Here’s some classic TdF eye candy for you: the short film Vive Le Tour has been put on YouTube in all its New Wave glory. The video and sound quality are both fantastic (for YouTube conversion from 1962) and it’s a highly-recommended watch—and an expensive purchase in meatspace.

The first two minutes are not narrated, but if you’re the impatient sort, stick it out—it picks up dramatically. Contains some great sequences on things you just don’t see anymore (cafe raids) and an interesting view of doping before oxygen-vector drugs.

(via duexkilometres)

or

Why The Media’s As Guilty as The Bloggers, and Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Either

(Some of the people and organizations covered in this piece have contacted me with responses. I have complied and published them in a separate post.)

Back in 2005, when I started Cyclocosm, I actively avoided using the term “blog”. I used it in the <title> tag for anyone Googling for cycling blogs, but in written correspondence and in speech, I referred to it as a “cycling news website”.

For all my annoyance with the sudden bloom of races following the Tour, I find myself getting more excited for the Vuelta with each passing day.

Granted, given the continued success of Americans at Burgos, hailing from the US of A probably doesn’t hurt, but who doesn’t like to see a long-suffering World Champion come back to form as well?

But it’s not just Burgos that I find interesting—even the lowly Tour of Portugal has some excitement to it. I know the guy is 34 years old, but I want a ProTour squad to sign Candido Barbosa next season just so I get a chance to see his name on results sheets.

Mario Cipollini amassed a small fortune in fines during his career as a rider; I’m doubtful there’s any chance the local authorities managed to eke 200 Swiss Francs out of him for this caper:

Note the sleeveless jersey. Cipo’ was always very protective of his tan lines. It looks like retirement has also given him the opportunity to develop some serious guns—though I guess finally making it over a TdF climb has slipped off his bucket list.

(via velogogo)

C’mon—who gets this kind of attention just for getting lucky and leading intermediate sprints competition at a fly-by-night stage race like Burgos? The racer himself said it was all of 45 minutes work.

Is just being an American seriously all it takes to get the glamor shot on Velonews?

Thing is, people, Ted King isn’t just any American. He was there from the beginning:



And it’s a little-known fact he was Roosevelt’s mole behind the Iron Curtain when the Big Three met at Yalta:

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How The Race Was Won – 2009 Tour de France – Stage 2

How The Race Was Won – 2009 Tour de France – Stage 15

I’m not the first person to notice this, but it seems way too easy for any copyright holder to take down any video on YouTube for two weeks just by filing a complaint.

In a way, I want to respect this. Coming off a two-year dope ban and wearing a jersey with a picture of yourself silkscreened onto it is a tremendous message of defiance, and a great way to put a human face (several, actually) on your continued assertion of innocence.

But, alas, I cannot defend this behavior. Cycling’s doping policies are as strict as they are because some in the sport have so misused performance enhancers in the past. So too, must the UCI clamp down on those who recklessly abuse fashion in the pursuit of personal glory.

A mere 10 days since the Tour and we’ve already had how many races? My count of top-tier post-Tour Euro cycling events is currently at three; one classic and two fairly extensive stage races:

Tour of Denmark (29 July – 2 Aug)
Clasica San Sebastian (1 Aug)
Tour of Poland (2 Aug – 8 Aug)

That’s 13 days of racing within 14 days of the end of the Tour—and frankly, that’s too many races. I realize that cycling’s season is long and grueling; even with recently defunct races like Züri-Metzgete and Deutchland Tour, there are a finite number of racing days in which to hold events.

I’ve got one word for you, Benjamin. Just one word. Are you listening? Fuglsang.

Yes, while most of the cycling world was still shaking off its Tour de France hangover, the 24-year-old was out wrapping up his second Tour of Denmark and first major contract extension. Fuglsang’s going so good, in fact, that Andy Schleck was slated to be his domestique at the Vuelta—or at least was, until a crash at Clasica San Sebastian put the remainder of the TdF runner-up’s season in doubt.