Bicycle Racing: Tour of California Wrap-Up

Levi Leipheimer is happy. Very happy. And it has everything to do with the pretty ladies planting simultaneous double-trouble cheek smooches on his scary-thin-bicycle-racer face. You see--and this is lesson I learned all too well in Junior High--pretty girls don't kiss losers.

Levi lined up with some of the best racers in the world and whooped them all. For the third time in a row. Any doubts that the diminutive rider from Montana owns the Tour of California can be left behind like a thickly-muscled sprinter waging a battle against gravity and his own personal physiology trying to make his way up the 11-mile vertical ascent of Palomar mountain.

As reported by Laura Weislo and Kirsten Robbins of Cyclingnews.com, Leipheimer summed up his 3rd general classification (GC) victory in the Tour of California this way:

"I've dreamt many days about this when I'm training. When I'm pushing alone and suffering alone, I dream about moments like I had on Bonny Doon. We were a long way from the finish, under horrendous conditions. But I was went for it and was feeling great. To be able to pull that off and have Lance Armstrong have your back the entire way was a life long dream for me."

Levi first put the peloton on notice during the opening day's stage. The prologue time trial is a short, explosive event that favors big power riders like Saxo Bank's Fabian Cancellara over smaller-framed GC riders like Leipheimer. Well, someone forgot to tell Levi this rule because he still managed to cover the 2.4-mile distance in second place to Cancellara by only 1.2 seconds. Two days later, Levi put the peloton on permanent notice by launching a devastating attack on Bonny Doon road during the "4.5 hour cold shower" otherwise known as stage 2.

And how did Mr. Armstrong fair? After 9 days of racing that treated the riders to some classic northern California February weather, Lance finished in 7th place overall. What is northern California weather you ask? Well, after the second stage, Leipheimer suggested that the curious among us, "Turn the shower on as cold as it goes and stand in it for 4.5 hours and that's what it feels like out there!" Except Levi forgets the part where they were also racing their bikes in that rain. So I suggest you dust off your old-school exercise bicycle and jump in the shower with it and start pedaling.

Lance's 7th place was a mere, 1 minute and 46 seconds behind his team leader. Here's a test: Go try and fix yourself a proper sandwich lunch in under 1 minute and 46 seconds and I think you'll see that the gap between a rider (Lance) who has different objectives (winning the 3-week long Tour of Italy in May) and the rider (Levi) whose primary season-long goal was to win the Tour of California in February, is small. Look out Lance-haters (I know you're out there), he's back. In a big way.

And what about the other riders you met in the Tour of California preview?

Ivan Basso--The Italian rode well (seen here in his green team kit), if not somewhat anonymously during the first half of the race, keeping up with everyone who wasn't named Levi Leipheimer. Unfortunately, when warming up for the race-defining 6th stage (an individual time trial where it is just a single lonely rider versus the clock), Basso banged his knee on his handlebars causing massive swelling that forced him to withdraw from the race.

Floyd Landis--The soft-spoken Pennsylvanian mostly kept to himself throughout the tour. Landis suffered through a hold-your-breath-I-hope-my-bionic-hip-didn't-break accident on the road and finished in 23rd place overall, 10 minutes and 23 seconds behind the yellow jersey. While he won the very first edition of the Tour of California on the strength of his individual time trial performance, this year he did not rediscover that form on the critical 6th stage. He finished only slightly better than mid-pack in 54th place. His US-based team, with a few notable exceptions, is mostly scheduled to contest a season full of short-format criteriums and single-day road races, so it's questionable whether Floyd will have a chance to shine in the kinds of races that made him famous. Regardless, Mr. Chill seems to be having good time racing his bike again.

Tyler Hamilton--Despite having his mind on more important things (Hamilton's mother is fighting breast cancer), the Massachusetts home-boy rode aggressively throughout the tour and seems to be back in a very real way. Don't let the fact that he finished over an hour down and in 83rd place overall fool you. His no-holds-barred attacking style and stage-4 capture of the "Most Courageous Rider" jersey is the real story. World-wide cycling fans of Hamilton and his Rock Racing team might have to stay tuned to the US racing season though (not just the Armstrong Euro Comeback Tour). Because despite big talk from team management and some serious racing fire power, the team will not likely get invited to rock and roll on the other side of the pond this season due to licensing technicalities.

Is that all?

No. Traditional stick and ball sports can count on venue ticket sales to gauge the relative awesomeness of an event. Because cycling races are contested on wide open roads with no ticket-scanners or scary dudes in polyester blue blazers to search through your purses, we measure success in less scientific ways.

You know those wacky guys who run onto a football or baseball field in the middle of a game before they are arrested or worse, tackled by their heroes? Well in cycling, that kind of crazy behavior is not only allowed, but to a certain degree it is encouraged. Get to that perfect stretch of road, set up your folding chair, portable grill and wait for hours until the best athletes in the world pass by your personal set of front row seats.

AP photographer Marcio Jose Sanchez captured the above scene of an American-flag waving, Lucha Libra mask-wearing fan running alongside all-around German cycling stud and super nice guy, Jens Voigt. In the photo we see Jens riding beyond his normal abilities just in front of Levi Leipheimer on the Palomar Mountain climb. I love this country.

You can only dream of hustling up and down the court with Michael Jordan, or running alongside marathoner Paula Radcliffe as she hitches and hops her way to another victory. Time to wake up and go find a bicycle race. Because when you watch a bicycle race, that dream is real.

Writer/photographer Mark Johnson's up-close and personal experience with the true cycling fans is chronicled on Velonews.com. There were 2 million fans on the roads of California last week and thanks to Johnson and Velonews, we all get to see some of my favorite fans one more time.



And so, the next time a bicycle race comes to your town. Grab a cowbell, stand on the side of the road and cheer on some racers. Because every single one of the big names in this sport started racing on the tiny streets of your home town.


For more complete reporting and many more spectacular images from the 2009 Tour of California, please visit Velonews.com, cyclingnews.com, Getty Images, Associated Press and daylife.com.

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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Newlywed Living: When She Leaves You

I saw it coming weeks, maybe months in advance. There was one time in mid-December, when she changed her mind (holiday spirit?) and she stayed. But not too long ago, my wife Sarah packed up her gear and left me.

For the weekend.

Sarah and Hope (an all-star 5th-grade teacher at Hall Memorial School in Connecticut) had been planning a holiday gift and wedding-album craft-creation-explosion-of-fun-times-exchange for months now and finally both were free and clear to make full use of their crafting superpowers.

And so when Sarah left for work that morning with her rolling orange suitcase in tow, I knew that I was on my own. And at this point you may be wondering why a grown-a** man (apologies for the profanity, I've been watching HBO's The Wire on DVD and am sort of addicted to what may be the greatest television show, ever) might be worried about a lonely weekend without his wife, let me assure you that there are problems.

These problems--unique to the married man--generally fall into two categories. With whom and what?

"With whom" problem #1: You can't go out with your single friends. I don't know about you, but if you are even a smidge like me, the single-scene wasn't fun when you were single, so going out as your friend's wing-man (providing he would even want your dopey married self hanging out with him), spending way too much money on drinks? And if perchance those days were fun for you (who are you?), how much fun is it going to be now with a ring on your finger? This is a lose-lose idea for nerds and cool-guys alike.

"With whom" problem #2: You can't go out with your married friends. Because as great as your married friends are, can you really imagine them wanting to hang out with you alone without your better half? I mean, I'm sure you are perfectly charming and nice and all, but who are you kidding? Plus, you don't want to be a third wheel either.

"What" problem #1: I don't care what your hipster female friends say, you cannot go to the movie theater by yourself. When she goes out to the movies by herself, this says, "I am a self-assured, independently strong woman who does what she wants, when she wants." When he goes out to the movies by himself, this says, "I am a sad little man who is all alone this weekend and has nothing strong and manly to do." It's also just feels a little creepy. It shouldn't and isn't, but there's a definite vibe broadcast by the single guy walking into a movie theater alone.

"What" problem #2: Going out to dinner by yourself? See above.

So what to do? As I see it, there are 3 must-do activities for the temporarily single man home alone for the weekend.

1. MAKE A MEAL OF IT! I love my wife, I really do. She is perfect in every way except one. Unfortunately, Sarah does not share my enthusiasm for "Breakfast for Dinner." Specifically pancakes and sausage drowning in butter and maple syrup (the real stuff on both accounts please). I can sometimes get her to indulge in pancakes (sans the maple nectar of the gods) for breakfast, but sharing a meal with someone who is just humoring you cuts down the tasty-goodness of an honest stack of fluffy pancakes by 38%. Roughly. So when she's gone for the weekend, it's just me, a box of Bisquick, a jug of Hillsboro Sugarworks Grade A Dark Amber Vermont maple syrup and some assortment of fried, salted pork products. P.S. When she is home alone, I think she has goat cheese parties. Yuck.

2. RENTAL MOVIE NIGHT MADNESS! Since you are married to the love of your life (you are, right?!), then there's a pretty good chance that you have pretty similar tastes when it comes to cinematic diversions. Well, with the wifey away, now is your time to indulge in the kinds of movies that you wouldn't necessarily see together. And I'm not just talking about your double secret desire to have your own personal "Bride Wars-27 Dresses-Made of Honor" marathon (oh, Patrick Dempsey, you're so McDreamy).

I'm also talking about the kind of movies that you are sort of curious about, but "so-so" or bad reviews made you and yours think better of spending valuable couple time and money on such celluloid fantasies. For me, this meant going to my computer and watching Spider Man 3 via the Netflix "Watch Instantly" service. While Sarah and I both enjoyed the first two Spider Man movies, I have to say, that I'm glad I spared her viewing the third installment of the trilogy. There are way too many good movies out there for us to see together.

3. SLEEP DIAGONALLY! I don't care if you two are world champion spooners, or that there is so much love in your heart that you don't mind her knees digging into the small of your back, or the occasional swift elbow to the temple when she roles over, having the whole bed to yourself is just--to borrow a British expression--brilliant. Sleeping diagonally is the best use of this sometimes-space in your bed. Clearly.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! What kinds of things do you do, when your loved one is off on his or her own adventures? I look forward to reading your comments.