Well....summer has almost run it's course. Le Tour is long over, and the Vuelta starts on Saturday. Huge congrats to Levi for winning his 2nd Tour of Utah...must feel pretty good considering the horrific Tour he and the rest of the team had. I know summer is coming fast to a close, as it's dark again when I'm driving into work. Though to say summer is gone here doesn't really mean much, except that we might FINALLY get some decent weather. Our little pocket of weather here makes it feel like we live in the southern hemisphere...when it's warm everywhere else in the US we are chilly. The last few days have been sunny...which is a change. In the summer the winds shift and we get covered by the marine layer for up to half the day, sometimes the entire day. Once the summer weather moves on the winds shift back and the layer is pushed offshore and we start getting nice sunny days. Very strange area we live in. But we don't get snow...so there is that.
OK...so....who do you like for the Vuelta? I won't be watching it...I have cancelled my Dish package upgrade so no longer have VS. So this will be one of those races I just read about every day. Just like EVERY other race this year EXCEPT for the Tour. I don't even know who's starting, except that Thor isn't. Not sure if that is some kind of retaliation for his moving on next season to a new team....of course JV says it isn't...and we can only take his word for that. But Thor really wanted to do it...as does everybody else interested in a shot at the worlds as it's the prime tune-up for that. So he'll have to do a bunch of smaller races...which won't quite be the same. But I think he might have a real shot at the worlds...as the course seems to be suited for a strong sprinter/climber type...he fits that bill like very few others. Of course Gilbert will be there and if his season is any indication, he will be the favorite.
And the inaugural Tour of Colorado will take place during the Vuelta...which will be another BIG race for the US riders. For those of you going, I'm extremely jealous! It would be great fun to attend a few stages...I fondly remember the first Tour of Cali...(the one Floyd won?) The peleton rode right thru my area AND town...the finish that day was down in Santa Barbara. I saw them as they rode down hwy 1 in Guadalupe, then again on Clark Ave right here in Santa Maria/Orcutt as they were heading towards Foxen Canyon...and then we saw them yet again as they came down off of San Marcos Pass and into Santa Barbara. Rare to find a stage where you can catch the riders THREE times! Ahhhh....fond memories.
So...enjoy your vacations and take lots of pics! And JD, good luck on the autograph hunting! I sent you about 60 megs worth of pictures from this years ToC (only took like 4 days and MANY MANY MANY email attempts...who knew there was some kind of a size limit on emails!)...hopefully some of those will get you a good print and you can get them signed. You ladies can pull that sort of thing off where guys can't. Knock em'
dead!
OK..well....the doping front has been VERY QUIET this season...which is a good thing I'd think.....the ol' "no news is good news" seems to apply. Contador's CAS hearing over his LAST YEARS Tour Clen positive has now been moved up to the year 2037 I think (well, ok, it's this November, but at the rate they're going, they might as well move it to 2037). I'll be anxious to see what comes out of it. WILL they (the UCI) finally establish some kind of threshold? We can only hope so...but no matter how it goes, we will probably never know if he truly cheated or has been sucked into the black-hole of a crappy system. There are arguments both ways...but my rose-colored glasses say just give him a pass on this one. But that's just me...I know there are others out there (SUSIE!) who want heads (or more specifically, one head) to roll.I can't fault you for that I guess....once bitten, twice shy? I guess I just keep on sticking my hand into the big-dog's mouth. Some of us are really slow learners.
Alright-y then....that's about all I can think of at the moment. Oh....I have to give a huge congrats to Fatty btw for his sub-9 hour finish in Leadville last Saturday. That is a monumental achievement for a 'recreational' rider. And his wife Lisa (the Hammer) finished in around 9:30...which is ALSO monumental...on my best day she's still have crushed me (I rode with her in Davis and she DID crush me). I personally doubt that I could even do a 10 hour ride at that event.., and that's IF I could somehow endure the pain of riding my bike that long without becoming permanently crippled. I don't think any amount of motrin would help my neck after about 7 to 8 hours of riding. Ahhh....isn't it WONDERFUL getting old??
Well, that's all I've got...I'm OUTTA HERE (to bed I mean)...game ON!
We have been having great weather here -- FINALLY! Don't mind the occasional T-storm, like yesterday -- they pass and then we are back to nice, not too hot, not too humid weather.
ReplyDeleteI just now (really!) decided to not go to Colorado. I was sitting here getting ready to buy my ticket (via priceline) and happened to glance over at my rails-to trails magazine, suddenly thought I'd rather spend the time that way--I've done so little this summer--so I am going to take the week to ride some of the beautiful trails here in Ohio that I've not been on. Even though I was kind of hoping to get hired as a team grandmother somewhere. I can learn to bake cookies!
Janann, hope you get some great pics and autographs! If you get a chance to post during the week, let us know where you will be on the stages! Stage 2 sounds very exciting and strenuous. Oh, I hope that you do get to go to the gala with Cathy, that sounds faabulous!
I had paid for access to Universal sports for the Giro, Vuelta and World's, so I will be able to watch Vuelta stages that way. Otherwise it would be cyclingfans for a link to livestreams--of course that limits when you can watch, can't on days that I work.
I've got Nibali and Anton, Chavenel, Haedo, Van den Broek, Freire, deMaar and Haussler on my year-long fantasy team, hope they score me some big points! I had been up to 138th place, but am now well down around 260. I look for Haimar Zubeldia to do well as usual (he does seem to fly under the radar), and of course hope for a strong showing from Klodi (if his back is okay) and Garmin for stage wins; esp. would like to see Haussler get something out of this season. Also, Freire, as he comes down to his last year or so. Not sure yet if he is staying with Rabo--he hasn't been on fire this year, and they signed Renshaw... You know I get sentimental about these old sprinters...No word yet on Robbie Mc., sure do hope he gets a spot on a team that will support him.
Matt, you've mentioned your neck a few times. Have you gone to a massage therapist? I have an old injury (assaulted by a patient) that flares up regularly; riding in the drops for long periods can aggravate it as well as looking up while reaching up which I have to do at work; the C5 vertebra seems to slip out of position. I use cervical traction at home, but also find that massage, yoga massage especially, helps keep things comfortable and in alignment. Maybe your insurance will pay? I take advantage of every Groupon that comes along.
Rae