SB Nation User Blog: PopUp Rolen

Garmin extends sponsorship

PopUp Rolen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:16:42 -0000

Garmin Ltd. announced today that it will continue its title sponsorship of Team Garmin Slipstream through 2013. The GPS maker already was contracted to be the title sponsor of the team until 2010, so this is an additional three years to the contract.

Obviously, this is excellent news for this once upstart Boulder, Co.-based team that just finished its first full year as a Pro Tour team. I've always thought cycling was an excellent investment for Garmin, considering their products' many applications in cycling. It appears the executives at Garmin feel the same way.

“The success of the team spans the globe and surpassed our expectations for the first year and a half of our title sponsorship, bringing Garmin’s reputation for quality, commitment, performance and productivity into countless households in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia,” said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of communications. “Our objectives were – and continue to be – to integrate our products on sports’ biggest stages and to build global brand awareness. Whether capturing victories around the world, winning national championships or working to develop future generations of talent, Team Garmin has helped us achieve those objectives and has made an impression on billions of potential customers.”

In its two years on the Euro scene, I think Garmin has done extremely well. Especially considering their budget and the fact that the team was cobbled together from an U.S. domestic team without any really big name signings. Hopefully Garmin increases the budget for the next three years and can start attracting top-level talent to their ranks.

The kid has a sense of humor

PopUp Rolen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:57:28 -0000

The kid has a sense of humor

This is from Taylor Phinney's twitter. He commented:

"Not sure if I should be drinking this water!!!!"

Funny

Valv.Piti is My Lance

PopUp Rolen — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:11:31 -0000

I’ve always managed to keep an even keel when it comes to being a cycling fan. I tend to fall in love with the races, not the riders. And when someone asks me who my favorite cyclist is, I usually am stumped for an answer. Sure, I like some riders more than others, but I generally root for the underdog.

I crave the action, and not necessarily the results of a specific rider. This always keeps me at a comfortable distance during the inevitable Lance Armstrong flame wars. I am pretty ambivalent toward him. I think he’s a great rider, but also kind of an asshat with a lot of question marks. But neither of these feelings put me in the red. Not too many cyclists do.

Except the current leader of the Vuelta a Espana. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte.

He is my Lance. The closer he gets to a Vuelta win, the more I want to make vitriol-filled comments during live race chats. The more he smiles, the more I want to rail on the illegitimacy of his win and the hypocrisy of all of his fans.

I never understood the fervent anti-lance contingent. Now I do.

I’ll try to remain calm for these next two stages, and keep my comments to myself. But if a bit of my anger and asshattery finds its way into a live chat, I apologize in advance. It just makes me sick to my stomach to see a great race inevitably descend into chaos when valv.piti’s transgressions eventually catch up to him via the hand of CAS.

Poll

Alejandro Valverde Belmonte makes me...

sick

88 votes

smile

27 votes

115 votes | Poll has closed

Garmin for the Vuelta

PopUp Rolen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:16:19 -0000

I don't think the team has made it official yet, but a David Millar CN diary published today details the team's trip to Holland to start the Tour of Spain. Garmin's lineup looks like this:

Dan Martin
Tom Danielson
Tyler Farrar
Julian Dean
David Millar
Ryder Hesjedal
Christian Meier
Svein Tuft
Martijn Maaskant

According to Millar's diary and a JV tweet earlier this week, they think this team is as competitive as the TdF team. I don't know if I buy that. Two top 10s in the GC and a handful of stage podiums is pretty good. However, if Tyler bags Garmin's first non-TTT grand tour stage win, then I guess that feat alone overrides top 10 GC placements.

Top 5 story lines to follow:
1. How the GT rookies fare over three weeks: Dan Martin, Christian Meier and Svein Tuft. I don't expect much from these three guys, and think making to the end is a solid accomplishment.

2. Tom Danielson: Returns to the race that made him.

3. Tyler Farrar: Dominated Eneco, but has not fared as successfully against a full-on Columbia train, albeit one steered by Greipel

4. Julian Dean: I have to think he's riding for a Garmin contract. Unless he ushers Tyler to at least two stage victories, I think he is forced to find employment elsewhere.

5. David Millar: Is he capable of winning races anymore?

Milram stays. Velits brothers go.

PopUp Rolen — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:34:45 -0000

Milram stays. Velits brothers go.

Martin and Peter Velits go to Columbia.

Benna the whiner

PopUp Rolen — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:00:14 -0000

Benna the whiner

Excellent "Tour Diary" by Nicholas Roche. He paints the picture of the beloved Benna being a huge A**hole.

Is Cavendish the Lance Armstrong of Sprinters

PopUp Rolen — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:04:40 -0000

Without a doubt, Mark Cavendish is the fastest man in the peloton by about two bike lengths. Combine this with a world-class lead-out train and you have a potent recipe of complete domination by Cavendish on any sprint stage. Remind you of someone else?

Does Mark Cavendish to sprinting = Lance Armstrong to the Tour de France?

Let's analyze a couple statements:

Statement 1a: Lance was undoubtedly the best TdF Rider of his generation. If he was on form, he could not be beat. Combine this with a dominant team built specifically to help him win, and you have total domination.

Statement 1b: Cavendish is undoubtedly the best sprinter of his generation. If he is on form, he can not be beat. Combine this with a dominant team built specifically to help him win, and you have total domination.

Statement 2a: For many cycling enthusiasts, Lance is an arrogant, ego-driven asshat. You either love him or hate him.

Statement 2b: For many cycling enthusiasts, Cavendish is an arrogant, ego-driven asshat. you either love him or hate him.

Statement 3a: Lance Armstrong's domination took all of the excitement out of the TdF.

Statement 3b: Mark Cavendish's domination takes all of the excitement out of the sprint stages.

So what do you think? Does Mark Cavendish to sprinting = Lance Armstrong to the Tour de France?

Team Astana: Dividing the Spoils

PopUp Rolen — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:20:16 -0000

Based on all of the rumors, rancor and speculation, Team Astana will implode at the end of this season. At the very least, it will look significantly different. I can’t imagine Alberto or Lance sticking around, and I can see each of these guys taking their favorite domestiques with them to their new teams. What will be left of Team Astana I imagine is Vino and his Kazakh friends. Thus guaranteeing no invites to grand tours or other important races.

So, looking at the current roster, it’s never to early to start speculating on where the various pieces will fall for the 2010 TdF. For the point of this speculative exercise, I’m assuming Armstrong starts a new team and Alberto either goes to CdE or starts a new team, as is rumored today. Also, this is all directed towards the 2010 TdF, and not building a squad for the complete season.

Team Armstrong (new team)

Lance Armstrong
Levi Leiphemier
Jani Brajkovic
Chris Horner
Popo

Analysis: That is a monster team built with two impressive leaders (levi and lance) that appear to get along well. I also think Levi is one of the few guys Lance would actually ride for.

Team Contador (new team)

Alberto Contador
Jesus Hernandez
Daniel Navarro
Benjamin Noval
Sergio Paulinho

Analysis: Not bad, but not that impressive. Obviously , Bert would seek to fill out the roster with some more heavyweights, but still, I imagine it will be a team of little experience.

Caisse d’Eparne (with Contador)

Alberto Contador
LL Sanchez
David Arroyo
Oscar Pereiro
Rigoberto Uran
Rui Costa
Alejandro Valverde

Analysis: Obviously, there is one major question marks on that roster, whether or not valv.piti can ride the Tour next year. Even if he can’t though, you have a solid co-leader with LL Sanchez and experience with Oscar. Plus, Uran and Costa will be a year older with more experience. All in all, a really solid team.

Final Analysis: Contador would be crazy to stick with Astana (unless forced to for the remainder of his contract) or start a new team. If his goal is to rack up TdF victories for the rest of his career, I think his best shot is to go to CdE.

Still, next year’s TdF sets up to be much more exciting with Lance and Contador on opposing teams. Throw in a strong and more experienced A. Schleck on Saxo Bank, as well as a more experienced Cervelo Test Team behind Carlos, and we potentially have four teams with recent experience winning the big show.

The best thing for the 2010 TdF is if Astana implodes, thus eliminating a clearly dominant team and leaving behind four or five really good teams.

Why Not Me? Levi Leipheimer

PopUp Rolen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:47:21 -0000

Why He Will Win

Contrary to popular belief, this year’s parcours sets up perfect for Levi Leipheimer. One would think that the lack of time trial miles would hurt the specialist, but I submit that there are just enough to make a difference and not enough to burn too many of Levi’s matches. For the sake of argument, I am pitting Levi only vs. Bert, as I believe Bert is the clear favorite.

First, let’s look at this year’s TTs compared to the 2008 Vuelta. I picked this edition of the Vuelta because it was the last Grand Tour that both riders were aiming to peak at.

2008 Vuelta Stage 5 - 40km flat: Levi took 49 seconds from Bert on this stage.

2008 Vuelta Stage 20 - 16km uphill: Levi took 31 seconds from Bert on this stage

This year’s TdF Time Trials are eerily similar in distance, with a 15km slightly hilly TT in stage one and a 40.5km flat TT in stage 18. The profiles are different, but I think that works in Levi’s favor. There are fewer bumps in this year’s TdF TT profiles, only playing into Levi’s strength.

With 55.5kms of time trials in the 2009 TdF, I predict Levi can take at least a minute and a half from Albert, with the best case scenario being 2:30.

Even more important to Levi’s quest for the top step of the podium is the lack of TT miles. This may seem contrarian to the general thought that the only way Levi can take time on Bert is through time trials. However, I suggest that the lack of time trial kilometers will allow Levi to take valuable seconds, without burning his legs out.

Indulge me for a bit. We all know Levi goes 110% on every time trial because he has a chance of winning almost every time. And bike riders like to win. I don’t see Levi winning too many road races, so TTs are his one shot at glory. As a result, LL expends every ounce of energy on the time trials, which can hurt him later in the race.

This year’s “epic” Giro TT was a classic example. Levi’s effort on this wicked hard course killed his chances in the remaining mountain stages, thus killing his chance at a Giro win. Maybe if this year’s Giro TT were easier, he would have had the energy to compete on the subsequent mountain stages.

So bringing this chain of thought back to the 2009 TdF, If Levi can take anywhere from 1:30 to 2:30 on Contador in the TTs, where can Contador take it back?I believe the only place he can take it back is on mountain top finishes. And this year, we have three. I don’t think that’s enough and here’s why:

Stage 7: Too early and bert will not want to show his cards yet
Stage 15: Bert will take a bit on the last 2k, but not much
Stage 20: Bert’s big opportunity, but going by the theory that Levi just gets better as a tour progresses, I think Levi limits his losses to less than 30 seconds

In the end, the TT’s are just enough, but not too much for Levi to take time in the TTs and limit time losses in the mountain.

Why Won’t He Win #1: Take this exact same formula and insert in Cadel Evans and Denis Menchov. Both time trialists on par with Levi.

Why Won’t He Win #2: Levi and Lance’s summer Bromance continues and Levi sacrifices his chances for Armstrong’s ill-fated quest for another victory.

Prediction

1. Levi

2. Bert +21

3. Cadel +48

Anyway, after squabbling back and forth to each other, in all his anger and frustration, Lance...

PopUp Rolen — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:04:53 -0000

Anyway, after squabbling back and forth to each other, in all his anger and frustration, Lance turned to Cunego and said, "I'll crush you, little Prince!".