I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it from so many sources: Alexandre Vinokourov, aka Vino-4-Ever, is not only back racing, he’s riding for the same Astana team that Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador struggled for control of this summer, under the very same same director that struggled to control them. Not only…
It's Officially Revenge Season
Revenge season. That’s what I’d call this time of year. Get a little too skinny, and suddenly, some rain and a little hill is just too much to take. Long seasons take a toll. Mark Cavendish may indeed be growing weary after a season of winning pretty much everything—he, too, was shaken out from the…
It's Inspiring, People
Garmin-Slipstream, presented by Chipotle. Who else out there is excited to see them in the driver’s seat at ENECO? Sure, it’s a second-tier ProTour event, likely backed a little harder than it ought to be by the UCI because it’s a non-Grand Tour-owned race, but hey—race leader, two stage wins, Brad Wiggins “layin’ back in…
Lots of Racing If You're Racing
Brad Wiggins is a forgetful guy. First off, he obviously misplaced his Garmin-Slipstream aero lid, and was forced to pair his Robin’s Egg and Creamsicle Argyle skinsuit with an obviously uncomplimentary Union Jack helmet. His resulting detention by the fashion police doubtlessly cost him the stage (he was only :02 out), but the Brit seemed…
Why Isn't Usain Bolt More Of A Lightning Rod?
(This post badly misrepresents the difference between Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay’s 100m times. The actual difference is closer to 1%) This past weekend, Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds —by far the best time ever recorded. The performance makes Bolt faster than any other man in history by a full 10%*—roughly the…
Catching Up After the Weekend
Ah, back from a relaxing weekend of stage racing at the Tour de Millersburg. While I’m not a fan of 3/4 fields—I should have just done the P/1/2/3 race and taken my beating—the event is fun, supremely well-organized, and enjoys a ton of community support. Well-worth the long ride down from Boston; if you’re closer…
Is It Just Me, Or Has Lance Gone Bonkers?
What’s Lance’s deal lately? Spreading scurrilous rumors about truncated April Vueltas. Everyone knows that the rain—or snow, as the case may be—falls mainly on the plain in the Low Countries until at least May. Would the UCI seriously want to restart its proxy war with the Grand Tour organizers by shortening the Vuelta to 14…
Vive Le Tour (1962)
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,…
How To Blog With Integrity
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”….
Winding It Up For the Vuelta
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…