Riis signs new GC rider for Saxo Bank in wake of Contador ban

At the Contador press conference Bjarne Riis said, "When Alberto is not able to ... ride for the team, the contract cannot continue. I think that's pretty obvious," Riis said at a press conference in Madrid. Later, he added that he would be happy to work with again Contador in the future.

2 hours after the press conference, Riis announced he has signed a new rider to fill the Team Leader spot left by Contador.  Riis said "The rider is known as El Magnifico Pistolero and hails from Spain....urrr I mean, Parts Unknown."  He also added, "He wears a mask due to a sun allergy like the one that affects David Millar" 

The soon to be named winner of the 2010 Tour de France (and Contador BFF) Andy Schleck was asked about Saxo Bank's new rider, he responded "He seems like a good guy, I like his mask. Perhaps, we can swim with dolphins together sometime to bond."

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Does the Contador ban mean Pro Cycling is cleaner?

I have to be honest I am a bit stunned by the CAS decision today.  I really thought based on the small amount of clenbuterol in his system, other athletes' case wins for similar issues, and his home federations decision, he would walk.  I wanted to zoom out on the issue and take an honest look at it.  For the record, my belief has been and still is, that he took in a blood bag at the TDF from earlier in the year and that is why he had the small amount of clenbuterol in his system. Does that mean I hoped he was going to be banned and stripped of his titles?  No, I was actually hoping he would be free to ride the 2012 season.  Why?  Because he makes cycling more interesting, and I am not assuming he is any less clean than other riders.   I am really questioning the notion that cycling is cleaner today based on this decision. I am also challenged on what my stance is on doping in the sport and the way cycling approaches it.  Is cycling trying to be perfect in a sporting world full of leagues constantly pulling the wool over their fans eyes?

Eddie Merckx had this to say (via Velo Nation):

“It’s a sad day for Alberto Contador; it's a sad day for cycling,” he told the Eurosport cameras. “I think people want to kill off cycling.”

Merckx, who himself tested positive in controversial circumstances in his career, feels that the trace amount of Clenbuterol found in Contador’s urine – 50 picogrammes per litre, a far lower level than most anti-doping labs are able to detect – means that he should have been acquitted.

“I think we’re going too far,” he said. “The level of the control was incredibly low, and it’s only in cycling that this kind of thing can happen...

“It’s a terrible thing,” he added. “Alberto Contador’s won a lot of competitions, not just the Tour de France; the Giro d’Italia, we’ve seen the way he rode the Giro last year, he doesn’t deserve this.”

While Merckx acknowledged that it was necessary to try to catch the cheats in sport, he maintained that cycling paid a far higher price than most other sports.

“I’m the first to say that we need good anti-doping tests,” he said, “but I think that in cycling they go too far.”

Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/11081/Eddy-Merckx-I-think-people-want-to-kill-off-cycling.aspx#ixzz1lcahLOyt


We can't approach the doping issue as many Bike Pure Twibbon flying fans do, acting as if doping entered the sport right around the time Lemond couldn't keep up (as he has claimed multiple times, that was the start of the EPO era).  Doping has always been around the sport in some form or fashion since the early 1900's. From arsenic, cocaine, blood transfusions, EPO, and even UV blood treatments, only the methods have changed.  The Mt Rushmore of cycling all admitted to, tested positive or are suspected of doping (Merckx, Coppi, Anquetile, Fingon etc..). Others have come under serious allegations and suspicions including Lemond with his "iron" injections from Otto to Lance's relationship with Dr. Ferrari.


 It has always been part of the sport, so do events like the Festina Affair, Operation Puerto, Floyd Landis and now Contador mean it is cleaner? Alberto Contador became the second TDF winner to lose his title in the last 100 years, but the second in a four year period.  Does this mean more are doing it, or did a few riders and doctors get sloppy?  Will the persecution of these few deter riders from this route going forward, or will they just work harder to hide it? I have to agree with Merckx from a business perspective - cycling does a clumsy job with doping in the sport.  They have tried to walk the line of a "pure" sport way out in front of other sports like soccer, track and field and EVERYTHING happening in a stadium in the US.  From the outside, cycling looks like Kirstie Allie battling her weight issues.  Events like Festina Affair and Op Puerto are mega diets for cycling resulting in a "beach body" for a short time.  "Look everyone, we are cleaning up our sport! See, look at us in our thong!"  No other sports has these major events and perhaps there are good reasons for it.  Futbol (Soccer here in aMerika) and tennis both had some ties to Operation Puerto but nothing ever surfaced.  Both sports had a ton of money and fans to lose, so it just didn't come out.... is this a better way?  MLB and the NFL have been very slowly "working" on testing for a long time.

When I watch a Sunday in Hell, I don't stop to ponder if Merckx or Devlarmick are on something; I just watch and enjoy it. Perhaps it is just the time we are in now, most people look at pictures of JFK and Jackie O without wondering about Marilynn Monroe.  I enjoyed the 8 stages of the TDF I was at (2001 and 2003-2005); Tours that included Lance, Jan, Basso and Vino.  For many fans looking back on video of these races now, they view them like vacation pics of the Clinton's.  All they can focus on is does Hillary know about Monica?

The inter webs have been a buzz with anti-Lance and anti-Conta tweets, FB posts, and blogs. Many of the fans are not short on venom for those suspected of doping and the fans of those riders.  My big question when people mount their sporting high horses is who can you prove to be clean?  Battles go back and forth from LA fans to fans of other riders.  Evans and Schleck fans call Armstrong a cheat, and say he is smug and arrogant.  Then LA fans punch back with YouTube videos of Cuddles being a jerk to reports and reminders that he was on T-Mobile.  Other chime in reminding those that forgot about  Frank paying 7,000 Euros to Dr. Fuentez and the fact they rode for the same DS as Basso and Hamilton.  Many arguments end this way with the thread going cold.

"You can't prove a negative" so we are left to wonder, does anyone get a pass for being clean?  Are we expected to believe they are clean based on the team they ride for or the rubber bracelet they wear?  As I have stated before, each and every rider can be tied to a questionable teammate, DS, DR. or trainer by 1 or 2 degrees.

Play this Game:

Take a rider and fill in the blanks...did they ride for ______ (Saiz, Riis, Johan, Lelangue) did they work with _______ (Ferrari, Fuentez, etc) _______  Do they train with or were they friends with______ (fill in any rider that has been suspended).  Did their results jump up drastically in one season in a discipline_____ (TT, climbing etc) or as a GC contender?

  When you do this, you will realize that a DS like Johan has had quite the eye for talent (Vaughters, Hincapie, Boonen, Devolder, Levi, DZ, Floyd, Tyler and Christian).  So do I actually believe that Jonathan Vaughter's and team are above suspension more than Johan or Bjarne's team?  The answer for me is NO. The likes of Ted Haggard (or substitute any other pious religious figure or politician) have shown us preaching and claiming one lifestyle doesn't not mean you are not living opposite of that behind closed doors. So I feel each rider, DS, and Team should get the equal amount of suspicion or belief in their positive intent.

In the end, Contador will be out of the sport until August when I assume he will roar back to win the Vuelta 2012.  Fans will go on taking shots at each other and defending their favorites.  I will just be watching each race in the moment hoping my favorites win.  I honestly don't think the sport will ever be 100% clean, and so I am not gonna bother dwelling on it.  I seem to watch other sports without wondering too deeply if they are on HGH.  I agree with Merckx that cycling and it's crash diet ways of fighting doping are bad for the sport.  Other sports and other fan bases live in a happier place, so perhaps an element of ignorance is bliss.  As cycling fans we seem to reserve this ignorance bit for only our favorites.

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A year without Pistolero part DOS ?

With headlines everyday about Alberto Contador and his possible suspension, I have started to ponder a year or two without the Pistolero.  We did the same type of pondering last year, and some of the predictions about his riding proved to be true. The year of the Pistolero or Not?

As I have admitted in previous blogs, I have had a like him/ hate him sports fan perspective on Conta.  With Chain Gate, my initial reaction was that it was Bush league and had no place in the top level of the sport.

At the time I thought Chain Gate was a horrible display, and I was rooting for the lanky one to take back the time on Conta. Then the TDF played out and Andy's SCHLECKnd attitude brought me full circle with the Spaniard.  Sometimes sports force you to root for one athlete over the other - Bird or Magic, Brady or Manning, Lance or Jan.  Conta vs Andy.... it's very easy for me to pull for the guy that WANTS it and shows he knows how to finish.  In truth, Andy Schleck got me back on the Contador bandwagon with being a bit on the SOFT side. With time to think about it, many of us would have done the same thing as Alberto.  We are human and flawed....many of us are a bit more Conta down deep than Andy.  Whether we like to admit it or not, our inner "black hat" is a bit more likely to come out than our "white"one.

The Schlecks are a bit on the soft side (Marshmallow Peeps kinda soft)  when it comes to having a killer instinct

As most of us do, I think a lot while out riding.  With some time to reflect on Contador's 2011 season, I realized/remembered a few things.

*Dramatic story of a near death experience, to Grand Tour winner (As fans, we like those stories... especially in A-Merika!)
* Regardless of the help needed (Rasmussen ejection) or how close some of the victories were, he has won 5 GRAND TOURS... All 3 Grand Tours not just 1 of them multiple times. Really let that one sink in! That is the combined GC wins of Ivan Basso & Denis Menchov.

* He and his team got screwed out of the TDF in 08 (Anti-Astana/ Anti-Johan/Lance or whatever the reason) Without him we had the MOST forgettable Tour in....um.... a long.... LONG TIME! Who won that again?!? Carlos...zzzzzz

* I thought the cobbles at the 2010 edition of the Tour would end him, instead he did a very solid job with  them and went on to another win!  He wanted no part of riding that type of race, but he prepared and used it to gain some time instead of lose time.

* He is damn good for TV viewing!  As a sports fan, there are athletes you love & ones you love to hate.  Either way, you tune in to watch them.  He is one of those guys & I think the sport needs him for engagement sake.  Overall,  he is more like Lance than most US fans might realize and that means he is one to watch (to root for or against).  He has a wicked desire to win, he is a smart athlete that knows how to seize the moment even if it might require damage control later. He would rather be off the podium if he isn't on the top step.  He is egocentric, he is not a nice guy on the bike, and he will do whatever it takes. Yep, Lance was all of those things as well....and as I have stated many times I liked every bit it from LA (No Gifts, The Look,  Simeoni gate)!

I will say this and own it: Doped or not guilty, I hope he is riding in top form next year!  I want to watch Conta vs Cadel vs Schleck vs Wiggo at the TDF!


If Conta is 2nd TDF winner stripped in the last 5 years that means, This is now the 2nd times in the last 100 years!  Does this mean that cycling is closing the gap on the dopers, or are they throwing out a sacrificial lamb?  As Floyd Landis explained in our Twitter exchanges earlier this year, Alberto is not the most likable and is a big name, so a good target.  He lacks the "cancer shield" Lance carried so he is fair game.  Would it make the sport any cleaner?  Would it really make any rider pause and not take drugs?  Did the Festina affair or Op Puerto really do that?

I know what some of you are asking "Don't I want a clean sport?" I do! But I am also an optimistic realist, I know that there are 70 year old Masters racers doping and the French Cat 3 kid that was positive for 12 different drugs.  It has been part of the sport since 1900 will always be there. I do want a clearer sport, but I know it will never be squeaky clean and 100% "Pure". No twibbon band is going to change someone's mind that is that close to their dreams & financial security.

Honestly who are we to judge one rider against another?  Contador's winning margins are less that past Grand Tour winners like Lance, Basso, Merckx, etc.  So is that some kind of proof that he is clean or pretty clean? Our current favorite riders can all be tied directly or by 1 degree to a doping team, teammate, Dr. or director.  For example: Cadel Evans (time with T-Mobile 03-04), Andy Schleck (Riding for Riis & his brothers payments to Fuentez, etc), Cav having a missed test in 2011.

Either way I am looking forward to the 2012 season!  I am just rooting for a season with a certain Spaniard racing it!


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Andy Schleck can win the 2012 TDF if....

We decided to to lay out how the Lanky Lux can win the 2012 Tour de France in response to this tweet @ us earlier today:

@hbstache He @andy_schleck is going to win the TdF this year. Even a good chance he'll win it twice... #againstallods

#1 There will need to be a massive crash crash like the one in 2003 that took out or hurt most of the GC contenders.  Andy will need to have Cadel, Conta, Basso, Wiggo and maybe even Levi hit the deck.  Team Nissan RadioSchack is researching what type of spectacles could cause this level of crash:

*Truth be told, Andy will need to have Frank  home as well; all that Schlooking around costs time and effort.

#2 Andy has to be okay with swapping bikes at the top of climbs (kind of a reverse Contador).  He might loose a bit of time putting on the armor & full face helmet but he at least he will have a fighting chance of making it down the descent in one piece.

#3 Andy will need Johan’s proposed UCI TT rule change to be approved.  The new rule would allow a teammate to ride Grand Tour TT’s for their leader.  "Hey Fabian take it a bit easy on your TT, save some for Andy’s."  When this idea was shared with Fabian, he responed in Fabanese “I am bit worried about Tony Martin, but he is busy with Chavenel’s pillow so it ok.  I ride hard for Andy!”

#4  A huge doping scandal could help his chances as well; something that will take out around a third of the field.  Think of what it would look like if 1998 met Op Puerto.  If Dr. Fuentez drove the Festina-mobile to the Saxo, BMC, & Sky team hotels with his cooler in the passenger seat. Andy is a lock for the top step (unless Frank bought "training plans" from Fuentez again)!

There is a chance Andy might end up as the  winner of the 2010 TDF if Conta gets  suspended.  But, Andy will always be SCHLECKnd to us!  

You can buy the Tee here:

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Pro Cycling Team Kits: Time to get AWKWARD!

It's that time of year when we begin to see team kits being revealed.  It's also the time of year when we get some very awkward pics taken by photographers with an odd eye for what will make it "the shot".

Exhibit #1

This one is brand new.  You in the middle ditch the shoes. Closer...closer...closer right there.

Exhibit #2 

I know money is tight, but no sponsor is worth this!

Exhibit #3

Ummm...yeah I got nothing; I will let this one speak for it's self.

Don't know about you, but I am awaiting the pics of Team Crotch Eagle's new kit & Nissan Trek Shack's team presentaton! I can see it now The Schleck brothers showing up with scarves blowing in the breeze in a convertible 300Z wrapped to look like a dolphin.

I hope you enjoyed the pics!  Check out our cycling T's, Hoodies & Kits at www.hbstache.com  Use PROMO code: Holiday20 for 20% off on T's & Hoodies!

Tough choices for GC contenders: Which race is winnable?

Are the GC Contenders finally getting it?  For years I have wondered why certain riders continue to chase the dream of winning the Tour, instead of focusing on winning the Giro or the Vuelta.  I know the Tour is THE RACE for almost every young cyclist in the world, but that also makes it an unrealistic goal for 99%  of them.  

The Vuelta in particular looks to be the race that is the most wide open.  So should riders like Wiggo, 

Nabali, Leipheimer, or Horner make this race their primary goal for 2012?  Sounds like Igor Anton has already made this decision. Don't forget everyone's favorite Op Puerto character, Valpitti, is also back in 2012.  

What about the Giro?  It can be argued this is the toughest course year in, year out, but the TDF contenders often skip this race. So this race could be won by some of those that are consistently in the top 5 of the TDF.  Van den Broeck, Gesink, and Vande Velde.  Sounds like Ivan Basso has finally decided to give up his TDF dream and is looking to win his 3rd Giro. 

In the end, it has to be a mix of chasing a dream and being realistic.  Some riders are rewarded with their persistence, take Cadel for example, and others never quite get there, like Poulidor.  So what about Andy Schleck?  Should he take a closer look at these 3 races and figure out which one he is most suited for?  After seeing the TDF route and the amount of TT kilometers, he will be very lucky to get SCHLECKnd (we make this tee so we are pulling for him on this one!) or even SCHLird this year.  I think for many fans of these riders, a pink or red jersey on the wall is better than a yellow one in a dream.  

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What the stars of Pro Cycling are think about 2012

The dust has finally settled for the big teams and big names (except for the foot gas/dust for Geox as pictured on their jersey).  I think we might have a pretty good idea what they are thinking about 2012.  So here is our take on the things running through their head.

Cadel Evans:

-I won the Tour and now I have less riders to defend me?
-Gilbert & Thor are kidding me?
-So is Thor gonna look for the green jersey and go on all day break aways?  Is Phillipe gonna try to win every race again?
-This is GREAT...I am gonna rip someone's head off this year!
-DO NOT STEP ON MY DOGGIE!!!!!!
-Hey Contador how did that Tour treat you, mate?

Alberto Contador:

-Wow!  I love Under 17 World Cup soccer now!  So glad they all tested positive for eating bad meat.
-Having the Schlecks working with Johan is a interesting, but unless he has Lance sneak into the start house for them,  they still suck on a TT bike.
-Bjarne GO GET COBO or MENCHOV or both!!!
- It was the bad meat!
- Pistols are so cool! Finger Bang!
- I will have the chicken
- I am clean...I am clean....I am clean...
- I am the best!

Andy Schleck:

-I hope I still get to race every race with Frank.
-I really want to win the Tour or get 2nd as long as Frank is on the podium with me.
-I hope Johan is not like Bjarne - yelling at me and telling what to do & how to win.
-Next year's Tour route sucks! Too much time on that weird bike with the disc wheel.

Frank Schleck:

-I hope I still get to race every race with Andy.

-I really want to see Andy win the Tour or get 2nd as long as I am on the podium with him.

-I hope Johan is not like Bjarne - yelling at me and telling what to do & how to win.

-Next year's Tour route sucks! Too much time on that weird bike with the odd handlebars.

Phillipe Gilbert:

-I look good, the bike will look good & I will win every race I enter.

-Cadel & Thor? What about them?  

Thor:

I DEMAND RESPECT! 

I HATE JV!

Johan Bruyneel:

-FABIAN....FABIAN....F*CKING FABIAN!  YES, I CAN NOW WIN ROUBAIX!

-The Schlecks need to HTFU 

-Frank & Andy should get really used to being seperated.

-I will take so many leaders to the TDF that we can crash everyday and still be on the podium!

-We might as well win!

Bjarne Riis:

-I have Contador...

-I will steal some more races like the Ronde.....Muuuumuuuuhhhaaaa

-The Schlecks are soft

-Contador is on my team

-This bad meat excuse is actually gonna work...that was a close call!

-I hate Johan & his "super team" 

-Alberto Effin Contador rides for me!

-I am the best DS ever....I won the Tour with Sastre...WHO?  Yes, Sastre!

-You can't win Roubaix on a Trek so Fabian is screwed!

Juan Jose' Cobo:

-Maybe I should not have been smiling on the Angliru?  Was that a bit much considering my past and poor season so far?  Think that had something to do with Geox folding?

-I kinda liked the shoe farting on the front of our jersey!

Wiggins:

-What the F*ck this some bloddy bull shit Cavendish on my team...WHAT THE HELL?

CAV REALLY?  

-How am I gonna win the Tour with that little hobbit trying to win the green jersey?  

-F*******CCKKKK!!!!

-Does anyone have any taller socks? I want to take it up to my knee cap for 2012.

-Cav...SHIIIITTTT!!!!!!  

Jonathan Vaughters:

- How do my sideburns look?

- I hate Johan

- I am the smartest person ever in or around cycling

- How does my shirt look?

- I hate Lance?

- Anything we do at Garmin is better

- I miss Wiggo

- How do my trousers look?

- Bradley come back 

- I hate the UCI

- How do my loafers look?

Mark Cavendish:

- I am the fastest man in the world!

- I feel like I might cry

- The difference between myself and Wiggo is that I win, he just talks about how he might win.

- Sky is MY new team!

- I am feeling like I might shed a tear

- I am so bloody fast on my bike!

2012 should be an epic & entertaining year in Pro Cycling!

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* We now Ship Internationally! 

THE SCHLECKnd TEE PRE-ORDER

Andy has started to carve out a place for himself on the podium at Grand Tours.  It's not the top step yet, so we thought we would have some fun with it. 


 We are doing a PRE-ORDER 9/19-9/30 on our new SCHLECKnd TEE $23  ($1 donated per tee to Best Friends Animal Society) available in men's and women's on athletic gray. Purchase Men's or Women's.

WE NOW SHIP TO ( The UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium and France)

Get yours during the pre-order as we might make this one a limited edition!

*A sense of humor required to place an order!  

We have had some fun writing about FRAndy this year click to catch up on past blogs!

Cycling Wiki Leaks: RadioShack Nissan Trek Memo to FRANDY

We received this memo via our Euro spy/fan.  This is the same the man that sent us the LEOPARD TREK Hotel memo so we feel he is legit.*




Dear Frank and Andy,


I am very pleased that you will both be riding on my new team.  I wanted to address a few things right away so we get off on the right foot. The goal of this team is to WIN races, we view 2nd and 3rd place as the 1st and 2nd losers. Here are a few new team rules that will go into place at the end of the 2011 season.

1. Ride together all you want in the off season, because next year you will NEVER be in the same race.  I will not have either one of you looking around for the other one. Frank you should study up on Italy and Spain.  Andy focus on France!  During Grand tours, you are not allowed to call, Skype, or send pictures to each other. 

2. We will be repossessing all but one of your bikes for the first 3 months of the off season.  The only one we are leaving you is a Time Trial bike. You might remember that bike is the one with the funny looking bars that makes the "swoosh swoosh" noise when you ride it. LEARN to ride it and get faster on it! You look like two monkeys humping a futball when you ride a TT. We will fix this!

3.  Andy this one is directed at you: We will have a bonfire at our training camp; bring every picture/note/piece of Best Friend stuff you have from your relationship with Alberto. To be honest, he thinks you're a fool and he makes fun of you every chance he gets.  He actually  referred to you as "mi perra" over race radio. (Google it - it's not kind.)

4.  If you are going to do your "traditional" off season dolphin swims, make sure there is no one there to take pictures. Swimming with a porpous is completely emaskulating. Grow 2 pairs and swim with sharks if you need to get closer to nature. Don't say a word about Boonen swimming with the dolphins; he pulls more girls than most rock stars and wins cobbled classic races.

5. Scarves...lose them, ALL of them!

6.  Andy this is another one for you - if you win a stage you are never allowed to "post up." It looks as though you are having a seizure and we can't use the pictures for any PR purposes.  

7.  We will have an in-depth class for both of you about social media and the topic of WINNING!  I never want to see another Tweet like "We are ____ (fill in with words like happy, satisfied, content) to get 2nd and 3rd at ____ (fill in race/stage Amstel, the TDF, etc.) 

8. Only one of you can ride in the Luxembourg championship races.  You can decide between the two of you, but trying to figure out which one of you has those jerseys gives me a headache. Plus, there are only like 5 riders from your country so it doesn't matter much anyway; it's not like you're Belgian!

9.  Yes, you will be riding SRAM again.  Get over it; our mechanics know WTF they are doing and you will be fine.

10.Please try to pay attention when training.  No music, texting, or no handed riding. I don't want to see pictures of your skinny bodies all bloody and damaged. You two look like you escaped from a prison camp half the off season.


PS: Find out when and where Johhny Hoogerland trains and ride with him!




Kindest regards,
JB


Thanks for reading! Scan this QR code for link to some cool info about our booth 1048 @ INTERBIKE and a PROMO code for you to use:

*We can not promise this is an actual memo from Johan, but it could/should be.

USA PRO CYCLING Challenge needs some fixing

Photo courtesy of Gary Bradler

I had planned on attending 3 stages of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge presented by Millennium Promise.  Yes, I refer to it by it's proper name every time I say it, don't you?  I ended up attending only 1 stage instead.  Vail was great - TDF caliber riders, TDF quality backdrop, without the TDF traffic nightmare. So why did I not go to the stages on Saturday or Sunday as planned?  I looked at the route again, and realized the race was all but over after the TT.  Since there are no summit finishes, unless Levi hit an elk on the descent, it was going to be another bunch/sprint finish.  At this point, I have to admit I have been to some big races, including the TDF 4 times.  I guess I am a bit of a race snob, but if I had to decide between riding myself and watching sprinters not named Cavendish or Farrar duke it out, I will pass.  I had considered going to watch the climb on Lookout, but with 60 miles still to go after the climb, it didn't really matter what happened on that climb.

A buddy of mine form Chicago, who is new to the sport, texted wondering if I was at the race today.  I confessed that I was out riding instead.  "What's up?  Why didn't you go?"  So in lengthy texts I had to explain that this race route was really decided by dollars.  I get that the goal is to make money, but I question the short and long term money motivation.  Fans in CO love cycling, it's a beautiful state, etc, but, that doesn't secure long term sponsors and the big money.  Each start/finish town had to pony up $250,000 to host a stage, so you had towns like Durango and Boulder that wouldn't or couldn't front the cash so they were skipped completely on the route.  The $ provided by the sponsor towns is small money compared to big corporate dollars that could follow if you created an amazing and very challenging race.  What we got instead of Alpe d' Huez style finishes is a series of Milan San Remo type stages where the GC race was decided 1/2 way through the race.

What went right with the USA Pro Cycling Challenge?

The fans: They were amazing at this race.  Colorado loves cycling and the fans were passionate and loud. They filled the roads near the top of each climb and in every start and finish town.

The GC field:  You really could not have asked for better GC contenders for a race during it's first edition.  Cadel, Basso, the Schlecks and Levi.

The back drop:  Colorado is one of the most beautiful states, and offers a variety of terrain from desert, red rocks, pine forest, and rocky climbs.

The vibe from Fans and Media:  Those in and around the race have been very positive about this event and the turnout.

What needs to fixed:

The route:  I will give it to the ATOC, Tour of Utah and even the Tour de Georgia they used their terrain to make their race difficult and decisive.  The Tour of Missouri did not have that option, since there were no real long climbs to get into play.  Here in CO, we have plenty of climbs, many of which can be used but were not.  This race was decided on Thursday, yet did not officially end until Sunday.

The field:  If you insist on having a route that allows that many bunch/sprint finishes, then invite riders like Thor, Fabian, Cav, Gilbert and Boonen - at least make it interesting.  With all due respect to Elia Viviani, he is not exactly a household name. As I review this week, one of Thor's TDF style attacks could have won this race.

SUMMIT FINISH:  Let's be honest; that is what makes stage races famous and what shakes up GC!  Alpe d' Huez, Mont Ventoux, Zoncolan, Anglirue, Mt. Baldy, and Brasstown Bald.  You need summit finishes to make your stage race interesting and must see TV.  The USA Pro was more like a series of high altitude Milan San Remos with a few TT's thrown in (1 that was downhill?!).  Don't argue logistics, as the Aglirru is more remote than the top of Super James/ Super Flag or Sunshine.

Social Media director (or even a teenage kid that LIKES/KNOWS cycling and watches the @feed on twitter):  All week long this race has been slaughtered on Twitter about mistakes and typos on their site.  The best part is they have someone tweeting about the race, but they don't read/react to their @ messages.  @Neilroad and @Dwuori pointed out every error found on their website and they still have not fixed it.  My favorite - this line in the Spidertech Team bio: The team features two top sprinters Keven Lacombe and Phillipe Gilbert, who won a stage of the 2009 Tour of Missouri. The team also features American veteran Jon Patrick McCarty, who won the 2011 Amgen Tour of California KOM jersey and up and comer Zach Bell.


If you are going to spend millions and ask start/finish towns to pay you $250,000, at the very least have a novice fan check your website.  I even heard that some of these errors made it into print that was handed out at the race. OOPS?  

Volunteers that had no clue about cycling or what they were really supposed to do:  Give me the Gendarmerie any day, since cycling fans police themselves. I had one volunteer chase me out of the inside of a corner (behind a rusty guard rail and in a group of trees) on the TT course and ask me to go across the street and stand where they might end up if they over shot the corner. When I asked her why she said, "It's a closed course."  I said you, "You know that makes no sense right?" She went back to her post to wave an orange flag. She later  came back over to say, "I really don't know, it's just what they told me."


As my wife stated when we attended the TT in Vail, if this race was an the final Challenge on the Apprentice, Trump would have fired them.  


The Final GC: When this is your final GC, in a state with so many options to make a race brutal and interesting, you have a problem.  No offense to Big George, I have met him and I enjoy him as a rider.  At 38 years old, he should NOT be in the top 5 GC for a race promoted like this: Breathtaking altitudes, treacherous climbs and 128 of the worlds best riders. It’s the most challenging race held on American soil.

• 1. Levi Leipheimer, Team RadioShack
• 2. Christian Vande Velde, Team Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:11
• 3. Tejay Van Garderen, HTC-Highroad, at 0:17
• 4. Tom Danielson, Team Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:21
• 5. George Hincapie, BMC Racing Team, at 0:53

I know the riders rode hard and fans cheered their hearts out.  I just hope the race organizers do their part so that this can become the "Most challenging race held on American soil." Otherwise, I fear it will end up like Tour of GA and Tour of MO.


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