First Time "4" Everything!

Mark Cavendish "Cav" (of Team Sky) raises his hand with a four finger salute to congratulate himself, as he finishes 1st for the 4th straight time in Paris. The reigning world champion is the first but possibly not the last if the man to his right in lime green (Peter Sagan) has anything to say about it. Sagan is only 22 and blew the competition away to obtain the Green Jersey.

Another first, Bradley Wiggins (a teammate to Cav, with Team Sky) holds on to the LCL Yellow Jersey, and rides the lead out train for Cav to sprint to victory, and becomes England's first TDF winner! It was a great day for Team Sky, they finished 1 & 2 in the overall (General Classification), and won the final stage of the TDF. In all honesty however, if (yes if) Chris Froome had taken command in the mountains and not been ordered to wait for Wiggins, Froome could have been England's first TDF winner. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, and if, if's and buts, were candies and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas, but... Froome could have won this year.

Last year also produced a ton of possible firsts:

Frank and Andy Schleck would have been the first siblings (also teammates) to finish first and second, had they held on in the final time trial. As it turned out, it would be a first for Australia and Team BMC's Cadel Evans, as he took the final time trial and the TDF Yellow going into Paris. His celebration a bit more elaborate than that of Mr. Wiggins today, but nonetheless, he was victorious.

Not sure if a team has changed names, and won the team overall yellow, in consecutive years, but (there's that big 3 letter word again) I am thinking that is a first as well! So congratulations to Team Radioshack Nissan Trek (RSTN) for pulling off the team win again this year! 

With that said, it is time for me to venture out on my Madone and ride now, myself! It's hot, but the hot needs me! In honor of Team Sky, in my best Norf side accent, "Tootles..."

Cruising On A Sunday Afternoon...

The flat tire was overcome (caused by the point -speck on the sink edge- of the twig pictured above), and again we ride! Alberto Contador wasn't as fortunate, being stripped of a title, and suspended until August of this year!

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-doping-contador

No matter what sports you may like, dislike, or may be involved in, this is a class act!!! Here is a quote from one of Alberto Contador's fellow cyclists (Radio Shack/Nissan/Trek rider Andy Schleck), and toughest competitors:
“There is no reason to be happy now,” Schleck said in a statement issued by his team. “First of all I feel sad for Alberto. I always believed in his innocence. I battled with Contador in that race and I lost.”

That's classy no matter what the sport may be!!! He embraced the pain of a fellow rider and didn't bash him, and say something along the lines of:
It would've been much better if they had caught this cheater in the first place, so I would not have had to win it this way! He realized that purposely or not, he is still a cyclist, and if it was contaminated meat that caused this, and the doping was not intentional, then it could very easily happen to anyone, even him!

What's even classier, however, is riding with a friend that will ride with you even though they haven't been on a bike in several years! ;) Sunday was a casual take it easy ride, but had great company, and a great day to enjoy! The sun, and the Sunshine were brilliant! Until the next one.

Leo-Shack!?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/leopard-trek-confirms-merger-with-radioshack

http://www.leopardtrek.lu/news/leopard-trek-welcomes-radioshack-and-nissan-new-main-sponsors


http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/news_press-release-radioshack-nissan-trek-cycling-super-team-links-top-riders-sponsors/

Rumors, rumors, rumors... First Leopard was shutting down, then it was said that Leopard would be financing a big part of the merge. So I have posted a few links above for your reading pleasure.

Most cyclist know their roll. It is one of the most loyal sports that a sports enthusiast can be a part of. Be it a fan, or participant. I am praying for the chemistry to be with the new Trek team. Hopefully the leadership and the merge will bring forth growth in the combined team. It is said that Leipheimer has not yet received an invitation to this merger, nor Jen Voigt. Fuglsang among other names have been excluded because of the 30 member limit. Regardless, the combination of riders will be lethal, and I believe will do some remarkable things. But will Andy be strong enough to lead? Frank showed great character in the Tour de France, and in the USA Pro Challenge seemingly outshining his brother on several occasions. Does Andy have the toughness to step up to the next level? Can he out battle Contador, Evans, and the rest of the world? Time will tell, and I pray that Trek and all of it's riders fair well.

Well onto the Vuelta to take care of business in Spain. I am praying that Fuglsang, Monfort, and all others looking for spots will use this Tour of Spain as a strength builder to their resume`s. Well back to the mountains of Spain... see ya tomorrow.

No Rain in Spain, No Pain No Gain in Aspen

The Challenge...
Today the USA Pro Cycling Challenge lived up to its name. It was marred by wrecks, and then the elements challenged everyone! Overhead camera crews had to fly lower because of icing, and then the rain cautioned the riders. Race slicks on a rain slicked road could produce tragedy. Tonight is the condensed version, so bear with me...

I don't know the international scene as well as I should, Aussie Cadel Evans is the 2011 Tour de France Champ, and he is still very much in contention (along with about many others), so there is your international report.

The race seemed to have a fairly fast pace in the beginning with no major breaks or attacks. I love the picture above... They left the black top today momentarily and hit the mountains on gravel, and some hit the road. A nasty spill changed things, and rain eventually slowed the pace a bit, especially Levi Leipheimer, coming into Aspen. Better safe than sorry I guess. I believe that theory based on personal experience. I know what paint strips, and water can do, and what affect the combination can have on the human body. I have scars on my left ankle and knee to prove it. The Cottonwood Pass over the first peak on the gravel was a Wisconsin bike manufacturers dream! Look at the picture above, and notice the sea of red, not the Red Sea, although technically I guess one could use that moniker!!! That cycling fans is Team Shack! Oh and the Boys in Black and Blue... that's non other than Leopard Trek. The Shack and Leopard teams did well, but Levi fell from first to 4th in the overall standings with a 9th place finish in Stage 2 today, and Andy Schleck could have very well fallen completely out of contention today with a poor finish. Question earlier was, "Did the Tour de France or the rain sap the energy out of him?" Either way, he is a fair way down on the list of names now. His brother Frank is 12th overall, and has a legit shot, being a climber (and some serious climbing left to do). So the final mountain stages could play out well for Frank if he can survive the last Time Trial tomorrow. It's a slightly uphill TT if I read and remember correctly, so again even the TT could play to his favor? OK I gave props to the Trek guys and now for the winner... From Queens, NY, now residing in Somewhere, SC, give it up for Mr. Georgie Hincapie! I love how the Brits call him Georgie!!! Too funny!

Here's how we close the Challenge today:

Overall Standings
1. TeJay Van Garderen (HTC)
2. George Hicapie (BMC)
3. Tom Danielson (GAR)
4. Levi Leipheimer (RSH)
5. Christian Vandevelde

Hold up y'all! I totally missed Bruno!!! No not Bruno Mars! Bruno Pires!!! 9th place for the Portuguese rider! Portugal doing its thing today!!! OK he deserves a photo op... it's not much better than the top pic, but he's in there on the right on Cottonwood Pass...

Swelta in the Vuelta!

Props to Portugal's Tiago Machado who finished 29 seconds back today, and 29th in the stage to move into 22nd overall, just 1'37" out of first place. Singing the Campbell Soup song now... "Mmm mmm, Possibilities..."

Chavanel finished back in the pack but still holds on to the red jersey, and Moreno still flanks him in second. Jakob Fuglsang of Leopard TREK is in 4th, and teammate Maxime Monfort drops to 7th overall after finishing in 21st today in the blistering Spanish sun. Team Shack is still looking good as well with Brajkovic in 18th overall, and Zubeldia in 12th overall. The big story for the Waterloo guys, however... drum roll please... Shack has top honors as a team, and Leopard Trek is 4th overall in the team standings. And that ladies and gents of the cycle world is all I have in me. It is time to go dream of how awesome tomorrows stages will be, and how good it will be for me to get back on my bike hopefully this weekend! Good night.

Historical Year at the Tour de France!

Picture courteousy of Steephill TV for review only

Andy and Frank Schleck become the first brothers to finish together in the same year (second and third) on the podium at the Tour de France. So the Schlecks and Trek make history again this year. Trek is also the record holder for consecutive Tour de France victories, and most consecutive victories from an individual rider.

Cadel Evans is the first ever Australian winner at this years Tour de France, and the first winner from the Southern hemisphere. He was also the first rider to give me the same (exact) expression that I had when hearing Mike Tyson talk for the first time! He sounds like a thirteen year old in a thirty plus year old body. But like Tyson (in the Cus D'Amato years), he knocked out the competition this year!

British rider Mark (The Mouth) Cavendish is the first Brit to win the Sprinters jersey, and is still on course to hold more stage wins than any other rider in the Tours history. It will not come in this historical year, but he was close to winning more stages in one Tour than any other rider again this year.  He is quite the talent, and I know his fans are pulling for him to turn in the complete ride, and win the Tour. He has the potential in my way of seeing things, if he will just put the complete ride together.

It is also the first year that the imperfect Christian has had an opportunity to watch each stage of the Tour. So a historical, and great year for cycling, and this imperfect cycling fan...

What Do You Do With...

What do you do with a bad stomach, a sprained elbow, a broken Droid and rain. You sit inside and think about how behind you are getting in your yard work. Then you abandon your phone grab your laptop, watch the best (known) bicycle riders on the planet do battle in the Pyrenees! Andy looked to struggle a bit at the end, or was he just saving the kick for tomorrow? Frank looked strong at Plateau de Beille in the end, and grabbed a couple of seconds today, but not near enough to take a chunk out of the general classification time to gain the yellow jersey. Limoux to Montpellier tomorrow. I think with a rest day Monday you will see a different group of riders if the weather is fair! Contador will force things tomorrow, or my hiney isn't butter pecan brown! Voeckler will also come out of the yellow tomorrow. Stage Fifteen is the last of the Pyrenean stages, however word has it that everyone that has won the stage involving the climb up La Plateau de Beille (this years fourteenth stage) has gone on to win the Tour de France in the same year. I'm thinking that changes this year. This time next week will tell me if I am correct or not. I could be wrong, I mean I did have Chris Horner (of Team Radio Shack) and Fabian Cancellara (Team Leopard Trek) being up front. Now that The Shack has half of their team left, I only have a chance at Fabian being up front in one stage and that will be the one where he wins the Individual TT! But being banged up how probable is that even? Wait this is Fabian Cancellara right? The man who has shattered every Time Trial record out there, and won the last what 20 million Time Trials around the globe, including the UCI World Time Trials the last Olympic Time Trials. OK I take him winning by half a minute in the 42km TT. Anyone dare to challenge that?

NASCAR in New Hampshire tomorrow at Loudon, and the Hendrick's guys were said to look strong. JG in seventh and everyone else lined up in the twenties, I hope they are strong, considering how far back the rest of the team is starting! Fortunately, there is a lot of racing to do in a Cup race so no biggie starting back as far as twenty-eighth.

I guess tomorrow will be much of the same, I will be sitting and healing. I may run and not put as much strain on the elbow, then again, I may sit and transfer the strain from the elbow to the eyes. (Smile) As for now, it's steak time again, I have fought not eating it for two long!

How Lucky Is 13?

Some don't see Friday the thirteenth as lucky. So does that count for stages in the Tour de France as well? Frank looked a bit wobbly at the end of the big climb today, and Andy looked ready for a Tour victory. What was Contador's look? Was he sand bagging? Four minutes is not impossible to overcome. There are still nine stages remaining. There is one climb left tomorrow, and Gilbert is still right there. So will Contador relax, and reserve some fight for later in the race, or will he try and gain ground on Schleck and Voekler, while attempting to discourage Gilbert, with a strong performance? The biggest or is, "OR" is he really suffering after playing catch up twice over already? I guess we will have our answers around 11:30am EST. Go Trek! Best wishes to teams Leopard, and Radio Shack. As I said before, Schleck's on the Trek's who could object? I just wish that Cancellara and Horner (who is completely out of the Tour now) could have been closer to the front. Don't count out Alberto, there are still nine stages, nine days of torture, and only one day of rest. I feel a great finish coming on! See you at Champs Elysees! One last time... Go Trek!