Monday Mustte - Worlds, UCI Tidbits, Interbike, and a Ride

1. While I can't say I told you so, I wasn't surprised to see Cadel Evans finally get the big win he's so desperately craved. It was a fantastic ride by someone not often known for taking matters into his own hands. With 4 riders in the final lead group of 9, Spain has to be wondering what went wrong after setting-up Sanchez perfectly for the win. As for Italy and Belgium, they were a bit under-represented in the final selection, with Cunego and Gilbert left to fend for themselves. But at that point in te race, if you can't handle things by yourself, you probably don't deserve to win.

But let's not take anything away from Evans' performance. The question remains: wither Evans now? Should he continue to try his luck in the Grand Tours, or should he perhaps adjust his focus to hilly Classics and short stage races? If he picks the latter, there's no reason why he couldn't have the most succesful season as World Champion in recent memory.

2. Not sure if you caught it in all the Mendrisio hoopla, but did you hear about the changes to the Worlds format for 2012? Looks like they're returning to the old model of having the Juniors, Espoirs, and Elites all competing at the same event with one key addition: a trade team TTT! The final details on this are still to be determined, but it looks likely to be run the week before the elite road race with trade teams instead of national teams competing. I'd love to see the return of the 100km distance, but that appears unlikely. No matter what, it will be an exciting event--if the teams and riders take it seriously. Will the winning team get to wear rainbow skinsuits? That sound you're hearing (off in the distance) is Jonathan Vaughters licking his lips...

3. For those of you planning your vacations now, the UCI 2010 World Calendar has been released.

4. Was anyone else shocked and bit saddened to hear that Will Frischkorn has retired? Hard to believe the guy's been a europro since before he could could legally by beer in the USA. Makes me wish now more than ever that he could have won that stage in the 2008 Tour de France. All the best, Will!

5. I hate to admit it, but I'm afraid I've not been able to live as vicariously as I had hoped via the current Interbike coverage. Pedal Strike's Kaiko has provided the best so far. Check-out her Flickr photostream, and then search for "Interbike" to enjoy scores of others. Mr. Dunn will certainly be keeping us busy this week as he sifts through his memories and photos. (Hopefully there's some photos from IF and Handspun.)

6. And on a personal note, a friend and I went for a ride with Fxdwhl from lockring.not.included on Saturday. You can read Fxdwhl's report here--he writes about such things so much better than I do. All I can say is that it was one of the best rides I've done in a long time. He's a great host, a fabulous rider, and if you haven't done so yet, the purveyor of one of the finest blogs out there. Stop-by and say hello when you have a chance.

That's it for today. What's on your mind? Thoughts from Mendrisio? Interbike?

Share your comments below.

Monday Musette - San Sebastian and More...

Some fodder for your Monday:

1. Congratulations to Carlos Barredo for taking a terrific win in the Clasica San Sebastian on Saturday. In doing so, he made Quick Step relevant for the first time since April. This is the kind of win that starts new phases in riders' careers (Barredo's only 28). With a win like this under his belt, it will not be a surprise to see Carlos in the win column some more between now and the end of the season.

2. Yes, we too were disappointed to see Kreuziger lose. Are there any more doubts about this kid's talent? And is Filippo Pozatto this season's version of Michael "Bridesmaid" Boogerd?

3. Did anyone else notice the abundance of Flemish flags at the finish line in San Sebastian? No wonder a Quick Step rider won!

4. Here's a great picture of Alberto Contador’s new logo. Subtle isn't it? I wonder if he meant to use a different finger.

5. There was an interesting article in Friday's NY Times about the debate in Aspen surrounding whether or not to have a celebration in honor of its newest resident's 3rd place in the Tour. I'll let you form your own opinion, but it must be nice to live in a town where the biggest issue facing the mayor and city council involves planning a party.

6. If you haven't seen it yet, here's a look at Rapha-Condor’s new kit. It's amazing how something so retro can look so cutting edge. But will Bioracer call them copycats?

And now for some recent highlights from a few favorite blogs:

7. Here's why Embrocation's Jeremy Dunn is our hero. Hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. (WARNING: the photo in the post contains a bit of nudity.)

8. Ryan at The Service Course explains how to start a rumor. Hmmm...this gives me an idea or two...

9. Pedal Strike's Kaiko has a new venture called Cassette. It's never too early to shop for the holidays!

That's it for this Monday--thanks for reading! And please, if you like what you see here, tell some friends and/or add us to your blogroll.

Have a great week!