Contador.  Now that Contador is in, everyone is jumping on the Spaniard’s bandwagon.  I’m not so sure.  I think those bandwagon jumpers will be saying “Where’s the beef?” three weeks from now.   I just don’t think you can win the double (Giro and Tour) in this day and age.  The last rider wo did so was Marco Pantani in 1998 and he had a little help.  Even with pharmacology, he needed a faltering Jan Ulrich to take the jersey.  I’d rather look at more recent examples where riders who fared well at the Giro were spectacularly absent from the Tour.  The most recent example is Ivan Basso who, for the first time in his career, is skipping the Giro to focus on the Tour.  Why should I argue with him.  Bottom line, you can’t have both.

Andy Schleck.  Those who are not falling in behind Contador are going with Andy Schleck.  I fully understand that and I will put Andy on the top of my list of picks from the heart.  My problem is I look at the TTT and the Individual Time Trials and I can’t help but hear the quote from the famous Ty Webb.  “You’re not good Andy, you stink.”  So Andy will play the role of PouPou again this year.

Levi is losing the race against father time.  If he had a couple of years back he could sneak a peek at the podium and maybe even the top step.  I’ll say it flat out, I have never been a believer in Cadel.  The temperamental Aussie is good at most disciplines but not great at any.  I don’t see him even on the podium. Bradley Wiggins is more of a top five finisher, not a real contender.

An unexpected podium visit may come from Rabobank’s Robert Gesink.

So that leaves Basso.  He knows how to win and he is finally focused on this race.  While not a great time trialist, he is good enough not to lose the Tour in the race of truth which should be enough to win the Tour.

They say that breakin’ up is hard to do.
Now I know, I know that it’s true.
Don’t say that this is the end.
Instead of breakin’ up,
I wish that
we were makin’ up again – Neil Sedaka

On my ride Wednesday morning, I flatted.  Again.  Since I was not under any time pressure, I took my time fixing my flat.  I thoroughly inspected my tire and found several small cuts.  This is not the first time I experienced this with my tires.  Looking below the tire at the street, I saw the culprit.  There are thousands of tiny “chips” that adorn almost every inch of road here in New Jersey.

I love riding in New Jersey.  The terrain is both challenging and beautiful.  The shoulders are wide and safe.  Within a few miles, I am riding up long sweeping hills and descending by beautiful horse farms.  The problem is that I can no longer trust the road beneath my wheels.

New Jersey has been run so poorly over the last several decades that there is absolutely no money left.  No other place shows this more than the road system.  Roads sit in disrepair until as a last resort, the chip and seal truck drops a coating of gravel as a desperate attempt to avoid any type of paving.

Taking a corner becomes a religious experience.  I pray before every one.  Now, I have to give up one of my favorite things.  My Vittoria tires.

To me, there are two choices of equipment that are very personal.  These are saddles and tires.  No one works for everyone.  For me, having my Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX on my bike was like slipping on my favorite shoes.  They felt great.  Other tires felt like work boots but Vittoria’s felt like slippers.  Alas, with tires tickling the triple digit mark, I can’t afford this luxury any more.

I’m switching to another set of tires that I auditioned last season.  I tried a pair of Continental 4000 tires for a few months and they rode great.  They did not feel like they were custom-made just for me but they felt great.  More importantly, they survived the harsh roads here in NJ.

I almost bought the Vittoria Pave but just can’t take the chance right now.  I’d be interested in feedback from anyone who rides them.  So, until New Jersey paves some roads or until I move out of state, I’m a Continental man.  But I’ll never forget my first true love.

Tom Danielson may have done enough to get Jonathan Vaughters to bet on tommy with one of his 9 Tour de France slots.  I’m not sure if Andy’s road show was successful.

After the road show came the quiet period.  This was time for the potential investors and investment media to go away and deliberate on what they saw.  Companies can’t issue and financial data that could have an effect on analyst’s’ recommendations.  We are now in the pre Tour quiet period.  Time for the professional and amateur analysts to take what they saw and issue their recommendation.

In a medium length course, Levi Leipheimer put more than two minutes into Cuenego allowing him to take first place but four seconds.

The only question I have now is who should I pull for in the Tour de France.  Dauphine winner Bradley Wiggins and Levi are solid top ten to top five picks but ate not podium worthy.  Andy Schleck did not impress me. Does Contador even have hotel reservations?  It should be exciting.

So it was refreshing to see Bradley Wiggins defend his lead in the race.  He dug deep into his famed “Suitcase of Courage” to defend his lead over the past few days.  The question is was that at the expense of the Tour de France?  Did he really have a shot at a podium in Paris?  This should be a good backstory starting July 2nd.

Paris-Nice was a good opening act.  The metal on metal sound you hear are the gladiators sharmening their sworda for their epic battle that begins with the Ronde van Vlaanderen  or the Tour of Flanders.  The spring season of cycling does not begin until the first wheel touches the first belgian cobble.  My wife has already locked up my credit cards because if left unattended, I will be on the phone with Rosetta Stone buying their Duch/Flemish program.

The protagonists are set.  Most are focusing on the top gladiator, Fabian Cancellara.  Others are wondering if the formet top gladiator, Tom Boonen,  has anything left in his sword.  I have to agree that until someone comes up through the ranks, these two veterans of the Colosseum are the two to beat.  Wisdom and strength are both needed this week.

The course profile is the typical Flemish saw-tooth profile that will sap the strong yet foolinh leaving those who parse their energy standing for the final battle.

If I can ride it there

I can ride it anywhere

It’s up to you New York, New York – apologies to Old Blue Eyes.

Sometimes you give an ‘A’ for effort.  The Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer released his report on the state of bike lanes in Manhattan. It seems that there is enough blame to go around.  For our part, cyclists need to obey basic traffic rules.  Do not run red lights, ride on the sidewalk, or ride the wrong way down a street.  These three activities are never smart but in Manhattan?  Come on!  Even if most of these infractions are by messengers, we can do a little better to make NYC bike friendly.

Now for the big issues that Mr. Stringer is looking to change.

• Lane blockages – including NYPD using bike lanes in non emergency situations to avoid traffic
• Pedestrians in bike lane.
• Dooring – big issue with taxis.

Mr. Stringer, you have my full support.  Here is the full report.

Dear Friend,

After receiving numerous constituent complaints, my office studied bike lane use in neighborhoods throughout Manhattan. The verdict was clear: while bike lanes bring a tremendous benefit to New York City, misuse by all parties— motorists, pedestrians and cyclists —undermines their success. Over 22 hours my staff observed more than 1,700 infractions ranging from motor vehicles driving through the lanes and pedestrian use to cyclists going the wrong direction.

Today I announced the results of this unprecedented study, entitled Respect the Bike Lane and Clear the Path, and proposed several key recommendations to improve bike lane safety including increased enforcement, a public education campaign on dooring, and reserving parking spots for deliveries along commercial streets to discourage potential bike lane blockages

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions on this or any other work my office is doing please do not hesitate to call 212.xxx.xxxx

Sincerely,

Scott M. Stringer
Manhattan Borough President

How can you not believe in a higher authority after this year’s tour. That 39 seconds can’t be a random coincidence. It has to be part of someone’s grand plan. That someone has one heck of a sense of humor. Attack, drop chain, replace chain, lose 39 seconds. Have the time trial of your career and lose by….39seconds. If the margin was 38 seconds in Paris then you may have some people griping. Have it be 40 seconds and the other side can say that the Stage 15 decision didn’t matter. But spot on 39 seconds? Both sides have the fuel for a long debate.

Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.  There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.  ~J.C. Watts

Well Alberto, you got caught.  I have always been a fan of your ability.  I rooted for you when it seemed that your whole team worked against you last year.  Unfortunately, today your career may have been defined by one classless move. 

Ironic isn’t it.  Lance Armstrong who is known for breaking an opponent physically and mentally could not get into your head.  Then some kid from Luxemburg who by most accounts is a happy-go-lucky kid forced you to make a completely classless move.  You, Menchov and Sanchez took advantage of a situation that you were honor bound to uphold.  Odds are you could have taken Andy in the Time Trial.  I guess you could not wait.

I am reminded of a Shakespearean quote.

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. 

Also, own up to your actions to say “When I launched my attack, I was not aware of the incident. When I was told about it, we had a solid lead and we were going full gas.”  Passing a guy dressed in yellow bent over his chain is kind of hard to miss.

Funny thing is, I never fell in love with the stars.  I always went for the grinders.  The guys who worked twice as hard to be half as good.  I identified with them since that mirrored my own paltry athletic career.  While most boys worshiped Dr. J, I saved a piece of hero worship for Bobby Jones.  Who, in the words of former Sixer GM Pat Williams “Bobby gives two hours of blood, showers, and goes home.”  Sometimes grinders break through and become stars of a sort.  The ultimate grinder-made-good is Jens Voigt. 

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I have grown to love two sports that are the grinders of the sporting world.  First and foremost, Cycling and more recently, I have developed an affection for Lacrosse.  The later sport is through my son who is currently following his father as a grinder in a grinder sport.

One of the downsides to following these second tier sports is that they only time they make the front pages is when there is bad news.  We all know by now about the horrible tragedy in Virginia and of course, cycling is front page again with Floyd Landis’ admission. Even more unfortunate, the sport gets defined by these stories.

I am hearing that Lacrosse is full of thugs, that the sport is too violent.  I’ve engaged in countless debates as to whether cycling is a dirty sport and full of cheaters.  Bad people play sports.  All sports.  NBA players are frequently making the police blotters for rape, weapons, and drug charges.  How many non-cyclists showed up on BALCO’s ledgers.  Is professional football a bad sport because Ben Roethlisberger is a scum bag?   

It is a tough line to walk when I try to defend the sport without defending the abhorrent acts of any of its individuals.  I think all such arguments are just white noise or better yet, akin to the “Wa wa wa wa wa” of any adult in a Peanuts cartoon.

I’ll keep tilting at those windmills.  Twice as hard to be half as good.