Active Expert: Bruce Hildenbrand

Equality of the Sexes

Bruce Hildenbrand — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:40:34 GMT

The World Track Championships just finished up in Manchester, England and the host country totally dominated the meeting with ten gold medals. After getting robbed of a stage win in the Amgen Tour of California it was great to see Mark Cavendish (and his partner Bradley Wiggins) on the top spot of the podium in the Madison event. Even America hauled in a bit of hardware with Jennie Reed winning a thoroughly exciting Kierin final and Sarah Hammer taking silver in the women's pursuit. Teenage phenom Taylor Phinney set a world record in the 3000m pursuit, he has an outside chance to medal at the upcoming Beijing(hack, hack) Olympics.

But, that's not the subject of my blog. It seems like the UCI just can't do anything right these days and it also includes picking the events for the Women on the track. The men ride a 1 kilometer time trial which takes the best about a minute for the 0.62 of a mile distance. The UCI, for some reason unknown to just about everyone, have the women ride a 500 meter time trial. Does the UCI think that women can't ride 1 kilometer? If so, then why do they have a 3000m pursuit for the women. To make matters even worse, the men ride a 4000m pursuit. In Anglo-speak that's 2.5 miles. Does the UCI think that women can't ride 2.5 miles on a bike? Why then do they have a Women's Scratch Race that is 10 kilometers (6 miles) long?

But, the biggest joke is the team sprint an event where, in the men's division, three riders compete. This first rider leads the first lap then drops out. The second rider completes the second lap on the front then drops out leaving the third rider to ride the final lap. The whole event takes about 50 seconds total for the three laps. Someone please tell me why the women do the same event but with only two riders? Is there some genetic difference that keeps women from competing for 15-20 seconds more by doing a third lap with a third rider?

In track and field(that's 'Athletics' for those of you from Europe) then men and women run the exact same distances as the men from the 100 meter sprint to the 42km (26.2 mile) marathon. If women can run for over two hours, why can't they race for 15-20 seconds more on the track in a bicycle race? It boggles the mind. Personally, I think the women bike racers should petition the UCI for equality. If they want to be respected and get the same honor and glory, they should be riding the same distances. I just can't wait to see what the UCI screws up next.

Bruce

Fabulous Fabian

Bruce Hildenbrand — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:49:02 GMT

If you haven't already guessed it, I love bike racing. And I love professional bike racing most. It features the best riders in the best races (apologies to Astana and Rock Racing) and it is cool. These pros are the cream of the crop, top of the heap, A-No. 1. They are the strongest, fastest and best bike handlers on the planet. It is incredibly inspiring and interesting to see the pros on the job.

Last Saturday in Italy, the skills, dedication and drive of the pros was abundantly evident at this season's first classic: the umpteenth running of Milan-San Remo, or La Primavera as it is known to the tifosi (Italian for 'rabid fan'). I am still trying to understand why the first big race of the year is also the longest. At 185 miles, that's seven-plus hours in the saddle for the best of the best -- which is a long time even at 25-plus mph average.

It was nice to see one of my 'hoodmates from Boulder, Will Frischkorn of the Slipstream/Chipotle team, off the front for almost 150 miles. Luckily, he had several other riders to share the pace and though their breakaway was reeled in on the penultimate climb, the Cipressa, they got a lot of TV time for their respective sponsors and that is what is about.
We got to see two-time world champion Paolo Bettini, who was just recently racing in the Amgen Tour of California, make a strong move on the Cipressa that seemed to contain enough horsepower to make it the final 10 miles to the finish. But the peloton still thought they had a chance as well and Bettini and company were caught just before the final climb, the Poggio.

If you want to impress somebody with your knowledge of European cycling, the Poggio is pronounced "pocho." It is not that long (1.5 miles) and not that steep (4-5 percent), but when you have ridden 180 miles and you are smoking up the Poggio in your big chainring, nobody is going to say it's easy. More often than not, everybody who matters seems to make it over the climb and down the kamikaze descent so that it is a bunch sprint at the finish. Not this year. Everybody's favorite Swiss rider, Fabian Cancellara, ignited his jets and left the field in his wake to win his second classic (the first being Paris-Roubaix in 2006) of his career.

I love it when a superhuman individual effort foils the sprinters. Not to knock the fast finishers, those guy have an interesting mix of speed, cunning and fearless abandon like nobody else, but there is something about one guy holding off the bunch. Maybe it goes back to the old western movies where one settler holds off a whole pack of charging Indians. What it all adds up to is that the pro racing season is full on. No more training camps, no more lollygagging. It's time to eat lunch or be lunch. Bravo Fabian!

Bruce

Ciao Mario

Bruce Hildenbrand — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:09:41 GMT

Today, Rock Racing confirmed that Mario Cipollini is no longer with the team. Many speculated that il Leone was leaving at the last minute to open the doors for a ride in this Saturday's Milan San Remo classic with Tinkov Credit Systems, but Cipollini denied any such 12th hour move. It looks like Cipo is headed towards his second retirement from the sport.

Hey, but what a ride Mario gave us all at the Amgen Tour of California(AToC). There is no denying that he is a rock star and his involvement with the high-profile Rock Racing Team looked to be a perfect match. When Michael Ball's squad rolled up to a stage start and Super Mario popped out into the crowd the electricity was in the air and the race came alive. He was clearly a fan favorite and he obliged all who sought autographs and interviews. He told me that this second career was just going to be fun. In Vegas terms, this time he was playing with the house's money.

Even with a relaxed attitude, Cipo still delivered, coming third in Sacramento to his heir apparent Tom Boonen and looking and acting like he had just won the stage. It was definitely the highpoint for Rock Racing and was ample justification for the team being invited to the AToC. Somehow, Mario willed his 40-year old body over both Mount Hamilton and Sierra Road the next day. Just to make sure his resolve was still at a professional level, mother nature unleashed her fury on the Hiway 1 down to San Luis Obispo resulting in a seven hour day in the saddle in cold rain.

Cipo's perpetual tan took a beating on that epic day, but he finished with the group and eventually the whole race to Pasadena proving that he still had what it takes to be a pro. During the AToC, Mario confided that his major goal was to take Rock Racing to Europe and participate in some of the great races across the pond. Rumour had it that the organizers of Milan-San Remo were keeping the 25th and final team slot open for Rock Racing with Cipo looking to repeat his 2002 victory on Via Roma where he beat his now-teammate Freddie Rodriguez to the line.

Unfortunately, Cipo and Micheal Ball could not come to agreement on the details the result being that flamboyant Italian has hung up his cleats and the show that is Super Mario has closed once again. Personally, I prefer substance over flash, but with Cipo you got both. I miss him already.

Bruce

More AToC Peloton Awards

Bruce Hildenbrand — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:33:29 GMT

Most aggro dude: GQ George Hincapie. He spent more time off the front and in more stages than anybody else. He went long on the climbs; he went long on the flats and even had enough gas left in the tank to go long on the final day as well.

Little Engine that Could Team: BMC Racing is one of the young up and coming teams looking for some love in the peloton. First with Jackson Stewart on Stage 1, then Scott Nydam on Stage 2, then with Taylor Tolleson on Stage 7, these boys showed that they came to play.

Hard Luck Kid: Health Net Maxxis' Roman Kilun was in that huge breakaway on the abysmal Highway 1 day and must have had jello for legs for the next day's time trial. Unfortunately, he flatted at the most inopportune moment on the course and could not get a new wheel for almost 2 miles. He missed the day's
time cut by only a minute and was out of the race. Sometimes lady luck just doesn't have a heart.

Not so Lantern Rouge: Michael Creed is the consummate journeyman pro, having spent time on all the major U.S. pro squads. Now on Rock Racing, he was having difficulty finding his form all week long which found him languishing at the bottom of the standings (the venerable +lantern rouge+). But Creed found some legs on the last day, initiated the major breakaway and even tried to launch himself over the massive Mill Creak Summit first.

Mr. Belgian: yes, there are real Belgians like Tom Boonen at the race. However, Australian, Henk Vogels, on the Toyota United team looks and acts (that's supposed to be a compliment) like the prototypical Belgian Hardman. Always ready for battle and seemingly with an endless ear-to-ear grin, I don't think the rain affected Henk one bit.

Classiest Rider: hey, all the guys who rode the AToC are classy, but one guy seemed to stand out. Paolo Bettini just knows how to look good on and off the bike and his engaging smile just seems to say, "bike racing is cool." I hope Il Grillo can win the final stage.

Bogus Move: the officials for DQing Mark Cavendish's stage win in Santa Clarita. Cavendish's move to use the team cars to pace him back into the pack after a late-race crash is something commonly done in Europe, but for some reason, not appreciated here in the U.S. Cavendish was just doing what any good sprinter would have done and he should have been given the win.

Best Ride of the race: Levi was expected to do well in the TT, as was David Millar, but Christian Vandevelde's third place was a very pleasant surprise. This will be Christian's third straight top-10 finish overall in this race
and his first time on the podium. Honorable mention to Levi for thoroughly schooling the field and holding onto the jersey.

Best Finish: Dominique Rollin in San Luis Obispo. It was sooooo bad out there for so long that everyone wanted the riders to bring it home and get warm. Nice to see one of the U.S. pro teams win one from the Pro Tour boys.

Crowd Favorite: Super Mario Cipollini. He's told me several times that this is his second career on the bike so it's like playing with the house's money, but that hasn't kept him from dicing it up at the finish. This man has rock star persona written all over him and the crowds mob him to prove it.

Peloton Heartthrob: Tom Boonen is one of the most recognizable faces in the pro peloton and for good reason. The heir apparent to Super Mario, Tom also has that rock star aura that whips his fans into a frenzy.

Hardest Working Man on Two Wheels: Che Chu Rubiera was on the front for Team Astana virtually the entire race. And he was on the front when it mattered most: over Mount Hamilton and Sierra Road. This guy does his job like no other and always has a smile and kind word while doing it.

Well, that's it for now. If you have some of your own awards to hand out, feel free to post up.

Bruce

2008 AToC Peloton Awards

Bruce Hildenbrand — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:37:46 GMT

Time for the 2008 Amgen Tour of California(AToC) Peloton Awards. These prestigious awards honor riders, team personnel, race organizers and anyone else I feel like for their contributions to making the race what it is. Since the Academy Awards will be held tomorrow very close to the finish of the race, we are going to start with some more fashion-related observations.

Flashiest Team Jersey: Rock Racing! This new kit rocks and you can buy it!

Preppiest Team Jersey: Slipstream. Rumor has it that after the race they are all pledging with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity

Rugby Jersey: With their all-black kit, look for the boys from Health Net-Maxxis to be lining up with our favorite Kiwi rugby team.

Most Retro Jersey: Team High Road Sports with that lettering straight out of the late '70s.

Sentimental Favorite Jersey: Team Astana. I liked them at the Tour, I still like them and some guy named Levi is kicking major butt in it as well.

Most Patriotic Jersey: Toyota United. It's OK that a Canadian rode it across the line to victory in San Luis Obispo.

Most Edible Jersey: Jelly Belly. These guys are up against some pretty big boys, but they continue to exude positive energy.

Jersey Most in Need of a Makeover: BMC. I have already acknowledged that I have no fashion sense, but these guys need to spice it up a bit. Boring.

Lint Free Jersey: Bissell Pro Cycling. These guys have a great sponsor in Mark Bissell and with two riders in the top 10 at the Solvang TT, they are definitely cleaning up.

Sunglasses Jersey: Saunier Duval-Scott has the brightest jersey out there and they wear it well. Next year bring some English-speaking riders so I can interview to them.

Steal this Jersey: Rabobank. The Dutch bank has opened some offices in California so they are almost the home town team.

Most Classic Jersey: Team CSC. With just the right mix of lettering and colors, this jersey looks great at the head of the peloton which is where the No. 1-rated team usually is!

Almost as Classic Jersey: Tom Boonen and his Quick Step boys are almost as classic. If they could just get that diminutive Italian to give up his rainbow stripes then they would be there! I am not even going to say anything about the gold shoes.

Honorable mentions: Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast, Bouygues Telecom and Credit Agricole for adding their own color to the peloton.

Well, that's the jersey portion of the awards. More to follow at the conclusion of the race.

Bruce

Levi Simply Phenomenal

Bruce Hildenbrand — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:28:28 GMT

Levi Leipheimer delivered a good old-fashioned drubbing in today's 15-mile individual time trial at the Amgen Tour of California (AToC). With only 20 or so seconds separating all the big names this was definitely the most exciting day so far in the race. And it was the defending champion Leipheimer who rode one of the best time trials of his career to put an authoritative stamp on the race. His winning margin of 29 seconds over Slipstream's David Millar was even more impressive than last year, when he bested an in-form Jens Voigt.

The much-anticipated duel between Leipheimer and Team CSC's Fabian Cancellara failed to materialize as the two-time defending World Champion finished fifth, 1:05 back and just behind his teammate, Gustav Larsson. After the finish, Cancellara indicated that his performance in staying with the lead group on Tuesday's mountainous stage over Mount Hamilton and Sierra Road had left him a bit flat.

There were a lot of other bright moments in Solvang. In addition to Millar's brilliant second place, Christian Vandevelde uncorked a super ride as well to put two Slipstream/Chipotle riders on the finish podium. Dave Zabriskie's sixth-place finish was another great result for Jonathan Vaughter's boys as well. The team's power guru, Dr. Allen Lim, indicated that the most important thing in the time trial for his riders was to go out a bit easier than normal then build towards the finish.

With two days of racing remaining, and lots of climbing to boot, it is probably too early to call the overall winner. Levi is clearly motivated and his team has been killing themselves to keep him in the leader's jersey. However, there are number of teams still looking to make Team Astana earn the victory. Look for Team CSC, High Road Sports and Slipstream/Chipotle to be very aggressive on Saturday's stage which includes a number of short, steep climbs.

There as has been a lot of sickness following the AToC. Teams like Slipstream/Chipotle and Gerolsteiner seem to have been hit the hardest, but Chris Horner is also fighting a bug that has left him down on his strength.

After the deluge on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are looking dry with Sunday potentially seeing more rain. With the race reaching its highest point at just under 5,000 feet on Sunday, hopefully, it will be a warm rain.

UCI President Pat McQuaid is attending the race. I asked him if there was a limit to the number of days to which the AtoC could expand and he replied that there is no limit. Before we start thinking that the Tour of California may become a three-week race like the Tour de France, hopefully, the race organizers will add a day and run Saturday to Sunday so that the event can head down south towards San Diego.

Bruce

Bad Day at the Office

Bruce Hildenbrand — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:47:58 GMT

I wrote in my blog a couple of weeks ago how much I hated riding in the rain. Well, the skies have opened up on the Amgen Tour of California (AToC) today and things have gotten messy. This is the showcase stage, 135 miles down ultra-scenic Highway 1. Unfortunately, the seasonal 20-30 mph north tailwind which usually propels the peloton on the race's longest stage to an average speed close to 30 mph, has done a 180 degree turnabout. Not only are the racers riding into a bitingly cold 20-30mph wind, but lashing rain has made it just that much more unpleasant.

OK. These guys are pros and they have to be prepared for a few days of rain here and there, but this is almost a perfect storm scenario coming on the day after the hardest stage in AToC history. Not surprisingly, there have been a number of notable abandons including Tom Danielson, Ivan Dominguez and almost half of the German-based Team Gerlosteiner.

In the press room, watching the race on TV, it definitely looks like a case of "anywhere but here" for the 110 or so riders remaining in the race. These guys are going to need some hot showers, a nice long massage and some good food as tomorrow is the all-important individual time trial (ITT) -- which will almost surely determine who will wear the gold race leader's jersey to the finish in Pasadena come Sunday. Look for a two-way battle between Leipheimer and Cancellara with Millar and Zabriskie as potential spoilers. Don't miss it!

A couple of quick notes: I talked with Tyler Hamilton of Rock Racing yesterday. He told me that, as I reported a few days ago, Rock Racing had a letter from the UCI, dated February 14th, that said there were no open doping investigations on any member of the team. Michael Ball made that letter public at his press conference last Saturday. Tyler indicated that the race organizers claimed to have a letter from the UCI, dated February 16th, that said there was an open doping investigation. However, nobody has seen this new letter. This whole affair seems reminiscent of the movie Animal House with Rock Racing being on "double secret probation."

Word is circulating that the AToC may visit the San Diego area next year. It is not clear at this writing if the race will increase the number of days it will run or if some of this year's stages will be scrapped to make room for the trek south. Stay tuned for details.

Bruce

Tough day at the Tour

Bruce Hildenbrand — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:40:05 GMT

Today was the queen stage in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California (AToC) with the grueling climbs of Mount Hamilton and Sierra Road looking to separate the pretenders from the contenders. And that it did, providing some of the most memorable moments in the three-year history of the event.

Before the stage, I asked Levi if he thought the race would be made on the first (Mount Hamilton) or second (Sierra Road) climb. His response was simply "Sierra Road." His Team Astana teammate Chris Horner echoed his leader's reply noting that the game plan was to get as many Astana riders as possible over Mount Hamilton and then let it play out on the punishing 13-15 percent slopes of Sierra Road.

And that's what Astana did, bringing back everybody including a bold move by High Road Sports rider George Hincapie. When the 15-rider strong lead group hit the final climb it was definitely game on. Astana's Che Chu Rubiera laid down some heavy tempo for the first third of the climb and then the race exploded. It was great to see Che Chu at the front of the race in the mountains giving his all for his team leader, even more so as he set tempo up a major portion of Mount Hamilton as well. It was clearly a reminder of how hard he worked for Lance in his multiple Tour de France wins.

Back to the final climb where it was down to just four riders, Leipheimer, Horner, Dave Zabriskie and Robert Gesink of Rabobank at the halfway mark when Gesink, who rode well on Sierra last year as well, put in a vicious attack and then there were only two. Clearly gunning for the stage win, Gesink set a hard tempo as he and Leipheimer pulled away, cresting the summit 45 seconds ahead of Zabriskie and Horner, who were to be caught by the remains of the original 15-man lead group on the descent.

What ensued was cat-and-mouse with Gesink and Leipheimer doing all they could to hold off the charging bunch. At the finish, Gesink took the stage with Leipheimer taking the leader's jersey. But wait, there's more...Fabian Cancellara was able to infiltrate the chase group which means Levi's lead is a mere 13 or so seconds over the two-time World Time Trial Champion. At the finish, I asked Levi if he had won the AToC today, he astutely said, "no, it is a long ways from over."

It looks like the race will come down to Friday's individual time trial. Don't count out Slipstream/Chipotle's two Daves, Zabriskie and Millar. They are both capable of putting together a ride to take the jersey from Levi. And with only 15-30 seconds separating a whole host of riders while Levi is in the driver's seat, the race is far from over. Back in 2006, Leipheimer wore the race leader's jersey into the San Jose TT only to have Floyd Landis take it off his back. However, as true champions do, Levi made amends last year and simply
smoked the entire field in Solvang in 2007. Not to put any pressure on the Leipheimer, but it is now his race to lose.

Hey, how about the Gesink kid. Last Friday, I went riding with the Rabobank team in the hills above Silicon Valley. I remembered Robert from his cracking ride last year and remarked that with his skinny physique, he looked like a climber. His response was, "yeah, but I am too longtall." I wish I was that tall! He even sat on my wheel and let me set the pace on the climbs. What a nice guy.

Bruce

Crunch Time

Bruce Hildenbrand — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:18:58 GMT

Even though we have had three days of very exciting racing at the Amgen Tour of California (AToC), the real race for the overall title begins tomorrow with a potentially epic stage over the 4,200-foot Mount Hamilton and the 2,000-foot Sierra Road, which boast grades of up to 15 percent as it climbs 1,800 feet in 3.8 miles. Expect to see riders like Levi Leipheimer, Jens Voigt, Jason McCartney, Tom Danielson, Robert Gesink, Chris Horner and Janez Brajkovic in the mix in the final miles of the stage.

The big guns will be firing and with cloudy skies and the potential for a few showers, the stage could take on epic proportions. This is clearly the hardest road stage ever held in the AToC's young history and will undoubtedly see a small group of riders who are not considered contenders for the overall title go up the road even before the Mount Hamilton climb. These "no-hopers" may even stay clear to the top of Mount Hamilton and all the way to the base of the brutal Sierra Road, but look for their shot at stage glory to be erased on the slopes of the AToC's signature climb.

As legendary cycling photographer Graham Watson put it, "Levi doesn't need to win in San Jose, he just needs to shed himself of some of his competitors." Yeah, baby! The race is on!

In other notes, Slipstream/Chipotle rider Tyler Farrar who took over the AToC leader's jersey has a bit if difficult to pronounce last name. It's 'Farra' to you, just like that Charlie's Angel who used to be married to Ryan ONeal.

Scott Nydam who, like his BMC Racing teammate Jackson Stewart the day before, went on a long solo break on Stage 2 from Santa Rosa to Sacramento. Scott lives in Sebastapol which is close to the stage start. He told me he had several reasons to go off on a raining day in search of glory. First off, his father was recently diagnosed with leukemia and though the cancer is in remission, he wanted to do something for his dad. Secondly, Scott is a climbing specialist and was disappointed with how he rode on the Coleman Valley ascent yesterday especially since he trains a lot on that climb and knows it well. Good on ya, Scott.

And it appears that Super Mario is back. While he lost the final sprint to his heir apparent, Tom Boonen, Super Mario definitely seems to be enjoying what he calls his second career on the bike. A podium finish in Sacramento was a huge result for the upstart Rock Racing team. Michael Ball's squad appears to be settling into a rhythm and has put the first few turbulent days behind them. Rumor has it that Rock Racing may get the 25th and final team spot for the first classic of the season, Milan-San Remo, a race Il Leone has won and his teammate Freddie Rodriguez has finished second.
Bruce