Beer Drinking Season

Now that the cycling season is winding down, you may find that your motivation to race is winding down as well. When you get close to the end of the season it can be hard to maintain the same level of motivation you had when the season started. Your energy is already moving away from cycling. Your focus starts to shift from the “racing season” to the “beer drinking season”.

Even the most passionate athletes go through times when the last thing they want to do is go out and train or compete. Length of season, monotonous training, congested schedules, lack of support, and lack of success, can all be factors leading toburnout. How you finish your season can make a bigger statement than how you start it. It’s the difference between the athlete that blows past the finish line and the one that eases up just before it. So what do you do when you have “senioritis”? What do you do when you’ve got one foot in the door, one foot out, and you still have one race to go?

What is your goal for this race? If the answer is “To get it over with” you need a new goal. If it’s an “A” race, what do you need to do in order to pull out a top performance? If it’s a “B” race, what skill can you work on that you want to improve for next season? Having a specific goal can keep you focused and motivated during that last race.

What can you look forward to in this last race? Motivation comes from enjoyment so pick out some positive things to focus on going into the race. Is this a chance to catch up with some people before next season? Is it a fun Super D course? View your last race as a celebration of your hard work this season. Go out and enjoy it.

How does this race fit into the bigger picture? Connect your race to something bigger. How does this race contribute to your long term cycling goals? It might be as simple as getting one more racing experience under your belt. Or you can choose to use it as an opportunity to practice racing strong when you aren’t feeling 100% and wish you were somewhere else. That skill might come handy in the future when you’re partner just dumped you, your car broke down, and you’re on your way to race Road Nats.

MOVING FORWARD NEXT SEASON

Once the season is over it’s time to reflect. By reflecting on your racing season you are opening yourself up for receiving feedback that is critical for progressing to the next level. Reflection allows you to learn from your experiences this season and carry that information forward with you into the next season. Grab a piece of paper and answer these questions:

1. What are some of your accomplishments from this season?
2. What was your greatest area of improvement over the season?
3. What has been your biggest challenge this season and how did you work on that challenge?
4. What do you look forward to accomplishing next season?
5. How do you want to feel going into next season?
6. What do you want to work on in the off season?

Reflection is a tool that can help you signify the end of a season. Without a transition from one season to the next, your seasons can blur together and result in: 1. never solidifying what you’ve learned and what direction you want to go and 2. feeling like you never get a break. By having a set ritual that signifies the end of your season, it can help you sustain your motivation to the end so you finish strong instead of fizzling out.

(C) 2008

Carrie Cheadle, M.A. has a private practice consulting with teams, organizations, and individual athletes, helping to improve performance through increasing self-awareness and strengthening mental skills. Throughout her career she has dedicated herself to helping athletes of all ages and abilities perform to their potential. She has worked with athletes at all levels from competitive recreational to elite and professional athletes competing at national and international levels. Carrie specializes in working with cyclists, track racing, mountain biking, and endurance athletes. She is an AASP certified consultant and publishes a quarterly newsletter called “Game ON!” addressing the psychological aspects of performance.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (August 26, 2008) – Team Garmin-Chipotle’s Christian Vandevelde, the fifth-place finisher overall and top American at this year’s Tour de France, and 2008 Tour of Switzerland champion Roman Kreuzinger of team Liquigas highlight the names released for the upcoming Tour of Missouri, a world-class 623-mile race through the Show Me State, September 8-14.
The 32-year-old Vandevelde, one American cycling’s big revelations in the post-Lance Armstrong era, surprised the world by finishing less than a couple minutes out of the podium at this year’s Tour de France. Known as a top trialist most of his career, Vandevelde showed amazing climbing skills and has matured into one of the world’s best all-around riders. Earlier in the year, he finished 3rd overall in the Amgen Tour of California and last year finished second overall at the Tour de Georgia, two of North America’s biggest races. He finished 17th overall in the road race at the Olympic Games two weeks ago.
Kreuzinger, the 22-year-old phenom from the Czech Reuplic finished 13th overall at this year’s Tour de France and second in the Best Young Rider competition for cyclists under the age of 25. His teammate Vincenzo Nibali finished third in the Best Young Rider competition at the Tour de France, will join him on the Liquigas squad inMissouri. Nibali recently was selected to represent his native Italy at the Beijing Games and is recognized as one of the sport’s young superstars with Kreuzinger.
Vandevelde will be joined by a very strong Garmin-Chipotle team that includes U.S. Olympic team member David Zabriskie and Tour de France team member Danny Pate. Zabriskie is the only American to ever win a stage of all three of professional cycling’s Grand Tours (France, Italy, and Spain), and is a two-time time trial champion and former Tour de France race leader. Pate won Stage 5 of last year’s Tour of Missouri in dramatic fashion, breaking away to win into St. Charles. Pate is a former Under-23 World Champion.
“We will be back to win,” said Jonathan Vaughters, director of the Garmin-Chipotle team. “This is not an end-of-the-season fun race for us. This is a serious objective for our team. It’s a major event now.”
Garmin’s team is bolstered by Will Frischkorn, who finished second overall at last year’s Tour of Missouri and narrowly missed winning a Tour de France stage last month. Steven Cozza, last year the Best Young Rider at the Tour of Missouri, will return and be joined by U.S. Olympian in track Mike Friedman, America’s top young sprinter Tyler Farrar, who led this year’s Tour de Georgia for a day, and upstart Jason Donald, a former NCAA Division II track All American turned professional cyclist.
“No doubt, Garmin Chipotle’s team is stacked,” said race director Jim Birrell. “They are bringing the best Americans on their team. Along with Team Columbia and Liquigas, they are definitely a team to watch.”
Rosters for HealthNet presented by MAXXIS, Germany’s Sparkasse, Mexico’s Tecos, and Canada’s Symmetrics were also announced.
America’s top team the past four seasons, HealthNet presented by MAXXIS will be led by Rory Sutherland, this year’s top-ranked rider on the American professional circuit. Sprinters Karl Menzies Frank Pipp, who almost beat George Hincapie in the Stage 2 sprint into Springfield in last year’s Tour of Missouri, and John Murphy, along with Tim Johnson, the current U.S. National Champion in cyclocross, Kyle Gritters, Kirk O’Bee and Phil Zijacek help round out the squad.
Canada’s top team Symmetrics will be led by Svein Tuft, who recently competed at the Beijing Olympics and earlier this summer won Canada’s top stage race. Other notables are sprinters Andrew Pinfold, second to Ivan Dominquez at Stage 1 in Kansas City, Canada’s top young rider Cameron Evans, and toughman Eric Wohlberg.
Mexico’s top club Tecos provided last year’s Tour of Missouri with a lot of excitement and aggressive racing. The team will feature a combination of climbers and roulers, including Bernardo Colex, who won a stage and finished second in Canada’s top stage race this summer.
Sparkasse, a top club team from Germany, features several very fast sprinters, including Eric Baumann and Sebastian Frey, who was featured in several sprints at last year’s race.

Okay, first of all…when did Bob Costas start imitating Johnny Carson? Is it the late night programming or what? If it weren’t for the mysterious absence of ANY gray hair (can you say “Just For Men”?), you would think it was JC, not BC, up there doing scripted monologues and interviewing people on couches. Where’s Ed McMahon when you need him? I hear he could probably use the work. “Heeeere’s Bobby!”

I really do like The Games though, even if I have to reconcile some serious issues with the host country, Al Trautwig, and the IOC in an effort to truly appreciate the athletes. Part of me just can’t help but be skeptical of a few performances but for the most part, the Olympics provide an opportunity to see the best of the best - often competing in events that hardly anyone will care about for another 3 years and 60 some-odd days. “Hello Badminton, my name is Field Hockey. Have you met Synchronized Diving? Didn’t think so.”

In cycling news, our often marginalized sport (but still better than Archery) did its best to distinguish itself by providing the first positive doping test of the Games. Which was nice. Way to go Spain - between this and the Basketball photos (seriously…?), you’re really the life of the party. It’s only the Olympics – no one’s watching anyway. Except, of course, many of the people who would rather see Checkers or some other weak “sport” replace anything with two wheels. See: WADA. Sweet timing.

The most interesting part about this doping story is that Moreno bugged out prior to the race and never even made the start, blaming her withdrawal on an “anxiety attack” after being tested on the first day of her arrival in Beijing. Yeah, I’d probably be a little anxious too – especially if I knew I was cheating and had a good chance of getting popped in both pre and post-race tests. Perhaps it could have been called an “anxiety/conscience attack.” That voice in your head can get pretty loud sometimes. Too bad she didn’t listen to it earlier.

In other news, the Men’s Road Race looked pretty rough from the 10 minutes of footage I was fortunate enough to catch over the course of about 17 hours of programming. I really liked how they showed the first clip of the start at like 9:30 in the morning, had three or four 60 second clips between then and noon, and then showed a whole 6 minutes of the finale at 11:00 at night. That was rad. Okay, it may not have been that strung out, but I do have a completely used 6-hour tape that supposedly has the race on it – I just can’t seem to find it amid the excitement of Beach Volleyball, Knitting and Toad Licking or some other crap. Thanks NBC – now I hate peacocks.

Anyway, the race played out as most people thought it would, with the field gradually succumbing to the course and conditions, thus allowing the big names to fight for the medals. Andy Schleck appeared to be the strongest on the day but was completely marked by Slammin Sammy Sanchez and Davide Rebellin. Everyone thought that there would be an Italian and a Spaniard fighting for the win but most eyes were on Bettini and Valverde, thus giving their less notorious teammates a chance at Gold. The best move of the day was certainly the effort of Fabulous Cancellara, who rode everyone in the chase group off his wheel, bridged up past Rogers and Kolobnev to the leaders and then grabbed the bronze ahead of a fading Schleck.

If it weren’t for the bronze medal that The Mayor of Santa Rosa brought back to the Golden State from the TT, I may have had to comment on the footage of Levi seemingly marking Fab-Can’s move and then looking around and sitting up. Oh wait, I guess I just did. Now…it would be rather foolish to suggest that anyone in the world could have gone with The Swiss Cheese at that point but man…it would have been nice if LL Cool Heimer could have held that wheel and been able to contest the final climb with the leaders. Oh well…11th in the RR and Bronze in the TT has to be regarded as a great week.

So…to the surprise of virtually no one, Nicole Cooke and a Spanish guy won the Road Race while Cancellara and Kristin Armstrong took Gold in the Time Trial. I think we saw those results coming. It’s pretty cool that AAA Armstrong has her own Cervelo commercial though. I can’t recall many female cyclists getting that kind of publicity – and she certainly deserves it. Amazingly, her result was the first Road Gold (not to be confused with Rold Gold – “These pretzels are making me thirsty!”) medal for the U.S. since 1984. Wow. Would it be too early to start putting Armstrong near the top of the list for U.S. women all time? Actually, the World Championship already did that so I guess we’re probably already past that point. Super nice lady too – way to go KA.

Speaking of famous female cyclists (Connie is still Numero Uno for those who don’t know), The Phinney Family logged some good airtime as Taylor slugged it out on the track in the newly renamed Bradley Wiggins Pursuit and Davis continued to inspire all Parkinson’s sufferers. I vividly remember DP telling me that he was trying to convince Mini-Phinney to race the Pursuit a little over a year ago and that he had an outside chance at the Olympics. I didn’t think too much of it at the time but in retrospect, I am amazed at how it has all unfolded and the wisdom of Davis’ prediction. Understanding that NBC was going to broadcast the event sometime on Saturday, I happily watched the Points Race on the USA network and was momentarily thankful that multiple cycling events were going to be on TV that day. Nice.

This brief state of pleasure was subsequently shattered upon flipping back to NBC and realizing that I had missed the beginning of the Pursuit coverage because it was being broadcast at THE SAME TIME as the Points Race. Then my head exploded as I tried to come to grips with the fact that the Donkeys in charge of Olympic programming had decided to basically screw those of us who actually thought we were going to be able to watch all of the events without the need for multiple television sets.

Honestly, have they done that with ANY other sports so far? I don’t recall having seen gymnastics or swimming literally competing for viewers on multiple channels at the same time. They couldn’t have staggered the airtime by 30 minutes so we could watch both? Really? Everything is tape-delayed anyway – so what was the problem? There has been some seriously heinous stuff going on at The Games but for me…the programming has been the most problematic by far. Well…maybe not by far.

Every time I start to get excited about watching an event, they inevitably cut to something that I could not possibly care less about. I am still recovering from the small brain hemorrhage I suffered the other night as they repeatedly tempted me with the possibility of 400m coverage and then force-fed me an hour of diving and gymnastics as an unwanted appetizer.

Thankfully, I did get to see my peeps Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt cruise to ridiculously easy 44’s in their 400 meter qualifiers and then reflected on some good memories of not running nearly that fast back in my School Days. Sadly though, I also watched Sanya Richards basically choke on her “accessories” in the Women’s Final, and get third in a disturbingly slow race. Honestly, did anyone else take issue with the amount of crap she had on during that race? The ridiculous arm warmers (style is not THAT important), the absolutely incomprehensible leg warmers (which were comically bagged up around her ankles as she flailed down the final straight), not to mention the 5 pound engagement ring from her NFL fiancée and half-dozen earrings and necklaces? Not to be too critical but…I ran those times as an 8th grader. But then again, all I had on was a track kit and not the entire contents of my Mom’s jewelry box.

I’ve always wondered about the jewelry/accessories thing in cycling as well. How many dudes will drill holes in their derailleur cages and then wear a huge watch or necklace while they race. Huh? Am I missing something here? I know that there is a weight limit for the bikes but don’t the pounds you carry on your body have something to do with the end result as well?

Anyway…Here are some final thoughts on the Olympics so far:

- How frustrating must it have been as an American swimmer this year? “Hey, you just won an Olympic medal so…what’s it like to see Michael Phelps win eight gold ones?” or “Good job setting that World Record in the relay…what would you have felt like if you had lost the gold medal for Michael Phelps?” or “Congratulations on being one of the best swimmers in the world…can you get me Michael Phelps’ autograph since he is so much better than you?”

Honestly, I couldn’t believe how dismissive many of the interviews were toward the other swimmers. Especially the relays - where they would have all four guys standing there after the race answering questions about Michael Phelps. I felt bad for the other guys but I also felt bad for Phelps. Somehow I think he’ll come out of it okay (the $100 million earnings projection will help) but it’s got to be difficult being on a “team” when the focus is so squarely on one person. But until he wins gold by swimming all four legs of the relay – let’s maintain some appreciation for the other athletes okay?

- Usain Bolt is a scary guy. He’s 6’5” and has a beautifully athletic running style but I am very nervous about him. Well, I should actually say that I am nervous about almost all Caribbean sprinters as they dance away with an overwhelming majority of the speed-related hardware – with nary an off-season drug test to disrupt their preparation or celebration.

But Bolt in particular is terrifying. The ease with which he mocked the 100m World Record was eerily reminiscent of a young Italian athlete who did some shocking things in the Tour de France a month or so ago. What was his name again…Ricky something? Anyway, the Lightning Bolt then proceeded to crush the 200meter World Record and immediately occupied a place atop my “I don’t know about this guy” list by dethroning my main man Michael Johnson in the record book and displacing Carl Lewis as the most recent 100 and 200 winner. Sorry man, I hope you’re clean but you just punked two of my favorite athletes of all time so…let’s just say my curiosity has been piqued.

Plus – the showboating and post-race foolishness (seriously, who poses like that? Tyra?), combined with an apparent total lack of humility or respect for any other athletes (past or present) has been a bit difficult to tolerate and has not exactly endeared the young man to my particular tastes. Or Jacques Rogge’s for that matter. When the notoriously lenient IOC Chief starts dissing you in public – perhaps you’ve stretched the boundaries of sportsmanship a little too far.

Maybe the wounds inflicted by the Ricco Show at the Tour are still too fresh, but anytime someone makes it look too easy and is exceedingly arrogant in doing so (like they KNOW that they have an extra advantage), I can’t help but get suspicious. Unless, of course, the athlete is named Michael Phelps and is incapable of human error - as the U.S. media would seemingly have us believe. At least he was respectful of Mark Spitz and the other swimmers though. Ugh…I don’t know anymore.

Anyway, as the shocking paperwork declaring all of the Chinese gymnasts over 16 years of age seems to indicate…perhaps not all is as it seems at these Olympic Games. Oh…you think so Doctor? Whatever, I’m off to go put on some Marley and crack open a Red Stripe in honor of the fastest country in the world. Let the chips – medals and World Records – fall where they may.
The CaliRado Cyclist

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., August 22, 2008 – BISSELL Pro Cycling’s (BPC) Tom Zirbel is back on form and ready to challenge America’s top time trialists in pursuit of the USA Cycling time trial championship.  Zirbel’s recent Tour of Utah Stage 5 time trial victory sent out a clear warning that when he exits the start gates on August 30 in South Carolina at the Greenville Hospital Systems USA Cycling Pro Championships, he will be on a mission.
“I feel really good right now and my time trialing is where it needs to be,” said Zirbel following his Utah victory. “My mid-season crash kept me off the bike long enough to feel the effects but this warm-up gave me the confidence I needed – just to know that I’ve returned to where I was earlier in the season - and I am looking forward to leaving it all out there on the course in Greenville.”
The US Pro Championship will also mark the return of Ben Jacques-Maynes who has been recovering from an early July crash and broken collar bone suffered during the Cascade Cycling Classic’s Stage 4 criterium.  Prior to that Jacques-Maynes was racking up Time Trial victories with a Mt Hood Prologue win and a 9-second victory over US NRC leader Rory Sutherland at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.  Sunday’s Time Trial contenders might also pay close attention to Graham Howard, 2nd place finisher at the 2007 U-23 US National Time Trial Championships.

Saturday’s road race will see a solid BISSELL Pro Cycling roster line-up headed by Zirbel and BPC co-captain Aaron Olson. Super domestique and Tour de Nez overall winner Olson and 2008 break-out star Teddy King are likely to factor in on the attacks to keep the field on their toes.  Burke Swindlehurst has shown up consistently strong in Greenville; Zirbell, Howard and Scott Zwizanski will be among those working to help get Swindlehurst where he needs to be toward the end of the grueling 110 mile road circuit.

“The guys have surpassed all expectations this year,” remarked BISSELL’s Director Sportif, Glen Mitchell. “It hasn’t been just one or two guys carrying the weight and the accompanying pressure.  Everyone has stepped up and that’s allowed an opportunity for recovery across the board. The team effort has paid off; it has created a team camaraderie and confidence that has been a significant contributing factor to our results this season.  We’ll be looking to make a mark in Greenville.”

For various reasons, I have taken some time recently to contemplate the psychological components of being a professional sports fan and specifically, an American fan of pro cycling. While I have not conducted any clinical research, I consider myself a 30+ year-old, passionate case study and am fairly confident in the validity of my conclusions. I will begin by examining some concrete traits and then move on to the more intangible elements of perception. And we all know that perception is reality, right?

As always, there is room for interpretation in this process and while I have attempted to maintain a certain level of objectivity, it should be acknowledged that my personal feelings on this subject have been developed over many years of informal data collection. I say informal because I was rarely graded or paid for my efforts, but in reality I have pursued knowledge of the sport with equal or greater vigor than any educational or occupational pursuits. Additionally, since the overwhelming majority of my experience with this subject has taken place within the United States, it is also important to note that my conclusions are based on the unique experience of following a largely European sport from an American cultural perspective.

One of the primary elements of the typical American cycling fan or “U.S. Cycle Racing Advocates and Zealots for Entertainment and Excitement (U.S.C.R.A.Z.E.E.)” is the physical connection to the racers. This is important when distinguishing an “average” European fan versus the typical American fan for a number of reasons. Due to the widespread cultural importance of cycling in many European countries, there is a level of interest which transcends the boundaries of individual participation and extends into the general public far more so than in the United States. In the U.S., the majority of fans are cyclists themselves and have an inherent appreciation for the act of cycling. As such, there is a strong identification with the riders as like-minded people with similar interests and behavioral patterns.

Danish National Cyclocross Champion Joaquim Parbo recently commented on this phenomenon after having spent the last few seasons in Boulder and participating in many U.S. events. Essentially, Parbo claimed that while there may be more spectators at European races, the fans of cycling in the States are far more respectful and understanding of the riders because they are often cyclists as well. He followed this statement with stories of wading through cigarette smoke, beer, hecklers and the more “average” sports fans at European events. Sound familiar to anyone?

In this respect, the typical European cycling fan may be more similar to the typical American Football fan who probably never even played the game but is able to find entertainment in the sport in a more “common” fashion. Anyone who has been to a major professional sporting event in the U.S. can infer what I mean here but for clarity – I am not exactly praising the motives, vocabulary and hygiene of the “common” American sports fan. Is there a European equivalent to the Oakland Raider Nation?

Anyway, at this point it will be helpful to identify the basic reasons that people become fans of a sport to begin with. The driving forces that make people sports fans, have been studied by psychologists, such as Dan Wann at Murray State University and they generally attribute people becoming fans to the following factors:

Entertainment - Sports spectatorship is a form of leisure. “Except for all the Donkeys who run alongside the riders in the Mountains. That’s got to be pretty hard when you’re that drunk.”

Escapism - Being a fan gives one an excuse to yell at something, an activity that may be constrained in other areas of one’s life. “What other sport allows drunken spectators to yell and spit right in the face of the athletes as they perform nearly inhuman feats of strength and endurance?”

Euphoria/Stress - Fans experience euphoria during moments when play is going well for their team, and stress when play is going against their team. This generates pleasure. “Two of the happiest days of my life were when LeMond beat Fignon in 1989 and when Landis made his comeback in 2006. Two of the saddest were when Hamilton got popped in the Vuelta and when Floyd cracked in the yellow jersey. Don’t even get me started on the Giants and Niners.”

Aesthetics - Some people are fans simply because they appreciate the aesthetics of the game, such as the precision or skill of play. “Bike racing may be a little hard for some people to appreciate but generally speaking, guys like things that go fast and crash a lot and ladies like hairless dudes in tight shorts. There is obviously a lot more to it than that – but we are talking about Americans here.”

Family Bonding - Fans going on a family outing to watch a sports event form a psychological bond with one another as a family. “This is where the future of cycling in America is going to come from. People who grew up in the LeMond/7-Eleven/Armstrong eras are starting to have lots of kids. And many of them have a lot of money to spend. Would you rather have a child that races bikes or plays football?”

Self-esteem - Fans identify with their teams to the extent that they consider themselves successful when their teams have been successful. “I have always been fascinated by the strength of this phenomenon and am certain that much of the Lance Armstrong Effect was purely a result of his dominance in the Tour as a proud, flag-waving American. Regardless, there is a palpable confidence which comes from supporting a winner. Unless, of course, you happen to be from France.”

It is clear from this academic analysis that actual physical participation in the sport itself is not high on the list of motivating forces for becoming a fan. Interestingly, professional bicycle racing provides all of the driving factors listed above but has not grown in popularity to the extent that it has been able to draw in casual American sports fans. The Lance Armstrong Effect was the closest we have come to having non-cyclists comprise a significant portion of American cycling fans but since his retirement, many of these followers have left the sport behind largely because they were following a personal interest story rather than bike racing.

And here is where the perceptual element of being a cycling fan in America gets tricky. If you are like me, the L.A. Effect was appreciated for its presentation of the sport to an audience that would otherwise never have taken an interest but at the same time, it generated a mild resentment for the occasionally blatant “Band Wagon” followers. I wrote an article about this a while back that kind of sums up my thoughts on the whole deal.

In this respect, bicycle racing in the United States is kind of like your favorite band or TV show that hasn’t really gotten popular yet. There is a certain sense of pride that we are among the few individuals sophisticated enough to follow this marginalized sport/band/program without it being crammed down our throats by the mainstream media. As such, there is often a resulting desire to determine the “real” fans from those who have hopped on the Band Wagon of rising popularity. For example, I loved the first couple Black Eyed Peas albums but after they started getting popular, I moved on and let the Fergie Generation have them.

The L.A. Effect was a perfect example of this phenomenon as the development of the New Lance Fans began to overshadow the Old Cycling Fans in both visibility and commercial value. No matter how good that NRC race or early season Semi-Classic was, it just can’t match the broad marketability of a group of cancer survivors on a charity ride. And just like Bridging The Gaps is a far better song, My Humps is the one that made the BEP’s millions of dollars.

There is no denying that the Lance Armstrong Effect took the sport of cycling in the U.S. to a point of cultural importance which it likely would not have reached otherwise. For this, I believe most fans are truly grateful – despite the fact that we now have a former bike racer as tabloid fodder. But here lies the problem as well.

Cycling fans in the United States have historically been part of a small but extremely passionate group. When the sport grew in popularity (albeit somewhat artificially inflated by the L.A. Effect) during the Texas Occupation of France, many of the long-term followers rebelled against the resulting spotlight. I cannot speak for everyone, but it seems that many fans had difficulty accepting that their beloved sport had “sold out” to a certain extent. Perhaps those fans forgot about the old Taco Bell ads that Greg LeMond did, but still, it was odd recognizing that the sport had grown beyond the confines of VeloNews and into the realm of US Weekly.

At this point, I feel it may be necessary to acknowledge that the average cycling fan in the U.S. identifies with the riders – not necessarily other fans. This is important in that it is almost entirely opposite of the experience of average fans in other sports. The next time you go to a Football, Baseball or Basketball game, take a look around see how many people have absolutely no interest in the action taking place in the competition. There is a social component to the typical American sports fan which often elevates camaraderie (and inebriation) over competition and the sport itself.

It is also far easier for the average cycling fan to identify with Christian Vande Velde or Carlos Sastre than it is for Joe Sports Fan to identify with LeBron James or Tom Brady. Most of us are not 6’9” and even fewer of us have dated Giselle Bundschen. Therefore, many cycling fans are almost over-protective of many professionals because there is a sense of kinship that does not exist in many other sports. The life of pro football, baseball and basketball players is so foreign to most of us – both physically and financially – that they almost cease to be human. As a result, the treatment of these athletes by their fanbase can range from complete idol-worship to complete disdain and criticism.

This final point is worth looking into in greater detail and I will expand on this premise shortly. But in the meantime, I will offer a few internal dilemmas:

I want cycling to grow in popularity. But…I want it to be popular with people I like and respect. Unfortunately, I often do not like or respect many of my fellow Americans.

I want cycling to get to a point where it can be discussed intelligently and critically, similar to the broad range of coverage styles of “ESPN-level” sports, where there is little concern about offending the hyper-sensitivities of any particular fanbase. But…I also want to continue defending the sport as a whole. This may seem contradictory but I feel that by both defending and criticizing the sport of cycling, there is an opportunity to promote the sport and make it more intellectually stimulating as well.

I want cycling to be given the respect it deserves in the United States for making headway in the Fight Against Doping while all of the other sports have stuck their heads in the sand. But…I also want the topic of cheating to remove itself from all of the mainstream coverage of the sport. Even though cycling has been more proactive against doping than any other sport, it will continue to be cast as a venue for cheaters simply because efforts are being made to successfully catch them.

Again, I will delve more into these issues in the future. Now…off to Beijing where cycling is a big fish compared to events like synchronized swimming and archery. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.

caliradocyclist

Submissions Now Being Accepted for Design of Cyclocross’ Future Icon

August 4, 2008 (Seattle, Washington)  The promoters of the North American Cyclocross Trophy are turning to the cyclocross community to design the inaugural series trophy for the Elite Men and Women.  The community that supports and loves cyclocross in North America is, at its core, creative and interested in giving to the sport.  This design contest for the inaugural series trophy is an opportunity for an interested artist to express the essence of cyclocross in what will become the top prize in North American Cyclocross.

The NACT will be accepting design concepts until September 1, 2009. Sketch it, explain it, video it, whatever it takes to convince us you got the right design. Please explain the medium and scale of your creation in your submission. We’ll argue about which design is best for a week and name a winning on September 8, 2008.

The NACT will provide $250 toward materials. The selected artist will donate their labor. The two trophies must be completed in time to ship to the series final in Southampton, NY the weekend of November 22nd and 23rd.

Hockey’s Stanley Cup … Indy 500’s Borg Warner Trophy … Yachting’s America’s Cup
Be an enduring part of cyclocross history.  Do YOU have what it takes to design cyclocross’ iconic trophy?

Send all entries to Terry Buchanan or 129 NE 57th Street, Seattle, WA 98105.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (August 4, 2008) – Team Garmin-Chipotle of the United States and Team Liquigas of Italy—two top-performing entrants from the recently completed Tour de France—head a list of 13 teams that have been added for the Tour of Missouri world-class cycling event, September 8th – 14th, throughout the Show Me State.
“We will be back to win,” said Jonathan Vaughters, director of the Garmin-Chipotle team, which competed successfully in last year’s race with the team title, second overall finisher (Will Frischkorn), and stage winner (Danny Pate). “This is not an end-of-the-season fun race for us. This is a serious objective for our team. It’s a major event.”  The team is expected to bring many riders from their Tour de France team.
HealthNet presented by MAXXIS, the top team on America’s pro circuit the past four years, along with up and coming teams BMC and Rock Racing, head the list of top U.S.-based squads added, along with Bissell, Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, Jelly Belly, and Kelly Benefits Strategies-Medifast.
Mexico’s top professional team Tecos and Canada’s best squad Symmetrics, along with top European continental squads from Rabobank of the Netherlands and Sparkasse of Germany will participate. Rabobank is a top European-based club with both a Tour de France-level team and a younger development squad.  Their development squad will be represented at Missouri.
All teams join the previously-announced participation of the world’s top team, Columbia, which will be led by the race’s defending-champion George Hincapie; and Toyota-United, which will be led by their star sprinter Ivan Dominguez, who won two stages at last year’s Tour of Missouri, and Dominque Rollin, who placed third overall last year.
“Athletes from around the world will come to race in Missouri,” said Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder. “Last year, they experienced great weather, great crowds, and were welcomed by big and small cities alike. We look forward to playing host to them all again in September.”
“Without doubt, this is a deeper field than last year,” said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of event organizers Medalist Sports. “We have three teams that played major roles at the Tour de France this year. We have all the top clubs in North America, and two top European continental teams that will surely be hungry. It is an interesting and talented mix.”
The seven-day race starts in St. Joseph and routes to Missouri’s largest town Kansas City with a relatively flat stage.  Stage 2 will be a flat stage from Clinton to Springfield, which saw the decisive breakaway that launched Hincapie into the overall lead, which he kept the remainder of the race.  Stage 3 is a decisive individual time trial around the mountains in the tourist mecca of Branson.
Stages 4, 5, and 6 all will be hilly and play a role in the overall outcome of the 623-mile race, according to race director Jim Birrell. Stage 4 will start in Lebanon and route to first-time host city Rolla in central Missouri.  The stage, which is on September 11th, will route through Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation to honor and acknowledge American troops.  Stage 5 will go from the wine-country town of St. James to finish in Missouri’s capital of Jefferson City.  Stage 6 starts in another wine-country town Hermann and routes to the historic river city of St. Charles.  The race will culminate with a circuit race through the urban landscape of St. Louis and finish in front of City Hall in the shadows of the Gateway Arch, the back drop to last year’s finale.
“We have a unique blend of teams,” said Birrell. “The way the course is designed, it will take a very high-caliber athlete to win. We could see a few more lead changes than last year.  With three top teams from the Tour de France and all the top teams in North America, there will be a lot of good wheels to follow.”
Organizers will announce the top riders later this month after the Olympic Games in Beijing. Numerous cyclists racing in Beijing will participate at the Tour of Missouri, a unique opportunity for spectators to see Olympic athletes immediately after an Olympic Games.
Last year’s event drew a police-estimated 365,000 spectators over six days and provided $26.2 million of direct and indirect economic benefit for the state and its host cities.
“This event proved, in only its first year, to be hugely successful for all involved, most importantly the great host communities of the Tour,” Lieutenant Governor Kinder, chair of the Tourism Commission of Missouri.  “It was very successful for the state as a tourism vehicle as people from 73 countries caught part of the event via live webcasts and people from 21 states came into Missouri to see the event.”
Missouri Tourism is the presenting sponsor of the event. Top level sponsors include Anheuser-Busch (and their Michelob ULTRA brand), Drury Hotels, Emerson, Edward Jones, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Wine and Grape Board, Cerner and Monsanto.

caliradocyclist

This one is for all of the fellow fans of Lieutenant Columbo out there. Not to be confused with Rolf Aldag, also known as Lieutenant Columbia. You thought you were done with the Tour commentary, didn’t you? Not so fast.

I Found The Missing Saddle’s

fi’zi:k
It’s time kids for another adventure of “TEST THAT PRODUCT”
Today we venture to the equipment that caters to the most important part of the human anatomy …………….your private parts and yes we are talking about saddles.

I don’t know about you, but I can force myself to ride under any painful condition for a short period of time, knees, arms, numbing of the hands, pain in my neck, you name it, and I know you have all been there, but if your twigs and berries are just a gnats ass under the weather, its grounds for divorce and your standing on the side of the road. The saddle has become one of the most important pieces of equipment on our machines, and we are willing to go through several saddles, and if you are not given them for free, find yourself reluctantly wasting tons of your bank account to find the Golden Fleece.
Let’s face it; this is one product that has been over gimmicked in the industry to the point of complete confusion, if you ride this saddle you won’t have kids, if you ride this saddle you will have kids etc. etc., its like the Bush administrations war on terror tactics to convince you to put more money into this cause to make his buddies fat pockets bigger, and I have yet to find a pro cyclist in retirement who hasn’t popped out a kid or two, so needless to say I do not buy into the “slotted saddle” philosophy and lucky enough neither has Fizik. What I do believe in is a proper fit and saddle adjustment regardless what equipment you choose that your equipment is sitting on.

I have tried tons of saddles in my days, everything from the old Brooks “force your crotch to mold the hard leather saddle, saddle”, the Selle Italia turbo, the famous Concor, Serfas models slotted and not, and many more. But recently, I was given three models from Fizik to take for a spin and see what I thought. I know what your thinking, shi*, here we go again a saddle review from someone with a completely different set up than mine, and the guessing continues.

So here is what I am going to do, I will describe the three saddles we are testing by means of design and intent, I will give you my feed back and input from other people in the Tucson area who do ride and race these saddles. Hopefully with this information you can get enough input to come close to your preferred riding style and the seat that best fits it, the rest is up to you for slight adjustments.

Fair? O.K. lets go for it.

First let’s get a bit warm and fuzzy with some history regarding Fizik.
Fizik saddles are a relatively new kid on the block for saddle makers. Fizik started research and development back in 1996 here in the USA, and are handmade in Italy by the worlds largest and one of the oldest saddle manufacturer, Selle Royal. You will find Fizik saddles on more professional team bikes than you have fingers and they have produced some of the most hip advertising campaigns for saddles that I have seen in the past ten years, pushing their product as the “High Fasion” for cycling. They were one of the few companies to make the hype about the top secret saddle the Arione during the Simoni reign in the tour of Italy back in the day when everyone wanted to know about his top secret saddle weapon. So let’s talk about this secret weapon and two other popular models from Fizik.

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Arione Wing Flex
Statistics:
Color Tested: Chalk white
Cover: White suede
Thigh Glides: White microtex
Rail: K:ium
Weight: 225 gr
Integrated Clip System I.C.S. (This is a removable plastic clip that allows for the mounting of special Fizik designed saddle bags)

The Famous Arione was developed with the input of Gilberto Simoni back in 2003 and was introduce during this particular Tour of Italy that he won. Fizik abviously was well informed about the UCI amended Technical Rule 1.3.014 that was passed on January 3, 2003 in which The length of the saddle shall be 24 cm minimum and 30 cm maximum. Well, most of your saddles out there at the time and today hang around the 27 cm mark in length, Fizik just decided to go for the maximum length and increase the rail lengths in the process. This length increase allows for more adjustment in the fore and aft position on the post and for the rider to move along the saddle itself with greater range. The slots in the saddle or “Wing Slots” are designed not for ventilation, but to allow the saddle to flex more and allow for your inner thigh to have a bit more range of motion. It sounds like simple stuff, but you have to understand know one tried it before so it put Fizik up there as the progressive thinkers.

I put this saddle on my bike and I have to say it is on the cool side to look at, but I will warn you, the increase ability to adjust this saddle can also increase the difficulty on finding that happy sweet spot. Since most people are used to the 27’ish saddles, this saddle will feel a bit on the weird side the first couple of rides.

Now, I have had heard mixed input from friends who have this saddle, from tons of praise such as “I love the ability to move farther back while climbing”, or “I love the longer nose for moving forward into the power position”. To the only occasional dislike “I had that saddle and got rid of it because my balls went numb”.
I have to be honest, in my 20 years of riding it is the only saddle I ever heard this kind of extreme feedback from, and during my testing I have to say I personally occasionally encountered the numbing of the balls thing as well.
My engineering brain can only hypothesis that the added length in the saddle causes slightly more deflection to happen in the middle of the saddle and possibly pushing some riders gently in the wrong places, this is even after I adjusted it several times to eliminate the issue. But again it’s a different design and therefore will have extremely different types of feedback to different types of anatomies.

This is one of those saddles I would start with the question: Do I naturally move around a lot on my saddle and find myself needing more space? or, do I typically like my saddles to hold me firmly in one or two positions? If your answer is the ladder go to the next saddle review for the Aliante, if not, then this saddle will allow you unquestionably to have one of the greatest platforms for full movement from any saddle out there, and you will be crying like Mel Gibbson at the end of Braveheart without the unpleasant rectal torture……….. Freeeeeeedoooom!!!!!!

Regarding color choice, the white suede center panel sweat stains way too easily and was not easy to clean, I would highly suggest another color for this model, and Fizik has a ton to choose from, even custom combos, so color away.
Arione Wing Flex

I give the Arione 4 out of 5 saddles

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Aliante Carbon
Twin Flex - Carbon Braided
Statistics:
Twin Flex
Aliante white
Cover: white perforated microtex
Rear Protection: Beige Scuff Guards
Rail: k:ium
Weight: 239 gr
Integrated Clip System I.C.S. (This is a removable plastic clip that allows for the mounting of special Fizik designed saddle bags)

Ahhhhliante, this is my new name for this saddle. I have to say after riding the Arione the Aliante was a cornucopia for my Bottom. It is more the traditional 27’ish cm length and has a traditional subtle lip to the back of the saddle to cradle you into a more focused position. A feature that was not found on the Arione but again obviously to allow for the freedom of movement it is designed for. The Aliante has a good amount of padding where you need it and they eliminated the suede material on this model, so no more sweat stains that need cleaning to maintain that fresh new look. The shape reminds me of the older saddles, and I stress the word “saddle” in the traditional sense because the curvature of this seat really wants you to find the center, it will push back at you when you are at the rear of the saddle and pushing on the peddles, and will want you to sit more centered if you try to go too far forward. For some riders this will work great for people who like well defined zones on a seat, for those who like the more open and subtle approach, once again take a look at the Arione.

Again check out the colors online, The Aliante also allows you to customize to your hearts content.

Aliante Colors
I give the Aliante 4.5 out of 5 saddles
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ALIANTE XM Gamma
Statistics:
Twin Flex - with Technogel
Aliante XM Gamma white
Cover: White Perforated microtex
Rear Protection: Anthracite Cordura Scuff Guards Black Soft Touch
Rail: k:ium
Weight: 259 gr
Integrated Clip System I.C.S. (This is a removable plastic clip that allows for the mounting of special Fizik designed saddle bags)
Specifically designed for MTB use on bikes with suspension travel from 80 to 120mm.
The new high shape on the central and front part of the padding provides optimal weight distribution while you are riding in hard conditions.
Squared and well-padded front zone with Technogel gives you amazing comfort and increased traction during steep climbs.
Patented Twin-Flex gives extra softness on the genital area.

Check out the information on this saddle and it looks like your purchasing a freaking fighter jet, but for good reason, this thing is beyond comfortable. It takes the saddle shape of the Aliante and puts it on steroids.
The most impressive thing I found about the Gamma is its versatility. “It wins the good for anything you do saddle award” hands down. The Aliante XM Gamma is designed for mountain biking, but I have already seen it on several road bikes during races, and I myself did two time trials on this saddle on my TT bike. I found that I liked it better than any TT saddle out there due to it having just the right amount of cushion on the nose and center. Too many TT saddles put a freaking pillow so large on the nose that their saddle starts to push back on the private area and forces you to tilt your saddle to the point where you look like a freaking rookie. I thought this saddle was gifted in that department. I would even recommend this saddle for cyclocross due to its slightly more padded than the road Aliante and its increased structural build for those “not so smooth transitions”. If weight is your fear, a friend of mine told me that some people remove the scuff guards to reduce the weight enough to be competitive or lighter than most TT saddles out there. I have to say if weight is no issue for you and you are the “I am hard on my saddle events” go with the Gamma, it’s the best all rounder.

I give the Aliante XM Gamma 5 out of 5 saddle

Phew,
I have to say I am tired of typing, and I have enjoyed one hell of a rollercoaster adventure thanks to Fizik for letting us do the review. I hope that some of the information I experienced during this process gives all of you looking for a nice place to put your goodies that extra information for making the least painful choice. Regardless, Fizik has a saddle that will fit any style of rider and I guarantee the perfect cornucopia for your Bottom.

CaliRado Cyclist

Now that we have had sufficient time to forget the illusions of Ricky Ricardo and Dilated Piepoli, this seems like a good opportunity to look back on the last week or so and see what aftertastes are lingering from our menu of TdF goodness. Let us all ignore (momentarily) the mess left by Saunier-Robert Duval-Byron Scott and the other misfits, while acknowledging (begrudgingly) the repercussions of stringent testing and appreciating (thoroughly) the outstanding performances of a largely clean Tour. Okay?

Okay.

Mark Cavendish – Kind of fast

The young speedster whom I have now dubbed “Teen Wolf” made a shamockery of the bunch sprints of the 2008 Tour de France. I’m still not sure if he is more of a Michael J. Fox or Jason Bateman version but time will tell. It’s actually difficult to comment on Cav’s wins because he generally makes it look absurdly easy to jump 5-10 spots and then open a 3 bike-length gap in the last 200 meters. Team Columbia was very strong and the field was Petacchi and Boonen-less but still…it’s just not that easy.

One of my favorite parts about the Cavendish Experience is the guaranteed post-race interview awkwardness. He is exceedingly grateful to his teammates and usually answers most questions with references to them - Good job so far PR guys. But then he always manages to sneak in a “If I’m anywhere near the front I will win for sure” kind of line which just totally ruins the façade of humility.

And his look of “Well…yeah. Duh” whenever the interviewer says that he proved he is the fastest, is absolutely great. Someone get this kid a self-esteem coach. He needs to work on the confidence. Sorry Meatball, but lookout Beijing.

Danny Pate – Close but no paté

It was another close call for the Garmin-Chipotle crew as Danny The Pate made the break and finished third in one of the hardest mountain stages in the Tour. Following up Frischkorn’s effort in Stage 3, it seems that the U.S. rookies are handling the biggest race in the world with remarkable courage and some darn good form.

Although it was especially heartbreaking to watch the final meters and post-race interview, The Pate should be proud of the effort and continues to prove that you can get to the top without compromising yourself. I just hope nobody called him Paté in the French press room.

Vande Velde – Better than Ditka

Staying with the Garmin-Chipotle theme, how about Christian Vande Velde? The kid from Illinois is making the Super Fans proud and again, setting a great example of a good guy, getting great results, the right way. Even Ditka could learn a thing or two from VDV.

The crash after getting detached on the Col de la Bonette will probably sneak into the “D’oh” column in his career retrospective but may actually be a good motivator for the TT on Saturday. I believe that he has a good ride left in him and certainly think that he can get on the podium if things go his way in the race of truth.

Regardless, the Chicago-land area is better known for Downers Grove and crit racing so it’s pretty cool to see VDV succeeding in France. Perhaps all his years in Boulder have a little something to do with that though. Actually, I wonder if he maybe he had a flashback of the annual carnage of Downers Grove after going so hard to bridge back up on the climb that caused him to crash on the descent. Just like home eh VDV?

Crashes and Descents – Winning and Losing the Hard Way

Speaking of crashing and descending, it seems like this Tour has been chock-full of both. Just about all of the favorites have hit the deck so far but there has also been an element of importance to descending to this year’s GC race that I don’t recall seeing much in the past. All crashes aside, I really enjoy the element of danger and risk that emerges when there is a tough descent near the finish of a stage. I’m guessing that Luis-Leon-Spinks Sanchez feels the same way after making his stage-winning move on the downslope.

Now, we all know that Pereiro has a flair for spectacular biffs but his aerial techniques apparently still need a little work. Matt Hoffman he is not. And as a result, his crash over the guardrail and onto the road below in Stage 15 was literally a nightmare. When the initial report came in that he had broken his femur (the biggest bone in the human body!) I felt like I was going to puke. Thankfully, he managed to escape with merely a fractured scapula so I ended up with just a little heartburn instead. I would imagine all the guys who had to ride past him as he lay screaming on the ground got a little verklempt as well.

Jon-Lee Hooker Augustyn’s Superman impression down the hillside was pretty scary at first but became somewhat comical once it was clear he was okay. Do we know if his bike ever stopped? Did he send a thank you note to the spectator that just happened to be standing there and helped him back up? These are the questions being overlooked in the Prime Time coverage.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the time that Menchov lost to Sastre, Evans and the Schlecks on the descent of the Bonette will come back to haunt him. I am always amazed that guys can work so hard and be so good on the climbs and then just lose it all back on the descent. It’s not a physiological issue – it’s all technique and mentality. To potentially lose the Tour de France because you can’t hold wheels on a descent is borderline inexcusable. Come on, you’re a Professional.

Bernhard Kohl – The Fish?

I have had the opportunity to see Bernhard Kohl up close and personal at the last few editions of the Tour of California and wasn’t really sure what to think of him. He’s a pretty tiny guy but his head is gigantic – so he kind of looks like a little kid on the bike.

But after watching him “swim” up the climbs of the 2008 Tour de France, as Bob Roll so eloquently described, I have become a huge fan of the young Austrian. I generally appreciate athletes with a lot of style and grace but often root for the guys that do it their own way – even if it looks weird. Kohl’s head-bobbing and swaying are almost like Jim Furyk’s golf swing or Rick Barry’s free throw shooting technique. Not exactly the prettiest to watch but certainly successful in getting the job done.

Now we just need to get Kohl a good nickname. I was thinking about “The Fish” but maybe we can do better than that. Perhaps “Porcupine Fish?” or “Puffer?” Hmm, I’m going to need to work on this one some more.

Sastre – It’s about time, literally and figuratively

There is not a single rider at the Tour de France that deserves to wear the yellow jersey more than Carlos Sastre. The diminutive Spaniard who Bjarne Riis and I call “Cahlos” has ridden a virtually spotless race so far and probably has the most accumulated credit in his Tour Luck Account. Plus, he’s just a really nice guy and has something like a dozen kids to take care of at home so he’s certainly going to be the sentimental favorite.