Wannabe Bike Girl

From PezCycling.

Ear Candy: To Your Trainers! Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. That’s pretty much what I say each morning in this frigid December here in the Midwest. It’s been a lot colder than recent years and we’ve also been dealt more snow cards this December than the last few years combined. Lots of the white stuff lays in the streets, making riding a messy, gooey, yucky pile of “I want to go home”.

And home we go. You, me, the pros, the beginners, they’re all home. On their trainers. Well, some of them are still out there running and gunning (I’m talkin’ to you, Raisin), but most of us opt for the shorts, shoes and shirt and hit the TV and the trainer rather than bundle for a half an hour to ride for two.

Some of the tunes are amusing. My list of what I’ve been listening to recently? Let me fire up itunes and give you a rundown. Or, instead, I’ll just used my last.fm listings.

Jack’s Mannequin
Stars
Lucky Boys Confusion
Narnia OST
Air
ellis the vacuumchild (and if anyone has any of their albums, I am begging you to hook me up)

Though I’m bike-less, most of this provided the soundtrack to my schoolwork, aka finishing my final projects (if anyone wants to see, you can email me, but I’m telling you, they are lame) for class. So far I’ve gotten two A’s, that’s a 4.0.

In doping news, CN finally told us what Rory Sutherland was taking (“clomiphene – an anti-estrogen fertility drug”). Am I the only one who was hoping for something a little cooler? Such as pot? I mean, it’s like Ullrich and E. If you’re going to get caught for taking something, at least be interesting about it. Oh well, he’s gone until December of next year.

Music: grandfather clock in my grandma’s living room

Matt Wilson takes the win in the town of his birth. Photo ©: CJ Farquharson

Jayco Greater Dandenong Criterium

Elite men

1 Matt Wilson (Francaise des Jeux)
2 Jonathon Clarke (VIS)
3 Baden Cooke (Francaise des Jeux)

I couldn’t NOT mention it. Way to go Matt! And speaking of Francaise des Jeux, cyclingnews has an interview with Bradley McGee: Cycling’s Harry Kewell. I have to say, though, that the title of ‘Harry Kewell’ is not actually (at least in my opinion) very complimentary. I’m not a fan of Kewell. But, oh well. Go Liverpool! And, one more FDJ connection.

Challenge de la France Cycliste

1 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française des Jeux
2 Christian Heule (Swi) Stevens Racing Team
3 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Auber 93

And then, of course there were all the events surrounding the Vlaamse Druivenveldrit. I actually have a clip of Bart Wellens’ actions. Just leave a comment and I’ll upload it to YSI or something.

Music: 24

Just something cute that I found on the Liberty Seguros website.

“I’d like to be like Vinokoruov. He is my idol, because of his strength and everything he has done on his bike.” Egoitz Garcìa interview.

Music: csi

Vinokourov to skip the Spring Classics and P-N in 2006

Alexander Vinokourov will be focusing his attention on the Tour de France in 2006 with his new team, Liberty Seguros-Wurth. His preparations will be different, he says in an interview on the team’s website:

“I will make my debut in the Vuelta a Murcia and then I will ride Milan-San Remo and the Setmana Catalana. This year, I will neither be in Paris-Nice nor the classics, which have always motivated me, but that also means an added stress. On the other hand, I will probably do the Tour of Georgia and, then the Dauphiné Libéré.”

He is pleased with his chances at the Tour with Liberty, saying, “The team has a lot of experience in this race, it works very well for its leader and gives the maximum for him.” In a swipe at his former T-Mobile Team, he adds, “Besides, there are no other aims here, you don’t work for a sprinter, nor do you think about the green maillot either.”

I know this is a the new trend, to skip everything that used to be important. But, like, I don’t know. I’m not sure I agree. And I’m not sure that Vino is capable of winning the tour. I really hope he is, because he’s who I’ll be cheering on in ‘06, but at the same time … He does have a good point about the jersey, but at the same time, what does that say about Allan Davis? Although he definitely isn’t as strong as some of the other sprinters in the field. I just hope both Vino and Liberty know what they’re doing.

Music: csi

Rasmussen Danish rider of the year

Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) was awarded rider of the year 2005 in Denmark on Thursday. The Rabobank rider was the king of the mountains in the Tour de France and won stage 9.

Five riders were nominated for the award:
Alex Rasmussen: World Champion in the scratch race
Mie Bekker Lacota: Junior World Road Champion
Lars Bak: Danish Champion and winner of the Tour de L’Avenir
André Steensen: Winner of the UCI junior world ranking.
Michael Rasmussen: Winner of stage 9 and King of the Mountains in the Tour de France.

Rasmussen was also the rider of the year in Denmark in 1999 and 2003. (cyclingnews)

This makes me really happy. I remember ‘03, when he came out of nowhere (well, to me) in the Vuelta. I had no idea who he was, but it was totally awesome (and the Vuelta was the first GT that I watched all the way through). I’m really proud of him for this year’s Tour. I’d wanted him (as I stated so often in July) to end up on the podium, but it was just a dream. I am just glad he go the KOM jersey. Hopefully better times next year.

Music: without a trace

Their own set of wheels: Youth Radio’s Nishat Kurwa checked in to tell us the story of Ben Bikes, a program in South Africa that donates bikes to schools so that students can make it to school on time. But are bikes… cool enough? (marketplace)

I heard this story this evening, just after I got back from getting my car from the garage (the heater had died) and the store (my dad is driving down to visit tomorrow) and I rushed inside to hear the store. It’s awesome and moving. And when the little kid talks about a love for cycling and racing and going to watch races, it is so darling. It’s something rather nice in the midst of all of the unpleasantness in cycling these days.

Music: csi

Frustrated Liberty president steps down: Manuel Piñera, president and majority stock holder of the firm that manages the Liberty Seguros cycling team, has resigned in apparent reaction to the Roberto Heras doping scandal. (velonews)

Just when I pick a new team to like … I suppose it’s good news that Liberty is going to keep sponsoring the team.

Music: crossing jordan

The Official Vuelta a España site.

It should be interesting at any rate. There’s more information at cyclingnews and procycling.

I must admit that I didn’t pay much attention this year. Mostly because I was getting started at grad school and didn’t have much access to follow the race. I don’t know who will win it this year, or even who the contenders might be. We’ve already lost one, with all the Heras problems. It should be interesting, just like the other two GTs. I’m looking forward to this ‘06 season of cycling.

Music: blink 182 – i miss you

‘Cross nats: Weather too nasty for ‘cross:

Just how bad was the snow, freezing rain, wind, sleet and more snow on Friday, the opening day of the 2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. national cyclo-cross championships? Just ask longtime race announcer and event communications director Richard Fries.

The pictures are wild.

More information about Nationals at cyclingnews.

Music: ohio state basketball

Obviously my priorities are all mixed up because this was definitely more upsetting than the Grand Tour/ProTour thing. This is from CN.

Belgian cyclo-crosser Tom Vannoppen will be out for a few weeks after breaking his foot while training last Monday. Vannoppen won’t be able to ride for four weeks, and will have a hard time getting fit for the cyclo-cross World Championships at the end of January.

Um, right. Only important to me, but hey, I always root for a Sven, Sven, and Tom podium. There was one a few weeks ago, too. I was really happy. Anyway. What the rest of the world (of cycling) cares about:

Grand tours say bye to ProTour: The organizers of Europe’s three grand tours have split with the Union Cycliste Internationale’s ProTour over arguments about how professional cycling should be run.

I can’t say that I’m surprised. Chris of Digital Peloton posted a really good entry yesterday about why the ProTour is good and bad. I think he makes some good points. I still am not sure (aside from making money) what the point of the ProTour is. Or maybe it’s that the points system was all messed up. But, of course, a lot of this is a moot point now that the GTs won’t even count. Oh well.

More information:
>> Grand Tour organisers split from ProTour (cyclingnews)
>> Divorce UCI – Grands Tours (lequipe)
>> Tour, Giro und Vuelta gehen eigene Wege: Bruch zwischen ProTour und Großen Rundfahrten (radsport news)

It’s like a bad romance novel. I hope they are happy now or this is going to be a really weird season. Though now that I think about it, it’s probably going to be really weird anyway.

Music: dunhill championships