Blogs

Recently USACycling came out with guidelines regarding evaluating concussions among athletes in compettition. Some of you might remember the brief rant I went on last summer during the To8ur de France where Radioshack Nissan directors put Chris Horner back on his bike after he fell and rang his bell. Chris was on video asking how he got there, how long he'd been chasing, etc. I was apalled at this.Johan Bruyneel and the race doc were flat out irresponsible for putting Horner back on his bike. 

Ahhhh, at last, we are firmly into the racing season. This weekend is the famed Paris-Roubaix in France and the infamous Boulder-Roubaix here in Colorado. Both formidable races. It looks like Tom Boonen of the Quickstep team is the undeniable favorite for Paris-Roubaix. I personally would like to see a lesser rider like Juan Antonio Flecha or Alessandro Ballan take out the win on the velodrome at Roubaix. I'm a fan of the underdog. 

Welcome to spring. It seems that spring has indeed sprung here in CO. In many parts of the USA races are beginning. This weekend, we have our first event of the year here in Colorado. The Stazio criterium is being put on by the CU Boulder collegiate team. This is a famous/infamous/notorious race among Colorado cyclists.

A number of years ago, Velonews published an At The Back column about a guy who had been a lifetime commuter and had estimated, over the course of time, that he had ridden the equivalent of the mileage to the moon and back. Roughly 476,000mi. I remember reading that article and wondering how many miles I had ridden. So I went out and got a new heart rate monitor/cyclo-computer so I could start tracking my mileage.

That was 6yrs ago. In the intervening six years I’ve gone on to have a family, business, etc…but it got me to thinking.

I read a facebook from one of the boys recently complaining about the cold and the amount of trainer time they were accumulating AND trying to ride outside fully bundled. I can remember having those same feelings and wishing I could cut out for AZ, CA or FL. And some years I did. But, its not always feasible. Cross training is something that cyclists tend to be afraid of.

Phew! Finally the CAS panel handed down a long anticipated verdict regarding Alberto Contador. I, for one, am glad to see that they opted for a two year ban. However, I am massively disappointed that his suspension was back dated. I feel that the panel caved to pressure from other entities. Contador is very popular, has a lot of money and has friends in high places. I gotta say, I feel that this allowed for the decision to be delayed AND, ultimately, is the reason they backdated to decision too. 

There are typically two camps out there when it comes to weight lifting during the winter for cyclists; those who do and those who don’t. Every cyclist can benefit from an organized weight plan. During the course of a race season, a cyclist’s power diminishes as fatigue accumulates and bodily resources get spread thin. Many cyclists begin their racing season somewhere around March or April and continue with minimal breaks straight through September or October.