Cyclocosm

It looks to be another banner year for lens-grinders. My brief jubilation that Quick.Step had darkened their ’06 team kit was crushed today when I realized that Liberty Seguros has done the exact same thing. And I mean exact, right down to the white patches on the shoulder. So get those new perscription glasses now,…

Today was the big day for Team T-Mobile, their first presentation in 13 years without Erik Zabel. The squad made up for it by simultaneously presenting their women’s team, perhaps the most groundbreaking of the massive changes in store for the outfit in ’06. Of the 29 men’s riders, 12 are new, though the first…

I just lost my whole post. I am quite upset about this. So here is a quick one-paragraph rundown of what I was going to say. Ullrich: fat but still trying for Tour. Botero: dark horse. Presentations: Ceramica and Bouygues. Team kit colors: green is the new blue. Dick Pound: not swayed by riders’ union…

January is the season of the pointless, where news is scarce, and inane but unaviodable questions inevitably arise. Questions like “isn’t Phil Ligget too old to wear shorts? Isn’t Tom Boonen a little rich to have such a crappy haircut? Why is Paolo Bettini trying to win Tour of Flanders? Why is the Rider’s Union…

First order of business: anonymous commenters, you are now breaking the law so long as I find your posts annoying. You have been warned. Second order of business: bad day for dopers. Danilo Hondo, appealing to the CAS to have his one-year dope ban from earlier this season struck down, instead had it lengthened to…

What’s the deal? Why are we quibbling about tats on local hero ‘cross racers? Is this not a pro cycling blog, with the “pro” part carrying a heavy implication of European as well? Onward, then, to across the pond. Surely there must be news by now? Yes! And it’s all team-related. CSC comes through with…

So apparently there was this big explanation of AHM’s tattoo in this VeloNews…well, I don’t know what to call it. Column? Editorial? Blog? My best description would be “amorphous blob of marginally relevant cycling information that does little else beyond proclaiming to the world of the Internet that, yes, Fred Dreier is a bike industry…

It’s Saul Raisin’s birthday! Well, kinda. It was actually yesterday (1/6), which was also the Feast of the Epiphany; Perhaps Saul will be the next American revelation in Europe. Ok, ok, I know that’s a stretch, but what the heck else can I report on? Seriously, look at how short today’s “First Edition News” is….

Today’s post is all about second chances. Why? Because thematic continuity is important. Anyway, our first second-chance case is Ivan Quaranta. What, that link doesn’t go anywhere? Maybe that’s because he hasn’t had a major win since 2001. Yes, the boastful Italian was once a dark horse pick to win the longest sprint leadout in…

Enough rants, right? Today I offer you news items. News item #1: cycling isn’t gay (not that there would be anything wrong with that). Yeah, I know, the tight pants, the shaved legs, the constant hand-holding, the bright colors. But it’s all totally straight. See all these photos of women? Plus Rolf Aldag, who’s been…