SB Nation User Blog: gregm

Vino on the radio...

gregm — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:16:02 -0000

...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.

Tommeke in Monaco...

gregm — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:04:16 -0000

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)

...which works out to "Boonen's case will be examined today by the French Olympic Committee, which will immediately make a definitive ruling. The Belgian has been blocked from the Tour due to a positive test for blow."

Hit reload on these news.google.be and news.google.fr links... that's what I'll be doing tonight! Midnight Pacific is 9am in France...

-Greg

via www.sport.be

Ride with George DVD

gregm — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:01:56 -0000

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?

track hottitude

gregm — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:03:42 -0000

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

75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75

any Giro performances "too good" yet?

gregm — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:58:01 -0000

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

Theo Bos interview. Discussion of the Impey incident starts just before one minute in.

gregm — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:48:18 -0000

Theo Bos interview. Discussion of the Impey incident starts just before one minute in.

Lance may be suspended from racing in France?

gregm — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:39:42 -0000

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

Cycling.TV, where less is more

gregm — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:31:58 -0000

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

who, exactly, is @PodiumCafe?

gregm — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:27:14 -0000

Chris? gav? who is it?

-Greg

The Push -- Lance Armstrong pushes the LiveClean Devil into the snow

gregm — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:56:52 -0000

The Push -- Lance Armstrong pushes the LiveClean Devil into the snow