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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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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Contador: A more likeable character?

Earlier today I asked the question "@neilroad Not a Conta fan, but I liked that a lot. Does this TDF make him more likeable overall?" His response "@hbstache Pondering that same question."

It started quite the Twitter chat, with many people jumping in. It also started me thinking about how I viewed Contador myself

Pic I took post TT at Tour of Missouri.  He borrowed Levi's new bike and headed off to the hotel.  Not what I was expecting from a Tour winner.

• 2007 - I was pulling for him to beat Rasmussen at the Tour.  Full disclosure, I was riding RAGBRAI with Team LIVESTRONG.  It was easy for me to get in the spirit, Lance owned part of the team and that team was filled with guys I really liked.  Conta seemed likeable enough, he had comeback from a serious crash, was a bit quiet and appeared humble.  I was around Alberto for a few minutes at the Tour of Missouri a few months later.  My impression of him, was that he was very quiet and really lacked a strong presence compared to Popo, George and Levi. It was hard to believe he was a Grand Tour winner.
• 2008 - I still liked the guy at the time of the GIRO, but the Pistolero thing was wearing on my nerves.  I felt he and Levi got robbed with the Astana/ASO conflict.  
• 2008 - Vuelta This is where I feel Alberto's new "Pistolero" persona started to grow and take on a life its own.  He was critical of Levi's efforts in the final TT at the Vuelta.  They were gonna take the podium and Levi had been a faithful teammate and didn't follow Alberto's wheel on previous stages as it would have taken across rivals. I was stunned with the attitude and media comments of the new/real Alberto.
• Late 2008 - Alberto initially made positive comments about Lance's comeback.  Then quickly followed them up with comments about wanting to be the leader, leaving the team, etc. This was the point where most fans began to choose sides.  Much like Brady vs. Manning, you make a choice and you have your reasons.  
• 2009 Tour - We all know this story with the Lance and Conta team battle.  Everyone has their opinion of that situation.  I will say again, as I did on Twitter, I heard some 2nd hand stories from the Nike rep that was with the Team. The gist was that Contador was being a loner, and staying away from the other team members, etc. The Lance battle is what most people talked about, but I felt the most telling issue was the attack Contador put in, that took Kloden out of podium contention.  At this point I flat out did not like this guy! They had the chance to sweep the podium and he still attacked. At this point you were either pro-Lance or pro-Contador.  I had met and ridden with Lance, so it's pretty obvious who I pulled for.
• 2010 Tour - I felt his attack on Schleck and subsequent youtube apology were a joke.  I will agree with initial comments of Pro's like Steven Cozza, that the attack was not right.  There was no way he did not see Schleck come to a dead stop in the middle of the road.  After that stage I was really anti-Contador, as many were.  But, by the end of the Tour in 2010, I had to respect Contador's ability to manipulate the not so clever and naive Andy Schleck. I hated the stage finish on the Tourmalet, but thought Contador was brilliant trading a stage for the Tour.  He gave up 1 Mountain top finish and completely cleared up Andy's upset tummy.  I actually respected  Contador more than Schleck after this Tour.
• Clebuterol positive test - I was in the 90% of people that thought the steak excuses was completely BS.  Combined with plasticizers in the blood, I figured he just screwed up and took a transfusion of blood that was not completely clean of PEDs.  Had I thought before that he was using something?  He was brought into the sport by the kingpin of Operation Puerto Manalo Saiz so the answer was YES! I was not shocked that Spain cleared him, and that he was racing in 2011.  
• Giro 2011 - He was on the top of his game even with Beef Gate still hanging over his head.  He simply out rode everyone, while be tested more than he has ever been.
• This year's Tour - I didn't believe it was possible to win the most difficult Giro in years, and then win the Tour.  Alberto's luck was only slightly better than Lance's luck last year.  On several occasions this year, Alberto seemed mortal in mountain.  I didn't think he was going to win the Tour, but I didn't expect to see him get dropped by Thomas Voeckler.  Then came the attacks that showed he would rather lose this Tour than finish on the podium.  I will say those attacks and his post race interview today had me warm a bit to Alberto.
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Could it be that his mortality made him more likeable?  Was it the lack of "shady" moves during this race?  Did not seeing him do the "Pistolero" help? Is simply okay now that he is not going to win and then possibly have it taken away in court?  I am still not sure how I feel about Contador, but I am sure of one thing, cycling is better when he is riding.  There are teams and athletes that people want to watch because the like them or hate them. Contador is one of these characters; if he is racing, you know it is a must watch!  

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Stage 8 of the TDF: Provoking thoughts about Vino, Basso, and cycling fans

So I awoke from my codeine cough syrup fog (I have bronchitis, I'm not using it in a Lil' Wayne fashion) to see the final 10k of today's TDF stage.  When I tuned in, Twitter was a buzz with Vino hate! Stuff like "I hope that Doper Vino doesn't win", etc..

I have to say I have been on two stages of the TDF that he won with his balls out style and I dig the way the guy races his bike.  I was on 2003 Stage 9 into Gap and 2005 stage 11 into Briancon and they were both awesome to watch.  As I have stated in the past, I do give these "sporting school" kids of the eastern block a bit of a doping pass.  If you were getting the needle since age 10, it would tend to throw off your moral compass.  I'm not sure when or how they were supposed to realize it is wrong.  There past was full of coaches, teachers, and mentors telling them it was part of the sport.

Vino got busted, served his time and now is free to race and win if he can.  I see WAY MORE negative social media going on around Vino winning a one day race or attacking on stage, than I do around Basso winning the Giro.  This has led me to ask the question, "does it really just come down to who we like?"

Basso won the 06 Giro in "ET" fashion by 9 minutes. He then got caught up in Operation Puerto, caused his dog quite the identity crisis, had his "Clintonian" style admission/non-admisson. Then re-enters the peloton, and goes on to win the Giro in 2010 and it is seen as a "come back" story?  So what gives?  Is it really because he a good looking Italian fellow that makes really bad Sidi commercials for Eurosport and could not double as a Bond villain? Umm...Yeah pretty much!

This Tweet from @podiumchic really got me thinking about the lense we view the sport through: "I do think #Thor is as clean as any, but NO1 has even wondered about him keeping Yellow this long?Just saying our "like" keeps us from ?ing"

Can anyone but Thor know if he is clean?  No not really.   We can believe, hope and think but we don't ever really know.  You can't prove anyone is clean.  It doesn't take many degrees of separation with anyone in the peloton to tie them to a doping team, teammate, director, coach, doctor or training buddy.  I even had someone send me a nastygram about my pick for this year's TDF, Cadel Evans, based on the BMC low level associate being caught with doping product prior to the TDF.  You name them and they have been, or can be linked - Levi, Horner, Fabian, Christian, George, the Schlecks, DZ, Cunego, Cadel, and even Jens.

I have come to this conclusion: It really comes down to belief that those you root for are clean and those you don't like are doing everything dirty to win.  Just filter for a second before you Tweet/FB about their "doping ways". Your guys can have the same thing thrown at them.  These riders are turning themselves inside out, giving their best, and risking their lives.  If they are in the race, they have as much right to win as the next guy.  Yes, although it pains me to say it, even Contador! If and when they get busted...then fire away.  As far as generally making fun of their kits, things they say, riding style etc..GO FOR IT!


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EXCLUSIVE: Contador talks about hair test for Clenbuterol

Today in Mallorca, Alberto Contador arrived to join his Saxo Bank-Sungard team for their training camp.  He was met at the aiport by a reporter from Rueters.  The reporter wanted to discuss recent developments with his postive test for Clenbuterol.  We have received a transcript of the impromtu press conference:
Reporter:  "Alberto are you aware that Detlef Thieme, director of Germany's WADA-accredited lab in Kreischa told the AP that their is a way to check for Clenbuterol in hair samples?"

Contador (In English) "I did not hear about a hair test in my race radio, it was not working correctly." "I did not see this Detlef have an issue as I was attacking all out."

Reporter: "Alberto this news came out today not during a race." "Were you aware of this test?  Is that the reason for your hair cut?"

Contador (fading to Spanglish) "Test, I'm not sure of a test...umm..my hair cut corte de pelo? Bjarne told me to umm...No Se?"
Contador's handler steps in to explain. "Alberto was visisted by the Director of the Vuelta who was traveling with his personal barber.  He offered his services to Alberto and he accepted."  "Next question?"

Reporter "This seems odd, that you shaved your head on the day the news of this test came out. Are you sure you did not do this to prevent further testing?"
Contador's handler. "Alberto did nothing wrong in this matter and has always liked the looks of Levi Leipheimer even if he has never respected him as a cyclist"

Contador whispers in his handler's ear...

Contador's handler "He means he likes the style of Levi's head but not in a Ricky Martin way, not there is anything wrong with that way."

Contador walks off saying "No Mas..O me da mi pistola"