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??