Quick post today as I am slammed at work.
Congrats to Jason Vincze on his back to back provincial championships! A great ride mate. Now why the hell wouldn't you come with me at the half way point mate???? Anyway, a great results for an even greater guy - good on him.
As far as where we stand in the fitness game, I am getting MUCH better. Finally I feel, after a 2 year layoff from bike racing, that I can compete with the real threats at the Master 1 game here in Ontario. It was a good day for the confidence, a great race, and a fun day out. The team did well too really pushing the pace and staying up front in the peleton. I finished 18th, 11 seconds back in the group of 50 or so that actually finished the race. 40+ DNF's, again, it was a hard day in the saddle. We did 40.6km/hr average while the senior 1/2 race did 41.6km/hr average. But bike racing is mostly about taking your chance and rolling the dice. I did that and gave it everything I had. To finish 18th after avoiding the crash in the hot corner there given the efforts to try and get away? Pretty happy.
Hope Bobby, Steve Heck, and the other mate who went UNDER the guard rail, yes UNDER, are ok today. That was one hell of a crash!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Vive le Tour!
On the eve of Mount Ventoux Contador has firmly grasped the yellow jersey, Lance has announced a new American cycling team sponsored by RadioShack, and Carlos Sastre is preparing his little Cervelo for the ascent of death’s door.
Prediction:
- Contador cracks
- Lance wins
- All is back to normal and vive le tour…
No seriously, Lance Armstrong is about to have the fight of his life to keep his 3rd place in the Tour. The infighting between the top 5 might actually open the door for Carlos Sastre to steal the stage but not convinced he has the legs. Look for Wiggins to do his best to knock Armstrong off the podium and look for Lance to do his best to follow the wheels of the Schleck brothers. It sure will be fun to watch.
Me, on the mere cycling mortal side of the pond, is racing the Provincial Road Race championships on Sunday with the bike team www.projectfreeride.com on my little white Cervelo R3.
Then August I will get some running started, a few swims to get the feel for some water, and prep for a couple of short triathlons, then the Green Mountain Stage race labor day weekend, and finally the Muskoka 70.3 ½ Ironman on September 13th.
Oh, and behind door #3 thanks to dad’s motivation could very well be the Toronto Marathon again – STAY TUNED!!
Prediction:
- Contador cracks
- Lance wins
- All is back to normal and vive le tour…
No seriously, Lance Armstrong is about to have the fight of his life to keep his 3rd place in the Tour. The infighting between the top 5 might actually open the door for Carlos Sastre to steal the stage but not convinced he has the legs. Look for Wiggins to do his best to knock Armstrong off the podium and look for Lance to do his best to follow the wheels of the Schleck brothers. It sure will be fun to watch.
Me, on the mere cycling mortal side of the pond, is racing the Provincial Road Race championships on Sunday with the bike team www.projectfreeride.com on my little white Cervelo R3.
Then August I will get some running started, a few swims to get the feel for some water, and prep for a couple of short triathlons, then the Green Mountain Stage race labor day weekend, and finally the Muskoka 70.3 ½ Ironman on September 13th.
Oh, and behind door #3 thanks to dad’s motivation could very well be the Toronto Marathon again – STAY TUNED!!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Cervelo - The little engine that could
www.cervelo.com - go check out why this little Toronto company (well, now based "officially" in Switzerland) have taken the cycling industry by storm. Its a killer little story really.
Today their growing star won a stage in the Tour de France. Henrick Haussler: 2nd in Sam Remo, 2nd in Tour of Flanders and now 1st in an epic Tour stage. He's 24, that is just fucking wicked to me.
So why am I talking about Cervelo not Haussler? Because Cervelo is taking the world of cycling by the pills and giving it a squeeze. Saxo Bank (formerly CSC) used Cervelo bikes since 2003 and won Liege Bastone Liege (Tyler Hamilton), Olympic gold (Cancellera), and the Tour (Carlos Sastre). A new sponsor in Saxo Bank this year and team owner Bjarne Riis decided Cervelo should give a little more $$ to the pot. Cervelo said, "wait, why do that without any control? Lets just start our own team!"
BOOM - a cycling company sponsoring a pro team riding the Tour de France and taking its 2nd stage win today (Hushovd took their first stage in front of Olympic Stadium in Barcelona).
According to co owner Gerrard Vroom, cycling companies contribute 30% of all the funding to pro cycling. Bikes, advertising, team dollars. So, why not keep the budgets tight and go it alone? Full control, more rider access, direct to rider feedback on product? So they do. People laughed at first but make no mistake, Cervelo test team is now the envy of many pro cyclists. They want in. Now, I am sure Cervelo would love an Oracle type company to pony up $10MM with delight BUT the fact is, Cervelo did what no team has done in 40 to 50 years and its working. I love it when a business turns a business model on its head and wins. Vive Cervelo!
Look for Formula 1 to follow. Do Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda and Mclaren really need Ernie Ecclestone and his antics? Just sign contracts with courses and go it alone!
Sports is changing, Cervelo is leading the charge.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sutton Stage Race update + Lance on eve of Le Tour
Really Quick - My Sutton 4 stage/3 day race went, well "OK". I was sick but came out happy and re-enthused by cycling. It was great, thanks team!
More importantly, read this open letter from Sir Lance. Lance Armstrong really states why he is doing what he is doing. I wish him a great tour though I will say, he won't win. A great champion, a hero to all cancer survivors and victims around the globe, a real statesman.
My money for Le Tour is on Contador first, Sastre second, Armstrong third. Vive Le Tour.
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