With the debut in 2011 of the Countryman, MINI tried to address the major drawback since the manufacturer's arrival in 1959. But is a four-door MINI, which arrives 11 years after new owner BMW rebranded Mini as MINI, an oxymoron? Or can the MINI legitimately be considered a family car?

The new offering is one foot longer and six inches wider than the standard MINI. The Countryman (Mini actually had a coupe called the Countryman in the 1960s) also has all-wheel drive option — another manufacturer's first.

Likewise, the Countryman has 41.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, the most of any MINI in the current fleet.

The Weekly Driver Test Drive

With its Sky Blue exterior, white top and white race stripes, any MINI would attract attention. But with four doors (five considering the rear trunk/door), I couldn't drive the MINI far with hearing comments.

One onlooker in a department store parking lot approached me and simply asked: "So, how much did you pay for it?"

My weekly test drive didn't include the all-wheel driver option. But the qualities that make a MINI and MINI were all present — the oversized speedometer to toggle door and window switches.

There's also a unique innovation, a center interior rail that runs nearly the length of the car. The idea is that detachable cupholders and an eyeglass/sunglass case can be positioned as desired near the front or back seats.

Likes:

Comfortable seats (all four).

Interior backlit door handles.

Surprisingly quiet while idling.

Hatchback trunk opens with road insignia handle. Way cool.

Smooth drive on freeway.

Spaciousness. It's easy to forget the car's name with adequate space for four six-foot occupants.

Dislikes:

Bumpy ride, particularly at slower speeds.

Difficult shifting.

Radio controls and channel read-out lettering too small.

2011 Mini-Cooper (Sport Wagon) Facts & Figures:

Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 9.8 seconds
Airbags (7): Driver and dual front, side, side curtain and front knee airbags.
Antilock brakes: Standard
First aid kit: N/A
Fuel economy: 28 mpg (city), 35 mpg (highway)
Government Safety Ratings: Not rated.
Engine Specs: 4 cylinder, 121 horsepower with six-speed manual transmission.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $21,650.00
Price As tested: $26,850.00
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain, 4 years/50,000 miles; Corrosion, 12 years/unlimited miles; Roadside assistance, 4 years/unlimited miles.

What Others Say:

"With its distinguished rally-racing history, the Mini is born for twisty roads, where it feels alive, edgy and high in testosterone. Especially in tighter quarters, the Mini can bob, feint and counterpunch its way to an upset over weightier, stronger competition." —- New York Times.

"A Mini Cooper with added length in the wheelbase, extra legroom in the rear seats, and a half-door on the passenger's side to ease ingress and egress to the back, the Clubman is all the fun and cuteness of the smaller Mini with a (slightly) more hospitable rear seat." —- Car and Driver.

"Admittedly, the Clubman is a niche offering, and that's particularly true this year. There's a wide range of fun-to-drive cars that offer more practicality and typically cheaper prices, including the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Golf/GTI and Volvo C30." —- Edmunds.

What The Wife Says:

"When I found out it was owned by BMW, I wasn't surprised because of all of the attention to detail."

The Weekly Driver’s Final Words:

"As a convertible or a coupe, the Mini remains unique in the auto industry. It's at the top of the funky-fun-sports-car-diversion list. But as a family car, the Countryman still doesn't match up well against a dozen competitors' offerings."

Seeking a spot for the sixth time in the event's seven-year history, Sacramento has applied to host a stage finish of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California.

But the capital's involvement is far from assured. Race organizers are considering several route options, including a return to the Bay Area (not included this year) as well as different mountain passes and routes in the Sierra Nevada.

"We've submitted a bid with the hope of getting a stage finish," John McCasey, executive director of the Sacramento Sports Commission, said Thursday. "And we'll just have to wait and see what our chances are. There are no guarantees. We go into it with eyes wide open. What we are up against is a very creative planning organization such as Medalist (Sports)."

The eight-day race, the country's largest professional cycling event, will begin May 13 in Santa Rosa, the home of three-time winner and 2011 runner-up Levi Leipheimer.

Davis, which hosted a stage start in 2009 and 2010 and was a pass-through city in 2007 and 2008, has bid for a 2012 stage start. Auburn, Nevada City, Modesto, San Jose and the South Lake Tahoe region also hope to be part of next year's race.

"Due to the cost, it would be difficult for Davis to serve as a venue for an ATOC stage finish without some financial assistance," Bob Bowen, a city of Davis spokesman, wrote in an email. "We'll see what happens."

More than 100 California cities were mailed applications to submit bids. But race organizers aren't releasing a list of cities that submitted proposals by the mid-August deadline.

Several websites have reported that Solvang, which has hosted a Tour of California time trial four times, did not submit a 2012 hosting bid.

Santa Rosa, which was left off the route last year under a stipulation that it would host the race's launch in 2012, is the only confirmed start or finish city in next year's event.

Santa Rosa, which was left off the route last year under a stipulation that it would host the race's launch in 2012, is the only confirmed start or finish city in next year's event.

After four race dates in February, the Tour of California moved to a May position on the international calendar in 2010 with increased hopes of better weather. Despite a May overlap with the Tour of Italy, one of pro cycling's three Grand Tour (three-week events), the race has attracted a strong field of international riders.

Medalist Sports, the Georgia-based organizers, devised a route this year that featured two firsts. The race was expected to commence in the Lake Tahoe region, providing a debut start at high altitude.

South Lake Tahoe, North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort, North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley USA, Sacramento, Auburn, Modesto, Livermore, San Jose, Seaside, Paso Robles, Solvang, Claremont, Mt. Baldy, Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks were scheduled as starting or finishing cities

The race also featured two mountaintop finishes, including a stage 7 ascent to Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. The 8,000-foot estimated elevation was the highest finish in race history.
   
A rare May snow prompted the last-minute cancellation of stage 1 and prompted a re-routed stage 2 that began in Nevada City and ended in Sacramento. It was a shortened route of the race start in 2010.

Sacramento wasn't involved in the race debut in 2006. Santa Rosa to Sacramento stages were held in 2007 and 2008. The race's prologue, a short individual time trial that marked the North American road race return of seven-time Tour de France titlist Lance Armstrong, was held in Sacramento in 2009.

Jim Birrell – managing partner of Medalist Sports, which runs the Amgen Tour of California – said he expects the announcement of 2012 stage cities later this month or in early October.

The event's teams and individual athletes won't be announced for months. But Chris Horner, a Bend, Ore., resident who beat teammate Leipheimer by 38 seconds in this year's race, is expected to return. Horner is recovering from a concussion and a subsequent blood clot sustained in July during a Tour de France crash.

Leipheimer, who won this year's Tour of Switzerland and Tour of Utah and last week's inaugural USA Cycling Pro Challenge in Colorado, also is expected to return, although he'll likely compete for a team other than RadioShack.

Vladimir Efimkin, a Russian native who lives in Sacramento, also likely will participate. Efimkin recently re-signed with Team Type 1-Sanofi, which has competed in the Tour of California for the past three years.

(Originally published in the Sacramento Bee, Sept. 2, 2011.)
 

Six years ago, the Dodge Charger re-emerged from its famed muscle car heydays during the 1970s. For 2011, with a redesigned exterior and interior the Charger has now become a borderline oxymoron — a sedan sports car.

The Charger name has been featured on several different Dodge products since its debut as a concept car in 1964. The latest addition is the new 3.6-liter V6. It replaces the outgoing 2.7-liter and 3.5-liter V6s. With an increase to 292 horsepower, it’s as if the muscle car returned alright, but in a refined version.

The Weekly Driver Test Drive

With its new front grille and Rallye Plus options, the Charger I drove for my weekly test drive was going to be the chariot for four passengers from Sacramento to Monterey Auto Week on the famed Monterey Peninsula.

As it turned out, the Charger took two occupants on the estimated 400-mile trip. Like its predecessor for years ago, the Charger is an ideal open road vehicle. It had a commanding presence on Interstate 5.

Dodge Charger 2011. Images © James Raia

Like other powerful sedans, driving the Charger can present a surprise. Its smooth advancement often resulted in cruising speeds in excess of 80 mph, but without a clue I achieved that speed.

The optional equipment list, called the “27J Charger Rallye Plus,” defines the trim that includes more than 20 items — Chrome clad aluminum wheels to leather wrapping and heated parts throughout the vehicle. All told, the features added up to $4,000 — about half of total price of the car’s total option packages.

Likes:

Navigation system. The screen is the size of small television screen (8.4 inches) and its clarity, including the back-up camera, is unsurpassed.

Heat and cooling center console cupholders. They work nearly immediately and they work well.

Highway driving is smooth and confident. If that moxie is, in part, how the original muscle cars gained their reputation, it’s all good.

Side mirror blind sport and cross traffic indicators. One day, the feature should be standard equipment on all cars.

Comfortable seats, front and back.

Exterior color: Blackberry Pearl. It’s perfectly mysterious, particularly since, depending on the time of day, the color appears to change.

Dislikes:

Small trunk. It’s a four-door, four-passenger car, but the trunk can’t hold luggage for four, unless the suitcases are no larger than large purses.

Blind spots. Good thing the above-mentioned side mirror sensor indicators are part of what’s all the “driver’s confidence group.” I had a few close calls.

With 292 horsepower, it’s rather sluggish off the line for a muscle car.

Limited legroom for back-seat passengers.

Fully extended, the opened doors are impossible to grasp without stepping out of the car — unless one is particular closely related to an ape.

Facts & Figures: 2011 Dodge Charger

Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 7.2 seconds.
Airbags: Front, front side and side curtain.
Antilock brakes: Standard.
First aid kit: Not available.
Fuel economy: 18 mpg (city), 27mpg (highway).
Government Safety Ratings: Not rated.
Engine: 3.6-liter, V6 cylinder, 292 horsepower.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $25,127.00
Price as tested: $34,955.00
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000; Powertrain, 5 years/100,000 miles; Hybrid system, 10 years/100,000 miles; Corrosion ?, 7 years/unlimited miles; Roadside assistance 3 years/36,000 miles; 5 years/100,000 miles.
Manufacturer’s website: www.dodge.com.

What Others Say:

“It has a more refined ride than its predecessor, and its handling is honest and secure. Its cabin has finally made the leap from the 1990s and offers both quality materials and the modern technology you expect in this price range.” —- Edmunds.com

“Compared with the 2010 BMW 550i tested in our last issue, not only do the two 4-doors weigh exactly the same, the Charger’s performance numbers are in the same league as the 5 Series, all for $30K less. If you’re looking (Far) East, the Infiniti M56 has performance numbers trumping both of these, but still rings up dollar signs on par with the Bimmer. Taking those financial facts into consideration, this makes the uniquely American Charger a sweet compromise for those of us living with hypotheticals.” —- Road and Track.com

“Even though I think a rear-wheel-drive-based car like the Charger should offer livelier handling, I commend Dodge for sticking with the drivetrain layout and the available V-8, as well as upping the car’s already aggressive styling.” —- Cars.com

What The Wife Says:

“It sure is comfortable on the open road.”

The Weekly Driver’s Final Words:

“I’ve never been a muscle car enthusiast, and the new Charger has me further confused. It’s beautifully styled and has a lot of confidence on the road. But if a muscle car is going to win me over, shouldn’t it have a little more muscle?”

In its 17-year tenure, the Subaru Forester has transitioned to having one of the coolest names in the automotive industry from having one of the worst names.

The name Forester implies “Of the forest.” But when the vehicle debuted in 1995 at the Tokyo Motor Show as a concept, it was called the “Sutoriga” or Stalker.

The reason for its first name is subject to interpretation, but a decade-and-a-half and several editions later, the Forester is fully ingrained in Subaru’s practical, if unspectacular, lineup of sedan and utilitarian sports vehicles all featuring symmetrical all-wheel drive.

The Weekly Driver Test Drive

Introduced to the United States market in 1998, the 2011 Forester is now available in six trims, including the 2.5X Premium model I had for my weekly test drive.

Subaru Forester, 2011. Images © James Raia

As an SUV with a low center of gravity, ample cargo room and the highest safety rating available in the country, it’s a good choice. But for mountain driving or any inclement weather conditions, it’s the best choice when matched against its primary competitors like the Toyota RAV-4 or Honda CR-V.

But as a flatlander, my week with the Subaru Forester was largely in highway conditions and in around town trips. On those journeys, the Forester isn’t at its best.

It’s noisy and its ride isn’t particularly smooth. The primary option package on the 2.5X premium trim is the all-weather package that includes heated front seats, windshield wiper de-icer, heated side mirrors and a TomTom navigation system. It’s a $1,095 option, and like the car overall, it’s better suited for mountain use, if you can figure out the complicated navigation functions.

Likes:

Panoramic power moonroof. It’s big, perhaps the biggest of any car I’ve test-driven.

Exterior design. The Forester’s lines are clean and it has an efficient look on the open road.

All-weather Option Package: Heated front seats, windshield wiper de-icer, heated side mirrors. Three more reasons why Subaru is particularly popular in cold weather climates.

Dislikes:

TomTom removable navigation system. Screen, read-out small, overall far from intuitive.

Interior materials like side panels and console construction not made from the best quality.

Seats, regardless of positioning, just aren’t comfortable.

Four-speed automatic transmission is difficult to shift.

2011 Subaru Forester: Facts & Figures

Acceleration: 0-60 mph (not available).
Airbags (6): Front, side and side curtain.
Antilock brakes: standard.
Engine/Transmission: 2.5-liter turbocharged, four cylinder, four-speed automatic transmission.
Fuel economy: 21 mpg (city), 27 mpg (highway)
Government Safety Ratings: not rated.
Horsepower: 224.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $23,495.00.
Price as tested: $26,384.00.
Manufacturer’s Web site: www.subaru.com.
Warranty: Bumper to bumper: 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain: 5 years/60,000 miles; Corrosion: 5 years/unlimited miles; Roadside assistance: 3 years/36,000 miles.

What Others Say:

“As the Legacy and Outback almost match the Forester feature-for-feature at the same price, only the extra storage space in the Forester causes it to stand out. I much prefer the extra sophistication and feeling of quality in the Legacy or Outback.” —- MSN.com.

“Forester is a reasonably priced alternative to compact SUV bellwethers such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. It’s noisier and less refined than those rivals, and its interior ambiance is a step behind that of other recently redesigned crossovers. Still, this crossover offers good fuel economy and lots of features for the money, with the 2.5X and 2.5X Premium being the strongest values.” —-Consumer Guide.

“The Forester retains the strong taste of vanilla in terms of exterior and interior styling — far more satisfying than exciting. The same holds true for road performance — perfectly competent for dry-road highway runs, accelerates well when necessary and handles well in high-speed highway traffic.” —- Washington Post.

What The Wife Says:

“It’s just not a car for me. It’s not particularly comfortable, it’s underpowered and its radio, gearing and other controls are not very intuitive.”

The Weekly Driver’s Final Words:

“If you live in the mountains or spend a lot of time commuting in inclement weather and you’re seeking a good value in an SUV, buy the Subaru Forester. If you don’t have to worry about snow, winding roads or other weather issues, there are better options.”

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Six years into a pro career that catapulted him to mountaintops and victory podiums around the globe, Vladimir Efimkin decided in the summer of 2010 he’d had enough.

Everything right with cycling had been overshadowed by everything wrong. He grew weary of cycling’s abrupt random drug testing.

He endured crashes and broken bones, the banes of cycling. And he had a young wife and a young daughter who needed him.

A stage winner at the Tour de France and Tour of Spain, Efimkin, 29, nullified a contract with Ag2r-La Mondiale, a top-tiered French team, and returned home to Roseville.

“It wasn’t one moment, but I read a lot of books and now I understand,” said Efimkin, who recently moved with his wife, Yuliya, 5-year-old daughter, Veronica, and 10-month-old son, Kevin, to a newly built home in Granite Bay. “Family for me is first place and racing is second. But it wasn’t easy to decide.

“With my brother, we have a big fan club in Italy. But I wasn’t going to race for the fans. But my friends understand.”

Vladimir Efimkin, Team Type 1

Slightly more than a year removed from competition, Efimkin, the elder of identical twins and known for his climbing skills, will resume his career with two upstart American stage races similar to the Tour of California.

Signed in recent weeks to the newly named Team Type 1-SANOFI squad, the brothers will race together beginning Tuesday in the Tour of Utah. The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado follows, beginning Aug. 22.

“The first month (of training) was difficult,” said the 5-foot-11, 147-pound Efimkin, who often apologizes for his English, one of five languages he speaks. “I needed to be at our new house a lot of the time. I spent the whole day on the bike. I didn’t take the car.

“When there were other properties to look at in other cities, I took the bike. By the end of the days, I had a lot of kilometers on my legs.”

Both events suit the brothers’ climbing skills. The six-day Tour of Utah progresses into the Wasatch Mountains, with one stage finishing at more than 11,000 feet.

The weeklong Colorado event features several mountainous days, including an ascent to Independence Pass at more than 12,000 feet.

Chris Baldwin, Team Type 1-SANOFI’s public relations manager, said: “Russians ride with a different rhythm. They’re aggressive early. We think we’ll have a good double attack in the mountains.”

“You understand, training mileage is not racing mileage,” said Efimkin, who realized he missed cycling in May after watching the Tour of California advance near his previous home. “So for my first race, my objective is to finish. But in Russia, we tell it like this: ‘It’s a bad soldier who doesn’t want to be general.’

“I would like to win a race or win some stages, but I know my body has some surprises. Some days it’s not easy. But on the climbs, I will understand. If it’s not good, I will be a better father, and I will stop. In racing, it makes sense to be winner. If it’s just to think about finishing a race, it’s not interesting.”

Vladimir Alexandrovich Efimkin and Alexander Alexandrovich Efimkin were born 15 minutes apart in Kuybyshev (now Samara), Russia. As youngsters in a sports-centric city, they tried karate, swimming and basketball.

Cycling was an illogical and distant next choice. Bicycles were scarce and old. Efimkin recalls attending camps where children who didn’t show promise were quickly dismissed.

“Maybe we didn’t have talent, but it was fun, and I decided, ‘I need this,’ ” Efimkin said. “I think it’s important to have fun. But it was very difficult. Our system was about selection. If you were not on top, you were out. The economic situation was bad. The coach could only select who was strong.

“One day the coach, I think, found my brother a bike, but it was old. It was not for training. It didn’t work.”

The brothers’ father had a better idea. Through a connection with friends, a better used bike was found. Alexander quickly began to win regional races; Vladimir then did likewise.

“In this moment,” said Efimkin, laughing, “our careers changed. We weren’t bad guys. But the teachers did call our mom. We had a lot of energy.

“After high school, we were in a special school, like a university. We were cyclists, but with a special teacher who came to races. We understood a lot of stuff, mathematics, physiology, languages. I was able to understand then what happened to us before.”

The brothers turned pro in 2005. In 2007, Vladimir won a stage and finished sixth overall in the Tour of Spain and Tour of Switzerland. He won a stage and placed 10th overall in the 2008 Tour de France.

Alexander won a 2005 stage of the Tour of Portugal and had four combined stage and overall wins in 2007. This past spring, early in his new deal with Team Type 1-SANOFI, he won the Tour of Turkey.

The Efimkins are close and have often been teammates. Alexander lives in Italy; Vladimir moved from Italy to Roseville three years ago because his wife, also a Russian native, has worked in the banking industry and had many friends and family members in the Sacramento area.

As soon as his wife showed him the American River Parkway and its lengthy paved cycling path, Efimkin was ready to move.

The Team Type I-SANOFI squad is registered as Pro-Continental, one step below the Pro Tour teams that compete in the Tour de France.

The lower-division pro team is an ideal fit for the Efimkin brothers. It’s directed by Vassili Davidenko, a former Russian pro and 15-time national titlist. The team encourages and supports amateur and pro athletes with Type 1 diabetes. Five members of the current 20-rider men’s pro squad have the disease.

“We are different,” said Vladimir of the brothers’ cycling approaches. “If I train four of five hours a day, he does six hours because he is very serious. But I was more like him when I won the Tour of Portugal (in 2005). One day, I said to him, ‘You go because I am not ready.’ He said, ‘I can’t go, it’s impossible.’ So I went and I won a stage, and the race.”

Neither of the Efimkins has diabetes. But Vladimir has several developing business interests, including the Sacramento-based website www.sportsdestiny.com. The site is in Russian, but an English-language version is under construction.

It’s a training and inspirational site Efimkin uses to help young cyclists develop their talents and seeks to supply other fledgling cyclists with equipment at low costs.

But Efimkin also has a racing schedule again to focus on. After his two U.S. comeback stage races, two races in China await.

“For now, I will race with Team Type 1,” Efimkin said. “Maybe I would like to go back to a big team, but these races and roads will tell me.

“Maybe I will be on Team Type I one more year, or maybe I’ll be ready for a big team. I don’t know what I want. My family is very happy together, but I also understand I need to race.”

(Originally published in the Sacramento Bee, Aug. 7, 2011.)

To view a slideshow, visit: Vladimir Efimkin/Sacramento Bee

Has it really been nearly two decades since the Honda Odyssey debuted? In fact, it was 1994 and the 2011 version is newly designed as the fourth generation of the increasingly popular family van.

Unlike some minor changes throughout its tenure, Odyssey’s redesign is drastic. Unveiled as a concept at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, the public debut was later in the year. It showcased a larger, wider body, lower roofline, and a more sleek and modern appearance.

The Weekly Driver Test Drive

The five-door Touring Elite, one of five available trim levels, has the most “bells and whistles” and, of course, is the most expensive. It’s the model I had for a week. With the Touring model it offers 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, front and rear parking sensors, memory settings for the driver, retractable third-row sunshades and a fold-down armrest for third-row passengers and both the navigation and rear-seat entertainment systems as standard.

The Touring Elite model adds xenon headlights, a blind spot warning system, an upgraded rear-seat entertainment system with a 16-inch HD widescreen video monitor (with HDMI input) and a premium 650-watt, 12-speaker surround-sound audio system.

Not even half of the features were tested, but during one outing with six adults, a good selection of the “laundry list” of extras were noted, while some were even tinkered with.

Mostly, the front and rear seat passengers immediately noticed the Odyssey’s all-around spaciousness. There’s head room and leg room aplenty and comfort without compromise. It’s an ideal cruising car for a weekend getaway for three couples, let’s say, without having to worry about a gas-guzzler’s limitations.

Despite is “van” status, the Odyssey is a powerful and performance oriented for its class. It features a 24-valve, 248-horsepower engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. Its 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds is impressive.

Likes:

Large, clear navigation system and back-up camera screen.

Deep trunk, ideal for grocery bags that won’t tip over or big enough to hold eight large bags of bark (which is what I hauled home from the local Home Depot).

Comfortable seats . . . all three rows.

Easy entrance, exit.

Clean, large-numbered and lettered dials and gauges.

Dislikes:

It’s pretty ugly with darkened rear windows and odd body angles. Several friends independently commented that it looks like a hearse.

Large driver’s blind spot from via thick side pillars.

Base price too high for category.

Facts & Figures: 2011 Honda Odyssey

Acceleration: 0-60 mph, 7.9 seconds.
Airbags (6): Standard front, front side and side curtain.
First aid kit: Not available.
Fuel economy: 19 mpg (city), 28 mpg (highway)
Government Safety Ratings: frontal crash (driver/passenger), five stars; Side crash (front/rear seat), five stars; Rollover, four stars.
Horsepower: 248
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $43,250.00.
Manufacturer’s Web site: www.honda.com.
Price As tested: $44,030.00.
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,0000 miles; Powertrain, 5 years/60,000 miles; Corrosion, miles; Roadside Assistance, 5 years/unlimited mileage.

What Others Say:

“The new Odyssey seems the premier example of how good a van can be — but is so ugly it’d be embarrassing to park one in the driveway.” —- USA Today.

“If you have more kids than you can fit in a sedan, it’s likely you’re considering a minivan or a three-row crossover. If you’re not turned off by the minivan stigma, the Odyssey should be your first stop when shopping. I recommend leaving the kids at home, though, because once they hear that surround-sound system in the Touring Elite, they will not let you buy a lesser trim.” —- Cars.com.

“Honda and Toyota have unquestionably raised the bar significantly with their latest round of completely redesigned minivans, leaving their primary competition all but wallowing in a trail of spilled Cheerios. Both vehicles offer comfortable accommodations for eight, with a slew of amenities and entertainment to keep occupants occupied through the road trip doldrums.” —- Autoblog.

What The Wife Says:

“I like the deep well for carrying groceries. And speaking of groceries, I like the push-button closing rear door. You don’t have to put your groceries on the ground to close the door.”

The Weekly Driver’s Final Words:

“How the designers could make such an contradictory vehicle is hard to understand. It’s ultimately practical, efficient, comfortable and has room for a whole soccer team or a rock band. Yet, its exterior is reminiscent of funeral home vehicle.”

Two weeks after he left the Tour de France following a crash replete with broken bones, contusions and uncertainty, Chris Horner is preparing for his next bike race.

It’s still a month away in a new seven-day race in Colorado. But even by its Aug. 22 start, the cyclist from Bend, Oregon, will likely not remember his fall in stage 7 and the resulting concussion, broken nose, fractured rib and a nagging calf injury. In fact, he may never remember.

But there are two certainties. Horner has returned to his bike and his sense of humor is intact.

“My nose is OK; Well, it’s not OK if I bump it,” Horner said Thursday when contacted from Italy at his home in Bend. “Sitting here talking to you, it’s fine. It’s very good. But if you’re playing around with the dog, you don’t want it to bump into your face. Then it would be quite painful.”

Soon after returning to Bend, Horner went for his first ride with his girlfriend, an accomplished road racer. Now, he’s riding alone again for as long as two hours.

“I don’t remember the crash, so that part not going to have any effect on my racing ability or anything like that,” Horner, 39, said. “It’s non-existent as far as I am concerned. It was probably the easiest crash for me to go through because I don’t remember it. So I don’t think that will have any effect on me.

“Certainly when you get older you’re more careful when you’re descending anyway, so that just more about age and getting more intelligent than anything else. I have plenty of time before Colorado starts. My weight is still good and my fitness, of course, coming from Tour, is really high.”

One of four riders considered potential podium (top-three) contenders for RadioShack, Horner entered his fifth Tour de France on July 2 in Passage du Gois, France likely in the best shape of his long career. He won the Tour of California near the end of May and for the next five weeks maintained his new lighter weight, didn’t race and trained in San Diego.

But the 98th edition of the Tour de France was immediately different. Crashes are part of the sport, the effects of which Horner knows more than most pro cyclists. But the small roads of the early stages, aggressive racing and bad weather resulted in more than 20 serious crashes in the first week.

“I can remember in the first few days of the Tour when other guys like (Alberto) Contador (the two-time defending titlist) and some of the Garmin-Cervelo guys had crashed,” said Horner. “I was doing interviews and saying, ‘Gee, that’s really bad luck on them. I hope it doesn’t happen to us.’ ”

It did. In addition to Horner, teammates Jani Brajkovic of Slovenia, Andreas Kloden of Germany and Yaroslav Popovych of Ukraine, all left the race via injury or illness. A fifth teammate, Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, Calif., also crashed several times. He’s currently the team’s highest-place rider, in 18th position, with two stages of the race left.

“At this point, I think the sponsors would he happy if we could just get a little air (television) time,” said Horner. “I don’t think any other teams in the Tour de France have half their team left.”

While television cameras were focusing on other crashes (seven cyclists received medical attention during the stage), the severity Horner’s fall with about 25 miles left was at first unknown. Team personnel and the race physicians didn’t arrive for several minutes, with the cyclist only wanting to get back on his bike.

“I’ve looked at the tape; yes, absolutely,” said Horner. “I was knocked out for a long period of time. I wasn’t the best tape, but from what I saw, it looked like it was a pretty good hit. The fact that they let me continue doesn’t surprise me at all. They’re not going to know what the head injury was.

“When a rider is off the ground standing on his two feet and saying ‘give me my bike.’ Well, anyone like that who’s not bleeding, there’s nothing gushing out of their head or their legs or they’re not falling back down to the ground, you hand them their bike.”

Horner began the 135.4-mile seventh stage from Chateauroux to LeMans in 13th position overall and trailing former race leader Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) of Norway by 18 seconds. The first of the race’s six high mountain stages, Horner’s specialty, was only a few days away in the Pyrenees. But the 17-year pro never got there.

Despite some controversy that he was allowed to continue, Horner finished the seventh stage last in a group of six riders, 12 minutes and 41 seconds behind Mark Cavendish of Great Britain, who claimed the second of his four stage wins.

Horner, speaking erratically, was tranferred to a local hospital. He had two brain scans, the first upon his admission, he doesn’t remember. The second test, like the first, was negative, and Horner was released. He remained at a teammate’s home for a few days then returned to the United States.

“They couldn’t see any damage,” said Horner. “But they knew I had a concussion. I have some pretty severe memory loss and I had a headache that didn’t go away for a few days. I tried to convince the doctor to release me to go back to the race, but he wasn’t having any of that.”

Horner was scheduled to compete in the San Sebastian (Spain) Classic on July 30, the first major one-day race after the Tour de France. Now, he’s waiting to heal before resuming more diligent training.

“That’s bike racing,” Horner said, reflecting on his crash and the deflated potential strong showing for his team. “We (RadioShack) won Tour of the Basque Country. We won Tour of California and we won Tour de Suisse and I’m sure we’ll win something else by the end of the year.”

(Originally published July 23, 2011 in the Bend (Ore.) Bulletin.)

GALIBIER SERRE-CHEVALIER, France — Andy Schleck of Luxembourg pedaled to a solo victory in the highest stage in race history while surprising Frenchman Thomas Voeckler kept the race lead for the 10th day Thursday at the Tour de France.

Schleck (Leopard-Trek) claimed the 124.5-mile trek from Pinerolo, Italy to Galibier Serre-Chevalier, France in 6 hours, 7 minutes and 56 seconds to move within 15 seconds of the race lead. Schleck, runner-up in the past two editions of the race, left a lead group with about 37 miles left and pedaled alone the rest of the way for more than a two-minute win.

The final 14 miles was the climb to the Galibier Serre-Chevalier, which race organizers featured with a new final section of road to commemorate the 100 years since the climb in Alps was first included in the race. It peaked at 8,678 feet and was the final of three beyond category climbs in the stage, a rarity for the Tour de France.

When Schleck, who began the day trailing Voeckler (Europcar) by 2:36 in fourth place, finished he didn’t know if he’d assumde the race lead. Voeckler, who took the lead with a second-place effort in stage 9, looked at the finish clock approaching the line. He punched his right arm into the air realizing he maintained the race advantage after finishing 2:21 behind.

The second consecutive day of negotiating the Col du Galibier and the last of three days in the Alps will be held Friday with the 68-mile 19th stage from Mondane Valfrejus to Alpe d’Huez.

It’s a short day by Tour de France standards, but the field will face two beyond category climbs, the most difficult. The Col du Galibier will be challenged form the reverse direction with the 10.3-mile hike with an average 6.8 gradient and ending about 30 miles into the stage.

The 19th stage will conclude with the ascent of the race’s most well-known mountain, the ski resort Alpe d’Huez. Its 8.5 miles of steep terrain features 21 switchbacks and is the last beyond category climb of the race.

The 20th stage Saturday will be an individual time trial in Grenoble, followed by the concluding stage — and the sprinters final chance for a win — Sunday to the cobblestoned streets of the Champs Elysees in Paris.

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE, France — Six days remain in the Tour de France and Tyler Farrar is faring well. But like the rest of the weary field, the rider from Wenatchee knows the pending days in the Alps will likely be the race’s most difficult.

The Tour de France is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Alps as part of the race, most notably the Col du Galibier and Alpe d’Huez, arguably the most famous mountain in race history.

The overall race winner will likely be determined in the mountains over the four days beginning with Wednesday’s 111.2-mile trek from Gap to Pinerolo in Italy in stage 17. Four beyond category climbs combined will test the field in stages 18 and 19, including ascents of the Col du Galibier on both days. The stage 18 finish at Galibier Serre-Chevalier (elevation 8,675 feet) will be the highest finish in race history and will likely shatter the field.

From left, Tyler Farrar, Ryder Hesjedal, David Millar, Christian Vande Velde of the Garmin-Cervelo team. Image © James Raia

Farrar, who finished second in stage 15 on Sunday, won stage 3 and finished third in stage 11, will attempt to do exactly what he did in the Pyrenees. He’ll likely ride near the back of the pack and hope to finish within the time cutoff and avoid crashes.

If successful, Farrar will have Sunday’s race finale with its finish on the Champs Elysees as his final sprinters’ stage win opportunity.

Farrar was upset after his runner-up status in stage 15. Moments after the race, he vented to reporters that he wondered how winner Mark Cavendish, the British rider who has now won four stages, was able to get to the front of the field so quickly when he’d been dropped by the rear of the field in the waning miles. The insinuation was that Cavendish held onto a team car.

But following Monday’s rest day luncheon in a chateau in southeastern France known for its boutique wines, Farrar dismissed his comments as just something that happened in the heat of competition.

Instead, the Garmin-Cervelo rider, now one of only two Americans who have won stages in all of cycling’s grand tours, discussed this year’s race, the strategies of sprinting and the loss of his best friend Wouter Weylandt, the Belgian rider who died in a crash May 2 in the Tour of Italy

Question: If you make it through the Alps and arrive in Paris, would you be satisfied with your Tour de France this year?

Tyler Farrar: Yeah. My goal was to win a stage here and I’ve done that. But, you know, I’m still very focused on Paris (the finish of the final stage). I’m satisfied, but I would be more satisfied if I could win another stage.

Q: This is your third Tour de France. How does a sprinter get better at sprinting? Or is it the team around him that makes sprinter a better sprinter?

TF: It’s a little bit of everything. I’ve certainly refined my training for the last three years. It’s a process of trial and error . . . figuring out what makes me faster, what doesn’t. What race program works best for preparing for the big races and what doesn’t work as well.

And it’s also the team. It’s getting a good lead-out. We’ve gotten better, but we still aren’t getting it right everyday. We still have a little ways to go when it comes to that.

Q: Specifically, and going back to be a better sprinter, Is it looking for a better opening? Or more power? Or is it strategy?

TF: It’s really a balance. You’re always trying to improve your training to be explosive and as strong as possible for the sprint. But it’s also the tactics and it’s also riding the sprint intelligently and gauging your sprint right.

Yesterday was a good example of miss timing. It was too late. I made up a lot of ground in the sprint, but I was coming from a little too far back and needed more time. Sometimes, you get away with that. But when you’re racing against (Mark) Cavendish and HTC, you don’t get away with that. You have to do it all perfectly if you want to win.

Q: You’ve won a lot of sprints, so I’m hedging what I’m asking, but do you have to be a badass to be a great sprinter or can you be a nice guy and be a great sprinter?

TF: I think you can turn it (your personality) on and off. In the closing kilometer, you can’t necessarily be a nice guy, but you don’t have to be like that (difficult) off the bike as well. That’s what I try to do. I don’t always succeed. Sometimes emotions get the better of you. I think there’s a race and then there’s everything else.

Q: Do you know your race scheduled beyond the Tour de France?

TF: Actually, I have no idea of my race program beyond the Tour de France. I guess I’ll find out it Paris.

Q: There are three stages in the Alps Are you concerned that the gruppetto (the back of the pack) might not make it within the time limit?

TF: The Alps are never easy. It’s the third week of the Tour. You can feel really great and have a bad day come at you out of nowhere. You can barely survive or not survive. So, it won’t be easy. You just have to try and take care of yourself and get through it as best you can.

Q: Last year, you crashed out of the Tour de France. But you finished the race the first time in 2009. Can you compare your first year here with this year?

TF: The first Tour was a bit of an eye-opener. It was only my second grand tour (three-week race) ever. And the first one, I had a pre-planned quitting day after two weeks. I wasn’t sure how the third week was going to go and how my body was going to react.

I’ve done a lot more since then. I finished my first Tour de France. I finished the Tour of Spain last year. I’ve done big blocks in other grand tours. So, I am a bit more confident in the third week of this Tour. Although like I said, it’s not going to be easy.

Q: Considering what you went through in May (the death via the Tour of Italy crash of his best friend Wouter Weylandt), is finishing the Tour de France part of the recovery or is just being here part of the process?

TF: To be honest, I don’t equate the two very much. Like I said in an earlier question, there’s the bike race and there’s the rest of life. And that (the loss of his friend) is pretty firmly in the rest of life. It wasn’t the easiest lead-up to the Tour de France for me, on a personal and emotional level. I’m glad that I was able to work through it and get here and do as well as I have. I mean Paris will be a big relief for everyone. It always is.

MONTPELLIER, France — Tyler Farrar of Wenatchee, Wa.,  finished second while nemesis Mark Cavendish of Great Britain claimed his fourth stage Sunday in the 15th stage and second-to-last sprinters’ stage of the Tour de France.

Cavendish took a line near the right railing and was victorious in the 119.9-mile stage from Limoux by about a bike length in 4 hours, 20 minutes and 24 seconds. It was Cavendish’s 19th career Tour de France stage win and the 75th career victory since he turned pro in 2007.

Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo) rode as expected behind several teammates as per the tradition of sprinters’ stages. He was in fourth place with less than 100 yards left, but moved to the left and passed Italians Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) and Daniel Oss (Liquigas).

Farrar, who won stage 3, also finished third in stage 11 was also part of his team’s time trial win in stage in stage 2.

With the field largely finishing together, there were no changes among the top 10 in the overall standings. Thomas Voeckler (Movistar) of France maintained his race lead for the seventh straight day.

Voeckler, who for several days has said he expects to lose the race lead, has a 1 minute, 49 second advantage over Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek) of Luxembourg and a 2:06 margin over Cadel Evans (BMC) of Australia. Tom Danielson (Garmin0-Cervelo) of Boulder, Colo., is ninth overall as leads the eight remaining Americans while trailing by 5:46.

The field has its second and final rest day Monday before three consecutive mountain stages in the Alps begin Tuesday with the 16th stage. It’s a 100.9-mile journey from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Gap.

The 15th stage included a category 4 (the least difficult) climb about 50 miles into the stage. Three riders lead the field into the final five kilometers. But they were caught as the main field approached the line together with teams working their sprinters into position.

The race’s 98th edition continues through Sunday with the final sprinters’ stage, a 59-mile effort from Creteil to the Champs Elysees in Paris.