Highlands Ranch Area Cycling Road Cycling Colorado Streech Greg Streech Gregory

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Wow

Roberto is a doper. Can't believe it, but I do. The boys at the testing agencies have caught some pretty big names lately. Roberto is arguably the biggest EPO cheater that has been nailed.

UCI defends EPO test: "The UCI has upheld positive dope tests against Vuelta a Espa�a winner Roberto Heras and vehemently rejected complaints about its testing procedure."

With a 2 year ban, this will put Roberto at 33 when he can return. Dude might have a year or two left in the legs at that point but who knows. He also loses the right to being called the 4 time vuelta champ. You wonder if he cheated in the other three and no one caught him.

Heras es mas largo.

Friday, November 25, 2005

My heart is crying

I still can't believe the tragedy of this wreck. This is where we ride. I have been on this section of road hundreds, maybe even a thousand times. Jim Price never had a chance.

TheDenverChannel.com - Local News - Teen Text-Messaging Friend Runs Over Bicyclist: "HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- A 63-year-old Highlands Ranch man died Friday from his injuries in a car-bicycle crash earlier this week.
The Douglas County sheriff's office has identified the man as Jim R. Price. Authorities say he was hit by a car while he was riding his bike Wednesday at Wildcat Reserve Parkway and Summit View Road.
Price was pronounced dead Friday morning at Swedish Medical Center.
The sheriff's office said the 17-year-old driver may have been text-messaging on his cell phone when he swerved into the bicycle lane. The driver's name hasn't been released. He is also from Highlands Ranch.

Authorities don't think the driver was speeding or that drugs or alcohol were involved. But they say it's likely that charges of careless driving resulting in death will be filed.
The driver of the vehicle was released to his parents at the scene. "


Bill and I rode over the scene today and it is now a sad spot in the map. We really ought to think about being a apart of the "Ride of Silence" that is organized every year.

May the memory of Jim Price's be eternal.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Beware

Cycling in Highlands Ranch can be scketchy at times. We have all discussed the cursed "white minivan". For the un-initiated, this is the mythical beast of a car driven by a clueless driver that will eventually run you down.

I had the misfortune to drive by this crash yesterday:

DenverPost.com - LOCAL NEWS: "Highlands Ranch - A text- messaging teenager behind the wheel of a Chevrolet truck ran over a 63-year-old bicyclist in Highlands Ranch "

It was nasty. The rear wheel and back of the frame were twisted into otherworldly shapes. It happened right at the top of the warm-up hill. What was strange was that the windshield of the car was smashed in. I am hoping that this was from a by stander trying to get in to wring the kids neck.

The good news is that most of our local news agencies picked up the story. I hope that maybe it makes one more minivan driver a little more cautious.

Snail Dik to you Mr. 63 year old cyclist.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Tommy needs some EPO

Sludging of blood and resulting strokes aside, Tommy D will need a little EPO if he wants to ride the '06 Tour in anything other than the team car. Check out Johan's response the the question of whether or not Danielson is rideing the '06 Tour.

ThePaceLine.com - Chris Brewer's "Fresh Brew": "Tom will do the Giro and the Vuelta again in 2006, but no Tour yet. In my opinion, he needs a few more big Tours in his legs to go for the Tour. But from what I've seen from him in the Vuelta this year, he'll be good one day in the Tour de France too. "

Venga Tommy

Sunday, November 20, 2005

That is about right

tranquillo Roberto! Tranquillo!

Can you imagine what is going throught the mind of Roberto as he awaits the results of his "B" Sample? I would venture to say dude ain't sleeping too well. The results from the "B" sample from the Vuelta which he won are due on Thursday.

The results of this test will have negative impacts either way. Note the comment from today's velonews:

Sunday's EuroFile: Much at stake in Heras test; 60 years at Romandie; Petacchi wants another MSR: "Not only is Heras's legacy and reputation at stake, but the credibility of cycling also hangs in the balance for many sport fans. "

If the test results are positive, then we have some pretty high level EPO use. If the results are negative, then WADA got some 'spalin to do. If Reberto is clean and they have beat up his reputation by being wrong, then WADA needs a shake up. If Roberto is dirty, then Liberty Seguros needs a shake up. Eitherway, this is bad, bad.

Oh yeah, I think I shall start taking EPO so I can be fast like Roberto.

EPO Maken Sneller

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Too much to ask for

Check out what SI sportsman of the year columnist had to say about George:

SI.com - 2005 Sportsman of the Year - My Sportsman Pick: George Hincapie - Thursday November 17, 2005 1:29PM: "You are one of the fittest athletes in the world, so of course, you have some individual success, away from the media glare. But when the spotlight shines the brightest, your efforts serve to put someone else on the podium. "

Wow.....could you imagine a world in which a 6'3" freak of nature could over shadow a 7 time tour winner?

Monday, November 14, 2005

Like the Goo Goos

As I read the following press release from TIAA-CREF, I could here that crappy Goo Goo Dolls song in my head, "loooooong waaaaaay dooooown!"


TIAA-CREF confirms Pate and Creed

The TIAA-CREF team has confirmed that its ranks will be strengthened next year by the addition of two of the USA's best younger riders. Danny Pate, 25, the 2001 under-23 time trial world champion, and Mike Creed, 24, who this year rode for Discovery Channel, will both join the team for 2006.

TIAA-CREF is expected to spend more time in Europe in 2006, and has hired former CSC, US Postal and Motorola directeur sportif Johnny Weltz as its director for European racing.


What the hell is Creed doing? Maybe he forgot to eat peaches and got Diker and not Sneller?

Snail Dik

Thursday, November 10, 2005

wait, what?

I am breezing through the online version of velonews enjoying the write up on Hincapie being a definite for Tour '06 when I read the following"

Thursday's Eurofile: Hincapie 'protected' at next Tour; Wiggins wants yellow: "Instead, the team will enter the 2006 Tour with a different strategy, playing its chips to win stages and pushing riders such as Hincapie, best young rider Yaroslav Popovych and perhaps Jose Azevedo or two-time Giro d'Italia champion Paolo Savoldelli toward the podium. "

Urrrrrr. Back the truck up Mario, I think we hit something. What is this crap? Hasn't Johan learned anything over the last 7 years? A different strategy? I'm guessing the new strategy is to revert to the weak sister euro level of aggression. What happen to the cowboy approach of, "we are gonna funnel all of our energy into putting (insert name) in yellow on the Champs elesse." Does Johan realize that this approach is not only boring but will crush the US following of Disco? Or maybe it's just a ruse..........

Snail Dik

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

What about Jan

Velonews has a story about Jan Ullrich in which they state that he is the "Universal Favorite" for the 06 Tour.

Wednesday's EuroFile: Heras test date set; Ullrich likes look of Tour: "With the retirement of seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong, Ullrich is the universal favorite to capture a second Tour crown. With 115km of time trials and a hard third week, arguably when Ullrich is at his best, the 31-year-old German will be the man to beat. "

I wonder. Do you think that with Big Tex out of the way, that Jan will get his training up high enough to win? Or will he be lax? I kind of think Mayo and/or Basso might bring the hammer this year. Or one of the Disco boys.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

No Chain Required

Check out this bitch'n Time Trial Event in California. It's a downhill time trial which courses Tuna Canyon and ends near Mailbu. The bikes have disc brakes, run 11-23 cassettes and are built for descending. This seems to be a cross between Mountain Bike Downhillers and Road Riders. If you page through, they have a video from a helmut cam of the course. Pretty cool stuff.

Red Bull Road Rage

Snail Dik

Friday, November 04, 2005

11-23

I just put a bid on eBay for a new cassette for the Donk. Since buying her, I have been tooling around on a Ultegra 9 12-27. Pretty small gearing I think. My thought on buying a smaller cog set up is two fold.

First, I am thinking the set up will be better suited to the Cherry Creek TT. I'll have tighter gearing to better dial the maximal power.

Second, I am thinking the lower gear ratio will allow for harder power work outs.

However, I am wondering whether or not I can push these gears up Deer Creek/High Grade. It's not like I am still two down when I crest these climbs. Furthermore, I don't carry the extra weight of the triple chain ring in the front.

I am pretty sure that Fabs and Redlight are running these smaller gearing in their cassettes.

Snail Dik

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Two Weeks of Caloric Intake

Some dude on the internet posted an article on this 30,000 calorie sandwich. According to his write up, the sandwich cost $47 to make and 15 hours to eat. Can you imagine what his body must feel like? Furthermore, can you imagine trying to ride your bike after consuming even a small portion of this log?

Tour of EPO

Sweet news out of Southern California; Amgen (the maker of EPO) is sponsoring the Tour of California. The irony is just sooo delish!

Critics Balk at Amgen Cycle Race Sponsorship - Los Angeles Times: "Amgen's anemia drugs, synthetic versions of a hormone called erythropoietin, are meant for people with kidney disease or cancer, but are used by athletes to load more oxygen into their blood. The practice, known as blood doping, is banned in cycling and other sports."

Snail Dik

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Jan gets fired???

As reported in today's journal, Deutsche Telekom, the parent of T-Mobile, is laying off 25,000 jobs (19k loss, hire back 6k at lesser payscale). Do you think Fat Jan will be one of them?

WSJ.com - Deutsche Telekom Plans To Slash Work Force: "FRANKFURT -- Deutsche Telekom AG said Wednesday it will shed a further 19,000 jobs in the next three years in a major overhaul of its German operations that will cost �3.3 billion ($3.9 billion)."

Hydrogel - The new EPO

I am always intrigued by advances in science and how they may relate cycling. As we all know, there are limits of what the body can withstand before it breaks down. If we can regenerate muscle and recover at a faster rate, we can obviously go faster longer.

With this in mind, I found an article on stem cell research intriguing. These guys are working on using stem cells to regenerate organs in older people. They are developing a "Hydrogel" as a carrier for the stems cells.

Lab Notes: Research from the Berkeley College of Engineering: "'The hydrogel acts like a protective vehicle for the stem cells,' Conboy says. 'So for a couple of days, the stem cells are contained in an optimal environment for growth and hopefully they'll regenerate even diseased or old muscle.'"
Redlight, can you bust me out a prescription for some hydrogel? I'd like the generic so that I don't have to pay so much.

Snail Dik

G2

Highlands Ranch cycling got a little tougher yesterday. The forward spies brought back some top secret photos from Camp Fabio that revealed some startling information. Rumors have been rampant that Fabio had been in the market for a new set of handle bars for his S-Works rig. These rumors proved to be fact in that Fabio has acquired a new carbon set. Photos to come later.

Snail Dik

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

The Crap I Eat

A high price I am paying, A very high price.

Along with the suffering in the saddle, I pay penance to the Cycling Gods at every meal. For instances, this is the crap I ate today:
mAd GrEeNs InSpIrEd SaLaDs: "VAN GOGH
Spinach, Couscous, Carrots, Currants,
Dried Apricots, Tomatoes"

Who eats this? Rabbits, squirrels and most of the rodent family.....oh yeah, I do.

Snail Dik

Col d'Floyd

Tooling around on the internet, I dropped onto Floyd Landis' site. The dude has a cool site, although not as deep as I would hope. It would be better if the blog was written by Floyd himself. What was interesting was his racing schedule for next year.

floydlandis.com: "Tour of California - February
Paris Nice - March
Criterium International - March
Tour of Georgia - April
Giro D'Italia - May/June
Tour de France - July "

Check it out. Dude is using the Giro as a tune up for the Tour.

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