INSPIRATIONAL !

Daily jaunts on the bike recently have within a few kilometres headed upwards on fairly stiff grades ! Fact is i get fedup with riding the flat unless it is chasing down a cyclist i see in the distance . In the area of the Tirol that i am currently living there is a diversity of climbs both gentle and severe .

This morning i headed out with a couple of ideas in mind but the bike turned into the Brandenburg Valley and i started up the climb that i had not done recently knowing that there was 25km of a circuit with 15% for 4 km towards the end . Bright sunshine with cool temperatures in the shade so i was comfortable with this direction .

After about a kilometre i was starting to ask myself what i was doing , i wasn't hurting but i was questioning the motivation and whether i should head back to the valley floor and choose another route for the morning's exercise . During the past weeks i had descended on this route several times and promised myself that i would make the climb as soon as possible .

Most of this week my lower back has been a little uncomfortable and i put this down to getting a chill on the back during the night at the weekend . Certainly quick movement results in an uncomfortable sensation so i have to endure until it passes .

Yesterday on Twitter i found the following item : http://vimeo.com/26802254

Remembering this item and the fact that the guy no longer has two legs i decided that the headacke and gut acke that were intruding on my mood were of no consequence . So as the 2km mark passed i decided that i needed to lift my game and not be a whimp . Certainly being on 39 and 23 was a little unsettling as i recalled going up this section previously on the 19 but gritting the teeth persevered . Reaching Brandenberg i decided to add to the jaunt by heading up into the hills behind the village , already at about 1000m+ but exploring took me into other sections of the hillside i had not been in previously .

photo later


On turning back to the main route i came across two Mt Bikers heading up with the intention to go exploring the forests at the end of the paved road .

Descending to the river level i chased into another valley until i came to gravel roads once again so it was back to the main route and thence up the 15% climb for 4km until Aschau and thence up the road above in the direction of Steinberg . Travelling alone i decided that off roading was not a good idea so then it was back to Kramsack but the red car following managed to get pass me in the last kilometre .

SPOT THE PROBLEM HERE !

Out after lunch again i spotted this at the side of the main road in the Inntal :

Looking closely you will see a wheelchair at the back of the station wagon as the driver could not be sure that someone would not park so close that he would not be able to access the vehicle !

The wheelchair was not visibly locked so it seems this driver would rather risk the loss of the wheelchair than have difficulties created by some thoughtless driver ignoring the sign at the back of the car and parking too close .

The driver would no doubt be away driving their " Handbike " in an area where there is little traffic to trouble them .

Parking on a " Disability Space " in Austria is allowed for 15 minutes i am informed as long as you stay in the car !

What a world we live in ?

Checkout the posting in " Skippi-cyclist " from the mornings ride .

FRANCESCO MOSER

Fricking Posterous lost the ORIGINAL post when i tried to upload the " photos " !

Now that i have been awoken early i will try once again !

Wednesday is always the day of the " Time Trial " for those visiting the " World Masters Cycling Federation " Events ( formerly run with " UCI involvement ". So after lunch i headed over to the " Depart area " . Tapped on the shoulder i turned to discover Francesco bare chested enjoying the 100+f sunshine and the warmth of the sun on his skin . He was alone in this as all others were seeking as much shade as was available . Leaving home that morning in in Italy he had driven through even warmer conditions to be at the Time Trial once again , he attends most years and Maurizio Fondriest another of my " sponsors " has also put in an appearance on this day !

After a while he proposed we make a short excursion , turned out to be two circuits of the Road Race Course , and knowing his way of riding i was " what in this heat " ? So he kitted up and after i had called " PIANO PREGO ! " we took off heading back to St Johann which is the start of the Road Race Circuit and then turned on to the " Road Race Course " . Francesco at 60 is still the young stallion that was "World Champion and Hour Record Holder " so you DO NOT challenge him on a climb , so as we went up the climb i rode up to his shoulder knowing from dozens of previous encounters that passing him would provoke a display of " power climbing " and with the current century heat the body temperature was hot so i wasin no shape to race him even on the flat . During the ride i told him of www.fatcyclist.com 's latest fund raiser and said i needed the shirt he was wearing and autographed to send across to Fatcyclist to Add to the many prizes already on offer .

Arriving back at the finish area i encountered an english guy wearing the " Roadpeace Tricot " , he told me today that he did not hear the name as i made the introduction but when Francesco headed out once again i had to chase to catch up and fortunately there was cycle traffic so Francesco did not take a lot of catching . No need to go into the details of all the ride " Same old , Same old " but when we got back to St Johann i grabbed a couple of shirts to swap so as to collect the " Autographed Maillot " ! Francesco put on the Italian " Vivo Sports " shirt

but bucked about putting on the Austrian " Peto Bikes " Shirt , since the French use " Peto " as slang for a " fart " ! Wondered during the TDF why i got so many comments about this shirt from the locals !

Well everything was OK until the Race Director turned up and demanded the shirt ! " His Perogative " ! This guy is as wide as he is tall so there is no chance he can wear it himself and so i guess it will go to some crony who will deposit in a drawer and then forget about it's existence . So much for the www.fatcyclist.com fund raiser contribution ! As i write this up there are indications of the target of 1000 bikes for Zaire already being passed and " Rita" being the knowitall that she is had better bite her tongue . Nice to be anonymous when putting the acid on someone !

Not being in the USA or having a MTB these days i rather envy those with the opportunity to join the " Leadville 100 " but my previous experiences of crashing around the course in the Lago Garda MTB event somewhat discourage a repeat performance .

AIR FRANCE delivers ?

Passengers comfort is not important nor the reason for their journey , YOU chose to fly with them so it is YOUR responsibility to ACCEPT the consequences !

As mentioned in another blog post i am currently visiting the " 2011 World Masters Cycling Federation " Event in St Johann in Tyrol , Austria . As a friend of the event was travelling alone from Mexico i was asked to make the journey to pick him up since we had met several times during the last years .  Leaving late and running into " Peak Holiday traffic queues " caused the expected 1hr plus to become 2 1/2 hrs but as it turned out it was no problem since " Sanchez " was fully occupied with trying to locate the two pieces of luggage passed into the care of the airlines .

On arriving in Munich with only Spanish to communicate posed little problem for a " Pro Cyclist " accustomed to travel hassles and delays  but this time  available resources were really unhelpful in that they would do little other than suggest the next flight about 5 hrs later COULD be carrying the missing items .  Not content with losing the " Bike Box " in the Computer System they could only state that there was a bag in Paris that could be one of the lost items , but NO Guarantees of it travelling on the next flight ! As regards the bike box , well there was the " Luggage Tag " but then it was not in the computer so it really did not count as missing , did it ? Here is a Guy who is making the journey for only ONE purpose and that was to ride HIS bike in competition and the Air France Personnel are telling him that they have done their job by getting HIM and him alone to his destination !

Arriving on the scene at the airport i started into the inquiry situation at square one and posed several questions which resulted in confirmation that we need not " camp out " at the airport on the " off chance " one or more pieces arrive . Further there would be no food or water ( drinks ) at the airline's expense whilst awaiting the arrival of the next flight . Eventually we discovered that Sn Sanchez could buy " Underwear , toileteries , etc up to a value of Euros 100 as long as he provided receipts on the return to Mexico since that is where he lives and bought the ticket  . No outer wear in the first 48hrs were to be allowed so of course he could not ride a race bike to train or relieve the strain of the journey on the physique .  When asked to provide a " Claim form or other documentation " to establish " Sanchez's " losses we were told that this would only be forthcoming on ringing " Customer Services " which could not be contacted at this juncture !

Note that we were dealing with Personnel employed by " Air France " and wearing their uniform so there was no reasonable excuse for them to refuse to assist considering that the lead agent was using a colleague for translation purposes ! Nothing to be gained by delay we made our way through the holiday traffic back to St Johann after the lead agent spoke on the phone with the " WMCF " rep .

At St Johann Sanchez used one of my Denmark Suits and my Pueguet Bike on the TACX trainer to ease the strains of the journey .

Sunday evening we received a call to seek directions for the delivery of BOTH items and so the sack arrived with the contents throroughly smashed  and soiled but i did not see the contents of the bike box which looked fairly normal to my cursory glance .

How a passenger is expected to accept the " Air France " attitude of " we took your money , you are at your destination and how you pass your time is your problem  defies belief !

I Won't  BE TRAVELLING WITH THAT AIRLINE ANYTIME SOON . , WILL YOU ? 

 

 

 

 

 

CYCLING ETIQUETTE at CLUB LEVEL

When reading "London Cyclist " blog i was surprised to learn that there are so many people out there that are reluctant to try to ride with Cycling Clubs . Whenever i am in a new area i try to find the local club to go for a ride , regardless of language i find that they are accomodating towards the newcomer .

Googling the "Etiquette " revealed a number of sites which i find useful to enlarge on this subject .

 

http://www.armidalecyclingclub.org/cycling-etiquette/

 This site mentions 9 points is requires people to keep in mind as they join their Club outings and they are relying on the experiences of Randwick Club who have formulated a " Code of Conduct" for their members . Most of the points raised are worth following even when riding alone or with the occasional friend .

 The item below reveals a lot of information about what most Australian Cycling Clubs expect of New Members :

" In summary, being fit and capable to hang onto the bunch is not enough. Without taking away the enjoyment of the ride it is imperative that every rider hones his or her skills. If you want to improve ask one of the more accomplished riders. If you are not sure stay down the back until you are confident enough to join the bunch. If you are nervous or lacking confidence, consider the safety of the other riders first before joining the bunch.

The Club is developing as a recreational/racing club, where riders have a wide range of ability and levels of fitness. Everyone should be tolerant, responsible and be prepared to accept criticism if you do not come up to scratch. Those more accomplished riders should devote part of the club ride to helping the beginners, rather than zooming off into the distance."

 

http://greenupgrader.com/12871/urban-cycling-etiquette/

This site tends towards those who are riding the roads in the Atlanta area but seems to be general throughout the USA . Comments tend to reflect differences of opinion regarding cyclists  V  vehicles .

 

http://www.ms150.org/ms150/SafetyZone/etiquette.html

Comprehensive list of verbal warnings the like of which will be generally used in club outings .

http://www.cycling-inform.com/bike-skills/136-unwritten-rules-of-cycling-etiquette

A really enjoyable read that makes a good deal of sense of what shouls be happening on a " Club Run " . Not sure how people view my attire but ib load my pockets in the same way each and every day , so whether on a Pro Tour Route or on a Club Run i know exactly where to put my hand on what i need whether in Summer or Winter conditions . Winter may cause me to add Arm Warmers to the pocket if the day starts fine but i am too often queried about riding without leg warmers even at 6 c .

 

THERE MAY WELL BE OTHER SITES TO WHICH MY READERS CAN DIRECT ME !

LONDON RIOTS

ANARCHY and CHAOS are the order of the day in the United Kingdom once again ! Some years ago there was just this sort of behaviour and one wonders when this problem was being tackled then what the Authorities did about making sure that this could not happen again ? Surely after the violence died down then SOMEONE framed an Action Plan to see that should there be a reoccurence that resources be applied in a Systematic way to "Nip in the Bud " any reoccurence ? Shortly the UK will hear from the Prime Minister about what has taken place at the " COBRA " meeting this morning . Cameron has returned from his " Holiday " as have other " Senior " officials and will be playing catchup on an alarming situation that has been allowed to run out of control since Sunday Morning ! Personally i am at no risk but we are seeing TV images of residences burned out as a result of the fires set in Supermarkets and other business premises . Burnt out cars are one thing , dangerous as that can be BUT to see " Feral Rats " looting then torching buildings is quite a different story . My comment elsewhere : " Perhaps things could be cooled off IF the media was to stay home OR if they shot off photos that would help the Police identify the " Culprits " ! Fact is there are people out there in the last days thinking they can have " SOME FUN " , of course they are counting on not getting caught ! Cameron needs to have these " Miscreants " rounded up and shipped to the Outer Hebrides to work on " Work Gangs " behind barbed wire and sleeping in prefab huts as a first measure and then send the really bad ones to the Falkland Islands for the winter ! When these " feral rats " know what is on offer they will stop thinking about the " Cosy Holiday in British Prisons " that are so full already ! " Fact is the people who appear to be behind some of these incidents are likely to already have served their " Apprenticeship behind Bars " and now will think that the most serious problem they will encounter IF caught is another " Holiday CAMP visit " and on return to society they will think that their " Street Cred " will be stronger with their hoolligan mates ! Arising out of this chaotic situation there are some glimmers of hope , this article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8690418/London-riots-residents-use-Twitter-to-organise-clean-up.html was one i found and i hope this illustrates my point that the community as a whole is being dragged down by a " Violent Minority "! All "Legal rights " these " Miscreants " claim to have should be forfeited for the " Common Good ". Hopefully the " Tinder box Situation " will be contained quickly BUT please THIS time formulate the plans so that a repeat when it occurs again , as it will , can be contained the FIRST NIGHT and the perpetrators be seen to be shipped to the destination of " THEIR CHOICE ( an artic island )" the next morning !

NOVITZSKY is at Work !

TEXAS Monthly's Micheal Hall is pushing the boat out trying to link Lance to a lot of " hearsay, supposition and innuendo " according to "Cyclechic of CNF " ! The article she is espousing is from November 2010 saying that there would be action in January 2011 ! So far i see little of Hall's predictions becoming reality although the " mushroom farm " continues to work itself into a frenzy .

Links to the article :

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2010-11-01/michaelhall.php

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2010-11-01/michaelhall-2.php


During the past days we have seen the demise of one of the most successful road race cycle teams , HTC ,through lack of interest in " Sponsoring " Cycling Sport . Novitzsky can hardly be credited with this event BUT he has created uncertainty where there should be none ! Just about any Stage race that the " HTC team " enters a member of that squad will visit the podium perhaps each day in some cases .

Whilst there is this uncertainty created by those delving in the past Cycle Racers will now be scrambling to secure their future in 2012 if not for additional seasons . UCI & WADA are content to let the " Contador " matter drag but other racers are being dealt with in a timely way and this must weigh on the minds of those deciding where to invest to maximise their returns from " Sponsorship " of sport .

SBS revisited

Recently i was advised that the SBS comment i had made earlier about Mike Mc Kay and featured in this post ( link ) had been published ! Seems that it took some time to be published and possibly my blog post triggered the reaction from a " mike " who one may think is " tommo " ! I noticed that in a comment on Bridie's blog on M F he penned himself as " micheal T. " so wonder if considering our discussion at the TDF in Les Herbiers IF indeed it is him ! Normally when people send SBS a comment it appears promptly but i had visited the story for several days before taking issue on the non publication . Over the years i have saved stories until i have seen the comment posted , as i like to see what reaction the comment creates .

The other comment on Mia Freedman has appeared twice in the comments section and since the postings , i have learned that she "tweeted " prior to her appearance on the TV Show that "she expected to upset a lot of people with her comments " ! Since then i have read " Bridie's Blog " which was a reply to M. F. and what a star she is and this item drew a lot of attention . During the various " Tour de Romandie " that i have visited i have had the chance to watch Bridie race and was unaware of the fact that she is a Qualified Doctor . Last time i saw her was with a cycling group at this year's Giro d'Italia when she reminded me that we had met previously .

Seems like an apology is due to the Authors of the Items where i posted the comments , hopefuly any further comments i make will appear in a timely manner .

HERNE HILL work begins !

Those that read my blog of 7th dec 2010 , link here , will recall my frustration that such an Iconic Site was in such sad disrepair and having difficulty in being saved for posterity !

Today i found an article on what is now the beginning of the future for this important piece of Cycling History : http://road.cc/content/news/39959-work-begins-resurface-herne-hill-velodrome-track

Important lessons can i hope be learned from the series of misadventures that led up to the final "Go Ahead" ! Many other fine Sporting Arenas also are being disregarded and it will take a lot more action to safeguard their futures also . When will " Pollies " take the time to preserve and refurbish existing structures rather than trying to claim credit for building new structures that may be redundant almost as soon as they are opened ? As yet i am not aware of the outcome of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium that will serve no purpose after the Games are concluded . Are they remodelling OR are they knocking it down to rebuild in a slightly different way THAT could have been built initially ?

Winning the Olympics 7 years before the event takes place should have allowed the " Planners " the time to decide what was needed to serve future generations ! So much money has now been thrown away and the Government is depriving whole communities of a variety of resources to balance their " books " . Planning is just that ! Whoever was responsible for depriving Paris of the 2012 Olympic Games should hang their heads in shame ! They have squandered money that could be used in a far better way and have added to the "Debt Burden " that the Tax Payers will have to shoulder long after the memory of these Games has faded .

Stephen and Aleta at the 2008 Tour de France

 

Recently I received an email from a new reader of my blogs containing a photo that was taken roadside on the 2008 Tour de France . Naturally I replied seeking more details and the response is below .

 

　

From: "Stephen Waters" <

Stephen_Waters@....qld.gov.au  

 

Date:

1 August 2011 2:08:20 PM AEST

To:

 

 

spwaters@....com.au  

 

Subject: How I met Skippy

My wife ( Aleta )and I had ridden our laden touring bikes from Paris on a meandering Southerly route through central France. We were heading to Le Puy en Velay in the Massif Central region to attend the wedding of a French couple whom we had hosted at our home in Brisbane during their cycle tour of Australia in 2007.

After the wedding, Sophie and Jean Pierre graciously lent us their car so we could go and see a couple of stages of the 2008 Tour de France.

Standing on the side of the road near Murat waiting for the Tour to pass on a bright sunny day, one of the many recreational cyclists cruising past called out a cheery 'G'day mate' as he spotted the Aussie flag we had placed in our car window.

After a u-turn the cyclist introduced himself as Skippy and he was riding the stages of the Tour each day. He told us of his work with disabled athletes and the desire to raise sponsorship and the profile of this side of sport.

After filling his bidons and wishing him well he pedalled off towards the summit of the climb.

And that's how we met Skippy.

Hopefully the photo will load . There may well be others out there with photos or would wish to share memories of “ How we met Skippy ” and I will happily post them as they arrive