Velochimp: Astrochimp on Cycling

This is a good overview of how to handle yourself on the road. Some of these techniques such as divergent lanes next to a highway on-ramp are new to me. I would always wait to cross over at the right spot and stay to the side of the road.

I normally post about Top Gear on my other blog, but this episode has a good aspect on bikes. The Top Gear crew is known for doing elaborate races such as a jet plane racing a Bugatti Veyron. Here the Top Gear crew takes four different forms of transportation across London. Richard Hammond rides a bike, Jeremy Clarkson takes a speedboat, James May takes a large Mercedes and the Stig rides the subway. The result may or may not surprise you, but it is fun to watch.

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

I’m the promotor/co-promoter for the Syracuse Race Weekend again this year. Since last year we changed up quite a bit of the event including moving the date up one week to May 17th and 18th. I added a longer Time Trial and kept it at Song Mountain. A new Crit course is also a major change since the pavement at Upper Onondaga Park was bad last year. The City of Syracuse helped recommend the course at the Inner Harbor area of Syracuse. This is the area that Destiny USA will someday cover with Destiny USA features like a Tuscan Village and other Disneyland like areas. For now it is a cool industrial zone will well paved streets and a barely used harbor.

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Register at Bikereg now and I hope to see you in Syracuse on May 17th and 18th.

Milan San Remo is Saturday which usually happens around the Feast day of St. Joseph. It’s a big holiday in Italy as my mom reminds me by frying up some nacatoli for the occasion. We have to all wish my brother Joe a happy San Giuseppe while he basks in the glory.

Podium cafe posted this great finish of Milan San Remo from 1992 where Sean Kelly bombed down the Poggio to catch Moreno Argentin just as he passed the final kilometer to go. Argentin was crushed when he saw Kelly on his wheel and knew that he could not match Kelly’s sprinting. The crowd gasps when they hear that Kelly caught Argentin. A home boy victory was being taken away by the tough Sean Kelly. The commentary is absolutely horrible as we have to be told that there are two chain rings in the front and the commentator is excited more about the Formula One race in Mexico where Nigel Mansell set a pole position than what was unfolding in front of him.

Next up is the first Zabel victory on the Via Roma. This will be the first of six consecutive wins. Zabel had the perfect combo of sprinting ability and climbing skill to stick with the large group and win the sprint.

After all of the sprint finishes Paolo Bettini was able to get a little group away With the brilliant work of his teammate Luca Paolini, Bettini was able to easily overpower Mirko Celestino and take the win.

Last October a new cycling Classic emerged combining some of the epic conditions of Paris-Roubaix with the golden age of Italian cycling’s history. In the 1950s when cycling was the king of sports in Italy due to the epic battles between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali cycling was much grittier (literally) than today’s sport. Long distances with no support on mostly gravely or loose stone roads. Distances would routinely touch 300km or so and races would start in the early mornings. Cycling in Post-War times was much different than today. With the rich Italian history The Monte Paschi Eroica (not Erotica get that mind out of the gutter or check out the Elisa Basso pics) get today’s pro cyclist out in conditions of old. RCS Sport the Giro organizers are also responsible for this race.

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