Twenty-One Stages

VS avoiding talking about Vino et al

2007-07-25T07:39:00.000-04:00

Liggett and Sherwin are dancing on the pedals of the latest Tour scandal. Although I appreciate their interest in focusing on the race, it feels like they're deliberately avoiding discussing the "Astana situation." There was a protest at the race beginning, but it was barely discussed by the commentators, who said it was a protest for a "clean race."

I am sure it wasn't just Vino who doped. There are people riding today who have done the same thing he allegedly did.

Well, at least the stage does promise to be good.

TOUR SHOCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-24T14:53:00.001-04:00

So Vino seems to have pulled a Tyler Hamilton, or at least he's been accused of receiving a blood transfusion of someone else's blood. Very sad day in cycling as this doesn't help the sport. With Rasmussen in the yellow jersey with a cloud over HIS head, you have to hope that this is the last big shocker of the Tour (apart from race results).

Here's one thing I haven't heard discussed: could Vino have received a transfusion after his stage 15 crash? If so, wouldn't that account for the abnormality? Then again, IF that were the case, I expect Astana would have played that card. And why ask the entire team to withdraw from the race? That doesn't seem fair. Was T-Mobile asked to leave because of Sinkewitz? No. Terrible. There's really no consistency in the sport of cycling, and I think that's one of its big problems. Riders are treated differently; teams are treated differently.

Looks like...

2007-07-23T10:59:00.000-04:00

Vino will win this stage. I am so happy for him. But the big story were the attacks Contador launched on Chicken Legs on the final climb. Crazy stuff. This is actually an interesting Tour!

Vino attacking on the final climb

2007-07-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

Go VINO! Go VINO!
I really hope he gets this stage...poor guy. He's awesome. I love the way he cycles...an attacker... unlike Levi BORINGHEIMER!

Vino in the break...Stage 15

2007-07-23T08:52:00.001-04:00

but don't get too excited as there's no way he could gain 28 minutes or so today. Still, it would be nice to see him win a stage, but I am not even sure the peloton will allow that to happen. There's about 70K left, so plenty of time to reel back in an 8:25 minute lead.

Vino said he had no legs yesterday and took a tumble on the mountain as well, which accounts for his poor showing. Poor guy. I really wanted to see him contend for the podium. I'm not sure Kloden can carry the Astana torch.

Is Vino done?

2007-07-22T10:06:00.000-04:00

So, as I type this Vino is 5 minutes behind the yellow jersey group, which contains my favorite boring rider, Levi Snoozenheimer. They're going to begin the last climb of the day, and this will be the second mountain top finish. Will Contrador attack? I can't see Levi attacking.

I wish Vino were in this front group, threatening to go off the front. If this is how his Tour is going to end, I can't imagine him retiring at the end of this season.

Back to cycling

2007-07-21T13:34:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted anything of substance here (if you consider blogging about the TdF substantial) in a good amount of time, but with today's ITT and my ride, I thought I'd add some text to cyberspace.

First, I was glad to see Vino win the ITT today; I am not sure he can make up enough ground in the remaining seven stages, but Vino is an exciting rider to watch... now, Levi "the next great American cyclist" zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, oh, sorry, fell asleep for a moment... Yes, Vino = exciting; Levi=boring. I really hope Levi doesn't win it; heck, I'd be glad to see Contrador win, but I doubt Bruyneel would give him the protection he'd need to do that. Despite the statements that both are protected riders, you know Levi is going to be given the most opportunity to win the Tour. AC will have his chance in upcoming years.

Second, I took a solo ride - second day in a row - and had a good time except for those terrible crosswinds (hi Bob Roll) and my neck pain. This is the same pinched nerve / neck torture I experienced last year; I get it while running too, so it's not just a cycling thing. It's probably a bad posture thing. Yesterday I put in 17 miles on mostly flat road; today I put in 21 and did a bit of climbing. I also wore my heart monitor. Avg 144 bmp, high of 174. I probably was more at 150 or so for the good part of the ride; coming back through town, I went down to 132, which affected the average certainly. The best part of the ride was hitting 26-27 mph on the rollers. Of course, I have this dread fear that some car, animal, or small child is going to jump in front of me when I'm at that speed. There was one random dog attack. Ok, it wasn't so much of an attack as a golden retriever that spotted me and started to run from his yard straight for me. Luckily i was cruising along at 19mph and by the time he saw me, I was able to get past him. Hitting a dog at 19 mph is bad both for dog and rider.

Well, I'm going to do some reading now and get a shower. Should mow the lawn too, I suppose.

Twenty Stages....

2007-06-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

This year's Tour de France will have 20 stages and begins in London. Wish I could be there.
I'll post some predictions soon, but right now I'm just enjoying Moreau's win in the Dauphine Libere, trying to figure out whether Vino was playing possum on some of those mountain stages, and wondering whether we'll have another big doping scandal right before the tour begins.

Few updates, lots to report

2006-08-27T13:12:00.000-04:00

I am in TIA right now waiting for a flight to Atlanta and then to Dayton. I've been in Lordsburg and Shakespeare, NM doing research for ontheroadwithlolita

I have had a wonderful time here in NM, and it really made me very sad to drive west this morning. I headed out at 7am their time, 6am this time, and 9am my time. Confusing, ain't it?

Our classes started this past week, and I'm excited - as I always am - about the new semester. I hope the technical writing classes go well. It's a hard class to take and a hard class to teach. I'm teaching in two radically different time formats: once a week for 3 hrs and 3 times a week for an 1 hr. This makes scheduling and planning difficult.

The Intro to Poetry class should be a blast as I am eager to talk more about poetry with the students. There are about a dozen kids in there - I wish it were a bigger class, but a dozen is about the regular draw for the Intro courses

I've also been working on my Becker interview and the Becker review. Oh, I am not sure I want to think about these things yet as once I get back home, I will be faced with a stack of things to do. Ugh.

The Mirror Has Two Faces: A Quick Review

2006-08-04T15:17:00.000-04:00

Am watching this movie on WE right now. I should be writing, but I feel compelled to watch any film that depicts a campus environment, professors in love, etc.

Some random observations:
Does anyone have a class such as Rose's in the movie's beginning?
I just love Greg's line, "How do you get them to stay?"
Do all math professors in film wear bow ties?

Landis shocker...

2006-07-27T19:18:00.000-04:00

I don't need to rehearse the news, but I do want to draw attention to a poorly written piece at ESPN.COM by Pat Forde. I wrote him an email correcting his assumption that Landis came out of nowhere to win the Tour. Ugh.

Sadly, whether Landis "doped", he's tainted. He'll always have a blemish on his record even if he doesn't lose the yellow. Very sad.

Maxwell Ellison you have a message waiting at the paging assistance location

2006-07-25T01:43:00.000-04:00

keeps playing on the intercom here in Phoenix International Airport. I'm waiting for my 1 minute to midnight flight to Chi-town...I'll be on the same plane I took here from SFO. On the way in, there was a lightning storm over half the city - you could see the clouds and the strikes in the sky - but half the city was clear. Very strange effect. I'm exhausted. It's very quiet in here. No music playing. I don't even see anyone at the gate. I wish I could have just sat in the plane and waited until our next take-off. Oh well.

Trip to SF was awesome; see ontheroadiwthlolita.blogspot.com for some pictures and a recap. The Lolita project will be amazing, I know. I'm very happy with what I'm learning so far. I also think it will help me teach the novel more effectively to my students and really interest them in archival work/research.

Thank you, Miami University for giving me the opportunity to do this!!!

Congrats Floyd!

2006-07-23T21:30:00.000-04:00

I'm so happy that Landis won. Now there's talk, which we've heard before, that Discovery wants to sign him. We'll see. I imagine they'd wait to see what he was like post-hip replacement.

I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS!

2006-07-20T11:27:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading the final dispatches and tdfblog re LAndis' ride today. OH MY OH MY OH MY OH MY!!!!!!! He's 30 seconds out of yellow. He won today's stage. FOR ANYONE who EVER doubts this man, I've got two words for you... in the immortal words of DX: ____ ___

WOW!!!!!

LANDIS, YES!!!!!!!!!!

daryl hall and john oates

2006-07-19T23:20:00.000-04:00

I am listening to H20, which is being played at the bar/restaurant in my hotel in san fran. Oh my gosh, I don't want to leave as long as they're playing H&O, because I LOVED this duo back in the 80s. "You're out of touch. I'm out of touch. But I'm out of my head when you're not around." How can you not love those lyrics?

So, I had a very unsatisfying, overpriced meal here, but at least the music is good, right?

Tomorrow I'm meeting the Trott for breakfast. Haven't seen him since August 1997. Wow. That's a long time. When he called, I didn't even recognize his voice on the phone. Then it's off to Mission Dolores. Check out ontheroadiwthlolita.blogspot.com

I need to do some tourist-type things while in this city, but I'm afraid my work schedule won't allow it.

One of the things I've heard about San Fran concerns the number of homeless people. There are a lot, but I don't feel overwhelmed as some people seem to be. Maybe they've just never been in a city with a sizable homeless population. I remember having a conversation - perhaps with Trott? about whether you give to homeless people who ask for money, etc.

Private eyes. They're watching you. They see your every move. (gotta get those hand claps in there)

Ok, it's about 8:20pm here, and I've been awake since 4am thanks to the time change, etc. I probably should call it an evening so, but oh no...as long as they're playing Hall and Oates, I'm staying! : )

While I was in the SFPL today they evacuated - it was a false fire alarm or something. I then went over to the farmer's market and had a nasty hotdog and a nastier bottle of water. I mean, the bottle looked like it had been rolled around in the dirt. How can anyone charge 2 bucks for that? I shouldn't have paid for it, but I had already said I wanted the water, so I felt obliged. I barely drank from it. Ugh.

Ok, I better end this post and get some real work done.

You're a rich girl and you've gone too far.

Landis bonks it...

2006-07-19T22:05:00.000-04:00

Well, another day in the Alps, another shattered dream: Landis' dream of being in yellow come Paris. Of course, it's still possible that things may change, but eight minutes down at this point is pretty huge. I really wish I could have watched these stages live as I know Liggett's commentary would be exciting, but alas, I'm working in San Francisco. I hope everyone else is enjoying the Tour. I think this is precisely the sort of Tour that was expected without Basso, Ullrich, et al.

Is it wrong to wrong to be bummed that...

2006-07-14T11:47:00.000-04:00

Team Discovery is back "in" things with Popo's victory today?
Now, I like Popo a great deal. but I was enjoying Discovery's struggles.

I noticed they lost two riders today. I suppose I could be cheered by that, but I'm not, because everyone deserves to finish in Paris who starts the Tour.

I really want to see Floyd win.

And then there were 5

2006-07-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

Landis making tempo

And then there were 7

2006-07-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

Live blogging here...last climb... Landis with the lead group. Menchov might take this stage.
Kloden might. Evans might. WHO KNOWS!

I do know that Big George is DONE DONE DONE.

The worst tour coverage ever...

2006-07-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

So, last night I watched Al and Bob cover the stage - as I promised Mike. It was terrible. There were too many commercials. There was too much whining from Bob re T-Mobile's lack of effort. The team was at the front of the peloton for goshsakes. I need to look up Roll's record in the Tour.
Anyway, right now I have it on live because I don't want to subject myself to another tortured evening.

They were talking earlier about how disappointing Mayo was .... as if that is a new thing. Doesn't anyone remember previous years when Mayo would disappoint on the climbs? I remember him looking like he was going to abandon LAST year.

Prediction for today's stage?

2006-07-12T08:20:00.000-04:00

It was no secret that LA often attacked on the first mountain stage. I wonder if "the man who would be king" will do the same as well.

I'm waiting to watch today's stage 10 - why oh why!

2006-07-12T07:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I promised Mike I'd wait to watch the "enhanced" version of today's first mountain stage. I can't believe I suggested such a thing; I just hope Roll and Trautwig don't muck it up too much.

Stage 9 in Progress

2006-07-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

Big discussion is Landis' revelation re hip replacement surgery after the Tour. Lots of folks still speculating as to why NOW.

I am watching the last hurrah of the sprinters - at least for a while. I wonder if Boonen will try to win the stage - or at least beat out Robbie M.

So far the Tour has been enjoyable to watch, but I'm really eager to see the mountain stages, which always inspires me to climb the little hills in this area. I think it would be pretty amazing for T-Mobile to take the yellow to Paris,which is what I think Kloden said T-Mobile could do. In fact, he seemed to suggest that MULTIPLE T-Mobile riders would have the jersey, but that the team as a whole would keep it until Paris. I'm still waiting for my T-Mobile jersey to arrive in the mail - thanks world cycling productions for the shipping delays. Ugh.

Yesterday I went for a decent ride - about 18 miles - but it was all flat, because my left knee and shoulder/neck are still giving me problems. I go to the sports doc next Monday, and he's a cyclist, so I'm hoping that will be an advantage. Anyone heard of Jon Sulentic?

Tour de France REST day

2006-07-10T08:47:00.000-04:00

Well, we're into week 2 of the Tour. The TT on Saturday offered its share of surprises: T-Mobile takes the yellow; Landis has another mechanical problem; the Americans collectively disappoint.

It's been fun to watch so far - the absence of LA has been a good thing. Also, although I don't want to admit it, I think the withdrawals of Basso et al have been good for the race as well. If they stayed, that's all we'd hear about. I don't know whether the allegations are true against any of these riders, but they would be a distraction if they were involved in the race.

The commentary this year has been sporadic with Trautwig and Roll's "enhanced" evening experience again ranking amongst the worst sports commentating I've ever heard. Seconds of silence at key moments in the race? I don't get it. If you want to hear reasonably good commentary, you have to hear either the live call from Liggett and Sherwin or the repeat of their work. The evening commentary is terrible. Telling is the fact that they always shift to these guys for the final 20 KM or so. It's as though OLN is acknowledging, "hey we know Roll stinks, but we have to give him a job because he's married to the sister of the guy who owns this station."

How many disco boys in the top ten GC?

2006-07-06T08:07:00.000-04:00

and more importantly, which one will emerge as team leader? or perhaps Bruyneel is planning to take the top 3 positions just because....

Also, with LA being part owner of the team, I wonder how much say he has in race strategy. Anyone? anyone?

Stage 4 Goes to ... Robbie McEwen

2006-07-05T12:45:00.000-04:00

No shock here... it just seems like Robbie always pulls out the win at the end of these chaotic sprints. The CG rider who went down was NOT the Thunder God, who looked less than divine today unfortunately.

Although I respect McEwen's riding ability, I don't enjoy watching him. Not sure why this is so. I would have appreciated seeing Zabel win the final sprint - for ole time's sake.

The stage as a whole was relatively calm, but Mayo AGAIN experienced mechanical problems and had to take the bike of a teammate. What is wrong with this guy's bikes? does EE give their riders cheap bikes? Really, it's ridiculous.

Anyone worried about David Millar, who sits quietly back? Neither am I.

The Disco boys had a guy in the breakaway for most of the day, and they now have several GC contenders. Which one will be the "leader"? I still think it will be the Big Hink, but who knows...

Also, when will Landis make a move? Am I going to have to wait until the next TT? Apparently so... should be a showdown if Rogers remains #2. He'll look to take the yellow, and given his TT record, he could do it with a stage win.

If you bet on Valverde to win the Tour

2006-07-04T17:19:00.001-04:00

you lost your money today. There were several key cyclists whose Tour ended today: Valverde, Fast Freddie, and Erik Dekker. Very sad to see these guys go down; I really was hoping Valverde would be a serious GC threat. Now an American win looks more likely. Can't rule out Cadel Evans.

Also, I was wondering if Phonak was going to attack today; it's probably too early to do so, but Landis was at the front. Then again, given how many problems occurred in the peloton, it was a wise move.

I was really happy to see Kessler pick up the win - but I admit I feared he'd have a repeat of yesterday's experience when he was caught with less than 100km to go.

Oh, did anyone notice the reference to there being TWO captains for Gerosteiner? Totsching AND Leipenheimer? What's that about??????

If you bet on Valverde to win the Tour

2006-07-04T17:19:00.000-04:00

Thor will ride again

2006-07-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

Good news from the Tour; Thor required some stitches but will be back tomorrow to hopefully grab the yellow again.

The Great God THOR Hushovd wears yellow and I ride 30 miles

2006-07-01T22:40:00.000-04:00

In today's Prologue, Thor Hushovd posted a great time to win by .73 seconds over Gorgeous George. I am happy to see Thor in yellow, and I think he may try to keep the jersey for a few days. I'd love to see him win a sprint finish tomorrow against Robbie, Tom, et al.

I suppose I am getting over my initial shock about the rider suspensions and trying to see the Tour this year as being even more exciting, but it's very difficult to do that. I think the loss of Vino is tremendous given he's such an attacking rider. He would shake things up. I can't forget the way he blasted home on the final stage last year to knock Levi out of the top 5.

Again, Bob "Jelly" Roll is ridiculous as a commentator. If I have to hear him say "Tour de France" one more time, I will scream.

Today M and I joined the every other Saturday group here for a ride - we took some roads I have never been on and seemed to do a lot of climbing, stopping, and waiting for dropped riders. Still, it was a lot of fun, and I'm sure we'll do it again. I just love cycling. I think I'm getting better at climbing; I just need to focus on my form more. Now, I don't really have climbing FORM yet, but I'm working on it. M and I purchased a couple of cycling books today because M had a tire blow out and we want to be better prepared next time to do the maintenance. With a lot of help, it took 20 mins; had we been along, it would have taken an hr.

OH, TERRIBLE day for Floyd Landis ... he MISSED the start of his TT. So, he was about 10 seconds off the lead with 8 of those coming from him being late out of the start house. Someone said he had a flat. Sounds like a prankster to me. Who gets a flat right before the Prologue?

Faith and Reason with Bill Moyers: Mary Gordon and Colin McGinn

2006-06-30T21:31:00.000-04:00

I chose to watch this tv show over the tour preview given how deflated I feel about things.
Mary Gordon's voice grates on my nerves. If I didn't know and like Colin, I'd turn it off, but instead I continue to listen with quick checks of OLN.

I hope they turn to CM soon...

There will be NO Tour de France this year

2006-06-30T08:05:00.000-04:00

WOW! You thought FESTINA was bad in 1998. This situation now is 100 xs worse than that. Ullrich and Basso OUT? Maybe Gorgeous George and Pretty Boy Floyd or Levi will win one for the Americans, but who will care? NO ONE! The biggest story of the tour will be the riders NOT in the tour. I am so mad about this as I really wanted to see Ullrich win. I bet Lance is glad he didn't bother to participate this year. What a nightmare!

Update

2006-06-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

I've been on the road (see my other blog) and generally busy with Michael's family situation, so posts here have been infrequent. I want to give an update on a few things:
1. Jan Ullrich won the Tour de Suisse; if you care, you already know this, so why mention it? Well, this site's name comes from the 2005 Tour de France, which was 21 stages. So, I periodically talk cycling. I'm psyched that der Kaiser brought the hammer down on the final time trial/stage for the win. Riis' remarks earlier that Jan looked terrible, didn't seem to like cycling, etc. were probably designed to stoke his fires - why you'd do that to someone cycling on a competiting team, I dunno, but I can't imagine Riis really believed what he said. Still, it's great to see Jan approaching top form, and I'm hoping the showdown on the Alps is tight. If either Ullrich, Basso, Levi Leipenheimer, or any other the other favorites - Floyd Landis anyone - take a crazy lead, then it will be a boring tour.

2. I'm teaching English 215 in Summer II. Want to talk about technical writing? Let me know. I've also expanded the community project, so all five of my students (yeah, all five) will be "consultants" to John Ridge's various businesses. I'll do it again in the Fall, where I'm guaranteed a bigger crowd. I'm looking for other businesses that might want to receive documentation created by students in the area.

3. Middletown City Council has been off the hook. I just can't explain it to folks outside of this town, but it scares me to think that this is how city politics works. We have 50K people here - we are a decent-sized place with a 27 million dollar budget. I received a call today from my ward rep, who wants me to be on a committee. I'll listen to what he has to say as I want to become more involved in local politics.

4. Michael and I continue to cycle but not as often as we'd like.

5. I enjoy hitting 24 mph on flats.

6. I don't enjoy hitting 38 mph on descents.

7. I'm rereading Lolita for my project. I've also purchased lots of cool older maps and promotional materials.

8. I moved the Tablet PC and desk from the dining room to the study, so now there are 2 desks, 3 computers, and 1 manual typewriter in the room.

9. My Lolita continues to make me smile daily. Bichon frises are awesome.

10. Enumerated lists are helpful.

Upcoming travel

2006-06-08T09:07:00.000-04:00

I've booked several trips including visiting Blue Licks, Lincoln's birthplace, Mt. St. Helena, Mission Dolores, Russian Gulch State Park, and Magnolia Plantation.

Once I'm on the road again, I'll blog. I'll also post about the project iself, etc. Currently I am working on a piece looking at Mesker Zoo and its relation to the novel. I have a fairly good idea of an argument I wish to pursue beyond merely reviewing the Zoo's history, but I'd prefer to just tell a good story.

Do two people make a peloton?

2006-06-03T18:22:00.000-04:00

Today I was a "ride leader" for me and Mike, who took his first trip on the big, bad roads of Ohio. We had a great time, but I was miffed at myself for having to get out of the saddle on a hill. I didn't have the right gear (was using Jan Ullrich monster gears), so I suffered. It took me a bit of time to catch my breath, but I was fine for the rest of the trip.

We did a version of the typical Saturday or Sunday ride led by David Myers - to Kathy's Kitchen in Germantown. I had my typical mid-ride meal: some french toast. I did get a banana as well, which was a good choice. I drank water - but a cup of coffee would have been nice. Must think of that digestive system.

I'm already itching to get on the bike again. In fact, earlier I was thinking, I could go for a ride NOW. I'll wait until at least tomorrow to get in the saddle again, but it's such a wonderful feeling to cycle. I hit 38 descending a hill. I hate descending hills. I also hit about 25 on a flat. The bike really responds well . It's amazing to just shift and increase speed by 4-6 mph without any additional effort (or so it seems). Still, I need to work on my climbing skills. I hate that I had to get out of the saddle.

Tomorrow I'll watch coverage of the Dauphine Libere (and lament my weak skills).

Pedal hard!

I'm ON THE ROAD WITH LOLITA

2006-06-01T21:22:00.000-04:00

so to read about my exploits, check out that blog:

The return of the Mac

2006-05-31T08:40:00.000-04:00

I'm back online. My houseguests (my folks) have returned home.
It was a great visit as I always love spending time with my parents. Now, I need to concentrate on "academic" work, so I've returned to my Lolita project. I'll be blogging on that site, which you can find by looking at my profile.

Congrats to Ivan Basso on his huge win in the Giro ... a 9 minute margin is tremendous, and he is the favorite heading to the Tour de France. Thing is: CSC didn't really have to work all too hard as Basso never had a consistent challenger.

Poor Jan Ullrich had to abandon due to back problems. His name came up in the Diaz (sp?) scandal as well, but so did Basso's and about 198 other people's, so we'll see what happens with that. Liberty Seguros has pulled its sponsorship from the team. What does this mean for Vino and the boys? We'll see. He's riding the Dauphine Libere and the Tour. He's just a monster on the bike, but I wonder if he wishes he'd stayed with T-Mobile?

Where have you gone, Dr. C.?

2006-05-26T08:33:00.000-04:00

If you are checking in and wondering why no posts in many days, the answer is: I have houseguests.

I promise to be back online soon.

My Da Vinci [sic] Code Review (It's not as bad as you think)

2006-05-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

Saw the Da Vinci Code yesterday afternoon and was anticipating the most terrible movie of the year, but I think that award will go to Kane's See No Evil.

I have read many of the stunningly bad reviews of Tom Hanks' latest effort to add to his collection of Oscar awards - didn't he win about seven in a row? Ok, this won't get him another nod, but it was an enjoyable film...if all you're looking to do is watch a reasonably pleasant mystery/adventure film and NOT think about the deeper implications of the SACRED FEMININE and Jesus' love child with Mary Magdalene. If you want philosophy, read something by Colin McGinn or Dr. Seuss. If you want to be mildly entertained, watch this film. You have to love anything Sir Ian is in, and he does make the movie that much more enjoyable.

It was remarked to me that Paul Bettany likes to show his rear in films. I've not noticed this, but if you are a PB rear-follower, you might want to see the movie for the obligatory PB rear scene.

No one has mentioned Alfred Molina's turn as Bishop Big Bucks, but he's also a lot of fun to watch. I would have liked to see Sir Ian and Molina in the same scene, as I bet they'd play well off of each other, but it wasn't meant to be.

Well, that's it for now. As I said, I think the movie is worth watching - at least to pass the time until X3 comes out.

Corwin to Morrow and back

2006-05-21T10:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Mike and I did our first bike ride together with his new bike .

It was about a 30 mile round trip, and we cruised along at about 15-17mph with some faster breaks. The trail was somewhat crowded but not as busy as I imagined it would be. My big fear was losing the bikes off the back of the car on the bike rack; I just never trust those things. Has anyone had a bad bike rack experience?

Sadly, the Corwin Peddler is closed and for sale. What happened? It was a great place to stop after a ride, and the folks in there were always cyclist-friendly.

The newly tuned Specialized Allez Elite (triple) that I ride felt really good. I'm still not entirely comfortable with the saddle, but I don't know to what saddle I would change it. Mike and I are talking about a century at the end of the summer, so we'll have to start planning/training for that I suppose.

Overall, it was a good day of cycling.

"I could crush you...but I won't...today."

2006-05-18T15:10:00.000-04:00

Ullrich won the Giro tt. He made a statement today that he'll be ready for the Tour de France; as I posted earlier, this is his "tuneup" race. Basso was 27 seconds behind, so he remains the GC leader. The hard cycling hasn't started yet, so we'll see what happens on the mountains, but certainly Basso must be favored.

I just love the helmets these guys wear:

Kidd Coffee in Middletown, OH

2006-05-17T12:25:00.000-04:00

So, I am here in Kidd Coffee in Middletown, OH. It's right off the I-75 exit for those looking to visit. Still, you have to take the most roundabout way to get here - or not, depending on whether you take the first left or the second (if you ever drive here, you'll know what I mean). There is free internet here, but if you're online too long, they send you over to the US Army recruiters next door. I'm serious!

I was actually starving for a toasted sesame seed bagel from Panera, but driving 15 miles to get there seemed like a waste of gas and time. So, I'm at Kidd Coffee - at least it's not Java Johnny's, where I spend too much money and time.

I'm amused as well because there are three gentlemen, suits, at the next table who are using IBM Thinkpads (just like your humble blogger). Two are weighing standard Alan-issue clothes (white shirt, tie, dark slacks) but one is a rebel, wearing a beige shirt and dark pants. I guess he didn't get the memo.

Well, I better get some reading done.

One line updates

2006-05-15T23:16:00.000-04:00

Work on On The Road With Lolita continues...
It was odd NOT having a marathon this weekend to attend and still feeling just as exhausted as I did with the Flying Pig...
Did I mention I'm teaching Summer II, not Summer I, which is something that throws a bit of a wrench into my plans...
Am back to being at the gym alone (not a relationship program, but a time issue as I have more daytime freetime than Mike does; plus I like working out IN a gym rather than pounding pavement for 2 hrs)...
Since getting back my ultratuned up cycle, I have yet to get outdoors...
My lawn needs to be mowed.

Do you know where your White Castle burger containers come from?

2006-05-12T07:15:00.000-04:00

I bet you don't. They're produced by the Smurfit-Stone plant in Middletown, OH, a plant that is part of a sale to Texas Pacific.

What is Texas Pacific?

Well, it calls itself a "venture capital firm," a phrase that always frightens me and reminds me of the big bad 80s.

Could yet ANOTHER company be leaving Middletown, OH?

Who uses a grand tour to get in shape??!?!?!? Olaf pole lacquer second

2006-05-11T16:13:00.000-04:00

Jan Ullrich, of course!!!

Here's an English translation of his latest German diary posting:
Hello fan,

Olaf pole lacquer second - we are pleased about the successful entrance in the giro! So it can go further! Since we do not have a driver for the Gesamtklassement, we want to try to show us in the stages.

Class, as André Korff on the last kilometers worked. Despite some Rempeleien and by the dangerous gyroscopes lead it Olaf carefully into the point. Without it pole lacquer could not have ignited its turbo. It harms that McEwen still vorbeisprintete. But Bettini and Petacchi to strike, that are already which!

For me it concerns with the giro until further notice only to come welfare into the goal.

If then there good messages wait for me, it is doubly beautiful!

Of you

________________________________

Yes, Olaf pole lacquer second!!!

Btw, next time someone asks me, "How do I get in better shape?" I'm going to say, Olaf pole lacquer second.

CHABAH CHABAH CHABAH

2006-05-10T11:20:00.000-04:00

My Chabah sandals arrived, and they are spectacular (thanks, Damien!).

I was heading out to my car when I noticed the PRIORITY MAIL package on my front porch. Although I was wearing a fine pair of sandals, I had to go back into my house and try on my Chabahs!

Here are my sandals:

Aren't they beautiful?

I highly recommend these sandals - the offical sandal of twentyonestages!

I love Maggy!

2006-05-09T07:51:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite tour riders is also one of the biggest, Magnus Backstedt. The picture to the left is one I had sent to me via email. See, it's personalized. Really, it is. I received this last year and was absolutely giddy.

Magnus has an official site. He just posted on it the other day after a bit of an absence. He's rehabbing an injury, and I look forward to seeing him on the tour again. He's a great competitor and an energetic guy. He doesn't have the typical cyclist's body, which I appreciate. He's HUGE.

Go, Maggy, go!

Our happy home

2006-05-08T15:18:00.000-04:00

There are pigeons, I believe, nesting on top of one of the carport pillars as you can see to the right. You can't really get a good look at the bird, which is a shame, because she's pretty. Her mate is never far from "home". As I was pulling out of the driveway this morning, I saw him resting in the neighbor's driveway with one eye fixed on the pillar and the other on me - birds can do that, you know.

Last year I had robins above my back porch light. This year pigeons roost. What's coming next year?

First Marathon: The Flying Pig 2006

2006-05-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

To your right you see someone about to embark on his first marathon. Doesn't he look happy?

Btw, if you see that shirt he's wearing ever again, it will probably be on a homeless person, because all discarded clothing during the race was going to be given to area shelters. I'm not sure if that's cool or strange. I mean, why would some poor homeless person want a sweaty, used t-shirt from a skinny white guy who just ran a marathon?

Overall, the experience of the Flying Pig was enjoyable and - I hate to say it - moving as Mr. Marado suggested it would be. I did nearly cry when I saw the wheelchair competitor who was flying on 3rd and later when I saw the marathon winner and new course record holder - there was a great "shot" of the "escort" on the bike pointing the the runner as he came to the finish line as if to say THIS GUY IS IT. 2:19 Wow.

Does anyone know what happened to the Super Destroyers?

2006-05-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

Back in the mid 80s, I remember watching a tag team called the Super Destroyers (or Superdestroyers) on WCW. They wore masks - didn't everyone? I remember thinking they were very cool, but then they seemingly disappeared. I've googled them and found teams named the Super Destroyers, but none really look like what I remember. I'm sure the name was given to a few different tag teams, so I'll probably never figure out precisely which team I had in mind.

The end of the spring semester

2006-05-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

Well, I received my students' final portfolios and projects today, so it's officially the end of my Spring 2006 semester. Now I have grading to finish by the weekend. The end of the semester always makes me sad. Usually I feel as though it's time for the semester to end - I'm tired; the students are tired - but I also feel like there's more we could accomplish. I also always have students and classes that I will miss a great deal. I'm still learning how to teach, and I don't think I'll ever quite have it "figured out," but I do love being in the classroom. It amazes me that my mom talked for almost 4 decades. I suppose I could accomplish the same feat, but she taught elementary school, which I think poses far more significant daily challenges. My job is easy compared with hers.

Now that I've been in Ohio for a year, I can say that I made the best choice possible last year by leaving MOC. As much as I enjoyed the students and people there, I could not see a long-term career at that school for a variety of reasons. I *can* forsee being where I am for the rest of my career.

Oh, I don't want to babble too much about teaching, and as I type I smell cigarette smoke, which must be drifting into my house through one of my open windows as no one in this house smokes. Or perhaps it's a smoking ghost? There's a title for a Web site: The Smoking Ghost (a la the Smoking Gun).

Welcome rajah.com readers

2006-05-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

My review of the Smackdown show is up on rajah, so perhaps I'll get some traffic. I should have spent more time on the review, but it came out decently I thought. It's nice to see something non-academic written by me on the web.

Today I am collecting student papers between 3-5pm. That means tomorrow will be a grading marathon as this weekend is the Flying Pig - a marathon of a different sort.

Tonight is supposed to be the restart of Wobbly Wednesdays, but I don't see that happening. I do see a several mile run occurring once Mike gets to the house from work.

More later.

Smackdown tapings 5/2/06

2006-05-03T10:12:00.000-04:00

Here's what I sent in to rajah.

Went to the Smackdown tapings last night. Good, but not great, show. Place was packed with a very small section "blacked off". VERY LOUD.

Began with tapings for Velocity (William Regal and someone vs. some team; Matt Hardy vs. Animal; Gregory Helms vs. ?). Highlight for me was Lashley vs. someone destined to lose. He needs to work on his in-ring skills if he ever wants to be a top tier wrestler imho. Regal didn't play to the crowd like he did when I saw him in NC last year. He's usually a good crowd-worker as a heel. Maybe he was having an off night. Paul Burchill's entrance was somewhat cool. I like the Johnny Depp look.

Now, for SMACKDOWN.... (btw, the sound was ridiculously loud all night....)

Show opens with Rey doing one of his promos only to be interrupted by JBL, who says the crowd will never chant Rey's name - crowd responds by chanting more "Eddie" - would think a chant of Rey would have been more appropriate (thanks, Cincinnati, for making JBL's pt). Rey says he's never backed down from a fight, so JBL tells him he has an opponent for him if Rey's a man of his word. Big shocker (not): it's Mark Henry. Wow, Rey does look small in the ring with Mark Henry. Wow, JBL is in bad shape. He looks worse every week.

The following matches aren't in order.

Booker T vs. Gunner Scott... Sharmell comes out and announces the next King of the Ring. Boring match. Booker is boring. Later, there's a dressing room encounter between Lashley and Booker setting up the King of the Ring final (if Lashley gets by Finlay, and he will).

MNM vs London/Kendrick...never even started as MNM attacked, got DQd, kept attacking, and left. My boyfriend was thoroughly confused.

Kid Cash vs.Supercrazy (no Juan Deere) vs. Nunzio with Vito for a title shot against Gregory Helms... interrupted by the Great Khali, whp cleaned house and left.

Finlay vs. Benoit... I was surprised at how much I liked this match. Real back and forth match with Chris selling Finlay's offense fairly well. Match ends when Finlay sneaks in a chair shot. Highlight was Finlay's temper tantrum during which he tossed chairs into the ring. I don't know why he didn't get DQd. Here's my big beef with WWE: it used to be that this sort of crap (throwing chairs) always got you DQd. Now you only get DQd about 20% of the time (ie MNM's pre match attack). Benoit got good pop post-match.

The Gymini with Simon Dean vs. Scotty 2 Hotty & Funaki.... silly match with The Gymini going for all these power moves that seemed needless on the long drink of water that is Funaki. One of the twins pinned Scotty, who seemed to have ants in his pants while on the apron. Simon Dean was wearing a green neon jumpsuit...very 1980s.

There was a backstage promo with Theodore Long, Daivari, and the Great Khali. Undertaker has challenged the GK to a match at Judgment Day. GK wasted no time in signing the contract. No Undertaker this week.

Mark Henry vs. Rey with JBL as guest announcer... pretty good match with Rey getting some offense on Mark Henry, knocking him to his knees, delivering the 619, etc. but it all ends with one big splat as MH picks up the win.

After the match, Mark Henry is about to crush Rey by jumping from about 10 feet above the floor; he's dragged Rey like a wounded animal up the ramp after tossing him through the ring. People are in hysterics near where I am sitting. JBL runs up and begs Mark not to do it, because "If you destroy him, there will be nothing left." JBL promises Mark a title shot after Judgment Day. MH doesn't splash Rey - probably would have killed him had he done it.

Dark match: triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Title: Rey vs. JBL vs. Mark Henry... starts out with JBL just trying to get the pin, but Mark Henry won't allow it. Decent dark match with Rey getting the win and Mark Henry and JBL left in the ring with JBL begging Mark Henry not to hurt him.

Final thoughts: WHERE IS THE BOOGEYMAN? I was hoping for an appearance. Someone had a "Got Worms?" sign. As I said above, I really hope Lashley develops more. He doesn't seem to have a strong ring presence yet. Batista improved dramatically, and I hope Lashley does as well. I could see a Lashley vs.Batista main event someday for the title. Was also hoping for a Batista appearance last night, but I don't think that will happen until Judgment Day (or after).

Biggest pop:

Rey

Benoit

Lashley

Biggest heat:

the guy in front of me who kept holding up the Raiders Jerry Rice jersey

JBL

Mark Henry

Today's Flashback: Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me"

2006-05-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

Rockwell, Berry Gordy's son, with Michael Jackson on backing vocals...

"I always feel like somebody's watching me."

Countdown to Smackdown!

2006-05-02T09:49:00.000-04:00

Those who know me may not know my dark secret (no, not that one): I love wrestling. Give me Ric Flair in a sequined robe any day, and I'm a happy gal.

So, tonight I have tickets (floor seats, about 7 rows from the ring) for the Smackdown LIVE tapings in Cincinnati, OH. I wish it were RAW, but I'm not willing to go to Columbus, OH for something as silly as this.

Anyway, I anticipate that tonight will be a fun evening. Last year I went to my first professional wrestling match. It was a house show in a rundown place in eastern NC. This year's event is a live event, which means pyro, commercial breaks, etc. I doubt that will make it a "better"experience.

The thing that amazed me about last year's show was how rundown and cheap everything seemed. From the building in which the show took place - looked like a WWII bomb shelter, and probably was used as such - to the interesting crowd lined up outside for more than an hour (even though everyone had assigned seats, etc.) to the group of people gathered around the tour buses hoping to get a glimpse of Batista, et al. (btw, Batista is still out of Smackdown rehabbing an injury; I WISH he were going to be there tonight - that would be awesome) I was also amazed last year by how many families with small children were there. I thought it would be a rougher crowd, but it was very tame looking. The highlight was seeing someone walking around with a championship belt over his shoulder (think John Cena wannabe). Who BUYS a fake plastic belt and parades it around an arena?

Oh well. I will file a full report when I get back. I should write a bit about my students' visit to my house last night, but I'll save that for another time.

The phrase for the day: "dapped up"

2006-05-01T11:28:00.000-04:00

ESPN annotates this as "shook hands" as in, Marcus Vick says, "We just kind of dapped up and hugged each other" when explaining how his chat went with Dumervil, the guy whose leg Vick stepped on during a bowl game noless.

Now, you use it in a sentence:

"Staying in school cost me 24 million dollars" or why Matt Leinart better hope his USC degree is worth more than a pro career

2006-05-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

Read the sad story here.

Noticing the birds

2006-05-01T10:39:00.000-04:00

Well, it's springtime, which means the birds are seemingly more plentiful around the yard, in the trees, on the wires, etc. Last year I had a nest right above the backdoor of my house. This year, a pigeon is roosting on top of one of the pillars that hold on the carport roof.

Right now I am looking out my kitchen window at a robin sitting on powerwires, who is literally raising his tail feathers, lowering them, and swinging the wire by doing so. It's like watching a little kid on a swingset. Raising the tail feathers like that must be some sort of communication - a mating call? I really should know these sorts of things.

There's a famous story that a student once came to speak with Nabokov at Cornell after he became a well-known (to Americans) author. He asked Mr. Nabokov for advice on how to be a writer. Mr. Nabokov turned to his window, pointed to a tree, and asked the student, "Do you know what kind of tree that is?" The student responded, "No." And Mr. Nabokov replied, "Until you do, you'll never be a writer." Or so the story goes, I believe.

The First Day of the Draft

2006-04-30T09:24:00.000-04:00

So, the first three rounds of the NFL Draft are in the books, and the NYG picked up a DE, WR, and a LB. The DE was a huge surprise on big blue but folks seemed happy with the Moss pick. I know nothing about the LB they got at the end of the third round. Today they have four picks, and I imagine they'll go CB, QB, RB, DE. But then again, I thought they'd take DeAngelo Williams if he was available in the first, so what do I know?

As far as how teams did, I was impressed at how the Jets got two potentially awesome linemen - Pro Bowl potential, really - and I am also concerned that the Eagles did very well getting Justice. Bunkley doesn't scare me so much. I don't know why, but FSU dlinemen don't frighten me.

It was interesting to see Leinart go #10. He was such a golden boy for so long - had he come out last year, he may have been the overall pick. Then it was the "Who will go first, ML or RB?" debate. Well, Matt, sorry, but you're in the desert behind Kurt Warner. Prepare to lose.

People are calling Matt a "loser," but he'll be making more guaranteed money on his contract than I will ever see in my lifetime...unless I really do write The Great American Novel.

Some folks on bbi are saying they want Anwar Phillips out of PSU, my alma mater, but there's no way we draft him. He had major "character issues" as it's called, and I doubt he's even ON the NYG's draft board. Watch: we'll draft him and I'll be wrong again.

Stay tuned...

Quick Comments on the Draft

2006-04-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

Mario Williams at #1? I wonder if that was merely because RB's demands were too high. I rather get a guy in at the start of training camp, etc. Dealing with holdouts is never good for a team.

When RB was taken by the Saints, did you see his expression? I think he swallowed his own tongue. Still, he'll be making big $, so what does he care? Was Ricky Williams the last RB taken #1 by the Saints? Will RB be wearing a dress anytime soon? Stay tuned... I heard LenDale White is on the RW route already.

Ok, the NYG are on the clock. My pick:
DeAngelo Williams

I'm going to post this now and come back later to add to my observations.

What's wrong with this picture: A HUMMER WITH A HANDICAPPED HANGTAG?

2006-04-29T10:16:00.000-04:00

I wish I had my camera with me on my trip to Java Johnny's.

Spring Cleaning or What Do Professors Do When Waiting for Students to Submit Papers?

2006-04-29T09:06:00.000-04:00

This weekend I left all of my student papers at the office. I am determined to give my house a thorough cleaning. Keep in mind: I hate cleaning. I'd rather be reading recommendation reports, feasibility studies, critical essays, and road trip journals from my English 163 class. Instead, I will be dusting, polishing, vacuuming, sweeping, straightening, throwing out, reorganizing, washing, drying, running, standing, and every other activity associated with SPRING CLEANING.

In some ways, the prospect is invigorating, but the reality is far from it. I'm probably more easily exhausted by dusting my house than I am by reading 100 pages of Tolstoy.

I wonder about the housecleaning practices of other professors. Is there an Ethics of Housecleaning? An aesthetic of housecleaning? I wonder, too, if there's some secret trick to cleaning. It seems like as soon as I clean something, chaos creeps back rather quickly. So, if things stay clean for such a short time, why bother?

Well, this post is only adding to how long I will have to spend cleaning this house, so I better quit it now. Plus, there's the NFL Draft starting at noon. At least I'll have some good background noise for my cleaning.

The Return of Twenty-One Stages

2006-04-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

Blogs are like books around my house about which I get really excited: I begin them, embrace them with much enthusiasm, and then allow them to linger, gather dust, and patiently wait for my return. So, here I am.

I started this particular blog while watching LA last year. Well, it's cycling season again (HELLO, TOUR DE GEORGIA FANS), and I'm back. There's no LA. He's running the NYC or Boston marathon. But we have Jan Ullrich and the usual suspects. More on that later.

I just wanted to say Hi and warn you that more is coming.

SEVEN!

2005-07-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

It's over. I haven't posted in several days, because as far as I'm concerned, things ended in the Pyrenees when it was clear that LA could respond to whatever T-Mobile or CSC threw at him. Still, it was a thrilling TdF to watch, and I'm happy LA got his stage win yesterday. Vino took Stage 21, and I really think he was making a statement. Where will he wind up? With Discovery? That would be cool, but then what about Popo?

LA's achievement is awe-inspiring...really, it brings tears to your eyes when you think about how much he's accomplished. Makes me happy to be a cyclist.

Bob Roll is the WORST color commentator

2005-07-16T20:34:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I am watching the REPLAY of the stage, and instead of Liggett's commentary, they're using Roll's, and he must know the results, etc. for this. Yet, he sounds like an idiot. Liggett is a cycling god! Bob Roll should stick to being naked in commercials.

Oh this is really terrible

2005-07-16T09:11:00.000-04:00

to watch, but exciting!

Is LA missing Triki today?

2005-07-16T09:08:00.001-04:00

I'm really nervous, because of this T Mobile attack. This is vicious. LA is alone. Where are his teammates???

OH NO!

2005-07-16T09:08:00.000-04:00

Vino has attacked... 3 T Mobile's vs LA!

OH NO

Missed posts...

2005-07-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

yesterday was the first day I did NOT watch the stage at all...today is a huge day. This weekend is incredibly significant as the climbs through the Pyrenees could really be devastating. I don't know if LA will attack today. I suppose it depends on what he sees Rasmussen, Basso, et al doing. The commentators keep talking about Rasmussen not really having confidence that he can win the yellow jersey and being happy with the polka dot jersey. I can't believe that. WHo wouldn't want the yellow jersey? I find that argument bizarre. I guess we'll see what he does today and tomorrow.

Basso is only 2 30 back(or is 2 14?), so I could see him gaining some time if he decides to attack today. I don't know that LA would allow him to get too far ahead tho'. I wish I knew the time bonus for winning today's stage.

Will LA go after Vino today?

2005-07-13T09:57:00.000-04:00

Vino has about a 3 minute lead on Lance. I wonder how long this will go on. Will LA attack? Also, he has to worry about Rasmussen behind him. I wonder if there will be a major mixup on the mt. I hope for some excitement. I don't want Vino to get 3 mins on LA.

Will Vino gain some time today?

2005-07-13T07:21:00.000-04:00

Early breakaway and Vino is involved... we'll see if Lance responds later. Probably too early to worry, but I'm sure Lance is keeping tabs on his rivals.

Yesterday was a great day for DSC. I loved watching that final climb, especially how hard Popo worked for Lance.

Lance back in yellow...

2005-07-12T11:28:00.000-04:00

Beautiful mountain ride for Lance... I wonder if Rasmussen will continue to threaten LA in the mts?

Oh yeah! GO LANCE, GO!

2005-07-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

Lance is just hammering away, but Rasmussen is keeping with him as are Valverde and Mancebo. I hope Lance wins this stage.

Poor T-Mobile, more than 1 min behind.

We're on the last mt climb...

2005-07-12T10:37:00.000-04:00

Ok, so Discovery Team was keeping a wicked pace, which suggests Lance might attack. Then again, he might not. You have to love watching a good mt stage.

Neither CSC nor T-Mobile helped DSC with the pace. I'm still thinking Vino might try something.

BRING IT ON! Stage 10

2005-07-12T08:47:00.000-04:00

Oh, I hope today is a good day for Lance & the Blue Train...

Will Discovery Team make a statement today?

2005-07-10T08:01:00.000-04:00

They're leading the peloton right now up the mountain. They look good. Ullrich had a crash earlier, but there's not much being said about it. Allegedly he hurt his knee. I still think Kloden and Vino are the big threats to Lance. Still Ullrich is needed as a potential threat to Lance. Imagine a team having three riders capable of challenging Lance! Yikes.

I got up at 6:30am just to watch this stage because I missed the past two days live. Tomorrow is a rest day, but I can't imagine one day makes a huge difference to these guys. In fact, I wonder if it hurts more, because your muscles realize what a tremendous effort they've been making. It's like running hard, stopping, and then trying to run again! It's easier to just slow to a jog and then speed up than it is to completely stop.

Big Trouble at Discovery?

2005-07-09T13:37:00.000-04:00

So, what happened to Lance's Blue Train? Is this a sign of bad things to come? Tomorrow I think will be a significant day for the team; if it's a repeat of today's performance, Lance could be in trouble. He needs his teammates to accompany him on these climbs. That's key. Otherwise, T-Mobile and CSC will eat him up.

Another exciting conclusion to a stage...

2005-07-08T21:56:00.000-04:00

Again, the sprinters got the glory in the end, but there was a small crash that made things THAT much more interesting. I was just hoping the whole field didn't go down.

Not much to report - I only saw the end of the stage today. Tomorrow will be a telling day as Vino might attack Armstrong on the first day in the "mountains." I hope Lance kicks his butt!

Is this the beginning of the end for Lance?

2005-07-07T22:03:00.000-04:00

So, Vino takes 19 seconds out of Lance's lead. Is it time to panic? Not yet, but I guarantee that T-Mobile is VERY happy with this result. Vino is a dangerous rider - far more dangerous I think that Ullrich.

We'll see how things stand after the weekend. I'm hoping Lance builds up his lead on Saturday.

I missed most of the stage today as a cousin is visiting, so that's why there were no posts during the race. It will be the same thing Fri but hopefully not Sat.

What will happen to the yellow jersey today?

2005-07-06T08:34:00.000-04:00

There's some discussion about CSC's decision to abandon Zabriske yesterday. Given the number of riders they had, they could have allowed 1-2 riders to stay with him and ensure a better time, etc. Not very sporting of the team - although obviously not the riders' fault but a "management" decision.

So, will Lance try to keep the jersey today, or will "Gorgeous" George be wearing it after Stage 5?

The yellow jersey bleeds

2005-07-05T11:12:00.000-04:00

Oh, how terrible to see Zabriske go down. He's obviously got a pretty nasty injury, but emotionally he must be devastated. Poor kid.

1:10:39 wins...

2005-07-05T11:10:00.000-04:00

YES

Team CSC will NOT beat Discovery..

2005-07-05T11:08:00.000-04:00

with 2km to go, I think Discovery will win. Even if they lose, it's still an impressive performance by CSC and helps Basso...

Wow, Zabriske crashed!!!!!!!

I love watching the Team Time Trial...

2005-07-05T08:51:00.000-04:00

What a thing of beauty to watch especially from a helicopter shot! The teamwork for a TTT is amazing. Great stuff!!

The Team Time Trials!

2005-07-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

Today we'll see if Lance can claim the yellow jersey. I think that if Discovery doesn't win today, it will be a shock. CSC must be a bit tired from the past few days of protecting Zabriske. I also wonder about Phonak. Would be nice to see Pretty Boy Floyd win it today. Still, I'm rooting for Lance.

40 miles... let's go!

Why I Hate OLN's Coverage

2005-07-04T08:36:00.000-04:00

The guys are acting like the race hasn't started...this commentary is really annoying... "Why do people work to get the green jersey?" How many stupid questions can be asked on one pre-race show. More importantly: HOW CAN YOU CALL IT A PRE RACE SHOW IF THE RACE IS GOING ON?!?!!??!

What is Tyler Hamilton doing right now?

2005-07-04T08:28:00.000-04:00

This morning I was thinking about Tyler Hamilton and wondering what he must be doing to keep his mind off the Tour. I can't imagine he would watch it. I remember it was just last year (or the year prior?) when he had that big fundraiser/event where everyone gathered in movie theatres to watch him ride. That was the day he crashed I believe. Since then, most people know what's happened. He has a website: www.tylerhamilton.com

He does have a June post, but nothing since the Tour started. The whole "vanishing twin" argument is beyond my limited scientific understanding, but Hamilton seems like one of the "good guys" of cycling that I want to believe him.

Well, the prerace show is starting, so I will sign off!!

The fight for the polka dot jersey

2005-07-03T10:32:00.001-04:00

Oh this is fun to watch...go Voeckler!!!

The fight for the polka dot jersey

2005-07-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

Oh this is fun to watch...go Voeckler!!!

What's your heartrate?

2005-07-03T09:18:00.000-04:00

The OLN commentators (Liggett esp) were talking about heartrates in the race. Apparently, LA's resting rate is 32 or 33 and he maxes out at 201 but works at 180-190. Wow.

The physiology of these racers is just mindboggling. I know that everyone has their limits, genetic gifts, etc., but still...

Makes me want to do more cardio to improve my VO2 max, etc.

Stage 2 has started... what will Team CSC do?

2005-07-03T08:52:00.000-04:00

It seems as though Team CSC is protecting Zabriske. Basso is their leader, but for now, Zabriske will be protected (at least for a few days). It's just wonderful to watch the peloton move. You see the red/white/black of CSC surrounding the maillot jeune.

Let the excuses begin for Ullrich...

2005-07-02T16:43:00.000-04:00

Oh, I know we're going to hear, "Although Ullrich insisted he wasn't badly injured when he crashed headfirst and helmetless into his team car..." because of Lance's absolutely b-slapping of Jan on the tt course.

I'm very happy about today's result and psyched to see Zabriske getting the stage win and yellow in his TDF debut.

OH GOD YES!!!!!!

2005-07-02T13:06:00.000-04:00

My dream just happened: Lance overtakes Jan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Landis departs...

2005-07-02T12:21:00.000-04:00

We'll see how Landis does with this TT now that Landis has his "own" team (who IS the team leader for Phonak??). I think the gap between Zabriske and the rest of the field is interesting. Will the minute differential stand up once Ullrich and Lance ride? It seems like a tremendous amount of time given it's only about 11.8 miles.

It's hard for me to get a sense of how strong the winds are, etc. as these riders are moving. I'm not crazy about this coverage so far...too much cutting back and forth, talking about technology, etc. I want to be able to get a sense of the WHOLE course!

Twenty One Stages Begins!

2005-07-02T08:31:00.000-04:00

This blog will follow the twenty one stages that I hope will lead to a seventh win for Lance Armstrong. I should give a few details about myself and what prompts me to create YET ANOTHER BLOG about the Tour. I'm an English professor and cycling fan, but I don't compete and don't even own a road bike. I ride a mountain bike on the roads around my home, which is pretty tough, so I'm contemplating buying a road bike. I have been looking at a Trek 1200 or a Trek 1500, because I don't want to spend more than 1000 dollars. Ideally I'd like a used bike that might save me some $. Anyway, on to my interest in the Tour...

Right now it's the pre-race show. The time trial begins later in the day. There's a great deal of anticipation for this race as it's Lance's last. Again, we hear that this course is extremely difficult and designed to prevent Lance from winning...but isn't this what we heard LAST year?

I'm hoping that Lance wins, because I love him as a cyclist. Cycling is a beautiful sport to watch. To see the peloton undulate through a course can be very moving. I nearly cried last year at the first mountain stage. I wish I could be in France and camp out somewhere. Perhaps one day I will.

This first time trial is 12 miles, which means that some distance between the leader and the pack could be established early. Lance will be riding last. I don't know if he'll win the TT, but he needs to be near the top - ideally, winning would be best.

I'll post more later, but that's it for now...