Columbia - HTC (Page 7)

Happychick - 2009-07-17 8:09 PM Hey Gang!
I am so very happy to say that I am finally back in action!!  I'm still not 100% but at least I can start training again.  I will be PMing Cat (unless you're reading this....)to be sure my 9 (verrrrry loooooooong days) that I was out of commission will be figured in.  Does anyone know if there is anything else I need to do to ensure this doesn't affect us as a team?

I have a race coming up next weekend that I wasn't sure I was going to do (in light of my foot and sickness misfortunes) but since it's my first Oly ever, I decided that short of me dying I am going to do it but have really lowered my expectations (like from a time goal to now I just want to finish without falling over!!)

I HAVE been totally staying up on the Tour and even have my hubby now addicted.  He comes home from work telling me about his conversations with his buds at work...mind you this is the same man who questioned ME about getting into it for the first time this year!

Great to hear you're feeling better Michelle.  Ease back into training, don't rush in spite of your upcoming race, lest you may injure / suffer another setback if you try to do too much too soon.

Well done!  Nice ride with your sister, were you responsible / the influence for getting your sister into a healthier lifestyle?  I've been trying and trying, but still unsuccessful with my sister(s).

24hr ban is over - recap and picture time...

Recap - Stage 13 – Vittel to Colmar 200 km, July 17

Heinrich Haussler registered the first Tour de France stage win of his career with victory in a wet, mountainous slog between Vittel and Colmar on Friday.  Thor Hushovd took the green jersey from Mark Cavendish, who struggled in a stage marked by five climbs, including the category one Col du Platzerwasel, and Hushovd now has a lead of five points.  Columbia’s Tony Martin rode consistently and retain the white jersey.  A strong ride by Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) allowed him to snatch the polka dot jersey from Egoi MARTINEZ (Euskaltel-Euskadi).  Astana’s Levi Leipheimer (USA), who was fourth overall after Stage 12, pulled out of the tour having broken his wrist from the crash the day before.

Columbia's George Hincapie of the U.S. puts on a rain coat as he cycles during the 13th stage

Steep task: the unforgiving elements contrive to make the going hard...

Tough wet day at the office

Happychick - 2009-07-14 6:49 AM Hey all!  Sorry I've been so quiet and that I'm so far behind on my goals (I'm thinking they will have to be readjusted!).  I have been really sick and today is the first day in a week that I've been able to get up and move around.  Needless to say, training has been at a stand still and I'm not sure when it will start back up...

I hope you're feeling better!

This is an awesome photo. I wonder who was faster

LOL this reminds me of my ride on Friday

I think she just got tired of being overweight, and maybe because I am really active she saw that as the way to go. I didn't push her though, she's young and I knew that she had to make the connection herself. She's doing a lot of rowing now, she rows about 5-6 times per week! She is riding my brother's bike, he purchased a $2000 road bike that he hardly uses, she's put a women's seat on it and is riding a bit. At least someone is using it now, its a great bike! I'm hoping we can ride together again soon, its just a case of coordinating our schedules with all the rowing she does

24hr late for the Stage 14 recap and pics, but here it is -

Recap - Stage 14 – Colmar to Besançon 199 km, July 18

Russian champion from the Katusha team Serguei Ivanov broke away at a key stage to claim victory in the 14th stage of the Tour de France.  American George Hincapie finished in the breakaway group to move from 28th to 2nd behind Rinaldo Nocentini. Mark Cavendish lost his stage points for barging Thor Hushovd in the sprint, allowing Hushovd to increase his lead in the points race to 18.

The stage was earlier marred by the death of a female spectator and injury of two more in an incident involving a police motorcycle. The woman, who was in her 60s, was hit as she crossed the road along the route near Colmar in north-eastern France.

At the start of Stage 14

Falling short: an emotional Hincapie reacts after just missing out on the yellow jersey by 5".  He was clearly p.o. with Astana and Garmin's tactics in the interview.

Thor Hushovd complaining about Mark Cavendish's line at the end of the stage.   Hushovd lodged a formal complaint which was upheld, and Cavendish was disqualified and all his points for the day was wiped out.  Tough day for Columbia-HTC

Any thoughts on Stage 14?  Did Astana setting the tempo ("false" or otherwise) cost Hincapie the yellow jersey?  Hincapie certainly thought so in the interview, but Armstrong / Bruyneel blamed everything on Garmin.  I think if Astana didn't do the work for AG2R for the first 130km, Hincapie would have built up >10' and AG2R or Garmin would not have been able to deny him of yellow.  And what about Cav being disqualified for not holding the line?  Was what he did so bad or just part of racing?  The green jersey race is all but over now.

Raced a Sprint Du yesterday, which also count as Stage 6/7 for the Challenge.  I've 1 more stage and 100' to go.  Also had 3rd fastest bike split (of women) at the race,  woohoo!

Yes, it goes to Sun July 26.  This is the last wk of the Tour.  Let's go Team Columbia-HTC!!

Recap - Stage 15 – Pontarlier to Verbier, Switzerland, 207.5 km, July 19

Astana’s Alberto Contador won the day and the maillot jaune on Sunday, riding away from a small group of favorites on the final climb in stage 15 of the Tour de France.  Contador used the Category 1 climb to Verbier to settle accounts with teammate Lance Armstrong and the rest of his rivals for the overall victory, rocketing away to win by more than 40 seconds over Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck, who collected the white jersey for the best young rider in the process.

Hushovd in the green jersey as the Tour Stage 15 leaves Pontarlier and heads to Verbier, Switzerland

The peloton ride through the Swiss countryside on stage 15 of the 2009 Tour de France from Pontarlier to Verbier on July 18, 2009 in Verbier, Switzerland.

Contador proves himself as the better climber in Stage 15 of the TdF

I don't know enough about this race (or any professional bike race) to say one way or the other about the whole Hincapie thing but I will say that it's heartbreaking that Columbia took two really hard hits in one day.  I was sooo rooting for George to get the yellow jersey and I think the whole thing with Cavendish was excessive ~ could they not have just taken a few points from him since he NEVER did anything questionable before this?!

This is where we are on the Second Rest Day – July 20 –

Yellow jersey - Alberto Contador (Astana). Armstrong (Astana) 1’37” back, Wiggins (Garmin) 1’46” back.  Columbia-HTC’s Tony Martin in 8^th place 3’07” back

Green jersey – Thor Hushovd (Cevelo). Columbia-HTC’s Mark Cavendish 18pts back

White Jersey - Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank). Nibali Vincenzo (Liquigas) 25” back.  Tony Martin (Columbia-HTC) in 3^rd place 41” back                                                                                                                      

Polka Dot – Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas)

The Tour is far from over.  There’ll be lots of fireworks with 2 mountain stages in the Alps on Tues (Stage 16) and Wed (Stage 17),  Individual Time Trial on Thursday (Stage 18), climaxing to the penultimate stage in Mont Ventoux on Saturday (Stage 20).  And of course Paris on Sun (Stage 21).

So unlike me, they don't rest on rest day.  Astana's Rest Day training ride

An Astana technician checks the time-trial bike, designed by Japanese Yoshitomo Nara, of Kazakh cycling team Astana Lance Armstrong of the United States on July 20, 2009 in Sion (Switzerland), on the second of the two rest days of the 2009 TdF

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