Enough is enough. It's California for heaven's sake. Hey, I did my time in
the midwest, riding indoors while staring at the TV playing old Tour de France
videos. Bicycling is supposed to be fun, not work. Those trainer sessions just
seemed to be endless studies in boredom. I want to be out on my bike and not
freezing my butt off and getting drenched by rain.

OK. If you don't live in California or some other warm winter climate, you
don't need to get out the violin. In fact, I am not looking for any sympathy
from you all locked in a white winter. I understand that we have it better,
weather-wise in Arnold-country, but I am just tired of dreary skies and gloomy
weather forecasts.

The weather-liars told me last night that the rain wouldn't hit my area until
late in the afternoon. Then why, pray tell, was I topping out on the first
climb of the day before noon in pouring rain and 40F temps? The only thing
worse then riding uphill in the rain is going downhill and when you are wet
and freezing and a long way from home, there is not much you can do. Self
pity doesn't turn the pedals and even though I was headed downhill, you can
only coast so far. Sticking out a thumb is a total admission of wimpiness.
Being a guy, that is definitely the absolutely last resort!

So, I soldiered on, not really hating life, more wondering why it always seemed
to be raining on me. Obviously, our maker isn't singling me out for any extra
grief, but sometimes it seems like I am being punished for the sins of others.
Philosophizing does take my mind off of the wet and cold and as long as the car
drivers behave, it always seems like I get home somehow and will all my body
parts intact.

Don't cry for me Argentina. My memory is pretty poor. I am sure this latest
episode in unpleasantness will not have any noticeable affect on my behavior
and sooner, rather than later, I will find myself once again, soaked to the
skin, shivering like mad and wondering why I decided to head out for a ride
on a day like this. Your mileage may vary.

Bruce

I was watching the US National Figure Skating Championships the other night on
TV. I once dated an Olympic hopeful, which meant I spent a lot of time video
taping her practices and studying the film afterward. I guess it is no big
revelation, but the secret to doing well in figure skating is to be perfect,
or as nearly perfect as you can be and hope that your competition is less
perfect than you.

So, I got to thinking, we know that perfect in figure skating is nailing all
your jumps and making it looks both graceful and easy. But, what is "perfect"
in cycling terms. Sure you could lead the Tour de France from start to finish,
winning every stage, taking every jersey and finishing in another time zone
from all your competitors, but history has shown that is far from likely.

On further thought, and trying very hard not to sound like Dr.Phil, perfect is
different for every cyclist, except for those who want to lead the Tour de
France from start to finish, win every stage and take every jersey.......
There is no one thing that all cyclists will agree is the definition of perfect
on a bike.

Am I trying to show my sensitive side? I hope not. Most people I know think
that only comes out on Groundhog Day and only then if Pauxatauny Phil sees his
shadow. I guess what I am trying to get at is what puts a smile on your face
when you are out riding your bike? For me, it is a multitude of things. Doing
a long, tough ride with my buds and still feeling like a human being afterward
gives me a warm glow. Likewise, stashing a $20 bill in my jersey and heading
out into unknown territory for an all-day ride of discovery also floats my
boat.

Maybe it is easier to describe a non-perfect ride. Anything involving multiple
flat tires, bonking and/or running out of water when it is 90+ degrees
definitely qualifies in my book. Crashing is another no-brainer but, picking
oneself up and getting back on the bike, whether it is the same day or weeks
later can lead to perfection.

Hey, maybe I am rambling a bit and you all don't really care if a ride is
perfect or not. Maybe it is like the old adage, a bad day of fishing beats a
good day at work. I don't know, maybe it is time to go for a ride.

Bruce

Rumours circulating in the media indicate that Amaury Sports Organization(ASO),
the company which owns the Tour de France, may not invite Team Astana to the
2008 edition of the race. That leaves defending Tour champion Alberto Contador
and America's best stage race rider, Levi Leipheimer, on the bench for
professional cycling's biggest show.

One of low points in last year's Tour was Team Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov
testing positive for non-homologous blood doping which resulted in the whole
team being sent home. The fallout from the affair saw a complete overhaul of
the squad, which is sponsored by a group of Kazakstani government-owned
businesses. Johan Bruyneel, who directed Lance Armstrong and his USPS/
Discovery Channel team to seven tour wins plus the win last year by Contador,
was brought in to rescue and rebuild the squad. Gone are almost all of the
team personnel and any rider who had doping problems, including Vinokourov.

Unfortunately, Contador still has a shadow hanging over him with regards to
Operacion Puerto; the initials AC appear on a questionable document. Contador
has declared his innocence, but in the world of denials by confessed dopers,
such as Marion Jones, the Tour champion's words seem to have had little affect
on the head honchos at ASO.

As I reported in an earlier blog, with the Tour de France dropping out of the
Pro Tour, the organizers at ASO now have complete control over which teams will
ride their race. At the 2007 Tour, ASO chief Christian Prudhomme told me that
in 2008 the Tour would be run under ASO's rules and not the UCI's and now that
has happened. Hey, ASO owns the Tour, they can decide to do whatever they
please. Way back in 1930, Tour boss and founder, Henri Desgrange, didn't
invite the 1929 winner, Belgian Maurice De Waele, to the race supposedly
because he didn't like how he won the previous year. I guess some people grow
on you as Desgrange invited De Waele back to the Tour the next year.

I think this sends a pretty clear message to Team Astana that the ball is in
their court and they need to take some pro-active steps to assure Contador's
innocence. The question is, if Contador's words are not sufficient, what does
he and his team need to do to prove their innocence? Hopefully, the Tour
bosses and Johan Bruyneel can come up with reasonable criteria so that everyone
feels like this issue has been dealt with fairly. It would be a shame not to
have the defending champion and also our native son, Levi, excluded from the
Tour on scurrilous grounds.

Bruce

In 2005, the UCI, the governing body of cycling, created the Pro Tour in an
attempt to form a season-long competition involving the premier European pro
races. Unfortunately, the organizers of the premier European races such as
the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, known as the grand tour
organizers, were skeptical of the real reasons behind the UCI forming the
Pro Tour.

Over the past three years of its existence the Pro Tour has been a rocky road.
At the end of 2007, the UCI and the grand tour organizers agreed to remove the
grand tours and the other races put on by the grand tour organizers such as
Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Milan San Remo from the Pro Tour. So,
instead of the original 30 races, the 2008 edition of the Pro Tour will have 16
races. Is this divorce and new version of the Pro Tour a good thing for
professional cycling? I think it is and for a lot of good reasons.

First off, the UCI needs to prove that it can manage and promote a premier
race series on its own. Trying to latch onto races like the Tour de France,
Giro d'Italia and Paris-Roubaix, which are already wildly popular, is like
coming in to close a game with two outs, two strikes in the ninth inning with a
ten run lead. It doesn't prove the UCI's capabilities to deliver what they
promised with the Pro Tour, notably to grow cycling by increasing it's
popularity and sponsorship.

Secondly, the Pro Tour was an huge burden to the already established events
because its 20 team format severely limited the wild card invitations a race
organizer could offer non-Pro Tour teams. This caused a real have and have-not
situation. If you weren't a Pro Tour team, your squad was unlikely to get the
opportunity to prove yourself on the world's stage. A few teams, like
Barloworld at last year's Tour, got the chance and they stepped up their game
several notches and were one of the real bright moments in France last July.

This is great news for the two US teams, Slipstream-Chipotle and BMC Racing,
who are trying to gain a ticket into Europe's big races. Slipstream just
received an invite to the Giro. Would that have happened under the Pro Tour
system last year? BMC and Slipstream are also looking for a slot in the Queen
of the Classics, Paris-Roubaix. With 2004 winner, Maggy Backstedt on his
roster, Jonathan Vaughter's Slipstream squad should get an invite. It would
be great to see the BMC boys alongside them at the start as well.

And for those of you used to seeing a US-based team at the Tour, the removal
of the Pro Tour restrictions means that Slipstream could be lining up at the
start come this July.

Don't get me wrong. I am not a Pro Tour hater. One of the things I really
liked about the Pro Tour is that if a team held a multi-year Pro Tour license,
it was guaranteed entry into the biggest races. With such a guarantee, a team
could approach a potential sponsor in, say 2007, with the promise that they
would be at the Tour in 2008. Unfortunately, there were just too many Pro Tour
teams and they basically sucked up all the spots at those same big races.
Again, this was the case of the haves versus the have-nots.

It's extremely early in the season, the first Pro Tour race, the Tour Down
Under in Australia has just started, but I have a good feeling that this new
arrangement is going to force both the UCI and the grand tour organizers
to bring their A games which will ultimately be the best for professional
cycling. What do you all think?

Bruce

After months of rumours and speculation, it appears that Italian sprinter
Mario Cipollini has signed onto the Rock Racing team as rider/manager for
2008. Whoa! What "Super Mario's" role will be with the team is yet
undetermined, but one thing is for sure, the US domestic professional racing
scene just got a whole lot more interesting.

The 2002 World Champion can certainly pedal a bike and even at the age of 40,
he will shortly turn 41, he will undoubtedly be capable of winning races in
America. But, more importantly, he is a showman. A rider of "rock star"
quality who brings charisma and presence just by showing up. From his
outrageous cycling attire to the time he left the Tour of Spain prematurely so
he could be a judge at the Miss Italy competition this guys makes headlines
both on and off the bike.

Does the US domestic scene need "il Leone" as Cipo is known to his Italian
tifosi? With all the doping scandals running rampant through the cycling
community Mario just could be the breath of fresh air to get people's minds
thinking the glass is half full and not half empty. We need to be reminded
of why cycling is such a great sport, not only in which to participate, but
also to watch.

Mario's wins in both the Giro, where he holds the all-time record for stage
victories, and the Tour de France are things of beauty, executed with style
and perfection. One question that still lingers is if the Rock Racing team
can assemble an effective leadout train with which to deliver the flamboyant
Italian to the line. My guess is with a marquee name like Cipollini on your
squad, you go get support for the kick to the finish.

Cipo's signing fills a couple of roles for Rock Racing. The team is in dire
need of a director sportif after the recent departure of Frankie Andreu. Also,
with the parity among the US domestic pro teams having a bunch sprinter is
almost mandatory if you want to win races. Unfortunately, Cipo's lack of
knowledge of the US race courses, the only race he has ridden in America is the
Tour of Georgia, may provide a steep learning curve if he is called on to lead
the squad from the team car. At 40, his best days are probably behind him
which means that he will most likely not be a candidate to ride the more
difficult stage races or hilly one-day events.

My guess is that we will see Cipo at the upcoming Tour of California behind the
wheel of a Rock Racing vehicle and not in the saddle. Given the rumours of how
he drives around Italy, even that scenario is sure to give race fans, and race
officials, something to talk about. Benvenuto in America Mario!

Bruce

ps - what do you all out there think about Mario coming to America?

This is the time of year when the professional cycling teams hold their pre-season training camps and one of the first teams out of the blocks is the BMC Professional Cycling Team. This is former Team Phonak owner Andy Rhis' squad and with the addition this year of John Lelangue, who directed Floyd Landis to victory in the 2006 Tour de France, and who will share the team director responsibilities with current DS Gavin Chilcott they are looking to take it up a notch in 2008.

Founded in 2006 as a US regional team, they upgraded to a full-blown US pro squad in 2007 and with the addition of riders such as Scott Moninger, Scott Nydam, Jackson Stewart, Jonathan Garcia and ex-Phonak rider Alexander Moos they were ready to play with the best teams in America and beyond. Moninger nearly pulled off a huge win at Redlands and Nydam finished a respectable sixth place in the Tour of Georgia while battling a number of European Pro Tour teams. The capper came with a win in the team time trial at the Giro del Friuli Venezia Giuli in Italy becoming the first all-American team to do so. Colorado-native Jonathan Garcia held the leader's jersey for a few stages as well.

For 2008, the team has upgraded to a UCI Professional Continental team, the same classification as Jonathan Vaughters' Slipstream/Chipotle squad. The move paved the way for the team to compete in some of Europe's best professional races. I caught up with John Lelangue on a cold, misty day in Palo Alto after the team had returned from riding stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California up and over the daunting Mount Hamilton and the brutal Sierra Road climbs. Lelangue was excited with the races on the US calendar, noting that the Amgen Tour of California, Tour of Georgia, Tour of Missouri and the Tour of Utah were all on their program. But, he was most excited about taking the team to Europe and testing the waters there. Already on the program are the Criterium International, Three Day of DePanne, Tour of Picardie and GP Pino Cerami. The squad is eyeing several more wildcard invitations to two high-profile stage races in Switzerland and a bumpy, one-day race in northern France.

It must be remembered that Andy Rhis shut down the Phonak team at the end of 2006 because of sponsorship difficulties. The BMC team has slowly evolved into a potential replacement, but to be sure, even if the European campaign is a raging success, team management will still be taking things slowly. This year they are knocking on the door. Next year they will be looking to break it down. Keep an eye on these boys in 2008!

Ever upward,

Bruce