Tour de France Stage 14

Route: Mazamet – Plateau de Beille
Riders remaining: 165
Distance: 197 km
Climbs:
- Côte de Saint-Sarraille 9.0 km; 5.3%; 2 category
- Port d Pailhères 16.8 km; 7.2%; H category
- Plateau-de-Beille 15.9 km; 7.9%; H category

What gorgeous weather, and what gorgeous scenery, for the first day in the Pyrenees. The early morning temperatures must have been chilly since all the Versus Channel commentators were wearing jackets and talking about the gale force winds at the summit of Plateau-de-Beille. Cycling reporters also mentioned that it wasn’t unusual, even in July, to see snow in the higher altitudes of the Pyrenees. Talk about “upsetting the apple cart.” Snow could certainly do that. A day of great racing could also turn things ‘round the wrong way, and that is exactly what happened on Stage 14.

With three climbs in the profile, two “beyond categorization,” attacks were to be expected…early and often, and that is exactly what transpired. Most of these excursions away from the peloton were reeled in quickly, although one group of escapees managed a lead of eleven minutes at one point. The picture of a lone rider forging ahead was not to be, however. Instead, an elite group of overall leaders eventually materialized, men who marked and paced each other until the last climb.

After a hasty descent off the Port de Pailhères (at speeds approaching 60 mph), the “group maillot jaune” hit the slopes of Plateau-de-Beille. With Michael Rasmussen and the Rabobank boys setting a tough pace, the “weaker” competitors steadily dropped away, men like Iban Mayo, Haimar Zubeldia, Alejandro Valverde, and Oscar Pereiro. Eventually, when the pack of strong men consisted of only the top five riders in the Tour de France, Alberto Contador and Michael Rasmussen began a game of “cat and mouse” that lasted into the final stretch. Alberto Contador won the game…at least today. Showing incredible mental and physical stamina, Mr. Contador demonstrated that he is a considerable threat to Michael Rasmussen, one that the yellow jersey dare not ignore.

Saddest sight of the day: Alexander Vinokourov, after such an impressive time trial ride, came in almost thirty minutes behind Alberto Contador. To his credit, Mr. Vinokourov did not “time out,” a cycling term that means to arrive at the finish line outside of the regulation time limit for completion of any particular stage of a race.

Team Discovery Channel status
Today was the kind of day that Team Discovery Channel had been working for, a day when one of their riders won a stage of the 2007 Tour de France. The gentleman who did it for them: Alberto Contador, the wearer of the white “youth” jersey. Levi Leipheimer, his team captain, was just a short distance behind in fourth place. Their teammate, Yaroslav Popovych, rode home in tenth place. Not bad for the first day in the Pyrenees: three top ten finishers on the stage. Congratulations!

The Versus Channel also had a video camera in the Discovery Channel team car so viewers could see and hear how a talented sports director manages a long and difficult climb. Gem of advice from Johann Bruyneel: ride conservatively, unless something happens that requires a response. Sounds like good counsel to me.

Race Withdrawals Stage 14
- Francisco Ventoso (Spain)

Race Trivia
- David Millar of Team Saunier Duval is suffering from a skin allergy that, even in the hot weather of a few days ago, is less severe if he wears a long-sleeved jersey. Apparently, Mr. Millar is allergic to the sun and cannot use any of the normal treatments that would, most likely, alleviate the condition because the medications are banned under the current doping regulations.
- Juan Mauricio Hernandez Soler began racing bicycles when he was 17 years old. He is now 24 and holds second place in the King of the Mountains competition in the Tour de France. Who says children need to start sports at an early age in order to compete at an elite level?
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The most difficult part of today: watching the race with my husband, Mr. Channel Surfer Extraordinaire. He just doesn’t understand how quickly the network switches between commercials and live coverage, not to mention how Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin give important tidbits of information just before and just after the commercial breaks. Aaarrrggghhh! Where can you hide a clicker where a man won’t find it?!

ELIZA Magazine

Spaghetti straps for preschoolers, ultra miniskirts for toddlers, halter-tops for tweens, that’s what you can find in the children’s section these days. The push to keep kids trendy has girls’ clothing getting skimpier, younger.

Such were the introductory lines of a video report/interview on Fox News today about younger children wearing adult fashions. Being the mother of a conservative young lady who doesn’t want to show off more than is proper and who could improve her clothing style just a bit (as could her mother), I clicked in to hear what Summer Bellessa, the interviewee, had to say. What I discovered was ELIZA Magazine, a new publication that features stylish, modest attire for young women.

According to Ms. Bellessa (and just about every mother I know), the fashion market for young girls currently has two categories: “modest and frumpy” and “hip and skimpy.” Actually, Ms. Bellessa used the word “skanky” to describe the latter grouping, but I think I will stick with “skimpy.” Anyway, the founder of ELIZA Magazine says that she would like to propose a third category for girls’ clothing: “hip and modest.” These would be styles that are current, yet more classic, more wearable, and showing less skin.

So, with the clothing market for girls ages 7-12 running near $179 billion annually, why hasn’t some smart retailer “gone modest” before now? Well, according to Ms. Bellessa, the explanation lies in simple economics: a market for “hip and skimpy” exists. If it didn’t, the “skanky” clothing would not sell. To quote Ms. Bellessa:

Consumers need to put their money where their mouth is. Only shop at places that offer tween clothes that are appropriate.

That used to be easier a few years ago than it is today. If I couldn’t find something for Katherine the Great at the local mall, I would turn to those tried and true catalog companies like L.L. Bean and Land’s End. No such safety net these days. Even they have jumped on the “trendy” bandwagon, doing things like re-cutting their jeans so that a person who is 5’4” in height must now purchase TALL pants in order for the rise to actually come anywhere near their waist, but I digress…

What is the solution? How do we help Ms. Bellessa in her effort to create a market for “hip and modest” clothing? She had two suggestions, both for older women:

1) set a better example by dressing more appropriately
2) encourage young adult women to dress more appropriately.

As much as I agree with these suggestions (which really boil down to one, that of being an effective role model), I think another idea should also be brought to the table: rethink the idea that if an individual isn’t allowed to dress any way they want, anytime, anywhere, it is an infringement on their freedom of expression; no, it is actually called good manners and deportment. I think American society could use a little more of that these days, don’t you?

Tour de France Stage 13

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.

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!

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)

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:

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.

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.”

Or how about this one, also from an article in VeloNews:

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.

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…”

Or maybe this information, quoting extensively from a TDF Blog article:

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.

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.

Obviously, the concept of innocent until proven guilty is lost on these WADA folks.

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.

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)

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.

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:

“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 France

Well, 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.

Tour de France Stage 8

Don’t forget, Monday, July 16, 2007, was a rest day for the Tour de France.
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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.

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.

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:

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)

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?
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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.

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.
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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.

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!

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.

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:

…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:

“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.”

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.

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.