Peloton Fodder

To Hell With Them All

2007-07-28T00:17:00.000-04:00

I will never again follow professional cycling. I more or less swore off of it after the Floyd Landis debacle last year, and have reaffirmed my commitment to stop caring as the doping scandals have multiplied this season.

They all cheat, they're all dirty.

Now, if cycling lifted the ban on all illegal substances and doping practices tomorrow, I'd be fine with that. On the flip side, if they increased the doping penalty to a lifetime ban, I'd support that, too. One way or the other. What's going on now is not working, and nobody benefits from it.

I suspect this will be the first of very many years that I don't follow the Tour de France or any other European pro race at all. Screw 'em.

Hitting Close To Home

2007-06-15T07:20:00.000-04:00

I'm still on the recovery path from my knee as it slowly heals. I'm not riding outside yet, but my trainer efforts in the gym are now fairly long and intense.

But as I improve, others in the local cycling community have also fallen prey to serious injury. A teammate of mine crashed during a training ride and broke her pelvis. Another teammate crashed hard in a race and had to seek medical attention for serious back pain. Worst of all, a long-time riding buddy of mine (from another local team) was struck by a car and seriously injured. He's stable and fully functional, but has sustained numerous broken bones and deep lacerations that will take surgery to repair.

My dislocated knee and subsequent surgery don't seem so serious anymore. To everyone I've ridden with who is now laid low by injuries worse than mine, I wish you all speedy recoveries and a quick return to the bike.

Stick A Fork In Me

2007-05-22T18:35:00.000-04:00

I'm officially done following pro cycling. Forever. Every single rider of any consequence is slowly but surely admitting to or being accused of past doping offenses. Many are suspected of currently doping, even as the scandals multiply.

The simple truth is this: pro cyclists cannot be competitive without EPO and human growth hormone---they cannot rely on their own physical conditioning and mental preparation to deliver them victories in races. It is a constant race to the bottom, as new riders find themselves forced to dope just to compete with the veterans and maintain their contracts.

Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso, Floyd Landis, Lance Armstrong and all the other stars have been or will be implicated in doping scandals. The accusations, denials and counter-accusations will only multiply from here.

Why follow a sport that cannibalizes itself by forcing its stars to cheat and then destroying their names and banning them from competition when they are caught? Even professional baseball isn't this despicable.

It's a shame, but this will be the first year since 2001 that I haven't watched the Tour de France. Why bother? Will any great riders be left to compete? Are they even truly great riders?

I'm done.

Progress Report

2007-05-22T05:09:00.000-04:00

Slowly but surely, my left leg is recovering from the trauma it has endured over the past month and a half. I am now walking without a limp and can even muster a couple of jog-like strides when crossing a street with oncoming traffic. I still wear my knee brace everywhere but in bed, but I'm not in any significant pain and only the most strenuous activities cause discomfort in my knee.

Yesterday I was able to pedal for ten pain-free minutes on one of the stationary trainers in the gym. A couple of days before I could only handle five. Every once in a while a pedal stroke will cause sharp pain in my kneecap, but for the most part I can spin at a reasonable pace (80-90 rpm) without wanting to stop immediately.

While the pain and discomfort (and the swelling) have subsided, the sorry state of my left leg has become more apparent. The injury, surgery and subsequent physical inactivity have significantly atrophied my once-impressive quads. What remains is a skinny, asymmetrical waste that barely passes as an adult limb. Compared to my other leg, the difference is striking:

Please disregard the fact that I naturally have chicken legs and focus instead on the difference that is obvious in the photo. My right quad is much larger than the left, and my left knee is still somewhat lumpy where the knee scopes and cartilage removal incision have left small scars.

So it's now been about seven weeks since my initial injury and almost four weeks since surgery. As is obvious, rebuilding my muscular strength is going to take time. Rebuilding my aerobic strength won't be as difficult, but it will take time as well. I highly doubt I'll reach competitive form before the racing season ends. I'll give it my best shot, though.

Tomorrow it's back on the trainer and hopefully next week I'll be in good enough shape to actually ride my bike outside for the first time since April 3rd. That would be awesome.

Moving About

2007-05-06T05:17:00.000-04:00

My knee has steadily improved since surgery a week and a half ago.

The days immediately following the procedure were rough, with a lot of pain, a lot of pain medication, and a lot of lying around. And still I was on crutches.

Two days after the month anniversary of the original injury that reduced me to a crippled waste, the orthopedist evaluated my post-operative progress. All is good, he said, and promptly removed my stitches. Of the five, only one hurt.

I've had my right kneecap completely covered in tattoo ink, and I know how bad that region of the leg can hurt when subjected to repeated injections by vibrating needles. It's not fun. But the removal of one stitch at the very top edge of my left kneecap put the tattooing to shame. I thought for a second I was going to die, seriously.

I take pain pretty well, and try to avoid pain medicine whenever possible. I fancy myself a tough guy when it comes to hurting. This was more than I've ever felt in my life, no joke. Luckily it only lasted a few seconds and the final stitch was out of my leg for good.

The doctor then brought me the best knee brace ever invented, because after getting the thing on (which felt GREAT after the stitches were removed), I strolled out of the office like it was nothing. For the first time in over a month, I didn't need crutches to walk.

The feeling of liberation is hard to describe.

I've been walking again for four days now, and though my leg is still extremely weak and sore, and there is still some odd swelling, I feel much better. I cannot yet fully bend my knee, nor can I twist it or put an exceptional amount of weight on it, but the progress I've made is noticeable.

Because I can move around without crutches, I'll be making my triumphant return to the gym tomorrow. Upper body only, of course, but it's a start. I'm dying to be back lifting weights again after losing a full month to this injury. I will be resigned to machines only, though, since I can't carry any kind of weight and therefore won't be able to load the barbells to work out with free weights for a while.

When I'll be able to start riding again, I have no idea. I can't yet complete a full pedaling motion with my leg, and putting that much pressure on the limb hurts too bad anyway. Hopefully soon I'll be back out on the road. We'll see.

The Cutting Room

2007-04-29T13:28:00.000-04:00

This past Wednesday I finally had surgery on my utterly-destroyed left kneecap in the form of knee arthroscopy. I can't say it was incredibly fun, but it was interesting to say the least.

The pre-op processing went extremely quickly, as I was in the pre-op room being interviewed by a nurse and an anesthesiologist just ten minutes after my scheduled arrival time. They seemed surprised by my low heart rate (it hovered around 45-50 bpm on the various vital signs monitors I was hooked to throughout the day) and by my request to remain conscious during the surgery. Apparently, most people are all-too willing to be knocked out, and they weren't used to someone saying "I wanna watch!".

It took a while to finally get in the OR, but once I did, things moved very quickly. Another anesthesiologist, a deadpan Asian doc with a great sense of humor, gave me the spinal injection that reduced my legs to lifeless stumps and my surgeon went straight to work. The insertion of the scopes into my knee was a little disconcerting, because I felt the pressure if not any pain. A few times he moved my kneecap around and brushed my femur with the scope and I got a little queasy. Other than that, it was smooth sailing.

I was able to watch the whole procedure on a TV screen next to me, and got to see all of my ligaments, tendons and leg bones in high definition. My surgeon explained everything he was doing and specifically pointed out what we were looking at on the screen. It was all very fascinating.

He pulled out a huge chunk of cartilage from my kneecap that had broken loose when I initially dislocated my joint, and granted my apparently strange request to take it home with me. I now have a chunk of cartilage in a little cup. I'm so proud!

I spent the rest of the afternoon in various recovery rooms trying to regain the feeling in my legs and trying not to piss myself, since I was dead below the waist and helplessly subject to nature's various whims. Eventually, five hours after the operation, I was cleared to go home.

Now, several days later, my knee is still a bit swollen and my stitches (three entry points, three small cuts) are a little gross-looking. I'm regaining mobility each day and I'm off the Percocet. I couldn't wait to get off of it. It didn't make me feel euphoric or happy or at ease---it just made me feel dizzy and disoriented, and totally uninterested in getting out of bed.

I guess I'll never be a drug addict.

My surgeon will remove the stitches a couple of days from now during my follow-up appointment and we'll begin outlining a rehab program. I've already lost a month to this injury and I'm ready to start walking, riding and working out, just like the old days. If I never see these crutches again, it will be too soon.

Countdown

2007-04-21T04:31:00.000-04:00

So the date of my knee surgery draws nearer. I'm not nervous about the actual procedure or the subsequent pain I'm sure to endure, but I can't shake this nagging feeling that my knee will never be the same as it was.

I'm not an anxious person, and I'm not a worrier. In fact, if anything, I tend to blow things off too often, even when they're important. I roll with the punches, go with the flow, float like the wind, etc. But thinking about my knee I just can't relax.

The swelling has subsided considerably, and I've regained a significant range of motion. I can now almost fully bend my knee and there is no longer a dull ache to the joint. That dull ache has been replaced with very sharp pains any time I move my leg in the wrong direction or try to walk on it. The pains are very localized and very specific to the area around my kneecap.

That's what I'm most worried about---my kneecap. I've heard that once you dislocate your patella, the chance of it slipping out of place in the future is increased considerably. I can't imagine getting hurt again. Just thinking about the sound my knee made when it gave out and the pain that it caused makes my stomach turn, and the idea that it could happen again at any time scares the crap out of me.

I've never had an injury like this before. I've never broken a bone (other than a toe or two), never been seriously cut and even the crashes I've had on the bike were nothing more than bruises and road rash. My knee is different. It's serious. It requires surgery.

All I can do is recover from the operation and begin a rehab program, and be serious about it. And above all, be careful. I can't imagine my life without weight lifting and bike racing, and a damaged knee could compromise both of those pursuits. I'll do whatever it takes to come back fully fit and stronger than ever. I have to.

I'll drive myself crazy otherwise.

Finally, A Diagnosis

2007-04-16T16:37:00.000-04:00

After two weeks of hobbling around on crutches, still unsure of the extent to which I damaged my left knee, I finally saw the orthopedist to follow-up on my MRI scan.

The diagnosis is much better than I had feared. No torn ligaments, no severe damage, no broken bones. To get a good idea of what I've got going on in my knee, I'll share with everyone my MRI report:

There is a large joint effusion with fluid observed in the medial gastrocnemius-semimembranosus bursa.

Translation: I have fluid in a pouch behind my knee joint as well as in the front. I could have told them that.

Full thickness cartilage defect measuring about 16mm in transverse dimension is observed at the patellar apex and medial facet on the axial series. The displaced cartilage fragment lies adjacent to the lateral side of the lateal femoral condyle. The displaced cartilage fragment measures about 14 mm in AP dimension and about 2 cm in craniocaudal dimension.

Translation: I knocked a chunk of cartilage loose when I dislocated my kneecap, and that sucker is still floating around in my knee. It's big.

There is marrow edema in the inferior pole of the patella medially. There is also marrow edema along the lateral aspect of the lateral femoral condyle with a little depression in the lateral distal femoral cortex.

Translation: Marrow edema is a common result of joint trauma, and indicates that I did indeed screw up my knee. There is marrow edema in multiple locations of my knee joint where trauma occurred.

The large joint effusion distends the joint and the patella is positioned slightly more lateral than usual. However, frank disruption of the medial retinacular complex is not appreciated.

Translation: The fluid causing my knee to swell is limiting my mobility. Duh. Also, my kneecap is just a tad out of place due to the pressure of the swelling, but overall the extent of the damage is not that severe.

But the most important observation, as far as I'm concerned:

The cruciate ligaments, collateral ligaments, quadriceps mechanism and muscles and tendons all appear normal. The medial and lateral meniscus both appear normal. Cartilage in the medial and lateral compartments is preserved.

Translation: I didn't tear my ACL, my MCL or any other ligaments and I don't have meniscus damage. I can't express in words how relieved I am to know that.

The bad news is that I'll still need surgery, though, to remove the chunk of cartilage that is still floating around in my knee causing pain and swelling. Luckily it will require no more than a small incision and arthroscopy, and won't result in a huge nasty scar like ACL surgery might.

I'm scheduled for surgery next Wednesday morning. After that I begin rehab and work toward getting back on the bike. With any luck I'll be able to make the Madison Cycling Regatta in Madison, Indiana in mid-July. I love that race, I'd hate to miss it.

More updates to come, of course.

O'Grady Finally Wins Something

2007-04-16T13:17:00.000-04:00

photo courtesy Luc Claessen

I must admit that since Floyd Landis' major screw-up in last year's Tour de France, I haven't really been following pro cycling at all. It's almost impossible anyway, with half of every article written about the pro peloton being about drugs and scandals, rather than the actual racing.

But watching Stuart O'Grady finally win something, and win Paris-Roubaix of all races, and win it BIG in a solo break, was really impressive. I'm sure by next week he'll fail a doping test and be banned for four years, but in the meantime, congrats to him. He's always been a tough racer and never, ever gives up, and it's high time that his dedication to the sport received a prize like the cobblestone trophy from the Hell Of The North.

Good work, you Aussie bastard.

Peering Within

2007-04-10T14:45:00.000-04:00

Today I had a date with a sexy Hitachi Airis II open MRI scanner, and I have to say I think we really hit it off. That's her pictured above. The only downside of our little rendezvous was that I kind of just laid there the whole time, but I don't think she's mad at me.

In all seriousness, though, I'm bummed out because I can't see the doctor for the follow-up until Monday, almost two full weeks since the initial injury of my knee. Then, finally, I will know the extent of the damage and if I will need surgery. Considering that it's been a full week since my knee collapsed and I still can't walk on it, move it quickly or bend it fully and my entire leg looks disfigured (seriously, my calf muscle is now half the size it used to be and now it's lumpy), I'd kind of like to get a quicker resolution.

The variations in medical care in this country are really astounding. If I was a professional athlete, say a football player, and I blew out my knee during a game, I'd be in surgery and then in rehab within two days. Since I'm just a regular dude, I have to wait in the emergency room, then wait to see an orthopedist, wait for an MRI, wait for a follow-up appointment and then wait again for actual surgery. If it turns out I need to be operated on, it will be a miracle if I go under the knife within three weeks of the injury date.

At least I'm finally getting some kind of return on all those medical insurance premiums I've been paying for years.

The Road To Recovery Part 1

2007-04-06T09:07:00.000-04:00

After three days of lying around the house in pain with a giant, softball-sized left knee, I finally visited the orthopedist. After looking at it for about two seconds, the doctor decided to drain the fluid from my kneecap. He took out about a pint of a tasty mix of fluid and blood with the largest needle I've ever seen. It felt great.

My knee is now considerably smaller, and until the lidocaine wears off, a lot less painful. I've got an MRI scheduled for this coming Tuesday morning to finally see the extent of the damage I've done to myself, and to determine if I'll need surgery. The final word on that will come on my follow-up appointment scheduled for Monday, April 16.

So I've still got a while before I know for sure how bad my knee is and how long it will take to recover, but at least the recovery ball is now rolling.

I just hope my whole racing season isn't shot. That would suck.

Day 2

2007-04-04T22:07:00.000-04:00

I've pretty much lost all mobility in my left knee today, and the swelling has yet to subside. Whatever I did in there (I'll find out for sure on Friday) is pretty serious, it appears.

These crutches are really starting to hurt my armpits, but the tops of my lats even more. I guess next time I plan to get injured I should lay off the back workouts.

Live and learn.

A Brief Hiatus, I Hope

2007-04-04T01:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I managed to dislocate my knee while working out in the gym. Mind you, I wasn't training my legs. In fact, I was doing shrugs. As I was returning the 55-pound dumbbells (one in each hand) to the weight rack on the other side of the gym, I stepped on my foot wrong and immediately felt my left knee pop out of place. I hit the floor with a thud and immediately knew I had done something bad. I was able to stand and attempt to walk it off (yeah right), but by the time I got home the knee had swollen to the size of a softball.

I eventually went to the emergency room and they immobilized it. I now have to wait until Friday to see an orthopedist and determine the extent of the damage. The initial x-rays came back with no breaks or bone damage, but only an MRI will reveal any tendon or ligament tearing. Hopefully the results are not as bad as the pain in my knee.

At any rate, I won't be racing again for at least a couple of weeks, minimum. It sucks because I was riding really strong and was hoping for some good showings in the upcoming crits and circuit races. But such is life.

Below is a photo of me just home from the hospital. Go Team Bolla!

Maybe someday I won't be such a moron.

Finally

2007-03-21T11:22:00.000-04:00

It's finally time for me to start racing this season. Saturday is the Clark State Forest Circuit Race, a super-fun yet super-dangerous loop through a surreal wooded area north of Louisville. Last year I felt absolutely superb during the first half of the race but eventually crashed out when a guy in front of me went sideways. A full flip over the bars and into a pile of leaves to the side of the road was the end for me.

I'm looking forward to finally turning the pedals in anger, but with this being my first race, my goals are merely to build my fitness and help my teammates to the best of my ability. The rest of the races in the Kentuckiana Spring Training Series are tailor-made for our teammate Sean, who currently leads the Cat. 3/4 points standings, so I'm sure our efforts will be directed toward securing more victories for him.

In the end, as long as I keep the rubber side down and finish the race with the pack, I'll be happy. If the team pulls off another win, I'll be ecstatic.

Race Report: Henryville Classic Road Race

2007-03-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

Unlike past race reports, where I've shared my experiences from within the peloton, this one is a little different. For the Henryville Classic Road Race near Clark State Forest in southern Indiana, I sat in the lead car for the Cat. 4/5 field. My buddy Jon was good enough to volunteer his driving services and I played co-pilot as we guided the low category racers around 36 miles (3 long laps) of scenic rural roads.

Actually, we pretty much only saw two guys behind us the whole time, since the eventual winner and one other rider took off from the very start of the race and never saw the 60-strong field again. The two top finishers crossed the finish line almost a minute and a half ahead of the third place rider, who was also way ahead of the main field.

You don't see many 36-mile, two-man breaks that end up successful in the end. Not only that, but they managed to catch and pass the Cat. 3/4 field that started the race five full minutes ahead of them. Good work guys!

In the 3/4 race, the field was much smaller (and slower!) and contained my Team Bolla teammates. I was only able to see them near the very end of the race as our Cat. 4/5 break eventually caught them, but I was able to catch the sprint finish. One of our newest additions to the team, Sean Steele, crushed the field in the final sprint by almost three bike lengths. There was no contest. With his second place in last week's L'Esprit road race and the win on Saturday, he now holds a major lead over the rest of the field in the Kentuckiana Spring Training Series. The rest of the team did very well, too, with just some bad luck for Larry, who had a strong break attempt fall apart after flatting and never catching the field again. He still finished the race with a valiant solo effort.

All in all, a great race, with good weather (eventually) and some strong riding by my teammates. As for me, my season race debut will be in two weeks at Clark State Forest, near the Henryville course. Can't wait.

A Close Shave For Charity

2007-02-28T13:17:00.000-05:00

Please join Team Bolla in the fight against childhood cancer!

On March 18, 2007, members of the Team Bolla cycling team will be raising money and shaving their heads as part of the annual St. Baldrick's Day charity event to fight cancer in children. We've already raised a fair amount of money---and grown a fair amount of hair---but we need your help!

Our goal is to raise $20,000 this year, and only through generous donations by people like you can we do so.

To help us reach our goal, please go to Team Bolla's St. Baldrick's Foundation team page and follow the link called "Donate Online". If you would rather donate offline, there is a form you can download as well. Any amount will help!

Reach out and help children in need by donating today! Thanks!

Testing The Legs

2007-02-25T01:17:00.000-05:00

I did as expected in the team's time trial test today as we prepare for the race season. I finished back in the pack with an adequate 19:02 for a hilly, windy 6-mile course. The best score for the men at this point is 17:35. Considering my training has been relatively reserved so far as I slowly build up to my big targets in the late spring and early summer, I'm not doing too shabby.

The entire team ride today (including time trial) was a very-cold 50 miles. The temperature, predicted to reach the 50s, barely cracked the 40s and the wind never died down. The legs were in bad shape by the end, but that's what I get for actually putting some effort into the TT.

All in all not a bad day on the bike. I guess I better go clean it now, since I can barely see the chain and the cables are all caked in dirt and road salt. Mmmmm...tasty.

Last Minute Prep

2007-02-22T06:15:00.000-05:00

For Team Bolla (version 2.0), the season starts March 3rd with the L'Esprit road race in Oldham County, KY. L'Esprit is the opening race of the annual Kentuckiana Spring Training Series, a local favorite.

The weather has finally improved and the temperatures are hovering between 45 and 50 on most days now. That's a good sign. With any luck we'll be spared major thunderstorms.

However, with my main target races not until May, June and July (specifically the LMPD crit in June and the Madison crit in July), I'll simply be working on my fitness during the Spring Series, and trying to help the team wherever possible. Since we'll be lining up for the Cat 3/4 races, we'll definitely have our work cut out for us, just like last year. This region always boasts a super-strong field of Cat 3s. Not wanting to name any names, there are definitely some infamous sandbaggers among that group. But such is life.

Hopefully I can keep from getting dropped in the first couple of races. After that, I should be fine, and then it's all systems go once the heat arrives.

Should be fun. Wish us luck.

"Winter" is spelled S-U-C-K

2007-02-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

Oldies But Goodies

2007-01-18T06:12:00.000-05:00

The weekly "Retiree Ride" was truly epic yesterday. 25+ guys showed up. Temperatures barely hit 40 degrees. 55 miles of rural roads. Average speed above 19 mph. All in under three hours.

And I only got dropped once, on the last hill. Not bad for January.

Picture Pages, Picture Pages...

2007-01-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

I've been a Flickr member for a while now and ever since I joined I've been pleasantly surprised by the number of great cycling photos that people post. Periodically I think I'll share a few here and help promote the few and the proud that actually care enough about bike racing to take pictures of it.

The first (click for Flickr page and photo info):

More to come.

Why Winter Sucks (A 236453 Part Series)

2007-01-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I developed a head cold that completely replaced my brain cavity with snot. Luckily it lasted only a couple of days and passed with little fanfare. There were no parades. Unfortunately, two days after feeling better, I've managed to develop a nagging cough that makes my chest hurt and my throat burn. It's more or less the most annoying thing that could happen right now.

So instead of joining the weekly "Retiree" group ride (3 hours, base tempo, good crowd), I'll be sitting at home hacking away and trying to get better.

This shouldn't affect my developing fitness levels too much since it's only one missed base ride, but lord knows I'll probably be coughing for a week. I almost never get sick, but when I do, it's always annoying and drawn out. At least I got some riding in yesterday.

Don't weep for me.

S&G Were Right

2006-12-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.

More YouTube Cycling Fun

2006-12-13T06:24:00.000-05:00

I have no idea what's going on, but it was shot at the Philly race in June this year and the guys are wearing cycling shorts.

Dude, WTF?

Basically Riding

2006-12-11T15:42:00.000-05:00

Rode 25 miles last Friday, 50 on Saturday, took a day off on Sunday and then rode 30 today. With the weather warmer for at least five or six more days, I should reach a pretty decent volume for this time of the year. I need at least two more 50+ mile rides before next Saturday, when I'll be out of town and off the bike.

New team kits come in this week. I'll be sure to model them for everyone.

What The Hell

2006-12-06T06:17:00.000-05:00

Periodically this blog gets kind of popular. The hits start picking up mostly during Grand Tours when I've traditionally posted lots of stuff about the pro peloton. July is a particularly busy month, with 70-100 hits per day (wow). The winter months, as you can imagine, are pretty dead. I don't post much, people don't visit much...it's more or less a ghost blog.

With this in mind, would someone like to explain to me why Peloton Fodder had over 350 hits on November 26? There were less than 30 visitors the day before!

Thank goodness all activity has returned to normal (20-30 per day). I wouldn't want to think I had an actual audience...

Gym Progress

2006-12-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

As my focus shifts from the gym back to the bike, I'll take a second to share a current weight lifting status report:

Body Weight: 175
Bench Press: 205
Squat: 275
Leg Press: 420

Not too bad for a skinny little twerp like me. With just 11 weeks until the start of the new road racing season, I can now shift to base riding and away from super heavy lifting. Time to slim down and speed up.

If anybody needs me, I'll be on the road somewhere freezing my ass off. Ah, the joys of winter training...

Bikin' Dirty

2006-10-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah, can't forget this:

I'm Not Dead Yet, I Think I'll Go For A Walk

2006-10-02T15:45:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not dead. I made only one post in September but there wasn't a lot of interesting stuff going on, so nobody missed anything.

I've been concentrating on my gym work, pushing myself to lift heavier weights and increase my overall muscle mass. I'm now squatting 235 for 5-6 reps on a regular basis and leg pressing 275. That doesn't sound like much to some, but if you've seen my skinny legs you'll realize I'm not doing too bad at all.

My shoulder is strong again and I've stepped up my bench press, with a max now back around my body weight - 170. I'm nowhere near the 205 I did four years ago but I'm getting there. My arms are again showing definition, my chest and back are larger and my shoulders are growing. I missed the feeling of working out like that.

I've started using the stationary trainer at the gym two to three times a week because it allows me to track my cadence, heart rate and wattage, something my regular bike trainer setup does not. My fitness is still decent despite scaling back the riding significantly.

All in all, I feel pretty great. If I can keep gaining muscle (especially in my legs) and maintain my fitness until my base training starts in November, I should be a pretty imposing force in the 3/4 racing scene next season. And if not, at least I've got some really good teammates to support.

I'll try not to go so long between posts, sorry about that if you missed me.

Are You Serious?

2006-09-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

Alessandro Petacchi is a moron. Dude, seriously, get a grip. I mean, I know it sucks to not be able to win sprints at will anymore, but Erik Zabel has been losing bunch kicks for years now and he's never punched anything. Douche.

Moving Forward

2006-08-29T16:35:00.000-04:00

The MRI results showed some minor damage left over from my original shoulder injury six or seven years ago, but other than some muscle scar tissue and a small growth on a bone, there's not too much wrong with my joint. The rotator cuff is more or less fine. Apparently the problem was a significant strain of an already weak muscle.

The orthopedist recommended some reduced intensity workouts (duh) and a gradual return to heavy weights. Considering that the only thing I can't do with my shoulder right now is the bench press and push-up (and on-the-bike power climbing), I'd say that's a pretty reassuring diagnosis. No surgery needed, no cortisone shots needed. What a relief!

The shoulder actually feels much better lately, as I've wisely stayed away from efforts that hurt the weak muscle to blame for all of my recent pain. Now I'm just trying to rebuild and strengthen it to avoid future problems. My shoulder is always going to grind and click, but I've got full range of motion and hopefully in the future I can avoid further pain.

In other news, my gym workouts have gotten really intense. My entire body is responding well to heavier weights and more intense sets, and I'm starting to regain some size I've lost over the past couple of years. The added strength and muscle mass will hopefully pay off next season, as I focus my bike training on sprinting and time trialing and away from climbing. I mean, who am I kidding? I live in the Ohio River Valley. It's almost impossible to find a hill taller than 900 feet anywhere in the immediate area, and hilly races are few and far between. Screw climbing. I want to kill guys at the line. My flamingo legs will hopefully be a thing of the past, and ultimately I'll become a powerful sprinter. Maybe.

See you in the gym.

Waiting Game

2006-08-23T13:50:00.000-04:00

Had the MRI on my shoulder (those are loud!) and now I'm waiting for word back from my doctor. I hate waiting around for crap like this. Let's get going on fixing it already!

A Setback

2006-08-19T23:58:00.000-04:00

I've managed to re-injure my bad rotator cuff, which may or may not need surgery to fully repair. I have an MRI scheduled for Monday, at which point my doctor will decide which direction to take. At this point I can't ride the bike very long without significant aching and fatigue in my shoulder and arm, so training is pretty much out.

In the meantime, I'll still be crushing my legs in the gym no matter what happens. With any luck I'll once again get to use them. Whatever happens, I hope my shoulder gets better and I can return to full athletic performance by next season (see: March).

Another Win For Cycling

2006-08-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

Andy Rihs, the owner of the now-infamous Phonak team, has decided to disband the squad after this season. Without a title sponsor for next year (iShares pulled out), he's decided that running a team of past, present and future suspended dopers is probably not the best career move.

Anybody tired of doping scandals yet?

Overload

2006-08-11T12:15:00.000-04:00

Since the end of the Tour de France and the subsequent Floyd Landis ClusterF-ck™, I've posted hardly anything about the pro racing scene. To be honest, I've only barely been following the European peloton. I'm pretty tired of reading about all the stupid doping drama: the accusations, the suspensions, the denials, the counter-accusations...

I just wish everybody would get on their bikes and ride, and quit screwing around. European pro cycling is in major trouble these days. I'm afraid I'm starting to lose interest as the stupidity continues. Until I see a major change of direction on the part of the riders, the organizers, the sponsors and the team managers, all I'm going to do is get frustrated by scandals and screw-ups.

I will say this, though: congrats to my boy Jens Voigt for winning the Tour of Germany. Now I just hope he passes the drug tests...

Hans and Franz

2006-08-08T16:43:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a funny story. About three years ago I was still an aspiring body builder. Well, maybe not a full-on, 'roid-filled beefcake body builder, but I was pretty serious about increasing my muscle mass. I was doing heavy weight lifting six times a week at a local gym. Despite being naturally lanky, I had increased my strength enough to bench press over 200 pounds (at a weight of 175) and leg press nearly 450.

Three years ago, my arms looked like this:

Let's just say they don't look like that anymore.

Long story short, I quit lifting weights and started racing bikes. Overall I think it was a good choice for me, since I'm a competitive person and I could never hope to be truly competitive at body building. That and body builders are creepy assholes. So I started racing bikes and lost a lot of weight, especially in my upper body. My weight dropped from 175 to 155 in just a year and a half, mostly from the loss of mass in my arms and chest.

Long story shorter, after a full season of racing, I've realized I'm weak in some areas, especially in sprinting and hard solo efforts. The remedy? Gym work! I rejoined a gym, have restarted my old workout routine (modified slightly for the needs of cycling) and already feel the burn in my muscles. To be honest, I really missed it, and being back makes me feel at home. Maybe in a couple of years if this racing thing doesn't work out I'll go back to full-on body building. Who knows?

All I do know is that next season I'll be faster, stronger and waaaaay more attractive. 'Cause that's really all that matters.

Short Cuts

2006-08-08T13:14:00.000-04:00

Cyclingnews.com has posted an interesting article on cheating during the early years of the Tour de France. Maybe taking a train to the finish line of a stage instead of riding the bike is less scientific than pumping yourself full of testosterone, but it's still cheating.

Bacon Chord

2006-08-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

Somehow I've managed to hurt my left hamstring. Not sure how, but for the past few days the back of my leg has been pretty tender and uncomfortable, like I just did squats in the gym for the first time in long time---except that I haven't.

I woke up on Wednesday with my leg hurting, so I did some light stretching and tried to stay off of it, which helped some. Then yesterday it wasn't quite as bad and I did an hour and a half on the bike at a pretty light pace, which didn't hurt it at all, it seemed. Today, though, it's still bugging me. Not any worse, but not any better.

I'd love to know what I did to my poor hammy. Maybe now is the time to invest in that personal masseuse I've always wanted.

Couldn't hurt, right?

Dog Days - Audio Post #3

2006-08-03T13:13:00.000-04:00

It's hot outside and there's nothing to do but dope.

More On Floyd

2006-08-02T13:08:00.000-04:00

Missingsaddle.com weighs in on the whole Floyd Landis clusterf-ck:

I raced against Floyd in 1999 and 2000 when he first switched from mountain bike to road racing, and I can assure you he was ripping guy’s legs off from the beginning. He caused the power house team at the time, Mercury, so much grief that spring they decided to hire him rather than fight him. A year later, in only his second season of road racing, he placed 4th in the Tour de L’Avenir –the amateur Tour de France. Success in road racing is nothing new for Floyd and it’s no surprise to see him winning the Tour.

It's a good article.

One of Missingsaddle.com's founders is local Cat 1 racer Skiles Keith, who periodically races with American pros and is quite a formidable member of Louisville's premier top amateur racing team, Texas Roadhouse. Be sure to check out the video interviews while you're there.

Holy God

2006-08-02T06:18:00.000-04:00

Dude, that's a chick!

Photo of Laura Van Gilder courtesy of Mark Zalewski

Man Fuel

2006-07-31T12:54:00.000-04:00

Mostly because there's not much else to talk about, here's some more interesting facts about Testosterone testing and the like courtesy of the ever-amazing Cyclingnews.com:

A study of nearly 4000 male athletes reported the median T/E ratio to 1/1 with 99 percent of the men having a ratio less than 5.6/1. Another sample of about 5000 male athletes found the mean ratio to be 1.5/1.

However, there are documented cases of non-doping athletes with T/E ratios greater than 6/1; as a result, additional testing is required to determine the etiology of the elevated ratio.

This whole ordeal is really starting to depress me.

The Phonak Legacy

2006-07-29T06:11:00.000-04:00

Cyclingnews.com ran an interesting piece on the sorry legacy of Team Phonak. One guess, and it rhymes with "mope". Nine doping cases in two years. Ouch.

Ask The Experts

2006-07-28T16:27:00.000-04:00

Funny thing about testosterone, it's not something you can inject or apply to the skin that works overnight, and overnight application doesn't produce phenomenal results such as Floyd Landis' victory in Stage 17 of the Tour de France. From Bloomberg.com:

"This effect takes several weeks to come into play," said Charles Yesalis, a Penn State University professor of health and human development, in a telephone interview today. "I don't want to sound like Oliver Stone, but it raises some questions in my mind as to what's going on here."

For more information on methods of testosterone delivery, follow this link right here. Happy doping.

Well Crap

2006-07-27T12:44:00.000-04:00

I'd love to be able to say this is a total and complete shock, but seriously, we're talking about pro cycling. Need to win a stage of the Tour? Well, just shoot up!

Floyd Landis failed a test for high testosterone levels just after his amazing win in Stage 17, and now he awaits results of the "B" sample to confirm.

Great. Super. Awesome. Swell.

Just what we all needed after the bullshit of the Operation Puerto case. Looks like Landis may get a longer recovery period than he expected after his hip operation. Or perhaps his "hip problem" was just a pre-emptive cover story to use if he ultimately got busted for shooting T'. That would figure...

EDIT: And I would just like to accept the dubious honor of having predicted this whole sorry affair. In my post on Thursday, July 20th, I wrote:

All I have to say is how does a man who completely cracks in the mountains one day come back to win by six minutes the very next? With all the drug scandals and rumors floating around, I just wonder if Landis really should have been so bold today. I guess it just doesn't matter if you're racing for the maillot jaune.

So I've got that going for me. Wonderful.

Wow.

2006-07-27T06:17:00.000-04:00

Peloton Fodder somehow managed to double its daily traffic total yesterday, and I didn't even post anything special! I'm not even going to ponder how the site got so popular, if even for one day. Thanks to all visitors, new and old, for a few moments of your attention.

Hot And Tough

2006-07-26T18:53:00.000-04:00

Well, so much for short rides. Today I did 3 hours (60 miles) with a couple of Papa Johns buddies and two other guys on a route out to Shelby and Oldham counties on the outskirts of sunny Louisville, KY. Though originally planned as an "easy" ride, a couple of times we turned up the pace a bit. All in all a great ride and good company.

Now, back to resting. Oh yeah.

Hot and Dull

2006-07-26T12:42:00.001-04:00

Not much to write about these past few days. The Tour is over, the weather is hot, and I'm pretty much finished racing for the season. It's hard to believe I've already been turning pedals in anger for six months this year. To say that my body is tired and my mind burnt-out would be an understatement. My rides for the time being are easy and fairly short, and will remain so for the next couple of months.

Starting in August I'll make my triumphant return to the gym. Several years ago I weighed 20 pounds more than I do now, but it wasn't fat---it was muscle. I used to be an aspiring (albeit skinny) body-builder and hit the gym no less than five days a week. My plan this time will not focus on super heavy weights and power reps like back in the day, but it will see quite a lot of overall volume (lower weight, higher reps). Should be painful, nonetheless.

So, other than that, not much going on. I'll figure out something exciting to write before long, though.

Tour de Floyd

2006-07-24T12:30:00.000-04:00

Another Tour de France in the history books, another American winner.

Last photo courtesy of Sirotti
This year's race was just as crazy and chaotic as everyone thought it would be. I think some fans will have a greater appreciation of how Armstrong and his team controlled everything during the last seven Tours, if not for the guy himself. While I appreciate their control, I prefer a race that's more open and contested, like this year's.

Despite the loss of the big pre-race favorites, this Tour didn't let anyone down. Let's hope next year is more of the same!

Oh Man...

2006-07-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

An American winner of the Tour de France eight years straight? Oh man, the French are gonna be pissed.

Landis The Winner....WTF?!

2006-07-20T13:51:00.000-04:00

One day after sucking harder than he's ever sucked before, Floyd Landis regained his legs and crushed the field on the final Alpine stage of the Tour de France, finishing nearly six minutes ahead of second place Carlos Sastre.

Photo courtesy of AFP
Landis nearly reclaimed his entire deficit to the race leader Oscar Pereiro, and now sits just thirty seconds behind as the final time trial nears. It's no secret that Landis is one of the very best time trialists in this race, so once again the race looks to be his to lose.

All I have to say is how does a man who completely cracks in the mountains one day come back to win by six minutes the very next? With all the drug scandals and rumors floating around, I just wonder if Landis really should have been so bold today. I guess it just doesn't matter if you're racing for the maillot jaune.

Regardless, good luck to him. One thing is for sure in this race now---I'm done trying to make predictions!

Landis The Loser

2006-07-20T06:20:00.000-04:00

Stage 16 saw some tough mountains, and Floyd Landis saw his chances of winning the Tour de France explode along with his legs.

Photo courtesy of Roberto Bettini
The American heir-apparent to Lance Armstrong sucked major balls on the final climb to the finish and is now 8 minutes behind the new race leader---a guy his team allowed to gain 30 minutes in a daring break back on Stage 13. Oops. I guess 13 is Oscar Pereiro 's lucky number so far.

Landis will have to do some major repair work today if he wants to reach the podium. My money is on Carlos Sastre, to be honest.

Snot-nosed Punks

2006-07-19T06:21:00.000-04:00

Young Frank Schleck, winner of this year's Amstel Gold Race, made an even bigger splash with his impressive win atop Alpe d'Huez, the queen of all Alpine climbs. He flew up the 21 hairpins to the ski station like floating on a cloud.

Photo courtesy of AFP
Close behind in second place, another young powerhouse, Damiano Cunego. Though so far inconsistent in his performances, Cunego could be THE cyclist of the future. Now he just has to learn how to time trial.

Today's stage is already underway, and should prove to be even more decisive than yesterday's. With Floyd Landis back in yellow, look for a big attack from him to seal the deal. At least, that's what I would do...

Another Grim Reminder

2006-07-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

Cycling is a dangerous sport, and not just when riding at high speeds on light bikes next to dozens of other racers desperate for victory. Sometimes casual group rides can turn tragic.

On Sunday a driver, suspected of alcohol and drug intoxication, plowed into a group of ten Cincinnati cyclists out on a casual group ride. Two were killed and the suspect now faces two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide (and hopefully also DUI).

This is yet another reminder of the risks involved for all cyclists, not just the racers. Whenever I hear drivers complain about unruly cyclists, I always shake my head---sure, cyclists can be negligent and stupid, but what poses more danger? A 16 pound bike or a 3500 pound car?

My thoughts are with the friends and families of Amy Gehring and Terry Walker, the riders killed in Sunday's crash. To everyone else who rides, keep your head up and ride safe, always.

Spin Punch Of Fury

2006-07-16T19:43:00.000-04:00

Just in case you didn't know, I like to spend hours a day browsing the millions of video clips on YouTube. You can find pretty much anything on that site, and in an effort to prove my point, I offer for you, the valiant and dedicated readers of Peloton Fodder, this clip:

Now, some questions. In what race did this occur? Are these guys pros or amateurs? Is it just me, or do they look to be wearing the same kits, and therefore are teammates? Who taught him that killer spin move?

So many questions in life, so many...

Kentucky Summer

2006-07-15T15:02:00.000-04:00

As you can see by the forecast below, summer has arrived in scenic Louisville, Kentucky:

Courtesy Weather.com
You know it's going to be a miserable summer when 93 is the temperature at night. Oh, and don't mistake Louisville for Phoenix. Every day next week will have humidity between 40-50%, which essentially makes it feel like you're sitting in a sauna the whole time. I somehow doubt I'll be doing any heavy outside training over the next few days...

Lazy Friday

2006-07-14T15:05:00.000-04:00

Peloton Fodder podcast numero dos. Enjoy!

Discovery Back In Action

2006-07-14T14:22:00.000-04:00

Discovery Channel was all but dead. That's what the web sites and the commentators were saying after yesterday's mountain stage, where George Hincapie, Yaroslav Popovych and Paolo Savoldelli all finished far back and lost tons of time to guys like Floyd Landis and Denis Menchov. Today, however, a redemption:

Photo courtesy of AFP
Popovych attacked his breakaway partners with 3 km to go and won solo across the line in today's Stage 12 of the Tour de France. He finished nearly four and a half minutes ahead of the main field, including Landis, Menchov and all the other contenders. Popovych now moves into tenth place overall, halving his deficit to the leader and positioning himself well as the race nears the Alps. The current overall:

1 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 53.57.30
2 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance 0.08
3 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 1.01
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 1.17
5 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 1.52
6 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile 2.29
7 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile 3.22
8 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) Agritubel 3.33
9 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance 3.44
10 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel 4.15

Every single day this Tour gives us more surprises.

What isn't surprising, though, is George Hincapie's complete lack of contention for the overall win. At least, it's not a surprise to me. Just before this Tour started, tons of people---even some with credibility like Bob Roll and his OLN coworkers---were predicting Hincapie to win it all or at least finish on the podium. This for a guy who had only won a single stage of the Tour in the past 7 years and who had never been among the top contenders in high mountain passes. They were picking him above people like Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich (still set for the race at that point). I assume it may have been residual Lance-sturbation, but whatever the reason they chose Hincapie, it was wrong.

Seriously, Hincapie's a great one day rider and a strong climber in certain places, but he's no Grand Tour winner.

Look for Popovych to use Jose Azevedo in the Alps and ride a strong final time trial. He could easily finish in the top 5. As for the top spot on the podium, that's for Floyd Landis to lose.

Mountains Change Everything

2006-07-14T06:28:00.000-04:00

Dennis Menchov wins Stage 11, Floyd Landis takes the yellow jersey, Levi Leipheimer remembers where he put his legs and gets second place on the day. Oh what a few Category 1 mountains can do to a peloton...

Drip Drip Drip

2006-07-13T17:08:00.000-04:00

Oh my god it's hotter than balls outside today. I rode for two and a half hours and lost 10 pounds to the humidity. Louisville is nothing but a giant rain forest in the summer.

What Really Matters

2006-07-12T16:18:00.000-04:00

The point of bike racing is not to win races, the point of bike racing is to look good in the photos of the races. Duh.

Photos courtesy of Anthony Tan
Some understand this better than others. Cipo was the true master, though, because he looked good and won races. Nothing can really compare to that.

Yawn

2006-07-12T16:02:00.000-04:00

I hope the summit finish at the end of tomorrow's Tour de France stage will be more exciting than the yawn-fest today. Geez. A break that finished 7 minutes ahead of the main contenders, in the mountains? Where's Lance when you need him?

I thought I'd never say that...

Poor Tom

2006-07-11T14:44:00.000-04:00

World Champion Tom Boonen finished the 9th stage of the Tour de France the same way he's finished all the others so far: as a loser. Of course, being a loser in cycling isn't the end of the world, since only one guy can win at a time, but failing to win a single sprint when given 7 chances is pretty bad if you're one of the world's very best in the discipline.

Photo courtesy of AFP
Oscar Freire scored his second stage victory by just barely beating a late-coming Robbie McEwen at the line. Watching the replay on OLN, it's amazing how far back McEwen was when he came around on the left, but he closed the gap and took second place within five meters. Amazing.

Not so amazing was Boonen, as it is clear in the photo above that even Erik Zabel beat him at the line. Dude, Zabel is like 60 years old.

Race Report: Madison Cycling Regatta (Criterium)

2006-07-09T18:11:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I lined up with 25 other Cat 4s (including four teammates) for a 50 minute crit in beautiful Madison, Indiana. Madison is home to the famous Madison Regatta boat race, but also to the somewhat less-famous Madison Cycling Regatta bike race. The weather was perfect, the course was scenic and the atmosphere was pretty laid-back. Even better, all the proceeds of the races will go to Bret Neylon, an Indiana racer recently paralyzed in a crash.

At the start I struggled to get my foot in the pedal but had no problem finding a spot in the pack because the first left turn took us up a steady power climb that slowed everyone down. I figured this climb would be the site of a winning attack by somebody, but it never quite worked out that way.

The first couple of six-turn laps saw me in my usual spot at the back of the field, assessing my opponents and learning the course. After five or six loops, I decided to get a bit more active and take some pressure off my teammates that had been policing the front. On the hill I hit it hard and came up on the right side (the road was four lanes of wide-open pavement, closed course) and took the lead. I sat on the front for a little while, and then just moved about in the front five spots for the rest of the race.

About half way into the 50 minutes, the initial attacks had been caught, the pace was slowing (due to fatigue, I assume) and the group was still all together. Ideal conditions for a bold attack, but I didn't quite have the legs and wasn't confident anyone would go with me. I needed at least one other guy to work with me but it was clear that everyone in the pack was marking our team---anytime one of us turned up the pace, ten guys were on our wheels. Flattering, but frustrating too.

Fast forward to the last three laps. I was comfortably sitting third wheel, still not suffering and still waiting for a good opportunity to try something. By the second-to-last lap, I knew I would need to attack on the hill and go for it, but for some reason I didn't. I stayed where I was and just waited like a tool.

On the last lap, everybody jacked it up the hill into the second left turn, and with so much room to pass, I got boxed in and shoved back a few spots. My perfect position was gone. The rest of the lap went by quickly, and we hit the final straight with tons of speed. I was able to pass one guy in the sprint but finished a lousy 11th out of 25. The best result our team got was 9th place. Even worse, we all got beat by another 15 year-old, Clayton from the Papa John's team. I like Clayton, so I didn't beat him up in the parking lot after the race like I should have, but I can't promise to be nice much longer. Hopefully he'll discover cars and girls soon and quit racing bikes so the rest of us have some kind of chance for success...

What's In A Name?

2006-07-09T01:11:00.000-04:00

Without going into a lot of details, let's just say that the first long individual time trial of the 2006 Tour de France didn't quite go as expected. Levi Leipheimer sucked. David Zabriskie and George Hincapie underachieved. Floyd Landis kicked ass again, but, like in the prologue, he suffered mechanical troubles and lost precious seconds.

The winner was not-so-surprising Serguei Gonchar of T-Mobile. Long a gifted time trialist (and former World Champion in the discipline), Gonchar flew to victory with more than a minute between himself and second place Landis.

Photo courtesy of AFP
So Gonchar won. Or did he?

Gonchar has long been a mystery to me because he apparently has several dozen names. Nobody ever talks about it, but it is apparently impossible to decide which spelling of his name is correct. To illustrate my point, we'll take a quick tour of some popular cycling web sites:

Cyclingnews.com calls him "Sergui Gonchar" in their report on the ITT results (linked above). In the shorter Stage 7 Wrap-Up, his first name becomes "Serguei". However, in the 2006 Teams Database on the same site, his name is "Serhiy Honchar".

In the PezCyclingNews.com report on the TT results, a photo caption lists the winner as "Sergei Gonchar" but the text of the report calls him "Sergie Honchar". That's not all, though, because in the results listings at the bottom of the page, the winner is listed as both "Serhiy" and "Sergie" Honchar. For those at home keeping count, that's three different spellings on one page!

VeloNews.com is more consistent, but still different, calling the winner "Sergei Gontchar" with a "t".

The official Tour de France site refers to the winner as both "Serhiy" and "Sergiy" Honchar on the same page.

But, the spelling of his name is "Serhiy Honchar" on the official T-Mobile web site and is the most commonly used version on most sites in general. You'd think his own team would get his name right.

Apparently not so. In an interview with Cyclingnews.com just posted today, the man himself says that the correct spelling of his name is really "Serguei Gonchar". The "Serhiy Honchar" spelling comes from an apparent mistake on his passport, which he is therefore forced to use legally despite being incorrect.

Regardless of all that, he's quite a locomotive despite being 36, and definitely earned his stage win and his maillot jaune. Congrats to him, whatever his name is.

Off The Rails

2006-07-07T06:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Tom Boonen lost another sprint, this time to fellow World Championship winner Oscar Freire. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

Quick Step has absolutely no lead-out train whatsoever. In the sprint yesterday, only Pippo Pozzato and Steven De Jongh were in front of Boonen leading the peloton into the final straight. That doesn't sound so bad, except that their lead-out effort was so weak that the Credit Agricole train actually caught and passed them. Passed them! That left Boonen in a lousy position and the rest is history.

Boonen is not the kind of sprinter that can go it alone. Like Ale-Jet Petacchi, Boonen needs at least two, maybe three strong guys to lead him out in the final 1000 meters. He doesn't have that at all so far at the Tour de France, and it's pathetic to watch.

Who ever heard of the best sprinter in the world's lead-out train getting passed in the final 500 meters of ANY race, let alone a stage of the Tour? It's a damn travesty! Where the hell is Guido Trenti when you need him?

We're Missing Out

2006-07-05T17:07:00.001-04:00

So there's this computer game called Pro Cycling Manager, and apparently it's mostly just available in Europe. I did manage to find some interesting videos of the game online, though. Take, for example, the clip below, titled "Tom Boonen The One And Only".

Three questions here:

1. What the hell is wrong with the physics of this game? The corners are all 90 degrees and the riders don't lean at all through them. It's pretty weird-looking.

2. What's with the cheese soundtrack?

3. Why is Tom Boonen wearing what appears to be a Gerolsteiner kit?

I'm so confused by those crazy Europeans...but I kinda want a copy of PCM.

The Return of Mc2wen

2006-07-05T16:35:00.002-04:00

After yesterday's late attack and win by Matthias Kessler in Stage 3, everyone was looking to maillot jaune-wearer Tom Boonen to finally take a win in this year's Tour. Unfortunately for him, Boonen's arch-nemesis Robbie McEwen had something to say about that.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Devich
That's two stage wins already for McEwen, who now wears the Green Jersey. Boonen retains the overall race lead. Tomorrow's stage is another pan-flat pace session to what will surely be another bunch sprint finish---and hopefully for Tornado Tom, a big win.

Winding Down

2006-07-04T01:49:00.000-04:00

I'm seriously considering making this weekend's crit in Madison, IN the final race of the season for me. I may do one or two more, but they will be purely for "fun". Madison will be the last one where I'll try hard for a good result.

We've been racing since late February, nearly five full months, and by the end of July I will probably have done 15 or more races. That's a lot of racing, especially for someone who just got into it this year. To be honest, with the summer heat and the months of hard training already under my belt, I'm about worn out.

I'm looking forward to easier rides and work in the gym starting in September. Then in mid-November, I restart my base period with tons of 4+ hour rides in the small chainring. Hopefully we'll have another mild winter, but who knows? What with this global warming crap, you never can be sure.

But, that said, the only thing I hate more than riding in 30 degree weather is riding the trainer inside. If I have to freeze my balls off, so be it. Considering how big they are, the loss of weight will probably make me a better climber.

Who am I kidding?

Thor de France

2006-07-04T01:09:00.000-04:00

Stage 2 of the Tour de France proved to be much more than just a sprinter's stage. Far from being all flat, a steady string of categorized climbs made staying up front all the more challenging, and a late crash at the 2 km mark really split the peloton. The big sprinters were still up front for the finish, though, and Robbie McEwen took the win just ahead of a dejected Tom Boonen.

The real story is Thor Hushovd's return to Yellow, as his intermediate sprint efforts and a strong third place at the stage finish proved enough to send him back on top of the general classification.

Photo courtesy of Sirotti
Thor's strong riding was not without incident, however. Just one day after taking a deep cut to his right arm from a fan's sign during the finish of Stage 1, Hushovd managed to pull a foot out of his left pedal during the finale of Stage 2, nearly crashing into Robbie McEwen at 40 miles an hour. He managed to keep the bike upright and cruised across the line in third place despite pedaling with only one leg. Not too shabby.

The next few stages will remain relatively flat, so Mighty Thor may be able to keep his maillot jaune a while longer---but look for Tom Boonen. He's likely aching for a stage win after being frustrated the past two days.

Risky Business

2006-07-03T05:47:00.000-04:00

Stage 1 of the Tour de France turned out to be more exciting than predicted. Tom Boonen got left alone by his teammates and wore himself out far from the finish line, Robbie McEwen couldn't get around Jimmy Casper of all people, and Thor Hushovd took a fan's sign to the arm---and managed to spray blood everywhere.

Even more noteworthy than all of that, George Hincapie became only the fourth American ever to wear the maillot jaune. He joins the illustrious club of Lemond, Armstrong and Zabriskie. Now let's see if he can keep it.

Droppin' The Hammer

2006-07-01T20:51:00.000-04:00

Finally after one of the worst days in pro cycling history, the Tour de France got under way with a short and technical 7.1km Prologue. Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie were favored to win, but sprinter/Classics rider/time trialist Thor Hushovd, the Norwegian Hammer, powered to an impressive win.

Photo courtesy AFP
George Hincapie barely finished second just .73 seconds behind, and Dave Zabriskie pulled out third place but farther back at nearly 4 and a half seconds.

All in all it was exciting (even for time trialing), with the major "highlight" being Floyd Landis' late start due to a cut tire. The clock ticked down and the starting beep could be heard, but Landis was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, some six to eight seconds later, he sailed through the starting tunnel and onto the course, and still managed to finish 9th. The margin by which he lost the race was almost equal to the time he lost changing his wheel. Was the yellow jersey his to lose? We'll never know.

Can't wait for tomorrow. The sprinters come out to play, which will likely see a head-to-head battle between the World Champion's jersey and the maillot jaune. And a little Australian named Robbie.

Peloton Fodder Goes Multimedia!

2006-07-01T00:54:00.000-04:00

Click the play button below to hear the first ever Peloton Fodder podcast. Hopefully in the future there will be more such audio entries, and hopefully I can make them interesting. I might entertain the ideas of on-site race reports, interviews with other local riders (both off the bike and on), and maybe some other similar super-boring stuff. Try not to fall asleep while listening.

Thanks.

Tour Favorites?

2006-06-30T16:09:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the doping scandal bloodbath continues. The top contenders currently out of the Tour de France are:

Jan Ullrich
Ivan Basso
Francisco Mancebo
Alexander Vinokourov
Which leaves, by my estimation, the following true contenders for the overall:

Floyd Landis
Levi Leipheimer
Denis Menchov
Yaroslav Popovich
Carlos Sastre
Cadel Evans
Alejandro Valverde
Gilberto Simoni
Damiano Cunego
All in all, not a bad list of contenders, really. Despite losing the top two favorites, the remaining general classification riders are still a very strong, impressive group of athletes. The Tour could be even more exciting despite the loss of Ullrich, Basso and Vinokourov.

And at any rate, Tom Boonen and Dave Zabriskie are still riding, so all is well for me. Them's my boys.

¿Qué sobre las drogas? No sé.

2006-06-30T11:59:00.000-04:00

It's tough not to have an opinion about doping in cycling. Since I'm far too poor to afford truly performance-enhancing substances and don't have any kind of medical connections, you can trust that I'm an unbiased observer of this topic.

Concerning the continuing Spanish doping investigation, I personally think it a bit of an overreaction to immediately kick out top riders from the Tour de France simply because their names showed up on a list of suspects. Nobody has been legally charged with anything, and nobody has failed any doping controls. All it took was an accusation and the biggest race of the year is over before it started for guys like Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso. That seems a bit harsh. I understand the importance of maintaining a positive image for the sport as a whole, but Lance Armstrong was accused of doping (including very serious, substantial accusations) throughout the last seven years and he was never threatened with suspension from his team nor any races. That seems a tad inconsistent to me.

As for doping in general, I will maintain my earlier position. As long as winning is the goal of bike racing, doping will continue to be a problem. As long as EPO produces almost magical performance gains for cyclists, it will continue to be a problem. There's no getting around it. As long as cheating produces wins, riders will cheat. Banning all the various forms of doping will always prove ineffective just as banning alcohol failed in the United States during Prohibition and just as banning illegal drugs during the War On Drugs has also failed. You can't make something go away by banning it---you have to remove the motivation behind the behavior. As winning races is the motivation behind doping and bike racing in general, doping and bike racing will never be separated. You could test every rider every day and nothing would change.

Is doping always wrong? I don't know. Can it be physically dangerous to those who dope? Yes. That's the main concern for me. If race organizers insist on making every stage of a month-long grand tour more than 150 kilometers full of crosswinds, rough terrain and high mountains, doping will be almost necessary for riders who want to win. Some of those riders could endanger their health through unsafe doping. Would it be more realistic, and ultimately more responsible, to regulate the legal use of doping substances as to protect the riders' health and maintain a level competitive field? Would that even work?

Who knows? I do know that the ongoing rhetoric of "cleaning up the sport" and "kicking out the cheats" will ultimately prove meaningless, just like it did back in 1998 when doping was supposedly eliminated by the Festina Affair. As we have seen, doping will always be a part of professional cycling. It's tough to accept, but reality is what it is. I'm now of the opinion that every single member of the pro peloton has doped in the past and/or is currently doping, and those who haven't/aren't sure aren't winning any races.

Basso OUT!!

2006-06-30T06:30:00.000-04:00

Pre-race favorite Ivan Basso is now officially OUT of the Tour de France, set to begin July 1st. He has been suspended by his team CSC after being implicated in an ongoing doping network investigation in Spain.

Francisco Mancebo, a strong climber and general classification contender, is also out. EDIT: Mancebo has subsequently announced his retirement from pro cycling.

The expected Tour showdown between Jan Ullrich and Basso is now only a dream, as both riders will sit out the biggest, most important stage race in cycling. Damn.

More to come...

Ullrich Out Of The Tour

2006-06-30T06:12:00.000-04:00

As of 0934 this morning (France time), Jan Ullrich has been suspended from T-Mobile due to his alleged connection to the ongoing Spanish doping affair. Ullrich will not participate in the 2006 Tour de France!

Holy shit.

I guess it wasn't necessary for us to see his full grossness during the medical check after all:

Disgusting photo "courtesy" of AFP.
Also out is Ullrich's teammate Oscar Sevilla, leaving T-Mobile with just about ZERO legitimate general classification riders. Ouch.

But the fun is not over. Also among the riders listed as involved in the vast doping network are the following major stars: Francisco Mancebo of AG2R, both Jose Gutierrez's of Phonak, Jörg Jaksche and Joseba Beloki as well as Isidro Nozal and Michele Scarponi of Astana-Wurth. And the biggest name of them all: Ivan Basso of CSC. No word yet on Basso's status for the Tour.

And that's not nearly the full list of implicated riders. To say this is bigger than the 1998 Festina Affair would be an understatement...more to come, no doubt.

Inside His Mind

2006-06-29T14:40:00.000-04:00

I'm really digging these Dave Zabriskie podcasts.

Most Intimidating Peloton EVER

2006-06-27T15:40:00.000-04:00

Nobody does intimidation quite like New Yorkers. Case in point---the recent Skyscraper-Harlem Criterium held on June 18 this year.

Apparently the only guys who race in New York City are body builders. Clearly, I don't spend enough time in the gym (or the tattoo shop, and I'm no slacker in that department).

4/5 race winner Gavin Robertson (left) sprints for the line. Holy crap.

Pro/1/2/3 rider Mike McGinley at the start. My tattoos might as well be magic marker.
All photos courtesy of Marco Quezada
They would crush me, for I am but a weak, frail little man.

I'm Afraid Of Needles

2006-06-26T11:14:00.000-04:00

So this whole Spanish doping scandal is getting out of control. Everybody and their mother has been implicated now, including Jan Ullrich and even Tyler Hamilton, who seems less and less credible every time some new info on his blood doping case hits the papers.

The latest reports from CyclingNews are depressing, to say the least. I mean, it's no secret that just about every pro cyclist in the ProTour is a doper, but the full scope of the cheating is becoming mind-blowing.

On one hand it's sad because I'm coming to realize that most of my cycling idols are doped to the gills. But on the other hand it's extremely reassuring---I don't suck so bad after all. I look at races like the Tour de France and know that I could never perform at that level, ever. Now it's more clear than ever that the pros can't do it either, at least not with a little "help".

The good news is that neither Tom Boonen nor Ivan Basso have been implicated at all in the Spanish scandal. I guess they found an outside supplier. Good thinkin'.

What Are Friends For?

2006-06-23T13:05:00.000-04:00

Frankie Andreu and his wife Betsy, long time friends of The Boss™, have apparently sold his ass out. Funny what an oath to tell the truth will do to honest people.

But let's be honest, who wasn't taking EPO back in 1996? And who still isn't?

A Speedy Recovery

2006-06-23T12:45:00.000-04:00

Recently, a regional racer named Bret Neylon was seriously injured in a crash during a race in Ohio. I'm definitely not the only person to wish him a speedy recovery and the very best of luck. I'll be following all the updates on his condition hoping each day he shows massive improvement.

Bret Neylon leading the winning break during the Cat 3 race at the LMPD Crit.
Photo courtesy of John Bennett
Get better, Bret. We all hope to see you on the road again soon.

Snore Part 2

2006-06-22T13:34:00.000-04:00

Well, I just posted that I didn't have much to post about, but leave it to me to find something worthwhile no more than ten minutes later. Pictures of me!

Below are two shots from the recent LMPD Criterium in downtown Louisville, featuring yours truly and my typical race face, "the fish out of water".

Photos courtesy of John Bennett
I'm pretty sure the first shot was taken just after the group reeled in my silly, short-lived solo attack. I'm nothing if not a giant waster of energy. Anyway, thanks to John Bennett as always for his fantastic photos. Be sure to follow the link and browse every race from that great day.

Snore

2006-06-22T13:09:00.000-04:00

Pardon my boringness this week, there are a few things distracting me from typing about bike racing. The Tour de France is still a week away. I'm in the middle of a much-needed recovery week, so my training is pretty simple and dull. Also, the World Cup is still going on. Though I played soccer in high school I'm not much more than a periodic fan of the sport, but I do love to watch the World Cup and this year's tournament is definitely exciting.

Well, it's exciting for everybody except the USA. We suck.

I'm sure this little blog will be more fun to read in a week or two, so be sure to check back. In the meantime, I'll try to come up with something worth your time, but I'm not making any promises.

Big Deal

2006-06-19T13:08:00.000-04:00

So apparently Jan "Strudel" Ullrich can still time trial. Wow. What big news! He won the final stage of the Tour de Suisse with an impressive race against the clock, beating such feared rivals as Angel Vicioso and Janez Brajkovic. Who?

Photo courtesy AFP
Sure, Jan beat Ivan Basso in a Giro TT, but consider that he only gained 28 seconds by doing so. Even if the Tour this year contained five individual TTs and Jan won every single one of them, he'd still only pick up a couple of minutes at most. Basso can conceivably gain 5-10 minutes on Fat Jan in the mountains, even though there are fewer this year than in previous years. All of Jan's bulk is a serious advantage in the TTs, but as usual he will suffer like a dog on the climbs while Ivan spins easily to the top with a smile on his face.

Jan Ullrich is no more a Tour contender this year than he was in the past seven. Basso, if he can maintain his Giro form and luck stays with him, will beat Ullrich big time.

A Request

2006-06-15T12:56:00.000-04:00

If you read this sad little blog on a regular basis, or maybe you just check it out irregularly, leave me a comment and tell me about yourself. Do you race bikes? Do you follow the pro peloton? Where are you from? Do I know you personally?

Post a comment and drop some knowledge on me. Thanks.

(EDIT: I have changed the setting to allow anyone to comment, not just Blogger members, so feel free to make anonymous verbal attacks. Thanks.)

Crashing

2006-06-13T15:34:00.000-04:00

If there's one undeniable truth in amateur bike racing, it's that the lower category races are always the most dangerous. It's not rocket science. Guys in lower categories like 4 and 5 are simply less experienced racers and have likely been riding their bikes for less time than guys higher up. Race low, crash often.
Tell someone you're racing a 4/5 event and the first thing they'll say is "you should upgrade, that stuff is way too dangerous."

This season, I think, has really challenged that notion. I've done as many 3/4 races this year as 4/5 or just 4 races, and the the majority of the crashing was in the higher categories. In L'Esprit, a huge crash took out nine or ten guys in the 3/4. At Clark State Forest, I went over the bars at 25 mph after some guy went sideways in front of me---also a 3/4 race. At Da Vinci, several guys, mostly Cat 3s, crashed out hard while the 4/5 race was completely upright. And this past weekend, though there was definitely a messy last lap in the 4/5 crit, I watched no fewer than three pile-ups in the 3 race.

I'm no expert, but I blame a couple of things. First, a lot of guys are sandbagging it in the 3 and 3/4 races when they should be riding up with the 1s and 2s. Maybe because certain teams in this region tend to dominate the higher category races, strong guys on smaller squads don't feel like they have a chance. So they sit in Cat 3 and try to overpower each other. Second, the fields are just simply bigger this year in all categories, with more guys showing up to race and willing to ride all-out. Bigger, stronger fields and less-organized teamwork is a sure recipe for bloody battles on the road. At least, that's my theory.

The current crop of Cat 4s in this region are a talented, up-and-coming bunch, and to be honest I feel safer racing with them than some of the higher category guys I know. Funny how things work around here.

Photo Report: Cherokee Park Race

2006-06-13T06:06:00.000-04:00

Below are some choice pics from the Cat 4 race in Cherokee Park this past weekend. Mostly featured is the lead pack, with both my teammate Larry and myself represented. Larry's the stud with the nice tan, I'm the loser with the tattoos.

The last photo is of young Andrew winning the sprint and taking his first victory in impressive fashion.

All courtesy of Audrey Harrod, as usual. Thanks again!

Disappointing result for the team, but a fun race for sure. Now if I can only avoid sucking next year...

Race Reports: LMPD Foundation Crit and Cherokee Park

2006-06-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

LMPD Foundation Crit:

This race was living proof that if you promote something well, the turnout will be fantastic. Even for amateur bike racing.

The fields for every category were enormous, with some really quality racers turning up from out of town for the Pro/1/2 crit at the end of the day. Our crit, the lowly 4/5, started first, early in the morning at 9:30. This was actually a benefit, though, since a lot of the runners from the 5K event that started at dawn were still milling about and the weather was still relatively sunny and cool. Our race had the biggest, loudest crowd by far. Our field was big, too. More than 50 guys lined up at the start, with the usual suspects from Team Louisville, Pedal Power, Humana and of course the jokers from Bolla (us).

As planned, we hammered straight from the gun and strung everything out right away. Within one lap, 20 of us had formed a strong lead group and dropped the rest of the field. The course was a winding 8-corner loop with some seriously rough pavement and dangerous obstacles in places. A couple of manhole covers nearly killed me. In general, though, the streets were in decent enough condition that our group could build serious momentum and maintain a 26 mph average. Not bad, considering that's the same average as the Cat 3s later in the day.

Lap after lap went by for a half hour with just a few serious attacks including a stupid one from me that nearly destroyed my legs. I always think attacking through the start/finish is a good idea and always live to regret it. At least I got the announcer to say something about Bolla (I'm a corporate shill) and say my name (I'm an arrogant jerk). Though the group caught me in about two seconds, it was worth it I suppose.

Fast forward to the last lap. The lead group was still together for the most part (we dropped one or two) and heading into the back side of the course. Around one of the last turns, a couple of guys suddenly forgot how to ride their bikes and decided instead to run into each other. Three or four guys hit the deck, including the unluckiest man in the world, Joe of Humana/Cycler's Cafe along with another guy that did a face plant on the sidewalk. Ouch. The rest of us made it through and sprinted for the finish, with my teammate Larry and I bringing up the rear in 9th and 10th place respectively. A Pedal Power guy took the top spot with Matt S. from Team Louisville in an impressive third. Bolla finished outside of the money (again), but made a great showing for the most part. At least the race had a huge crowd and people cheering every time we came through the start/finish!

Cherokee Park "Road Race":

Almost every single day that I ride my bike, I ride through the Cherokee Park Scenic Loop. It's got fast flats, good hills and great overall scenery. When I heard they were having a circuit race on the same Scenic Loop this year, I specifically built my training around it. It paid off, as my fitness was perfect. In bike racing, though, having the legs is not always enough.

Our race was Cat 4s only with the Women's field starting directly behind us. Our pack was actually much smaller than yesterday, with no more than 25 guys altogether. We had five Bolla riders in the pack, but right from the start our teammate Jeff had a mechanical mishap and hit the deck hard, leaving four of us.

The course was run backwards from the usual right-of-way, making it a little more interesting for those familiar with the park. Run the usual way, the course includes a left hairpin at the bottom of a super-fast descent. Run the way we raced it, the hairpin becomes a tough uphill big-ringer that really taxes the legs. The pace was fast from the start again, but for the most part we didn't lose anybody except for a couple of guys (including two of my teammates).

The pack stayed together for all six laps, with only the occasional attack that didn't go anywhere. Luckily, despite the fast pace, the hard turns and the twists in the course, nobody went down. A true miracle. As always, I started the race at the back of the pack to get my bearings and assess the field. By three laps in, I was on the front leading the group up the hills with Larry and trying to set a pace at least a couple of guys couldn't hold. Surprisingly I didn't blow up, and for the most part wasn't even breathing hard. Unfortunately, by the final lap I had lost my good position and was stuck again near the back of the field. Up the final climb to the finish, my legs were there and my sprint was strong, but being so far back I didn't have a chance in hell. I passed at least six or seven guys, including my teammate Larry, but couldn't get close enough to get a decent result. I had to settle for lucky 13th*. The good news is that my little buddy Andrew, a strong rider still only 15 years old, won the sprint for his first ever victory! Congrats to him!

Overall, Larry and I rode really well this weekend in both races and at least made a good showing. As long as Bolla plays an active part in every race and is visible to spectators and announcers, I'm happy. Hopefully we can score a win at some point this season---but we're just getting started and the sky's the limit.

Thanks to all the sponsors who made the races possible this weekend, and thanks to Sean and Matt S. from Team Louisville for being amazing guys to race against. It's always a pleasure.

*The results online are now saying I finished 14th, which is strange considering the posted results at the race course yesterday had me in 13th and I finished ahead of the rider now in my place...hmmmm...oh well.

Countdown

2006-06-09T15:38:00.000-04:00

Big race weekend starting tomorrow. Feel strong, ready to go. The fields for the 4/5 crit on Saturday and the Cat 4 circuit race on Sunday don't look very imposing at this point. Should see good results.

Short sentences.

Sprintervals

2006-06-07T19:34:00.000-04:00

Today was "low duration high intensity" training, which always means sprints and jumps. I warmed up for twenty minutes around the Seneca Park loop and then began the first of five full-on sprints. My legs felt super strong today and I had no problem winding it up to 30 mph while seated, then jumping out of the saddle and pumping as hard as my little toothpick legs could handle. First sprint max speed: 36 mph in 53x12. Not terrible for a guy who has zero sprinting talent and "ballerina" legs.

Each interval was consistent in duration (15-20 seconds) and maximum speed (35-36 mph) which means I never lost power output during the workout. That's the goal. Even after five intervals I wasn't totally wasted, and still having some life left in my legs I finished the day with an easy 20 minute spin through the neighborhood. Very nice recovery overall.

I'm feeling good about this weekend. First is the downtown crit on Saturday, which is a 4/5 race for 500 bucks. That's the most money we lowly local Cat 4s have raced for all year. Then on Sunday it's the Cherokee Park race, which will likely prove to be a leg-buster despite only being 30 minutes long. The Cat 4 field doesn't look that strong according to the pre-registry list, so chances for a high finish seem very good at this point. We'll see. At least I know the course.

Now I rest, then a couple hours out tomorrow for endurance. I better find some pasta to eat.

Gilbert Great

2006-06-07T12:54:00.000-04:00

Tom Boonen isn't the only amazing young Belgian cyclist in the pro ranks. Yesterday, Philippe Gilbert, still just 23 years old, won the second stage of the Dauphine Libere by soloing across the line five full minutes ahead of the pack.

Photo courtesy of Luc Claessen
Early in the season, Gilbert also won the Belgian semi-classic Het Volk with a huge late attack and a solo ride across the finish line.

To be honest, it always kind of makes me mad when guys much younger than me win pro races. Now that I'm closer to 30 than 20, it's not that rare of an event. Cycling, for the most part, is a young man's sport. But to know that I waited so long to get into the sport always frustrates me, since the very best of the best have been racing for ten years by the time they're 24. I'm 27 and this is still my first full season.

That and I suck. I guess sucking frustrates me more than my age. Anyway, at least I can relive my lost youth vicariously through the exploits of Boonen, Gilbert, Thomas Dekker and all the other kids in the peloton, and rest assured that some day they'll be old and gone while I'm tearing up the local masters' races.

Christ On A Bicycle

2006-06-06T06:31:00.000-04:00

Seriously, Lance, could you be a bigger douche bag?

Shut the hell up already.

Z Is The First Letter

2006-06-05T17:13:00.000-04:00

Dave Zabriskie, one of my favorite pros since his Vuelta stage win in 2004 (where he said the Guns 'n' Roses line "You Can't Catch Me" kept him going on the huge solo break), showed his dominant TT form once again by winning the prologue of the Dauphine Libere stage race in France.

Photo courtesy Luc Claessen

Z will be looking to repeat his win last year in the Tour de France prologue (2 seconds ahead of Lance Armstrong) and once again wear the yellow jersey. Looks like he might have a pretty good chance.

Jan's New Ride

2006-05-31T12:25:00.000-04:00

Jan Ullrich unveiled his new line of self-named road bikes recently, to much fanfare.

Photo courtesy of Susan Westemeyer

Though the display model appears to be a sleak carbon fiber racing machine, looks can be deceiving. The bike is actually constructed out of a high-tech blend of strudel and Bavarian lager, and weighs 195 pounds.

At least it's rolling Lightweights.

2006 Results To Date

2006-05-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

Below are my results so far this year. The format is: name of event, category, place, and number of riders in parentheses.

Mentor/Maysville RR - 3/4 - 20th (40+)
L'Esprit RR - 3/4 - 35th (55)
St. Peter's RR - 3/4 - DNF (35)
Clark State Forest Circuit - 3/4 - DNF (35)
Lexington Circuit - 3/4 - 22nd (37)
Lexington Circuit - 4/5 - 20ish (70)
Ceraland Crit - 4 - 25th (50)
Eagle Creek Park Crit - 4 - 12th (35)
Da Vinci Fest Crit - 4/5 - 9th (35)
Da Vinci Fest Crit - 3/4 - 21st (50)

I definitely have to be one of the most average bike racers on the planet, judging from my results this year. I've definitely earned the title "peloton fodder"...

Photo Report: Da Vinci Crit

2006-05-29T12:47:00.000-04:00

Here's a good pic from the recent Da Vinci Criterium (4/5 race):

Photo courtesy Audrey Harrod
I'm second in the photo, following the eventual third place rider with the second place rider, Sean from Team Louisville, on my wheel. Just after this photo a three-man break got away and our chase group unfortunately never caught them...

Thanks so much to Audrey Harrod for the great shot.

Basso Goes A Little Too Far

2006-05-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of Sirotti.

Know Your Limits

2006-05-28T11:20:00.000-04:00

I've really increased my endurance this year. I can go hard three or four days in a row without serious weakness, whereas last year just two straight days of high intensity and/or long duration would wear me out completely.

That said, I'm still no stage racer.

I've ridden every day for the past ten, with a couple of good recovery rides thrown in the mix. But with multiple 3+ hour rides on top of high-intensity climbing and sprinting intervals throughout that ten day period, my legs are getting pretty fatigued. Yesterday, during another 3+ hour ride, I started to feel it.

I forgot how nice a full day off the bike can be. Sometimes you just have to climb off and recharge the tanks---the worse thing I could do is over-train with two major objectives of my racing season just around the corner. Know your limits, and always train AND rest with them in mind.

Giro d'Basso

2006-05-23T16:55:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted at all about the Giro this year. I'm not sure why, since it's been a really great race and promises to be even better over the next couple of days. The Plan de Corones climb tomorrow will be a spectacle unrivaled by any grand tour stage in many, many years.

But, let's focus on the present, shall we? Today, in Stage 16, Ivan Basso once again rode away from all the others with strength and grace unseen since, well, the last seven years when Lance Armstrong did it in the Tour. Watching Ivan Basso climb is kind of misleading, since he doesn't really look like he's climbing. More like he's taking a leisurely recovery ride through the local park.

Today was no different. Though Gilberto Simoni was able to hang with him for a while, Basso eventually rode the midget off his wheel and won his second solo mountain top finish in the Giro so far. I could write a lot more, but we'll let pictures (and clever captions) tell the story:

Photo courtesy of AFP. Captions courtesy of me.
Basso, besides being ridiculously graceful, rarely if ever seems to be straining or suffering on even the highest of mountain passes. In the 2004 Tour, as he rode to victory at La Mongie ahead of Lance, he never stopped smiling---the whole way up.

He doesn't bob like a sick pigeon (a la Francisco Mancebo), he doesn't look like his head's going to explode (see: Jan Ullrich), and he doesn't even open his mouth very far (Armstrong looked like a fish half the time). In general, all Basso does is smile, or at least grin.

That's why nobody likes him.

Photo courtesy CorVos and PezCyclingNews
Barring a major disaster, Ivan Basso has this Giro wrapped up.