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Comments - The two sweetest words
July 20, 2009
They close the Sella for a day in July every year so cyclists can enjoy it car-free (in much better weather than in April - www.sellarondebikeday.com). While you won't enjoy the solitude you get riding the loop in April, it still is truly remarkable.
- Tracy, Oberammergau
June 21, 2009
While I still like and use my old school Oakley M and Racing Jacket frames, their lack of adjustable nose pieces limits their ability to fit different faces and I always end up "painting sweat" with my eye lashes on their lenses. While Oakley has two or sometimes even three different shaped nose pieces available for some of their models as well as an Asian fit alternative, that's still no match for other sunglass makers that allow the user to shape the nose piece. Rudy Project and Smith are two examples who have this feature in most of their performance glasses. By adjusting the nose piece, you can position the frames away from your eye lashes to avoid the dreaded "painting sweat" on the inside of the lenses.
- Marco, Toronto
June 20, 2009
You do not know what you are talking about. Chimney sweeps is a very respectable and well paid job in Austria.
- Herb, Boulder
June 18, 2009
Wow. Thank you. So I'm not the only one who thought that stage finish on Mont Ventoux was a little odd. It did seem to me that Valverde purposely slipped into a higher gear to slow down for the other guy to take the stage. Respect rules the roost, huh?
- Cozy Beehive, NY
June 18, 2009
You guys are all crazy. Szmyd rode up alongside Valverde shortly after Valverde attacked and they had a quick discussion. It was obviously to hammer out the terms of the deal they struck -- Szmyd would work with Valverde in exchange for the stage win. Implicit in the deal is that you make it to the finish, so when Szmyd blew up Valverde rightly rode on. But he kept looking back to see if Szmyd could recover. This explains why, when Valverde looked back at 7:40 on the video and saw Szmyd coming back, he stopped pedaling for 2 seconds then really slowed his pace then moved to the left to give Szmyd space to come by him for the win. It was a class act by a guy that has an ethically-questionable history in this sport.
- Alberto Contador, Madrid
June 17, 2009
The Mapei character is a local legend in Atlanta. He was abused mercilessly, though I must admit he could ride fairly well. He certainly DNF'd a lot, but he was known to pull out a good result occasionally. And, he definitely had Euro connections. During the '96 Olympics he was hanging out with the Spaniards - Indurain, Olano, etc. And, he left the "Olano" nameplate used on the car during the TT at my LBS. Bottom line, he is a nice guy who got ragged because violated a petty little unwritten rule in cycling...
- Kebb, Stone Mtn., GA
June 17, 2009
@ Steve in Tuscon -- Cadel did attack at least once from 3rd that I remember watching. But your point stands. He's not quite explosive enough or savvy enough to hit really hard in the mountains. Maybe (BIG maybe) he'll have help from a couple of teammates. They weren't all at the DL.
- Chris, Little Rock
June 17, 2009
Extreme fatigue at the end of Ventoux makes gifting a little hard to see sometimes. But, if you've watched enough Valverde finishes I think you can conclude that if he desperately wanted the stage he would have pushed as hard before Szmyd got to him as he did after to make sure he got the same time. Val's little fist pump finishing second is also not what one would expect from someone who just got punked. At the least, you can see he was not going all out before he was caught since he changed pace as soon as we was. 85% gift, 15% kinda tired.
- John, Boxford
June 16, 2009
Yeah, Cadel Evans was attacking, but I would be more impressed if it was smart attacking. Not a good idea to attack from the front. Perhaps pretend to fade and drop back and then blow by them when they have relaxed and slowed a little? Just a thought. He'll never win the tour in opinion. Good strong guy but not the best tactician.
- Steve , Tucson, Arizona
June 16, 2009
Re: Morgan Nicol's interview. There is another great cycling related piece on slowtwitch today about the bidding wars for team sponsorship by the big bike companies http://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/The_cost_of_winning_862.html How come the road-centric sites don't have content this good?
- Kyle, Tulsa, OK
June 16, 2009
My LBS stopped stocking mags over a year ago.
- craig, DC
June 16, 2009
Re: class/background: I think those who simply WANT to win (rich white kids) have a harder time beating those who HAVE to win (poor upbringing). When more is "riding" on the outcome, some do what they believe they must do: cheat, dope, etc. Re: cycling.tv: The "Maggie" and Martin Show is entertaining and enlightening. It's like going to cycling school--they reveal things I'd never thought about before. When Magnus described how downhill skiers make better descenders, it was logical and revelatory. Bravo!
- Mat, Fairfield, CT
June 16, 2009
Brian, you're absolutely right. I'll drink your milkshake... Actually, I'll keep quiet and save my breath for oxygenation of my suffering limbs. The "Nice Pull" comes on a club ride, not a race, and it's an amazing pat on the back regardless if it's from that first timer you saved from dying-while-seated, or the veteran pro that rides with your group occasionally. Just make sure it actually was a nice pull, and you'll see how good it feels to have someone notice and tell you.
- Andy, Stockholm, Sweden
June 16, 2009
My LBS stock magazines. For-profit charity is no problem, depending how it's done. Same as I could care less if my boss makes billions, as long as I get a fair share. Not unlikely he's on big bucks because he's doing a good job (obviously not always a fact...). Full-on poseurs are funny. Circus clowns really. Sad individuals, but makes us laugh. I grew up with a guy who was a pathological liar. He would lie about his dad being the boss of a big car brand. He was my neighbor, I'd known his dad since I was 3, and he worked as a building maintenance supervisor for a local auto shop... Great guy, but surely not white collar. Smile and pad your friend on the back before you go for ice cream together. We all have inner demons to deal with. Some worse than others. Cadel is a tosser, but if he starts riding like a Champion, I'll be the first to change opinion. Tubs rule!!!!
- Andy, Stockholm
June 16, 2009
If you are going to say that poverty is the cause of doping in porfessional sport, then you also have to say that poverty is the cause of other forms of fraud and theft. Sure someone who is poor has more to gain by cheating or stealing than someone who is rich. However, for the poor person to actually act on that: and dope, or rob a bank etc, they have to be just as immoral and have the same "ethical character flaw" as a rich person would have to.
- b, melbourne
June 15, 2009
could this be a new Cadel? he looks thinner, and (excuse the rhyme) meaner. he's attacking? who is this guy? // regarding the guy in full Garm*in kit, bike etc...i want an interview with that guy, pronto. i'm not kidding, would his answer as to why he would do such a thing merely be that he's just a big fan? If that's the case, was he doing a similar thing with another team just a short while ago? Discovery would be my guess....but I'd be more impressed if he had been way into Cofidis. And the mustache, wow. // reading back, I now realize that Simon's comments were directed at the post, not at my reply. Oops, delusions of grandeur.
- sleeper, Pittsburgh, PA
June 15, 2009
@Jay - Is poverty an ethical character flaw? Who among us is so clear that given the alternative (crushing poverty) they would not dope? Not me.
- Dave, Bellingham
June 15, 2009
It's not a rich kid sport. I was brought up with the San Diego Bike Club Junior Team in the 80's and started racing on my Nishiki. (imagine that) I worked to pay for many of the cycling expenses.
- bill, nor cal
June 15, 2009
don't mess with the nico mattan ultra's. ghent-wevelgem 2005 was a triumphant and heroic victory for the man with the best haircut in the peleton. you know you want a cool lion tattoo and you're just jealous.
love,
- craig, boston
June 15, 2009
If you know anyone from SA -- Columbia for instance -- you know there are plenty of people who work hard (in poverty forever) without taking drugs to gain an advantage. Doping (cheating) is an ethical character flaw anyway you look at it.
- Jay, Needham
June 15, 2009
regarding the doping statement: i doubt that theres a huge connection with ones roots and doping but instead suggest that it all has to do with the potential for making money. plenty of privileged US riders have doped.. to me the real issue with doping is that the riders themselves are not motivated to stop. unless a rider can be sure he is racing against a level field it will never stop.
- seems like everyone agrees that VS. tour coverage sucks - is VS getting the message?
- lastly, regarding LA: i thought there were two Livestrong entities: one that is for profit and one that is nonprofit. either way its a little dubious and confusing to consumers. then again, LAs past performance and the 1999 urine samples are a little confusing too.
- sam, little rock
June 15, 2009
Your comments on "why wouldn't they dope" is spot on. Same can be said for a 16 year old baseball player in the DR where they sell steriods OTC. Its all cost benefit. Best case, they make millions. Worst case they make some money and get caught. Some money and shame is way better than the life they were escaping.
- Chris, Fremont CA
June 15, 2009
My LBS only carries one bike mag;Bicycle Quarterly.They cover racing(30's Paris Roubaix + PBP when it was a race) and bikes Classic and new)plus some gear.They also write about riding in a way that makes you want to ride;not in the 'Dude I am so awesome and cool you wish you could do this' style which I find such a turn off ;but at the same time the Ed. did 796 miles in 52 hours(PBP '07) If you're into cycling(and you are or you wouldn't be reading this )you should check it out.
- ed, Graton ca.
June 15, 2009
If somebody in a race tells me "nice pull," I interpret that as "I drink your milkshake"
- Brian, Denver, CO
June 15, 2009
Simon it seems your confusing performance doping and pleasure/escaping drug taking. CC is on the money and you haven't got a clue
- peter, sydney
June 15, 2009
I'm not saying that rich white kids from the United States don't, or that the reason why they don't is just because of their relative wealth...my point is that if they do, it's perhaps for a different reason than those from very poor countries. The act is still the same, but the background makes for an interesting bit of conversation. For some it may be a matter of survival, and being able to feed their family, while again the offense is the same. I merely point out that this sort of thing makes us aware about the variety of backgrounds that make up the pro peloton. It's not a homogeneous group, and as a result the reason why they do certain things may be different. Is that stupid of me to say? Perhaps, but I thought the point that was brought up was valid, and it's the first time I've ever seen it anywhere. While competition and the sport are probably a huge part of it, it's also their job and how they make a living. When you bring money into the equation, and staying employed is an important part of that, you being to wonder why some people dope. For some it's honor, for some it's competing, for many sheer stupidity...and to some it's probably about the short window of time when they'll be able to make ten thousand times the amount of money in a year than anyone around them, and just as much as they'll ever make once their run is over.
- sleeper, Pittsburgh, PA
June 15, 2009
Valverde's victory stab? What, was he on autopilot, so convinced he had taken that stage? // Simon, I was under the impression that all pro cycling fans knew well the realities behind class and the peloton. Perhaps there's not a one-to-one ratio of the poor to doping, but the relationship (read temptation) between of class and PEDs can not be ignored. // Rage+Bike. Amen. // Said the same thing about CE this weekend. Hoping against hope he repeats the tenacity in TdF. Hold my breath? // RE Garm*n poser, how about that JV guy, huh? Piece of work, that stumper. // RE: Walsh. you know what they say about love and hate. So close together those two.
- matthew, right here
June 15, 2009
... US cycling is a rich white kid sport - is really on the mark. I'm sure a lot of people will disagree. Just as ice hockey used to turn Canadian farm kids into heroes, cycling has done just that historically in Europe. The biggest reason you missed on doping is not because of options in the future , but because of no options in the present.
- matthew, Washington DC
June 15, 2009
Really stupid comments about doping here. Poor kids dope because they have nothing to look forward too Rich White Americans don't because they are educated enough and rich enough not to have too... Please don't say things like this it makes you look stupid.
- Simon , London
June 14, 2009
Someone finally addresses something I've thought about for a while, the huge difference in background and upbringing that cyclists within the peloton have. It's substantial and dictates how many of them approach having a job that can earn them (what probably seems) like a huge sum of money. if you ever have some spare time, google the towns that cyclists from Colombia or Romania are from, and look at pictures. In the case of South American cyclists, you are talking about extreme poverty, and these individuals (in many cases) become the lone earners of large families. Santiago Botero was notorious because he was an exception to this rule. The pressure is on for these people, and its not about victories, but feeding yourself and your mom and dad. As much as everyone talks about honor, and doing the right thing...keep in mind that this can come down to food and bare essentials to some. I agree with you, it's not to excuse any behavior, but it certainly frames the whole sport differently.
- sleeper, Pittsburgh, PA
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