Wow! What a start to this year’s Tour de France; to think race organizers were thinking of keeping Lance’s bikes hung on the hooks! What would Versus do with all that extra time from the absence of the Lance commercials? The opening time trial ended pretty much as anticipated – a strong showing from Lance and other favorites performing to expectations. The second day’s sprint finish was textbook for team Columbia-HTC and Mark Cavendish. Day three will go down as the cornerstone of the tour should Lance walk away with his eighth tour. One corner and one split second was all it took for a breakaway group of riders including Lance, to have the opportunity to split from the herd in a cross wind and make a run all the way to the finish. If not for a spectacular move from Cancellara to join the group, Lance would now be in yellow. Fabian saw the break and instantly jumped a curb in order to stay with the group. As predicted and to my delight, the team time trial did not disappoint on day four. The tight technical course let only those teams whose concentration rivaled their leg strength finish in the top spots. Teams without were quick to look for their team car and spare bikes. In the end, Team Astana was victorious and succeeded in erasing a 40 second time gap between Lance and the yellow jersey and moving him to within one second of the leader.
How can Fort Collins compete with such a race? Well, how about the return of the 6 day races on CSU’s Oval brought to you by the Fort Collins Velodrome Association and co-sponsored by Lee’s Cyclery? On Sunday, July 12th at 5:00PM, the Oval will come alive with a multitude of races and categories for all to enjoy for six weeks. At the Oval, there is not a bad seat on or off the track and spectators can get close enough to the action to experience racing without lifting a pedal! Last year the number of racers and spectators proved Fort Collins loves cycling and is worthy of their own velodrome. Visit the Fort Collins Velodrome Association web site for more information about the races and the velodrome.
Another upcoming event which is a little less competitive but just as exciting, is the Urban Assault race/ride. July 19th, Fort Collins city streets will be the proving ground for teams of two to plot their route to checkpoints around town where they will be faced with wacky obstacles and challenges. First team to reach all the checkpoints and complete all its roadblocks and riddles will win a pair of coveted New Belgium Brewery cruisers and personal acclaim. After the event, all are invited to attend the celebration and sample New Belgium’s brew and raffle at El Monte Grill. Check out the UAR website for more information.
This week’s tip is again brought to you from one of my own personal experiences…..When riding in a group or peloton try to look at least two riders ahead of yourself. As in driving looking ahead gives just a bit more notice of road hazards; it also gives you a little advanced warning when the peloton is making a break or brake. Just watching the wheel in front of you may leave you out of a break/brake and make for a lonely or sore ride home.
The climb peaked at about 8000′ and was roughly the half way point of the ride. A quick hello to another rider, an added jacket, a couple energy bars and I was on my way. After the top there is a quick, very quick, descent to the intersection of Rist Canyon and Stove Prairie Rd. I chose to turn south on Stove Prairie Rd towards Masonville, but turning right and heading down to Poudre Canyon Highway is a great ride too. From here the 3000 feet of elevation gained on the ascent quickly disappears and it was a good choice not to test my cut sidewall on the road bike. After passing through Masonville heading towards Horsetooth lake, I must have been passed by every Harley rider in Northern Colorado. There is a saying that “a loud motorcycle is a safe motorcycle”….
Finally, you can probably imagine that this week’s tip comes directly from my own experience
If you’re going to be around Fort Collins this 
7 – 10 and are part of the Fort Collins Cycling Festival. You can also what the races live 
So,
o check this guy out. While his team made some calls, Lance thought he might freshen up a bit and hopped into the shower. If you don’t know, that is a big NO NO in the world of drug testing. You must not leave the sight of the tester after the request for a sample has been made and certainly not to go take a shower, especially in Europe. Just kidding Yann! Since announcing his return to cycling Lance has been tested 24 times each without incident, or is it indecent exposure? This little slip may be just what the Tour De France race organizers need to keep Lance from becoming an eight time Tour winner or even help Levi or Alberto win the Tour for Team Astana. By the way, Lance was in our own back yard recently, in Steamboat, and gave a video update of his recovery and his brush with the AFLD. Sounds like the training is going well and we’ll be able to see him in the Tour of Italy or Tour de Italia May 9 – 31
