Wannabe Bike Girl

It’s been one week (I know, there’s a song that starts like that) since the Tour de France ended and the traffic on my site has dropped significantly. It just the way I expect cycling has dropped from the news and the minds of 90% of the people in the US.

Why? Because now that it’s over, most people think that cycling is over (out of ignorance) or, if they don’t, they don’t care enough now that Armstrong isn’t racing.

It’s a depressing thought, but not a surprising one. Soccer hasn’t taken off in the states, either. Probably for similar reasons. Just as Americans know who Armstrong is, they know who Beckham is and that’s about it. If the American isn’t winning everything, they won’t care about the sport (sad, but true). No matter how good the American cyclists are, they will not even come close to bringing in the same size audience as Armstrong. Even if one of them wins the tour, it won’t matter. People will remember Armstrong and that will be enough for them.

It will not be enough for those of us living in the States who love more than Armstrong, who have gotten beyond the hype and into the sport. Sure, we’ll be grateful to Armstrong for being famous and causing OLN to carry cycling. But we are happy (as is much of Europe) that he is gone. Cycling will be the sport we love again (or wish we knew before), the Tour will be like the other two Grand Tours and life will be spent living on the edge of ‘who will win’ this year instead of ‘oh, another for Armstrong.

But Americans, for the most part, aren’t like that. They want their man to win all the time and in cycling, that just doesn’t happen that often. Armstrong is a freak of sorts, in the sport. Not that he himself is a freak, but the fact that he’s won the same race seven times makes him stand out. Most people are happy to win the same race twice, and three times? Wild. Of course, Grand Tours are a little different, but if you look at the Vuelta and the Giro, they have all had a few different winners during the seven years Armstrong has been racing — sure a few of them are repeats, but not just one.

And now that Armstrong is gone, anything can happen. That is what makes this sport so awesome. Armstrong made the tour boring, though he did bring focus to other parts of the sport, but the overall race was no longer an issue. It was just ‘by how much this year’? And, well, what’s the fun in that?

I guess we’re about to find out, that is, if OLN will keep covering the sport. Without Armstrong, over half their audience will be gone. I know Armstrong claims to have created new cycling fans, but I doubt he’s created enough. Most of them, I’m sure, are Armstrong fans. And now that he’s gone, there’s no reason for them to watch. I’ve seen people state the opposite, but I don’t believe it. Each year the audience of the Tour grew on OLN and their coverage of the rest of cycling dropped. We went from full coverage of the grand tours (in one year!) to just an hour for the Vuelta.

What’s the solution? I don’t know. Digital cable that comes with Eurosport? (I would give a lot for that.) Or, my preferred (though extremely expensive) solution: moving to Europe. But what about those of us (me, right now) who can’t afford either of those? We just have to suffer and hope that Armstrong is right. I’d like more than just another year of cycling coverage on OLN (no, I don’t have faith that people will keep watching — maybe next year, but definitely not in ‘07). I’ll just cross my fingers and start saving money.

Now, other things. As in cycling results.

Tour de Neuss – July 27 (Germany)
1 Robert Forster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
2 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile
3 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC

Profronde Heerlen – July 28 (Netherlands)
1 Mickael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
2 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Phonak
3 Leon van Bon (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto

LuK Challenge – Buhl – July 30 (Germany)
1 Bobby Julich (USA)/Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
2 Markus Fothen (Ger)/Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
3 Michael Rich (Ger)/Uwe Peschel (Ger) Gerolsteiner

And, finally, a race that’s going on right now: HEW-Cyclassics-Cup (Germany)

There are other things I want to write about, but I’ve got work today. So many tonight, or later this week.

Music: Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR

Sadly, I can’t find a link to the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated on their site. Well, actually I found the cover, which is kind of cool. But what irritates me is what the summary for the article says.

“A Grand Finale: Lance Armstrong added to his legacy as the greatest cyclist ever with his seventh straight victory in the Tour de France.”

There’s a bit more about the future of Armstrong and the sport. But, really, I’d have thought that maybe SI would have been able known better than to call Armstrong the greatest cyclist ever. But then again, I doubt Eddy Merckx was on the cover of any of their issues (a search of their covers showed no results) so why am I surprised that they called Armstrong the best? I’ve read, often enough, that he’s the best tour rider and I completely agree with that. There is, and probably will never be, anyone who could ever compete with Armstrong’s record in the tour. He trained for the race and made it his own. Yes, he ‘owned’ the Tour de France for seven years, but that doesn’t make him the greatest cyclist ever. He didn’t ride, at least not in his prime, any of the other two grand tours, nor did he even have a full season of cycling.

Not that I have anything against him for that. He, in many ways like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, has the ability and the money to pick and chose what he wants to do. He chose the tour and proved that he could do it. And, well, as much as I am tired of him, I’m grateful because without Lance, I never would have gotten interested in cycling. But now that I am interested, I hate seeing this sport I love being treated as just the tour. There is so much more and that’s why Eddy Merckx can be the greatest cyclist and Armstrong will never be. Merckx raced everything he could and he won and he lost and he was human. Armstrong is the tour, and that’s all he’ll ever be. And, in part, that is some of why cycling will never be more than the tour in the States. Perhaps if Armstrong had done things differently, Americans might be more interested, but we’ll never know.

So, Sports Illustrated, next time you go to call someone the greatest whatever, please do your homework. Please don’t confuse an already mostly uninterested audience. Thanks.

Now, other things. More crit results for fun. Some of you might even recognize these names .

Peer Criterium – July 27 (Belgium)
1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon – Lotto
2 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Quickstep
3 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon – Lotto

Europa-Kriterium Mayrhofen – July 28 (Austria)
1 Jan Ullrich (Ger) T-Mobile
2 Georg Totschnig (Aut) Gerolsteiner
3 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Francaise des Jeux

Grand Prix Jyske Bank – July 28 (Denmark)
1 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) T-Mobile
2 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
3 Michael Reihs (Den) Team Designa Kokken

Wateringse Wielerdag – July 28 (Netherlands)
1 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
3 Stefan Van Dijk (Ned) MrBookmaker.com – SportsTech

Music: Hawksley Workman – Striptease

There’s no more cycling, right? Wrong!

In addition to the Vuelta a Espana (August 27 to September 18) and the World Championships (Septebemr 21-25), there are tons of little races (a full calendar for 2005 can be found here). And, well, there are a bunch of crits right after the tour each here. Here are the top three results from several of them, and a few other races thrown in.

Aalst Criterium – July 25 (Belgium):
1 Axel Merckx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
2 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas-Bianchi
3 Serge Baguet (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto

Ronde van Boxmeer criterium – July 25 (Netherlands)
1 Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank
2 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
3 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank

Radrennen in der Ratinger Innenstadt – July 25 (Germany)
1 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile
2 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
3 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Phonak Hearing Systems

Rund um die Sparkasse – July 26 (Krefeld, Germany)
1 Jens Voigt (Ger) CSC
2 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
3 Erik Zabel (Ger) T-Mobile

Profronde van Stiphout – July 26 (Netherlands)
1 Ivan Basso (Ita) Team CSC
2 Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
3 Bram Tankink (Ned) Quickstep

Na Tour Broker Criterium – July 26 (Diksmuide, Belgium)
1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quickstep
2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon – Lotto
3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole

Critérium de Lisieux – July 27 (France)
1 Sandy Casar (Fra) Francaise des Jeux
2 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit-Agricole
3 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Bouygues Telecom

GP Arriva – July 27 (Denmark)
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas – Bianchi
2 Jacob Moe Rasmussen (Den) Team GLS
3 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Team CSC

Two non-one day races:
Sachsen-Tour International – Germany, July 20-24
Final general classification:
1 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 21.38.50
2 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Wiesenhof 0.03
3 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.08
4 Andreas Klier (Ger) T-Mobile Team 0.19
5 Mareck Rutkiewicz (Pol) Intel-Action 0.23
6 Gerhard Trampusch (Aut) Akud Arnolds Sicherheit
7 Tom Stubbe (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim 4.22
8 Lubor Tesar (Cze) Akud Arnolds Sicherheit 7.11
9 Steven Kleynen (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim 7.25
10 Jakob Piil (Den) Team CSC 7.58

Tour de la Region Wallonne – Belgium, July 25-29
Currently going on.

Music: BBC news on michigan radio

So, I posted earlier about a Spanish cyclist named Xabier Zandio. I mentioned how he was doing well for his first time in the tour. Well, it turns out that my information (from Paul and Phil, of course), was wrong.

Xabier Zandio, who rides for Illes Balears was not, in fact, riding his first tour. He was riding in his third. Yes, third. He rode in 2003 and 2004. And while it was still a great ride, it just wasn’t his first tour.

I think the lesson here is that I need to fact check everything that Paul and Phil say. I must remember this when I watch cycling on OLN the next time (whenever that may be).

Music: M*A*S*H

A friend of mine who lives in Germany messaged me this morning (my time) and asked if I’d heard about Ullrich. I hadn’t, so she told me. It seems that Armstrong has been trying to get Ullrich to join Discovery. German news reported that Ullrich was leaving T-Mobile for Discovery. (It’s in German, but you can use http://world.altavista.com to translate it like I did.)

Ullrich is under contract through 2006 with T-Mobile, so if that rumor is true, then he’d be breaking it. But the same site then ran an interview with Ullrich (again in German) where he pretty much says he won’t break his contract, but after that? Who knows.

I’m not sure what I think. Strategically, it makes sense. Who wouldn’t want Ullrich on a winning team (aside from T-Mobile and some German fans). I think that if he doesn’t win in ‘06, perhaps he will go to Discovery. Over course this could all be misdirection while they work out a deal for Ullrich to leave T-Mobile and go to Discovery.

I don’t like it, but it makes sense.

Music: the diane rehm show

Honesty in cycling is an amazing, if depressing thing. The following is an excerpt from a very interesting Times Online article (Cycling: Caught in vicious cycle). If you haven’t read it, go now.

“Will you be travelling to the start in Fromentine in hope or expectation?” asked Van Holle.

“With hope, certainly,” the rider replied, “but I also know, given the appetiser I’ve just had at the Dauphine, that I’m going to really suffer as well. Mentally, I’m preparing myself for a very hard time. I’ll just do what I can, when I can.”

“But at least now you have an idea of the gap separating you from the summit and the work you need to do to compete against the best?” Van Halle suggested.

“I can tell you now,” Gilbert said, “that I will never reach the level I saw at the Dauphine. It doesn’t matter how hard I train; I’m never going to get there. I understand now that I am never going to win the Tour de France — maybe I will shine for a day or two, but that’’s it.”

And that is why cycling is such a complex sport. Please, go read. It makes me sad to realize how many cyclists probably dope and I hate to think that any of my boys do. But such is the nature of the sport. It will probably never go away. And, well, poor Phil.

“Allez, Philippe, bonne chance.”

I, too, echo that.

Music: Rufus Wainwright – California

Something funny to share.

Velonews’ 2005 Tour de Web Awards. Some of them, especially a quote by Cadel Evans, are quite amusing.

Music: Rufus Wainwright – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Live – Elton John Tribute Concert)

Well, it turns out that Alexandre Vinokourov is going to Liberty Seguros (cyclingnews – top article). I really thought he was going to go to Credit Agricole, but it seems (obviously) that I was wrong. I think it’ll be okay, I mean at least it’s not Discovery. Although Heras hasn’t been able to do anything in the tour, so maybe that’s a sign. But, of course, Vino has already shown us that he’s capable of almost anything (which makes me happy) and hopefully Liberty will give him the, uh, liberty he needs to win the tour. To run off the front and chance down attackers. Maybe this is what he’s been waiting for.

But, as a friend of mine said, I hope Vino doesn’t become as single-minded as Armstrong. I’d like to see him keep riding the classics and other races. We don’t need more only-tour focused riders, we need fewer.

Also, this is from the press release on the official site. It seems that tat least one of Vino’s compatriots will be joining him. I think that’s kind of cool. Just like how the Aussies stick together, so do the Kazaks. Sergei Yakolev will be joining Vino as well. Also, there are rumors that Andrei Kashechkin (also a Kazak) will join the team, too.

Unlike my reaction when Sylvain moved to Cofidis last year, I think this move is the right thing now, instead of later. Hopefully, though, Vino will have better luck at Liberty than Sylvain has had (at least tour-wise) at Cofidis.

Music: les triplettes de belleville soundtrack

I suppose this is as good a day as any.

Dear Lance,

I knew who you were before 2003, but that was about it. I started watching the tour in the middle of ‘03 (I think stage 11) and immediately fell in love. I managed to be a fan of yours throughout most of 2003, but somewhere during that winter I fell out of love with you.

Maybe it was one too episodes of ‘the lance chronicles’ on OLN. Or maybe it was the fact that I finally figured out how to be a cycling fan. I understood that there was more than just you to cycling. That the sport was more than just the tour. And I’ve become quite a devoted fan since then.

So, I want to thank you.

I want to thank you for winning the tour so that OLN now shows it. Thanks for being good enough to become a superstar. Before you, I wouldn’t have found cycling just when I needed it. I wouldn’t have woken up at six am just to watch some boys on bikes climb mountains. I never would have fallen in love with the sport.

Thank you for introducing me to cycling. Thank you for guiding me to find Matt Wilson. And from there to Christian Werner, Sylvain Chavanel, Bas Giling, Francis Mourey, Jurgen van Goolen, and many other cyclists who’ve caught my attention.

And now, Lance, one day before you ride into Paris in that yellow jersey you love to call your own, I want to thank you for retiring. In so many ways I wish you’d gone this year, but it turns out that I’m happy you didn’t. NPR’s news show, All Things Considered, reported that OLN’s Tour de France coverage is up something like 30% this year (I might be off, but that’s what I remember) and, well, thank you for that. But now that you’re stepping off the bike, I want to ask you to do something.

Something for me, something for cycling. Now that you’re retiring, do you think maybe you could explain to the rest of America why they should keep watching cycling? Do you think that you could show them how great non-American athletes are? How fantastic it is to root for Vino or Basso or Ullrich, or cyclists that no one outside of a few devoted fans love?

When you go, Lance, make it worth it. Don’t let these fans drop. Those of us (Americans) who love the sport for more than just you don’t always have the ability to watch the tour without OLN. So, Lance, make it worth our while. Make an effort and don’t forget us. We’re some of those people watching.

So, Lance, thank you for being you. Now go. Let us see what the tour can do now.

Thanks.

I’m looking forward to next year,
Sarah

Music: Mr. Curiosity – Jason Mraz

But this isn’t about the movie.

(espn)

You know why I like break aways? Well, not all of them, but many. Anyway, I like them for a few reasons, one of them is the fact that’s fun to see the peloton chase. But, even better is to watch boys that wouldn’t normally get stages wins battle it out. Like yesterday with Savoldelli. Or Oscar twice in three days. And today? My man (I’m starting to talk like Paul and Phil, god help me) in the break is Xabier Zandio and I totally want him to win.

But that brings me to another reason I love breaks. This happened to Thomas Voeckler last year — though that was more extreme. He road away with the yellow jersey in a unique situation that involved a huge break staying away. This year Oscar Sevilla moved from 25th up to 15 because he was in a break. And, well, right now Zandio is 25.

25 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Illes Balears-Caisse d’Epargne 39.40

And on the road, he’s moved up to 20th. Therefore, if the break stays out there, he’ll actually move up and if they keep moving further from the peloton (which just happened, 14 minutes just now), he could in theory gain more time. He won’t contend for anything, but still, not a bad finish for a first timer in the tour.

I especially love breaks when I have guys in them I like. I’ll root for Zandio, Roberts, Kessler, Merckx, and Da Cruz. I think that if Zandio can’t win, then I’d like Axel Merckx to win. Then maybe Kessler, Roberts or Da Cruz. Either way, it’ll be a fun finish as long as they don’t get caught. I don’t think they will, but you never know.

And as for Voeckler, who is also in this break? Eh. He was lucky last year. It’s nice to see him in another break, though. The French fans need someone to root for. Without Richard, there isn’t much to root for. And too bad about Hinault yesterday, cracking like he did. But it happens and I was happy with the winner. Heh.

Okay, back to watching I go.

Music: stage 18 on oln