Tour of California 2009 Stage 5: It's All About The Bobke

It was another lovely day at the Tour, great weather and no crashes to speak of this time! Although it's always fun to watch the riders having a chat and a laugh and going through great scenery, it was a bit of a sleeper. Fortunately, there was plenty of excitement surrounding Fatty's latest fundraising coup - getting Bob Roll to shave his head! I'm sure someone will come up with better video, but I had my camera handy and caught this footage, from both TourTracker on my computer and Versus on my TV. I'm signed up for the Philly LiveStrong Challenge, I have to get cracking on some good fundraising ideas!

Tour of California 2009 Stage 4: You Had To Be There

That was going to be my entire post, you had to be there. (And by there, I mean on the other side of the country, watching online.) So much happened today, any commentary/analysis couldn't possibly begin to do it justice. First and foremost, of course, was the brilliant sunshine. Morale has been low in the peloton, and the boys were very happy to see the sun this morning. Oops, I'm using riders' Twitters as a source for my post, Frankie Andreu wouldn't approve. But I'm not a real journalist, so maybe he'll forgive me. You don't have to Twitter yourself Frankie, just sign up to follow others' tweets, much easier that way!

What a thrill it is to see these stages from the very beginning, I wish we had more opportunities to do that in the Grand Tours. In the neutral zone, I got to enjoy Dave Zabriskie chatting with Levi Leipheimer, and then DZ taking his customary surge right out of the pack. A few minutes later, my heart was in my throat as Zabriskie sidled up along Floyd Landis. There they were again, laughing constantly, one can only imagine at what ridiculousness. When Floyd won the Tour, that was the sight I was most anxious to see on the final cruise into Paris - Floyd and DZ side by side, cracking each other up. What a trip to see it again, after so much has changed.

Many a rider diary has provided eloquent descriptions of crazy stage starts, but there's nothing like seeing it for oneself. The riding was hardcore for nearly two hours straight, completely insane. One attack after another, providing great entertainment. There was Christian Vande Velde and George Hincapie in the same break, wouldn't that have been fun! No one's letting either one of them back in the race though, no dice. And classic Jens Voigt - enough of this messing around, just ride as hard as you can. Frankie was giving Tom Danielson a hard time for sitting on Jens, but I don't think Tom was trying to get in a break. With Jens so high up in the standings, I would guess Tom was pegging him just like Chris Horner was, either on his own behalf or Zabriskie's. I think it was Horner, there were so many combinations in that flurry, it was hard to keep track. And Floyd again, doing his best to get in the break any way he could. But like all the other big boys mentioned above, he's not going to be allowed back in either. The TT and Palomar will give all these guys another shot at showing their stuff, I'm looking forward to it.

Francisco Mancebo, dear, I know you want the KOM points, but if they're not letting guys five minutes back in the break, do you really think they're going to let you? He finally saw the light - well, let's be honest, was made to see the light, and the boys could finally breathe again. Seeing Lance set tempo for long stretches at the front of the entire peloton is quite a sight. He's worked piecemeal for teammates in the past, but never quite like this. Another thing I still can't get used to, that beefy upper body. I wonder if it will still be around in May and July.

With several horrible crashes yesterday, I was hoping for a safer time in the sun today. No such luck, with sickening crashes involving Kim Kirchen, Oscar Freire, and Scott Nydam; still waiting to hear on prognoses. [Yikes, both involved jackets and Scott was almost run over, broken bones all around.] Another scary moment came when Vande Velde went down, clearly hurting his knee. He was pretty well out of contention, but I'm sure he wants to do a solid TT, I hope the damage isn't too great. Kirchen and Freire were both in a lot of pain, it's such a horrible sight to see someone's season go south right off the bat. The upside is they have time to recover for big races down the line, but Freire clearly had his sights on winning the day, such a shame. His teammate took a flyer at the end to try and salvage the day for Rabobank, but it was another day for the sprinters.

The chalk art on the home stretch was really beautiful, quite impressive, but they really need to rethink that concept. We finally got a clear, dry day, and still couldn't see the sprinters amidst all the dust! Garmin's Tyler Farrar made a nice effort, but Mark Cavendish wouldn't be denied today.

Most courageous of the day went to Tyler Hamilton - I figured that one was coming, given how that jersey was shaking out. Snarks and irony aside, the present facts are these - his mother is battling cancer, he sacrificed training to be with her, and he's done a workman's job for his team all week. Including today, working for Mancebo before having the break to himself.

The Tour Tracker was in fine form today; things go a lot smoother with plenty of live video and all systems firing. And they had fun guests - Dave Towle and Frankie Andreu make a great pair in the booth. Lively, meaty discussions about what was happening on the road and cycling in general, much more engaging than the watered-down prattle on Versus. JoE Silva is a lovely man, but his pacing can be excruciating; the flow with Dave along was much better. I think JoE just needs to stop trying to do so many things at once. I know, easy for me to say, but just let Frankie talk for a minute if you need to figure something out. Bobby Julich also stopped in again, always great to hear from him. I did my part to get Frankie and JoE to mention the Team Fatty/Bob Roll Head Shave Challenge, but perhaps my e-mail got there too late. Maybe tomorrow!

Production assistant tip of the day: Actually, Phil and Paul, Levi doesn't know the route at all. He just said as much on your broadcast, not five minutes ago.

Tour of California 2009 Stage 2: The Young And The Restless

Still waiting to hear on Andy Jacques-Maynes, hoping it's nothing serious. [Thankfully not serious, according to this.]

The pictures weren't always pretty, but we had pictures! It kind of kills one's day, but it sure is fun to watch a race from absolute start to finish. To see all the fits and starts and then the break of the day get away. To go through all of the ups and downs, in terrain and weather and speed and excitement. Good stuff.

Steve Cozza said his legs were good on the Garmin-Slipstream website this morning, and he made good on his declaration by being one of the first to break away. Soon joined of course by Tom Peterson, he of the missed Prologue start due to a flat. All that was behind him today, though, as he held on to Levi Leipheimer when no one else could and got the stage win for his efforts.

Perfectly legitimate win, good for him and for Garmin. Peterson was in the original break, slogging away all day while Leipheimer was safely tucked in the peloton. Considering how everyone else fell away, it looked like Peterson would have won it even if Levi hadn't come along. Jonathan Vaughters called it himself hours before the finish, on a Twitter he's likely to print out and frame. And when Levi went, nothing else Peterson could do but sit on. Tom Danielson and Dave Zabriskie are right up there in the standings, Peterson couldn't pull Levi away from them. And on the line, two things - if you want the win, you have to go for it, and, Peterson took a few seconds in time bonuses away from Levi, again helping out Danielson and Zabriskie. Hey, it's not like this race hasn't come down to seconds before.

That's why I was surprised Levi seemed to let up well before the line, I would have thought he would crank it all the way in. In the end, he only gained 20 seconds on his remaining rivals. Worth the attack, that could be the margin of victory in the end, but still, he could have had a few more. We've seen Levi do so many of these mad man attacks, to very mixed results, I'm happy it worked out for him today. It's a source of humor to some, but if this is the slice of the cycling world he wants for himself, why not? Aside from that questionable ruling the first time around, he's earned his place here. He wants it more than anyone and is willing to go out and get it. So I smiled as he kissed his jersey so emotionally, and gave another fiery-eyed interview to Bobke after a well-fought stage. I believe him when he said he went for it to stay warm, I thought all those guys were crazy for stripping down so much, even if it was close to the end!

Lord only knows who'll get most courageous rider today. [Okay, finally one that makes sense - Ben Jacques-Maynes. I don't know if it was for helping design the course, but riding on after your twin brother passes you in an ambulance works for me.]

Production assistant tip of the day: he's taking a leak, Phil and Paul, not forming an echelon.

Tour of California 2009 Stage 1: Women and Children First

No, not in the disaster sense, although we had the water for it. With no live video for much of the men's race, we were treated to the women's crit and the adorable kids races at the finish. Good sports all, including the great crowds cheering them on.

I hereby volunteer to be a production assistant on Versus. Phil and Paul know cycling backwards and forwards, but they're in that little booth, and looking at so many different things, sometimes they just need someone outside the bubble to pass them a note. As in, hey, Johan says they took the GC standings on the first time across the line. Instead we get all kinds of unnecessary panic about how much time they're giving back to Mancebo. Maybe they'll have their Twitter on today.

The race decision was something of karmic payback to Levi Leipheimer I guess. After that extremely dodgy decision a couple of years ago that basically gifted him the jersey, this time it went against him. Astana surely would've caught Mancebo if they had all three laps. Thanks in most part to Chris Horner; it was great to see him getting mad props from Levi and Lance after the race. Silence-Lotto was crazy to let him go - he is such a great workhorse with such a great attitude. There's a job to do and he does it, in spades. And I love how he's not letting the Astana machine change him - still went out last night for In-N-Out burgers and fries and a shake. Rock on, Chris!

I never thought I'd follow Johan or Lance's twitters, but I'll give them this, best race information yesterday. Johan for what was happening on the road, and Lance for that tidbit about Horner's dinner last night. Fredcast also giving good road information, it should be noted.

Great to see Dave Zabriskie and Tom Danielson of Garmin-Slipstream made the break yesterday, they both look to be ready and hungry for solid comeback seasons. Sorry to see Christian Vande Velde miss it. I know, the new baby, and it's early in the season, but darling, if you want to be in the conversation, you have to be in the conversation. Maybe there was something specific to yesterday, I'll have to check in with the team website in the morning. Even Basso managed to get in there, even though he's just on a "training ride."

Speaking of Basso, most courageous rider? Ivan "most chicken-s*** non-confession confession" Basso? Curiouser and curiouser, that jersey. Another thing to check this morning, maybe they meant Nibali.

Here's what I love - people chatting on Tour Tracker, for hours on end, complaining about the commentators. Mind you, there was no race video, no GPS tracking, and the text play-by-play was more or less cribbing off cyclingnews - the only thing there was commentary!! Seriously, people, go to the tickers at cyclingnews or VeloNews, leave us in peace. I thought Frankie Andreu and JoE Silva did an admirable job with what they had. They were just as frustrated as we at home, but had to keep the patter going.

Tour of California 2009 Prologue: Be Still My Beating Heart

Am I really going to do this again? A relevant question on so many levels, but I find myself with excess energy after watching the boys start things off in California, so here I am.

Reading the end of the start list this morning, I couldn't help but get a lump in my throat. It wasn't entirely good or bad, just quite a sight to see all those names together. Whatever else, they can all ride the heck out of their bikes, and each year the pipe dream of a level playing field gets slightly more reasonable. Sort of. Maybe. Just a little.

I've always loved Fabian Cancellara, but a bad taste lingers from his odd behavior last year when the rumors were flying. So, not quite as much fun to watch his typical mad dash, but still impressive I suppose. Levi Leipheimer still wins for best face on the start ramp, his eyes were positively popping, good enough for second on the day. Dave Zabriskie of my beloved Garmin-Slipstream coming in a very nice third, great effort and hopefully a good start to a healthy season!

Svein Tuft of Garmin also looking good, he strikes me as someone who will not let the hype get in the way and will just get down to business. George Hincapie was none too happy with his result, but sixth in this field is nothing to sneeze at. Or else he was mad about those ugly-ass kits Columbia is sporting this year. I guess some people like them, but I just don't see it. Floyd Landis looked a bundle of anticipation on the start ramp, understandably so. No matter what, he paid a far bigger price than he ought to have, and I hope he settles into the race and has a good season. Yes, I'm the one who backed Paul Kimmage against Lance yesterday, but hey, we can't agree on everything.

As for the coverage, things got off to a rollicking good start with the unintentional comic stylings of Phil and Paul, unaware that the audio was live on the Tour Tracker site. Sniffing, slurping, swearing, name-calling, putting on American accents - it was quite the hoot. Rather more enjoyable than when they realized they were on air and went back into clichéd announcer mode.

Fortunately we soon had Frankie Andreu on the website, always my favorite commentator. They had ongoing audio difficulties, but when I could hear him Frankie was his usual insightful self. And the consummate professional, talking about Lance like he did any other rider. He and JoE Silva ran into their own open mic problems after the video ended, more fun stuff as we discovered they were not getting the best of information as they were commentating. Seriously, they have to do this open mic thing every day, it's highly entertaining!

Versus spent half their coverage on features, while actual racing was going on, but have to reintroduce the sport to the masses and all that, I suppose. Almost not worth bothering with them, but they had a couple of rider interviews, and once they got to the racing their feed was a bit ahead of online. I watch a few other sports, and I'm not saying no one else kisses ass, but it seems to me no other sport comes close to the charade of cycling commentary on Versus. It gets downright bizarre after awhile, really. I know he pays the bills, and he's why we get to see more live coverage this year, but can we not have a scintilla of objectivity, the least acknowledgment that he's not every fan's favorite? Eh, probably not.

Jersey confusion: smart move, Rabobank, you get an extra rider each day (provided the best young rider is not already on Rabobank). We'll see if it makes for confusing viewing. Lance getting courageous rider - okay, it's sponsored by the cancer thing, so I suppose it was inevitable, but I think they should've left it for tomorrow, like the KOM jersey.

This Month in Lance: A Reenactment

VeloNewsTV had an interesting edit of the Lance press conference, leaving out the second exchange with Greg LeMond. So here's my edit, along with a few other choice scenes from the annals of HRH. (Scroll over the bottom to pause, etc.)

When Worlds Collide: Lance, Greg, and how 'bout that TT?

Let's get to the actual cycling first, because isn't that what it's all about? Garmin-Chipotle is continuing to get over that bridesmaid hurdle. We had Christian Vande Velde winning a hard-fought Tour of Missouri, and this week Tyler Farrar getting a sweet win in France. Big congrats to both and to the great teammates that got them there.

And huge congrats to Dave Zabriskie for taking third in the TT at Worlds. This one doesn't belong in bridesmaid status - it continues a great comeback from a tough injury. Watching him on the podium I flashed back to him on the side of the road in the Giro, and marveled at the work he's had to do in between. You can tell the back still gives him trouble, I don't think that was impatience that caused him to have his hand on his hip up there. So thank you, DZ, for a strong and gutsy performance. Speaking of the podium, kudos to Universal Sports for showing it to us! I've been nagging them about how we fans need our closure when the race is done, and they've finally listened. We like to see the honor, the joy, DZ swatting at bugs, priceless. And Universal had Frankie Andreu commentating, double bonus! Hugs to David Millar - Top Ten is nothing to sneeze at, but I know you were thirsting for more.

Great rides too, of course, by Bert Grabsch for the win and new Garmin rider Svein Tuft for second. Svein has to be happy with that, even if he'll have that tickling "what might have been" without the bike change at the end. Too bad for Levi Leipheimer, the dreaded fourth. With the table getting full there at Astana you know he wants to grab the choice bits when he can. Alberto Contador had some nerve making those comments about Levi the other day. With any luck, Levi won't have to work his butt off for the Kid anymore. Or the Kid might get a whole new perspective on Levi's shoes if he sticks around.

And so we come around to that other thing. Jonathan Vaughters talked me down a couple weeks ago - it's only for a year, bring it on, it's all the more incentive for us to do well. But now he's come for Taylor Phinney. Okay, don't speak out, I get it, to the general public you'll just be that guy with funny sideburns who made kids with cancer cry. But for heaven's sake, talk to Taylor! Alright, things I cannot change… I can't believe the team will be run in the way JV experienced as a youngster. One, because that would just be too damn sad. Two, because that wouldn't give Lance currency in today's world, and he's all about currency.

It's fitting that Lance was with Bill Clinton this week. They're both very smart, articulate, deep on whatever issue they're speaking about. They have great ideas and have done great things. And they both screw all that up with the crap they do along with it. Big Tobacco took my Mama, and anyone who wants to wale on them is typically my friend for life. But I can't separate the two that easily. I can admire and support the cancer initiative, but I can't jump up and down for Lance. Not that he cares, but I think it's kind of sad.

So yeah, he's smart and articulate, but he also has an annoying penchant for using the royal "we," and for shamelessly declaring others' good ideas as if he invented them. Never before could a rider prove himself clean - that's funny, I thought Garmin-Chipotle did a pretty fine job of that this year. Youth development is what this sport needs - uh, yes, and it's what this sport has in Garmin's development team. Hey, the more the merrier, but while you were snubbing your nose at the sport for a couple of years, others were actually taking care of it. JV talks me down once again, noting ever so wryly that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

About that new transparency. Lance said ask me anything, put any reporter on the line, a brand new day. But then he says yesterday and today - talk to the Don. After today, he won't talk about doping anymore, he'll just point to Catlin's tests. I guess that's one thing he's not cribbing from Garmin - they showed that transparency involves a lot more than numbers. If your concept is that this year proves something about the past, you have to talk about the past.

And talk to Greg LeMond, apparently. The cancer stuff is great, but all that gushing was getting a bit much, so I was happy Greg was front and center at today's Interbike press conference. Whatever faces they were making at each other, I think they both handled it well. Lance's blood must have been boiling, but he didn't fly off the handle. He moved things along, but allowed Greg to get more than a few words out. Greg asked some very reasonable and intelligent questions. He's so passionate about this stuff, it sometimes gets in the way of coherent sentences, but from what I could hear he did well. The news buzz is on the flashpoints, but the whole thing is worth a listen - check out The FredCast for full audio.

Dr. Catlin is well-respected, but I have to say he came off a bit befuddled in the whole exchange. He seems to know the old-fashioned kind of doping detection inside and out, but I was surprised he wasn't more up to speed on what LeMond was talking about. You can't be an expert in everything, but if anti-doping is your field, the LeMond stuff isn't exactly unheard of before today. To his credit, he appeared interested and if I heard correctly, suggested talking to LeMond later. Overall, though, Catlin didn't inspire a lot of confidence that this is going to be the harshest possible look at Lance for the next year.

Not that it matters. Like Lance said, it's just another box to be checked for him, and for the general public. Telling, that - a box I need to check, not a heartfelt passion to clean up the sport. Then again, according to Lance he's not from a particularly dirty generation, so I guess that's consistent. He loves the bike, he loves his sport, I believe that is absolutely genuine. I just wish the rest could be half as much.

Love and Hugs to Garmin-Chipotle

My version of the Serenity Prayer today was to listen to Green Day's American Idiot album at high volume, and I have to say it worked rather well. One of the great albums of all time, that.

So yesterday was like when John Paul sent the text message to Sarah so she would find out about him and Craig and...yeah, nevermind, no one's going to get that Hollyoaks reference. I don't regret the emotions, they're still there, but it was perhaps rash to haul Jonathan Vaughters into it wholesale. So, sorry JV, and thank you for your lovely official comment today. Paul Kimmage is a brilliant idea - now we'll see if Lance really means it about full transparency. Still proves nothing about the past, but if this thing is going to happen, Kimmage is the number one choice. I liked Bob Stapleton's comments also, nice and straightforward, not afraid to call it as he sees it. Well done by the two teams threatened most by the blinding light that is Lance coverage.

Tom Danielson's remarks were intriguingly gushing, especially given how Lance has sneered at him lately. Is he angling to get "back" on Astana?

Enough of the blinding light, how about that Garmin-Chipotle team in Missouri today? Awesome ride by Christian Vande Velde to take yellow - don't let it go VdV! And top rides by Dave Zabriskie, Tom Danielson, Danny Pate, and Steve Cozza, way to go boys! All of this sadly tempered by the horrible crash of Blake Caldwell, medical report here. Sending all best wishes to Blake for a good recovery.

Great ride by George Hincapie as well. Now if I can just get the on-demand video to play all the way through, I might actually get to see some of this race.

Lance Reaction: Spill 'Em If You've Got 'Em

Beans, that is. I'm talking to you, Jonathan Vaughters. And any other of those former Posties you hang with who might be able to enlighten us. Or Kevin Livingston. Or Frankie Andreu. I know, Frankie, you gave at the office, but it's all hands on deck. There's strength in numbers. If you all have the truth I think you have, and speak as one, his smear machine won't work.

As long as Lance was leaving well enough alone, and the sport was moving forward, I was fine with Vaughters' coyness. But JV, the time for coyness is over. I haven't walked a mile in your shoes, so I have no right to demand you say anything. But I can ask, plead, beg. You and everyone at Garmin-Chipotle have done so much, so much more than others, to save this sport and to make the fan experience richer than we could imagine. But this is the moment. This is the moment you stand up for your sport like never before. The moment we either take a huge, painful, ugly step forward or a huge, painful, ugly slide backwards.

Tyler Hamilton winning the US Pro was bad enough, but it's a bike race, s*** happens. I know the Garmin boys tried. But this, this would be such a slap in the face. Next year the American press should be all about Christian Vande Velde going for that podium, Danny Pate and/or Will Frischkorn going one better than this year and getting that stage win, Tom Danielson's triumph at long last (a girl can dream…). Or Lucas or Tyler or whoever is doing great things at any given moment. But it won't, it'll all be about him. Whether he's clipping his toenails or actually racing, it'll all be about him. To borrow a word from Barack Obama, Enough.

Why am I dumping this all at Garmin's feet? Because they have made us feel the pain of those years. They have shown us the struggle. They have shown us how you find a new way. They have shown us how free and joyful and fulfilling that way can be, for rider and fan alike. They are the ones on whose behalf I am most angry and sad tonight. And they are the ones chock-a-block full of people who probably/maybe/perhaps know about such things.

I don't know what Lance took. I don't know if anyone at Garmin does either. But I'm a diehard fan, and this is where my head's at and I feel so strongly that if there is something to be done, it must be done. Now. Don't let this go an inch further, we have come too far and are having too much fun for that.

Ironically, I finally got my hands on the latest Bicycling magazine this evening, to see what excerpt they used from my Johan rant. I picked up the latest Men's Journal, too, for the Garmin article rather than the guy on the front. In a vaguely cathartic act, I immediately ripped off the cover and tore it into little pieces. I say this not out of pride or defiance, but for the point of the reaction itself. This is how deep it cuts, this is how wrenched my heart is at the thought. This is how much I love this sport and how painful it is when the clouds return.

Back in the day, I would've bought the thing because he was on the cover. And carefully clipped and saved it. But once you've read and heard enough, you just can't go back. I've got a family full of cancer, including some very tough battles as we speak. I wore the wristband before anyone knew what it was, didn't leave my arm for four years. I appreciate what the man has done for cancer. He says this is about cancer, but really? This is the only way he can do something big for cancer? Or is that supposed to make us skeptics keep quiet - well, it's for cancer, so we can't protest too much. Sure, it's for the cancer work, but it's also because he loves to beat people and needs another fix.

And to prove he can win clean. Hmmm, prove to himself maybe. Though I always wondered if that's what 2003 was about, doing honor to number five and all that. But maybe he was just unlucky that year. Funny how you can envision different perspectives, though - there, see, I proved I can win clean, so I deserve to win every time out, so let's go back to the old program to make sure I do. Because, you know, we might as well win.

But of course the idea is to prove to everyone else. But as people have already pointed out, it doesn't work that way. Proving he can win one clean doesn't mean all the rest were. Lance is an extremely talented bike racer. He prepares tirelessly and meticulously and has the killer instinct of all killer instincts. So sure, he can win. It's the winning every time, the body almost never breaking down, that raises the eyebrows. If he wants to prove the past wins, let's see some blood values from then. Surely Ferrari has a stack of them somewhere. I know, he passed all the official tests (sort of), but I'm talking the day-in day-out stuff.

Racing again is such a tremendous risk - of crashing with serious injury, of finding you're not the big bad boss anymore, of losing. Why would he possibly want to risk all that? Okay, he loves risks, but still. It doesn't prove the past was clean, so it could only prove this one was clean. And the only logical reason to risk it all and do one clean is because the others weren't. Not that logic is a given.

Speaking of logic, one can hope the Tour won't take him back. It's not like they've needed a real reason to choose who they like in the past, so why not? You'll only tick off the same people who were ticked off about Astana this year, so it's a wash.

And then there's George Hincapie. I sincerely hope Lance does not try to get him back. And that George doesn't want to go back. One of my most treasured memories of this year is how Hincapie guided his young team and delivered them to the line again and again. He is exactly where he belongs.

Winning isn't a given either. A lot of things can happen, and it's likely things won't come as easily as they used to, for whatever reason. It would be very sweet to see Garmin beat him - whoever, at whichever race. But it wouldn't be worth the renewal of Lance-o-Rama in the coverage. Who would've thought, I'm nostalgic for the days of being appalled by his dating habits or how much water he's wasting. I'll take that news over this any day.

Oh, yeah, and what CFA said.

Tour de France 2008 Wrap-up: All For Carlos

There's always that odd sensation when the Tour ends, like coming out of a tunnel. All of those tasks and thoughts and issues that got pushed aside for three weeks come back into bright focus, to mixed effect. Ah well, all good things as they say.

Carlos Sastre may just have given "tranquilo" back its good name. In recent years, that word has been uttered by many an accused doper, only to be followed by confession or definitive proof. But this tranquilo was about Sastre riding his race, not getting caught in the trap of outside pressure or team politics or trying something different at the last minute. He celebrated as he wanted on L'Alpe d'Huez, and he didn't blow himself up trying for too much on the TT. He had the luxury in the TT of knowing things were going his way, but in both cases he went with the attitude of doing his own thing and letting the chips fall where they may. I'm no expert, but I imagine relaxation opens the blood vessels - he may be onto something.

It seems that the way to win is either being a cold killer or a cool customer. That in-between where your heart and head get too stirred up seems to get you in trouble. I don't think it's the emotion itself, that emotion kept Cadel Evans going after he crashed, and got him his first yellow jersey. I was glad to see how much he wanted it and how much it meant to him. But it's the energy it takes, energy you need in the final race to the line. Perhaps unfair for a number of reasons, but I already find myself seeing Evans as the next Jan Ullrich. It won't be the same guy he loses to each time, but it could be a succession of little Spaniards if Alberto Contador is back next year. I haven't caught up on all the analyses, so I don't know if it's been discussed somewhere, but Evans' position in the TT seemed awfully f***ed to me. His arms were so low, it looked like he could topple forward at any moment. It may be aerodynamic, but can you get power? Surely they check that in the wind tunnel too.

George Hincapie put in a heroic ride, 10th in the TT, a shredded left side not stopping his usual solid performance. He talked so matter-of-factly about his injuries afterwards, it's moments like that that always make me pause and think about what these riders go through. Unbelievable pain, all in a day's work.

It was Jens Voigt who talked about this year being "all for Carlos," and I couldn't be happier for Voigt and the whole team. All that second-guessing about doing too much work and not taking enough time at the right spots, I'm really glad it worked out for them and they got to take home yellow for Carlos and for the team classification. It was an awful bit of luck, yet somehow fitting that Jens managed to actually work his butt off and lose his saddle in the final laps on the Champs.

Frank Schleck reaching for Andy as they crossed the line was a poignant moment in more ways than one. The brothers were celebrating their dream of just being there together, let alone their joint success. But the other telling thing was that at the moment Frank was reaching out, Andy had his eyes on Carlos. He held hands with Frank briefly, but then moved up to Carlos for an arm around the shoulder. Now, the brothers will be sharing memories of this Tour in their living rooms together for the rest of their lives, but I think Andy was looking at where he's headed in years to come. He will surpass his brother, as Frank himself acknowledges, and I hope it stays the same between them as that happens.

The Champs-Elysees is a grand finish any way you slice it, and is another one of those reminders that the event is bigger than any one rider. The peloton, the big wide monster that ate up the narrow country roads, suddenly looks tiny as they rattle over the cobbles towards the Arc de Triomphe. Likewise, the riders on the final podium always look like little kids, in wide-eyed awe of where they find themselves.

Speaking of where they find themselves, Garmin-Chipotle was such a great source of joy, inspiration, and just plain fun for the whole three weeks - thanks boys! Christian Vande Velde has wisely and thankfully gone the cool cucumber route with his newfound status. He too rode his own race in the TT, and finished ahead of all the GC contenders. If he hadn't have fallen in that descent, Vande Velde would have been on the podium for sure. Which is fine, he fell and the others didn’t, no complaints there. The point is what that means for the future - his talent and durability are right up there with the top contenders.

Christian is already looking forward to next year, aren't we all! Heck, even Kimmage is on board. My wish list: a TTT with real time gaps, a healthy Dave Zabriskie, and a fit Tom Danielson. It may still be tough to end up with yellow in Paris, but if we had all that next year, he'd be in yellow at some point! You know what would be really fun - if there was a TTT and an opportunity to pass the jersey around - let Danny Pate have it for a day, see if that finally makes him feel good! I love Danny, he is a hoot in his interviews, what a sweetheart. It has been great to see the Tour through his eyes, and those of Will Frischkorn, who wrote such wonderful diary entries for VeloNews. They were a great insight into a first Tour experience.

David Millar provided great insight into a man's soul with his diary - no ghost writer needed when he writes his book! His heart was on his sleeve, on and off the bike, and as I commented on the team site, his heart fuels this team. Millar was at once humbled and elevated by his team and what they accomplished their first time out. One of the great quiet moments after the TT was Millar waiting patiently, standing off to the side with his head down, as Vande Velde was interviewed by Neal Rogers for VeloNewsTV. When VdV was finished, he walked away from the camera, noticed Millar, and the two exchanged a warm grasp. Another glimpse into what makes Garmin-Chipotle special - these guys aren't just teammates, they get each other, they give "believe in each other" a whole new meaning.

And it's for that reason that I gain such pleasure from a silly little thing like having the Garmin team car on my GPS. Every time the drive home was getting boring and endless, a quick glance over to the little dots of argyle driving along with me gave me a smile and sent me reminiscing about the glorious past three weeks. And now it's on to the next… Wishing a safe and healthy Olympics for all our boys!

Tour de France 2008 Stage 19: A Word For Our Sponsors

Well, first a word for Sylvain Chavanel. Too bad for the sprinters, but what a thrilling victory for Chavanel. He dissolved in tears after the finish, for a number of reasons. The one that immediately came to my mind was this time last year. He had made it through the mountains, and was best-placed Frenchman, when he had to abruptly leave the Tour because of a teammate's doping. The injustice was hard for me to swallow, I can't imagine what it was like for him. Congratulations to him for a happier ending this year.

Having a decidedly unhappy ending were Romain Feillu, Fabian Wegmann, and fan favorite Juan Antonio Flecha, who all finished outside the time limit. Like Damiano Cunego, unable to start today, so close to Paris and yet so far.

About those sponsors - a great big thank you to Jonathan Vaughters or Doug Ellis or whoever got such cool sponsors for our boys in argyle. I would love the team whatever the name on the jersey, but it's a lot more fun to support Garmin and Chipotle than, say, a snoring product for which I have no need.

The nearest Chipotle restaurant in my neck of the woods is four hours away, in a different state. As luck would have it, I had to go right by it today on a trip. Very lucky, because now we don't ever have to find out if I would've driven four hours just to go there in July for a Le Burrito. Could happen, I'm weird that way.

I've been wanting a GPS for a while, and it became clear recently just which one I should get.

So, here's my new Garmin GPS, delivering me to my nearest Chipotle restaurant.


It worked beautifully, even had all the little roads in my area that just got named a couple of years ago for 911 service. I messed with its head a little, taking the known shortcuts out of town, but she eventually caught up with me. As for Le Burrito - fantastic, I sure hope Chipotle expands to Maine some day! Delicious combo, served up by friendly staff, well worth the stop. And I'm not just kissing Garmin-Chipotle booty. If either of these products had disappointed me, I would tell. I'm weird that way too.

So this is what I do stuck in a hotel without Versus on the eve of the TT of all TTs, my little way of rooting for my boys:And let me tell you, it was tricky, I had to find a state that didn't have a city named Paris! Did I mention I was weird?

Oh my goodness, I just realized I can make my vehicle icon on the GPS be the Team Garmin chase car! Too. Cool. Stay tuned, I may take an updated pic tomorrow...

All giddiness aside, I hope it doesn't rain and I hope everyone does their best and nothing, ahem, weird happens and may the best man win! If Christian Vande Velde makes the podium, I just may have to take that Le Burrito detour on the way home too.

Tour de France 2008 Stage 18: Back In The Saddle

Happy days are here again for Team Columbia! Marcus Burghardt gave Columbia their fifth stage win and no doubt lifted morale after yesterday's crashfest. George Hincapie's crash was quite serious, as he described it on VeloNewsTV, he thought at first he might not even be able to continue. It was very sad to see him all bandaged and seeping this morning. He's very high on the list of Tours completed, he'll make it through this one if at all possible.

An even sadder sight was Damiano Cunego, in a horrible crash early on. He struggled through the entire stage, arriving some twenty minutes after the winner. He hoped to be able to continue, and wanted to ensure his loyal teammates, by his side, made the time cut. His injuries proved too serious, though, and he will apparently not be able to take the start tomorrow. Each individual case is unique, and we can't know just what was going on with each person, but there have been a few GC contenders who dropped out at the first sign of their Tour not going as planned. Cunego, who planned his whole year on the Tour, has had many days of disappointment as it became clear his Tour was not going to be a success. But to his credit he never gave up, even today with deep cuts and a chest injury. It will be interesting to see if he goes back to the Giro next year, or redoubles his efforts and takes another crack at the Tour. In any case, best wishes for a speedy recovery. On a day we went by an Andre Kivilev memorial, I'm thankful Cunego's injuries were not more serious.

Frankie Andreu back in the Versus booth, woohoo! I'm glad they finally came to their senses, on that front at least. Frankie was talking a mile a minute, making up for lost time, but his comments were spot-on and had me laughing with delight. Great to have him back, hope it continues.

Andy Schleck protecting his white jersey towards the finish was a lot of fun. Frank described him as a puppy dog the other day, and that's exactly what he is. You could practically see his tail wagging on d'Huez yesterday, as he jumped around the GC group with the greatest of ease, just about riding circles around them. Johan was seriously crushin' on Andy, giggling at the talent he was seeing before his eyes. Hands off, buddy, you can't have this one! Frank says Andy needs to get away from the apron strings and toughen up, but it was Andy who had the wise perspective yesterday, describing on VeloNewsTV how he was urging Frank to enjoy the moment, right there in the middle of the climb. I haven't had this much fun watching brothers work together since Dean and Scott Winters were tearing it up on HBO's Oz.

Tour de France 2008 Stage 17: Random

I'm pressed for time, so just a few random thoughts on L'Alpe d'Huez.

Oddly, I think yesterday was more fun. Maybe I'll feel differently after I watch again this evening, without the scattered stress of not knowing what will happen. Fantastic weather again, couldn't ask for a better day. Insane fans - as many crazy days as there's been on d'Huez, I swear I don't remember quite so much risky intermingling with the cyclists as there was today. Maybe it was because it wasn't entirely packed, with some opting for Croix de Fer, gave more room for people to be silly.

I would love Carlos Sastre to win the Tour de France. He's such an unsung hero, it would be fun. And CSC-Saxo Bank buried themselves completely this Tour, the top prize would be a just reward. Unfortunately, it's not likely to happen. Looking at last year's final TT, Cadel Evans took loads of time from Sastre, so it should be no problem to pass him on Saturday. But, never say never, tomorrow's a tough day and anything can happen in a time trial, be it equipment or weather or nerves or yellow wings. I'm also fine with Evans taking it - presuming things go as they have been, he'll have earned it.

I'm not second-guessing, I'm genuinely curious - if by going up the road you're gaining time on Denis Menchov and limiting Sastre's gains, what does it matter if you have a Schleck on your wheel? I mean, if you think you're going to blow up and can't hold a faster pace, fine. But if the only reason you slow down is because the group caught up, I'm not getting it. Who cares who is doing the work or who is going to come around who at the finish, if you're helping your placement? Sastre was clearly going to win the stage, so there's no issue on that. You don't put time into everyone, but if the choice is putting time into two guys or no guys, why not take two?

I don't know, I guess they didn't have much left in the tank anyway. Evans and Christian Vande Velde both finally went for it at different points, not caring who got on their wheel, and still couldn't make big gains. But by then Menchov had caught back on, seems like a big opportunity to crack him was missed, as Vande Velde acknowledged after the finish. You know me, never been a fan of that cat and mouse stuff.

In any case, fabulous stage for CSC, good on Sastre for zooming to the top, good on the Schlecks for sacrificing to cover the moves. Can't wait until it's Andy's turn, he's going to be a fun one to watch as a leader down the road. One thing, Carlos, dear, you had to do the whole salute thing before the line? Those are precious seconds, baby, you'll rue the day if you need them on Saturday!

Fabulous too for Christian Vande Velde, bouncing right back from yesterday to have a strong stage and even put in some attacks. He clearly left it all out there, wobbling after the line, and is rightfully delighted with his ride. Tom Danielson, hope you're watching VeloNewsTV and take VdV's words to heart - keep working from now until next June, so you can be beside him next time!

Team Columbia - love and hugs boys, the road was not kind to you today. Three guys taking nasty spills, including George Hincapie, who had holes in his jersey and shorts, not a happy sight. And Kim Kirchen couldn't hold the lead group as he did yesterday, falling further back. Best wishes to bounce back in the coming days - tomorrow could be a day for Hincapie again, and Kirchen should have a good TT.

And the most random of all - Michael Douglas???

Tour de France 2008 Stage 16: Yes, Bobby, It Is

Bobby Julich has been dropping in on Cyclingnews' live race reports for the Tour, and today he asked if it was always this stressful to watch the race on TV. Yes, Bobby, now you know what you guys put us through! Today didn't bring all the results I hoped for, but it was undeniably a brilliant Tour stage. Fantastic weather, making for gorgeous vistas and dry roads, and very enjoyable viewing. Epic, moonscape mountainsides with summits that seem to float in the sky. Tomorrow is the queen stage, but today was certainly an excellent warm-up.

Johan wasn't impressed by what CSC-Saxo Bank got for their efforts, but whatever the case, those efforts were fun to watch again today. One can't help but marvel at the dedication, the strategic placing, and the cool professionalism. Whether they led early or came back from the breaks ahead, each guy gave their supreme effort. Amidst all that, it was a delight to see Tough Man Stuart O'Grady smiling and blowing kisses in the feed zone. And of course Jens Voigt, dropping back to water the GC group, then hopping on front to drive the pace some more. He hasn't been allowed to go on his escapades this Tour, but my guess is that he's enjoying this stuff just as much, if not more. He still gets to be the mad warrior, and it's all for the good of the team. Andy Schleck gave tireless support to brother Frank again, and happily took the white jersey as an added bonus. What fun it will be tomorrow, to see them scaling L'Alpe in yellow and white, I hope they make it up together just as they did today.

As for what they got, it wasn't nothin'. They gained time on Denis Menchov, who also reportedly had cramps at the finish, so maybe they took something out of him for tomorrow as well. And they took significant time on Christian Vande Velde. Going on TT skills, a likely podium has been Cadel Evans, Menchov, and Vande Velde. So, hurting two of those guys, Carlos Sastre may get his real-time podium yet.

Ah, yes, the stressful part of the day. That agonizing game of Where's Christian? With only so many cameras on the road, once Vande Velde was dropped from the GC group, we didn't see him again until the finish. So we didn't know - was he hovering just off the back, or had he dropped like a stone and lost huge chunks? I was betting on just off the back, but it was the day after the rest day, and he is in uncharted territory, and you just never know! He was indeed hanging tough, and if not for the crash on the descent, it wouldn't have even been considered a bad day. Great job by teammate Ryder Hesjedal, dropping back from the break to pace Vande Velde up the rest of the climb and be with him on the descent. Tomorrow will tell the story, but Vande Velde still has a shot at the podium, and anything top ten will still be a great achievement for him and Garmin-Chipotle.

Stress redux - that crazy-ass descent. John Lee Augustyn and his baby face went flying over the edge, thank goodness he was alright. Kudos to him for great reflexes, managing to stop himself from sliding all the way down. And good luck with clipping right out of the bike, so it didn't drag him down. It was rather a risky move for Versus to show all that video from crashes past on such a stage, it's a good thing for them too that Augustyn provided drama but not injury. I'm really glad Evans didn't deck it when he came around the bend and almost ran into the doctor's moto. After (according to P&P) going to the trouble to ride the descent in training so he'd be sure to have a feel for it, that would've been a real shame.

Not so much stress, but sympathy after the stage for George Hincapie. It was a rare and very real opportunity for him to take the stage, but with that wild descent he just couldn't catch back on. He was heartbroken afterwards, he could hardly talk. Hincapie has done so much for Team Columbia this year, I want him to have a few spoils for himself! I'm glad for Cyril Dessel, though. He did a major amount of work on the climb, dragging those guys up. And since teammate Tadej Valjavec fell off towards the end, it's great that Dessel could more than salvage the effort with the stage win.

No Frankie Andreu commentary again tonight on Versus. Grrrrr. Johan's not there the whole time, what's the problem??

Tour de France 2008 Stage 15: Mix of Sun and Clouds

Sun: Garmin-Chipotle boys Christian Vande Velde and Danny Pate - both showed great form, hanging tough and doing the Argyle proud in both exciting finishes - that for the stage and that for the GC contenders. After all of Jonathan Vaughter's dreams and plans for these two, to get them where they rightfully belong in the sport, and to promote the environment in which they can rightfully succeed, he must have been thrilled to see Pate contesting for the stage and Vande Velde still contesting for the jersey. Why do I get so emotional about Christian's success? This excellent article on VdV by Paul Kimmage pretty much says it all. If that one doesn't have you reaching for a hanky, well, you probably enjoyed Versus' coverage tonight.

Simon Gerrans - I really don't know much about him, but P&P certify him as one of the nicest guys in the peloton, and his salute was adorable, as was his big smile on the podium. He started with a closed mouth, probably a reflex with his braces, but forget that, this is the Tour de France podium! He let loose, and it was a beautiful grin. If Danny had to lose to somebody, I'll take Gerrans.

The Brothers Schleck - the cute brother story pays big dividends as Andy gave everything but a kidney to get Frank in yellow. Andy attacked, fell back, clawed his way to the front again, and rinse and repeat for several cycles. This not only helped Frank, but also Carlos Sastre, who gained back some much-needed time. Cadel Evans looked vulnerable a couple of times, we'll have to see if that was just him getting his Alps legs, or if he's in real trouble. Seeing the brothers work together, and Frank's sparkling eyes as he received the yellow jersey, I couldn't help but think back to that heart-stopping crash last month at the Tour de Suisse, and how all of this might not have been. The whole CSC-Saxo Bank team buried themselves again today, and will have a nice rest day to enjoy being in yellow - jersey and numbers.

Clouds: Oscar Pereiro's crash. I didn't like the looks of this descent, from the moment Danny Pate was trying to zip his jacket right before the first hairpin bend. The pictures of Pereiro looked awful, the riders who had seen it looked horribly shaken, and those were very tense moments before we learned that he was moving and that the injuries were not critical. Whatever other issues there are with Pereiro, I was impressed with how loyal he was this Tour to Alejandro Valverde's interests. Phil always liked to joke about that time Oscar fell off while eating his lunch a few years ago, probably time to retire that one.

Round-about Rink: Mass carnage on both sides of the circle, including most of the Garmin-Chipotle squad, not the usual pretty site for that particular traffic furniture. Glad to hear everyone apparently made it through alright, and will hopefully get things all patched up on the rest day.

I'll be here all week: Yes, it's Johan week on Versus. His comments themselves this evening were fine for the most part, so that was something of a relief. Of course they stayed safe, nothing in the doping arena, and were generally focused on and respectful of the race at hand. As for his friendly American book signing crowds, they must have those Bush-Cheney screeners out front gathering loyalty oaths. Not that I would pull a Jane Fonda on him, but there are hard questions to be asked.

The most disappointing part of the evening was the absence of Frankie Andreu in the booth. Obviously they aren't going to be there at the same time, but I was happy when I saw Bruyneel would be doing just part of the broadcast, and held out hope that would mean we would still get our Frankie fix. Not tonight, I sure hope he comes back on Tuesday, because if he doesn't, that would be seriously wrong. The whole Take Back campaign already had its farcical elements, but if they give Frankie the boot in favor of Johan, it's all over.

Even if Johan was an angel, it's still kind of annoying. Here we have a great new clean American team, and a really nice, clean American guy holding his own in the Top Five on GC. Let's focus on that, let's celebrate that. We don't need the Pavlovian "Lance" bell to garner interest from the home viewer. It just pulls us back, instead of moving us forward. And forward is definitely where this sport needs to go.

Tour de France 2008 Stage 12: It Happens

There's always some sadness when guys get caught, just because you know how it's going to play in the MSM. But today's departure of Riccardo Ricco was mostly relief for me. Last year, when Rasmussen was yanked, there had been so much turmoil that there was oddly little relief. But we got this done before the Alps, before Ricco took his coveted Alpe d'Huez stage and climbed into the top five and secured the mountains and young rider jerseys. Now, we'll see who else does supernatural things on the day, but at least we've eliminated a few of the major suspects.

I was surprised to read around the web that people were big fans of Ricco, believing and excited about the young new star. I envy their ability to still believe whole-heartedly. Not that I automatically condemn anyone who rides away from the peloton, but I can't help but at least ask the question of anyone who does. It just seems so clear now how unnatural it is to easily ride away on multiple occasions.

Which brings me directly to my next point. These Lance retrospectives on Versus are bizarre to watch, especially at this time in the sport. If they were put into full, open perspective, they might still work. But to just run them straight, as if nothing fishy was going on, and then go right back to ripping Ricco a new one and praising Garmin and Columbia and the new era - it all gets a little Twilight Zone. And we haven't even had the week of Johan Bruyneel yet, I shudder to think. I'll give this to Bob Roll - he is always very careful to add some variation of "now" to his rants against current dopers.

I guess the shock and outrage seen in force today comes from being a fan, and loving the sport. But David Millar is right, it's never going to end. We shouldn't be any more surprised by it than we are by drunk drivers or embezzlers or identity thefts. People break the rules in every profession, in every sector of society. Cycling can't expect to be any different.

And as such should also not be seen as a farce or not worth contesting. Yeah, I'm talking to you Michael Wilbon. I love you most days, but make very rude gestures at my TV screen whenever you open your mouth about cycling on PTI. Is baseball a joke? Football? Should we not bother with the World Series or the NFL Playoffs? What do you think we would find if we tested several players each day? This is what ticks me off about days like today. That this makes the headlines and not Christian Vande Velde. That people think this means it's the dirtiest sport around, instead of becoming the cleanest. David Millar, eloquent and moving as ever, writes about how unfair this is to Vande Velde in today's diary entry.

Millar also has kind words for Mark Cavendish, and kudos to him for win number three today. Columbia did another impressive job in the final Ks, but Cav himself was left to his own devices right towards the end and came through admirably.

I wondered how Cadel Evans could ever work his way into my heart, but he seems to be getting there. Doesn't mean I have to love him head to toe, but his podium emotions and his love affair with his stuffed lion have quite endeared him to me. I'm a sucker for a stuffed animal, and I just love how he kisses it like the podium girls and snuggled with it on the rest day. As for those contretemps with the reporters - shoot, can you blame him? I mean really, touching his shoulder? We saw how he favored it and how it was bleeding through his jersey, what was the reporter thinking? I do have to disagree on the kit choice. I'm with Kim Kirchen, I prefer just going yellow on the jersey and not the shorts for a workaday ride, but Evans earned the thing, I guess he can dress however he likes.

This is what I really need to know - did Garmin-Chipotle owner Doug Ellis, Garmin-Chipotle manager Jonathan Vaughters, and Chipotle CEO Steve Ells all go glasses shopping together? Or is that what drew them to each other? They saw those snappy little black frames across a crowded room and the sparks flew and they knew they all had to go into business together.

Tour de France 2008 Stage 10: I Will Possess Your Heart

The symbol of this year's Tour is a heart, and I found mine overflowing today. I love this sport. I love the riders who leave it all on the road, for nothing else than to help a teammate. I love the fans who come out in enormous numbers and cheer every last rider. I love the directors in the cars who look after their boys all along the route. I love the leaders who use years of sacrifice and training and hard knocks to keep going when all others fall away. I love how we all love it, how we throw all rationality out the window and go on pure heart - to compete in it, to stand on the side of the road, or to squint at computer screens for hours on end across the world.

"How I wish you could see the potential…" No, I'm not stalking Christian Vande Velde, but Death Cab For Cutie's brilliantly creepy song aptly describes the relationship both rider and fan have with the Tour. The Tour calls to us, sucks us in, and won't let us go. The tiny voice in the back of Vande Velde's head all these years has grown large and in charge as he is finally reaching his full potential, holding his third place in the high mountains. To get to that familiar mountain scene, the tiny select group out of which the final winner is likely to come, and to see Vande Velde comfortably in that group, is a very beautiful thing. There's a long way to go, but this was a very big test, and Christian passed with flying colors.

The whole Garmin-Chipotle team worked their hearts out today, first the guys chasing down that big ole break at the start, then the rest of the guys hanging as long as they could on the climbs. How sweet was David Millar, suffering up the Tourmalet, calling out an apology to director Matt White. Whitey handled it beautifully, reassuring Millar and telling him to take care.

Boing! Jens Voigt finally got to uncoil his spring today (Where Is Jens? clip), and he and his teammates left a trail of bodies in their wake. I just had to laugh and laugh as we saw one of the greatest displays of The Beast ever. The Bear did his share as well, Fabian Cancellara turning himself inside out in the break. In what other sport do you have such a scenario - a world class superstar one day, just another cog in the team wheel the next. It was a brilliant strategy by Bjarne Riis, putting Cancellara out front, setting Jens and friends loose, and having them meet up in the valley to close the door on Alejandro Valverde and Damiano Cunego. It's too bad they missed yellow by just a tick, but I'm sure they'll take satisfaction in moving Frank Schleck and Carlos Sastre up in the standings, and seemingly eliminating some of the competition.

Versus has been playing a great commercial the past few days, with Jonathan Vaughters' voiceover about jumping out of your car in your underwear to appreciate crashing in a professional bike race. Cadel Evans brings to mind the part they leave out - do that, then scrub the wounds raw, then get up the next day and ride your bike for four-plus hours up some of the most difficult climbs in the world. All due respect to Evans for hanging tough today and taking yellow. And for being overcome with emotion on the podium. I can't help taking him to heart after that.

I'll enjoy the rest day as much as anyone, sleep is always nice, but I'm with Christian Vande Velde. It's a shame there isn't another stage tomorrow, after such an inspiring day as today.

Special Edition: Chris Horner Rocks

I was missing Chris Horner at the Tour, with his lively and frank interviews. Lo and behold, he still manages to give us all a huge smile in July. Here's the story of how Horner carried another rider, and his bike, up the final 2K of Saturday's stage at the Cascade Cycling Classic. Here's video (at the end, after the logo).

Tour de France 2008 Stage 9: TLC

Today was a day to take care. For the GC guys, take care of their current standing and their bodies and save as much as they can for tomorrow. Most of them accomplished this well, although Cadel Evans had a great fright on the body front. We didn't see the crash, but it must have been a heart-stopper, considering the spots where he lost clothing and/or skin - the top of his back, the top front of his thigh, and an elbow. There was also some injury to his shoulder, we'll have to wait for the post-race reports to see if it was anything too worrisome.

Cadel's team took immediate care, hovering as he got a bike change, and then all around him as they worked their way back to the peloton. After he caught his breath, and at a convenient point in the road, Evans made his way back to race doctor Gerard Porte. We don't get to really hear what is said in those visits to the doctor's car, but I always get a clear sense of Dr. Porte giving tender loving care to his riders. Not that he's too gentle, have to give those wounds a good scrub, but he checks them out head to toe, does everything he possibly can for them, and sends them on their way with a kind pat on the shoulder. His ability to do this at high speeds on changing roads with all serenity never ceases to amaze. Equally amazing, of course, is the ability of tough-as-nails riders to receive such treatment balanced on their bikes, never wavering as raw flesh is assaulted with antiseptic wipes. Evans will get further nursing from the team tonight, with hopes that any stiffness from his injuries will hold off until the rest day.

We saw all the teams taking care of their leaders on this first test in the mountains. Caisse d'Epargne were all over the place, sending riders up the road if that suited, then dropping them back if they were needed there, setting pace when they had to, generally showing their strength in numbers and climbing ability.

Gerolsteiner were also hard at work, to mixed results. Sebastian Lang led the day for quite a while, before his head shook in resignation as Riccardo Ricco zoomed past. Stefan Schumacher made a brief bid to gain some time back, but not only could he not hold it, he ended up gapped at the finish. Bernhard Kohl made a gutsy push at the summit of the final climb to try and secure the mountains jersey for teammate Lang. He took third away from David De La Fuente, but unfortunately fourth was enough for him to hold on to the polka dots. I also felt for the lone Gerolsteiner soigneur at that summit, trying so hard to care for his guys as they came by. He was a little surprised I think to see Ricco come over first, and then neither Lang nor Kohl were interested in a musette. He was finally able to give one away, to Markus Fothen, so at least it was worth the trip! And Lang will have the red number tomorrow for his efforts.

Team Columbia were a bit scarce in the final selection, but they had worked so hard all week caring for both Kim Kirchen and Mark Cavendish, you can hardly blame them. And though Kirchen struggled a bit, he held his own and finished with the first group. Meanwhile, Papa George Hincapie had a virtual arm around young rider Thomas Lovkvist, seeing him home safely. Lovkvist lost the white jersey, but Hincapie made sure he didn't lose his way and paced him steadily down to the finish.

Garmin-Chipotle were of course looking after Christian Vande Velde. Danny Pate and Ryder Hesjedal gave solid efforts before falling off the pace, first Danny and later Ryder. David Millar lasted even longer, just slipping back towards the end to finish in the third group. Trent Lowe stuck with Vande Velde on the final climb, and finished in the second group. As Christian mentioned a couple of days ago, he took very good care of himself and finished with the leading group, and now sits in third place. (I'm sure the TLC from his wife last night helped as well.) Christian Vande Velde, in third place overall, after the first mountain stage, in the Tour de France. Go ahead, read that one a few times, it never gets old.

Tour de France Stages 7 & 8: You Can Count On Me

Instead of focusing on the guy who let down his team, let's celebrate the ones who didn't. Team Columbia put on another fantastic display today. At this rate, we're going to run out of ways to describe their strength and success! Columbia did their job leading the peleton for much of the day, in utterly miserable conditions. Through flat tires and slippery spills, they hustled back up to the front and got right back to work. We saw George Hincapie patrolling his troops, presumably giving out directions and encouragement. It's so enjoyable to see him in this role. He's good at it and looks to be having a lot of fun doing it.

After letting some of the other teams hammer away towards the finish, Columbia got back on front again in the closing kilometers and gave everything they had left to lead it out for Mark Cavendish. Some of the other riders got back in front in the last K, and I was worried Cavendish might have gotten lost. But he still had Gerald Ciolek with him, and the two of them poured it on and came out with a brilliant one-two. Cavendish is so young and powerful, he hardly needs any extra push. But as he's said, with a team like that, you just can't let them down, and they're all there with him in spirit as he crosses the line.

Credit Agricole worked like dogs towards the end, you have to feel for them and Thor Hushovd for not having that same reward awaiting them. Also working hard were Liquigas, desperately trying to have something else to talk about after the stage than Manuel Beltran. I feel for them in more ways than one. I know tossing the whole team out is meant to be a powerful disincentive, but it apparently doesn't work as such, and is so unfair to the other teammates. Indications are that they will not have to leave, and I’m fine with that.

I was out of town yesterday, so didn't get to see Stage 7 until late, after the Beltran news broke. As I was just starting to read about it online, the start of the show was playing on my DVR, and there was an adorable little boy in a yellow jersey, riding the finish in some pre-stage event. That gave my heart a tug. Come on guys, let's give that kid a sport to grow into, and a day to be proud of.

On Stage 7, CSC-Saxo Bank looked great amassed at the front in the split, even if there was disagreement on their tactics. Each one so strong, so talented, so impassioned, it was a stirring sight. Congratulations to them for taking over the yellow numbers. Hearing that the rivalry between the Schleck brothers and Kim Kirchen may have had something to do with it does sour the feeling a bit. But at this stage of the game, I think CSC were making a statement beyond that, and racing for their own gains rather than out of spite. [Frank Schleck agrees, disputing the rivalry at VeloNewsTV (also worth watching for an adorable bit where Jens collects his autograph for a kid!)] And you know Jens Voigt could care less about such silliness, he just wants to race hard!

Garmin-Chipotle did some animating of their own yesterday, and though it didn't work out quite as planned, it's great to see them mixing it up and riding their hearts out for each other. David Millar looked all heart, slathered up in sunscreen, busting his butt in the break as his tire went flat. Despite the dashing of his grand plans, he hung in again for a decent finish. As usual, he gives a fascinating full description of the drama in his diary. Sounds like he had drama again today with a mechanical right at the end, and again his team came through, pacing him back to finish with the pack. The quiet heart of Christian Vande Velde is shining through, as he continues to delight in his new role. He stuck to the front on a very hard and changeable day, finishing with the final select group to hold his fourth place. Tomorrow will be a big test for his GC hopes, and his team and the fans of Argyle everywhere can count on him to give it his best effort. Garmin-Chipotle is the very embodiment of the audacity of hope, and I will keep my eyes on them rather than those whose skulls are too impossibly thick to get the message.