Bicycle Racing: The Return of the Jedis

By now, you've probably heard that Lance Armstrong has joined the list of superstar athletes who make the terrible mistake of retiring at the top of their game, enjoy life without training, competition and comradery for all of about 10 minutes before they start thinking about their return to the glory days. Lance will tell you that he's doing it to promote the world-wide fight against cancer through his Livestrong Foundation. And it's hard to argue the point. There's a good chance he's using the Jedi Mind Trick after-all. But make no mistake about it. He's also out to rip off the legs of his foes and prove that, to borrow the words of Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women, "age ain't nothing but a number and the good Lord made it so." And he's about to get his chance.

This Valentine's Day, many of the world's greatest bicycle racers are going to line up for the start of The Amgen Tour of California. The 9-day race begins in the state's capitol, Sacramento, and 750 miles later, ends in the southern city of Escondido (a town whose city pride is so strong that their marketing tagline is "The Heart of San Diego North." Uhm, P.S. San Diego is over 30 miles away from Escondido). They will battle coastal winds, mountain climbs, rolling roads and each other.

Forget about the 106-year-old Tour de France, the 3-year-old Tour of California could be the most important bicycle race of the year.

No longer a passing thought, or a mere excuse for European-based racers to bask in California sunshine in February (never mind that last year's edition featured cold, driving rain most every day), The Tour of California has quickly become not only the first and best test of early season fitness and form, but an invaluable tool by which riders can measure how far they have come in their winter training and more importantly, how far they've got to go.

Some of the biggest names in the sport will be at the Tour of California. Last year's winner of the Tour de France, Spainard Carlos Sastre is battling a fever, but he will be there. Then there are the deadly Schleck brothers from peaceful Luxembourg. They helped Sastre win the Tour de France last year, but now ride for a rival team. Belgian hard-man and sprinter, Tom Boonen will fight it out in the final 200 meters with New Yorker, George Hincapie. And a guy who calls the south suburbs of Chicago home, was the 4th place finisher in last year's Tour de France, Christian Vande Velde will be working on a building his form back up after a hard midwest winter for training. Of course California-native, and last year's the defending champion, Levi Leipheimer is as strong as ever and can count on the help of one very un-retired Lance Armstrong.

Of course, the Emperor reminds naive Jedis that confidence in ones friends can be a weakness. Lance isn't the only rider making a comeback this year. There are a few racers who have completed drug-related suspensions and are hoping to rediscover the power of riding at the front of a world-class peloton. I'll let you judge who rides for good and who rides for the dark side.

Ivan Basso-In the last few years of Lance's domination of the Tour de France, there was only one rider who could keep up with the Texan when he unleashed his fury in the Alps and Pyrenees. Poised to take over the title of the next Tour champion after Armstrong retired, Italian Basso never got a chance as he admitted to making arrangements with an infamous gynecologist (I'm not kidding) to illegally boost his racing performance. Basso claims he never went through with it, but was still suspended for 2 years. 2009 marks his first full season back in the sport and he has already said that the Tour de France is not on his schedule. He is going to be in California though!

Floyd Landis-You probably know him as the Mennonite from rural Pennsylvania who, in 2006, was the third American to win the Tour de France. Unfortunately, his stunning achievement was overshadowed by a positive drug test for testosterone. Floyd waged a protracted and expensive 2-year battle to clear his name but ultimately lost that fight. He still maintains his innocence. Now with his penalty paid (2 years suspension from competition), he's back and rumors are that he's still strong as a buggy-pulling horse. Maybe you remember him as one of Lance's strongest teammates? This is relevant, because after Floyd left Lance's side to lead his own team, things got kind of ugly on the road between the two. They both say all of that is behind them. We'll see. This year he's riding for a smaller US based team (Ouch presented by Maxxis) that cannot compete in the Tour de France. Fortunately for you and I, he and his surgically repaired/replaced hip is going to be in California.

Tyler Hamilton-Another former Lance Armstrong lieutenant, Hamilton never fell afoul of his former captain when he left to lead his own team. So no drama there. But in 2003, while riding for a rival team (CSC) at the Tour de France, Tyler broke his collarbone on the first stage of the race. Instead of, I don't know, going to a doctor and getting a sling or something, Hamilton insisted on continuing the race. 15 days later, he broke away from the chasing field and won the 16th stage at the Tour de France. Unfortunately, the next year, he was found guilty of illegal performance enhancing acts ("blood doping"). He too fought the charges for two years to no avail and continues to maintain his innocence. Fresh off his suspension, Tour of California organizers didn't want even the wiff of scandal associated with last year's race so they did not allow Tyler to race. This year, Rock Racing gets to bring Tyler and a full team of slightly tarnished (disgraced?) former Euro-stars to the party. The upstart, rabble-rousing Rock Racing team showed glimmers of strength last year and Tyler even managed to win the US National Championships. Hamilton and his team don't qualify for the Tour de France, but they will make trouble for the favorites at the Tour of California.

And if the force of these 3 dramatic prequels aren't enough to get you to care about what goes on at the Tour of California, know this about Lance's performance in the next 9 days. He is not going to win the race. He is going there to ride in support of his teammate and defending champion Levi Leipheimer (probably the best American cyclist you have never heard of). But if you see Lance riding at the front of the pack every day, then come July, when he lines up for the Tour de France? Look out. But if he struggles in California, then Lance will be little more than a bit player in the drama of the Tour de France.

And that's why, the Tour of California might be the most important race of the year.


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