Arenberg or not?

Don't get too rattled by the recent reports of Paris-Roubaix skipping the Arenberg forest this year. I hear it's a ritual designed to keep the pressure on the local govt. to keep up the roads. Here's Tommke when he was just a squirt.

Tyler nails it at the Vuelta!

Our Tyler Farrar wins today at the Vuelta a España! No leadout train needed. He delivered himself to the line and beat the Manxman Cavendish as well. It was a drag race- no head-butting or blocking- a fair fight. He's officially the US' best hope for a sprinter. He refused to take the bait to diss Cav in the postrace interview. A class act. Keep up the good work Tyler!

We miss you Sheldon Brown!

Sheldon Brown lives on in his good works.
Click here for the English-French cyclist's dictionary.
Thanks to Harris Cyclery for keepin' the faith.
Doug

State of Grace

Suffering is in the mind of the sufferer. To some, the act of breathing hard and sweating constitutes suffering. To me that state is a "state of grace". My body has undergone a transformation that the eternally sedentary can only imagine. I know from experience my aerobic capacity has doubled from my at rest state, the endorphins are coursing through my veins, and I experience a euphoria enhanced by the scenery and the sweet air I'm inhaling. Climbing allows this state at lower speeds, which permits me to relax mentally - as opposed to high efforts on the flats which lead to higher speeds.
Racing is a different matter. Digging ever deeper as we lead or chase the peloton, gritting our teeth and vowing to keep up with that wheel ahead- now that's suffering! When my heart is pounding so hard I'm afraid it might burst-that's when I tell myself-
today is a good day to die!

And by the way, that's the Tourmalet Eddie's climbing.

Giro à Go Go!

It doesn't get any better than this, folks! With the overall lead seesawing back and forth among the contenders, the race was decided in the last 5 or 6 km as the three Italian musketeers blasted to the finish. David Arroyo gritted his teeth and held on all the way to the top of the Mortirolo, and he descended like a madman in the rain to keep the virtual Maglia Rosa...only to be crushed in the final few KM by the trio of Basso, Scarponi, and Nibali.

Sean Kelly week

Check out the cool leather hairnets on LeMond and Bauer in this video. Trivia question- Kelly was the last pro to switch to clipless pedals...what was the reason given?