tourdelygon

2012-02-09T15:08:00.000+11:00

This makes Saturday mornings on Beach Road look pretty tame.

2012-02-08T17:55:00.001+11:00

Should bicycles be registered?

Alan Davies of Crikey blog The Urbanist writes:

Fairfax columnist Bruce Guthrie reckons there’s a case for compulsory registration of bicycles. He thinks rego "might at least begin to heal the rift between riders and motorists" by making cyclists more accountable for what he sees as their poor on-road behaviour.

The key downsides of registration are clear enough. It would impose an ongoing financial burden on households, it would very likely be a deterrent to cycling, and it would require considerable resources to administer. The politics are so horrendous it’s not likely to happen anyway (there are just too many households with multiple bicycles), but what I’m interested in is whether or not it would be good policy.

The theory is that registration would enable errant cyclists to be traced via their licence plate and justice meted out, but I’m hard pressed to see what the tangible benefits would be. Speeding is the most common traffic offence, so licence plates mean motorists captured on speed cameras can be tracked down, but speeding has very little relevance to cyclists. So the benefit of bicycle licence plates is massively diminished.

Most other traffic offences, such as failing to halt at a stop sign or driving under the influence, aren’t detectable by remote cameras. You have to be caught committing the offence by police who’re on the spot. In that situation the police are only interested in the identity of the driver or the rider, not the vehicle. So again, licence plates for bicycles would have little relevance.

People sometimes say they’d like bicycles to have a licence plate so they can report poor cyclist behaviour to the police. The trouble with that is police can’t and don’t do anything about reports they can’t corroborate. That holds for motorists and it would hold for cyclists too.

What the case for licence plates mainly comes down to is a single situation -- red light cameras. Yes, many cyclists do ignore traffic signals, but deterring offenders hardly seems enough of a pay-off to warrant a major bureaucratic undertaking like a registration system. There aren’t even that many cyclists compared to other road users -- cycling only accounts for around 1% of all passenger trips.

There’re also some practical issues. The vast majority of signalised intersections don’t have cameras. It’s questionable if the cameras could even read the sort of small licence plate that would be feasible for a bicycle.

In any event, it’s pertinent to ask what the benefit of trying to prevent cyclists from ignoring red lights would be. When a motorist runs a red light -- a common occurrence in my experience -- he potentially endangers others. When a cyclist deliberately runs a red light, for all practical purposes she only endangers herself.

Cyclists actually rarely run red lights -- it’s simply too dangerous for their health. What they mostly do is cross against the red, but only after they’ve taken the precaution of seeing that there’s no danger. It’s an unlawful but calculated decision. Very few cyclists are killed or seriously injured by this practice, so the public benefit of registration in terms of avoided health care costs is doubtful.

I can’t see how motorists would be better off if cyclists were prevented from ignoring red lights in this way -- in fact drivers might even benefit from cyclists crossing against the red if it means cyclists clear the intersection quicker. Some motorists could get psychic value from bicycle registration, but it sounds like spite (which isn’t to say there aren’t other offences by cyclists that impact negatively on drivers, but the issue is whether or not they would be mitigated by bicycle registration).

Read the rest of this article and comment at Crikey blog The Urbanist

Giro 2012

2012-02-06T22:14:00.001+11:00

The Giro d'Italia 2012 poster was released today. It translates something like "The hardest race in the world in the most beautiful country in the world" if my Italian is correct.

Hard to disagree.

TdL francaise

2012-02-05T18:21:00.000+11:00

Guess where these boys are going in July......

Log hopping 101

2012-02-05T13:46:00.001+11:00

Bob showing some of his more advanced log hopping techniques on a practice run in Forrest yesterday for the upcoming Otways Odyssey MTB event.

The event includes a timed section of single track descent that is absolutely beautiful..as Jess Douglas shows on this 'Red Carpet' section of video footage:

Show some respct..take your hat off!

2012-02-03T10:50:00.002+11:00

1959, a fierce battle between several historical runners. Finally, Federico Bahamontès won this edition, before Anglade and Anquetil. Charly Gaul, the man in the picture ended best climber.

Thanks to Ross & Tom.

New seasons Rapha gear

2012-02-02T13:36:00.001+11:00

For those of us addicted to Rapha, steel bikes and single speeds here is a sneak preview of what's ahead.

Complete with accoutrements such as luggage, caps and of course, ties.

Just the thing for a few days climbing in the Alps.

Thanks to BigRingRiding, again.

Shit cyclocrossers say...

2012-02-01T08:32:00.001+11:00

Following on from Alan's post last week about the rubbish that road riders say I thought it might be informative to see what cyclocrossers had to say. The clip is following the recent Cyclocross World Championships in which one European nation took the first seven places in the men's race.

Which nation?

Well they are not famous for wine...more of your frites and beer I'd say.

http://vimeo.com/35811489

Coppi raises the bar, again

2012-01-31T11:09:00.001+11:00

Fausto Coppi goes under the barrier trailed by Renzo Soldani in the 1950 Giro di Lombardia.

Picture found on LombardiaBeniCulturali

The Seven Commandments

2012-01-30T10:17:00.000+11:00

Welcome back to 2012 to all those that have been enjoying an extended summer break..on and off the bike!

Commiserations to those that that took the word 'break' literally and broke bones...last count one collarbone and one leg (ouch!).

I was looking for results from those brave souls that attempted the Alpine Classic yesterday, and while feedback on the event is yet to be posted, I did come across the seven commandments of long distance cycling.

I particularly liked number Commandment Number Seven:

Seven Commandments for long distance cycling

Velocio (Paul de Vivie) was the apostle of cyclotourisme in France at the turn of the century. His main passion on the bike was gearing & climbing mountains. At 50 years of age he was still riding up to 20,000km per year. He was killed in an accident with a tram in 1930 aged 77.

He left us with his Seven Commandments for long distance cycling, all of which are still very relevant to Alpine Classic riding.

Keep your rest short and infrequent to maintain your rhythm.
Eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirst.
Never ride to the point of exhaustion where you can't eat or sleep.
Cover up before you are cold; peel off before you are hot.
Don't drink, smoke, or eat meat on tour.
Never force the pace, especially during the first hours.
Never ride just for the sake of riding

I looks to me as if the old Paul had something pretty strange going on with his drive train setup too.

The Shit cyclists say:

2012-01-24T10:28:00.001+11:00

Lovely piece which shows them cyclists (who might be similar to us).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMCkuqL9IcM&feature=player_embedded

2012-01-12T17:42:00.000+11:00

Some new ways of delivering being used in some European cities:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61204891@N03/sets/72157626534165437/show/

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T07:03:00.000+11:00

This clip was sent to me.

It has nothing to do with Christmas.

It has little to do with bike riding.

But it's awesome.

Best of Belgium

2011-12-20T08:16:00.000+11:00

" There's not as day goes by that I'd don't wake up and wish I'd been born a Belgian" Joerg

We can but agree.

Mordy mornings

2011-12-20T08:07:00.001+11:00

Another chapter in the glorious saga of 'what you missed in Mordialloc this morning'.

A most disreputable bunch if ever there was one.

Welcome to the man from the Fatherland

2011-12-18T21:30:00.000+11:00

Nice kit

2011-12-17T11:32:00.000+11:00

Thévenet's secret? Gallic tenacity and very stylish kit

Long night ahead...

2011-12-16T09:22:00.001+11:00

Those of us foolish enough to have signed up for the 3 Peaks next year got a present in the mail yesterday...the SBS Tour de France 2011 Highlights package. A mere 3 DVD set with a running time of 576 minutes.

Almost as long as the Tour itself.

La Pédaleur de Charme

2011-12-15T14:26:00.000+11:00

Koblet's front cover from Lo Sport Illustato after winning the 1950 Giro. The article ran to 12 full pages. Almost as much as the AFL in the off season.

Weird stuff..

2011-12-15T14:11:00.000+11:00

Some of the weirdest bikes the world has ever laid eyes upon have been designed and built by Didi Senft — a 56 year old cycling fan better known as “El Diabo”

Didi’s notoriety goes far beyond the German borders, as he’s had no fewer than 10 entries in The Guinness Book of Records, including the world’s largest and longest rideable bicycle — a mere 25 feet 7 inches (7.8 meters) long and 12 feet 2 inches (3.7 meters) high.

The good old days..

2011-12-14T07:23:00.001+11:00

CONCLUSIVE FUCKING PROOF THAT IT REALLY WAS BETTER IN THE OLD DAYS.

From BigRingRiding, again

Another day in the office...

2011-12-13T13:53:00.000+11:00

Anthony's Big Ring

2011-12-13T07:52:00.000+11:00

I managed to get a shot of Anthony doing some secret training this morning. I recognised the chain ring.

The Greatest Show on Earth

2011-12-12T10:55:00.000+11:00

My thanks to Larry and Heather from CycleItalia for drawing this fantastic piece of Italian cycling history to my attention.

Gucci Helmet

2011-12-09T09:59:00.001+11:00

I came across this little steal this morning... a Gucci bike helmet.

For a mere $890 you too can look like a total dork.

Available at all disreputable Gucci outlets.

Cycling hurts...

2011-12-07T11:59:00.001+11:00

In my favorite scene from Lawrence of Arabia, T.E. Lawrence, after lighting a colleague’s cigarette, allows the match to burn down to his fingertips before snuffing it out. Having witnessed the stunt, the dim-witted associate attempts it himself, only to blow out the match before it gets anywhere close to burning down. “That damn well hurts!”, he states, barely concealing his amazement. “Certainly it hurts,” replies Lawrence with cool calm.

“Well, what’s the trick then?”

“The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.”

For the full transcript:

http://www.velominati.com/blog/defining-moments/la-vie-velominatus-not-minding-that-it-hurts/

More Fausto...

2011-12-06T10:07:00.001+11:00

THEY DIDN’T CALL HIM THE HERON FOR NOTHING, DID THEY?

Thanks to BigRingRiding, again.

Mobile homes

2011-12-05T15:38:00.001+11:00

Bob has been looking for accommodation for the upcoming Kona Odyssey, Alpine Classic and the 3 Peaks.

He may have found it.

Christmas comes early..

2011-12-03T16:21:00.001+11:00

Courtesy of eBay and Anthony's persistence with lots of love from The Little Mule this fine steed saw it's first light of day this morning on Beach Road.

Both rider and bike are feeling fine.

Super Mario

2011-12-01T16:14:00.001+11:00

Another view of the living legend from the inner ring:

I remember when he was building up for San Remo, I was riding in the area near where Tirreno-Adriatico was starting and tagged along with his Saeco team for a tempo ride, catching the last part of their four hour ride. The riders looped back to their hotel. I planned to ride more but needed to centre my back brake, so I asked and a mechanic helpfully went in search of a spanner.
Above me, several of the riders emerged on their hotel balconies, sunning themselves in only bib shorts and calling down to almost any woman passing on the street below. As the mechanic came back out of the hotel with the spanner he was accompanied by Cipollini and a soigneur. Whilst I tweaked my brakes, the soigneur slotted two water bottles on Cipo’s bike and he was off to do hill repeats on a nearby climb.
This is only an anecdote but it says a lot, whilst his team mates were whistling at passing women, Cipollini was doing extra intervals. Yes he was a showman but he played this side up to the full whilst hiding his abilities and work rate.
Cipollini was a superb sprinter but he realised cycling relied on imagery and mythology and so he himself created the myth of Cipollini which became greater than the man himself.

The road we ride on

2011-11-28T20:46:00.001+11:00

An interesting piece from the inner ring about something most of us take for granted...

Road cycling. We think about cycling all the time but when was the last time you ever considered the road? It is just there. Perhaps you know where the rough sections appear on your riding routes, but what makes one road smooth and another rough? What makes a road?

Full story:

http://inrng.com/2011/11/the-road-you-ride-on/#more-5800

Cheesy Monday

2011-11-28T09:57:00.001+11:00

Holy shit, check out the size of that fucking head tube!

Thanks to velogogo

2011-11-25T13:33:00.001+11:00

The inner ring website summed up my feelings exactly when the partial list of 2012 ProTour teams was released...minus GreenEdge:

On Monday the UCI announced several teams had obtained Pro Tour licences for 2012, meaning they will be in the top division of cycling for the coming year. The full list and the press release is on the UCI website.
If there was plenty of satisfaction from the teams named, two squads were left looking less pleased:

The decisions concerning the GreenEDGE Cycling and RadioShack-Nissan teams will be announced later – the Commission is currently waiting for the teams to provide additional documents.

Think about this for a minute. Greenedge has been in gestation for 18 months now and has been assiduous in courting the UCI. Radioshack’s “merger” with Leopard only dates from September. But in both cases the UCI has effectively told the world that these squads have administrative issues and that something is wrong. Perhaps it’s just a missing piece of A4, perhaps something more?

I can’t help feel it would be better to name the Pro Tour teams once they’re all in place instead of putting out some the names halfway through the process. Maybe some teams have real issues but airing this doesn’t help anyone; go back to this time last year and the Pegasus riders could not do much about their team’s demise as they were torn between the “waiting for paperwork” announcements and the fact that most teams had completed their rosters. It’s better to have a set date and if these squads cannot clear the hurdles then so be it. But a running commentary and bad headlines don’t help teams or the sport.

Full story at:

http://inrng.com/2011/11/uci-protour-licence/#more-5846

Slaying the Badger

2011-11-23T12:02:00.001+11:00

For someone like me that prefers to look backwards not forwards when it comes to cycling, the book by Richard Moore is a classic.

He painstakingly recreates the background and all the drama of the 86 Tour de France. He not only interviews all the main players but goes beyond that and puts in the views and opinions of many of the second tier participants.

A truly fascinating piece of research about France's last and America's first Tour champion.

Early Garmin

2011-11-22T10:41:00.001+11:00

The mechanical forerunner to the ubertech 21st century must have...the Garmin 800.

Made by the English company Joseph Lucas from the 1930's until about the 1960's. Maybe I'm admitting to advanced age but I can remember proudly owning one.

Mt Macedon Challenge 2011

2011-11-21T11:44:00.001+11:00

Jim replenishes at the Fountain of Youth

A great day out...sunshine and NO RAIN. Beautiful countryside and great company.

Thanks to Bob for the photos.

Hardman Riding

2011-11-19T13:03:00.001+11:00

After this mornings effort in the rain I couldn't resist posting yet another Hardman Riding shot.

I don't think a spot of rain would have changed his plans for the day.

Once again from Velominati

Cycling in Glorious Hell

2011-11-18T10:34:00.001+11:00

Sometimes you see things and it's hard not to get excited...
Friday March 30th: arrival in Lille – lunch & introductions at the cottage in Gent.
Saturday March 31th: Ride Paris-Roubaix course (at least 180km from St Quentin to Roubaix, full ride available to those who dare) – Visit of the Roubaix Vélodromes (both old and new).
Sunday April 1st: Rest or short ride around the cottage in the Flanders area (morning) – Watch the Tour of Flanders in Oude Kwaremont and/or Paterberg.
Monday April 2nd: Visit to Eddy Merckx factory to pay our respects, followed by a Brussells downtown visit (more detail to come).
Tuesday April 3rd: Short ride around the cottage – visit to bicycle museum in Beveren (Roeselare) – 2 hours practice with a coach on the Eddy Merckx Velodrome in Gent (track bikes provided).
Wednesday April 4th: Follow the Grand Prix de l’Escaut Pro Race
Thursday April 5th: Ride with the Pros on their Paris Roubaix recon around Arenberg. Visit to the Brunehaut brewery in Belgium (where our Malteni beer is produced). Tour of downtown Lille.
Friday April 6th: Ride Tour of Flanders course (150 and 200km routes available, full ride available to those who dare). Visit the Tour of Flanders museum in Oudenaarde.
Saturday April 7th: Cyclo Flèche Brabançonne or ride in Flanders area.
Sunday April 8th: Follow the Paris-Roubaix race (taking in cobbled sectors around Valenciennes + Arenberg + L’Arbre). Depart.

More details: http://www.velominati.com/blog/cyclotourism/velominati-keepers-tour-cobbled-classics-2012/

La Fuga in the Dandenongs

2011-11-17T21:57:00.001+11:00

Alistair from La Fuga the excellent bespoke British Bike Tour company was kind enough to come up to the Dandenongs this morning and give us a clinic on how to climb hills without showing any obvious effort.

The fact that he's built like Andy Schleck and about 23 years old has absolutely nothing to do with it of course.

Thanks Alistair. Hope you enjoy your time in Oz.

How Schwinn gave birth to a Giant

2011-11-16T12:45:00.001+11:00

I asked about the company's decision to stay in Italy while the world decamped to Asia, Campagnolo offered a frank answer. "It was a forced decision," he told me. When he took over the company in 1983, he said, "I didn't have any special strategy. I didn't have any special management skills in how to handle the company outside of Italy."

There's deep history behind this cryptic answer—and some insight into Campagnolo's willingness to trade high Italian labor costs for the knowledge. Valentino inherited the company two years after the opening of the massive new Vicenza factory, which was old man Tullio's way of doubling down on Italy. In the early 1980s, Tullio and Valentino watched as Schwinn, then the world's leading bicycle manufacturer, closed its Chicago factories and moved production to Taiwan. An industry exodus ensued. "The bicycle industry has a history of chasing cheap labor," said the former Specialized executive Gary Coffrin. "The industry migrated to Taiwan in the 1980s, and then to China in the 1990s."

Everything was fine at first. Schwinn's profit margin thrived on low-cost Asian labor. But in 1985, Schwinn ended its arrangement with its Taiwanese production partner, a company called Giant Manufacturing. What happened next is a lesson that Valentino Campagnolo has never forgotten. Giant turned around and used its newfound manufacturing expertise to produce bikes under its own brand that were better and cheaper than Schwinn's. Though Schwinn bounced back several times, ultimately it never recovered and, by 1992, was bankrupt.

"We do everything inside the company," Valentino Campagnolo told me. "This is something in which I strongly believe. If I know how to produce it, I can always improve my performance. If somebody else is doing it, my improvements are out of my control. This is a very strategic decision for us."

From: http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/italian-job

Team Time Trial 2011 Wrap

2011-11-15T08:00:00.001+11:00

A great effort by one and all on the Team Time Trial. Huge commiserations to Lew on sustaining some nasty injuries after inspecting a roadside sandwich board at very close quarters. Hopefully he will be back on the bike very, very soon.

Chapeau to Anthony for carrying the team most of the way home, ably assisted by Stuart and Andrew. The rest of us of course made (very reasonable I thought!) cameo appearances at the front but those lads certainly did the lion's share of the work.

Happily we achieved our aim of holding the team together to the finish...sadly even without Lew. The cracks that just started to appear in the paceline as we approached the tunnel showed that we really had found the limit of what we could collectively sustain for over two hours.

After that there was the inevitable scramble down and up the tunnel (twice), but we were able to stay within a few seconds of each other. A great effort.

Thanks also to Jim for being Team Captain and doing all the necessary organising for a great event.

The above picture is Bob's suggestion for our approach to next year's event. I think he's serious.

Team Time Trial

2011-11-14T11:41:00.001+11:00

The boys having trashed themselves yesterday at the Team Time Trail down the Eastern Freeway.

It was a great achievement with all making it across the finishline together...except for poor Lew who was rearranged by a roadside safety sandwich board at the 60km mark...

Let's hope for a speedy recovery and he'll doubtless join us in the bin at the finish next year.

Pyrenees Cento Cols

2011-11-11T14:46:00.001+11:00

Taken fron Cyclingtips:

Call me insane but my idea of a perfect holiday is one where a challenge is set and by the time I get through the other side there's a sense of achievement like no other. I want an experience that I've had to earn; something that no beach holiday can provide. Life is short.

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/11/cent-cols-challenge/

Team Time Trial

2011-11-09T08:14:00.002+11:00

The Hanover Team Time Trial rolls out down Eastlink this Sunday from 6:00am. 75km of pain.

These are definitely NOT our team issue wheels.

Mt Macedon Challenge 2011

2011-11-08T21:21:00.005+11:00

Mount Macedon Challenge 2011 - Long Course 130km

Start :Hamilton St, Gisborne

Route
North over Mt Macedon, then west through Woodend, Tylden, Glenlyon, returning through Trentham and Woodend

Finish: Gisborne

A great day out...well run and beautiful countryside. Occasional showers.

Can Campy survive?

2011-11-07T10:54:00.002+11:00

A thought provoking piece about a company that still serves red wine in the staff lunchroom:

http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/italian-job

Wool rules

2011-11-05T13:15:00.004+11:00

Q: So Anthony how do you always look so good on the bike?

A: Well it's not easy. I often try and position myself near Steve and I find that the comparison helps a lot. The other important element is the right jersey. Whether I'm on the bike or walking up a hill, the right jersey just sets the scene for looking my best.

Q: So how would you describe the right jersey?

A: For me there is only one choice in that matter. It must be wool, fit just right and preferably with some historical significance. As a devotee of eBay I am price sensitive so that is also a consideration.

Q: So where do you shop to achieve all this?

A: For me it's http://www.soigneur.co.nz/

Q: Thank you Anthony.

Maitre Jacques

2011-11-04T12:47:00.003+11:00

I am a sucker for any great cyclists biography. Paul Howard's book about Jacques Anquetil sets a new highwater mark on just about every measure.

Anquetil was the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, the first to win all three Grand Tours and the first to win the Tour and the Vuelta (in the days when the Vuelta came first) in the same year.

However his domestic arrangements were even more extraordinary. You'll have to read the book to even start on that area!

He raced from 1951 until 1969 so his career overlapped briefly with the great Coppi at one end and Merkx at the other.

A fascinating book.

Ride Across Tasmania 2011

2011-11-02T15:08:00.002+11:00

Andrew having second thoughts about bringing the bigger backpack.

Nevertheless there was no stopping the great man. Not even a dodgy freewheeling hub, intermittent rain or a few lumpy bits were going to slow him down. A great effort.

Cycling Tasmania

2011-10-25T14:03:00.002+11:00

Tomorrow Andrew and I travel over Bass Strait to start the Ride Across Tasmania.

This is a photo of what not to carry...

Robbie baby...

2011-10-24T13:03:00.001+11:00

In his new book, One Way Road, Robbie describes what has made him one of the most successful sprinters of the last 20 years, winning over 200 professional races and three Tour de France green jerseys. From his teenage years in Brisbane as a BMX’er to his AIS days before signing his first contract with Rabobank, right up to the present day living in Belgium now signed with GreenEDGE in his final year as a professional.

Book launch on Wednesday, November 2 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm at FYXO Hub (Melbourne) with Matthew Keenan MC’ing.

Red and White Australian wines on offer.

Open invite. No RVSP.

When: Wednesday, November 2 from 6:00pm – 8:45pm
Where: FYXO Hub – 6A Wilson St, South Yarra 3141

Raid Pyrenean 2012

2011-10-24T12:17:00.006+11:00

La Fuga Custom Raid Pyrenean 2012

July 22 -August 3, 2012..... bring it on!

Yarn bombing

2011-10-20T08:35:00.001+11:00

Artists are covering bicycle racks with wool...it's called Yarn bombing and it's hitting or should I say knitting the streets of Melbourne

Love it !!

Thanks to Northside Wheelers

Astana fan Club

2011-10-20T08:09:00.001+11:00

Those Kazak girls look pretty scary to me...but maybe they're the reason Vino won't retire?

Another morning in Paradise...

2011-10-19T16:27:00.002+11:00

Lew added another fine arrow to the quiver of excellent rides in the Dandenong's this morning.

The newly sealed section of the Kallista-Emerald Road.

Just turn left at The Patch.

Beautiful.

Seriously wet..

2011-10-17T12:41:00.001+11:00

For those that thought yesterday's Around the Bay got a bit wet...this is wet

Hawaii Ironman 2011

2011-10-12T07:08:00.002+11:00

Craig “Crowie” Alexander

Australia • 08:03:56

The 38-year-old Aussie, who won the event in 2008 and 2009,
added a third Ironman World Championship title to his resume,
finishing in 8:03:56. He broke the course record, set in 1996 by
Luc Van Lierde, by 12 seconds. Alexander is only the fourth person
in the history of the race to win three times and the first person
ever to earn Ironman World Championship 70.3 and Ironman World
Championship titles in the same year. His race featured a 51:56
swim split, 4:24:05 bike split and a 2:44:03 run split.

Just a mindbending achievement.

Pink as...

2011-10-11T16:53:00.003+11:00

Col sent this along...I think he still aspires to be the man in pink.

Taken from Velominati

Campag Man

2011-10-10T10:05:00.001+11:00

Alfred Hitchcock in his early days as a Campagnolo director

Uncle Phil

2011-10-06T16:20:00.000+11:00

Phil Anderson does the Cipolini "Where are you guys?"

With thanks to velominati

Hardman...

2011-10-04T23:27:00.000+11:00

Herald Sun Tour 2011

2011-09-28T13:22:00.003+10:00

Wed 12 Oct Whittlesea to Ballarat Road Race

Thu 13 Oct Ballarat to Geelong Road Race

Fri 14 Oct Geelong to Drysdale Road Race

Sat 15 Oct Sorrento to Arthurs Seat Road Race

Sun 16 Oct Lygon St, Carlton Circuit Race

Wednesday is the opening stage and a rolling course from Whittlesea to Ballarat will not only travel through the stunning central highlands and goldfields area but sap the legs with long rolling roads and likely strong winds at times. A fast finish into Ballarat will see the sprinters teams work hard to bring any breaks back for the dead flat sprinters finish at Lake Wendouree.

Thursday does not get any easier. The road from Ballarat to Geelong is full of surprises and the Brisbane ranges will test the riders before a long descent towards Geelong and the sea. The sprinters teams will again work hard but a technical run towards Geelong might favour the opportunist.

Friday sees the riders take on the stunning terrain of the Great Ocean Rd. An early climb and scorching descent to Lorne precedes a rolling and often windy ride back to Anglesea before heading into the Bellarine Peninsula and a gradual uphill run to the finish. We may see the strong man come to the fore today.

Saturday is the queen stage of the tour and the general classification will turn on its head today. A ferry ride from Queenscliff takes the riders to the start at Sorrento. A long flat ride along the beach to Dromana will warm up the riders before a first tough ascent of Arthurs Seat. 3k at 10% makes a tough climb and with a yellow jersey to claim, the stakes are high. The riders will explore the stunning terrain of the Mornington Peninsula before 2 more times up the mountain with the 3rd time finishing on top. It is winner take all today and the climbers will come out to play.

Sunday brings the Tour home to Melbourne and Little Italy in Lygon St. A fast and furious circuit race may well decide the Tour as it did in 2006 when Simon Gerrans took the Tour on the final sprint of the final stage. A full day of support events and the bike expo are designed to make Lygon St a great cycling destination for the day.

Cav's Big Day Out

2011-09-27T09:24:00.004+10:00

An interesting background piece about Britain's plan to regain road cycling credibility 46 years after their last after World Championship win by Tom Simpson:

http://inrng.com/2011/09/cavendish-worlds-britain-win/#more-5078

The Man with the Hammer

2011-09-23T09:06:00.003+10:00

From velominati.com:

One of the most magnificent things about Cycling is that not only does it represent different things to different people, it represents different things on different days. Some days, it’s training – a means to an end. Other days, it’s the culmination of a body of work; rather than a means to an end, it represents that end itself, whether that end is exhilarating or devastating. But these two facets represent Cycling only as Sport, the complex simplicity of the balance between dedication and results.

Cycling stands apart, however, in its many dimensions beyond Sport. For me, Cycling is meditation, a time to clear my mind of ancillary concerns and contemplate on those that require my focus. It is thoughtlessness, a time to eliminate everything through the simple means of pain. It is simultaneously medication and therapy; even a short ride can shake a heavy lethargy from my bones and rejuvenate aching muscles and joints. It is simultaneously tension and release; Cycling can fill my being with effort, an effort that overflows my legs and lungs and spills over to fill every fiber of my being, flushing from me all those things I wish not to keep.

Cycling is penance for my mistakes; a few hours at the mercy of the Man with the Hammer can help me understand the error of my ways. It is cleansing of other’s mistakes – here the Man with the Hammer helps pound out the ripples in the surface of Life they cause me.

I am by no means a great man and never will be. But I am a better man for my bike, and for that I am eternally grateful to it

Attributed quotes

2011-09-21T07:32:00.002+10:00

An interesting piece from The Inner Ring today:

Mark Cavendish has signed a deal for sports agents the Wasserman Group to represent him and to mark the moment there’s been a press release to announce the deal. Here’s an excerpt:

“I’m really excited to be joining Wasserman,” said the sprint cyclist who currently rides for HTC-Highroad. “Their client list is the best in the world and being part of a company who has a history of successfully managing top athletes can only be beneficial in what is a big few years for me. It’s extremely important to have the right management behind me now to allow me to focus all of my energies into riding my bike as fast as I can.“

Only he probably never said these words. Welcome to the phenomenon known as the “attributed quote”. It’s widespread. The use of the attributed quote is systemic, a worldwide phenomenon that goes well beyond sport and into news, politics and more.

In cycling it’s common, for example the announcement of a sponsorship deal or when a rider changes team there’s normally a press release to announce news of the signing. It will set out the facts and then a series of quotes from those involved in the team, usually the team manager and the rider in question. We’ll see quotes like: “Rider so-and-so is great fit for the team and we’re looking forward to working with him” and then come some words from the rider, usually “I’m delighted to have signed for Team XYZ and can’t wait to start planning for 2012 with them“.

But very few teams have held press conferences to announce the signings. No rider stood at a lectern and delivered a speech or spoke into a microphone. Indeed there’s not even a telephone conference call. These words are not transcripts, they have been invented. As such they are a lie. They mark an interesting moment of collusion between journalist and the public relations industry. After all, flip things around and any journalist who invents quotes can lose their job; yet publishing fake quotes is seemingly if they are supplied by email because someone else has done the creative bit.

I can understand the convenience of the ready-made quotes. Just because the words are not said out loud in public and recorded doesn’t mean the sentiment isn’t there, the supplied words fill the demand to add a personal touch to the news, they help frame the story behind the press release.

But if I can understand why the fictional quotes exist, my real annoyance is the way the quotes read. Read the quote by Cavendish at the top of the page and ask yourself if he actually talks like that, even if he gave a set-piece speech to open a press conference. Probably not.

All too often they seem to be written by a robot and employ eerily similar quotes. You can spot the fakery from a mile thanks to gushing prose that reads in a way that nobody talks, the text makes out that there cannot be any alternative but at the same time the cheery prose could have been penned to mark any number of circumstances. Obviously nobody’s going to stand up and say “I joined Team XYZ because they offered me a three year deal on a bigger salary than the other lot“, this sentiment is usually translated into something like “the team have offered me full support and share my long term vision“.

Summary

This isn’t about Cavendish as press releases like the one above land in email inboxes every minute of the day. These can be important methods to communicate news but all too often they contain saccharine quotes from the individuals named that simply don’t read like the words you would expect the person to say.

Bring on the Muur

2011-09-20T11:03:00.002+10:00

"There's not a day goes by that I don't wish I had been born a Belgian"

Joerg. Not.

Classic Belgian cycling at it's best.

Happy as Larry

2011-09-20T09:50:00.001+10:00

Thanks to Jim :

I didn’t realize Heather had some work done!!

Amy's Grand Fondo 2011

2011-09-20T08:47:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to all who participated in Sunday's inaugural Amy Gillett Grand Fondo on the Great Ocean Road. A fantastic day out on the bike.

Definitely one to put into the calendar for next year....along with the Bay 2 Bay ride these are standout annual events.

Special thanks also to Lew for the excellent accommodation on Saturday night and chapeau to Rob for scoring a spot at the next 'Worlds'. An awesome effort.

Is there no end?

2011-09-20T08:38:00.001+10:00

Soothing shaving cream for the face and legs

For road riders, shaving their legs is a treasured ritual that heralds the start of the racing season. Rapha Shaving Cream is a blend of natural ingredients and essential oils designed to soothe the skin and leave it feeling supple and hydrated. It has been designed for shaving both the face and legs, with a subtle fragrance inspired by the flora surrounding Mont Ventoux.

The copy writers who concoct this stuff must wet themselves laughing sometimes.

Cyclists are winning on Beach Road

2011-09-16T08:01:00.004+10:00

GTA Traffic Consultants have submitted the latest count data on Beach Rd. This count has been performed on the same weekend at the same location annually since 2007.

The top chart shows the hourly two way bike and vehicle traffic on Saturday September 17, 2011 and the lower chart the same data for the following day, Sunday September 18, 2011.

The count confirms that , despite a cold and slightly wet weekend compared to previous years' counts, rider numbers remain strong. Sundays particularly see a higher rider presence and conversely a far lower vehicle presence.

Hardman riding

2011-09-15T21:52:00.002+10:00

I love this photo. What Pro today would carry a watch but no waterbottle? Hardman indeed.

The Peleton

2011-09-14T10:39:00.003+10:00

An excellent piece from CylingTips this morning on peloton etiquette..

By Peter Wilborn

Every so often, I’ll ride a recreational group ride. I love the camaraderie of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a peloton. “I miss riding in a group,” I’ll think to myself.

The magic ends by mile 10. The group will surge, gap, and separate, only to regroup at every stop sign. I’ll hear fifteen repeated screams of “HOLE!” for every minor road imperfection. And then no mention of the actual hole. Some guy in front will set a PB for his 30 second pull. Wheels overlap, brakes are tapped, and some guy in the back will go across the yellow line and speed past the peloton for no apparent reason. A breakaway?!

I curse under my breath, remembering why I always ride with only a few friends. Doesn’t anyone else realize how dangerous this ride is? How bad it is for our reputation on the road? There are clear rules of ride etiquette, safety, and common sense. Does anyone here know the rules? Who is in charge?

First, everyone is an expert these days. The internet and a power meter do not replace 50,000 miles of experience, but try telling that to a fit forty year-old, new to cycling, on a $5000 bike. Or, god forbid, a triathlete. No one wants to be told what to do.

Second, the more experienced riders just want to drop the others and not be bothered. It is all about the workout, the ego boost, or riding with a subset of friends. But a group ride is neither a race nor cycling Darwinism. As riders get better, they seek to distinguish themselves by riding faster on more trendy bikes; but as riders get better they need to realize two things: 1) there is always someone faster, and 2) they have obligations as leaders. Cycling is not a never ending ladder, each step aspiring upwards, casting aspersions down. It is a club, and we should want to expand and improve our membership.

Third, different rides are advertised by average speed, but speed is only one part of the equation. This approach makes speed the sole metric for judging a cyclist, and creates the false impression that a fit rider is a good one. Almost anyone can be somewhat fast on a bike, but few learn to be elegant, graceful cyclists.

Fourth, riding a bike well requires technique training. Good swimmers, for example, constantly work on form and drills; so should cyclists. Anyone remember the C.O.N.I. Manual or Eddie Borysewich’s book? They are out-of-print, but their traditional approach to bike technique should not be lost. More emphasis was given on fluid pedaling and bike handling.

Before the internet, before custom bikes, and before Lance, it was done better. Learning to ride was an apprenticeship. The goal was to become a member of the peloton, not merely a guy who is sort of fast on a bike. Membership was the point, not to be the local Cat. 5 champ. You were invited to go on group ride if you showed a interest and a willingness to learn. You were uninvited if you did not. You learned the skills from directly from the leader, who took an interest in riding next to you on your first rides (and not next to his friends, like better riders do today). Here is some of what you learned:

- To ride for months each year in the small ring.
- To take your cycling shorts off immediately after a ride.
- To start with a humble bike, probably used.
- To pull without surging.
- To run rotating pace line drills and flick others through.
- To form an echelon.
- To ride through the top of a climb.
- To hold your line in a corner.
- To stand up smoothly and not throw your bike back.
- To give the person ahead of you on a climb a little more room to stand up.
- To respect the yellow line rule.
- To point out significant road problems.
- To brake less, especially in a pace line.
- To follow the wheel in front and not overlap.

The ride leader and his lieutenants were serious about their roles, because the safety of the group depended on you, the weakest link. If you did not follow the rules, you were chastised. Harshly. If you did, you became a member of something spectacular. The Peloton.

Rapha rules

2011-09-12T22:03:00.003+10:00

It seems I'm not the only one besotted with Rapha:

http://blog.onev.com.au/

Some wise thoughts from Adrian...

2011-09-12T11:19:00.003+10:00

Might have wrong end of stick here but if you are doing this as a line the lead rider rolls to the side and backs off, the next rider does *nothing*, they maintain exactly the same speed, the former lead rider just rolls to the back and drops back in as last wheel. there should be no acceleration by the second in line rider once the lead pulls over. If the lead rider gets too slow then second in line just says so and that is the nod for whoever is first wheel to roll to the side.

Also if I was the coach I might let you do a k on the front each on the way down, but on the way back at the business end no way :-) 18 minutes recovery is too much if you want to do this as a time trial and as fast as you can. Shorter more sustained efforts on front are what you need at the business end. Drop the km marker (1 k down hill does not equal 1 km up hill) of effort and only use time, 2 minutes, on way down, perhaps 1 minute on way back.

Would play with this on beach road one day, just get everyone to do 1 minute at a pretty high effort, hard enough to be seriously hurting by the end, but enough left to be able to grab that last wheel and recover....

I'll shut up now.

Spanish update 2...

2011-09-10T20:55:00.003+10:00

Stage 20 Bilbao to Vitoria

A balmy 39 degrees in Bilbao yesterday. We rode part of flat coast road to Bilbao missed most of course unfortunately or perhaps not. Balmy and flat relative. I've noticed the pros don't have any respect for hills.

Today we ride flat counter course from Vitoria to their last climb of the race. Cat 1 Urkiola. Hopefully we can do it but limited time. Won't come back overcooked that's for sure.

Spanish update

2011-09-09T08:45:00.002+10:00

Bob stocking up on Clenbuterol at dinner last night on the Vuelta.

He's ridden Stages 16, 17 and 18 so far...very, very tough is the verdict. Hardly a surprise.

Lucky he's got good access to plenty of quality Spanish beef.

Unbelievable downhill riding...

2011-09-08T22:18:00.003+10:00

Great video and commentary of Danny's Hart downhill ride at the World Mountain Bike Championships in Chambéry, France.

The two commentators make Paul and Phil sound like a couple of somnambulists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCMQPzKcFqs&feature=player_embedded

Japanese are different

2011-09-06T18:11:00.002+10:00

Anyone who doubts that cultural differences exist try imagining a bunch of Aussie lads all lining up on rollers with matching white T Shirts and gloves...

Hullo from Segovia

2011-09-06T10:15:00.001+10:00

A snap sent this morning of the Bobster acclimatising in Espana for the last week of the Vuelta. Note the gloves are still on...

Not many of those to a kilo Andy...

2011-08-31T15:31:00.001+10:00

Northside Wheelers

2011-08-31T10:26:00.002+10:00

For an excellent range of Rapha gear and other fine cycling wares it's hard to beat Northside Wheelers in Prahran. Doesn't cost much more than internet shopping, you can try it on, and friendly service. What's not to like?

http://www.northsidewheelers.com/

Tell Malachi that Ian sent you for the tossers discount.

Paris Roubaix in detail

2011-08-30T07:39:00.004+10:00

Two minutes of beautiful slow motion detail from Paris Roubaix:

http://soxiam.com/post/9549782819/i-have-two-recurring-cycling-related-dreams-one

The positive impact of commuting by bicycle

2011-08-29T14:01:00.003+10:00

The London School of Economics recently published a report on the economic impact cycling has in Britain.

The report states that in 2010 cycling contributed 2.9 billion British Pounds to the economy.
Which would be 4.7 billion US Dollars; note that is billion with a “B.”
This figure is not just new bicycle sales; it includes income made by people working in bicycle manufacturing and retail. It also estimates for example that people who commute to work by bike are healthier and therefore take less sick days off work. There are many other factors taken into account that contribute to the 2.9 billion figure; you can read the full report here.
One piece of information I gleaned from this report (On page 16.) is that between 10,000 and 15,000 people commute into London every day by bicycle. That figure is up 52% since 2007, and the forecast is for that number to quadruple by 2025.
I wonder if the average motorist driving into London and complains about the increased number of cyclist he encounters, realizes what a huge positive impact that number of regular bicycle commuters has on his daily drive.

As most people drive solo in a car, 10,000 bikes means 10,000 less cars on the road on any given day; 10,000 bike commuters is the low side of the estimate.
A car needs a lot of space to operate, not just due to its increased physical size but due to the space required between each car which is far greater than the vehicle itself. Most car safety advocates agree that a car needs 2 seconds time lapse between vehicles in order to maintain a safe stopping distance.

At 20 mph. (29.33 feet per second.) a car should have 29.33 x 2 = 58.66 feet of space between it and the car in front. Add to that the length of the vehicle; let’s assume it is an average compact at about 15 feet.
That is 73.66 feet (22.45 meters.) of road space needed for every car; so take 10,000 cars off the road and you free up a whopping 139.5 miles of roadway.

The reason I chose 20 mph as the car's speed was because I figured this might be the average speed of a commute into to London during rush hour with the resulting stop and go traffic. A car would take up less space while at a standstill but would require more than 73.66 feet if going at more than 20 mph.

On the other hand, a bicycle takes up little or no space because the average car can pass a cyclist within the same lane. If a motorist has to slow to safely pass a cyclist, rather than become annoyed at the cyclist’s presence, he should realize that the cyclist represents one less car ahead of him that he would most likely not be able to pass.

Think of the impact that 10,000 per day less cars on the road has on the wear and tear of the road’s surface; a bicycle puts little or no wear on the road. Motorists who complain about the increased number of cyclists on the road, and complain about the cost of installing bike lanes, etc., are really not looking at the whole picture.

They should instead thank the person who decides to ride his/her bike to work, and in doing so takes one more car off the road. London is only one city in the world where this is happening.

From http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/

Howard 'Thor' Strongman

2011-08-28T15:35:00.002+10:00

What happens when you turn Howard loose on a hill?

The strongman just rips the cranks off.

He may have to recalibrate the powermeter.

Somewhere on a wall in Malvern...

2011-08-27T16:17:00.001+10:00

Luxembourg National Jersey

2011-08-27T15:59:00.002+10:00

The postman delivered today...from www.soigneur.co.nz.

Fantastic.

Paul Sherwin

2011-08-23T14:58:00.003+10:00

Paul Sherwen is generally seen as Phil Ligget’s counter-point, dutifully keeping the iconic duo’s race commentary on course, helping to convey to the English-speaking world the sport of Professional Cycling. Ligget, of course, has undeniably helped shape this great sport for Anglophones across the globe, having been the English voice of this sport since before I was born – and for that I’m eternally grateful to him; merely the sound of his voice warms the cockles of my cold, black heart. But as much as he is inextricably bound to the sport, the last time he got a fact right must have also been before I was born, if he ever has.

The balance Ligget’s special breed of factual rigor is Paul Sherwen. Not only does he have the insight of a seasoned ex-pro with which to season his commentary, he has several other highly technical analytical tools at his disposal, such as actually watching the race. Furthermore, Paul is able to counter Uncle Phil’s constitution under pressure – which resembles that of a knock-kneed chook in a washing machine on a delicates/knits cycle – with his Sprinter’s Cool. Whereas Phil can be heard squawking and clucking incomprehensibly with excitement as a race unfolds, Paul peppers the commentary with self-deprecating jokes about his own career and adds a Swahili proverb or two that might be helpful for the riders, were they only able to hear him.

In this current role of his, as the commentary equivalent of Autocorrect on Ligget’s iPhone, it is easy to forget that Paul was among the most respected riders of his day. Seen here stringing out a bunch (in complete Rule Compliance, I might add) reminds me of the various tales of tenacity that earned him the respect not only of his fellow riders, but of race organizers.

One such example is of the 1985 Tour de France when Sherwen, a domestique with no chance at the overall, crashed in the opening kilometers of a Pyrenean stage and was left to fend for himself while Bernard Hinault raced for the win at the front, making small children of grown men. Refusing to give up, Sherwen limped through the stage alone, accompanied only by a single Gendarme’s motorcycle. More than an hour after the stage winner and well outside the time limit, he finished the stage. The race jury, moved by his resolve to finish the stage, reinstated him and allowed him to continue on in the Tour. In a word, respect.

From Velominati

What's wrong with the Vuelta?

2011-08-23T09:26:00.002+10:00

As usual RKP asks the tough questions...

What is wrong with the Vuelta a España? No. Seriously. What is wrong with this race? It’s a grand tour for crying out loud. It takes in some of the most beautiful roads in Europe, in a country with a rich cycling culture, passionate fans, great food, etc., etc. And yet, the Vuelta is a second tier race.

You know this is true because you’ve read the previews that highlight guys like Bradley Wiggins, Vincenzo Nibali, Igor Anton and Joaquim Rodriguez as potential winners. None of those guys is a world beater. Nibali is defending champion, but this year’s Giro showed just where the young Italian is in the grand tour pecking order, close but not quite at the top. The top Spanish rider, Alberto Contador, prioritized the Giro and Tour ahead of his home country’s race. What does that say?

Perhaps the Vuelta’s diminished shine has something to do with its timing. We’ve already had two grand tours, and most of the big riders are thinking about the world championship now. Would a move back to the beginning of the racing season return the Vuelta to its previous stature?

The proliferation of shorter stage races (e.g. California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Romandie, Eneco) also clearly has an effect on our appetite for more stage racing this time of year.

Finally, there seems to be a finite amount of oxygen for grand tours, and the bigger the Tour and Giro get, the less air remains for the Vuelta. Say what you will about Angelo Zomegnan’s recent Giri (the man just lost his job), but that race has been fantastic in recent years, and the Tour remains the Tour, the ne plus ultra of the cycling year.

Good old days

2011-08-22T08:38:00.001+10:00

Louison Bobet showing how to do the mountain business.

How cool is the race referee's car??

Red Kite Prayer

2011-08-19T11:02:00.002+10:00

La Vuelta: Perspective and Preview

2011-08-19T09:18:00.003+10:00

Graham Watson gives an interesting and informative perspective on this year's Vuelta:

http://www.grahamwatson.com/view/viewmain.html

What's in a name?

2011-08-17T15:08:00.004+10:00

A little piece from The Inner Ring on Tour riders real (ie translated) names. My favourites are Mario Chipollini, Tom Boonen and possibly Bram de Groot:

Alberto Contador = Alberto Accountant
Ivan Basso = Ivan Low
Lars Boom = Lars Tree
Tom Boonen = Tom Beans
Mario Cipollini = Mario Shallot
Juan José Cobo = Juan José Conch
Bram de Groot = Bram the Fatty
Jacopo Guarnieri = Jacopo Gaskets
Julian El Fares = Julian The Rider
Rick Flens = Rick Flange
Mikel Nieve = Mikel Snow
Sebastian Langeveld = Sebastian Longfield
Pablo Lastras = Pablo Slabs
Anthony Roux = Anthony Redhead
Tom Stamsnijder = Tom Stemcutter
Peter Weening = Peter Weeping
Davide Malacarne = Davide Badmeat
Giovanni Visconti = Giovanni Viscounts
Jonas Ljungblad = Jonas Heatherleaf
Karsten Kroon = Karsten Crown
Martijn Maaskant = Martijn Sidenetting
Oscar Gatto = Oscar Cat
Paulo Tiralongo = Paul Longpull
Steve Cozza = Steve Mussel
Theo Bos = Theo Woods
Valerio Agnoli – Valerio Angels
Manuel Belletti – Manuel Makeup
Federico Canuti – Federico Frosties
Leonardo Duque – Leonardo Duke
Addy Engels – Addy Angels
Stefano Garzelli – Stefano Herons
Richie Porte – Richie Door (from French)
José Serpa – José Sherpa
Cameron Wurf – Cameron Litter (as in litter of puppies)

From: http://inrng.com/2010/03/gunslinger-or-accountant-whats-a-in-name/

Retro woollen jerseys

2011-08-16T12:32:00.002+10:00

For the tragics amongst us that still crave a woollen jersey help is at hand...or at least just across the Tasman.

Soigneur are offering a great range of fine woollen jerseys and jackets...all with a fine eye for historical detail. Well worth a look:

http://www.soigneur.co.nz/

Tour de Suburbs

2011-08-15T10:50:00.001+10:00

http://gallery.me.com/stevehicks7/100043

Christening the new Rapha gear

2011-08-12T13:47:00.001+10:00

Dandenongs on Thursday morning. Thanks to Tony.

Best of Britain

2011-08-11T16:57:00.003+10:00

This photo was too good not to share. For those that have seen the current release film 'The Trip' this landscape will look familiar. Just add cyclists and here it is...

Sure beats burning down shops in the high streets.

Cadel in Melbourne

2011-08-10T12:48:00.003+10:00

The historic victory of 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans will be celebrated at Fed Square with the only public event at lunch time on Friday 12 August. Cycling fans, sporting enthusiasts and all proud Victorians will be able to come together to celebrate and congratulate Cadel.

Cadel Evans became the first Australian champion and only the third non-European champion in the race's 98-year history when he won the 2011 Tour de France on 24 July. The Tour de France is the world's most prestigious and gruelling bike race, held over a three-week period in 21 stages and covering some 3,430 kilometres.

Cadel will be riding from the National Gallery of Victoria along St Kilda Road to arrive at Fed Square Main Stage approximately 12.15pm - 12.45pm. Highlights of Cadel' s 2011 Tour de France Victory will begin on the Big Screen in the Main Square from 11.00am.

Time: 12pm

Cost: Free

Further information: 03 9655 1900 / info@fedsquare.com

Did Highroad ever have a sponsor?

2011-08-08T17:33:00.003+10:00

There’s an air of the obituary across newspapers, cycling news websites and fellow blogs. Everyone’s lamenting the announcement that the Highroad team could not find a replacement sponsor for HTC to keep the team going into 2012 and beyond. And many are asking aloud why such a good team could not find a replacement sponsor.

But one answer is that they never had sponsorship in place since the day the team started.
BackgroundThe team was originally known as T-Mobile and had a strong German identity, not surprising since the sponsor was German and the squad was built around Jan Ullrich. But the Germany telecoms company quit the sport after numerous doping scandals turned a large section of German public opinion from pro-cycling to arch-skeptics.

Initially the sponsor tried to clean up, hiring Bob Stapleton – a telecoms entrepreneur and avid cyclist – to run the team and to put new staff and riders in the squad for 2007. But during the course of the year more revelations about the team’s past appeared, with tales of widespread systematic doping and to cap it all, a rider tested positive during the Tour de France. By the end of the season the sponsor fled. It had a contract to fund the team in place… so it simply paid up and exited “with immediate effect”, leaving a lump sum of money to fund a team with no name. More of which in a minute.

The rump of riders remaining formed the basis of the team known as “Highroad”, named after the management company of Stapleton, just as “Leopard” today is the name of the legal entity behind the eponymous pro team. At the start of 2008 this was a team with no sponsor and they started off in white colours with the aim of attracting a sponsor. They landed US sportswear company Columbia in time for the Tour de France but for 2009 the team was still called Columbia-Highroad, a big “your name here” sign. In time HTC joined as a co-sponsor and when Columbia pulled out, HTC was the main name for HTC-Highroad.

The settlement payment from T-Mobile is unknown, apparently subject to a confidentiality clause. Estimates go from €20 million to €40 million. A good source tells me it was €28 million, an even better placed one says €23 million. Let’s work with the arithmetic. On the basis of €20 million, that’s €5 million per year, on €40 million that’s €10 million per year and €5.75-7 million if we run with the €23-28 million figure. As such this payment wasn’t enough to run a whole team… but might well have gone a long way.

Now add in money from smaller sponsors like the bike suppliers, components and the others who have supplied the team and you’ve got enough to keep a team on the road for four years, especially if the model is based on recruiting younger riders and nailing down wages, indeed riders were asked to take a pay-cut once T-Mobile quit. One reason Mark Cavendish grew frustrated with the team was that he’s the number one sprinter but on a pay deal seeing him earn less than Damiano Cunego or Carlos Sastre.

In short, the lump sum, potential funds from “investors” and smaller sponsorship could have been enough to keep the team afloat alone. Plus the team inherited the infrastructure from the old team, like cars and the team bus. The was none of the outlay of a new team.
Columbia and HTCNow the team landed additional money from Columbia and HTC but I believe in both cases the sponsors joined at what you might call “bargain” rates and perhaps not at the normal level expected of a team, with the idea that once a big name sponsor was on-board then the team would look good for other sponsors. But if the jersey is blank, you might as well get some income. In short, the sponsorship received from Columbia and HTC could have been modest but it was additional funding to keep the team going. That said, it seems HTC increased its commitment to the team over time, to reach a significant contribution.

Summary

This was a team that started without a sponsor. Instead it had a pile of cash and over the years this was topped up by extra revenues. Yes, the team did find sponsorship from the likes of HTC and Columbia but I wonder just how significant these deals were, they say Columbia in particular was particularly modest. Could it be that the team struggled from the beginning to land a sponsor and relied on the T-Mobile settlement to stay on the road?

From http://inrng.com

Fausto is the man

2011-08-08T08:44:00.002+10:00

OGGI CI DAREMO UNA BOTTA

Fat Eddy

2011-08-08T08:40:00.001+10:00

How about you shut the fuck up about cycling and go make me a sandwich. Hmm?

From Velogogo, again.