Beyond the Spandex

Tour de Georgia on TV

2006-04-30T21:58:00.000-04:00

Just a note for those of you who wanted to watch the Tour de Georgia on OLN and missed the show, it will be on Monday (May 1) from 3 to 5 p.m. (and that's channel 54 for those Cox Cable subscribers).

I missed part of it, so I'll try to catch it. Happy viewing.

Save the Tour!

2006-04-26T08:52:00.000-04:00

Although we wish we were powerful enough to singlehandedly decide the fate of the Tour de Georgia, those crazy execs at Ford Motor Company think they're in charge!

I hear through the cycling grapevine, that Ford Motor Co will make a decision within 30 days of the finish of the FTdGA if they will continue the sponsorship for 2007.

Be sure to email FMC before April 23 and thank FMC for the title sponsorship and ask FMC to come back for the 2007 FTdGA.

https://secure.ford.com/en/support/emailUs.htm

-r&k

Best of ...

2006-04-24T15:29:00.000-04:00

Here's our list of the "bests" from this year's Tour de Georgia!

BEST HOST CITY
R & K: Macon (we support the local scene)

BEST SPOT FOR SPECTATING
R&K: Brasstown Bald

BEST FOOD (RESTAURANT)
R&K: The Tavern Restaurant in Alpharetta (yum!)

BEST FOOD (SOLD ON SITE)
R&K: Chattanooga (for the chicken fingers and sausage dog stand)

BEST LIVE HEALTHY EXPO
R&K: Alpharetta

BEST WEATHER
R&K: Macon

BEST LUNCH-HOUR SPECTATORS
R&K: Chattanooga

BEST SCHWAG
Renee: I ate the heck out of some Jelly Belly Sport Beans! (Colavita olive oil samples, and Discovery sport watches were a close second and third)
Karen: Loved the Jelly Belly Sport Beans and the Colavita olive oil samples, (I didn't get the watch), but other favorites include the Shiner commemorative glass and Toyota Pro United cowbell.

BEST UP-AND-COMING TEAM
Renee: Toyota United (although they lost a few points for having pretty ladies WHO AREN'T CYCLISTS hawk their schwag)
Karen: Team Targetraining, I'd never heard of them before, and they had a great showing. I'll remember them now! (Toyota United a close second)

FUNNIEST RIDER
R&K: Dave Zabriskie (for the chamois response)

CUTEST RIDER
R&K: Lucas Euser

CUTEST NON-RIDER:
R&K: Frankie Andreu

RIDER WHO LOOKS MOST LIKE A ROCK STAR
R&K: Floyd Landis (mostly for the glasses)

FRIENDLIEST RIDER
R&K: Todd Wells (who also wins for best mountain biker in attendance)

BEST HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
R&K: Yaroslav Popovych (the man is a machine!)

BEST TEAM DIRECTOR
Renee: Micah Rice
Karen: Johan Bruyneel

MOST FASHIONABLY INCOGNITO
R&K: Dave Zabriskie

BEST TEAM KIT
Renee: Toyota United
Karen: Prodir-Saunier Duval (you can't miss them, that's why I like them)

BEST HAIR
R&K: Viatcheslav Ekimov (for his mullet)

MOST MISSED RIDERS
Renee: 1. Saul Raisin, 2. Jan Ullrich, 3. George Hincapie
Karen: 1. Saul Raisin 2. (tie) Ivan Basso and George Hincapie 3.Chechu Rubiera

TEAM WITH THE BEST FAN SUPPORT
R&K: CSC (judged solely by the number of folks seen wearing team jerseys)

Withdrawal

2006-04-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

It's 11 a.m. on Monday morning. I'm at work. I'm NOT watching a bicycling race. I'm NOT meeting my cycling heroes and snapping photos all across Georgia. I'm bummed.

So in an effort to rekindle the magic of the Tour de Georgia, I'm going to write a "best of" list (and yes, I'll "keep it positive").
Stay tuned.

The voice of the tour

2006-04-23T17:46:00.000-04:00

I have to give props to the guys working the mic at the Ford Tour de Georgia. They do a great job of announcing the race and letting us know what's happening out there on the course. And they do it in a very creative way. I mean, how exciting is it to over and over again say something like "so-and-so is attacking, he's going for it!" It's not really exciting.

But that's not what these gentlemen do, they come up with creative and entertaining phrases and jargon, so that nothing sounds repetitive. It's always fun to listen to them. I remember last year watching the Tour finish in Alpharetta -- hearing that the riders were carrying their "suitcase of courage" with them. I was hoping to hear that one again today. I did!

So here's some of the best from the announcer's booth hear today at the finish line:

"They're killing them, it looks like the Donner Party."
"The throttle is jammed up to the red zone."
"They are dropping bombs at the front of this race."
"This is a throwdown of immense proportions."
"We used to call this Alpharetta, now it's downtown Pain City."
"Never stop dreaming."
"Caution has been thrown to the wind."
"This is straight up danger Will Robinson."
"He brought his suitcase of courage."
"They are sympatico, working together very well."
"They are throwing more coals on the fire."
"He's flogging himself like a rabid mule."
"He's tapping on the cage to see if there's enough fuel to make it to the finish."
"They are dieing a thousand deaths."
"He is cutting through the group like a hot knife through butter."
"When the big boys come to town, you've got to stay out of the way."
"It's like watching a lion take down an antelope -- these guys are going down."

Shot of the Day:

2006-04-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today's shot of the day is a photo of a green ribbon on a Tour de Georgia staff member's shirt. The green ribbon honors Georgia's own Saul Raisin. Raisin rides for Credit Agricole and was injured during a stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe in France in early April. He was still recovering in a European hospital as of Tuesday (according to his Web site, saulraisin.com).

The riders even put a little green tape on their handle bars in honor of Raisin as well.

Across the finish line

2006-04-23T17:27:00.000-04:00

Some pictures are coming soon. J.J. Haedo of Toyota-United Pro won the stage.

Today's weather was perfect, and thousands came out to watch the end. What a week, it seems like only yesterday I was talking to Maj. John Wagner of the Warner Robins Police Department about the Tour in Macon (he's a cycling fan, too!)

Here's a quick pic of the two riders who broke away and rode solo through most of the finishing circuits, Jeff Louder of Health Net and Will Frischkorn of Team TIAA-CREF. They were awesome and secretly we were hoping they could keep it up and sprint it out between themselves to the finish.

We have more to come (including a couple of shots). Tomorrow we'll have a final, short recap post.

Ready to respond

2006-04-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

We got a chance today to catch up with Scott Hodge, who's leading the team of Mavic neutral support:

These guys follow the tour every day in cars and on motorcycles carrying spare wheels, parts, even whole bikes! If a rider has a mechanical issue, Mavic is the first response team to get his bike fixed and get him back on the bike as quick as possible to ride back up to the peloton. Hodge said the turn-around time is 15-20 seconds! Wow!

Hodge has been wrenching for 17 years, and four or five years ago he got a call from a guy with the Tour de Georgia looking for a last-minute mechanic to ride with Mavic a few days before the start in Savannah. Hodge has been wrenching for the tour ever since.

"It's really fun," he said.

He was really proud of the fact that his team could make fast wheel changes, even at really bad times. He said that if Mavic isn't fast, a rider could lose his position in the race.

For example, in Saturday's stage, Hodge said the peloton was going 40 mph — that's FAST — in the countryside. A rider had an unfortunate flat, but because the Mavic team was right there, the rider lost no time at all.

Some riders, however, don't take advantage of the Mavic support — but for good reason. Some of the teams are sponsored by companies that compete with Mavic, which makes wheels and rims. The team sponsors don't want to see their riders cross the finish line riding on another company's wheels. So, when these riders get a flat or mechanical issue, they wait for their team cars to come up and help them out. This could be bad though, as Hodge told us that happened to a rider yesterday, and he never got back up with the peloton.

Beginning of the end

2006-04-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

We decided to get up this morning and make the drive to Cumming to watch the start. Logistically it worked out well, as Cumming is on the way to Alpharetta.
I am sure glad we made the stop! We got to see several riders getting ready for today's stage, as well as watch them sign in.

Here's HealthNet's Nathan O'Neill inking his name on the sign-in sheet:

We grabbed a spot just in front of the start line, and as we're standing there waiting for the stage start, up rides Greg LeMond! I ran over and got a quick photo with him. He was geared up for the stage start, as he's leading the Briar Rose Grand Peloton charity ride from Cumming to Alpharetta today.

Now it's off to Alpharetta!!

Shot of the Day:

2006-04-22T17:08:00.000-04:00

Today's shot of the day is a pair of young cycling fans, who are clearly playing favorites!

Meeting a cycling legend

2006-04-22T16:57:00.000-04:00

I was with team BTS's Debbie when we overheard someone say, "Greg Lemond is here." We had to go meet him.

It turns out that he was there signing posters for people at the hospitality area. He was very friendly to all, and the line seemed to keep on growing.

When I finally reached him, I shook his hand and introduced myself. While he was signing, a man behind us in line was kind enough to take this photo.

Till the next time, I'm tired!

View from the Bald

2006-04-22T16:50:00.000-04:00

It was misty and rainy in the morning, but the weather eventually cleared. This is the first time I've actually been able to see a view from the top of this mountain!

After waiting in the rain for a few hours Â— hey, it's not as bad as the snow last year Â— we got an upfront glimpse at all the action as the riders came creeping by us up this extremely steep stretch of mountain.

We killed time after the rain dried up by chalking up the road with some odes to our favorite riders. I hope it helped them on their way.

By the time the riders came by the crowds had grown thick, but not as thick as last year! Here's two pics of the first riders to pass us:

Janez Brajkovic of Discovery wearing the Best Young Rider jersey ...

... and Floyd of course

We got the chance to push a few up the mountain. It amazed me how many of them came by asking for a push. While it was fun running with these guys up the mountain, I was really impressed with the ones that didn't want a push, who waved your hand away. They wanted to go it alone, and make it up all on their own.

I wonder what I'd do if I was in the Tour de Georgia? Would I be (wo)man enough to go it alone, or would I delight in strangers helping me out. Well, since I felt a little winded after running with a few of the guys, I think I'd opt for a push.

Tomorrow's the finish in Alpharetta. I can't believe it's almost over!

Who's in the house?

2006-04-22T14:24:00.000-04:00

Things are clearing up here, it's no longer raining.

I heard that three-time Tour de France winner Greg Lemond is here. I'll try to track him down.

The peloton is headed to Unicoi Gap. Stay tuned, more to come later.

Bringing you the sights of the Tour de Ga.

2006-04-22T12:40:00.000-04:00

Today Renee and I met Doug Evans, one of the people who bring the images of the Tour de Georgia to all. Doug and RF manager for Total RF, explained to us what he does.

First, the motor bikes, which Total RF owns along with the recording equipment, gets the images and sends them up to an airplane that is following the tour. The plane (which has been rerouted this year at times because of the weather) sends the images to a van at the finish where Doug and his crew transmit to the big screen people watch. Also, the race radio, which transmits the lion's share of the race info, is also transmitted to the airplane along with radio channels for the team cars and a general radio information channel.

Doug told us he just worked the Boston Marathon and has worked in past Tour de Georgias and the Tour of California. After this tour, he'll be working on baseball games. In the fall, it's the New York Marathon.

"I'm on the road 200 days a year," he said.

What a job! Want to trade?

Rain, rain

2006-04-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

Can you say soaked to the bone? It's raining out here (which is why we don't have any photos yet, we're trying to keep the cameras dry!) The rain is letting up a little and it's suppose to dry out. Cross your fingers it does soon.

If you're headed out here, bring an umbrella and a rain jacket. If you're not you're missing out, but will be dry.

Somebody suggested a poll for favorite piece of clothing you have seen on this blog. Here are the choices:
Nathan O'Neill's dog Riley's Healthnet jersey
"Show me your Bobkes" T-shirts
"Goodie Gumdrops" T-shirt
MAXcycling team jersey

Just hit the comments button.

Not much more to report other than people are slowly coming here.

Brasstown, Baby!

2006-04-22T10:57:00.000-04:00

We've arrived at the top of Brasstown Bald. It's a misty 50ish degrees outside, but we swear it's warmer at the top of this mountain than at the bottom! Plus, walking up makes you REALLY warm.

The crowds are significantly smaller than last year at this time, so if you;'re sitting at home on your butts wondering if you should come up here today, grab a rain coat (just in case) and come join the fun!
We're the one's wearing the "Beyond the Spandex" T-shirts, so come by and say hi! (we may even make you an Internet star!

Tom Danielson doesn't get it

2006-04-21T19:38:00.001-04:00

Today I decided to give Tom Danielson (the aforementioned Discovery Team "it" boy) one more chance. I thought, maybe my unfavorable opinion of him after his inability to rename the chamois yesterday was just him having a bad day.

I found young Tom after today's stage and approached him again. After talking to him today, my opinion of him is even stronger than it was yesterday.

TOM DANIELSON IS A PUNK. (and not the good kind)

The conversation went like this:
RENEE: Hey Tom, I decided to give you another chance with one of our questions.
TOM: Not the chamois question again, please.
RENEE: Nope, how about this one, if your team was racing against a team made up of y'alls moms, would you attack your moms on the climbs?
TOM: What kind of a question is that? You want to ask a question about my mom?
RENEE: Yeah this is supposed to be fun.
TOM: How about another question.
RENEE: OK, is your bike a boy or a girl, and what's its name?
TOM: Are you kidding? I don't name my bike. I'm a professional. What do you do?
RENEE: I'm a writer.
TOM: Do you name your pen? Your computer?
RENEE: No, but I'm also a cyclist and my bikes have names. This is supposed to be fun Tom, where's your sense of humor?
TOM: I'll answer the question about my mom, cause she's standing over there. I wouldn't attack her on the climb, cause I doubt she would even be up there climbing with me. The moms couldn't keep up.

I later talked with Tom's mom, who laughed about the "not keeping up" part. She seemed like a nice lady and a good sport. Apparently Tom didn't inherit his sour attitude or his lack of humor from her.

Team BTS theorized that Tom's lack of humor was because he'd been groomed to answer all the safe questions, but couldn't react when we asked him something off the wall. I guess it's because he's young and inexperienced, or he could just be a little punk. His teammates haven't had any trouble finding a sense of humor (see previous post), so I don't know what his deal was.

Again, just so we're all clear on this, after two opportunities to be a funny, nice guy, Tom was a disappointment. People like him make me not like hot-headed, self-important athletes. All of the other professional cyclists (including superstar Floyd Landis) were nice guys.

Tom, what's the deal man??

Photo of the Day

2006-04-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

Today's photo of the day is Riley, who is clearly demonstrating his preference in teams. Riley was being escorted around by his "mom" Karen. The pair were in Dahlonega to cheer on Riley's "dad" HealthNet rider Nathan O'Neill.

Nice kit, Riley!

Your Mama!

2006-04-21T18:04:00.000-04:00

Most people associate Dahlonega with a gold rush. Me? Just a rush.

Today, team BTS wore our "Show me you Bobke" shirts in honor of one of our favorite cycling commentators and former pro Bob Roll. We saw the man himself, and he was so nice and cool. It looked like he was truly flattered by the shirts. We were glad he liked them, and Bob we can catch a drink next time!

Team BTS today went out and got you some answers for the question of the day. It is: If your mom was on an opposing bike team and you were racing against her, would you attack her on the climb?

Todd Wells of Targetraining:
"Not at all! They're your mammas!

King of the Mountain jersey leader Lucas Euser of TIAA Cref said:
"Hell ya we will! When you're on the bike, it's all business."

Wearer of the Most Aggressive rider, Jason McCartney of Discovery Channel (smiling after undergoing much of the race in a breakaway): "No I wouldn't attack my mom."

Wearer of the Overall jersey Floyd Landis:
"No. Nobody would (attack their mother.)"

And after explaining what we were about, Discovery's director sportif and renowned tactician Johan Bruyneel said that yes he would.

That's all for now, another post (and you don't want to miss this one!) is on the way.

Micah's mom beware

2006-04-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

At the end of the stage yesterday, I caught up with Jittery Joes team director Micah Rice for a few minutes of Q&A for the blog. Aside from his aforementioned chamois comment, here's another tidbit:

RENEE: So Micah, if your team was racing against a team composed of your team member's mothers, would you encourage your team to attack their moms on the climbs?
MICAH: "Absolutely. In a heart beat. Run them off the road. Whatever it takes."

All I have to say is, if you're a Bean Team mom, beware in the mountains of North Georgia!!

Here's a little bit about Micah, straight from the Jittery Joes team Web site, www.thebeanteam.com.

"Micah Rice raced two years as a pro on the small Zaxby's team in 2000 and 2001. When he realized that racing bicycles was not his strength in the sport, he decided to put together his own team. The Jittery Joe's Professional Cycling Team was born in 2002 and the team scraped by selling coffee out of the back of the Ford Taurus wagon to make gas money. The budget has gotten a bit bigger and the cars a lot nicer since those days and Micah can look forward to running the team through 2015 with the new 10-year contract from Jittery Joe's."

We're from Georgia. We love coffee. WE LOVE OUR BEAN TEAM!!!

Phil's cool

2006-04-20T21:05:00.000-04:00

So today we were at the hotel looking out the window. We look down from our room to the hotel's entrance. There stands Phil Liggett, in a Toyota United kit, with a Toyota United bike, heading out on a ride.

We killed some time heading out to the local bike shop, River City, and as we were pulling back into the hotel, there was Phil, fresh from his ride. Maybe fresh isn't the right word. How about "wet?" I got out of the car to go say hi, and he was his usual jovial and friendly self. I first met Phil and his partner in crime Bob Roll in Macon last year during the Tour de Georgia. Our bike club hosted a dinner for the women's riders and Phil and Bob showed up to eat with us! They were fun and personable.

So when I saw Phil today I told him I met him last year in Macon and he totally remembered the dinner! I asked him about his ride and he said that up on the mountain it started to hail really hard. He even showed me his arms, which were pock-marked with bruises from the hail. He gave me a wet hug and headed into the hotel to get dry.

He did tell me that he'd be leaving the TdG tomorrow night to head back to Manhattan to get ready for Liege-Baston-Liege. He said Bobke would be heading into Nooga tonight, and would hang with the tour for a few days.

Bob Roll ... if you're reading this ... look for the BOBKE GIRLS tomorrow in Dahlonega! We'll be there with blue T-shirts in honor of you!

Beyond the state line

2006-04-20T16:56:00.000-04:00

The theme for today, "No, we really weren't lost, were we?"

Getting to Chickamauga was a little challenging. First, Beth and I had never been there, second, the signs were confusing (the tour signs). However, we were able find the start thanks to the Discovery Channel. (Thanks guys!)

They probably don't know it though. Basically, we saw a car coming toward us with two bikes on top. It wasn't until we bascially already were turning around to follow that we realized "Hey, that looks like Popovych in the car." Then we saw the car was marked. Then we followed and got into town. Yeah!!!

Interesting happenings at the start: Crowds weren't really big around the team areas, however, there was a nice crowd around the start line.

The sun was shining!

We were there for the start of a couple of the riders. It looked like they were shooting a cannon for every guy. Maybe they stopped after we left.

We were able to avoid heavy traffic on our way into Chattanooga. And lucky us, we didn't get rained on until we were headed to the hotel.

That's all for now.

Shot of the Day:

2006-04-20T16:35:00.000-04:00

Dave Zabriskie posing for Glamour Magazine -- just kidding, but it IS a glam shot!

Stalkerazzi

2006-04-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

So today the ladies of BTS (beyond the spandex) spent a little time doing what we do best -- seeking out our cycling heroes, and getting our photos taken with them. We know that you can go view photos of the race at any other cycling web site (hint ** check out some of our links) so, we dedicated today's photos to non-racing pics. Here's the highlights:

karen and Tony Cruz of Toyota United:

Floyd Landis is a SUPERSTAR!!!

Tom Danielson of Discovery and karen:

beth, renee and Dave Zabriskie of CSC:

beth, renee and a VERY TIRED Yaroslav Popovych of Discovery being dressed by a team guy:

Remember that question Renee asked Freddie Rodriguez? (see post below) Here's Renee and the gang asking it:

One Question

2006-04-20T14:52:00.000-04:00

So we decided that we'd pick a question of the day, and try to ask as many riders as we could. Today was the TT in Nooga, so riders trickled in at the finish, and we caught up qith a few.

Question of the Day: If you could give the chamois one other name, what would it be?

Micah Rice, team director for Jittery Joes: After much comtemplation, Micah said: "I'd call it a taint snuggler."

Dave Zabriskie, rider for CSC and 3rd place finisher of the day: After chuckling a few times he said: "The cause of all ring sting." I had him repeat that to make sure I got it right.

Freddie Rodriguez, rider for Davitamon Lotto and current leader for the Maxxis Sprint Points Jersey: He thought for a moment, then said "protection pants."

Tom Danielson, Discovery Team's new "it" boy and second place winner today -- well, we waited and waited, he ummmed and ummmed, said "I don't know man." ummmed some more, then refered the question to his "public relations manager" PJ. PJ didn't have an answer either. Come on guys!!!

More good questions and answers tomorrow!
Photos of us stalking our favorite riders to come later today!
Also ... what did Micah Rice say about his team's mommas???

Conquering Rome

2006-04-19T22:13:00.000-04:00

Ah, the post I've been waiting to write all day. Sorry it has taken a little, it's been a long day and I had to go get something to eat (which I have a great story to tell.)

First, I want to tell you guys about some really nice people we met from Anniston, Ala., Curtis Cupp and Greg Ginn. Both are cyclists, and Curtis rides for the Mellow Mushroom team in his town. They were kind enought to let Beth and me, who are short, stand next to the fence by the course. It was quite a view of the finish and the circuit.

While we were waiting for the cyclists to enter Rome, Curtus and Greg told me about the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston on the weekend after Twilight (May 6). There's going to be a music festival, restaurant tour and more. Find out more about it at www.sunnykingcriterium.com

Also, check out the Mellow Mushroom team at www.mellowracing.com

Another cool thing happened while we were waiting, I saw a soigneur for Prodir-Saunier Duval (or vice-versa in Europe) who had a flag from Spain. Being also from Spain, I had to say hi. He's a really nice guy with that friendly demeanor from Spain. Here I am with him and his son. Check out the Spanish team (it's multiple Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni's team by the way.)

As you all probably have heard by now, THE Lance was here today in the team car. This is my best attempt at getting his photo in the team car. Mind you they were speeding around the corner, but I promise he's there. Hi Lance!

Here are a few highlights of the race:

Now, moving beyond the spandex, we have Team Jelly Belly. On the right we have Brian Jensen and on the left is Nick Reistad. We just wanted to let these two know about the photo Renee had posted (it's quite funny). They referred us to Stephanie Scott, who among many things does marketing and sponsorship with the team. Stephanie was kind enough to let us see the team bus. Check out the jelly bean decor!

As many of you know Yaroslav Popovych of the Discovery Channel won, here he is at an interview:

OK, enough of that. Let me share something really quick. Tonight, Beth and I went to Chili's for dinner. Well, we sat down and started to talk about the day, the tour, who we want to meet, the weather, strategy, etc. We are just giggling and having a great time. Well, I keep thinking the people (three men) at the table behing us look familiar, but I can't place it (I'm not going to stare at someone.) Well two of them leave and I see they are from Team CSC. The third one leaves like a minute after, and I finally see the guy's face and I swear it was Dave Zabriskie. All I can think was "I hope I didn't say anything crazy." Well, and "If only I had a camera." And Dave, — incase you were listening and are reading this blog (he could be) — I'm not crazy and I would have waited until you finished eating, man. Rock on in the time trial...

And finally ... I don't know what prompted this, and if anyone knows, let me know. I'll try to find out.

Yes, those are stuffed animal squirrels on the hood of the van.

I'm tired. Tomorrow is the time trial. Check us out. Good night.

We've been beyond

2006-04-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen,

This is just a preview to what's ahead:

Meeting some great people.

¡Viva España!

It's Lance ... in the car!

Bean team takes their spot.

Team Jelly Belly rocks the house.

Popo powers to the finish.

And more! Excuse me while I get some nourishment, I'm hungry!

Getting closer

2006-04-19T17:11:00.000-04:00

They still have about 45 miles left. We're going to be here a while.

We're going to look around and find a spot for the finish. We've been hanging out here at the Harvest Moon Cafe (which is wonderful) and it has filled up here on the patio. There's even a man here enviously eyeing the spot we have because of the great wireless connection I have. His spot is hit and miss. And he is about to sit here -- and well deserved, I've been taking up this place most of the afternoon.

This place is filling up and we are heading out. Till the next post.

Chilin' in Rome

2006-04-19T15:36:00.000-04:00

We (Beth, another cycling friend, and I) are finally here after a somewhat harrowing ride. Just north of Atlanta, we got hit by thunderstorms and hail. For a while we were thinking it was going to be a wet stage 2, but here we are in Rome, no rain, but overcast. The sun is trying to shine through and it's getting a little warmer, though it's a little chilly (not much.)

We are hanging out at the Harvest Moon Cafe, which has an upstairs patio that overlooks the finish area as well as the podium area and the Live Healthy Expo (or rolling festival if you will). This is what we are seeing:

It looks like spectators are starting to arrive.

I was just checking on VeloNews (which has a race tracker) how the race is going. It looks like there is a 10 minute gap between the main group and a breakaway. Also, at the bottom of the page it looks like there are photos from the stage so far and it looks like a certain recent retiree of the cycling persuasion is in the Peach state. Not naming names ...

Let me see what we can do today, how we can go "beyond the spandex."

Shot of the Day

2006-04-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

Here's my favorite shot of the day from the Macon stage.

Jelly Belly rider Nick Reistad hams it up for the camera:

Women's Banquet

2006-04-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

A few day-after thoughts on the women's banquet last night at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame ...

I was truly appreciative of the free food (cause I was STARVING after the race and watching the men). It was a nice Mexican buffet. We heard some great speakers talk about how the Komen crit, and each one of us through our participation, was helping in the search for a cure. One team even raised $1,300 for Komen! Wow! It was a great chance to hear some music and talk to my fellow racers and all the volunteers who helped out.

A word about the volunteers ... those of you who know me know that I holler on a regular basis for volunteers for our local mountain bike races. Well, let me just say thanks to the myriads of you that stepped up to help out yesterday. I saw more orange shirts than I could count! The course was well monitored by the volunteers and the crowd (and any stray dogs) were kept out of the racers' way. Most of these folks stood out in the sun (and it was hot!!) for several hours yesterday. They truly made the race a success ...

And because they sat out in the sun all day, we raced and stood in the sun all day, and the women's banquet was for racers and volunteers ... why was it outside in the sun??? When I arrived at the Sports Hall of Fame, I wanted nothing more than to sit down inside the crisp air-conditioned building. Imagine my disappointment when 1: the only seating was outside in the sun, and 2: there weren't enough tables and chair for everyone, so quite a few of us ended up eating on the ground.

Next year, maybe we could move it inside, and bring in a few more chairs? please? I know the volunteers and racers would be grateful.

A night (re)cap

2006-04-18T20:19:00.000-04:00

What a day. The women's race (held by the folks at Komen) was great. Props to the ladies.

I only had enough time for a quick glance around the festival area. Here is a highlight. These guys were doing amazing tricks on their bikes.

For those of you not able to come out today, here is a quick look at the men's race. I was at a corner and the men were moving.

Here are some people who came out and took their spots at the corner.

The cyclists take their first lap.

And the fast team cars (would have LOVED to be in one!).

The guys taking those corners at amazing speeds. Smell the burn.

More shots of the guys taking the corner.

And here I am trying to get the word out. I could only get a signal on that side of the street!

Hope you guys enjoyed these. Tomorrow, we conquer Rome.

Pit Row

2006-04-18T19:03:00.000-04:00

So after the race finished we got to stroll thought pit row, aka, where all the team cars are. Got to see some really sexy mechanics washing bikes shirtless (that one's for the ladies). Got to see some sweet bikes. Waited around to talk to some racers, but I think they were most all already in their hotel rooms for the night, well, either that or eating dinner, or getting a massage. Yeah, hard life, huh?

Here's a few interesting sights for pit row:

An unusual sign in one of the team buses. Hmmm....

Me and two Navigators:

Discovery Team's Tom Danielson's bike even has his name on it.

Komen Crit

2006-04-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

Let me just say that was one of the most difficult races I've ever done. I come from a mountain biking background, so I was only moderately prepared for what I got myself into. Those road girls are FAST!

So right from the start of the race the pack accelerated to a nice and fun 20 mph tempo!! The course had a small climb in it, but by the fifth or sixth lap, that climb was make it or break it territory for this racer girl. Well, it broke me just a little bit. I fell off the back of the pack. Soon another racer (of the Sorella Cycling variety) caught up to me and we worked together pacing eachother down the course. A crit is what teamwork is all about. Going it alone it infinitely much more difficult than working together with another cyclist. Even if they fly team colors other than your own, when you're out there together, working hard to keep eachother motivated and pushing eachother to go faster, you ARE teammates.

The main pack caught up with us and we hung on with the group till the end. On the last lap, on THAT HILL, the pace accelerated as girls got in line to begin the sprint to the finish. It was all downhill from there. So I pedaled my mountain-biker's heart out, and managed to finish at the back of the pack. I was 22 of 30, and my real teammate Graham was 17 of 30. Not too shabby indeed!

I have a total respect for the pro ladies that do this. It was unbelievably difficult. Here's a photo or two of me racing!

All the Cat3/4 ladies on the start.

Here I am racing with my Sorella "teammate"

I'm in the middle of the pack behind Graham.

Taking a corner.

The walk after

2006-04-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

We checked out the area where team mechanics are busily washing bikes and getting ready for tomorrow. I asked a mechanic from Team CSC how long it takes to get the whole job done. He said two hours.

All the teams are settling in to their hotel and I'm waiting on the news conference.

More to come later.

Hauling it through M-town

2006-04-18T16:40:00.000-04:00

Can you say fast? I was just at the corner in front of the Crowne Plaza and not only could you smell the cyclists' brakes burning, the team cars were pretty awful too. It was like watching stunt driving and it was great!

I'm waiting to see who was first, and it looks like Lars Michaelsen of CSC won.

Went to the expo, it was great. There was a lot for all, and I'll tell you more later. Going out to get you more of the story!

One race down

2006-04-18T14:22:00.000-04:00

Right now the pro women are racing. Renee just finished her race. She'll tell you guys more about it later. I thought she did great, these events are HARD!

We've got a pretty good little crowd out here today, and as the men get closer to Macon, the crowd grows. Which I just checked and it seems like there is a 4-man break about 4 minutes ahead of the peloton. Also, I heard that when they get about 90 minutes out, they are supposed to show it on the Jumbotron (if that's how you spell it).

That's all for now, more to come later

The excitement builds

2006-04-18T11:45:00.001-04:00

Downtown Macon is where the actions is at! People are coming down here to volunteer, work and to just hang out and enjoy the beautiful day. Right now, I am at my course marshalling station waiting for the women's race to start. My blogging counter part, Renee, is getting ready to race in the women's crit - come down and cheer her on! If you are heading down here, remember, Cherry Street is basically closed and shortly, more downtown streets will be too. Check out macon.com for more street closing info.

Third Street has the "Rolling Festival" with plenty to do (I'm going after I'm finished here). Stay tuned, I'll be posting throughout the day.

Shameless self-promotion

2006-04-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

There's nothing wrong with a little shameless self-promotion, right?

Last year, amid the drizzle and 30 degree temps atop Brasstown Bald, a group of four ladies proudly displayed T-shirts that read "show me your Bobkes." Now, let me just set the record straight. We weren't being profane — as a mention in Sports Illustrated hinted at. The shirts were our ode to Bob Roll, who we'd met a few days earlier when the Tour passed through Macon. Bobke is his nickname.

So this year, we — of course — had to make more shirts. Don't worry, the "Bobke girls" will be making a repeat appearance this year. But we also thought we'd take the opportunity to promote this blog, a little free advertising if you will. So we gathered last night at Beth's place and created some "Beyond the Spandex" shirts.

My boyfriend — who gets to hang out with a bunch of women all week (poor him) — even got one, too. But his says something like, "chicks dig the spandex."

Here's Karen and Debbie creating the shirts.

Look for us at the Tour. Say hello. Read the blog. And if you have a funny question for your favorite rider, let us know what it is and we'll try to ask them. As experienced cyclist stalkers, um, I mean, fans, we have a bit of an inside edge.

Almost here

2006-04-14T12:35:00.000-04:00

WOO HOO! In three days Georgia will become cycling central and we'll be here to give you a look beyond the spandex.

Just what is beyond the spandex?

It has nothing to do with skin, but it has everything to do with the atmosphere that surrounds this world-class event — the people cheering for their favorite cyclist, the people who dress up (last year we saw a guy as Elvis and another with a plastic piece of cheese on this head), the festival events and anything else that isn't your traditional race coverage (although as you see on the bottom of the page there will be a little of that).

We are cycling enthusiasts who enjoy the sport and the people. We've been to at least one stage of the Tour since it started and each year gets better. Last year we froze on top of Brasstown (snow in the spring!!??) and wore socks on our hands to keep warm. It sounds a little drab, but it was actually lots of fun.

One of our goals last year was to get one of the toughest autographs to obtain — Lance Armstrong's (which eluded us the year before). We did after patiently waiting outside his bus in a nonstalker-kind-of-way. Really, there were other people there, too.

Just think of what we'll do this year.

I could go on but I won't. It's about '06!

We are committed to bringing you the OUR in Tour (that's all of you, the both of us and thousands of others).

So strap on your helmet, we are going for a ride baby!