So seeing as it’s the middle of the season and mere days before the second-biggest stage race of the year, what better time for drastic, sweeping changes to come out of nowhere. Let’s start at the top: the UCI wants everyone to suffer more and so has decided to enforce their utterly arbitrary 3:1 “fuselage…
Inferior Potassium
Wait, wait…a loose federation of Central European businesses/state entities—named after the the capital city of Kazakhstan so none get any actual ad exposure—is having trouble putting together the constant supply of capital needed to run a cycling team? I’m not surprised that Astana’s collapse is happening so much as I’m surprised that it took this…
What Did We Do Before Twitter?
A little back-and-forth over the Interwebs between Daryl Impey and American cycling commentator/blogger/some sort of Time rep at one point or other Smithers, related to the Theo Bos Affair:
Czechmate.
I knew Roman Kreuzinger could throw down. After all, he did win the Tour de Suisse and have the misfortune of being Edvald Boasson-Hagen’s breakaway buddy at E3. It was Wevelgem and Kreuziger’s teammate Kuschynski. But in yesterday’s stage at Romandie, he simply walked away from the race favorites and took the win. Maybe you…
Improper Bottle Handoff Technique
I realize it’s just Tour de Gila, and I realize you aren’t even racing as your proper Astana squad, but jeez, Johan. You’ve been around the block. Not only does Chris have none of these bottles shoved down his shirt, but you didn’t push on a single bottle! It should take *at least* two seconds…
Defying the Cycling Gods
Say what you will about Lance Armstrong, but you must admit, the man has cajones. Er, un cajone. Or something. Anyway, going over the UCI to race at Gila, donning the mysterious black kits a day after Der Speigel put a doping story on his teammate back in the headlines, and, just for kicks, smashing…
A Man with an Unhealthy Love of Chamois Cream
Dave Zabriskie, applying his favorite chamois-related product at the ToC. Words fail. (@dzabriskie, via @muddylegs.)
How is Doping Like a Pregnancy?
How is doping like a pregnancy? Because—according to the IOC, anyway—you’ve gotta wait nine months to find out whose responsible. I don’t know if they’re still sleeping in Boulder, but Velonews has yet to report that Rebellin’s positive has indeed been confirmed by IOC. Not that this means his guilty, of course, but just that…
Bottle Handoff Technique
There was a great example in Fleche Wallonne this Wednesday of proper bottle handoff technique. As most of you probably know, it’s far more complicated than simply passing a bottle through a window. Why waste all that gasoline keeping the car moving forward when you could just as easily use it to accelerate your riders?…
Why George Hincapie Will Never Win Paris-Roubaix
This is why George Hincapie will never win Paris-Roubaix. It might be OK if George were banking on his toughness to hock Carhartts or Dickies or a similar hard-wearing, blue collar brand. But multiple lines of fashionable, designer jeans—sold at the Dura-Ace price point of $145 a pair?! For shame. Look at Johan Museeuw. More…