slowK
May 09, 2008 Feb 15, 2012 17 323
RSSUser Blog
Specialized behaving badly: sues Volagi
Disclaimer: after much research, I upgraded my roadie to a Specialized Roubaix SL2 with SRAM Rival late last year. I love it.
So I found the above Velonews link disturbing and disappointing. I really like the design features of Volagi bikes - designed for the riding (not racing) that I like to do. If they were available in Australia, I would have definitely test ridden one and may well have chosen one instead.
I find it hard to see too many infringements in the design of the Volagi. No Zertzs. Discs. Different seat stay layout.
I have no clue on IP/employment law, and the Velonews article is one-sided, but from a casual observer's point of view it seems that Specialized isn't doing itself any favours in the popularity stakes with this move.
Chiara and Cadel's news
Congratulations!
We've not gone through the same process, but watching friends adopt from overseas - it was a very emotional, tough and rewarding experience.
Another "caption this" photo
From cyclingnews.com
Contador vs spectator - caption this
Contador's punch on the guy dressed as a doctor - great photo from yesterday.
Who will win the TA Stage 7 ITT?
by slowK on Mar 15, 2011 6:23 AM EDT
on Podium Cafe
9.3km and flat as flat can be. Who's got a chance? It's a tantalising one. Short enough for the prologue specialists and power riders, maybe too short for the usual TTers. I have no idea who's going to do well.
The usual suspect: Cancellara.
Good TTers: Evans, Grabsch, Pinotti, Gesink, Konovalovas, Machado, Larsson
Power riders: Hushovd, Boonen, Boom
A left field choice: Lancaster
I'll throw my hat in the ring with a highly unlikely top 5:
1. Cancellara
2. Boom
3. Lancaster
4. Evans
5. Grabsch
20 commentsIt's called a trident, cyclingnews...
Not so much the pic but the caption. The riders pose with the race winner's spade. Really?
It's like calling the TDF trophy a mug. Or the Paris Roubaix trophy a.... er... rock. Never mind.
The Peloton - amazing B&W portraits
I stumbled across photographer Timm Koelln's website. He has a new pictorial book coming out soon called "The Peoloton". There are some sample pics on his site - fantastic photography.
Fabian Wegmann looks like a little boy, Andy Schleck looks - petulant? Rolf Aldag's photo is my favourite.
Want a (used) Rainbow Jersey?
All for a good cause. A bit beyond my means already - wonder how much it'll go for?
Australian Worlds team Named
Well, here it is. After much speculation (see the "Embarrassment of Riches" post), the team is: Evans, Rogers, Gerrans, Cooke, Davis, Goss, Hayman, O'Grady, Sulzberger.
Porte and Rogers for the TT.
Porte and Evans -the comparisons begin
I think I set myself up for failure by posting in Irishpeloton's post about the "next Porte of call". I posted that the Australian media hadn't yet described Richie Porte as "the next Cadel Evans".
Didn't take long, did it?
Interesting article in some ways, though I think that Evans' MTB pedigree is stronger than Porte's tri background.
Look familiar?
I was flicking through an old Ride magazine (winter 2006 - Basso wins the Giro), saw this T-shirt in the gear section and did a double take.
Cool picture! Here's the link to the T-shirt.
Trivia question
by slowK on May 9, 2010 5:17 PM EDT
on Podium Cafe
Which riders in recent times have held the leader's jersey in all 3 Grand Tours?
I don't know the answer and I'll be offline for much today, but as a start I can think of:
Contador
Evans
McGee
I need 75 words so the rest is just filler. The question was prompted by Evans taking Pink in stage 2; actually I think he got the collection in last year's Vuelta. Contador obviously. And McGee due to his prologue expertise.
More Lance vs Contador polemica
From today's Sydney Morning Herald.
Cafe Bookshelf: Cadel Evans - Close to Flying
by slowK on Nov 15, 2009 6:33 AM EST
on Podium Cafe
Title: Cadel Evans - Close to Flying
Author: Rob Arnold, Cadel Evans
Publisher: Hardie Grant
Pages: 304
Strengths: very well written (for a sports bio); interesting sections from Chiara, mum, old coaches and other riders (Damian Grundy, Hendrik Redant, Dario Cioni, Matt Lloyd, Charlie Wegelius...), gives a thorough picture of Cadel's early life, formative years as a cyclist and his family. Not too cycling-geek heavy for non-cycling readers.
Weaknesses: a cycling geek might want more racing anecdotes, very occasionally the odd sentence is a bit drippy.
Rating: 4/5
More on the flip...
Matthew Lloyd to start Dauphine
by slowK on Jun 3, 2009 10:52 PM EDT
on Podium Cafe
According to both the Silence Lotto and Cadel Evans' websites, Matthew Lloyd will be starting the Dauphine Libere. After his big crash in Amstel Gold (where he sustained multiple vertebral fractures), that's a pretty impressive recovery and great news.
Oh no - I need another 35 words! So I'll try this: check out this video that did the rounds a while ago on another cycling forum.
If it doesn't work, the URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3qvJgY9XQI
Absolutely nothing to do with cycling, but will make you laugh. Yes it's safe for work and for all ages too. Hope that's 75 words now...
More doping at Telekom
by slowK on Oct 28, 2008 5:55 PM EDT
on Podium Cafe
Today's cyclingnews.com has an article concerning an anonymous ex-Telekom rider who is giving evidence on doping.
What's interesting to see who was on Telekom/T-Mobile in 2003 and 2004.
T-Mobile rider claims widespread EPO use
The rider, whose name was not released, rode for the team in those two years, but it was not clear as to whether those were the only two years, or whether he is still active. He allegedly made a comprehensive statement about doping practices at the team during those years.
A former Team Telekom/T-Mobile rider claimed that team doctors from the Freiburg University Clinic distributed EPO (Erythropoietin) to riders during 2003 and 2004, public prosecutors in Freiburg, Germany said Monday night on German TV.
What's interesting is to see who was in the squad in 2003/04.
The info is taken from cyclingwebsite.net; I've just included riders who were in the team for both 2003 and 2004.
Mario Aerts, Rolf Aldag, Santiago Botero, Cadel Evans, Giuseppe Guerini, Torsten Hiekmann, Matthias Kessler, Andreas Klier, Andreas Kloden, Daniele Nardello, Paolo Savoldelli, Jan Schaffrath, Stephan Schreck, Alexanre Vinokourov, Steffen Wesemann, Sergei Yakolev, Erik Zabel.
Some big names left after the 2003 season: Danilo Hondo, Bobby Julich, Stefan Schumacher
Interesting signings for 2004: Jan Ullrich, Heinrich Haussler
Quite a few of these have been busted for doping or admitted as such. Aldag, Botero, Kessler, Vino, Zabel, Hondo, Schumacher to name a few.
Rampant speculation begins now as to who is coming clean...
Kohl to Silence Lotto
by slowK on Sep 8, 2008 9:06 AM EDT
on Podium Cafe
The rumors have been confirmed: as per cyclingnews, Bernhard Kohl is going to Silence Lotto. The polka-dot jersey should really beef up the mountain firepower for Cadel, which was desperately lacking at this year's Tour. Quote from CN:
In a press statement, Kohl said, "the whole team is strongly focused on the Tour de France as the season's high point. As we saw this year, you need a strong team to really be able to win. That means you must have at least two or three riders who have the class to ride in the top ten. With Cadel Evans and me Silence-Lotto now has two strong riders, who can be at the top of the race. We will have to wait and see which of us will be stronger in the end."
Sounds like he has ambitions to be the leader as well if Cadel falters. Will he play loyal domestique? Next year's Tour is already shaping up to be very interesting. I can't wait!
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