For the often villified Alberto Contador, his tactics will be scrutinzed greatly, and his reputation as one of the most hated men in cycling will no doubt get a ratings boost.

TRANSLATION SUPPLIED BY MARIUS'S TRANSLATION SERVICE!

#1: Mountains aren’t what they used to be – only 8.3 kg – Methanol 9900
#2 A bike like a Milan catwalk model: not an ounce too much – only 8.3 kg – Methanol 9900
#3 Built to torment the whole body. Except your eyes. – Hightech with exclusive design and integrated seat post – the 928 SL IASP
#4 Men should better have a damn good reason to shave their legs – Hightech with exclusive design and integrated seat post – the 928 SL IASP

yw

So, I'm reaching out to all the Boston cycle peeps out there. Where are the best spots to ride?  Any good places for road biking (preferably north of the city)?  What about MTB?  Or should I retire those disciplines and accept the fact that from here on out....I'm a full-time single speeder?

What lies behind the green door?

GHP frame, fork, stem, seat post, seat clamp. Redline cranks. Sun Ringle/Rhyno Lite rims, Shadow Conspiracy seat, ODI Mushroom grips, Tektro brakes, and Wellgo magnesium pedals. Over $900 into it. Weighs in at 22.15lbs. Not too shabby.

I lived in Toronto and Ottawa for many years commuting by bike and I found that my daily bike (finders, racks, etc.) was not something that I wanted to ride when the weather was nicer, or a weekend trip through the city, day trip, night out, etc., but still wanted city handling, and ergonomics, simplicity and reliability and a gearing system. This bike has an internal hub with 14 gears, with the look of a fixie).

To see more of Matt's beautiful work, check out his flickr gallery.

Here is how I see it. I'd like to see all the Quick Step riders lined up team photo style in the jungle with a boiling cauldron behind them. Strewn about the surrounding area would be bicycle and apparel from all of their competitor brands looking as if they have just been savagely torn off a person. To me that say's "Eddy Mercykx bikes' are cannabalizing the competition".

But, in the end...I'll say this for the ad. It's a page stopper. And in the game of advertising...you can't ask for anything more.

The Journey is the Thing from Tony Blazejack on Vimeo.

Albe's Zack Gerber Edit from Albe's BMX on Vimeo.

Check out some samples of where you may have seen Jared's work.

Highlights: Hutch Cranks, Ukai Rims, Suzue hubs, CW bars, A'me grips, BMX Tech-style number plate, Cheg Shin Comp III tires, sweet white pads, Chrome on this bike is bright and clean, incredibly quick bike. Seriously, is the quickest bike I've ever owned.

The Bad. No serial number. No hutch stem (it's a run of the mill tange), Left VP bear trap pedal has dent in it. Currently has new style Sinz brake setup. (I did this because i actually raced this bike at the track last summer and found that the old diacompe MX were seriously outclassed by new braking technology). I do not have the diacompe mx rear brake. I will however, throw in a white and a chrome Lee Chi brake lever.

$405 shipped in the US (shipping to other locations will have to be recalculated)
Please take good care of her. This one is hard for me to part with.

NIKE78 - Interview with Dan Mather | ‘NIKE SPDs’ from NIKE78 on Vimeo.

I've got to thank Cyclelicious for finding this one. What an insane looking contraption. Sure looks like he has to work pretty hard to get the wheels moving.

Despite the fact that I haven't been doing any serious riding. I have been jumping on my single speed and taking some decent sized, albeit leisurely, rides. But you know what....I'm loving it.

I've come to realize that from time to time I am afflicted with a malady that plagues many of us. I'm going to call it 'Tech Suck'. Too often we get caught up in our never ending quest for more speed. In our constant pursuit of the latest and greatest equipment, apparel, and training equipment, we often forget the simple joys of being on a bicycle.

I'm here to tell you that tooling around on my single speed (costume free) is the closest I've come to recapturing that joy I felt as a kid bunny hopping curbs and pulling endos with my old Raleigh BMX. Back then, being alone and unsupervised for the first time, I realized what my bike meant – Freedom. These past two weeks I've rediscovered a different kind of freedom: Freedom from all our self imposed constraints. Freedom from 'Tech Suck'. I'm not worried about my cadence or mileage. I'm not worried if my pedal stroke is efficient enough. I'm not worried if I'm in the right gear as I approach a hill. I'm not worried about holding my line as we approach a hair pin turn. And I'm definitely not worried about my average speed? Because, you know what....eventually I'll get there.

So as the summer rolls in, I urge everyone to leave their cycling accoutraments at home and to get out there and rediscover the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle. Grab a bmx, grab a fixie, grab a cruiser, grab whatever bicycle you have......just leave all the technology behind and return to the beginning.

A couple of old timers cruising around town on a Kuwahara and a Robinson.

In honor of memorial day, I spent the rest of the day breathing new life into these fallen warriors of the asphalt.

The first bike is a blue Murray Monterey 3-speed bicycle that is still in amazing working condition. Why Sarah didn't take this one home with her I will never understand.

The 2nd bike, a 1976 Iverson Cycles Corporation 'Olympic Games' bicycle, was a bit worse for wear but it was definitely the more unusual of the two. Check out all of the Olympic branding on it.

The original print ad

THE BEFORE

So, for the next couple of days, I reached into my bag of Photoshop tricks. I pushed some colors here, played with some curves there....cloned, kerned, masked, filtered, tracked, cropped, duplicated, and dodged my way to something I am proud to have been a part of. Unfortunately, my dreams of wild compensation never materialized......despite the grueling hours spent in front of the computer listening to music I love and sipping margaritas. I'm sad to report that a shiny new Bosberg (size L) never arrived at my doorstep.

Behold, the first Ritte Racing print ad.

THE AFTER | Click image for a closer look. Seriously, the copy is awesome and deserves to be read.

To get even more behind the scenes imagery from this shoot. Head over the Ritte's blog.

My back is garbage. It's been that way since one fateful morning while playing a pickup basketball game at Boston University. That day I herniated a couple of discs. The year was 1994. I've never been able to play basketball competitively (at least well) ever since. Over the course of these last super duper 16 years, my chronic pain has evolved. What used to be lightning bolts down to my toes has been alleviated somewhat. Now, all of my pain is located on my left hip and pelvic region. The lightning bolts generally only come out when I sneeze. Oh how I have learned to fear sneezing.

But oddly enough, through it all...the one thing I've been able to do pain free was pedal. For some reason or another the pain goes away when I'm riding. Not before, and certainly not after...but when I'm on that bike, I feel great. I guess you could say my love for bicycles has been influenced by my back pain.

However, from time to time the pain is too much for me to even think about getting on a bike. After my Bunny Hop debaucle I started to log some serious miles. About 200/week to be exact. Problem was, I wasn't stretching like I should have been. So as the miles added up, so did the tightness. Until ultimately I was unable to sit, walk, or stand pain free...let alone ride. Seriously, when those days occur you can visually see just how screwed up my back is. I am crooked like you wouldn't believe.

Now, it's important to note that I have tried everything short of surgery. Epidural Injections, Chiropractor, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Massage...you name it. I've tried it. A few have provided temporary relief, but none have solved the problem. I've seen orthopedic surgeons in 3 different states and they've all said the same thing. I'm not a good candidate for surgery. I will have this problem until I die. So I deal.

Which brings me to my latest hope: The Foam Roller. My buddy has back pain as well and he has been raving about this simple tube of foam. I figured what the hell, I'll give it a shot. Turns out the silly tube works pretty well. Essentially the foam roller is the poor man's version of a personal massage therapist.

If you do some digging around on foam rollers you'll find something to this effect.

I've been using the foam roller for about a week. I focus primarily on my Piriformis/Gluteus Medias and my Iliotibia Tract (IT band).

• Am I cured?  No.
• Am I feeling better with improved flexibility?  Definitely.

My conclusion: While the foam roller is never going to cure my back problems, it sure is helping me deal with it. For that I say, God bless that silly tube. I say, if you suffer from back pain or muscle stiffness, why not throw $30-40 at your problem. It's worth a shot.

Oh...but beware. I may have forgotten to mention how painful it can be. But like the marines say, "Pain is only weakness leaving your body".  Enjoy.

To learn more about this event...head here. You can direct your questions to business@casualleycat@gmail.com

It surprises me how often I get emails asking for updates on the well-being of my old Casati Cometa. For those just joining the conversation let me provide a quick recap. It is an aluminum road bike that had a 2 inch long crack in the headtube. Despite the overwhelming amount of online advice that was telling me that the frame was junk, I took a chance and paid $50 to a local welder who has a side biz specializing in bicycle frame repair. Its important to note here..that he was very familiar with welding aluminum. That's important. OK, that's about it. You are now caught up to speed.

So...how is it holding up?  These days I'm spending the majority of my time on my BMC, so the Casati is not my primary bicycle. But, like The Nationals latest album, it is certainly in heavy rotation. After the weld, I stripped the frame down to bare bones. It's now set up as a no-frills single speed with a demanding 53/16 gear ratio. It requires no special shoes or other cycling accoutrements so it's my first choice for quick spins and 'recovery' rides. I've probably logged around 200 miles on it. I can honestly say that those 200 miles have been completely free of worry. In fact, I treat that bicycle harder now than I did when it was my primary roadie. There may not be any knobs on the tires, but I never hesitate to take it down dirt and gravel roads. Hell, I've even gotten to the point where I rocket down a steep (as in steep enough to sled down in the winter) and narrow dirt footpath near my house. The weld has held.

My advice is this. If you've got a frame that you love and hate the thought of parting with it. Call your local welding shop. Chances are there is someone there who can patch that weld. And for cheap money. The heat from the welding will destroy the paint in the afflicted area...but that's a small price to pay for salvaging a frame you love.

As for how it looks. Judge for yourself. I think she's still one of the most beautiful bikes I've ever owned.

Lance Armstrong spoke to the press prior to Thursday's Stage 5 at the Amgen Tour of California, responding to allegations by Floyd Landis against himself and other riders in the professional peloton.  "Obviously everyone has questions about Floyd Landis and his allegations. I would say that I’m a little surprised, but I am not.  In all honesty,  this has been going on for a long time. The harassment and threats from Floyd started a few years ago and really, at that time, we largely ignored him. Johan can speak more to what Floyd exactly wanted from us and the team. A year ago, I told him, ‘listen, you do what you have to do.' We have nothing to say and nothing to hide."

"They started again with some consistency and with some energy about a month ago before this race when Floyd continued to email, text and harass myself, Johan, Dave Zabriskie, Levi (Leipheimer), Andrew Messick, the CEO of Amgen, right around the time that they were  trying to get into this race. Floyd made pointed threats to Messick and to the leadership of Amgen that if he wasn’t let in the race he was going to say X, Y and Z about their product.

"I would remind everyone that this is a man that, first of all, from our perspective and from what’s gone on at US Postal and Discovery and all of those Tours, we have nothing to hide. We have nothing to run from and if anybody has any questions we would be more than happy to answer them.

"I would remind everyone that this is a man that has been under oath several times with a very different version. This is a man that wrote a book for profit that had a completely different version.  This is somebody that took close to a million dollars from innocent people for his defense under a different premise and now when it’s all run out the story changes. So we are a little confused.  Maybe just as confused as you guys.

"But with regard to the specific allegations and the specific claims, they are not even worth getting into. I’m not going to waste your time or my time. I think history speaks for itself here. We’ve all followed this case for the last four years. We’ve followed Floyd winning the Tour and we don’t know what he did or didn’t do when he was on that team. We can only speak about what he did when he was on our team. We followed the case, we followed all the drama with regard to the case and now we see something different. That is about it.

(Asked about allegations that the UCI was paid off  in a bribe)" Absolutely not. No. That is the other thing, if you get into it. Obviously we’ve seen the email and that is not correct. But a lot of other things in the email, the timeline is off, if you go year by year."

"Ultimately all of the other emails that have been sent around will come out. The emails to myself will come out. All of the emails to Andrew Messick will come out, to John Burke from Trek. For someone that says he is here to clear his conscience, why are you sending emails to other people’s sponsors, other people’s partners, to the organizer of a race, to the sponsors of a race? That has nothing to do with your conscience.   Eventually that will all come out.  But, no, absolutely not."

(Asked why he pin-pointed he and Johan)" He didn’t. He pin-pointed a lot of people and I mean, let’s be honest here. Obviously my name will be at the top of the story and my name will be in the headline. But, it goes from myself to Johan, to Levi, to Zabriskie, to Andy Rihs, to Jim Ochowicz to Michael Barry, to Matthew White, to Steve Johnson, to Pat McQuaid. At the end of the day, he pointed the  finger at everyone still involved in cycling, everyone that is still enjoying the sport, everyone that still believes in the sport and everyone that is still working in the sport was in the cross hairs.

"I’m standing here with you guys because I won the Tour de France seven times. But, you have to keep in mind that the yellow jersey of this race is also in the cross hairs and that is not by accident. Maybe that is a good strategy to get as much attention as possible but if I look at, I can use Allen Lim as an example, someone that I view that has the highest standards and the highest ethics of anybody in this sport, the fact that he is thrown in there speaks volumes to the credibility of this and I think that’s, if I walk away with one word to sum this all up - credibility. Floyd lost his credibility a long time ago."

To continue reading this article...head over to Team Radioshack.

On a side note, I once worked with Bo Bridges back in my Discovery days. We shot a train smashing into a parked car. Wound up being pretty hairy though when the car rocketed off the front of the train in our direction and we were sent diving into the orange trees (which have lots and lots of thorns).

TYPED BETWEEN APRIL 30-MAY 6, 2010

2002: I was instructed on how to use Testosterone patches by Johan Bruyneel during the During the Dauphine Libere in June, after which I flew on a helicopter with Mr Armstrong from the finish, I believe Grenoble, to San Mauritz Switzerland at which point I was personally handed a box of 2.5 mg patches in front of his wife who witnessed the exchange. About a week later, Dr Ferrari performed an extraction of half a liter of blood to be transfused back into me during the Tour de France. Mr Armstrong was not witness to the extraction but he and I had lengthy discussions about it on our training rides during which time he also explained to me the evolution of EPO testing and how transfusions were now necessary due to the inconvenience of the new test. He also divulged to me at that time that in the first year that the EPO test was used he had been told by Mr Ferrari, who had access to the new test, that he should not use EPO anymore but he did not believe Mr Farrari and continued to use it. He later, while winning the Tour de Swiss, the month before the Tour de France, tested positive for EPO at which point he and Mr Bruyneel flew to the UCI headquarters and made a financial agreement with Mr. Vrubrugen to keep the positive test hidden.

2003: After a broken hip in the winter, I flew to Gerona Spain where this time two units (half a liter each) were extracted three weeks apart. This took place in the apartment in which Mr. Armstrong lived and in which I was asked to stay and check the blood temperature every day. It was kept in a small refrigerator in the closet along with the blood of Mr Armstrong and George Hincapie and since Mr. Armstrong was planning on being gone for a few weeks to train he asked me to stay in his place and

make sure the electricity didn't turn off or something go wrong with the refrigerator. Then during the Tour de France the entire team, on two different occasions went to the room that we were told and the doctor met us there to do the transfusions. During that Tour de France I personally witnessed George Hincapie, Lance Armstrong, Chechu Rubiera, and myself receiving blood transfusions. Also during that Tour de France the team doctor would give my room mate, George Hincapie and I a small syringe of olive oil in which was dissolved andriol, a form of ingestible testosterone on two out of three nights throughout the duration.

I was asked to ride the Vuelta a Espana that year in support of Roberto Heras and in August, between the Tour and the Vuelta, was told to take EPO to raise my hematocrit back up so more blood transfusions could be performed. I was instructed to go to Lances place by Johan Bruyneel and get some EPO from him. The first EPO I ever used was then handed to me in the entry way to his building in full view of his then wife. It was Eprex by brand and it came in six pre measured syringes. I used it intravenously for several weeks before the next blood draw and had no problems with the tests during the Vuelta. Also during this time it was explained to me how to use Human Growth Hormone by Johan Bruyneel and I bought what I needed from Pepe the team "trainer" who lived in Valencia along with the team doctor at that time. While training for that Vuelta I spent a good deal of time training with Matthew White and Michael Barry and shared the testosterone and EPO that we had and discussed the use thereof while training.

Again, during the Vuelta we were given Andriol and blood transfusions by the team doctor and had no problems with any testing.

2004: Again the team performed two separate blood transfusions on me, but this time Bruyneel had become more paranoid and we did the draws by flying to Belgium and meeting at an unknown persons

apartment and the blood was brought by "Duffy" who was at that time Johans assistant of sorts. The second of which was performed on the team bus on the ride from the finish of a stage to the hotel during which the driver pretended to have engine trouble and stopped on a remote mountain road for an hour or so so the entire team could have half a liter of blood added. This was the only time that I ever saw the entire team being transfused in plain view of all the other riders and bus driver. That team included Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie and I as the only Americans.

2005: I had learned at this point how to do most of the transfusion technicals and other things on my own so I hired Allen Lim as my assistant to help with details and logistics. He helped Levi Leipheimer and I prepare the transfusions for Levi and I and made sure they were kept at the proper temperature. We both did two separate transfusions that Tour however my hematocrit was too low at the start so I did my first one a few days before the start so as to not start with a deficit.

2006: Well you get the idea....... One thing of great significance is that I sat down with Andy Riis and explained to him what was done in the past and what was the risk I would be taking and ask for his permission which he granted in the form of funds to complete the operation described. John Lelangue was also informed by me and Andy Riis consulted with Jim Ochowitz before agreeing.

There are many many more details that I have in diaries and am in the process of writing into an intelligible story but since the position of USA Cycling is that there have not been enough details shared to justify calling USADA, I am writing as many as I can reasonably put into an email and share with you so as to ascertain what is the process which USA Cycling uses to proceed with such allegations.

Look forward to much more detail as soon as you can demonstrate that you can be trusted to do the right thing.

- Floyd Landis

The frame bag is nice, but Retrovelo's bread and butter is definitely in their bicycle designs. Check out a few samples below.

Simple Beauty

Bobby Julich and the Saxo Bank team along with Specialized have done a wonderful, wonderful thing. Paying homage to the 1985 cult classic American Flyers which featured Kevin Costner riding a Specialized Allez, the Saxo Bank team will be tearing through the mountains of California aboard these gorgeous looking commemorative edition bikes.  Can you say...GO SAXO! Be sure to check out Road Bike Action Magazine's Component by Component breakdown

Oh and Trek?  Logos are to be used sparingly. Please remember that.

An exhibition to document this odyssey is being held this weekend in LA.

PREVIEW: MASH Tour of California 2009 from MASH TRANSIT PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

My two favorites, however, are the Bicycle Bar concepts (Het Fietscafe) that can be seen pedaling around in Amsterdam and Minneapolis, and the Hopworks Beer Bike rolling around in Portland Oregon. God bless both of these mechanical marvels. I look forward to meeting both of you someday.

I wonder if they could put a flat screen in there?

This beauty was built by Metrofiets Cargo Bikes. Thank you Metrofiets.

THE RULES...as outlined by the guys at Velominati. This is a mere taste of the 64 gems found there. I am guilty of breaking a lot of them. A lot.

Rule 4: It is, absolutely, without question, unequivocally, about the bike.  Anyone who says otherwise is obviously a twatwaffle.

I got this one via Ready Made magazine. Get the step by step directions here.

Which...leads me to this pre-ride video. This thing pisses me off! This track looks almost buttery soft now. I can't even believe it's the same course. It isn't until about 34 minutes into the video that you start to see some of the tomahawk rocks and challenging sections.

Via the 'search for rides' feature I was able to track down a 50mile + loop that I had heard about ever since I started riding in this area. Unfortunately, my first attempt at this ride was not terribly successful. Between Glen Rd, Glen Ct, and Glen Mills Rd....I zigged when I should have zagged. My 50 mile ride wound up being a 70mile test of survival. I say survival mainly on account of me running out of water around the 40 mile mark. Had it not been for a conveniently placed Robeks I may not be with us today. OK...that might be a bit of an embellishment. But, seriously no smoothie has ever tasted so good.

A few days later I completed the journey error free. The ride turns out to be 62.58 miles filled with the toughest hills I could find. It's also nearly car free when you get about 30 miles out there. Actually, I can't help but expect Eddie from American Flyers to come charging after me at any moment when I'm out there on those remote roads.

So, if you're looking for a new ride that will definitely challenge you from time to time and have you forgetting that you live in the city....consider this ride.

Some photos of the Capital Crescent Trail found on Flickr.

First, the bike.

Now the girl

Here is an except from her interview found here.

This weekend I made my 2010 racing season debut. To say that it was more than a bit disappointing would be a gross understatement. About the only thing that went well for me Sunday morning was that I was able to find the race without getting lost. The Bunny Hop criterium course is a 1km lap, a wide open 3 corner crit with a slight uphill. Sounded easy enough. But after my previous debacle at the Haines Point group ride I knew I was in trouble. I knew the group would come out hard and like a boxer I'd have to take one on the chin, gather my senses, and then hang in for the later rounds. Well....call me Glass Joe because when I took that first punch I was seeing stars. Each lap went like this for me. I'd be right in the thick of things as we raced along the flat and downhill sections, but as soon as we'd come out of a corner and have to climb...I'd start falling back. Fast.  I'd then spend the next 3/4 of the lap working my way back to where I had been before the turn, only to have it happen to me again. I repeated this cycle for about 5 laps before I could no longer hang on. After that, the race was a full on embarrassment for me. When you're on a 1km lap course there is no place to hide. I had to drag my sorry excuse for a cyclist in front of the spectators at least 15 times.

I certainly had no delusions of winning the event, but I sure wasn't expecting to be fighting to stay out of the bottom. Looks like I'm going to have to rethink my training regime. 35 mile ride, followed by a face full of nachos and margaritas just isn't cutting it. I have no excuses. I simply was neither fit nor strong. The only solace I can take from this rousing defeat is that I can do no worse. I've set a new all-time personal low.

When I dragged my sweaty mess of a self into the car to leave, my girl promptly noted "You stink."  I never bothered to ask her if she was referring to my foul aroma or my racing skills. Either way, she was right.

At this point I still had a shot

Hiding my face in shame as I ride with another dropped competitor

The look of defeat. At least my kit looks good.

The group ride is put on by NCVC and is described as "an intense, race-simulation ride. Not for the faint of heart or those uncomfortable riding in close quarters. The group does multiple laps around the park. The southbound side is generally for recovery, but once around the Point on the northbound side, things get fast and furious. Great practice for race finishes".

Yeah, well let me tell you, that was putting it lightly. The group was about 30 riders strong with a pace that was blistering. Almost like it was my job, I continued to get dropped on one blazingly hot corner and would have to slay the winds on my own to get back to the group. At times it was pretty demoralizing. I, mean, I can recall looking down at my computer and seeing that I was turning 111 rpm's, doing 27mph, and losing ground quickly. If it wasn't for the cars and the occasional stop sign I would have never hung in there. But, like they say...whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So, next thursday I expect to be out there again....and I expect to give a better showing.

As for my race this weekend. My expectations just went from low too non-existent.  @yougotdropped. Despite what your blog says...get your cameras loaded with film. I'll be the guy in the back, wearing the best looking kit in town.

This is what it looks like out on Haines Point. Serious Business. photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

The top 10 finishers of stage one were as follows:

And certainly not to be forgotten, Aaron Wise of Ritte Racing is sitting in 19th place in the Mens Pro 3 category right now. Also in the field from Ritte Racing are Terence Traughber (60th) and Jeff Lawler (65th).

The race course breaks down like this. Day 1 - 94.1 miles road race, Day 2 - 80 miles road race, Day 3 - 16.15 mile Time Trial, Day 4 - 43.2 mil Criterium (40 laps), Day 5 - 105.7 mile road race.