La Flamme Rouge

Chris Horner Gives a Fellow Competitor a Lift...

2 guys, 2 bikes, 1 guy pedaling, a 2nd guy sitting on the back...

Chris Horner Link

Google Maps "Bike There" Petition

Great idea.
tell your friends.

Google Maps "Bike There" Petition Link

Thoughts on Day 1 of the Tour

Great stage.  Nervous stage. 

1. First off, be sure to check out the new Versus commercial "A New Stage Begins" where they show clips of Floyd putting on the yellow jersey, Rasmussen winning a stage, Vino rolling out of the start ramp.  EXCEPT THEY SHOW THEM IN REVERSE.  The obvious implication is that these guys all got caught for doping and had their victories taken away from them.  And that the Tour is now clean.  A bit of an idealistic but somewhat damning ad by Versus.

2. Valverde - as Phil would say, he's dangerous b/c he's a sprinter who can climb and a climber who can sprint.  His acceleration with 200 meters to go was just awesome.

3. The biggest improvement Versus needs to make is to put the riders' speed on the screen much more often. They do this every once in a while, but I think this will make viewing much more interesting.  Similar to when they finally started showing poker hands on TV. Otherwise, it was just as boring as watching from behind the ropes in Vegas.  Once they made that change, you could actually understand and appreciate the skill and strategy. Similarly, watching cycling w/o a speedometer is a bit deceptive, and you'll never appreciate the grade on the climb, but at least it's a start. 

4. Here's a piece of info that will help you win an obscure bet w/ your friends - the first rider to retire from the 2008 tour? Hervé Duclos-Lasalle of Team Cofidis.

And the Tour is Off...

It's going to be a great summer for sport - the Tour, Wimbledon, the US Olympic Trials, Olympics later.  Good thing I accidentally deleted my entire DVR - there's a lot to keep track of.  Here are some pre-Tour thoughts:

1.  The biggest news of the day? No Al Trautwig on the Versus set.  I am not sure what happened, but looks like Annoying Al (as we so foundly refer to him) has been replaced w/ a younger version, Mr. Craig Hummer. 

2. Tour Predictions
a. Yellow Jersey (Overall) - Cadel
b. Green Jersey (Sprints/Points) - Thor
c. Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains) - I'm going on record as picking Soler, but it's not clear if he's still injured from earlier in the year. Look also for Sastre and Kreuziger as a surprise.
d. White Jersey (Young Rider) - I'm picking Ricco, but Andy Schleck is a strong contender.

3. A couple video clips to get you going before the Versus coverage begins:
a.  Give it 20 seconds and then you'll see guys screaming downhill - Gnarly Descent
b. Would this ever happen in the tour? - Premature Celebration
c. 20 cents if you can name the movie this music is from - The Art of Cycling

4. Finally, this isn't Tour-related. Even if you don't read the entire article, check out the body on Dara Torres (who just qualified for her 5th Olympics in swimming) in this NY Times article - Dara Torres Article

Here we go...Get back to Versus, in HD.

Crashes of the Tour

nothing gets the heart pumping in prep for the tour than a collection of some of the tour's greatest crashes...

Tour Crashes

New Garmin Chipotle Kits Unveiled

Surprise.  It says Garmin and Chipotle on the front.  And keeps some of the retro argyle.   Otherwise, it's really not that exciting, except to say it's new.  Will Ostrander may have to go update his kit. 

Garmin Chipotle New Kit

Garmin Chipotle Kit - Party Deux

Velogames pour le Tour

It's so on.

provisional rider lists are up.    for those who don't know, this is fantasy cycling. 

read the rules.

learn them.

live them.

love them. 

Velogames

Western States 100 Cancelled Due to Fires

I know this blog says cycling rumblings, but I follow endurance sports equally.  Regardless, if you're going to cancel a mega-ultra distance event that people have to qualify for and arguably have been waiting/training for for several years, this is probably as professional and humane a way to do so. 

Dear Western States Runners,

It is with deep regret that we announce today that the 35th running of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run has been canceled, due to the unprecedented amount of wildfires that have struck northern California in recent days and the health risks that have been associated with these wildfires. The Board of Trustees of the Western States Endurance Run has consulted with many of our local and state race partners, including the U.S. Forest Service and the Placer County Air Pollution Control District, in coming to this decision. We apologize to our runners for any inconvenience this decision has created.

The race’s organizers are currently working on a revised schedule of runner activities for Thursday and Friday in Squaw Valley, and these details will be made available soon. Although there will be no race for the first time in our 35-year history, we still wish to make this experience as meaningful as possible for our runners. Activities will include annual events such as runner check-in for goodie bag pickup on Friday morning, the pre-race briefing and raffle on Friday afternoon, the showing of Western States documentaries on Friday night, and a special gathering of runners commemorating the race’s start on Saturday.

Since the beginning of more than 840 wildfires statewide, 312 wildfires in northern California and more than 3,200 lightning strikes in the Tahoe National Forest alone on June 21, the race’s organizers have worked closely with a variety local, county and state agencies in determining the best course of action for our race. It has become apparent that given our race’s paramount concern – the safety or our runners – holding this year’s race would pose too great a risk to our runners, to our aid station personnel and to our volunteers. Given the close proximity of at least two fires that are within two miles of our race course and a critical access road, as well as the deteriorating air quality stretching from our start in Squaw Valley to Auburn, Calif., the board has determined that cancellation, rather than postponement or the use of an alternative course, represents the safest and most prudent decision for our 2008 event.

Our decision was based on three factors:

1) Proximity of the fire to the race course, which has the potential to impact the safety of runners, aid station personnel and volunteers at any point during the race.

Fire projections indicate that the Westville Fire has the potential to reach the Foresthill Divide Road by the weekend; in addition, the Peavine Fire could reach Last Chance and Mosquito Ridge Road, possibly compromising access in and out of these areas. In a statement, Jan Cutts, District Ranger for the American River Ranger District, said, “In addition to the potential direct impact by the fires, (the race’s cancellation) is based on safety concerns surrounding the increased number of vehicles on the road and congestion associated with the Run. We see hundreds of vehicles on the Foresthill Divide Road and Mosquito Ridge Road for this event each year. That’s just too many additional vehicles when we’ve got fire-fighting equipment and personnel using the same roads for fire suppression operations. … Safety is our overriding concern and we felt we could not provide a safe environment for this year’s Run because of the unprecedented fire activity in the area.”

2. Air quality deterioration.

Placer County Air Pollution Control District officials have issued an air-quality advisory. Air quality specialists with Placer County are advising individuals to reduce their exposure to the unhealthy air, and that includes vigorous outdoor activities. Medical representatives from the Western States Board have consulted with several physicians regarding their expert opinion on running a 100-mile trail race through rugged country through such unhealthy air; the consensus has been that such an activity would not be recommended, with the potential for serious health risks – even for the most highly trained of athletes. As a point of reference, a high level of pollution is 35 micrograms of material; in Auburn on Wednesday the level was 10 times that amount, according to figures from Placer County. In addition, Placer County Air Pollution Control District officials have characterized the air conditions as extremely hazardous and the worst recordings the area has had in more than 10 years.

In a statement, the Placer County Public Health Officer, Air Pollution Control Officer and Director of the Office of Emergency Services, all concurred with the decision to cancel this year’s run:

“The current situation in Northern California with respect to poor air quality and active fire danger is unprecedented. Within Placer County there are three active fires burning in the American River watershed, two of which have potential to impact the Western States Trail directly. These fires, as well as ones burning outside of the American River watershed to the west and north are creating unhealthy smoke concentrations throughout the foothills. This has necessitated county public health officials to issue advisories recommending a curtailment of voluntary outdoor activities that include strenuous physical exertion. These recommendations include reducing exposure to smoke.” Added Tom Christofk, Placer County Air Pollution Officer: “The widespread smoke throughout Northern California is forecasted to remain as long as the wildfires continue to burn and the weather conditions do not substantially change. The poor air quality conditions being experienced in Placer County are expected to persist through the weekend and impact elevations from the valley to Tahoe. High particulate matter concentrations affect respiratory and cardiovascular systems negatively, and I concur with the decision to cancel the Run from a public health perspective as we have been issuing health advisories recommending the limiting of outdoor physical exercise until conditions improve.”

3. Safety of our runners.

For 35 years, the Western States 100 has been predicated on our runner’s safety. As stewards of the race, the Western States Board has always recognized that running 100 miles over snow, through high elevations, into infernal canyons and through the dark of night can pose great challenges for even the most skilled of runners. Couple the challenging nature of our run with the existing combination of close proximity of wildfire, potential volatile fire activity that could cut off key access points to the course as well as some of the most unhealthy air the region has seen this decade, and the decision was made in recognition of our preeminent goal – the safety of our runners.

For all of you, today’s news is disappointing. Since the lottery was held in December, you have trained with remarkable diligence and focus to get to this day. You have dreamed big and made countless personal sacrifices to prepare for one of the greatest days any trail runner can ever have. As a group, the Western States Board would like to commend you for your dedication and devotion not only to the preparation that is required for our race, but to the community of trail runners of which we are all a part. You are members of a special group, one that relishes challenge, constantly strives to improve the limits of what is believed possible, and seeks the special kindred spirits of others who revel in the beauty of our sport. We have been honored to have your name as part of our race’s start list this year.

We would be remiss if we did not publicly thank the men and women of the American River Ranger District, particularly Jan Cutts and Ed Moore, for their consultation and constant flow of updated information regarding this very challenging fire situation. The City of Auburn, City Manager Bob Richardson, and officials from Placer County, in particular Tom Christofk, Placer County Air Pollution Control Officer, and Dr. Richard Burton, Placer County Public Health Officer, have also been invaluable sources of information and advisement. Thanks to all of these trail partners.

In the coming days, we will announce details regarding entries for next year’s race, which will be determined in a fair and equitable manner. It should be noted that per our race rules, all race entries are non-refundable.

Thank you again for your participation and interest in the Western States 100. We hope that we will see you in 2009.

Sincerely,

Tim Twietmeyer
Western States Board President
Greg Soderlund Race Director

Pretty Cool Article on Energy & Exercise

The article may be something different than you were expecting.  And it has a bit of wackiness to it, but what I like the most is how "out-of-the-box" it is...

Cool Velonews Article

David Millar on HBO

Thx to the K-man for this heads up.

David Millar on HBO - Velonews link