Tour of Qatar
Haussler is not joke, he doubles-up in Mesaieed and bests Renshaw, Bennati, Rollin, and Boom for an easy one in the win colum. With Tyler cleaning up in Mallorca and Haussler in the Middle East Garm-elo looks like they are going to have the team to beat in the the Classics. Haussler is showing some impressive riding after such a, shall we say bad year last year. Can you say San Remo? Boonen is out of contention and lost the leader's jersey today with a puncture with 40k to go. The winds once again filtered out the strongmen and left the peloton in pieces @ 32:50 off of the lead. That is wind folks, ride in that for 150k and call me in the morning.
1 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo 3:28:04
2 Mark Renshaw (Aus) HTC-Highroad
3 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
4 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ
5 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
6 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD
7 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo
8 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
9 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
10 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team
Challenge Mallorca
I will start by saying that I really like the Movistar kit, the paint job on their Pinarello, and the day-glo green on the Catlike helmet. Thank you for not using black and white, or red and black. Ok, Movistar is fo' real people. I'll be honest, I don't know that much about the Spanish cell phone sponsored team, other than they were evident at the TDU and are making a name for themselves. Rojas pulled off the bunch sprint after the field caught the escapees. Once again Ryder is in the top ten. Garm-elo is poised to have a Classics team that can, and will crush. I was perusing the results and I just saw that Linus Gerdemann is riding for the Schleck's Leopard team. If he goes to le Tour in support of Andy, watch out on the climbs. Linus can rip your legs off.
1 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 3:18:59
2 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
3 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Geox-TMC
4 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
5 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad
6 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
7 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo
8 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team
9 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team
10 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
Other News
Ricco. Really? I was never a fan of Ricco. The dude could ride, he tore up the Giro and had some impressive rides at le Tour. Now, with hindsight we know he was on high octane and the super human feats are just that -super human. Riders dope for a reason, I would like to walk in Ricco's shoes for a while just to see what makes this guy "the Cobra". The big question that we all want to know... is WHY? Is is purely to win? Is it for a paycheck? It is easy for us to point fingers, make accusations, and have all the answers; but not know anything. Why risk it? You have already been caught and suspended, but yet it happens again. This case is baffling and the answers that we need will never be known. I said it before and I will say it again -don't screw up a second chance. There is no need to test the system once you have been caught, you should probably stop, or quit. This is a black eye, but it is almost like we all saw it coming. Don't hate Ricco -you have no right (unless you are a Pro in the UCI peloton). Feel disappointment, feel sorry for a guy that just does not get it. Cheaters do get caught. Applaud those who ride clean.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tour of Qatar / Challenge Mallorca 2.8.11
Tour of Qatar
Haussler takes his first win of the season after a lack-luster season last year. Looks like Qatar is a good place to get back on the horse after a bad season. Haussler's win was no easy task having to go against the "heads of state" of sprint. Bennati represented his new team Leopard, Theo Bos was in the mix. Boonen ended up in 6th and retained the leader's jersey.
1 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo 3:04:03
2 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
3 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team
4 Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
5 Roger Kluge (Ger) Skil - Shimano
6 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
7 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Pro Team Astana
8 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD
9 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
10 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Leopard Trek
Challenge Mallorca
Ben Hermans of RadioShack took one in Trofeo Inca. He sprinted his fellow escapees Tondo and Duran. Hermans made a nature-break befor the first climb and had to chase back on. When you gotta go you gotta go. Looks like Ryder Hesjedal is getting his legs back, and Danilo Di Luca is back from a mandatory "recess".
1 Ben Hermans (Bel) Team Radioshack 4:02:23
2 Arkaitz Duran Aroca (Spa) Geox-TMC
3 Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:01
4 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:00:45
5 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
6 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo
7 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team
8 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Geox-TMC
9 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
10 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
Other News
Riccardo Ricco was hospitalized with kidney failure. It turned out that he administered a transfusion that he had kept in his own refrigerator. Some people just don't learn. I am a forgive and forget kind of guy, but Ricco just seemed like he did not get it. I feel for the guy, getting sick and all and I hope he recovers from this. I am sad that he was given a second chance at the sport, and he goes out and does something so stupid. Seriously, take your lumps, ask for forgiveness and go on with your life. -David Millar is a prime example. The best case would be... DON'T FN DOPE...IT COULD KILL YOU. Plus it is killing our sport. With Reagan fresh in our minds, take the advise of Nancy... Just Say NO!!!
Haussler takes his first win of the season after a lack-luster season last year. Looks like Qatar is a good place to get back on the horse after a bad season. Haussler's win was no easy task having to go against the "heads of state" of sprint. Bennati represented his new team Leopard, Theo Bos was in the mix. Boonen ended up in 6th and retained the leader's jersey.
1 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Team Garmin-Cervelo 3:04:03
2 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
3 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team
4 Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
5 Roger Kluge (Ger) Skil - Shimano
6 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
7 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Pro Team Astana
8 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD
9 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
10 Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Leopard Trek
Challenge Mallorca
Ben Hermans of RadioShack took one in Trofeo Inca. He sprinted his fellow escapees Tondo and Duran. Hermans made a nature-break befor the first climb and had to chase back on. When you gotta go you gotta go. Looks like Ryder Hesjedal is getting his legs back, and Danilo Di Luca is back from a mandatory "recess".
1 Ben Hermans (Bel) Team Radioshack 4:02:23
2 Arkaitz Duran Aroca (Spa) Geox-TMC
3 Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:01
4 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:00:45
5 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
6 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo
7 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team
8 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Geox-TMC
9 Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
10 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
Other News
Riccardo Ricco was hospitalized with kidney failure. It turned out that he administered a transfusion that he had kept in his own refrigerator. Some people just don't learn. I am a forgive and forget kind of guy, but Ricco just seemed like he did not get it. I feel for the guy, getting sick and all and I hope he recovers from this. I am sad that he was given a second chance at the sport, and he goes out and does something so stupid. Seriously, take your lumps, ask for forgiveness and go on with your life. -David Millar is a prime example. The best case would be... DON'T FN DOPE...IT COULD KILL YOU. Plus it is killing our sport. With Reagan fresh in our minds, take the advise of Nancy... Just Say NO!!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
New Training
I'm pretty sure that If I learn this dance, I will win my first race this season, and probably the hearts of millions of at least three school girls in the greater Tulsa area.
Competitive Cyclist (thanks) put this video on FB, and I cherrypicked it for the blog. Matthews did this little jig just before winning a stage of the TDU. I figure that if it is good enough for the U23 World Champ, I know that I now have a new weapon in my arsenal.
Also, I am pretty sure that this is much better than warming up on a trainer.
Did anyone notice that he did this in his bike shoes? Skills
Competitive Cyclist (thanks) put this video on FB, and I cherrypicked it for the blog. Matthews did this little jig just before winning a stage of the TDU. I figure that if it is good enough for the U23 World Champ, I know that I now have a new weapon in my arsenal.
Also, I am pretty sure that this is much better than warming up on a trainer.
Did anyone notice that he did this in his bike shoes? Skills
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tour of Qatar / Challenge Mallorca 2.7.11
Tour of Qatar
Tom blew 'em up today in Al Khor Corniche in the first stage of the Tour of Qatar. The crosswinds tore the peloton to shreds and echelons were created and gaps were formed. The break or first echelon was a who's who of cycling with Spartacus, O'Grady, Renshaw, Haussler, Flecha, several others and of course Tom. With that amount of un-godly highly motivated horsepower no one was going to pull that back in. That's right, they stayed away and put a 5min gorge between them and the peloton.
Good to see Tom in the mix after a not-so-stellar year, with injuries and crashes. He is looking to be on form for the Classics, and Qatar with it's winds is a good tune-up for the rouleurs. Cav did start the stage today and finished about 12min down. I don't expect too much from Cav after getting banged-up, but who knows -he could be resting and looking to score a later stage. Just look at the top ten...That's firepower, pure unadulterated tarmac pounding wattage cranking horsepower.
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
2 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo
3 Mark Renshaw (Aus) HTC-Highroad
4 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
5 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
Tom blew 'em up today in Al Khor Corniche in the first stage of the Tour of Qatar. The crosswinds tore the peloton to shreds and echelons were created and gaps were formed. The break or first echelon was a who's who of cycling with Spartacus, O'Grady, Renshaw, Haussler, Flecha, several others and of course Tom. With that amount of un-godly highly motivated horsepower no one was going to pull that back in. That's right, they stayed away and put a 5min gorge between them and the peloton.
Good to see Tom in the mix after a not-so-stellar year, with injuries and crashes. He is looking to be on form for the Classics, and Qatar with it's winds is a good tune-up for the rouleurs. Cav did start the stage today and finished about 12min down. I don't expect too much from Cav after getting banged-up, but who knows -he could be resting and looking to score a later stage. Just look at the top ten...That's firepower, pure unadulterated tarmac pounding wattage cranking horsepower.
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
2 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo
3 Mark Renshaw (Aus) HTC-Highroad
4 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
5 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
6 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Procycling
7 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ
8 Roger Hammond (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo
9 Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Garmin-Cervelo
10 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Leopard Trek
Challenge Mallorca
The UCI in its infinite wisdom nullified yesterdays results, so the race never happened. That is a kick to the midsection where your inseam and chamois meet. Sticking a radio ear bud into your ear and listening to your DS is a "new Sin" according to the UCI. Several riders and teams defied the ban on radios and therefore everyone was spanked with the nullification.
Today's stage got underway without any Cairo-like activities. Not much to see here folks, just move along. Tyler did put another notch in the belt, or did he? With the nullifying of yesterday's stage I guess he only has one win, the other will be an *. Philippe Gilbert did try a solo attack at 15k to go but was easily caught and put back into the peloton that amassed for the bunch sprint. That's when Tyler edged out the two HTC riders and got his second first win.
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| Photo: © Bettini |
1 Tyler Farrar (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 4:04:11
2 John Degenkolb (Ger) HTC-Highroad
3 Leigh Howard (Aus) HTC-Highroad
4 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
5 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
6 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Skil - Shimano
7 Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team Netapp 8 Robert Wagner (Ger) Leopard Trek
9 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Leopard Trek
10 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team
What's in a Name?
Pain Cave, Hurt Locker, Swamp of Despair, Special Place, Green Zone, Happy Place
We have names for various states of mental and physical good and evil. You say Pain Cave to someone and most likely they know what you are talking about. My fear is that we use these "places" all too often, or there is a misuse of the moniker that we place on how we are feeling. Overuse is a bad thing, it degrades the meaning of the expression. Very similar to the boy who cried wolf, you can only go to the well so many times.
This SNL clip was aired sometime in 1992? Not sure the origin of "the Pain Cave", but we all know what it means.
The Pain Cave is different for everyone, we cannot all have the same cave. I feel that some caves are nicer than others, people are always in them, or are they? Did you really go to the Pain cave or did you just hang out in the entrance, possibly take a seat in the foyer? My Pain Cave has a waiting room like a hospital ER, I have to spend time "waiting" to get in, and then once I actually get in, it is truly a horrible place. One that is without description, possibly due to the fact that I block it from my memory, but once I get back I know. I know that I have been here before, and sometimes I go and do work in the cave. I dig it just a little deeper, make the edges rougher, darker and more painful. It is not a pretty place, and one cannot really know the existence of the Pain Cave until fully immersed. You might not remember exactly the time spent in the cave, but one thing is always the same. You know that you have been there.
We have names for various states of mental and physical good and evil. You say Pain Cave to someone and most likely they know what you are talking about. My fear is that we use these "places" all too often, or there is a misuse of the moniker that we place on how we are feeling. Overuse is a bad thing, it degrades the meaning of the expression. Very similar to the boy who cried wolf, you can only go to the well so many times.
Come inside my pain cave, and I'll bludgeon you.
You don't have to scream, because your ears are bleeding.
That's perfectly normal when someone bludgeons you.
The bleeding part that I was just referring to.
Paaaaaaain Caaaaaaave
Paaaaaaain Caaaaaaave
Paaaaaaain Caaaaaaave
Paaaaaaain Caaaaaaave . . . (big finish!)
(Jammin!)
(Nirvana eat your heart out!)
Pretty, pretty pain cave
(Pain cave)
Pretty, pretty pain cave
(So pretty the cave we spoke of!)
Pretty, pretty pain cave in the pain cave
(If it wasn't pretty we wouldn't call it pretty!)
Come into my pretty pretty pain cave.
Come into my pretty pretty pain cave.
Come into my pretty pretty pain caaave . . .
This SNL clip was aired sometime in 1992? Not sure the origin of "the Pain Cave", but we all know what it means.
The Pain Cave is different for everyone, we cannot all have the same cave. I feel that some caves are nicer than others, people are always in them, or are they? Did you really go to the Pain cave or did you just hang out in the entrance, possibly take a seat in the foyer? My Pain Cave has a waiting room like a hospital ER, I have to spend time "waiting" to get in, and then once I actually get in, it is truly a horrible place. One that is without description, possibly due to the fact that I block it from my memory, but once I get back I know. I know that I have been here before, and sometimes I go and do work in the cave. I dig it just a little deeper, make the edges rougher, darker and more painful. It is not a pretty place, and one cannot really know the existence of the Pain Cave until fully immersed. You might not remember exactly the time spent in the cave, but one thing is always the same. You know that you have been there.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tour of Qatar Prologue / Challenge Mallorca
Things got underway in Qatar today with the Prologue.
Lars Boom (pronounced like Home with a B) put it down, and bested the World TT champ Cancellara by 4sec. It was a 2km drag race of a prologue that took just over 3min to finish. Tom Boonen is 7sec down in 7th place. This race is a sprinters heaven and the horsepower will be on full display. Versus is streaming a live feed in the morning @ 5:00am, if you get up that early. I missed the prologue this morning, but plan on catching the first stage tomorrow. Cav hit the tarmac when his front wheel dissembled itself after bunny-hoping some road furniture. He is 1:13 back to start, and pretty banged up.
1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:07
4 Juan Antonio (Spa) Team Sky
5 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:06
6 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
7 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
8 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:08
9 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Pro Team Astana
10 Matt Brammeier (Irl) HTC-Highroad 0:00:09
Trofeo Palma De Mallorca
8 Koldo Fernández de Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
Lars Boom (pronounced like Home with a B) put it down, and bested the World TT champ Cancellara by 4sec. It was a 2km drag race of a prologue that took just over 3min to finish. Tom Boonen is 7sec down in 7th place. This race is a sprinters heaven and the horsepower will be on full display. Versus is streaming a live feed in the morning @ 5:00am, if you get up that early. I missed the prologue this morning, but plan on catching the first stage tomorrow. Cav hit the tarmac when his front wheel dissembled itself after bunny-hoping some road furniture. He is 1:13 back to start, and pretty banged up.
1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:07
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| Photo credit © AFP |
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Leopard Trek 0:00:04
3 Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil - Shimano 0:00:05 4 Juan Antonio (Spa) Team Sky
5 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:06
6 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
7 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team
8 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:08
9 Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Pro Team Astana
10 Matt Brammeier (Irl) HTC-Highroad 0:00:09
Trofeo Palma De Mallorca
Tyler Farrar captured his first W of the season at Challenge Mallorca race series, judging by the top ten there was some stolen candy. Anyway a W is a W. The start was held up by the riders protesting the Radio ban of the UCI. I have not formed an opinion on the ban, but when I can formulate something -I will, and I just might let you in on it. The newly crowned World Champ was not starting due to food poisoning. -Thor, I would becareful when dining with Tyler and the rest of the team, you might want to employ a food tester.
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| Photo: © Fotoreporter Sirotti |
1 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Cervélo 02:32:24
2 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Skil-Shimano
3 Francisco Ventoso (Spa)Movistar
4 Jose Joaquín Rojas (Spa) Movistar
5 Klass Lodewyck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
6 Oscar Grau (Spa) Burgos 2016-Castilla y León
7 Juan José Lobato (Spa) Andalucía-Caja Granada 8 Koldo Fernández de Larrea (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
9 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis
10 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step
Theory
The trainer is a self-chosen torture device that people willingly subject themselves. You know you do it. Don't lie. It is a horrible way to spend your time, especially time on a bike. Of course you get a benefit from hurting yourself, the benefit is that you now have a larger threshold for more pain. Boy, isn't that a barrel of monkeys? We do something that hurts, so that we can endure more pain, so we take on more pain just to be able to hurt more? Are you following this? I'm writing it, and I'm a little lost. This makes no sense at all.
I'm hurting myself so I can hurt myself more, but you know at a higher level.
You know the point in time when you are going cross-eyed? When the legs are about to stage a revolt, your lungs are looking for a change of address form, and the brain has checked out long ago? Time stands still? The fabric of time unravels and you are stuck in a warped limbo state that has no end or beginning. This is akin to when time slows down during a crash. You stress the body to the point where your brain feels that it is in danger and your senses become heightened. Therefore, you are able to slow down time, perceived time that is.
This phenomenon is awesome, so awesome because now you can experience the excruciating pain in John Madden like slow motion with commentary and HD video instant replay. How lucky is that? Now a 3x10min Threshold interval session feels like a lifetime with your hand caught in a door. Perceived time is a cruel and malevolent bully that will get your lunch money every time you dip a toe into the Red-zone.
I'm hurting myself so I can hurt myself more, but you know at a higher level.
You know the point in time when you are going cross-eyed? When the legs are about to stage a revolt, your lungs are looking for a change of address form, and the brain has checked out long ago? Time stands still? The fabric of time unravels and you are stuck in a warped limbo state that has no end or beginning. This is akin to when time slows down during a crash. You stress the body to the point where your brain feels that it is in danger and your senses become heightened. Therefore, you are able to slow down time, perceived time that is.
This phenomenon is awesome, so awesome because now you can experience the excruciating pain in John Madden like slow motion with commentary and HD video instant replay. How lucky is that? Now a 3x10min Threshold interval session feels like a lifetime with your hand caught in a door. Perceived time is a cruel and malevolent bully that will get your lunch money every time you dip a toe into the Red-zone.
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