Doubt and go without.....Believe and receive

NashvilleCyclist.com Criterium Race Series 2008
Check out this link to official USA Cycling results. You now should begin seeing crit series results on your My USA Cycling account online at www.usacycling.org. I have uploaded all results from Races #1 and #2, and half the results from race #3. I should have all four races included by the end of the weekend. This will help out all those looking for verification when applying for an upgrade, which must be requested online through your My USA Cycling account.

Speaking of upgrades, I noticed quite a few Cat 4s are now Cat 3s and received their first taste of a Wednesday night Cat 1/2/3 race. I'm not sure what they thought about it, but I can only share this bit of info - - - so far race #4 has had the slowest average speed of the series. Oh yes, you have some serious suffering ahead. Welcome to the club!

No Julich; Sastre, Schleck brothers lead
Tomorrow is the start of our three weeks of overdosing on the Tour de France, but we'll once again have to watch it without American Bobby Julich on the line. He's in the final year of his contract with CSC, and at his age you have to wonder if he'll ever get another chance to win a stage.

Versus - Tour de France
If you've got cable then find the channel and stay glued to the action. Versus is showing live coverage online prior to going on-air live on the television, which is 7:30 AM CST. You can check out the daily schedule here, and as you can see there's only five chances for you to see what happens.


For some of us without cable tv the footage online is a huge bonus! Yes, I said us, meaning I dropped expanded cable a long time ago. Essentially my clicker stops at channel 22 resulting in a savings of about $45 per month, or as I like to look at it, a $500 pay raise! At least I occasionally get to see the Cubs on WGN, but don't be surprised if I'm knocking on your door to watch some cycling soon!


My new favorite channel.....Nashville's local PBS. Seriously.


Tour de France teams presentation: new teams and missing winners
Will the third time be a charm and see the 2008 winner allowed to return in 2009 to defend? The last few years the talk has been about the potential unpredictability, but it's even more true this year I believe.

By my count there are only four Americans in this year's Tour de France: George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, William Frischkorn and Danny Pate. Heck, if it weren't for Garmin Chipotle we'd be down to a measly one.

Since it's Tour time it also means one more thing; Tour de France diaries from participating riders. Racer diaries used to be a huge deal a few years ago as many did one for various media outlets. This year Tour newcomer Will Frischkorn may offer up the freshest and most interesting take with his diary on Velonews. Check out Fresh Korn - The beginning of the dream, and then keep up with him from there. Personally, I like his style and the fresh perspective he provides. Hopefully he'll continue his enthusiasm for the event throughout the grueling three weeks of racing.

Garmin-Chipotle: Cycling's new deal
At least on the surface of it all, is there anyone else who understands the combination of cycling and business strategy as well as Jonathan Vaughters? It's not that I'm a huge fan of his, but this guy keeps making one good decision after another and has put his team exactly in the position he said he wanted to be in.

How many times in the past have I wrote about how sponsors will come back because they know where the customers are? Several actually. Along those lines Vaughters had this to say about his new sponsorship with Garmin, "In fact, the CEO of Garmin had never been to a bike race or seen a bike race - it wasn't out of the love of the sport that he approved the deal, he did it based solely on the numbers." As Vaughters says, it's all about a sponsor gaining that positive image and media content and not about winning races. He's the Billy Beane of cycling.


Landis may not race again, but he's not done fighting
Here's the best thing Floyd Landis has said in a long time, "I hope people who are interested in bicycle racing forget about me by the end of the week and turn on the television and watch the Tour, and give those guys the respect and attention they deserve."


I do too Floyd. It would help if you'd disappear for awhile and not make a single comment. At least until the Tour is over and we get through the potential clouds of another scandal. After all, hint hint, Alejandro Valverde is racing you know.


Tennessean Photo of the Week
Trace Bikes at Highway 100 and the Natchez Trace make the list.


Summer Flip-Flops May Lead to Foot Pain
You don't want to get me going on my bias against flip-flops, but here's another reason for everybody to stop wearing them 24/7. Foot support is crucial for cyclists, and how this impacts your pelvis and hip alignment is more than you can imagine. Poorly aligned hips can lead to discomfort on the bike with potential to cause leg length discrepancy issues. Everyone should be highly in tune with their posture and their gait, but especially how the use their feet when walking. How you use your body and the positions you live and go throughout your day is how your muscles will adapt and perform.


Starbucks to Cut 600 Coffee Shops
It will be a strange site to see a for lease sign in building once occupied by a Starbucks. This decision comes after they decided to stop selling music CDs in order to focus resources on coffee. For those who think this is going to help independent coffee shops survive then your thinking couldn't be farther from the truth. Sure, Starbucks has grown too big for our economical britches, but if a company with the economies of scale such as Starbucks is suffering then just imagine what a family owned coffee shop is experiencing.

Though, I hear Congress is set to bail out Starbucks. (wink wink)


Fit, Not Frail: Exercise as a Tonic for Aging
Us cyclists are on our way to aging nicely if we keep up by riding our bikes. However, as the article notes, it becomes more important to work on muscle strength, flexibility and balance. My recommendation, pilates! However, an important component to consider after the age of 50 years is osteoporosis. There are specific movement principles that can negatively affect the health of someone suffering from osteoporosis, so please consult a certified pilates instructor before attempting pilates exercises.


Envisioning a world of $200-a-barrel oil
I already have been. Appropriate artwork of the US chained to a barrel of oil on its way to the bottom. Our lives haven't really begun to change in the dramatic ways that are forthcoming, but you'd be wise to begin preparations now. I see bicycle racing taking a hit at regional events, but it's the local Nashville races that may end up thriving on a smaller scale. Can you say NBRA?


You Look Mah-velous: Cycling Style Etiquette
I think this is hilarious. As a former coach also preached, "if you look good you play good." Conversely, if you look sloppy you played sloppy. This guys covers legs, helmets, kits, iPods, ornaments, grease marks and many more. It's quite funny I think, but you know what, we've all been guilty of some of this at one time or another. Then again, some of us are habitual criminals!

The Club for Growth
Speaking of freedoms and liberty I came across this site and found it interesting. Essentially it's a site that's updated frequently on all the dumb laws that are being considered, or have passed or have been defeated in America. According to one magazine the city of Chicago is most restrictive city in America as it relates to liberty. In case you weren't aware the month of July is officially National Watermelon Month. Thanks Congress!

Bike Lanes, Intended for Safety, Become Traffic Battlegrounds
I see our bike lanes in Nashville often getting violated by vehicles as well. We are gaining respect on the roads, but I'm not naive enough to believe we'll change the minds of everyone. After seeing http://nyc.mybikelane.com/ I think I may start taking my camera with me on every ride. What a great idea to catch violators in the act.

Bicycle-Sharing Program to Be First of Kind in U.S.
Pretty good idea at a cheap price.