenoir downtown criterium. July 14th will be Trail maintenance day at the Aquatic center. And there is only 4 and a half months to 'cross season! See you on the group ride tomorrow at 6!

I was trying to sleep...

The Dauphine won't get interesting for another couple of days yet, so I thought I was in the clear for some non-procycling related quiet time. But then Eddie had to go and inform me that ALL of the names from Operacion Puerto are about to be released in time for the pre-Tour shenanigans that we are bitterly coming to expect. The question becomes: who will even start the damn thing? Frank Vandenbrouke has stated that he wants to make a speedy recovery from his suicide attempt; well, hell Frank, why not win the Tour? That would turn your frown upside-down and make a smile your umbrella! And VDB could have a legitimate shot if all the rumors about who is on the list prove to be true. Or not even true, just remotely plausible enough to cast suspicion and doubt on them and invoke the ethics clause and prevent them from starting the race. Let's not even discuss what might happen if Levi Leipheimer ends up a legitimate favorite... more on that soon.

Today was the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. A century held on monday that costs $80 to enter (after you do the requisite qualifying event the year before) and the thing still sold out in 8 minutes! 8 minutes! Well here's a ride that is cheaper and will leave an even greater lasting impression on both mind and body:

To our friends in the bike business:

The fourth annual Hurt, Pain & Agony Metric Century and Half Metric is coming up Saturday, July 28th, 2007 in Traphill, N.C. Could you please add our event to your ride calendar, post the attached flyer, and recommend our event to your customers?

If you’re not familiar with the Hurt, Pain & Agony ride, here’s what makes it special:

The Challenge: The Hurt, Pain & Agony Metric Century is 66 miles of pure hill! Riders will suffer from the get-go. The ride’s signature climb up the Eastern Continental Divide is six miles long, and it begins at the starting line! Riders will encounter grades as steep as 18% as the route winds through the Blue Ridge highlands of Alleghany County, N.C. and Grayson County, Va.

The Thrill: The Hurt, Pain & Agony ride ends with a rush...a swooping six-mile descent from the edge of the Blue Ridge back into the foothills.

The Cause—the Fight Against Cancer: The Hurt, Pain & Agony Metric Century is more than a bike ride…it’s a way to join the fight against cancer. Rider registration fees will help the American Cancer Society prevent cancer, save lives and diminish suffering through research, education, advocacy and service.

Registration for the ride is just $25 and includes four rest stops, attentive on-the-road support, a 2007 HP&A T-shirt, and the finest post-ride meal you’ll find anywhere…baby back ribs and all the trimmings provided by Sagebrush Steakhouse! Riders can register online for no extra charge at Active.com

Find out more about the 2007 HP&A at www.bmcc.us.

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

Matt Daye for the Brushy Mountain Cyclists Club
Promoting Cycling in Northwest North Carolina
www.bmcc.us
An IMBA and League of American Bicyclists affiliate

You've gotta love promo material that really makes a point of playing up the amount of suffering you're going to be paying for the privilege of feeling!

Today was spent doing paperwork at school and the shop. I'm going to start packing up my classroom tomorrow in preparation for moving out of my "home" for the last 5 years. I gave away a ton of stuff today to my colleagues. It was a good purge, a needed divestment of stuff.

overhaul

I am embarking on a major organizational overhaul in my life. With teaching, the bike shop, Owen the Wonder Baby and my various projects, commitments and hobbies, I have become unable to keep up with everything using my normal preferred method of keeping it in my head. My head is full and then some. I think sometimes I can feel my brain rippling from the sheer capacity of stuff I am trying to keep up with. It has proven to be exhausting and ineffective. I spent 4 hours today unearthing my desk at the shop. It was like when they do street work in Rome and they dig down through multiple layers of historical stuff and inadvertently make some accidental discovery of a house or some other important structure. It was like that, but with paperwork. One thing I know for sure is that it is now one less worry on my mind.

The group ride was a little less enjoyable for me today. I think it may have been due to the fact that I managed to not only not eat dinner last night, but lost track of time and went without breakfast this morning. I was pretty much running on fumes and decided enough was enough.

I got this email just a minute ago:

Did you happen to see the paid opinion ad on page 9 of the Friday News-Topic entitled "Why Block The City Streets As Often"? It was signed by Williams Produce Market. This was a very negative opinion on the one day a year bike race in Lenoir. It slammed us as "grown men playing with bicycles". They claim to lose $5,000 and merchandise because of the race. Somehow, I don't think one day will have a major impact on produce loss. Could they not simply open later and extend their hours or possibly substitute opening on one day that they might have planned to be closed on? You need to read this, and if you can't find a copy, let me know and I'll bring one by the shop. It was an insult to the cycling community in Lenoir. I know I will never shop at that store again!!!! I'm also going to make my opinion known to the city council members about the positive aspect of the race and encourage others to do likewise.

Ron

I actually had seen the ad this morning. It doesn't really come as a surprise as the same gentleman took out an ad in the paper last year for the same reason. I don't really want to say too much about it because I think that would give the gentleman's opinion more attention than it is due. I hope that downtown merchants recognize the opportunity for business that downtown events bring. What I can readily see in downtown Lenoir is a significant increase in the number of people shopping and dining here over the way things were when I moved here 5 years ago. When I came here in 2002, downtown Lenoir was almost completely vacant. I had really grown accustomed to visiting a town and immediately checking out its downtown area as a way to really get a feel for the town. I see downtown Lenoir really beginning to take on a vital and vibrant character. Speaking as a downtown merchant, the more people who come downtown, the more business revenue will increase. And while blocking off streets can be a hassle (ours was blocked off most of today to get the square ready for the Habitat for Humanity dinner), I know that most of the cyclists and their families who come to participate in the Lenoir Criterium (June 23rd!) will spend money at various downtown businesses. The net impact is positive.

Hope you keep the criterium in mind and also the trail maintenance day at the Aquatic Center (July 14th, Bastille Day). Also, keep an eye on the Dauphine Libere, this is the race that all the Tour favorites come out to do their final tune up in. Vino' will lead Astana and Leipheimer will lead Disco'. It will be really interesting to see Vino' since we really haven't seen anything of him this season. I think he has a couple of bucketful's of angry that he wants to unleash on the TdF after last years ousting. At least he'll make it exceptionally entertaining.

If you get a chance, check out the Caldwell County Pathways website. There is more expansion to the Greenway coming soon and the overall master plan is incredible. I am really amazed at the scope of this project and can't wait for it to be completed!

You better believe it...

You better believe I'm ready for summer! Today was the last day of school, o what a relief! A few more days of paper work and packing and then it's full-time bike shop. Very niiiice!

Looks like the Quickstep affair is much political ado about nothing. Two former riders, who as near as I can figure out, sold illegal doping products to each other, are about all that has come of it. Looks like Dedecker (the politico who caused this brouhaha) is just engaging in a little pre-election polemica. Could you imagine living in a country where cycling was a political issue? One can dream...

Jeff has his new BMC SLC01 in the Astana team colors. It looks amazing. Look for that rig on the road soon. I put my new Pace carbon fiber rigid fork on my BMC mtn. bike. I now have sub 22 lb. mtn. bike. Jeff is afraid I'll catch air and float off! We also got a bunch of new Blues in stock and they are all very impressive. Last, but not least, please check out our new site sponsor in the sidebar.

A few riders are off to the Roan Groan tomorrow, Wish them luck if you see them and think about their suffering as you ride tomorrow! A date to keep in mind: let's do a trail maintenance day at the Aquatic Center trails Saturday, July 14th. I'll talk about it more as we get closer to the date and drop me a line if you are interested in helping out. 9am group ride, see you there!

Round 2

Team members of Quickstep have had their houses raided by the police and preliminary reports indicate that doping products were found. The Oil-for-Dope scandal has reemerged and both Danilo DiLuca and Eddy Mazzolenni are under suspicion. Valverde's name keeps coming up in conjunction with Operacion Puerto. Remember, we're still 4 weeks from the TdF, so I think we have a lot more of this in store. The bright side is that maybe a frenchman will have a chance to win now. Keep an eye on the cycling news to see what happens. The bad thing is that now, politicians are starting to use this as an issue for the election season. The timing of these new rides seems to be linked to the Belgian election cycle. Political posturing is the last thing needed in this situation.

It's gonna be a long night

There's a thunderstorm rolling in. It isn't a bad thing, we need the rain something fierce. The problem is the thunder and lightning. Jenny, our black lab, goes absolutely batshit psycho during storms. Paces around with those dog nails going "click, click, click" across the hardwood floors, settles down for a few seconds and then jumps up like she's been shot, only to start pacing again. Then there is the constant weird licking and swallowing, over and over and over again... fun.

Played in the faculty vs. students soccer game today. First time I've ever played soccer. At some point, a kid caught me across the bridge of the nose, making bleed a bit. I guess I looked a little intimidating with blood dripping down my face. At least to a middle schooler, that is. Game ended in a tie, 2-2.

Yesterday, I played some 3 on 3 basketball with my students. Towards the end I was really on fire and by on fire, I mean I managed to hit the backboard and even scored a couple of times. A kid asked me what sports I played in school. I said, "Cycling". He said, "I didn't know that was a sport, I mean, isn't it just riding a bike around?" Hey, why don't you bring your bike out for a group ride hotrod and we'll see if there's maybe a bit more to it than "just riding around".

I don't know if you can hear the distant whistling of a large incoming shoe about to land, but the cycling media is sure mum and much new information about the recent doping allegations. It feels like the calm before a storm. I'm a little concerned about Vinokourov. It certainly doesn't look good that he started riding for Telekom in 2000, the same year they sort of swept the Olympics. His name seems to be clean, but there is just so much proximity to prominent examples of doping that some overzealous bureaucrat is bound to start an inquiry. And in this sport, an inquiry can oust you from a Grand Tour in a heartbeat. Vino' is the current odds on favorite at 3.5 to 1 for winning the TdF. He just needs to make it to the line.

Finally!

We finally got some rain today. Things were starting to get pretty desperate. My lawn (a secret blend of unidentified grass and really hardy weeds) was starting to look a bit piqued. There was a really nice tannish brown strip right down the path I ride to the back of the house. The downside is that now I'll have to mow for the first time in two weeks.

Good ride Saturday. Had about ten playmates join the festivities. Spotted Cecilio heading back in from some secret squirrel training session. Caught the Preacher on the descent of Goat Hill and he joined up for the final mailbox sprint. I appreciated the compliments for having a good day. Alex called it "the return of the OPG (old pasty gangsta)". Regardless, it hurt, just like usual. I always try to spread the words of Greg Lemond to new riders: "It doesn't get easier, you just go faster." That about sums it up.

Well, this week is the final push for school. It could be relatively easy, or it could be a downhill slide disorder and disrespect. Either way, I just have one more week of teaching middle school and then it is off to high school!

How about the Killer? DiLuca pulled out a big win at the Giro, Schleck was a revelation and Mazzolenni clawed his way back on to the podium with the final time trial. It was a riveting Giro, with lots of aggressive riding. Maybe the Tour will regain some passion...

What a hump...

The only thing worse than taking a standardized test: watching people take a standardized test. 150 minutes of tedium and clock watching, interspersed with riveting bouts of watching students fill in bubbles on test forms. Oh, the humanity...

Gibo won the Zoncolan today, but it looks like il Killer di Spoltore has the Giro pretty well in hand. Journos are remarking that the competition seems to be much "tighter" this year and that when a rider puts in a big day of attacking, he seems "tired" from the effort the next day. Interesting. Could this be a sign of clean racing? What I found even more interesting in the little nuggets of info on the web is the fact that DiLuca doesn't wear a race radio. Instead, he prefers to "use his mind" to figure out tactics and to read the race! Simoni even said that DiLuca has a much sharper read on the races and is much more tactically intuitive. Well, happy day! Riders actually thinking for themselves in a race! I really hope the UCI gets rid of this radio nonsense, it has made racing so much less exciting. I yearn for the old days of riders thinking tactically on their own...

Two more days 'til the weekend. Tomorrow is the science EOG, the longest test of the three we are giving. Wish me luck, it's gonna be a long day...

Mercy killing

Friday night was the 8th grade dance. Yeah. The music was poppy and terrible. Dancing was either non-existent or tending towards inappropriate, depending on the song. At the onset I predicted 5 songs that would be played at some point in the night, not because I'm the Amazing Kreskin or anything, this just happened to be my fifth 8th grade dance. Fifteen minutes after my prediction and smack in the middle of song number 3 from my list, I ambled over to the police officer doing security and sked him what I needed to do to have him shoot me.
"Just ask," was his reply. He then went on to suggest that he taze me, essentially producing the same desired effect (I get to go home), but with less permanent damage (no bullet wound to care for). In a word: tempting. But, I held strong and did not take the easy way out. I manned up and stayed until the dance was done. Okay, almost done.

So now, I am staring down the barrel of 3 consecutive days of standardized test administration. While I'm not suicidal in the traditional sense, I could see the benefits of a good accident right about now. To put it in perspective, if you ever have just one day to live, administer a standardized test 'cause it will feel like an eternity. The good news is that we are now into the single digits for days left in the school year. Oh sweet release for summer!

Took Owen for a greenway cruise with Golden and my parents on Saturday. My parents looked far more comfortable on their bikes than I had anticipated and Owen enjoyed the long ride to the point of unconsciousness! We rode all of the sections that link from Lower Creek, so it was a good 45 minutes of cruising around. We had the place almost completely to ourselves and it was definitely worth the soreness I've felt from it.

Tomorrow marks the final push in the Giro. Simoni better bring the angry 'cause he definitely needs to take back a chunk of time if he has any aspirations to the maglia rosa. Eddy Mazzoleni (Astana) is looking like a big danger man. He throws an interesting twist into the mix. And if he doesn't ultimately take the Giro, he'll just have to console himself thinking about his impending marriage to Ivan Basso's little sister.

Group hug

"Hello, my name is Bjarne and I am a doper."
"Hello, Bjarne."

The house of cards is really starting to tumble. With today's confession, the press can no longer say that Landis will be the first Tour winner to have doped. I guess that's a bright spot in all of this mess. There are still some major player that we have yet to hear from: Walter Godefroot (former Telekom DS) and Jan Ullrich (2nd in the '96 TdF and Riis' Telekom teammate). Officially, Riis cannot be disqualified due to WADA's 8 year statute of limitations, but there are some serious calls for him to symbolically give up his yellow jersey.

The bigger questions still remain. Like: what knowledge does Riis have of Basso's confessed doping plan for last year's TdF, while he was a member of Riis' Team CSC? That is a big head scratcher. Can Riis legitimately stay at the helm of a ProTour team given his confession of extensive doping? Lastly, is anyone clean? If everybody keeps popping up and confessing, where will it stop? Should I be seriously considering Thomas Voeckler as a GC threat for the Tour? It is all very distracting, but it's like a needed thing at this point. It's like the mafia war in The Godfather;

Every few years, we need this sort of thing. It clears out all the bad blood.

I remember the shock that everyone felt during the Festina Affair. Operacion Puerto was just so bungled at the beginning that nobody could view it as legitimate at the outset. But now, all of these guys purging their consciences, excorcising closeted demons from the past, it is mind boggling. I'm just afraid of the bureaucrats feeling a resurgence of hot air and a new to spew forth whatever drivel pops into their half-cocked minds. Ultimately, this will be a good episode in the quest for a clean sport, but I don't know that any sport can ever be truly clean. I mean, come on, they drug test curlers at the winter olympics! As long as there is money tied into competition, there will always be a pressure to seek any competitive advantage.

Each day, DiLuca is looking like he could win this year's Giro. This last week, however, could see Gibo put in some serious digs to knock The Killer from his perch. We'll just have to wait and see...

Went to the 8th grade dance this evening. Ugh, I think I have gotten my yearly quota of crappy pop rap music. The kids enjoyed it, everybody was dressed well, and the PTA really put in a lot of effort to make it a memorable evening for the kids.

See you on the ride tomorrow morning at 9!

Stay tuned...

So all of these former Team Telekom riders from the mid-nineties are coming forward and admitting to doping. Yesterday, Walter Godefroot (former Telekom Directeur Sportif and current Astana DS) shrugged off allegations that it was a team run doping program and said that all of those stepping forward had questionable timing and motive. He added, "..it's not like Erik Zabel is saying anything..." Well, blam!, who'd a thunk it, but none other than Mr. Zabel came forward today and admitted to using EPO for a week in 1996, while riding for Telekom. Udo Bolts and Rolf Aldag both admitted to it and even went so far as to say that they did it in order to make the '96 TdF team (the Tour that Bjarne Riis won). I have to say that the Sword of Damocles is hanging over some pretty high heads right about now. This little contagion of mea culpa is sure going to spread like wildfire leading up to the Tour.

Today was a really great day. We got a visit from the Pedro's Love Van. It is always great to get a surprise visit from some segment of the bike industry, but I have got to say, I was really impressed at how kind and helpful Jim was. It was also great to hear someone who sees a LOT of bike shops (330 last year!) say they really like your shop. I was also glad we got our hands on a sample of Chainj, Pedro's new biodegradeable chain lube! We'll be testing that out and letting you know how it works. Thanks, Jim!

Speaking of the environment and corporations trying to make a positive, green impact; check out this article on the founder of Interface, the company that Grom's Mom works for. It is really great to see companies embracing green policies and products as a way to improve profitability. This kind of action really increases the momentum towards a sustainable future. With that being said, please be aware that recycling in Lenoir is not a done deal as of this writing. Please let our City Council members know that this is something that we want and NEED in our town!
Lenoir City Council Members

David Stevens - dfstevens@charter.net

Joe Gibbons - gibbons@vvi.net

Marjorie Strawn - momstrawn@yahoo.com

Timothy Rohr - timothyjrohr@charter.net

Todd Perdue - tperdue@charter.net

To top off everything else today, Owen's bike trailer came in! I put it together, hooked it up and came home to get him and take him for a ride. I have been dreaming about this day since he was a kidney bean in the womb! I think it went over pretty well, there was definite happy noises coming from the trailer and I kept turning around to see a two-toothed grin! This weekend, the Greenway!

Mid-week crisis

The last days of school are here, and with it comes the most stressful time in any teacher's life: standardized testing. Take a pressure cooker and put it in a deep-sea decompression chamber, crank both up to "burst" and you will have an idea of what I am talking about. Oh, it's pretty subtle, but infuses every nanometer of nerve below the surface of the skin. Me, I'm pretty blase about the whole thing. Testing is the bare minimum of what you need to know to make it in the world, why aim for the bottom? The real travesty is that now, with "No Child Left Behind" there is no room in the school day to actually teach kids how to think...

I got this festering turd of a magazine called "Road Bike Action Magazine" and I gotta say, I don't think too highly of it. (ed - OK, festering turd is a bit harsh) In their, "2007 Tour de France contenders" article, their top pick is Ivan Basso - whoops! It is edited by none other than Zapata Espinoza, a whiny, self-promoting, overly tattooed and pierced, brown-nosing hack who seems to perpetually crop up in positions of hipster/bro' buddy style patrolling. The magazine is really just a mouthpiece for companies trying to shill products it is low in the actual content department and over-the-top in the "Review" department. Reviews kill me because they can make a product seem like the "it" thing to have, but they offer such a narrow view of what is available that it can ultimately be misleading. I met Zap once at Interbike in Vegas and wasn't very impressed. He seemed overly concerned with seeing and being seen in all the right places. It's just my two cents, but I think we all need to just ride and have fun - everything else is secondary.

We had an interesting ride last night. It started out nice and mellow for about the first 15 miles or so, then on 268, headed towards Setzer's Creek, Cecilio Cruz put in a gut wrenching pull. I, of course, got the ignominous job of pulling through when he was done. I tried gamely to put in the effort, but the fitness just isn't there yet. One thing is for certain, though, now that Cecilio has a new BMC Streetfire (to replace his 20 year old Cannondale) the guy is riding stronger than ever. And that my friends is a very scary thought, indeed. Our newest playmate, The Preacher, is no slouch in the I'm-gonna-rip-your-legs-off department. When he gets on the front and starts to ramp things up, you know you're in for a treat...

Have you been keeping track of all of the ex-Telekom guys admitting to doping in the '90's? Wait a minute - didn't Bjarne Riis win the TdF for Telekom in '96? Oooh, oooh - didn't Jan Ullrich win the TdF for Telekom in '97? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

On to politics of a different sort. You have absolutely, positively got to check out this story about Democratic Presidential hopeful, Dennis Kucinich's, new wife. The word that springs to mind is: huh? But, you have to admit, it does point to some sort of karmic parity in this crazy world...

Keep an eye on the Giro! Luna Cycles foreign correspondent, Chuck Luddeke, is en route to Italy for some first-hand reporting. He will be riding the Zoncolan, so we will be able to get a first hand account of how a mortal rides this climb! I think that "The Killer" is looking really strong, but Gibo is waiting to pounce, if you want my opinion. I'm just glad that one of my favorite riders, Leonardo Piepoli, got a stage win. That climb looked beyond heinous. Guys were just collapsing at the finish. Sorta like me on my morning commute to school...

Train wreck + circus = Landis hearing

First off, a quick apology for the paucity of posts right now. We are t-minus 6 school days until end-of-grade testing begins, so tensions are running high, time is running short and I am definitely looking forward to the summer!

First off, an open letter to Will Geoghegan:

Mr. Geoghegan,

You sir, are a moron. Why you would drunk dial Greg Lemond on the eve of his testimony was, at best, the stupidest possible thing that you could have done. I, for one, am appalled at your association with Floyd Landis and I have to seriously question Mr. Landis' judgement at having a moron such as yourself as a business manager. Your frat boy cum scary pervert prank call seriously taints the image that Mr. Landis has asked us all to believe in so strongly. While my belief in the innocence of Mr. Landis is not shaken, I feel a deep down icky feeling that anyone associated with Mr. Landis would stoop to such a vile, ultimately pointless, and counter-productive level.

All of this sideshow became more news than it was worth. No one seemed to really notice the new implication that Oscar "the man who would be king" Pereiro has been implicated in the Puerto debacle. RAI, the italian news agency, has published an accusation that Pereiro is "Urko" a name which appears on several blood bags. Pereiro has stated publicly that he will give a DNA sample to prove his innocence, but if asked for a DNA sample, he will quit the sport. Wha? Now, Dick Pound beats his bully pulpit, proclaiming these accusations as spurious nonsense dreamed up by the Italians. Interesting to note, that Pound has put all of his ethical eggs in Pereiro's basket in his tirades against the "deception" of Floyd Landis. Funny to think that the man he has publicly proclaimed as the true winner of the '06 TdF might just be a doper...

Had a beautiful Goldilocks ride yesterday. A nice 50 miler out to Anthony's Creek and back. It wasn't too fast, wasn't too slow, the pace was just right. For those of you not in the "know" or considering joining us for a group ride, here is the lowdown:

Monday: 6pm Beginner/Recovery ride. This is the perfect ride to do if you haven't done a group ride, haven't had much time on the bike this year, or want to spin the legs after a tough weekend of training/racing. No drop rule in effect.

Tuesday/Thursday: 6pm Spirited/Aggressive pace. Okay, we are all big boys and girls. Come join us on this ride, but do not - I repeat DO NOT, get discouraged if you get dropped. The only way to get better, is to ride with people who are better than you! We do set routes and we can tell you exactly where we are going and even give you ideas on shortcuts and regrouping points.

Saturday: 9am Come as you are/Ride how you want pace. This is usually a longer ride, but splits into different groups depending on the length of time each person wants to do. Pace is steady, but can included some "entertaining" moments.

All rides meet at Luna, and we try to be punctual on the ride time. The more people we have coming out, the more likely it is that we can divide into more manageable ability groups and everyone will have a good time!

a quickie

I am really pushing the limits of my laptop battery, so this will be short and sweet. Road tonight with very heavy legs from Saturday's fun. It'll be nice to get all of the lactic acid out...

Floyd's trial is in day two, read all about it here. The guys is wearing a yellow tie everyday of the hearing. That's too punk rock for words. Keep an eye on this hearing 'cause maybe if the whole world watches, actual justice will be done. Looks like Greg Lemond may be a witness in the coming days.

Cycle to Serve debrief

Cycle to Serve was Saturday and I dare say, it was highly successful. Almost everyone I talked to remarked at how pretty the course was and how well organized the event was. It was great to hit some of our best routes with 150+ other riders and get their reactions to our little "playground".

My ride went pretty well. I am definitely not in shape and it showed on the Dug Hill climb. I got dropped and gamely chased from there (about 50+ miles to go) with Jack Brown, Cecilio and some out-of-towners. We made good progress and kept a good pace, but with about 5 miles to go, I bid Jack and Cecilio adieu as I couldn't hold their wheels anymore. I still felt like I had accomplished something by finishing the 65 miles in about 3:12. Who knew parenthood would take up so much of my time? ;)

Well, if you haven't heard, Floyd's trial began today. VeloNews promised live coverage, but I have yet to find it. As soon as I do, I'll post the link so you can follow along. At least this hearing is public, unlike Hamilton's. don't count on any great revelations, this thing is surely destined for the Court of Arbitration for Sport; a process that will surely drag into next year.

Scandal not withstanding, I am truly engrossed in the Giro d'Italia. My fantasy team is doing pretty good (it would be doing better if I had filled in all my slots for stage 1 - newbie mistake). I vaulted over 300 places with yesterday's outcome, so fortunes can change quickly. You can still register and compete on an equal footing until stage 6! Check it out at cyclingnews.com.

My butt has finally stopped hurting from Saturday's ride, so I'm looking forward to Tuesday's group ride. The ride times have changed since we have more daylight in the evening, so we now start the Tue/Thur rides at 6 pm. In additional shop news, we are now an official Blue dealer. We also will have Luna Cycles socks/bottles coming soon (early summer) and we may be getting some Luna Cycles jerseys and shorts. I'll keep you posted on those developments

The rundown

Looks like Floyd is caught in the middle of something much bigger than himself. He announced today that he had been offered a deal if he gave information about Armstrong. More and more it looks like Landis' chances of a fair hearing are slim to none.

The Giro start list is evolving on a daily basis as more and more riders are given the no-go on starting. Tinkoff announced suspensions, Serhiy Gonchar is suspended from T-Mobile for some hinky blood test results from Liege and Romandie, 30+ spanish riders are working out a deal for themselves in the Puerto affair and Basso has gone back to CONI for a third interview. Whew, this is picking up steam right as the Grand Tours start rolling out. All of this on the eve of the Giro...

If you are like me and still have the passion for pro cycling, then check out the Giro fantasy game and try your hand at team management. I'm running team "Mean and Clean", just in case your interested in following the suckiness of my skills...

Tomorrow is Cycle to Serve. I am really looking forward to riding my favorite roads around here with a bunch of other people. It isn't to late to join in as registration is still open. Join us tonight for the pre-ride dinner (courtesy of Sledgehammer Charlie's), live bands on the stage beside the shop and an outdoor showing of American Flyers. The shop will be open until 8pm to help with those last minute needs. See you there, hopefully.

I am the walrus

Basso is both Birillo and "No. 2". Michelle Scarponi is both Zapatero and el presidente. The big important difference between these two Operacion Puerto secret agents is that Scarponi is going to name names. Add to the list of non-starters at this saturday's opening stage of il Giro: Tyler Hamilton, Jorg Jaksche and Danilo Hondo.

"Oh, the heads, they are a'rollin'..."

Floyd's case with USADA is starting monday, the 14th. Given the apparent predisposition of the panel, don't get your hopes up for this to resolve anything other than clarifying the lengths to which everyone is willing to go to make sure that the anti-doping crusade works, guilt or innocence not withstanding. This is going to go all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, regardless of USADA's decision.

Don't you love how people are praising Basso for his honesty. Sure, he denied any involvement in this mess for the last year, but when they finally had his back against the wall, the blindfold on and the guns locked and loaded, he stepped up and took it like a man. Think about it, Basso had no choice. Cop to this attempted doping and hopefully, nobody gets too nosy about the '06 Giro win that Basso swears up and down was won cleanly.

Gianni "il Diablo" Bugno, secretary of the rider's union, was pretty clear when he said that Basso's confession changes nothing. Team owner's and Team sponsors will still pressure riders to dope and cover up as much as they can. Notice how Bruyneel and Riis are both being pretty adamant about the distant nature of their relationship with Basso. The whole apple is rotten, not just a little part of it...

benzina, erba o fica; nessun cavalca liberamente!

Basso has come out and admitted to everything. Okay, not everything, but you've got to admit that stepping up and saying that you thought you might think about doping at the '06 Tour is a pretty big admission of guilt. Yeah, right. File this one under the "I'm just trying to hold onto my Giro win" tab in your computer.

Now, let's see. You systematically store your blood in key locations around Europe and, let's not forget, that you have to remove this blood during competitive cycles in order to maximize the amount of red blood cells AND that removing this blood will negatively impact your performance at the time that you remove it. But you were just thinking about doping...

Let's face facts, Basso was willing to cheat at the '06 Tour by his own admission. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that he wasn't allowed to start! Now, we are supposed to believe this half-assed mea culpa. This is pure damage control as Basso is trying to keep from having his '06 Giro title stripped from him. Remember that Simoni described Basso's riding as inhuman, and that guy is no slouch in the ability department.

I think that a lot of heads are going to roll on this investigation. Dick Pound will get the vast conspiracy that he has been dying for. Riders will lose their careers. And absolutely nothing will change. There is too much money involved in this thing for riders to not have outside pressure to dope.

As more Operacion Puerto unfolds, don't forget to keep an eye out for the private kangaroo court that Floyd Landis is currently embroiled in...

OMG

I saw an suv with a bike rack strapped on the back of it when I was going to exchange some videos. And there on the rack, were propped two examples of the greatest travesty to ever befall the creation of the two-wheeled transportation known as the bicycle: LandRiders. If you have never seen one of these things, they are bikes that shift automatically. They are, of course, advertised via infomercials that prey on those who have never actually ridden a bicycle with any semblance of modern gears. "It just looked like it would be so easy" I have heard more than one customer say. Well, the fact of the matter is that the "auto" shift bike was probably first developed shortly after the first derailler.

If you know anything about the history of the modern bicycle, then you will certainly be aware that Campagnolo was the first company to introduce a mechanism to shift gears at the rear hub. It was known as the Paris-Roubaix gruppo and it did not work well. It featured several levers, one of which would loosen the hub in the dropouts (allowing it to move and thus accomodate the chain length change), while the other lever was used to pick up the chain and lift it on to the appropriate cog, all while riding, mind you. Legend has it that Fausto "il campianissimo" Coppi was the only rider to ever master it.

Well the LandRider works almost as well as the Paris-Roubaix gruppo did. It uses this centrifugal force device to sense the time to change gears. There is one slight flaw to the system: you're never in the right gear. It forces you to spin at such a rate that a track cyclist would get spun out. Those poor retirees (invariably) perched on the bike, look positively worked as their feet spin around like hamsters in a workout wheel. Please, please, please if you know someone who is contemplating getting one of these things: Do not hesitate in getting them to the nearest bike shop and showing them the "modern" wonders of indexed shifting!

This thing of ours...

There are two bike shops in Fayetteville. When I started riding, it was the norm that you aligned yourself with a shop. In return for being a loyal customer, they watched out for you, hooked you up with deals every now and then and generally, did what they could to be worthy of your loyalty. Those times seem to be changing. I guess the Wal-Mart effect has made it to the local bike shop.

More and more, I think people feel like if they aren't getting a "deal" they are suckers or chumps. Often, what they don't realize is that the old adage "you can't get something for nothing" still holds true. I've had people come in wanting my opinion on some internet or mail-order carbon framed, dura ace equipped bike that basically costs what the gruppo should retail for. Now, I'm no genius, but if the cost of the bike is equal to the cost of the parts, then you're getting a carbon fiber frame for free. Well, exactly how good is a free carbon fiber frame?

It is interesting the sort of almost adversarial dynamic that people can take towards their local bike shop. Now, I'm not commenting on your local IBD, but speaking for our shop, we try to view every customer as a potential relationship. Some of those relationships are that of a person we want to go riding with, others are people that we just want to see out on a bike, cruising the greenway (one more person on a bike is a good thing!). As a bike shop owner, it can be disheartening, almost heartbreaking, when you begin to see that customers are more interested in the "deal" than the long-term relationship. I guess I'm naive, but I see the bike shop as the hub of a community; a community of people with a shared interest or passion, even. One thing is a certain and immutable truth for any cyclist: at some point, your local bike shop will save your butt. Whether it's advice, catching some difficult to spot, dangerous issue or just having (or getting) a part that you need, your bike shop will (hopefully) always try to prove itself worthy of your loyalty.

Alright, my pick for the green jersey winner for the 2007 Tour de France is:



Yes, Sean "the cannibal" Kelly. Sure, Boonen has like 20 years on him, but Kelly is the type of guy who can get things done. I'm choosing experience over youth on this one. Plus, the Skil-Shimano team still uses the same kit. Kelly could just wear the old wool and acrylic and fit right in. Plus, at his age he should be able to get a TUE for human growth hormone. And just imagine what the guy could do on a modern carbon frame. I mean, come on, the guy sprinted like a demon on Vitus (nee Alan) carbon frames; frames whose stiffness could best be described as al dente.

Sure I'm joking(?), but I think Basso is just the tip of a big ol', hopped up iceberg. It is going to be interesting just seeing who is eligible to start the Tour. In the coming days, I'll tell you why I think 2007 could finally be Raymond "the eternal second" Poulidor's year to finally win.