addicted2wheels
A blog about bikes, bike racing and physiological research.Hi, I'm Rob, and this is a wandering diatribe of sorts, focused on the very real, human existential tragedy that is/was my cycling career. Yeah, yeah, I still ride, but not quite like I used to. Now I'd love to do 700km weeks again, sure, but somehow I don't think so. It's just not gonna happen. 100km weeks, yep; maybe even 200km. But that doesn't mean I can't bore you to tears with my 'life history on the bike'. It's optional, though. I was sucked into the vortex with my first ride on a too-large Alcon 28" fixed wheeler, and haven't stopped riding since.
Bikes are magic carpets - they were when I was 16 and remain so today (and I'm much older now!). You get on a bike and - unlike a car or motorbike - you empower the machine. In return you get a buzz out of achieving something physical, pleasurable and testing. You may still like driving a car, but riding a bike puts you in touch with the air, the temperature, shade and sun; it connects you, rather than isolating you in a steel and glass cocoon. But this blog could just as well be about business, music, mythology, philosophy, photography or art...
You can check the lot out right here.
Whatever fits: if it has a recommended torque setting, can be imagined or digitised, it's in.
Yes! I'm totally loopy and want to buy a gtveloce.com large mug!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Don't we all know that feeling?
From CN, quoting Cancellara after his breakaway stage win in the Tour of Switzerland: "Kim Anderson was shouting to me that I had to keep going strong, to go for it, go for it, but in my head I was thinking, 'where is this finish line?' I knew that the sprinters behind me would accelerate to 70 kilometres per hour whereas me, on my bike computer, I wasn't even doing 60. So I was a bit scared and was wondering where the hell the finish was."
Don't we all know that feeling of impending capture? You've gone first a long way out and are just hoping the bunch doesn't catch you before the line. Except if it was me I'd be going well under 50kmh, it would be a crit and the bunch sprinters would be lucky to crack 60, if that. It still matters!
Don't we all know that feeling of impending capture? You've gone first a long way out and are just hoping the bunch doesn't catch you before the line. Except if it was me I'd be going well under 50kmh, it would be a crit and the bunch sprinters would be lucky to crack 60, if that. It still matters!
Labels: Cancellara, Tour de Suisse
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Cancellara confirms
Both Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico are done and dusted, with respectively Rebellin and Cancellara taking overall honours. From CN: Italian Francesco Chicchi won the final stage of the 43rd Tirreno-Adriatico, 176 kilometres starting and ending in San Benedetto del Tronto. The 27 year-old of Team Liquigas out-sprinted Italy's Danilo Napolitano (Lampre) and Great Britain's Mark Cavendish (High Road) to win on the seaside roads. Team CSC controlled the day to ensure Fabian Cancellara kept the overall leader's maglia azzurra, which he gained two days ago after winning the time trial. The Swiss, who today celebrated his 27th birthday, won the race with 16 seconds over Italian Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld).
Just to look at the sprinters for a moment, in this last stage of T-A Robbie McEwen looked to run out of puff in the sprint - perhaps just went a tad too early. Petacchi didn't seem to try at all, and Cavendish was lost without his team-mates (they crashed) but recovered. Zabel was there, just, and Cooke was close by. The top 12 results looked like this:
1 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 4.50.50 (36,309 km/h)
2 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team High Road
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto
5 Danilo Hondo (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
6 Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare
7 Alexandre Usov (Blr) AG2r - La Mondiale
8 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
9 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
10 Baden Cooke (Aus) Barloworld
11 Mickael Delage (Fra) Française des Jeux
12 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
It's a long way to go before July, but it'll rattle along soon enough. Well before then we'll see who is firing at San Remo, won't we... Freire or Petacchi? Bettini or Di Luca?
Just to look at the sprinters for a moment, in this last stage of T-A Robbie McEwen looked to run out of puff in the sprint - perhaps just went a tad too early. Petacchi didn't seem to try at all, and Cavendish was lost without his team-mates (they crashed) but recovered. Zabel was there, just, and Cooke was close by. The top 12 results looked like this:
1 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 4.50.50 (36,309 km/h)
2 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Lampre
3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team High Road
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto
5 Danilo Hondo (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
6 Ariel Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) CSF Group Navigare
7 Alexandre Usov (Blr) AG2r - La Mondiale
8 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
9 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
10 Baden Cooke (Aus) Barloworld
11 Mickael Delage (Fra) Française des Jeux
12 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
It's a long way to go before July, but it'll rattle along soon enough. Well before then we'll see who is firing at San Remo, won't we... Freire or Petacchi? Bettini or Di Luca?
Labels: Cancellara, Tirreno
Monday, March 17, 2008
Cancellara and Freire on form
Back to Tirreno-Adriatico and Freire has the form to win a hill-climb sprint, whilst Cancellara has the power and fitness to recover from yesterday's TT win and hang with the sprinters (a bit like last year's TdF) and defend his lead on GC.
From CN:Luis Felipe Laverde (CSF Group Navigare) chased behind the trio at 10 seconds. He was caught by the Liquigas and LPR led gruppo, where Daniele Pietropolli and Paolo Savoldelli pushed the rhythm for 'The Killer.' Gasparotto fired his missile at 1300 metres remaining. The Italian, clad in the maglia ciclamino of points leader, was solo before Cancellara closed the door to protect his GC lead. Di Luca led through the last curve and 'Pippo' Pozzato was able to come around, but on the back of the two Italians was Oscar the Cat. The Spaniard used the last 25 metres to take victory and put his name at the top of the list of Sanremo favourites.
Other sprinters like McEwen and Cavendish were over 11 minutes back - obviously not targeting this hill-top sprint.
From CN:Luis Felipe Laverde (CSF Group Navigare) chased behind the trio at 10 seconds. He was caught by the Liquigas and LPR led gruppo, where Daniele Pietropolli and Paolo Savoldelli pushed the rhythm for 'The Killer.' Gasparotto fired his missile at 1300 metres remaining. The Italian, clad in the maglia ciclamino of points leader, was solo before Cancellara closed the door to protect his GC lead. Di Luca led through the last curve and 'Pippo' Pozzato was able to come around, but on the back of the two Italians was Oscar the Cat. The Spaniard used the last 25 metres to take victory and put his name at the top of the list of Sanremo favourites.
Other sprinters like McEwen and Cavendish were over 11 minutes back - obviously not targeting this hill-top sprint.
Labels: Cancellara, Freire, Tirreno
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Le Tour de France 2007 - Stage 3 - an old style attack
Fabian Cancellera, we salute you! In a real blast from a now distant past yellow jersey Cancellara attacked the sprinters inside a kilometre to go, caught the break and held everyone off to the line. It was opportunistic, smart, brave... and very, very risky. It was a racer's move. These are the qualities that have been missing since Indurain began his systematic 5-tour assault on Le Tour, and missing in action during those 7 long, dark and clinically dull Armstrong years. If only this guy could climb!!
How did he do it? The day was long and slow, and he rested up front as the sprinters' teams pulled the break back. As they closed on their quarry they hit some pave and chose to slow rather than risk another pile-up. In that moment of hesitation the 2006 Paris-Roubaix champion realised his opportunity. A slowing pack, a break to chase, fresh legs and a chance to take a flyer, win the stage and grab some time bonuses. An opportunity, sure, but should the yellow jersey really dare to attack the peleton, especially when the sprinters are hungry for the win? Not for decades have we seen a champion like this, someone who dares to risk his yellow jersey with a brazen attack against the entire field. This was not an Indurain, carving away minutes in a TT and defending it grimly in the mountains; or a similarly dry and expressionless Big Tex taking on the mountain goats at the end of a hard stage. No, this was a Merckx or an Hinault, daring to take on all comers! As I said, if only he could grow wings and fly up the climbs as well!
In other news, Zabel managed to get 2nd with a trademark throw, and McEwen managed to get shut out by a wayward Robbie Hunter. It was a miserable day for the sprinters but a great day for cycling.
How did he do it? The day was long and slow, and he rested up front as the sprinters' teams pulled the break back. As they closed on their quarry they hit some pave and chose to slow rather than risk another pile-up. In that moment of hesitation the 2006 Paris-Roubaix champion realised his opportunity. A slowing pack, a break to chase, fresh legs and a chance to take a flyer, win the stage and grab some time bonuses. An opportunity, sure, but should the yellow jersey really dare to attack the peleton, especially when the sprinters are hungry for the win? Not for decades have we seen a champion like this, someone who dares to risk his yellow jersey with a brazen attack against the entire field. This was not an Indurain, carving away minutes in a TT and defending it grimly in the mountains; or a similarly dry and expressionless Big Tex taking on the mountain goats at the end of a hard stage. No, this was a Merckx or an Hinault, daring to take on all comers! As I said, if only he could grow wings and fly up the climbs as well!
In other news, Zabel managed to get 2nd with a trademark throw, and McEwen managed to get shut out by a wayward Robbie Hunter. It was a miserable day for the sprinters but a great day for cycling.
Labels: Cancellara, Le Tour
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Le Tour de France 2007 - the prologue
OK, it's finally on. Le Tour 2007. I'm sure there are some jokers in the pack that will remain hidden until weeks 2 and 3 but for now who's looking good on day one, the prologue?
The winner was prologue and TT specialist and current World TT champ Fabian Cancellara with a 13 second gap on overall contender Andreas Kloden. It's hard to imagine Kloden making that time up when the first week is pretty much dominated by the sprinters. He may nibble away at the lead with time bonuses, however. George Hincapie was next and will have the same problem as Kloden. Converted trackie Bradley Wiggins has some hope of chasing yellow but is also largely out of it now - just too far back. After Wiggins we have Gusev, Karpets and, back 30 seconds, Kloden's team-mate and contender Alexandre Vinokourov.
Vino is well placed to grab yellow in the Alps during week 2, if he wants it, but may sit back and wait for the Pyrenees. He will rise up the GC as the TT specialists fall back during weeks 1 and 2, so there's no panic. Dekker, Quinziato and first Frenchman Benoît Vaugrenard may have some hope if an escape takes them away in week 2. Vaugrenard may have July 14th in mind...
Zabriskie disappointed, and will have to hang on grimly from here. Then comes Gutierrez, a similarly disappointing David Millar (to be fair the prologue doesn't suit him as much as a longer TT), a surprising Mikel Astarloza - well positioned to climb up the GC in weeks 2 and 3 - and Alberto Contador. Similarly, Contador has a good platform for a GC assault when we get to the pointy bits. Then comes Velasco, Kashechkin and finally first Aussie and noted climber and longer-TT specialist Cadel Evans, back just 36 seconds. Evans is also well poised to climb up the GC in week 2 and perhaps make a play for the lead in the Pyrenees. He likes the HC climbs - the tougher the better - and may well give the likes of Vino and Kloden some hurry-up in week 3.
Also within a minute of the lead are Bonnet and Chavanel, so expect some July 14th fireworks from those two Frenchmen. Next is multiple World TT Champ and 2nd Aussie, Michael Rogers, followed by last year's 2nd place getter, maybe even 1st if Landis loses his title, Oscar Pereiro. Oscar won't be given the gift he got last year but it's good to see him so high up and ahead of several contenders. He has a point to prove. Both he and Rogers will rise up GC in week 2.
Notably we have climber and rapid descender Paolo Savoldelli at 39 secs, and contender Levi Leipheimer uncomfortably well behind the likes of Kloden and Vino, and with a smaller gap to Evans, Rogers and Pereiro. He'd like to be closer, I'm sure, but it's a long race and anything can happen. He looks top 10 at this stage.
Denis Menchov will be looking to improve as well at 40 secs back. After whom comes the first sprinter and former Green-jersey winner, Thor Hushovd at 41 secs. Too far back to take yellow, surely? If he wins every sprint in Week 1 he'll do it, but that's a big ask. He'll stand a great chance fo taking green again if he's consistent. Pozzato is close behind and interestingly placed, then Markus Fothen and contender Alejandro Valverde. Surely Valverde will need wings to make it past Kloden, Evans et al? He is supported by Pereiro, of course, or is he supporting Oscar?
Sprinter Daniele Bennati will have the same issues as Hushovd but is better placed than the electrifying Tom Boonen. Tom has something to prove, though, and will be looking to seize the day - or days - in the coming week. He'll be fired up. Petacchi's lead-out man and next Aussie Brett Lancaster was slightly disappointing in 42nd place - but presumably will be leading Zabel out in Petacchi's absence.
There are climbers and escape artists galore within a minute of the lead, of which any of them could mount a raid in weeks 2 or 3 and take yellow. Schleck, Popovych, Mayo and Zubeldia stand out but Merckx and Vasseur will have a go for sure. Chris Horner had a good ride too and can be expected to support Cadel Evans strongly in the mountains.
McEwen is just over the minute mark and really couldn't expect to grab yellow, but will look to get wins and be consistently placed in the green jersey comp. Freire is slightly ahead of him on GC and will be chasing the same goal, as will Hushovd and Boonen.
So a few surprises, but no suprise in Cancellara taking out the day's prize. He will be looking to keep yellow during week 1 by staying on the sprinters' collective wheel... before Kloden, Vino, Evans, Rogers, Leipheimer and Valverde take it up on the climbs.. with Pereiro looking to prove himself a worthy "winner" too it should be an interesting and wide-open race with some intriguing tactics developing in week 2.
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The winner was prologue and TT specialist and current World TT champ Fabian Cancellara with a 13 second gap on overall contender Andreas Kloden. It's hard to imagine Kloden making that time up when the first week is pretty much dominated by the sprinters. He may nibble away at the lead with time bonuses, however. George Hincapie was next and will have the same problem as Kloden. Converted trackie Bradley Wiggins has some hope of chasing yellow but is also largely out of it now - just too far back. After Wiggins we have Gusev, Karpets and, back 30 seconds, Kloden's team-mate and contender Alexandre Vinokourov.
Vino is well placed to grab yellow in the Alps during week 2, if he wants it, but may sit back and wait for the Pyrenees. He will rise up the GC as the TT specialists fall back during weeks 1 and 2, so there's no panic. Dekker, Quinziato and first Frenchman Benoît Vaugrenard may have some hope if an escape takes them away in week 2. Vaugrenard may have July 14th in mind...
Zabriskie disappointed, and will have to hang on grimly from here. Then comes Gutierrez, a similarly disappointing David Millar (to be fair the prologue doesn't suit him as much as a longer TT), a surprising Mikel Astarloza - well positioned to climb up the GC in weeks 2 and 3 - and Alberto Contador. Similarly, Contador has a good platform for a GC assault when we get to the pointy bits. Then comes Velasco, Kashechkin and finally first Aussie and noted climber and longer-TT specialist Cadel Evans, back just 36 seconds. Evans is also well poised to climb up the GC in week 2 and perhaps make a play for the lead in the Pyrenees. He likes the HC climbs - the tougher the better - and may well give the likes of Vino and Kloden some hurry-up in week 3.
Also within a minute of the lead are Bonnet and Chavanel, so expect some July 14th fireworks from those two Frenchmen. Next is multiple World TT Champ and 2nd Aussie, Michael Rogers, followed by last year's 2nd place getter, maybe even 1st if Landis loses his title, Oscar Pereiro. Oscar won't be given the gift he got last year but it's good to see him so high up and ahead of several contenders. He has a point to prove. Both he and Rogers will rise up GC in week 2.
Notably we have climber and rapid descender Paolo Savoldelli at 39 secs, and contender Levi Leipheimer uncomfortably well behind the likes of Kloden and Vino, and with a smaller gap to Evans, Rogers and Pereiro. He'd like to be closer, I'm sure, but it's a long race and anything can happen. He looks top 10 at this stage.
Denis Menchov will be looking to improve as well at 40 secs back. After whom comes the first sprinter and former Green-jersey winner, Thor Hushovd at 41 secs. Too far back to take yellow, surely? If he wins every sprint in Week 1 he'll do it, but that's a big ask. He'll stand a great chance fo taking green again if he's consistent. Pozzato is close behind and interestingly placed, then Markus Fothen and contender Alejandro Valverde. Surely Valverde will need wings to make it past Kloden, Evans et al? He is supported by Pereiro, of course, or is he supporting Oscar?
Sprinter Daniele Bennati will have the same issues as Hushovd but is better placed than the electrifying Tom Boonen. Tom has something to prove, though, and will be looking to seize the day - or days - in the coming week. He'll be fired up. Petacchi's lead-out man and next Aussie Brett Lancaster was slightly disappointing in 42nd place - but presumably will be leading Zabel out in Petacchi's absence.
There are climbers and escape artists galore within a minute of the lead, of which any of them could mount a raid in weeks 2 or 3 and take yellow. Schleck, Popovych, Mayo and Zubeldia stand out but Merckx and Vasseur will have a go for sure. Chris Horner had a good ride too and can be expected to support Cadel Evans strongly in the mountains.
McEwen is just over the minute mark and really couldn't expect to grab yellow, but will look to get wins and be consistently placed in the green jersey comp. Freire is slightly ahead of him on GC and will be chasing the same goal, as will Hushovd and Boonen.
So a few surprises, but no suprise in Cancellara taking out the day's prize. He will be looking to keep yellow during week 1 by staying on the sprinters' collective wheel... before Kloden, Vino, Evans, Rogers, Leipheimer and Valverde take it up on the climbs.. with Pereiro looking to prove himself a worthy "winner" too it should be an interesting and wide-open race with some intriguing tactics developing in week 2.
Labels: Cancellara, Tour de France
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