Tonight I feel like doing some stomach exercises and not riding. The exercises will do me some good in the long run. I've spent most of the afternoon and early evening trying to get a document scanned and converted to a PDF file. The conversion was no problem but file sizes were larger than I would have liked. Eventually I massaged them down to a somewhat manageable size only to find an even better way after they were already emailed, of course.
These documents related to the good news mentioned last Wednesday. In short, they make me an official entrant in the 2005 Etape du Tour. The Etape is organized by ASO, the same people that do the Tour. You actually ride an actual complete stage of the Tour (about a week before the pros do it) and it is complete with feed zones and wheel vehicles if you damage your wheel. Although you have to fix your own flats, etc. Eight thousand entrants so it should be mayhem. This years Etape is Stage 16 of the Tour de France from Mourenx to Pau. A short little 110 miles with two smaller climbs and two more substantial climbs, the Col de Marie Blanque and Col d'Aubisque. The Marie Blanque is generally a Cat 1 climb and is rather steep near the top and the Hors Categorie Aubisque is longer but less severe. The Soulor is so short I'm not sure why it was listed as Cat 2 in 2000. The Col d'Ichere could be a Cat 2 climb, maybe a 3 since its the first climb of the day. The road from the Aubisque to the Soulor is said to be rather incredible with moutains on one side of the road and a cliff on the other and the descent of the Soulor is supposed to be pretty tricky but I think we are taking a different way down. It still may be dicey, though.
The longest ride I've ever done is 105 or 106 miles so this could be tough when the climbs get added into the mix. Last year I did do 95 miles with Mt Ventoux in the middle so I feel I'm capable of finishing okay. Besides, once the Col du Soulor is complete at mile 66, its almost downhill the rest of the way. At least it looks that way. People always say to never trust a race profile, though.
As mentioned a couple days ago I plan to give an account of my history with cycling and how I got to my now lofty position as Cat 3 pack fodder. A good starting spot, it seems, would be the bikes I have owned in my life. Discounting the Big Wheels, pedal cars and tricycles of my very early years my first bike was a red Schwinn very much like this one. I seem to recall mine having chrome fenders and it was in better shape. Nonetheless, this was the bike that had training wheels slapped on it. I'd ride around the basement until I felt comfortable enough to try riding outside. Eventually the training wheels came off. Living on a road that was not flat, my Dad would take me up to the neighbors driveway and hold the seat as I coasted down to our house. After he sensed I was getting the hang of it, he would act like he was still helping balance me but was just letting me go and I had no clue. I vaguely recall him letting me know he was going to let go alone and I panicked a little until he told me that he hadn't been holding me up and that I was already riding on my own. Dumb kid.
News Item of the Day: Aging sprint thoroughbred Mario Cipollini, 38, is giving it one more go, the Italian helming the mass-sprint hopes of the ProTour qualified Liquigas-Bianchi team in 2005. "I want to prove I can still win big races," Cipollini said Tuesday at his team's presentation ceremony in Milan.
"I'm very motivated, I have a terrific team and I'll be racing in the best possible of conditions." "The only question mark right now is me," Cipollini said, showing a rare crack in his usually hyper-confident armour, admitting that his sprint pistons may no longer be firing at top power. In 2004, "Super Mario" was systematically relegated in finish-line fisticuffs by cycling's dominate sultan of sprints Alessandro Petacchi, also of Italy.
"I will race Milan-San Remo [in 2005], where I will go up against Petacchi for the first time this season," Cipollini confirmed. Following the Milan-San Remo super classic, Cipollini will "take a little look" at the Ghent-Wevelgem semi-classic before targeting multiple stage wins at the Giro d'Italia.
In addition to Cipollini, the Liquigas formation will be putting its one-day race eggs in the basket of Danilo Di Luca, with former Giro d'Italia winner Stefano Garzelli taking up stage-race duties for the Italian squad.
Viewpoint: I may have mentioned this a long time ago but I hope Cipo comes back to some good form this year. From my observations of him at the Tour of Georgia last year, he appears to be genuinely good guy.
These documents related to the good news mentioned last Wednesday. In short, they make me an official entrant in the 2005 Etape du Tour. The Etape is organized by ASO, the same people that do the Tour. You actually ride an actual complete stage of the Tour (about a week before the pros do it) and it is complete with feed zones and wheel vehicles if you damage your wheel. Although you have to fix your own flats, etc. Eight thousand entrants so it should be mayhem. This years Etape is Stage 16 of the Tour de France from Mourenx to Pau. A short little 110 miles with two smaller climbs and two more substantial climbs, the Col de Marie Blanque and Col d'Aubisque. The Marie Blanque is generally a Cat 1 climb and is rather steep near the top and the Hors Categorie Aubisque is longer but less severe. The Soulor is so short I'm not sure why it was listed as Cat 2 in 2000. The Col d'Ichere could be a Cat 2 climb, maybe a 3 since its the first climb of the day. The road from the Aubisque to the Soulor is said to be rather incredible with moutains on one side of the road and a cliff on the other and the descent of the Soulor is supposed to be pretty tricky but I think we are taking a different way down. It still may be dicey, though.
The longest ride I've ever done is 105 or 106 miles so this could be tough when the climbs get added into the mix. Last year I did do 95 miles with Mt Ventoux in the middle so I feel I'm capable of finishing okay. Besides, once the Col du Soulor is complete at mile 66, its almost downhill the rest of the way. At least it looks that way. People always say to never trust a race profile, though.
As mentioned a couple days ago I plan to give an account of my history with cycling and how I got to my now lofty position as Cat 3 pack fodder. A good starting spot, it seems, would be the bikes I have owned in my life. Discounting the Big Wheels, pedal cars and tricycles of my very early years my first bike was a red Schwinn very much like this one. I seem to recall mine having chrome fenders and it was in better shape. Nonetheless, this was the bike that had training wheels slapped on it. I'd ride around the basement until I felt comfortable enough to try riding outside. Eventually the training wheels came off. Living on a road that was not flat, my Dad would take me up to the neighbors driveway and hold the seat as I coasted down to our house. After he sensed I was getting the hang of it, he would act like he was still helping balance me but was just letting me go and I had no clue. I vaguely recall him letting me know he was going to let go alone and I panicked a little until he told me that he hadn't been holding me up and that I was already riding on my own. Dumb kid.
News Item of the Day: Aging sprint thoroughbred Mario Cipollini, 38, is giving it one more go, the Italian helming the mass-sprint hopes of the ProTour qualified Liquigas-Bianchi team in 2005. "I want to prove I can still win big races," Cipollini said Tuesday at his team's presentation ceremony in Milan.
"I'm very motivated, I have a terrific team and I'll be racing in the best possible of conditions." "The only question mark right now is me," Cipollini said, showing a rare crack in his usually hyper-confident armour, admitting that his sprint pistons may no longer be firing at top power. In 2004, "Super Mario" was systematically relegated in finish-line fisticuffs by cycling's dominate sultan of sprints Alessandro Petacchi, also of Italy.
"I will race Milan-San Remo [in 2005], where I will go up against Petacchi for the first time this season," Cipollini confirmed. Following the Milan-San Remo super classic, Cipollini will "take a little look" at the Ghent-Wevelgem semi-classic before targeting multiple stage wins at the Giro d'Italia.
In addition to Cipollini, the Liquigas formation will be putting its one-day race eggs in the basket of Danilo Di Luca, with former Giro d'Italia winner Stefano Garzelli taking up stage-race duties for the Italian squad.
Viewpoint: I may have mentioned this a long time ago but I hope Cipo comes back to some good form this year. From my observations of him at the Tour of Georgia last year, he appears to be genuinely good guy.
4 Comments:
Wow, great stuff. That's really cool about the Etape thing. So do the riders actually race this or is it more of a controlled semi-competition?
Some take it pretty seriously. They do give out prizes to top finishers. Others I'm sure enter more for the joy of riding. I'd like to do as well as I can but not sure what to expect. There have been quite a few pros and ex-pros race. Lemond in 2000, Olano the past couple years, Indurain a couple years ago, Jeannie Longo. Alain Prost usually enters and does well. Takumo Sato, another F1 driver recently did the race.
Alain Prost, that would be awesome to run into him on a bike. He is an F1 legend.
That would be neat but with 8000 entrants I'm not counting on seeing anyone famous.
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