The Cycliste Moderne, April 29, 2005

Petacchi Rolls

Alessandro Petacchi of Fassa Bortolo is showing he will be the sprinter to beat, again, at this year’s Giro d’Italia. He entered this week’s Tour of Romandie in Switzerland with fourteen victories already this season. He has now added two more with wins in the first two stages, riding the peleton off his wheel during the last 500m of Stage 1 and coming around CSC’s sprinter and former Cippolini lead-out man Giovanni Lombardi to get the win today.

Petacchi is probably the fastest man in pro cycling. Fassa Bortolo will come to the Giro prepared to sacrifice its GC hopes in support of Petacchi. Today, at Romandie, the team put Dario Frigo, a past GC contender at the Giro, on the front to help Phonak bring the break back. Although Frigo will likely be Fassa Bortolo’s GC man in the Giro, it is likely that due to this year’s course, he will spend some time on the front bringing back the long breakaways that occur during the first week of the Giro.

With Cippolini’s retirement and Tom Boonen’s focus on the Tour de France, Petacchi’s only real sprint challenger at the Giro will be Robbie McEwen of Davitamon-Lotto. Davitamon-Lotto and Fassa Bortolo will ride hard to ensure that the stages come together at the end and are set up for a sprint. The first week of the Giro is likely to look a lot more like NASCAR than bike racing.


Giro Pre Preview

The Giro starts a week from Saturday and while we will have a more detailed preview next week, it is interesting to review the preliminary rosters from some of the teams. With the ProTour’s guaranteed entry of each of the top 20 teams in each of the Grand Tours, it remains clear that only the Italian teams and those teams with Italian riders are coming to win.

Obviously, Fassa Bortolo is coming with Petacchi to win stages and the points jersey. Lampre-Caffita is coming with past winners Damiano Cunego and Gilberto Simoni. Liquigas-Bianchi comes with past winner Stefano Garzelli. Domina Vacanze lines up with Serhiy Honchar and Wladimir Belli (best known for punching out Simoni’s relatives a couple of years ago on one of the climbs and getting thrown of the race), who both have top 10 potential. Discovery starts with past winner Paolo Salvoldelli. CSC comes with Ivan Basso for the GC and Lombardi for the sprints. Cofidis is bringing a team which could get some stage wins with Stuart O’Grady. Credit Agricole is coming with Pietro Caucchioli, who finished third in 2002, and Quick.Step brings Paolo Bettini who is not a threat for the GC but certainly could win multiple stages.

As for the Spanish teams, their provisional start lists are veritable Who’s Who of Nobodies. Spanish teams have not aggressively contested the Giro for ten years. Similarly, Italian teams show little interest in the Vuelta. It is the ProTour that makes these teams show up at all the big races. In the past, Discovery (or shall we say it’s predecessor US Postal Service) and Credit Agricole have not shown any interest in the Giro. This year they signed Italian leaders for the race and appear to be coming with the intention of getting results.

With fewer wildcards for the Grand Tours as a result of the mandatory participation of the ProTour teams there will be some teams that have no interest in the Giro at all that will line up while smaller domestic teams that have aggressively raced over the last few years are excluded. Therefore, do not expect to see anyone from the Spanish teams, Gerolsteiner, T-Mobile, Bouygues Telecom, or Française des Jeux do anything except work on their tans as they race north through Italy.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 27, 2005

“If you brake, you don’t win.”
Mario Cippolini

Farewell to the Lion King

Mario Cippolini announced his retirement today. This is no surprise, he is older and slower than ever. It is surprising that he is doing it in the weeks leading up to the Giro d’Italia, a race that has defined his career.

The all-time leader in Giro stage wins is the type of cyclist who comes along once in a generation. It is a shame that, except for his trip to the Tour of Georgia last year, most Americans never got to see him race. It is also a shame that his Tour de France glory days came prior to Lance Armstrong’s dominance.

I will always remember 1997 when Cippo rode Tour on a Cannondale, Saeco's bike sponsor. He showed up to the start of Stage 1 in stars-and-stripes shorts. He won that stage and took the yellow jersey. The next day, he showed up in yellow shorts to match the jersey. At one point during the 1997 Tour he turned to the TV motor bike and said “Cannondale is best bike, no?”

He never finished the Tour. His routine was quite regular: Race hard in the spring. Get some early results. Ride an aggressive Giro (as evidenced by his career record of 42 stage wins). Show up at the Tour, get some wins, get some press, get fined for improper clothing. Pack it in the first time the road went up, head home and work on the tan. This clearly annoyed Tour organizers. The past several years his teams were passed over for Tour selection even though he was probably the biggest star in the peleton. Well, except for Armstrong.

During the late 1990’s, Cippo’s red Saeco train would go to the front during the last 10km, keep the pace incredibly high and leave their leader with about 250 meters to go. He was virtually unstoppable under those conditions. Saeco was built for Cippo and Cippo for Saeco.

I really, think however, that his greatest year was 2002. Not just because he won the World Championship and Milan-San Remo that year. What impressed me was Gent-Wevelgem. Having won MSR a few weeks before, Cippo did not need to be racing Gent-Wevelgem. However, late in the race and without any teammates, he bridged up to a four man group with Americans George Hincapie and Fred Rodriguez. He out-sprinted Hincapie and Rodriguez for the win and proved that he could win on his own merits, without his train.

His victory at Worlds in Zolder, Belgium that year was a fitting conclusion to the season. I feel that it would have been a fitting conclusion to his career as well. However, I cannot fault him for racing the next season as the reigning world champion. Unfortunately for Cippolini, the emergence of Alessandro Petacchi, the demise of his lead-out train, and age have all caught up with him. He had two wins this spring and was expected to continue at least through the Giro.

Cippolini will be missed. His panache was evidenced in his promotion of Cannondale, his ads for Northwave and his work for other sponsors. Cippo has more charisma than the rest of the peleton combined. Does any one not like Cippo? There is no replacement in the peleton for the “Lion King.”

The Cycliste Moderne, April 25, 2005

25 de Abril

Happy 25 de Abril, the anniversary of the Portuguese Revolution. The Captains of April overthrew the fascist dictatorship when the Portuguese Military objected to the ongoing colonial wars in Africa. Maria de Medeiros made a film a few years ago entitled the “Capitaes de Abril” starring Joaiquim de Almeira. I found a DVD copy while in Lisbon a few years back and had it been the right format, I would have bought it.

L-B-L Recap

Enough European history, let’s get on to the important stuff.

With the end of the Spring Classics, the pro peleton starts to turn to the Grand Tours and preparation for the Giro d’Italia. The protagonists at these final hilly classics will likely be active during the upcoming stage races of Tour of Romandie and the Giro. That said, the GC contenders have yet to show their hands this spring.

Liége-Bastogne-Liége was made more difficult this spring by the inclusion of two additional climbs in the last 100km. With climbs that were as long as 5km, “la Doyenne” proved a significant challenge for the competitors.

T-Mobile finally got its break. It is not surprising that Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov won the race. He has long been a strong rider capable of winning these types of races. He finished third there last year and won Amstel Gold in 2003. He has won stages during the Grand Tours, finished third at the Tour de France in 2003, and won Paris-Nice in both 2002 and 2003.

Vinokourov has been overshadowed in his career by the drama that Jan Ullrich has brought to T-Mobile since winning the Tour in 1997. However, he has been a constant performer, stepping up at big moments for the team. He is under-appreciated for his consistency and his aggression on the bike. The fact that he got away with Jens Voigt of CSC and managed to stay away for over 50km is a testament to the professionalism and ability of two of the more likeable and strong professional cyclists in the peleton.

It is a shame that Danilo Di Luca of Liqigas-Bianchi was not able to replicate Davide Rebellin’s week from last year, winning the last three classics of the spring. It is a testament to the strength of Rebellin last year. Additionally, Di Luca did not ride with the same strength he had earlier in the week. Poor team support and being marked as the man to beat made his day difficult.

Perennial bridesmaid Michael Boogerd of Rabobank finished third on the day, having finished second last year. He probably could have won today had he not been caught up in the negative race tactics of the pre-race favorites as they chased down the duo of Vinoukourov and Voigt.

T-Mobile rode the race today that they should have been riding all season. They had a potential winner in the early break with Steffan Wesemann. The early break also had Benjamin Noval of Discovery Channel. Noval and Wesemann were the strongest riders in the early break and worked together to keep it away for 160km. Wesemann was then positioned to help Vinoukourov for a few kilometers until Vinokourov and Voight powered off the front. Matthias Kessler of T-Mobile shadowed the chase group and would have been in position to attack if needed.

T-Mobile made the right moves with the right riders and was rewarded with a victory today. That said, this spring has shown that T-Mobile’s current make up, while talented, is not getting any younger, not getting any faster and cannot overcome poor team tactics. It will be interesting to see what happens at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France for the German super team. They may have relied upon their ten year old formula a little too long.

Tour of Georgia Recap

The Tour of Georgia finished on Sunday. The overall GC was shaken up on Saturday when Floyd Landis of Phonak was unable to stay with the leaders as they made the push up Brasstown Bald Mountain in Georgia. Tom Danielson of Discovery won that stage in rain, sleet and snow with Levi Leipheimer of Gerolsteiner finishing second on the day. Although Landis was able to finish fourth, Lance Armstrong showed resilience coming off his poor time trial earlier in the week to finish third on the stage just fifty-nine seconds behind Danielson.

Much has been expected of Danielson. Having had an unspectacular season last year for Fassa Bortolo, the former Saturn rider joined Discovery this season. He has the tools to be able to be a strong GC rider. At 27, he still has some good years in him. This year is an opportunity to be groomed to become one of Discovery’s future GC contenders. Danielson may be the next American Tour de France winner. He is now on a team that has proven itself capable of winning cycling’s biggest prize.

It was more interesting, however, to note that after Sunday’s sprint stage, won by Health Net’s Gord Fraser, that the final GC was dominated by former Armstrong teammates. The fact that the top six on GC (Danielson, Leipheimer, Landis, Julich, Armstrong, Zabriskie) were all Americans is not surprising, but the fact that all six are based in Europe is. Moreover, had Chris Horner of Saunier Duval-Prodir not fractured his hip and sat the race out, then it is likely that the top seven riders at this year’s Tour of Georgia would have been Americans on European based teams.

Former U.S. Postal riders Leipheimer, Landis and David Zabriske (CSC) all had strong showings finishing second, third and sixth respectively. Bobby Julich managed to finish fourth, thirty seconds ahead of Armstrong in the GC. Danielson, however, had his biggest win in the last couple of years. He certainly could be a top twenty finisher at the Giro d’Italia next month.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 22, 2005

Liège-Bastogne-Liège Preview

Liège-Bastogne-Liège is the oldest of the classics and is known as “La Doyenne”. It was initially contested from 1892 until 1894 but took a fourteen-year hiatus before returning in 1908. It was raced intermittently over the next few years and only returned to a regular schedule in 1919 after World War I. A roughly out and back course, it is in the final third that the real effort begins.

Of the spring classics, climbers have had the most success in Liège-Bastogne-Liège due to the fact that the climbs are longer than those encountered during either the Ronde van Vlaanderen or Flèche Wallonne.

Last year Davide Rebellin of Gerolsteiner became the first man to sweep the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Danilo Di Luca of Liquigas-Bianchi has a chance to become the second. Di Luca is on an impressive streak as he has managed to ride away from Rebellin and large groups during the week's prior two races. Both men have to be favorites this weekend.

The favorites for Sunday’s final spring classic are all Italians. Besides Di Luca and Rebellin, Paolo Betini of Quick.Step could have a strong race. Betini has had a quiet spring but this is a race that he won in both 2000 and 2002.


Tour of Georgia Update

Today was the third stage of the Tour of Georgia, the 29.9 km time trial that was run over a rolling course made more difficult by rain. Former U.S.Postal Service teammates Floyd Landis (Phonak) and David Zabriske (CSC) finished first and second respectively to move into the top two spots on the GC. Americans Bobby Julich (CSC) finished fourth and Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) was sixth with both finishing within a minute of Landis.

Lance Armstrong had a disappointing day finishing ninth and losing 1:45 to Landis. Afterwards Armstrong conceded that he does not currently have the fitness that he hoped to have and that he will need in order to win a seventh Tour de France.

The climbs have yet to start at the Tour of Georgia. The next two days in the Appalachian Mountains will decide the final GC. However, it is safe to assume that this year’s Tour of Georgia will be won by an American other than Armstrong. That is not a bad thing. Americans need to see other Americans winning American races. Americans have been spoiled by the fact that since the first American raced in the Tour de France in 1981, Americans have finished on the podium twelve times with Armstrong winning six times, LeMond winning three times, finishing second and third, and Julich finishing third.

The current group of leading American professionals are not getting younger. There are emerging talents like Tom Danielson, David Zabriske, Tyler Farrar and Saul Rasin. But it is time for them to step up and show that they can perform at the highest level consistently.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 20, 2005

On the Mur de Huy

Wednesday (4/20) is the Flèche Wallonne, a race which takes riders from Charleroi through the French portion of Belgium and ends after three climbs up the famed Mur de Huy in Huy, Belgium. Here is everything you need to know about the Mur de Huy:

1. There is an aerial tram that goes from the valley to the top of the climb.
2. There are religious shrines up the whole length of the climb.
3. There is a church at the finish line just in case you die.
4. The road is open to local traffic only.
5. Only one Spaniard has ever won it.
6. The sign at the base of the hill says 19%.

Flèche Wallonne is overshadowed by Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which will take place on Sunday. However, in my estimation the Mur de Huy is the most difficult climb that there is in Belgium. As I hiked up the Mur last November, I wondered how many clutches the local residents Mur burn through in a given year.


On Armstrong’s Retirement

You cannot say that Lance Armstrong’s retirement announcement was a surprise. He has been hinting at it to the European Media for about a month now. It is better to go out on top than to hang around too long (Cippolini!). It is also commendable to recognize that your career distracts from your family obligations. I hope that Lance does indeed spend time with his kids. I hope that he does devote his time to cancer research and developing younger cyclists.

However, how many athletes, with the exception of Barry Sanders and Jim Brown, have been able to walk away while they still had good years left in them and stay away? Ryne Sandburg could not stay retired. Roger Clements could not stay retired. Michael Jordan could not stay retired. I’m not sure if even Gordy Howe has retired yet. I just cannot see Lance Armstrong “fading off into Bolivian,” to quote Mike Tyson.


On Hamilton’s Ban

While Armstrong was telling the world of his decision to walk away from the sport, Tyler Hamilton was handed a two-year ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency on Monday. If upheld, the ban will likely mark the end of Hamilton’s career. New ProTour regulations preclude any top international team from employing him for an additional two years once his competitive ban is over. At this point in his career, it is highly unlikely that he could return to the top level of cycling after four years out.

There have not been many details of his explanation for why his tests were positive. It is interesting to note, however, that the panel that heard the case appeared to be divided, as press reports have stated that “a majority of the three man panel” found a violation to have occurred. It appears that Hamilton offered significant expert testimony on the validity of the blood testing first implemented in competition at the Olympics. The next step will likely be an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

We have long admired Tyler Hamilton’s grit and determination. Under Bjarne Riis, he emerged as one of the top stage racers in the world. There are certainly many unanswered questions in this instance that need to be answered. However, if he did in fact utilize blood transfusions to improve his performance, Hamilton deserves to be banned.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 18, 2005

Amstel Recap

The Amstel Gold Race was somewhat of a surprise today, but not because Danilo Di Luca won. Having been on the podium before, he certainly was a worthy winner and a favorite going in. It was not a surprise that the conditions were so bad that there were no television images due to the fact that fog grounded the television helicopters. It was not surprising that T-Mobile did not win, even though they had had a rider in the late breakaway. It was not a surprise that Michael Boogerd finished second again.

No, the surprise was the mess that Rabobank made at the end. With a group of about 30 riders making the last trip up the Cauberg, Rabobank had Boogerd, Erik Dekker, Thomas Dekker and world champion Oscar Freire. Rabobank elected to try to set the race up for their sprinter Freire. The finishing group certainly had some other strong sprinters with former world champion Igor Astarloa and emerging star Alejandro Valverde in the group.

I think Rabobank, however, overestimated its ability to deliver Freire to the line and his ability to climb. Freire is a strong rider. He does not require a set up train like some of his other competitors. He has shown the ability to climb, as he did when he won the World Championships in Lisbon, Portugal in 2001 on a course that had two significant climbs each lap. That said, he is not known as a rider who can win a climbing sprint.

The steepest part of the Cauberg is about 400 meters from the finish, and by that point Freire was lost, both of the Dekkers had dropped off, and Michael Boogerd was left with Davide Rebellin and Di Luca, two strong men who can sprint and who have shown their abilities in this race. Rabobank picked the wrong horse today and ended up in second, the worst possible position for a Dutch rider on a Dutch team.

Sorry the commentary is somewhat lacking. I try not to just rehash what you can read on the cycling sites. The little bit of coverage did capture how steep the Cauberg is. Moreover, the fact that 30 or so riders entered Valkenburg together and then proceeded to get scattered over the last kilometer is a testament to the benign appearance but difficult reality of the Cauberg.

And now for something completely different . . .

I took my family to the home opener of Real Salt Lake, one of two new expansion teams in Major League Soccer. In 1996, a very pregnant Kristin and I attended the home opener of Columbus Crew where they defeated DC United 4-0. We had the good fortune of staying in DC United’s hotel and on the same floor as the team. We met John Harkes in the elevator the morning of the game, got him to autograph our tickets and shortly thereafter named our first-born son Andrew Harkes Wardle after DC United’s captain, John Andrew Harkes, the first American to every score a goal at Wembly.

What was impressive about Real’s home opener was the excellent job the team has done preparing for the season. As a Ute, I love Rice-Eccles Stadium which was almost completely rebuilt for the 2002 Olympics. With the Olympic commemoration park at the stadium and the excellent facilities, it is a great place for perfect spring afternoon. Real has done an excellent job of merchandising with a plethora of Real products available. The crowd was engaged, knowledgeable, and excited throughout. The 1-0 victory for Real over Colorado was well deserved.

What made me even more excited was the fact that my daughter Sophie watched the entire game and was pleasant throughout. It was her older brother Andrew, who started attending MLS games at the age of 6 weeks, who lost it in the first half and dragged Kristin out to the concession stands at half time. That was the only downer of the game. The University of Utah did not open enough concession stands for a soccer game that drew in excess of 25,000 fans. When Real finally build their stadium, they need to make sure that they do it like Columbus and put the concession stands on plazas that are unobstructed and permit you to view the game while getting your bratwurst.

And now for something completely differenter . . .

Pearl Izumi’s Park City outlet has an excellent selection of shoes at the moment and a huge sale. I got a pair of last year’s Vapor road shoes for more than half off. Well worth the stop if you are going to be in Salt Lake/Park City in the next couple of weeks.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 15, 2005

Amstel Gold Preview

Amazingly, there is only one significant race in the cycling-mad Netherlands: the Amstel Gold Race. Amazingly, it is less than forty years old. Amazingly, the organizers of the Amstel Gold Race have managed to find thirty-one (31) short but steep climbs in the Limburg region of the Netherlands to challenge the peleton. Amazingly, no Spanish rider has ever won the Amstel Gold Race. (Wait – that is not really amazing).

Commencing in Maastricht, the Amstel Gold Race makes three loops through the extreme southeastern corner of the Netherlands, crossing briefly into Belgium before finishing on the slopes of the Cauberg above the resort town of Valkenburg. It is a short but difficult climb that the peleton goes over three times in the course of the day.

The Amstel Gold Race is everything you would expect from a Dutch race. Dutch cyclists have been very successful; since the inception of the Race, 26 editions of the Race have had at least one Dutch rider on the podium. Dutch great Jan Raas turned it into the “Amstel Gold Raas” with five wins between 1977 and 1982. A Dutch brewery sponsors the Race.

I visited the Cauberg on a bright day last November. Even though the sky was blue, the trees lining the route make the Cauberg seem darker and more imposing than it really is. I quickly realized that the Cauberg is neither the Koppenberg nor the Arenburg Forest. Cars race up and down the Cauberg because it is located along the major road between Valkenburg and Maastricht. You know you are truly in the Netherlands when you see the painted bike lane on both sides of the wide and smooth road. When you reach the top of the Cauberg, you discover large parking lots that serve the casino and spa located on both sides of the road.

Although the Cauberg is not the most difficult climb the peleton will confront during the Northern Classics, the race rarely ends in a sprint finish for a reason. Thirty-one climbs take their toll and the roll of winners indicates that it is a race suited for strong all-around riders. This year’s start list is devoid any names we have seen race throughout Belgium and France over the last three weeks.

Last year, Italian Davide Rebellin of Gerolsteiner became the first man ever to win the three hilly classics that take place at the end of the northern campaign during the same year: Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallone, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. What made that feat more incredible is the fact that he did it in the span of one week. Rebellin has to be the favorite again this year. Notwithstanding his excellent one-day results last year, Rebellin was not selected for the Italian National Team for either the Olympics or the World Championships. He was so bitter, in fact, that he attempted to obtain Argentine citizenship in advance of last year’s World Championships.

The Dutch riders are always motivated to perform at the Amstel Gold Race. Michael Boogerd and Erik Dekker of Rabobank are both past winners. Leon Van Bon of Davitamon-Lotto was strong last week and although he has never finished on the podium, he could have a good day. This is the type of race that also favors Quick.Step’s Paolo Bettini.

My dark horse for the Amstel Gold Race is anyone from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is probably sending the strongest team of any of the ProTour teams competing in the Amstel Gold Race. It has entered riders who have previously won the race, in Alexander Vinokourov, or who are capable of winning this type of race in Andreas Klier, Erik Zabel, Steffen Wesemann, Matthias Kessler, and Rolf Aldag. That said, it will be interesting to see if T-Mobile can overcome its poor showing this Spring, a result that has been entirely self-inflicted.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 13, 2005

Kristin and I celebrated our fourteenth anniversary on April 12. We celebrated it with one sick child and me working late. Anyway, I am taking this opportunity to republish the following comentary on Bobby Julich's excellent start to the season. I appologize to the few that recieved this originally, however, it was only a few that did recieve it and I think Julich deserves more credit than he has been recieving. I will check back in with my Friday preview of the Amstel Gold Race, the one day classic held over thirty one hills in the vicinity of Maastricht, Netherlands.

Bobby J’s Success

It was not surprising that both CNNSI.com and ESPN.com picked up the wire service story about Lance Armstrong’s performance at Paris-Camembert on Tuesday, March 29. It was surprising that it was billed as “Tour tune-up.” Being a 6-time Tour champion and a superstar means that the American media gives Armstrong’s performances more attention as they try to divine whether he will or won’t win number 7.

However, the American press missed the real story of the weekend. Bobby Julich’s win at Criterium International unfortunately got no coverage. It is far and away an under appreciated accomplishment. After his win at Paris-Nice, Bobby J. got some press as the “other American” racing bikes in Europe. However, most of them focused on Julich’s failure to follow up on the promise of his 1998 podium finish at the Tour.

I have been critical of Julich’s performance during the years since 1998. I always believed that 1998 to a certain extent was about Julich being in the right place at the right time. However, I always felt he was unfairly criticized for his performances at Credit Agricole and Telekom thereafter. Bobby Julich was never as good as some people made him out to be, nor was he as bad as people thought. Julich unfortunately never found a team that fit his skills nor did he find any team that gave him the support he needed to perform. It is not enough to expect someone to be successful based upon past experience; they have to be given reasonable support to succeed in the future. Clearly, Telekom used Julich not as a potential GC leader but a water carrier and nothing more.

Certainly without Bjarne Riis, Julich would have retired by now. Julich’s success the last two years is certainly something that no one would have predicted after his utterly unproductive season in 2003 at Telekom. What has happened since in his career although surprising demonstrates the importance of a quality directeur sportif. How much more successful could Laurent Jalabert have been if he had ridden for someone other than Manolo Saiz for all those years? Had Jalabert ridden for Riis or Bruyneel, it is not improbable that he would have won the Tour at least once.

Poor management and poor team tactics have stunted some very promising careers over the last ten years. It is a reasonable question to ask: How much of Jan Ullrich’s win at the 1997 Tour was due to the tactical awareness and education he received riding with Riis? Tactical awareness has been something Ullrich has sadly lacked since Riis retired. Riis has done an excellent job getting the most out of his riders. Put people in a position to succeed, give them the preparation and support that they need and have reasonable expectations and you will likely have success. Riis’ tactics at the 2004 Paris-Nice demonstrated that an average team, with good tactical direction, can be very successful.

Bobby Julich is proof that when an athlete is put in a situation that neither gives them the opportunity to excel nor is expected to excel, that they likely will not. However, the right coach and the right situation can prolong a career in any setting.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 11, 2005

Wow.

The 2005 Paris-Roubaix will be remembered as the coronation of the “Young Lion of Flanders,” Tom Boonen. Becoming only the third man in twenty-seven years to win both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix in the same year, Boonen showed the tactical awareness that many cycling greats only developed after the age of thirty. Boonen, at twenty-four, could be the first Flemish rider in a generation to actually live up to the expectations of his countrymen. Following his dominating victory last week at the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Boonen obtained the same result with a different tactical approach.

The weather for the 103rd Paris-Roubaix was not as bad as had been feared. There was a strong northwestern wind, but the expected rain held off until late in the day and even then was short-lived. That said, there was the typical carnage that occurs when you mix cobbles, narrow farm roads, and anxious cyclists. Pre-race favorite Peter van Petegem went down with 133km in a crash that took down his teammate Tom Steels and resulted in the abandonment of Australian sprinter Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros). Davitamon-Lotto brought their leader back to the peleton, however van Petegem ultimately retired with an injured wrist and hip.

Prior to van Petegem’s crash, the strong teams were where you would expect them: in large numbers at the front, with their leaders at the head of the peleton. Quick.Step, Discovery, Fassa Bortolo, and T-Mobile were all at the front with about 85km to go, chasing the lead group that was about five minutes up the road. In a move reminiscent of last week, a small group of powerful riders rolled off the front not to be seen by the peleton for the rest of the trip. At 80km to go, Tom Boonen and his teammate Fillipo Pozzato (Quick.Step), CSC’s Danish hardman Lars Michaelsen, last year’s champion Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas), Juan Antonion Flecha and Fabian Cancellara (Fassa Bortolo) and Discovery’s George Hincapie rode away from the peleton during the Hornaing-Wandignies section of cobbles.

Cancellara and Pozzato were quickly dropped, but the remaining five worked together to close the gap on the leading group and put distance on the chasing group led by T-Mobile. It was amazing how well and how hard Boonen, Michaelsen, Backstedt, Flecha and Hincapie worked together to ensure their escape would succeed. Any of those five men would have been worthy victors for Paris-Roubaix. However, Boonen, Flecha and Hincapie gradually pulled away over the last 60km working together right up to the entry to the Roubaix Velodrome.

Boonen sprinted away from Hincapie and Flecha in the last 200m of the race. Hincapie had the perfect day but is just not as fast as Boonen. Hincapie was obviously disappointed with finishing second; however, it is the best finish ever by an American at Paris-Roubaix. Although there has been much grousing by American cycling fans that Hincapie should move to a team that gives him better support in the classics, clearly, Discovery has been one of the strongest teams this spring in the classics. He has had teammates with him at decisive moments of the spring races. Hincapie did not lose today because of poor team tactics or bad luck; he lost because Tom Boonen was faster and stronger.

Flecha is not as fast as either Boonen or Hincapie but he does have the ability to attack after long distances and ride away from less skilled cyclists. Flecha finished second at last week’s Gent-Wevelgem and third place today marks him as a strong man for the future. His move from a Spanish team to Fassa Bortolo will put him in a position to win classics and semi-classics in the future.

Contrary to what many American cycling fans think, Hincapie has never been a pure sprinter. He has neither the strength nor the explosiveness of Zabel or Cippolini. He does have incredible strength and stamina and is an all around respected rider. (I will share my family’s encounter with George Hincapie in a future issue.) He has had some unlucky moments in the past and some significant tactical lapses by his team, which has prevented him from having more success.

Moreover, riding for US Postal Service limited his opportunities for success throughout the season. Hincapie peaks for the classics and then turns his focus to helping Lance Armstrong win the Tour. As the only rider to have been with Armstrong for all six of his victories, Hincapie has had to subordinate his own ambitions to his team leader. That does affect his speed and his results. However, during the Tour de France, you will not see van Petegem, Boonen, Wesseman, Backstedt, or any of the other strong classics riders leading their team GC leader as they cross over the summit of Category 1 climbs. The photo of Hincapie and Armstrong crossing the finish of the team time trial during the 4th Stage of the 2004 Tour says plenty about Hincapie’s role on the team and the satisfaction he has gotten from Armstrong’s six wins.

Why Team Tactics Still Matter Part Deux

T-Mobile lost Andreas Klier to injury during Gent-Wevelgem and probably lost Paris-Roubaix at that very moment. Notwithstanding their large numbers at the front, including Steffen Wesemann and Eric Zabel, T-Mobile let the winning break roll away and could not bring it back. T-Mobile’s only successes this season have come when Andreas Klier stuck to Boonen’s wheel at the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen and finished second both times. T-Mobile is in for a very long and unproductive season unless its GC riders step up with some major stage race victories this summer.

Roubaix Hardman

The “Hard Man Award” for the race goes to Roger Hammond of Discovery. Hammond finished third last year and hoped to improve this year. After spraining his ankle and fracturing his thumb during Gent-Wevelgem last week, when he hit a post on the race route, Hammond was not confirmed as a member of Discovery’s Paris-Roubaix lineup until Saturday. He stayed at the front with Discovery supporting Hincapie until the decisive split happened. Ultimately, he was not classified on the day (technically disqualified at the end) due to the fact that he finished outside the time limit for the race (failed to finish the race within specified amount of time of the winner). Hammond did finish the 259km course in just under seven hours. After almost 60km of cobbles, I can only imagine how his broken hand feels tonight.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 8, 2005

Hell Awaits

Paris-Roubaix is unlike any of the other one-day cycling classics. Some of the great one-day races, like Milan-San Remo or Paris-Tours, prove who is the fastest rider in the peleton. Other classics, like Liege-Bastogne-Liege or the Giro di Lombardi, prove who is the most consistent climber. Still others, like the Ronde van Vlaandernen, are all about being the strongest under adverse circumstances. Paris-Roubaix proves who is the strongest, smartest, fastest and most importantly luckiest man on the day.

The current forecast for Sunday’s “Hell of the North” calls for wind, rain and cold temperatures. More than 260 kilometers in the saddle, pan-flat into a likely headwind or crosswind the whole way, more than 25 separate cobbled sections covering over 50 kilometers, all of which are crammed into the last 150 kilometers before the finish in Roubaix. These are the perfect conditions to prove who is the hardest of the hardmen.

There is a reason that the GC riders, the most famous sprinters, and a whole host of Spaniards do not race Paris-Roubaix. (In fact, in the 103 editions of the race there has never been a Spanish champion.) A bad day on the cobbles of northern France can end your day. An unlucky day can threaten your season, if not your career. During Paris-Roubaix a few years ago, Belgian legend and three-time race champion Johan Museeuw crashed hard injuring his knee. The resulting gangrene from his injury almost ended both his career and his life.

Last fall I visited the Arenberg Forest, historically one of the most decisive cobbled sections of the course. If you are not in the front when you enter the Arenberg Forest, you might as well turn around, ride back to the start in Compiegne, and take a shower because your day is over. To say that the road through the Arenberg Forest is paved with cobbles is a stretch. A strip of irregularly shaped, unevenly spaced cobbles covers only the center of the path that is over 2,400 meters long.

The Arenberg Forest personifies everything that is Paris-Roubaix. The southern entrance to the Forest comes just after passing one of the many mines that dot the region. The northern entrance takes you back out to flat farm fields. Between the entrances is a small but dense forest that closes over the narrow path, occasionally letting in what light there may be on race day. The day I was there was the perfect day: light rain; flat light; heavy haze hanging over the trees. It was incredible.

Unfortunately, after my pilgrimage, in a move totally befitting the French, the Arenberg Forest was removed from this year’s race by local officials and race organizers for “safety reasons.” Last year’s winner, Magnus Bäckstedt of Sweden, complained that if the race organizers were worried about safety they ought to just run the race on the A23 motorway that runs parallel to the race route. What makes Paris-Roubaix great is that after 260 kilometers of hell, there is usually a very small group that enters the velodrome in Roubaix. They complete a lap and a half together and then sprint the last 200 meters to prove who is the hardest, toughest, luckiest man on the day.

This year’s race is going to be somewhat unpredictable. The conditions will obviously be a factor in who wins the race. The course will also determine who wins, as additional cobble sectors outside of Valenciennes have been added to make up for the removal of the Arenberg Forest. This year’s additions will increase the total length of cobbled sectors to almost 55 kilometers including the first ever uphill cobbled segment in Hameau du Buat.

Moreover, the carnage at Wednesday’s Gent-Wevelgem has reduced the number of favorites. Andreas Klier (T-Mobile), who finished second at the Tour of Flanders last week, Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel), who finished third last year at Paris-Roubaix, and Fabrizio Guidi (Liquigas) are all out after serious injuries at Gent-Wevelgem. Max Van Heeswijk (Discovery Channel) is out with, of all things, teeth problems.

The teams to watch are again Quick Step, Davitamon-Lotto, T-Mobile and Discovery Channel. All four are coming into the race with some very strong team performances over the last few weeks. Tom Boonen of Quick Step and Peter van Petegem of Davitamon-Lotto are going to be the leaders of the Belgian super-teams. Steffen Wesemann will lead T-Mobile and has shown his strength in past editions of Paris-Roubaix. If Discovery Channel rides well and does not make tactical errors, like it did last week, then George Hincapie or Slava Ekimov could finish on the podium.

However, my dark horses are Juan Antonio Flecha, a Spaniard riding for the Italian Fassa Bortolo team, and Andrea Tafi, an Italian riding for the Spanish Saunier Duval-Prodir team. Flecha had an excellent ride at Gent-Wevelgem only to get caught at the end. He is one of the few Spanish racers who seem to enjoy the hard days of northern Europe. His move to Fassa Bortolo has given him the opportunity and support to succeed in the one-day classics. Andrea Tafi is on the verge of retirement. Tafi has several commendable finishes at Paris-Roubaix including first in 1999, second in 1998 and third in 1996. He will retire and has focused his entire spring at preparing for his final Paris-Roubaix.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 6, 2005

Random Thoughts on Bikes

Rednecks and Sidewalks

Saturday, Andrew and I rode our new Raleigh Pursuit tandem to his soccer game. First time we have gone uphill or downhill on it. As we were riding up Americana Boulevard after his game, a guy in a pickup truck with the requisite shell slowed to inform us, in no uncertain terms, that we belonged on the sidewalk. As he drove off, I raised my hand (not a finger, not a fist, rather an open hand, European-style) to show him my disapproval (with my son on board, I consciously elected not to give him the gesture I was sure to get back) and sure enough – I was greeted with multiple single-fingered salutes and brake lights.

At that point I realized that people on tandems, with eight-year-old stokers, riding up hill, people who do not have frame pumps, are sorely lacking in political capital to spend when it comes to addressing perceived slights from rednecks. In my younger, brasher, more militant days there was nothing more gratifying than chasing down obnoxious drivers in your biggest gear, pulling alongside at the stop light, and in your best Joe Pesci voice asking “You talkin’ to me? I don’t gotta problem wit’ you, you gotta problem wit’ me?”

Now, I must concede that I usually only chased down teenage girls and grandmothers in small American cars. I am neither stupid enough nor fast enough to chase down anyone else, especially rednecks in pickup trucks.

The Idaho Legislature

The legislative session is just about over and an important piece of cycling legislation was passed in Idaho. In Idaho, cyclists only have to slow at stop signs and treat them like yields, proceeding through if the intersection was clear. There has been some ambiguity, however, regarding what cyclists had to do at red lights. Senate Bill 1131 has been signed into law amending Idaho Code Section 49-720 to eliminate that ambiguity. Effective July 1, 2005, cyclists in Idaho will be required to stop at a red signal and yield to all other traffic. However, once the cyclist has yielded, he may proceed through the steady red light. So, do not blow through red lights. You can be ticketed. Stop and put your foot down or if you are really good, then do a track stand, and then go. Senate Bill 1131 was adopted after a prior bill, Senate Bill 1058 was introduced this session that would have prohibited cyclists from proceed through a signalized intersection until the light turned green. It just goes to show that the efforts of cyclists occasionally will be rewarded if they just stand up and take a stand. After the Idaho Statesman reported the effect that cyclists had in testifying before the Senate Transportation committee in killing Senate Bill 1058, one disgruntled local citizen wrote to the Idaho Statesman to complain about the “pseudo eco-friendly Spandex brigade.” I bet you the guy drives a pickup truck with a shell.

Public Resources?

While working offsite on a project for a client last Fall, I would show up at my office early to go through my mail, e-mail, and voice mail. After taking time to review all the cycling news outlets, I would walk over to the client’s office for the rest of the day. Many days I would send an e-mail update to a friend at the client’s office about “The Bikes That I Saw on Bannock Street.”

The day that sticks out the most vividly was the day I encountered the city parking meter guy on his suspension Gary Fisher with disc brakes. The only parking meters in Boise are the downtown ones. There are no hills downtown, there is no singletrack downtown, the roads and sidewalks are generally all paved downtown and there are rarely, if ever, any puddles downtown. Moreover, most of the time the parking meter guy never leaves the sidewalk (which would make the pickup-with-a-shell guy happy, I’m sure.). Therefore, I am puzzled as to how the parking enforcement department managed to convince Boise City that suspension and disc brakes were necessary for effective parking enforcement. That one probably got past former Mayor Brent Coles.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 4, 2005

My wife thinks this edition is “a little dry for the layperson” and she is probably right. However, we will save my run in Saturday with a redneck in a pickup truck while riding my tandem up Americana Boulevard as Andrew and I returned from his soccer game for another day. So on to “The Ronde van Vlaanderen Recap and Why Team Tactics do Matter.”

Ronde Recap

Today was an unusual day for the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Super Bowl of Belgian cycling. Skies were clear, the temperature was warm and the narrow roads of Flanders were absolutely dry. Under those conditions, negative tactics could have resulted in a rather large group finishing together. Fortunately, that was not the case. Quick.Step’s Tom Boonen was the strongest man on the day and won the 89th Ronde. Throughout the race, Quick.Step kept Boonen at the front. Boonen out-maneuvered T-Mobile’s superior numbers and was stronger than the other Belgian hard man, two-time Ronde champion, Peter van Petegem.

The decisive move came 33km from the finish when Boonen went with Peter van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto) and Andreas Klier (T-Mobile) to bridge up to Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) and Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo). Those five ultimately caught up with Alessandro Ballan (Lampre-Caffita) and that group proceeded to build a constant lead over the chasing group that was driven by Discovery Channel.

As the race reached the Ten Bosse with 27km to go, Discovery Channel had Lance Armstrong on the front leading the chase. However, teams that had riders up the road kept control of the pace and Discovery Channel’s efforts were for naught. In prior years, the second to last climb over the Muur in Geraardsbergen had been the decisive climb. By the time the leading group reached the Muur, 17km from the finish, the lead was almost a minute over the Discovery Channel lead chase group.

Boonen led the decisive break, Boonen worked to keep the break away, and then Boonen just rode away from two of the greatest classic riders of the last ten years, Zabel and van Petegem. With less than 10km to the finish, Boonen rolled of the front and increased his lead to more than 40 seconds by the finish. Even though T-Mobile had two men in the break, neither Klier nor Zabel made any attempt to counter Boonen’s move. That failure resulted in T-Mobile racing once again for second place in a major race.

Boonen’s win is made more impressive by the fact that he took control of the race by riding his challengers off his wheel. Boonen has developed as a very fast finisher; there are probably only a handful of professionals that can outsprint Boonen today. However, rather than leave it for a sprint and take his chances with Zabel and van Petegem, men that he could probably have out-sprinted, Boonen won with style and power.

At 24, Boonen has already shown himself as a great cyclist with more than 20 wins last year. He has already been on the podium at Paris-Roubaix and may reach it again next Sunday. Belgian cycling has needed the emergence of a new hero. Johan Museeuw and Andre Tchmil have retired, Peter van Petegem is not getting any younger, and Frank Vandenbroucke is the personification of “mercurial.” Boonen’s victory today gives him his first Classic victory and validates his nickname, “the Young Lion of Flanders.” What is even more impressive, however, is the fact that Boonen overcame injuries suffered in two crashes earlier in the week that forced him to withdraw from the Flemish stage race the “Three Days of De Panne.”

Tactics Matter

In a follow up on a prior column regarding the importance of tactics, Team T-Mobile (formerly Telekom) has been under pressure due to their poor results this spring. In a report published on www.cyclingnews.com last week, T-Mobile manager Olaf Ludwig conceded that part of the reason that T-Mobile has had no wins this season is because, "It's plain stupid to be missing the decisive breakaways each time." This is not a new problem to T-Mobile. In fact, while being the strongest team on paper, T-Mobile, and Telekom before it, has long suffered from poor tactical performances.

T-Mobile’s tactics in the Ronde remain questionable, notwithstanding the fact that T-Mobile had three riders in the top ten at the Ronde. T-Mobile manager Walter Godefroot’s contended, as reported by cyclingnews.com, that T-Mobile was “the best team in the race today” and that “Tactically we did everything right. Don't be fooled; the move by Ivanov - appearing to be chasing while Zabel and Klier were in the break - was calculated, he didn't close the gap at all. Overall we rode a great race."

T-Mobile failed to coordinate the efforts of their two men in the break, Erik Zabel and Andreas Klier. Sergei Ivanov’s attack on the Ten Bosse, with two teammates less than 30 seconds up the road could have been fatal to the breakaway had Discovery Channel been more aggressive at that point. While Boonen was clearly the strongest, T-Mobile’s failure to capitalize on its numbers resulted in yet another disappointing loss.

However, despite T-Mobile’s deficiencies at the Ronde van Vlaanderen, they still landed on the podium. Discovery Channel’s rigid adherence to their race plan, saving George Hincapie for an attack on the Muur, failed because it assumed that the leading group would still be together at that point. Discovery Channel earned Hincapie’s 7th place when they failed to cover Boonen’s move with 33 kilometers to go. At least Discovery Channel directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel did not sugarcoat the team’s performance when he conceded after the race to Belgian TV that "for the team, it was a big disappointment." Hincapie conceded in an interview with Paul Sherwen on OLN that the team had been strong to the end, that he had felt good, but that their decision to leave the effort to the climb up the Muur was too late.

Amazingly, Velonews.com did not really focus on any of the tactical errors made by Discovery Channel during the Ronde, but instead focused on Armstrong’s preparation for the Tour of Georgia and rumors swirling regarding his retirement. Sometimes it’s not all about Lance.

The Cycliste Moderne, April 1, 2005

As we settle into this process, my plan is to publish Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday will be a weekend recap, Wednesday general cycling commentary and Friday will preview the weekend ahead. I had intended to preview this weekend’s Ronde Van Vlaanderen or Tour of Flanders and we will get to that momentarily. However, today’s events regarding Lance Armstrong require comment first.

If you had not heard, Thursday, March 31, 2005, was not a particularly good day for Armstrong. In his ongoing litigation with his former assistant in Texas, Armstrong was faced with allegations that he used steroids in court filings made by his former assistant. In light of my professional responsibilities I have seen a lot of scurrilous claims made in the heat of litigation. Doping cannot be tolerated. However, I fear that allegations of doping have become the nuclear weapon of sport. Moreover, I fear that the frenzy associated with doping allegations has become the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, and the McCarthy hearings of our era.

Additionally, Armstrong made himself available to the magistrate in Lucca, Italy, investigating the allegations that Armstrong intimidated Filippo Simeoni during last year’s Tour de France. Simeoni is the Italian rider who testified against Armstrong’s friend and doctor Michele Ferrari after he admitted that he had used EPO. Armstrong’s appearance was a surprise as it was voluntary on his part. At some point in the future we will discuss the nuances of European legal systems and cycling. Anyway, Armstrong’s cooperation evidences him taking responsibility for what was clearly an unnecessary and brash action on his part during last year’s Tour.

On to the Ronde. . .

This weekend is the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the first of the northern classics. The Race covers most of Flanders, starting in Brugge, heading west to the coast and then back across the flats of West Flanders. The race really starts once it crosses in to East Flanders and the first of seventeen cobbled hills.

In November of last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Oudenaarde, Belgium, the home of the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen, the museum dedicated to the Tour of Flanders. A small but entertaining museum, the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen is also the starting point for the women’s Ronde van Vlaanderen, which is contested a few hours before the men come through. The Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen lets you select one of twelve past winners of the Ronde and follow them through interactive exhibits, lets you ride Eddy Merckx’s bike over simulated cobbles, lets you race Peter van Petegem up the Oude Kwaremont and teaches you more than you will ever need to know about the cobbles that make up the back country roads of Flanders. Check out its website .

A couple of miles south of Oudenaarde is the 12% climb up the Koppenberg. The Koppenberg was made famous by Jesper Skibby’s unfortunate accident in 1987 when the race commissar ran him over midway up the climb even though he was leading the race. Cycling photojournalist Graham Watson happened to capture the accident on film as he was on a motorcycle a few meters ahead when it happened . Skibby’s bike was ruined, and needless to say, he did not win the 1987 Ronde as the peleton quickly passed him. Due to its steepness and narrowness the Koppenberg was immediately banished from the Ronde only to be reintroduced a few years ago after it was rebuilt.

Knowing I would be in Belgium, and knowing that I would be visiting Oudenaarde, I had to take the detour and visit the scene of this now famous incident. With my map of the Ronde route and my sister at the wheel of our rented Renault, we left Oudenaarde, headed south looking for the sign to the Koppenberg.

After a couple of wrong turns, I spotted a small brown and yellow sign that said “Koppenberg.” Marianne made a hard right turning onto a small lane that was not much wider than the Renault. I became increasingly concerned as I realized that we were not approaching the Koppenberg from its base, as the racers do but rather from its top. Sure enough after a couple of sharp turns, the front of our Renault rose sharply only to drop precipitously as the pavement turned to cobblestone.

Needless to say the Koppenberg is narrower, steeper and scarier than I could have ever imagined. As we reached the bottom of the Koppenberg, Marianne let me out as she proceeded to drive back into the small village Melden to find someplace to turn around. As the mist turned to rain and the light was rapidly diminishing, I hiked back up the Koppenberg to the very spot where Skibby’s day ended in 1987. It was incredibly quiet.

Just then two young guys rode up to the base of the Koppenberg. The first was in a complete US Postal Service team kit ridding a carbon fiber Trek. His friend was on a full suspension Decathlon mountain bike, wearing a heavy coat, and jeans. Postal Boy shot out of the saddle and raced up the hill. Mountain Bike Boy stopped looked up the hill and I asked him an incredibly stupid question: “He’s not really a Postal rider, is he?” Mountain Bike Boy laughed and said “Of course not, if he was, he could actually make it to the top.” Mountain Bike Boy then started up the climb after his friend, the cobbles were slick from the wet leaves and his tires spun without much traction. By then Postal Boy had stopped about the point where Skibby crashed and headed back down.

By then, Marianne had parked the Renault at the bottom of the road. As I headed back down the Koppenberg, I stopped to take the only photo that I had enough light to take: a picture of the cobbles at my feet.

The point of the story is this: somebody who actually can make it to the top of the Koppenberg will win on Sunday. And if he is Belgian, then he will be a national hero. Tom Boonen very well could win on Sunday, although he is overcoming the effects of a crash earlier this week. Peter van Petegem has had a quiet spring but he is a threat every year at the Ronde. However, if Discovery Channel rides to win and Armstrong rides like a super domestique, then the team could win the Ronde this year. Discovery Channel is bringing its strongest team ever to the Ronde. George Hincapie has had success in Flanders already this spring and young Stijn Devolder is coming off his first major win.

Needless to say the season has begun for real.