Pro Cycling of Course

Giro del Piemonte

2011-11-10T11:35:00.001-06:00

2011 racing year has finished almost month ago and not unexpectedly I'm already missing it.

One of the last races of the year was Giro del Piemonte. I was able to catch some of the coverage of that race. Then inspired what I saw, I decided to cut off beginning and the end and share them with you.

If you've ever seen races broadcast by Italian RAI station, you might already noticed that they are always showing extended piece before the race even begins. They talk for good 15 minutes (not going to show you that - they don't look like experts to me - maybe it's the language...), and then there are shots from singing, team presentations and start of the race; first attacks too, which is always very cool to watch.

So here is the start of Giro del Piemonte. By the way, the race or pre-staging rather, feature first ever, and last at the same time, HTC's World Champion (I said "pre-staging", because Cavendish didn't finish)... Signing and start:

And the finish - last 2 km when the final attack started

Sammy Sanchez

2011-10-13T18:40:00.000-05:00

Great finish photo - stage 12 solo victory 2011 TdF

Pro Blogging

2010-03-18T15:14:00.005-05:00

Got again inspired by Pozatto to make another blog post - he seems fun!
Here it is from his recent blog post:

"I know some people think San Remo is boring because we ride for 300km and then everything happens in the last 20 minutes but that's like saying foreplay is boring. You can't have a great finale without foreplay!

On that subject, I've no problem admitting that I had to look up the word metrosexual on Google to know exactly what it means after Andy Schleck described me as 'a talented rider but with a metrosexual exterior' in his blog. Now I know what it means, I'm happy to admit that, yes, I am a metrosexual cyclist.

I know some people find it funny that I want to look good on the bike but I don't care. Remember, only God can really judge me.

The guys at Cyclingnews have told me my first blog attracted more readers than any of the recent ones by Andy Schleck. That's a little victory for me but I hope even more people will be interested in what I've got to say after I win a big race. That's when things will get really interesting."

Rest can be found HERE.

Ps. Can he win San Remo? I don't think so, but with some luck for sure he can win one of the Classics!

Only God Can Judge Me

2010-03-03T07:34:00.005-06:00

This is continuation to "Warm Up" - posted here few days ago.

Yesterday I had a chance to read a blog entry written by Pozzato himself, who recently committed to share his thoughts on the pages of CyclingNews through out the cycling season.

I have to say that I really like what he says in his first post about his life, training and public.
Well, I hope he wins some this year!

Ciao ciao!

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

2010-03-03T07:27:00.006-06:00

"How the race was won" by Cosmo Catalano - fun!

The Tank Engine

2010-02-16T13:38:00.003-06:00

Tomas Vaitkus is called "The Tank Engine"...
Something different video I should say:

Musika

2010-02-15T14:35:00.010-06:00

When home trainer weather comes how and what do you do?
Want to know how pros are dealing with it?

For example, Frank S (from his twitter):
"On the hometrainer tiesto (kaleidoscope) does it for me!"

Thanks for sharing, Frank!
Now we can try Tiesto as well :-)

Warm Up

2010-02-12T08:57:00.005-06:00

Have you ever wonder what would be best warm up for you before a race?

Some people do rollers, some ride back and forth, some put extra embro allover, some are late and their warm up is a hectic get to the start line effort...

Whatever you do, maybe you should pause for a second and ask, what would not Jesus but a true pro do?!

Well, here it is! Pippo Pozzato in full warm up mode:

Before the fifth stage of the Tour of Qatar on February 11, 2010

Oh, so you not worry, he doesn't care about media, team directors or in that matter anyone's criticism; Pippo believes that only God can judge him!

Unbelievably pro behavior!

Early Season (Winter) Road Racing

2010-02-11T12:26:00.011-06:00

Pro Cycling: Tour Mediterranean 2010 Stage 1: Carcassone - Souvain 95km;
Temperatures were hovering around freezing all day;

No wonder that Francaise Des Jeux's Belarusian, Yauheni Hutarovich, took the winter sprint;

but look at him! He is not even wearing arm warmers! Even Kazakh Iglinskiy is cold but of course not super tough (and happy) Belarusian!

3rd (Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana) and 2nd (William Bonnet (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom) may have been weighed down by the burden of extra clothing, who knows?!

(click on the image to enlarge)

and one more photo from that stage!

"Who is this Miche rider crossing the finish line and how old is he? He looks and wears his helmet like a junior" :-)

The Miche rider is Colombian Edwin Andres Carvajal Jaramillo; funny!

(click on the image to enlarge)

Interesting

2010-02-10T10:41:00.005-06:00

Saxo Bank team rider Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland takes a photograph during the fourth stage of the Tour of Qatar cycling race from The Pearl to Al Khor, February 10, 2010. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen (QATAR - Tags: SPORT CYCLING)

Is it too easy for Fabian?

I thought he is rather suffering this early of the season?! I just read about him early this morning...

I guess one day of a training/racing does make a difference!

Best of Weekly Twitter

2010-02-09T07:28:00.007-06:00

This time around twitter laugh was dominated by @UltraRomance; here is his best post:

Ultra Romance:
First night in the tool shed. Best sleep i have had in a long time.
9:15 AM Feb 4th

followed by:
The love shack. http://twitpic.com/11fw7m
9:29 PM Feb 4th

Then for a while Twitter was hijacked by a German person;

from Andy Schleck's twitter:
hi everybody,its jens voigt writing here,i just stole andy`s laptop to write to tell everybody please stopp asking me about my crash,iam ok;
2:49 PM Feb 3rd

its me again,part 2!honestly i had to talk soooo much about this crash,come on people gimme some peace,story is over for me.Understandable?!
2:51 PM Feb 3rd

ask me about my favorite joke instead,how to catch a helmet tiger.its a really silly one,but i just love it!Oops andy wants his laptop back.
2:53 PM Feb 3rd

Jensi on twitter an my laptop!I need it back http://tweetphoto.com/10340408
3:02 PM Feb 3rd

Last Wednesday Wooly Mammoth had final preparation for Belterra;

Ultra Romance:
http://twitpic.com/119anm
5:53 PM Feb 3rd

Lance got pissed on Jonathan Vaughters' comment;

Lance Armstrong:
I won't be forgetting this comment anytime soon. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport
4:19 PM Feb 6th

and finally my two favorite comments of the week;

Cadel Evans:
http://twitpic.com/10w7bl - The 'cultural' experience continues @Chiarapasserini and her first 1 gallon soy latte...
11:16 AM Feb 1st

and Ultra Romance (of course):
raw granola and oat milk success! if you want to be strong like horse, you must eat like one.
1:20 PM Feb 7th

Amazingly wise, isn't it?!!

DzNuts Bliss

2010-02-05T09:43:00.010-06:00

Revolution was announced yesterday!

High Performance

chamois cream

for training & racing

scientifically formulated for

women's sensitive skin

available on dz-nuts.com

And if you still not sure about it, this should help for sure:

Who is That Handsome Man??

2010-02-03T12:32:00.007-06:00

Do you need a closer look? Here it is:

Elegant on and off the bike - eh, Katusha says everything...

PS. 2/8/2010 update via PezCycling on the Handsome Man 2010:

"I aim for victory at the Tour of Flanders. A win in Flanders remains a dream. It could also be Paris-Roubaix though. These two monuments fit me like a glove, but I take the Tour of Flanders first. If I must choose, I go with Flanders because it is raced first. Then, I can arrive a week later at the start of Paris-Roubaix calmer." (...)

"He (Tom Boonen) is the greatest of our generation for the Flemish races. Due to circumstances, he couldn't win Flanders last year. In Roubaix, he was just the strongest, but he is not unbeatable. I want to prove that."

"Philippe Gilbert is a good cycling, but I do not know whether he has sufficient experience for Flanders. I see him winning Milano-Sanremo first."

"I will have two peaks this year: one in the Spring and the other in the period of the World Championship. Ballerini told me that the course in Australia fits me like a glove."

Best (Quality) Cycling Photos

2010-02-01T11:18:00.005-06:00

My favorite cycling photos are the ones published by Serotti via Steephill.tv - simply amazing!

If you haven't seen it before or like to see it again, here it is!

2009 photo log: handsome riders, great races, best photos:

* Liege - Bostogne - Liege

* Clasica San Sebastian

* Giro Di Lombardia

Recently Twitted From The Cycling Nest

2010-01-29T11:31:00.009-06:00

There were couple twits I liked more than others. I will start and finish with my favorites, here it is:

Daniel Lloyd (Cervelo Test Team):
Finally did sprint training (competition) today. 4 sprints in pairs. I won 3, so already equal with Greipel this season.
9:54 AM Jan 22nd

Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas):
Rome airport! Trying to catch the connection to Reggio Calabria! Tomorrow 1st race of 2010!
about 10 hours ago

George Hincapie (BMC):
Sunny cali. Love this place.. http://tweetphoto.com/9813245
about 20 hours ago
(that's like 20th photo of those two in the last 2 week - BFF??)

Team Sky:
Great bunch of pics from Michael Barry from his latest training ride with Flecha in the mountains above Girona - http://bit.ly/bsNasx
5:22 AM Jan 28th

The much talked about Team Sky bus is poised for its debut - get the inside track http://bit.ly/99mLCn
about 6 hours ago

Patricio Newellta (Team Wooly Mammoth):
new blog post http://woolymammothdinnertime.blogs
about 14 hours ago

and finally...

Ultra Romance:
stumbled upon the wheeler fam genealogy. my oldest ancestor in america Capt. Thomas Wheeler in 1640 "a gallant and intrepid indian fighter;" he got got his thumb shot off and crawled back to his house with 4 arrows in him. then the quabaugs lit his house on fire. what a guy...
about 17 hours ago

Evans Seems Happy

2010-01-28T07:42:00.004-06:00

...and beside the fact that he seems happy, fashionable watch on Evans wrist caught my attention. I know BMC is a Swiss team, but who knew that involved in Tibet's freedom cyclist is into fancy watches; nothing wrong with that!

Aha, I know now! Last week Evans saw Caisse d'Epargne boys wearing their D&G watches and he either wanted to be as fast or as cool as they are - all clear now!

BMC training in California

Ag2r's Champions

2010-01-27T08:13:00.007-06:00

Dimitri Champion (FRA) and Nicolas Roche (IRE) - National Champions

Ag2R La Mondiale presented in Paris

Fashion the Spanish Way

2010-01-25T07:56:00.008-06:00

Check this out:
Luis Leon Sanchez, called "one of cycling's most exciting riders," celebrating with his teammate stage 5 win at Tour Down Under;

well, check his and Valverde's (yellow glasses) wrists - aaaah, what a style! I mean, handsomeness!

(click on the photo to enlarge the image)

Lampre

2010-01-22T14:45:00.008-06:00

Lampre is not anymore just Lampre, but Lampre-Farnese Vini.

In 2010 team still will ride on pretty Wilier - Triestina bikes (January 24th sad update); moreover, Gaerne is a new shoe sponsor who came on a board with two year contract. Here is 2010 model - Carbon G. Myst Plus:

Season Opener

2010-01-22T11:46:00.003-06:00

Romance... Ultra... Tradition...

...season opener racing gear!

2010 Ronde van Vlaanderen Course Map

2010-01-21T08:21:00.004-06:00

...and an interview with one of the potential winners, who is he?

hint: I like this guy, and if this isn't enough to guess, also his girlfriend is German, nothing? ok, he was second at Flanders last year, who is he?!

Photo Story

2010-01-19T15:20:00.011-06:00

So many cool and fun things are out there on the web! Stories, photos, videos of team camps, presentations, riders, first races of 2010!

Here are few that caught my attention:

First Michael Rasmussen and his new Italian team Miche - it's so weired, that he never got caught doping but he appears as somebody who did something really really bad - strange!

Quick Step on new Merckx bikes is training in Spain. Well, there are not only new bikes for Belgium team, but also shoe brand - here's Tom B spotted with BLACK pair of Sidi - what's that about?!

And final photo story for today 2010 Aqua a Sapone - I like this team's bubbly kit - Steffano Garzelli in action!

Other pre-season galleries:

- Rabobank training camp in Majorca

- Liquigas boys having fun in Grand Canaria - photos were taken by one of the rider's wife (7h attempt to ride the island around) - Italians are all about fashion!

A-S-T-A-N-A

2010-01-14T17:01:00.006-06:00

well, not really Astana without Vino, who nowhere to be seen, not yet!

It's been said that he is coming later - I guess whenever he wants - but where is he??

Aaaaah, he is training, what else could he be doing?!

Kazakhs in blue and yellow - truly Ukrainian colors!

Who Is That Junior?

2010-01-14T16:18:00.003-06:00

Jani B

Wednesday Officially Doping Day!

2010-01-13T14:51:00.007-06:00

First an article on PezCycling - very different than anything before, almost wow!

And then something related to it: How Cycling Pro's Defeat Anti-Doping Control

Aaaaah - Riccò!

2010-01-13T12:32:00.011-06:00

On July 17, 2008, Riccò tested positive for the banned blood booster Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (or CERA, a variant of Erythropoietin), from a sample taken following the fourth stage. He was immediately ejected from the Tour and his team Saunier Duval withdrew of their own volition. He spent the night at the police station and was indicted on charges of "use of poisonous substances". Riccò denied the charges and told RAI television:

"I'm very bitter. I spent a night in the police station and it was like being in prison. The magistrate listened to what I had to say. They searched my bags but only found some vitamins that we all use and so they decided to let me go home."

n October 2, 2008, he was handed a 2 year ban by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), which Riccò found disappointing; "I'm very disappointed and bitter. I expected better understanding. But I made a mistake and it's fair that I pay."

However, on March 17, 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban to 20 months because of his cooperation; he will next be eligible to compete on March 17, 2010. He has signed with Ceramica Flaminia for the the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He will be permitted to race in Milan-Sanremo and the 2010 Giro d'Italia provided his team is invited.

(source: Wiki)

AMAZING!!!

Monday's Bang

2010-01-11T07:44:00.003-06:00

Here is the Bang:

The 2010 Footon-Servetto-Fuji team presentation!

Brits

2010-01-08T12:12:00.007-06:00

New month is only one week in, but here is my pick for the website of January:

Sky Pro Cycling Team

They're so enthusiastic and energetic - spirits are high, and that's what got me!

They update the website very often;

They've cool VIDEO and PHOTO pages;

They've names on their jerseys and drive Jaguars!

now I have to say CHEERS!

Behind The Scenes

2010-01-08T07:42:00.002-06:00

I was wondering for a while what 'Here and Now' should be about...
English is not my first language, therefor I'm not going to write novels and big stories for sure; plus they would have to be very cool for people to read them otherwise who cares, right?!

Well, I've an idea: on this blog I will share with you my cool findings, amazing photos, tips and tricks, howtos and everything else that will come to my mind or in front of my eyes, short and sweet!

And because cycling is something I like to read/talk about then here you are, I will start with this:
"What it takes to outfit a pro cycling team"

cheers!

The Beginning

2009-12-09T16:26:00.003-06:00

...is here, happening now!

and this is San Sebastian, a place I really really want to visit...