Monday Musette - Beloki, Blogs, Kites, and Kits

Following the long weekend, there's a veritable cornucopia of things to enjoy! Let's jump right in:

1. Here's a great piece on the now legendary Armstrong-Across-Field/Beloki-Across-Asphalt moment from the 2003 Tour from the Freeman Transport blog. Selman's last point is spot-on: rest assured that Armstrong already knows the profiles of the key stages as well as he knows the lyrics to the new Heartless Bastards album. (Thanks to JD for pointing this one out to us.)

2. And speaking of Jeremy Dunn, did you catch his piece over at Bicycling's Sitting In? Go have a read; Jeremy's always got something good to say. After a trip to a local cross race yesterday, I'm thinking I might just have to get me a place on that bandwagon before the wheels fall off.

3. If you have nothing to do on December 20 and happen to find yourself in Philadelphia, you might want to consider coming to the 4th Annual Bilenky Cycle Works Urban Junk Yard Cyclocross race. Here are some pics from last year.

4. Some interesting bits from Cyclingnews today. First, Alejandro Valverde has officially announced that he's focusing on the Tour de France in 2010. Seriously? Yes, AJ, you won the Vuelta--finally. But the Tour's another ball of jamon. Don't waste your energy on a race you won't win; instead, set your sights on victory in just about any other race you enter (as long it doesn't have cobbles).

Confirmation also came that this year's Belgian TDF wunderkind, Jurgen Van den Broeck, has re-upped for another 2 years with Silence/Omega Pharma-Lotto. What do you think? Is VDB2 the real deal? Or will Lotto spend the next 2 years wishing they never let Cadel Evans leave?

And then there's the Giro's attempt to bring the start of the 2012 race to Washington D.C.--not sure what I think about that one. Long transfers are one thing, but a 6-hour time difference? That said, Robin Morton's g4 Productions group is leading the charge; if anyone could pull-off such an ambitious venture, it would be Robin. What about you? What obstacles do you see? What kind of effect do you think it would have?

4. Moving to the blogosphere, Red Kite Prayer's in-form right now. Several posts over the past week illustrate the talents of Padraig and his crew. Furthermore, they're adding a kit and a Twitter feed to the mix. One will cost you a little, while the other is free; but both are worth your time.
5. And finally, I can't mention kit without making another plug of my own. The design's complete, pricing is set, and the order form is here. The only thing missing is you!

Have a great week--and keep those comments coming!

Monday Musette - Horn-tooting, Merckx Love, Frame Lust, and Some Media

Some morsels for your Monday:

1. In case you missed it, I took Bill Strickland's Sitting-in Blog for spin on Friday over at Bicycling Magazine. If you like it, leave some feedback--I'd love to get invited back for more!

And while I'm tooting my own horn, hopefully you've been following my "Franco-Belge" story at Embrocation. Part 4 went live last week; the final segment will follow soon. Many of you asked for more tales from my days with Mercury-Viatel; this was a direct result of your requests.

2. And yes, in case you didn't know, I possess a soft spot for Eddy Merckx framesets. I've ridden several of them in the past--all before he sold his majority stake in the company. In an era of "What have you done for me lately?", I think there's something to be said for brand-loyalty--especially when the brand is a legend in its own right.

There are actually several places on the web where you can share your particular brand-love with like-minded souls. Gem runs a site called Bianchista where he expresses his lust for bikes, products, and of course, all things Bianchi.

A bit more of a focused appreciation--this time for DeRosa fans--comes from Germany via Bikeadelic. A stunning homage!

As for more recent brands, IF's been posting a slew of photos from their IF Owner's Club. I've had one of these in the past, and hope to again one day.

And what about Merckx? Do you know of a particular fan site or blog celebrating the Cannibal's bikes and frames? If you do, please share it with the rest of us.

3. Rapha's been adding more and more footage from this summer's Continental Calling over the past several weeks. I'll be sure to let you know when the ride we hosted gets the full treatment, but for now, enjoy this. While I love the fall, it kinda makes me miss summertime.

4. And speaking of gravel roads, Cyclingnews posted an article with one of my heroes, Michele Bartoli, discussing the gravel roads in next year's Giro. It sounds like it will be quite dramatic--perhaps even more so than the pavé included in the 2010 Tour de France.

5. And finally, here's a fabulous photo brought to my attention via Twitter. The caption says it all.

What about you? What's new and exciting in your neck of the woods?

Share your comments below!

Monday Musette

Hope you had an enjoyable weekend! Here's what's on our minds:

1. I'm not sure how we let this one slip through the cracks, but what are your thoughts on Ghent-Wevelgem being moved to the Sunday before the Tour of Flanders? I plan to share my thoughts in a future post, but for now I'm curious what you have to say.

2. The 2010 Giro route was announced by RCS on Friday and it looks to be quite exciting. The Gavia, Zoncolan, Plan de Corones and Mortirolo are just a few of the legendary climbs the race will visit. Interestingly, the Giro's organizers seem to have made a nod to the ASO by including about 15km of strade bianche in Stage 7 to Montalcino. Alessandro Ballan has already listed the day as one of his targets, should BMC be invited.

3. And speaking of BMC, I'm impressed at the approach they appear to be taking to their first season as one of the World's elite teams. While they won't spurn an invitation for the Tour, they don't seem to be banking on it either, instead choosing to make a name for themselves in the Classics, the Tour of California, and the Giro. Ochowicz and Lelangue know how fickle the ASO can be; the risks of selling your sponsors tickets on the "Tour-Or-Bust" bandwagon are much too great. If they are indeed invited to the Tour, look for them to shine. But look for them to have already scored some impressive results by mid-May, making Tour participation the icing on the cake.

4. About a year ago, I purchased a copy of Joe Parkin's A Dog in a Hat, his story of "mud, drugs, blood, betrayal, and beauty" during his days racing in Belgium. Over the weeked, it finally made its way to the top of my stack. Right now I'm about 50 pages in and have had a hard time putting it down. Maybe it's because he writes about things I saw and experienced myself; maybe it's because the stories he shares are so honest and entertaining. Regardless, it's worth grabbing a copy for yourself. (Or at least downloading Chapter 1 and Bob Roll's Foreward.) Joe also runs a terrific blog called 6 Years in a Rain Cape where he answers reader questions. He's also expressed his willingness to do an interview for Pavé--look for that in a future feature. If we're lucky, maybe we'll get a first look at the sequel, Come and Gone.

5. And finally, if you haven't had a chance to take a look, here's our new kit. We're also planning long sleeve items, cycling caps, and winter hats as well (images of those will be published soon along with pricing and ordering information). Thanks to all who have inquired so far; your interest is flattering and appreciated!

Have a great Monday--what's on your mind?

Monday Musings - Giro Wrap-up, Boycotts, and More!

Lots to talk about today. Let's jump right in!

1. Better late than never for Phillipe Gilbert. We tagged him for Stage 4. He waited until Stage 20. It was a well-deserved win for a rider who's been in the thick of it since the season started. While other Classics stars were getting rested or arrested, he decided to contest a Grand Tour. If he rode for me, he wouldn't race until the Belgian Championship, then he'd be off to the Tour for another try at a Grand Tour stage win!

2. You heard it hear first: Thomas Voeckler will win the French Championship and a stage at the Tour.

3. We've already covered Danny Pate's near-miss in Stage 18, but in doing so we failed to mention the gaffe by Saxo Bank riders Bak and McCartney. Not sure what they were thinking (maybe Van Poppel switched teams for the day), but in the final sprint they made absolutely no attempt at teamwork whatsoever. (In case you missed it, you can see the video of the finish here.) Check-out how they began the sprint on opposite sides of the road!?! No lead-out, no attack-counter-attack strategy. Just two riders from the same team efficiently spoiling their numerical advantage. Well done, boys!

4. And speaking about tactical gaffes, let's return to Serge Pauwels, the victim of an error we discussed last week. While all of Belgium is a-twitter (no pun intended) with Kevin Seeldraeyers and his quest for the maglia blanca, Pauwels quietly finished with or near the leaders on the final 3 summit finishes culminating with 8th place on Vesuvius and 21st place on GC. While we're not getting too carried away, it's interesting to note, particularly given Sastre's success during the past week. If the Belgian Championships were next week, he and Gilbert would be my favorites. Maybe he wins a stage in the Tour de Suisse?

5. Let it be known: I'm officially boycotting the media boycott of Lance's media boycott. Actually, I had planned to say something, but I couldn't limit it to 140 characters. Seriously though if you want proof of my earlier claim that any bashing of Lance is like pulling the veil off Santa Claus, then please check here for several cases in point. And if you want more than that, check-out Bicycling's Boulder Report here and here. They've pretty much got the whole darn thing covered. Is that more than 140? Anyone else miss the days when the only number riders had to worry about exceeding was 50?

6. That said, it goes without saying that Lance has to be considered a favorite for this year's Tour. I still think the years he spent drinking beer and training for marathons will hurt him when it counts most, but he certainly has to included in the conversation. In case you're wondering, that conversation has started here and here. Don't know about you, but Contador can't be happy to read that Bruyneel is essentially going to wait and see who the leader will be once the race begins.

7. And speaking of Astana, I wonder if the soigneur/handler's hat in this photo following Stage 17 might provide a clue as to whom might become a major sponsor of the "new" Astana:

8. Not sure if you read Outside Magazine, but it’s worth thumbing-through periodically for the coverage they grant cycling. This month’s issue contains two bits of reading we found interesting. The first is an essay by Jason Gay in which he proposes that the extinction of the curmudgeonly bike mechanic is a bad thing for the industry. I’m glad to see someone’s got my back. As the article says, without grumpy wrench-monkeys, who will protect the world from this?


The second piece is an article from Bucky McMahon detailing his experiences at the 127-mile L’Eroica sportif event. It's a great chronicle of a legendary event.


Unfortunately, you'll need to grab a copy yourself, as the articles aren't available yet online.


9. Moving away from racing, Rapha has recently published an excerpt from the soon-to-be published second volume of their "Great Road Climbs" series. The topic: Mont Ventoux, the focal point of this year's L'Etape du Tour. As always, the feature highlights some fine writing and photography by Graeme Fife. With Mercury-Viatel in the 2001 Dauphiné the riders climbed Ventoux from the backside and descended mid-race into Bedouin. I remember the ascent as being very slow--after all I was in the second car. Sprinters (Jimmy Casper really hangs in my mind) and dropped rouleurs clung to the sides of my car like flies. They would hang-on until a commissaire came back and waved them off, only to grab another pull once the moto rounded the next bend ahead of my lumbering Mondeo. The weather went from sunny and hot at the bottom to cold and windy at the summit. The descent to Bedouin was one of the most terrifying of my life. Ventoux truly is site to behold.

10. The Rouleur website published a feature on Fausto Coppi's 1952 Bianchi. Wow.

11. Taylor Phinney won the U23 Paris-Roubaix yesterday. I'm trolling for videos as we speak, so rest assured that as soon as I find something I'll post it. Needless to say, the kid's a stud. I'm curious as to whom will line-up to secure his services over the next few years. Will he stick with Lance and Trek? Extra kudos too to his DS, none other than Axel Merckx, one of the nicest and most deserving guys in the sport.

Giro Stage 19 - Is Ivan Basso the Classiest Man in Cycling?

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think Ivan Basso is currently the classiest man in professional cycling. Not only did he admit and atone for the sins of his past, but today he demonstrated the humility of a true champion.



Having broken away at the base of Mount Vesuvius with Stefano Garzelli (whom he promptly dropped), Basso was soon joined by Carlos Sastre (who went on to the win the stage). Dropped by Sastre with about 5 km to go, Basso rode at his own pace and then practically put a foot down to wait for his surging teammate Franco Pellizotti. And as the video clearly illustrates, this was no token; he waited, even turning his head at one point to look back down the road for his teammate.

For a domestique, it would have been nothing more than a textbook piece of teamwork. But for a rider who came into the Giro with something to prove as well as GC aspirations of his own, it was truly a sight to behold. For me, the event proves that Basso has indeed put his past behind him and in doing so has demonstrated not only the ability to ride with the sport's greatest riders, but also the class of a true champion. In a day and age where we seem to be more concerned with what certain riders are saying (or not saying), Basso's actions speak the loudest of all.

Giro Stage 18 - Another Garmin Near-miss

Poor Danny Pate. In case you missed today's final kilometer, the American with the penchant for near-misses narrowly missed another big win. At first, I thought he went too soon, but on a second look at the film, notice how he keeps looking down at his cassette. The sprint was on a bricked/stoned boulevard that might have led to some chain slippage. Was he not in the proper gear? His cadence seems a bit high, and Scarponi rides away from him seemingly at ease. I find it hard to believe he mis-timed it or was surprised by the grade--especially since they rode through the line on the lap before.

Regardless, it's yet another in a long line of Garmin "close but no cigar's". I really hate to say this, but I'm starting to think Cavendish had a point. Maybe Jon Vaughters is the Billy Beane of professional cycling and the rest of us just don't understand the method behind his apparent roster-building madness. Maybe this is exactly the point he's trying to prove in fielding what is often claimed to be the world's cleanest team. For now though, it just reaffirms my long-held belief that a team of rouleurs and time-trialists is great for sitting at the front of races, but not the best for winning them.

And don't give me that "what about stages in Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico?" stuff. Unless your team is French, at this point in the year these wins are rendered almost moot. Without looking it up or mentioning the overall winner, can you name one stage winner from the 2008 editions of these races? Okay, I'm sure some of you might, but for the rest of us, these races are merely indicators of--hopefully--bigger things to come.

Maybe Garmin will reward us come July. I, for one, am pulling for them; but I'm getting impatient.

Giro Rest Day #2 - Cervelo Passes, then Fails, then Passes the Test

No, not that kind of test…

Not sure if you saw it, but with about 10 km to go in Sunday’s Stage 15 of the Giro, Cervelo’s director, Jean-Paul Van Poppel made a questionable call. Serge Pauwels was in a two-up breakaway with Leonardo Bertagnolli. The 2 had a time gap of about 2:30 on the chase group including the maglia rosa and various other favorites—including Pauwels' team leader, Carlos Sastre. The problem was that pesky Ivan Basso who had broken away on the previous climb Stefano Garzelli. The two were clinging to a lead of about 25 seconds that out Sastre’s 5th place on GC in danger.

Universal's coverage clearly shows Pauwels conferencing with his DS and promptly hitting the brakes to go back (more than 2 minutes back, mind you) and help Sastre defend his 5th place. (A decision the commentators clearly find reasonable.)

Unfortunately for Pauwels, as soon as he loses contact with Bertagnolli, Basso and Garzelli sit-up and return to the group with Menchov and Sastre.

What was Van Poppel thinking? Maybe he didn’t read the road book and see that the run-in to the finish was mostly downhill. Maybe he forgot the remaining 3 summit finishes? Maybe he forgot that Sastre’s using this race for training? Maybe he thought—oh heck, I’m not sure what he thought!

The icing on the cake? Pauwels blowing the doors off his 3 competitors in the sprint for 2nd.



After the race, here's Van Poppel: "It was bad timing for us. It's not easy for a small team like ours to try and put a rider on the final podium in the Giro. Sacrifices have to be made to make that happen, but everybody agreed that was our goal at the start."

A "small" team? Is he serious?

Of course, after yesterday’s win by Sastre, everyone (at Cervelo) seems to think Van Poppel’s gaffe was a masterstroke of genius and foresight. I’m not buying it. Had Pauwels dropped back to Sastre’s group, pulled him back to Basso, and then shielded him to the finish maybe I would I change my tune. But for now, it just seems like Sastre saved his DS from some more embarrassing questions.

The Infant in the Room

Oops! Should I have said "elephant"?

For several weeks now, Pavé has struggled with formulating an appropriate tone with which discuss one Monsieur Armstrong. On Wednesday's Rapha Continental Centre Ramble, Ben Lieberson and I shared a moment chatting (while I could still talk) about Lance-tiquette and how it seems that in many circles, any remark even slightly throwing criticism in Lance's direction is the social equivalent of saying "there's no such thing as Santa Claus" at a Sunday School Christmas party.

As a result, and to not alienate any readers, I've made a concerted effort to refrain from any comment or post that could be construed as Lance-bashing. It seems much of the media was doing the same.

But now, things have changed. The Service Course has done a wonderful job documenting the "scandal" surrounding Lance's recent media silence. In a nutshell, it appears Lance has been offended by the media's "insensitive" coverage of his role in the protest during the Giro's stage in downtown Milan last Sunday. He's apparently resorted to posting his comments via Twitter tweets and videos on his Livestrong webpage. (Even Cyclingnews can't get to Lance.)

But the media has proven once again that the pen is mightier than the s-word.

SNL - Celebrity Jeopardy (NSC)
Uploaded by nasuacara. -

A media boycott of Lance's Twitter has ensued--oh the drama! Whatever will we do to hear Lance's daily musings, learn about his meals, and share in various other bits of Lance-minutia?

Thank heavens for the New York Times! No boycott from them! (The picture on the web edition is Menchov, but the picture in the print edition was Big Tex.) Unfortunately for them, they've been forced to rely on lesser English-speaking stars like Michael Barry, Danny Pate, and Levi Leipheimer for quotes during the Lance-cuum. Here's my favorite line:

"Levi Leipheimer, a teammate of Lance Armstrong’s on the Astana squad..."

At what point will the world wake to realize that there's an entire team of riders wearing matching helmets and riding bikes with the same paint job? Levi's in 3rd-freaking-place and has a chance to win America's first Grand Tour since--

We hear all the time about how cycling needs to overcome its past in order to truly embrace a cleaner, more media-friendly present. At some point, we're going to need to realize that yesterday's champions are from yesterday; today's need room to breath. What's going to happen at the Tour? Will Contador ride himself into yellow only to be overshadowed by the scrum of media covering Lance's latest temper tantrum?

I'm sorry if this offends you. If it does, feel free to boycott my Twitter.

But please keep reading my blog.

We're still allowed to have opinions on those, right?

(BTW: We'll be posting a link to buy Brett Favre Minnesota Vikings jerseys as soon as they become available.)

Il Pavé Piace a Siutsou...

And you thought pavé was only found in France and Belgium...

Monday Musings - Boonen Etc...

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Boonen’s tested positive—again—for cocaine—again. For now he’s been suspended indefinitely by Quick Step and will most likely miss his second consecutive Tour. Of course, we here at Pave hope for the best in this case, but it’s tough to see how he’s going to talk his way out of it this time. First time, shame on you Tommeke; second time, shame on…um…Quick Step? The UCI? Us? And the third time? Hopefully Tom has a good team of advisors to help him through this both publically and privately. April won’t be the same without him, but he’s running out of second (and third and fourth) chances.

Here's what else is on our minds as the week begins:

1. Alejandro Valverde has been given a 2-year suspension by an Italian tribunal for his alleged role in Operation Puerto. Is anyone else confused? This seems to me like the state of Massachusetts banning Alex Rodriguez from playing baseball within state lines, no? For Valverde, it means no racing in Italy—which means no Tour de France since it passes through. If anyone could offer a clear explanation of the different jurisdictions of the different agencies and countries I’m sure we would all be very appreciative. I can't make heads or tails of this one.

2. Hopefully you’ve been enjoying the Rapha Continental’s Road Journal as much as I have. This is quite a comprehensive and inspirational project that Daniel and Slate have put together, and it’s wonderful to follow them along their journey. Next week’s my chance to lead them on a foray around Central Pennsylvania. Ridelugged’s James and I have mapped the route, checked it twice, and are ready for our turn. On Saturday I logged 90 miles to get my legs ready for the guys—they’ve effectively been riding 10-day blocks of rides averaging 100+ miles. Hopefully I’ll have the stamina to at least make it sporting. When the photos are released, I’ll be the guy at the back hanging onto the car.

http://www.rapha.cc/mississippi-delta

3. For your own chance to ride with the Continental posse, you can sign-up for a Gentleman’s Ride they’re hosting in the DC-area on Friday, May 22nd. If you can take the day off, it will certainly be worth your while. $125 gets you a ticket to ride, food (and drink), and some sweet Rapha gear. Learn more here.


4. The Giro began this past weekend, and it looks to be quite an exciting race. For me, the biggest excitement has come from the developing rivalry between Columbia and Garmin. Before the Stage 1 TTT, Marky-Mark Cavendish once again proved that his sprint prowress is matched only by his ability to run his mouth, saying that Garmin disrespects the Giro by focusing “only” on the TTT. I think we all expected the drama to end with Garmin romping to the win the next day and sticking it to Cavvie by donning the pink jersey. But darn it if the little sprint pixie didn’t put his team’s money where his mouth was. Apparently Garmin was so disappointed that they didn’t even stick around for the end of the stage or to talk to the press (not that there was really any reason too).

Sunday’s stage saw Garmin at the front of the race in the final few kilometers, obviously hoping to help Tyler Farrar beat Cavendish at his own game. Petacchi had something to say about it though. Maybe next year we’ll see more riders on the start line at the Scheldeprijs hoping to hone their sprint form for the Giro.

But here's my question for Cavendish: does he disrespect races by abandoning as soon as the road gets steep? Hmmm...

5. And speaking of the Giro, we’re not ignoring it. We’re just taking the piano, piano approach and slowly building our way into form.

But I'll leave you with a Giro prediction: a classics rider will win tomorrow's Stage 4, and I think it will be Philipe Gilbert.

Enjoy your day!