For riders not invited to the Vuelta and unlikely to fare well at Lombardy, the World Championships are now the primary concern, and, stuck with a comparatively runty team at the event, Andreas Kloeden has gone online to voice his crankiness. Kloedi encouraged his fellow riders to “stop arguing on Internet” and earn more points…
News Archive
I really shouldn’t need to spell this one out for you
Longer-Term Investments
I’m wondering who’s more surprised about Ricco’s move to Vacansoleil—fans, journalists, or the rider himself. Ricco seemed pretty sure about going to Quick.Step only a few short days ago, but as press agents anywhere can tell you, the great advantage to leaking information rather than making an above-board announcement is plausible deniability. That said, the…
The 2011 Cycling Broadcast Media Challenge
Do my eyes deceive me? Is there a piece critical of Lance Armstrong up on Versus.com? If it weren’t comparing him to Mel Gibson (hard to imagine the phone calls curiously absent from Armstrong’s emails with Floyd and Dr. Kay were anywhere near that bad) or erroneously claiming that Armstrong smashed Floyd’s (or Armstrong’s own…
Old-Style Racing
The number one thing mentioned by Americans racing in Europe isn’t the higher level of competition, or the bigger crowds, or the greater exposure, but the races themselves. Euro Junior courses are so burley that “even the pro guys would protest” if people tried to put them on in the States, and Ted King frequently…
Not Earning His Billables
Recently-hired Armstrong defense lawyer Bryan D. Daly dropped a few jewels in yesterday’s New York Times updatae about the investigation into the seven-time Tour winner. After citing a lack of “scientific evidence” (there’s actually a bit here and there, if you’re truly curious) presented in the press thus far, Daly attempted to play up the…
Let's Call It A Market Correction
As a certain tech editor found out today at the Denver Airport, market forces are difficult to avoid. It holds true in cycling, too—yesterday’s unbridled optimism was sure to be corrected by today’s cool reality. The Giro-Tour-Vuelta Grand Slam proposed by Bjarne Riis was written off as a “translation error” by Contador’s manager—though I will…
Bjarne Riis: Subprime Lender
Is Bjarne Riis a “friend of Angelo“? It certainly isn’t an unreasonable conclusion following the Dane’s big announcement today. In January, SaxoBank was done with this whole cycling thing: “the sponsorship has not been ideal in reaching our narrow target group”, though the bank added “we couldn’t have hoped for a better collaboration with the team.”…
The Post-Tour Season Begins
After a brief post-Tour hiatus to race bikes and encounter misfortune (though it could have been worse), I have returned to a cycling news cycle driven by rumor. Transfer season is upon us in full force, and Bjarne Riis is making a special announcement tomorrow—no bonus points for guessing who the top name on everyone’s…
Rest Day Nerd Fights
Wednesday may have been a rest day for the peloton, but for the data nerds, it was Fight Night. Statistical Skier, getting in some off-season training, made a deeper investigation into my question on the increased GC impact of downhill finishes this year, and found some tentative support for my thesis. Junk Charts, meanwhile, did…
These Surprises Just Aren't That Surprising
More bad luck for the yellow jersey! Contador showing little deference to the nuances of the Tour! Lance failing to live up to the hype! It’s like I’m practically psychic! In all seriousness, though, this is a Tour that has never wanted for drama or surprises—almost a shame, considering the fireworks we were treated to…