Watch the videozine, think about how great the tour was, prepare for the vuelta.

In 2010, the Vuelta a España will be celebrating its 75h Anniversary.

Over these past 75 years, the world and cycling have changed a great deal. That first edition held 75 years ago had 14 stages, almost all of which were over 250 kms long. What is to be the 75th “Platinum” edition will have 21 stages averaging 170 kms. A considerable difference aimed at being a spectacular event with shorter stages and fast-paced dashes to the finish line.

And the show will be getting off to a start in Seville, against the backdrop of the La Maestranza Bullring. On August 28th, a Vuelta as none ever before will be getting under way. A night-time team time trial through Seville’s most emblematic areas will be welcoming racers, sponsors, technical personnel and numerous spectators gathering to once again follow this excitingly vibrant events of three-week Spanish race.

Six summit finishes, two of which are newcomers to La Vuelta, will be crowding fans along the shoulders of the roads to greet the passing peloton. Xorret del Catí, where Alejandro Valverde earned himself the yellow jersey last year, Andorra’s Pal Pass, Peña Cabarga, which will be on the course for the second time, and Lagos de Covadonga will all be providing the enjoyment of great finishes just as in the past. The new finishing points in Cotobello in Asturias and the “Bola del Mundo” in Madrid, will be joining in with these icons to make the history of La Vuelta a España even greater yet.

Other heart-stopping finishes will be at the finish in Malaga with its Gibralfaro Castle, in Murcia with the Cresta del Gallo a few short kilometers from the finish line, Vilanova i la Geltrú in Catalunya with the new Rat Penat climb. All of these finishes, in conjunction with the 46-kilometer time trial in the homeland of the Ribera del Duero wineries will be shaping a Vuelta which – if last year’s edition amazed us – promises not to leave anyone indifferent.

The 75th Anniversary Edition of La Vuelta a España will be reminding us of our past, will be showing us a course heretofore unseen for the most part and will be giving rise to the wonderful days of racing that we still as yet have to enjoy decked out in red.

ROUTE

From August 28th to September 19th 21 stages Total Kms. roughly 3.337,9 kms.

STAGES DETAILS

11 flat 8 medium and high mountain 1 team time trial 1 individual time trial

CLIMBS DETAILS

3 Special category 10 First category 14 Second category 13 Third category 40 Total climbs

OTHER RACE DETAILS

6 high mountain finishes 16,5 kms. team time trial 46,0 kms. individual time trial

NEVER SEEN STAGES START

Alcalá de Guadaira Caravaca de la Cruz Villena Vilanova Rincón de Soto Solares Peñafiel Piedrahita

NEVER SEEN STAGES ARRIVAL

Valdepeñas de Jaén Orihuela Vilanova i la Geltrú Cotobello Peñafiel Bola del Mundo

I’m hype.

Is anybody there?

This colnago mtb is on ebay now-Buy now and we will trade for one landlords books.

If you want three books, buy this colnago/ferrari tandem mtb also available on ebay now and we will trade. (display sled must be included or no trade, you can keep all the shitty brett favre souvenirs)

If you’re saying to yourself “Dude, that first bike is 2k, and the tandem is 35k, why would I trade items that cost that much for a 100 dollar book?” you have to consider a lot more factors than the current monetary worth of the objects being discussed above to really understand what the trade entails.

Sure, you could just take the easy way out and pay 100 dollars for the book, many people take that route, and we do appreciate it, but its just not the same as buying a colnago mtb on ebay and having it sent directly to us.

You have to understand that we will ride the bike, that in itself is reason enough to spend the extra money. The joy of our riding is worth your money. But if that’s not enough for you cynical track bike hipster types, there is more.

A little known fact is the landlords book is actually far under-priced. (Straight up fool.)

The information contained inside is so valuable that a mere 35 thousand dollars is really nothing compared to the books actual worth.

“But why would you sell a book worth so much money for such a small amount, I mean it just doesn’t make sense.” You are probably saying to yourself right now.

The reason the book is so cheap is that we want it to be accessible to people, and you know with the economy and everything charging 50,000 USD a book seemed a little unfair.

-mgm’t

This is the final installment of #1. : It includes kunle, skibike, some more shit, and bum rush.
issue 2 begins in a couple weeks with more of this.

At a press conference Wednesday held at his team’s hotel, Saxo Bank’s Andy Schleck promised that he would attack race leader Alberto Contador in a bid to reclaim the yellow jersey on the legendary Col du Tourmalet finish of Thursday’s stage 17.

The Tour de France’s 17th stage features a pair of category 1 climbs, the Col du Marie-Blanque and the Col du Soulor, before the long slog up the hors categorie Tourmalet, an 18.6km climb which averages 7.5 percent gradient.

“There’s only one way to attack, and that is on the Tourmalet,” he said.

Schleck, the runner-up of last year’s Tour behind Contador, enters stage 17 with an eight-second deficit to the Astana rider. Popular consensus is that Schleck will need to start the 52km stage 19 time trial with an advantage of between one and two minutes over the Spaniard in order to win the Tour.

In order to do gain that time, Schleck must attack on the Tourmalet, perhaps at the risk of losing his second-place position.

“I’m willing to risk it,” Schleck said. “I have to try everything.”

Schleck and Contador spent the second rest day lodging at the same hotel, in Pau, but with different schedules. After a reconnaissance ride of Cote de Renoir and the Col du Marie-Blanque, the first two categorized climbs on Thursday’s stage 17, Schleck held a press conference at 2:30 p.m.

A throng of Tour media showed up, hungry for a story after Contador called off his press conference, saying he’d already spoken to the press following stage 16 Tuesday.

Schleck didn’t disappoint, promising to attack Contador.

“I know what I need to do tomorrow, and I’m ready,” he said. “I’m pretty sure tomorrow I will have a good day.”

Schleck said he and Contador had crossed paths earlier in the day at their hotel, and that they had fully reconciled following the controversy on stage 15 when Contador took the maillot jaune from Schleck after the Saxo rider slipped his chain during an attack 3km from the summit.

“Yesterday Alberto spoke with me, and he apologized,” Schleck said. “He said (attacking the race leader during a mechanical problem) was the wrong decision, but it’s hard to make a decision in these moments. I’m not angry anymore. That case is closed for me, and it should be for other people as well. I don’t like it when fans boo at Alberto, and yesterday I told every TV station that I spoke with that to get the message across. He’s a big champion, and for me, the case is closed. End of story.”

After the incident, Schleck had said he had “anger in his stomach.” Wednesday, he said the anger had subsided. “Now I’m not angry, just motivated.”

Asked if Contador might have an advantage over Schleck because the Spaniard had taken the day off from the media, Schleck smiled.

“I’ve had a very nice rest day,” he said. “I was up early our training, had lunch, now this (press conference), and then I’ll go to my room and lock the door. And if someone is knocking, they will be in trouble. But seriously, this is part of my job, and to be honest, I have never seen so many cameras around me. It’s kind of cool.”

Schleck knows he needs to be wearing the maillot jaune heading into Saturday’s 52km stage 19 time trial. Just how much time he needs, and how much he might be able to take out of Contador on the Tourmalet, is the biggest question remaining in this Tour de France

“I know I need to be in yellow on the time trial start ramp to have a chance to win this Tour. I can’t say how much time I will need,” Schleck said. “I do know that I am motivated and that I am focused, and I am sure that I will do a good time trial. I don’t know if I will need 30 seconds, or a minute. Of course I’d prefer to have two minutes than one minute.”

Thus far, Schleck and Contador have been evenly matched in the mountains at this Tour, prompting doubts about just how Schleck might be able to take that sort of time out of Contador on the Tourmalet.

Prodded to explain his coolness and confidence heading into stage 17, Schleck said it was simple — he was on the best form of his life.

“I just feel it,” he said. “I haven’t given everything yet. When I dropped the chain, I lost 50 seconds (to Contador, Samuel Sanchez and Denis Menchov). Over the top (of Port de Bales), the gap was 15 seconds. I bridged a good gap there, and that gives me good confidence. I have been suffering at this race, but on the climbs I feel I can give it more. The Tourmalet is a very hard climb, but it’s one I like because it’s steady and you don’t have to change rhythm too much.”

Asked whether he might attack Contador if the Spaniard were to a slipped chain during the Tourmalet showdown, Schleck was briefly at a loss for words before answering, “It won’t happen. In any case, the Tour is not going to be decided by a chain slipping.”

videooo

Who has a 90’s mavic track group?

Please forgive the 20 second car ad that starts this clip, (who’d buy that corny car anyway? barf.)

Jens- “I don’t care it doesn’t mean anything.”
“I just hop in the bus, open my book, turn on my gameboy and erase everything”