I think Cyclingnews had it right with their photo caption snafu (preserved at left) on today’s Stage 19 write-up. Carlos Sastre once again put time into everyone on a mountaintop finish, but it was essentially a sideshow. The Spaniard needed to plan on being a little less far down for a late-race surge to work,…
Month: May 2009
How The Race Was Won – 2009 Giro d'Italia Stages 3-6
Ah, only two weeks and 10 stages behind schedule, we have the exciting second installment of the How the Race Was Won Giro coverage. An exciting sprint, some hill stages, crashes, Lance getting dropped (repeatedly) some nonsense tactics, and a long breakaway. Makes a good rest day retrospective, I suppose. [right-click for iTunes compatible download]…
Sastre's Win Still Doesn't Take Cervelo Off the Hook
I bet that out there, somewhere, are people who think today’s Giro win by Carlos Sastre somehow justifies the ridiculousness of the Cervelo Test Team’s tactical blunder yesterday. From the moment the team car pulled alongside Serge Pauwels, the squad has been trying to explain away what was nothing but team mismanagement, pure and simple….
Exciting Racing, But Who's Calling The Plays?
Tactics take a holiday in tomorrow’s long, hilly time trial, and if the first half of the race has been any indication, a lot of the team cars could use a break. While the riders might focus on the gnarly courses, and other fans on the Stage 9 drama, I think the most glaring problem…
It's Not Right, But It's OK
That’s how I’d describe the rider reaction to today’s stage in Milan. Granted, the the 25 corners over 15k weren’t exactly easy, but it’s nothing pro riders can’t handle. I’ll agree the parked cars are a problem, but there are parked cars all over the Spring Classics, too. Would you rather see them on a…
EBH Unleashing the Dragon
Edvald Boasson Hagen is rapidly turning into one of the best riders of his generation, and I’ve gotta say, I love watching him win. Today’s Giro stage was a quality addition to his palmares, especially given the conditions and the presence of Robbie Hunter, one of the better sprinters in the pro peloton, in the…
First-Week Equilibirum at the 2009 Giro
Six stages in, and I think the GC has reached something approaching stable. Yes, there are still hills coming, and yes, disaster could strike any moment CVV-style, but for the most part, I think the party won’t get going again until after Sunday’s SuperCrit in Milan. Running back through the results, I see ample fodder…
Huh.
Tom Boonen: “Cocaine is everwhere” BBC News: “World cocaine market in retreat”
The Cancellara Philosophy
(video after the jump) Today’s mountaintop finish featured 16 riders on the same time as the winner, and 27 within 10 seconds. Either the course wasn’t hard enough—which I doubt, since Lance called it a “big climb”—or people were riding with all the panache of a frightened eight-year-old. More riders need to be like Cance….
That's Bike Racing For Ya!
The Giro saw its first major contender—depending on who you ask, I suppose—crash out yesterday: Christian VandeVelde. It’s a bummer to see a a nice guy like that go, but he’s staying upbeat—as Bob Roll says with alarming frequency, that’s bike racing for ya! Garmin-Slipstream’s day wasn’t a total loss, though. Tyler Farrar managed a…