Beautiful Sports

Tongue and horns ready to climb

 I spent my Sunday in the Church of the Great Outdoors with an old high school buddy, Dave.  We took in an awesome day at Powder Mountain resort, one the best (and last) real places to just ski.  Its a low key joint with a rustic couple of lodges, very few lifts, but access to about 7,000 acres of skiing.  Not to mention a lift ticket is only $65, a true bargain in today's reality if $100 lift tickets.

Among the unique amenities at Pow Mow is all natural snow and a $15 add on ticket for a ride on the snowcat.  The cat ride takes you to lighting ridge and its steep chutes and gets you access to the 25 minute hike up to James Peak.  From James Peak you can ski a good 3000 uninterrupted feet of quality, mostly untouched snow.  Its well worth the hike and the $15.

After a few warm up runs and waiting for the snow to soften in the sun a bit, we made our way to the cat and started our morning adventure.  My friend, who now lives near sea level, was a bit nervous about the hike.  It looks steep from afar, and in reality, it is.  Some people skin to the top but there's usually a well stepped boot pack as well.

Brand new Bontrager RL Road Cycling shoes, size 43, $140 (self sponsored ad)

We started the boot pack and Dave started to really feel the altitude.  Dave's in great shape, he's a cyclist and triathlete and an expert snowboarder, but 9,500 feet is a lot of elevation.  But he kept on, kept telling himself "the next tree".  We had caught up to one skier skinning up and he told us the summit wasn't worth climbing to because the snow off the top was in poor shape.  We were darn close to the summit though and with all the effort we had put in, especially Dave, we weren't going to stop our climb and bug out early.  we figured if the snow sucked from the top, we could always traverse over to the next face where the snow was better.

Dave on the summit

Once we got to the top, we quickly realized just how worthwhile the climb really was.  From James Peak you can see 3 Utah borders, the Uintah Mountains, the Cottonwoods, the Wellsvilles and the expanse of the Great Salt Lake.  On this day though, we could only see the top of Antelope island poking up out of the smog.  But we were high above it all, in the warmth of the inversion with bluebird skies above.  At that point, it didn't matter what the snow was like, it was the climb, the view and the company that made James Peak great.

There are many reasons why I do the sports I do, but one of the biggest ones, is just simply being out there.  The rewards of a long hike up a peak; the thrill of a big downhill line; the joy of sailing along under your own power in the middle of the ocean; the whine of your freshly home tuned turbo charged engine; and the sheer thrill of riding your bike in the open air.

With so much focus this last week on Lance Armstrong and his confession, I had to remind myself of why I do what I do.  I was a cycling fan long before who I knew who Lance was.  I had my first pair of spandex even before Lance's World Championship win.  Yes, I was a huge Lance fan once he started winning the Tour, but he was never my reason for riding.  Lance did great things to grow the popularity of cycling, but you know what the fastest growing sport in the world is?  MMA!  A world that has nothing to do with cycling.  Cycling was awesome before LA and it is awesome after.  I really think the non-cyclist fans of LA will look past his cheating and bullying and move on.  For the cyclist, I believe the love of the sport transcends one super star or multiple doping scandals.  While I love bike racing and putting on my kit filled with generous sponsors and col designs, what I love most, is simply being out there.  Its why I put on races, so others can experience that joy.  Just finishing the 157 mile Tour de Park City or the grueling Powder Mountain Hillclimb is a feat unto itself.  Add racing others in that journey and you have a beautiful thing.

I'm over Lance Armstrong.  He has his own bed to lay in now and his own problems to sort out.  I hope he does right by making amends to all the people he's hurt directly and indirectly, but I'm over it.  Its time to look forward to the next training ride, the new racing season, the next sail across the Pacific and the next epic powder day.  There is so much beauty in these great sports that to let the professional athletes dictate how we feel or participate would be wrong.  For those who love the stick and ball sports, are you going to give up your Thursday night pick up games because Kobe's an unfaithful husband, or give up your next golf outing because Tiger's a DB?  No.  And I will not give up riding my bike and helping others do the same because some of our heroes have falling.

So, here's to your next big thing, here's to your next epic and your next mountain to climb!

Fiber Friday

No, most of us do not have enough fiber in our diets, but thats a topic for Tuesdays.  Today's fiber is a set of videos giving us a look at how carbon fiber boats, bikes and an F1 car's monocoque chassis are made.

Stainless Steel Black Carbon Fiber Band Ring (Google Affiliate Ad)

Once upon a time, I was a Mechanical Engineering major.  I love all the technical aspects of my sports, but turns out I'm terrible at advance math and couldn't pass calc II.  As my GPA moved closer to zero, I became a business student.  But my love for the technical stuff hasn't waned.

Carbon is really a super fiber.  Light, stiff and very resistant to fatigue.  Its why we use it in so many applications where weight is an issue.

For next week I'm working on some thoughts about Lance Armstrong's interview.  So far, I've been impressed with Big O's line of questions and after tonight's final segment I'll be sure to have something to say.

In the meantime, enjoy video Friday!

TT Tuesday

Believe it or not, I only have one bicycle.  I have a road bike that occupies most of my time and budget but quite often people are surprised that I don't have a mountain bike, a cyclocross bike, a TT bike, a training bike, etc, etc.  Its not that I don't want to spend time with any of those other types of cycling activities, I just plain 'ol don't have it the budget.  I would love to have a quiver of bikes but bikes are expensive.  I actually sold my mountain bike a few years ago to buy more road bike stuff. Regardless, I've always been on the lookout for good deals.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to Matt at The Bike Shoppe in Ogden to be on the lookout for a cheap time trial frame.  Turns out he had one sitting in the basement that was looking for a home.  I sent the owner of the frame a text and 2 days later I had a 2007 Fuji Aloha CF1.  One of the things I love most about cycling (and sailing, cars and skiing for that matter) is all the cool gear and equipment associated with the sport.  Even though the frame is a bit older, its is perfect condition and has a very sexy clear coat over the carbon weave.

My original goal was to see how much of this bike I could build with just parts from my garage.  While I have a ton of parts lying around I managed only to find a Dura Ace crankset, bottom bracket, aero bars and some brake and shifter cable that would be compatible with the build.  The derailleurs I had were 8 speed and the brake calipers were too ancient.  Brake levers and shifters for a TT build are pretty specialized, but I knew I would need those.  So, the search began for some cheap parts.

Matt manged to find some spare parts in the basement at the shoppe for a great price.  I've also scored some killer deals online finding a Shimano 105 front and rear derailleur for cheap.  Some brake calipers, shifters and a saddle are all I need now.  I've got my awesome 58mm Mercury Wheels but will get a 80mm or even a disk for the rear soon.

The real fun will be putting this thing together myself.  I have the tools but my wife may have an issue with me building the bike in the living room...its 30 degrees in the garage right now!

The Aloha CF1 is an interesting bike.  Its super stiff with aero tubing but Fuji made the bike with standard road bike geometry, namely a 73.5 degree seat tube versus a steeper 78 degree measurement found on most TT bikes.  The bike was stiff enough for pro sprinter Ivan Dominguez to spec the frame for his road set up a few years back.  This may make fitting the bike in the aero postition a bit more difficult, but luckily there's a forward-set seatpost available for the bike if I need it.

While there is no substitute for a good motor, having a TT bike will lob off a few ticks of the clock in time trials.  I'm stoked and I'll keep you posted on my progress on the build.

Pearl Izumi Pro Softshell 180 Cycling Jacket - Men's - Black In Size: (Google Affiliate Ad)

Lance to confess??

So the big cycling news over the weekend was the New York Times article stating Lance Armstrong was considering a confession.  While I think its a possibility Lance could confess, the confession would certainly be rife with passing the buck and self-victimization.  His confession would also need to include some serious apologizes to a number of people.  See, over the past few months, my opinion of LA has changed quite a bit.

I used to be very pragmatic over the whole "did he or didn't he dope" argument.  I figured if he did dope, then good for him, he was the best of all the dopers, since nearly everyone at the top of the spot during that time.  If he didn't, and somehow he was the only clean one, then even better for him.  So when USADA came out with their decision to ban LA for life, it really wasn't a surprise.  But after reading the decision and some of the evidence and combining that with some of Tyler Hamilton's revelations, I decided it wasn't just that LA doped, it was that he was the ring leader, the bully, the mafia boss that would destroy anyone who dared speak against him.  He ruined careers, he ruined human beings.

His first apology would need to go to Besty and Frankie Andreu.  They, Besty really, were the first to tell the truth about what LA had told them about drug use.  They have also bore the brunt of LA's wrath and super powered spin team.

His next apology needs to be for Greg Lemond.  When Lemond dared to some out against him Lemond ended up losing a bike licensing deal with Trek.  While I have my own doubts about Lemond's cleaniness from PED's, he's never shied away from calling a spade a spade.

Sigma BC 1909 HR Cycling Computer with Heart Rate (Google Affiliate Ad)

He needs to apologize to Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, whom he skewered in the press and public.  He then needs to hand out personal apologies to all his teammates over the years, for not backing them up, for pressuring them to dope.  He needs to apologize to every cyclist who decided against a pro cycling career by choosing not to dope.

He needs to apologize to every fan, including me, who bought into the lies, and purchased Nikes, Oakley's and Giro helmets because of him.

He needs to apologize for a lifetime of bullying a deceit.

If he's going to continue to profess all the good he has done for cycling then he needs to own up to all the damage he has now done as well.

I have my doubts though  that a confession is coming.  A confession would open LA up to all kinds of legal action.  He's already being sued by SCA Promotions for the $5mm bonus they were forced to give him.  I'm surprised there haven't been defamation lawsuits and more sponsors coming forward asking for some money back.  Wouldn't he be purge-ring himself as well?  I'm pretty sure he's professed his innocence under oath.

Whatever the reasons LA may have for confessing, if it happens, it needs to be more than just an "I doped, lets move on."  For a confession to stick for me, he'll need to spend the rest of his life repairing the damage he has caused to sports in general, cycling and most importantly to the lives he has destroyed in the process.

Sigma BC 1609 STS CAD Cycling Computer (Google Affiliate Ad)

TGIF!

Its Friday!  Finally.  If you're reading this, it means the Mayans were in fact incorrect in their prediction of our demise.  Thank goodness.  Now, can we all get on with our lives?

The news from pro cycling continues to depress.  First Rabobank, now Nissan, have pulled their sponsorship from Pro Tour teams early.  They want to distance themselves so much from cycling that they're willing to continue paying through their contract period, yet remove themselves from the jerseys, website, etc.

Its obviously fallout from Lance's epic fall from grace, but lets hope this trend doesn't continue.  Lets hope the riders of tomorrow will take the rules seriously and prove to sponsors and fan that cycling is worthy of their support.  I know of some local Utah boys who are doing their best to make that happen.

Now, its Friday, so let the movies roll!  SRAM, one of my favorite companies, decided Gangnam Style needed some spandex and bicycles.  And Ullman Sails takes a 40 race boat out for some sail testing.  Enjoy!

Lance

Its been a while since my last post.  Its been an insanely busy summer and I'm still behind on a bunch of stuff.  But my season has continued, with some success to boot!

For me personally, this summer has been up and down.  I'll write later on some issues I faced with mid season training.  I did manage my best results during July however, with a 9th at the state crit champs and a 2nd and 3rd at the Utah City Crits.  I'm making final preps for LOTOJA as well.  The Tour de Park City grew by 50% over last year and we had some great racing out on the 157 mile course.  We've got an awesome line up of late summer races as well with the Powder Mountain Hillclimb on Sept 1st and the Harvest Moon Crit/Cross weekend on Sept 22nd and 23rd.

On the professional side of things, we had an awesome Tour of Utah and the US Pro Challenge in Colorado has seen some exciting racing so far.  But the big bomb that was dropped obviously was the news that Lance Armstrong has decided not to go to arbitration and fight USADA's case against him, at least not fight in the way USADA has laid out.

Again, I'm pragmatic about the whole thing.  I was, and still am, a huge Lance fan.  In my mind it has never been about if he doped or not.  I have no delusions he did not.  But why am I a fan then?

Johnathan Vaughters confession to doping sheds some light on why I'm still a fan.  As he so eloquently stated, it was either dope or give up on the dream of racing in the bigs.  Doping was part of the game and if you wanted to play the game, or least play it well, you had to be doping.  Lance, being the fierce competitor that he is, played the game.  There are some good charts out there showing the history of doping amongst the top 10 riders at each of Lance's 7 tour wins and podiums.  Its filled with allegations, bans, investigations, confessions, half confessions and tainted beef.  Lance proved to be the best of all the dopers. 

Of course rules were broken and these riders cheated.  But if everyone is doing it, is it still cheating?  The part of me with integrity says "yes, of course".  But what we have seen is that doping, and not getting caught, was truly part of the sport and succeeding in the sport.  It even had a name, Omerta.  Its kind of like pornagraphy in Utah.  Hear me out... It is actually illegal to sell porn in Utah.  As the law is written however, enforcement of the law is left up to the "standards of the community".  If the community accepts the creepy smoke shop downtown that sells porn, then so be it and nothing is done about it.  Obviously, the standards of the pro cycling community were to dope and it was accepted.  Riders, team directors and I bet even sponsors were ok with it.  It you weren't, you got out the game.  I think even organizers and sanctioning bodies were probably complicit to an extent as well.  Sure, some came out of the closet like Frankie and Betsy Andeau, but they ended up like the do gooder family who tries to rid their neighborhood of porn.  On the outside no one wants porn in their neighborhood, but deep down most of us are glad its readily available.  Its sad but as we find out that all of our heroes were juiced, we either cheer for them and the game or ignore the winners and cheer for the those competing for the Lanterne Rouge.  But who's to say they weren't doping too?

This is what brings up the most frustrating parts of the Lance ordeal.  I won't go so far as calling him a fraud or liar, again, because they all would be fruadsters and liars.  Yes, some are reformed fruadsters and liars, but we can't single out Lance.  But the frustration comes from how USADA went about this whole ordeal.  I'm a USAC liscense holder and so I'm totally down with USAC rules and USADA's role in those rules.  But here we have a dozen or so teammates and friends of Lance who have allegedly squealed in exchange for some immunity for their own doping offenses.  Supposedly this list of people includes, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and Christian van de Velde.  All these guys are still riding, still racing and still holding on to their results.  Are they really OK with Lance taking the fall for all of them?  Vaughters held on to his secret for a decade and just because he was eloquent in his confession he gets a free pass?  It looks very much like USADA had a vendetta against the guy since they were so willing to let others get off in order to catch Lance.  It just so happens Lance had the most to lose from playing the game. 

I'm also frustrated that we'll never get to see any of the evidence.  I think its crazy that USADA had evidence of doping during the comeback years and waited until now to do anything.  It also shows that testing doesn't work.  Especially if they are going to convict someone without a positive result.  Yes, there are some issues with Lance's samples from years past, but independent investigations have proved those results unreliable. 

Am I justifying the cheating?  No way.  But I am saying I cheered for these guys and got some great enjoyment and entertainment from doing so.  I'm still a huge fan of pro cycling.  But, lets face it, all of my cycling heroes were cheaters.  Tyler and is broken collar bone, Floyd and the huge solo comeback.  The whole gang were guys I jumped out of my couch to cheer for.  I guess it was always in the back of my head that they were juiced, but I guess we all had that feeling.  But to be a fan in the 90's and 2000's required that kind of perspective.  I truly believe we have a cleaner peloton to cheer for nowadays.  The only real positive I can see from this ordeal is that maybe Lance will now be a great example of how not to get ahead in sports.

Cycling is still one of my top 3 favorite sports, right up there with sailing and skiing.  Doping does not take away the beauty of the scenery, the excitement of the tactics or Phil Ligget's classic one liners.  I hope we can all move on, look forward and keep training and racing.  There's really nothing greater.

Weekend round up

I'm going to experiment a little with the format and timing of my posts. While I try to make Friday's posts dedicated to the best short video I can find, lets make Mondays and Tuesdays special as well. Lets make Monday's dedicated to wrapping up the weekend and Tuesdays will be about training. So, Mega Monday and Training Tuesday? Well, lets hit it, Mega Monday!

The news last week in pro cycling came fast and furious. First, lets get started on a positive note. The Tour of Utah made their official route announcement. The ToU is near and dear to me as this is the second year I have been involved with the Ogden Local Organizing Committee. The event will spend its second year on the UCI calendar giving cyclists some major climbing, long days in the saddle and a totally new route for the final stage. The prologue has been dropped in favor of a full stage being run on the first of 6 days. This, along with the other route tweeks increases the mileage of the race but also the elevation climbed by a whopping 25% to 37,415 feet!

Most of the stages take in roads that local cyclists are very familiar with. Stage 1 that starts and finishes in Ogden, sees the racers tackle Ogden Canyon, Trappers loop, East Canyon and North Ogden Divide for a full 131 miles to start the week. Stage 2 is a new team time trial out at Miller Motorsports Park. With only 6 stages, this should make the GC battle quite interesting. Stage 3 starts in Ogden and follows the classic training route for locals to Research Park in Salt Lake City. Stage 4 is a flat one, touring Happy Valley from Orem to SLC. Stage 5 is the venerable Park City to Snowbird route. Its Stage 6 that will really open peoples eyes to the climbing we have right here in our backyard. Taking in Empire Pass, the Park City stage looks awesome. How do pitches at 22 percent sound? That's where I'll be camping out for sure!

Along with the route announcement it was noted that Levi Leipheimer will return with his Omega Pharma Quick Step squad. The team will be making its ToU debut to support Levi in defending his GC ins from the last 2 years.

With the good news, came some bad news however. I thought we could get through a Tour de France this year without hearing about Lance Armstrong and doping. As many already know, USADA lobbed their charges against LA and his cohorts from US Postal/Discovery and even Radio Shack days. You can find the actual letter to LA and his team here. Its worth the read. I think reading it helps the public get a handle on the charges and the case that USADA has laid out.

The crux of their accusations stem from evidence gathered during the 2 year FDA investigation into LA for possible federal law violations. That case was suddenly dropped under suspicious circumstances but there was apparently a basket load of evidence uncovered. That evidence was turned over to USADA and here we are. From the letter, it sounds like most of the evidence is testimony to the Grand Jury by 10 or so witnesses. For the sake of cycling, I sure hope there's more than just testimony. When Spanish courts went deep into the Opercaion Puerto scandal, they had blood bags, DNA matches, documents cross referencing code names and a host of other hard facts. For USADA to finally put this to bed, I think we need to see the same kind of hard evidence. Not only will USADA be facing arguably the most powerful legal team in sports, they are facing a deeply polarized cycling fan base of those who think Lance is innocent and those who think he doped.

I think regardless of the outcome, no one's opinion will change. If he gets off it will because of his powerful legal team, a technicality, etc. If he's sanctioned, his fans will cry witchunt and a waste of tax dollars. More than anything, this distracts from what is supposed to be the most entertaining 3 weeks of the pro cycling season. I hope the headlines from this years TdeF will focus on the racing and not LA's accusations.

But lets think for a moment, if LA is convicted, who are they going to give his TdeF titles to?? Basso and Ullrich? They would just be handing the titles from one doper to the next. Therein lies the great conflict of Lance's heyday, they all doped!

The real concern for me however is that USADA says they have proof LA doped during his comeback in '09 and '10. First, if anyone of authority had proof of doping during that time, it should have come up then. Not to mention, LA must be some kind of serious stupid to dope under so much scrutiny.

I for one, am in the camp of believing Lance until some body of authority convicts him. It will be terrible for cycling and for sports in general in LA falls. LA has transcended sport for so many people. It would be the lie of all lies and mean crushed dreams and heroes for so many. We'll be watching the headlines, but don't forget there are other things going on in cycling that will continue to inspire and motivate. Chris Horner going to the Olympics is one of those things.  Now, get out and ride!

TGIF!

Its been one heckuva week in pro cycling.  The amount of news coming out about Lance Armstrong, Olympics, Tour of Utah and the upcoming Tour de France is incredible. It will take me the weekend to process some of it and make some comments.

In the meantime, there's some amazing non-cycling happening this weekend.  24 Hrs of Le Mans takes place and the Volvo Ocean Race is wrapping up.  Today's video shows what happens when your storming along the north Atlantic at umpteen knots in a bad ass Volvo Open 70 sailboat.  Enjoy!

TdeF Drama

Its been a dramatic few days in the pro peloton.  There was the announcement that super domestique and all around good guy George Hincapie, will retire at the end of the season.  Johan Bruyneel announced Chris Horner wouldn't be goin to Le Tour and now it appears Andy Schleck won't be there either.

First, Big George.  As long as I've followed pro cycling, Hincapie has been part of the scene.  This year he will attempt to finish a record breaking 17th Tour de France.  While most famous for his support duties of one Lance Armstrong, he was also on board for 2 additional Tour wins for a record 9 TdeF victories.  For all his success, his misses were heartbreaking.  Twice he was runner up at Paris-Roubaix.  It would have been awesome to see him win that one!  The cycling world will miss him for sure.

Now on to the RadioShack issues.  Fan favorite and late bloomer Chris Horner was left off the long list of RadioShack-Nissan-Trek's long list for the Tour.  What a shame.  With excuses from management about his back, not racing the Dauphine or Suisse Tour, the reasons just seem hollow and lame.  To top it off, Andy Schleck now has back problems and won't be there either. 

For Horner, not being at the Tour is just a travesty.  I actually can't believe that the American sponsors would allow such a move.  If you're trying to draw eyes of fans to your brand, I don't think its the wisest thing to leave one of the most popular American cyclists off the squad.  Then there's the reasoning.  First the team said it was Horner's back issues.  Boss Hog then comes out and says it was Horner's decision not to race the Suisse Tour that sealed his fate.  Claiming there was a team rule that the TdeF roster had to compete in the Dauphine or Suisse to be considered for France, Bruyneel laid the blame on Horner.  Yet, Jens Voight didn't race in the Dauphine or Suisse and he's still on the TdeF roster.  I don't pretend to understand the politics, but as a fan, I can't help but think this is a bogus move.  I hope as fans we can fill the Facebook pages of the team's sponsors demanding Horner's inclusion in the TdeF!

For Andy, the news of his back injury is not good.  He has showed poor pre-TdeF form but this must feel like a kick in the teeth.  While I don't think his prospects for Yellow were awesome, considering all the TT's at next month's race, Andy Schleck is still one heckuva climber and would have at least won a big mountain stage. 

Regardless, it seems that there are some chinks in the super team's armour.  Media distractions and fractions within the super teams have proved to be fatal in the past.  We'll see what the next few weeks look like but lets hope RSNT gets it together, and by that I mean calling up Horner and getting on the TdeF team!! 

Happy Friday!

Whether your weekend will be filled with training, racing or riding your bike for charity, we wish you the best!  For inspiration, here are some great shots from some of pro cycling's great moments...

Trek Madone 7

This is a great time of year.  Its hotter 'n hell, there's a fresh copy of the VeloNews Tour de France guide near my toilet and the big bike companies start previewing their new bits gearing up for Le Tour.

The latest to do so is Trek.  VeloNews has just released some photos of the new Madone 7 at the Dauphine.  From the author's comments and the photos, it sounds like Trek has intregrated some aero design into the new frame...Kamm tail foils, under BB rear brake, wide set fork legs, the whole aero nine yards.  This makes an easy choice for those who want to ride Trek but have been wondering about all those other dudes and dudettes on slick Specialized Venge's and Scott Foil's.  With the intro of the Domane, and now an aero Madone, Trek looks like they're serious about the most popular segments of the market.

We'll see how much of this pro version of the 7 comes to the public, but all in all, it looks promising.  It makes me glad I've put off my new frame purchase a bit!  We'll check in with my favorite shop once the new bike is available.

What a weekend!

This Memorial Day weekend was a great one filled with great racing tempered by the loss of a champion and paying respect for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

First the racing.  There was my own at the Sugarhouse Critrium, the first Canuck to win the Giro, USPro Champs and an Indy 500 for the ages.

Sugarhouse Crit

I keep surprising myself with being able to keep up with the Cat 3's but I can't quite seem to seal the deal.  I'm great until the last 500 meters where I have been struggling mightily.  I thought I had found my calling as a sprinter, but the last 2 big sprints I have totally missed out on.  Bear Lake I was caught out and at Sugarhouse I was left shelled for the final push.

The Sugarhouse Crit takes place at Sugarhouse park, and undulating up and down circuit about a mile long.  Each lap took about 3 1/2 minutes.  The weather was the big question as the category just prior to the Cat 3 race took place in a cold downpour!  As I was warming up however, the rain stopped and the course actually dried out a bit during our race. 

With 2 significant climbing sections, one at the finish, I knew the race would be tough.  But the climbs were short, big ring types where I've been able to make some moves or at least keep up.  The climbs were fast though and by the last 5 laps I was feeling it.  But the laps were deceivingly long.  I did a quick check of my clock and saw 10 minutes to go.  But at 3 1/2 min per lap, the 2 laps to go sign came up quickly.  10 minutes was going to go by fast. 

With 2 to go, I was towards the back of the pack banging elbows in the crowded space.  But with a few surges I made my way to the front for the final lap.  The mid-lap climb was fast and someone attacked at the top.  I countered and found myself on the front for the final downhill leading to the uphill finish.  There was a stiff headwind which caught me off guard.  I expected a few to come around me and my plan was to take a wheel and sprint from there.  However, there was a horde that came around me and when I went to sprint, I had nothing.  I stalled and watched the group ride away up the hill.

I'm not sure where my sprint legs are but they've left me hanging twice now.  I'm not sure if I have some mental block or if my legs really don't have it.  I think its mental and I'm not taking my own advice from the blog post a few weeks ago.  My focus this week is going hard no matter what that last few hundred meters.  Hopefully with some big digs, we'll make a better showing on the results board.

Giro de Italia

Obviously, I enjoy racing my bike much more than I enjoy watching others race their bikes but this weekend there was some seriously great racing to partake of on the tele.  And though the Giro isn't usually tops on ,y list of must see TV, this year's edition had me glued.  Lead changes, epic stages and an underdog taking the maglia rosa.

Garmin-Barracuda has been steadily making upgrades on the international results tallies since they hit the big time ProTour in 2008.  With Ryder Hesjedal, they landed their first Grand Tour GC winner at the Giro.  But they did it dramatic fashion.  All Ryder had to so was keep it close on the final mountainous stages and then rail the final stage TT.  He ended up losing time on the penultimate stage but then did what he needed to do in the TT and won the overall by just 16 seconds.  To top it off, Captain America himself, Ryder's teammate Dave Zabriskie, took home his 7th US TT cahmpionship.

I love that the Grand Tours are ending with TT's.  It keeps fans cheering until the very end with the final winner often decided in the last race of truth.  With so many TT's coming up in the Tour de France, there will be plenty ot be excited about. 
Indy 500

I spend Sunday's at church and trying to recover from a long week of training and racing.  I'm not much of a stick and ball sports kind of guy so just sitting and watching some sports on TV doesn't happen very often.  But with the Indy 500 happening yesterday, I had a great reason to sit and veg.

I don't agree that Indy has lost its luster.  With multiple engine manufacturers and plenty of talent I think Indy Car racing is as good as it ever has been.  Yesterday's edition had more than 35 lead changes and the win was just about taken by Takuma Sato on the last lap.  But it was now 3 time winner Dario Farnchitti taking the checkered flag after Sato spun trying to pass Dario.

I felt like I was racing a crit while watching Indy.  My heart was racing and I was on my feet for the last few laps.  If there's no bike racing on TV, Indy Cars will do just fine!
Johnny Tapia

With all the awesome things happening in sports this weekend, it was tempered by the loss of one of my favorite atheletes of all time, 5 time boxing champ Johnny Tapia.

Tapia grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, just like me.  He was a hometown hero.  His life was marred by tragedy with his father murdered before Johnny's birth.  At 8, he witnessed the brutal murder of his mother.  But at 9, he took up boxing.  With all this history, it was boxing that kept him going, but drugs that continued to haunt him.

I had the chance to meet Johnny Tapia while working at Big 5 Sporting Goods in 1995. Johnny came into the store with just his wife Teresa. He was the nicest guy in the world, signed autographs for the whole staff and talked boxing for what seemed like an hour. I sold him some shoes. We often brush the drug addicts aside and treat their deaths as something as a non-surprise. But in the brief moment that I had the chance to meet one of boxing's greatest fighters, I saw a guy who was just trying to live his life. I hope Johnny Tapia's soul can now rest and may he be at peace. He was one of the reasons I'm proud to be a 'Burqueno. RIP Johnny. 

And finally, I just wanted to make sure that on this beautiful Memorial Day, we remember the great service men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  To those who serve in the military, have served or will serve in the future, I thank you for your sacrifice.

National Bike Month

In case you hadn't heard, May has been National Bike Month.  Its been great to see so many organizations, promoters and citizens get in on the festivities and awareness campaigns.  I spent more than a few days this month doing activities that promote not just bike racing but cycling in general.  I was at the UTA Bike Bonanza promoting the Tour de Park City.  I put together a bike rodeo for kids at a neighborhood bike fair.  I've been racing a lot and I had the awesome experience of giving my 4 year old daughter her first real bike for her birthday. 

During these activities I've seen all kinds of different people.  Bicycles don't discriminate.  Naturally, the more one rides a bike, the better shape they'll be in.  But you can be of almost any shape and size, from any background or socioeconomic status and be able to get on a bike and ride.  Whether its a $15,000 limited edition Colnago or a $100 Wal Mart special, bicycles are a great form of transportation and above all for me at least, a heckuva lot of fun!

My fun increased this month with my daughter's 16 inch wheel Trek Mystic purchased at The Bike Shoppe.  She's been on a decent little trike for the past 2 years but her big girl bike was long overdo.  We waited for her birthday this month to get her the 2 wheeler.  What was so interesting about her reaction wasn't so much that she was jumping for joy when she opened the big package, but it was what she did when she took her first pedals on the new ride.  It took all of 10 feet for her to get a hang of the bigger bike.  Once she got some momentum the look on her face was one of shear pleasure and freedom.  The wind was suddenly much faster as it blew across her face.  She quickly realized she could go more places much faster.  We immediately took 2 laps around the block.  The girl started planning all the adventures she could go on with the new bike.  She wanted to go the library, the toy store and to daddy's races.  She has been in heaven with her new pink bike.

My daughter's experience took me back to my first days on a bike as a kid.  Bicycles are life changing.  Freedom, exercise, adventure.  All on 2 wheels.  I'm a firm believer that the world would be a better, cleaner and happier place if humans rode more.  I'm impressed that even here in ultra conservative Utah, we have plenty of opportunities to commute.  The buses and trains are equipped to haul bikes.  There are many trails and bike lanes and I regularly see cyclists out and about.  Wouldn't it be great of we had bicycle traffic jams!

With so much cycling going on this month, there's been a lot of racing as well.  I've been going over and over that Bear Lake finish in my head for the last 2 weeks.  I built myself up for that race and to have it fall apart in the last 1k was really frustrating.  I know I can do better.  So I've hit a few weekly crits with some decent results and will tackle the Sugarhouse Criterium in Salt Lake City tomorrow.  I haven't done this event before but I'm excited for the challenge. 

I hope more of us can take advantage of all the opportunities we have on bikes.  Think back to your childhood and the experiences you may have had like my daughter's.  Whether you're a seasoned racer or bicycle newbie, the next time you throw your leg over a bike, try to get that feeling back.  You're on a bike, what can be better than that?

Since its Friday, we have a quick little video today.  I've been pushing Mercury Wheels, because, well, I sell them.  We're new to Utah so I've been spreading the word.  They're awesome wheels.  But don't take my word for it.  Pro teams Kenda/5 Hour Energy  and Veloshine as well as elite team MRI Monster Media all ride Mercury's.  They're the real deal at a great price.  The video below is just a little highlight of the wheels. 

Enjoy and happy riding!!

Happy Friday!

As I look outside to the dark rain clouds, lightning and stiff headwinds, I lament that I will be spending a few hours on the trainer this morning.  But also I'm thinking of the awesome cycling action taking place all over the world. 

You've got the Giro de Italia heading into its 3rd week.  The Amgen Tour of California has been interesting as well, with Peter Sagan dominating the first 4 stages and Captain America Dave Zabriskie taking the 100 degree TT in Bakersfield.  I love California, but Bakersfield has to be one of my least favorite places.  I can't imagine the difficulty of a 28 km TT in 100 degree heat amid the mixed scent of dairies and oil rigs.  Hopefully with things turning uphill the GC favorites will start to shine.  Fan fav Chris Horner lost some time in the TT but last year DZ lost 15 minutes on the climb to Mt. Baldy, so the race is far from over.

There's lots in store this weekend locally as well.  While my wife will be taking in her first marathon, there's crit racing in dowtown Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Century and the best bike shop around, The Bike Shoppe in Ogden, UT is having a big grand re-opening sale celebrating their beautiful store remodel.  And, you'll find me at the UTA Bike Bonanza this evening in SLC as well.

You'll also want to check out a great blog:  Utah Tri Girl.  Rachel Butterfield writes some great stuff and she has a contest going om right now to win 2 entries to the Tour de Park City.

For today's video, we switch gears to autoracing.  But not just any racing, but the grassroots, downhome kind, Pikes Peak!  Last year, Jeff Zwart drove his brand new Porsche GT2RS from L.A. to Colorado Springs then broke his own Time Attack record set a year earlier in a Porsche GT3 Cup, truly defining "run what you brung".  Sure, what he brung was a $250,000 thoroughbred track car, but its cool to see privateers making headlines regardless.  I hate when people diminish the value of great achievements because the person making the accomplishment spent a boat load of cash to do it, but sometimes thats what it takes.  If anything, it makes for a great couple minutes of video and makes me want to get out and race...bicycles, cars, marathons, whatever...just get out there this weekend and and do it!!

Weekend round up

After 3 solid weeks of racing, (and getting my butt kicked!) I took this weekend off from racing and got in some lower intensity miles yesterday.  I was feeling pretty wasted from the last few weeks and had a sick daughter so a good night's rest was back burnered for a few nights as well.  I really wished I had made it to the Tour of the Depot, but by the entry deadline Friday, I was cooked and knew I wouldn't have had a good weekend of racing.

But there was plenty of action to take in, regardless.  As I said, locally, the Tour of the Depot took place in Tooele, UT with the weather holding off and providing racers with a great weekend for the 3 stage race.  Next on the UCA calendar is the East Canyon Road Race which I'll be racing on Saturday.

Pro cycling was a hoot to watch this weekend as well with Francisco Mancebo taking the Tour of the Battenkill and a surprise ending to the Amstel Gold Race.

However, the coolest news in pro cycling from the weekend was Brian Lopes taking the first ever World Cup Eliminator Cross Country race.  For those of my vintage (36 years old, BTW), Brian Lopes should be well known.  The guy is 40 and still winning world cups.  Amazing.  I remember reading about Brian Lopes when he was a BMX star and then moving onto MTB downhill, dual slalom and 4x.  He's pretty much won everything in those disciplines, including World Championships, and its inspiring to see him tackle another event with equal success.  He's been seen on the cyclocross course and even at a crit or two.  I only have a few pro cycling heroes and Brian Lopes is one of them.  As long as there's guys older than me winning at the top levels of their game, it gives me hope that age is just a number and I can keep improving.

For this week's blog I'll tackle some training issues and review the new Mercury alloy wheels I've been on for the last week.

Winter returns

So the vernal equinox is upon us tomorrow yet there's 3 inches of snow pasted against my fence outside and a bitter wind howling through the trees.  Spring is a time of change and unpredictability so a late snow storm in Utah is nothing world-ending.  It does make for challenging riding conditions, however.

Saturday's RMR crit was held in 40 mph winds.  The winds forced us to race on the somewhat protected 1/8 mile oval rather the dragstrip and pit areas.  I get dizzy racing around that oval but its usually fast and over with before you know it.  Eventually 4 broke away and each had teammates in the peloton.  I was one of only a few willing to work to get them back so I burnt some matches.  There were 2 spots on the course with wicked winds so when it came time for the bunch sprint, I mistimed the sprint and ended up midpack.

I rode with some friends and sponsors, Jody Harris and Denis Porter, out to the raceway from Bountiful.   Its a 20 mile ride.  Into the wind on the way out it took a good hour and a half.  After racing, we made it back in less than an hour with the tailwind.  30 mph and 80 watts at times!

I was satisfied with the day.  I seemed to have more gas in the tank than last week but I still feel rusty.  Crit racing takes some balls and I'm having to build them up a bit to be competitive.  I'm looking forward to the crit at Tour del Sol.  Racing like this also motivates me to make sure my workouts are that much better, that I'm really giving my time on the bike all that I have.  The threshold intervals waiting for me today are going to get it!  So what if I'm in the pain cave!

My weekend wasn't all riding though.  A cyclist has to rest, so it was great weekend to enjoy some live streaming action on the interweb.  There was some great pro cycling, sailing and autoracing happening...

Mercury sponsored teams took the San Dimas Stage Race and Old Pueblo Crit in Tucson.

The 60th running of 12 hrs of Seabring saw Audi continue its decade long dominance in endurance racing.  But the most exciting class was the street car looking GT class, with only 6 seconds separating the winning BMW and second place Corvette!

And finally, the Kiwis are showing their mettle in the final stages of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Olheiser

I like writing about stuff to which I have a personal connection.  Sram, for example has been my component group of choice for years, so I like writing about Sram.  Yes, I have gotten some killer deals over the years through their Grassroots sponsorship, so all the more reason to tout their awesome products.  The same connection applies when I write about the America's Cup or Volvo Ocean Race, two world class yacht races that I got to participate in as a sailmaker.  I like to think this matters, as most of what I post you could go read about yourself.  Maybe the fact I have some personal attachment to these things makes a difference.  It certainly makes a difference to me.  Today's subject is no different.  While I've only met Mike Olheiser briefly, I've followed his story for the last few years.

Olheiser has made his mark on the cycling world as one of the most successful amatures in the sport.  He has multiple Masters and Elite titles in the TT and road race and some significant national and regional race results as well.  At 37, he's no spring chicken, but 2012 marks his first year as a professional cyclist.  His rise to the pro ranks is impressive and inspiring.

I first read about Olheiser in a one page article in Road Bike Action magazine a few years ago.  It briefly chronicled his cycling resume but made mention of the fact he's never gone pro.  It seemed at the time the right opportunity had never presented itself.  He had a great job at a hospital that paid well and allowed him to train and race.  I recon any pro offers he had were low on the pay scale and couldn't quite make up for leaving the security of a real job.  I'm sure at some point in our lives we all dream of being a pro athlete.  I know I have and yet here was a guy who was given opportunities but none were really ideal.

The right opportunity finally presented itself for 2012 with the Competitive Cyclist pro cycling team.  In 2010, Olheiser was part of a composite team for the Tour of Utah that included his current teammate Francisco Mancebo.  Olheiser must have made an impression as he's now part of one of the strongest US domestic squads for the new season.  He opened his first year as a pro with a characteristic solo attack at the Rutas de America stage race this week.  How awesome to see him make such an impression on his first pro outing.

So where's the personal connection?  Well, again, I only met Mike once, but it was a very cool moment.  Up until the Tour of Utah in 2010 I had been following his story and results.  That year, he won the Elite national championship on the same bike I am riding now, a Mercury Titan.  At the time, we were sponsored by Mercury and we had to the chance to promote the little known company here in Utah.  It was awesome to see a guy at that level use the same equipment our little team was using.  When I noticed he was going to take part in the Canyon Bicycles composite team at the ToU with my current coach Dave Harward, I made sure to seek Olheiser out. 

At the start if the Ogden stage that year, I finally had a chance to meet Mike.  I had the chance to talk about the Mercury bikes we were using and what he thought.  I had the brief chance to pick the brain of one of America's best cyclists.  He was very cool and seemed to genuinely enjoy talking to me about the bike and his experience with it.  (He had plenty of good things to say about the bike BTW)  It endeared me even more to his story and success.

On thing I love about sport and competition is the emotional aspect of overcoming adversity, continual improvement and making the most of talent and ability.  There's a very real human element to success in sports and Mike Olheiser is one of those stories that we can look to for inspiration and entertainment alike.  The 2012 domestic season will be one to watch for sports fans and hopefully we can pay a little more attention to the US pro cycling scene with awesome stories like this one.

Tour of California

I get pretty geeked out over pro cycling. The big stage races are fun to watch on TV and even better in person. Its awesome that we now have 3 UCI stage races here in the good 'ol US of A. Also, being in the race promotion biz myself, I have more than a passing interest in how the big shows are run and organized.

The biggest and longest running of the 3 stage races is the Amgen Tour of California. Just yesterday, the 2012 route was announced. I have a soft spot for California as I spent a very influential 6 years in San Diego. I graduated from San Diego State University and my wife is an Eastern Sierra Nevada native. California is big, diverse and beautiful. The ATOC takes advantage of most of it and I've ridden some of the very roads the race travels on. While some great stages have been left off for 2012, like the Solvang TT, the new route takes us to some of the most exciting places we've seen in the past.

There's no shortage of climbing with Big Bear and Mt. Baldy in the works. The Bakersfield TT will be a hilly affair as well and may not favor the best rolleur but someone with some TT and climbing ability.

The course really sets us up for a great showdown between last year's top 2, who are no longer teammates...Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner. Yes, these guys are no spring chickens but you've got to believe they are the favorites. Levi won 3 in a row but played second fiddle last year to Horner so you know he's hungry. Both these guys call CA home for part of the year as well so there's a desire to win on home turf.

Because of the spring date however, the ATOC skips some of the most epic climbs available in California. Onion Valley Road, Whitney Portal and Bishop Creek are all still snowpacked in May. They're pretty remote as well. Add the fact that stages are held near population centers to please sponsors and its unlikely we'll see the race visit the likes of Mammoth Mountain for Death Valley.

Regardless, this years race is setting up to be a battle. There will be sprints, circuits and big climbs and the race between old (literally & figuratively!) teammates will be one for the ages.

Albertostrong

By now the news about the Federal investigation into Lance Armstrong being dropped and Alberto Contador's ban have funneled through the news outlets. Now the more detailed stories and reactions from the cycling world are emerging. I thought I'd chime in as well on what really are the two biggest stories in cycling.

Lance

Lance is an enigma. Some love him. Some hate him and some love to hate him. For most, the decision by the Fed to drop the case will do nothing to sway their opinion either way about the guy. For those who are convinced he doped, no charges means the Fed dropped the ball, Lance has good lawyers or it just means Lance doped, but just not on the taxpayer's dime. I've read through the comments sections on the articles I've read, and the haters are just gonna hate.

For the Lance supporters, this vindicates him of doping and is more proof that accusations are just that. Those in the Lance camp believe the investigation was a waist of time and money and the lead investigator, Jeff Novitsky was just on a which hunt trying to make up for failures in the Barry Bonds case. Regardless of which side you're on, the latest news probably changes nothing.

For me, it proves that Lance is untouchable. Whether its because of wealth, power, influence or actual innocence, people keep lobbing up there and he keeps knocking them out of the park. With what was being said, the FDA had no choice but to look into it. If federal funds were being used illegally, we as taxpayers have a right to know. And if the law was broken, the guilty should be brought to justice. But the Fed case also proves to me that accusations are just that...comments by people who may or may not be telling the truth and have no evidence other than their word.

The Fed investigation focused on the claims by Floyd Landis and others that there was systematic, team sanctioned doping going on within the US Postal Service cycling team. After 2 years of investigation, trips to Europe and Grand Jury testimony, the government couldn't gather enough proof that Landis' claims were true. Did Lance dope? Well, according to the FDA investigation, he didn't dope in the manner claimed. I think that says a lot about Landis' testimony and the beef he's got with Lance.

It doesn't look as though all is well over at the FDA however. According to NPR, there are some who believed charges were coming and the case ended prematurely.

What about the other "evidence" against Lance, namely the positive tests from 1999 or the alleged cover up from the UCI in 2001? A look at the investigations into those cases yields results similar to the Fed case. There's not enough there to prove Lance doped. The 1999 samples were refuted by an independent investigation. Yes, it was a technicality that called the samples into question, but they couldn't prove they were Lance's samples. The UCI cover up was also hearsay. There was no solid information that could prove the UCI covered up a Lance positive from a race in Switzerland.

So you have a guy who's never failed a drug test, been investigated numerous times and yet still comes out clean. That's good enough for me. Plus, I'm a bit pragmatic about the situation. If Lance doped, then he was the best doper. Almost all of his competitors during that time have been caught, implicated or confessed. So it was a level playing field. If he didn't dope (and this is where the evidence lands) then he's an even better athlete as he pummeled the dopers.

This leaves us with the situation where Lance himself can point to various official findings, reports and investigations where they weren't able to pin down a doping infraction. The book is not closed on Lance however. USADA is requesting the details of the Fed investigation to see if there's anything they can find about Lance doping. They'll run into some issues with statutes of limitation and other loopholes that I'm sure Lance's legal team will fight tooth and nail. But until then, I'm going with what's been presented...not one entity able to prove Lance doped.

Alberto Contador

Contador's case is a whole different ball game. I'm not a big 'Bert fan but that's more because of of public persona and the attitudes of him and his Spanish mates not because of doping. What we have with 'Bert is an undisputed positive test, something Lance does not have. After almost 2 years of court proceedings and appeals, the Court of Arbitration for Sport handed him a 2 year ban retroactive to the date of the positive test in August of 2010. The ban negates all of his results from that time, including the 2010 Tour de France.

The real tragedy here isn't so much the positive test, but the way it was handled by the powers that be. 'Bert's defense was tainted beef. The minuscule amounts of clenbuteral found in his urine sample were smaller than most labs can even test for but there is no acceptable limit for clenbuteral. Sponsors, riders and fans shouldn't have to wait this long know the outcome of a race. Could his positive test be the result of tainted beef? Sure, but he couldn't prove it within the system that's in place and it took too long. Both sides were allowed to stall and posture for no real reason at all. There needs to be more in place, to protect riders as well as organizers, so this kind of charade doesn't happen again.

Is 'Bert guilty? Of course he is. Was there dope in his system? Yes! That was never in dispute. The thing about doping isn't so much for race day performance but to train hard enough to be the best on race day. Most doping takes place during training. Clenbuterol isn't really a "performance enhancer" but allows for rapid weight loss. As CAS indicated, the small amounts of the stuff in Contador's sample indicated possible drug use just prior to the Tour or worse, that he transfused tainted blood during the Tour. They did acknowledge in their decision the possiblity of accidental contamination, but the rules state that it doesn't matter. The rider is ultimately responsible for what they ingest. It sucks that this happened. But with so much at stake, CAS had to set precedent here. Could the positive been from beef? Sure. but 'Bert couldn't prove it so he got flicked. Was Contador a victim of an overly intolerant system? Possibly, but as with Lance, I'm going to go with the official record.

The only good thing to come out of all this is that cycling is doing something about doping. It does cast a cloud over the sport but the cheaters are getting caught. NFL, MLB and NBA players are probably just as dirty, but very little is being done to catch the cheaters. Cycling will survive. It survived the Festina affair in 1997 and it survived Landis and it will survive Contador. There is a new crop of young riders who are adamant in their fight against doping and becoming a victim of something tainted. Taylor Phinney won't even take supplements as he's afraid of ingesting something by accident. While its sad that kind of paranoia exists, its good that we can finally start to believe our heroes are racing clean.

Tour of Utah

The wait is over. The host cities for the 2012 Tour of Utah were announced last night. http://www.tourofutah.com/

The 8 year old UCI event bills itself as the "toughest stage race" in America and over the years has lived up to its billing. While the US Pro Challenge in Colorado had a bigger audience last year, the Tour of Utah arguably had much better racing. With domestic and international pro teams attending, this year's edition looks to repeat the excitement of last year.

I was part of the Local Organizing Committee for the Ogden stage last year and I look forward to being a part again for 2012. Ogden will host the opening stage and the start of Stage 3. While I have no inside knowledge of the course, I suspect that circuit used last year, which took in 3 laps of the steep North Ogden Divide, would be on tap again.

Stage 2 will be an exciting Team Time Trial at the Miller Motorsports Park and Stage 3 will take riders from Ogden to Salt Lake City. I imagine stage 4 will involve a sprint finish in Utah County with the "Queen Stage" taking riders once again from Park City to Snowbird. The final stage looks to be a circuit race or road race in and around Park City.

There's over 30,000 of climbing on tap for racers. Last year it was the dark horse Columbian team that animated the race and gave eventual two time winner Levi Leipheimer a run for his money. The main protagonist, Sergio Henao, turned his performance into a Pro Tour contract with Team Sky, proving that the Tour of Utah matters on the international stage.

2 weeks before the Tour of Utah, I promote the 170 mile Tour de Park City. I'll just put it out there that any of the domestic pros who would like to test their lungs and legs are welcome to join our race! Check it out at http://www.tourdeparkcity.com/.

The coming months will be exciting as we wait for the team invites to be confirmed and find out what kind of field will be present for this awesome event. The Miller's have indicated a broader TV deal and bigger marketing budget so keep your eyes peeled for more exposure this year.