SB Nation User Blog: Softie

Retractionheimer

Softie — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:42:29 -0000

I'm the guy who posted the thread early this year attaching the tag "wheelsucking" to a thread about Levi's team protesting a loss of time for him.

And Levi has now won another GT time trial, this time attacking his own teammate on the penultimate day of the most important race for Astana this year.

I formally retract any accusation of wheelsucking at Levi, and I will order an Astana jersey later today. Despite my impending jersey order, my most fervent hope is that some team buys Levi's contract out and then lets him win whichever GT Contador doesn't enter next year. Because I think he could, and now, I hope he does.

BMX Olympic Coverage

Softie — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:14:55 -0000

So NBC aired, or re-aired, the BMX (supercross?) finals last night. For those who didn't see it, Latvia and France won gold, and crashes occured early and often.

The big question on everyone's mind, including Chris Hoy's, is whether adding BMX was worth cutting the 500m and kilo time trials from track. That was controversial because it apparently makes it much less interesting to be a female sprinter, due to a lack of events. (And no Tammy Thomas comments allowed, folks.)

What is the opinion of the cafe on BMX afterwards? Is it a sport worthy of a medal ceremony? Or is it, like chess or ballroom dancing, best performed without laurels, ribbons, and Bob Costas?

Poll

Would you rather watch the kilo/half-kilo or BMX at the Olympics?

BMX---cool!

6 votes

Kilo/Half-kilo---taking it away was unfair to the trackies

11 votes

Neither---cycling should be road and MTB only

1 votes

Don't care---events that short aren't really cycling to me

2 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

Levi, Levi

Softie — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:43:15 -0000

Mr. Excitement plans to protest to race jury about his finish. He lost another 23 seconds today because of some snafu with a motorcycle, and Astana wants the race jury to correct the problem.

So, if Levi gets his 23 seconds---which is a lot, even in a Grand Tour---and he steps onto the podium based on that erased gap, would that represent yet another example of race jury kindness to Levi (ToC 2007) or a karmic return on the occasion when a race jury rudely extended its middle digit (TdF 2005)?

Support your local Hellingen

Softie — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:02:22 -0000

Not trying to Bogart the sidebar, but . . .

I'm going to do my annual Port Royal Avenue hillclimb this weekend in honor of De Ronde. For those unfamiliar with it, Port Royal Avenue is a cobbled berg in Philly just off the Schuykill River bike path.

It starts here:

View Larger Map

It is steep and rough, but not very long, very much in the spirit of Flanders--according to Google Maps, it climbs a bit over 300' in 1 mile, for an average of 5.6%, but is quite steep at the bottom (cobbled) end, about 12.6%. It is also in such poor condition that I no longer descend it, though I descend like ~:>, Sastre, or a little girl.

So who else is riding their Hellingen this weekend?

Poll

Cobbled climbs stink because

Each cobble feels like its own hill

2 votes

Only the steep parts have cobbles

0 votes

Flats

0 votes

There might be a cobbled descent on the other side

3 votes

Only the expensive parts ever fall off the bike on them

2 votes

7 votes | Poll has closed

Thor makes the Times

Softie — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:03:17 -0000

"Anne Putz, Reebok's head of corporate public relations, said in a statement that the company does not prohibit its athletes from expressing personal opinions. Reebok sponsors the Norwegian cyclist Thor Hushovd, who announced last week that he may boycott the Olympic opening ceremony to protest the Chinese crackdown on Tibetans. 'We support our athletes 100 percent on the field, providing them with the best products to help them achieve their goals,' Ms. Putz said. 'Off the field, we never influence our athletes about their personal views.'"

---Today's NYT, article starting on A1.

Whether or not 'Anne Putz' is a real person or an April Fools' joke, it's nice to see lutfisk-eater and former green jersey Hushovd in the paper of record.

Poll

Should Thor boycott the opening ceremony?

Yes; Tibet and Darfur matter

15 votes

No; No Tibetan or Darfurian has ever won the RVV

0 votes

Immaterial; I've seen the Beijing road route, and Thor should stay home

4 votes

19 votes | Poll has closed

Commander in Chief training with power meter

Softie — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:42:20 -0000

http://www.slate.com/id/2180254/

Apparently the POTUS attached a power meter to his mountain bike. I, a non-racing randonneur who gauges his fitness with an occasional climb of Lyceum Ave in Philly, suddenly want one.