Cycling continued

[Garden Kitty]

Cav is stirring up a bit of trouble saying there's no way he'd ride the TdF with fellow HTC sprinter Greipel after Greipel's comments on Milan- San Remo. He also seems annoyed he's doing the Tour of California instead of the Giro:

"I didn't make the choice [to ride California]. I love Italy, I love the Giro but I'm paid to do this now, so I have to do it."

another fun quote:

"If I wanted to just win races I wouldn't ride every ProTour race," said Cavendish. "I understand that at the moment I'm racing to be in my best form for the Tour de France and the world championships. If I wanted to get shit small wins, I'd race shit small races."

Cav's interviews are always fun.

And they announced the Teams for the Tour of California:

Bissell (USA)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Cervélo TestTeam (SUI)
Fly V Australia (AUS)
Garmin-Transitions (USA)
Jelly Belly Presented by Kenda (USA)
Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA)
Liquigas-Doimo (ITA)
Quick Step (BEL)
Rabobank (NED)
Spidertech Powered by Planet Energy (CAN)
Team HTC-Columbia (USA)
Team RadioShack (USA)
Team Saxo Bank (DEN)
Team Type 1 (USA)
UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis (USA)

[Garden Kitty]

Tyler Farrar wins Scheldeprijs - first US cyclist to do so. Even more impressive - he'she spoke Flemish in the interview.

At the finish line

And in yet another drug story, Ballan is among riders being investigated in Italy. I'd hate to see this proven true, as BMC really doesn't need this. It's co-owner nearly quit the sport after his experience at Phonak, and I'd hate to see one of its top riders in a doping story. But Lampre seems to be the team hardest hit in this most recent investigation.

NY Velocity's Schmalz and Cervelo rider Ted King (the self-named "king of style") give a fashion review of a local team kit.

[kedrin]

and streamers! But there is no way I'm putting cards in the wheel spokes - I have my standards!

streamers! hey- I was considering putting my old STAR WARS cards in my spokes- but my spokes are too high-tech and widely spaced for them to fit.

I think watching the tour of the Basque country is finally putting me in the mood to watch cycling for the season.

[Garden Kitty]

This is no way to recon for Paris Roubaix

[Garden Kitty]

podium hijinks in Roubaix

the traditional kissing the cobblestone pic

Chris Horner rocking a snazzy hat in Pais Vasco

Yeah, I'm cool

[susan6]

podium hijinks in Roubaix

Man, that is one hunky podium.

[Garden Kitty]

Spartacus visits Toto

[lash]

About the ravine and parking lot crit in Uzbekastan!

[Garden Kitty]

Road trip with Contador and Noval as they drive 1,900 km to get to Liege for the Ardennes Classic L-B-L

And cute article about Nordic Combined Olympic medalist Bill Demong who is a cyclist in his spare time. He was the rider who hitched a ride on the back of Chris Horner's bike at the Cascade Classic a few years ago when he crashed and couldn't ride his bike to the finish.

ETA: Cav visits Toto and gets some media training from Hincapie.

[Garden Kitty]

Schmalz's interview with Tejay van Garderen

Up and down week for Cadel. He gets one of his biggest career wins at Fleche-Wallone, beating Contador on the Mur. But today it was announced his teammate Frei tested positive for EPO. With two other BMC riders being investigated in Italy, the team didn't need this news. The owner of the team used to own Phonak, and I don't know how much stomach he has to go through those kind of issues again.

[Garden Kitty]

Vino and Valverde share the podium for Liege-Bastogne-Liege Have we somehow gone back in time a few years?

Vino kissing his image

I guess that's a fallback for when he's not able to wear it .

And in other doping news, Ivan Basso's sister, Elisa, and her ex-boyfriend were among 25 people charged with drug related offenses stemming from Operation Athena, a 4 year old investigation.

[susan6]

"This team was created for and also thanks to me. I've completed my punishment so I don't see why I shouldn't come back." --Vino

Hmmm. Watch out, Alberto.

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who was 10th, was happy to see teammate Vinokourov take the honours.

"It was impressive, I'm happy that Vino won, it's as if I had won," said the Spaniard, who was 1min 07sec off the pace. "It was the result of team work."

Do you think Vino's going to "work" for Alberto in the TdF? Or will it be yet another chaotic and tense Tour for Astana, with awkward silences over breakfast? Somewhere out there, Johan Brunyeel is giggling.

[Garden Kitty]

Do you think Vino's going to "work" for Alberto in the TdF? Or will it be yet another chaotic and tense Tour for Astana, with awkward silences over breakfast? Somewhere out there, Johan Brunyeel is giggling.

I miss the days of Vino on T-Mob with his own teammates chasing him down. He claims he'll ride for Bert, but I can't imagine Vino restraining himself if he has a chance for a stage win or some other personal goal. However, if Bert just outrides everyone again, Vino will certainly say he was working for Bert.

[Garden Kitty]

Cav has been mostly quiet this season, but sure knows how to get noticed. After winning a sprint at Tour of Romandie yesterday, he sent this graphic message to his critics. Today he issued an apology which sounds like the team may have had some role in helping him write it.

He's had an off season so far, getting a late start because of his tooth problems and only having two wins so far. He's fighting with a teammate (which is unusual for him), and is peeved he's going to Tour of California instead of the Giro. But I'll be glad to see him coming into form again because he's always entertaining.

ETA: Lance announced on twitter yesterday that he and Anna are expecting another child

edited again: HTC-High Road pulled Cav from the race and donated the prize money from the stage to charity

[deltask8er]

Cav has been mostly quiet this season, but sure knows how to get noticed. After winning a sprint at Tour of Romandie yesterday, he sent this graphic message to his critics. Today he issued an apology which sounds like the team may have had some role in helping him write it.


edited again: HTC-High Road pulled Cav from the race and donated the prize money from the stage to charity

Story made it into the BBC World Service headlines at the top of the hour

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/othe...ng/8652628.stm

ETA: Lance announced on twitter yesterday that he and Anna are expecting another child

Soon we'll be able to call him "Octo-Dad". (or 'Octo-Cad' ? )

[Garden Kitty]

Wheeeee, Giro starts tomorrow, with team presentations today. Pellizotti has been invited not to ride because of some dodgey passport values. Freire is out with allergies and Bennati out with an injury (sniffle, sniffle).

Some of the other people you'd normally see there will be sitting it since the Tour of California conflicts with the Giro for the first time. But there will still be plenty of good riders and fun in Italy.

The TdF is a much bigger deal, but I love the Giro - such pageantry, passion and usually infighting. Simoni signed with a new team just to ride the Giro one last time, and we know how well it worked out when he road with Cunego before

Plus the race kicks off in Amsterdam this year, so we get the sight of GT clmby types trying to make their way over cobbles! Imagine the fun.

ETA: Stage summary for the Giro

edited again: Team Presentations, Giro style (which involves the riders signing the model's shirts)

[Garden Kitty]

A crash filled 3 days of the Giro in Amsterdam. Poor Christian VandeVelde once again drops out of the Giro with an injury on Stage 3 - looks like a broken collarbone.

3 days and three different leaders and the crashes helped really split out the peloton. Wiggins lost 4 minutes today on a flat stage (thanks, mainly to his second crash of the race) but it doesn't look like he really cared. Perhaps he means it when he says he's here just to tune up for the TdF. Evans also lost time today due to a crash, but he was riding very hard to make up the time.

Thor Hushovd also broke a collarbone on a training ride when he crashed with a little girl. He reports the little girl is fine. She must be one strong little girl!

Tour of Cali starts next week, and already some of the Euro riders are heading over to get some training time in before the race.

[lash]

Cannot wait for ToC!!! I am going to be at at least three stages, possibly more. WHEEEEEE!!!

[Garden Kitty]

Cannot wait for ToC!!! I am going to be at at least three stages, possibly more. WHEEEEEE!!!

Very jealous! Looking forward to any reports you may have.

ETA: Sexy Back joins "bike to work" day in Morgan Hill, CA

[Garden Kitty]

Today was by far the best Giro stage yet, and one of the best days of racing this year. The Giro went over some dirt roads with a 16% gradient - and there was rain and wet roads to add to the fun. It was like a spring classic, except better than this year's classics.

Some really gutsy riding, and major shakeups on the GC. Some contenders Giro are probably over after this stage. And while I haven't been a big Vino fan after his suspension, credit to him for trying to slow down the breakaway after the maglia rosa crashed.

SPOILER: a very messy stage winner

ETA: Amazing pics at Cyclingnews from the stage. It looks like then end of a muddy Paris-Roubaix. These poor riders have 9 more days including Zoncolan before their next rest day.

Nibali and Basso