For my viewing pleasure while riding the trainer today I popped in a tape of the 2003 Tour stage ending at Luz Ardiden. That being the now famous "crash" of Lance as he was pulled down by a wayward musette bag of a fan. Thats an interesting stage not only for the "crash" but also for Jan's attack on the mountain before (the Tourmalet). Having ridden up the Tourmalet this past summer adds some interest as well. You see things during the coverage that you remember and you have a sense of what they are feeling.
The tape gave me an hour and a half of good trainer time. The whole ride was spent somewhere between 39x12 and 39x14. When the riders were on flatter sections I stayed in the 14 and spun more. When they were climbing I switched to the 12 to simulate the harder effort needed to climb. I felt so-so the whole time. I feel I should have been stronger but it's not a concern
News Item of the Day: Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd will have a different race programme in 2005. Hushovd wore the Tour de France yellow jersey in Namur this year, and won a stage Quimper, and will again have the Tour de France as a major goal in 2005. But the end of the year will be more important than the beginning for the big sprinter who will ride the Vuelta a Espana for the first time next year as preparation for the world championship in Madrid where he has no less ambition than taking the rainbow jersey.
The massive Scandinavian recently had a sinus operation. "It went all fine but I've had seven weeks off," he said. Known for picking the form quickly, Hushovd has deliberately delayed his winter preparation and will not try to be successful as early as last season when he kicked off the year with a stage win at the Étoile de Bessèges. His first appearance will be at the Tour of the Mediterranean (February 9-13).
He will also take part in the Classic Haribo (February 20), a race he won in 2004 among 10 successes in total, but he will not show up at Paris-Nice. "I've asked to ride Tirreno-Adriatico instead," he revealed. Hushovd was somewhat frustrated in 2004 when he couldn't start some important World Cup races for which his Crédit Agricole team didn't qualify but the UCI Pro Tour rules give him the opportunity to build his programme around the major events now. "Milan-San Remo will be my first big goal," he said.
Belgian races such as Het Volk, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Waregem, GP E3, Flèche Brabançonne and Tour of Flanders are also on his schedule prior to Paris-Roubaix, the race of his dreams.
The tape gave me an hour and a half of good trainer time. The whole ride was spent somewhere between 39x12 and 39x14. When the riders were on flatter sections I stayed in the 14 and spun more. When they were climbing I switched to the 12 to simulate the harder effort needed to climb. I felt so-so the whole time. I feel I should have been stronger but it's not a concern
News Item of the Day: Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd will have a different race programme in 2005. Hushovd wore the Tour de France yellow jersey in Namur this year, and won a stage Quimper, and will again have the Tour de France as a major goal in 2005. But the end of the year will be more important than the beginning for the big sprinter who will ride the Vuelta a Espana for the first time next year as preparation for the world championship in Madrid where he has no less ambition than taking the rainbow jersey.
The massive Scandinavian recently had a sinus operation. "It went all fine but I've had seven weeks off," he said. Known for picking the form quickly, Hushovd has deliberately delayed his winter preparation and will not try to be successful as early as last season when he kicked off the year with a stage win at the Étoile de Bessèges. His first appearance will be at the Tour of the Mediterranean (February 9-13).
He will also take part in the Classic Haribo (February 20), a race he won in 2004 among 10 successes in total, but he will not show up at Paris-Nice. "I've asked to ride Tirreno-Adriatico instead," he revealed. Hushovd was somewhat frustrated in 2004 when he couldn't start some important World Cup races for which his Crédit Agricole team didn't qualify but the UCI Pro Tour rules give him the opportunity to build his programme around the major events now. "Milan-San Remo will be my first big goal," he said.
Belgian races such as Het Volk, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Waregem, GP E3, Flèche Brabançonne and Tour of Flanders are also on his schedule prior to Paris-Roubaix, the race of his dreams.
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