Any cycling fans on Cozy?

[mynameisjim]

Just curious if anyone watches the Tour de France? I'm a pretty big cycling fan and the tour is literally in shambles at this point.

I raced road bikes for a bit but these days I race mountain bike 4X and BMX almost weekly but I still love watching road cycling and to see one of the best sporting events in the world sinking into such chaos really breaks my heart.

I've always known how prevalent doping was so I guess most fans were just being naive not thinking this day would come sooner or later.

Just thought I would check if anyone else watches the tour. None of my riding buddies watch pro cycling so I have nobody to talk to...lol!

[sassygirl]

not a fan but i do watch those events sometimes when i surf the cable channels...

[alessandro]

I'm a cycling fan I think... I enjoy cycling. As for watching major cycling events, I do that sometimes.

I watched it on Eurosport several days. I do that mostly because I like the landscape .

[Hammer]

I follow the tour every year, but with Landis winning and then having the title stripped last year and now with Vinokourov and Rasmussen being thrown out, it's getting a little ridiculous.

I raced road bikes for a few years myself Jim and still plan to do it again when my girls get a little older and I can spend more time training again. Actually that's how I got the nickname Hammer.

Looks like Discovery Channel has another new star though and with Rasmussen out, I guess it's Alberto Contador's race to lose, assuming he doesn't test positive too.

I can only assume that Rasmussen was found cheating by his team and they're using the missing a meeting excuse to save face, because what team in their right mind would kick the leader of the Tour off their team for missing a meeting?

[mynameisjim]

Hammer, the name makes more sense now. Good to hear you're going to start training again.

As for Rasmussen, I agree and I'm assuming the tour organisers and the team made a deal to save some sort of face. Probably for the best.

Contador looks to be the winner but I remember his name floating around a bit last year during the Spanish operation Peurto. Hopefully, he got scared straight being so close to all of the fallout and is clean.

What's so crazy is that these guys are using some of the most easily detectable methods of doping despite the intense crackdown, like Vino with the transfusion of someone else's blood?? Geez, at least if you're gonna cheat put some effort into it.

[Hammer]

The time trial should be interesting, because I think Cadel Evans is a better time trialer than Contador and if he can make up the time, he could win. And if Cadel crashes, Levi is a damn good time trialer too and has a chance.

[mynameisjim]

Thing about Contador is he's young and he's already shown that sometimes his heart is bigger than his head and he rides beyond what he should sometimes. I think if Evans can put in a good time and put the pressure on, Contador may come out of the gate too hot and then fade. Evans put about a minute into Contador in the first TT so it will be close.

Should be a good stage for sure.

[Footman]

It's amazing how the juice and other performance enhancing drugs keep popping up. While it's plainly obvious why certain sports used them I'm waiting to see the Eating competitions or better yet the Rock Paper Scissors people start testing!

[LincolnLog]

Just had our first boy, he is 3 months tomorrow. Prior to that I was riding one or two times a week on the road and hitting the trails in the fall. I didnt want to watch the tour this year, thought it would just rub it in my face that I dont have time for riding right now.... too bad the tour is struggling to get itself right again. With all the busts going on now, what was it like when lance was racing - he seemed to get the same kind of scrutiny as these guys do. Does that make him that much more of stud or did the tests get tougher since he left?

By the way I have the garmin gps cyle computer - totally dope! It shows google earth maps and graphs of your ride... very slick

[mynameisjim]

Lincoln Log, The testing was about the same during the Lance years. I remember he put up about $100,000 to help increase the testing when they were short of funds. This could of been a brilliant PR move but it also may show he had nothing to hide. Either way, all of his competitors have been implicated for doping so you can look at it two ways. If he did dope, all his rivals did as well so the playing field was even....or....He was clean and all his rivals doped, which makes his victories even more amazing. Either way, he looks alright in my opinion.

That GPS sounds pretty cool. I could of used it recently in Virginia. I was mountain biking in the Appalachians alone and got lost around 7:00 p.m and knew I was about 3 hours away from my car, I just didn't know in what direction...lol!

BTW, congrats on the baby boy.

[Hammer]

That GPS does sound cool.

[LincolnLog]

Its crazy cool...

You just stick it on your handle bars and go!

You can input a ton of variables though, it has a the wireless heart rate strap and cadence stuff as well.

My last ride ;(

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2669565

[Hammer]

Average heat rate of 159. Looks like the ride was on roads. Is it all uphill?

[LincolnLog]

Well, ive not been in the best of shape this year, but i think my rate runs pretty high but never was a pack leader, better at sprints then putting in time

[Hammer]

I hear ya. I can sprint, but my preference was always to hammer off the front so I could avoid the inevitable crashes. I'm not a big fan of broken collar bones and road rash. I'm too old for that shit anymore.

[mynameisjim]

That's why I love the short track stuff I do now. 3 motos with each one lasting about 40 seconds so I can get lazy with the cardio and still do OK.

BTW, looks like a doping scandal is brewing around Contadore....here we go again.

[Hammer]

Originally posted by mynameisjim

BTW, looks like a doping scandal is brewing around Contadore....here we go again.

I've been waiting for it.

[aardvark2]

jim,

I don't spend a lot of time following races but I bike regularly in preparation for two triathlons I do during the summer months of the year. I have one in two weeks and I'm all set to go.