Took the single out for a spin yesterday in the snow and brought home a little ice. Not a bad riding day. I rode for about an hour on local bike paths. The paths had been plowed, mostly, and just had packed snow on them. There where a couple areas where I was blazing a path in 3-4" of fresh powder.  Ah, winter time in the Rockies!

I finally got around to updating the picture and info on my single speed. It only took me about a year or two.

• Frame and fork are Nashbar Steel
• Surly Hubs with Mavic 221 rims
• Surly Singleator chain tensioner
• Crank is the original one from my Sirrus w/ 36 tooth chainring
• Most of the other parts from Performance

With my last ride around Cherry Creek Reservoir I ended up with 10,011 miles on my 2001 Specialized Sirrus Comp. I started keeping track in March of 2004, so it took about 3 years and 8 months to get to the 10,000 mile mark. That averages to 2700+ miles per year. Since this doesn't include the first few years I owned the bike, I can figure a solid 16,000 miles on the bike.

My legs are tired just thinging about it.  

T-Mobile ends sponsorship; teams to continue with new name - VeloNews

The T-Mobile cycling program has lost its title sponsor, but the American director of the men's and women's teams said Tuesday that both will continue to operate with private support.

Deutsche Telekom AG announced on Tuesday that it "has elected to end sponsorship of professional cycling with immediate effect." The decision affects both men's and women's teams.

The Bonn-based telecommunications group has been involved in cycling since 1991. The current contract had been scheduled to run until December 31, 2010.

"We arrived at this decision to separate our brand from further exposure from doping in sport and cycling specifically. This was a difficult decision given our long history of support for professional cycling and the efforts of Bob Stapleton in managing the team in 2007," said Hamid Akhavan, CEO of T-Mobile International and a member of the Deutsche Telekom board of directors.

Read on ...

As team Rabobank sits on the back of the peloton today with no ambition left, in fact Menchov just stopped riding today, the papers are going crazy with news items. In fact, many are calling for the Tour to close shop and call it done. A sad state of affairs for the grandaddy of the classic tours.

Menchov quits as Rasmussen hits back - Eurosport/Yahoo

Top Rabobank rider Denis Menchov has abandoned the Tour de France as former team-mate and Michael Rasmussen protested his innocence. The Dane, who led the race by over three minute, was sacked by his team late on Wednesday for lying about his training whereabouts.

The Rabobank team, said by a spokesman to be "confused, angry and sad", met late into Wednesday evening to determine whether to continue the Tour.

... He (Rasmussen) told Danish tabloid BT: "I am shattered. I am on the verge of tears. I was not in Italy. Not at all. That's the story of one man who believes he recognised me. There is no hint of evidence.

Read on ...

France reels from Tour de France scandals, and newspaper urges calling off race - IHT

One French newspaper ran a mock obituary for the scandal-tainted Tour de France. Another said the race had become a joke and should be canceled.

France reeled Thursday from the news that race leader Michael Rasmussen had been ousted by his team for lying about his whereabouts during pre-race training, the third blow this week to the venerable 104-year-old Tour. In recent days, two riders — including star Alexandre Vinokourov — were thrown out because of positive drug tests.

France Soir newspaper ran a mock death notice for the Tour de France on its cover. It said the tour died Thursday "at age 104, after a long illness."

Liberation newspaper's editorial read: "The Tour must be stopped."

"This procession of cyclists has been transformed into a caravan of ridicule," Liberation wrote. "If the organizers really want to save cycling, they should stop the competition and declare a pause of a few years, enough time to treat these athletes-turned-druggies."

L'Equipe sports daily, by contrast, was more positive, saying the blow was an opportunity for organizers to clean up the Tour de France — "but the Tour must seize it quickly."

Read on ...

U.S. Sponsors of Tour De France Hang On - Forbes

Despite extreme doping scandals and waning interest at home in the Tour de France, U.S. sponsors are more hesitant than their European counterparts to drop ties to the world's largest cycling event.

Sponsorship is key to the Tour de France - a symbiotic relationship exists between the teams and cyclists desperate for funding and the corporations eager for exposure. Few images of the Tour are absent a company name emblazoned on a bike, jersey, helmet or team van.

But the race hit a doping high Wednesday when race leader Michael Rasmussen was removed after winning the day's stage, at the order of the Dutch team sponsor Rabobank. The Cofidis squad also confirmed its rider Cristian Moreni of Italy had failed a doping test, prompting the withdrawal of the entire Cofidis squad.

Read on ...

Rasmussen pulled out of Tour, fired by Rabobank - VeloNews

After 10 days in the yellow jersey, Michael Rasmussen appeared to have beaten back all challengers in his pursuit of the top spot on the Tour de France's final podium in Paris this coming Sunday.

On Wednesday, he handily dispatched his nearest challenger - Discovery Channel's Alberto Contador - winning the Tour's most difficult stage and adding to his already-formidable lead as the race made its final trip into the mountains.

But Rasmussen was apparently unable to defeat the growing skepticism surrounding his performance and his behavior over the past few months. On Wednesday evening, when the Dane should have been celebrating his all-but-certain victory, his own team withdrew him from the Tour and fired him.

"He broke team rules," explained Rabobank spokesman Jacob Bergsma, who said team officials believed Rasmussen had lied to them regarding his whereabouts in June of this year, when UCI and Danish Cycling Federation officials had been unable to locate the rider for out-of-competition testing.

Read on ...

Cofidis can't win for losing - VeloNews

Italian rider Cristian Moreni woke up Wednesday just five days away from finishing the Tour de France as a member of the French Cofidis team - one of seven teams that had just announced a new rider's organization geared towards cleaning up the sport, and kicked off its existence with an anti-doping protest at the start of stage 16.

Moreni ended his day in the back of a police car at the top of the Col d'Aubisque, charged with using testosterone and breaking France's tough laws against using and trafficking in doping products. The 35-year-old former Italian champion admitted to administering himself with a synthetic version of the male sex hormone and did not ask for his B sample to be tested. Moreni tested positive following stage 11 in Montpellier. He's now out of the Tour, and expected to be out of a job as well.

The contrast of Cofidis riders protesting the use of doping products at the start of the stage with the image of Moreni leaving the race in police custody seven hours later was just another unimaginable moment in a Tour de France that seems to grow more surreal by the hour.

Read on ...

CyclingNews reports Cofidis withdrawing from the tour.

Man, can you believe this? At some point you have to wonder when the professional cycling collapses on itself. If the powers to be in the sport ever want the sport to be big in the US they better get this under control.

Hey .. wait a minute ... scandal, lies, drugs, police searches, accusations ... maybe if they can just get Paris Hilton and Linsey Lohan involved, this could just be the thing to get America drooling over it.

Can't wait to see what ticketmaster/bike news reader has to say.

Vinokourov tests positive; Astana withdraws from Tour - VeloNews

Double stage victor Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana)learned Tuesday that he had tested positive for homologous blood doping following his victory in last Saturday's stage 13 individual time trial.

Vinokourov and his Astana team have reportedly withdrawn from the Tour.

The 33-year-old had lost all chance of winning the Tour with a dismal performance in Sunday's 14th stage but then bounced back to take Monday's 15th stage in the Pyrenees.

Read on ...

Hmm ... this reminds me of something ... what could it be ... oh yea, I remember now, last years TDF winner and his amazing ride back into contention.

This is just what the sport of cycling needs to help its already cloudy reputation. Nice going Vino'.

~

Here is an article also from VeloNews, written in 2004 during the Tyler Hamilton controversy explaining what blood doping is:

A doctor explains blood doping

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Astana manager trusts test more than Vino' - VeloNews/Agence France Presse

Astana team manager Marc Biver said he had confidence in the blood doping test which has snared his star rider Alexander Vinokourov and caused a scandal at the Tour de France.

Biver was speaking only hours after being told that 33-year-old team leader Vinokorov, the winner of two stages on this year's race, had tested positive for homologous blood doping.

If a test on his 'B' sample also tests positive, it means that Vinokourov has injected red blood cells from a compatible donor to enhance his performance.

"We can't condemn Alexandre until we know there has been a clear doping violation, and we have to wait for the result of the 'B' sample," said Biver. "But for us, if his 'A' sample tested positive then he is guilty until the 'B' sample proves otherwise."

Read on ...

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lol ... be sure to read the comments - they are classic  

I was hoping for Vino yesterday, especially after his time trial, but it was not to be. So, watching today, I was amazed at his recovery to win the stage. You have to give him credit for shear determination.

I can't wait to watch on Wednesday to find out how Vino does along with the new Disco boy Contador and his battle with Rasmussen.

Vino' wins second stage as Contador, Rasmussen duel - VeloNews

Doping in Bicycle Racing - Fact and Fiction - dailypeloton.com

We are being harassed almost daily by news stories about professional bicycle racers cheating by using illegal drugs to increase athletic performance. These news stories have resulted in a general acceptance by many people that drugs can really improve athletic performance. Many amateur athletes now use these drugs, sometimes with devastating results.

What are the facts about doping and athletic performance in the Tour de France? Is there a magic potion that can turn weak little Asterix into a superhuman athlete who can win the Tour de France?

Bjarne Riis admitted, in May 2007, to using erythropoietin in the 1996 Tour de France when he was the overall winner. The administrators of the Tour de France have stripped him of his title because of his admission. Did erythropoietin really help Bjarne Riss win the Tour de France?

Read on ...

Discovery Channel team paying Austin firm to offset carbon output. - Austin American-Statesman

In the most recent twist on the carbon-neutral movement, a Tour de France cycling team is offsetting its carbon dioxide emissions through an Austin renewable energy company.

Technically, the bicyclists for the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team - which has an office in Austin and featured Lance Armstrong on its roster when he won his seventh and final Tour de France in 2005 - emit only as much carbon dioxide as they exhale while pedaling through France this month. But behind and in front of them lurk the support vehicles that carry coaches, water and spare rims - and spew pollutants from their tailpipes.

That's why the Discovery Channel team is paying Austin's Green Mountain Energy Co. to offset the estimated 62 tons of carbon dioxide generated by the race support vehicles during the team's cycling season. The savings is equivalent to bicycling instead of driving a car more than 151,000 miles - or about the same distance as riding the Tour de France 68 times, according to Green Mountain Energy.

Read on ...

Solar Power Captures Imagination, Not Money - New York Times

The trade association for the nuclear power industry recently asked 1,000 Americans what energy source they thought would be used most for generating electricity in 15 years. The top choice? Not nuclear plants, or coal or natural gas. The winner was the sun, cited by 27 percent of those polled.

It is no wonder solar power has captured the public imagination. Panels that convert sunlight to electricity are winning supporters around the world - from Europe, where gleaming arrays cloak skyscrapers and farmers' fields, to Wall Street, where stock offerings for panel makers have had a great ride, to California, where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s "Million Solar Roofs" initiative is promoted as building a homegrown industry and fighting global warming.

But for all the enthusiasm about harvesting sunlight, some of the most ardent experts and investors say that moving this energy source from niche to mainstream — last year it provided less than 0.01 percent of the country’s electricity supply — is unlikely without significant technological breakthroughs. And given the current scale of research in private and government laboratories, that is not expected to happen anytime soon.

Read on ...

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Climate Change Debate Hinges On Economics - Washington Post

Here's the good news about climate change: Energy and climate experts say the world already possesses the technological know-how for trimming greenhouse gas emissions enough to slow the perilous rise in the Earth's temperatures.

Here's the bad news: Because of the enormous cost of addressing global warming, the energy legislation considered by Congress so far will make barely a dent in the problem, while farther-reaching climate proposals stand a remote chance of passage.

Despite growing public concern over global warming, the House has failed to agree on new standards for automobile fuel efficiency, and the Senate has done little to boost the efficiency of commercial office buildings and appliances. In September, Congress is expected to start wrestling with more ambitious legislation aimed at slowing climate change; but because of the complexity of the likely proposals, few expect any bill to become law. Even if passed by Congress and signed by President Bush, the final measure may not be tough enough to slow global warming.

Read on ...

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Web radio stations win a last-minute stay of execution - Salon

Wired's indispensable digital-music maven Eliot Van Buskirk reports some good breaking news: Internet radio stations will not shut down this Sunday.

Many Web radio outfits feared closure as their legal fight against staggering new music royalty rates met failure this week. On Thursday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block the new rates, which are scheduled to go into effect Sunday. But as a result of public outcry -- which, in turn, sparked congressional outcry -- SoundExchange, the recording-industry group that collects royalties, has agreed not to immediately enforce the rates, pending negotiations with webcasters.

I just spoke to Tim Westergren, the founder of Pandora, the hugely popular Internet radio station that allows people to create personalized music channels. I asked Westergren if Pandora will shut down Sunday: "No, we won't," he said.

Read on ...

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Paris readies for Velib frenzy - BBC

The humble bicycle is getting a boost in Paris as the city council launches Velib, a free bike scheme to encourage people to give up the motor in favour of pedal power.

Cycling in Paris is not a sport for the faint hearted.

The traffic runs as smoothly as a snail in treacle and drivers' tempers are about as sweet as bitter aloes.

The local authority in Paris is depositing 20,000 heavy-duty bicycles in 750 or so special racks around the city and anyone who wants one simply swipes his or her ordinary travel card and pedals off wherever they want to go.

Read On ...

Lets see, it is day 7 of the Tour de France and I am finally watching a bit of the racing this morning on VS. The tour has hit the beginning of the Alps, ahh, the mountain stages. I really haven't followed the tour this past week, so I have some to burn some midnight oil to catch up and find out what is happening.

It has been fun listening to Phil and Paul again.

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Tour thrives before thin heartland crowds - IHT

The weather was balmy, the course beautiful, the race exciting, but the crowds in Burgundy were generally small for the fifth stage of the Tour de France.

That does not mean, however, that the Tour is not alive and well in the heart of the country.

One explanation for the sparse turnout in three days so far in France is that the Tour has been traversing regions that do not attract vacationers, the usual bulk of spectators. A test of that theory will come in the Alps, starting on Saturday, and in the south next week.

For now, however, as it passed through villages so remote that cellphones went blessedly dead, the Tour showed on Thursday that, despite all the doping scandals and suspicions surrounding bicycle racing, it retains its traditional grip on such places as Lormes, population 1,300, most of whom turned out to celebrate the race's visit.

Read on ...

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Casey Gibson takes the best photos!

Made it out for my first ride of the year today. Yep, it's about time. The body was in a bit of shock at first - "Hey, what the hell is going on here? Are you fuckin' crazy? Put a halt to this ... NOW !!!" - but it came around after a few minutes in the saddle. Speaking of the saddle, it might take a while for the buttox to come around, it is still bitchin' about the ride. The legs aren't feeling to bad, but tomorrow will tell the truth on them. I am sure they would have been happy to have one of these for the ride.

Saw this Schwinn with a King bcycle motor at Lincoln Light Rail Station recently. I didn't see the owner so wasn't able to find out how well it works. Seems pretty cool though.

~ update ~

But doofus, that would take all the fun out of it!  

Team Wonderbike - Are you a member yet? Go take the pledge.

Some of my time away was spent up near Kremmling, CO where I did a fair amount of mountain and road biking. One of the main mountain bike routes I road was a loop up by Gore Pass. I have put together a page about the loop: Gore Pass Loop

From VeloNews:

In one of the most audacious and bravest rides seen in the modern era of the Tour de France, Phonak's American rider Floyd Landis turned the despair of his stage 16 implosion into a stage-winning breakaway that put him back into the role of favorite to win this extraordinary race.

Landis stunned Tour de France observers when he lost more than 10 minutes on the slopes to La Toussuire on Wednesday; but they were floored by his performance in Thursday's 200.5km stage from St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine, the last day in the Alps.

It was an attack that stemmed from a quiet beer Landis shared with team manager John Lelangue on Wednesday night, when the pair resolved that the Tour was "not over." Landis, still glowing with a winner's look, even joked about that beer during his post-race press conference

Asked about his constant calls for extra water during Thursday's stage, run in searing conditions, he said, "It was very hot. Maybe that was the explanation or maybe it was the beer I had last night."

Read On

I can't wait to catch the time trial on Saturday. It could be a very interesting one to watch.

And as Ben Franklin said: Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.  

~ ~ ~ ~

Friday's Foaming Rant: Beer me, Floyd - an excellent report filed by Patrick O’Grady, VeloNews editor at large, asking the question we all want answered; what kind of beer did Floyd have on Wednesday evening?

Floyd 'I had a very bad day on the wrong day' Landis was not the only person to have a tough day today in the Tour de France, this from VeloNews:

More than half the peloton is totally fatigued. That was confirmed on Wednesday's epic stage up the Galibier, Télégraphe, Glandon, Croix-de-Fer and Mollard passes before the death march to the 5595-foot summit of La Toussuire. If the normal time cut of 12 percent had been applied, only 67 riders would be left in the race. The other 80 finishers were outside the 40:20 time limit, so the race officials again used a little-known UCI rule to increase the time cut by 2 percent to 47:03.

Armstrong saddened by Landis's disastrous ride

Check out PezCycling's look at this years TT bikes.

Came across this rather humorous string about how Ekimov must be a of the undead.

© Casey Gibson

Someone offers one of the PMU green hans to Hushovd prior to stage 2. Thor has said he was actually cut by a camera.

Breaking Away - Early on, Floyd Landis Learned the Last Shall Be First. Then Came the Tour de France. - Washington Post

Hincapie relished time in yellow - VeloNews

Big George in Yellow. An interesting thread on the BBC message board about George. There are some rather opinionated people posting there

The UCI responce to Dick Pound and Jean-Francois Lamour comments from this weekend.

What? Last year he won his first stage and this year after the first stage he is in the maille jaune? Way to go George! Now you get to learn about keeping it and the pressure that goes with it. I beleive he has a good friend whom he can talk to about these pressures.

From his post race interview

I was very disappointed to lose yesterday by such a small margin. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking of everything that I could have done to improve on my time.
To get the yellow jersey today today is a great honour and I’m really pleased with that it all came together.
With the breakaway gone, we didn’t think about chasing time bonuses. I knew that, coming into the finish, the sprinters teams would be in control and saving themselves for the final sprint so I thought, ‘Why not try?’ And it was a good decision (to chase the time bonuses at the intermediate sprint with nine kilometers to go).
I knew I was less than a second behind in the general classification and to get two seconds was all I needed.
I started off the tour in great shape and I’ve never has the opportunity to lead a team. I don’t know what to expect but I know that anything is possible, there’s not reason to set limits. I don’t know how I’ll respond but I’ll just hope for the best.

© Graham Watson

Although Thor Hushovd's injury looked bad, current news stories are now say it is not that bad. As a result of his injuries the PMU cardboard hands are now ging to be banned in the last 2 kilometers of the race.

That is unfortunently one stain that may not come out of the maille jaune, so sad.

© Casey Gibson

With all the recent doping news these past few days, I am sure we will be seeing a few signs like this for the next 3 weeks.

Do the news media think they own the world and we have to move to accommodate them? Based on my morning bike commute today, that is definitely they case. While going by station 1 on West Colfax all the local tv stations where there reporting on the sad death of a 30 year veteran. The problem develops when a camera crew (Fox 31) sets up in the sidewalk/bike-path along Colfax. This leaves the only way to get around them is to go onto Colfax and deal with the westbound traffic. This is whether you are walking or riding a bike as the other local stations had set up in part of the firehouse yard, out of the way of pedestrians and bike commuters. Yes, Fox 31 could have set up in the yard, there was room for them, they just chose to be numskulls

Fox 31 News receives a Worst Person In The World award today. 

Here are a couple photos from the first ride on the new year. OK, I rode home from work early Sunday morning, but I am not counting it for 2006, it goes in 2005 as it was part of my work commute on the 31st. My rides, my rules. Anyway, the photos:

Yea, I look a little funny. I believe I was saying "cheeseburger" at the time.

I have to say it was a magnificent day. Denver, the 2nd of January, clear sunny skys, temperatures in the high 50's and spending the day outside biking with your friends. Can you ask for anything more? I think not. Thanks guys.

Not your normal Friday Night Mass. From the Critical Mass documentary site.

Iljo Keisse grovels on the wheel of his rather impassive derny pilot.
Photo ©: Birke Ulrich/www.alakarte.de

John, you looking for a domestique to pace you this winter?
Maybe you can track this guy down.
Looks like he would be good for blocking the wind around Cherry Creek.
And I bet he has two pairs of socks on!

Kind of looks like the Olympic mascot is related to Stewie from Family Guy!

Here you go everyone - Lance Armstrong will make it very easy for you. He has time to ponder the world's biggest questions now that he has finally ridden gloriously into retirement.

© Jeff Parker - Florida Today - 07.25.2005

© AFP

Check out the license plate on the Discovery Subaru. Number 7!

Here are the 10//2 icons that have been on Lance's bike since stage 15. 26 icons where designed by Futura that where then developed into 40 symbols by Mike Smith at Nike. All the symbols are on the solid TT wheel Lance used in the prologue. He didn't use the solid wheel today because of the winds on the course.

Set #1 - Stage 15

* Lance grew up in a trailer park, in Texas, he got cancer - when he learned to LiveStrong, he received chemotherapy, how close to death he came, he wins in Paris less than 3 years after being diagnosed with cancer.

Set #2 - Stage 16

* Stage 10 (Lourdes to Hautacam) was a pivotal day, Lance finished second on the day to Atxoa but went several minutes up on his rivals, it was rainy weather, it was cold as well, the effort put Lance in yellow, it was a difficult day that cracked many of his rivals

Set #3 - Stage 17

* His son Luke, his three children - Luke, Isabelle and Grace, 3 children + 3 wins = six sides?, Isabelle, Isabelle and Grace are twins, Grace. Of note also in this set is that the number 3 is pink, an homage to Jan Ullrich and his pink uniformed Telekom / T-Mobile team.

Set #4 - Stage 18

Lance is the Sheriff / Patron of the Peloton, the vaunted Blue Train, Lance is the king of American Tour cyclists notching his 4th victory, (not sure about the heart and eye), and he needs 1 more Tour win to join the club of 5

Set #5 - Stage 19

An homage to the 2003 Tour de France: Luz Ardiden, bad weather, Lance got angry, off-road to avoid the Beloki crash, five wins, he joins the “club” of men with 5 Tour victories

Set #6 - Stage 20

An homage to the 2004 Tour de France: July 21 was the Alp d'Huez TT, Lance did it in 39'41", he locked up the race, it's the first time anyone has won 6 times, he's the King of the TdF, 6 wins!

** Update **

Set #7 - Stage 21

An homage to all 7 wins. The last one is the number 7 and a walking cane. Can you say retirement?

Here is the helmet that Lance has given to George as a gift for all his support over the years.

© Friedemann Vogel

How to get run over in the Tour de France

© AFP

©AFP

Ouch, that must have left a mark!

This is why these crazy fools who run with the riders need to be more careful.

© Graham Watson

For the first time since 1999 a team mate of Lance Armstrongs has won a stage in the Tour de France. And how appropriate that it is his loyal lieutenant George Hincapie, the man that has been by Lances side for all 6 of his tour wins and what could be his 7th win.

"I'm really in a state of shock," said Hincapie, who said he had originally set out with the idea of helping Armstrong on the final climbs but decided otherwise once his breakaway group's lead had grown to 18 minutes.

"I just thought I would wait for Lance when he needed me, but once we got an 18-minute break I spoke to (team manager) Johan (Bruyneel) and he told me the peloton probably wouldn't be coming back and just told me to go for it. From then on I was just thinking about going for the win."

"I knew Pereiro was strong and that Boogerd was a good climber, but I also knew that the day I was pulling on the Galibier they weren't there," said Hincapie, referring to his efforts in the Alps a few days ago and why he didn't take any pulls today.

For Team Discovery it was a three-peat, although this time it was a bit closer than ever before. The Disco boys eeked out a 2 second win over CSC in the TTT today, which put Lance in the maillot jaune.

Discovery's efforts over the course in 1hr 10min 39secs, an average speed of 57.32 km/h, smashed the previous record (54.930 kmh) for a team time trial set by Gewiss-Ballan in 1995.

I feel sorry for David Zabriskie with his fall 1.5 km from the finish line. The poor guy. Had he only made it the officials would have had to go to 100's or 1000's of a second to figure who would be wearing yellow at the end of the day. He ended up losing 1:28 with his fall. The kid is going to be sore tomorrow, did you check out that road rash on his thigh. Ouch doesn't do it justice.

For CSC team manager Bjarne Riis, the team was simply unlucky. "This is a lousy way to lose the stage, and the yellow jersey," said Riis. "David's in a lot of pain, but I don't know how bad he's hurt. We'll see that later."; "We're disappointed. We should have won the stage and kept the jersey."; "Let's say that Armstrong and his Discovery team were luckier than we were."

OK, I'm ready for the mountains now, this flat stuff is getting boring! Athough, I will give you this, the sprints at the end of these stages are crazy. Man, it is just a jungle in there with those guys. That whole McEwen thing yesterday leaning so far into O'Grady was nuts. It looked like he wanted to rest his head on O'Gradys' shoulder and take a nap he was so far over on him. Boys will be boys.

Let's see in 4 days we start to see some mountains and in 7 days the Alps are fully upon the boys on bikes. I can't wait.

******

Stage 4 Recap & Results / Stage 4 Photos

I guess that tooth wasn't that bad. Tom Boonen who threatened not to race in this years tour wins todays stage in a mad sprint at the end beating out Robbie McEwen and Thor Hushovd. I think Robbie thought he had it there for a few seconds, but Tom, riding on McEwens wheel, put on a big burst of speed and went right by Robbie.

Thomas Voelker, last years tour surprise, was part of a four man breakaway that was caught with about 6 km to go.

It will be interesting to see how long Bjarne Riis lets his CSC team defend the maillot jaune in the days to come. It's good press, but you don't want to wear out the team before the mountains arrive. As an interesting side note - they are getting ready to renew the cycling teams contract with CSC in the months to come.

******

Stage 2 Recap & Results / Stage 2 Photos

Jan writes about yesterday and being passed by Lance.

Well stage #1 is over and the big story is whether Jans Tour is already over. Lance was impressive today with his leaving Jan in his wake. It was an amazing performance. I wonder what was going through the "Kaisers" mind at that point let alone what his team manager was screaming in his ear? I doubt either where pleasant, happy thoughts. Lance definitely sent a loud message to his rivals and laid down the gauntlet. One thing to remember, yesterday Jan crashed into the rear window of his team car while scouting todays route. He did say his injuries where minor.

Check out George coming in 4th, a pretty good run for him. With Lance coming in second the Disco boys can "relax" and let CSS defent the maillot jaune for the first few days.

Stage 1 - results
1. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 19km in 20:51 (54.676kph)
2. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, at 00:02
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, at 00:53
4. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, at 00:57
5. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun), Credit Agricole, at 00:59
6. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, at 1:02
7. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Fassa Bortolo, at 1:02
8. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, at 1:04
9. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Illes Balears, at 1:05
10. Igor Gonzalez Galdeano (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 1:06

Stage 1 Recap & Results / Photos

Discovery Pro Cycling Team has announced the team that will support Lance Armstrong for his final Tour de France.

Supporting Lance are:
George Hincapie, America - has ridden with Lance on all six of his tour victories
Jose Luis Rubiera, Spain - four tours with Lance
Manuel Beltran, Spain - two tours with Lance
Benjamin Noval, Spain - one tour with Lance
Pavel Padrnos,Czech Republic - three tours with Lance
Jose Azevedo, Portugal - one tour with Lance
Paolo Savoldelli, Italy - Giro d'Italia champion
Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine - Tour of Catalunya champion

Lance:
"I think we have fielded our strongest team ever with this formation."
"It has many consistent elements from years past, like the Spanish armada for the climbs, strong guys like George, Pavel and Benjamin, the Giro winner in Savoldelli plus a guy like Popo (Popovych) with a very bright future."
"I look forward to leading this team and attempting to give the great folks at Discovery a yellow jersey. I'm more motivated than ever."
"I will miss Eki dearly this time around, but I plan on riding the race with all the toughness he has shown over the years,"

Johan Bruyneel, Team Manager and with Lance on all six tour victories:
"I wanted an experienced team for Lance's last Tour and that was the determining factor."
"I want him to be surrounded by guys who have always been around him. It's a team with just two new riders with the rest returning from last year. All are ready or are getting ready."
"It wasn't difficult to choose. The group that rode at the Dauphine Libere (Azevedo, Beltran, Hincapie, Noval, Popovych and Rubiera) showed me they are at a good level while Paolo and Pavel did a great job in the Giro. Paolo was never in doubt [to ride the Tour], especially when he won the Giro, and [he] is such a great rider. Pavel did a very good job in the Giro riding for Paolo and is very strong. For me, it was an easy selection."
"On paper, it's a super team. But of course, we are missing [Viatcheslav] Ekimov. He would definitely be on the team if he was healthy."

George Hincapie put an emphatic exclamation point on what's been a fete americaine during this year's Dauphiné Libéré, winning Sunday's exciting finale after a dramatic two-man breakaway with Discovery Channel teammate and protege Yaroslav Popovych.

Basque bomber Inigo Landaluze (Euskaltel-Euskadi) hung on during the fast-paced 128km seventh stage to claim the 57th Dauphiné crown by a slender margin of 11 seconds to Santiago Botero (Phonak) while Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) finished third overall at 38 seconds back for his first major podium since his breakthrough at the 2001 Vuelta a Espana.

Six-time Tour king Lance Armstrong was third in the stage to make it a sweep for Discovery Channel, earning them the team classification and a huge boost of morale with less a month to go to the Tour de France.

VeloNews

Stage 7 Results
1. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 3:07:10
2. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Discovery Channel
3. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:22
4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile
5. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner
7. David Moncoutie (F), Cofidis, 0:24
8. Wim Van Huffel (B), Davitamon-Lotto
9. Jose Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, 0:45
10. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears, 0:59

Overall Results
1. Inigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 28:24:46
2. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak, 0:11
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 0:38
4. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:59
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 1:02
6. David Moncoutie (F), Cofidis, 1:56
7. Jose Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, 3:54
8. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, 3:58
9. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Credit Agricole, 5:04
10. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears, 6:20

******

In other cycling news, Jan Ullrich wins the second stage, a time trial, in the Tour of Switzerland

Botero wins mountain stage as Landaluze clings to lead in Dauphiné

VeloNews

Stage Results
1. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak, 4:30:54 :00
2. David Moncoutie (F), Cofidis, at 0:23
3. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears, at 0:53
4. Christophe Moreau (F), Crédit Agricole, at 0:58
5. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, at 2:27
6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, at 2:50
7. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, at 2:52
8. David Arroyo (Sp), Illes Balears, same time
9. Jose Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, s.t.
10. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, s.t.

Overall
1. Inigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 25:16:26
2. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak, at 0:59
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, at 1:26
4. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, at 1:47
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, at 1:50
6. David Moncoutie (F), Cofidis, at 2:42
7. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, at 3:23
8. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, at 3:58
9. Christophe Moreau (F), Crédit Agricole, at 4:01
10. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Crédit Agricole, at 4:17

******

Stage 5 Results
1 MERCKX Axel 151 DVL (BEL) :00
2 LANDALUZE Inigo 183 EUS (ESP) 2:15
3 NOVAL Benjamin 6 DSC (ESP) 5:45
4 MAZZOLENI Eddy 166 LAM (ITA) ST
5 BOSSONI Paolo 122 FAS (ITA) 6:15
6 CHAVANEL Sylvain 111 COF (FRA) ST
7 CASERO Rafael 172 SDV (ESP) ST
8 AERTS Mario 152 DVL (BEL) 6:17
9 MOUREY Francis 47 FDJ (FRA) 6:18
10 HUSHOVD Thor 23 C.A (NOR) 7:32

Overall
1 LANDALUZE Inigo 183 EUS (ESP) 20:41:15 :00
2 MERCKX Axel 151 DVL (BEL) 20:43:47 2:32
3 LEIPHEIMER Levi 71 GST (USA) 20:44:06 2:51
4 ARMSTRONG Lance 1 DSC (USA) 20:44:27 3:12
5 VINOKOUROV Alexandre 11 TMO (KAZ) 20:44:32 3:17
6 LANDIS Floyd 57 PHO (USA) 20:44:53 3:38
7 KASHECHKIN Andrey 25 C.A (KAZ) 20:46:06 4:51
8 BOTERO Santiago 51 PHO (COL) 20:46:31 5:16
9 GOMEZ MARCHANTE Jose 174 SDV (ESP) 20:46:59 5:44
10 BRUSEGHIN Marzio 123 FAS (ITA) 20:47:13 5:58

Leipheimer holds Dauphiné lead as Vino' wins atop Ventoux

Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, came up short in his bid to win atop Mont Ventoux in what will be his last shot at cycling's most famous mountain. The six-time Tour champion struggled on the lower flanks, but rebounded nicely to lead a four-man group up the final approaches.

Leipheimer, meanwhile, found some help in the form of Armstrong, Landis and Kashechkin. The Texan took over in the final kilometers, leading the group up the painful final turns to the finish line, revealing his form is coming along just in time for the Tour.

Armstrong shot away in the final meters, taking some time out of Leipheimer, but it wasn't enough to take away the jersey.

"I found some help with Floyd and Lance, but the last 500 meters were very hard. Lance was setting a hard pace and my legs just buckled," Leipheimer said.

VeloNews

Stage results
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile
2. Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, at 0:06
3. Wim Van Huffel (B), Davitamon-Lotto, at 0:16
4. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, at 0:37
5. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, at 0:41
6. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Credit Agricole, at 0:43
7. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, at 0:46
8. Inigo Landaluze (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 1:31
9. Nicolas Fritsch (F), Saunier Duval, at 1:36
10. David Moncoutie (F), Cofidis, at 1:45

Overall
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner
2. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:21
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 0:26
4. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 0:47
5. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Credit Agricole, 2:00
6. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak, 2:25
7. Jose Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, 2:53
8. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, 3:07
9. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, 3:16
10. David Moncoutie (F), Cofidis, 3:45

Leipheimer grabs Dauphiné lead as Botero takes TT - Armstrong third, Landis fourth

VeloNews

Stage 3 Results
1. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak, 1:00:06.55
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 0:01
3. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:26
4. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 0:39
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 01:00
6. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, 01:09
7. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 01:11
8. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, 01:14
9. Ivan Gutierrez (Sp), Illes Balears, 01:16
10. Sebastian Lang (G), Gerolsteiner, 01:19
11. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Credit Agricole, 02:02

Overall Standings
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 11:11:20
2. Santiago Botero (Col), Phonak, 0:12
3. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:30
4. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 0:42
5. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 1:09
6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 1:12
7. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, 1:14
8. Ivan Gutierrez (Sp), Illes Balears, 1:27
9. Marzio Bruseghin (I), Fassa Bortolo, 1:36
10. Sebastian Lang (G), Gerolsteiner, 1:43

Dumoulin moves into lead after Dauphiné stage win

VeloNews

Stage 2 Results
1. Samuel Dumoulin (F), Ag2r Prevoyance, 4:47:06
2. Anthony Charteau (F), Bouygues Telecom
3. Frederic Finot (F), Francaise des Jeux
4. Frederic Bessy (F), Cofidis, all s.t.
5. Robert Hunter (RSA), Phonak, at 3:16
6. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole
7. Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Cofidis
8. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo
9. Enrico Franzoi (I), Lampre
10. Enrico Gasparotto (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, all s.t.

Overall after Stage 2
1. Samuel Dumoulin (F), Ag2r Prevoyance
2. Frederic Francaise des Jeux, 0:20
3. Anthony Charteau (F), Bouygues Telecom, 0:21
4. Frederic Bessy (F), Cofidis, 0:28
5. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 3:06
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 3:07
7. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Credit Agricole, 3:09
8. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 3:11
9. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 3:12
10. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, 3:13

Hincapie holds lead as Hushovd takes 1st stage at Dauphiné

The peloton's priciest domestique

Photo: Graham Watson

VeloNews

Stage 1 Individual
1. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole, 5:10:55
2. Robert Hunter (RSA), Phonak
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo
4. Luke Roberts (Aus), CSC
5. Manuel Quinziato (I), Saunier Duval
6. Mickael Delage (F), Francaise des Jeux
7. Heinrich Haussler (G), Gerolsteiner
8. Samuel Dumoulin (F), Ag2r Prevoyance
9. Enrico Gasparotto (I), Liquigas-Bianchi
10. Koldo Fernandez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi

Overall Standings
1. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:00
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 0:01
3. Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz), Credit Agricole, 0:03
4. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 0:05
5. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 0:06
6. Oscar Pereiro (Sp), Phonak, 0:07
7. Alberto Contador (Sp), Liberty Seguros, 0:09
8. Ivan Gutierrez (Sp), Illes Balears, 0:13
9. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner
10. Francisco Lara Ruiz (Sp), T-Mobile, 0:14

Come July, all eyes will be on Lance Armstrong as he tries to win his seventh Tour de France in his final race. The eyes of American cycling will look behind him as well, in hopes of seeing his replacement emerge.

Who will be the next Armstrong? Can there be another Armstrong? Those questions have been bantered about since Armstrong announced in April he was retiring after the Tour de France.

The Salt Lake Tribune

The possible riders include: Tom Danielson, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Bobby Julich, David Zabriskie and Saul Raisin.

Discovery Channel's Viatcheslav Ekimov was injured Friday during a crash while riding with Lance Armstrong, and the Russian's Tour de France may be in jeopardy.

Armstrong escaped injury in the Austin mishap, but the 39-year-old Ekimov was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken sternum.

According to www.thepaceline.com, Armstrong's fan-club website, Ekimov hit a hole in the road, lost control of his bike, hit the stem with his chest and landed on his back.

VeloNews

In a split decision, a three-member arbitration panel from the American Arbitration Association/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (AAA/CAS) has ruled that former Phonak star Tyler Hamilton is guilty of homologous doping - transfusing another person's blood - and ordered the 34-year-old American suspended from competition until April of 2007.

The panel handed down the maximum sentence for a first-time doping offense, ordering that Hamilton begin serving that suspension on Monday and forfeit any results earned on or after the date of his positive test, September 11, 2004, the date Hamilton won the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España.

"The UCI took the necessary action to protect the integrity of its sport," Madden said. "This decision shows that sport is committed to protecting the rights of all clean athletes and that no athlete is above the rules."

Hamilton first tested positive at the 2004 Olympics, after winning a gold medal in the individual time trial. That A-sample positive, however, was not confirmed by a required test on his B-sample, because the laboratory in Athens followed existing laboratory protocol and froze the entire blood sample, rendering its red cells unsuitable for testing.

VeloNews

You could see this one coming a mile away, Lance Armstrong anounced today that he will retire after this years Tour de France. I guess all that talk about riding other of the classics was just that, talk.

"The Tour de France will be my last as a professional cyclist," Armstrong said at press conference in Augusta, Georgia. "It will be the last one, win or lose. Having said that, I'm fully committed to winning a seventh title."

VeloNews

Found this beauty on cyclingnews.com today. A fine piece of Belgian craftsmanship if I have every seen one. Be sure to read the details on this cycle to find out about all the glory it has to offer!

Lance Armstrong says he is behind in his preparations for a seventh straight Tour de France title tilt in July.

The American feels he made an error by attempting last week's Paris- Nice, which he quit after three stages.

"I'm going to try and get in shape. I have to admit I'm a little bit behind, more than I'd normally be," he said.

"I picked Paris-Nice for a lot of reasons that were decided before but perhaps I shouldn't have. It was hard, fast, intense with bad weather."

BBC Sport

Bobby Julich became the first American to win the Paris-Nice race on Sunday.

Despite three first-category climbs on the seventh and final day, Julich's CSC team controlled proceedings to help him score his biggest victory to date.

Julich, 33, won with a 10-second lead over Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who had to be content with taking the last stage on Nice's Promenade des Anglais.

The Top Ten:
1. Bobby Julich (U.S.) CSC 22 hours 32 minutes and 18 seconds
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Iles Baleares 10 seconds behind
3. Constantino Zaballa (Spain) Saunier Duval 19
4. Jens Voigt (Germany) CSC 44
5. Jorg Jaksche (Germany) Liberty Seguros 45
6. Franco Pellizotti (Italy) Liquigas-Bianchi 49
7. Franck Schleck (Luxembourg) CSC 58
8. Cadel Evans (Australia) Davitamon-Lotto 58
9. José-Angel Gomez-Marchante (Spain) Saunier Duval 1:20
10. Davide Rebellin (Italy) Gerolsteiner 1:21

BBC

Out of utter boredom I have updated my cycling log with more info and even graphs of current stats. It's amazing what can be done in those times of sitting in front of the computer while doing nothing.

Lance Armstrong has ended speculation, announcing he will race in this year's Tour de France.

Armstrong plans to start his season early next month in the Paris-Nice seven-day stage race. He will then compete in the Tour of Flanders on April 3, before returning to the United States to defend his title at the Tour de Georgia that month.

Armstrong says he is excited to get back on the bike and start racing, though he said his condition is far from perfect. This year's Tour de France, where he will aim for a seventh straight victory, begins on July 2 and features 21 stages covering nearly 3,600 kilometers.