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03/06/2009 11:52:33 PM · #1 |
Spring classics are around the corner and we have seen two exciting semi-classics this past week. Any fans out there? Paris-Nice starts this weekend. Someday, when the kids can feed themselves, I want to spend March and April in France and Belgium! Tour of California was great, it's getting closer to a Euro feel, but then again, I've only watch the Classics via TV and the internet. Anyway, if there is enough interest it would be nice to have a thread to catch up on some of the racing periodically. I recall  Melethia planning to attend the TdF this year. No need for the doping stuff in this thread, we know it exists, I hate it, but I don't want this to become a thread to bash various riders. |
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03/07/2009 12:07:56 AM · #2 |
| I'm in! I'm still trying to figure out how to do Paris-Roubaix (from a spectator standpoint, not as a participant) but it's one of those things where I have no idea where to go to watch or how to get there. And I may be out of town that weekend. I do indeed want to get to at least one stage of the TdF this summer. And thanks to those who shared shots of the Tour of California! Interesting to see Lance working for Levi... I suspect it'll be more interesting to see how Astana plays it for the TdF. |
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03/07/2009 12:08:26 AM · #3 |
| OK, I'll give a shout out for the two toughest riders in the sport; Stuart O'Grady & Jens Voigt. Both in the last stage of stellar careers and teammates on Saxo bank. Two of the most feared and most respected guys in the sport, and always worth watching. |
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03/07/2009 12:41:01 AM · #4 |
Yeah, Voigt has always been a favorite of mine. His efforts were always inspirational, I would keep him mind during my own racing days.
Well, I can't help you decide where to spectate in France! Not yet anyway. Lance did work hard, it showed in the final TT, he was tired. I expect to see some major ego battles come July, and I predict that Contador will wilt under Armstrong. He is obviously world class, but Armstrong's ego is much stronger, and his shadow is huge. I think the only way he will truly work for Contador in July is if he wins the Giro. In his prime, Lance thought it was too hard on the body to race, and win, both the Giro and Tour. Personally, I want to see Lance win in Italy. I'm a huge Lance fan, but I don't want to see Contador pushed aside like a kitten. I would have preferred to see him go to a different team and race against Lance.
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03/07/2009 02:22:02 AM · #5 |
I've been watching the TdF on TV since the late 80's, and have been hooked ever since. This year's Tour of California was the first large road stage race I have seen live, and it was amazing. Knowing all of the roads that stage 8 went over really brought home just how far they rode, and how little time it took. I was at the first KOM climb on Highland Valley Road, and as soon as the peloton went by, my son and I jumped into the car, and headed to the finish line in Escondido. By the time we got there, the riders were already on Palomar Mountain. I was just amazed!
Being at the finish line in person was quite an experience, and one that can't be had over the TV. As good as the TV coverage has gotten, it can't convey the feel of the crowd. With the announcer yelling updates into the microphone, and with heavy beat music playing in the background, it's had to express the elevated level of excitement that built as the riders neared downtown Escondido. It was really a memorable experience.
I would love to go to France for the Tour, and it is certainly on my bucket list. |
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03/07/2009 03:18:12 AM · #6 |
I started watching cycling in the days when Greg LeMond rode - the Wide World of Sports show on Sunday afternoons (anyone remember THAT?) would show bits during the TdF. That was pretty much all the coverage you got in the US. I'd follow by newspaper, then internet. Not that long ago, when Outdoor Live Network started covering the race, they put the live feed (audio only) on their website and I'd take a headset to work to watch the race that way. :-) Here, I get the over the air (free) channels which includes Eurosport (just the main one) so I do get a pretty good bit of cycling now, though a lot of it during the TdF is when I'm at work.
Saw a nice writeup on a book about The Hell of the North somewhere. If I find that again, I'll pass it along. |
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03/15/2009 06:02:37 AM · #7 |
As much as I admire Lance, and figure he's good for the sport in the US in particular, I'm leaning heavily toward pulling for Contador as the Astana guy for the TdF. Probably won't happen. He hit a hunger flat in the last part of the Paris-Nice stage yesterday and it was painful to watch - he was in yellow and looked to be working as hard as he could while everyone passed him by like he was standing still. And yet he was very gracious and matter-of-fact about the whole thing. From cyclingnews.com:
Alberto Contador waved goodbye to his yellow jersey and realistically, his chances of a second overall victory in Nice tomorrow when he fell victim to the dreaded hunger flat in the final kilometres of the stage. He acknowledged post-race that he made a big mistake in letting his friend Luis León Sánchez escape, adding that he never expected to lose nearly three minutes by the end of the stage.
The Astana rider felt no animosity toward his compatriot. "I congratulate him, we're good friends," Contador commented. "In the breakaway, we spoke and he said he'd try to win the stage. I agreed with this idea because I was convinced I could let him go and keep the gap to the minimum. He wouldn't threaten my lead. When he attacked with 15 kilometres to go, I had no sign yet of the coming hunger flat."
Looking back at stage seven, Contador realized where he had gone wrong. "I had to work since the first kilometres of the stage. From the beginning it was a very fast race and I forgot to eat and drink as much as I should have done. Therefore, in the final 10 kilometres, I was left with no strength. I was totally empty."
The Spaniard wasn't devastated. "I'm not even disappointed. These kind of things are part of cycling. In sport, we can't always win." Contador had not lost any single stage race since the Tour of Murcia one year ago. Since then he added the Tour of Castilla y Leon, the Tour of the Basque country, the Tour of Italy, the Tour of Spain and the Tour of Algarve to his palmarés. Saturday was the first time Contador has appeared to be beatable, but the Spaniard isn't panicking.
"I remain happy with my Paris-Nice," he said calmly. "I've managed to undergo two very positive tests, one in time trial, the other one in the mountain. I'm fine. My preparation for the Tour de France can go on." Contador is not the kind of rider to give a win away but he's experienced enough to understand that losing Paris-Nice is not the end of the world for a rider of his caliber.
P.S. Anyone want to try to attend a stage of the TdF this year? Preferably one of the pretty mountain stages!
Message edited by author 2009-03-15 06:03:43. |
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03/15/2009 11:52:36 AM · #8 |
| Contador is a huge talent, and at only 27 years old he has many years of racing left. He may be the next multi TdF winner, and could join the ranks of the greats. It's a shame that Astana was kept out of the TdF last year, and he wasn't able to defend his 2007 victory. This year's Tour should be great to watch, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds with Contador and Armstrong competing on the same team. Yes, Lance is very popular in the States, and I've heard estimates that his presence in the Tour of California last month may have doubled the number of spectators. I don't know if that's true or not, but the crowds were immense. |
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03/15/2009 12:26:53 PM · #9 |
| I'm sure Lance had something to do with it, but I'm also hopeful that cycling in general is making a comeback in the US. Would be nice to see, because one of the side benefits might be more aware and courteous drivers. I can dream, can't I? :-) |
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03/15/2009 01:35:40 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Melethia:
I'm sure Lance had something to do with it, but I'm also hopeful that cycling in general is making a comeback in the US. Would be nice to see, because one of the side benefits might be more aware and courteous drivers. I can dream, can't I? :-) |
Well, it's crazy what I see on the roadways. That's why I mostly ride off-road. Besides the people who are downright hateful, there are just so many distracted drivers. I am seeing more and more cyclists on the road all the time, so think that's a good sign.
Before Lance started winning the Tour de France, road cycling seemed almost dead here. Most bike shops had very few road bikes, because mountain biking had gotten so popular. It has now shifted back in the other direction, I think, because the attention Lance brought to the sport. My guess is that Lance is the only cyclist that most Americans could name. Hopefully, though, we have achieved some of the side benefits that you dream of:-) |
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03/15/2009 02:16:43 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by twmax:
My guess is that Lance is the only cyclist that most Americans could name. |
Not even Greg Lemond?
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03/15/2009 03:00:30 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by twmax:
It's a shame that Astana was kept out of the TdF last year, and he wasn't able to defend his 2007 victory. This year's Tour should be great to watch, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds with Contador and Armstrong competing on the same team. |
Not to mention Andreas Kloden (2nd twice in the Tour) and Levi Leipheimer being on Astana as well and they're all riding for Johan Bruyneel who is the best team director in the sport. Nobody can afford to let any of those guys go up the road but if you chase one down, you're dragging three very dangerous cyclists behind you. |
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03/15/2009 06:18:24 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Mr_Pants:
Originally posted by twmax:
My guess is that Lance is the only cyclist that most Americans could name. |
Not even Greg Lemond? |
Some would, but not the younger generation. I'm hoping at least a few realize now that Leipheimer is an American. :-) |
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03/15/2009 08:42:13 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Mr_Pants:
Originally posted by twmax:
My guess is that Lance is the only cyclist that most Americans could name. |
Not even Greg Lemond? |
How about Eddie Mercx, Bernard Hinault, Fausto Coppi, Davis Phinney, Connie Carpenter-Phinney, Rory O'Reilly...
Not all Americans, but were the first to come to mind.
Dang, I used to know so many more when I followed cycling closely... |
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03/15/2009 10:28:34 PM · #15 |
Glad I found this thread, was about to start one!
My new bf races on a sponsored race team and is in training like crazy this year - at 50 he's probably too old for TdF, but he nonetheless he is in phenonemal shape.
Biking has always been a part of my life, even longer than horses have been(!) and he's decided to put me in training. He is in the process of putting together a cyclocross for me and has given me some old bibs and jerseys. My poor ol' Raleigh is wondering what's with all the colourful spandex!
And he also gave me a Minoura Super Mag to train on at home when weather yucky. Problem is, even though it looks soooo easy to fit the rear tire into it, it's a *(£"!&^ to get everything in just so. There's a lever at the very back you have to push down on so the wheel will sit properly in the side-thingies...then you have to angle the bike into 1 side-thingy whilst holding down the OTHER side-thingy, and hold down the rear lever all at the same time...
So any racers out there, can you tell me in what order to do things? I know bf would likely just laugh and leave me to figure it out all on my own :-)
btw anyone else here read Johan Bruyneel's book, We Might As Well Win ? |
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03/16/2009 01:25:25 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by snaffles:
Problem is, even though it looks soooo easy to fit the rear tire into it, it's a *(£"!&^ to get everything in just so. There's a lever at the very back you have to push down on so the wheel will sit properly in the side-thingies... |
Are you talking about the resistance wheel? If so, leave it until last. Lock it or thread it to the down position so that it isn't touching the wheel when you put it in.
Originally posted by snaffles:
then you have to angle the bike into 1 side-thingy whilst holding down the OTHER side-thingy, and hold down the rear lever all at the same time... |
Keep the left side (as you're looking at the trainer with the bike in place from BEHIND) "thingy" in place and only move the right side "thingy" in and out.
If this doesn't help, please post a picture so we can all see which thingys, doo-hickeys and whatcha-ma-callits we're talking about :) |
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03/16/2009 10:49:34 AM · #17 |
Thanks Chip!
Yeah, I know the resistance wheel has to be out of the way. Don't know how to lock it down though I can see a spring mechanism underneath but no obvious way to lock it into place. My main problem is fitting rear wheel into the holders. On my trainer, seen from behind, the left holder-thingy has an arm that opens/closes by means of another foot lever, while the right one is fixed.
I gather it's best to try and fix wheel into the stationary right thingy first, then close in left thingy, and then release resistance wheel. That's what I'm trying to do anyway! |
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03/16/2009 11:43:41 AM · #18 |
Originally posted by snaffles:
...the left holder-thingy has an arm that opens/closes by means of another foot lever, while the right one is fixed. |
If it makes you feel any better, I was purchasing manager at a bike store for years and I HATED those foot levers! It's not just you, those things are a pain to deal with.
One other thing that may help is the type of quick-release you're using on your rear wheel. Most of the newer quick releases have a thick base at the arm of the quick-release lever. You can pick up a cheapy (or maybe even an old used one) at a bike store that has a thinner arm and they go into the trainers more easily. |
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03/16/2009 01:39:16 PM · #19 |
Glad to know it's an overall pain in the butt to work those levers and not just my lack of mechanical ability :-) I suspect I have a fairly old model, cause bf just replaced it with another stationary trainer...which is why he's letting me use this one, lol!
And today's another nice sunny day so I'll probably end up outside on the ol' Raleigh again. Speaking of which I just bought an on-board computer, also Raleigh, so I know how fast and far I'm going.
So did you work as PM for a large chain or a small shop? I have a brother who has worked in bike stores - Our Community Bikes in Vancouver, then he opened Monkeywrench, first on Cortes Island until he moved it to Salt Spring Island, under the same name. May even have the website up by now.
Did you ever race, Chip? |
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03/16/2009 02:40:29 PM · #20 |
| You folks might want to hook a dynamo to that resistance-wheel thingie and recharge some batteries at the same time you recharge yourselves. :-) |
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03/16/2009 06:41:47 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
You folks might want to hook a dynamo to that resistance-wheel thingie and recharge some batteries at the same time you recharge yourselves. :-) |
Lol now there's an idea! Could well work too. |
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03/17/2009 02:38:23 AM · #22 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
You folks might want to hook a dynamo to that resistance-wheel thingie and recharge some batteries at the same time you recharge yourselves. :-) |
That is a great idea, a few hundred watts an hour will charge a handful of batteries! |
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03/17/2009 02:46:22 AM · #23 |
Originally posted by Mr_Pants:
Originally posted by twmax:
My guess is that Lance is the only cyclist that most Americans could name. |
Not even Greg Lemond? |
This is probably true, although as mentioned, Levi is rather popular, as is Hincapie, but I'm sure even the average American roadie does not recall, or even know, that Julich finished 3rd in the TdF in 1998. Landis and Hamilton shot themselves in the foot, but are well known to cycling fans.
What about Contador falling apart this week? I thought Paris-Nice was over once he took the GC lead. USPS looks strong this year...oops...I mean Astana. |
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03/17/2009 02:50:23 AM · #24 |
Originally posted by twmax:
Contador is a huge talent, and at only 27 years old he has many years of racing left. He may be the next multi TdF winner, and could join the ranks of the greats. It's a shame that Astana was kept out of the TdF last year, and he wasn't able to defend his 2007 victory. This year's Tour should be great to watch, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds with Contador and Armstrong competing on the same team. Yes, Lance is very popular in the States, and I've heard estimates that his presence in the Tour of California last month may have doubled the number of spectators. I don't know if that's true or not, but the crowds were immense. |
Yeah, I would say that the spike was because of his presence along with the Landis, but the ProTour teams really made this race stand out. Hopefully we will get a mountain top finish next year. |
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03/17/2009 03:22:09 AM · #25 |
| In this year's Tour Down Under in Australia, a ProTour race and Lance's first race back, his presence approximately tripled the on-course attendance, and had an outrageous effect on the worldwide TV audience (I think something like 20 times more). The South Australian government estimated he was worth in the several millions of dollars of increased revenue. They supported his cancer foundation very strongly and had several public events to promote it, so it did work both ways. |
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