Cavendish a Yorkshire Man?

Mark Cavendish backs Yorkshire's Tour de France bid


Mark Cavendish and Ben Swift are backing Yorkshire's bid to bring the Tour de France to the county in 2016.

Cavendish, who won the green jersey last year for being the Tour's best sprinter, said: "My mum is from Yorkshire so I'm proud to be backing the Yorkshire 2016 bid."
Team Sky team-mate Ben Swift said he would love to see a stage of the race run in his home county. "It would be amazing to be part of the peloton through the Dales," he said.

The first two days of racing, the Grand Depart, are held in a new location outside France every two years.

The Yorkshire Grand Depart has a great ring to it !!!!!!!!!

The Yorkshire Tourism Agency called 'Welcome to Yorkshire' say that the route would take in Leeds, Scarborough, York, Hull, Sheffield and the Yorkshire Dales.

Yorkshire is competing against Barcelona, Venice, Berlin and Scotland for the right to host the 2016 stages. Stages were last held in the UK in 2007 when London and Kent played host.

Cavendish, who has won 20 Tour de France stages, believes the county's natural beauty will prove attractive to the race's organisers.

"The county would provide a stunning backdrop to the Tour as well as a real test for the competitors," he said. "I have fond memories of holidaying in Yorkshire, a lot of my family still live there and it would be fantastic if the world's greatest cycle race could come to Yorkshire."

Swift added: "It's special to say you've raced the Tour de France, I'm proud to be able to say I have. I would love to see the Tour come to my home county, and I hope Welcome to Yorkshire can make it happen in 2016."

More than 185 countries around the world show the Tour de France every year on 92 different television channels with the last hour of every stage broadcast live across western Europe.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, wants the public to back the bid by signing a petition on their Back le Bid website.

"Some may see us as outsiders but we think Yorkshire has a lot to offer, not just our stunning scenery but the passion of our people and the expertise we have in hosting world class sporting events," he said.

Being a Yorkshire man I am totally behind and will do what I can to provide support please visit the
 Back le Bid website. and pledge your support

Take a Detour with HTC

For those of you who may be waiting for for a report about our 24 hour ride.......be patient. There will be a blogpost with lost of pictures which is what I am waiting for.
In the meantime I have discovered a real treat.

On the back of 'Chasing legends' HTC have stolen a march in cycle film, by providing us with 'Detour' an inspiring film to celebrate the Tour de France and encourage
members of the public to get on their bicycles. Its amazing!

Following the HTC Detour team, made up of cycling professionals including record breaking German cyclist and HTC Highroad member, Erik Zabel, plus sponsored talent and enthusiasts from all around the world, the film takes you on on a cycling ‘detour’ through Warsaw exploring some of the city’s most unusual places to which cyclists are not normally given access.
Shot in Poland at night, the film sees the HTC Detour cyclists exploring and cycling through ten unusual and hard to reach locations across Warsaw. As part of the route, cyclists travelled through a car wash in full action, a dazzling fairground, the underground, a tram tunnel, the famous PKIN building, the Palace of Culture and Science and one of Warsaw’s busiest city flyovers.
In addition to Erik Zabel, the cycling dream squad was made up of some of the sport’s most talented riders, including Leigh Howard, Charlotte Becker, Kate Colclough and Frantisek Rabon from the HTC Highroad sponsored team. Other professional riders included names such as John Shewsbury, Joshua Boothby, Thomas Ohler, Felix Mucke and Jakob Santos all of which compete globally in cycling disciplines spanning from trial, street to fixed gear. And that’s not all, locals from Warsaw equipped with ‘insider’ knowledge of the city and its secret routes, were also part of the film. These included cycling enthusiasts or those whose jobs rely heavily on cycling, such as couriers and messengers.
Throughout filming, cyclists were equipped with HTC smartphone devices, the perfect on-the-go accessory, to provide them with the necessary tools to get them from A to B and ensure their cycling experience was as stress free and fun as possible. Features used along the planned route included superfast internet connection, GPS and preloaded maps, in addition to camera and video features for capturing fellow team members enjoying HTC Detour. Cyclists were also able to push updates and ‘check-ins’ to Facebook via HTC devices, including HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa, whilst they were on the go, keeping friends and family updated on their whereabouts along the way.
Members of the public who are interested in cycling or who have organised their own cycling ‘detours’ inspired by the film can upload pictures and videos of them and their friends exploring their local surroundings on HTC’s facebook page.
Stefan Streit, HTC’s VP of Marketing and Retail, EMEA, commented, “HTC shares its passion of being ‘quietly brilliant’ with cycling, an activity which is accessible to all - whether you’re looking for an eco-friendly mode of work transport, wanting to get fit or simply riding for leisure and fun. The HTC Detour film is designed to inspire our customers to embrace cycling by organising ‘detours’ in their own surroundings’ and encourage them to use their HTC devices to enhance these experiences.”

CHECK IT OUT

Mr Blue Sky

Sooooooooooooooo Exciting !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Velo Nation Reports :- Team Sky have announced their nine-man team for the 98th edition of the Tour de France, starting on 2 July at the Passage du Gois.

Bradley Wiggins, who came fourth in 2009 to equal the best ever Tour de France finish by a British rider, and recently won the prestigious Critérium du Dauphiné, will lead the squad which includes fellow Brits Geraint Thomas, who will be riding his third Tour de France, and Ben Swift who will be making his debut in the event.

Talented young Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen will make his second Tour de France appearance after last year's debut where he secured two podium finishes. Joining him will be Colombia's Rigoberto Urán, both having proved key strengths in the mountains at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

The line up features experienced Grand Tour riders including Spanish duo Juan Antonio Flecha, who will be making his ninth Tour de France appearance, and Xabier Zandio, who has previously ridden in the event five times. They will be joined by Germany's reigning Road Race Champion Christian Knees, who will be riding in his ninth Grand Tour, and Simon Gerrans, previous stage winner in all three Grand Tours.

Tour de France squad named
Team Sky have also revealed that all kit, bikes, equipment and vehicles will change from blue to green for all 21 stages of the race to help raise awareness and support for Sky Rainforest Rescue, a three year partnership between Sky and WWF to help save a billion trees in the state of Acre, northwest Brazil.



Teamwork
All of the riders, with the exception of Swift who has sprinted to five stage wins already this season, helped Wiggins to his impressive victory in the Dauphiné earlier this month and Team Principal Dave Brailsford explained: "This is a strong and balanced team with a real depth of talent to cater for all the race's challenges, from the team time trial to its high mountain finishes.

"The squad have raced and trained together consistently well and are full of confidence after excellent results at Bayern Rundfhart and the Critérium du Dauphiné.

"There is a great blend of experience and youth in our squad. As well as riders like Bradley, Flecha, Simon, Christian and Xabier who have ridden the Grand Tours on numerous occasions, the line up also includes some of the peloton's brightest young talents in Edvald, Geraint, Rigoberto and Ben. We have a really exciting team that can't wait for 2 July."

Brailsford is particularly looking forward to Swift's first appearance in cycling's blue riband event, adding: "I am delighted that Ben Swift will be making his Tour debut, he is enjoying a breakthrough season with five wins already and he will absolutely thrive on this opportunity to test himself on the biggest stage of all."

Relishing the challenge
The action gets under way in little over a week and the riders themselves head to the race full of confidence following those recent successes, with Dauphiné hero Wiggins confirming: "The team is in great shape, full of confidence and riding well.

"We all want to put on a good show for our fans as their support for the team throughout this season has been incredible. It's going to be a great three weeks of racing."

That was echoed by Swift who told us: "Competing in the Tour de France is what every young rider dreams of and I'm really excited about the challenge ahead. The team is riding well and we can't wait to get going against the world's best riders."

Cycling Upgrade

A major revamp of cycling could put the sport on a par with the Premier League, says Garmin-Cervelo's director.

Jonathan Vaughters, who is president of the Association of Pro Tour and Pro Continental teams, has given BBC Sport a 10-point plan to rebrand cycling.

"If you look at cycling's demographic it should be infinitely more successful than it is," said Garmin's Vaughters.

"It should be on the level of Premier Football. The Tour de France is maybe the world's greatest sporting event."

Doping has cast a giant shadow over cycling and the UCI - the sport's governing body - has until 24 March to appeal against the overturning of Alberto Contador's one-year doping ban by the Spanish federation.

While admitting that doping is cycling's "Achilles heel", former professional rider Vaughters mounted a rigorous and passionate defence of a sport he calls "human F1 car racing" and the "exploration of the ultimate in human performance".

"Cycling has introduced the most strict enforcement of anti-doping regulations of any sport, so you will always see more people caught," said the Garmin-Cervelo chief.

"Cycling is absolutely transparent. What do you prefer - struggling with scandals but with a fair competition, or do you want to bury the scandal and the competition is unfair?"

As a way of boosting the anti-doping fight, Vaughters called for teams to be given long-term entry to the Tour de France in return for a significant donation to combat doping.


Garmin's Vaughters is also the ACIGP president
At present teams are given entry on an annual basis, but Vaughters believes a deal of five, 10 or 15 years could help provide cycling with financial stability and also beat the drugs cheats.

"Guaranteed participation could help teams generate more sponsorship," said Vaughters. "In return teams would be obliged to donate 20% of new money to combat doping."

The Garmin-Cervelo director argues such a proposal could generate a donation of up to 50m euros for anti-doping initiatives over a five-year period.

Vaughters put the proposal to the UCI soon after his election as president of the Association of Pro Tour and Pro Continental teams (AIGCP) in 2009, but never heard back from the sport's governing body.

"The UCI's willingness to hear and give credence to ideas put forward is fairly limited," added Vaughters, who is unhappy that he has so little say in the running of the sport, despite representing 28 teams and over 3,000 employees.

"My ability to vote on any regulation is essentially nil. The AIGCP is cycling's biggest stakeholder, but has no power to veto new regulations. That is ineffective governance."

The AIGCP is already in dispute with the UCI over its ban on radio communication in races and has threatened to boycott the Tour of Beijing in October if the sport's governing body does not withdraw its veto by 1 May.

"This a team sport that is conducted at 80/kmh," added Vaughters. "If we are going to have a modern sport there has to be communication and just as importantly that rule was introduced without speaking to anyone in the field.

"The regulations are limiting creativity, intelligence and engineering. There is so much more that could be done to improve cycling, but we're being held back by decision making."

Vaughters' 10-point plan to reinvigorate cycling:

1. More races of the highest level outside of Europe.

2. Consistent, understandable formats for cycling fans.

3. Long-term guaranteed entry to the Tour de France for professional teams.

4. More focus on prevention of doping, in the first place, as opposed to catching cheats.

5. More team-time trials more often.

6. Technical innovation, such as cameras on bikes, inside cars, helmets, inside team buses to make the "craziness and danger of the peloton more real to the viewer".

7. Equipment innovation to see if the the smartest team wins sometimes, rather than the strongest.

8. Open radios to the public and listen to your favourite team and what they are doing.

9. GPS tracking of individual riders to make races fun to watch.

10. Have an understandable and consistent way of determining the best rider in the world and the best team in the world. That might mean riders have to ride Paris-Roubaix, and if they do not finish they would be docked points.

Article by John Sinnott on BBC Website

She stoops to conquer - The Femule

Way back in 2005 I first saw a young 23 year old female called Victoria Pendalton. She would not have looked out of place on the front page of any glamour magazine or stood next to David Craig on a film set.
However this was no glamour girl, this was a serious ‘butt kicking’ track cyclist clad in Lycra.

I found myself admiring her shapely legs, not for the obvious aesthetic quality, but for the serious horse power that lay beneath the surface.
Underneath an over sized helmet there was another similarly impressive quality, a steely resolve to succeed.
Since that time she has featured in more glamour magazines than those dedicated to cycling and I’m sure Mr Craig is still drumming his fingers in anticipation.
She has also obtained a large number of gongs, bronze, silver and lots of the gold ones.

The thing that has impressed me most about Ms Pendalton is how she has changed women’s cycling. It is something that I applaud wholeheartedly and something that I am very grateful for

For years the fairer sex appeared to be content with propelling their comfortable, aesthetic conveyances over the cobbled streets, or to the other end of the village.
Baskets and panniers would act as a storage facility for both household shopping and retail therapy. Speeds were governed not by ability, but by conversation and the ability to pass the time of day with welcoming gestures.
Accompanying clothes were not chosen by the bikes colour, saddle or frame dimensions but by what felt right.

Don’t get me wrong there were a small number of female cyclists on Sunday club run.

Although they were always welcome they were seen as ‘One of the guys’ and never taken seriously in their own right. They were also anonymous, constrained by male machismo and of a desire to conform.

Now when I take part in sportives I see a marked increase in the percentage of women taking part. There is no way that they could be described as being ‘one of the guys’.
I usually end up admiring their legs in the same way as I did with Ms Pendleton……when they fly past me !!!!!

These are often sassy girls with attitude, who will pull at the front, box you in, and shell you out of a chain gang like an errant pea on a dinner plate.
They don’t need to ask the question ‘Does my bum look too big’.

By regularly taking part in such events, this is one sport that helps subdue such a question.
You are more likely to strike up a conversation about cadence, power weight ratios and the new Sidi race shoe range.

Our ‘Travels with my mule’ cycling team has its fair share of women who all keep us in check.
Joanne my partner used to go shopping on a weekend on her dutch town bike.
The thought of covering herself with Lycra and being locked into pedals for five hours appeared as attractive as cleaning the cooker. Four years later she now has 1000’s of miles in her legs including a number of Century rides. She commutes to work by bike, and can change an inner tube in less than five minutes without breaking a nail.
She spends more time on the Internet looking for cycling gear than she does looking at anything else and can always give me give a run for my money on any flat course that we cycle.
She is also as feminine as it comes.

I am reliably informed that the wives and girlfriends of some of our Mules have thought about

getting on their bikes.

Well the message is clear

Our stable door is always open !!!!!!

Become a FeMULE

We are going on a Bear Hunt

When my children were younger I used to read to them avidly- like most dads.
One of the stories I liked most, which fortunately they enjoyed too was 'Going on a Bear Hunt'. For the uninitiated its about a journey through a variety of different terrains and the regular proclamation that fear was not on the agenda, well something like that.

Well last Saturday brought a similar Journey. I was joined by Simon and we decided to head North.

Not North as say, North into the Wolds. But north and north again.
Into and over the Wolds, across the Vale of York, Dalby Forrest and onto the Wild North Yorkshire Moors.
I was quite content that no large fury mammal was going to be able to out pace me, but with the weather forecast threatening the warmest day of the year, and strong south westerly breezes I was slightly concerned about the rigours of the road.

The plan was to cycle to Grosmont, to get the steam train back to Pickering and then get a lift back home.

As Simon had not been through Dalby Forrest I thought it would be a good idea to include it in our schedule. On my map it showed a turn off midway through the Forrest that cut through to the moor, so it was not too much of a diversion.
Dalby Forrest is used by Mountain Bikers and is often the host for the National Mountain biking championships. On a weekend it is bustling with our 'wide tyred' colourful cousins especially at weekends. Although we are all cyclists their appearance, language and gestures are very different I guess the closest comparison would be between skiers and snowboarde.It pretty much consists of great climbs and eye watering descents even on the black top roads which are used to access the myriad of Forrest trails.

After about ten miles into the Forrest I was starting to feel the fatigue of a weeks cycling and there was as much 'grunt' as gradient and we had not even come to our turn off.
A few miles further we exited the Forrest which definitely was not supposed to happen.

A friendly ranger stopped and pointed out to us that the turning we were looking for was one of the mountain bike tracks, which eventually turned into a road.

I don't like the word 'Eventually.

Its a long word with too many letters, it takes more than a second to say. In my mind it often describes something a task or journey that is harder and longer than is anticipated.

I was reminded of my Bear song ....... 'You cant go over it, you cant go under it.........you have to go through it'

Simon and I both looked at our brand new tyres and decided that common sense/ cowardice should prevail. We would retrace our tracks and enter the moor on a more conventional road.
The A169!!!!!

All though this road was conventional in that it was made of tarmac it had been adapted to ensure that any cyclist would end up with blistered hands and a numb bum. There were pot holes ever few feet and the surface felt like it had been covered with golf balls
Added to that the road was steep, testing and winding in the same direction as the wind which meant that our speed nullified any cooling effect of the wind - making it very hot.

The views were breathtaking though and there were no bears, although this is where they filmed 'An American Werewolf in London'.

With our earlier detour we had added on an extra 20 miles so we decided to stop at Goathland or for TV viewers Aidensfield (Heartbeat)

All in all it was a great ride, I just love going on the moors.

SKINS

Sunday saw my first proper evaluation of my new skins clothing.

I have agreed to do a cross section of rides to fully test out the clothing during the Tour de France.

This will take in some of the features of a tour. My assignment is as follows:-

Week 1: Time Trial (15km over a flat route)
Week 2: Hill stage (120km which takes in two hills – one between 5 and 8% and the other between 10 and 12%. Neither should be any more than 5km of climbing)
Week 3: Road stage (150km flat route)

On Sunday I completed the Time Trial. I completed the ride in 26'15" with an average speed of 21.3 mph. My evaluation is as follows:-

Bib Shorts
What I wear over my engine is the most important piece of cycling clothing for me.

Whether you wear shorts or bib shorts if you are not comfortable, getting any rhythm is nigh on impossible and it can can ruin your ride experience.

Having large quads I do find all my bib shorts too restrictive on the lower leg hem, which often has grippers or some form of localised elasticity.

With skins the material does the work unaided, hugging the leg rather than strangling it and making it feel warm and secure.

I don't know what Multi-D Anatomic Carbonium means in describing the chamois but its net effect was like sitting on a feathered cushion, a feeling I like, but rarely experience outside my lounge.

At the same time there was no unwanted movement within the saddle.

The material felt good to the touch and was sympathetic with all movement.

These get 10/10 in my book

Base layer tank top

I have always been a wearer of compression type undergarments and for me this was an area where I could make significant comparisons. The skins base layer was far thinner and more breathable than the competition yet it still retained compression qualities in the right places. On such a hot day I would have expected to felt as if I were being 'poached' but the garment seemed to have a cooling effect.
I wish they sent me two! I have not seen anything like it on the market.

These get 11/10 !!!!!

Short Sleeved Jersey

After ensuring that I had chosen the right size my first impressions of this garment was that it was too small for my barrel chested frame and I was overcome with a sense of disappointment.

However this feeling was short lived.

This is compression clothing of the highest order.

Made up of a number of different panels the material is designed to move the way your body does and in the same direction. Its not just a design concept that you get to read on the box you can actually feel it.

With meshed under arm vents, reflective logo and vertical pockets at the rear it also oozed style. The material was silky to the touch and felt great inside and out.

For me it was not the most flattering of garments to wear but that's about the manikin and not about the garment.

These get 9/10

Summary

Skins are pretty much how they are described, like a second skin.

If you closed your eyes for a moment it would not be implausible to believe you were riding naked apart from wearing a helmet. The price range is competitive with top of the range cycling clothing but with a lot more to offer.

Mark Renshaw gets the nod for me

Race director's rant over Mark Renshaw 'headbutts' was plain wrong

report by Brenden Gallagher of The Telegraph

'It may be just a coincidence but Sebastien Chabal – known as The Animal in these parts – was the Tour's guest of honour on Thursday and it was a joy to see the look on his face when asked about the Mark Renshaw "headbutts" after Mark Cavendish's win. Child's play compared with what you see every week in French club rugby.
Officially of course the rugged French back-five forward could not approve or be over enthusiastic but the twinkle in his eyes and smile told another tale. Chabal is no stranger to the dark arts himself and clearly approved of a man who looks after his own in such a determined fashion.
Chabal's reaction was not isolated. As you might expect the debate is raging and a couple of points keep emerging that are probably worth reiterating.

Firstly Renshaw is one of the sanest, soundest and best blokes in the peloton with no previous. He is much respected for his bike handling and generally safe approach to the full-on sprint finishes we love to see. He is paid a lot of money to deliver his man – Mark Cavendish – safely to the line, the emphasis being on safely because you have to finish to win. A crash or racing incident is the last thing he wants. There has to be a reason why he acted in such a manner and we should probably give a bit more credence to his explanation. He at least deserved a hearing.
To my mind it was totally unacceptable for the Tour's technical commissioner Jean-Francois Pescheux to rant like a man who has had too much sun just minutes after the incident, boasting that he only needed one viewing of the incident to decide that Renshaw had to be thrown off the Tour.



Excuse me. Such a huge decision with ramifications for Renshaw's future career and Mark Cavendish's green jersey hopes needed to be made in an air conditioned room after a couple of Perriers following an examination of everything went on. Two riders got a mere 400 euro fine over the weekend after a couple of hours of inquest for an ugly stand-up find the other day at the end of the stage. A summary ejection warranted a tad more investigation surely?

Pescheux remember is the guy who made that shocking call on the hoof last week when he allowed Fabian Cancellara and senior members of the peloton to persuade him that there should be no racing on the Spa stage and that the sprinters should not be allowed to compete for points at the end of a stage when conditions were fine and a large crowd awaited. He seems a bit of a maverick at the very least.

To these eyes Julian Dean – looking really fit and fast on this tour by the way – nonetheless shaped to cut across Renshaw fractionally before he had earned the right and it was that provoked the Aussie who was leading out Cavendish hard on the left hand barriers. On close inspection of the video the three butts – not two please note Mr Pescheux – were clearly aimed at Dean's shoulder in what seems a legitimate attempt to get Dean to back off.

Within the rules Renshaw, or any other rider, is not allowed to take his hands of the handlebars although if you study any bunch finish in detail you will see pushing, shoving and quite frequently punching. Indeed you will see a proper tete a tete in most finishes as well. The cycling press is full of such pictures.

It's a jungle out there and that's why we love the sprints and crashes are replayed ad-infinitum and it doesn't sit well when the law makers ssuddnely tart getting all pious. It is all part of the sport.

Exhausted and frazzled by nearly five hours in the saddle on a day when the temperature soared into the mid 40s Renshaw overreacted and should have been disciplined in some way but the margins are very thin when extreme sportsmen are racing flat out. The aftermath was surely the time for cool heads to come together'

Of course this is does not reflect the total harmony between our antipodean cousins who are renowned for there good sportsmanship and competitive edge.

Commentators are calling Renshaws (Aussie) movement a 'headbutt'.

I am certain If they had ever been victim to such a movement they might revise their terminology. I saw it as a legitimate reminder to Dean (NZ) that he was impinging on Renshaws line. (like sailing into Botany bay without a Visa). I admired his stance and was pleased to see him stick up for himself. I would have expected nothing less and he can be my lead out man any day.

As far as the later blocking of Tyler Farrar is concerned I do concede that he blocked the Americans line, but no more or less than we see everyday in these sorts of sprints. It was only because his original transgression was micro analysed that this was too. Cavendish had already been released and had the stage wrapped up.

Skins

Over the past decade sports clothing has changed considerably and has played an increasingly more significant part in performance.

As well as the obvious aerodynamic qualities it has been recognised that the tension of clothing on the skin can also directly effect physical performance.

I have been wearing a compression vest under my cycle jersey for a couple of years without the full knowledge of the total benefits.

My motivation was pure vanity as it went some was to disguising my middle aged spread.
I did however always feel more comfortable which in turn made me feel more compact and efficient.


A few weeks ago I was contacted by a fellow cyclist who asked me if I would be willing to trial out the new cycling Range C400 from 'Skins'.
I instantly recognised the company name as being in the forefront of sports clothing Technology.


I am not totally sure why I was asked, but I needed little time to consider.
It also gave me the incentive to do some research into the subject, the evidence is very compelling.

As I was cycling home from work today I knew that my skins parcel was going to be waiting for me so I decoded to cycle as fast as I could, all be it on my more demanding hill route.
As I started climbing I noticed a old man on a tourer carrying two large panier's.

He was about 400 meters behind me.
To my surprise within minutes I was aware of his presence directly behind me.
I was not aware of any retired 'Tour de France' winners in Hull and felt deflated, after all I was going full tilt.
I dug deeper and pushed harder..........still he was behind me.

By this time I was burring myself and knew I could not sustain the pace.

Cockily he then eased up beside me and said 'Good Afternoon'
I was always taught to respect my elders, but there was a passing thought that I might just nudge him off balance. Before the thought had fully registered in the darker side of my brain my attention was drawn to one of his panier's.

It appeared to contain a large battery with wires that travelled up to the front wheel which looked oddly peculiar. His feet were moving at a fraction of my own, but his right hand was skillfully pushing his throttle to the maximum.

'Good afternoon Fabian' I replied but I think the joke was lost on him.

When I got home my parcel awaited me and I frantically opened it with the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning.

Three beautifully boxed items greeted me.
A tank base layer, a short sleeved jersey and some bib shorts.
My initial impressions were that they oozed quality.

I had chosen the sizes from the size guide on the website as instructed.
Usually size guides for cycling clothing are just that 'Guides'.
I have previously purchased jerseys sized XXXL which would barley fit a 7 year old boy.
In this case the guide was perfect.
Without hesitation I decided to wear my new garments to watch the highlights of the Tour de France. It seemed the right thing to do.
I cant wait to test them for real.

Thank you Matt

Sir Lancelot and the bikes of the round table

With our host nation knocked out of the World cup there are some very long faces at work -all except mine.

Don't get me wrong I am as Patriotic as the next man , but somehow I just don't 'get it' with football.

Some may accuse me of being a snob, trying to distance myself from some of our more traditional supporters.

The ones who would have difficulty spelling 'England' and who really believe that a guy called 'George' actually killed a dragon.

I guess I like my patriotic leanings to get behind sports with a more gladiatorial element to it, where beauty and brutality share the same table.

Having been brought up playing Rugby I soon realised the importance of 'giving blood'.

I remember it was way before my first visit to the official blood donor caravan, with the anticipation of Tea, biscuits and the smile of a pretty nurse.

With 'Rugby' broken limbs halted performance, not negotiated expenses or ruined perms.

Fortunately at that time I never owned a Road bike or had any knowledge, understanding or inclination to get into road cycling.

If I had I am sure I would never have drunk a Yard of ale or learned the words to vulgar rugby songs.

Being concerned about my apparent cheeriness one of my long faced colleagues asked me what sport I really liked to watch.

when I replied 'Tour cycling' he laughed.

For clarification he asked 'You mean you like to watch a load of guys ride from A to B in a series of races'

'That's precisely what I mean' I answered

Feeling for the poor chap I asked him to take a seat and tried to sell my new beloved product.

The Tour de france is gladiatorial and complex, there are alliances made and broken, there are conquests and sacrifices.

There is rich pageantry and symbolism.

There is blood....lots of it, sweat too ..........and for some tears.

It is all contested behind the most magnificent, moving backdrop of assorted terrains, elements and support.
There are Captains of Fortune, foot soldiers and supreme tacticians.

Then there is hype, scandal and spinning of a totally different type.

One of the more interesting sub plots is the battle between the current Champion Alberto Contador (perceived as unbeatable by many) and the Master himself Sir Lancelot with his knights of the radio shack team.

After being beaten by Contador last year Armstrong said of his pretender 'He has a lot to learn'. Somehow I believe that Lance wants to be teacher to.

After just the first days prologue which was less than ten miles there were so many talking points.

Lance Armstrong surprisingly beat all of his GC Contenders and fired a warning over the handle bars of the Astana Leader -Contador.

1-0 Armstrong.

Contador stating that he was disappointed with his performance.

His manager stupidly stating the Armstrong would not be able to match the Spaniard in the Mountains.

2-0 Armstrong (If that's what you think - Why say it? Especially after his leaders recent exploits in the Dauphine)

Alberto must be sick of the sight of the Radio shack jersey.

Whilst climbing the L'Alpe d'Huez in the Criterium du Dauphine he was shadowed by Armstrongs climbing scout Jani Brajkovic and dispite 6 energy sapping attempts he was unable to dislodge him.

If you take that into consideration I make that

3-0 to Armstrong.

Anyway as we all know, its a game of two halves, and its not all over till the fat lady sings.

She is not due on stage for a few weeks yet !!!!!!

With major crashes on the following two days and EVERY GC rider hitting the deck at least once, I think that I have found my new Gladitorial Sport and the only thing that I can really predict is compulsive viewing.

Edvald Boasson Hagen - The skys the Limit

Although close to 50 years old I am a relative novice to cycling, only taking it more seriously in the last few years. In many respects I feel that the same could be said about British cycling.
For years our achievements have been rare and have in some way provided a novelty factor for the garlic munchers across the English Channel.
Call me ignorant but winning the odd prologue does not count for me.
As I watched the cycling classics and grand tours I also used to play 'Spot the Brit'.
It was a difficult challenge, but I soon worked out that if you watched the support cars you might spot one. They were the domestiques, the ones fetching fresh water bottles.
Never expecting things to change my allegiances went to the US riders and my unashamed hero Lance Armstrong.
Then came along a certain David Brailsford who transformed British Track Cycling and gave us all household names to look up to.
Garden sheds were revisited and tyres were reinflated.
People suddenly took to the road and liked it and the best part was it was free.
Despite the recession cycle sales are now soaring.
That's obvious you might say........ people are buying bikes to go to work in to save fuel cost.
I fully accept that - but the actual biggest area of cycle sales are the top end performance bikes.
Every Weekend the roads are strewn with cycles taking part in events which are multiplying throughout the country. I used to have to travel half a day to enter an event, now there is always something local
With the Success of Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins at this years Tour de France, British cyclists are now having water bottles brought to them, and quite right too.........
The Sky is the Limit
Next year we have the new Sky Team to look forward to.
The new team, funded by broadcasters BSkyB, will be managed by Brailsford, the GB performance director who was responsible for delivering 34 medals at the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.
Having the top British cyclists training together should improve chances of success on the road at future World Championships and Olympic Games.
Team Sky squad so far:
Kurt Arvesen - 34, from Norway; has won stages of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia and will be a mentor for young riders; part of Saxo Bank squad that included 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and Frank and Andy Schleck.
John Lee Augustyn - 23, from South Africa; Barloworld team-mate of Thomas and Froome during 2008 Tour de France; has potential to be a great climber.
Edvald Boasson Hagen - 22, from Norway; currently sits third in the UCI rankings, having won a stage in this year's Giro d'Italia.
Kjell Carlstrom - 32, from Finland; a specialist climber, he has ridden all three Grand Tours and is a stage winner in Paris-Nice.
Steve Cummings - 28, from Birkenhead; part of pursuit teams that won gold at 2005 World Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2004 Olympics.
Russell Downing - 31, from Rotherham; winner of 2009 Tour of Ireland; one of the most successful ever GB-based professionals.
Juan Antonio Flecha - 31, from Spain; has 10 years' professional experience, including a Tour de France stage win in 2003; known as a Classics specialist.
Chris Froome - 24, born in Nairobi, Kenya; became British-registered in 2008; has completed two Tours de France.
Simon Gerrans - 29, from Australia; has won stages of all three Grand Tours this year and the 2008 Tour Down Under.
Greg Henderson - 31, from New Zealand; world scratch race champion on the track in 2004; has recorded nine victories with Columbia in 2009, including the Tour of Spain.
Peter Kennaugh - 20, from Isle of Man; British Under-23 Champion who is dominating the Under-23 calendar in Italy; partnered fellow Manxman Mark Cavendish in madison at 2009 world track championships.
Thomas Lovkvist - 25, from Sweden; a five-year pro who wore the leader's jersey during this year's Giro d'Italia as part of Columbia HTC squad and could contend for overall tour wins.
Lars Petter Nordhaug - 25, from Norway; former mountain-biker who switched to the road and became Norwegian national champion; runner-up to Russell Downing in the 2009 Tour of Ireland.
Morris Possoni - 25, from Italy; wore the best young rider jersey during the 2008 Giro d'Italia as part of the Columbia squad.
Ian Stannard - 22, from Chelmsford; came third in 2008 Tour of Britain and rode 2009 Giro d'Italia.
Geraint Thomas - 23, from Cardiff; youngest rider in 2007 Tour de France; won gold in team pursuit at Beijing Olympics
I am sure that once their contracts have expired that Cavendish and Wiggins will also be joining this Team.
In the meantime there is a certain Viking who may keep us Anglo Saxons on our Toes
'Edvald Hagen'.
He is just about to win the Tour of Britain and has some real star quality.


Lance Armstrong says Britain's Team Sky cycling team can succeed in Tour de France and that
the formation of Team Sky is "a great step forward for cycling".
"A few years ago if you had said that the British Cycling Federation (now British Cycling) is going to dominate the Olympic Games people would have said 'no way' but Dave Brailsford and his entire team there has made amazing progress.
"Not only are they (Team Sky) going to be in the Tour de France, they are going to be a factor.
"It is good for cycling fans in Britain and cycling fans all over the world."

Of course you could always go up...again and again and again.......

Next Year maybe!!!!!!!!

What goes up............

Mark Cavendish, by Scott!!!! what a rider

For those of you not the least bit interested in the Tour de France I am sorry.

Normal blogging service will be resumed in about two and a half weeks, but until then there will definitely be a Tour de France Bias during the week!!!!!!
As compensation for this my Sunday blogs will be TDF free.
This year I have split loyalties, I desperately want 'Lance' to do well.
Too see him in yellow at any point would give me pure joy, to see him in Yellow in Paris would be just incredible.
I don't just want it for him, I think his success would reverberate in so many different ways. It would lift people during a bad global recession, It would massively promote the Livestrong foundation, but most of all its just great for cycling. His participation has taken the spotlight from more popular sports and brought cycling into a completely different league. The media frenzy and TV coverage this year is unprecedented.

I am also a massive fan of our own British Rider Mark Cavendish and his Columbia Team which includes George Hincapie another of my favorite riders.
I especially love the fact that he rides the same bike as me......It always makes me want to go fast

Fortunately Cavendish will not affect Lances chances and in reality the Columbia Team may unwittingly be helping Lance and Astana each day by keeping Cavendish in with a shout for the sprints.

'When journalists at the Tour de France ask me if I am the best sprinter, I answer 'Yes', and that's seen as arrogance, but if they don't ask me, I don't say I'm the best sprinter in the world'

Mark Cavendish

I would love to see Mark Cavendish and Lance Armstrong on the podium together in Paris. One in yellow and one in Green.

Differing percpectives

Summer blockbuster - Who says that the Western is Dead?

Each summer Hollywood gets itself ready to present us with Movie blockbusters.
Films to move us, frighten us, and excite us.
To invite us to work out who are the goodies, the baddies and the bit part supporting actors.
Each film Production company is vying for our attention, and trying to steal a march on its rivals. Kids get excited and some parents too, using their children as vehicles to attend darkened Cinemas with Dolby sound, reliving their youth.

This year there is a new foreign production that is taking us all by storm. Its a real 'film Noir' in full Technicolour, giving the lighting engineers a real hangover with the fast moving sshadows.
The 2009 Tour de France.
Only 4 days in we have had everything
Exotic locations, beautiful weather and a Fantastic plot.
There has been blood, sweat, and tears.
Breakdowns, breakups and breakaways.
Tested loyalties, marriages, divorce, and further marriages of convenience.
Its a true epic.
Comparable with 'How the West was won'

With Lance Armstrong taking up the leading role pulling 'his' Astana wagon train across the french Riviera chased by the froggies.

I like his black helmet. its a cleaver rouse.

Baddies were meant to wear black hats and goodies white, but we all know that hats are removed on the podium.

I am loving it.
Of course I have only seen the rushes, and after vigorous editing, all my expectations may end up on the editing room floor. I am a bit concerned about the double dealing Spaniard with a name too similar to that of a large vulture. He is wearing a white hat.
In the mean time for those who love the thrill of the chase I attach some footage from a previous year.

We all cycle for different reasons

Some just do it better than others

Go Lance go...........................

He may not be the leader of the Astana Team or the wearer of the yellow jersey at the end of the Tour, but he is what inspires me and thousands of others to ride.
Go Lance go..................

Wordless Wednesday

When I need motivation I just watch this and the pedals suddenly seem lighter....try it yourself

'Its not about the bike, or is it?'

When Lance Armstrong brought out his book 'Its not about the bike' .

I was totally sold on the message.

I often used the phrase when people blamed their bikes for poor performance or bad attitude.

Each time they winged on about their bikes or various parts of them, I was often rude and quite dismissive.

I would just say 'Its not about the bike'.

Now I find myself eating some of those words.

Furthrer more I wish to humbly apologise to all those I may have offended in the past.

Sometimes it is about 'the bike' !!!!!!

For Lance the application of his message was quite unique and personal and should be taken in that context.

It was about his personal bravery in fighting and beating cancer and was enough to inspire anybody. For Lance it did not stop there. He marched right back into the arena and embraced probably the most physically demanding sport in the world - and won.

Not once, but continuously for seven years despite the envy and hostility of the 'Garlic munchers'. It was a truly amazing achievement of defiance and dogged determination.

Through 'The Alps' and 'Pyrenees', passing miles of dazzling sunflower fields and onto the Arc de Triomphe to sip the champagne of victory.

I have always found it ironic that it was the french that gave the USA the Statue of Liberty , a symbol of Liberty and freedom. Yet it was the 'froggies', through L'Equipe ,that gave Lance no Freedom or Liberty, but they certainly took a few (Liberties that is).

In the title of his book Lance seemingly dismisses his 'mule' that took him so many miles, through the endurance of so much pain which accompanies such an event.

In reality he was just highlighting the more significant components of road racing - from the carriage (his bike), to the engine and the transmission (his engine and mindset)

Let Lance Explain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNJTDt9d6Kk

Now although I knew what it was all about, I do feel a bit of compassion for Lances bike?

I bet it was upset.
If I had written a book with such a title 'Scott' would have sulked forever and would never take me up any hills ever again.

I also think that the message does not always apply.

Maybe Lance should have shown some respect for his Mule

His bike was one part, of a dominating duo.

Tested in wind tunnels, every aspect of it was designed for both lightness and Aero dynamic qualities.

Built for speed rather than comfort it had the linear qualities of a stealth fighter with similar pace.

The net result was something as light as a honey coated waffle, and just as sweet.

In the arena of professional road racing the difference between each bikes performance is minimal, you could swap all the bikes around with the riders and it would have very little effect on the result. But races are won and lost by seconds and the attention to detail is as important psychologically as it is practically.

Now with my bike its very different.

My Aluminium Scott s40 Speedster 2007.
It is wind tested in Britain's Northerly Gales. with its triple set, it is designed to get tubby men up big hills, as well as down the other side.

It is built for comfort rather than speed and has the linear qualities of a heavily laden beer truck.

It moves just as slowly up hill and as quickly down hill as if the hand brake were disengaged.

The net result is something as heavy as a large tub of Ben and Jerries, which we all know that once consumed, its not entirely good for you.

In the arena of amateur cycling the difference between each bikes performance is massive, you could swap all the bikes around and you would be surprised to see some 'donut eaters' well up the rankings.

In the amateur world Lance 'It is often about the bike' !!!!!!!!!!

When I was cycling in Texas I only used cool Lance type bikes.

My lowest average was 19 mph, with it being 20+ mph at times.

This was with my heart rate at an acceptable level.

On Scott my average usually only peaks at about 17 mph, when I spend half my ride in the red zone.

Now Lance might say that I should increase my power/weight ratio by loosing some lard.

He would agree that it would definitely make me go faster.

I would totally agree too.

So I have set myself a new challenge starting with a weigh in on Monday.

By the time I take part in my next major charity ride.

'Hotter than Hell' Texas in August

I want to be 40lbs lighter.

Having sampled the joy of heading a pace line I want more of it.

Once I had tasted the Champagne of the Champs Elysees,

Spring water now tastes a bit bland.

So now my head is full of new bikes, and dreams of wearing my own yellow jersey
With an empty wallet and biting recession, I am not quite ready to sell my soul to the devil.

There must be a way.

I could contact my benevolent brother Paddy and volunteer to ride as his full time domestique in the greatest traditions of team racing.

He would surely not have me riding a shoeless mule.

What a great idea

Paddy The Scott CR 1 Team would be just the ticket.

Cheers Bros

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huEnJUzq8EU