Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

It is getting closer to racing time. This month has felt more like March than January compared to what we usually expect for Upstate New York. As I race this year, I plan on bringing a video camera and digital camera with me to document the races. YouTube makes it super easy to post your [...]

Stefano Garzelli seems to be the default Tour contender on a team that is mostly focusing on the Giro D’Italia. Last year Garzelli and Cioni were supposed to be the main Liquigas antagonist for G.C. but Danilo DiLuca’s surprising and inspired performance put Cioni and Garzelli into a supporting role.
This year with DiLuca looking [...]

McDonalds joins the professional peloton as a major sponsor of Ivano Fannini’s Amore e Vita Cycling team. The longtime sponsor Beretta Salumifico (Salami company) is now gone, replaced by another fatty meat company. “I am very happy and honored to begin McDonalds involvement in professional cycling, thanks to Amore e Vita for helping to make [...]

Jan Ullrich now has Eddy Merckx picking him to succeed in France come July. Merckx made a few comments on the “Man with the new coif” while assiting at the Doh International GP. Merckx particularly likes the fact that “Der Kaiser” has decided to add the Giro D’Italia as part of his training schedule leading [...]

Claudio Corti and Igor Astarloa had a great year in 2003. They won Fleche Wallone together, had a powerhouse Italian team and Igor won the World Title. Their team had red kits and Cannondale bikes. Nothing could be better. In 2004, Astarloa suffered the “Curse of the World Champion” and eventually tumbled down to [...]

Perhaps Bode Miller has been a little too eager to give interviews and speak his mind. Miller throws fellow athletes Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds under the bus for simply taking pills and not asking questions. Come on Bode, do we need to make the drug issue more of a witch hunt than it already [...]

Tom Boonen is starting the season where he ended it last year-on the podium. Boom Boom Boonen beat out Robert “The machine” Hunter and Zoom Zoom Zabel to take the GP Doha which is an hors-D’ oeurve for the Tour of Qatar.
http://www.tuttobiciweb.com/home.htm

Early season racing hits the Middle East with racing in Doha and the Tour of Qatar. The Doha International GP will take place on Jan 27th and will feature the debut of Erik “Zoom Zoom” Zabel with his new Milram team. Petacchi will not be present, so Zabel gets to test out the leadout train [...]

Fat Cyclist (via cyclelicio.us ) has a brilliant writeup on the latest Euro-style trend in hair. Jan Ullrich’s new hair cut and the Discovery Channel response:

“His curly, highly moussed locks clearly state, ‘I am the team captain. You must ride in support of me, and in support of my hair.’ I only wish that [...]

This week has been full of team presentations from the major Pro Tour teams and smaller continental teams. Everyone has the hope and ambition for the new year. Plus, the new kits are released for the coming year. Here is a look at a few team kits and my impression.
Discovery Channel:
New design for the jersey [...]