Quantcast

Tour Day Cali 2008

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
I came home from Seattle late on Monday, after the biggest bike event in the state had already rolled though town, 3 blocks from my house.

:rant:
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Additional thoughts I forgot to mention:

High Road has the lamest team kit.

They need to show tattoo dude Clinger more
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Hahaha, funny, I was thinking the high road kit came out looking like a lame-ass retro Zoom t-shirt from the 70's.

Would have been sweet to see Hincapie take the stage and maybe the jersey but it looked like he just doesn't have the form yet.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Wow, what a BRUTAL day.

I'm SHOCKED that some riders rode with naked knees. In those conditions, I'd think they'd all have at least knee warmers. I can't even walk if my knees are that cold.
 

BikeMike

Monkey
Feb 24, 2006
784
0
Caught the from the second group on whizzing by by commanding my carpool to drive the wrong way, then jumping out of the car and sprinting down the street in work clothes + backpack in the rain. Then ran a mile home (in the rain of course). Best end of a day ever. Thought there was no way I was going to catch any of it, but got a call that they were coming into town. The section of coast they rode is freakin' miserable in wet weather, but it's a great ride otherwise.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Caught the from the second group on whizzing by by commanding my carpool to drive the wrong way, then jumping out of the car and sprinting down the street in work clothes + backpack in the rain. Then ran a mile home (in the rain of course). Best end of a day ever. Thought there was no way I was going to catch any of it, but got a call that they were coming into town. The section of coast they rode is freakin' miserable in wet weather, but it's a great ride otherwise.
Very cool!
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Guys were dropping out from hypothermia.

I've gotten caught out in the cold/wet a few times. I now keep a folded up piece of wax paper in my saddle bag. Place it under your jersey and it can keep the wind from tearing you apart even when wet.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Guys were dropping out from hypothermia.

I've gotten caught out in the cold/wet a few times. I now keep a folded up piece of wax paper in my saddle bag. Place it under your jersey and it can keep the wind from tearing you apart even when wet.
Great idea.

For me tho, I have to carry everything for possible instantly changing conditions.


As for yesterday, if memory servers correctly, the winner would take his jacket OFF in windier conditions to reduce drag. Talk about willingness to suffer. gzus.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Great idea.

For me tho, I have to carry everything for possible instantly changing conditions.


As for yesterday, if memory servers correctly, the winner would take his jacket OFF in windier conditions to reduce drag. Talk about willingness to suffer. gzus.
Conditions are usually very stable here but I did do a long climb once and the temp went from 75 to 40 at the top.
 

indieboy

Want fries with that?
Jan 4, 2002
1,806
1
atlanta
Wow, what a BRUTAL day.

I'm SHOCKED that some riders rode with naked knees. In those conditions, I'd think they'd all have at least knee warmers. I can't even walk if my knees are that cold.
they weren't bare legged. they had sports balm or something like it on their legs. even if they had leg warmers on.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Congrats to Levi! He really smoked 'em in the time trial. I guess maybe he knew he could uncork a huge TT and for that reason didn't attack so hard in that climbing stage. Pretty risky but it worked eh?

And it was great to see Hincapie get the stage win, especially after Cavendish's relegation.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Great weekend of racing. I was uber impressed with Zirbel even though it just took some solid effort from Hincapie to chase him. Still, that guy gave it his all and I love to see that.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Congrats to Levi! He really smoked 'em in the time trial. I guess maybe he knew he could uncork a huge TT and for that reason didn't attack so hard in that climbing stage. Pretty risky but it worked eh?

And it was great to see Hincapie get the stage win, especially after Cavendish's relegation.
Agreed on both Levi and Hincapie.

Also, Slipstream took double podium, w00t!
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Screw Levi. Don't get me wrong, he is a nice guy and a great rider but he is boring. He will always just sit on someone elses wheel, a smart way to ride but no fun to watch. I want to be entertained, I want to see a guy who takes chances win.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
Um......I normally keep up with all this stuff, but I didn't read up on jack in the offseason.
The last I heard last year was that Hincapie signed with T-mobile.
So, is High Road the new name of the old T-mobile team?
Irony x 10 if it is.:rofl:
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Screw Levi. Don't get me wrong, he is a nice guy and a great rider but he is boring. He will always just sit on someone elses wheel, a smart way to ride but no fun to watch. I want to be entertained, I want to see a guy who takes chances win.
Like David Millar's aggressive move that almost took Astana by surprise?! :D

Yup, Levi's great at defending, so the key is to get a lead that he can't overcome in the TT and then sit on his wheel :D

Does anyone else miss the TTT in TdF?
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
Um......I normally keep up with all this stuff, but I didn't read up on jack in the offseason.
The last I heard last year was that Hincapie signed with T-mobile.
So, is High Road the new name of the old T-mobile team?
Irony x 10 if it is.:rofl:
Yes, it's basically the same team. High road my ass.
 

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
Screw Levi. Don't get me wrong, he is a nice guy and a great rider but he is boring. He will always just sit on someone elses wheel, a smart way to ride but no fun to watch. I want to be entertained, I want to see a guy who takes chances win.
Anybody remember that interview from the Tour where he's all "attacking really isn't my style, blah blah," meanwhile Contador was jumping at every move by the Chicken...
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
They need to clone Eddie Merkx. Never seen him race of course but the stories sound good. He would be leading a stage race with a good margin and would go out on 70 mile solo breakaways simply because he could.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
I agree that Levi's style is not that entertaining. I've been saying for years that the guy needs to be more aggressive and would win more races if he took more chances. Still, gotta give the guy credit for steadily improving each year. At the end of the day a win is a win. He doesn't have Lance's 1-2 punch of attacking in the hills AND riding great TT's, but few people do. If he can continue to hang in the hills and do the impressive TT's, he'll be up there in every stage race they let him enter.
 

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
1,053
behind you with a snap pop
I agree that Levi's style is not that entertaining. I've been saying for years that the guy needs to be more aggressive and would win more races if he took more chances. Still, gotta give the guy credit for steadily improving each year. At the end of the day a win is a win. He doesn't have Lance's 1-2 punch of attacking in the hills AND riding great TT's, but few people do. If he can continue to hang in the hills and do the impressive TT's, he'll be up there in every stage race they let him enter.
Didn't he actually say that during last year's tour?
I remember him saying that he does not have the acceleration like guys like Lance and Basso, and climbs better at a steady tempo.
Ulrich was the king of this though, always powering away in the saddle.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
I agree that Levi's style is not that entertaining. I've been saying for years that the guy needs to be more aggressive and would win more races if he took more chances. Still, gotta give the guy credit for steadily improving each year. At the end of the day a win is a win. He doesn't have Lance's 1-2 punch of attacking in the hills AND riding great TT's, but few people do. If he can continue to hang in the hills and do the impressive TT's, he'll be up there in every stage race they let him enter.
Has he been getting stronger or does he just now have a stronger team to sit behind?
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Has he been getting stronger or does he just now have a stronger team to sit behind?
I am not his biggest fan but I don't think that's really fair. He wasn't following anyone when he spanked the field in the TT was he? He rode away from Cancellara the day before in the hills, and then crushed him in the TT - I think that's pretty good evidence that he is getting stronger. And following someone up a climb is not like getting pulled on the flats. There is much less advantage when drafting at slower speeds.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
I am not his biggest fan but I don't think that's really fair. He wasn't following anyone when he spanked the field in the TT was he? He rode away from Cancellara the day before in the hills, and then crushed him in the TT - I think that's pretty good evidence that he is getting stronger. And following someone up a climb is not like getting pulled on the flats. There is much less advantage when drafting at slower speeds.
I was thinking more about his TDF results. As far as the TOC he was hands down the best rider there, it is his race, he really prepares for it.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
I was thinking more about his TDF results. As far as the TOC he was hands down the best rider there, it is his race, he really prepares for it.
Hell, he lives so close that on one stage, he could've gone home for a quickie and still kept pace.

Living there has to be a serious advantage.


Also, serious props to Gov. Schwarznegger for his support. Plus, the dude can ski as shown in the tourism commercials.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
From Bike Snob NYC's blog on the Let Levi Ride campaign

I was unable to follow the Tour de France last year due to extreme lack of interest, but according to information available on the internet Leipheimer’s teammate Alberto Contador won it last year. I’m not sure then why we should rally behind Leipheimer, who finished third. If I want to watch opportunity being squandered for three weeks I can just follow one of the French teams, or any liberal arts school graduate.
:rofl:
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
forgot more homer stuff...

Best Young Rider, coming in at #2:
Peterson, T.; Slipstream

Team Standings:
#1 Slipstream !


:)
 

MtnbikeMike

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2004
2,637
1
The 909
Screw Levi. Don't get me wrong, he is a nice guy and a great rider but he is boring. He will always just sit on someone elses wheel, a smart way to ride but no fun to watch. I want to be entertained, I want to see a guy who takes chances win.
Hey, he wasn't sitting on wheels in the TT :think:

Yesterday was sweet. We rode 35ish miles to the race start, checked some stuff out, saw Boonen walking along, then we set rode the first 8 miles of the course. We stopped on a climb to watch them go by, then rode an alternate route to the finish(without as much climbing), and got there in time to see them come into Pasadena, and partied in the our team RV.

Kinda funny, but when we wer riding the course, people were cheering us along...I wondered if they thought we were a break or something.