This old cyclists body isn't used to manual labor. This morning my back was a little stiff and my legs even more so from my work at the velodrome. My plans were for a good long trainer ride today since the roads were wet this morning. Instead, since I was a little sore, it seemed like a good time to take a drive and check out the proposed route I mapped out for my Gran Fondo Ste Genevieve from Jefferson Barracks to Columbia, IL via Ste Genevieve. Everthing was good until I hit Ste Genevieve County when one of my roads, a nicely paved road, suddenly turned to gravel. I can put up with some gravel but this turned into 5 miles of gravel. Oy vey! Then, about 10 miles later the road turned freshly paved again and then BAM.... gravel again. Three miles later the gravel ended again. Very disappointing.
After getting home I went back to Google maps to find a way around the gravel sections without adding lots of mileage. I may have found a way to go by taking Jackson School and Rte Y instead of Misplay and Carron but as far as I know Jackson School may be gravel too.
The second gravel section along Sugar Bottom can be skipped by simply staying on Hwy 61. Not my favorite road, just because its a higher speed road with basically no shoulder, but for a few miles it may not be so bad. There is a lack of roads down there so there is no other viable option.
News Item of the Day: After Paris-Nice, American Bobby Julich won his second stage race on the trot Sunday in the wet streets of Charleville-Mezieres. The 34-year old CSC rider won the Stage 3 individual time trial of the Criterium International to take the overall win from Stage 2 winner Thomas Dekker of Rabobank.
Dekker, who took silver at the world championships in the Under 23 time trial, nonetheless finished fourth on the day and secured second overall. But while the 20-year old Dutchman showed budding promise, for Julich, the spring of his 34th year has been one of rebirth after several years of injury and setbacks.
Seven years after he first won the Criterium, the native of Corpus Christi, Texas confirmed the form that saw him finish third in Athens in the time trial behind Tyler Hamilton and Viatcheslav Ekimov.
BJARNE'S ARMY
After his win in Paris-Nice, he promised that he would be riding for 2004 winner Jens Voigt in the Criterium. But on the roads of northern France, the German found himself caught out in the morning break and Julich seized his chance: "It's a shame [for Jens] but my legs are in shape at the moment," a smiling Julich told French television adding that "after waiting six, seven years, I'm very happy and I would like to wish to everyone a happy Easter."
It's certainly a happy Easter for Julich's boss at CSC Bjarne Riis, who placed four riders in the top ten with Ivan Basso fourth 50 seconds off the pace, Voigt fifth and Norway's Kurt-Asle Arvesen tenth thanks to an impressive third place in the time trial.
The big loser on the day was Julich's ex-CSC team-mate Jorg Jaksche: The Liberty Seguros rider who did much of the legwork in the morning's Stage 2, entered the time trial as favourite, but could fare no better than 13th on the stage to slip to fifth overall.
After getting home I went back to Google maps to find a way around the gravel sections without adding lots of mileage. I may have found a way to go by taking Jackson School and Rte Y instead of Misplay and Carron but as far as I know Jackson School may be gravel too.
The second gravel section along Sugar Bottom can be skipped by simply staying on Hwy 61. Not my favorite road, just because its a higher speed road with basically no shoulder, but for a few miles it may not be so bad. There is a lack of roads down there so there is no other viable option.
News Item of the Day: After Paris-Nice, American Bobby Julich won his second stage race on the trot Sunday in the wet streets of Charleville-Mezieres. The 34-year old CSC rider won the Stage 3 individual time trial of the Criterium International to take the overall win from Stage 2 winner Thomas Dekker of Rabobank.
Dekker, who took silver at the world championships in the Under 23 time trial, nonetheless finished fourth on the day and secured second overall. But while the 20-year old Dutchman showed budding promise, for Julich, the spring of his 34th year has been one of rebirth after several years of injury and setbacks.
Seven years after he first won the Criterium, the native of Corpus Christi, Texas confirmed the form that saw him finish third in Athens in the time trial behind Tyler Hamilton and Viatcheslav Ekimov.
BJARNE'S ARMY
After his win in Paris-Nice, he promised that he would be riding for 2004 winner Jens Voigt in the Criterium. But on the roads of northern France, the German found himself caught out in the morning break and Julich seized his chance: "It's a shame [for Jens] but my legs are in shape at the moment," a smiling Julich told French television adding that "after waiting six, seven years, I'm very happy and I would like to wish to everyone a happy Easter."
It's certainly a happy Easter for Julich's boss at CSC Bjarne Riis, who placed four riders in the top ten with Ivan Basso fourth 50 seconds off the pace, Voigt fifth and Norway's Kurt-Asle Arvesen tenth thanks to an impressive third place in the time trial.
The big loser on the day was Julich's ex-CSC team-mate Jorg Jaksche: The Liberty Seguros rider who did much of the legwork in the morning's Stage 2, entered the time trial as favourite, but could fare no better than 13th on the stage to slip to fifth overall.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home