Recently Recounted Random Tale You May Or May Not Find Interesting:

I then recounted my memories of him winning in San Rafael when I was 12 years old, over the likes of Eric Heiden, Tom Schuler (the reigning USPRO Champ) and the rest of Team Slurpee and Team Tooth (Crest). On a side note, I recall Marianne Berglund winning the women’s event that day – and gaining many male fans in Marin along the way. I also remembered something about a rather shocking post-race assault later in Gag’s career as well. Oops. Dude, it’s all fun and games until someone gets assaulted with a wooden two-by-four.

I guess some people never stop shooting the gaps. Or getting involved with Five-O for being reckless. Or nearly killing me and my fiancé by driving like there is a cash prime at the next exit. I clapped louder when I saw that cop than I did back in San Rafael twenty years ago. Risking lives to get ahead is not cool – in a bike race, after a bike race or on the highway.

Time is relative. For many, 1999 may seem like it was just yesterday. For others, such as myself, 1999 feels like ancient history. In an effort to place Lance Armstrong’s pending comeback in a context relative to his first Tour victory, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and re-educate ourselves on what life was like before we all realized that Y2K was just a massive practical joke.

So…we all know that 1999 was the first year that Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France. But Prince’s favorite year also brought us a plethora of interesting headlines in both the Real World and the Cycling World.

Now let’s rev up the Flux Capacitor and look back at the following noteworthy events (at least for me) which took place in the year 1999:

- Gary Coleman filed for bankruptcy. Sadly, the primary reason I thought this was interesting was that I figured Arnold had been forced to do this much earlier. What you talkin’ ‘bout IRS?

1999 was just a bad year for the Diff’rent Strokes family altogether, as it marked the passing of Dana Plato as well. Generally remembered for her portrayal of Kimberly Drummond, I tend to recall her post-Strokes cameo on Growing Pains as the Madonna-esque, virginity-preying girlfriend of young Mike Seaver. But that’s just me…

- Ivan Gotti won the Giro d’Italia after Marco Pantani was disqualified for an excessive Hemocrit level prior to stage 21. Rumors that Ivan’s American cousin, notorious Mafioso John Gotti, was seen lurking in the Anti-Doping tent prior to the ejection have not been verified. I’m not sayin’…I’m just sayin’.

- The Denver Broncos won their second consecutive Super Bowl over the horrendous Atlanta Falcons and their unforgivable Dirty Bird routine. This event was important because it created a number of highly frustrating debates with Donkey fans about whether they were as good a franchise as my beloved San Francisco 49ers. Obviously I won all of these arguments with well-crafted (albeit obvious) statistical analysis but I generally just responded with, “Seriously? Please.”

- Andrea Tafi won Paris-Roubaix as the Mapei team swept the top three places. This was a watershed event as it provided the cycling world with some of the ugliest podium photos of all time.

- The Euro was introduced as a unifying form of European currency. Elsewhere the Dollar was quoted as saying, “Uh oh.”

- Jan Ullrich won the Vuelta a Espana. Many people overlook this result when reflecting on Ze German’s palmares but in retrospect, I believe this victory is best understood as irrefutable evidence of Spain’s sub-par pastry industry.

- The World population reached 6 Billion people. The U.N. reported that number 6,000,000,000 was born in Sarajevo then quietly asked, “We don’t actually have to prove that, do we?” Then they all had a good laugh.

- Jakob Piil won the USPRO Championship in Philly but Marty Jemison took the Stars and Stripes as the first American across the line. Despite recent events, it should be noted that Jemison did not punch any doctors in the face after the awards ceremony.

- Napster made its debut. I remember thinking that the whole MP3 thing was a fad as I tried to reconcile the many thousands of dollars I had already spent on crappy CD’s with one or two good songs on them.

- Oscar Freire won the first of his World Championships. Shortly after his victory officials requested verification of his nationality since many within the cycling community believed that a Spanish Sprinter was a mythological creature from the past – like Unicorns or a French Tour de France winner.

- Boris Yeltsin resigned as President of Russia. I don’t recall this being terribly important to me at the time but in retrospect, I find it curious that this event seems to make 1999 seem like a very long time ago. At least physically, Yeltsin always reminded me of Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson. Okay, I’m starting to run out of events now…

- Frank Vandenbroucke won Liege-Bastogne-Liege. The Belgian hero then proceeded to fall victim to a number of scandals and catapulted himself into The Mike Tyson Zone, at which point nothing he did seemed too outrageous. How this guy is still making headlines in 2008 is beyond me, but then again, we still see Iron Mike in the news from time to time as well. When Frankie starts getting face tattoos and biting people’s ears during races, then it’s officially over.

Interestingly, when researching the events of 1999 I have come to find that a number of high profile deaths occurred. In addition to the aforementioned Ms. Plato, the passing of Walter Payton, John F. Kennedy Jr., Payne Stewart, Charlie Byrd, Grover Washington Jr., Curtis Mayfield and George C. Scott all took place that year. But perhaps most significantly, the legendary Wilt Chamberlain (the greatest record-holder ever) hung up his shorts for the last time in 1999 – thus putting the final touch on a lifetime of truly remarkable endurance which will never be matched. Not even if Lance wins number 8.

Man, 1999 seems like a long time ago…

The CaliRado Cyclist

Don’t forget folks that the UCI Road World Championships (Sep. 23-28) and will be broadcast live.

(Boulder Colo.) September 16, 2008 With a short week to go the field is almost set for the first cyclocross showdown of the season at CrossVegas. Both the men’s and women’s field will feature strong fields of competitors including many riders just off of a summer of racing including the Beijing Olympic Games and the just concluded Tour of Missouri.

CrossVegas takes place Wednesday September 24 at the Desert Breeze Soccer Complex in Las Vegas located a few miles from the famous “Vegas Strip.” Timed to take place during the Interbike trade show, CrossVegas attracted over 5,000 spectators in its first year in 2007.

The evening of racing kick off with the “Alpha Q Wheelers and Dealers Race” featuring bicycle industry participants vying for bragging rights in categories that include media, manufacturer, retailer, distributor and advocacy.

In the “Scott USA Elite Men’s Race” look for inaugural CrossVegas winner Ryan Trebon to bring his always strong form to Las Vegas where he will line up with fellow Kona strongman Barry Wicks. The duo used their collective strength last year to set up Trebon’s last lap attack that took him to victory.

Just a few of the others on the start line will be:
- Jonathan Page, silver medalist in the 2007 world championships now racing for the Planet Bike team
- Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers of the Cyclocrossworld.com Team, both coming from strong performances in the Tour of Missouri will be
- Craig Adams of Team Giant and Todd Wells of GT who are coming off of Beijing Olympic racing
- Tony Cruz of the BC Racing Team who just completed a strong road season that included the Tour of Missouri

Of special note is Thomas Frishknecht of the Scott-Swisspower Team who will be competing in the final event of his 19-year career. Frischknecht has selected CrossVegas as his final race in the U.S. with longtime sponsors Scott USA and Ritchey Design pitching in to throw a farewell celebration that promises to be unforgettable.

The “Scott USA Elite Women’s Race” will be without a returning champion with the retirement of Lyne Bessette but the talent pool will be just as deep. Katie Compton of the Spike Shooter team finished 2nd in the 2007 race and promises to start the new season equally strong.

Other riders to watch include:
- Luna Women’s Team riders Katerina Nash and Georgia Gould, finished 3rd and 4th last year and should be eager to challenge Compton for the top step of the podium
- Wendy Simms cracked the top ten in 2007 and should be eager to climb up the ranking
- Rachel Lloyd has consistently finished strongly in key events and will be closely watched

New to CrossVegas this year is the Double Down at Mandalay Bay award that will recognize those riders with a vacation prize for the top men and women riders who compete in both CrossVegas the USA CRITS Finals scheduled the next night.

Guadalajara, Mexico — Glen Chadwick’s remarkable season for Team Type 1 continues this week in Mexico.

The New Zealand Olympian is the race leader through the first three stages of the Vuelta Mexico, an eight-stage, 749-mile (1,206 km) international stage race.

It is the latest accomplishment for the 31-year-old who was near death in February after doctors discovered he had the Epstein-Barr virus in his spine. The virus causes mononucleosis and Chadwick apparently had been showing effects of the disease since last December without knowing it.

“This more than makes up for everything that Chady and his family have had to go through this year,” Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said.

Chadwick scored a second place finish on the opening stage of the race on Saturday. After being part of a five-man breakaway for about 93 miles, Chadwick could not reel in Juan Manuel Sandoval (Team Mexico), who soloed off late in the 98-mile (159 km) race to take the victory.

But Chadwick moved into the overall lead following Sunday’s 118-mile (190 km) race from San Luis Potos to Leon – a stage in which fellow Team Type 1 teammate Moises Aldape infiltrated a six-man breakaway that eventually gained more than six minutes’ lead. The Mexican’s group was caught before the race reached his hometown, but the chasing efforts to catch Aldape had devastated Sandoval’s team and Chadwick pulled on the race leader’s yellow jersey.

On Monday, Team Type 1 capably defended the lead on a rain-soaked, 149-mile (240 km) stage from Leon to Guadalajara.

“It was basically downhill into the city – 50 miles an hour (80 kmh) on really bad city roads,” Beamon said. “I don’t think I have ever seen so many frightening crashes in a week, never mind in 10 kilometers.”

Unfortunately, Team Type 1’s Chris Jones got caught up in one of them, but was not seriously hurt. It was the second crash of the race for the American who finished eighth at the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship last month.

“In Chris’s first crash on Sunday, Fabio (Calabria) was a stud bringing him back to the group with almost no caravan,” Beamon said. “It was serious pro riding and he and the rest of the guys all finished in the main bunch.”

Calabria, 21, is the only rider in the race with Type 1 diabetes.

Heading into Stage 4 on Tuesday, Chadwick leads Arquimedes Lam (Tecos) by two seconds. Diego Gallego (Burgos Monument) is third, six seconds behind.

Chadwick’s impressive season includes the overall title at the Tour of Arkansas, a third-place finish at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah in August (in addition to winning the King of the Mountains (KOM) classification in that race) and the KOM title at the Tour de Beauce in June.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Sept. 12, 2008) – Dutch rider Boy Van Poppel of Rabobank got the best of the charging peloton around him, powering ahead of them to cross the finish line first and win Stage Five of the 2008 Tour of Missouri his first in the U.S. The 20-year old Dutch cyclocross champion’s well-timed effort netted him the slight edge over teammate Michael Van Stayen (NED) for his first win in the United States. Keven Lacombe (CAN) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast rounded out the top three.

“I was in fifth place and there was someone coming from behind. He attacked and took a few meters. I was thinking I had to go now. It may be too early but that’s better than too late,” said Van Poppel. “I was waiting for the guys behind to come to my left but no one came and I was going ‘yes, I’m going to win.”

Today’s race had no effect on the General Classification Standings with Christian Vande Velde (USA) of Team Garmin-Chipotle, who finished 19th today, retaining the Missouri Tourism Leader’s jersey going into Stage Six. Vande Velde has an 18-second lead over Michael Rogers (AUS) of Team Columbia. Svein Tuft (CAN) of Symmetrics remains in third place with 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie (USA) of Team Columbia holding on to the fourth spot in the G.C.

St. James, a popular destination for Missouri’s wine enthusiasts, was the starting point for Stage Five’s action. As marching bands played and fans cheered along the race course, a sluggish peloton let a 12-man breakaway group hold a three-minute gap for most of the day. Team Columbia’s Mark Cavendish, winner of Stage One and Two, was a part of the break and crossed both Edward Jones Sprint Lines first, moving him to the top of the sprint classification.

As the breakaway group approached Jefferson City, they were overpowered by the peloton leaving Darren Lill (RSA) of BMC and David Veilleux (CAN) of Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast out in front with the pack hard on their heels. In the final circuits, Team Garmin-Chipotle and Team Columbia went to the front to try and control the race for the 300-meter uphill final. Despite their efforts, attacks off the front were fast and furious with Van Poppel perfectly positioned for the victory.

The jersey-wearers remain mostly unchanged with Dominique Rollin (CAN) of Toyota-United remaining as the Michelob Ultra King of the Mountain points leader. Roman Kreuziger (CZE) of Liquigas will continue to wear the THF Realty Best Young Rider jersey. Cavendish will wear the Edward Jones Sprint jersey tomorrow and Veilleux was awarded the Drury Hotels Most Aggressive Rider Jersey for Stage Five for his efforts in the break.

Stage Six of the 2008 Tour of Missouri will start in the town of Hermann, Mo. at 12:30 p.m. Riders will launch from Hermann’s Old World-Style town square area into a rugged 96.7mi. (155.6 km) course with Michelob Ultra KOM lines in Augusta, Mo., and on Scheulrsburg and Old Colony roads. The last two KOM’s are challenging 1.2 km climbs. Sprinters will have opportunities to win Edward Jones Sprint points and, potentially, the Stage win with Edward Jones Sprint Lines in the towns of New Haven, Washington, and O’Fallon and a one kilometer flat run to the finish line along the Missouri River in historic St. Charles.

Priscilla Visintine

Team BISSELL Pro Cycling’s Tom Zirbel made the crucial 18-strong split today to maintain a solid top ten footing in the overall General Classification at the Tour of Missouri. With Zirbel currently sitting in eighth, and the team in 6th, BPC will be looking to take advantage of the battle being waged between Team Columbia to Garmin-Chipotle to move up on GC.

Fast and furious from the gun with team BISSELL’s Ben Jacques-Maynes the first to attack today, there was no mercy in the peloton. Team Columbia laid down one attack after the other trying to break the Garmin-Chipotle boys and forcing them to control the breaks. Garmin-Chipotle, however, had a few friends in the peloton today, including Team BISSELL, who came to the front to lend a hand and set the pace.

Shortly after the feed zone and last KOM, Teddy King launched an attack, quickly building to a group of ten with a 40 second gap. With Michael Rogers in that break – only 18 seconds behind Garmin’s Vandevelde on GC - it was unlikely that the group would be allowed to go and soon enough it was brought back.

A group of 18 including Tom Zirbel – the group that contained eventual stage winner Michael Barry – finally went clear with about 20 miles to go. Omer Kem joined forces with a Tecos and Rabobank in effort to bridge up to the leaders but the pace at the front with an engine of 18 riders was just too much.

The team effort today put Tom Zirbel in 8th on GC and the team in a very impressive 6th overall – much of that jump due to the work of Kem in no man’s land. Kem explained, “It’s too bad I couldn’t get across to help Tom but it was three against 18. The rest of the field is pretty much out of the race so hopefully we can turn this into something more, later in the week.”

ROLLA, Mo. (Sept. 11, 2008) –Michael Berry (CAN) of Team Columbia broke away from a lead group of 20 riders, less than 10 miles before the final circuits and held on to capture Stage Four of the 2008 Tour of Missouri. Berry finished 46 seconds ahead Eric Baumann (GER) of Sparkasse, who edged out third place finisher Danilo Wyss (SUI) of the BMC Racing Team.

Christian Vande Velde’s (Garmin-Chipotle) fourth place finish allowed him to retain Missouri Tourism Leader’s jersey going into Stage Five with an 18-second lead over Michael Rogers (AUS) of Team Columbia in the General Classification standings. Svein Tuft (CAN) of Symetrics remains in third place. 2007 Tour of Missouri winner George Hincapie (Team Columbia) remains in fourth place, with Vande Velde’s teammate Tom Danielson (USA) in fifth place.

Stage Four started under overcast skies in the town of Lebanon, Mo. where kids from local schools gave the Tour’s 114 remaining riders a rousing send off. With Rogers in second overall by just 21 seconds, Team Columbia wasted no time going on the offensive. Launching attack after attack, Team Columbia attempted to wear down Vande Velde (USA) and his team in the battle for G.C. positioning. Later, a group of twenty riders formed from which Barry and Jeff Louder (USA) of BMC emerged. The duo built a one minute, 30 second-lead before Barry shed Louder and charged through the final circuits for the victory.

“It was a race of attrition today. Any of our guys could have gone on the attack and gone for the win, it just happened to be me,” said Barry, who missed most of last season with pneumonia. “The chase was pretty dead and no one had the legs to close the gap. I was obviously in a position where I wasn’t really a threat for the overall classification so I was able to get a good amount of time.”

With his Stage Four performance, Baumann will take over at the Edward Jones Sprint competition and will wear the jersey during tomorrow’s race. Dominique Rollin of Toyota United Pro Cycling will remain as the Michelob Ultra King of the Mountain points leader and wear the jersey for the fourth straight day. The THF Realty Best Young Riders jersey will change hands with Roman Kreuziger (CZE) taking the lead in that competition. The Drury Hotels Aggressive Rider Jersey was awarded to Barry.

The Tour continues to be well-attended with large clusters of fans cheering riders on throughout the Stage Four course. The biggest crowds of the day appeared in Rolla, where fans lined the majority of the 2.1-mile circuit to witness the intense race action.

“I haven’t raced in America before but I was really surprised by the amount of fans on the road today and on all the courses, said Baumann. He also described the racing in the U.S. as “very intense and competitive.”

The 2008 Tour of Missouri hits Missouri’s wine country with Stage Five starting in town of St. James, home of five popular wineries, at 2:00 p.m. While riders will encounter their third day of rolling hills, Edward Jones Sprint points will be the primary focus with sprint lines in the towns of Bland and Vienna, Mo. The riders will then converge on Jefferson City, Missouri’s state capital, and a 300-meter uphill finish in the shadows of the Capitol Dome. The race is expected to finish between 5:57 and 7:01 p.m.

Priscilla Visintine

Knowledge is Power. Ignorance is Bliss.

Would you prefer to be powerful or blissful?

To be clear, I am not talking about wattage output or that first ride on a new race bike here. Although this is a good indication that the answer to the above question is obviously dependent on one’s definition of the terms involved.

To be more specific, would you rather have prestige and influence or complete happiness? See, now the question takes on a little different meaning.

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” - Confucius

All beings have knowledge thrust upon them simply as a function of experience. What we choose to do with this knowledge varies but we all come to know the world in which we live through actions both willfully taken and begrudgingly endured. Therefore, we are all inherently ignorant (happy) and only come to obtain knowledge (prestige and influence) as a result of the overwhelmingly random circumstances by which our lives are dictated.
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With Univest Grand Prix Starting Friday, and the Tour of Missouri on Monday. We wanted to let you that these racese have multiple showing around the web Check out Universal Sports for time on Univest Grand Prix and Tour of Missouri

FSN Midwest and FSN Kansas City will telecast a nightly show throughout next week’s Tour of Missouri, the world-class 623-mile professional bicycle race to be held Sept. 8-14. The Tour of Missouri Highlights Show will feature race highlights and recap each day’s results. (more…)