Bicycle Diaries: it's not about the bike

My 1st Run: The 8McDo McHappy Fun Run

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:45:00 +0000

I love fun runs. Nobody really cares if you can’t run well. You just have to get up and run. And so it was that I received my baptism of fire in running at 8McDo’s 1st McHappy Fun Run.

Organized by 8McDo as part of their World Children’s Day fundraising efforts, the race saw both adults and kids running together. There were 3K, 5K, and 10K races at the 8McDo Fun Run. I joined the 10K race and was satisfied at the fact that I was running a distance that is more prestigious than most people had that day :)

The race started with a short program. We were told that the race was part of a fundraising effort by 8McDo for their Bright Minds Read and Bahay Bulilit programs, how we’re helping lots of Filipino kids just by joining the 8McDo race.

It brought me nice feelings to hear all that. But I was there at the 8McDo race because I wanted to run, nothing more. I had no other recollection of the event, really, but the run (and the muscle pains afterwards). And, oh, I remember Charice Pempengco singing something. And Angel Locsin passing us by with a trail of dust. Man, she could run.

I finished my 10K run with a time of 1:20:56. I sucked, I know. I saw the Elite Team Bald Runner already cooling down when I crossed the finish line. I saw kids pass me by, really. But the 8McDo race was fun. I finally had 10K in me. And lots of burgers afterwards. Hehe

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2009 Tour de France Podium Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:16:00 +0000

It had been a great Tour. No better way to wrap it up than to make a compilation of the TdF Podium Girls. Now, the results:

Barring accidents and miracles, it looks like Alberto Contador of Astana will win this year's Tour de France. Contador, who's been wearing the Yellow Jersey for the past three stages of the Tour, solidified his lead after a great performance on Mont Vonteaux.

The guy had an answer every time Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank, who is second in the general classification and this year's Best Young Rider, tried to cut into his lead.

It was a terrific battle on the Big Bald Dome. Lance Armstrong held his ground to keep his standing in the GC. His closest rivals, Bradley Wiggins of Garmin and Frank Schleck of Saxo Bank, looked spent.

They cracked on the final push beyond the tree line of the mountain, when Mont Vonteaux showed its ugly face. There was a 25kph headwind and the vegetation disappeared. It was a harsh place to ride.

Contador (1st), Andy Schleck (2nd), and Armstrong (3rd) will cruise through Paris assured of podium finishes.

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Contador claims team lead. Armstrong takes back seat. Will he join list of sport's greatest sidekicks?

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:07:00 +0000

From ESPN Page 2

MJ and Scottie. Shaq and Kobe (Penny, Wade, LeBron). Now cycling has Alberto and Lance.

Defending Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will return to the 2009 Tour as the team leader of cycling powerhouse Astana, the team announced Thursday.

Contador, who threatened to quit the team after seven-time champion Lance Armstrong joined Astana for his comeback Tour, has aired his displeasure at having to race with Armstrong. “I think I’ve earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for it,” he said. “And with Armstrong, there could be difficult situations in which the team would put him first and that would harm me.”

The 2009 Tour, which will have its Grand Depart on July 4 at the Rock in Monaco, will put to test how this new team buildup will affect the performance of the elite Team Astana.

Team Astana will also have two big names in its roster that includes Armstrong’s fellow American Levi Leipheimer and German Andreas Kloeden. Leipheimer and Kloeden have both been podium finishers in last year’s Tour. With the addition of Armstrong, Team Astana will have probably the most star-studded domestiques to help the team leader.

Domestiques, or “support riders,” are traditionally team members who cannot be expected to win the Yellow Jersey, but can be relied on to “shield the team leader from the winds in the flats, escort him up mountain climbs, or even fetch water bottles from team cars trailing the racers.” Come July 4, this will be the new role that Lance Armstrong will have to play.

To be sure, it is an unfamiliar role for the American, who is now 37 and coming off a four-year retirement from professional cycling. Armstrong eased back to cycling beginning late last year, and competed in the Vuelta where he figured in a crash and suffered a collarbone injury. He came back from surgery to race in Giro and finished 12th.

Astana coach Johan Bruyneel, who has been with Armstrong in all his seven Tour de France championships, said he was very happy with the Texan's form in his comeback season after three years of retirement, the Associated Press reports. "I know he is extremely motivated for the Tour de France," he added.

However, it remains to be seen whether Armstrong is prepared to compromise his own chances of adding to his record seven victories. With Contador as the leader of the team, it would be interesting to watch how Team Astana will fare in the Tour de France.

Bruyneel said Contador "has worked very hard, earning the right to represent our team as the leader this July.” But although Armstrong will be given a supporting role at Team Astana, anything could happen.

Armstrong posted on his Twitter page Thursday that “This is not 2004 or 2005. I'm not the leader of the team.” And that he is not. We’ll find out for sure on July 4.

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Lance Armstrong Post-Op Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:48:00 +0000

Armstrong is escorted by hospital staff in Austin, Texas, after surgery on a broken collarbone (Click image to watch video in ABC News)

After crashing out of the Vuelta, Lance Armstrong got a stainless steel plate and 12 screws from a broken collarbone surgery performed last Wednesday at a hospital in his hometown Austin, Texas.

Reports say Armstrong, who is now 37 years old, needs 8 to 12 weeks of rest for the injury to fully mend. No official word yet on how the surgery can affect Armstrong's timetable for his return to the Tour de France. Here's what Lance got to say so far:

Exclusive Post-Op Interview with Lance

Armstrong is scheduled to compete in the Giro d'Italia on May 9. Doug Elenz, the attending surgeon, said that Armstrong's injury turned out not to be just a simple fracture, but broken in four places.

"Lance is going to be a patient who is going to push the envelope," Elenz said. "This first week we're going to make Lance take it easy ... ask Lance not to do a whole lot." After taking a few days off, Armstrong will be allowed to ride a stationary bike.

The Associated Press reports that doctors will monitor his arm strength, range of motion in his shoulder, as well as his pain, to decide what kind of training he can do. Doctors don't want him to strain his upper body in any way for a while.

Lance crashes in Vuelta, to undergo surgery in US

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:54:00 +0000

"I would have to doubt he would be able to start the Giro with the kinds of sensations he had hoped for, but maybe he'll use it to build up for the Tour now," Julich said. "This is Lance we're talking about. Anything is possible."

Lance Armstrong hit a bump on the road to his return to the Tour de France after he crashed during the first stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon on Monday. Armstrong suffered a broken collarbone and was scheduled to return to the United States for surgery, ESPN.Com reported.

Armstrong was with the main peloton toward the end of Stage 1 when the group got caught in a pileup as it chased a small breakaway that zoomed past the rough and dusty country road north of Madrid.

Armstrong, 37, landed heavily and was grimacing in pain as he sat on the ground and cradled his right arm. "Armstrong suffered a fracture of the third medio of the right clavicle," the race organizers said after he had an X-ray at a hospital in the Spanish city of Valladolid.

Armstrong remained with the Astana team Monday night and planned to fly back to the US on Tuesday. "Surgery in a couple of days," Armstrong wrote yesterday in a Twitter update. "Thanks for all the well wishes."

Most riders, the International Herald Tribune reports, need about four weeks off the bicycle to recover from a broken collarbone. That would restrict Armstrong's training for the three-week Giro d'Italia, which starts May 9, and for his main goal, the Tour de France, which starts July 4.

Bike Photo Contest Until March 15

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:31:00 +0000

EcoVelo is holding a photo contest until March 15. Winners get cool prizes, from original Klunkerz DVD, to Acorn roll bag, and many others. Entries must have bike in the content, and that is pretty much all the rules of the contest. If you are one of those who bring a camera in your bike rides, it's time to dig out those photos and submit them here.

Submitted entries (Reprinted from EcoVelo):

Armstrong Returns to Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:09:00 +0000

After finishing seventh in the Tour of California this February, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong moves ahead on his comeback trail with scheduled participation in the 2009 Tour of Ireland on Aug. 19. Armstrong will also compete in the Milan-San Remo one-day race on March 21, as well as the Tour of Castille and Leon from March 23 to 27.

After almost four years in retirement Armstrong goes back to competitive cycling and expects the Spanish races to bring him back in shape for the killer time trial and mountain stages of the Tour de France. His first two races this year have been slow start for Armstrong. He finished seventh in the Tour of California, won by his Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer, and 29th on the general classification of the Tour Down Under.

The Tour of Ireland also paves the way, aside from the Armstrong comeback trail, for the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin on Aug. 24.

Darach McQuaid, project director for the Tour of Ireland, said, "The massive, positive public reaction to Lance Armstrong's comeback to the sport in Australia in January and California in February indicate that by the time Lance arrives in Ireland next August, the interest levels will be at fever pitch. I am confident that we can provide Lance with a challenging course and via our global broadcast, promote his cancer message in over 140 television markets around the world."

As the landmark event of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign, the Summit will make the case for acting urgently to address the global cancer burden and introduce new commitments to cancer control by bringing together world leaders, corporations, non-governmental organizations and advocates in an unprecedented show of solidarity.

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Cycling wallpapers, photos, and Tour of California

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:04:00 +0000

We like being surrounded by the things we like. If it has a special place in our hearts, it has a special place in our room, in our work station, and any place else where we can be reminded easily. For those who spend most of the work day in front of a computer, here's a collection of cycling-themed wallpapers from Cycling Weekly.

Also, here is a collection of cycling photos from Ken Conley, a cycling photographer who took that famous shot of Michael Rogers sending a punch to the neck of a spectator during the Tour of California, won by Levi Leipheimer. His photos are simple, clean, and the colors are vibrant. I like his closeup cycling photos more than the crowd shots. You can visit his photo gallery for more choices.

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Pollution is closer than you think

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:49:00 +0000

As any cyclist know, the environment is in a really bad shape. They should know. Urban cyclists, for example, have to deal with more than bad drivers, bad roads, and bad weather. They have to deal with bad air, too.

It used to be that air pollution is something seen only in the sky. It is so for me anyway. From distant factories. From big fires of burning tires and garbage that send a thick dark mass of noxious air.

When I started riding a bike, it came to me that pollution is closer than I have thought it is. Not that I think about it very seriously. I don’t. But riding a bike and all of a sudden you feel and taste bad air from cars, it begins to concern you. You feel the noxious exhaust on your face, really. And, yes, you get a taste of it.

Curiously, you get a taste of it at a time when you have to take in great amount of air because your tired body needs it. That is disgusting. And it must be stopped. Or maybe we have to evolve faster and develop state-of-the-art lungs. But there is a simpler solution.

We can campaign for regulation. Car manufacturers can improve the exhaust of their models. They just don’t because that will mean less power, which is not exactly what most people want.

Given a chance between what I want and what I need, I’d choose what I need. Maybe a nice car with a decent power output and clean exhaust is all that we need. And we need to let that be known.

Photo Credits:
Ad Agency: JWT, Hong Kong
Creative Directors: Steven Lee, Kwong Chi Kit, Barbara Fu
Art Directors: Fei Leung, Arthur Tse
Copywriters: Babara Fu, Jesse Wong

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Not convinced yet that bikes make you live longer?

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:25:00 +0000

An old lady rides her bike on the streets of Vienna, Austria, where cyclists are reportedly giving a good match to car owners and their diesel-powered engines.

VIENNA—Austrian police say a 108-year-old woman has been hit by car while riding her bike across a busy city street in Vienna. Authorities refuse to identify the elderly woman, who is not related to Austrian-born strongman and incumbent California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Officials said the elderly cyclist was taken to the hospital and was found out to have suffered a few bruises. It was not clear what happened to the car, but going by the news reports that ran the story the car was apparently no match for the 108-year-old woman cyclist.

If a 108-year-old woman riding a bicycle is not amazing, that is.

With reports from AP

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Contador to Armstrong: I am Astana’s top rider

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:56:00 +0000

Alberto Contador said he might leave the Astana cycling team if it would hire returning champion Lance Armstrong for the 2009 Tour de France. Contador, who won this year’s Vuelta a Espana to complete a rare grand slam win of all of the three Grand Tours, said Astana could be facing difficult situations if it would have him and Armstrong as the team’s top riders.

“It would be quite complicated (to have Armstrong in the team),” Contador said after reports came out that Astana was working to get Armstrong. “I think I’ve earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for it,” he said. “And with Armstrong, there could be difficult situations in which the team would put him first and that would harm me.”

Although without an official word yet from Astana, Armstrong’s possible comeback to professional cycling was believed to be through the Luxembourg-based Team Astana where his former manager Joahn Bruyneel is currently the team director.

Bruyneel, who served as director of the US Postal and Discovery Channel teams during the seven-feat Tour de France victories of Lance Armstrong, said he would “not allow” Armstrong to join another team if he were to return to professional cycling.

“Bruyneel believes I can deliver results,” Contador, who is only the fifth cyclist to win a cycling grand slam, said. “But it can’t be denied that he made his name because of his ties to Armstrong.”

“I will base my decision on what he says. I intend to stay because I am under contract until 2010, but I have received a good many offers from other teams,” Contador during Tuesday’s awarding ceremonies of the Vuelta.

Tuesday’s remarks were in contrast with what Contador had said in the week when Armstrong surprised the cycling world with his comeback announcement: “I would welcome [Armstrong] into the team with open arms because a cyclist like him would fit in anywhere. I have always had the highest regard for him and would be delighted to be in the same team as him.”

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How Lance Armstrong ended up unretired

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:34:00 +0000

I AM A GOLDEN GOD! MY FLESH IS ETERNAL, MY THIRST IS UNQUENCHABLE, MY VENGEANCE IS SWIFT AND PAINFUL, AND I HAVE COME BACK TO CLAIM WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!!! (Click photo to read story)

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Armstrong will do it. Pro bono. Just like Bono

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Team Armstrong confirms rumors that Lance will return to professional cycling. In a press release posted on the website of his Livestrong Foundation, an organization that pushes for cancer research, Lance announced that he will come out of retirement and race in the Tours “in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden.”

"I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma," the announcement read.

Though still without a confirmed professional cycling team to speak of and no go-ahead yet of his “asterisk athlete” (read: suspect) status from the Amaury Sport Organization which owns the Tour de France, Lance is expected to discuss his very own cycling program and the international Livestrong strategy on Sept. 24 in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative.

In an interview with Douglas Brinkley of Vanity Fair that was published yesterday, Lance Armstrong said the impetus to come back sprang upon him quite unexpectedly over the summer in Colorado.

“Armstrong had an epiphany on August 9 after placing second at the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain-Bike Race—a 100-mile ‘Race Across the Sky,’ which climbs to more than 14,000 feet. That ascent, cycling upward in a crosscurrent, tripped something primal in him.

“‘It wasn’t a light bulb going off,’ he says, but a realization, combined with a gradual frustration ‘with the rhetoric coming out of the Tour de France. Not just the Tour on TV but the domestic press, the international press, the pace, the speeds at which participants rode. It’s not a secret. I mean, the pace was slow.’”

But unlike comebacks like that of Michael Jordan or Brett Favre, Lance return to cycling is more toward the direction of Bono. “I am essentially racing for free. No salary. No bonus. Nothing on the line.… This one’s on the house. And you know what? At the end of the day, I don’t need money.… Not only will I be fine, my kids will be fine, my grandkids will be fine,” Armstrong said in the interview.

Of course we know his return to cycling is beyond the paycheck. In 2005, Lance Armstrong appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 with his estimated annual income of $28 million, accrued mostly through endorsements and support from companies like Nike, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Trek Bicycles.

It wouldn't be too hard to imagine that this whole comeback thing is about “celebrity leveraging.” Just look what it did to Lance's friend Bono. Or that Lance is having an existential crisis right now that he's gone over the hump, which makes the comeback story really true and accurate because if there is anything Armstrong has a tender spot for it would be cancer research. After all, cancer is the very thing that Lance claims to have humbled him and turned him into a better person. Or it could be simply that Lance Armstrong will very soon be running for governor.

In any case we only have the "what." And, oh, these pictures:

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Scenes from the Tour and others...Enjoy

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:20:00 +0000

Just testing some software. Hope you enjoy the video! :)

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Leryn Franco bows out of Beijing Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:13:00 +0000

Speaking of the Olympics, could there be people out there who are not sports fans themselves? Be it a street basketball tournament, an inter-school athletic meet, or a nationwide sports competition, there is something about sports and the athletes that somehow catch our attention.

Not a few things have been said about sports and how they are able to touch lives, how many of life’s values are reflected when an athlete tries to do well and excel in his sport, even if the athlete falls short of a medal or the cash prize. For some, sports simply make witness of them to the thrill of victory.

In any case, sports are fun to watch. As fun to watch as it is to participate in any of them. Even for us with ordinary capabilities and mediocre talent who stand at longshot odds to qualify for a respectable tournament. It does not matter that Filipinos still have to earn respect in the world of international sports. The Olympics is still fun to watch.

But I repeat myself. My favorite Beijing Olympics sport is the athletics. No, make that the javelin throw event of the athletics. It involves throwing a javelin as far as one is capable of throwing it. That is pretty much all there is to know about javelin. Just go out there in the field, throw the javelin without hitting anybody, and the farthest one wins.

It sounds like a fairly easy sport, especially if someone like me explains it to you. It was only yesterday that I saw a javelin throw competition. It was only yesterday that I found out there was an athletic event called javelin throw.

But I like what I have seen. Javelin throw really puts to test the participants and to win it is like, I don’t know, besting a beauty pageant contestant to a game of strength. This Games got me hooked to javelin throw. I cheered for Paraguay because they look like Filipinos. Also they got Leryn Franco in their roster.

That is all her in the photo. But let in not fool you. Leryn Franco is a two-time Olympian for the national team of Paraguay. Her personal best throw is 56 meters, set in Fortaleza, Brazil, back in May 2007. At the 2004 Olympics, she placed 21^st in Group A and finished 42^nd overall. In this Games she finished second to last. Still, she can throw. A javelin.

That was a poor finish of course. But it was an Olympic-level competition and not many could do what Leryn Franco did. Especially if one has spent the time in between the two Olympics winning in a beauty pageant and jumpstarting a modeling career.

It was all right. I wish I could tell her this: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Ms. Leryn, you captivated the hearts of sports fans across the globe. You won.

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"Champion" at 2008 Summer Games

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:46:00 +0000

Two weeks into the Beijing Olympics we have been treated to a world-class display of sport performances. From the record-setting eight-gold haul of Michael Phelps in swimming, to the promising trajectory on the road to redemption that Team USA is showing in Men’s Basketball, the 2008 Beijing Olympics is beginning to look like a Games to remember.

Never mind that the Philippine team is likely to come home only with the “ennobling upshot of their losing experience” and their dirty uniforms (as of this writing Team Pilipinas is down to its last two athletes still in contention: taekwondo jin Mary Antoinette Rivero and diver Ryan Rexel Fabriga). That Team USA does not suck in basketball anymore somehow makes it all right. You may have a different opinion, why don’t you post a comment below.

Another athlete that stood out in this Summer Games is artistic gymnast Shawn Johnson. She won gold in the women’s balance beam, and silver in the all around classification. It is a sport I know nothing about. It has the word artistic on it and I can only suppose that it involves a whole range of emotions and is only fun to watch sometimes. An example is Shawn Johnson.

As it turned out, Johnson also writes poetry. You can see her poem collection at the Get To Know Shawn page of her website. Allow me to share you a poem called Champion. For all of the prejudices you have about artistic gymnasts, you should read the poem below. Take my word for it.

Champion

You fear the loss and pain of defeat
But still are able to stand on two feet
You crumble and cry as much as you want
But nothing can keep you away from the hunt

This is what you’ve been working for
The pride and honor as you take to the floor
You remember the struggles and pain you had

When all the good had turned to bad
When behind the scenes you crumbled and prayed
For it all to simply just go away

The doubt and regrets of what you went through
Sometimes just made you want to give it to
The next girl in line that had gave it her all
But always seemed to carry a fall

You remember the times when you thought to give up
But could never find a reason to disrupt
Anything and everything that you had given to the sport
The hearts desire and all the support

But when the pressure builds and tears you apart
How are you able to not depart
How are you able to still carry a smile
When everything inside is in a pile

You hold your head high and never look back
Because this is what keeps you all intact
It’s what runs in your veins, and it’s the key to your heart
And it’s only the beginning, only the start
It holds a future that could never be told
One that can shine with the brightest of gold

The sky is its limits
And with the mood as its guide
As no one could ever predict how high
One could travel with the hard work put in
To truly become a champion

Up next: "Winner" at 2008 Beijing Olympics

Click here to get a preview

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Spain takes road race gold at Beijing Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:11:00 +0000

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”—Pierre de Coubertin

Prerace favorite Spain cycling team won the gold medal of the road race master class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But it was not team stalwarts Carlos Sastre or Alejandro Valverde, both heavy favorites, who clinched the first gold for Spain in this year’s Olympics. Their inconspicuous teammate, 2008 Tour de France 7^th place finisher Samuel Sanchez did.

In the hot, humid race day that saw 53 of the 143 starters dropping out of contention, the five-man Spanish cycling team rode a dominating race from start to finish. There were constant aggressions from Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, Cadel Evans of Australia, and Davide Rebellin of Italy. But it was the formidable team effort of Spain that mattered in the end.

“My team was great,” said Sanchez, “I think I maybe had a little bit of a surprise because the rest of the riders weren't thinking that I was the strongest rider on the Spanish team. The entire Spanish team rode extremely strongly today.”

“The pressure was on Valverde and Sastre,” Sanchez explained, “so that gave me the opportunity. I saved my legs for the final lap and when I won it was a victory for all of us.”

“Most challenging course in modern Olympics”

The Beijing Olympics road race course combines climbs and flats to arduous effect. The first 80km was relatively flat. Heading into the 90^th km, the course rose 230m over the next 10km toward the circuit.

The circuit is a 24km loop which is ridden seven times by the men and two times by the women. The circuit is actually a flank of a mountain with no long flat sections. The decent headed straight into the prevailing wind, providing little relief to the riders.

The race flagged off near the Forbidden City and led northwest through Beijing toward the Great Wall of China. The weather had been expected to be 26C hot with 90 percent humidity, and pollution being the wild card in the race to the finish.

It was a course that offered an advantage to the Spanish team that worked together by protecting its strongest rider. With under 250m left in the final circuit, Sanchez produced a sudden turn of pace that saw him break away from the already searing pace set by Rebellin, who finished with the silver medal.

“Samuel Sánchez was the strongest today, I think the strongest were Sanchez and Andy Schleck, when they attacked it wasn't easy to go with them,” said Rebellin. “Sanchez passed me in the last meters and he was going so much stronger.”

Reports from CyclingNews.Com, VeloNoise

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Another forever in sports

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:23:00 +0000

2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre cruise through the final race of the Tour. Cadel Evans of the Beijing Olympics-bound Australian national cycling team wearing a Free Tibet base layer.

Forever has just happened in the world of sports last weekend, bringing integrity back to the words of former US chief justice Earl Warren: The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page nothing but man’s failures.

In boxing, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito gave fans of the sport 11 rounds of awesome boxing. Cotto put up a classic display of hand speed, agility, and power. While the underdog Margarito showed patience and strength until he got Cotto knocked down toward the end of the 11^th round of their welterweight fight.

Over at the 2008 Tour de France, Carlos Sastre of Team CSC Saxo Bank succeeded fellow Spaniard Alberto Conatador in winning the most prestigious race of cycling’s grand tours.

Serving as a domestique for most parts of his cycling career, first to Tyler Hamilton and then to Ivan Basso, Sastre finally had his moment at the podium and the chance to cruise through the bricked Champ Elysees with champagne in his hand.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme said “a lot of good things” happened this year: “The faces of the riders, burnt out, exhausted, mouths wide open at the end. ... The fight against doping has made enormous progress.”

Officials looked relieved to see cyclists suffer after each day’s ride, like it was a proof that the cyclists did not take any of the illegal substances and other pick-me-ups to struggle through the 2,175 miles of the Tour de France.

Another standout in the 2008 Tour is Cadel Evans, who suffered a crash early in the race and held on to the yellow jersey toward the critical last parts of the race. He settled for second place, a respectable 58 seconds behind Sastre.Then, toward the end of the race, Evans made a statement that resonated more than his second place finish.

Looking tired after the race in the Alps, and knowing that he was about to surrender the yellow jersey to Frank Schleck, the Beijing Olympics-bound Evans unzipped the jersey and revealed the base layer he was wearing. It reads: Free Tibet.

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Hope and Dope in the 2008 Tour de France

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:26:00 +0000

Another Tour highlight: Brothers Andy and Frank Schleck spirit away the yellow jersey from Cadel Evans

Hope is for people who do not already live in grace. And nowhere will you see a group of people with an abundance of hope in their eyes than in the 2008 Tour de France. Because the Tour is in a very bad shape, followers of the sport await hope at every stage of the 23-day race. Always they see it. And always they lose faith in that hope.

Clean Team

In the beginning there was the Team Garmin-Chipotle, a US team led by Christian Vandevelde of Lemont, Illinois. A domestique to Lance Armstrong in his younger days in the Tour, the US team skipper is one of the lesser known but efficient pro cyclists.

With Armstrong removed, though, the US captain remains in the background because of the mediocre performance he has so far dished out in the 2008 Tour de France. As of Stage 15, Garmin-Chipotle is in the middle of the pack and enthusiasm on the team was never really shared by cycling fans outside the US. Except, of course, by the sport’s aficionados.

The Cobra

Then there was Ricardo Ricco of Italy. Coming off a runner-up finish in the Giro d’Italia, Ricco had been sensational in the early stages of the Tour, winning two stages in a very impressive fashion.

The Cobra backed up his claim of sharing similarities with Marco Pantani when he won the 9th Stage of the Tour de France from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre in the Pyrenees. Then came the allegations of doping, and the disenchanting arrest made by the French police when Ricco was about to start the race for the Saunier-Duval team.

Young 'Un

Then there was Mark Cavendish. He is a very good rider, he looks really strong, and the young British sprinter fits the bill of a very nice Tour poster boy. But let us not talk about him anymore because he has already quit the Tour de France.

Cadel Evans

And then there was Cadel Evans, the 2007 Tour de France runner-up. He held on to the Tour yellow jersey for as much as he could. Early in the race he had suffered a crash, went back to his saddle, and then won. The former mountain bike cyclist hung in there though.

The Australian looks tough and poised to win the Tour de France. Being second to last year’s Tour, and with its winner Alberto Contador out of the picture, this is his Tour. But he lost the yellow jersey Sunday to Frank Schleck of Luxemburg. He lost it by mere seconds, in a race that has been the most exhilarating so far.

Before we get lost in the exhilaration, though, we should probably remember the same excitement that Ricco put on display when he was racing, and the disenchantment that came when the impressive performance was tainted by EPO use.

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The secret of Armstrong's success

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:19:00 +0000

Both in the Tour de France and in real life, Lance Armstrong holds nothing back. Followers of the sport know all too well the so-called Mask of Pain on Armstrong’s face each time he will negotiate a bike climb in pursuit of his Tour aspirations.

In real life it was with the same honest accounting of himself that Lance Armstrong kissed and danced to old Madonna songs at the Cannes’ Dolce and Gabanna party in pursuit of his new aspiration: Kate Hudson.

“They were just really into each other,” a witness told Us Weekly. “They would look at each other in the eyes and then kiss on the lips.”

According to the magazine, Armstrong and Hudson were first spotted together publicly on May 15 at Wildwood Barbeque in New York City after seeing a Kid Rock concert.

And there we have it. If being a winner means acting like a winner, it probably makes sense to train on your bike with the whole Madonna discography on your iPod. To some extent that may have nothing to do with Armstrong’s TdF success, but it certainly made him a success with the ladies.

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4 bike ride must-haves that I bet you don’t have

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Mon, 26 May 2008 07:15:00 +0000

Notes from Tanay, Rizal

Cycling is a team sport and it is best done in groups. Even though for most parts of every bike ride a cyclist finds himself alone—sweating one climb after another by himself, relying mostly on what’s inside him to finish the ride and make it home—there is always that time and place where he and his friends will regroup, share stories, and buy one another drinks.

It is during those times that a cyclist stops being alone. And during those times, somehow, the difficulty of 50 kilometers or so behind him and the ride back home do not matter much. Too bad, though, that he can’t have it all the time. He has only himself to rely on and is going to need these oft-neglected bike ride must-haves if he is to reach home all right.

1. Omega Pain Killer—Or any other rub-on pain killers. They reduce the stiffness of the leg muscles. They also feel warm on the skin and give some sort of comfort during the long and hard bike ride. Also, they smell good and are nice substitutes to the weird, manly smell that pedestrians get from you when you pass them by.

2. Full-Face Bike Mask—You are going to need a full-face bike mask if you are a recreational cyclist who rides his bike only on weekends. It protects your face from the harsh sun rays. And, believe you me, a good tan on your face won’t put you on the good graces of your bosses. They hate it when you have fun. Also, a full-face bike mask hides all the gritting and gnashing and any other evidence of your suffering.

3. Digital Camera—Sure, it is too much to bring a digital camera if you are engaged in an strenuous activity like cycling. But it has its uses. You can sort of immortalize your bike ride, and brag about them via the Internet. If you think that is the only way you are going to make any friends, follow this advice. Just be sure that you have a decent bag to carry a digital camera, and that you are fast and strong enough to get ahead of the group, stop and take photos, and then give a chase to do the routine all over again.

4. Chocolates—Great instant source of energy. They are packaged in tin foil packs that bringing them along during bike rides reduces the risk of getting chocolate smudges on your jersey when the sun melts them down. More importantly, chocolates are well-liked, especially by kids who will tell you the right direction from Point A to Point B only when you give them chocolates.

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Valenzuela wins Manila-to-Baguio race

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:24:00 +0000

By June Navarro

BAGUIO CITY – Oozing with vigor and energy, Irish Valenzuela conquered the punishing ascent to this city and arrived ahead of other cyclists at Burnham Park as he ruled the Liquigaz Race To The Lion's Head stage of the one-day Manila-Baguio race on Sunday.

Valenzuela bolted away from the lead pack composed of eight riders at the 38-kilometer mark on Kennon Road and pulled away for good at the Lion's Head marker to capture the individual crown of the 247-km Manila-Baguio race.

Valenzuela, who led the RP team to an unprecedented victory in the Tour of Thailand last year following a fourth-place finish in the Southeast Asian Games, also took the King of the Mountain award worth P5,000.

"I gave everything I had when we reached Kennon and made sure that nobody else would threaten me," said the 21-year-old Valenzuela, the youngest cyclist on the RP team roster.

Anticipating a challenge from the seasoned riders, Valenzuela summoned all his strength to sustain the breakaway and soloed it home in six hours, 47 minutes and 57 minutes. He pocketed the P10,000 individual winner's purse.

"I didn't want to engage the veterans in a tight race to the finish," said Valenzuela, the 2006 Padyak Pinoy Rookie of the Year who placed third overall last year.

Underdog Renier Clauna, a teammate of Valenzuela, salvaged second place in 6:49:30 while Joel Calderon wound up third in 6:49:43.

Dante Cagas (6:51.06) and Tomas Martinez (6:52.36) rounded out the Top 5 in the one-day race sponsored by Liquigaz Philippines Corp. and the Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketers Association.

Except for veteran rider Merculio Ramos, no one from among the respected names in the sport that included former Tour champions Warren Davadilla, Arnel Quirimit, Victor Espiritu and Santy Barnachea landed in the Top 10.

The 1-2 finish of Valenzuela and Clauna also rewarded their squad with the team crown worth P75,000. The other members of the champion team were Oscar Rendole, Allan Ricafort, Anthony Miranda, John Ricafort, Edward Nardo and Mark Montemayor.

The winning team was credited with a total clocking of 27:30:56.88 based on the times of the first four riders.

Joseph Millanes, who seized the Sprint King plum worth P5,000, checked in sixth at 6:53:06 followed by Renato Sambrano (6:55:08), Edward Nardo (6:55:20), Ericson Obosa (6:57:10) and Merculio Ramos (6:57:35).

Ramos, the heavy favorite from Tarlac City, led Team 7 to second place in 28:26.38.14 while Team 11 of skipper Emetilano Atilano was third in 29:29:34.36.

Victor Espiritu, who captured the Padyak Pinoy crown last year, landed 20th overall (7:10:31).

Davadilla, Quirimit and Barnachea failed to even make it to the top 20, all fading during the climb through Kennon.

"I feel rusty, I didn't practice for this race," said Davadilla, winner of the last Manila-Baguio race held in 2000. Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Armstrong's Mellow Johnny commuter bike

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:41:00 +0000

First look at the Mellow Johnny commuter bike, courtesy of Bike Radar

Here’s a first look at the Mellow Johnny commuter bike designed by Trek. It’s not much to look at and unpretentious for a “first” to come out of a bike shop owned and operated by one of the most celebrated cyclists. Not Mellow Johnny, but Lance Armstrong. Scheduled to break cover on May 10, the Mellow Johnny commuter bike reminds us of the 90s-issue aluminum bikes: nothing fancy to divert one’s attention from its performance.

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10th Tour of the Fireflies

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:47:00 +0000

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The sad saga of cycling great Floyd Landis

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Mercer) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:05:00 +0000

One can’t help but feel for somebody like Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour de France winner. He tested positive for doping, lost the appeal, and is now headed toward total disgrace. But, he may have doped or not (most likely he did), that doesn’t write off his dramatic Tour de France finish. It sure does tarnish the accomplishment. But it’s there, in him. And in him, likewise, is a sad song, almost a lament, which cries for an audience. So let’s hear it from Floyd Landis. You can cry.

Bikin' Dirty, the Floyd landis Remix

From the Fearless Hyenas

They see me rollin’/They hate it
French council is tryin’ a catch me bikin’ dirty
Tryin a catch me bikin’ dirty (4x)
They want my urine/Cause i’m winnin’
They hopin’ that they gonna catch me bikin’ dirty
Tryin a catch me bikin’ dirty (3x)

Yo/Ever since I won the tour de france
They tryin’ a say dat i’m not the champ
They wanna take my yellow jersey man
They hate me like they hated Lance
They say I had hot testosterone
It was high then I smoked out Crazy Bone
I’m the strongest one out there racin’ yo
and I just don’t know why they hate me so

I’m just a humble Menonite
well we gotta have complications
maybe it’s my thyroid medication
now what about dehydration
I take cortisone shots for my bad hip see
the night before i’m drinkin’ beer n whiskey
me an these ho’s out getting’ typsy
now there’s French dudes out here tryin’ a get me

An my sponsor’s goin, no more team Phonak
That’s ok yo they can get da bozack
Crazy Bonez showed me where da do’z at
Trade my yellow jersey in for a throwback
Da raps on track, K bonez producin
My schwinn’s on 22’s an i’m cruisin
Let me say with no confusion
Fuck da French dawg i wasn’t usin'
Tryin’ a catch me ridin’ dirty (5x)

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