Monday, February 15, 2010

Landis in trouble ... again

Floyd Landis, who had his 2006 Tour de France victory stripped from him because of abnormally elevated testosterone levels, is in trouble again.

A French judge has issued an international arrest warrant for U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis in connection with a case of data hacking at a doping laboratory, The Associated Press reported today.

French authorities allege that Landis used hacked files in his unsuccessful attempt to halt a two-year suspension that came as a result of the doping tests. Landis had alleged files at the French doping lab had been mishandled or erased.

The story says Landis had refused to answer a summons seeking his testimony. An international warrant also was issued for longtime Landis adviser Arnie Baker.

Landis finished 45th at the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

Labels: cycling, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:59 PM

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Review: "Bicycle Dreams"

"Bicycle Dreams," Stephen Auerbach's documentary about the 2005 Race Across America, has been out for some time and has been reviewed by quite a few bloggers. It's my turn.

I've written frequently about RAAM over the years, mainly because RAAM passes through the St. Louis area almost every year. I've always wondered what goes through the heads of anyone who would attempt to bike across America in 8 to 12 days. "Bicycle Dreams" gives me a pretty good clue.

I'm old enough to remember the early days of RAAM in the 1980s and early 1990s, when ABC and NBC aired extended segments about RAAM on their sports anthology shows. Those segments made me aware of ultramarathon cycling giants such as Lon Haldeman, John Marino and Pete Penseyres.

The segments, normally aired weeks or months after the race, did a good job of giving viewers a taste of the race. Sadly, RAAM doesn't get the attention it once got from the networks, so "Bicycle Dreams" fills a major void.

Fortunately for us, "Bicycle Dreams" goes a step further than the networks were able to do.

Stephen and his crew worked around the clock to film RAAM. They had an advantage over the networks; they had 18 cameras in the field to give an more intimate look at RAAM.

While RAAM athletes have to be in incredible shape, "Bicycle Dreams" makes it clear that the mental battles are the biggest challenges they face over the course of the race. Even someone like Slovenian soldier Jure Robic -- a four-time winner of the race -- fights the effects of long days or riding with little sleep. For example, Robic speaks of seeing a dolphin's head in the road and speaks of forgetting what his wife and children look like. He even speaks of quitting the race -- something he wouldn't do until 2009.

Another competitor, Anna Catharina Berge, chews out her crew for allowing her to sleep for four hours, even though it was clear she was in desperate need of it.

While Robic gets his share of face time, the real centerpiece of "Bicycle Dreams" is Dr. Bob Breedlove, who died June 25, 2005, when he was struck head-on by a pickup truck near Trinidad, Colo., during the race. Bob lived in Des Moines, Iowa, attended Illinois State University, the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the University of Missouri School of Medicine Orthopaedic Residency Program.

It's eerie to watch Bob on the roads, riding strong, commenting on his tactics to beat the heat of the Arizona desert, realizing that only days later, he would be dead. His death had a devastating impact on French rider Patrick Autissier, who did not finish the race.

Much of the photography is incredible, especially of the western part of the course. Other than sections of Kansas, the Midwest plays a lesser role in the movie. I recognized a lot of the Missouri River valley near Marthasville, Mo. The uprights of the Clark Bridge, a suspension bridge that crosses the Mississippi River at Alton, Ill., are clearly visible in one scene, although the film does not include images of the river or of cyclists crossing the bridge.

"Bicycle Dreams" has won awards at a wide range of film festivals, including the Fallbrook, Los Angeles Sports and Solstice festivals. It won for a reason: "Bicycle Dreams" both tells and shows the physical -- and mental -- exhaustion RAAM athletes endure.

As an independent filmmaker, Stephen Auerbach is relying on a grassroots campaign to spread the word about the race. You can purchase the film for $19.99 through the film's Web site, http://bicycledreamsmovie.com.

As a longtime follower of RAAM, I recommend "Bicycle Dreams."

Labels: cycling, movies, RAAM

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:03 PM

Central Illinois race is qualifier for Nature Valley Grand Prix

Hillsboro, Ill., may not be Paris, but it does play host to a bicycle race called the Hillsboro-Roubaix Road Race. The 9th annual edition of the race takes place April 10, and it's a qualifier for the Nature Valley Grand Prix, a June stage race taking place in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

So why would a small Central Illinois county seat town about 60 miles north of St. Louis have a race named after the Paris-Roubaix classic? This description from the race sponsors, the International Christian Cycling Club, gives you a clue:

"The racers will traverse the brick streets of Hillsboro while racing over a 28.75 mile loop that has all you want in a spring classic. Flat open back roads with no cover from the spring winds, rolling terrain, short but challenging climbs, twisty descents and village streets paved with bricks.  Sorry no pavé , but the bricks will have you diving for the smooth gutter!"

The additional incentive for amateur men (Cat 1) and women (Cat 1 and Cat 2) is to earn a spot in the Hidden Valley race. Five other races nationwide will serve as qualifiers for the event. Riders selected through these events will earn free entries to the June 16-20 event and receive generous travel stipends, team clothing, housing, ground transportation, and staff support for their composite teams. They will also receive pro-level recognition before, during and after the events, including pre-race call-ups and participation in promotional and media appearances.

ICCC uses Hillsboro-Roubaix as a fundraiser for the Montgomery County Cancer Association, which helps county residents in need of financial or transportation help for cancer treatment.

Registration opens Feb. 1.

Labels: cycling, Illinois, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 4:43 PM

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Share the Damn Road jerseys

Professional cyclist Phil Gaimon has created a series of cycling jerseys under the name Share the Damn Road.

Phil says on his Web site he was "tired of being honked at, buzzed, and cussed out while he trained, and frustrated that the speed of motor vehicles made witty and insulting replies impossible. To solve that problem, he set out to create a line of jerseys that express what he's always wanted to say to passing cars."

Phil says his goal is to convey messages of safety and cyclists' rights by using humor. He warns these jerseys aren't for "wimps." In addition to "share the damn road," you can buy jerseys with the messages"don't honk at me," "don't run me over" and "slow down."

I agree with Phil the jerseys are funny, at least from the cyclist's point of view, and I've felt many of the same sentiments over the years.

But call me a wimp if you must. I'm not convinced all motorists will find the humor in those messages. I fear a motorist with a case of road rage will treat the messages the same way a bull responds to a waving red cape.

There are two messages I do like -- the "Infinite MPG" and the "3 Feet" jerseys -- that are less likely to draw ire from motorists and get the message across.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:59 PM

Friday, November 06, 2009

Former 'Saved by the Bell' star is a bicycle racer

Admit it, you probably know actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar from his role as Zack Morris in the high school sitcom "Saved by the Bell."

It turns out he's a bicycle racer, too.

In a story this week in The New York Times, Gosselaar talks about his other life as a Cat 2 bicycle racer on the Amgen-Giant Elite Masters team.

In his last recorded race at USA Cycling, Gosselaar finished 25th in the Dana Point Grand Prix in the 35-39 Masters division.

“He’s a really good rider,” Chris DeMarchi, a teammate on Amgen-Giant, told the Times. “It amazes me, with all the hours he puts in with TV time.”

These days, Gosselaar is playing a lawyer in the TNT show "Raising the Bar," and he's appearing in the Off-Broadway play "The Understudy."  The Times article hints that Gosselaar can't let himself get too lean, otherwise he might lose out on some roles.

Labels: cycling, racing, television

Roger 0 comments links to this post 8:36 PM

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Don't forget about Tour de WingHaven

If you're looking for some hot Father's Day bicycle racing, come out tomorrow to the Tour de WingHaven in O'Fallon, Mo.

The Tour de WingHaven is sanctioned by USA Cycling as a National Racing Calendar event, meaning top teams such as Jelly Belly, Team Type 1, and Colavita-Sutter Home will be there. Also slated to be there is 2005 U.S. pro champion Chris Wherry.

Action begins at 8 a.m. with the Cat 4/5 race culiminates with the Pro/Cat 1 race at 2 p.m. The feature event is an 84-mile, 28-lap race.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a nice story about the event today.

You can find out more about the event at the race's Web site, including how to get to the parking area.

The competition should be hot, and so will the temperature. Tomorrow's high is expected to be in the mid-90s.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:50 PM

Friday, May 01, 2009

Lindenwood University cycling team turmoil

A dispute between a former member of St. Charles-Mo. based Lindenwood University's cycling team and the team's coach has spread to the pages of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Paddy Kilmurray, the captain, told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday he was kicked off the team. Kilmurray, a sophomore from Australia, said the coach, Adrienne Murphy, would frequently drink wine and beer at away races and then drive the team's van, and he said he was removed from the team for bringing up the allegations to university officials.

Scott Queen, a spokesman for Lindenwood, said Murphy denied Kilmurray's wide-ranging allegation. He said Murphy admitted to drinking one glass of wine with dinner during a competition and that she was not aware it was against university policy to drink while supervising students.

Murphy took over the team in January, and Queen told the Post-Dispatch that she and Kilmurray had a history of conflicts. He had been suspended from one race, and Queen said Kilmurray was dismissed for insubordination.

Lindenwood is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference and is classified as Division I by USA Cycling-Collegiate.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:49 AM

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Tour de WingHaven gains prestige

In its short history, the Tour de WingHaven has gained a reputation as a top Midwestern single-day race, and USA Cycling has solidified the race's status by putting it on its 2009 National Racing Calendar.

This year's event will be Sunday, June 21, in O'Fallon, Mo., and it's the only Missouri race on the 31-event National Racing Calendar. Racing will begin at 8 a.m. for Cat 4/5 racers, and the event culminates with the 84-mile men's pro race. The course is a 3-mile closed loop through WingHaven, which bills itself as a 1,200-acre residential and commercial community in O'Fallon.

McEagle Properties, which created WingHaven, is the presenting sponsor of the event. Here's what Chris McKee, McEagle's president, has to say about the event:

"As the developer of the WingHaven community, McEagle is excited to have the opportunity to bring a top level, national caliber, professional sporting event to the community. This event will not only showcase our developing community along with promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, but will also provide a family-friendly and free to the public European-style event to WingHaven, the city of O'Fallon, and surrounding areas. What a great way to spend Father's Day with your family!"

Last year's winner, Dan Holloway, now races for the professional Garmin-Slipstream U23 cycling team. The Tour de WingHaven began in 2006.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:53 AM

Thursday, March 19, 2009

News on the St. Louis bicycle racing scene

O'Fallon Grand Prix: I know I'm a few days late reporting this, but Metro-East Cycling got some good news from the O'Fallon (Ill.) City Council on Monday. The City Council voted 12-2 to approve the race.

"I think the fears are overgrown and overdramatic," Ward 3 Alderman Rick Reckamp was quoted as saying in the Belleville News-Democrat. "I don't think there should be a problem. The event was well-run last year."

The two aldermen who voted against the race were concerned about the vounteers who will work event and that teenagers would be directing traffic. Metro-East Cycling assured civic leaders that no one younger than 18 would be volunteering at intersections.

Tour of Hermann: While I was out and about delivering Tour de Stooges brochures today and yesterday, I saw lots of fliers for the Tour of Hermann Ominum Stage Race on April 18-19 in beautiful in the heart of Missouri's beautiful wine country.

Two stages, a time trial and a criterium race, will be run April 18 in Hermann. A road race will take place on the 19th on a rather challenging course that uses Highways H, E, VV and 100. It's about as challening of a course as you're going to get in the Midwest. There are a wide range of categories available for men and an open women's category. If you need an early season challenge, this is it!

Labels: cycling, Illinois, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:33 PM

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

O'Fallon mulls Grand Prix bicycle race

The Metro-East Cycling club wants to put on the second annual Grand Prix bicycle race on May 30 in O'Fallon, but the Belleville News-Democrat reports that some aldermen think the club has to do more to insure the safety of participants and spectators before they will back the event.

"Last year, there were teenagers standing in the street stopping and directing traffic," Ward 5 Alderman Dennis Renner said during an O'Fallon City Council Community Development Committee meeting. "The council tightened restrictions on charities collecting money at intersections because they were afraid someone was going to get hurt. So how can we allow teenagers to stand in the street and direct traffic?"

Organizer Steve Schmidt says the club will require volunteers to be at least 18 years old this year and will be given swimming noodles to make them more visible, but Alderman Michael Bennett isn't convinced the swimming noodles are enough to make them visible.

Police Chief John Betten was skeptical about the race last year, but he has no qualms about allowing the race this year. "I had not seen how one of these events is orchestrated or how they come off. But it went surprisingly well and seeing it helped put a lot of those fears to rest," Betten said during the meeting.

The full City Council will vote on allowing this year's race at Monday's council meeting. Last year, the race drew about 250 participants and spectators, and race organizers hope to draw 400 people this year.

Labels: cycling, Illinois, racing

Roger 1 comments links to this post 1:01 AM

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Leipheimer wins Tour of California -- again

For the third straight year, Levi Leipheimer is the champion of the Amgen Tour of California. That's not a big surprise, given he took over the lead Monday and had the Astana team to protect him. One of his teammates, of course, is Lance Armstrong, who rode in support of Leipheimer during this race and finished 7th overall.

David Zabriskie was second overall, 36 seconds behind Leipheimer. Michael Rogers finished third.

Mark Cavendish was the top sprinter, Jason McCartney was the King of the Mountain, and Robert Gesink was the top young rider. Not surprisingly, Astana won the team competition.

The 96.8-mile final stage in San Diego County today featured aride up snowcapped Palomar Mountain, where the cyclists reached the 5,123-foot level on a two-lane highway with 21 switchbacks. Frank Schleck won the stage.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 1 comments links to this post 7:35 PM

Landis briefly in the limelight

For the most part, Floyd Landis has been sitting back in the shadows of the Amgen Tour of California. Going into today's final stage, he's is 32nd place, 10 minutes and 26 seconds behind leader Levi Leipheimer.

While most eyes have been focused on Leipheimer and Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, who's in sixth place 1:46 behind and riding in a supporting role for Leipheimer, Landis briefly jumped into the limelight Saturday during a post-stage press conference.

The New York Times noted Landis is looking forward to the final stage Sunday, which includes an ascent of Mount Palomar, which had served as a training ride for him near his home in Temecula. The Times noted he answered some of his questions with "the sort of self-deprecating humor that added to Landis’s charm."

“I’ve never raced up it before,” Landis said. “My experience usually involves having a burrito at the bottom. I’m not going to be able to do that.”

Landis refused to answer questions about his past, which includes being stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title because of positive tests for banned substances. To read the full transcript of Landis' remarks, go to VeloNews.

Another American cyclist whose career was tainted by doping allegation, Tyler Hamilton, isn't faring well this race. Hamilton is in 95th place -- out of 97 riders -- and he's 49:25 behind Leipheimer. Hamilton has been riding in support of his Rock Racing team.

"I have a little bit different perspective on things," Hamilton told the Denver Post. "I'm just enjoying it, when before I didn't enjoy it as much. I'm 37 years old. I turn 38 in less than two weeks. Maybe this is my last Tour of California, so I'm going to enjoy it."

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:41 PM

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Hooray for the sun!

It's good to see the sun out today for Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California as the cyclists make their way from Merced to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, but still a distance from the glory of Yosemite National Park. I remember the stretch of California 140 the cyclists are on now from my visit to Yosemite in 2004, when I took a bus from Merced to Yosemite.

Unfortunately, the weather has almost been as big of a story as Levi Leipheimer's effort to win a third straight Tour of California or Lance Armstrong's strong fourth-place showing.

The San Jose Mercury News noted the sogginess has led some to suggest switching the event to spring. A window has opened in April or May with the recent cancellation of Tour of Georgia, one of three major U.S. tours. But moving the Tour of California to spring would force a scheduling conflict with many of the world's best cyclists. It would dilute the field and diminish the tour's prestige.

"One of the most important races in the world should be in North America," said Andrew Messick, president of event owner Anschutz Entertainment Group. "That's our journey."

The wretched weather also has played havoc with Versus' coverage of the event. For three straight days, the race's fix-winged aircraft carrying the communications and broadcast technology couldn't fly. As a result, Versus hasn't been able to provide the expansive live coverage it had planned.

On top of that, it slowed the rides down so much that the race wasn't finished when Versus broke away to NHL coverage at 6 p.m. Central Time. That drew an angry response from Armstrong on his Twitter site.

"I heard from lots of folks that Versus cut off Tour of California coverage for hockey. Lame!" Armstrong wrote.

Sadly, it's proof cycling still has a long ways to go on the American sports scene.

Labels: cycling, television, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:58 PM

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Tour of California 2009

In a matter of hours (3:30 p.m. Central Time), the Amgen Tour of California gets under way with the 2.4-mile prologue. Cycling broadcaster Phil Liggett has ranked it "as the fourth or fifth biggest race in the world,'' and who am I to doubt him!

Clearly, the vast majority of eyes will be upon Lance Armstrong, who is racing for the first time in the United States since ending his retirement, But Armstrong insists he will be riding in support of Astana teammate and two-time defending Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer.

The eyes also be on a group of former dopers, including Ivan Basso, Tyler Hamilton, David Millar and Floyd Landis, who won the 2006 Tour of California before later that year stripped of his Tour de France championship. The San Jose Mercury News likens the field to the "equivalent to inviting Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez to play ball."

But it's possible the winner could be someone like defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre, defending Tour of Missouri champion Christian Vande Velde and American cycling legend George Hincapie.

I'l try to cover the race the best I can from 2,000 miles away, but I suggest you follow some of the links on the right side of the page to get up-to-date coverage from people who are there. You also might want to follow California-based blogs such as Cyclelicious to get the inside story. You also can watch it on Versus, which is airing the Tour of California with nearly the same frequency as it does the Tour de France. (Note: The times listed on the Versus schedule are Eastern Time.)

The Tour of California site is offering a live tracker of the event, and you can watch the race for free at Cycling TV.

Labels: cycling, Lance Armstrong, racing, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:37 PM

Friday, January 23, 2009

Landis to ride in Tour of Missouri

Floyd Landis, coming off a two-year ban because of a doping violation at the 2006 Tour de France, says he's planning to ride this year's Tour of Missouri with his new domestic cycling team, OUCH. The team plans to ride the major U.S. races, starting with the Amgen Tour of California in February.

"Starting with the Tour of California, every race we enter we’ll be entering to win," Landis told Outside magazine. "Not that it will be easy. The Tour of California is huge, so it’s kind of a stressful first race back. And there are some very strong domestic teams we’ll be up against this season: BMC, Bissel. Guys come along each year who you’ve never heard of and surprise you. There’s real talent in the U.S. And great races. After the Tour of California there’s the Tour of Utah, the Tour of Missouri. I’m looking forward to it."

Landis' entry in the Tour of Missouri isn't official yet. The Kansas City Star reports that the only team that has received an invitation to compete in this year’s race is the Garmin-Slipstream team led by Christian Vande Velde, the 2008 individual champion. The September race still is in its planning stages.

Landis also had an extended interview with USA Today in which he not only confirmed plans to ride in the Tour of Missouri, but said he has no more faith in anti-doping controls.

"Those are half-(hearted) tests and they know it, but I have no choice if I want to race. You have to agree to those terms. But I trust those guys less than just about anyone I've ever met," Landis said.

After a long legal battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency over a test that showed he had an illegally high testosterone-epitestosterone ratio after his dramatic win in the 17th stage of the 2006 Tour de France. Landis ultimately was stripped of his overall Tour title because of the test.

One cyclist who's welcoming Landis' return is one-time teammate Lance Armstrong. The 7-time Tour de France champion, racing this week in the Tour Down Under in Australia, told Australian media the people should "forgive and forget" and welcome Landis and other cyclists who have done their time for doping violations.

"It's good that the strongest people in the world are in the strongest races in the world," Armstrong said in the Herald Sun. "You've got to remember that Floyd might have been found guilty but at the end of the trial, if you polled people more than 50 per cent thought he was innocent."

Speaking of Armstrong, he's is 38th place in the Tour Down Under after today's stage, in which he finished 47th. He's 39 seconds behind Australian Allan Davis after four stages with two more stages left.

Labels: cycling, Lance Armstrong, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:59 AM

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The comeback begins

In case you're wondering -- and I'm sure you are -- Lance Armstrong began his comeback today in the Tour Down Under. The seven-time Tour de France champion finished 64th, safely within the peloton in the Cancer Council Criterium in Adelaide, Australia, 24 seconds back of winner Robbie McEwen.

The criterium does not count, however, in the overall standings of the Tour Down Under. Racing begins in earnest Tuesday. Here's a short excerpt from the VeloNews account:

Those who doubted Armstrong’s ability to find his racing legs again should not have. For much of the hour-long criterium, he rode at the front, at ease, and as if he never left the sport, his legs still a willing slave to the rhythm of professional bike racing.

Toward the end, Armstrong slipped toward the back of the field.

"I'm glad it's over," said the American, who is far more suited to stage racing than hectic criteriums where the threat of crashes is ever present.

If you're hoping to see Armstrong's exploits in Australia, Versus is probably your best bet. Versus will be airing half-hour highlight shows at 3 p.m. Central Time today, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 2:30 p.m. Central Time on Saturday. Versus will air a full-hour show at 4 p.m. Central Time next Sunday (Jan. 25).

In addition, you can watch the final stage of the Tour Down Under live at 9 p.m. Central Time Saturday (Sunday afternoon in Australia) at Versus.com.

Labels: cycling, Lance Armstrong, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:26 AM

Friday, November 14, 2008

No Tour de Georgia in 2009

Professional bicycle racing in the United States took a blow today with the cancellation of the 2009 Tour de Georgia.

After struggling to pay its 2008 obligations and missing out on Lance Armstrong's return to racing, the Tour de Georgia announced that it's going to skip 2009 and focus on returning in 2010.

"The rise in the cost of gas" and the current "tough" economic picture hurt us, Phil Jacobs, a member of the race's board of directors told the Savannah Morning News.

In a Tour de Georgia press release, Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said: "Since April, we have had an enormous response from our partners on ways we can strengthen the Tour for the future, and we have been listening. Our host cities want to have time to prepare tourism packages and our health providers are enthusiastic about developing plans to use the Health and Wellness expos to spread their message across the state. Our cycling friends from across the state want to partner with us to create participant activities which are inclusive of the whole family. We have listened to their advice and have decided to skip one year so that the Tour de Georgia can once and for all be ahead of the game in the planning process. This is a decision I feel is wise and one that will strengthen the Tour de Georgia for years to come."

While the race still drew good crowds in 2008, the newspaper noted that race organizers had to reach settlements to pay portions of their bills.

Tour de Georgia organizers also were hoping Lance Armstrong would return to race in 2009 as part of his comeback, but Armstrong has indicated he will be racing some of the European classic races and the Giro d'Italia next spring.

Georgia-based Medalist Sports manages and promotes the Tour de Georgia as well as the other two major U.S. stage races, the Amgen Tour of California and the Tour of Missouri. So far, there is no evidence that the Missouri and California races are in the same condition as Tour de Georgia.

The re-election of Peter Kinder as Missouri's lieutenant governor probably assures continued state backing of that race until Tour of Missouri organizers can come up with enough sponsors from the private sector to support the race without state help.

Labels: cycling, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:39 AM

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Tour of Missouri to get airtime on NBC

National exposure for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race is growing.

This Saturday, the Jeep World of Adventure Sports will do a segment about the Tour of Missouri that will air Sautrday on NBC (1:30 to 3 p.m. CST on KSDK-TV, Channel 5, for those of you who live in the St. Louis area; check your local listings for other parts of the country).

The segment will include behind-the-scenes footage from Team Garmin-Chipotle shot throughout the seven-day race. Garmin-Chipotle rider Christian Vande Velde, an Illinois native, was the overall winner of the 2008 Tour of Missouri.

(Note: Garmin and St. Louis-based Energizer are partners with Jeep in sponsoring the show.)

Saturday's episode is the final episode of the 2008 season and marks the debut of the Jeep World of Adventure Sports “Green” initiative. Segments dedicated to raising awareness for the issues affecting our environment globally will continue to air throughout the 2009 season.

Labels: cycling, racing, television, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 6:11 PM

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Lance says it's so

Lance's Comeback to Cycling in 2009 -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

Lance Armstrong is back, as you can see from the video from LiveStrong.com.

Based upon sources, VeloNews first reported Armstrong would try for an eighth Tour de France title last year, and other media outlets picked up on the story.

In a story posted today at Vanity Fair, Armstrong confided to writer Douglas Brinkley -- a neighbor of his in Austin, Texas -- that he will race. Here's an excerpt:

As we sat in our terrace chairs overlooking the manicured vista, Armstrong nervously fingered the yellow band on his wrist. He insisted he had something on his mind. “Something huge,” as he put it. I braced for the worst.

Then, in almost robotic fashion, he said, “I’m going back to professional cycling. I’m going to try and win an eighth Tour de France.”

For a moment I gaped at him. Was I being punked? (Armstrong would later tell Doug Ulman, the president and C.E.O. of L.A.F., that my eyes bulged into saucers, like some boinged-out character in a Ralph Steadman illustration.) As the news sank in, though, I realized he was deadly serious. I knew from Armstrong’s memoir, "It’s Not About the Bike," that his VO2 max (the gauge by which the human body’s capacity to transport and use oxygen is measured) is superhuman, his ship-sail lungs uncommonly efficient.

But at age 37? A 2,000-mile, 23-day race, much of it uphill? By next July? I asked him, rather ungraciously, if he wasn’t too old to get back into shape that quickly.

He laughed. And he was off and running. “Look at the Olympics. You have a swimmer like Dara Torres. Even in the 50-meter event [freestyle], the 41-year-old mother proved you can do it. The woman who won the marathon [Constantina Tomescu-Dita, of Romania] was 38. Older athletes are performing very well. Ask serious sports physiologists and they’ll tell you age is a wives’ tale. Athletes at 30, 35 mentally get tired. They’ve done their sport for 20, 25 years and they’re like, I’ve had enough. But there’s no evidence to support that when you’re 38 you’re any slower than when you were 32.

“Ultimately, I’m the guy that gets up. I mean, I get up out of bed a little slow. I mean, I’m not going to lie. I mean, my back gets tired quicker than it used to and I get out of bed a little slower than I used to. But when I’m going, when I’m on the bike—I feel just as good as I did before.”

Armstrong said he is "100 percent" committed to competing next year.

Armstrong doesn't have a team, yet, and his camp acknowledges there's still a lot of work to do. But given Armstrong drive, I have no doubt he will find a way to be in France.

The Vanity Fair article covers a wide range of topics, including speculation he will run for governor of Texas and his ongoing work with cancer research. It's a rather length story and spends a lot of time setting the scene, but the article is worth the effort.

Labels: cycling, Lance Armstrong, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 4:34 PM

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Vande Velde joins Tour of Missouri field

The Tour of Missouri got a big boost with announcement today that Tour de France fifth-place finisher Christian Vande Velde will be part of this year's field.

Vande Velde, a native of the Chicago suburb of Lemont, is giving the Tour of Missouri a boost in much the same way the addition of 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and 2007 third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer gave the inaugural race a boost last year. I would think Chicago-area cycling fans would want to come down to Missouri to see their hero sometime over the course of the race. Vande Velde rides for the American Garmin-Chipotle cycling team.

The 32-year-old Vande Velde, one American cycling’s big revelations in the post-Lance Armstrong era, surprised the world by finishing less than a couple minutes out of the podium at this year’s Tour de France. Known as a top trialist most of his career, Vande Velde showed amazing climbing skills and has matured into one of the world’s best all-around riders. Earlier in the year, he finished 3rd overall in the Amgen Tour of California and last year finished second overall at the Tour de Georgia, two of North America’s biggest races. He finished 17th overall in the road race at the Olympic Games two weeks ago.

Vande Velde will be joined by Garmin-Chipotle teammates that include U.S. Olympic team member David Zabriskie, Tour de France team member Danny Pate and Will Frischkorn, who finished second overall at last year’s Tour of Missouri and narrowly missed winning a Tour de France stage last month.

Zabriskie is the only American to ever win a stage of all three of professional cycling’s Grand Tours (France, Italy, and Spain), and is a two-time time trial champion and former Tour de France race leader. Pate won Stage 5 of last year’s Tour of Missouri, breaking away to win into St. Charles. Pate is a former Under-23 world champion.

Also joining the field is 2008 Tour of Switzerland champion Roman Kreuzinger.

The Tour of Missouri opens Sept. 8 with a stage from St. Joseph to Kansas City and closes Sept. 14 with a circuit race in St. Louis.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 2 comments links to this post 8:50 AM

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Kristin Armstrong wins gold medal

Veteran American cyclist Kristin Armstrong became only the second American woman to win a gold medal in an Olympic road racing event by winning the women's time trial today.

Kristin Armstrong -- no relation to 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and not to confused with Lance Armstrong's ex-wife of the same name -- won the 14.6-mile time trial in 34 minutes, 51.72 seconds — 24.29 seconds better than Emma Pooley of Great Britain. Switzerland's Karin Thuerig was third, almost a minute behind the time set by Armstrong. American Christine Thorburn finished fifth.

In fourth place was France's Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli, who is 49 years ago. I personally remember seeing Longo win the women's road race in the 1986 World Championhips in Colorado Springs, Colo. Somewhere hidden in my slide archive, I have a picture of Longo being interviewed after her victory. It truly is amazing how an athlete can stay at the top of her game for so long.

Armstrong, who turned 35 on Monday, cried tears of happiness as "The Star-Spangled Banner" played during the awards ceremony. The only other American woman to have won a gold medal in a road event is Connie Carpenter, who won the inaugural women's road race in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

UPDATE: Later today, American Levi Leipheimer took the bronze medal in the men's time trial. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland won the gold by riding the 47.3-kilometer circuit in 1 hour, 2 minute, 11.43 seconds. Gustav Larsson of Sweden was 33.36 seconds behind Cancellara, while Leipheimer was 1:09.68 behind. American David Zabriskie was 12th, more than 3 minutes behind Cancellara

Labels: cycling, Olympics, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:20 AM

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Olympic Men's Road Race medalists

Stop reading this post if you want to wait until you see NBC's coverage later this morning to find out the medalists in the Men's Road Race.

Gold: Samuel Sanchez (Spain), 6 hours, 23 minutes, 49 seconds
Silver: David Rebellin (Italy), same time
Bronze: Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland), same time.

Levi Leipheimer was the top American finisher in 11th place, 20 seconds behind Sanchez. Christian Vande Velde finished in 19th, 30 seconds behind Sanchez.

That's all from here. I really need to get to sleep, and I really don't know how many more nights I can spend watching online coverage during this Olympiad.

Labels: cycling, Olympics, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 4:28 AM

Online coverage of Olympic men's road race: A quick review

Some quick observations about the online coverage of the Olympic men's cycling race:

• If you haven't already done so, the first time you click on the video for Olympic coverage, you will have to download Microsoft Silverlight. If you run a PC on XP or Vista, you should have no problems. If you run a Mac, you'll be OK if you have an Intel processor. If you have any other kind of Mac, forget it. Although I run OS X at work, my G5 does not have an Intel processor, so I couldn't watch the race.
• I am impressed with the video quality -- the sharpness is wonderful compared to some other streaming video pictures I've seen, and the color saturation is superb for online video.
• You will be watching a feed with no audio commentary; you'll have to wait until the race is broadcast on NBC or its sister networks to hear it. NBC's commentary team consists of Pat Parnell, play-by-play; Craig Hummer, play-by-play; Kenan Harkin, analyst; Paul Sherwin, analyst; and Marty Snider, reporter.
• The Live Commentary feature is similar to commentary features seen on other online video sites such as that for the Tour of California. Be sure to click the "More" tab from time to time. The Live Commentary did not report that American David Zabriskie has dropped out halfway through the race, but a story under the "More" tab did.
  
• The Play-by-Play feature was broken during the men's road race. Hopefully, it can be fixed before future races.

Have fun watching Olympic cycling!

Labels: cycling, Olympics, racing, technology, television

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:47 AM

Friday, August 08, 2008

Olympic cycling TV times

Here's the list of TV coverage planned by NBC and its sister stations for the St. Louis area (all times Central Time Zone). You also may want to check NBCOlympics.com for your community because the coverage times may vary. In most cases, the cycling coverage will be included among coverage of other sports, and times are subject to change:

Saturday, Aug. 9
9:00-9:30 a.m, 11:30 a.m.-noon, 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Men's road race (NBC)

Sunday, Aug. 10
Noon-5 p.m.: Women's road race (NBC)

Wednesday, Aug. 13
4-10 a.m.: Men's time trial (MSNBC)
7-9 p.m.: Women's time trila (NBC)

Friday, Aug. 15
9-11 a.m.: Track events (USA)

Saturday, Aug. 16
1 a.m.-1 p.m.: Track events (USA)
11 a.m.-noon: Men's individual pursuit (NBC)

Sunday, Aug. 17
1 a.m.-1 p.m.: Track events (USA)
11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Women's individual pursuit (NBC)

Monday, Aug. 18
4-11 a.m.: Men's team pursuit final (MSNBC)

Tuesday, Aug. 19
1-7 a.m.: Track events (USA)
9-11 p.m., 11:30 p.m.-1 a.m.: Men's BMX (NBC)

Wednesday, Aug. 20
7-10 p.m.: Men's and Women's BMX (NBC)

Friday, Aug. 22
4-9:30 a.m.: Women's mountain bike (MSNBC)

Saturday, Aug. 23
11:30 p.m.-4 a.m.: Men's mountain bike(NBC)

Labels: cycling, Olympics, racing, television

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:31 PM

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Olympic cycling online

My blogging buddies on the West Coast, Cyclelicious and BikingBis, already have posted times to watch Olympic cycling online at NBCOlympics.com in the Pacific Time Zone. I'm doing the same for those of us who live in the Central Time Zone:

• Friday, Aug. 8: Men's Road Race, 10 p.m.-4:30 a.m. Saturday (UPDATED AUG. 8)
  
• Sunday, Aug. 10: Women's Road Race, 1:30-4 a.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 12: Women's Time Trial, 10:30 p.m.-12:05 a.m.
• Wednesday, Aug. 13: Men's Time Trial, 12:30-4:10 a.m.
• Friday, Aug. 15: Men's and women's track individual pursuit; men's team sprint, 3:30-6 a.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 16: Women's individual pursuit first round; men's kerin, points race, and 4000m individual pursuit finals, 3:30-6:45 a.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 16: Men's team pursuit; men's and women's sprint qualifying rounds, 9-10:45 p.m.
• Sunday, Aug. 17: Women's 3000m individual pursuit final; men's & women's sprint round of 16 and round of 8, 3:30-5:45 a.m.
• Monday, Aug. 18: Women's points race; men's and women's sprint quarterfinals, 3:30-6 a.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 19: Men's madison; men's and women's sprint classifications, semifinals and finals, 3:30-6:50 a.m.
• Friday, Aug. 22: Women's Mountain Bike Race, 2-4:15 a.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 23: Men's Mountain Bike Race: 2-4:45 a.m.

Even someone with weird work hours like me is going to be hard-pressed to stay up for the online coverage, so I will post those in the next day or two. Meanwhile, you can find listings at NBCOlympics.com.

Labels: cycling, Olympics, racing

Roger 1 comments links to this post 1:54 PM

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Registration open for Gateway Cup

The Tour of Missouri isn't the only big bicycle racing event taking in the next few weeks in the St. Louis area. The annual Gateway Cup series of criterium races takes place Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29-Sept. 1)

Details are a bit skimpy on the Gateway Cup's new Web site, but you can sign for individual races or the entire series at 2WheelTech. The cost for men is $40 per race or $130 for the entire series. For women, the cost is $25 per race or $80 for the entire series.

For detailed information about the four days, you can download a PDF flier through USA Cycling. Once again, races for everyone from kids to Pro, Cat 1 and Cat 2 are available.

The Gilded Age Tour de Lafayette takes place the evening of Friday, Aug. 29, in St. Louis' Lafayette neighborhood. On Saturday, Aug. 30, the Gateway Cup moves to downtown St. Louis for the Midwest Testing Tour of Washington Avenue, an afternoon and early evening event.

The Giro Della Montagna takes place the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 30, on The Hill, St. Louis' Italian neighborhood. Trailnet's Bicycle Fun Club also will have a ride on The Hill that morning.

The Gateway Cup closes the morning and afternoon of Labor Day (Sept. 1) with the Emerson Motor Loop Bicycle Race in University City's Loop business district.

It should be an exciting weekend of bicycle racing, and it will definitely whet you appetite for the Tour of Missouri, which ends in St. Louis on Sept. 14.

Labels: cycling, racing, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments links to this post 4:20 PM

Monday, August 04, 2008

Garmin-Chipotle to race in Tour of Missouri

Tour of Missouri organizers announced today that the Garmin-Chipotle team will return to ride this year.

Garmin-Chipotle, known last year as Team Slipstream, won the inaugural event's team title. The press release did not say whether Illinois native Christian Vande Velde, who finished fifth in this year's Tour de France, would be part of the Tour of Missouri roster, but my hunch is that he will in much the same way Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer were persuaded to ride for Discovery Channel in last year's race.

Will Frischkorn, who finished second to George Hincapie, and stage winner Danny Pate also are part of the Garmin-Chipotle squad.

“We will be back to win,” Jonathan Vaughters, director of the Garmin-Chipotle team, said in a press release. “This is not an end-of-the-season fun race for us. This is a serious objective for our team. It’s a major event.”

The top U.S. teams will participate in this year's Tour of Missouri and will be joined by international teams such as Liquigas and Rabobank. Here's a full list of the teams:

Columbia (USA)
Liquigas (Italy)
Rabobank (Netherlands, developmental team)
Garmin-Chipotle (USA)
BMC (USA)
Sparkasse (Germany)
Tecos (Mexico)
Symmetrics (Canada)
Health Net presented by MAXXIS (USA)
Toyota-United (USA)
Rock Racing (USA)
Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light (USA)
Bissell (USA)
Kelly Benefit Strategies - Medifast (USA)
Jelly Belly (USA)

For more details about the race, see the press release.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 7:39 PM

Tour of Missouri seeks your help

Michael Grote of the Tour of Missouri Breakaway Club just sent out this note to bicycle clubs in Missouri and nearby state:

As you may already know the Tour of Missouri will be taking place September 8th through the 14th. The Tour of Missouri is a seven day professional cycling event featuring elite international men’s teams with stages across Missouri.

Additionally, the Tour of Missouri will host an invitational pro-am women’s race taking place on Monday, September 8, in Kansas City, Missouri. This event builds on the great success of last year’s inaugural Tour of Missouri that inspired cyclists throughout the state and attracted many new fans to the sport.

In order to continue to make this event successful while, exposing Missourians and mid-westerns alike to this great sport, we need your help. As you can imagine a professional bike race through the state takes tremendous resources to guarantee that the event is challenging but safe for the riders, enjoyable for the spectators and supports the race’s continued development in Missouri.

I am asking you to support cycling in Missouri by joining the Tour of Missouri Breakaway Club. The Breakaway Club is an individual donor program that supports the race and ensures its success in 2008 and beyond. More importantly though, it provides great opportunities for you, as a sponsor, to be intimately involved in the action of the Tour of Missouri.

I hope that you will consider this request to support the sport of cycling and the Tour of Missouri this year.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at your convenience at 573-424-5120 or at tourofmissouri@ga2.us.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and your support of the Tour of Missouri.

A $5,000 Champion's Level, a $500 Podium Level ($400 for couples), a $75 Peloton Level ($100 for couples) and Patrol levels for individual levels. The benefits include jerseys at the higher levels and discounts for the lower levels. For those of you who sign up by Aug. 7, your names also will appear i n the Tour of Missouri program.

You can find out more benefits and download forms at the Breakaway Club's page.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments links to this post 12:31 PM

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Greg LeMond speaks out about abuse

Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond will speak to a public audience for the the first time about the sexual abuse he suffered as a child, the Kansas City Star reports.

LeMond will give the keynote speech Aug. 7 at a fundraiser for the Sunflower House in Kansas City, Kan. Sunflower House works to protect and support child victims of sexual abuse in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

LeMond managed to keep the abuse a secret until the May 2007 arbitration hearing for Floyd Landis, the 2006 winner of the Tour de France who had been stripped of his title after tests indicated he had used testosterone.

At that hearing, LeMond testified he had urged Landis to come clean about any drug use. He told Landis about the abuse. Later, he received a phone call from Landis’ business manager threatening to reveal it if LeMond testified.

In the article, Lemond talks in detail about the abuse. Here's a brief excerpt:

To this day, LeMond says his memories of the abuse are hazy. For years he blocked out the details. He was 11 or 12.

“I do remember when it first happened. … It was a family friend.”

The man, LeMond said at the hearing, was named Ron. He was a pal of LeMond’s father. The family lived in Nevada. His father was in real estate. The friend was 17 years older than LeMond.

“He would ski with us at Lake Tahoe,” LeMond recalled. “He was literally like an uncle.”

Ron visited numerous times and would sleep in the extra bed in LeMond’s room. He showed LeMond pornography. It excited the young boy.

Then one night, everything changed. LeMond was asleep.

“Before I knew it, he did something to me that I never knew about,” LeMond said.

Reporter Eric Adler did an excellent job with the phone interview, in which LeMond described how the abuse affected him as a teen and an adult. I encourage you to read the story.

I know there are people out there who don't particularly like LeMond, in large part because of his criticism of 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. But in my view, LeMond's 1986, 1989 and 1990 Tour de France victories did much to expose Americans to the sport of cycling and paved the way for Armstrong and other American cyclists to succeed on the pro cycling circuit.

Labels: cycling, Greg LeMond, Kansas City, racing

Roger 2 comments links to this post 11:12 PM

Monday, July 07, 2008

Will Frischkorn? Who's he?

I was surprised to see this morning that American racer and Tour de France rookie Will Frischkorn not only came in second in today's Stage 3, but is sitting in third place in the general classification.

If that wasn't enough, Frischkorn was named the most aggressive rider of the stage, and his American-based squad, Team Garmin-Chipotle, is leading the team classsification.

Just who is Will Frischkorn?

Well, Tour of Missouri fans may remember that Frischkorn finished second to George Hincapie in last year's inaugural event. Frischkorn finished 1 minute, 38 seconds behind Hincapie in the six-stage race.

Frischkorn, 27, was born in Charlottesville, Va., and now lives in Boulder, Colo., according to his biography at the Team Garmin-Chipotle Web site. Frischkorn won the 2007 Univest Grand Prix and he won the U.S. Under-23 National Championship Road Race back in 2002.

Being in third place in the Tour de France, even this early in the race, is a career highlight.

"I felt pretty darn good," Frischkorn said in an interview on the Tour de France Web site. "I’m ecstatic to have done this. It’s weird to feel a little disappointed right now actually.”

Why was he disappointed? Because he had a chance to win the stage.

“The sprint at the finish was a long one," Frischkorn said in the interview. "It started from two kilometers out really. (Samuel) Dumoulin hit out and I had literally been planning to attack after coming back from my previous turn of pace but he timed it perfectly. That really started the game.

“He rode a great finish and I hesitated just a little bit with 400 meters to go and I think that’s where I made my mistake but I take my hat off to him, he was great."

Dumoulin won the stage, but fellow Frenchman Romain Feillu, who was part of the lead breakaway, is wearing the yellow jersey. Frischkorn is 1:42 behind Feillu in the general classification. The breakaway finished 2:03 in front of the peloton.

Frischkorn, one of four Americans in this year's Tour de France, is writing a journal about his experience at VeloNews. It should be interesting to see what he writes about Stage 3.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour de France, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:07 PM

Friday, July 04, 2008

Tour de France 2008

Part of the reason I include the news feed that I do in the right column of this blog is because I know sources such as VeloNews can provide much better coverage of the Tour de France than I can in this humble little blog. Nevertheless, here's my two cents worth on the race:

I'm extremely disappointed former Discovery Channel riders Alberto Contador, the defending champion, and Levi Leipheimer, who finished third, won't be there because of the decision of Tour de France to exclude Team Astana from this year's event because of the team's past doping transgressions.

I suppose one could argue that Contador, Leipheimer and former Discovery manager Johan Bruyneel should have had some clue that Astana would be targeted for punishment, but I don't find it particularly fair that a restructured Astana team should be so severly punished for sins of previous team members.

With Leipheimer's absence, I have to wonder how much interest there will be in this year's Tour de France by casual cycling fans. The die-hard fans, of course, are going to care about the race, but the lack of an American among the major contenders will reduce coverage of the race by the mainstream media.

In addition to the greatness of the race -- even a heavy-handed management style cannot rob the Tour de France of its splendor -- there are two American teams in this year's race. One is Team Columbia, which includes former Discovery lieutenant George Hincapie, and Garmin-Chipotle, which is best known for its anti-doping stance. Christian Vande Velde is the best-known American on that team.

If your local newspaper or TV station provides inadequate coverage of the Tour de France, the three best sources are probably VeloNews, Versus and the Tour de France site itself. Versus, as always, will provide almost-constant TV coverage of the race. Gene Bisbee also provides a list of sources at his BikingBis blog.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour de France

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:53 PM

Monday, June 23, 2008

Tour of Missouri to be ‘deceivingly tougher’

Organizers of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race Sept. 8-14 say this year's course will be "deceivingly tougher" than the course for last year's inaugural event.

For one, the race has grown from six to seven stages, and organizers say there are more hills this year.

That won't be comfort to the racers, many of whom were surprised by how hilly Missouri can be.

This year's Tour of Missouri starts in St. Joseph on Sept. 8, and roughly follows the Missouri River to Kansas City. "The first 50-plus miles feature a series of relentless small, uncategorized climbs, some of which form a panoramic view of the Missouri River. This differs from the relatively flat out-and-back course featured on the course last year for Stage 1," according to a description of the stages.

Stage 2 (Sept. 9) once again starts in Clinton and winds up in Springfield. This is the stage where George Hincapie pulled off a major breakaway that enabled him to win the 2007 event. Hincapie will be back to defend his title.

Stage 3 (Sept. 10) will be an 18-mile time trial on the hilly roads of Branson and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Stage 4 (Sept. 11) starts in Lebanon and will take competitors through a hilly course to Rolla. Plans call for the route to go through a portion of Fort Leonard Wood as a tribute to U.S. troops. The route also features a 12 percent grade near Waynesville.

Stage 5 (Sept. 12) begins in the wine country town of St. James and goes up and down a series of small hills to Jefferson City, the state capitol.

Stage 6 (Sept. 13) differs from the next-to-last stage in 2007. Last year, that stage started in Jefferson City and ended in St. Charles. This year, the stage will start in Hermann, the heart of Missouri's wine country, and ends in St. Charles. The new route eliminates the relatively flat part of the course between Jefferson City and Hermann, but the difficult climbs on Augusta Bottom and Schluersburg roads near Augusta remain, and a difficult climb of Old Colony Road near Defiance has been added to the course. From Old Colony Road, the route continues to O'Fallon, Mo., then heads into the flat Mississippi River valley before heading into St. Charles.

The final stage (Sept. 14) remains a circuit course in the city of St. Louis. Instead of starting and finishing at Union Station on Market Street, the start-finish line will be in front of City Hall a few blocks east on Market. Racers will be making five trips around the 14-mile circuit.

This year's course will start on Market, continue on Forest Park Boulevard, loop through a portion of Forest Park, returns to the Central West End -- a popular place to watch the race because of all the outdoor cafes -- turns east on Forest Park Boulevard, turns north on Compton Avenue, returns downtown on Olive Street to Tucker Boulevard, then back to Market.

In case you're wondering, the St. Louis Rams will have a home game at noon Sept. 14 against the New York Giants, but the St. Louis Cardinals will be on the road, so traffic may not be as big of an issue.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:48 AM

Monday, June 09, 2008

RAAM 2008: They're off!

Race Across America is under way! Both female competitors, Janet Christiansen and Carolina van den Bulk and one male competitor, Richard Rupp, already have made it to Flagstaff, Ariz., as of this morning. The women and Rupp, competing in the 60-older division, started Saturday from Oceanside, Calif. The top solo male competitors, Gerhard Gulewicz and defending champion Jure Robic, started Sunday and have passed Congress, Ariz., as of this morning.

Back here in the Midwest, help is needed for the Greenville, Ill., time station. Help will be needed between Saturday, when the top male competitors are expect to pass through Greenville, and Tuesday, June 17. If you know someone who can volunteer, contact Joy Criner at 618-664-3342; 217-229-4237, ext. 231; or trixtip@sbcglobal.net.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:35 AM

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Race Across America begins Sunday

Once again, the most dedicated of the dedicated ultramarathon cyclists will take off Sunday on the Race Across America. The solo riders take off at noon PDT Sunday, while the teams don't take off until Wednesday,

There are some changes for this year's event. The biggest change is that the race ends in Annapolis, Md., instead of Atlantic City, N.J. That means there's a major reroute of the course from 100 miles east of the Mississippi River to the end.

Instead of taking the busy National Road (U.S. 40) corridor that RAAM has taken through Indiana and Ohio in recent years, the route will go through the Midwest cycling mecca of Bloomington, Ind.; the quaint German town of Oldenberg, Ind.; Chillicothe, Ohio; and Parkersburg, W.Va. After Parkersburg, the racers will face some challenging climbs in the Appalachian Mountains. Here's a description from RAAM:

As the road (U.S. 50) narrows, it climbs over the Eastern Divide at 3,000 feet above sea level, and then climbs again to the ominously named Mount Storm before dropping into Maryland. Some of the most intense grades of the entire race are found on scenic U.S. 40 in the forty miles between Cumberland and Hancock. The fourth of these climbs, Sideling Hill, subjects Racers to a 1,000-foot ascent in two miles.

The route, however, remains unchanged through the St. Louis region. The time stations will be at Marthasville, Mo.; West Alton, Mo.; and Greenville, Ill. The West Alton time station is just before the cyclists cross the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River into Alton, Ill. I would expect the riders to start arriving in the St. Louis area either June 13 or June 14.

The western part of the RAAM course has been changed so that it goes through Taos, N.M.

Slovenian Jure Robic won the male solo edition of the 2007 Race Across America -- the third time he has won the race. Robic completed the 3,042.8 miles of the race in 8 days, 19 hours and 33 minutes. His average speed was 14.38 mph.

Labels: cycling, RAAM, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:00 AM

Thursday, May 29, 2008

O'Fallon Grand Prix

The Metro-East Cycling club will be putting on its first-ever O'Fallon Grand Prix this Saturday, May 31.

The start-finish line for the races will be in front of Fulton Junior High School, which is located at 307 Kyle Road in O'Fallon, Ill. Racing will begin at 11 a.m., and participants can sign up for the event starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 30 minutes before the start of each scheduled event.

The event is the biggest cycling race in St. Clair County since the mid-1990s, when a leg of the Gateway Cup series of bicycle races was run in the Signal Hill neighborhood of Belleville.

The Elite Pro/Cat 1/Cat 2 race will begin at 11 a.m. and will cover 90 miles. Races also will be available in other men's categories, masters' categories, women's categories and junior categories. In addition, kids races from tricyclists to bicyclists ages 11-14 will begin at 10 a.m.

"It'll be really fun for people who enjoy bike racing," race director Steven Schmidt, secretary of Metro East Cycling, told the Belleville News-Democrat. "Our course is exciting. It's all on country roads. It's fast, hilly and twisty."

That's true. The map of the course shows all the twists and turns, and I can tell you from personal experience, there are hills on the course!

Racers should be aware of one major hazard on the course. There's a bridge on Simmons Road between Bethel School Road and Kyle Road that has cracks parallel to the length of the bridge. The cracks are wide and deep enough to grab a road wheel and can cause a serious spill. Racers need to be careful to position themselves between the cracks while going across the bridge.

Metro-East Cycling has worked hard on this event. One of the biggest challenges the club faced was getting approval from the O'Fallon City Council. The council did unanimously approve the event at its April 7 meeting, but with the caveat that the police chief has authority to close down the event if the insurance is not provided, communications concerns are not met or not enough volunteers are present.

From what I understand, it sounds like Metro-East Cycling has all its ducks in a row, so let the racing begin Saturday morning!

Labels: cycling, Illinois, racing

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:49 AM

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Missouri gets a D in cycling

On Monday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about the Missouri Bicycle Federation's recent report, "Bicycling and Walking in Missouri -- A Report Card" (PDF file).

"The overall grade for Missouri's walking and bicycling environment for 2007 was a D," Missouri Bicycle Federation Executive Director Brent Hugh said in a recent post on MoBikeFed's Web site. "We are quite frankly behind most other states in accommodating for safe walking and bicycling. With gas prices near $3.50 a gallon and rising, it's hitting us right in the pocketbook."

The Post-Dispatch quoted a St. Louis-area cyclist who thought the area deserved a grade of C+. I would have to agree that the St. Louis area has a better cycling environment than the rest of the state, but that's not saying much.

Here's a couple of areas of concern MoBikeFed cited:

• MoDOT stops meetings of Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee for over 18 months; essentially shuts down bicycle/pedestrian program for most of the year; fires bicycle/pedestrian coordinator; halts Missouri Complete Streets bill; over 95% of MoBikeFed supporters disapprove of MoDOT's handling of bicycling and walking.
• Numerous important transportation projects statewide continue to move forward without needed bicycle and/or pedestrian accommodations or with facilities that do not meet ADA requirements--including Hanley Rd in St. Louis County, Hwy 45 in Parkville, and Hwy 150 in the Kansas City area, and many others.

Having done the former Cycle Across Missouri Parks ride twice in the 1990s and having been a volunteer/rider on last year's Cycle Across Missouri, I can say that part of the problem is the quality of the roads themselves. Once you get out of the state's metropolitan areas, the roads often are barely safe for motor vehicles, let alone for cyclists.

The roads often are in poor shape with potholes, cracks and crumbling pavement. In rural areas, there often are no shoulders whatsoever, not even an extra foot or two that would make a big difference for cyclists.

Last year, I rode on Highway 116 in northwest Missouri. The road had no shoulder and plenty of fast traffic. On top of that, motorists were not particularly accommodating of me or other cyclists, and I was forced to bail onto the grass once because of that. I was happy to get off that road, except that turning onto U.S. 63 toward Lawson was even less fun. Not only was it narrower than Highway 116, the edge of the road was in extremely poor shape. I didn't have to bail off that road, but I sure was saying plenty of prayers!

Early on CAM last year, cyclists were forced to ride on U.S. 136 toward Bethany. I was glad I was supporting the ride instead of riding that day. Again, there was no shoulder on much of U.S. 136, and cyclists weren't happy about that or the refusal of some motorists to give sufficient space to pass them.

Part of the problem in rural Missouri that there are few options besides the busy roads. Many of the country roads are dirt and gravel roads totally unsuitable for cycling (unless you own a mountain bike). Illinois has its share of country roads, but at least a great number of roads have oil-and-chip surfaces, making them viable alternatives to the busier highways.

While I would agree that the Missouri Department of Transportation is behind the times when it comes to maintaining road, I also would add that they are hindered by a lack of revenue. Missourians enjoy some of the lowest gasoline taxes in the country, but I would argue that the quality of Missouri roads is a case of you get what you pay for.

I can only base this on anecdotal evidence, but many motorists in Missouri have the attitude that bicycles only belong on the Katy Trail, not on the state's highways.

Clearly, Missouri has a long ways to go to become a truly bike-friendly state, but at least MoBikeFed saw signs of hope: the successful 2007 Tour of Missouri bicycle race, the addition of more miles to the Bike St. Louis system and new connections to the Katy Trail.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, Missouri, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 8:49 AM

Monday, May 05, 2008

Bike St. Louis expands

Just in time for National Bike to Work Week, May 12-16, the Great Rivers Greenway District is announcing the opening of 57 miles of additional on-street Bike St. Louis routes through St. Louis County and St. Louis City.

With the expansion, the Bike St. Louis system will today 77 miles of dedicated bike lanes and shared traffic lanes.

The dedication of the expansion will take place Thursday at three locations:

• 10 a.m. in Maplewood, Mo., in front of Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Avenue
  
• 11 a.m. in Clayton, Mo., at the MetroLink station at Central and Shaw Park Drive
  
• 12:30 p.m. in St. Louis at the intersection of St. Louis Avenue and Blair Avenue
  (a half-block block west of Crown Candy Kitchen)

Here's a brief excerpt from the press release (Word document) Bike St. Louis has published about the expansion:

The new routes are the first major expansion of the Bike St. Louis network since 2005, when the first 20 miles of continuous on-street bicycle routes were dedicated and connected downtown St. Louis to surrounding neighborhoods. Nearly 50 miles of the expanded Bike St. Louis routes are located in the City of St. Louis, providing connections from downtown to neighborhoods, business districts, educational, cultural and recreation amenities in North and South St. Louis. The new routes also provide on-street connections to the North Riverfront Trail and the McKinley Bridge Bikeway along the Mississippi River in North St. Louis, as well as the River des Peres Greenway and Christy Greenway in South St. Louis.

“In just a few short years, I have seen an important change in residents’ attitudes about bicycle trails and lanes,” said St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay. “What was suspicion and resistance five years ago is now enthusiastic support. A nearby trail is viewed – and, more importantly for our physical fitness, used – as an important amenity for city neighborhoods."

All Bike St. Louis routes feature highly visible customized designation signs, standard federal bicycle route signs and on-street pavement markings. In addition, Bike St. Louis maps are available online at www.bikestlouis.org and at many convenient area locations throughout the region. The maps provide information to assist riders plan their routes and feature safety tips and other pertinent resource information.

And if that wasn't enough, the Great Rivers Greenway District will hold the grand opening of the McKinley Bridge Bikeway and Trestle on June 7. After a major renovation, the bridge reopened to vehicle traffic late last year, and now the McKinley Bridge will link the Bike St. Louis system to the Madison County Transit Confluence Trail in Illinois.

Once the bridge is open, St. Louis cyclists will have four safe ways to cross the Mississippi River between the two states. The existing crossings are the Eads Bridge, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and the Clark Bridge, which connects St. Charles County, Mo., and Alton, Ill.

Not surprisingly, I applaud the efforts to make the St. Louis area more bicycle friendly, and I hope the trend continues.

Labels: commuting, cycling, Missouri, St. Louis, trails

Roger 2 comments links to this post 12:10 AM

Friday, May 02, 2008

Hincapie to defend Tour of Missouri title

George Hincapie, longtime lieutenant to Lance Armstrong and winner of the inaugural Tour of Missouri, will return in September to defend his title in the state’s seven-day stage bicycle race, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday.

Organizers of the event made the announcement at a press conference Friday.

I would write more, but I better get a little rest before Tour de Stooges tomorrow!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:23 PM

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Two rides for worthy causes

In recent days, I've received e-mails about two worthwhile charity rides.

The first is the Ride for World Health. R4WH is a national, nonprofit organization that advocates for improvements in the quality and accessibility of global health care. Each year, by utilizing a cross-country bike ride as a vehicle of communication, R4WH addresses this issue through political advocacy, fundraising and its unique Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series.

The riders currently are in Utah, and they're expected reach the St. Louis area in early May. Dr. Tracy Hall, the leader of the GEARS bicycle club in Greenville, Ill., asked me to pass along this bit of information about the R4WH stop in the Greenville area :

Ride for World Health, a charity cross country bicycle tour, will be stopping
at Greenville First Christian Church (1100 Killarney Drive, Greenville, IL 62246) on Tuesday, May 13, about 1 p.m., on the St. Louis to Kinmundy (Ill.) leg of their trip. The group is made up of doctors, residents and medical students. Please come and have a listen to the short presentation and meet the riders. Some of the GEARS riders are planning on accompanying the riders after the presentation.

R4WH is writing a blog about the journey, and the group is accepting donations.

The second ride is the 2008 Equal Parenting Bike Trek. Starting Aug. 7, five fathers will be biking 758 miles over five days between Lansing, Mich., and Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of a child's fundamental right to be loved, guided, educated and nurtured equally by both fit and willing parents. After the ride, the fathers will speak at the Family Preservation Festival.

Robert Peterson, one of the organizers of the ride, has been pushing bloggers throughout the country to write about this event, and he has done a amazing job in getting the word out. The site says more than 70 blogs throughout the world has written about the event, and now you can count mine among them.

The ride is seeking donations and sponsors for the event, and you can find out more at the ride's Web site.

Labels: charities, cycling, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:00 PM

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Do bicycle helmets do more harm than good?

A new study to be published Friday in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia suggest that bicycle helmets are "detrimental to public health in Australia."

The Australian newspaper reported in its Friday edition that bicycle helmets may in fact increase the risk of serious injury - and laws requiring their use Australia-wide have compounded the problem by deterring people from cycling altogether.

"Experimental studies have shown that in some circumstances, wearing a helmet can increase the rotation of the head (on impact), and that increases angular acceleration of the brain - which is the most damaging factor in brain injury," suggests the study, written by Bill Curnow, president of the Canberra-based Cyclists Rights Action Group.

Curnow's study also suggests that participation in cycling dropped by 50 percent in the two years after the helmet requirement went into effect in Australian jurisdictions.

Not surprisingly, other Australian groups reject those findings. Bicycle Federation of Australia Executive Director Peter Strang said, "We don't accept the view that helmets cause more injuries than they prevent."

My two accidents that landed me in hospital emergency rooms have me convinced that my helmet prevented more serious head injuries. Also, nearly 20 years ago, I saw one of my cycling buddies crash while going down a steep downhill near Elsah, Ill. Despite hitting the rocky side of the road, my buddy escaped with only a minor brain concussion.

I don't know about you, but I'm keeping my helmet on.

Labels: cycling, safety

Roger 1 comments links to this post 11:14 PM

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Cyclists see green -- and they're furious!

In the wake of the green bike boxes in Portland, Ore., here's an item I recently ran across from Great Britain:

Cyclists furious as council paint
everything else luminous green

Cyclists in Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire, UK) have reacted angrily to a decision by town planners to make buildings, trees, street furniture and the road itself much easier to see by painting them all luminous green. The decision follows a number of near misses where pedestrians almost bumped into street furniture or large buildings and then threatened to sue the council on the grounds that they should be more clearly marked. ...

But local cyclists are furious at the plan that has made them the same colour as their immediate surroundings. "We’ve all spent a fortune on these luminous jackets, trousers and cycle clips" said local cyclist Mark Randle. "Suddenly our hi-visibility cycling gear has turned into the most effective camouflage available. Now we’re completely invisible." Read more ...

A tip of the hat to St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation forum letting me know about this development.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, safety, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 0 comments links to this post 2:21 PM

Monday, March 31, 2008

Bike box and bike lane videos

For your viewing pleasure, here's some videos about bike lanes. The first two are about bike boxes, which are meant to provide a spot for cyclists to stop and make turns at busy intersections.

The first is a video produced for the city of Portland, Ore., in an effort to explain the recently installed bike boxes in that city:



The second shows some bike boxes in New York City:



I haven't decided what I think about bike boxes, but John S. Allen, the author of "Bicycling Street Smarts" takes a look at them here: http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/stopline.htm. Allen does have some concerns about the safety of bike boxes, and he cites some studies to back up his concerns.

The final video comes from Los Angeles, where Slate V Editor Andy Bowers describes "the stupidest bike lane in America":



I hope you enjoyed today's triple feature!

Labels: advocacy, bike boxes, bike lanes, cycling, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:29 PM

Saturday, March 22, 2008

"Russian roulette" in Indianapolis

After more than 200 accidents and four deaths involving cyclists and motorists in the Indianapolis area last year, the Indianapolis Star reports local cycling advocates are hoping education and respect will go a long way to a safer 2008.

"It's intimidating as a cyclist," said Jonathan Juillerat, general manager of Nebo Ridge Bicycles in Carmel. "Riding city streets sometimes feels like Russian roulette, so I made a conscious decision not to ride as much because of that. Eventually, I feel like my number will be up because motorists aren't paying attention."

Nancy Tibbett -- president of the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, best known for putting on the Hilly Hundred and N.I.T.E. Ride each year -- told the Star that Indiana has a long way to go before being thought of as a bicycle-friendly state. She also said most roads in the Indianapolis area aren't designed for motorists and cyclists to co-exist.

She did note that progress is being made on bike lanes and bike routes in the region. Until then, she suggest that motorists and cyclists can share the roads if they traffic laws.

The Indiana Bicycle Coalition is attempting to educate cyclists and motorists about their rights and obligations. The coalition has published brochures urging cyclists and motorists to share the road and to follow the rules of the road.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, Indiana, safety

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:46 PM

Monday, March 03, 2008

Reunited and it feels so good

I know the hardy souls who are able to ride their bicycles all year long won't be impressed, but I got around to getting in my first 14 outdoor cycling miles of 2008 on Sunday.

Even with the strong, steady winds that usually go along with unseasonably warm days in Midwest -- we were up in the 70s -- I had to get out Sunday. I rode from my house to lunch at the St. Louis Bread Co. restaurant in downtown Belleville, then I rode the MetroLink Trail to Southwestern Illinois College.

There were a lot of families and kids on the trail, which I think it is a good thing. It's good to see people using what few trails we have here in St. Clair County, and I hope someday officials in this county will learn something from our neighbors to the north, Madison County, and build more trails here.

Dave Luecking, who writes the 10 Speed blog for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, also hit the trails Sunday, and he offers a few tips in trail etiquette in Part 1 of his Bicycling Survival Guide. I agree with Dave with the points he makes about cyclists, but my experience on trails also is that a few non-cycling users of trails also can be less than courteous.

I blew a few chances this winter to get some decent miles in because of work on the Tour de Stooges and The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Ride. I tried being a winter cyclist years ago, but my lungs get too sore, no matter what I did, because of residual effects from my childhood asthma.

It looks like it may be a while before I get back outside on the bike. We're expecting about 7 inches of snow tonight and Tuesday and cold temperatures the rest of week.

Labels: Belleville, cycling, trails

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:33 AM

Sunday, February 24, 2008

2008 Tour of California summary

"Seems it never rains in Southern California.
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before.
It never rains in California.
But, girl, don't they warn ya.
It pours, man, it pours."

With apologies to Albert Hammond, who wrote and recorded the 1970s hit "It Never Rains in Southern California," the finishers of this year's Amgen Tour of California certainly can tell you that it does indeed rain in California.

After getting soaked by the rains drenched some of this year's ride, including the final stage today that ended at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Levi Leipheimer soaked in the glory of having won his second straight Tour of California. Slipstream-Chipotle's David Millar and Christian Vande Velde, a Chicago-area native, filled out the final podium.

2007 Tour of Missouri winner and former Discovery Channel teammate George Hincapie won the final stage, nearly a minute ahead of the pack that included Leipheimer.

Despite the horrible weather -- by Southern California standards -- a large crowd came out for the final stage, according to media reports.

Now that Leipheimer has won the Tour of California, maybe he can win his next battle, getting in the 2008 Tour de France.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 1 comments links to this post 6:56 PM

Monday, February 18, 2008

Let Levi ride!

Fans of Levi Leipheimer no doubt will want to go to his new Web site, LetLeviRide.com, to let their feelings known the Tour de France's decision last week to exclude his new team, Astana, from this year's event because of past doping problems with that team.

In the effort to "save the 2008 Tour de France," Leipheimer is calling on his fans to sign an online petition to have him and his team reinstated in the race.

"There can be no comparison between the Astana team of 2007 and the new Astana," the Web site states. "The entire organizational structure has been rebuilt under the direction of the team’s new General Manager, Johan Bruyneel, who has thoroughly cleaned house. What’s more, Astana has adopted the rigorous doping controls developed by anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, and Astana now spends more money on anti-doping controls than any other team in the pro peloton."

In addition to the online petition, T-shirts, hats and stickers will be available soon.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour de France

Roger 3 comments links to this post 12:04 AM

Friday, February 15, 2008

Economic impact of the Tour of Missouri

Two recent reports by Tour of Missouri organizers and the University of Missouri’s Tourism Economics Research Initiative reveal some interesting numbers about the economic impact of the inaugural 2007 event. It already had been revealed that the race was estimated to bring in $26 million into Missouri's economy. Here's some more numbers:

• The estimated number of spectators totaled 367,566 with 255,529 unique stage spectators.
• St. Louis is estimated to have hosted the most spectators at the beginning or end of a stage,
  with an estimated 50,000 at the final stage of the Tour. Of those, 20,089 were at the St. Louis finish line (Union Station), with the rest scatted along the circuit.
• The fifth stage between Jefferson City and St. Charles came in second with an estimated 45,000 spectators. Of that, 7,478 were at the St. Charles finish.
  
• Household travel parties averaged 2.05 people spending $560.85. In Fiscal Year 2006, average expenditures by domestic travelers in Missouri (per household travel party) were $307.25.
• On average, 41.8% of the start/finish line spectators came from outside the local area. Kansas City had the highest percentage (60.19%), followed by Branson (59.24%) and
  St. Charles (48.23%).
• 25.6% of the out-state respondents stated they had not visited the interview site within the
  past five years. 73% said the Tour of Missouri was very important or extremely important
  in planning their trip.

The organizers of the event contend that the higher numbers at St. Louis and St. Charles stages were the number of spectators at the finish. That may be possible, judging from anecdotal evidence I heard from spectators and personal observations. Many people who may have watched an earlier portion of a stage also traveled to the finish line.

You can see the unfiltered numbers in the Tourism Economics Research Initiative's "The Economic Impact of the 2007 Tour of Missouri" (PDF file). Filtered numbers can be found in the Tour of Missouri's Annual Report (PDF file).

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing, Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:36 PM

2008 Amgen Tour of California

Will Levi Leipheimer defend his Amgen Tour of California title? We'll find out next week as the event kicks off Sunday with the Prologue in Palo Alto, Calif.

Although I will leave the expert commentary to the sources listed on the right column of this blog and to California-based blogs such as Fritz's Cycle-Licious, I may talk about aspects of the Tour from time to time.

For those of us stuck in the Midwest, the Versus cable TV channel will be providing same-day coverage of the race, beginning at 4 p.m. CST Sunday. If that's not good enough for you, you can watch each day's stages live, "as live" and highlights at Cycling TV. You can see a lower-resolution version (up to 400 kbs) of the race for free, or you can pay to see a higher-resolution version (up to 1,200 kbs).

It will be odd to see Leipheimer and George Hincapie racing for a team other than the now-disbanded Discovery Cycling Team. Leipheimer will be racing for Astana, while Hincapie will be racing for High Road.

Other top racers entered in the Tour of California include Bobby Julich (Team CSC), Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonan (Quick Step), and David Millar and David Zabriskie (Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30).

Sadly, too, this will be the first Tour of California without Jana Ireton as the Specialized Angel. As reported here last month, a woman from Spain will be the new Specialized Angel. Jana said Specialized wanted an Angel who spoke multiple languages.

Jana said she still be along the sidelines watching the races. While I'm sure the new Specialized Angel will be lovely as she blows kisses to the cyclists as they pass, it won't be the same. Jana really impressed me as a class act; she always sent me and other bloggers who featured her thank-you notes for writing about her.

Although the race is only three years old, it is the gem of Medalist Sports' stable of multiday American stage races. Medalist Sports also plays a key role in the Tour of Georgia and Tour of Missouri.

Let the racing begin!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 2 comments links to this post 11:24 AM