2009 archive
Remember Al Emma? He's the 69-year-old bicyclist from Pennsylvania I wrote about last spring who had one more organized century to ride until he'd completed one in every state.
Well, Emma just emailed me to say simply that he'd completed the One Helena Hundred this past weekend in Montana.
That gives him at least one organized century in all 50 states. While that's an amazing feat, consider that he's done them all since 2002.
Meanwhile, in a similar vein, Phil Nagle of Tipp City, Ohio, just set off Monday to ride his bicycle to every state in the lower 48 in 48 days. He's doing it to raise money for cancer research ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/22/one-bicycle-challenge-ends-another-begins/
The Schleck brothers tried a one-two punch to knock Alberto Contador out of the yellow jersey on Tuesday as Stage 16 of the Tour de France continued through the Alps.
The effort didn't phase the Spanish cyclist on Team Astana, but it briefly put Lance Armstrong on the mat. He valiantly battled back, however, and regained the yellow jersey group to hold onto second place in the overall standings.
Spain's Mikel Astarloza, above, survived in an ever-dwindling breakaway over the two cols — Grand Saint Bernard and Petit Saint Bernard — to win his first-ever Tour de France stage and propel himself into 11th place overall ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/21/brothers-cant-unhinge-yellow-jersey-in-alps-at-tour-de-france/
Eukaltel Euskada rider wins Stage 16 of Tour de France
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/21/mikel-astarloza/
After denying a permit to a charity bicycle ride, commissioners in a Denver metro area county say they'll ask the state legislature to grant counties the power to ban bicycles from county roads of their choice.
The Bicycle Colorado advocacy group says this must not be allowed to happen.
“If such legislation were to pass, county roads anywhere in the state could be closed to bicyclists, including critical cycling routes like Deer Creek Canyon in Jefferson County, Swan Mountain Road in Summit County, Horsetooth Reservoir in Larimer County, and many, many more.”
I'm not familiar with these roads, but it sounds like a big mistake to give counties the right to ban bicycles from certain roads. Bicyclists have paid the taxes, along with other citizens, to build and maintain those county roads, and they have a perfect right to use those roads ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/20/county-in-colorado-wants-power-to-say-no-to-bicycling/
It's not uncommon to find wide varieties of sports supplements and high-tech training gadgets hawked at major bicycling events.
But a journalist for the Des Moines Register stumbled across a truly unique device for sale at an expo booth in Council Bluffs for the kickoff of RAGBRAI over the weekend.
Called FUDS — short for female urination devices, the product allows women to answer the call of nature just as men do, by standing up.
The funnel-shaped, silicon devices are sold by GoGirl, whose slogan is “Don't take life sitting down.” …..
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/20/enabling-women-to-stand-up-to-the-call-of-nature/
Bicyclists in the 37th annual RAGBRAI rolled out of Council Bluffs on Sunday morning to begin their 442-mile trip across the state.
Participants didn't have to go far to dip their wheels in the Missouri River to begin their trek. Crews pumped a spray of river water onto the deck of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge so cyclists could just roll through it.
The grand-daddy of all across-state bicycle rides, getting its start in 1973, this one boasts 10,000 registered bicyclists and many more (as many as 5,000) who are just along for the ride ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/20/2009-ragbrai-starts-rolling-down-the-road/
Who is the leader of Team Astana? Without a doubt, it's Spain's Alberto Contador.
The 2007 Tour de France champion accelerated out of the chase group on the final climb of Stage 15 on Sunday to take the yellow jersey and quash any discussion about whether he or Lance Armstrong leads the team.
Armstrong was in front of the leader's group at the base of the Category 1 climb to Verbier, but could only watch as first Contador, then the Schleck brothers, Carlos Sastre, Bradley Wiggins, and others rode away. Armstrong finished in 9th place on the stage.
After eight days in the yellow jersey, Rinaldo Nocentini gave up the overall lead to Contador who now leads by 1:37 over No. 2 Armstrong…….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/19/a-change-in-yellow-jersey-at-tour-de-france-astana-leadership-issues-resolved/
Spain's Alberto Contador of Team Astana
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/19/alberto-contador-4/
American cyclist George Hincapie missed the yellow jersey by 5 seconds on Saturday as he joined a breakaway that didn't get to the finish line quite fast enough.
The Columbia rider moved up 27 places to 2nd behind Rinaldo Nocentini.
Hincapie was the highest placed cyclist among the 12 that led Stage 14 for most of the day. In fact, he was the yellow jersey “on the road” as the margin back to the peloton grew to more than 6 minutes.
But the 12 couldn't work together as they neared the finish in Besancon and jockeyed for their stage win. With about 6 miles to go, Serguei Ivanov attacked and drove to a solo victory ahead of 11 others.
After the race, a clearly disappointed and bitter Hincapie ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/18/holy-hincapie-george-misses-yellow-jersey-by-5-seconds-in-stage-14-at-tour-de-france/
Within 5 seconds of Yellow Jersey at Tour de France.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/18/george-hincapie-4/
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