It's all about the love at Masi...

I was forwarded the note below. It's from a friend in the industry whose name (Chris DiStefano) and the company he works for (Chris King Precision Components) shall go unmentioned...

Wayne,
While back in shipping I found the box you guys sent. Loved the spork and King sticker. The pepper was helpful, too. Tell Jackson he looks like a tool in his own catalog.
CD

I've said it before; it's all about the love around here... all about the love...

Tim
(For the record, I'm the one who put the spork in the box. I know a good utensil when I see one...)

I WON! (TWICE!)

Yes, that tease of a headline is true- I won both of my events today at the track; 35+ Kilo and 35+ 3K Pursuit!

The rain went away after a few tentative moments this morning, causing only a 30 minute delay to the start of the events. Yesterday's events were completed yesterday after all, so I didn't get a chance to do Sprint or Keirin. Still, I got to do some fun racing.

I love track racing. Really. The community of track cyclists is, in general, a group of people who ride track because they love to ride track. They tend to be very supportive and friendly and generally willing to help others out. It kicks ass. Don't get me wrong, it ain't like folks aren't still competitive because there are people on the track who I consider friends and have tried to knock them off their bikes during a heated Keirin.

As mentioned in the last post, today's racing was for the Arizona State Track Championsips. Refresher; there is currently no velodrome in Arizona, so they race here in San Diego and they allow us Cali' riders to race with them... we just don't get medals or the state titles (bummer). Yesterday, surprisingly- considering the rain, they were able to hold the sprint events. Today was all time trial events- the ones I really suck at. Kilo- my best ever time is 1:08 and that was the last Kilo I rode in 1996. Pursuit- until today, I'd never ever done one before. As another refresher, I haven't raced once on the track this year, so my legs are way, way green. Prior to today, the only time I have had on a velodrome this year came in April in Australia and 3-4 weeks ago on the SD track when we shot pictures for the catalog... hardly worth mentioning as track time (though my time in Australia was amazing). Suffice it to say, I went to the track today with the aim of 1) not making an ass of myself and B) having a great time... 1 out of 2 ain't bad.

Kilo... I hate the Kilo. "Killer-meter" is the name the guys from the US National team called it when they were here riding with us in '96. There's a reason; Kilo sucks! It is the most painful of all events I have ever done. Hence the 10 year hiatus. As a sprinter, we are supposed to be good at the Kilo. That may be true, but it doesn't diminish the amount of pain any. I hate the freakin' Kilo... but I figured doing a Kilo is better than not racing at the track at all, so I did the Kilo against my better judgement. Well, much to my surprise, I won the 35+ Kilo with a time of 1:18:00... 10 seconds slower than my best, but since it is the first one I have ridden in 10 years, I will live with it. It was a slow day anyway- nobody rode terribly well today- though local rider Greg P' rode an amazing 1:10-something (fortunately he was in a different group).

The start of the Kilo is absolutely critical... and mine felt pretty good for a change. The Kilo is too short to recover from a bad start. You have to nail a Kilo from the second they start you, or you are screwed. I got through the first lap thinking, "this feels pretty good". The second lap kind of went a little wobbly for me. I was going too hard and then not hard enough, so the pace wasn't optimal. The third lap, though I was literally losing my vision (getting "kilo-vision"), felt pretty good too. I thought I would pass out and was getting that ever smaller field of vision when I crossed the line.

The Pursuit is essentially the same thing as the Kilo- a time trial- but longer. Instead of riding one kilometer, I got to ride 3 kilometers! I should have been doing the 1/2/Pro category races, but I am shifting my focus in my racing to Masters events, so 35+ it was. Plus, since I'd never done a Pursuit, I didn't feel like doing a 4K Pursuit when I could just do a 3K. Yes... I wimped out of the 4K. I was paired up with a great local guy, Chris Nekarda. Chris is a fellow sprinter, so he and I were joking about how painful it was going to be for people to watch two sprinters doing a Pursuit. It was painful alright... Having never done a Pursuit, I just went on what I understand of a Pursuit, which is that you don't go as hard as a Kilo because there is no way you can hold that kind of pace and not pass out and vomit. My start was ok, maybe a little too slow, but it didn't stink.

(I swear the holder's hands are on the saddle and not something else...) Chris and I were neck and neck for the first 6 or 7 laps, but Chris began to really pull away on lap 8 of 9 and got his bell lap about a 1/4 lap ahead of me. I heard them ring the bell for his last lap, so I floored it and probably had my fastest lap of the race- managing to hold him to a 2 second vistory. However... since he was in a different age bracket, I still managed to win my age group bracket! Yeah for me! (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I rode a 4:13:06 for race... not quite a World Record pace.)

A special thanks goes out to Cindy from Sabino Cycles (and the Desert Foxes) for snapping the pictures. Cindy kicked some ass in her own races as well. If you are in the Tucson area, go see Cindy and buy a Masi from her. Tell her the Masiguy sent you and she'll maybe be nice to you... or throw you out on yer' arse. Another thanks goes to my lovely wife for allowing me to sneak out of the house for the day to go race. She even brought our daughter and the dog down to watch the races and snap a few photos as well.

After the race, my daughter proclaimed, "this is the best day ever!" I can't say that I would argue that point with her.

The bike rode so fantastically. It was my first time to ride this version of the frame "at speed". I've had it since April and have been unable to race it yet this year, thanks to business being so good and having so many projects. I have to say that the frame is amazing. I am biased, I admit it. I am paid to think that the bikes I sell are great... but this thing KICKS ASS! I was so happy with the way it handles and the acceleration. It was perfect for me... and it can be perfect for you too... in a few months time (frame, fork, headset and Masi bar tape- avaialable around November- 4.82 lbs for 56cm frame, fork and headset). I love it!

All in all, it was a great day for a track racing bike nerd. It was great to get out and "be me". It was also great to ride with all the fine folks from Arizona. I have a ton of respect for these folks who drive from all parts of Arizona to come out here and race- that's dedication. Great job guys/ gals!

Tim

(In all fairness, I have to point out that I was the ONLY rider in the 35+ category today, so by default I was the winner in both of my events simply because nobody else showed up. Since I am not an Arizona resident, I get neither the gold medal nor the state champ jersey... unless my great friends there want to make me an honorary Arizonan- which I will happily allow.)

I love racing...

So long as the weather improves a little (that means stops raining), I'll be racing on the track tomorrow! It almost never rains in San Diego this time of year, but we've been having drizzles all day today. Our velodrome has a surface that is best described as stucco painted with enamel paint; which means it is slicker than greaed owl poop when it gets wet. For you non-Southerners, owl poop is awfully slick when greased.

Our neighbors to the East in Arizona do not have a velodrome, so they hold their State Track Championships on our track and allow California riders to compete with them- we just don't get to have the medals or state titles. Today was supposed to be the sprint events, but I don't know if they had any races today with the intermittent rains. Tomorrow is supposed to be the time trials. It was my plan to just ride the Kilo and 4K Pursuit, but I may get the chance to do Sprint and Keirin tomorrow instead, thanks to the rain. Kickass!

I have yet to race on the track once this year and my last race was a criterium in April. Life and work have rightfully commanded the bulk of my attention, so the racing has been put off to the side. It hasn't been for lack of desire to race, but a lack of time and too many guilty feelings for trying. Needless to say, I'm a tad excited- hence this post at nearly 10:30PM.

Anyway, tomorrow will be fun. I'll get to ride my new track frame finally and get to race- whatever events I get to do. Should be fun, regardless. Yippee!

Tim

Cubbie's final Tour DAY France thoughts;

Tour Recap by Cubbie

Sorry this took so long to write out – I got a bit nervous when BlogHer got on board to tell you the truth. I've also got a boatload of pics here and more to come, so enjoy.

I'm seriously bummed that the French don't understand cold. McDonald's in France gives you 4 ice cubes in your Coca Cola Lite (which is gross) and the AC is non existent. It's a bit like my idea of Arkansas in the 1970s. That is my biggest gripe about France.

The race was amazing. I'd never seen such a big race happen live. It was truly very cool to FEEL the riders come through the finish at what felt like a million miles an hour – uphill. These are such remarkable athletes to say the very least. I was thrilled to see Floyd win and I'm sure you want my official take on the testosterone issue. He didn't do it intentionally. I think it's the French media sounding off. I'm going to say he's innocent until he changes his story. That's just me – and Bob too.

I really loved the scenery of France. As you can see in the photos, it's gorgeous. It is amazing that so much land has remained untouched – I'm a bit proud of the French for that. The small towns weren't anxious to have people ordering ketchup with the fritas, but whatever they served with the fries looked like . .. well. . . you know. (I'm a bit self conscious now that BlogHer is on board, so sorry if this doesn't have the same spin.)

I am going to be working on http://www.bobroll.com/ a lot in the upcoming weeks. Tons of new stuff to get out there, maybe even some new features, such as BK's Scratching Post.

Here are a few of Cubbie's Travel Tips for you to ponder on your next trip.
Wear pants on the airplane. It gets damn cold on there.
Always bring a thingy for your hair. I couldn't find a place to get a damn rubber band for my hair to save my soul.
Don't pack crappy food for the flight because you'll eat it. The airplane food really isn't that bad anymore.
Drink tons of water. Bring a few water bottles with you.
Bandanas can be your friends. I can't believe I didn't bring one.
If you're going overseas, seriously consider first class. It looks SO much more comfortable.

It's been real folks, thanks for tuning in .. .
Jet Lagged Cubbie-- Jessi Pacetti
Team Bobke
www.bobroll.com

(Ed- For some reason, Blogger will not allow me to post photos- I will keep trying though. It's working now!)

Floyd Landis doping "scandal".

Oh man, what a day. On the way to work this morning, I was listening to NPR when I heard the news that the positive doping result from the Tour was being attributed to Floyd Landis. My jaw dropped and I frantically began looking for my buddy Donna's phone number to freak out for a moment.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not naive enough to believe that there aren't dopers in the peloton, and that leaves room for Floyd to possibly be among them. I have to admit though, I really don't want to believe that he could actually be guilty. I really don't. I don't actually know Floyd, but I have had the pleasure of riding with the man since he lives relatively nearby and does some of the same winter training rides when home. I've probably said a grand total of 5-6 words to the guy, but I guess that makes me feel something of a connection anyway. Add to that, the fact that he appears to be a legitimately nice guy and you've got compelling reasons to want to believe him.


For now, until he either confesses or the tests prove beyond a doubt that he did something wrong, I am going to believe his innocence... unlike the press and WADA head Dick Pound.

Here is my big gripe with all of this; he hasn't been proven guilty of ANYTHING and yet he is being treated as if he is. His mother has fled her home to get away from the army of press assholes hounding her constantly, looking for something good to print. The press has a right to do their jobs, but the poor woman has a right to be left the hell alone too. If I were her, I'd be on the porch with a firehose chasing the filthy maggots off my lawn... but I'm a jerk like that.

In the current environment, any rider under speculation is considered guilty until proven innocent, but then they are "tainted" afterwards. Well, unless you are Richard Virenque and deny any wrongdoing for a couple years, have a teary confession and rat out other folks- then the French press and fans will welcome you back with loving arms and treat you like a national hero... but I digress. The first sample has been tested, that's all, and yet the presumption is instantly that he did something wrong. Forget that the rider in question is Floyd. It wouldn't matter- the process is flawed. Look at the Operation Puerto crap; Basso and Ullrich were named as patients of the shifty doctor at the center of this all. "Named", but they haven't failed any tests- ever. Both are suspended from racing and Ullrich was even fired by his team. Add to that the Astana-Wurth team getting pulled from the Tour, the team of Alexandre Vinokourov- a legitimate contender to win. Now the riders who were under suspicion were cleared... one week after the Tour is over and after Vino was robbed of a chance to win... because of "suspicion". That's just wrong and it needs to stop.

Again, don't get me wrong- I hate dopers. They have damaged the sport and tainted the public so that the current environment exists. This is all their fault in reality. Still, the procedures need to change and the riders need to be given due process before their livelihoods and teams are drug through the mud on suspicion, versus facts. Maybe Floyd, Basso and Ullrich really are guilty, but they deserve the chance to allow the system to come to a final conclusion before pundits and other "experts" condemn them and their actions- that includes Dick Pound and WADA.

Maybe I'm way off base and you are welcome to tell me your thoughts as usual. I wouldn't be surprised by any rider testing positive for drug use- the sport is just too damned hard and the money/ fame/ pressure is too great to believe they wouldn't be tempted. BUT... it is unfair to presume that they are all tainted property and that clean riders can't win now.

Tim

Welcome BlogHer!

You'll notice a BlogHer button and link in the upper right corner of my blog now. I wish I could say I was attending, but I will be there in spirit, that's for sure.

My good blogging friend Toby Bloomberg, the Marketing Diva, is discussing my blogger story as a panel speaker at BlogHer this year. Needless to say, I am more than just a little flattered by this honor. Really, I don't deserve it. There are lots of other folks out there doing lots of better things, who are also a lot smarter than me. Still, for some reason, Toby thinks I've been doing something right with this goofy little world of mine. Anywho... thanks Toby!

Hello BlogHer attendees! Thank you for taking the time to swing by this odd little corner of the blogosphere, or as it has been called by other bike-minded folks- the bikeosphere. This blog site is all about cycling, except for when it isn't. I ramble all over the map all the time. This blog was built on the premise of connecting the Masi brand with new and old Masi fans. I wanted to give them a new face to look at and let them know that we are alive and well. Without a marketing budget, I knew I had to go guerilla to get some buzz going. Blogging has proven to be a very successful tool for that. The community of readers and Masi fans has gotten stronger and the brand recognition is greatly improved as well- sales doubled this past year, so something is working. It isn't just because of the blogging that sales increased, but I do firmly believe it has been an ingredient.

Toby will definitely give you more insight in the story and she also profiled my story in two locations, so you can certainly get some background. Toby is amazing, so I know that she will be able to give you more than enough information. However, if you wish to speak directly to me, please feel free to do so; tjackson (at) masibikes (dot) com.

Enjoy the conference and please give Toby a big round of applause for me.

Tim

It's hot!

Southern California is in the middle of its worst heatwave in decades. It is 10:00PM right now and the sweat is still streaming off of me. In SoCal, we are used to humidity hitting highs of maybe 68% and it feels like it is at least 80+ right now... it is muggy as heck. I grew up in Alabama where summer means 90+ degrees and 100% humidity, but I admit that I have gotten spoiled out here. This stuff is killing me!

Anyway, ranting about the heat is not why I am here. I am here because I really love my job and am thankful that a few of you think I am doing something right. Being away from the blog during the sales meeting really sucked because I honestly enjoy this relationship we have here. Corny? Yes. Sincere? Yes to that too. Honestly, this stuff really gets me going. I value the fact that so many of you come here as often as you do to see what kind of stuff I might be talking about on any given day- that is really cool to me. So, in essence what I am trying to say again is... THANKS!

Very soon, the new catalog will be getting sent out to retailers and will be available upon request through the website. I am really proud of the catalog and I hope you'll see why when you read it and see all the sweet bikes in it. Rick Ortiz did all the design work, Pete Demos did all the studio photography and Kevin Conners snapped the action photos. Without their artistic help, my ideas would have gone nowhere. Rick took my "I'd like it to look like this" comments and made a really great catalog. It was a massive undertaking by all involved and was not without a few "conversation enhancers" being screamed from time to time. By the way, never ever bring up the Ta-la-la song... never.

Thanks for sticking around. I really thank you. I can't wait for the catalogs to get into your hands and for the feedback to start rolling in.

Tim

Ever listened to the Masiguy?

I've been so swamped with all of the stuff for our big sales meeting that I never got the chance to share this cool little bit of fun.

My good buddy Tim Grahl, from the Crooked Cog Network, did a really cool podcast interview with me recently and it is now up for your listening pleasure. Tim and the Crooked Cog Network are decidedly geared towards all things dirt, versus road, but he and I still get along really well because we both just really love bikes. Tim's a great guy, so the interview was really easy to do- it was kind of like talking to my brother or any other good friend. Anyway, it's a fun listen and I was surprised by what a dork I really am... forgive me for rambling on and on... I can't help myself.

Tim

Cub Reporter; checking in...

Just STARTING to go thru the pics, but this is BY FAR my fave. I'll have an online album soon enough. I've got some people sending me pics and I have to download all the ones I got from OLN too. They'll be out there soon enough . . .



I just said to him - "Hey George! Can I get a pic for bobroll.com?" He goes "Sure - you guys have been pulling for me from the beginning." and then we made out. Ok. That last part isn't true. . .

BK/CR

It's done!

Not only is Le Tour over, but so is our International Sales Meeting/Line Launch... and not a moment too soon.



There's Joe Hawk, our Fearless Leader, saying a few words after my Line Presentation- most likely saying, "thank God that's over..." I do tend to ramble a bit. On the stage is the entire product line. The picture is just bad enough that you can't really make anything out, so you'll just have to stick around and hope that I start releasing spy shots or something.

We had our entire US sales force at the meeting as well as many of our International Distributors- who I will name later when I can get all their names because I know I will forget somebody- and one of our biggest retailers. This meeting is kind of like the Superbowl and World Cup rolled into one three day event for us. This is where we launch all of the new products and sales programs for the year to our sales force so that they can go out into the world and try to sell it to the retailers... who will in turn sell the product to the consumers. All in all, it's a very important function for us- probably even more important (from a business standpoint) than going to Vegas for Interbike. Interbike is the greatest show on earth, but we do very little selling there, as most of our customers will have seen the product (via catalogs at least) before the show. Very little new sales are made in Vegas- but the relationship building is much greater there... but I digress.

Anyway, the meeting is very important for us and we put a lot into making it a special event. This year was no exception and the energy was incredible. I was personally on fire because this line of bikes is the first where I had major involvement with the graphics and overall development, as well as the creation of the new catalog. I worked very closely with people much smarter than me who made the line and catalog possible. I owe each of them a big debt of gratitude- Mike Varley, Rick Ortiz, Wayne Doran, Pete Demos, Kevin Conners among others. The new bikes and catalog are phenomenal. I am already excited about the next product cycle.

The meeting was a big success and the reps and other guests left charged-up by what they saw and heard. Needless to say, I was my normal over-animated self and gave multiple presentations with arms flailing and spit flying. I'm such a dork... but it is pretty hard to doubt my passion. Dave McGinty, a new rep of ours in the Florida area came up to me right after one of my presentations and said, with a big smile, "boy, you really are passionate aren't you!" Thanks Dave for getting the point! Yes, I am very passionate about my job, the products and what I get to do for a living. Plus, I love to get the chance to preach that gospel to anybody who will listen. Granted, the reps are paid to listen to me, but I still enjoyed my little captive audience of about 100+ people this year. Several weeks of very hard work went in to making the meeting happen and it is all worth it to me when I get to "do my thing". Next up is Montreal Canada for their big trade show and then it is off to Vegas!

During all of this activity, lots of other projects have gone uncompleted and the blogging certainly came to a standstill. Lots of other great things happened too, like more team wins and other cool things. I will have more posts in the coming days and will really try to get back into a much more regular pattern of posting again. The hardest work is done now, so I can get back to this fun stuff...

Besides, I just finished building up my new carbon bike and I'll need to post pictures and give ride stories... but I'll leave you with this note;
61cm bike, complete, nothing goofy- DA shifting and drivetrain, DA wheels, Ritchey carbon fork and seatpost, Easton EC90 bar, Arione saddle and new Thomson road stem ... 17.09lbs! Not too danged bad for a bike that has no silly-light parts and is the biggest frame size we make. It'll be at least a half pound lighter when I put my new Cane Creek carbon sew-up wheels on for racing.

Sweet!

Tim

Tour de France wrap-up, final thoughts and thanks...

I can't believe it is over now and for the second year in a row, my company had its International Sales Meeting/ Product Launch on the the last weekend of the Tour. Two years in a row... there should be a law!

Anyway, on to the Tour stuff.

I was unable to post for the past several days due to the sales meeting and an absence of a web connection, but don't think I wasn't following things in France. After Floyd's spectacular failure in stage 17, Landis rallied against all probable odds to win the next day and regain nearly all the time he had lost. In doing so, Floyd carved his name in the record books for amazing days in the Tour's history. Surely, his ride will measure up to LeMond's race winner in 1989. Two days later, Landis rode strong enough for thrid in the final time trial and regained the yellow jerey. The race's final day was a victory lap that was hard earned and well deserved by Floyd. His win will go down in the record books as one of the most incredible ever. Bad hip or not, his ride is worthy of legend and myth.

This Tour has to be considered one of the most exciting in decades. Drama was plentiful, from drug scandals, to crahes, to "bad days", to redemption and to elation. It had it all. No team dominated the event at any point, even when it looked like one might when T-Mobile did so well in the first long time trial and had several riders in the top 10. Phonak never gave a truly dominating performance, but always rode strong in defense of Floyd and ultimately delievered him to Paris in yellow. This race delivered what no other Tour of the past several years has been able to; suspense.

Each of the final jersey winners earned their special tunics and each will be regarded as worthy of the record books;

Yellow jersey/ Overall winner- Floyd Landis... need I say more? What a great ride by a great man. Here's to seeing him this winter on the local roads again and having the chance to give him a pat on the back for a job well done. Here's to a speedy recovery and a great title defense!

Green jersey/ Best Sprinter- Robbie McEwen. Robbie the Rocket won his thrid green jersey and won three stages in the race, proving that his legs are still among the best in the world when it comes to the mad dash for the line. Robbie rode a tough and aggressive race and had the luxury of knowing the jersey could not be taken from him by anybody on the last day- as happened to him in the past. Robbie is almost as well known for his mouth as he is for his legs, but this year the legs really did do the talking.

Polka Dot jersey/ Best Climber- Michael Rasmussen. The Chicken managed to stay upright long enough to claim his second consecutive climber's jersey and a hard fought stage win as well. Rasmussen proved that he was the best climber of the race after starting the competition at a deficit while supporting team leader Denis Menchov. Once Menchov faltered, Rasmussen went on the attack for moutain points and demolished his rivals. The lanky, ok... frightfully skinny Dane proved that he is a rider to be feared when the climbing is truly painful- making people ask, "Rujano who?"

White jersey/ Best Young Rider- Damiano Cunego. The Kid is a gifted rider and one to watch for the next decade. Everybody already knew this thanks to his Giro win two years ago, but he fell off the map for the better part of two seasons due to injury and sickness. He now appears to be getting fit again and maturing as well. He should prove to be a threat to many riders for a long time to come and certainly brings new hope for Italian cycling fans for a new Italian Tour hero to replace the departed Pantani.

It was a great race this year and I can't wait for the new punditry to begin for the next one.

I'd like to thank Jessi Pacetti for playing Cub Reporter and working so hard to help me provide you with in-depth and expanded coverage of the race. Her unique perspective and sense of humor was great to have here and I hope to have the chance to collaborate with her again. I only apologize for not getting her posts up sooner and missing the past few days of her commentary and behind the scenes stories. I am already looking forward to next year's race and trying to "cover" it for you all.

Thank you all for reading the coverage and oddball commentary here. It was a lot of fun again. Next year, I'll try to make sure that the company doesn't schedule a major, multi-day event during the race.

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 16 report

What else can you say, especially if you are an American rooting for the US riders except today was a really bad day.

Floyd Landis had the single worst meltdown of this Tour and certainly one of the most incredible bad days for a rider in the yellow jersey in many, many years. After retaking the yellow yesterday, Floyd loses an incredible 10 minutes and 4 seconds in the closing kilometers of the stage today. What once looked like a done deal for Floyd is now a near impossibility. The image of Floyd nearly going in reverse on the final moments of the stage is one of the more enduring images of pain and suffering in recent years. The tank was simply empty. For those of us who wanted to see him pull off the win, today was a bad day. Having ridden with the man, I have to say that it was a serious heartbreaker.

George Hincapie fell even further down in the standings today, dropping slightly more than 28 minutes to the winner. George now sits in 42nd place, a distant 53 minutes down. Levi Leipheimer managed to minimize his losses and finished a very respectable 9th and moved up to the same spot on the GC. His hopes of a top ten finish are looking stronger.

Oscar Pereiro, a man very few people considered a threat to win the Tour when he took over the yellow a few days ago before losing it to Floyd, now sits in yellow again and has a very real chance to stay on the podium. This crazy Tour is far from over, based on what we have seen so far, so the final outcome is far from certain. Cadel Evans has risen back up to 5th after finishing 4th today.

It seems safe to say, well who knows, that Andreas Kloden is now suddenly a very real candidate to win the race. He has shown he can climb and is not that bad a time trial rider. He could really make it happen. He was 2nd in the race in 2004, so he is no stranger to the pressure of contending. With T-Mobile still reeling from the expulsion of Jan Ullrich and Oscar Sevilla in the drug scandal, they are likely going to throw everything they have into supporting Kloden and trying to get him into yellow by Paris.

Tomorrow will be less painful, hopefully, but it could still play a big roll in the final outcome. I would make some prognostications, but it seems totally futile in light of today. Somebody will win tomorrow. They'll be happy. That's all I know...

The Cub Reporter will likely have a post for us soon. I hear through the Grapevine that it was a fairly solemn day in France for the US folks. Dang. Sorry Reva and Donna... our boy had a bad, BAD day.

Tim

Tour de France/ Tour DAY France Special Report;

The Cub Reporter pointed out that I am a "STUPID WANKER" because she sent me a report for yesterday that I promptly lost in my PowerPoint drunken haze. She has also already supplied today's post as the racing goes on. Pretty cool...

So, since (or sense?) I am losing my mind with other tasks at the moment, I give you a "two-fer" of vintage Cub reporting; two installments in one shot, in order and unedited. Fot the legions of BK/CR fans, this is a buffet of bedlam, a cornocopia of chortles, a load of laughs and a group of giggles...

Without further delay... The Cub!

7/18

ALEX TRAUTWIG, YOU'RE MY HERO!

First and foremost - Alex Trautwig is the coolest. Because of him, I get to use a computer every day. He's writing for olntv.com, active.com and SI Kids while he's here. He's sixteen. He's even cool, ladies so STEP UP!

Anyways, the trip went well except for the sic year old kid who WHINED for six and a half hours. Seriously, insane.

I saw that Cub Reporter's Mom is up and commenting. How cute is that, seriously?
Lots of crazy thoughts . .. . I'll ramble.

They sell TdF lighters. I bought a few for he irony.

I watched the Tour in French. That was weird because I was tired and didn't understand a damn thing, good thing it was a boring stage. The French Phil is having a coronary with 95K to go and there's nothing going on to even SUGGEST a coronary. Awesome. Our Lonely Planet French guide is saving our lives - or it's going to get us shot. As Donna mentioned on her blog, we did planes, trains & automobiles without knowing a lick of French . . . .all we had was that book. It wasn't such a lonely planet for us!

Bob rode up the big hill with the OLN bigwig (who was responsible for that awesome Anna Nicole show on E! so natch, he is a genius.) Anyways, he's also a very good cyclist. They made it up in one hour forty minutes. They had a great ride and pics will follow once I get all the tech stuff worked out. On that note, Righteous Rod made it up here in one hour ten minutes, and as you will hear later today, Phil's denist made it up in 76 minutes. It's a huge deal. We drove, and that was AMAZING. A year ago I would have NEVER thought I would be hauling up L'Alpe d Huez for WORK. I seriously had tears in my eyes. It was honestly surreal. Great stuff.

Phil has read a bunch of the stuff I've written. It's probably a good thing that I had a few drinks in him first. He laughed a lot. He didn't realize how much fun I made of him. I didn't either.
I gotta go check the end of this stage out. . .. .too much. My next entry will be MUCH more organized.

Scavenger hunt check in. Al had the TourDAYFrance tee and loves it. Now it's just getting him to WEAR it or hold it up on tv, which he says he will. . . ..
VIva la tour. . .
cr

7/19

Schleck means Snail in French

All is well here. I wrote yesterday and it was so good that Tim didn't post it because he hates it when I write something better than he does. I'm going to write a bit about yesterday today and I hope to see yesterday's blog up because there is a very important shout out.. Here we watch the race on tv, just like at home, except a few things. We watch the feed and get to see everything, even the stuff that doesn't make tv. So we see the uneventful stuff and hear the off color commentary plus the swearing. It's not as cool as it sounds, but no commercials. Bob and Al are in one truck and PSquared are in another. When we watch it underneath the broadcast booth that they like to show everyday. We hear PSquared, not Bob and Al. That's my least favorite part about it. So. We decided to go to the finish and watch it live, so we get in at the 50m mark, which wasn't a smart move. Too much traffic, because that's where the cars turn off. It was crowded. The 'carnival' before the race comes through is LONG. I'm serious. LONG. It was cool even through I had no clue what the advertisers are. Some candy, some other crap. Anyways. Cub Reporter's mom is so cute that she Tivo'ed it like usual and rewinded AND slo-mo'd the whole finish and couldn't see me. I must not have been on. That is so cute that she looked for me repeatedly. Ok, here's the good part. We were looking down the final stretch and we could see the big tv that was broadcasting the race live. We could tell that CSC had the lead, but couldn't tell who it was. I was praying it was Zabriski. There was an announcer who spoke French (which they do a lot of over here) said Zabriski's name at one point, but it's hard to understand them even when they say words or names you know. I'll tell you what. The excitement and anticipation of seeing that first rider FLY around the bend was unreal. And I'm serious when I say FLY. Amazing. Absolutely freaking amazing. Robbie Ventura is here and Mrs. Landis has been hanging around OLNLand so people were happy here afer the race. It was one of the coolest things to watch. Up until this point, the Amgen Tour of California was the biggest race I saw live. This is much cooler. Especially at L'Alpe-D'Huez. Congrats to Schleck. He is a cutie patootie to say the least. Fun fact. Schleck means Snail in French. I think Phil mentions that on the commentary, but I like the way it sounds. Maybe it will get on the site before you hear it. Maybe not.

Crashing today. Lots of it. Heads up . .. . todays desents are INSANE. We drove down them at abou 90 miles an hour with Bob at the helm. Shit, I thought that BKCR was done. I texted my best friend and let her know where my will was. I also promised myself that I would update it if I lived through that ride. Looks like I have an appointment to make. I was also scared for the race today because of the course. The desent is going to be just as hard as the climbs because of the turns. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. It's bad ass.

Ok. As usual, this blog brought to you by Alex Trautwig. Thanks big guy!
Signing off.
cr

There you have it! Two days of the Cubbie in one day, one post, one location. I don't know about you, but I'm getting emotional.

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 15 report

Landis is back in yellow now, proving that his gamble was the right one to make- at least for now. Sure, there is a chance he could lose the race still, but considering that he made going up the l'Alpe look easy today... while setting the fastest time of the day on the climb (38:34)... it's looking pretty good for Pretty Boy Floyd.

Frank Schleck of CSC was the day's big winner. He also won Amstel Gold in April, so the kid has a lot of promise. Second place was the resurgent Damiano Cunego, who seems to finally be getting his legs back underneath him. The Kid Cunego has so much talent, as you would expect from a guy who won the Giro two years ago while only 22 years old. It's good to see him coming back. Another nice surprise was Stefano Garzelli getting third. I like Garzelli. He is also a former winner of the Giro and has always floundered at the Tour. He has had a few up and down years ever since winning the Giro, but he's always been one of the classier riders in the peloton. Doesn't talk a lot, he just rides his bike really well.

Floyd rode very conservatively, marking his main rival- Andreas Kloden. Landis barely looked like he was trying at all, so tomorrow should be frightening to the other riders. Phonak rode just strong enough, with Axel "son of Eddy" Meckx in the early dangerous breakaway. Floyd's other rivals rode well enough to not lose major time, but enough time to need to be worried over the next few days. Cadel Evans is now even more of an outside shot for the podium, after showing great promise earlier in the race. He could still do something special this year, but certainly has matured during this race and has shown a potential to win the race. Denis Menchov and Levi Leipheimer both lost time, but fought hard. Menchov is not too far off, but he hasn't shown an ability to make it over the big climbs with the other contenders. Leipheimer is still digging out of his earlier time losses, but is still riding well in the grand scheme of things.

Tomorrow will really hurt. Today was nasty and tomorrow is much the same thing. Major climbs like the Galibier, Croix-de-Fer and then another uphill finish on the Category 1 climb, the Toussuire. It should be the final major proving ground of the race as the following stage on Thursday, though very hard, does not have a mountaintop finish. Friday's stage will be relatively "easy" and then Saturday should be the day that Floyd cements his lead- if he is still in yellow.

It's a little too quiet here at Masiguy Global World Domination HQ without the amusing ramblings of the Cub Reporter. She's been having to beg for computer use from Al Trautwig's son, but I guess he's got more pressing things to worry about. I hear from Donna and the Cub's very own mother that things are going very well and that she is having a great time already. I've even heard a rumor she's found her way on camera. I've also heard that the French government has requested the presence of the US Ambassador at the French capital. Coincidence?

Well BK/CR, hope you are well, enjoying the brie and wine and managing to stay out of jail.

Tim


FYI- Masiguy is number one in Google for the search "Tour de France podium girls naked". Cool!

Further proof that my wife is funnier (not smarter) than me.

I received the following from my wife...

I warn you, this is funny, so if you are drinking something... get a wipe...

Masiwife; Your Post is rife with spelling errors.
You have got to stop drinking and writing.

Masiguy; Does it wreak?

MW; Oh it reeks all right.
Can we just pretend that sense I didn't post (that'd be SINCE dear)
yay! (or yeah, like they use in Monty Python as well as the rest of the English-speaking world)
Guy like Hincapie are trying to figure how (Is Guy trying to be like Hincapie or is Hincapie the guy)
Tuesday and Wednesday will rally hurt some folks (No! No! Not the rally hurt! Anything but the rally hurt!)
The Cubbie is now in France, eating brie and drinking Chardonnay by now. (Yeah, but what about now?)
or she might be chaising George around (are you saying she's laying on chair, in the sun?)
Tomorrow is a big, bug day, so let's hope all the riders are rested and ready (A big BUG day? Where are they riding?)
I'd lke to give a special thanks to Jessi' mom (is Jesse' mom your baby-mama?)

MG; Jesus you are funny! I love you. Will you keep marrying me?

(I'm posting this by the way...)

MW; Not unless your spelling improves.

Tim

Tour de France; Very late Stage 14 report and Rest Day summary

Can we just pretend that sense I didn't post about stage 14 that it just didn't happen? No? Fine then, have it your way...

A French guy on a French team won the stage by beating an Italian guy on an Italian team. The French guy is the 2005 French national champion and the Italian guy is a former Italian national champion. Pierrick Fedrigo supplied Bouygues-Telecom with their first ever stage win and host nation France with their third stage win of this Tour.

The stage was marred by more crashes, including a nasty crash that happened in the winning break. Rik Verbrughe, David Canada and Mattias Kessler. Verbrugghe and Canada were forced out of the race with broken bones and Kessler was able to finsh the stage. Kessler has already won one stage of the race this year, so he could leave proudly, but his team is short a few riders already.

Anyway, in summary- French guy on French team wins and makes all the French fans happy. )And there was much rejoicing... yay!)

Skip to today... rest day number two. Legs are tired, bodies are sore and former contenders are trying to figure out where they went wrong and how it happened. Guy like Hincapie are trying to figure how their Tour imploded and Leipheimer is probably kicking himself for losing so much time in that darned first time trial. Boonen is likely trying to figure out why he can't win a stage this year. One thing is sure; they are all happy to have this rest day.

Now we move into the real race... the part that gets really painful. Tuesday and Wednesday will rally hurt some folks. I would expect some painful time losses tomorrow with the stage finishing on l'Alpe d'Huez... after a rest day. Legs are going to have a hard time making that adjustment. Thursday has one Above Category climb and then Friday is nearly flat. Saturday is the final big TT and should be great for Lanids if he is in the the lead or still contending for it. Then, of course, Sunday is the big day in Paris. This will be Boonen's chance to redeem himself, if he hasn't on the stage Thursday.

We are in the closing stretch now and things are about to get even more exciting. So far, this has been a damned fun Tour. I'm looking forward to this week...

The Cubbie is now in France, eating brie and drinking Chardonnay by now. She might be trying to climb a straw structure or she might be chaising George around trying to get him to autograph her... something. One thing is for sure, she is raising Hell and having a great time. While she was at the aiport waiting to leave for the land of berets, she filed this report...

BK's Quote of the Day
Who is going to win? It's a race to win for eight, ten or fifteen men. And one man's race to lose -- Floyd Landis.

-Bob Roll

Bob said it best on Friday. Bob usually does say it best . This is seriously the most interesting turn of events. Ten to fifteen guys are in contention. That makes this all VERY exciting. Granted, it was fun to see the American win for seven years and overcome cancer, the Belgians etc. I am excited to see some other guys move up - and see it all shake down in PERSON. (Popyvich? Floyd? LEVI?) It was sad to see Johann come on OLN for his obligatory interview during the race. I realize he's never lost at a Tour, but that is a rare feat and he didn't do it alone. I would think that Lance had a lot to say about the building of that US Postal/Discovery team. It has to be tough for him, just on a lot of different levels. I believe that he still has large interests within the
team; personally, financially, professionally.

My Tour Goals.
Get my picture with Floyd, Thor, GH (still!), Boonen
Be down at the finish line in my gold TOURDAYFRANCE* tshirt so you all can see me.
Get Lance to don a TOURDAYFRANCE* tshirt and get a pic with him and Bob.
Have Al wear the TOURDAYFRANCE tee on the air
Get some great networking done
Get some sponsors for BOBKEFEST: The best bike festival in all the land

* The gold TOURDAYFRANCE tees are in the Livestrong logo and there are 24 in the world. Four are between me and my husband. It's a collector's item, folks!

I think that's some seriously fun goals. I did have an offer to ride in a team car. I'm not
sure I want to interfere with the madness. You know? We'll see when I get there.

Ok, kittie cats - watch for me. I don't think I will be able to cartwheel behind Al and Bob during the broadcast, but look for me out there. I'm not sure the next time I'll be able to write so rock on with your bad selves!

CR

Tomorrow is a big, bug day, so let's hope all the riders are rested and ready. Should be fun to watch and listen to.

Tim
(PS- I'd lke to give a special thanks to Jessi' mom for stopping by and posting a comment the other day. Cub Reporter's mom; You Rock!)

Tour DAY* France; Lucky 13

*The "DAY" thing is just for Jessi and Bob... (if you follow the link to the site and then look under the "Blogke" section, you'll understand why...)

Today's winner was none other than the very venerable Voigt, Jens (the "V" thing got to me... sorry). Jens Voigt is hands-down one of the classiest and coolest guys in the peloton. The guy busts his ass all the time and is the current King of the long breakaway, especially since the retirement of Jacky Durand. Jens can win time trials, or simply attack from the first kilometer and hold the field off on painfully long breaks. He's just a very gutsy rider and earns each and every win he ever gets. CSC has been in need of some form of redemption since Basso' exclusion from the race, due to doping allegations. Voigt has very much made team director Bjarne Riis' Tour with his well-timed stage win.

The break spent a great deal of time out on the roads away from the pack today. Enough time to get more than a 30 minute lead on the field. An intelligently disinterested field let the break get a boatload of time today. In the end, after riding the last few kilometers in the shadow of Voigt, Oscar Pereiro managed to eek out enough time to take over the yellow jersey and shift the burden of protecting it to Caisse d'Epargne. Pereiro lost 30 some-odd minutes to Landis in the Pyrenees. When the race hits the Alps in a few days, he will likely lose a lot more than that.

Landis might catch a bunch of grief for letting the break get so far away that he lost the yellow jersey, especially if his gamble doesn't net him the final yellow jersey in Paris. However, given the circumstances, I think Floyd was imminently smarter than most people assume; the pressure to defend is now shifted to another team, leaving Phonak with a few days to simply rest until arriving at the really hard stages in the Alps.

Sunday's stage will be much like Satuday's, though the climbing is a little harder. Much like today, I would expect another small break to get away. With Monday being a rest day, it is likely that lesser riders will be reaching over their heads for a stage win. With a disinterested field, it is possible for a smaller break to gain enough time to hold off the field. Time gaps like today's are unlikely, but I'd expect early attacks and if the right combination is met (lower placed riders), it just might work again.

Jens Voigt is a classy rider, riding for a classy but embattled team. His win today will help to boost the morale of the remaining riders on the team. Maybe now Carlos Sastre will feel empowered to go for the GC now.

Now we get to the Cub Reporter, who is likely stepping off a plane in France as I type this. In fear that the French version of the internet might not allow her to submit a post, she was prudent enough to "can" a couple posts for all of us to enjoy. So, with further delay, the Cub Reporter;

My mom has been playing the Trek Tour Mania game since day one. She goes to the store and gets her game piece for her and my father, plus she plays for the both of them on the website everyday. With the odds, you think the lady would have won a freaking Power Bar or something. Today, she gets her first Power Bar. She was really stoked. Good for her. Congrats Mom! The lady won't even eat the thing. Has anyone else won or heard of anyone who has won on this Tour Mania game? I want some nationwide scoop on this one.


Tuesday I wasn't feeling well and I wanted to hang out with my mom so we did a fun little project together. I went to the Trek Store (so she could get her Tour Mania scratch off) and I purchased a Discovery mussette bag. I ripped out all the seams, fused a lining fabric on the back and made a drawstring bag out of it. It's a good prototype. I think I would put a yellow band around the top so the logo doesn't get so smashed up when you pull the top tight. I think it's pretty cool. Check it out.


I'm in transit. . .forgive me.
cr

Until the next stage in a few hours...

Tim
(PS- Yes I know that I am posting this much, much later than normal. Two reasons; 1) I posted earlier in the day, but Blogger ate the post and it vanished into the ether. B) I went out for beers with my best friend. Blame him...)

Tour de France; Stage 12 report

Discovery pulls their collective head of out their collective ass and get the collective win, in the form of Yaroslav Popovych in a late jump from a small breakway. Wait a gall-darned second... didn't I predict the win would likely come from a small group... maybe even somebody jumping out of a small group? Dang... I'm good at this.

So yeah, Johann Bruyneel saves his ass with the team finding a way to at least get a stage win this year. Johann has directed more Tour wins than any other director, all with the same rider I know, but still. I have an incredible amount of respect for the man and what he has done as a team director. There was a time, when I realilzed that I wasn't going to be a pro riding in Europe, that I really wanted to be a team director. Some days, when I'm staring at catalog proofs, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations that I think I would still like to pursue a full-time directorship of a pro team. Then I get that regular paycheck every two weeks and remember that I know when I'm going to get paid, I don't have to chase sponsorship money and try to corale a bunch of stupid* cyclists... I think I've made the right decision. (* I say "stupid" in the most loving and supportive way I possibly can.)

Anyway, too bad Johann lost two of his best riders today when Noval and Savoldelli both abandoned. Paolo, apparently, ran into a spectator riding his bike down the mountain to the team hotel after the stage yesterday and needed about 10 stitches to close a cut over his eye. Ouch!

The day was once again riddled with constant attacks. It wasn't until nearly 100km into the race that the final selection was made. With Freire, Le Mevel, Ballan and Popo getting away. The break worked well enough to keep the peoloton at bay and maintained a lead of slightly over 4 minutes to the finish. With just slightly less than 4km remaining, Popovych unleashed his final race-winning attack. The 26 year old Ukranian scored the biggest of his professional wins in fine fashion. Once his legs mature a bit more, the promising former U23 World Champion could eventually fulfill the promise many people think he represents. Who knows, if he stays with Johann, he could extend Bruyneel's record tally of Tour wins some day.

Tomorrow is much the same as today, though with no climbs rated higher than a category 4. expect much the same sort of race as today, though I would think that the sprinters would be working much harder to secure a mass gallop to the line. My pick, if it comes to a sprint is either Freire or Hushovd. Even though Boonen finally "beat" Robbie in a sprint today for the minor placings, I'm still thhinking he doesn't have the kick he needs to win a grougp sprint with all the contenders. But I could easily be wrong...

Our intrepid Cub Reporter is now in the process of destroying airport bars from here to France. I'm sure she is doing all she can to find a way to sleep through the long transatlantic flight- ie; sleeping off a hangover. We may be expereincing something of a quiet patch without her. However, being the dedicated cycling journo' that she is, she has logged this most recent post from her stop in Chicago (unedited for your enjoyment...);

OK - you should look this over, I'm not on my keyboard and I'm weary. . .. not hopped up - just weary.

There has been many inquires about the watch Bob is sporting on the air. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the same watch as written about in Bobke II. However, it is a very cool piece. The Corum Buckingham Wunderkammer http://www.corum.ch/dev/index.html was purchased in NYC last month. Bob has been drooling over it for as long as I've known him. It is a limited edition and is one of 1000. It is pretty bad ass to say the least. It is so Bob. He almost got a Cartier, but it just didn't suit him like the Corum.

The skull ring he has been wearing on his right hand he has had since he was about 15 years old. He bought it in San Fran down near Haight/Ashbury. He recently had it fixed in New York by his good friend, who we'll just call Fancy Pants Nancy. She is an absolute doll and I can't wait to meet her again. When I'm out there I'll be sure to get a good picture of it.

Congrats to Popyvich. I was really stoked to see Discovery pull something out. I know he isn't American, but I like to see DIscovery succeed. I have heard that Lance is very emotional when it comes to watching the races. I am unsure if he is in France yet, but I can only IMAGINE his response to yesterday's ride. Woah Doggie.

So the kids are having a ball at Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bill's house, they almost pushed us out the door and we're getting on a flight tomorrow. I am so very ready. I cannot wait. I'm nervous about the internet access, but we're going to work around it, so bear with me. The entries may be get a bit short if I have to call them in at $1 a minute. I can't wait to get an album of all the pics up and out there. I have the questions you funny people gave me on Donna's blog, so that should be fun reporting. Bye for now.

CR

The miracle of modern medicine... indeed.

Ok, tomorrow is another fast day. We'll see if I'm right as usual... I mean again.

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 11 report

Here's my favorite quote so far from this year's Tour;

"I've been riding on my bike for seven hours, I've climbed five cols... tomorrow, there's a stage of 212 kilometres, and after that, a stage of 230 kilometres... I think that's just great," Boonen said sarcastically. "This is scandalous, it's over the top. I'm also supporting the battle against doping, but with these sorts of stages, the battle will never be won," he said.

Hmm... I wonder what Turbo Tom is talking about? Hi-freakin'-larious!

So yeah, today was kind of exciting. Floyd moves in to yellow, even with a bum hip (sorry Phil, I just had to...). Leipheimer gets the "come back from the grave" award for the day. Yesterday he sucked the tailpipe, almost as bad as his disastrous time trial, and then today he is sprinting for the win. Menchov rode strong and smart enough to get the stage win after some incredibly kick-ass support from teammates Boogerd and Crash Chicken Rasmussen. Rasmussen very bravely and selflessly sacrificed his own personal ambitions in an effort to play the role of Super Domestique for Menchov. It was really impressive. On top of that, Dessel and the AG2R team rode a far better defense of the yellow jersey than anybody was willing to believe. Dessel lost exactly the amount of time he had on Floyd, so that Floyd moved into the yellow solely by virtue of his 8 second time bonus for 3rd place.

One of the greatest images of the stage was watching Floyd driving the pace for the last 5 kilometers, knowing he was tossing out his chance to win the stage in exchange for time on his rivals and the chance to grab the yellow. When Floyd knew his companions were not going to work with him, he simply plowed ahead and gained all the time on his rivals on his on. Dogged determination is a powerful thing. I've ridden with the guy and can honestly say he's a humble funny guy in real life, but he obviously understands his job and has learned how to fight for the win this year.

Then there were the losers... oh man. The Alps are where things are supposed to get really ugly and we've already seen the wheels come off the Discovery train. Dang! That was pretty painful to watch. VeloNews said it best in their commentary today;

The implosion of the Discovery Channel team that has finally been exposed as a far less force in the Tour without their retired seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. The team that began the Tour with the balance of power in its favor, today saw its overall hopes founder. Dual Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli of Italy finished in 50th place at 23:04, and last year's best young rider, Ukraine's Yaroslav Popovych placed 26th on the stage 6:25 back..

Iban Mayo had another total meltdown, similar to his last Tour, and abandoned the race. After his stage win earlier in the year at the Dauphine-Libere, many people thought Mayo might be back to his old winning ways. Sadly, he's headed home for some paella. Fortunately the drive will be a little shorter since the stage finished in Spain. Mayo's meltdown was all the more dramatic thanks to a TV moto being in his face to capture the whole thing. I like the guy and think he's a classy rider, but he's a tad fragile. Not quite Pantani-esque, maybe a bit more Simoni-like.

Today's results of note; Winners and losers...
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 6.06.25 (33.813 km/h)
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
3 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak
0.17-
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
5 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC
1.04-
6 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
1.31-
7 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 8 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
9 Andreas Klöden (Ger) T-Mobile
2.29-
10 Christophe Moreau (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance
12 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
4.10-
15 José Azevedo (Por) Discovery Channel
16 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval
4.45-
18 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R-Prevoyance (Nice try to defend the jersey though.)
21 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) T-Mobile
22 Axel Merckx (Bel) Phonak
5.48-
24 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears
6.25-
26 Yaroslav Popovyvch (Ukr) Discovery Channel
10.03-
33 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Fondital
35 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC 11.08
36 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
21.23-
46 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel (His podium hopes are blown now, for sure...)
23.04-
50 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel
27.45-
59 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Liquigas
64 Egoi Martinez (Spa) Discovery Channel
33.47-
65 Erik Zabel (Ger) Milram
71 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
72 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas (Go Finland! I'm more Finn than anything else...)
76 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis
78 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
86 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) T-Mobile
35.47-
91 David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval (Needs a little more saddle time after two year doping ban.)
101 Pavel Padrnos (Cze) Discovery Channel
102 Viatscheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel
104 Benjamin Noval (Spa) Discovery Channel
40.32-
111 José Rujano (Ven) Quick-Step-Innergetic (Not his kind of climb yet... waiting for Alps?)
117 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
120 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step-Innergetic
128 Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Phonak
44.20-
130 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC
137 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
140 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) Liquigas
148 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Discovery Channel
152 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
154 Christopher Horner (USA) Davitamon-Lotto
163 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
DNF Iban Mayo (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi (It is now safe to say that he is not going to win this Tour.)

Pretty amazing. Some of those time gaps are shocking... and it isn't even at the hardest part of the race yet. Tomorrow is a constant roller. No major climbs to speak of, but the day is really never flat. Might be good for a breakaway of non GC guys. Maybe some of the guys who got slapped around today will try to make something happen tomorrow. The finish is on a series of constant rollers. The biggest climb of the day is early in the stage. Good ingredients for a fast finish. Some guys who suffered today will suffer tomorrow too because their legs are going to feel like lead. Don't be surprised if some big gaps form. My pick? Somebody fast enough to win from a small break... maybe Horner? He had a bad day today and he's one of those guys who is a tactical genius with great recovery. He is way down on GC, so he might get the ok to leave the pack.

No matter what, it'll be an intersting day... regardless of how much Boonen doesn't like it.

Tim

Cub Reporter Check-in

"Floyd should play those poker games on television. He gives nothing away with that face."
Phil Liggett's Quote of the Day

Congratulations to Donna's Boy Floyd. It was great to see his ride today. Refreshing. I get all hot and bothered seeing USA in that lead group. You better believe I want this US Cycling to do well this year whether its Floyd, Levi, etc. I feel like a broken record, but I still get crap for cheering for Amish Landis. I LOVE Floyd's silver Elvis Oakleys. Those are freaking sweet. Maybe he can score a better looking kit now. I just saw him signing the yellow jerseys and his 'graph is pretty cool. I took a handwriting analysis course for 2 semesters and if what I learned is true, he's probably a pretty cool guy. I totally gained a lot of love for him in the last 4 minutes. Cool. Maybe he'll shave the 'stache. It creeps me out a bit. Hmmm. Donna is a smart girl. Floyd also looks great it yellow. It makes him glow like he's expecting. How lovely for him.

A hardy WELCOME BACK is also in order for Mr. Levi. It was good to see him out front today and to see him working it at the finish. We missed you big guy, good work.

The Boogie Man did a great set up for the leads today. Never forget the Boogie Man, he does phenomenal work. Do you think his teeth were done by the Muppet Workshop?

Looks like Georgie Porgie may have had the shellfish for dinner last night. Not sure what's going on with him, but look where Levi was yesterday vs. today. 24 hours can make a big difference for sure. I'm not done with him. You'd better believe I'm going to get the scoop on that one from the Blobstack this afternoon.

Over six hours in the saddle. Wow. That's a long day in the mountains. I think these are the names we're going to hear a lot: Landis, Leipheimer, Sastre, Menchov, Evans. . .. and its getting good, folks. Maybe GH is waiting to show off for me in the flesh. That wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Ok – the big story? NO BLAZERS! NO FREAKING BLAZERS! Thank you thank you thank you to whoever is responsible. Bob is on FIRE without the blazer. It cramped his style. I'm a big fan of the casual look. Everyone start writing emails to

olntv.com about the positive change. What a lovely surprise. I was up at two this morning – couldn't sleep – so I called Bob and he was surprised I wasn't drunk and made no mention whatsoever of the Blazerless Thursday. Maybe he didn't know it was coming.

Well – I start traveling tomorrow. I'll keep you posted as best I can . . . .promise . . .
cr

This one's for you Bernie! This is a picture of me, Billy Biker Boy and DICK LEINENKUGEL.

My husband and him keep in touch. Dick is getting some decals made up for Bill's beanbag boards. Don't ask guys, it keeps him out of the bars.

Tour; FLOYD!

Floyd in yellow! Well, I know he was already in yellow, but this is better yellow!

More later... what a day...

Yippee Floyd!

I like Floyd. Go Floyd!

Proof positive

For anybody who is convinced that compact road cranks are just a marketing myth, here's a quote from today's Tour de France stage winner;

Dessel believed that the yellow jersey was the reward for a solid first week of racing for him. "I even did a decent time trial although I really am a climber," he said. "I had been waiting for this stage all week, and I was right to ask our mechanic to give me a compact chainset for these really tough climbs. That certainly helped!"

(From Cyclingnews.com)

I'm just sayin...

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 10 report

Ok, I was partially right about how things would unfold today. I admit I wasn't spot on, but I had the general flavor of things pretty close.

Gonchar released the yellow jersey, as he wasn't able to defend it himself and T-Mobile wasn't going to bury itself to defend it for him. Sure makes it look like they are putting their eggs in the Kloden basket.

I said Horner would be active and he was- though his break was chased down since it had Chavanel, Vande Velde and Patrik Sinkewitz. Those guys all represented too much of a threat to let get any time on the field, so they were brought back fairly quickly.

Over the HC (above categorization) Soudet, things started getting a little ugly. The winning break was already up the rode, waiting to shed a little dead wood, and the field was getting eaten up. Although it appeared that T-Mobile was working to keep the yellow jersey, it was really working to minimize time losses for their real GC guy Kloden and his support riders. It didn't seem like they were even riding that hard (relative term there), and yet major players were getting hammered- Mayo looked like he was in real trouble and evidently was, since he lost more than 24 minutes by the finish. Stick a fork in him because he's done.

As the leaders were solidifying their gap and getting the yellow jersey squarely on Cyril Dessel's back, guys like Leipheimer were suffering up the final Marie Blanque and had to rely on the long descent and run in to the finish to catch the group again. Poor Levi, he really seemed like a contender for this race and he has just been going in the wrong direction since the time trial.

Dessel and breakaway companion Mercado fought valiantly to secure their gap and then began the usual games to see who would win. Mercado felt he was "owed" the win since Dessel would be winning the yellow and polka dot jerseys at the end of the day. Dessel felt differently and fought hard to try and win the stage though mercado got the win at the line- some saw it as bad taste after e allowed Dessel to do almost all the work in the closing kilometers. But hey... that's racing (more on that in a moment).

In the end T-Mobile rode smart enough, though not brilliantly. Phonak kept Floyd well placed and major upsets were kept to a minimum. Tom Boonen didn't have to worry about losing the sprint today, as there wasn't one. He's probably sleeping just fine too.

Tomorrow will be the next big test with 5 major climbs on tap- 1 Haute Categorie, the dreaded Tourmalet, and 4 Category 1 climbs- d'Aspin, Peyresourde, Portillon and Puerto de Beret. The finish is actually on the final climb of the day and it will be here that GC hopes are ultimately sealed or squashed completely. Since it finishes in the heart of Basque Spain, expect all the Spanish riders to be jumpy. Also look for Rasmussen to try and get the polka dot jersey- while hopefully not falling off his bike. It should, by all means, be a very animated day.

And now, to make you all happy since she is your new favorite, a few words from the Cub Reporter; (just keep in mind that she's doping)

This One is for Collins

I would like to start my post with an apology. A big freaking apology. I just want to say I'm sorry for spazing on you guys about the lack of posting. As TJMG noted yesterday, I got my stuff in really early and didn't even THINK that the off day jibber jabber would have gotten that many responses. Fritz – I thought we were pals. Anyways, Tim wins on deadlines today.

I want to talk about shellfish. Today I got the Bob sign in the sky and answered the Treo. Turns out during Bob's trip to Montelimar this evening, he was barfing out the car window for the last few miles. Yesterday he was telling me how he had this lovely shellfish salad for dinner and I was freaking because how many shitty shellfish cycling stories (say that 10 times fast) have you heard about? Our prodigal son, Mr. Levi must have had the same thing for dinner. You silly people. Do you ever learn? Do NOT go to a marathon bike race, let alone the biggest race of the year and start chowing down on the freaking shellfish. Are you guys new? PSquared was saying that Levi wasn't feeling well today. I'm very sorry to hear that as I too am a bit under the weather but the cold meds and beer are suiting me fine. I'm not sure Levi would savvy my regiment this week.

Today's race really pissed me off. Bob said he knew that I was going to be all a flurry when he saw it all go down at the finish. I understand that this is sometimes how it goes down, blah blah blah. The fact that at one point Cyril was doing SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT of the work and Mercado comes out and takes it all. I can see this totally go down Family Guy style.

Stewie (Mercado): Did you just see that, Brian? I just took the stage! I rode on your wheel and sucked your energy dry and took the stage. Did you see that?

Brian: (Cyril): Great. I have the yellow GC and king of the mountains jersey you idiot.

It may be how it works sometimes, but I don't have to like it and I don't. I guess that's why it took me so long to write today. I had to put a spin on this. And get the shellfish scoop. Note to self: NO SHELLFISH. Good thing I despise the shellfish.

Health update. I haven't gotten much of a break but I'm a big fan of the Wal-Dryl for stuffy nose and body aches. That and Leinenkugels Light. I want to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and well wishes this week. Good thing I didn't eat the shellfish. I'm skipping town in 2 days. Holy guacamole. I have to pack this family up and get the hell outta here. Fritz, can we be friends again before I leave?

cr

PS- This is a site that I've done some work for. Really good guys. If you search hard enough you can find me interviewing Bobke. Anyways, they have some really funny soundbites on there from the ZMan that you guys may want to check out.
http://www.davezabriskie.missingsaddle.com/, http://www.missingsaddle.com

cr

Sweet dreams of long climbs...

Tim

Urgent News! (Updated)

Screw the Tour for a moment;

Andy Applegate of the Abercrombie & Fitch/ Inferno team (sponsored by Masi of course) won the US Masters (40+) National Time Trial Championship today! Congratulations to Andy and A&F/Inferno on the win. Those of us at Masi are happy and proud! More news and hopefully pictures to follow...

Congratulations!

Add to this news; just moments ago Andy and his wife Cara won the Elite National title for Mixed Tandem TT as well. Sweet!

Tim
(In full disclosure, Andy was not on a Masi for this win since the team does not have Masi TT rigs... yet.)

Tour de France; Stage 9 report

First off, it is only fair that I tell everybody that the Cub Reporter had her report to me several hours ago- probably only minutes after the stage today. Today, she is clearly the better reporter. A tip of the virtual hat to Jessi.

So stop if you think that you've heard this one before; Freire wins close sprint, McEwen is second and Zabel is third. Turbo Tom is fourth after starting his sprint a little too early. Early breakaway gets a boatload of time and then is reeled in shortly before the line to set up the field sprint that Tom looses. Sound familiar? Sure does to me...

Tommorow is The Day. The first real climbs and the first real test of the GC contenders. Expect the real climbers to be less than stellar and the non-climbers to still suffer. The GC guys will be the ones to watch as they find out where their legs really are. The first day in the mountains is always harsh on the legs as riders switch riding styles from long days of steady tempo in the big ring to constant tempo changes and spinning smaller gears. It is actually quite hard on the legs and usually sees riders getting shelled pretty badly the first day. My pick for somebody to watch? Guys like Chris Horner (Lotto-Domo), Giuseppe Guerini (T-Mobile), Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) or possibly even Axel Merckx (Phonak). The true climbers like Simoni or Rujano won't really profit from this stage because the last climb is too far from the finish and it just isn't the type of grueling stage that usually suits them. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if CSC sent Carlos Sastre on the attack. He's won a stage of the Tour before, so he knows what it takes and CSC needs some good news.

We shall see...

Nobody else seems to be noticing the cheesy coincidence of this day; 7/11. The 7/11 team of the 80's and 90's was the first US-based team to ride the Tour, the first US-based team to win a Grand Tour (Giro- '88- Hampsten), the first US-based team to win a stage of the Tour (Davis Phinney) and the first US-based team to grab the American eye- especially for guys my age. Many of the riders were cycling heroes to many of us. Sure LeMond was already over there winning races and Boyer had been there before LeMond, but these guys were a team of Americans and Europeans, riding together and winning important races... and not looking like asses. Part of what makes this significant to me and this particular post is that the Cub Reporter's "boss" is Bob Roll, who was on that historical team. Bob (Bobke) was one of my favorites. Partly because he didn't look like the Euros. He looked like "us"- kind of a normal looking guy with a goofy grin and a "blue collar" ethic to riding. The riding was hard and it wasn't always glamorous. He didn't try to look pretty like many of our European heroes did- he made riding ugly look good. (Bob- I swear I mean that as a compliment.) So, today, I want to raise my beer to the original 7/11 team and all of the great riders that wore the jersey... thank you for giving lowly American teenagers like me the real belief in dreams. I can't begin to thank you enough!

And now, before she has a fit and kicks my ass, the Cub Reporter;

7/11

Why doesn't anyone comment on this blog? That's a little perplexing to me. Isn't that the glory of a blog? TJMG tells me that you are all afraid of him yet BKCR knows better than that. My readers are MUCH smarter than he gives them credit for.

So I think Floyd is the man unless his geriatric hip starts to agitate him in the mountains. I've got some questions. I would like some comments responding to this – consider it your homework. Ok. Why in the hell after the first week of the TdF does all this hip jargon come out? There were Outside Magazine cover stories, CycleSport coverage, Bicycling Articles and a few I'm failing to mention and not a PEEP about any of this. He said to the New York Times that if he wasn't a bike racer he would have had surgery two years ago. What gives? Why is this all of a sudden a big deal? Is he taking something that may be questionable because of his "degenerate condition"? (that is the description on cyclenews.com, not mine) Is he going to test positive for a drug to get him sent home? I freaking hope not.

Let's take a look at my hero, Curious George. I keep bringing him up, not to agitate Dang Right Donna and TJMG, but because he has been training with Lance for over seven years and there were times (in the first week – around stage 9 ish) that LA was down by a hell of a lot more that two and a half minutes. I'm just saying, Boy George still has a chance to get to the podium, folks. That's all. I'm not going to count him out
yet.

I'm still pushing for an all American podium. I still think we have a shot with Floyd, Zabriskie (who's still in the top 8), George and possibly Vandevelde who is about three and a half minutes behind the leader. Apparently, Mr. Vandevelde has been a domestique for most of his career, though I personally think they are the best all around athletes on the team. So, all in all, US Cycling still has a shot.

Health update. I've been on about 4 different meds, some simultaneously in conjunction with a few beers, but today I'm getting serious about the drug stuff because I feel like total crap. The body aches and the head is stuffy. I'm pretty confident in today's drug of choice, which is not EPO, so tomorrow I plan on being a whole new woman.

Paul just said the funniest freaking thing about Sandy Casar. "....he was knocked off of his bike by a spec TATER trying to get a photo on a mo BILE phone" That's funny ass shit. Phil must be tired or under the weather.

Here's to tomorrow's Pyrenees. Looks like you Westies have to get up nice and early for day one in the mountains. Three days until I go! I wonder if I will meet the Conehead family. Can't wait to hear your comments.

cr

Here's to the hills!

Tim
(PS- Don't even bother to point out how late I am posting. I know already...)

Tour de France; Rest Day 1

Since Jessi (Cub Reporter) and I are a pair of professional journalists/ race reporters, we weren't about to let the Rest Day get in the way of hardhitting investigative journalism. However, since all of the riders were taking naps and we had a deadline to meet, we had to compromise a little...

First up, we have an exclusive interview; Jessi Pacetti was able to locate and interview the elusive Masiguy for the following interview... it's rivoting reading. Though considered to be like Sasquatch or the Abdominal Snowman, the Masiguy was tracked down with the aid of body-odor sniffing hounds. The rest is Pulitzer material.

Jessi Pacetti: Why isn't there a jersey for prettiest kit?
Masiguy: Because the prettiest kit, is it's own jersey. I think we can all agree that it's the Phonak kit.

JP: What was the coolest bike ever in a movie?
a. The Masi in that shitty movie you love
b. Kermit's bike in The Muppet Movie
c. Pee Wee's bike
MG: Do I really need to answer this one? Really... the entire planet agrees that it was the Gran Criterium ridden in Breaking Away. Anybody waking from a coma would know that. Masi is the very best bike ever made.

JP: Do you think Jan and Ivan are watching the Tour or just getting drunk?
MG: If you believe the press, they are likely injecting EPO and getting blood transfusions. I'd like to think they are both still riding and staying fit. Even if guilty, though far from proven, they should remember that they brought excitement and joy to people's lives for riding a bike. A simple act of riding a bike can make a difference in the world, even if only in your own world.

JP: What is the best website for porn these days?
MG: I'm fond of Buck-Toothed Babes from the Trailer Park... classy stuff.

JP: If you had to replace anyone on the OLN coverage, who would it be and who would you replace them with?
MG: Hard to say. A few years ago I would've instantly blurted out "Trautwig", like some sort of turret's thing. Now, I'm not so sure. The guy has been studying and learning. He used to drone on, but now he makes sense from time to time. They should bring back Kirsten Gumm. This is really funny; because I mentioned her last year during the Tour when she was commentating, I get lots of visits to this site from people Googling her name. I'm presuming it's horny bike nerds looking for naked pictures of her. Forget it dudes... they don't exist... I tried.

JP: Would you shag Kirsten Gumm? Do you think any of the OLN guys have?
MG: There are lots of stories out there- most of them made up. There are no pictures of me with Kirsten. If there are, they are not real. No matter what her lawyers tell you about the restraining order.

JP: Who is the best looking cyclist that's still in the Tour?
MG: There's a lot to be said for Daniele Bennati. Italian and fast.... he's kinda purdy...

JP: If Al and Bob took it to the ring for a real fight, who do you think would win?
MG: Bobke hands down. Any man who finishes Paris-Roubaix is a sure-nuff bad ass.

JP: There has been so many examples of existentialism in this year's race. Which one has had the most overall influence on the GC?
MG: I think Floyd put it best when he said, "I don't know how long my time in the peloton goes on. I know it won't go on forever, my hope is it's not over yet..."

JP: Do you think I can get Boonen or GH to kiss me first?
MG: Those Euro guys are lightweight drinkers when they get to the States, so I'm guessing Boonen.

JP: What would be the 3 funniest words to have PSquared say in their silly British accents?
MG: Uranus. Pumpernickel. Boobies.

JP: Which Disney Princess would be the fastest on the bike?
a. Cinderella
b. Jasmine
c. Belle
MG: Cinderalla hands down. She's got the mice and birds on her side.

JP: If you couldn't ride a Masi because the company spontaneously combusted, what kind of bike would you ride?
MG: Honestly, I don't know. I love too many of them. Richard Sachs. Colnago. Vanilla (by Sascha White). A Brian Baylis. Calfee. There are so many great bikes out there now. Seriously, if many were no object, I'd have a damned hard time knowing where to spend it. Thank God I work here.

JP: If Trek bought Schwinn, they would be called Shrek. What are your thoughts on that?
MG: Why not Twin? Think about it... Shrek was smelly...

JP: Who do you think gets more fan mail - Levi or Bob Roll? (I actually know the answer to this one)
MG: Prolly Bob because he's a cross generational road and dirt hero.

JP: Do the navy blazers make you nervous as they do me? What do you think is up with the change?
MG: I think it's a plan perpetrated by The Man to keep a brother down. But I'm a crackpot conspiracy theorist.

JP: Since I don't know any French and will be trotting around France wearing a yellow TourDAYFrance tshirt, do you think I'll ever get served in a restaurant?
MG: Just make sure you call the "gar con"... they love that. Trust me on this one...

JP: What's grosser than gross? Full frontal road rash or skidding open your entire wrist ala Bobby Boy?
MG: I have had the full frontal a few times and only torn the hands open once. Both really suck, but the road rash is just a constant crappy feeling.

JP: If women were allowed to ride in the TdF (even though they aren't stupid enough to do such a thing), who would win?
a. Flo Jo
b. Marion Jones
c. My mom
MG: Oh... I had such the hots for Marion Jones... and she was allegedly a doper too. But I've never met your mom...

JP: How do aspiring podium girls get in? How do they train for something so prestegious? Is that the pinnacle of life for them?
MG: It is the xenith of any French woman's modeling career. I think they just have to be willing to stand still and sweat in front of the cameras and have a penchant for kissing skinny guys with shaved legs.

After realizing that I wasn't getting anywhere with any of the riders or their team managers, I was able to locate my interviewee at the local discount liquor purveyor. Jessi Pacetti, though a wily competitor when sober, was easier to track today thanks to her beeping ankle bracelet. It was a bitter fight, but I got answers out of her.

Tim Jackson: What do you think about Floyd needing hip replacement?
Jessi Pacetti: I didn't realize he qualified for AARP. Maybe he'll take up canasta and eating dinner at 4:30 at the Elks club. Tough recovery on that one.

TJ: Why do you think there are still mullets in the peloton and why isn't there a time penalty assessed to anybody who has one?
JP: I think that mullets in the peleton are a travesty. There should be a 3 minute penalty once you hit the line with one of those suckers. Those just aren't right. I live in Wisconsin where they are typically out in full force at the redneck bars any day of the week. I marvel in their glory. I would never sleep with one, but jeez - the balls to grow it and go out in public is amazing.

TJ: Which pronunciation of Phil's do you prefer for Turbo Tom?
A- "boo-nin"
B- "bone in"
JP: Of course I'm going to say "bone in". Not because it's right, but because it's almost dirty and that's funny.

TJ: What do you think of the draconian policies of the UCI limiting how light a bike can be?
JP: I think it's a crock of shit. Outlaw the earpiece shenanagans first. I think those are changing the race more than the weight of the "machines" (As Shaggy Sherwen would say.)

TJ: We've see a lot of great racing so far this Tour. Lots of drama, intrigue and compelling stories. What is it that you think makes me the most interesting cycling blogger in the world?
JP: Hell if I know, I don't read all than jargon you write. You're probably considered the best because you're such a blasted nerd and that you got me writing this year and I'm freaking funny. Did you see that one about COWBELL?

TJ: If you could be any kind of animal, which one do you think would enjoy the Tour the most?
JP: I think a cheetah because they could outrun ANY of these guys and be showered, do their interviews, have dinner and a nap before the race even got exciting.

TJ: George Hincapie is married to a French former podium girl, does that make him an expatriate? Should he be deported?
JP: I've seen these French podium girls you speak of. They aren't ALL hot, Timmy Tight Pants. However, Melanie Hincapie is a very pretty lady. I don't want to say anything horrible about her because I just may meet her and since there are 37 people in the cycling industry, I can imagine pissing her off wouldn't be a great idea. I don't think he's an expatriot but you feel you have to, you can deport him to my house.

TJ: What is your theory for Levi Leipheimer's horrible time trial on Saturday?
JP: It's very easy. He didn't get any the night before.

TJ: If Masi was at the Tour this year, how many stages do you think would have been won on them by now?
JP: Hmmm. It would depend on how many Cutters were riding.

TJ: Do you think that Michael Rasmussen should be forced to ride with training wheels during time trials? Granted he didn't crash during the last one, but you know it is coming sooner or later
JP: Rasmussen should DEFINITELY be in training wheels - for that fact - so should Bobby Boy Julich.

TJ: If you were a fish, which leader's jersey would you want to wear?
JP: Anything but Phonak. Is this a trick question?

TJ: Do you think that I would be as fast as Floyd if I had a hip replacement too?
JP: Floyd has YET to have the hip replacement. I don't think you would. He's pretty hard core. Did you see that picture with him in the fur coat in Outside Magazine? I'm talking bad boy. I was actually hoping they'd have a picture of him with a dog collar and chains. That might be a bit sexier than the stupid pimp jacket.

TJ: Why does Phil say the same rider's name 3 or 4 different ways- during the same stage? Is he in fact senile?
JP: I think he does it to see if you're paying attention. I find it humorous and around here we take shots of whiskey every time he says a name differently, but only during the morning coverage.

TJ: Does Paul drink as heavily as you and me? Should he after sitting in a booth with Phil all day?
JP: Paul thinks he drinks heavily, but I have been known to drink his ass under the table on numerous occasions. When I am out with Phil, I have to be drinking or I wouldn't be able to understand him when he talks.

TJ: Is Bob really going to ask me to become a guest writer for his website? How much did he say he was going to pay me? I can't remember...
JP: He sure is - he's going to pay you about a dollar six eighty a year. . . . In your dreams, big boy. It's my ass you should be kissing because I'm the one who decides all that crap.

TJ: Bob is clearly one of the funniest people currently alive, is it just the booze or jetlag?
JP: Neither. I think it stems from the time his optic nerve froze during that race that Andy Hampsted won and Bob wasn't even expected to finish. He cracks me up on a regular basis. I'm glad he can share that talent with the world.

TJ: Has Bob said what his favorite moment of this Tour has been yet?
JP: Not yet. I think it's going to be when I get there. Duh.

TJ: How many drinks will it take in Vegas to get him dancing on tables/ bars? I need to know for my expense account.
JP: Basically, he leaves all the table and bar dancing to me. It's section 3 paragraph 8 of our contract. For me it's been accurately tracked at 2 full bottles of wine (on my own) or 10 -12 tall Jack and diets - no groceries.

TJ: Do you think that the most recent drug scandals that have rocked the sport will have a far reaching impact or will things go back to "business as usual" as soon as things fade from the public eye? Should there be lifetime bans on riders the first time they test positive?
JP: Considering what my plans are within the cycling industry, I sure as shit hope not. When the Americans come out ahead on the podium at the end of the month I do think that it will boost US Cycling. I also think that sponsors may lay off putting specific athletes in their propaganda and go back to promoting the product, not the riders. I think the testing is a bit willy nilly these days to be giving lifetime bans. Tyler Hamilton has gone a little far in his defense (Sorry Donna, but identical twin in the womb? WTF?) and has earned himself a lifetime ban. I hate to say that, I really do because I was a Tyler fan, but there's too much out there now.

TJ: If two trains left New York city, one with Jan Ullrich and the other with Ivan Basso, which train would get stopped first and inspected for bags of frozen blood and syringes?
JP: That's a toss up. If it was out of NYC, probably neither would be stopped at all.

That's all for today. There's some racing going on tomorrow, but you'll need some time to absorb all of this news. I understand completely.

Tim

Cub Reporter check-in;

The French didn't take the World Cup, but they did score at the Tour today. It was encouraging to see a brave soul get out there and make the breakaway work – even though he was a French rider. I will be the LAST person you ever hear wishing ill on someone else (ok – that's not true, let's just go with it though, ok?) and I am glad to see this cycling phenomenon succeed even though it wasn't one of my guys. Successful escapes from the peleton are such a rarity and I think that the Brit Babble about it this morning had a good point. PSquared* said there has been a lot of mumbo jumbo going around about guys going for the breakaways for publicity and nothing else. PSquared also mentioned that was a crap thing to say because it's bloody hard work to attempt a breakaway and no cyclist in his right mind is going to go out there and use all that energy in the first week of the TdF just to get there name out there. Thank you Super Brits for making such a valid point. As much as I would love to see Landis (yes, Donna, Landis), Leipheimer, Zabriskie or my love muffin, GH do this instead, at least it happened. It was a snatch inspiring to tell you the truth. I hope our all American Apple Pies come out swinging on Tuesday. We need some presence. Maybe they're waiting to cast the drama for when I'm out there to raise the roof in the flesh. That must be it. It must be.

Bob (Roll, not McGrath) made an interesting point in his OLN report today that nobody predicted yesterday's win and today was no different. So many teams are just trying to stay safe and keep their riders in the game. I think it's the smart thing to not get so audacious about the riding so early.

Righteous Rod strikes again. Yesterday I wondered why Curious George Hincapie was sporting a number 3 instead of the number 1 I thought he had been wearing all week. I don't admit this often, but I was wrong. Apparently, the numbers are given to the team alphabetically so GH has been 3 the whole time. I know RR is typically right about this kind of thing, but I don't know. Any insight, Donna?

As for the sore throat and cough due to cold I mentioned yesterday, I have been super dosing on the Advil and an expectorant and I expectorant it to all be gone by Tuesday. (TJMG – not bad, huh?) I would like to thank all my intenders and the makers of Advil and whatever the hoochie brand of expectorant I am using.

Enjoy the pic of me and Bob McGrath. . .

5 days to go until BK goes international!

CR

* PSquared refers to Paul and Phil

Tour de France; Stage 8 report

Well, did I say it or did I say it? Day before the rest day, GC contenders tired from the TT yesterday, lower placed guys looking to make something happen = successful breakaway.

Sylvain Calzati, another French winner, took the stage today in front of a delighted crowd in the heart of Brittany. Brittany is considered by most French to be the heart and soul region of French cycling. Brittany is home to riders like Louison Bobet and Bernard Hinault, both former winners of the Tour. Calzati is a classy rider who is frequently in the results, though this is his first race win. Usually, you read about him in doomed breakaways, riding for the team. He's proven today that he is plenty strong and deserved the win. Granted, a lazy and disinterested field let him get away with a few other riders, but when he sensed that his companions were going to get caught, he took off on his own to secure the first and biggest win of his career. I never would have thought I'd be typing that a second French rider has won a stage of the Tour this year. That's two stage wins for French riders in the first half of the event. Who'd-a-thunk it possible?

Tomorrow is the first rest day of this Tour. Domestiques will be resting their tired legs and getting ready for the real fight ahead as we get to the first mountain stages this week. GC contenders will be working on their strategies and riders will be out for light spins to keep the legs loose, but mostly just lounging around resting their legs and fueling their bodies. Eat, drink, sleep, massage, team meetings and then more of the same. GC leaders will have to do the usual press stuff, but for the most part the rule of the day is rest.

Stage 9 is darned near board flat, with a slightly downhill finish. It'll be the last chance for the sprinters to do anything other than huddle at the back of the pack and cry all day. Soon the speedsters will be suffering like... like... like I do when the road points up. By stage 10 the heroes of the Tour will be the guys who look like they haven't had a good meal in a few months (and they haven't). This will be when we enter the time of year when skinny little bony guys are as popular as rock stars. Boonen and the other fast guys will be reduced to whiny, snivvly little babies as the real climbs get served up. Wednesday is the first real climbing stage and it comes right after a flat stage, so people will really be sufferin' to adjust to the type of riding. Without Lance here to stamp his authority on the event, like years past, expect crazy crap to happen. Yesterday's TT might seem a lot less like fiction once we hit the real climbs on Wednesday. The Col de Soudet will hurt, as it is an HC (Haute Categorie- that means "above category"... which means "will reduce grown men to crying babies"), but the Col de Marie-Blanque is oh-so-steep. Expect time losses and expect them from people you wouldn't expect to lose time. I predict some of the pseudo favorites will be shelled into oblivion. Landis might even try to crack a few folks... if his legs make the adjustment to the change in tempo and pedaling style.

So now it is time for the riders to take a nap... they've earned it.

Tim

Cub Reporter check-in...

BKCR's Quote of the Day
I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it.
-Garrison Keilor

Today's stage broke my heart worse than the time. Let's start with something lighter today.

I have another Bob in my life. I do. Today my girlfriend, Dirty Mary and I took the kids to this Sesame Street music thing here in town. It was a small group, probably around 50 or so in a room at the local music school. At the beginning, the host announced that BOB from Sesame Street was there. When he popped out from around the corner, my heart leapt and I got goosebumps. He had a great show where he sang all these fun songs and some of the oldie moldies from when I was growing up watching Ses. We, of course, stood in the line and got his autograph and I got my picture with him. I will post it tomorrow. Dirty Mary is going to send it later. It's a great pic. I think I'm going to have it as my Treo wallpaper. This is too much fun. I discussed with him a little about the format change that Sesame Street has taken and how the death of Jim Henson, one of the brightest people our world has ever seen, changed Ses forever. He recognized that I was in the generation when Mr. Hooper died. He calls those the glory years, and I do too. Just the most genuine man I have ever met. Many of y'all know that I got to meet the real Lance Armstrong in his home a few months ago and got a photo taken with him. That was pretty cool. I wasn't starstruck meeting LA by any means. You can imagine my surprise over how taken I was with Bob. My parents are out on the east coast this weekend and I called them in minor hysterics over the whole thing. My dad was laughing at me. I guess I don't blame him. Is it a bad thing that two 29 year old women had more fun than the kids? I am what I am.

I just realized that you people probably don't care about that. So here's a bit of cycling jargon. I chatted Bob Roll up a bit this morning and asked him the one burning question I had – actually I had two.
1. Why did George Hincapie have the number 3 today instead of the number 1 like he has the entire Tour thus far?
Bob said that he didn't notice it (well Donna and I were all over it, where the heck was he?) but he thought that he probably left his number back at the hotel or something and that nobody had time to go get it so they threw an extra on him. We then tried to remember who was number 3 for the past week. Couldn't figure it out off the top of our heads. At $1 a minute, we try to keep those shenanigans to a minimum. So – any ideas, please contribute. Also, if the race promoters didn't change his number (Bob can't recall an instance where that happened, but don't count it out) there will be a fine for the change. Hopefully they don't screw with the times also.

2. What the hell happened today?
Apparently Bob was losing a bit of his Tour Mania because when I asked him this he gave me a bunch of crap for an answer. Oh well. Landis is still doing well and so much can happen in the next two weeks, so I'm not going to get my undies in a bunch over it just yet. Let's just get some American blood on that podium. Three tiers of it, folks. We all knew this would be a different race than the last 7 and I still hold to my guns that though today's TT was big, it's the Alps that are really going to find our overall champ.

Bob Roll also noted that the evening coverage is getting far better ratings that the Brit Babble that's on during the day. He wanted to say thanks and a very special gratitude to Ms. Donna Tocci – the Queen of the Evening Coverage.

Also, I need to make an addition to yesterday's shout out for the websites wishing Mr. Roll a happy birthday. www.team19.com, Righteous Rod's site also made mention of it. For that I am grateful. Hey RR – get my train tickets yet? Let me know.

Well, my little sugar boogers, we're on the day 6 of the countdown and I'm coming down with a sore throat and cough due to cold. WTF. I would like everyone reading this right now to INTEND it away for me. Either that or I'll have to learn how to say 'Sudafed' in French. Being the lazy American I am, I don't intend on doing that.

cr

Tour de France; Stage 7 report

Who the hell saw that one coming? Whoa... what a day.

Gonchar is a former TT World Champ, so he should always be considered a threat, but after his crash at the Giro this year, I just didn't expect him to uncork such a big ride today. He is a very classy rider and certainly deserves the win. As the first Ukranian in yellow, he's now somebody to watch as we head to the mountains.

Landis rode superbly to move into second, even after a clumsy bike change after getting a flat. To only lose a minute to an on-fire Gonchar shows that Floyd has calm under pressure and nerves of steel... as well as great form (we almost had it right Donna). Now he sits in second and looks to actually be the threat I hoped he would be.

What the hell happened to Leipheimer? 6 minutes and 5 seconds off the pace today? I'm no TT specialist (though I rode one yesterday in honor of the Tour), but I might have been able to lose that much time. It was painful to watch- you could see the "what the hell just happened" look on his face as he crossed the finish line. Unless Levi has the ride of his life in the mountain stages, his shot at the podium this year is shot to pieces.

Hincapie suffered smaller losses, staying somewhat within reach of the podium, so long as he doesn't have any more bad days. George came up much shorter than expected and now Discovery has a real dilemna on their hands. Savoldelli faired slightly better than Hincapie, so he sits further up on the GC than Hincapie now. However, both riders have to be 100% on target now to really have a chance. As Bruyneel said after the stage, "It's lucky Jan Ullrich is not here, otherwise the Tour would be over." OUCH!

T-Mobile is looking like the team to beat, even without Ullrich and Sevilla. With 4 riders in the top 10, they are obviously strong and ready for the fight that is about to begin in the coming days. Gonchar, Rogers, Sinkewitz and Kloden will be a quartet of contenders that other teams will have to watch carefully. Gonchar can climb well enough to minimize losses. Rogers is something of an unknown. Sinkewitz shows great amounts of promise and has been hailed as a rider of the future. Kloden, second in the 2004 Tour, has not shown much form since his great year. It's a bit of a stretch to assume that they can organize themselves to dominate, but they have the best chance of anybody.

Cadel Evans rode very well and could actually be a serious contender this year. If nothing else, he's a real shot for a lower podium spot because he can climb very well. It'll be interesting to watch him assert himself. He rode for a few days in the pink jersey in the Giro a few years back and found that he liked being a race leader. With Horner to help him tactically and as support in the mountains, he should be pretty safe.

Christophe Moreau looks to be riding as he always does- not as an actual contender. Seriously, I like the guy as a rider, but he just isn't a real Tour contender. Every year the French press and fans talk about Moreau and how "this will be his year"... and it just hasn't happened. He's a better rider than me, but I have about as much of a chcnae to win as he does.

Paul McEnany posed the question; " Tim- I'm having some trouble getting into this thing. Is it Lance fallout or the fact that I have no idea what's going on?" Well, Paul, it's a little bit of both. Lance was The Story of thew Tour for 7 long years. It made it easy to follow. Now, especially after the doping scandal, it is a wide open race and has been full of surprises... which is really a cool thing after all. this Tour has been a blast to watch and read about. The action has been great. The drama. The riders. It's great! Robbie McEwen has been a demon in the sprints. Boonen has been a bust. Mattias kessler was brilliant. Hushovd has been a blast to watch too, even with all of his bad luck. The crashes have taken a horrible toll as well- including Bobby Julich today. All in all, this is the most dramatic and exciting Tour in several years. The doping scandal has not destroyed the event so far and the riders are giving their all for the race (and fans). Even the French have had something to cheer about with Jimmy Caspar getting a win early on. So Paul, give it a little time and just pretend you never heard of that Lance guy. There's lots of cool stuff going on.

Tomorrow is another sprinter-friendly day. The GC guys are going to be resting their legs after today's TT, so the big teams will likely let a break of non-contenders spend the day off the front. The sprinter's team might have a different idea about things though... but maybe not. They might be tired already. Since Monday is the first rest day, expect a lot of action from the non-contenders. Expect the guys way down the GC to be jumpy as a Team Director crossing the French border with a cooler full of frozen blood and syringes. Should make for an interesting day...

Until the next stage,
Tim

Tour de France; Stage 6 report

Robbie 3. Tom 0, zip, zilch, nada, niente, nuffin...

Ok, ok, ok... Tom is undoubtedly one of the best riders of his time, but he is not at his best at this time. Robbie just keeps making it look easy- for him. Tom, still, is in yellow... but tomorrow is the first big time trial and then all bets are off.

Today's stage was much like each of the previous stages that have ended in sprints this week, so there is really very little to talk about. Probably the biggest news of the day was the fact that Boonen was in the break for the part of the day. What the heck, if you can't win the sprint from the field, try to win the sprint from a smaller break.

So tomorrow is the first major test of the Tour. The wheat shall be seperated from the chaff, the nuts from the shells, the meat from the bone, the boys from the girls... etc.

Look for Landis to try and move up in the GC as well as Hincapie and Leipheimer. Zabriskie will likely try to uncork a big ride too. Savoldelli, Simoni, Popovych, Evans, Moreau, Garzelli, Kloden, Azevedo, Menchov and other GC hopefuls will be doing all they can to try and move up and begin their assault on the podium. Guys like Micheal Rogers, Julich and other TT guys with little or no GC aspirations will be trying to steal a win. Overall, tomorrow is going to be The Big Day. My pick? Dunno yet, but I really like Landis and think he will surprise, but Zabriskie and Hincapie have to be considered as well. Other than than them, Rogers is a sure top 5 or 10. On his best, he's unbeatable- hence his World Champion jerseys in the discipline.

My friend Donna posed the question about the Team Time Trial being missing this year and what my theories are about that. Well, everybody knows I have lots of theories... so here goes...

I think that the Tour organizers removed the TTT because too many other teams complained about losing too much time to Lance. Yeah, I know that they changed the rules so that the time lost was very minimal (what's the dang point then?), but they still complained. Yeah, I also know that the UCI added the TTT as a Pro Tour event, but the turnout and enthusiasm for the event has been tepid at best. I think the event will eventually fade away again, which really stinks because the TTT is a great event and showcases the power of team work. Unfortunately, it also exposes weaknesses in teams that can't ride one or who just happen to have a really bad day. With Lance retired and not coming back, maybe the event will return in 2007... but don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.

Anyway, I think that tomorrow will be the first glimpse we'll get of who the real contenders are going to be. There will likely be a few surprises. maybe Iban Mayo will show up for real this time? Maybe Sylvain Chavanel will finally live up to the hope that he can be the great French hope... (not likely, but hey, gotta throw him a bone)? Ultimately, I think the guy who goes the fastest for 52km will be the one who wins- but I could be wrong.

Yes, it is time for another installment from the Cub Reporter, the Bitch Kittie- Jessi Pacetti;

"No man remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself."

Thomas Mann

I once saw this movie called Kingpin. I seriously love all the stupidly hilarious movies, so this one, along with Fletch, Old School, The Big Lebowski,(ask me about the drinking game with this one) and Tommy Boy to name a few, is considered a classic at my house. The one thing I remember most about this movie is not the comb overs, but how after Roy Munson screwed up SO big time, the new phrase when you f*&%ed something up beyond belief was " Dude, you TOTALLY munsoned that spare". I think after today's stage, we should create a new counterpart to that phrase. Say you completely clobber the field in a crit or you land a hottie. Your friends should say "You totally mcewened that climb/babe!" I realize that it may take a little bit to catch on, just think of it as Pee Wee's Word of the Day, or better yet, BK's Word of the Day. I just may come up with a few more, but let's all put this one to work and see how it goes.


Super big thanks to everyone wishing Mr. Roll a good birthday. When I talked to him he was having a great day. He was WAY stoked about how he totally got one up on the Brits and mcewened today's stage with his pick. (See – it isn't that hard, people) Some splendid sites mentioned the glorious day, such as my best friend's site, and one of my new industry buds, Alyson, wrote it up on her site. She even used a lot of words I don't know. Please visit these sites because I said please and asked nicely.

Another cycling darling, Sascha, was super perplexed about how the tapings occurred during the course of the day and how Bob and Al can be so cool without giving away the end. I got to the bottom of this today just for you Sascha. Now that's love, sister. Bob and Al are in one booth calling the race live and SIMULTANEOUSLY Phil and Paul are in another booth also calling the race live. Another question was why does Phil's call always get broadcast even when Bob and Al are calling the race? Bob said I would have to channel the OLN gods about that one. Honestly, folks. I don't care that much. I got some people I could ask but I don't really care. I think we all know how much I love hearing Phil close to a coronary and this way I get to hear it at least four times a day.

Ok my little pets. Seven days until my departure. Righteous Rod – we gotta buy train tickets for after the TT back to Paris and pack a pair of good jeans and a nice shirt. I love you all. . . .

cr

Tomorrow is a big day race fans... woo hoo! Here's to fast times, no crashes and a smiling winner.

Tim
(I swear, I'm going to try and post earlier from now on... no promises though...)

Tour de France; Stage 5 report

Tom Boonen just can not put it together so far this Tour. I mean, Sandy Casar (Correction- Jimmy Casper... thanks to Bernie at Panther City for pointing out the error) has won a stage, McEwen has won two stages and now Oscar Freire has taken a stage... but Boonen is still winless. However, I'll bet he's feeling just fine about things since he is still sitting in the yellow jersey. I guess if you can't get a stage win, it's probably ok to wear the yellow jersey of Tour leader instead. Maybe...

It's beginning to sound a little like a broken record, but the day was animated by an early break that had a lead on the field of over 13 minutes at one point. 13 minutes! With just 5km remaining, the remaining riders in the breakaway were finally caught and all the madness began in full force.

The final sprint played out a bit differently, with a slight hesitation from the sprinters in the final meters, as nobody wanted to be the front guy in the wind, leading all the others to the line. However, 3-time World Champion Oscar Freire threw the dice and came up a winner for his second career stage win. Oscar's wins haven't been as plentiful as of late, but he showed all the other sprinters in the race that he still has the speed to finish things off. Freire is a classy rider and certainly deserves the win.

Boonen racked up yet another 2nd, to keep the yellow. So far, Tom the Terrific has been shut out of every sprint this year. To Tom's credit, he has not offered any excuses, but has simply stated that he hasn't been able to win; "...I'm also more stressed and nervous and that doesn't work. We all know that if you're relaxed, you can win; on the other hand, if you are nervous you can't win. But... ça c'est le Tour!" You have to admire the level of class Tom posesses- there aren't many sprinters like that.

Tomorrow is the last stage before the first big time trial of this Tour. That means that the stage will likely be wide open. The sprinters will want the stage as their last chance for a couple weeks to really have a chance to win, but their teams will be tired and they will need the rest. Expect a breakaway, as always, but this one should actually have a good chance to stay away to the line... maybe.

Should make for an interesting day...

And now, once again, the musings of Jessi Pacetti, Cub Reporter;

What the Hay, Tour Whores and Birthday Boys

After watching yesterday's stage four times, I noticed what a knack the French have for, what shall we call them, Straw Structures? I would love to hear one farmer talking to his farmer buddy . . . "Ok, Pierre, vat ve need to do is construct a horse or somesing from all dis HAY. It vill ve maaaarvolous and it vill be on American tv and ve vill ve
famous!" Seriously, I want to hear the thought process behind these. They are substantial structures, there had to be some sort of planning behind them. The other thing I plan to get to the bottom of, is how do these people get up and down off of these gigantic monstrosities? What happens when you get to the top of the big Straw Horse and you have to pee? I don't see a ladder hanging out anywhere, so I don't really know how this works. I will have to find an English speaking native to explain this phenomenon for me. I am perplexed to hay . . . I mean SAY the
least. (TJMG – how do you like that one?)

My almost 2 year old daughter, who we sweetly refer to as "The Terrorist" is a Tour Whore. Every other month of the year, we wake up and flip on some Sesame Street while Mom thinks about getting out of bed. In July, however, we flip on the Tour
instead. She sits there with her thumb in her mouth, her ratty baby doll in hand and hollers in her pterodactyl voice "GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGO" as only The Terrorist can do. Her four year old sister, who we will just call "Sunshine Face", has a special connection with Uncle Bobke. I think it goes back to the time he was staying here and Sunshine Face was being not so sunshiney and he threw her over his shoulder and started bellowing slave songs to her in an amazing baratone and she became my happy little girl all over again. I can righteously say Sunshine Face is Uncle Bobke's Biggest Fan and is super stoked that he is on television all the time. She's tuned in to
his every word. Every cyclist is Lance – even the ones who ride through the neighborhood. I live in the Madison, Wisconsin area, which is amazingly populated with bicycles. Our neighborhood is host to the cycling portion of the Wisconsin Ironman, so we see lots of cyclists all year round. We were taking a walk not too long ago and a guy was riding with a yellow jersey on and Sunshine Face hollers "GO LANCE GO!" The cyclist stops and says "that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me". My gals, the Tour Whores.

So the boys on the screen are stuck in blazers for the duration of the Tour. They make me think of Freshman Homecoming in high school with the gangly boys in navy blazers and khaki pants. Lord. I asked Bob what gives and he says it's just the way it is, but rest assured he's been wearing shorts under the desk all week. I PROMISE to get a picture of these guys in blazers and shorts.
Digital
Camera: $400
Flight to France: $1200
Photo of the OLN gang in navy blazers
and shorts: Priceless

Here's the big news, Bob's birthday is tomorrow (Friday 7/7). He hasn't been getting the emails very regularly and I hear from him approximately once a day, so I don't know if he'll actually get the French strippers I sent him. . . . kidding. I told him they were coming and he got slightly excited. Hope it's not too much of a letdown for him when the Russian girls show up. (Thanks for the tip, Righteous Rod!)

Quick shout out to Scott in Minneapolis who really knows how to make the OLN coverage into mp3s and is going to do it as long as I don't need them by tomorrow. YOU ARE THE CHAMPION. I will nickname you Scott McEwen.

Well cycling fans, 8 days to go until I get to kiss the promise land. If the internet shenanigans don't get better by the time I'm there, I will have to call in my scoop. Keep it real.

cr

Until tomorrow's stage...

Tim

PS; Happy Birthday Bobke!

Tour de France; Stage 4 report

Somehow, Tom Boonen is still in yellow, even though Robbie McEwen continues to be the fastest sprinter at the Tour this year. Once again the pocket rocket managed to win another fast and furious sprint. The final sprint consisted of a minor turn in the last kilometer and a slight uphill finish- perfect conditions for the powerful pint-sized sprinter. Robbie is either the fastest sprinter at this race, or Boonen is the most unlucky. Even with his team trying to set up their usually successful sprint train, Terrible Tom has so far been just... terrible.

As has been the case every day so far since the prologue, an early attack got out on the road after less than 20km of racing and managed to bravely hold the field off until just 1.5km when the remaining breakways were swallowed up by the sprint hungry field. Egoi Martinez of Discovery managed to stay on the attack until the very end of the break and showed a more aggressive side of the Discovery team- one that isn't just protecting Lance what's-his-name this year. Johan Bruyneel is a darned smart fella, so you have to have faith that he does in fact have something planned in all of this.

Speaking of Bruyneel, he has been the shephard of the Postal and now Discovery teams through each of the seven Tour wins. This proves the guy is at least smarter than most other team directors. Johan is famous for building what became historically known as the famous "Blue Train". The Blue Train, in years past simply destroyed the other teams by covering everything, dominating the race and beating the other teams into a woeful submission. Even in the past few years, when the other teams in the race openly made it known they would work together in some way to break the Train... the domination continued mercilessly. Some would say that it made the Tour boring- which is impossible- and others would say that it was merely a testament to the ability the team had to recruit the best possible riders to defend and protect Lance so that he could do what he did best; win the Tour. I bring all of this up because I had a conversation today about the apparent lack of a dominant team in this year's Tour. The question was posed, "is it just me or am I not hearing as much about teamwork?" The answer is, it isn't you, it's the race. With Lance gone and Discovery without a true Godfather, the need for such a team is gone. On top of that, T-Mobile is without Jan, CSC is without Basso and Astana-Wurth is just plain gone. There really isn't any one team capable of dominating the race this year. That's part of what is making it so exciting and so dangerous for the riders. Sure, the Tour is always dangerous in the first week or two, but without a super strong team to keep everybody in check, it looks even more nervous and chaotic. Look at the finishes too; even the sprinter's teams seem less dominant, which is leading to more non-sprinters still being at the front of the race when push comes to shove... which so far has resulted in fall comes to crash. So, without a Blue Train to keep things neatly orchestrated, the entire race is left to sort things out on its own... which should really make for an entertaining next two weeks.

Back to the race stuff...

Thor Hushovd was relegated to last in the main group for "irregular sprinting" and is now pretty much out of the hunt for the green jersey. With the way Boonen has been sprinting, it is hard to see him really challenging McEwen for the green, though he is a good enough climber, as a sprinter, that he can likely be counted on to still be in the race as it nears Paris. It could actually turn into a nail biter again, should Tom find those massive legs of his working for him and his timing improves. Could it be that the boy wonder is just a little too excited this year and so he is just mis-timing his sprints? We'll just have to see. As for Robbie, who is known for letting his mouth get him into trouble, he dedicated his win today to his teammate Fred Rodirguez who crashed out of the race yesterday with a broken collarbone. Quite the nice gesture from a sprinter known more for making brash statements than offering up pleasant quotables.

And now, the latest installment from the Cub Reporter, Jessi Pacetti;

Earpieces are changing the great sport of cycling. Is it better? Is it worse? The race directors have their own real life PlayStation broadcasted worldwide – we call it the Tour de France. Breakaways don't make it like they used to because the little voices are telling the riders what to do to win throughout the whole race. It's interesting to see technology's role in the sport. It goes beyond carbon fiber and lightweight seats now. I'm honestly surprised that the Tour Commission has given into the use of these, but that's how these riders are trained. Technologically. Does it make for a fair race? Does it make it more exciting? I would say no to both. I think a lot about cycling is the cyclist itself. Does the bike make the rider? I ride a pretty upscale road bike and would say that I enjoy my ride MUCH better than before I owned. I guess we have to ask ourselves, where do you draw the line?

Today Bob was talking about how a boring TdF stage is still a great race. Today's stage – aside from crash central – was pretty unexciting and still amazingly cool, regardless. That's the beauty of this great race. That is the pinnacle of what we're watching on tv. That's what we have to remember when the Puertos are coming down, the injuries are stacking up and the earpieces are ringing loud and clear.

Last night I tried to watch all of that movie, Breaking Away. Golly gee . .. a real page turner. Some of the highlights I noticed was that Dave Stoller (Dennis Christopher) was riding a Masi (Ed; Hell yeah!). . . when he was riding behind the big truck at 60 mph he was in the small chain ring? Huh? Anyways. I couldn't stay awake because my kids ran me ragged all day, but that movie was FREAKING hilarious. I love when the Italians come and they look like the hulking mob members - nothing like cyclists. They made Jan in his big days look like a cyclist. Here's a bigger fun fact. Dennis Christopher has actually been in other things since that movie in 1979. Everything from Matlock to Murder She Wrote, Six Feet Under. . . a whole mess of stuff. Who would have thought. Go Cutters!

Nine days until my departure. . . .
cr

Until tomorrow...

Tim

Dirty Confessions of a Cub Reporter;

Jessi Pacetti has offered us a dirty little snapshot into her life, her soul, her very core of being; trust me, this is not for the faint of heart...

I have a dirty little secret. I sincerely rervel in the sound of the Tour coverage echoing through my house all the live long day. It's on the 46", coming out of the Bose CONSTANTLY. It's lovely. It's heaven. It's like a big cup of cocoa and warm chocolate chip cookies after a big afternoon in the snow. I adore the sound of the constant crowds, Phil's coronarys, Paul's accent echoing through the corridor (the thought of Paul SAYING corridor), Al's comfortable bellowing and of course Bob's antics. I LOVE THE COVERAGE. I don't even have to be watching it. I'm taking it all in while I sew, clean the bathroom, make the kids lunch, change the laundry. I want to keep every stage on the DVR so I can listen to it anytime. I need someone to put it in an mp3 for me so I can put it on my iPod. Is that possible?

I do sit and watch each stage at least once all the way through and I catch Bob's recaps at night. I consider myself so lucky for 3 reasons this July.
1. I work at home
2. I have a DVR
3. It's my job to watch this
Ok. . . I lied . .. there's another one
4. I get to go to the race in 10 days . . .but who's counting?

Jessi Pacetti- Cub Reporter

I told you it was weird... but that's what makes her one of us.

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 3 report

Mattias Kessler snatched Victory from the Jaws of defeat today, beautifully making up for his sad loss yesterday after making a similar brave attempt. Today, the Tour de France turned "Matti" into a hero. T-Mobile has now redeemed itself after losing Ullrich and Sevilla to the doping scandal that has filled the headlines of this year's Tour. Congratulations Kessler and T-Mobile!

The day was dominated by yet another long break away and numerous crashes. As noted in the previous little post, Alejandro Valverde was the most notable of the victims today. Valverde looked to have clipped the wheel of a teammate and then went down very hard, breaking his collarbone and smashing any hopes he had of winning the Tour this year. Valverde exits the race as another missing favorite now, further opening the race up to other contenders. It is a very sad occurrence, but it is also "just racing". Several other riders tasted tarmac today as well, including Fred Rodriguez of Lotto-Domo and Eric Dekker of Rabobank, with both riders having to abandon the race. Fast Freddy is one of McEwen's key leadout men, so this will be a major concern to Robbie- although he has one the best heads for finding other riders to exploit for a free ride to the finish. He's one of the best opportunists in the business.

Overall, the day's course was much more challenging than many expected. With the rolling terrain and the heat, many riders found themselves struggling to stay in the field. Jose Luis Arrieta missed the win by just under 2km... the Tour giveth and the Tour taketh away. Hushovd, along with many others, had a bit of a struggle with the closing kilometers and lost just enoough time to drop from 1st to 4th, giving Boonen the yellow jersey based on time and time bonuses. It's a fairly ironic twist that Tom is now the leader of the race while riding less spectacularly than expected. He has yet to show the great form of earlier in the year or last year's Tour. However, if not riding like Super Tom, he is at least riding with consistency and the Tour rewards consistency.

So now we have Tom in yellow and green, Michael Rogers of T-Mobile in second on the stage and now GC, followed by Hincapie in third. Landis is sitting safely in 7th at 16 seconds and Leipheimer is 24th at 28 seconds. It's tight at the top...

Tomorrow starts with a few hills, so expect suicide attacks at the very beginning and fireworks as folks go after KOM points. After that though, the course is largely flat with big ring rollers and an almost downhill approach to the finish. Many are calling it a Boonen finish, but I'd be willing to bet that Robbie is going to have this stage earmarked, even without Fast Freddy to give him that final leadout. If the right groups gets together, maybe a long break can succeed this time. The sprinters will be hungry for this stage, as the first big TT is just days away on Saturday. After Saturday, the race really heats up as the real GC riders will be looking to consolidate leads, minimize losses or gain ground.

Now, a late entry from Cub Report Jessi Pacetti (this was actually for yesterday, but certainly applies today as well);

Phil Liggett: The Commentator of Life and Other Nuisances

I love it when it sounds like my friend Phil Liggett is going to have a coronary. Today's finish was awesome and to me it was so cool because Phil was so damn excited. I think Phil is one of the funniest Brits I've met. Last Easter I learned how to play backgammon with him, which was a bit surreal. When you ride in a car with Phil, he "announces" everything you pass, like 'Hampton Inn - We have FREE hbo. No, WE have free hbo, uh uh. .. we have free HBO. Hmmmm. Maybe WE have free hbo.' Ok. Honestly that gets a little agitating if you're in the car for more than a few minutes. .. but just give him a few bottles of wine and it's all good. Anyways, this TdF has already clinched the fact that Phil Liggett is my Official Commentator of Life. Don't tell my boss.

Bob told me tonight on the phone that he's been traveling with Robbie Ventura at the end of each stage. This means Bob sits in and hears (one sided, granted) the ins and outs of Floyd's business for hours. That's pretty sweet ass if you ask me. The pisser is he won't tell me anything. So much for my promotion from Cub Reporter this week.

Some people have been asking why Bob wears TWO yellow Livestrong bracelets. Well, Bob seems to be a marketing genius. Last year EVERYONE had one of those suckers on. Even the freaking peleton was outfitted in them. This year you don't even see one. The thing is, the fight is still going strong - if not STRONGER than last year. Bob lost his father to cancer this past March and believes that Lance's cause is still a valid one, and he's right. He figured if he wore two, people would notice and they have. I'm sure his buddy Lance appreciates the on air backing. . .

Until tomorrow folks and a happy 4th of July to all the US readers.

Tim

Tour de France Stage 3 Update

Alejandro Valverde has crashed and is out of the race. It looks like he has broken his collarbone after clipping the wheel of a teammate and going down very hard.

Valverde was an odds-on favorite to make the podium this year and is now out of the event.

What a bummer...

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 2

Apparently losing a few gallons of blood has no impact on the Norwegian warrior Hushovd. Thor sprinted to third... while coming out of his pedal in the closing seconds of the sprint to the finish... and with the additional time bonuses he collected during the day, he was able to retake the yellow jersey from Hincapie. I have a feeling that George and the Disco Ballers were "happy" to lose the yellow. Now they don't have to defend it, but George got to have a day in yellow. He's just 10 seconds off of the podium, so there is nothing to panic about. Thor, the Norse behemoth, is back in yellow and only 3 points away from his real goal- the green jersey that is now being worn by Robbie McEwen.

Robbie rode another one of his brilliant sprints, finding the best line to the finish in the melee that is the dash for the line at the Tour. The little rocket made it almost look easy, popping up at the line just in time to claim his 9th career Tour stage win. Robbie the Rocket beat an underwhelming Boonen, bringing up more questions about his current form. It is becoming clear that this Boonen is not the same Boonen from last year's Tour. But hey, he's World Champ and has 17 race wins to his name this year... I think he sleeps ok at night.

The TV time belonged to two Spanish riders who attacked within the first kilometer and earned a gap of over 11 minutes at one point, but their day's work came up short with about 13km to go when remaining solo rider David de la Fuente of saunier-Duval was joined by Fabian Wegmann of Gerolsteiner. In the closing kilometers, Mattias Kessler of the Ullrich-less T-Mobile squad made a daring attack and almost took the biggest win of his career but was overtaken with close to 200m to the finish... close, but no cappucino!

All in all, a typical day in the office. Hushovd is in yellow again, McEwen is resplendent in green and Boonen's speed is MIA for now.

Tomorrow looks like a Spring Classic course with numerous rollers throughout the day. The finish should, if done right, come down to a small elite group of strong riders. Look for guys like Bettini or Valverde or even Boogerd (... just wanted to say "Boogerd") to make it a painful finish. However, if the right group doesn't materialize, expect the sprinter's teams to take control again. With a hard course, this should favor Boonen... if he's got the legs that got him earlier wins this year.

(Editor's note; yes, I realize that I picked Paolo Bettini as a possible winner of the stage... even though he is not even in this Tour... I just like him a lot, ok!)

Regardless, it should be another interesting day.

Tim

Tour de France; Stage 1

Hincapie is in yellow now and Hushovd is in stitches... what a day! AND a French sprinter wins the stage... it's like a Twilight Zone episode or something.

The stage today, as predicted, was fairly uneventful. The usual and predictable doomed breakaway took off about 10km into the race and managed to grow to about 6 riders and a maximum time gap of around 5 minutes before getting caught with less than 20km. Thanks to the sprinter's teams, it was going to be a sprinter's day... just which one?

George Hincapie managed to quite some critics who have said he is not aggressive or smart enough to win big races, by winning a small time bonus of 2 seconds during the day's final intermediate sprint, which put him ahead of Hushovd on time. Hushovd would have to be within the top three to retain the yellow jersey now... but could he?

In the closing meters of the final sprint for the line, after all the sprinter's teams had beaten the snot out of all the pretenders, the race was finally on. It looked like Hushovd would indeed keep his golden tunic until a PMU cardboard promotional hand nailed him in the arm and sliced him pretty deeply, causing him to pracitcally explode in a bleeding mess and lose his concentration in the sprint's closing moments. Hushovd went from what looked like an easy third to ninth and Hincapie became the new leader of the race. Jimmy Casper, the thick little French sprinter more famous for his horrible crash a few years ago that casued him to race with a neck brace and got him a "starring" role in the movie Wired to Win, held off the group containing McEwen (2nd) and Zabel (3rd). Boonen, the current World Champ and Belgian superstar, started his sprint a bit too soon when the other teams proved they had no other plan than to watch him, and faded before the line to finish a surprising 13th.

A couple of things of note about this sprint;
1) How the hell does Boom-Boom Boonen finish 13th?
2) How the hell does Hushovd stay upright while spurting blood out of his arm like some sort of sick lawn sprinkler?
3) How the hell does a French sprinter win a sprint at the Tour?

Has the world just gone totally upside down?

Well, Hincapie is in yellow. Hushovd looks to be able to race again tomorrow, although with some new embroidery in his arm. Boonen isn't likely to make the same mistake in the sprint... unless he doesn't have the same legs that have already netted him 17 wins so far this year. It was really cool to see Zabel in the mix at the end, filling in quite well for Petacchi. McEwen looked very good and would've had the stage today, were it not for the unlikely Casper spooking people by actually making it to the front in the final meters.

All in all folks, I'd say we've got ourselves a bike race here.

So now, without further delay, a few words from our Cub Reporter Jessi Pacetti of Bobke Ink;

Ok. I've said from the beginning, Georgie was my man. It's lovely to see him in yellow today, especially after yesterday's close call. As I've said, you won't see me knocking any American for donning yellow, but GH is my boy.
As for the inside scoop . .. the most often asked question is "What's up with the dark sportcoats?" Maybe that many people don't ask me. Maybe it's just my pal Righteous Rod who asks me everyday. Regardless, I did ask Bob and apparently he says it's a "new regime". He's not sure if they will be in them the whole time or not. However, I do know that Bob had to buy a honkin suitcase bigger than my ass because of all the ll bean garb OLN sent for him to wear there. That's got to be a lot of stuff because I've never seen Bob travel with anything bigger than a carry on backpack.
As for Thor - he got cut by one of those obnoxious green finger things before the finish line. Rod - remind me not to get one of those. Thor lost a buttload of blood and got stiched up, ready to start again tomorrow.
Bob also said that TJMG (Ed- That's Tim Jackson Masi Guy) is a "brave soul" to take me on as a cub reporter. I did mention that TJMG is able to sensor me at will. I guess that's because of my gumshoe
status.
Well, happy touring.
bk

Sorry for the late post (I told you it would be like this), but hopefully tomorrow will be a little better.

Tim

Tour de France; Prologue (Updated)

"I just rode into Strasbourg and boy are my legs Thor..."

Sorry. Just had to do it.

Thor Hushovd wins the opening prologue by less than 1 second over George Hincapie and just over 4 seconds over Dave Zabriskie. With what has happened to CSC over the past 24 hours, one can forgive Dave Z for being a few seconds off the pace today.

(Update; What about the courage of Floyd? Damn, that stupid tire and the bad wheel change... Floyd could have been our man in yellow today. I know he'll recover, relax and use it as motivation to ride even harder.)

Last night as I made my predictions for the prologue, I looked over Credit Agricole's roster and thought they didn't really have a TT specialist... but I was wrong. I am a big fan of the big man from Norway, but I hadn't figured on him to win so impressively. Beating Hincapie, who was clearly motivated to win judging by the time gap to Zabriskie, was an impressive feat. I am sure that he and the team will do all that they can to keep him in yellow for as long as possible. The next few days should prove interesting as Thor is a contender for the Green Sprinter's jersey as well, so he will be fighting it out tomorrow with Robbie McEwen and Tom Boonen for the green jersey as well as trying to hold onto the yellow jersey. Should be pretty cool...

I doubt that George and Discovery will be trying to get into the yellow jersey right away, since it is a very long 3 weeks, but Dave Z and CSC might be hungry for some redemption. You might see a classic Riis manuever with the entire CSC team stringing things out and making some time gaps happen.

David Millar at 16 seconds back was a bit of a shock, but still not bad for his very first race in two years. I might've kept it to 16 seconds, but I've been racing more than him...

Tomorrow is damn near board flat, so nothing too crazy should happen... unless somebody is really hungry for the yellow jersey and decides to take the fight to Credit Agricole. I'd expect to see the usual doomed break aways looking for TV time, then the sprinter's team will mass to the front to set up the speedsters. Look for McEwen, Boonen, Hushovd, Zabel and Freire to be the main guys to watch. However, there are always semi-sprinters who try to get away just before the line. Since it is the first road stage, I'd expect a lot of crashes as nerves settle and people try to relax from the stress. Somebody is going to crash and maybe even leave the Tour early because of it, so all the GC guys will be surrounded by teammates to get them to the line safely. The smaller teams without real GC contendeders will be trying everything to steal a win, so things will be sketchy in the closing miles...

And now for a little commentary from Jessi Pacetti of Bobke Ink;

What an awesome Prologue. Aside from me checking out Bob's hair (vast improvement from last night) and trying to wrangle my two little terrorists, I did catch the actual racing. Thank God for DVRs. As usual, my Brits were stunning in their commentary. As for the race, well. . . well. .. . . well. . . Was that my boy George Hincapie behind by seventy eight one hundreths of a second? Shitfire and burn the matches. I don't think I could blink in that amount of time. Good work GH. I was aghast to see Mr. Landis too cool to show up - kidding - awesome recovery on the flat . .. . I am totally and completely amazed by this race yet again. My flight leaves on the 14th (ED; To go to France and follow the Tour with Bob.), and I wish it was tomorrow. I have the fever and the only thing that can cure it is MORE COWBELL. Here's your cub reporter signing off.

ps. As for the Bob Roll insight, I was in the shower when he called. . . . damn.

Congrats to Thor. I hadn't picked him, but I'm happy to see him win.

Until tomorrow...

Tim