Purple Bar Tape

What does this do to Armstrong's legacy?

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:37:58 -0400

If you are a lover of Lance, then look away, because his house of cards appears to be falling to the ground.

Perhaps that’s too harsh, calling the empire Lance Armstrong has built from his fame and success a house of cards. It’s certainly stronger than that. But if all it takes is one cleansing rain to wash that all away, then it might be coming down nonetheless.

The New York Times — which, along with the Wall Street Journal, has been covering the hell out of the USADA’s investigation of Armstrong — is reporting that at least one unnamed former teammate has corroborated some of Floyd Landis’ claims that Armstrong doped and encouraged others to do the same. This comes on the heels of further, similar revelations that have cast further the black cloud of suspicion over Armstrong’s seven-year reign as king of the Tour de France and, by extension, cycling itself.

The problem with Armstrong as a doper is that he doesn’t fit the mold we typically expect. It’s easy for us to dismiss men like Michael Rasmussen or Bernhard Kohl as cheaters — they are cyclists, and we assume that all cyclists cheat, whether they get caught or not.

But Armstrong is different. Armstrong inspired. He continues to inspire. The first person my mother thought of the afternoon her oncologist told her she had breast cancer, after her family, was Lance Armstrong. And thus, he was a symbol to so many people for that very same reason.

But inspiration can be tainted. Mark McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs. Ty Cobb was a known and public racist. These things taint their legacies, and instill in us at least enough doubt to dismiss the men and women who commit these crimes as frauds.

But will the same be true for Armstrong, if this all shakes out against him?

Perhaps never in the history of American professional sports has one athlete been so successful at marketing themselves and their message. Armstrong’s campaign against cancer has raised millions, started worldwide fashion trends and put him, quite literally, in front of presidents.

Lance Armstrong is the face of the fight against cancer, in any form. How would this diminish that?

Well, of course, it would. People are fickle. We are desperate for heroes, and expect too much. We only want to see machines, gladiators gathered for our entertainment, when we turn sports on.

The how doesn’t matter. We don’t want it to matter. We want to be inspired in the easiest way possible: from the comfort of our own living rooms. And it’s wildly inconvenient for us when these paper-doll heroes of ours fall apart before our eyes.

Maybe Armstrong won’t be charged. Perhaps it will all go away. It certainly has before. Maybe he never really did anything wrong. I can’t say I believe all that, but given his history and the doubts that have followed him for years, he deserves credibility for the fact that he’s never once been flagged for any sort of wrongdoing.

But if he is brought down, if the walls come crashing to the dirt around him, what will the implications be?

Certainly, American cycling will take a hit. Other riders of his generation, some of whom have already been implicated by Landis, could face similar scandal. Team Radio Shack would likely fold, considering how much it relies on Armstrong and Livestrong. American cycling, poised to replace its outgoing generation with a strong youth movement, would also take a body blow.

But where would it leave Lance, the cancer fighter? The one that raises all that money. The one that, for better or for worse, uses his fame for an incredibly important cause, and actually affects change that makes people’s lives better,

I don’t really know, and that’s what worries me.

Tour de France winners and losers: GC edition

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:19:40 -0400

So the Tour ends tomorrow, but we at PBT are just going to assume that Andy Schleck won’t attack Alberto Contador in Paris, and the GC is finally decided. So let’s get a head start on this rather cliched exercise, and go ahead with winners and losers, GC edition.

Winners

Alberto Contador

This was Contador’s opportunity to show the cycling world that he was his own champion, free of Johan Bruyneel and the Lance Machine. It was also his chance to prove he could win with an entire field out to nail the bull’s eye on his back.

He accomplished both quite emphatically. Contador was clearly the best all-around rider in the Tour, given his prowess over Schleck in the time trial. Chain-gate not withstanding, Contador was the field’s strongest rider, and he goes into Paris a deserved champion.

Andy Schleck

Certainly no Poulidor, Schleck proved in this Tour that he can win without his brother, and that he is able and willing to match cranks with anyone in the world. At just 25, it’s also quite clear where his weakness is, (the time trial) and he has plenty of time to improve. Contador and Schleck are forming a worthy successor to the Armstrong-Ullrich rivalry of not so long ago.

Denis Menchov

Menchov’s was a Tour de France to forget in 2009, when a crash ruined his GC hopes early on the tour. 2010 puts that to rest.

A strong time trial lifted Menchov above Samuel Sanchez and into the top three, giving the Russian a well-deserved second career podium finish. His was also an impressive tour in that he was one of precious few men that looked able to follow the accelerations of Contador and Schleck, at least some of the time.

Losers

Alberto Contador

Yes, the Spaniard is also the clear winner. But this tour will always be remembered, too, for those 39 seconds Contador won from Schleck when the Luxemburger’s chain rolled off his front rings. Right or wrong, fair or not, that’s an indelible part of this year’s race, a moment that will last forever.

Contador proved what he wanted, but that decision casts doubt over the win, for some. It doesn’t help that the final difference in the GC was also 39 seconds, an irony if ever there was one, I imagine.

Lance Armstrong

Maybe it was his age, maybe it was a stronger field, maybe it was bad luck and maybe it was the dark cloud of suspicion — alternately named Floyd Landis — following Armstrong around this July, but the on-road performance from the seven-time champion was, frankly, awful. The bad luck early took him out of GC contention for sure, but over the last week-plus, Armstrong looked, frankly, like he was more often than not mailing it in.

His aggressiveness last Tuesday is to be applauded. It’s sad he couldn’t finish his final tour with a stage win as a grand finale. But the clock doesn’t lie — Armstrong was slow. He was slow on several climbs, he was broken across the Tourmalet and his final Tour time trial, an event he once excelled in, finished with him just a whisker north of 70th.

Perhaps it’s unfair to say Armstrong quit trying his hardest. The work of a domestique is often doomed to go unnoticed. But that’s how his career ended, in the groupetto, minutes off the back. Did he quit, or was he simply not fast enough? Does it really make much difference?

A whole host of GC pretenders

Bradley Wiggins took his fat Sky contract and flopped, badly. Levi Leipheimer looked strong early but ended the Tour, not unlike his good friend Armstrong, looking a bit aged. Andres Kloden was nowhere near his last year’s form. Cadel Evans, crash or no, was an absolute joke. It’s only shocking he didn’t fade sooner.

No, it wasn’t a good year for the would-be dark horses and long shots. This was a two-man Tour, almost from start to finish. Schleck had his horses, and his chances, and Contador his as well. One was going to win, one was going to finish second. Not broken chain, nor cobbled roads could stop what by tomorrow will have become inevitable.

Tomorrow

The Sprinters! (Exclamation point for emphasis. You may also make Mark Cavendish-inspired hand gestures as you finish this piece, or begin the next one, though I would do it in private and, you know, not mention it to anyone that you do that sort of thing. It’s weird.)

The person who ought to be most upset tonight? Alberto Contador

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:02:32 -0400

There’s really nothing clever or witty to say about Alberto Contador’s decision to counterattack Andy Schleck during today’s Tour de France stage, after Schleck’s initial attack was foiled by a dropped chain. There’s probably a pretty good Swiss bike mechanic looking for a job right now, I guess that’s clever.

No, nothing cheeky or smart comes to mind regarding The Pistol’s attack today, because the move itself was nothing but shameful. It’s an unwritten rule not to attack an opponent immediately following a crash or mechanical problem. But more than that, it’s distasteful, and a sign of weakness.

Bike races — particularly grand tours — are spectacles of sport, elegant and grand. There was nothing either elegant or grand about watching Contador ride away from a helpless Schleck in what might prove the decisive moment in an otherwise riveting Tour.

But if there’s one person who is seething more than anyone around him realizes right now, it’s probably Alberto Contador.

This Tour de France, whether he would admit it or not, was all about proof for Contador. Proof that he could win with the field gunning for him. Proof that he could win without Lance or Bruyneel. Proof that he could beat all comers in what has been, practically since its beginning, one of simply the most epic Tours in recent memory.

Yes, Schleck put time into Contador on the cobbles, and then again, ever so slightly, in the mountains. But Contador has, for the most part, looked the stronger and more aggressive rider — at least until Schleck’s ill-fated attack today — and it was always fair to assume the slim gap Andy held over the defending champion could be brought back in the final time trial.

Contador was riding this Tour as his crowning achievement, and his alone. His Astana team drives the pace at every occasion, and he has quite often looked simply unbeatable. This Tour was Contador’s legacy.

Not anymore.

Now the diminutive Spanish climber has little to gain. He could match Schleck’s likely attacks from now until Paris, blow him away in the time trial and sip champagne on the Champs-Elysees, and his crowning victory would still be remembered for the one moment in which he adopted what Team Sky rider Greg Henderson later jokingly referred to as “prison rules.”

Despite all its troubles, cycling still fancies itself gentleman’s sport, with gentlemen’s rules, and Alberto Contador has fought hard against the perception that he doesn’t give his sport enough respect. Today, any pretense that he truly wants to win such a fight sailed off the Pyrenees cliffs, as Contador rode away from an opponent rendered useless, in a moment that likely solidifies his reputation forever.

Of course, this isn’t a defense of Contador. A knee-jerk reaction could be defended, an initial acceleration eventually slowed once adrenaline subsided and everyone realized what had happened to Schleck.

Instead, Contador continued to drive the pace, even on the descent. He had 22 kilometers to let up. He did not. Case closed.

But at the end of the day, this will haunt Contador far more than it haunts Schleck. The latter is young, talented, just wading into the waters of his burgeoning talent. The former has been fighting nothing but a negative image since his first Tour win in 2007, and today might have marked the end of that fight.

If nothing else, it taints a Tour victory that now seems likely, but hardly seems far.

As Cervelo team owner Gerard Vroomen said on Twitter: “Contador just gained a great chance to win, but he lost the chance to win greatly.”

It remains to be seen whether he’ll get a chance at the second ever again.

Corroboration of Landis' claims means this ain't going away

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:14:00 -0400

Corroboration of Landis' claims means this ain't going away:

A few quick thoughts:

1) The Washington Post sports desk is, predictably, one of the best in the business. So if this is coming from them, it’s credible as it’s gonna be.

2) I suggest we all start familiarizing ourselves with “RICO.” That’s short for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, but you already knew that.

3) The words “mandatory jail time” appear in the story. Oh dear.

It only seemed fitting:

A Change Is Gonna Come

(Sam Cooke)


I was born by the river in a little tent

And just like the river, I’ve been running ever since

It’s been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come

It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die

I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky

It’s been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come


I go to the movie, and I go downtown

Somebody keep telling me “Don’t hang around”

It’s been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come


Then I go to my brother and I say, “Brother, help me please”

But he winds up knocking me back down on my knees


There’ve been times that I’ve thought I couldn’t last for long

But now I think I’m able to carry on

It’s been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come

Can I have this one for Christmas?

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:02:33 -0400

Can I have this one for Christmas?

Not a case of what, but where, as Renshaw had to go

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:06:25 -0400

He might, perhaps, feel aggrieved at the penalty after two riders were merely fined a total of 800 swiss francs for fighting last week, but Mark Renshaw cannot deny that he deserved to be punished, and punished harshly.

The reason he can’t deny it is the very same reason officials had no choice but to remove him from this year’s Tour de France.

For those who have not seen, (Spoiler alert for you DVR warriors) Renshaw appeared to headbutt his Garmin-Slipstream counterpart Julian Dean several times at the head of Thursday’s field sprint. It’s unclear exactly why Renshaw did what he did, whether it was born of anger or a desire to move over for his sprinter, Mark Cavendish. According to the eventual stage winner from the Isle of Man, it was to move Dean off Renshaw after they had hooked elbows, something he attempted to plead to a race official to no avail afterward.

Now, the physicality of a pro peloton as it masses for a field sprint is predictable, from weekend races on up. Headbutting, elbowing, jostling, it all happens. Hell, it made Robbie McEwen famous.

But Renshaw’s mistake — or rather, mistakes, as he appeared to go for Dean with his head three times — came at the worst possible moment: In the final meters of a sprint finish at the Tour de France. (One could also easily make a case for unfair impeding, as Renshaw moves right after moving Dean and then appears to swing back to his left after noticing that Garmin sprinter Tyler Farrar was coming up hard behind Cavendish.)

It goes without saying that cycling is a sport with an image problem. Not this image so much, granted, but an image problem nonetheless, one that from time to time probably leaves race officials feeling somewhat devoid of power.

If they had chosen not to punish Renshaw, or simply to disqualify him from the stage and fine him, they would essentially have been okaying his behavior, which was, once again, quite blatant.

Too many cameras caught Renshaw’s rather obvious action for officials to even consider swearing off the incident by claiming they could not adequately see it. What he did was put on display for the world.

Renshaw headbutts Dean once, then twice, then backs off, and then a third time. There could be no other decision that would not have compromised race officials’ authority.

Now, this does seem heavy-handed compared to the simple fine levied against battlers Rui Costa and Carlos Barredo. But that’s more an indictment of poor decision-making in the latter situation than the other way around.

Renshaw has, to my knowledge, not said anything publicly yet, nor has his Twitter account been updated today. When asked, Cavendish and Farrar took up predictably opposite sides of the debate.

But at the end of the day, Renshaw had to go, for the sake of authority, and for the sake of common sense.

Armstrong's broken Tour an unfair twist of fate

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:53:50 -0400

So this is how perhaps the greatest dynasty in modern professional sports ends, not in a moment of glory, but with the faintest of forced surrenders.

His jersey and his mouth hanging open, the customary silver chain dangling from his chest, Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France career came to an effective end with the Texan apparently holding back — of all people — Chris Horner, his teammate who missed last year’s race because of Astana’s persistent infighting. It appeared for large portions of Armstrong’s slow, painful, televised pre-retirement on the way to Morzine as if perhaps the Tour’s greatest rider was actually holding Horner back, a cruel image for the only man ever to win the Tour seven times, much less consecutively.

Of course, Armstrong’s career always had a (presumed) finite end. After coming out of retirement for last year’s Tour, the 38-year-old announced via his popular Twitter account that this go-round would be his last. Given his age and changed demeanor — Armstrong has, over the last two years, seemed far less combative and competitive than in his prime — it’s easy to believe 2010 will be it.

The cards were stacked against him, sure. Even given the strength of his Radio Shack squad, this year’s Tour is the deepest in years, likely richer with overall talent than any Armstrong had ridden previously. Contador, Schleck, Evans, Wiggins, even Leipeheimer — the names roll off like an all-star team.

Now, they roll on without their most high-profile compatriot.

“When it rains it pours I guess,” he said in via Twitter. “Today was not my day, needless to say. Quite banged but gonna hang in here and enjoy my last 2 weeks.”

Armstrong was the first to admit after the stage that so many times, the breaks, as it were, had fallen in his favor. Untimely crashes missed him by a whisker, teammates seemed to turn up at the right time. He once even took a ride through a country field and arrived further down the course after being forced off the road.

The cycling gods had been kind. Until last week.

It began after a very solid prologue saw Armstrong slotted in fourth. He rode well, but flatted over the cobbles on stage three and lost time. And then today, a series of crashes and mishaps involving or right in front of him caused him to lose his rhythm and, eventually, contact with his main rivals.

Levi Leipheimer, very much Armstrong’s right-hand man over the last two years, now appears Radio Shack’s de facto leader, though Andreas Kloden surely lingers as well.

“I thought he would really be up there in the front today, just all this bad luck for him,” Andy Schleck told reporters after today’s stage. “I feel little bit sorry for him. I know he wanted to be good in his last Tour. I think his morale is really low. I think he will try to win a stage.”

Armstrong himself admitted his Tour was over after he clocked in at nearly 12 minutes back. He openly pledged to ride for his teammates, hoping perhaps for a stage win and to enjoy his last two weeks as a rider in the Tour de France.

It’s a small irony that some in Astana’s camp felt Armstrong almost became better last year after Contador was the clearly established team leader. Suddenly, Lance was the veteran quarterback, calling out instructions and advice garnered over a long, impressive Tour career. Stage by stage, he helped guide Astana to Paris, and if not for Contador’s well-documented *ahem* individual decisions late in the race, the baby blue’s might have swept the podium in Paris altogether.

Radio Shack must hope he can recover from his road wounds and muster enough morale to become that steadying presence again. It seems likely — Armstrong is nothing if not deathly loyal.

And perhaps it’s a good way for such an impressive career to end, a reminder that, no matter what race we ride, fate (or karma, or whatever you would call it) catches up with us all. Sometimes, it’s just so damn cruel.

Landis' accusations put American cycling on dangerous ground

Thu, 20 May 2010 20:23:39 -0400

My first reaction upon reading Floyd Landis’ varied and detailed admissions/accusations today was probably not unlike yours: surprise, bordering on shock, followed by skepticism. But then came a feeling I must admit I rather did not expect.

I believe him.

Not 100 percent, of course. Liars tell lies, and the more lies they tell, the better they get at them. But so much of what Landis has “revealed” strikes at what many people have wondered at, albeit privately, for a long time.

It’s not so much “Did Lance dope?” No, I think that most American cycling fans, were they honest with themselves, would probably admit he likely has. It’s simply the cost of doing business in professional cycling, as with many other professional sports in this country and around the world.

No, this goes deeper than that. This is: “How did he do it? Who did it with him? Just how deep does this all run?”

Well, if you believe Landis even, say, 50 percent, pretty damn deep.

These claims of Floyd’s, they aren’t empty. These aren’t bags of needles found in a dumpster in the middle of the night that never see the light of day. There is significant detail to what he’s said.

In a series of e-mails to anti-doping officials, reporters and others, Landis outlines not just the what (alleged substances included HGH, EPO and even insulin, among other things) but also the who, the when and the where.

Most reports you’ll find quoting Landis or his e-mails directly implicate Johan Bruyneel as essentially the person who helped “instruct” Landis and others on how to use various drugs or methods. Landis said he began using upon joining Bruyneel and Armstrong’s Postal Service team in the early part of last decade.

Aside from the generous mention of Armstrong’s name, Landis’ admission directly implicates George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie as well. Even Phonak, the team Landis rode for when he won the Tour de France in 2006, helped fund a doping program, Landis alleged, according to an ESPN report.

So why believe a man who spent millions and even wrote a book in defense of his innocence, only to come clean when it appears he had nothing left to lose? Three reasons come to mind.

Again, the detail. The Wall Street Journal report on the subject also sheds plenty of light into that. These aren’t fly-by-night accusations. There is depth, there is vividness. This paints a very believable picture.
Cyclists use performance-enhancing drugs, and just because not all get caught doesn’t mean not all are guilty. People have asked quietly, for years, how Lance Armstrong could be so dominant in a time when some of his closest competitors — Basso, Ullrich, Pantani — became embroiled in drug scandals. Armstrong bristles, predictably, at such questions, but they are completely fair.
By his own admission, Landis has nothing to lose. Four years after winning the Tour, he is untouchable, unable to break back into the ProTour, despite possessing at least some of the ability that made him one of the sport’s best, drugs or no drugs. Yes, this will be seen by some as just trying to drag others down with him, grabbing a last few minutes of fame. And it probably is that. But it’s also probably, at least at some level, a man clearing his conscience, and perhaps even trying to make sure something good comes of it.

And so we come to the liar’s paradox. The liar says something is true, but how can it be true when coming from a liar?

It doesn’t matter.

What does is that cycling stands on precipitous ground in the American sports world. The emergence and success of people like Landis and Armstrong and Leipheimer pushed the sport to the front pages for the first time in a very long time.

Considering as well their considerable success, the impact this generation of American cyclists have made in the growth of the sport in this country makes them arguably the best, collectively, in the country’s history. Landis’ allegations, if ever proven to a reasonable degree, injure such progression deeply, and the effects on cycling in America could be devastating.

Landis admits doping, implicates Armstrong, Leipheimer, and lots of other Americans

Thu, 20 May 2010 08:49:47 -0400

Landis admits doping, implicates Armstrong, Leipheimer, and lots of other Americans:

Oh my. More on this when I’ve had time to, you know, wake up and digest it.

Sunday night rambling: ATOC sparring with the Giro

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:37:00 -0400

So the bike is shattered. Again. But this time, Fuji is sending yours truly the new hotness, which means I only have to go through 5-7 business days of constant, necessary changes of the pants before I’m out riding again. Hallelujah.

In news people care about, the Amgen (worst sponsor for a bike race EVER) Tour of California kicked off this week in its new Bat-time of mid-May.

Of course, those whose memories can stretch back a mere 15 months will remember a world where the TOC was everybody’s winter training motivation — get home, hem and haw about riding the trainer, watch five minutes of Levi and Big George trucking through Cali and shame yourself into an hour-plus of easy spinning.

When the announcement was made that the annual stage race, by now easily America’s most recognizable, would be matching swords with the Giro di Italia, those in the cycling know (or just fool schlubs like me) laughed at the idea. Cycling on American soil would never, ever be as popular as one of Europe’s great classics.

Not so fast.

Seriously, hear me out. Or rather, check out some team rosters.

We’ll set aside the number of top-flight Americans in the TOC, under the assumption that, well, of course Hincapie and Zabriskie and Leipheimer are gonna show. That Armstrong guy too. It’s best for cycling in America, and they are all for that.

But check out the foreign talent as well. Mark Cavendish won the race’s first stage, supported by what essentially boils down to HTC-Columbia’s A team. Michael Rogers, Mark Renshaw and Bernard Eisel were there too.

So was Tom Boonen, although his awful 2010 luck continued with a crash in the opening stage’s final minutes. And Saxo Bank’s big guns — Fabian Cancellara and Andy Schleck — and established pros — Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady — grace the field as well.

Now, why does this West Coast race have so much pull? You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. I mean, they’re not even on Eastern time people, come on!

But seriously, there are several draws to the Tour of California as opposed to the Giro.

It’s shorter. Much shorter. Like, eight days as opposed to 21 f@#(*ng stages. It’s challenging, with a strong course over varied terrain. But it’s also perfect in length and timing for riders looking to transition from a tough spring to grand tour season without burning too much energy or suffering the disappointment of pulling out of a stage race before it’s done.
The Giro has gotten ridiculous lately. The stages aren’t staggered well in terms of difficulty, the courses are, at times, awfully technical, and there was that sweeping rider revolt at an apparent lack of safety at several points along last year’s course.
Money. Money, money, money. America’s full of it, at least when it comes to cycling. No, the sport will never be as popular here as it is in Europe, of course not. But everybody in Italy already loves cycling. Sponsors, investors, etc., are already defined, attached and involved. There’s not much new blood to be drawn there. But in America, where the greatness of Lance Armstrong spawned a generation of weekend warriors who looked like they should have been delivering your mail except they weren’t, there’s plenty of untapped wealth to be passed around. On the whole, the United States will never pass the cycling-crazy countries across the pond. But it’s an untapped market with a growing love of two-wheeled fun, and an easy target for teams looking for another checkbook.

Of course, not all answered Arnold Schwarzenegger’s siren call. Liquigas, for obvious reasons, put most of its eggs into the Giro basket. Also racing in Italy are Cadel Evans, Alexander Vinokourov, Bradley Wiggins and Carlos Sastre.

And it’s not like the Tour of California is going to replace the Giro — or any of the grand tours, for that matter — in terms of popularity and importance.

But in an age when the Giro itself is actually talking seriously about opening in Washington, D.C., America as part of the world cycling community is gradually becoming less novel and more normal.

So long live the May start to the Tour of California. And long live my new frame (or at least for more than two years).

The return of Purple Bar Tape -- oh, you knew it was coming

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:25:40 -0400

I promise there will actually be writing — and riding — this summer. For now, just take this as fair warning. And let PBT know if you come across any sweet, cheap cross parts. It’s for a good cause.

Roger Hammond rules.

Johan ridin' shotgun with a ... two-way radio

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:39:52 -0500

Johan ridin' shotgun with a ... two-way radio

Paris-Nice route unveiled

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:23:32 -0500

Cycling News has the skinny. No Ventoux finish this year, but Christian Prudhomme is excited anyway. Full basic stage list below. (Courtesy of Cycling News.)

2010 Paris-Nice stages:
March 7: Prologue: Montfort-l’Amaury 8 km
March 8: Stage 1: Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines – Contres 201.5 km
March 9: Stage 3: Contres – Limoges 203.5 km
March 10: Stage 4: Saint-Junien - Aurillac 208 km
March 11: Stage 5: Maurs-la-Jolie (Cantal) - Mende 172 km
March 12: Stage 6: Pernes-les-Fontaines - Aix-en-Provence 153.5 km
March 13: Stage 7 Peynier - Tourrettes-sur-Loup 220 km
March 14: Stage 8: Nice-Nice 119km.

OK, so nobody knows Manuel Cardoso

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:52:46 -0500

OK, so nobody knows Manuel Cardoso:

At least the kit is heavily-endorsed. In more ways than one.

I know I'm a little bit late on this, but ...

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:28:16 -0500

I know I'm a little bit late on this, but ... :

… everybody loves a little facetime. And nobody — I mean, nobody — does facetime better than the gentlemen of Phi Kappa Psi.

Kudos, as well, to Mr. Gaz for the byline.

TD Bank promises to pay rider prizes for next year's Philly Championships. Thanks?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:45:56 -0500

Yup, the good folks at TD Bank have ponied up the big-people dollars for naming rights, so you’d best start getting excited to buy your “TD Bank Philadelphia International Championships” t-shirts. Someone should write a folk song about that.

Remember when Philly was just called the USPRO Championships? Yea, me neither.

Best news? They’ve promised to pay all rider prize payouts. Here’s hoping that they consider that just as common sense as the rest of us.

Oh my God, we're back again

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:18:10 -0400

Yes, I thought I would ring in my return with a Backstreet Boys reference … no applase necessary, really.

It’s been too long since last we treaded these waters together — a big-time move to a new locale and a lack of Internet have kept me away from you, but no longer! Now Purple Bar Tape is back, hopefully to stay.

And as is the case with news, there are just days where it’s so easy to start swimming again. Case in point: Alberto the Contador might soon have a new team (Kudos to Hamso for calling this one).

It’s not at all hard to imagine Contador with Caisse d’Epargne — the best Spanish rider working for a Spain-based team that put another Spaniard atop the Tour podium in ‘08. It’s a natural fit.

But whatever team Contador joins, he needs to make damn sure he’s got the kind of control that only a select few team leaders possess. He needs to OK personnel decisions, sponsorship, mechanical issues — he needs Lance control.

Armstrong is going to come back next year with Team RadioShack or Team Shack or whatever, and he’s going to stack said squad up to his Texas eyes with talent. Why? Because he wants to beat Contador. Lance wants — very badly, I would think — to beat his former teammate (though we use that last word loosely).

He’s going to have the old domestiques — Popovych, Levi, maybe even Hincapie if he’s feeling crazy — and he’s going to find some young talent (Andy Schleck? It could happen…), and then he’s going to use all of that to launch what will presumably be one final assault on the Tour before he rides off into the Western sunset.

The only way Contador can match that is by making sure he joins a squad with the financial power to even try to compete with Armstrong, the clout to attract good young riders and the willingness to let the spindly Spaniard be the man at the very top of the food chain. Without that, Contador will find himself in very rough waters next July.

Very rough waters indeed.

Colbert rips Contador, hilarity ensues

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:59:43 -0400

Finally, it’s online.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cSport Report - Tour de France & Robotic Baseball www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Tasers

Could Andy Schleck be out for the Vuelta?

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:41:27 -0400

Could Andy Schleck be out for the Vuelta?

Saxo Bank announces contract extensions

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:40:40 -0400

Saxo Bank announces contract extensions