Oooh Alberto!

Alberto faces a one year ban...maybe in his time off he could film Zoolander 2?

Do You Want The Good News or the Bad News - January

2008 TDF Champ

The month of January has been a busy one so far in the world of skinny tires... Geox-TMC woes continue as they have been snubbed from the TDF and Paris Nice.  The Tour organizers released the 2011 roster earlier this month and Geox was not on the list.  Wild card additions  Cofidis, Saur-Sojasun, FDJ and Team Europcar made the list and all I can say is you Frenchies better ride well as TDF organizers have put a lot of faith in you - not inviting the 2008 winner and 2010 third place finisher (Menchov) is a big gamble. You have to feel for Sastre as he is 35 and this could possibly be his last crack at the tour...here is hoping he can place well in the Giro and Vuelta and throw it back in the face of the TDF brass.

I crashed in Stage 2!

The Santos Tour Down Under is wrapping up today and I was a bit disappointed that we did not get to see the Cav vs. Greipel showdown that was brewing since their  initial beef that started last year.  With Greipel now on Omega Pharma Lotto and Cav riding on HTC-Highroad, they were set to go head to head and fans everywhere eagerly awaited the sparks to fly.  Cav ended up crashing in Stage 2 and calamity ensued as he and two other riders ended up finishing the race on an open course...Needless to say, the Manx Missile was less than happy and overall ended up finishing 33:51 behind for a stellar, bottem of the list placing of 129 overall.  As for Greipel?  He finished 7th,  0.27 seconds behind the overall winner Cameron Meyer of Garmin-Cervelo.  We will have to wait for the next installment of The Gorilla VS. The Manx Missle....


The Tour Down Under also saw the International Racing career of Lance Armstrong come to a close.  Aside from one flare up courtesy of Sports Illustrated, things were relatively quiet.  Lance  finished 6:42 behind and placed 67.  Given the allegations surrounding Lance, I think it would be a miracle for him to focus on racing enough to place well in the domestic races he has left in 2011.

Here is a good one - Pat McQuaid says Contador has tainted the image of cycling regardless if he is innocent or not.  Responding to McQuaids comments, Alberto declared the steak he ate is tarnishing the image of cows.  The gong show continues...

Sadly, the cycling world lost a good one...Carla Swart (HTC HighRoad) was killed while training  at home in South Africa...condolences to all involved, very tragic.  Be safe out there!!

On the lighter side, Floyd Landis retires from pro-racing and said the battle to clean up cycling's drug-tainted image is not his to fight..."I'm relatively sure this sport cannot be fixed, but that's not my job, that's not my fight."  As Floyd was heading out the door he did recommend that cyclists should be allowed to use performance enhancing drugs.  You can catch Floyd on his book tour as he reissues his book Positively False.

Positively Crap!

Lots more news to come - I am going for a spin down in the dungeon.  Ride safe out there and keep the rubber side down!

Wrestling is For Girls....

This Is How I Feel About More Snow....

I Wish This Were You Old Man Winter!!

The Kits Are Alright

 The 2011 kits are in and it is a mixed bag this year.  We have some decent kits, a few "meh's", and a few "WTF?!".  Here is what I have been able to find so far....

I like the change for this year - this kit won't be hot in the summer sun at all!

Team Leopard - no spots, no fur - not a billboard either.
Now if he could just learn how to fix a chain...

I liked last years HTC kit...this is a bit of a departure.
I guess we will have to see how it looks on the podium.

Not bad.

Seriously?  This is brutal...I did find a pic of the jersey designer
so I think I found the inspiration...

Euskatel graphic artist Herman VonShite

Not so bad....

Meh.

Dude - you git a little poo on your jersey...

zzzzzzzzz....boring

I am surprised the Eagle is not clawing the eyes out of the Schleck's.
Maybe next year just a giant, scary pic of Riis head on the jersey?

Meh.

Meh.

This jersey is brought to you by the letter R...
Better than last year...but last years REALLY sucked.

You may be fast but you are still riding for  Borat...

Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea
Yeah, Pepto Bismol.

Jersey is fine...WORST lid ever...someone put a helmet on
Wiggins please!!

Team Sky kit...okay.
Team Sky support car...RAD!

Personal Air Space

I have to travel quite a bit with my work. Over the past few years I'd like to believe that I have become somewhat of a seasoned traveller.  I am the guy that has his jacket, shoes, and belt off, laptop out and everything ready to go when heading through security.  I am the guy that has my ID and boarding pass ready with my ID picture facing the proper way for the attendant to check me through.  I sit quietly in my seat and keep to myself - I don't infringe on my neighbors space, nor do I hog both armrests.  All in all, I would love to fly with someone just like me.

Unfortunately, I don't get to fly with my clones so I have also become a bit of a grump when it comes to air travel.  I am not the chatty sales guy that sits next to you on your flight.  I am that guy that has on headphones the second my butt is planted in my seat - there is a 50 / 50 chance they are actually plugged in to anything.  I am that guy that will pretend to sleep rather than talk to Aunt Edna about her 50 kids in Fort Chipywan.  I am that guy that would sooner read the barf bag instructions (and I have)  than talk to Johnny Sales Man looking to match up synergies and swap cards business cards.  Don't get me wrong - I am courteous to all, and will acknowledge most with a smile, some with "the nod" and even the most annoying flyer's with at least some form of a grunt.  But I am not flying to make friends, to listen to a strangers problems, or chat about your family tree.  I have work to do, a movie to watch, or I just want peace and quiet to escape into my own head for an hour or three.

My last flight back from Toronto was a prime example of why other air traveller's really can bother me.  I always sit on the aisle as not to be trapped.  I am usually in my seat before my one or two other seat mates show up.  So I sit, headphones already in, waiting on the passenger lottery.  Do you get the cranky old boot that his heading down the aisle, the mom and hysterical baby, the insanely hot stuck-up chick, the quiet looking suit, or the dishevelled schlump who looks like he just came off a 2 week tequila bender?  Given my druthers, I will take the insanely hot stuck-up chick or the suit any day.  The insanely hot stuck-up chick will never talk to you and the suit is too preoccupied with his Blackberry to notice anyone.  My last trip I lost the lottery...

I sit in my seat, the potential seat mates come down the aisle and I spot him - two week bender schlump.  I pray to the travel gods that he passes by until I hear, "That's my seat".  My heart drops but not before I get drilled in the side of the head with his carry on as he swings it up and proceeds to ram it into the overhead bin.  As the stars begin to fade from my vision, I watch as the guy looks like Mike Tyson pummeling his bag into the overhead bin.  I am not sure of what else was in the overhead but I can tell you it was crushed as Stinky Heavy Weight Champ pounds his bag into submission.  Stinky Bag Crusher reeks of BO and that lovely scent of a 6 day drinking binge forcing its' way out of his every pore.  Stinky McBooze Sweats flings himself into his seat but not before grabbing the seatback in front of him and sending the old lady bouncing like a human paddle ball.  Stinky Idiot Old Lady Launcher then sprawls out in his seat, taking both armrests and digs for his seat belt in my seat.  If he digs any further I would swear I was getting a colonoscopy.  So, Dr Stinky finally settles in and I find myself leaning out into the middle of the aisle looking for fresher air.  Stinky has both armrests, half of my leg space and his elbow is digging into my side.  Now I can handle a lot of things but one thing I hate more than anything else is having someone touching me - unless you are my wife, my kids, or someone that I know and can handle, get out of my personal space.  I am stewing...what to do, what to do?  I finally decide to let Stinky Idiot Space Hog know that unless he paid for half of my seat I suggest he get out of it, but before I get my my cranky on, Stinky starts doing these crazy ninja-esque hand exercises that looks like a cross between warding of evil spirits and blocking punches.  This goes on for about 20 minutes.  The good thing about this - I have completely forgotten about the invasion of my seat - the bad is now I believe that Stinky Idiot is more like Crazy Unstable Stinky Idiot.  So here I sit, half in the aisle, half in my seat trying to breathe as little as possible while hoping that Unstable Stinky decides that today is not a good day to storm the cockpit.  It is amazing how one can go to the "happy place" when confronted with extreme annoyance.  I am firmly planted in the happy place and make no plans of leaving it anytime soon on the flight.  Thankfully, we arrive at Calgary with no incident - I practically climb over people to get the hell off the airplane.

I guess this flight could have been worse, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?  Well, maybe just more cranky...Happy travels out there folks, here is hoping you win the seat lottery and get put next to the insanely hot stuck-up chick, the suit, or if you are really lucky...grumpy ol' me.

Tob

My New Bike For 2011?

Sure beats my current seat bag!

2011 New Years Revolution

New Years resolutions - we all make them. Those wonderful maxims we exclaim will govern our lives as soon as the shiny ball finally drops.    At 12:01 on January 1st, millions of us turn to friends and loved ones and declare, "This year, I am gonna....".  Many of these moments are fueled by copious amounts of liquor or inspired by bravado when trying to impress the neighbors at the local block party.  I managed to keep my resolutions from being swayed by Cabernet or the triathlon junkies on my block.  I will not be jumping Snake Canyon on my mountain bike, nor will I be swimming the English channel followed by a 200 mile run.  I have given my resolutions a lot of thought and I wanted to focus on improving my zest for life.  I want to hone in on my passions and really dive into them with reckless abandon.  For years I have scraped the surface of a lot of things but I never really dove deep and immersed myself.  This year will be different and here is how I am gonna do it...

1 - Ride My Bikes

My Riding Till Spring

I LOVE riding bikes - mountain and road.  This year I want to ride at least 3000km's.  I want to ride with my family, I want to ride with my friends.  I want to ride my bike to work more and park the car.  I want to ride in a road "shop ride".  I want to ride in different places, and I want to ride fast.  I want to ride when it rains, when it snows, and when it is blistering hot.  I want to ride in the spring when the air is cool and brisk, and I want to ride in the fall when the leaves are falling off the trees.  I want to ride the rubber off my tires and the fat off my ass.

2 - Have a Glass Of Wine
I am a big wine guy.  This year I want to focus on building my cellar (bottles not actual bricks and mortar). I want to go to more tastings, try new regions and varieties.  I want to enjoy my wine and expand my knowledge from grape to glass.  I want to enjoy a glass more often but drink quality over quantity.  I want to have a glass of wine with friends and family more often.

Maybe a glass while I read?

3 - Get Creative
This one I am going to enjoy as it is very simple and rewarding.  Read more books - the classics, fiction, non fiction, books outside of my normal scope of reading, reread my fav's...just read more often.   Listen to more music - live music especially!  Take more pictures - photo's of people, places, objects...whatever catches my eye - just get shooting!  Enjoy more art - galleries, exhibitions, and museums - just get out and see what others have created with their passions.  WATCH LESS TV!

4 - Inspire My Children

I consider myself to be a good Dad and I love being a Dad.  I want to be the greatest Dad ever.  I want to really open my kids eyes up to the world around us - to marvel and enjoy in the wonder of the world.  I want them to respect the unknown, but not fear it.  I want to nurture their passions and give them the freedom and support to try new things... and I plan on playing with my kids more too!

That should be enough to get things started!  I am off to ride my bike on the trainer in the basement while reading a book to my kids, listening to my iPod and drinking a German Riesling.  If that doesn't work I may have to resort to jumping Snake Canyon...

Happy New Year All!

Tob