UCI WorldTour and other pro cycling nonsense 2011

cozey, the 2nd to last climb tomorrow passes right by the James Lick Observatory. It's quite a climb, not extremely difficult, but quite long.

That tour tracker gizmo is really rather neat, just wish it would be used on the TdF - would be very very handy at work.

Was a nice blast from the past to see the oval chainring, reminded me of the old Shimano Biopace - never felt right to me (mate had a mountain bike with them on at college)

were you racing or riding sierra, shasta?

Just riding... no local race goes up Sierra Road, but there is a race in a few weeks that basically does tomorrow's stage in reverse (san jose to livermore). i would, of course, never do that.

just watched the Rapha Continental video of Stage five of this, oh boy, that looks absolutely beautiful.

Unfortunately the most beautiful part of Stage 5 will be rerouted as the highway washed out and is closed to auto traffic (and major bike races). I think those Rapha vids make mention of that.

It does indeed,but it was the Santa Rosa climb (and more thrillingly the descent) that really made me want to ride - like a great hybrid of Surrey lanes and French Alps.

Well, unfortunately they're skipping Santa Rosa this year too:
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Route/stages.html

They skipped SR and SF to go into the Sierras, which ultimately backfired horribly.

ach Jens goes down

so much fail in the sierras :( xpost

glad to see that US Pro Classic will be last week of August. it might snow on the 12000ft passes, but i doubt enough to reroute. i cant imagine euros wanting to race that kind of altitude is the thing. interested to see who will line up.

Shame about Santa Rosa - one day I'll get to come over and ride some of that

Mt Baldy looks a little on the steep side

great great finish that.

Baden Cooke = ouchie, fuck knows what happened there but he went down as if he'd been taken out by a sniper.

Porkpie you should look into this gran fondo, it is a big deal event, arguably the best coastal riding in the state, fully supported, and supposedly the paella is pretty damn good:

http://www.levisgranfondo.com/

That does look pretty bloody great. Maybe I should try and convince Vic that to celebrate my 40th (and hopefully attaining a less mantis like weight) by flying over......

That is very tempting.

i read something about levi's fondue last year, pics made it look like a treat i must say.

ToC live coverage cuts in on free-to-air tv from 7am here. i'm lovin it - get up and have breakfast while watching sky put everyone in the gutter, melbourne's own adopted kiwi HENDO taking the win, baden cooke pulling a mono then going over on his arse, what's not to like!

good luck nz:
http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/henderson-wears-yellow-in-giro-d-italia-4178916

cozey, the 2nd to last climb tomorrow passes right by the James Lick Observatory. It's quite a climb, not extremely difficult, but quite long.

― it's time for the fish in the perculator (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, May 17, 2011 2:46 PM (Yesterday)

this was intended to be addressed to caek... confusion!

thanks shasty

levi's fondo looks amazing. hmm. am in for the etape caledonia next year... and had my eye on this too
http://www.vatternrundan.se/Default.aspx?module=4&content=12&lang=SV&fwsite=2

Pretty nice looking break today: Lars Boom, Martin Pedersen and THOR HUSHOVD join the conti domestic teams for a 10 man break. 2 riders from Bissell are in the break, and dare I say, their 2 best racers... this could be the break that sticks.

Ed, turn it on!

AMBIENT RACE NOISE AND NOTHING ELSE!

So it is

until now

sorry andy, kthxbye

. and had my eye on this too
http://www.vatternrundan.se/Default.aspx?module=4&content=12&lang=SV&fwsite=2

hmmmm, If I could get permission (and a few more miles under my belt) I would be so up for that, looks beautiful

Who owns that mock tudor monstrosity?

that was brilliant. epic effort from horner & shasty looking good in the bear suit

singularly unimpressed w/schleck

Horner went up Sierra Road in 17:05 (~500W, ~13mph, ~1900VAM), my PR is 29:00.

great effort from rory sutherland, he's one of those aussie dudes who's dropped off the radar a bit since we're all so euro-obsessed.

wish someone would physically attack a) the clean bottle man, b) phil every time he mentions the clean bottle!!

are thee shaq gonna have too many leaders in july? horner, levi, kloden, brajkovic...

i think it'll work out ok if nobody pops

wish someone would physically attack a) the clean bottle man, b) phil every time he mentions the clean bottle!!

― Lenny Cravitz (haitch), Wednesday, May 18, 2011 6:48 PM (1 hour ago)

2 of the 3 Bottle Boys were my teammates! Hands off those guys.

haha they're no harm really, just don't need liggett pointing them out EVERY TIME the bunch goes past one of them!

Just rewatched the final climb again, really amazing performance by Horner.

His love for Jack In The Box, 2L of coke, donuts and costco muffins is the stuff of legends.

Then there's always this:
http://tinyurl.com/hornerhills

And this:
http://survey.cyclingnews.com/photos/2001/apr01/horner.shtml

it really was a great ride by Horner, so fantastic that a 39 year old can take on and pull away from some fantastic riders as if they weren't there on a hill like that...... Was it just the UK twitterers that were going suspicion crazy? I must admit it hadn't crossed my mind at the time but the more I thought about it, the more rats I smelled.

are you referring to... drugs?

would I do that?..... Yes, yes I am, drugs and the Radioshack team

~a spectre is haunting yankeeland~

someone across the pond posted horner suspicion a few years ago on ilx, can't remember who, and i was a bit nonplussed. maybe because brits never got a chance to see what horner did domestically? mebbe i'm just a fan of his tactical analyses, forthrightness, and most of all, his willingness to go-for-broke.

otoh, it's pro cycling. it's radio shack. specter is all over the fuckin place (well, ex uk, obv).

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/05/news/horner-the-only-rider-that-can-drop-me-is-contador_174405

“I think in my career I’ve been underappreciated,” said Horner after a demonstrative win on the Amgen Tour’s first-ever mountaintop finish. He said Wednesday that Giro d’Italia leader Alberto Contador was the only rider in the world capable of beating him.

drugs must be involved i fear.

His love for Jack In The Box, 2L of coke, donuts and costco muffins is the stuff of legends.

what a bro, i'm with him.

he is a fat mantis in an actual mantis' body!

Horner is a crit monkey at heart, the fact that he can climb makes it pretty amazing.

His suspicion level on the UCI chart was lower than Wiggins, Gerant, and the other top Britishers iirc.

(lower than Andy and Levi as well?)

Yeah, and famous steak lover Contador.....

having fun with search:
Pro Tour/ Euro/Whatever road thread

and then this is great and pretty timely:
your daily bicycle log

i had thought id written an appreciation of horner in 2005 after one of my favorite stage finishes that featured him. i found that one but it is not quite on point. kind of fun wayback machine trip tho.

“I’ve been a criterium rider my whole life, more than anything. If you grow up racing bikes in the States, that’s what you are. If you can’t ride a crit then you can’t make a living.”
Horner

Lance getting it from all ends now:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-20064406-10391709.html

Hamilton is like a Sean Penn character study in this.

ruhroh