Everybody up-to-date on the Phinney victory on SUNDAY?  Here's the podium in case you missed it:

You can see the complete results here.  Yup, Kelsey now wears the leader's jersey in JV Girls after the first-ever Colorado High School Cycling League race this past weekend!

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Sorry for the bandwidth -- I'm about to cancel the $60/month Comcast cable [there will be much rejoicing], but need to be sure we have our TdF covered.

Ok, I *swear* there was an ad on Versus during the Tour of California that indicated you could purchase online on demand viewing of the 2010 Tour de France on versus.com.  However, I've just clicked all over their cycling pages and their TdF pages, and I can't find anything about buying July on demand viewing of the Tour.

Was I imagining this?  Does anyone have a link to info on a Versus TdF subscription?

Thanks!!

Dear PdCers, I have some updates on my 15-year-old daughter's continued exploration of the junior racing world.

In this update:  HS MTB season wrap-up, and something new!

Sneak peak here, more after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Podium folks, it is with great pleasure that I write this humble update with more PODIUM news. :)

Our daughter is a sophomore in her second year of cross country mountain bike racing in the NorCal High School Cycling League.  Before her very first race last year, she was really daunted.  She loved the racing once it got under way, even though her first-year results were usually about next-to-last in her group.

Off-season training paid off, and she started off this season with a bang -- third place in the sophomore girls category in the season opener.  Wowzers!

Here's an update to fill you in on how racing has been going since then.

Continue reading this post »

Please pardon the proud papa post. :)

About a year ago my wife turned to PdC with a post about our daughter's discouraging experience as a newbie on her high school's mountain bike racing team.  Thanks to all of you who took the time to chime in on that post.

She ended up having lots of fun at the 2009 races, and even nabbed the last qualifying spot for US Nationals for her age group thanks to her consistency.

Well, she did loads of riding during the off-season, and yesterday was all about the PODIUM BABY!!!!!! [youtube]

Third place, and a first-class ticket to racing in varsity (top category) next year!!! :D :D :D

We're all just tickled and had to share.  Thanks in advance for this intrusion on the regular PdC bandwidth.

(Next race in two weeks!  Wooo!!)

OFFICE WARMING PARTY - BIKE VALET

Join the NorCal League and Freddy Rodriguez at our new office this Sunday! We will be kicking off the new office with music, food and drink, door prizes and some good times. Come on down to Berkeley from 3 – 6 PM on Sunday, October 25th.

Who: The NorCal League Staff, Board of Directors, Freddy Rodriguez and YOU!
Where: NorCal League Office, 805 Camelia Street Berkeley, CA 94710
When: Sunday, October 25th 3–6 PM

The Berkeley High School Team will be providing a Bike Valet, so be sure to ride you bike!

Video announcement from Lance.

"To be able to compete for an American team comprised of the world’s top cyclists, supported by the best coaches and staff — I couldn’t be happier to partner with RadioShack, a truly iconic American brand."

From VeloNews:

RadioShack Corporation will form an American ProTour team, and, beginning next year, Lance Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack "as a cyclist, runner and triathlete," the company announced in a press release.

Google news search on "armstrong radioshack."

Continue reading this post »

...on RMC in Monaco.  I wanted to get some more Tour info, so I dug up radio stations in Monaco, and whoa!  There's Vino answering questions about his return.  "I did my time... Sure, I can share space on the team with Lance, no problem for me..." heh.  Vuelta and Worlds are his goals.

I assume that he's actually *in* Monaco.  Interesting. (*)

I'll be listening to these stations through the day just to get my (over)dose of the Tour... :)

-Greg

(*) Correction -- the RMC link on the "Monaco" page is just the general RMC link, so it wasn't necessarily broadcast from Monaco.

Look who just arrived in Monaco!

via www.sport.be

L'affaire Boonen sera examinée aujourd'hui par la Chambre arbitrale du Comité olympique français, qui se prononcera immédiatement et de manière définitive. Le Belge est interdit de Tour de France pour un contrôle positif à la cocaïne.

(http://www.arcinfo.ch/journal/sports/tout-le-sport/article/178213.html)

Continue reading this post »

I'm maybe not the best person to write a review, but I know what I like.

I like the film A Ride with George Hincapie. In short, it's the best cycling film that Kirsten and I have seen.

George is a rider I've enjoyed watching since I started following cycling regularly a couple of years ago, but I'm no card-carrying member of his fan club.  (Has he got a fan club?)

George comes across as a genuinely nice and interesting guy, driven by a dynamic set of sometimes-competing motivations.   It's great to see him chatting there, as if to you, as you ride alongside him on his bike or he sits on the couch with his little girl crawling all over him.

The film is done with lots of respect for George, and he is impressive as the humble hero.  Rather than gushing over his accomplishments, however, he is revealed bit by bit through his own words and stories from those who know him best.

The documentary comes across as honest -- honest in a very naked, exposed sort of way.  There's about as much time spent with family, friends, and colleagues of George as there is with George himself.  At times George is presented with video quotes of his friends saying things that are challenging for him to hear, and he responds to them.  The interviewer doesn't dance delicately with these tough situations, but doesn't present them in a malicious spirit, either.  It's all done to reveal more about George and how he ticks.

There are a few moments where we felt like "ow, how could he ask that?!?" and we sort of winced.  Again, this was not like watching a nasty reporter trying to get a rise out of the interviewee, but rather someone who was trying to get to the heart of things for the sake of revealing the truth -- without the fear of burning a few little bridges along the way.

I laughed.  I cried -- well, at least, welled up in the throat a couple of times.  I liked this better than Road to Roubaix, Cobbles Baby, Overcoming, Hell on Wheels, Triplets of Belleville, Summer in Andalucia, you name it.  Good stuff.

And how do I join George's fan club, anyway?

Continue reading this post »

You can just, you know, read the article, for the, um... usual reasons:

http://www.fhm.com/girls/victoria-pendleton-changes-gear-for-fhm-20090526

http://www.fhm.com/girls/covergirls/victoria-pendleton

http://www.fhm.com/girls/covergirls/victoria-pendleton/gallery

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Here we are, halfway through another grand tour.  How many of them have been spoiled partway through or shortly afterwards by learning that one or more of the race's stellar performers was totally doping?

You know what I'm talking about:  Schumie... Kohl... Vino... Ricco... Sella... The Chicken...

Many of us were rooting for at least some of these guys as they were having a "breakout year" or making heroic efforts, showing excellent form, and so on.  I know I've been burned as a fan more than once in the last couple of years. :(

Now, it's pretty dang negative to assume that anyone who's performing well is a doper, but I'm sick of rooting for folks who end up being total scumbags.

So, I'm going to ask it:  who would you all say is having a *spectacular* Giro so far?

-Greg

The interwebs are all atwitter with cycling news about Lance and repercussions from his twenty-minute shower:

The AFLD release stated that the UCI has already confirmed its right to open disciplinary proceedings against the American. "Via a letter dated April 8 sent to the Agency, President Pat McQuaid has, in his response, stated that the combined interpretation of the world [WADA] code and UCI anti-doping regulation conferred upon the AFLD the jurisdiction to open possible disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Lance Armstrong.

-Greg

Tirreno Adriatico - update

Dear Customers
 
We wanted to highlight that due to our live coverage of Paris-Nice this week, we will not be carrying Tirreno-Adriatico concurrently. Our objective is to deliver the best experience possible for our customers around Paris-Nice, and avoid any conflict with the live coverage, and video on demand. Tirreno-Adriatico has been a race 'to be confirmed' for some time, but we wanted to flag up our decision to focus solely on P-N in the best interests of our customers.
 
We hope you understand and agree with this this decision.
 
Thank you
 
Cycling TV

Chris? gav? who is it?

-Greg

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Wahoo!  Our fourth consecutive annual ATOC visit, and our third prologue. :)

Our absolutely favorite way to see the ATOC prologue is to get there really early, walk around the buses, see the riders pre-ride the course, and then install ourselves up against the fence right *behind* the start ramp, and stay there for the rest of the event.

More plus PICTURES on the flip!!

Continue reading this post »

So we fired up the first stage of Mallorca, and they were showing this guest of honor with a gold helmet, World Champ stripes, and an Illes Ballears kit at the beginning of stage 1 festivities.  Do any of you know who he is?

Thanks!

-Greg

p.s.: check out Sammy's golden bar tape. :)

(Whoever this guy is, I bet that his story is longer than 55 words.  If knew who he was, I could write his story here and make the 75 word quota.)

Just checking the forecast for the greater SF bay area region.  Blech...

Unsettled wet weather is expected to persist Friday night through 
the weekend and into next week as one system after the other swing 
into the region. Models are in fairly good agreement with only 
slight timing differences to note. However the one thing they do 
agree on is the at saturdays system will be wet. Over an inch of 
precipitation is expected at lower elevations with nearly two inches 
possible over elevated terrain. This system may pose a threat to 
the burn areas of Monterey and will need to be monitored closely. 

Please be good please be good please be good...!

-Greg