Biking Bis - Bicycle Touring

Alberto Contador banned in doping case; loses 2010 TdF and Giro titles

Gene Bisbee — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:17:45 -0800

Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador has been stripped of his 2010 Tour de France and Giro d'Italia titles and banned from competing in any races until August.

The Switzerland-based Court for Arbitration of Sport handed down the two-year ban against Contador for doping with clenbuterol during 2010.

The court didn't believe Contador's claim that, during the latter stages of the 2010 ...

Mt. Washington bike race suits the masochist in us

Gene Bisbee — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 -0800

If you revel in cycling challenges and you keep a bucket list, then the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hill Climb is a perfect candidate for it.

The 7.6-mile scramble to the summit of the New Hampshire peak has an average gradient of 12% with sections of 18%. The last 50 yards, where it really counts, maxes out at 22%.

Viewing the unnatural upward tilt of some bicycles in this video makes my thighs burn, but I can understand some cyclists' desire to return here year after year. ...

Big coup for Coup de Cascades - RAAM qualifier in 2012

Gene Bisbee — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:29:35 -0800

Ultra marathon bicyclists will be marking next year's calendars for the Redmond-based Coup de Cascades on Aug. 14-15 after the Race Across America chose it as a qualifier this week.

Since the 2012 RAAM starts in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 13, the Coup de Cascades will be one of the qualifying events for the 2013 RAAM.

The 425-mile loop around the Cascades launched in 2011 as a polio fund-raiser for the Redmond Rousers Rotary. The weekend event also featured a century and half-century ride for those ...

Around-the-world bicycle race rolls out of London next year

Gene Bisbee — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:27:43 -0700

Any argument over which is the "most epic" bicycle race should end in February 2012.

That's when about 20 cyclists will roll out of London on the 18,000-mile Global Bicycle Race.

They're aiming to beat the time of Englishman Vin Cox, left, who set the current Guinness World Record of 163 days, 6 hours and 58 minutes in 2010.

Cox is organizing this around-the-world bicycle race, set to start on Feb. 18. That date was picked so the winner and new record-holder will be showing up in London just as the 2012 Summer Olympics gets underway.

I don't use the term epic lightly, but this bicycle race certainly qualifies. ...

Mountain bike racer survives the unexpected

Gene Bisbee — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:39:24 -0700

This is probably the last thing this guy expected to happen when he zipped up his jersey and snapped on his helmet for a mountain bike race in South Africa recently.

According to Wikipedia, there are 130,000 Red Hartebeests living in southern Africa. Evan van der Spuy of Team Jeep South Africa met one of them.

Travis Walker caught the collision while filming the action at the ...

Cycling dates for six pro cycling races in the US in 2012

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:28:42 -0700

Cycling fans in the US will have a six-pack of UCI classified road race events in this country next year as cycling's governing body recently set its 2012 America's Tour calendar.

In all, there are 26 bicycle races on the calendar for North and South America.

It's good to see the Tour of Utah and USA Pro Cycling Challenge, both won by Levi Leipheimer, back on the calendar in 2012. ...

Cyclists compete for bragging rights on Mount Diablo

Gene Bisbee — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:34:08 -0700

There's an easy (well, maybe not so easy) way to decide who is the best climber among San Francisco Bay Area bicyclists -- take the Mount Diablo Challenge.

More than 600 cyclists completed the 30th anniversary of the event on Sunday, some in all seriousness and others for the pure joy of climbing 3,249 feet in 11.2 miles.

The fastest cyclist to the top of the peak that dominates the Bay Area skyline in Danville was Nathaniel English ...

"Manx Missile" Mark Cavendish wins Worlds bicycle championship

Gene Bisbee — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:20:19 -0700

The winningest pro cyclist in recent years is adding the rainbow jersey to his wardrobe of green, yellow, red and pink jerseys.

Great Britain's Mark Cavendish won the sprint finish in the world road race championship on Sunday in Rudersdahl, Denmark.

That means he'll wear the rainbow strips of the UCI world champion throughout the 2012 season. Australia's Matt Goss finished second with Andre Greipel (Germany) in third.

This being the world championships, the 200-some cyclists represented their countries ...

RadioShack-Nissan-Trek Professional Cycling Team introduced

Gene Bisbee — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:55:46 -0700

The Labor Day merger of RadioShack and Leopard-Trek may already be vying for a title -- longest team name in professional cycling.

Here are some details about RadioShack-Nissan-Trek Professional Cycling Team gleaned from press releases and wire services:

Personnel -- Announced so far are The Brothers Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Chris Horner ...

Van Garderen will be teammates with Evans and Hincapie

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:03:37 -0700

Tacoma, Washington-native Tejay Van Garderen is heading over to BMC Racing, the team of Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and America's George Hincapie for next season.

Van Garderen had to find a new home after his HTC-Highroad cycling team announced it would disband at the end of the year because it couldn't find a sponsor.

In making the announcement, ...