Thor Finally Pops It

Thor did it! He won a stage/race wearing his stripes. I can finally sleep soundly tonight.

I like this preview for the TDF because it makes me feel like I'm flying.

Six Years Is Rubber

I have been married six years this weekend and everybody knows the traditional gift for six years is rubber. Before you start thinking my hubby is like Homer (buying Marge a bowling ball with HIS name on it) stop right there. He got me new tires and I didn't even have to drop hints or anything. I bet he got tired of hearing about my flatting stories. I walked 2.5 miles on Thursday because I left my tube on the coffee table and my patch kit is 10 years old, plus my tube of glue was just air. That really happened. So needless to say he got me the perfect gift. I run over so much debris it's ridiculous. I don't aim for it, it just sort of happens upon my wheel. So I was very happy when they came through the door in my hubby's hands.

I rode these fine pieces of German engineering this morning and instantly fell in love with them. Rolled great, grippy, and they put a smile on my face. One con- heaven forbid I have to fix a flat by myself because they are a bitch to get back on. I shouldn't have to worry about that though, not with these babies.

Now here are some things I like this week.

This looks like something I would draw when I was a kid. I guess that's why I like it.

I don't know about these Embrocation shoe covers. My first reaction is 'ah nasty! those look like neon yellow Fred jackets.' But the more I look at them the more I want a pair. Maybe for fall when the dark and dingy days come back.

New Merchandise!

Yes folks, it's June, I know your calendars have 9 days worth of x's on them because le Tour is coming in less than a month. It's time to bone up on your merci's and crepe making skills. Fortunately I have some t-shirts that will get you in the spirit, you might need some help if AC decides to grace it with his presence. Look how good I was, not an expletive in sight. Here ya go, whether you think your bike is sexy or you delight in the joy of suffering, take a peek. More to come. Find em here

What Makes My Pedals Go Round

Don't worry I've calmed down since my last post. I took a week off riding and now I am more than ready to get back in the saddle. While I was taking my mini cycling sabbatical I realized how much I love my two-wheeled partner in crime and everything that comes along with pedaling. I had some random photos found around the Internet sitting on my desktop and decided to share them. So here you go, this is what makes my pedals go round:

Thank You Signor Zomegnan

I know where you can shove your little Pistolero A.C.

Thank you Signor Zomegnan for bringing the world such a fucked up Giro. I understand you want to make it exciting and that you had to please all the bureaucrats in Italy because of the 150 year anniversary, but good lord, pull your head out of your ass. There is a reason why most of the big names didn't show up to your dog and pony show. With a tour like yours they're lucky if they can even be on form to make it to the Vuelta. And by the way, last years Vuelta blew the Giro away. Why do you ask?- It was challenging but not freak show challenging. Yes it was hot in the begining, but it was not the frickin Bataan Death March. It had a good list of riders, it had sprint stages, what a concept, and the race for first place was kept close enough to be interesting. It's not the 1920's for crap's sake. So, because of these factors it was a great 3 weeks of racing which welcomed the viewers in and kept them interested. But you know what made it such a great race? NO CUNTADOR! Yes I'm going to spell it like that for the rest of my life. Or until the bastard retires, what am I saying, I'll always call him that.

Why did Cuntador have such a big lead? No one was there to challenge him. Nibali wasn't on form and Scarponi would have to have the tour of his life to even have a chance against him. I also mentioned in past posts that it's a pussy move to give a win to someone. It's like Cuntador is the Lord of Cycling, he blesses lesser riders with stage wins. Okay, I've calmed down. If Christian Prudhomme had any sense he would find a way to prohibit Cuntador from racing in the Tour. Save your ass now Prudhomme. If not maybe he could hire the Cinzano team from Breaking Away to join little Al on a training ride. "Whoops! my frame pump slipped out of my hands, darn gel." I don't want him dead by any means, just something that'll give him a little vacation, at least until September.

Maybe I'm just turning French in my old age. I enjoy seeing people suffer. I like seeing the under-dog come up for a win once in awhile. Why do you think the French public welcomed Lance back in 2009? He sucked, that's why, he was human. We all suffer. Unfortunately Cuntador has now put himself in Lances pre-comeback shoes. He can keep telling himself that people love him and support him but that's what crazy people tell themselves before they start hanging 9x12 foot tall self portraits of themselves over their bed. Domination does nothing for the human spirit, if anything it brings it down. I believe the best stage of the Giro was when Kiryienka won for Movistar in stage 20. It was the one stage I actually watched without fast forwarding. I finally got some feeling back in my heart when I watched him cross the finish line and point skyward in honor of Javier Tondo. Thank you for lasting this long. I promise to calm down by the next post.

Saturday Show and Tell

Before I get to Saturday show and tell I need to share the absolute pleasure I got checking my email yesterday: I let out a squeal/dance (which looked and sounded like Snoopy) and with spastic little fingers I clicked the link and enjoyed an 18 minute cycling vacation. I'm a cycling romantic because I can't race, I could maybe, I just enjoy doing my own thing at my own speed. I don't think you can pull over and take pictures of cows or pick up random crap from the road during a crit. Those who can't watch.

Lunch

Constipated Cat

Found this little guy in the road while riding,

unfortunately for me we found his owners.

I fell in love with him in 1 minute.

Family on Wheels

It was a shocker yesterday hearing about Javier Tondo. I was saddened when I saw photos that reminded me just who he was. It was Paris-Nice last year, stage 6. Watching it on TV I remember not wanting him to win for some reason, probably one of my picks was closing in on him or something that usually leads me to yell at the TV. When he got closer to the finish line and I knew he was going to win, and he knew he was going to win, well, that's when I started rooting for him. His win was so genuine and pure, I loved it. It reminded me of H. Haussler's TdF stage win. When I saw him on the podium, he was a bit goofy looking, but something about him made you like him. Thoughts and prayers go out.

The cycling community has lost 2 amazing guys this month. I can't imagine how the pro peloton is taking loosing another rider. They're like a family on wheels, but on a larger scale, we're all like a family. As cyclists we share a passion, we're not all on the same ability level, but we all love getting our ass in the saddle, whether it's with our friends or an early morning solo. It's not like we love putting on Lycra (maybe some do), wasting cash on carbon, and for the men, shaving legs. We take part in these crack pot behaviors because it's part of the cycling lifestyle, but to be honest, riding a bike is fun, plain and simple. Unfortunately when we loose a professional or local club rider, it hurts. It hurts because we're all just that big family on wheels.