Route: Albi - Albi
Riders remaining: 166
Distance: 54 km
Climbs:
- Côte de la Bauzié 3.4 km; 4%; 4 category
Ah, finally, the first individual time trial of the 2007 Tour de France. Conditions: wet! Personally, I find it difficult to watch rainy stages of the race because the road conditions are so dangerous. It makes for a genuinely nerve-wracking experience. Of course, watching my favorite riders beat the clock is inherently stressful; the rain just adds more tension. And if it is stressful for me as a fan and viewer, just imagine what it must be like to be a race competitor.
Individual time trials have a way of “upsetting the apple cart,” as Phil Liggett says, and today was no exception. Some of the pre-race favorites and contenders for the overall lead did well; others torpedoed their chances. Take, for example, the ride of Alexander Vinokourov, by far the most impressive of the day. The captain of Team Astana ABSOLUTELY DECIMATED everyone with a blistering pace, averaging over 30 mph for the entire course, dragging himself into ninth place overall from nineteenth place just the day before. I guess 60+ stitches in both knees and an elbow didn’t make much difference.
Alejandro Valverde, on the other hand, lost huge amounts of time on the leaders, finishing in 47th place for the day. The poor guy finished last, being passed near the line by Michael Rasmussen, a man who started over two minutes behind him. Iban Mayo had a less than stellar showing as well, ending with a result that put him in 46th place. Both riders, who were second and third overall at the end of Stage 12, now sit in eleventh and twelfth place, almost six minutes behind the maillot jaune.
Crashes on the course: Fabian Cancellara of Team CSC, the world time trial champion, crashed between the third and fourth time checks while attempting to turn left after exiting a tunnel. Vladimir Gusev of Team Discovery Channel lost it in a roundabout, also between the third and fourth time checks. Andreas Kloden of Team Astana hit the deck in a corner on the descent of the only climb. Yaroslav Popovych, also from Team Discovery Channel, bought it as well, although I was unable to learn the circumstances of his mishap. Other riders who crashed: Andrey Kashechkin of Team Astana.
Team Discovery Channel status
Between the rain and the crashes, these guys had a challenging day but with decent results. The team ended the stage with three men in the top ten: Yaroslav Popovych, Alberto Contador, and Levi Leipheimer. Focusing a bit wider, the team has four riders in the top thirty overall, the three just mentioned plus Vladimir Gusev. George Hincapie currently sits in 35th place overall. That means that more than 50% of Team Discovery Channel is in the top 21% of all riders competing. If that isn’t evidence of a strong crew, I don’t know what is.
Current standings per all race competitions:
- General classification: Alberto Contador, 3rd; Levi Leipheimer, 5th; Yaroslav Popovych, 15th; Vladimir Gusev, 30th; George Hincapie, 35th.
- Points competition: No contenders.
- King of the Mountains competition: Yaroslav Popvych, 3rd.
- Youth classification: Alberto Contador, 1st.
- Team competition: 2nd.
Race Withdrawals Stage 13
None.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Harry Potter Has Arrived!
At 2:45 PM this afternoon, I picked up my mail, which included a pre-purchased copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. The final adventure of Harry and his friends is now sitting on my kitchen table, waiting for my husband to return from work. I promised him we would not begin reading until he was home.The Amazon.com shipping box that contained this latest tale of the boy wizard’s life was pretty cool. On the side was a symbol reading “YEAR 7,” written in that Hogwarts typeface we have all come to recognize; on the other side was the book title; the front sported several shipping labels, while the back had an illustration of an owl delivering a letter addressed to “Harry Potter.” Both the front and the back carried this warning: ATTENTION MUGGLES - DO NOT DELIVER OR OPEN BEFORE JULY 21! Cute, huh. I have included a picture of the shipping container for those of you who may have purchased your Potter copies at a local bookstore.
Oh, I almost forgot. Our book arrived with a foot long feather. Whether it was from a local bird, a Hippogriff, or an owl, I do not know. My daughter found it on the driveway near the rock pile. Did anyone else receive a plume with his or her book delivery? If yes, please let me know.
Have a great time reading!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tour de France Stage 12
Route: Montpellier - Castres
Riders remaining: 168
Distance: 178.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Cantagal 1.6 km; 4.3%; 4 category
- Côte du Mas-Rouet 2.4 km; 4.3%; 4 category
- Col du Buis 2.6 km; 4.8%; 4 category
- Montée de la Jeante 10.4 km; 6.1%; 2 category
Today had a little something for everyone, a few inclines to prepare the climbers’ legs for the Pyrenees, two intermediate sprints for the fast men, and several crashes early in the day that eliminated Alberto Ongarato of Team Milram and Stef Clement of Team Bouygues Telecom. A number of early attacks were reeled in quickly by the peloton, until about 50 km of racing had been completed. At that point, the group backed off chasing escapees and allowed Pierrick Fedrigo of Team Bouygues Telecom and Amets Txurruka of Team Euskaltel-Euskadi to move ahead, eventually building a gap of over ten minutes. Sadly, their advantage was eaten away within sight of the finish, making way for the top contenders in the sprint competition to make their run to the line. As is usual these days, Tom Boonen took the stage, with Erik Zabel just inches behind.
Yet, the bigger news from Stage 12 had less to do with the race results and more to do with the ongoing story of cycling as a “dirty sport.” It was reported that German television had decided to cancel their coverage of the Tour de France due to the “non-negative” doping result of Team T-Mobile rider, Patrik Sinkewitz. Even though the doping test was conducted outside of competition in June and even though Mr. Sinkewitz is no longer in the Tour de France due to injuries suffered in a crash after Stage 8, the German broadcast officials terminated their reporting.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Danish Cycling Union announced that it would cut Michael Rasmussen of Team Rabobank (and the current yellow jersey holder in the Tour de France) from the Danish national team, effectively eliminating him from competition in the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Their reason/accusation: Mr. Rasmussen failed to account for his whereabouts during training and, in doing so, made himself unavailable for random out-of-competition drug testing. It is my understanding that under the current doping regulations, if a rider misses three random drug tests in 18 months, he has committed an infraction equal to one positive drug test and will suffer the standard consequences of a financial fine and a two-year suspension. Suffice it to say, this situation will take months to resolve.
Team Discovery Channel status
No breaking news to report from the Discovery Channel camp. Yaroslav Popovych had another great day, accumulating more points in the King of the Mountains competition. With the Pyrenees looming and being only twelve points off the lead in the climbing contest, Mr. Popovych still has a shot at winning the polka-dot jersey by the time the race arrives in Paris. With some exceptional riding in the next mountain range, the entire team is poised for serious contention in every competition, the sprint contest excepted. Wouldn’t it be great if Team Discovery Channel walked away with the overall lead, the best young rider award, the King of the Mountains, and the team title? That would be a coup d’etat. I am praying for that!
Race Withdrawals Stage 12
- Alberto Ongarato (Italy)
- Stef Clement (Netherlands)
Riders remaining: 168
Distance: 178.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Cantagal 1.6 km; 4.3%; 4 category
- Côte du Mas-Rouet 2.4 km; 4.3%; 4 category
- Col du Buis 2.6 km; 4.8%; 4 category
- Montée de la Jeante 10.4 km; 6.1%; 2 category
Today had a little something for everyone, a few inclines to prepare the climbers’ legs for the Pyrenees, two intermediate sprints for the fast men, and several crashes early in the day that eliminated Alberto Ongarato of Team Milram and Stef Clement of Team Bouygues Telecom. A number of early attacks were reeled in quickly by the peloton, until about 50 km of racing had been completed. At that point, the group backed off chasing escapees and allowed Pierrick Fedrigo of Team Bouygues Telecom and Amets Txurruka of Team Euskaltel-Euskadi to move ahead, eventually building a gap of over ten minutes. Sadly, their advantage was eaten away within sight of the finish, making way for the top contenders in the sprint competition to make their run to the line. As is usual these days, Tom Boonen took the stage, with Erik Zabel just inches behind.
Yet, the bigger news from Stage 12 had less to do with the race results and more to do with the ongoing story of cycling as a “dirty sport.” It was reported that German television had decided to cancel their coverage of the Tour de France due to the “non-negative” doping result of Team T-Mobile rider, Patrik Sinkewitz. Even though the doping test was conducted outside of competition in June and even though Mr. Sinkewitz is no longer in the Tour de France due to injuries suffered in a crash after Stage 8, the German broadcast officials terminated their reporting.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Danish Cycling Union announced that it would cut Michael Rasmussen of Team Rabobank (and the current yellow jersey holder in the Tour de France) from the Danish national team, effectively eliminating him from competition in the 2007 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Their reason/accusation: Mr. Rasmussen failed to account for his whereabouts during training and, in doing so, made himself unavailable for random out-of-competition drug testing. It is my understanding that under the current doping regulations, if a rider misses three random drug tests in 18 months, he has committed an infraction equal to one positive drug test and will suffer the standard consequences of a financial fine and a two-year suspension. Suffice it to say, this situation will take months to resolve.
Team Discovery Channel status
No breaking news to report from the Discovery Channel camp. Yaroslav Popovych had another great day, accumulating more points in the King of the Mountains competition. With the Pyrenees looming and being only twelve points off the lead in the climbing contest, Mr. Popovych still has a shot at winning the polka-dot jersey by the time the race arrives in Paris. With some exceptional riding in the next mountain range, the entire team is poised for serious contention in every competition, the sprint contest excepted. Wouldn’t it be great if Team Discovery Channel walked away with the overall lead, the best young rider award, the King of the Mountains, and the team title? That would be a coup d’etat. I am praying for that!
Race Withdrawals Stage 12
- Alberto Ongarato (Italy)
- Stef Clement (Netherlands)
Abide With Me
Friday nights at 9:00 PM (in our cable market), my husband and daughter watch “Doctor Who” on the Sci-Fi channel. I sometimes participate in this activity; other times I fold laundry or read a book. Anyway, don’t ask me why, but at the end of tonight’s episode, the background music was playing the hymn “Abide with Me.” The distant chorus was singing words, but they were difficult to make out so, just in case anyone was curious, here is the text of the hymn:
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need thy presence every passing hour;
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me!
Hold thou thy Cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. Amen.
The Chorus Continues
I love cycling season, if for no other reason than I get to hear an almost constant chorus of some version of the phrase “dirty sport.”
Take this excerpt from an article in VeloNews for example:
Frankly, I agree with Jens Voigt in reference to the cessation of television coverage:
Take this excerpt from an article in VeloNews for example:
The future of [Team] T-Mobile and [Team] Gerolsteiner are both on the brink thanks to the failed doping test of German rider Patrik Sinkewitz in an out-of-competition control June 8.Or how about this one, also from an article in VeloNews:
German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF took the unprecedented step Wednesday to cancel coverage of the 2007 Tour, turning the heat up on a sport already under the microscope.
“Without television, our team has no currency,” Gerolsteiner team manager Hans-Michael Holczer told VeloNews before Thursday’s start. “The hard reaction from German TV is speeding up the death of cycling.”
Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen has been axed from the Danish national team following a disagreement over drug testing, it was announced on Thursday.Or maybe this information, quoting extensively from a TDF Blog article:
The director of the Danish Cycling Union (DCU) Jesper Worre told DRI television station that Rasmussen had received a number of warnings over failing to inform doping authorities over his training whereabouts. …“The DCU is not saying that Michael tested positive,” [Worre] said. “But there are a number of question marks over his behaviour and attitude…”
Team Milram’s Alessandro Petacchi, one of the sport’s outstanding sprinters, faced a hearing to explain his high reading for salbutamol during the Giro d’Italia last month. The UCI notified Italian officials yesterday that Petacchi is officially “non-negative” after registering a salbutamol level of 1320 nanograms/milliliter after his Stage 11 Giro win in Pinerolo.Obviously, the concept of innocent until proven guilty is lost on these WADA folks.
Salbutamol is a common asthma medication that can have stimulant and anabolic effects at high doses. Many endurance athletes, including Petacchi, have therapeutic use exemptions allowing them to use inhaled salbutamol to address exercise-induced asthma. The World Anti-Doping Agency tries to control salbutamol levels by setting a limit of 1000 nanograms/milliliter in rider urine samples. A higher level is an “adverse analytical finding,” which shifts the burden of proof onto the athlete, who must prove the finding resulted from use of a salbutamol inhaler.
Frankly, I agree with Jens Voigt in reference to the cessation of television coverage:
“It’s not democratic, it’s just like the old East Germany,” said Voigt, who rides for the CSC team of yellow jersey contender Carlos Sastre. … “But there are only a few people in control of making that decision, and it’s not right. Let people watch the Tour. If they don’t want to they can turn off their televisions, or change the channel.”and with Phil Liggett:
I wonder why German television did not do the same in the days when the former East Germany won all of the medals in every sport? There is no doubt that in those black days the majority of those athletes from all sports were on drugs and nobody seemed to care.I wonder the same thing, Mr. Liggett.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tour de France Stage 11
Route: Marseille - Montpellier
Riders remaining: 171
Distance: 182.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Calissanne 1.7 km; 5.6%; 4 category
The word I would use to describe Stage 11 of the Tour de France is flat. Even one small climb at the beginning of the day didn’t do much to help the profile, or to slow the pace. The average speed: about 30 mph. The temperatures didn’t do much to slow anybody down, either. Once again, the thermometer hovered around 90° F.
Like yesterday, and as is usual for these level middle stages of the race, the day was made for attacks by the lesser-known riders and the lesser known teams. Today those seeking recognition were on the prowl immediately, motivating counter-attacks by others endeavoring to gain an advantage. Yet, in the end, it wasn’t some unknown that profoundly affected the race results; it was Alexander Vinokourov and Team Astana that caused the damage --- namely to Christophe Moreau of Team AG2R Prevoyance, who fell eight places in the overall standing, and David Zabriskie of Team CSC who finished the race outside the time limit.
Around about the 112 km mark, when the group began to encounter a nasty crosswind, Team Astana (who had been loitering near the head of the peloton), decided to take a turn at pacesetting. A fair number of their riders, including Alexander Vinokourov, went to the front and worked to increase the average speed, much to the dismay of everyone. To those unfamiliar with cycling race tactics, the point and purpose of this move was to split the peloton in the hope that it may catch some of the overall leaders off guard in an effort to gain time on them. Of all the race favorites, Vinokourov needed to utilize this tactic as he is injured and almost eight minutes behind the maillot jaune. Fortunately, the observant men from Team Discovery Channel were able to respond effectively to this development and were not caught “asleep at the wheel,” as it were.
It was interesting that Alexander Vinokourov engaged in such tactics, given that the race doctors were (and are) so concerned about the injury to one of his knees. Remember, he crashed heavily in the early stages of the Tour de France, wounding his knees, his elbow, and his hand. Apparently, one of his knees has now become infected, causing some consternation amongst the medical staff. Mr. Vinokourov, on the other hand, doesn’t seem too concerned. Otherwise, why would he attack the peloton in such an aggressive manner?
It was all for naught, though. Vinokourov couldn’t hold off a charging peloton in the last three kilometers. He was caught, allowing the spinters to rule the day. One of those fast men was Robbie Hunter of Team Barloworld, the only South African in the race and (now) the only South African ever to win a stage of the Tour de France. In fact, with his win, Mr. Hunter becomes the first individual from the African continent to win a stage of the Tour de France…ever. Kudos to Barloworld and their talented rider!
In other news: Freddie Rodriguez of Team Predictor-Lotto, along with a few other competitors, misjudged one of the sweeping consecutive corners in the finishing stretch and slammed headlong into the barriers at the side of the road. Since the incident occurred with only 1 km to go, none of the riders lost any time.
Dave Zabriskie of Team CSC arrived at the finish line outside the allowed time limit for the day. Like Christophe Moreau, he was caught out in the peloton split caused by Team Astana and, suffering from persistent knee pain, was unable to make it back in time. The knee trouble is, apparently, from a 2003 car accident. Zabriskie’s joint was repaired with screws, making the knee quite sensitive to change. In May, Team CSC mandated different shoes for their riders, a modification that was too much for his knee to deal with before the Tour.
Team Discovery Channel status
The “Planet Earth” men are doing well with three riders in the top 20 overall: Alberto Contador in 5th place, Levi Leipheimer in 8th place and Yaroslav Popovych in 20th place. Of course, Mr. Contador remains in the white jersey as well. Discovery Channel did drop one place in the team competition (they now sit in third), but one good day in the Pyrenees could change all that.
The best part of today was the vigilance of the team. They recognized the “crosswind” move of Team Astana immediately and responded appropriately to keep Levi in contention for the yellow jersey. They also avoided the crash in the finishing stretch, again keeping everyone safe to ride another day. If they keep this up, the maillot jaune could be theirs in just a few days. We shall see.
Race Withdrawals Stage 11
- Sylvain Calzati (France)
- Igor Anton (Spain)
- David Zabriskie (USA)
Riders remaining: 171
Distance: 182.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Calissanne 1.7 km; 5.6%; 4 category
The word I would use to describe Stage 11 of the Tour de France is flat. Even one small climb at the beginning of the day didn’t do much to help the profile, or to slow the pace. The average speed: about 30 mph. The temperatures didn’t do much to slow anybody down, either. Once again, the thermometer hovered around 90° F.
Like yesterday, and as is usual for these level middle stages of the race, the day was made for attacks by the lesser-known riders and the lesser known teams. Today those seeking recognition were on the prowl immediately, motivating counter-attacks by others endeavoring to gain an advantage. Yet, in the end, it wasn’t some unknown that profoundly affected the race results; it was Alexander Vinokourov and Team Astana that caused the damage --- namely to Christophe Moreau of Team AG2R Prevoyance, who fell eight places in the overall standing, and David Zabriskie of Team CSC who finished the race outside the time limit.
Around about the 112 km mark, when the group began to encounter a nasty crosswind, Team Astana (who had been loitering near the head of the peloton), decided to take a turn at pacesetting. A fair number of their riders, including Alexander Vinokourov, went to the front and worked to increase the average speed, much to the dismay of everyone. To those unfamiliar with cycling race tactics, the point and purpose of this move was to split the peloton in the hope that it may catch some of the overall leaders off guard in an effort to gain time on them. Of all the race favorites, Vinokourov needed to utilize this tactic as he is injured and almost eight minutes behind the maillot jaune. Fortunately, the observant men from Team Discovery Channel were able to respond effectively to this development and were not caught “asleep at the wheel,” as it were.
It was interesting that Alexander Vinokourov engaged in such tactics, given that the race doctors were (and are) so concerned about the injury to one of his knees. Remember, he crashed heavily in the early stages of the Tour de France, wounding his knees, his elbow, and his hand. Apparently, one of his knees has now become infected, causing some consternation amongst the medical staff. Mr. Vinokourov, on the other hand, doesn’t seem too concerned. Otherwise, why would he attack the peloton in such an aggressive manner?
It was all for naught, though. Vinokourov couldn’t hold off a charging peloton in the last three kilometers. He was caught, allowing the spinters to rule the day. One of those fast men was Robbie Hunter of Team Barloworld, the only South African in the race and (now) the only South African ever to win a stage of the Tour de France. In fact, with his win, Mr. Hunter becomes the first individual from the African continent to win a stage of the Tour de France…ever. Kudos to Barloworld and their talented rider!
In other news: Freddie Rodriguez of Team Predictor-Lotto, along with a few other competitors, misjudged one of the sweeping consecutive corners in the finishing stretch and slammed headlong into the barriers at the side of the road. Since the incident occurred with only 1 km to go, none of the riders lost any time.
Dave Zabriskie of Team CSC arrived at the finish line outside the allowed time limit for the day. Like Christophe Moreau, he was caught out in the peloton split caused by Team Astana and, suffering from persistent knee pain, was unable to make it back in time. The knee trouble is, apparently, from a 2003 car accident. Zabriskie’s joint was repaired with screws, making the knee quite sensitive to change. In May, Team CSC mandated different shoes for their riders, a modification that was too much for his knee to deal with before the Tour.
Team Discovery Channel status
The “Planet Earth” men are doing well with three riders in the top 20 overall: Alberto Contador in 5th place, Levi Leipheimer in 8th place and Yaroslav Popovych in 20th place. Of course, Mr. Contador remains in the white jersey as well. Discovery Channel did drop one place in the team competition (they now sit in third), but one good day in the Pyrenees could change all that.
The best part of today was the vigilance of the team. They recognized the “crosswind” move of Team Astana immediately and responded appropriately to keep Levi in contention for the yellow jersey. They also avoided the crash in the finishing stretch, again keeping everyone safe to ride another day. If they keep this up, the maillot jaune could be theirs in just a few days. We shall see.
Race Withdrawals Stage 11
- Sylvain Calzati (France)
- Igor Anton (Spain)
- David Zabriskie (USA)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tour de France Stage 10
Route: Tallard - Marseilles
Riders remaining: 171
Distance: 229.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Châteauneuf-Val-Saint Donat 3.3 km; 3.1%; 4 category
- Côte de Villedieu 1.1 km; 5.2%; 4 category
- Côte des Bastides 7.5 km; 2.9%; 3 category
- Col de la Gineste 7.5 km; 3.2%; 3 category
The race spent today transitioning from the Alps to the beautiful southern coast of France, closing out Stage 10 in Marseilles. I always seem to have an attention deficit problem during these middle days of the Tour. Let’s face it (for me), they just aren’t as suspenseful as the mountain stages. The profile has turned flat, granted (depending on the landscape) the first day out of the Alps can sometimes be a bit hair-raising, due to tricky descents but, after that, it just gets dull…and long (look at the distance covered today!). The teams are focused on setting up their sprinters and protecting their “GC men,” their contenders for the overall lead, their best hopes for the coveted yellow jersey. Today was no different. It was a routine “day in the saddle,” as cyclists say and, for teams like T-Mobile and Astana who have lost riders to crashes and illness that meant a day for recovery. Yet, in light of the blazing temperatures of 98-100° F, I am not sure how much recovery the competitors will enjoy.
As routine as these transition days may be for the overall leaders, they are anything but for the lesser-known cyclists in the peloton who use them to make a name for themselves, or for their team. They attack the group early to mount an escape that, hopefully, will last the day and give them the maillot jaune for just a moment. Today was no different. At the 2 km mark (remember, the total distance for the day was 229.5 km), the first group of six went ahead. They managed to stay alive for about 35 km before being caught by the peloton. Within five minutes of that catch, another escape attempt was made. That one lasted only 5 km. Shortly thereafter, a third escape attempt was made that succeeded, eventually gaining over ten minutes on the peloton. The stage winner, Cedric Vasseur, was from this band of intrepid road warriors who braved the heat for a day of glory.
Team Discovery Channel status
After such a great day on Stage 9, the “Disco Boys” stayed out of the fray on Stage 10, keeping Levi Leipheimer safe and the rest of the team healthy as well. Of course, such a conservative stance caused them to drop slightly in the team competition, where they now sit in third place, but still only six seconds behind the second place contenders, Team Caisse d’Epargne.
One accolade of note: Yaroslav Popovych started today wearing the red jersey of “most aggressive rider” for his performance in the last mountain stage. He was first over the highest pass of the Tour, the Col d’Iseran, and second over the following two summits yesterday, earning himself 69 points in the King of the Mountains competition. Please recall that at the beginning of Stage 9, Mr. Popovych had 0 points in the climbing contest. He earned them all in one day. Pretty impressive!
Race Withdrawals Stage 10
None. Praise the Lord!
Race Trivia
- David Millar, a rider for Team Saunier-Duval, is allergic to the sun. Consequently, despite the scorching heat, he wore a long sleeve jersey to protect his skin.
Riders remaining: 171
Distance: 229.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Châteauneuf-Val-Saint Donat 3.3 km; 3.1%; 4 category
- Côte de Villedieu 1.1 km; 5.2%; 4 category
- Côte des Bastides 7.5 km; 2.9%; 3 category
- Col de la Gineste 7.5 km; 3.2%; 3 category
The race spent today transitioning from the Alps to the beautiful southern coast of France, closing out Stage 10 in Marseilles. I always seem to have an attention deficit problem during these middle days of the Tour. Let’s face it (for me), they just aren’t as suspenseful as the mountain stages. The profile has turned flat, granted (depending on the landscape) the first day out of the Alps can sometimes be a bit hair-raising, due to tricky descents but, after that, it just gets dull…and long (look at the distance covered today!). The teams are focused on setting up their sprinters and protecting their “GC men,” their contenders for the overall lead, their best hopes for the coveted yellow jersey. Today was no different. It was a routine “day in the saddle,” as cyclists say and, for teams like T-Mobile and Astana who have lost riders to crashes and illness that meant a day for recovery. Yet, in light of the blazing temperatures of 98-100° F, I am not sure how much recovery the competitors will enjoy.
As routine as these transition days may be for the overall leaders, they are anything but for the lesser-known cyclists in the peloton who use them to make a name for themselves, or for their team. They attack the group early to mount an escape that, hopefully, will last the day and give them the maillot jaune for just a moment. Today was no different. At the 2 km mark (remember, the total distance for the day was 229.5 km), the first group of six went ahead. They managed to stay alive for about 35 km before being caught by the peloton. Within five minutes of that catch, another escape attempt was made. That one lasted only 5 km. Shortly thereafter, a third escape attempt was made that succeeded, eventually gaining over ten minutes on the peloton. The stage winner, Cedric Vasseur, was from this band of intrepid road warriors who braved the heat for a day of glory.
Team Discovery Channel status
After such a great day on Stage 9, the “Disco Boys” stayed out of the fray on Stage 10, keeping Levi Leipheimer safe and the rest of the team healthy as well. Of course, such a conservative stance caused them to drop slightly in the team competition, where they now sit in third place, but still only six seconds behind the second place contenders, Team Caisse d’Epargne.
One accolade of note: Yaroslav Popovych started today wearing the red jersey of “most aggressive rider” for his performance in the last mountain stage. He was first over the highest pass of the Tour, the Col d’Iseran, and second over the following two summits yesterday, earning himself 69 points in the King of the Mountains competition. Please recall that at the beginning of Stage 9, Mr. Popovych had 0 points in the climbing contest. He earned them all in one day. Pretty impressive!
Race Withdrawals Stage 10
None. Praise the Lord!
Race Trivia
- David Millar, a rider for Team Saunier-Duval, is allergic to the sun. Consequently, despite the scorching heat, he wore a long sleeve jersey to protect his skin.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tour de France Stage 9
Route: Val-d’Isère - Briançon
Riders remaining: 171
Distance: 159.5 km
Climbs:
- Col de l’Iseran 15 km; 6%; H category
- Col du Télégraphe 12 km; 6.7%; 1 category
- Col du Galibier 17.5 km; 6.9%; H category
There may have been only three climbs today, but two of them were “Hor Category,” or beyond categorization. Translation: they are so torturous that no one in their right mind would climb them on a bicycle. Of course, the Tour de France organizers being who they are put two of them on the same day. I’m not sure, but it may be the first time they have done that. Phil Liggit summed it up perfectly in the live coverage introduction:
Team T-Mobile had another rider down today, this time in an altercation with a dog of all things! A spectator did not have his pet on a leash, allowing him to trot across the roadway directly in front of Marcus Burghardt. The front wheel of the machine collapsed completely upon impact, sending the cyclist over the handlebars and onto the pavement. Fortunately, neither Mr. Burghardt nor the dog were injured.
Update on Stuart O’Grady: The live newsflashes on the Tour de France website reported that Mr. O’Grady wants to ride in the next big grand tour, the Vuelta a Espana. Darren O’Grady, the brother of the injured cyclist, had this to say, quoting from the live coverage:
Wow, what can you say about the “Disco Boys” this afternoon except BRILLIANT? By the end of the race, these guys had reclaimed the white “youth” jersey, this time for Alberto Contador, and had moved into second place in the team competition, sitting only six seconds off the lead of Team Caisse d’Epargne. The next closest team now sits over three minutes behind. The strength of Team Discovery Channel was obvious. At least two of their riders were ahead most of the day, while another four managed to remain with Levi Leipheimer in a select group of riders ahead of the peloton. With only eight guys remaining since the withdrawal of Tomas Vaitkus on Stage 3, that means 75% of the squad had a great day. With such demonstrated fortitude and some wise riding in the Pyrenees (assuming no injuries, of course), first place in the team contest is definitely within reach.
Current standings for the team per all race competitions:
- General Classification: Levi Leipheimer moved up into 9th place overall from 13th at the beginning of the day. Alberto Contador is currently in 5th place overall.
- Points Competition: Discovery Channel has not focused on this contest in the entire time I have watched them race (even when they were Team U.S. Postal).
- King of the Mountains Competition: Yaroslav Popovych is currently in 3rd place here. Alberto Contador is behind him in 9th place.
- Youth Classification: Alberto Contador leads this competition at the moment. Vladimir Gusev in 5th place.
- Team Competition: As previously mentioned, Team Discovery Channel is in 2nd place.
Knowing all that, some reporter for the Austin American-Statesman posted an article online yesterday with this title:
Race Withdrawals Stage 9
- Patrick Sinkewitz (Germany)
Race Trivia
- French President Nicholas Sarkozy attended the race today.
- Only 8 of the original 21 teams are intact with nine riders.
- Each individual cyclist will consume 123,900 calories over the course of the Tour de France. It is no wonder these guys are so thin!
- The Tour de France television broadcast goes out to 170 countries daily.
- 750,000 spectators line the sides of the course EVERY DAY. That is like taking the populations of Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island and lining them up on the sides of I-95 from New York City to Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Frankly, it is amazing that the race doesn’t have more spectator-cyclist accidents.
- Alberto Contador of Team Discovery Channel has a metal plate in his head, the result of surgery following a massive blood clot in his brain in 2004. Remember, this gentleman is only 24 years old.
Riders remaining: 171
Distance: 159.5 km
Climbs:
- Col de l’Iseran 15 km; 6%; H category
- Col du Télégraphe 12 km; 6.7%; 1 category
- Col du Galibier 17.5 km; 6.9%; H category
There may have been only three climbs today, but two of them were “Hor Category,” or beyond categorization. Translation: they are so torturous that no one in their right mind would climb them on a bicycle. Of course, the Tour de France organizers being who they are put two of them on the same day. I’m not sure, but it may be the first time they have done that. Phil Liggit summed it up perfectly in the live coverage introduction:
“Welcome to the hell that is the mountains of the Tour de France.”And it was pretty hellish by the end. The day began with the climb up the Col de l’Iseran, followed by a speedy downhill section (~45 miles) before turning markedly uphill again to the Alpine heights of the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier. Of the contenders for the General Classification, no clear leader emerged; some strong domestiques made a good showing though, especially Yaroslav Popovych of Team Discovery Channel and his teammates Vladimir Gusev and Alberto Contador. Popovych attacked the peloton early on the first climb and managed to stay away with various riders almost to the end of the race. However, he was overtaken at one point by newcomer Juan Mauricio Hernandez Soler of Team Barloworld. What an amazing ride by this gentleman! He made up well over a minute on the road in order to catch Popovych, and then continued on to win the stage. Definitely another young cyclist to watch in the future.
Team T-Mobile had another rider down today, this time in an altercation with a dog of all things! A spectator did not have his pet on a leash, allowing him to trot across the roadway directly in front of Marcus Burghardt. The front wheel of the machine collapsed completely upon impact, sending the cyclist over the handlebars and onto the pavement. Fortunately, neither Mr. Burghardt nor the dog were injured.
Update on Stuart O’Grady: The live newsflashes on the Tour de France website reported that Mr. O’Grady wants to ride in the next big grand tour, the Vuelta a Espana. Darren O’Grady, the brother of the injured cyclist, had this to say, quoting from the live coverage:
“His legs and head are good,” said Darren O’Grady, “even if the rest of his body is a mess. He has five broken ribs and has had a lot of treatment from the medical staff, but we managed to get a smile from him before we left.” The injuries are enough for most riders to consider ending their season, but O’Grady told his brother: “I’ve got about seven weeks to get better, so I’ve told the team: sign me up for the Vuelta a Espana! I’m not wasting the good form I’ve got…a few broken ribs shouldn’t slow me down for too long.”Team Discovery Channel status
Wow, what can you say about the “Disco Boys” this afternoon except BRILLIANT? By the end of the race, these guys had reclaimed the white “youth” jersey, this time for Alberto Contador, and had moved into second place in the team competition, sitting only six seconds off the lead of Team Caisse d’Epargne. The next closest team now sits over three minutes behind. The strength of Team Discovery Channel was obvious. At least two of their riders were ahead most of the day, while another four managed to remain with Levi Leipheimer in a select group of riders ahead of the peloton. With only eight guys remaining since the withdrawal of Tomas Vaitkus on Stage 3, that means 75% of the squad had a great day. With such demonstrated fortitude and some wise riding in the Pyrenees (assuming no injuries, of course), first place in the team contest is definitely within reach.
Current standings for the team per all race competitions:
- General Classification: Levi Leipheimer moved up into 9th place overall from 13th at the beginning of the day. Alberto Contador is currently in 5th place overall.
- Points Competition: Discovery Channel has not focused on this contest in the entire time I have watched them race (even when they were Team U.S. Postal).
- King of the Mountains Competition: Yaroslav Popovych is currently in 3rd place here. Alberto Contador is behind him in 9th place.
- Youth Classification: Alberto Contador leads this competition at the moment. Vladimir Gusev in 5th place.
- Team Competition: As previously mentioned, Team Discovery Channel is in 2nd place.
Knowing all that, some reporter for the Austin American-Statesman posted an article online yesterday with this title:
American riders struggling in Tour de FranceWell, with 171 men still in the race, if the team results listed above are what struggling looks like, I will take more of it, thank you. I just pray the team stays safe and uninjured.
Race Withdrawals Stage 9
- Patrick Sinkewitz (Germany)
Race Trivia
- French President Nicholas Sarkozy attended the race today.
- Only 8 of the original 21 teams are intact with nine riders.
- Each individual cyclist will consume 123,900 calories over the course of the Tour de France. It is no wonder these guys are so thin!
- The Tour de France television broadcast goes out to 170 countries daily.
- 750,000 spectators line the sides of the course EVERY DAY. That is like taking the populations of Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island and lining them up on the sides of I-95 from New York City to Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Frankly, it is amazing that the race doesn’t have more spectator-cyclist accidents.
- Alberto Contador of Team Discovery Channel has a metal plate in his head, the result of surgery following a massive blood clot in his brain in 2004. Remember, this gentleman is only 24 years old.
Valve Failure
Well, at forty-five years of age, physiological failure has finally begun. This evening as I was ushering for the Shoreline Ringers benefit concert, I experienced my first leg vein valve failure. In other words, I now have a varicose vein in an appendage, my left leg to be exact.
I was standing by the door to the sanctuary when I felt a momentary pain, much like a horsefly bite. The spot began to itch almost immediately, feeding my idea that the pain was from a bug. Yet, when I reached down to scratch the itching spot, I felt what was a developing hematoma just below, behind, and to the left of my knee. I kept an eye on it during the concert and, when I got home, made the decision to visit the Pequot Health Center to make sure nothing serious had happened.
I suspected a burst blood vessel and, sure enough, that’s what it was. My father had numerous varicose veins in his legs, so I guess I am genetically predisposed to them. Short-term medical treatment: compression bandage, ice, elevation for a few days, and watch for the development of phlebitis. Long-term medical advice: lose weight and exercise daily (preferably swimming or biking to ease pressure on the legs during exertion). I forgot to ask about weight training.
So now I am home with an ace bandage around my leg and ice below/behind my knee, with my leg elevated on a bunch of pillows, watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Not where I had planned to be at 11:30 PM on a Tuesday night. Oh, well. I’m just glad it wasn’t anything more serious and complicated.
I was standing by the door to the sanctuary when I felt a momentary pain, much like a horsefly bite. The spot began to itch almost immediately, feeding my idea that the pain was from a bug. Yet, when I reached down to scratch the itching spot, I felt what was a developing hematoma just below, behind, and to the left of my knee. I kept an eye on it during the concert and, when I got home, made the decision to visit the Pequot Health Center to make sure nothing serious had happened.
I suspected a burst blood vessel and, sure enough, that’s what it was. My father had numerous varicose veins in his legs, so I guess I am genetically predisposed to them. Short-term medical treatment: compression bandage, ice, elevation for a few days, and watch for the development of phlebitis. Long-term medical advice: lose weight and exercise daily (preferably swimming or biking to ease pressure on the legs during exertion). I forgot to ask about weight training.
So now I am home with an ace bandage around my leg and ice below/behind my knee, with my leg elevated on a bunch of pillows, watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Not where I had planned to be at 11:30 PM on a Tuesday night. Oh, well. I’m just glad it wasn’t anything more serious and complicated.
Tour de France Stage 8
Don’t forget, Monday, July 16, 2007, was a rest day for the Tour de France.
----------------------------
Route: Le Grand-Bornand – Tignes
Riders remaining: 180
Distance: 165 km
Climbs:
- Col du Marais 3.8 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Cote du Bouchet-Mont-Charvin 2.0 km; 7.1%; 3 category
- Col de Tamíé 9.5 km; 4.%; 2 category
- Cormet de Roselend 19. km; 6%; 1 category
- Montée d’Hauteville 15.3 km; 4.7%; 1 category
- Montée de Tignes 18 km; 5.4%; 1 category
Wow! What a day Stage 8 turned out to be --- full of suspense, mishaps, and destruction. Most of the race favorites and team leaders did not necessarily deliver the performances that everyone expected/anticipated; other race favorites and trusted domestiques crashed or were injured; and the one overall contender who was on the verge of capturing the day and, possibly the yellow jersey, left the race in tears and pain after hitting the deck (and a guard rail) in a bad braking maneuver on the descent of the Cormet de Roselend. Yes, Michael Rogers of Team T-Mobile, an Aussie from Canberra, retired from what was, by many accounts, his best Tour showing ever, the victim of a hand and knee injuries, plus a dislocated shoulder.
Stage 8 also saw the withdrawal of another Aussie favorite, Stuart O’Grady of Team CSC. Having also gone down on the descent of the Cormet de Roselend, it was reported that Mr. O’Grady had initially remounted his bike and was back in the race. A short while later, complaining of severe back pain, the Australian competitor was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Moutiers where he underwent x-rays and an MRI scan. It was almost frightening to see the television coverage of the cyclist in a neck brace, lying on a special stretcher, the kind used with suspected spinal injuries. Fortunately, his wounds were not as severe as initially suspected. He suffered fractures to five of his ribs and possibly some vertebrae, but reportedly had no damage to his spinal column. Praise the Lord!
This late-breaking information from the Team CSC website does not sound quite as encouraging, however. It also gives more details about how the crash occurred:
Herve 49 minutes, 57 seconds behind
McEwen 1 hour, 9 minutes, 22 seconds behind
Napolitano 1 hour, 16 minutes, 33 seconds behind
So, out of this mess, we have only two Australian competitors left: Cadel Evans of Team Predictor-Lotto and Simon Gerrans of Team AG2R Prevoyance. Poor Team T-Mobile, after such an encouraging day on Stage 7, what with Linus Gerdemann (a young rider) winning the yellow jersey and the group capturing the lead in the team competition, they now finds themselves with only six riders. Stage 8 claimed two of their teammates during the race (Mark Cavendish and Michael Rogers) and a crash with a spectator after the competition claimed one more, Patrick Sinkewitz. Mr. Sinkewitz was heading back to his hotel when he struck a 78-year-old man from Luxembourg head on. The cyclist was treated for a broken nose, head trauma, a shoulder injury, and two lost teeth. He returned to Germany for further tests and, so, is out of the Tour de France. The elderly gentleman, sad to say, remains in a coma at a hospital in Chambery.
Team Discovery Channel status
With Team T-Mobile in a shambles and only a few of the others at full strength with nine guys each, how is Team Discovery Channel faring in all this mayhem? Well, Levi Leipheimer hasn’t “shown his cards” yet as to his true strength, only marking the race favorites like Alexander Vinokourov and Denis Menchov during Stage 8. The cyclist is riding conservatively, yes, but he also isn’t wearing himself out in the Alps. His stated plan was to be more aggressive in the Pyrenees. We will have to wait and see what happens. At the moment, Stage 8 results show that Mr. Leipheimer gained time on his rivals, moving up into 13th place overall from 16th. Not bad, considering that he did nothing but mark time in the peleton and with a select group of team leaders.
As for the rest of the “Disco Boys,” I haven’t seen much written about them. George Hincapie appears to have fallen back to the role of domestique, not worrying about placing high for himself, but concerned about working for Levi, the Discovery Channel team leader. Alberto Contador managed a great ride in Stage 8, keeping up with a group of escapees led by Christophe Moreau. Yaroslav Popovych stayed amongst the leaders on the road as well, indicating that his legs are still fresh. A rest day can play havoc with the body, so we will need to watch everyone carefully on Tuesday to see if their fitness levels have suffered.
Race Withdrawals Stage 8
- Ivan Ramiro Parra (Columbia)
- Cédric Herve (France)
- Romain Feillu (France)
- Danilo Napolitano (Italian)
- Robbie McEwen (Australia)
- Stuart O’Grady (Australia)
- Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)
- Michael Rogers (Australia)
----------------------------
Route: Le Grand-Bornand – Tignes
Riders remaining: 180
Distance: 165 km
Climbs:
- Col du Marais 3.8 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Cote du Bouchet-Mont-Charvin 2.0 km; 7.1%; 3 category
- Col de Tamíé 9.5 km; 4.%; 2 category
- Cormet de Roselend 19. km; 6%; 1 category
- Montée d’Hauteville 15.3 km; 4.7%; 1 category
- Montée de Tignes 18 km; 5.4%; 1 category
Wow! What a day Stage 8 turned out to be --- full of suspense, mishaps, and destruction. Most of the race favorites and team leaders did not necessarily deliver the performances that everyone expected/anticipated; other race favorites and trusted domestiques crashed or were injured; and the one overall contender who was on the verge of capturing the day and, possibly the yellow jersey, left the race in tears and pain after hitting the deck (and a guard rail) in a bad braking maneuver on the descent of the Cormet de Roselend. Yes, Michael Rogers of Team T-Mobile, an Aussie from Canberra, retired from what was, by many accounts, his best Tour showing ever, the victim of a hand and knee injuries, plus a dislocated shoulder.
Stage 8 also saw the withdrawal of another Aussie favorite, Stuart O’Grady of Team CSC. Having also gone down on the descent of the Cormet de Roselend, it was reported that Mr. O’Grady had initially remounted his bike and was back in the race. A short while later, complaining of severe back pain, the Australian competitor was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Moutiers where he underwent x-rays and an MRI scan. It was almost frightening to see the television coverage of the cyclist in a neck brace, lying on a special stretcher, the kind used with suspected spinal injuries. Fortunately, his wounds were not as severe as initially suspected. He suffered fractures to five of his ribs and possibly some vertebrae, but reportedly had no damage to his spinal column. Praise the Lord!
This late-breaking information from the Team CSC website does not sound quite as encouraging, however. It also gives more details about how the crash occurred:
O’Grady was working his way through the peloton with bottles [of water] for his teammates during the final descent, when the crash happened.Additional victims of the punishing pace and tough climbs of Stage 8 fell to the clock instead of the crash. Disqualified were Robbie McEwen of Team Predictor-Lotto, Danilo Napolitano of Team Lampre, and Cédric Herve of Team Agritubel, all for finishing outside the stage cut-off time of just over forty minutes behind the stage winner, Michael Rasmussen of Team Rabobank. Respective completion times:
The Australian rider landed on his right side and punctured one lung, broke his collarbone, shoulder blade, five ribs as well as some bones in his spine. It is important to point out, though, that it is not the spine itself [that] was broken.
Herve 49 minutes, 57 seconds behind
McEwen 1 hour, 9 minutes, 22 seconds behind
Napolitano 1 hour, 16 minutes, 33 seconds behind
So, out of this mess, we have only two Australian competitors left: Cadel Evans of Team Predictor-Lotto and Simon Gerrans of Team AG2R Prevoyance. Poor Team T-Mobile, after such an encouraging day on Stage 7, what with Linus Gerdemann (a young rider) winning the yellow jersey and the group capturing the lead in the team competition, they now finds themselves with only six riders. Stage 8 claimed two of their teammates during the race (Mark Cavendish and Michael Rogers) and a crash with a spectator after the competition claimed one more, Patrick Sinkewitz. Mr. Sinkewitz was heading back to his hotel when he struck a 78-year-old man from Luxembourg head on. The cyclist was treated for a broken nose, head trauma, a shoulder injury, and two lost teeth. He returned to Germany for further tests and, so, is out of the Tour de France. The elderly gentleman, sad to say, remains in a coma at a hospital in Chambery.
Team Discovery Channel status
With Team T-Mobile in a shambles and only a few of the others at full strength with nine guys each, how is Team Discovery Channel faring in all this mayhem? Well, Levi Leipheimer hasn’t “shown his cards” yet as to his true strength, only marking the race favorites like Alexander Vinokourov and Denis Menchov during Stage 8. The cyclist is riding conservatively, yes, but he also isn’t wearing himself out in the Alps. His stated plan was to be more aggressive in the Pyrenees. We will have to wait and see what happens. At the moment, Stage 8 results show that Mr. Leipheimer gained time on his rivals, moving up into 13th place overall from 16th. Not bad, considering that he did nothing but mark time in the peleton and with a select group of team leaders.
As for the rest of the “Disco Boys,” I haven’t seen much written about them. George Hincapie appears to have fallen back to the role of domestique, not worrying about placing high for himself, but concerned about working for Levi, the Discovery Channel team leader. Alberto Contador managed a great ride in Stage 8, keeping up with a group of escapees led by Christophe Moreau. Yaroslav Popovych stayed amongst the leaders on the road as well, indicating that his legs are still fresh. A rest day can play havoc with the body, so we will need to watch everyone carefully on Tuesday to see if their fitness levels have suffered.
Race Withdrawals Stage 8
- Ivan Ramiro Parra (Columbia)
- Cédric Herve (France)
- Romain Feillu (France)
- Danilo Napolitano (Italian)
- Robbie McEwen (Australia)
- Stuart O’Grady (Australia)
- Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)
- Michael Rogers (Australia)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Speed Demons, Enlighten Me
I am about to begin driver's training with my daughter, probably with Driver Ed in a Box rather than with one of those driving academy courses. Personal choice, but (frankly) the young drivers I have seen come out of those schools, and the horror stories I have heard from other homeschool parents about the lack of rigor in the coursework, has motivated that decision, but I digress…
The question for this blog entry is: what is with the recent fascination with speed? Almost every time I enter I-95 near my house, I need to drive 70 mph (at a minimum!) to keep from being run over by the other drivers who are easily traveling 75-90 mph. Mind you, the posted speed limit is 65 mph.
Where is the fire?! Are we all such poor time managers that we are constantly running late? Or are we all fantasizing that we are NASCAR drivers racing to win the Nextel Cup? What is it?! And (as is probably true) if I don’t “get it,” please explain it to me. I would really like to understand why my fellow drivers on the road are willing to risk their lives, and mine, by driving too fast?
----------------------------
This posting is motivated by the fact that, last night, while returning from a movie, I saw yet another accident on the interstate. The guard rail on I-95 South between two exits near my home is mangled from all the cars that have either hit it, gone through it, or gone over it in the past few months. Some of the accidents have resulted in tragic loss of life; others have caused only short trips to the hospital. All of them have emotionally impacted the families involved, not to mention raised their insurance rates.
The question for this blog entry is: what is with the recent fascination with speed? Almost every time I enter I-95 near my house, I need to drive 70 mph (at a minimum!) to keep from being run over by the other drivers who are easily traveling 75-90 mph. Mind you, the posted speed limit is 65 mph.
Where is the fire?! Are we all such poor time managers that we are constantly running late? Or are we all fantasizing that we are NASCAR drivers racing to win the Nextel Cup? What is it?! And (as is probably true) if I don’t “get it,” please explain it to me. I would really like to understand why my fellow drivers on the road are willing to risk their lives, and mine, by driving too fast?
----------------------------
This posting is motivated by the fact that, last night, while returning from a movie, I saw yet another accident on the interstate. The guard rail on I-95 South between two exits near my home is mangled from all the cars that have either hit it, gone through it, or gone over it in the past few months. Some of the accidents have resulted in tragic loss of life; others have caused only short trips to the hospital. All of them have emotionally impacted the families involved, not to mention raised their insurance rates.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Tour de France Stage 7
Live coverage of Stage 8 begins at 7:00 AM (!) tomorrow because of all the high mountains in the profile. Don’t forget to set your alarm clock! It should be a thrilling day.
----------------------------
Route: Bourg-en-Bresse – Le Grand-Bornand
Riders remaining: 183
Distance: 197.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Corlier 6.4 km; 5.3%; 3 category
- Cote de Cruseilles 7.1 km; 4.4%; 3 category
- Cote Peguin 4.3 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Col de la Colombiére 16 km; 6.8%; 1 category
It may have been Stage 7 of the Tour de France today, but it was really Day 1 because today was the first day in the mountains. The “sorting hat” began to select the strong men of the peloton, and guess who made the cut? Of the race favorites and team leaders, all of whom finished together at three minutes and thirty-eight seconds behind the stage winner, these guys remained:
- Alejandro Valverde of Team Caisse d’Epargne
- Oscar Pereiro of Team Caisse d’Epargne
- Levi Leipheimer of Team Discovery Channel
- Cadel Evans of Team Predictor-Lotto
- Juan Miguel Mercado of Team Agritubel
- Haimar Zubeldia of Team Euskaltel-Euskadi
- Denis Menchov of Team Rabobank
- Michael Rogers of Team T-Mobile
- Carlos Sastre of Team CSC
- Alexander Vinokourov of Team Astana
The most impressive ride of the day, however, was delivered by Linus Gerdemann of Team T-Mobile. He broke away from the peloton at around the 25 km mark and stayed in front of the pack to the bitter end, earning himself the white jersey of “best young rider,” as well as points in the King of the Mountains competition, an admirable accomplishment for a rider who is only in his second year of professional cycling. After today’s performance, I would say that Mr. Gerdemann is definitely a man to watch for the future.
On a curious note: one phenomenon of the Tour de France that I have never understood is the penchant for speed early on a mountain stage. For example, the average speed for the first hour today was almost 25 mph on the flat part of the course, not drastically different from other stages but with mountains on the horizon, I would think the riders would conserve their energy. Not so. I suppose the tactic is to wear down the marginal guys early, leaving only the competitors of concern, the survivors who can handle the pressure of the climbs. It works, but it sure is cruel. It certainly demonstrates survival of the fittest…Tour de France style.
Correction from Stage 6: Enrico Degano was still in the race at the start of the day! Yesterday, live Tour coverage reported that the Team Barloworld competitor had abandoned the race after crashing in the feed zone. Apparently, that was incorrect. Read this posting from the Stage 7 newsflash:
Surprise of the day: the third place competitor in the sprint competition and the second place finisher in Stages 5 and 6, Oscar Freire of Team Rabobank, did not start this morning. Apparently, a nagging saddle sore was more than he was willing to endure for the next two weeks.
Team Discovery Channel status
The men with the planet Earth on their jerseys are still holding their own, but if you want an illustration of how quickly life at the Tour de France can change, observe the overall placing of George Hincapie at the end of today’s race. After a week in sixth place, George fell to 54th in the standings. Vladimir Gusev, on the other hand, remained in seventh place. He did lose the white jersey, though, due to the outstanding ride of Linus Gerdemann, who won the stage. Gusev is now three minutes, fifty-one seconds back in the “youth” competition so reclamation is possible with an individually great ride in either the Alps or the Pyrenees. Only time (and the goals of the team) will tell. Remember, their primary reason for racing is to put Levi Leipheimer in the yellow jersey. A solid ride by Levi today propelled him from 22nd place overall to 16th, so he is gaining ground on the lead. A few more consistent days in the Alps and the prize could be his.
The most encouraging sight of the day: Team Discovery Channel with four men in the leaders’ peloton supporting and protecting Levi. That’s half the team, indicating that, despite the recent injuries to Benjamin Noval and the loss of Tomas Vaitkus in Stage 3, the “Disco Boys” are doing well. George Hincapie came in six minutes behind the stage winner today, but I haven’t read anything that indicated his slower time was the result of illness or injury. It could have been a strategic move by Johan Bruyneel, the sporting manager of Team Discovery Channel, to reserve some men for the climbs of Stage 8, which are much more difficult than the cotes and cols of today.
More information on the Benjamin Noval crash in Stage 5: Apparently, the rider went through the back window of the French team car that suddenly stopped in front of him. He had twelve stitches to his inside right bicep, eight stitches to his inside right forearm, one stitch to his right finger, and three stitches in his chin. That is a few less stitches than the original thirty that was posted here on Gooseberry Lane; my apologies for the overstatement. Speaking about the crash, Johan Bruyneel had this to say, quoting from The Paceline website:
Race Withdrawals Stage 6
- Enrico Degano (Italy)
- Ruben Lobato (Spain)
- Oscar Freire (Spain)
----------------------------
Route: Bourg-en-Bresse – Le Grand-Bornand
Riders remaining: 183
Distance: 197.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Corlier 6.4 km; 5.3%; 3 category
- Cote de Cruseilles 7.1 km; 4.4%; 3 category
- Cote Peguin 4.3 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Col de la Colombiére 16 km; 6.8%; 1 category
It may have been Stage 7 of the Tour de France today, but it was really Day 1 because today was the first day in the mountains. The “sorting hat” began to select the strong men of the peloton, and guess who made the cut? Of the race favorites and team leaders, all of whom finished together at three minutes and thirty-eight seconds behind the stage winner, these guys remained:
- Alejandro Valverde of Team Caisse d’Epargne
- Oscar Pereiro of Team Caisse d’Epargne
- Levi Leipheimer of Team Discovery Channel
- Cadel Evans of Team Predictor-Lotto
- Juan Miguel Mercado of Team Agritubel
- Haimar Zubeldia of Team Euskaltel-Euskadi
- Denis Menchov of Team Rabobank
- Michael Rogers of Team T-Mobile
- Carlos Sastre of Team CSC
- Alexander Vinokourov of Team Astana
The most impressive ride of the day, however, was delivered by Linus Gerdemann of Team T-Mobile. He broke away from the peloton at around the 25 km mark and stayed in front of the pack to the bitter end, earning himself the white jersey of “best young rider,” as well as points in the King of the Mountains competition, an admirable accomplishment for a rider who is only in his second year of professional cycling. After today’s performance, I would say that Mr. Gerdemann is definitely a man to watch for the future.
On a curious note: one phenomenon of the Tour de France that I have never understood is the penchant for speed early on a mountain stage. For example, the average speed for the first hour today was almost 25 mph on the flat part of the course, not drastically different from other stages but with mountains on the horizon, I would think the riders would conserve their energy. Not so. I suppose the tactic is to wear down the marginal guys early, leaving only the competitors of concern, the survivors who can handle the pressure of the climbs. It works, but it sure is cruel. It certainly demonstrates survival of the fittest…Tour de France style.
Correction from Stage 6: Enrico Degano was still in the race at the start of the day! Yesterday, live Tour coverage reported that the Team Barloworld competitor had abandoned the race after crashing in the feed zone. Apparently, that was incorrect. Read this posting from the Stage 7 newsflash:
One of the Barloworld riders, Enrico Degano, crashed in the feed zone of the sixth stage. It was announced during the live coverage on LeTour.fr (and in the stage summary) that the Italian sprinter --- who currently holds the position of ‘Lanterne Rouge’ in the 2007 Tour de France --- had, in fact, abandoned the race. This is incorrect and we offer our sincere apologies for any confusion caused by this error. His team manager, Claudio Corti, was contacted this morning by LeTour.fr and he explained that Degano did sustain some injuries in the crash, but he still found the energy to finish 16th in the stage to Bourg-en-Bresse. “It will be difficult for him in the mountains today,” said Corti, “but hopefully we’ll have other riders who can perform in the mountains like the Colombians Felix Cardenas and Juan Soler.” Once again, apologies for the error in yesterday’s report and best wishes to Mr. Degano today.I guess that explains why I couldn’t find Degano’s name on any of the withdrawals lists this morning. Unfortunately, after a little over one hour of racing in Stage 7, Mr. Degano did abandon his first Tour effort, the result of the injuries he sustained yesterday.
Surprise of the day: the third place competitor in the sprint competition and the second place finisher in Stages 5 and 6, Oscar Freire of Team Rabobank, did not start this morning. Apparently, a nagging saddle sore was more than he was willing to endure for the next two weeks.
Team Discovery Channel status
The men with the planet Earth on their jerseys are still holding their own, but if you want an illustration of how quickly life at the Tour de France can change, observe the overall placing of George Hincapie at the end of today’s race. After a week in sixth place, George fell to 54th in the standings. Vladimir Gusev, on the other hand, remained in seventh place. He did lose the white jersey, though, due to the outstanding ride of Linus Gerdemann, who won the stage. Gusev is now three minutes, fifty-one seconds back in the “youth” competition so reclamation is possible with an individually great ride in either the Alps or the Pyrenees. Only time (and the goals of the team) will tell. Remember, their primary reason for racing is to put Levi Leipheimer in the yellow jersey. A solid ride by Levi today propelled him from 22nd place overall to 16th, so he is gaining ground on the lead. A few more consistent days in the Alps and the prize could be his.
The most encouraging sight of the day: Team Discovery Channel with four men in the leaders’ peloton supporting and protecting Levi. That’s half the team, indicating that, despite the recent injuries to Benjamin Noval and the loss of Tomas Vaitkus in Stage 3, the “Disco Boys” are doing well. George Hincapie came in six minutes behind the stage winner today, but I haven’t read anything that indicated his slower time was the result of illness or injury. It could have been a strategic move by Johan Bruyneel, the sporting manager of Team Discovery Channel, to reserve some men for the climbs of Stage 8, which are much more difficult than the cotes and cols of today.
More information on the Benjamin Noval crash in Stage 5: Apparently, the rider went through the back window of the French team car that suddenly stopped in front of him. He had twelve stitches to his inside right bicep, eight stitches to his inside right forearm, one stitch to his right finger, and three stitches in his chin. That is a few less stitches than the original thirty that was posted here on Gooseberry Lane; my apologies for the overstatement. Speaking about the crash, Johan Bruyneel had this to say, quoting from The Paceline website:
“We’ve seen the images of the crash now on the television. The car had a French TV crew inside the car and the director was entertaining the camera, explaining race tactics as he was driving and going all out downhill. I think it’s pretty dangerous to do that. There are some people who talk about the danger or usefulness of using radios in a race and I have my opinion on that, but I definitely have my opinion about TV cameras in the race cars. Seeing certain directors trying to be the star of the show and wanting to entertain the TV while they have to drive and think about the safety of the riders. It’s definitely very dangerous. That’s why we never have TV cameras in the car, or at least if we do we pretend that they are not there. I don’t think we can say the same of everybody.”You know, I have acted as a sag wagon/team car for my husband during some charity bike races and during his ride across part of southern Minnesota several years ago. I can attest to the difficulty of staying alert while paying attention to the cyclists, the other automobiles…and the small child that was in my car. :-) Undue distractions were certainly not what I needed while performing that job. I think Mr. Bruyneel has every cause to be irritated with the antics of the Bouygues Telecom driver, especially in light of the fact that, in eight days of racing, the Tour de France has endured at least two such incidents: Mr. Noval’s altercation and the crash of Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez in Stage 1. Keeping the roadway as safe as possible/reasonable should be the paramount concern.
Race Withdrawals Stage 6
- Enrico Degano (Italy)
- Ruben Lobato (Spain)
- Oscar Freire (Spain)
Dental Rinse Recommendation
About a month ago, my gums became slightly temperature sensitive around my left rear molars. It was recommended to me that I try a dental rinse containing goldenseal to soothe the tissue. I headed to the health food store and, for $10.59, walked out with an 8-ounce bottle of The Natural Dentist® Healthy Gums Daily Oral Rinse. After just a few days of use, the pain was gone and I was sold. I now use the rinse twice a day as recommended on the bottle, once in the morning and once at night. What’s in it you ask? Here is some information from the product label.
Active ingredient: Vegetable glycerin 22.5%
Inactive ingredients: Spring Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Calendula, Bloodroot, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Natural Flavors, Vitamin B12.
For even more details, check out the product website at www.thenaturaldentist.com. If you are in need of a daily dental rinse, give this stuff a try. I highly recommend it.
Active ingredient: Vegetable glycerin 22.5%
Inactive ingredients: Spring Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Calendula, Bloodroot, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Natural Flavors, Vitamin B12.
For even more details, check out the product website at www.thenaturaldentist.com. If you are in need of a daily dental rinse, give this stuff a try. I highly recommend it.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Tour de France Stage 6
Route: Semur-en-Auxois – Bourg-en-Bresse
Riders remaining: 184
Distance: 199.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Grandmont 2.4 km; 5.1%; 4 category
- Col de Brancion 3.5 km; 3.6%; 4 category
Today was the hottest yet in the Tour de France with air temperatures approaching 30º C (that’s ~86º F). That means the road temperatures were hot enough to soften the asphalt. Those kinds of road conditions, plus strong headwinds, kept the average speed down around ~22 mph most of the day. Hopefully, the slower speed and the almost pan-flat profile gave the injured Andreas Kloden and Alexander Vinokourov an opportunity to recover from their wounds. We shall see when the mountains come in to view on Stage 7.
The flat profile certainly meant a perfect day for the sprinters. With a rather slow start to the final lineup, seemingly because no one team would commit to control of the peloton, the “speed demons” eventually got their act together for a run to the finish. In the end, it was Tom Boonen of Team QuickStep who won the day. Sadly, the lone escapee of the day, Bradley Wiggins of Team Cofidis, didn’t prevail, having been bested by the peloton in the last few kilometers after being away for 180 km. Too bad. I like to see those brave, solitary attacks succeed. Maybe one will be in offing on the road between the Alps and the Pyrenees. Once again, we shall see.
Another crash in the feed zone resulted in the withdrawal of Enrico Degano of Team Barloworld. During his racing career, Lance Armstrong used to talk about how dangerous the entrance to and exit from the feeding stations could be, and the level of attention that was required during that part of the day. Unfortunately, some of the younger competitors (like Degano, who was riding in his first Tour de France) are learning that lesson the hard way.
Team Discovery Channel status
Additional update from Stage 5: Benjamin Noval was involved in a crash with the Team Bouygues Telecom support car yesterday. A post-race visit to the hospital resulted in thirty stitches to his bicep and chin. He also bruised his hip. Apparently, he either hit, or went through, the rear window of the automobile, breaking glass in the process. Cause of the accident: sudden braking by the French driver. No worries yet, the team plans to assess Noval’s fitness level on a daily basis while he continues to race.
George Hincapie fell back to sixth place today due to the high-level finish of Oscar Freire from Team Rabobank. Vladimir Gusev remains directly behind Hincapie in seventh place. Gusev holds the white “youth” jersey as well, a prize he has kept on his shoulders since Stage 1. Levi Leipheimer remains in 22nd place, a repeat of yesterday.
Race Withdrawals Stage 6
- Geoffroy Lequatre (France)
- Enrico Degano (Italy)
Race Trivia
- Did you know that each rider in the Tour de France needs to ingest ~6000-7000 calories per day to fuel their racing efforts? The average sedentary American requires only about 1500-1800 calories per day. Big difference!
Riders remaining: 184
Distance: 199.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Grandmont 2.4 km; 5.1%; 4 category
- Col de Brancion 3.5 km; 3.6%; 4 category
Today was the hottest yet in the Tour de France with air temperatures approaching 30º C (that’s ~86º F). That means the road temperatures were hot enough to soften the asphalt. Those kinds of road conditions, plus strong headwinds, kept the average speed down around ~22 mph most of the day. Hopefully, the slower speed and the almost pan-flat profile gave the injured Andreas Kloden and Alexander Vinokourov an opportunity to recover from their wounds. We shall see when the mountains come in to view on Stage 7.
The flat profile certainly meant a perfect day for the sprinters. With a rather slow start to the final lineup, seemingly because no one team would commit to control of the peloton, the “speed demons” eventually got their act together for a run to the finish. In the end, it was Tom Boonen of Team QuickStep who won the day. Sadly, the lone escapee of the day, Bradley Wiggins of Team Cofidis, didn’t prevail, having been bested by the peloton in the last few kilometers after being away for 180 km. Too bad. I like to see those brave, solitary attacks succeed. Maybe one will be in offing on the road between the Alps and the Pyrenees. Once again, we shall see.
Another crash in the feed zone resulted in the withdrawal of Enrico Degano of Team Barloworld. During his racing career, Lance Armstrong used to talk about how dangerous the entrance to and exit from the feeding stations could be, and the level of attention that was required during that part of the day. Unfortunately, some of the younger competitors (like Degano, who was riding in his first Tour de France) are learning that lesson the hard way.
Team Discovery Channel status
Additional update from Stage 5: Benjamin Noval was involved in a crash with the Team Bouygues Telecom support car yesterday. A post-race visit to the hospital resulted in thirty stitches to his bicep and chin. He also bruised his hip. Apparently, he either hit, or went through, the rear window of the automobile, breaking glass in the process. Cause of the accident: sudden braking by the French driver. No worries yet, the team plans to assess Noval’s fitness level on a daily basis while he continues to race.
George Hincapie fell back to sixth place today due to the high-level finish of Oscar Freire from Team Rabobank. Vladimir Gusev remains directly behind Hincapie in seventh place. Gusev holds the white “youth” jersey as well, a prize he has kept on his shoulders since Stage 1. Levi Leipheimer remains in 22nd place, a repeat of yesterday.
Race Withdrawals Stage 6
- Geoffroy Lequatre (France)
- Enrico Degano (Italy)
Race Trivia
- Did you know that each rider in the Tour de France needs to ingest ~6000-7000 calories per day to fuel their racing efforts? The average sedentary American requires only about 1500-1800 calories per day. Big difference!
The "Old Man" in the Lead
I cannot believe I overlooked this important piece of information from Stage 5 of the Tour de France. With all the confusion of the crashes, I forgot to mention that the “old man” amongst the sprinters, Erik Zabel of Team Milram, moved into the lead for the green jersey. Known officially as the points classification competition, this shirt is worn by the rider who possesses the most sprint points of any rider in the race. For a full-blown article about this particular Tour de France contest, click here. Otherwise, read this summary from Wikipedia:
The maillot vert (green jersey) is awarded for sprint points. At the end of each stage, points are earned by the riders who finish first, second, etc. The number of points for each place and the number of riders rewarded varies depending on the stage – flat stages give 35 points down to 1 point for 25th; medium mountain stages give 25 points down to 1 for 20th; high mountain stages give 20 points down to 1 for the 15th. This is because, generally speaking, the more mountainous a stage is, the less likely is a sprint finish between many riders. Points are also awarded for individual time trials: 15 for the winner down to 1 for 10th. Additional points are avialable for sprints along the route, often two or three times a day, with the idea of pepping up the race.In addition to being the current holder of the green jersey, Erik Zabel is the record holder for the points competition, having won six previous sprint titles in the Tour de France: 1996-2001. Well done!
Scottish Oat Scones
With a break in the warm temperatures of the past few days, I decided to heat up my kitchen this morning by baking one of our favorite breakfast foods: scones. I found this recipe more than ten years ago in a book titled The Joy of Snacks by Nancy Cooper, R.D. I modify it regularly, depending on my mood. This morning, with accompanying fresh blueberries, I opted for the addition of cinnamon and walnuts. Here is the original recipe:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Add oats, margarine, milk, and egg. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in raisins. Shape dough to form ball; pat out on lightly floured surface to form 8-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges (scones); bake on oiled baking sheet at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.
Yield: 12
Serving size: 1
Nutritional Information per serving:
- Calories 207
- Carbohydrates 28 g
- Protein 4 g
- Fat 9 g
- Sodium 275 mg
Exchanges: 2 starch/bread, 2 fat
Being concerned about whole foods ingredients and sodium, I habitually use this altered version of the recipe. Occasionally, I will substitute canola oil for the butter.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Hain® Featherweight sodium-free baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup Silk® organic soy milk (vanilla or unflavored)
1 egg
My husband asked for these the morning after his surgery for medullary thyroid cancer. He also used to include a few in his pack while cycling. If you decide to use them as "bike food," just cut the wedges a bit thinner and lower the oven temperature a trifle.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Add oats, margarine, milk, and egg. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in raisins. Shape dough to form ball; pat out on lightly floured surface to form 8-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges (scones); bake on oiled baking sheet at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.
Yield: 12
Serving size: 1
Nutritional Information per serving:
- Calories 207
- Carbohydrates 28 g
- Protein 4 g
- Fat 9 g
- Sodium 275 mg
Exchanges: 2 starch/bread, 2 fat
Being concerned about whole foods ingredients and sodium, I habitually use this altered version of the recipe. Occasionally, I will substitute canola oil for the butter.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Hain® Featherweight sodium-free baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup Silk® organic soy milk (vanilla or unflavored)
1 egg
My husband asked for these the morning after his surgery for medullary thyroid cancer. He also used to include a few in his pack while cycling. If you decide to use them as "bike food," just cut the wedges a bit thinner and lower the oven temperature a trifle.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Tour de France Stage 5
Route: Chablis - Autun
Riders remaining: 184
Distance: 182.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte des Grande-Châtelaines 1.5 km; 6.7%; 4 category
- Côte de Domecy-sur-Cure 1.3 km; 6.2%; 4 category
- Côte de Champignolles-le-Bas 2.0 km; 6.5%; 3 category
- Côte de Coulon 1.0 km; 6.2%; 4 category
- Côte de Saint-Maurice 3.0 km; 5.2%; 3 category
- Côte de Château-Chinon 2.5 km; 3.8%; 4 category
- Haut-Folin 12.9 km; 3.7%; 2 category
- Côte de la Croix de la Libération 3.4 km; 5.4%; 3 category
It was a fast-paced, exciting, and sad time on the roads of France today. The average speed of the peloton hovered around 40-50 mph on some of the flatter portions of the undulating course; the eight climbs of the day worked to break up and reunite the group again and again, while the hairpin descents challenged some riders, like Yaroslav Popovych of Team Discovery Channel and race leader Fabian Cancellara of Team CSC, to push their skills in an effort to gain time on their closest rivals; other competitors had difficulties the likes of which no one desired to experience, namely crashes.
After three or four hours of racing, Andreas Kloden of Team Astana landed in the grass on the left shoulder of the road, the result of a collision with a few other riders. Race video wasn’t clear on how the crash occurred, just how long it took the competitor to remount his bike (quite a while). A post-race report from Phil Ligget, the “Voice of Cycling,” who commentates for the Versus channel, had this to say about the rider’s condition:
The final nasty crash of the day involved Kloden’s team leader, Alexander Vinokourov. He hit the deck hard ~20km from the finish line. Again, race video did not catch the crash itself, only the aftermath. Mr. Vinokourov had torn bike shorts on his upper right thigh/hip area, along with a large bruise and some scrapes in the same location. His elbow was also bleeding. Like Kloden, he finished the race; unlike Kloden, he fought to reunite with the peloton until the very end. Sadly, Vinokourov never made it, losing one minute, twenty seconds to the leader, time that will be need to be regained if he wishes to remain in contention for the yellow jersey.
After the race, both Vinokourov and Kloden visited the hospital for x-rays and a check-up to see if they had any broken bones. If serious injuries are confirmed, these riders may be headed home to watch their rivals on television. How sad.
Team Discovery Channel status
In stark contrast to Team Astana, the “Disco Boys,” as I have heard them called of late, had a great day. Yaroslav Popovych surprised everyone with a speedy (and somewhat nerve-wracking) descent off one of the last climbs. He actually left the roadway at one point, riding into the grassy shoulder after misjudging a hairpin turn. No worries, though, he remained upright and on his bike, quickly returning to the peloton.
George Hincapie came in sixth on the stage, which put him back into fifth place in the overall classification. A great ride for Vladimir Gusev kept him in the white “youth” jersey as well, and moved him up into sixth place overall, directly behind George. Levi Leipheimer, the team leader, remains in 22nd place overall, biding his time until the big mountains hit in a few days time. No doubt about it, the second week of racing should prove to be just as exciting as the first.
Race Withdrawals To Date
- Brett Lancaster (Australia)
- Remy Di Gregorio (France)
- Xabier Zandio (Spain)
- Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania)
- Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spain)
Riders remaining: 184
Distance: 182.5 km
Climbs:
- Côte des Grande-Châtelaines 1.5 km; 6.7%; 4 category
- Côte de Domecy-sur-Cure 1.3 km; 6.2%; 4 category
- Côte de Champignolles-le-Bas 2.0 km; 6.5%; 3 category
- Côte de Coulon 1.0 km; 6.2%; 4 category
- Côte de Saint-Maurice 3.0 km; 5.2%; 3 category
- Côte de Château-Chinon 2.5 km; 3.8%; 4 category
- Haut-Folin 12.9 km; 3.7%; 2 category
- Côte de la Croix de la Libération 3.4 km; 5.4%; 3 category
It was a fast-paced, exciting, and sad time on the roads of France today. The average speed of the peloton hovered around 40-50 mph on some of the flatter portions of the undulating course; the eight climbs of the day worked to break up and reunite the group again and again, while the hairpin descents challenged some riders, like Yaroslav Popovych of Team Discovery Channel and race leader Fabian Cancellara of Team CSC, to push their skills in an effort to gain time on their closest rivals; other competitors had difficulties the likes of which no one desired to experience, namely crashes.
After three or four hours of racing, Andreas Kloden of Team Astana landed in the grass on the left shoulder of the road, the result of a collision with a few other riders. Race video wasn’t clear on how the crash occurred, just how long it took the competitor to remount his bike (quite a while). A post-race report from Phil Ligget, the “Voice of Cycling,” who commentates for the Versus channel, had this to say about the rider’s condition:
…it is feared that Kloden has broken his coccyx (small bone at the base of the spine) in his crash…Not long after the race medical staff completed their examination and treatment of Mr. Kloden, Geoffroy Lequatre of Team Cofidis went down in the feed zone, that area for the race where riders pick up their “feed bags,” small cloth bags filled with high-energy foods prepared by their team staff members (hey, any man who rides a bike for six hours/day needs a snack once in awhile!). Like Andreas Kloden, it took some time for Mr. Lequatre to rejoin the peloton.
The final nasty crash of the day involved Kloden’s team leader, Alexander Vinokourov. He hit the deck hard ~20km from the finish line. Again, race video did not catch the crash itself, only the aftermath. Mr. Vinokourov had torn bike shorts on his upper right thigh/hip area, along with a large bruise and some scrapes in the same location. His elbow was also bleeding. Like Kloden, he finished the race; unlike Kloden, he fought to reunite with the peloton until the very end. Sadly, Vinokourov never made it, losing one minute, twenty seconds to the leader, time that will be need to be regained if he wishes to remain in contention for the yellow jersey.
After the race, both Vinokourov and Kloden visited the hospital for x-rays and a check-up to see if they had any broken bones. If serious injuries are confirmed, these riders may be headed home to watch their rivals on television. How sad.
Team Discovery Channel status
In stark contrast to Team Astana, the “Disco Boys,” as I have heard them called of late, had a great day. Yaroslav Popovych surprised everyone with a speedy (and somewhat nerve-wracking) descent off one of the last climbs. He actually left the roadway at one point, riding into the grassy shoulder after misjudging a hairpin turn. No worries, though, he remained upright and on his bike, quickly returning to the peloton.
George Hincapie came in sixth on the stage, which put him back into fifth place in the overall classification. A great ride for Vladimir Gusev kept him in the white “youth” jersey as well, and moved him up into sixth place overall, directly behind George. Levi Leipheimer, the team leader, remains in 22nd place overall, biding his time until the big mountains hit in a few days time. No doubt about it, the second week of racing should prove to be just as exciting as the first.
Race Withdrawals To Date
- Brett Lancaster (Australia)
- Remy Di Gregorio (France)
- Xabier Zandio (Spain)
- Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania)
- Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spain)
I Wondered Where He Was
One of the up and coming stars of professional cycling, in my opinion, hails from a town not far from me in southern Connecticut. The town is East Lyme and the rider is Tom Danielson. My husband and I have been following the career of this gentleman for a few years now and were excited to see his excellent results in the Vuelta a Espana last fall. Unfortunately, Mr. Danielson dropped out of several competitions this season, owing to what was reported as “intestinal difficulties.” He missed the Tour of California completely and exited the Dauphiné Libéré before the climbing stages began. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. A lot of riders experience that sort of thing at some point in their career. I sighed with disappointment and looked forward to seeing the Team Discovery Channel favorite in the Tour de France come July.
Well, July is here, the Tour de France is underway, and Tom Danielson is not on the team. “What happened?” I wondered. This morning, my local newspaper, The Day, supplied the answer to my question. Apparently, Mr. Danielson has been fighting a parasitic infection that he picked up while traveling in Malaysia or China a few years ago. He is on the road to recovery, though, according to the article:
Well, July is here, the Tour de France is underway, and Tom Danielson is not on the team. “What happened?” I wondered. This morning, my local newspaper, The Day, supplied the answer to my question. Apparently, Mr. Danielson has been fighting a parasitic infection that he picked up while traveling in Malaysia or China a few years ago. He is on the road to recovery, though, according to the article:
“Everything is finally going well,” Danielson said. “I’ve been able to get back on my bike. I was really sick for a month and unable to ride at all. I was so sick I couldn’t even pedal my bike. I got some treatment when I got here [from Spain] and got well within four or five days.”Mr. Danielson will continue to rest until early August when he will compete in the Tour of Germany, followed by a trip to the Vuelta a Espana in September. In the meantime, he has another responsibility: taking care of his mountain-bike racer wife, Kristin, while she recovers from a broken leg. May they both be in good health soon.
He’s far from normal, though. The medication, which Danielson compares to Draino, damaged his stomach and intestinal linings. With proper diet, he’s making progress. More tests will be needed to make sure the parasite is gone.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Thanks for NOT Helping!
Today for lunch, my family and I went to the Subway sandwich shop about a mile from our house. When we exited our car to walk across the parking lot toward the restaurant, I noticed a woman sitting in a red Jeep in the aisle next to us. The hood of her car was raised and jumper cables were draped over the front bumper. I asked my husband if we should inquire as to any need for assistance. He answered, “Sure.”
While I walked to the Jeep, I became aware that at least four strong, able-bodied men (all younger than my husband) had walked directly past the disabled automobile and into Subway to order their lunch, without so much as a glance toward this needy woman. When I spoke to her, she informed me that she had been waiting for assistance long enough that she finally phoned her husband to ask him for help, even though it meant he would need to leave work. Apparently, she lacked AAA road service. My husband came to the rescue and, using her jumper cables, started the car.
After the Jeep owner was on her way, I commented to my daughter about the assistance that was not offered by all those men who walked past that disabled car. Katherine the Great answered along these lines, “Maybe they were in a hurry on their lunch hour.” To which I responded, “Your dad was on his lunch hour and he found time to help, and it took all of about five minutes.” Call me old-fashioned, but I find it inexcusable and rude that so many people (especially men) ignored that woman. It is certainly indicative of the abject narcissism that seems to have invaded almost every corner of American culture. And if it isn’t narcissism, then I can only conclude it is the offerings we all make at the altar of busyness. Maybe those other people were pressed for time, but does that release them from the obligation of assisting their fellowman (or woman)? Even more disturbing: some of the automobiles near that Jeep had “Christian fish” on their chassis.
Recommendation: next time you see someone in need, sacrifice five minutes of your day and lend a helping hand.
While I walked to the Jeep, I became aware that at least four strong, able-bodied men (all younger than my husband) had walked directly past the disabled automobile and into Subway to order their lunch, without so much as a glance toward this needy woman. When I spoke to her, she informed me that she had been waiting for assistance long enough that she finally phoned her husband to ask him for help, even though it meant he would need to leave work. Apparently, she lacked AAA road service. My husband came to the rescue and, using her jumper cables, started the car.
After the Jeep owner was on her way, I commented to my daughter about the assistance that was not offered by all those men who walked past that disabled car. Katherine the Great answered along these lines, “Maybe they were in a hurry on their lunch hour.” To which I responded, “Your dad was on his lunch hour and he found time to help, and it took all of about five minutes.” Call me old-fashioned, but I find it inexcusable and rude that so many people (especially men) ignored that woman. It is certainly indicative of the abject narcissism that seems to have invaded almost every corner of American culture. And if it isn’t narcissism, then I can only conclude it is the offerings we all make at the altar of busyness. Maybe those other people were pressed for time, but does that release them from the obligation of assisting their fellowman (or woman)? Even more disturbing: some of the automobiles near that Jeep had “Christian fish” on their chassis.
Recommendation: next time you see someone in need, sacrifice five minutes of your day and lend a helping hand.
Harry Potter Sneak Peek
SPOILER ALERT: Even though the title of this post contains the words "sneak peek," which I feel is sufficient warning to visitors who have neither read nor seen Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I have been encouraged by some of my friends to add this more obvious notice that plot information is contained within. If you do not want to know anything about the film (or the book), DO NOT CONTINUE READING. Thank you.
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One of the benefits of being the wife of a retired military man is that I get to see films at the base theater for cheaper than the movie theaters in town. Occasionally, I am treated to an even better benefit --- a free movie. A few times a year, that free movie is a sneak peek showing of an upcoming film. Last night was such a time and the movie was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. All I had to do was stand in line for about twenty minutes yesterday afternoon in the 90º heat to get a "ticket," which was really an entrance survey card. Let me tell you, it was worth it.
My daughter and I have been reading the Harry Potter books since 1998 when Katherine the Great was only 8 years old. Wow, time has certainly flown! My daughter is now seventeen and we are anxiously awaiting delivery of the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, due to arrive next Saturday by UPS. I can hardly believe the end is so near. I just hope J.K. Rowling doesn’t kill one of my favorite characters, but I digress…
The film looked much like the last two in the Potter series: darker lighting, a gloomier Hogwarts school, and the demise/threatened demise of a major character. The addition of Imelda Staunton as Professor Umbridge only added to the darker nature of the presentation, what with her underhanded, (albeit) temporary, takeover of the school itself and her disturbing methods of discipline for the students. The Department of Mysteries appeared quite sinister as well, especially the room where the children ended up after fighting some Death Eaters for possession of a prophecy ball. The Noble House of Black, home of Harry’s Uncle Sirius, contributed to the “creepy factor,” too, with its dreary walls and shadowy hallways.
An amusing juxtaposition to this menacing atmosphere was the superficial treatment of Professor Umbridge. Rather than dressing her in long, flowing black robes (like Professors Snape and McGonagal), she arrives on the scene in some of the most hideously pink Chanel-type suits and pillbox hats than I have seen in awhile. Add to that her sickeningly sweet, high-pitched voice and squeaky laugh, and you have a recipe for a character that you truly cannot trust, let alone like. She is the epitome of meanness and deceit, cloaked in a sugary glaze (to everyone but Harry, that is).
As for whether the film followed the book: not perfectly, but close enough for my tastes. I began rereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix a few days ago so I could do a full-blown comparison of the movie and the text. Great plan, poor execution. Having stopped around chapter five in my rereading effort, I can say that the beginning of the film did not deviate substantially from the book; whether the rest of the film was accurate, I couldn’t say. It was enjoyable and I would highly recommend it to any Potter fan.
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One of the benefits of being the wife of a retired military man is that I get to see films at the base theater for cheaper than the movie theaters in town. Occasionally, I am treated to an even better benefit --- a free movie. A few times a year, that free movie is a sneak peek showing of an upcoming film. Last night was such a time and the movie was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. All I had to do was stand in line for about twenty minutes yesterday afternoon in the 90º heat to get a "ticket," which was really an entrance survey card. Let me tell you, it was worth it.
My daughter and I have been reading the Harry Potter books since 1998 when Katherine the Great was only 8 years old. Wow, time has certainly flown! My daughter is now seventeen and we are anxiously awaiting delivery of the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, due to arrive next Saturday by UPS. I can hardly believe the end is so near. I just hope J.K. Rowling doesn’t kill one of my favorite characters, but I digress…
The film looked much like the last two in the Potter series: darker lighting, a gloomier Hogwarts school, and the demise/threatened demise of a major character. The addition of Imelda Staunton as Professor Umbridge only added to the darker nature of the presentation, what with her underhanded, (albeit) temporary, takeover of the school itself and her disturbing methods of discipline for the students. The Department of Mysteries appeared quite sinister as well, especially the room where the children ended up after fighting some Death Eaters for possession of a prophecy ball. The Noble House of Black, home of Harry’s Uncle Sirius, contributed to the “creepy factor,” too, with its dreary walls and shadowy hallways.
An amusing juxtaposition to this menacing atmosphere was the superficial treatment of Professor Umbridge. Rather than dressing her in long, flowing black robes (like Professors Snape and McGonagal), she arrives on the scene in some of the most hideously pink Chanel-type suits and pillbox hats than I have seen in awhile. Add to that her sickeningly sweet, high-pitched voice and squeaky laugh, and you have a recipe for a character that you truly cannot trust, let alone like. She is the epitome of meanness and deceit, cloaked in a sugary glaze (to everyone but Harry, that is).
As for whether the film followed the book: not perfectly, but close enough for my tastes. I began rereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix a few days ago so I could do a full-blown comparison of the movie and the text. Great plan, poor execution. Having stopped around chapter five in my rereading effort, I can say that the beginning of the film did not deviate substantially from the book; whether the rest of the film was accurate, I couldn’t say. It was enjoyable and I would highly recommend it to any Potter fan.
Tour de France Stage 4
Route: Villers-Cotterêts - Joigny
Riders remaining: 186
Distance: 193 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Veuilly-la-Poterie 1.0 km; 5.2%; 4 category
- Côte de Doucy 1.9; 4.9%; 4 category
- Côte de Galbaux 2.4 km; 3.8%; 4 category
- Côte de Bel-Air 1.3km; 5.4%; 4 category
Day four and all is well on the roads of France, at least for most of the riders. Today’s finish was fast and exciting, but no one hit the deck (praise the Lord!). After a number of crashes over the first few days of the Tour, three competitors have been forced to abandon: Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spain) of Team Agritubel, Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania) of Team Discovery Channel, and Xabier Zandio (Spain) of Team Caisse d’Epargne. Several other notable riders are also nursing injuries, among them Robbie McEwen (Australia) of Team Predictor-Lotto, Fred Rodriguez (USA) of Team CSC, and Francisco Ventoso (Spain) of Team Saunier Duval.
Each day, as I watch the race on live television (if I get that chance), I also keep tabs on the race newsflashes as they come into the official Tour de France website. Over the past several days, some interesting information has been posted:
- The opening day of the race was the 37th birthday of sprinter Erik Zabel.
- The Tour de France began with a prologue for the first time in 1967.
- Vladimir Gusev turned 25 years old three days before the start of racing.
- Thirty-two riders are eligible for the white “youth” jersey.
- Team Saunier-Duval participates in an initiative to donate one tree for every kilometer that a member of their squad spends in an escape during the 2007 Tour de France.
Oh, and I can’t forget the story behind the race abandonment of Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez from Team Agritubel:
Team Discovery Channel status
The guys stayed out of the fray today, probably in an attempt to remain safe and let the sprinters vie for top honors. George Hincapie dropped to fifth place overall due to the spectacular finish by Thor Hushovd (Netherlands) of Team Credit Agricole, which propelled him into second. Vladimir Gusev still owns the white jersey and, to my surprise, lies in 8th place overall. He has actually spent the last several days within the top ten of the General Classification, an impressive feat for a “beginner.” Excellent results, gentlemen; keep it up.
Riders remaining: 186
Distance: 193 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Veuilly-la-Poterie 1.0 km; 5.2%; 4 category
- Côte de Doucy 1.9; 4.9%; 4 category
- Côte de Galbaux 2.4 km; 3.8%; 4 category
- Côte de Bel-Air 1.3km; 5.4%; 4 category
Day four and all is well on the roads of France, at least for most of the riders. Today’s finish was fast and exciting, but no one hit the deck (praise the Lord!). After a number of crashes over the first few days of the Tour, three competitors have been forced to abandon: Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spain) of Team Agritubel, Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania) of Team Discovery Channel, and Xabier Zandio (Spain) of Team Caisse d’Epargne. Several other notable riders are also nursing injuries, among them Robbie McEwen (Australia) of Team Predictor-Lotto, Fred Rodriguez (USA) of Team CSC, and Francisco Ventoso (Spain) of Team Saunier Duval.
Each day, as I watch the race on live television (if I get that chance), I also keep tabs on the race newsflashes as they come into the official Tour de France website. Over the past several days, some interesting information has been posted:
- The opening day of the race was the 37th birthday of sprinter Erik Zabel.
- The Tour de France began with a prologue for the first time in 1967.
- Vladimir Gusev turned 25 years old three days before the start of racing.
- Thirty-two riders are eligible for the white “youth” jersey.
- Team Saunier-Duval participates in an initiative to donate one tree for every kilometer that a member of their squad spends in an escape during the 2007 Tour de France.
Oh, and I can’t forget the story behind the race abandonment of Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez from Team Agritubel:
The Spaniard who made his Tour debut last year…suffered a shocking fate in the opening road stage; while returning to the peloton after collecting drinks for his team-mates, a car in front of him slammed on its brakes and the 23-year-old had no where to go…he smashed the rear window of the Caisse d’Epargne team car and only just avoided being struck by the car that was following. “It’s a terrible thing to lose a good rider like him on the first day, but when I see the shock I realize that it could have been a lot worse. The car that was behind him missed hitting him by just 20 cm.And people think cycling is dull. Hmm.
Team Discovery Channel status
The guys stayed out of the fray today, probably in an attempt to remain safe and let the sprinters vie for top honors. George Hincapie dropped to fifth place overall due to the spectacular finish by Thor Hushovd (Netherlands) of Team Credit Agricole, which propelled him into second. Vladimir Gusev still owns the white jersey and, to my surprise, lies in 8th place overall. He has actually spent the last several days within the top ten of the General Classification, an impressive feat for a “beginner.” Excellent results, gentlemen; keep it up.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tour de France Stage 3
Route: Waregem - Compiègne
Riders remaining: 187
Distance: 236.5 km
Climbs:
- Cote de Blérancourt 1 km; 4.6%; 4 Category
With a high percentage of stiff riders, sore from the crash on Stage 2, the race continued today on the roads of Belgium and France. A relatively flat profile of 236.5 kilometers with overcast weather, it was a day for either the sprinters or a breakaway. The latter prevailed, but at the slowest speed in almost ten years (according to the official Tour de France newsflashes), the day ran quite late. Four escapees, Stéphane Auge, Frederik Willems, Nicolas Vogondy, and Matthieu Ladagnous, managed to stay ahead of the peloton for over 140 miles; yet, in the end, they were caught in the closing meters, passed by none other than the man in the yellow jersey, Fabian Cancellara. Praise the Lord, no one crashed in the finish. With cobblestone roads in the final two kilometers, combined with the speed of racing, the situation was (as usual) somewhat dicey.
Speaking of dicey, study of the big crash on Stage 2 by race officials showed that Erik Zabel, an extremely experienced rider from Team Milram, touched the wheel of sprinter Tom Boonen of Team QuickStep. In compensating for that mistake, Zabel collided with Manuel Quinziato of Team Liquigas. The rest was just a domino effect. Even so, the strong men of the Tour de France are back for more. Listen to this comment by a rider from Team Saunier Duval, found on the Tour de France website:
Team Discovery Channel status
George Hincapie came in 16th on the stage today and remains in fourth place overall. Levi Leipheimer was 126th. The white jersey, denoting the best young rider in the race, still lies on the back of Vladimir Gusev, where it has been since Day 1. Way to go gentlemen!
Riders remaining: 187
Distance: 236.5 km
Climbs:
- Cote de Blérancourt 1 km; 4.6%; 4 Category
With a high percentage of stiff riders, sore from the crash on Stage 2, the race continued today on the roads of Belgium and France. A relatively flat profile of 236.5 kilometers with overcast weather, it was a day for either the sprinters or a breakaway. The latter prevailed, but at the slowest speed in almost ten years (according to the official Tour de France newsflashes), the day ran quite late. Four escapees, Stéphane Auge, Frederik Willems, Nicolas Vogondy, and Matthieu Ladagnous, managed to stay ahead of the peloton for over 140 miles; yet, in the end, they were caught in the closing meters, passed by none other than the man in the yellow jersey, Fabian Cancellara. Praise the Lord, no one crashed in the finish. With cobblestone roads in the final two kilometers, combined with the speed of racing, the situation was (as usual) somewhat dicey.
Speaking of dicey, study of the big crash on Stage 2 by race officials showed that Erik Zabel, an extremely experienced rider from Team Milram, touched the wheel of sprinter Tom Boonen of Team QuickStep. In compensating for that mistake, Zabel collided with Manuel Quinziato of Team Liquigas. The rest was just a domino effect. Even so, the strong men of the Tour de France are back for more. Listen to this comment by a rider from Team Saunier Duval, found on the Tour de France website:
“I just couldn’t avoid the crash,” said one of the riders caught up on the crash of stage two, Francisco Ventoso of the Saunier Duval team. “I tried to brake, but there was nowhere to go…even if I’d managed to stay on my bike, I would’ve been caught by those coming behind. “I was feeling good and confident, well=placed, but this is what you expect of this kind of finish. I fell on my bike, and I think most of my injuries came from hitting it. I’ve injured my knee and my elbow, and my hand hurts badly. But I’m really worried about my hip. I hope it’s nothing serious, but I can tell I’m having a hard time walking.”Of course, this same gentleman boarded his bike this morning to ride 200+ kilometers at an average speed of 20-30 mph. When I have trouble walking, I usually visit the doctor rather than heading out on a torturous bike ride.
Team Discovery Channel status
George Hincapie came in 16th on the stage today and remains in fourth place overall. Levi Leipheimer was 126th. The white jersey, denoting the best young rider in the race, still lies on the back of Vladimir Gusev, where it has been since Day 1. Way to go gentlemen!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Tour de France Stage 2
Route: Dunkerque - Gand
Riders remaining: 188
Distance: 168.5 km
Climbs: None
The first week of the Tour de France is always a tense time. The riders are nervous; the excitement of the starting days is at a fever pitch; and it seems that everyone is waiting for that first big crash. Well, today they got it. Within three kilometers of the finish line, at ~38 mph, a Team Milram competitor swerved, causing a Team Liquigas rider to go down on the right side of the road. With nowhere to go and no time to stop, the approaching riders crashed into the Liquigas competitor, causing a pile up. In a rushed attempt to avoid the crash, other riders headed to the left side of the road. There, another rider went down, causing a second pile up that eventually blocked the entire street. It looked horrendous from the aerial cameras, much like the Stage 1 crash in 2003 that resulted in a fractured pelvis, damaged leg muscles, and dashed Tour hopes for the current Team Discovery Channel leader Levi Leipheimer. For video of today’s incident, check out this link on the Versus channel. Once there, click on "Daily Video" first and then "Huge Fall."
Team Discovery Channel status
Despite being involved in the big crash, George Hincapie remains in fourth place overall. Velonews had this to say about his wounds:
Riders remaining: 188
Distance: 168.5 km
Climbs: None
The first week of the Tour de France is always a tense time. The riders are nervous; the excitement of the starting days is at a fever pitch; and it seems that everyone is waiting for that first big crash. Well, today they got it. Within three kilometers of the finish line, at ~38 mph, a Team Milram competitor swerved, causing a Team Liquigas rider to go down on the right side of the road. With nowhere to go and no time to stop, the approaching riders crashed into the Liquigas competitor, causing a pile up. In a rushed attempt to avoid the crash, other riders headed to the left side of the road. There, another rider went down, causing a second pile up that eventually blocked the entire street. It looked horrendous from the aerial cameras, much like the Stage 1 crash in 2003 that resulted in a fractured pelvis, damaged leg muscles, and dashed Tour hopes for the current Team Discovery Channel leader Levi Leipheimer. For video of today’s incident, check out this link on the Versus channel. Once there, click on "Daily Video" first and then "Huge Fall."
Team Discovery Channel status
Despite being involved in the big crash, George Hincapie remains in fourth place overall. Velonews had this to say about his wounds:
Hincapie rolled through with a gash to his right knee, visibly shaken. “I couldn’t move my knee at first, but when I pedaled to the finish I think it got better,” he said. “It felt a lot worse when I first hit. There wasn’t anything I could do anyway.”Tomas Vaitkus, suffering more severe injuries, is out of the competition. Also from Velonews
Hincapie’s injuries were described as “minor,” including a slight contusion and scrapes. He will be back in the peloton on Tuesday…
According to Discovery spokesman P.J. Rabice, Vaitkus was diagnosed with “five unstable fractures of the right thumb, which will require surgery, including a plate. Vaitkus is expected to have surgery this evening and will not start (Tuesday’s) third stage.”So the team is down to eight members now. It could be worse. George Hincapie or Levi Leipheimer could have been seriously injured. Hopefully, tomorrow will be calm and uneventful.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Tour de France Stage 1
Route: London - Canterbury
Riders remaining: 188
Distance: 203 km
Climbs:
- Cote de Southborough 2.3 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Cote de Goudhurst 1.6 km; 5.3%; 4 category
- Cote de Farthing Common 1.1 km; 6.1%; 4 category
Well, the real action began today on the road from London to Canterbury. Yes, that’s right, the Tour de France was raced in England today. Not exactly what those unfamiliar with the race would expect but, nonetheless, the competition hit the roads of the United Kingdom, and not without unexpected results. The winner: Australian Robbie McEwen, a cheeky little sprinter from Brisbane.
McEwen’s triumph was truly remarkable. Having crashed within twenty-five kilometers (15 miles) of the finish line, he rejoined the peleton, made his way through over 150 riders to reach the front of the group, and sprinted ahead to win the day. He was virtually invisible to viewers and commentators alike until the last few meters. It was the 12th Tour de France stage victory of McEwen’s career.
For me, watching the finishing sprint of each stage of the Tour de France is the most nerve-wracking part of each daily race. With two dozen riders (or more) in extremely close formation riding as fast as they can to win, it is truly a miracle that more crashes don’t occur in those final meters. I thought for sure today would be a crash day. Thankfully, it wasn’t.
Team Discovery Channel status
Five of the nine riders are in the top 30. George Hincapie is currently fourth overall. Vladimir Gusev is wearing the white jersey for "best young rider." Not bad for Day 2. Keep up the great work, guys!
Riders remaining: 188
Distance: 203 km
Climbs:
- Cote de Southborough 2.3 km; 4.1%; 4 category
- Cote de Goudhurst 1.6 km; 5.3%; 4 category
- Cote de Farthing Common 1.1 km; 6.1%; 4 category
Well, the real action began today on the road from London to Canterbury. Yes, that’s right, the Tour de France was raced in England today. Not exactly what those unfamiliar with the race would expect but, nonetheless, the competition hit the roads of the United Kingdom, and not without unexpected results. The winner: Australian Robbie McEwen, a cheeky little sprinter from Brisbane.
McEwen’s triumph was truly remarkable. Having crashed within twenty-five kilometers (15 miles) of the finish line, he rejoined the peleton, made his way through over 150 riders to reach the front of the group, and sprinted ahead to win the day. He was virtually invisible to viewers and commentators alike until the last few meters. It was the 12th Tour de France stage victory of McEwen’s career.
For me, watching the finishing sprint of each stage of the Tour de France is the most nerve-wracking part of each daily race. With two dozen riders (or more) in extremely close formation riding as fast as they can to win, it is truly a miracle that more crashes don’t occur in those final meters. I thought for sure today would be a crash day. Thankfully, it wasn’t.
Team Discovery Channel status
Five of the nine riders are in the top 30. George Hincapie is currently fourth overall. Vladimir Gusev is wearing the white jersey for "best young rider." Not bad for Day 2. Keep up the great work, guys!
Tour de France Rider Commitment
Last year, on opening day of the 2006 Tour de France, it became known that several of the “big name” cyclists competing in the race were suspected in a large-scale doping scheme involving two Spanish physicians. As a result of what has come to be known as the “Puerto affair,” many of those cyclists were suspended from competition or have retired from the sport. Litigation and investigation into the matter continue, and in an effort to make certain that the 2007 Tour de France is not affected by any fallout from the scandal, Tour organizers asked each competitor to sign this “Riders Commitment.” No signature, no participation.
*UCI is an acronym for the Union Cicliste Internationale, or International Cycling Union. As their name implies, they serve as a regulatory body for international cycling competition.
Excerpt/quote from Riders Commitment obtained from the Versus channel website.
I do solemnly declare, to my team, my colleagues, the UCI*, the cycling movement and the public that I am not involved in the Puerto affair nor in any other doping case and that I will not commit any infringement to the UCI anti-doping rules. As proof of my commitment, I accept, if it should happen that I violate the rules and am granted a standard sanction of a two-year suspension or more, in the Puerto affair or in any other anti-doping proceedings, to pay the UCI, in addition to the standard sanctions, an amount equal to my annual salary for 2007 as a contribution to the fight against doping.I find it interesting (and admirable) that a sport accused of being so dirty because of its past history of drug use and abuse now has such a stiff penalty for even the slightest infraction. Would an NFL, NBA, or MLB player be willing to pledge his entire annual salary as a penalty if he was caught (and, mind you, not necessarily convicted) for using drugs in competition? I doubt it. Kudos to the cycling community for a step in the right direction.
At the same time, I declare to the Spanish law, that my DNA is at its disposal, so that it can be compared with the blood samples seized in the Puerto affair. I appeal to the Spanish law to organize this test as soon as possible or allow the UCI to organize it.
Finally, I accept the UCI’s wish to make my statement public.
*UCI is an acronym for the Union Cicliste Internationale, or International Cycling Union. As their name implies, they serve as a regulatory body for international cycling competition.
Excerpt/quote from Riders Commitment obtained from the Versus channel website.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Tour de France Prologue
Route: London - London
Riders remaining: 189
Distance: 7.9 km
Climbs: None
July is here…and so is the premier summer pastime in my home: watching the Tour de France. The first day (at least for as long as I have been watching the bike race) is an individual time trial, where each rider tests himself against the clock. The winner this year: Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland riding for Team CSC. He completed 7.9 kilometers (~5 miles) in just 8 minutes and 50 seconds. Very impressive.
Yet for all the fanfare of opening day, the 2007 Tour is actually being ridden without a 2006 winner in its ranks. Why? Because the 2006 Tour de France podium result has yet to be finalized, due to a doping scandal involving the winner: Floyd Landis. I won’t get into the particulars of this controversy; that could most certainly fill pages and pages of blog entries. Suffice it to say, the jury has yet to return a verdict in the case --- literally. The result was supposed to be announced yesterday (July 6, 2007) but, so far, no word has reached the cycling newswire.
This lack of a decision prompted the Tour de France organizers to begin numbering riders at “11” rather than “1” this year. Usually the team of the defending champion begins the numbering, with the previous winner carrying the numeral “1.” The teammates of the champion then use numerals “2” through “10.” The team of the second place winner from the previous year uses numerals “11” through “20,” and so on, until all 189 riders have been accounted for. With no 2006 winner and, consequently, no winning team, the numerals “1” through “9” are eliminated, and the numbering begins with the second place team.
Confusing, I know. Just remember: if you plan to watch, don’t look for numerals “1” through “9” on the back of any rider. For 2007, those numerals don’t exist. If you are looking for the Team Discovery Channel (USA), watch for numerals “111” through “119.” They represent the following riders:
111 Levi Leipheimer (USA)
112 Alberto Contador (Spain)
113 Vladimir Gusev (Russia)
114 George Hincapie (USA)
115 Egoi Martinez (Spain)
116 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spain)
117 Sergio Paulinho (Portugal)
118 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine)
119 Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania)
For daily coverage of the Tour de France, tune to the Versus channel early each morning. You won’t be sorry that you did.
Riders remaining: 189
Distance: 7.9 km
Climbs: None
July is here…and so is the premier summer pastime in my home: watching the Tour de France. The first day (at least for as long as I have been watching the bike race) is an individual time trial, where each rider tests himself against the clock. The winner this year: Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland riding for Team CSC. He completed 7.9 kilometers (~5 miles) in just 8 minutes and 50 seconds. Very impressive.
Yet for all the fanfare of opening day, the 2007 Tour is actually being ridden without a 2006 winner in its ranks. Why? Because the 2006 Tour de France podium result has yet to be finalized, due to a doping scandal involving the winner: Floyd Landis. I won’t get into the particulars of this controversy; that could most certainly fill pages and pages of blog entries. Suffice it to say, the jury has yet to return a verdict in the case --- literally. The result was supposed to be announced yesterday (July 6, 2007) but, so far, no word has reached the cycling newswire.
This lack of a decision prompted the Tour de France organizers to begin numbering riders at “11” rather than “1” this year. Usually the team of the defending champion begins the numbering, with the previous winner carrying the numeral “1.” The teammates of the champion then use numerals “2” through “10.” The team of the second place winner from the previous year uses numerals “11” through “20,” and so on, until all 189 riders have been accounted for. With no 2006 winner and, consequently, no winning team, the numerals “1” through “9” are eliminated, and the numbering begins with the second place team.
Confusing, I know. Just remember: if you plan to watch, don’t look for numerals “1” through “9” on the back of any rider. For 2007, those numerals don’t exist. If you are looking for the Team Discovery Channel (USA), watch for numerals “111” through “119.” They represent the following riders:
111 Levi Leipheimer (USA)
112 Alberto Contador (Spain)
113 Vladimir Gusev (Russia)
114 George Hincapie (USA)
115 Egoi Martinez (Spain)
116 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spain)
117 Sergio Paulinho (Portugal)
118 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine)
119 Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania)
For daily coverage of the Tour de France, tune to the Versus channel early each morning. You won’t be sorry that you did.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Handbell Festival DAY 4
Ah, the last day of handbell festival has finally arrived. No more 4:00 AM risings; no more lunches in a college cafeteria (despite the numerous upgrades since I was an undergraduate); no more sore feet from traversing a college campus for meals and classes; no more ringing in my ears. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed supporting my daughter’s first handbell conference; I just saw a few areas for improvement (being an organizer myself), but that is the subject for another blog entry.Thankfully, our morning began MUCH later today --- 5:30 AM, 6:30 AM, and 8:00 AM respectively for myself, Katherine the Great, and King Richard. After showers, cat feedings, and some e-mail pickup, the entire family headed to McDonalds for a quick breakfast, quite the mistake for me as my meal did not sit well, but I digress…
10:15 AM. Under orders from her director, my daughter and I purchased two new pairs of handbell gloves, one white and one black from Handbell Services, Inc. Katherine the Great had been using borrowed handwear for rehearsals, one of which had holes in the thumb. Definitely unacceptable for a festival concert; hence, the morning acquisition. At a whopping $5.00, it didn’t break the budget too badly. :-)
10:30 AM. Miss Ringer and I sat through a rehearsal of the mid-level bell choirs, the Coppers. These ringers play music that is usually at Level 3 and below. My daughter’s book partner in Shoreline Ringers suggested she attend a practice so she could see and hear the bells and the director from “the other side of the table,” so to speak. I don’t know how useful it was as an exercise; Katherine the Great spent half the practice observing the ringing floor from the rafters of the arena while her dad took photographs. Oh, well. She worked extremely hard for almost four days. Thirty minutes of “goof off” time wasn’t unreasonable.
11:30 AM. The final Bronze rehearsal. All went extremely well, especially when they added the additional percussion on Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson. These advanced ringers are definitely ready to “strut their stuff,” if that is possible with a handbell. The afternoon concert audience is in for a real treat.
12:30 PM. Lunch…and fast. The Bronze choirs had only sixty minutes to walk to the Hope Commons dining hall, stand in line for their lunches, eat their meals, walk back to the arena, change into their concert dress clothes (polo shirts and khaki pants this time around), and be on the ringing floor for the final massed rehearsal. Thank goodness King Richard brought the car halfway to the cafeteria so that, for the sake of time, we could ride back to the Ryan Center with him. Miss Ringer made it with only a few minutes to spare.
1:30 PM. The final massed rehearsal with Mr. Mathis. In reality, this was more like a dress rehearsal for the entire concert. Mr. Helman, the other director, was there as well to queue his pieces in their concert order. Having heard the various groups work on their respective pieces for the past few days, I must admit they have all improved greatly, most especially the Tins. They exhibit much more confidence while ringing now. Even though they expressed frustration with Mr. Mathis at the outset, he really has helped them and they have (for the most part) exhibited a teachable spirit under his baton.
3:00 PM. Festival Concert. This was, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable sights I have ever seen. To see (and hear) 780 handbell ringers perform simultaneously was nothing short of amazing. If you ever have the opportunity to attend such an event, I highly recommend the experience. Concert program:
Fanfare Celebration by Michael Mazzatenta
Fantasy on St. Anne by William Croft
Danza by J.W. Kerr
Crosswind by Sondra K. Tucker
Psalm 9 by Carl Wiltse
Tuya Es la Gloria by Susan T. Nelson Sylvester
Morning Dance by Cathy Moklebust
Overture to Cantata 142 by J.S. Bach
Girl With the Flaxen Hair by Claude Debussy
Carol of the Bells by Arnold Sherman
Exuberant Joy by Arnold Sherman
Bwana Asifiwe by Cathy Moklebust
Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson
March Triumphale by Michael Helman*
The performance (and the festival) ended with the traditional ringing of the “closing bell.”
4:15 PM. Breakdown and loading of handbells and related equipment. King Richard filmed the Shoreline Ringers in action during this part of the day. It only took the group 15 minutes from the last concert ring to the last bell loaded in the vans. Pretty impressive! They are truly a well-oiled musical machine.
The day ended with a few of us unloading everything at Ledyard Congregational Church back in Connecticut, the current home of Shoreline Ringers. Once that task was finished, it was off to dinner at Friendly’s, a much-welcomed ending to a very rewarding experience. I, for one, cannot wait until the next festival --- in June 2009. Maybe I will see you there.
*This last piece reminded me of music from The Ten Commandments, when the Israelites left Egypt.
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