When the Jersey Attacks

I read about it at work, but I wanted to wait until I saw the finish on the tele to see how the finale actually played out.

Allow me to break out a David Letterman expression, "My, Oh My."

I still can't believe what I just saw, and I'm betting that's what the remainder of the field was saying after the Maillot Jaune crossed the finish line on what was this Tour's longest day.

My disbelief isn't because the winner of Stage 3 didn't come from the early break of four, as "cat and mouse play" close to the line is usually the downfall for those that make the race but don't end up winning it.

I'm mostly perplexed by the reaction or lack thereof from the peloton and the sprinters. On a day where it seemed that the entire peloton was sleeping walking [riding] or napping in class only Fabian Cancellara (CSC) dared to raise his hand and say "I'm awake, I'd like to answer the question."

Photo:CorVos/Pezcyclingnews

Its not exactly the first time in Tour history that the yellow jersey has attacked the peloton. One of my favorite images hanging on my wall is of Eddy Merckx, in yellow, flat out and solo on one of the final stages of the Tour de France. Talk about exclamation points!

But Cancellara's victory today wasn't about making such statements. His defense of his jersey was admirable, but it certainly pales in comparison to the way Thomas Voeckler turned himself inside-out to defend his in 2004.

Perhaps it was a statement of indifference by the favorites who know that this battle won't win them the war, of leeriness because of yesterday's crash, of weariness after a long day [and with no medicinals to aid the riders' recovery], or of refusal by the sprinters to provide a wheel for their competition to latch on to and help spring them for the victory. I don't know.

This isn't an attempt to diminish Cancellara's talent, willingness, and flat out speed. He certainly deserved the win in Compiègne and to wear the leader's jersey. Afterall, he was the only one who seemed to remember that there was a race going on today, and at the perfect time.

Will It Be On Your Radar?

Future Thinking
There's something to be said about making a splash. But unless you're a household name that spends millions in advertising, like Apple with their iPhone (as if they needed a plug), then you usually have to time the release of your product(s) with some big event.

Enter Future Publishing Limited (a Bath, England based firm), a London start to the Tour de France, and BikeRadar.com.

Future is monster of a publishing firm with over 100 magazines and 60 websites in its portfolio. For the cyclist, it publishes Procycling, Cycling Plus, Mountain Biking UK, and What Mountain Bike.

And as a part of the build up to the release of Bike Radar, Future recently purchased Cyclingnews.com and Bikely (a route mapping and sharing site that was brought to our attention some time ago by one of our readers, bdleaf).

Bike Radar is not only Future's attempt to increase its internet presence in cycling (and quite possibly an attempt to compete with Velonews.com, which recently incorporated MapMyRide.com into its resources), but also to create the ultimate online resource for cycling.

My initial reaction to the idea of Bike Radar was, AWESOME! How can that possibly be a bad thing?

But after reading that my favorite online cycling site, Cyclingnews, had been bought out, my joy quickly turned to skepticism and my attitude to one of "wait and see."

To me, Cyclingnews, has long been that Little Shop Around the Corner in a world of Borders and Barnes & Nobles. Its a site, which like a Bikely, had a grassroots beginning, but soon became a leader in its field. Its reporting is dependable and timely, and their knowledge base wide and varied (how many large cycling sites covered the North American Handmade Bicycle Show to the extent that James Huang did?).

In Ann Arbor, MI, where Borders is based, it would be blasphemous to even envision a time when Nicola's Books would be bought out and made to lose its distinctiveness. But if the upkeep of Procycling's online site is any indication, the incorporation of Cyclingnews into Bike Radar may do just that.

Perhaps my thinking is a little old fashioned, maybe even a little bit romantic, but when was the last time you heard someone say, "you know, that Starbuck's [coffee] shop sure has a lot of character," or "you know, that McDonald's, that one right there, sure is distinct."

Regardless, the "Future" is here, how bright it is remains to be seen.

Carnage

It wasn't as horrific a crash as Stage 1 of the 2003 Tour, but I imagine Levi Leipheimer must have been suffering a little from PTSD, after seeing a couple of his teammates go down in the finale of Stage 2 today.

If you'll recall, Leipheimer, then a member of Rabobank, lost any dream of being on the Tour podium, and his entire season, when he completed his endo by landing on his backside fracturing his tail bone. Also in that 2003 pileup was Tyler Hamilton, who at that time elevated himself to instant cult hero status by gutting out a fractured collarbone, winning a stage, and eventually placing just off the podium in Paris.

Today's Stage 2 crash saw a fair number of big names go down, and left Discovery Channel with one less rider as big Thomas Vaitkus (Photo: Graham Watson) fractured his thumb and is unable to continue after having surgery.

If I'm not mistaken, since Lance Armstrong's retirement, his former team hasn't finish a Tour with a full complement of riders; an accomplishment in which US Postal/Discovery once took pride.

There was also carnage of a different kind as the up hill finale and QuickStep - Innergetic made easy work of the field sprint. Gert Steegmans, who Versus' commentator, Robbie Ventura, analogized to former Dallas Cowboy fullback, "Moose" Johnson for leading Emmit Smith's way, claimed the victory while leading out the sprint for Tom Boonen.

It's kind of nice to see the fullback get a carry down by the goal line once in a while.

Stage 2 Results
1 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep - Innergetic 3.48.22 (44.2 km/h)
2 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep - Innergetic
3 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas
4 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld
5 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
6 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Predictor - Lotto
7 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
8 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
9 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
10 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux

Caple on the Tour

As a hardened member of the Red Sox Nation, I became a fan of ESPN's Page 2 during the 2004 World Series Championship run, following the rantings and ravings of Bill Simmons.

Since then my fandom has just snowballed, and my mind hasn't been right since.

Now comes Jim Caple, who covers baseball, the college campus scene, and cycling. In his latest offering, Caple gives you 10 reasons why this year's Tour should hardly be referred to as the Tour de Farce.

Caple writes:
"Oh, I know. Saying you're a fan of the Tour this summer is like saying you still listen to Creed. Because of the recent doping scandals, you're not supposed to care about the race. The Tour is so off the radar, the Department of Homeland Security has downgraded the wristband color code from yellow for "Livestrong" to white for "Apathy.""

[MORE]

The Flying Dutchman

Here's an interesting tidbit about the Tour prologue that I ran across on the T-Mobile team website. I guess when you get that many people together for a single event, something like this is bound to happen. Thank goodness for people like Bert Tolhoek, bus driver turned Bobbie.

You're Nicked
"While the Tour caravan has been generous in showering roadside fans in Britain with gifts, one particular punter took things a bit too far on Friday afternoon. While the team was on a training spin, Bert Tolhoek the T-Mobile Team bus driver was left to look after things in a quiet suburb. A young passer-by expressed an interest in Kim Kirchen’s time trial bike, parked just outside. “Is that yours?” he asked, his interest visibly growing.

Very soon the temptation became too great and the opportunist made a grab for the bike. The young man took off at time trial speed. Bert had to react fast and chasing in the team bus was not the answer. The team doctors looked after the bus, while Dutchman Bert commandeered the next passing car, cop-show style. A bemused woman in her thirties obliged. The hot pursuit was on. It wasn’t long before the young pretender ran into real difficulties shifting gears and controlling this highly specialist piece of equipment on a steep section of road, allowing Bert to close the gap.

Realising the game was up, the hapless thief tried to abandon the 7,000 Euro bike and make a run for it. But as he fell from the heightened saddle, Bert pinned him to the ground and held him there in a headlock. Ignoring the youngster’s pleas for clemency Bert threatened to call the police. Luckily for the culprit, Bert's bus-driving duties called and the young man got off with a heavy warning!" (gl)

Way to go, Bert!!! Kirchen finished 53rd on Saturday, 0.48 seconds back from Fabian Cancellara (CSC).

VICTORY!!!

To follow up on her impressive 2nd place in the Cat 1/2/3/4 at the Cox Charities Cycling Classic in Providence, RI on June 24th, and a more than respectable 9th in the Cat 1/2/3 at the Seacoast Criterium two days later, our friend of the blog, Liz Hatch (Vanderkitten) came away with a pair of NRC victories in Sonoma, CA this past weekend.

On Saturday, July 7th, Liz soloed to win the Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic Criterium and doubled up in the same fashion on Sunday claiming the Circuit Race.



When I asked her for a post-victory comment, Liz had this to say, "Thank God I won, cause that hurt like hell!"

To that, there's only one thing left to say [to Liz] about the races in Sonoma...

On Cue

After the prologue yesterday, John Trevorrow (Cyclingnews) sat down with Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto) and elicited the following reaction.

"It all went pretty much to plan," explained the 11-time Tour stage winner. "I got [out] early and did about five laps on the course and got comfortable with it. I then rode and kept it at a threshold and made sure there is plenty in the tank for tomorrow."

"I'm pretty happy with my ride but it really all starts tomorrow for me," he continued post-prologue ride. "There are a few young guys who will definitely be trying to serve it up, as I did a few years ago, but it will all be decided in that final few hundred metres."

McEwen Celebrates
(Photo: AFP)

After today's Stage 1 of the Grand Boucle, the list of suplerlatives used to describe McEwen just went up by one, you can now add prophetic.

Robbie McEwen had all the gas he needed as he won today's stage in the last 150 meters, shooting past Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole) and Tom Boonen (Quickstep - Innergetic).

The Aussie and now 12-time Tour stage winner (tying Erik Zabel's mark for those still competing) has surely set himself up for tomorrow, with a chance not only to win in his adopted home of Gent but also possibly wear yellow.

Gone Green

For those of you who hadn't already heard, there's a little concert across 7 continents going on today called Live Earth.

The concert is part of the SOS campaign to empower individuals to change their consumer behaviors and motivate corporations and political leaders to enact decisive measures to combat the climate crisis.

So how does this relate to cycling?

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling has "Gone Green." In the hopes of inspiring others in the peloton to follow suit, they are wearing green accented kits to reflect their efforts. (inset, Alberto Contador during the prologue. Photo: AFP)

From the Team Discovery Channel Green Space (requires registration):

“The good news is that by its very nature, cycling is green,” says Levi Leipheimer, Team Discovery Channel’s lead rider entering the 2007 Tour de France.

And while it’s true that the members of the Discovery Pro Cycling Team produce zero environmentally damaging emissions when they ride, it’s also true that a veritable armada of support vehicles is required to support the health and safety of each rider during every UCI Pro Tour event.

“These vehicles are essential for us to perform at top levels,” says Johan Bruyneel. “But, this year, we are taking responsibility for the true emissions footprint that comes with our participation in pro cycling, and that feels great.”

Through an innovative partnership with Green Mountain Energy (GME), Team Discovery is offsetting 100% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions created by the team’s support vehicles during the entire 2007 race season.

By purchasing carbon offsets generated by energy efficiency projects and tree planting initiatives from GME’s “Be Green” (begreennow.org), the team has offset about 62 metric tons of CO2 so far this year.

Precision Swiss Timing

His pre-prologue statements weren't quite as dramatic as teammate, Dave Zabriskie's before he won the Tour prologue in 2005, when asked to predict the top three finishers, Zabriskie was quoted as saying, "Me, me, and me," but Fabian Cancellara (CSC) nonetheless sounded as confident in his interview with Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes.

"I can win," he declared. "On paper it is possible that I can really win."

And like his teammate before him (who set the record for the fastest time trial in Tour history averaging 54.676 kph!!), Cancellara went out in today's prologue and crushed the competition with an average speed of 53.7 kilometres per hour. He beat out second and third place finishers, Andreas Kloden (Astana) and George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) by 13 and 23 seconds, respectively. (Photo: AFP)

Results
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
2 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana
3 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
4 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
5 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
6 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne
7 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
8 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
9 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas
10 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux

[MORE]

A Doping Positive?

Somewhere, lost in the wake of doping scandals at the top tier of professional cycling is the fact that there seems to be more of us on the road than in years past. As Sal Ruibal (USA TODAY) pointed out in his article yesterday, many of us are choosing to be "our own Lance."

Ruibal writes:
"USA Cycling, the national governing body, sold almost 60,000 individual licenses last year, a jump of more than 6% from 2005. (A USAC license allows a rider to compete in sanctioned races.) Charity rides are also big. This year's National Multiple Sclerosis MS Bike Ride series drew more than 100,000 cyclists.

In Arizona, an estimated 10,000 cyclists are looking ahead to El Tour de Tucson on Nov. 17. The 109-mile ride around the perimeter of the city has something the French Tour lacks: riders are treated to Krispy Kreme donuts.

People "are not riding to be a Greg LeMond or Lance. They are riding because of the love of cycling, because it is environmentally friendly," race founder and director Richard DeBernardis says. "It's a means to dealing with our transportation issues and because it's something they can achieve. They'll ride without their heroes.""

For cyclists this news may not come as a surprise. Ruibal is certainly preaching to the choir in this respect. But for the average sports fan, the news is somewhat unprecedented.

How many sports have actually experienced growth in the absence of its biggest stars?

You need only to look at our national pastime and favorite sport, baseball and football, to see what type of effect its stars can have on its popularity. Both sports have survived strikes, lockouts, and contractual squabbles throughout their history. During these hardest times, where both utilized replacement players, so called "scabs," there wasn't the type of springboard effect that cycling is seeing today. In fact, the popularity of each sport was diminished and actually lost some of their respective fansbases.

Perhaps the current growth of cycling is more about the functional utility of the bicycle rather than its utility for sport. But unlike baseball, where the infestation of performance enhancing drugs brought back its fans, professional cycling is losing theirs to what essentially makes these athletes special, riding a bike.

If you were looking for a silver lining to the doping controversies of cycling, how can you argue with cycling's integration into the American culture.

On Tap...

For three people who met up in France while riding the final week of the 2003 Tour de France, we've certainly come a long way (as have all of the fans of cycling) since that time.

We've gone from rabid European style fandom to shaking your head skeptical, and even to Soprano-like indifference [you know the type of indifference the guy who might get whacked next receives] for the professional ranks. (Isn't that an misnomer, "professional." I guess that's used in the same vain as in the movie Man on Fire, "I'm a professional, Mister.")

In any regard, we've dressed up the site for the Tour and we'll still provide a Tour Preview, but not quite as elaborate.

As has been the staple of this Friday post, below is a listing of some races, and some fun rides for specific geographic locations. If you'd like me to include your area, just drop us a line in the form of a comment or email. The listings for the Midwest may seem a little light this week, but it will certainly pick up with Superweek right around the corner.

The main race on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) this weekend is the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic. Let's see, cycling and wine country...do those two things even go together? I'm being facetious of course! Racing begin on Saturday the 7th.

The Northbrook Velodrome will be closed this Saturday for the Human Power Vehicle Association competition. People will be competing on recumbant bicylces. They will also be competing on Sunday, July 8th, at Washington Park in Kenosha, WI.

For most of the results and photos of races this weekend, check with Truesport.com.

07/05/2007- 07/17/2007
USA Cycling National Festival Pres by Cal Giant
Seven Springs, PA

07/06/2007
Infineon Cougar Mt Classic-Road
Sonoma, CA
NAS-Track #3
Mike Walden Velodrome
Rochester Hills, MI

07/07/2007
Porcupine Hill Climb Fun Ride
Salt Lake City, UT
Ohio State Championships
Danville, OH
Faulkner Honda Criterium
Hummelstown, PA
Wisconsin State Criterium Championships
Elkhorn, WI
Coyote Creek Criterium
San Jose, CA
Porcupine Hill Climb
Salt Lake City, UT
Ironhill Twilight Criterium
West Chester, PA
Tandemonium
Trexlertown, PA
La Mirada Grand Prix
La Mirada, CA
Carrera De San Rafael
San Rafael, CA
Mill Mountain Hill Climb
Roanoke, VA
PA Dutch Country Stage Race
Lancaster County, PA

07/08/2007
Roanoke Cycling Fun Ride
Roanoke, VA
The Newmark Center Classic
Miami Township, OH
PA State Elite 40 & 20 KM Time Trial
Harrisburg, PA
Mississippi Buffs Road Race
Rapid City, IL

Viva la England?!
This Saturday, what's become synonymous to the SuperBowl in American football, or Daytona in stock car racing, the biggest race in cycling, the Tour de France, kicks off in London. Though our interest level for the ProTour ranks may be down, we'd be remise not to view this race in the larger context.

The Tour will remain, while the riders will change. So in this case, it is alright to "hate the players and not the game."

The Prologue
I hate going with chalk, but OBE homegrown Bradley Wiggins (Cofidis-Le Crédit par Téléphone) may be the best pick for this fast and flat course through the heart of London. If the Wimbledon weather is any indicator of the Saturday start, it may be a mixed bag. Look for one of these three riders instead, Paolo Salvodelli (Astana), Fabian Cancellara (CSC), and David Zabriskie (CSC).

Maillot Jaune (GC):
The big money (and pressure) seems to be on Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana). Not only is he the most powerful of the bunch at the moment, but Astana also looks to be the strongest team. It'll be interesting to see how Vinokourov's attacking style fits in with his responsibilities as a team leader over the course of three weeks.

America's hopes seem to be pinned onto Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel). The former Vuelta podium placer, will most likely never find a more perfect opportunity to win the Tour than in this year. He seems to be in form, but his low-key approach to his preparations haven't been that telling. We'll definitely have to wait till the lights come on.

The remaining contenders for the podium are Cadel Evans (Predictor-Lotto), Denis Menchov (Rabobank), Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Michael Rogers (T-Mobile), and Andreas Kloden (Astana).

Maillot Vert (Points):
This was shaping up to be an interesting 3 week sojourn with many of the top sprinters on form, but with Alessandro Pettachi's dismissal and Oscar Freire's recurring (saddle) ailments, this may come down to the battle of the killer "B's," Tom Boonen (Quickstep-Innergetic) and Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Fondital). Boonen seems to have finally gotten his bike issues resolved, and Bennati is as young, powerful and eager as any sprinter in the field.

The other surefire contenders for the points jersey are Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto), Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Robbie Hunter (Barloworld), and Robert Forster (Gerolsteiner).

Maillot à Pois Rouges (KOM):
The easy pick to win this category would be former winner, Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank), but he'll be challenged by Christophe Moreau (AG2r - Prevoyance), and my pick for polka dots, Frank Schleck (CSC).

Maillot Blanc (Best Young Rider): Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel), Thomas Dekker (Rabobank), Patrik Sinkewitz (T-Mobile), Markus Fothen (Gerolsteiner), and Thomas Lovkvist (Francaise des Jeux) should all be in the runnning (that is, if I've gotten their ages right).

MORE:
-- Sal Ruibal (USA Today): Tour de France's downhill slide caused by scandals

In Lieu

As a follow-up to the the sad news of XXX Racing-AthletiCo rider, Beth Kobeszka, arrangements below are from the team's website.

XXX Racing-Athletico deeply mourns the loss of Beth Kobeszka, our friend and teammate, who died Saturday, June 30, following a crash at the Proctor Road Race.

Visitation will be Thursday, July 5, from 2-8 p.m. at the Fagen-Miller Funeral Home, 2828 Highway Ave., Highland, IN.

A funeral will be held Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. It will begin at the Fagen-Miller Funeral Home and proceed to Our Lady Of Grace Church. (Note the corrected time, and that Highland, Ind., is in the central time zone.)

There are two condolence books available online: at Legacy and at Fagen-Miller.

For donations made in lieu of flowers, the family has not announced a benefactor. (Beth would find flowers "totally lame," we are told.) In the meantime, memorial contributions can be sent to the team, which will hold the funds and distribute them per the family's wishes. Information about a bank account specifically for this purpose will be available later this week.

Blinded Leading The Blind

"What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes."
- John Travolta (Gabriel) from Swordfish

"The eyes are fascinating. Physically, the variance in size, shape and hue, makes the eyes as individual, and beautiful, as the person to which they are attached. Spiritually, people regard them as being windows into the soul. Scientifically, the way in which the eyes process information makes them seem “alien-like,” or offers up proof of the existence of a higher power.

With all these special characteristics and mysticism surrounding these tiny anatomical structures, it would be easy to answer all of life's questions with a ubiquitous "abre los ojos" (open your eyes).

But as we've seen lately, things in life, as in cycling aren't that simple. The eyes, like the person to which they are attached, can be easily deceived. And as John Travolta's character, Gabriel, suggests by an act of simple misdirection.

Over a month has passed since the adjournment of Floyd Landis' arbitration hearing for alleged doping during the 2006 Tour de France. His livelihood, his career, and his place in history resides within the reasoning capabilities of three men; each of whom are bound by the same human constraints of their faculties.

As adjudicators of the law its incumbent upon these men to seek out the truth and meter out justice as if it were blind. But they, along with those of us in the jury of the court of public opinion, have perhaps seen and heard too much during, and after, the hearings to remain impartial.

In my field of clinical research, impartiality toward an investigational agent (a drug, device, or biologic) can be artificially created by "blinding" not only the investigators, but also those receiving that specified agent. Although the system isn't perfect, with the possibility of "unblinding" or biases creeping into the process, impartiality can be built into the system rather than it hinging on having taken root through an individual's charge.

John F. Kennedy once charged America's leaders to separate church and state. He did so in order to quell the rising tides of skepticism that his own religious convictions might influence his secular and political decisions. The idealism that a man's inherent biases could be separated from his decision making capabilities turned into a foundation for Camelot. And although those thoughts aren't completely lost or forgotten, recent headlines bare out the opposite. Impartiality it seems is weighted heavily by the influence of a group(s).

Since the Landis adjournment, two competing books, Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France and From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France, have hit the shelves, while a host of doping allegations, positives, supsensions, and most notably, an influential rider in the form of Jorg Jaksche, has come out and named names.

So how is it possible for these non-sequestered and inherently biased arbitrators to render any type of decision based solely on the facts of the case?

The easy answer, arbitration cases occur all the time. The process isn't new. A decision will be rendered and Floyd, along with the rest of us, will go on with the rest of our lives. Cue Doug Luellen.

Can it be that easy? Or are we just shutting our eyes hoping that the scary part is almost over?

According to Cyclingnews.com, we'll all be able to open our eyes this Friday!

Grandview USA

Don't permit the title of this post to cloud your judgement, as the racing this past weekend in Grandview, OH vastly outweighed the movie of a similar title in viewing ability. In fact, except for the appearance of an in-her-prime Jamie Lee Curtis, the movie was barely palatable.

The Tour de Grandview, on the other hand, was a glorious mixture of Americana and space aged technology, of community and cycling culture, of hardened veterans and ambitious newbies.

Are You Experienced? A Case of Double Vision
The lead up to the Men's and Women's Professional races on both Saturday and Sunday featured some outstanding races. But unless you can truly appreciate the racing nuances and effort given by those in the lower categories, the reason anyone watches cycling, and sport in general, is to see those at highest level compete.

The field contained many of the big names from the Midwest but it wasn't replete of some of the country's top professionals, although it may have only been a smattering of them competing last weekend.

Saturday's Women's Cat 1/2/3 race was won by Shannon Hutchison-Krupat (Aaron's Cycling Team). Although she was the lone representative from her team this year, the 37 year old relied on her experience to navigate the field. An orchestra teacher in Atlanta, GA, by day, Shannon is considered one of the country's top sprinters. Her sprinting ability, on display over the weekend as she won both field sprints, was matched only by her infectious smile and personality.

On Sunday, no one could match the irrepresible force of MacKenzie Woodring (Team Priority Health). She was dominant from the gun, leading an early break before soloing to victory.

But perhaps the most intriguing rider in the Women's field was 16 year old Samantha Schneider (Mesa Cycling) from West Allis, WI. A star already on the track, Samantha placed 2nd and 4th over the weekend.

Shannon taking the two-up on Saturday

Saturday's Women's Podium

MacKenzie Celebrates
(Photos: Granny's 30)

In the Men's division, it was all Texas Roadhouse as they swept the top three places in Saturday's race, and placed 1st and 3rd on Sunday.

The victor in both races was 38 year old Kirk Albers (Texas Roadhouse). After 11 attempts to win at Grandview, Albers won both races in a similar fashion, soloing to victory. On Saturday, he stayed away in the final 10-15 laps, while on Sunday he bided his time before launching a decisive attack in the final 3 laps.

The Upper Arlington, OH resident has particpated in numerous prestigious events, such as the Tour de Georgia, Tour of California and the U.S. Pro Championships, over his professional career and recently helped start up the Ohio Cycling Association in January.

Albers on Saturday

Saturday's Men's Podium

This looks vaguely familiar?

Sunday's Podium

(Photos: Granny's 30)

MORE:
-- Columbus Dispatch: Life of a pro cyclist not all fun and games
-- Columbus Dispatch: Tour de Grandview: Cyclist peddles hope by beating cancer

Training Day

Alright so we're not exactly Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, but for my buddy Don and I who are both coming off of injuries, it was sure nice to be putting in some significant miles again.

Don's initial reaction of this image, "That's funny, we actually look like we might be in shape or something."

For others coming back from an injury or layoff, Bicycling's FITChick has seven smart ways to return stronger and faster. Below is a quick synopsis, for the full article pick up the August 2007 issue.

• Easy on the Vitamin I: As in Ibuprofen, and stick to Tylenol (acetaminophen) instead. Taking ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories can delay the healing process by inhibiting enzymes called prostaglandins which helps stimulate circulation.
• Move It: Don't just sit once injured. Stay active to promote blood flow and aid in healing.
• Eat to Heal: Your body still burns about 10% more calories than usual when trying to repair an injury. Feed your body what it needs to heal.
• Use the One-to-Two Rule: For each non-training week, spend one to two weeks rebuilding base before hammering.
• Start en masse, Finish Solo: Start with your group or club on group rides, but tone it down when the urge to push the pace beckons. Do your own things until you're ready.
• Watch the Warning Signs: When coming back, you're vulnerable to re-injury so let pain be your guide and back off if necessary.
  
• Root Out the Cause: Truly figure out what is causing your injuries otherwise, you'll end up with a chronic issue.

Too Short

As I was surfing the internet and reading emails this weekend, I came across these two tragic events.

As part (and one that was none too significant as it was my first year in organized racing) of the xXx Racing-Athletico family last year, I can only imagine how the team is feeling after this weekend (story by Mark Zalewski, Cyclingnews.com).The second story I came across on the Vanderkitten website (the story is a mashup from Vanderkitten and Corrine's Caring Bridge website).

Although I didn't know either personally, as part of the cycling community these types of events seem to affect us all. To those who had raced with or against these ladies, and to their family and friends, consider this a global condolence from all of us in cycling.

Beth Kobeszka 1983-2007

A 24 year-old first-year racer was killed Saturday when a passing truck struck her while competing in the Proctor Cycling Classic in Brimfield, Illinois near Peoria. Beth Kobeszka (xXx Racing-AthletiCo) from Chicago was competing in the women's category 4 road race when she was reportedly bumped into the path of the truck pulling a horse trailer.

Witnesses of the accident reported that riders had crossed the middle yellow line as the pack of about 25 to 30 crested a small hill four miles from the race finish along Brimfield-Jubilee road. The truck was headed in the opposite direction legally as the race was operating under the 'yellow line rule.' The police report said that Kobeszka was bumped into the path of the truck by another racer.

"There had been some girls passing on the left several times and the lead car came back to tell people about the yellow line rule," Katie Haft (Morris Trucking Velo), who was racing in the event, told Cyclingnews. "We came up the crest of the hill and I don't know if people were passing or if they were bumped if while a truck pulling a trailer was coming the other direction."

"I just saw people getting tangled and one woman fell into the side of the trailer and it rolled over her," Haft said.

"A few on the front kept going but a lot of people stopped. People were really unsure of what to do. I stopped for a while and the follow car in back stopped but there was probably nothing I could do."

Kobeszka was transported to a local hospital with multiple injuries and was pronounced dead later the same day.

The police report said that the truck was driven by Thomas S. Milligan, 48, of Quincy, Illinois and that he stopped immediately after the collision.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of the young lady," Milligan told the Peoria Journal Star from his home Sunday. "I've got two daughters and I can't even imagine what they're going through. It was a tragic thing. It's just a shock."

No charges are expected in the case, according to police.

Kobeszka was new to the xXx team but was a part of its women's development squad, headed by Randy Warren, which focused on racing. "She graduated from Northwestern University and was a runner there," said Warren. "She was was relatively new, joining the team this year, but was pretty gung-ho about racing. She was part of the women's development program which means signing agreement to race, and she won the Cobb Park criterium last weekend."

The already scheduled July 2 team meeting has been transformed into a forum for team-mates to deal with the tragedy. "One of our members is also a chaplain and will lead us in grief counseling," said Warren. "We are working with her mum to decide where to have a memorial fund set up. The funeral will be this week."

Warren also said that the team's August criterium in Chicago might also serve as a memorial. "We are thinking of naming the women's race after her."

MORE:
-- Chicago Tribune - Cyclist Aiming for Another Win Killed in Race

Corrine Crawford 1980-2007

Sunday, June 24th Corinne was struck by a car while stopping at a red light at Olympic and Newell Ave in Walnut Creek, CA. She was on her way home from a bike ride up Mt. Diablo on a clear, sunny day with her good friend, Christian Claussen. They were stopped at a red light when a car in the cross traffic lost control and struck them. Corinne sustained major head trauma and is not expected to recover. Christian suffered a concussion and numerous abrasions but he is ok.

Corinne was taken off of life support the evening of Tuesday, June 26th. Corinne donated her organs to those in need so that they could have the gift of life.

Corrine lived an incredibly full life filled with loving, caring and supportive friends. She was an inspiration to everyone she knew, whether it was her martial arts expertise, her studies at Cal, graduation from Harvard at age 20 with her B.A. and M.S., her excellence in cooking or her love of the bike.

Twenty-six is too young for such a gift of life to be taken, and it is with glowing memories and celebration of her life and spirit we will remember Corrine. She embodied the spirit of Vanderkitten, as told to us by Emma Worldpeace of Cal Cycling:

"Corrine was an AMAZING woman! Brilliant (graduated Harvard at age 20 with her BA and Master's), extremely kind and caring, kickass (she was a WA's bike racer and a red belt in Yongmudo, Korean martial arts), a dedicated teacher, a radical feminist, a gifted cook, and a great writer... There is no doubt that Corrine would have accomplished many more great things in her lifetime. She was a Vanderkitten in every way possible. She loved her VK track jacket and the idea of a clothing company for kickass women."

We wish to use this site [Corrine's Caring Bridge site] to celebrate the life of our wonderful friend. She exuded energy and enthusiasm whether she was discussing ancient roman graffiti or tackling a mountain on her bike. She is something different to all of us: sister, daughter, teammate, colleague or simply friend. Help us to get to know all of these sides of her.

Corinne's classics department has put together a story of her academic life. Please CLICK here to read it.

Monkey See...

Armstrong in Calgary for the 2007 Tour of Courage

It didn't take long to determine what type of significance Floyd Landis' Wiki Defense would have on the process of sports arbitration or on the way athletes defend themselves against allegations. Lance Armstrong has recently followed suit and published his own collection of legal documents on thepaceline.com to refute David Walsh's latest book, From Lance to Landis: Inside the American Doping Controversy at the Tour de France.

Among the published documents are:

• Response letter (Word 138K)

  EXHIBITS - PDF format

• The Physiological Basis of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France Performances (778K)
• Lance Armstrong's Physical Maturation (2.4M)
• Affidavit of Travis Tygart (183K)
• Affidavit of Don Catlin (963K)
• Affidavit of Jonathan Vaughters (58K)
• Affidavit of Dr. Craig Nichols (306K)
• Betsy Andreu Testimony (41K)
• Frankie Andreu Testimony (16K)
• David Walsh email (83K)
• Letter to Dr. Prentice Steffen (27K)
• Dr. Prentice Steffen retraction (15K)
• Lisa Shiles Bela email (200K)
• Chris Carmichael defends Lance Armstrong (13K)
• Lance Armstrong open letter to Dick Pound (20K)
• Lance Armstrong letter to IOC requesting disciplinary action against Dick Pound (585K)
• Final Arbitration Award (69K)

Raise High The Roof Beam, Carpenters

I couldn't resist using the partial title as a means for introduction to this post, as J.D. Salinger is one of my favorite authors. If you've read any of his short stories, books, or even reviews of either, it becomes readily apparent that Salinger fashioned situations which not only revealed profound insights into his characters, but also into himself.

As I've recently reviewed my own writings, whether they be works of fiction or the banalities of some of my cycling posts, much of who I am and the passions that I exude are in my words and the topics I choose.

Given that, this week The Columbus Dispatch featured the story of some socially and environmentally conscious individuals who have brought a whole new meaning to the cycling term, hammerin'!

Hammer Time
To those in the 18 to 24 year old age bracket, the summer usually means a respite from school work, hanging out at the pool, catching up with friends, or working some odd summer job.

For the participants in Bike & Build, its an opportunity to "pedal to end poverty housing."

Groups of 30 young adults embark from various coastal locations cycling across the country and building affordable housing along the way. The group that was recently in the Columbus, OH area left Providence, RI on June 7th.

In its fourth year, over 400 individuals have participated, collectively raising over $750,000 for affordable housing groups like Habitat for Humanity.

You can follow certain individuals on their journeys through their respective blogs. Here are just a few:

Rachel Mollica (Central US)
Matt Vanderpool (NC to San Diego)
Caitlin Graboski (Southern US)
Rachel Hokanson (Providence to SF)

If you'd like more information on the group, are interested in participating, or would like to read some more blogs, head over to bikeandbuild.org.

On Tap...

On The Road & Track
Here's a listing of races in and around your area for June 29th to July 1st. For those looking for results from these races, check out Truesport.

06/29/2007
Proctor Cycling Classic
Chillicothe, Brimfield & Peoria, IL
NAS-Track #2
Velodrome at Bloomer Park
Rochester Hills, MI
Friday Night Development Series
Ed Rudolph Velodrome
Northbrook, IL

06/30/2007
Leesville Gap Road Race
Williams, CA
Ed Peters Memorial Masters Weekend -Criterium
Bethlehem Township, PA
Brownstown Road Race (TM)
Brownstown, PA
Tour de Grandview
Grandview, OH
Dexter Criterium State Championship
Dexter, MI
Hyde Park Blast
Cincinnati, OH
Fremont Criterium
Fremont, CA
Endeavour Elm Grove
Elm Grove, WI

07/01/2007
Vacaville Gran Prix
Vacaville, CA
Ed Peters Memorial Masters Weekend-Circuit Race
Center Valley, PA
Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
Manhattan Beach, CA

This weekend's featured race is the Tour de Granview in my hometown of Columbus, OH. Recently featured in The Columbus Dispatch, the race has certainly seen its share of ups and downs over its 15 year existence. The race has survived despite local political in-fighting, changes in sponsorship, and being dropped in stature on the USA Cycling racing calendar.

Its list of alumni reads like a who's who in professional cycling, as the race has seen the likes of Levi Leipheimer, Floyd Landis, Baden Cooke, Mark McCormack, Gord Fraser, Danny Pate, Nicole Freedman, and Melissa Sanborn.

If you're fortunate enough to be in the area on Friday, June 29th, plan to attend the "Reds, Whites & Bikes" Wine Tasting from 7:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. at Global Living, 855 Grandview Avenue. The event will serve as kick-off for the 2007 Germain Lexus Tour de Grandview Cycling Classic and a fundraiser. Tickets are $35 per person or $60 per couple in advance; $50 per person at the door. Advance tickets (which will be held at the door and not mailed to patrons) can be purchased at Members First Credit Union, located at 1445 W. Goodale Blvd., ph. (614) 462-6850 ext. 122.

Racing begins at around 1pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Tour Preview
With the Tour de France only a week away, the hype machine really gets cranked up this weekend with Versus' Tour Preview. The odds on favorite looks to be Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), but without any truly dominant riders in the peloton, it could be anybody's race. As stated previously, our own T-o-03 will be in London, England for the Prologue.

Gas Sucks...Ride A Bike

Its fast becoming a popular and ubiquitous slogan for cyclists, environmentalists, cyclists who are environmentalists, and environmentalists who cycle.

Earlier this month we featured cyclists around the world who en masse rode against oil dependency during the World Naked Bike Ride. Now comes this story from Minneapolis, MN about Karl and his friends who have taken the utility of bicycling to a whole other level (click on the image).


That's how we roll! (or better yet, how we should all roll)