Cycling Safari

Hope you enjoy reading the interviews, articles and race reports I’ve written in the past few years. There is so much to love about cycling and I’m happy to share my journey with you. Much of my work is published on The Paceline and you must be registered and logged in to view them (it’s free), but some of my best work is there so drink the Kool-Aid and sign up! My other work is on Daily Peloton, which is accessible to all. ENJOY THE RIDE IN THIS PARTICULAR PELOTON!

I am available to write content for websites, team literature, on-line publications, and more. Contact me at cmehl@syv.com or 805-680-0120

[This piece only ran for one day on April Fool’s 2007 and it remains one of the funniest pieces I’ve ever written….or read! Enjoy! ]

OVER THE TOP

- by Kathy Mell

PRESS RELEASE: After February’s racing success in California, event organizers continue to make revisions to next year’s route. Making it two days longer has already been approved and more changes could be afoot. During the event Levi Leipheimer often noted that an uphill finish could be just the ticket to shake up the race but his suggestion was met with laughter by most of those within earshot.

Well, laugh no more. Since an uphill finish is reportedly in the works for 2008 the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team recently underwent several days of test rides in the Sierra Nevadas of California. Despite the fact that the Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park is closed during the winter season due to heavy snow, race promoters feel this grueling, 17-mile climb from Lee Vining to 9,945 feet in Tuolumne Meadows could be just the ticket for next year’s Time Trial. Setting a track with a snowmobile much the way they do for cross country ski events, the riders can go in one at a time against the clock. As for fan participation and access to the area, the more hearty fan can ski the route the night before as the Park Service says overnight snow camping will be allowed. For the less ambitious, more conventional transit in snowmobiles will be offered.

After the training / reconnaissance ride Leipheimer said, “I knew my form was good after coming off the win in California. I just wasn’t sure how I would perform at altitude, but no problem. The severe drop off to one side of the climb was a little disconcerting as we neared the crest at almost 10,000 feet but they kindly set the track on the inside of the curve so it felt safe enough. We’ll just have to be careful. I think this is good. It can make or break the race.”

“I live in the snow,” chimed in Tom Danielson, a resident of Colorado, “so this is right up my alley. I think I will be a top GC contender for sure if they follow through on these changes. The promoters think the riders can’t race hard in February and aren’t ready for a challenge, but I tell you there is no better snow team than Discovery Channel. We live for this!”

Another area rumored to be under consideration is the North Shore of Lake Tahoe via Interstate 80. Notorious in history as the area where members of the Donner Party became snowbound in the winter of 1846-47 and were forced to resort to cannibalism to survive, today the route is a major thoroughfare for commercial hauling by big rig trucks across the United States. Given there is no opportunity to completely shut down an Interstate highway, event promoters say the riders will simply share the road. The left lane will be open to regular traffic, the 70 mph speed limit will be strictly enforced with miles of orange cones in between, while the right lane will be reserved for the peloton and support vehicles. In fact if the idea succeeds, it could open many new areas to racing on major highways in both the US and Europe.

Understandably reluctant at first, Johan Bruyneel has warmed to the idea and had high praise for the innovative move. “Just think, we will find an entirely new fan base not previously familiar with cycling. These winter-time fans will be heartier and bolder than those fair-weather cyclists we’ve come to see at most American races. In fact they will be more like the Belgian fans who embrace the elements! This is good for cycling, very good. Everybody wins.”

George Hincapie wasn’t so sure about the changes as he watched from the team car, unable to be on the training ride due to his broken wrist. “I don’t know, this looks a little sketchy to me. What do we do if the water bottles freeze? And how do we take a nature break in the snow and keep it discreet? I really am concerned although one good thing is we’d get to break out the Nike team gloves that have the fingers on them.”

Sitting beside him in the car, team director Viatcheslav “Eki” Ekimov concurred: “Well, all I can say after watching the guys ride today is that I’m glad I retired when I did. While I can see the fun of drafting off a Ferrari on the Autobahn, it just doesn’t seem safe to me.”

All suggested new route changes are still very much in the testing phase. Only time will tell if they are incorporated into next year’s race. In the meantime be sure to check your calendars for today’s date — and enjoy!

* Stuart Wade contributed to this report.

I wake up early in the mornings these days, thinking about the Tour de France and the mess that has come about from Floyd’s fantastic ride on Stage 17. I think about it in these early morning hours because my mind is free-floating and just grabbing at new thoughts for a new day….and truthfully, Floyd is not far from many of my thoughts this past week. So I’ve decided the best way to settle these thoughts and not wake up so damn early anymore is to put fingers to the keyboard and express myself. This essay is a rough draft and it’s not for publication anywhere but here, so I hope you’ll allow some element of casualness in the writing style.

I am a Floyd Landis fan. In 2004 when I went to my very first press conference as an assistant reporter in Solvang with the USPS team, I had no clue what to ask anyone and was scared to death. But I saw Floyd just standing there laughing with some other teammates, so I decided to ask him for a chat. We sat there and talked about a few things, including Penn State football and Joe Paterno, as my husband is from PA just like Landis is. It wasn’t a real interview, more like just shootin’ the shit, but I was struck by his easy laughter and casual attitude about things in general, and he could’ve cared less that I wasn’t asking cycling questions and wasn’t a professional.

Fast forward to April 2005 when Lance announced his retirement at Tour de Georgia. I ran into Floyd in the hallway of the auditorium that day and on the spur of the moment asked if we could do an interview the next morning. He said sure, and was right on time the next morning as he gave me 45 minutes of his time before going out to race. Later some of the Lance vs. Floyd stuff happened on Brasstown Bald, but by December when I interviewed Floyd again, he said that stuff was all settled and things were good. Fast forward one more time to April 2006 when I covered Tour de Georgia once again and was part of a very small group that shared breakfast with Floyd. I got a kick out of doing that; all the stories about his love of coffee played out right in front of my eyes.

I have been around Landis almost as much as I have any other cyclist, and he has always struck me as a “What You See is What You Get” kind of guy. I know that is no assurance that he isn’t a cheater, but it’s all I have to go on because this is the exposure I have with him. A funny, hard-working, easy-laughing quirky guy who is proud of his family and upbringing is what I’ve come to know. I’m having trouble plugging in the liar and deception factor into the Landis I’ve been around. Some of you will recall that I had this same issue with Tyler Hamilton, so to say I am a softie and just can’t believe someone would cheat could possibly be an accurate assessment of me! I know and admit this about myself; I don’t see it as a character flaw!

Anyway, since all of the news and speculation about Floyd has come about, I’ve felt a little disjointed from cycling, not interested in watching the Tour of Germany, not reading much news on the cycling sites, and not writing anything since the Tour ended. Depressed about cycling, I guess. But in this morning’s early brain skips, I came to a conclusion how to get beyond all of these down feelings: I need to take a stand in my own head about how I feel about Floyd and then I need to get back to life. Sitting on the fence, waiting for news from B samples, trying to follow the science, waiting for pr releases from lawyers and teams was doing me no good. It was just leaving me in a sad place: sad for Floyd, sad for myself, sad for cycling.

So this morning I decided to believe in Floyd, believe in his goodness, believe in his history as a clean rider, believe in his upbringing, believe in a talented and dedicated cyclist and family man. If the B sample comes back positive on Saturday then I know Floyd will have a long fight ahead of him to clear his name and retain his Tour title. Maybe he’ll be able to do that; maybe he won’t, but I’d rather stick by a person and later be proved wrong than toss all hope to the wind and condemn him in these early days of the case. That’s not the way I view the world.

There are many, many aspects to his two incredible stages that will always stick in my mind. One is the initial bonk, and how amazing it was to watch it unfold on TV. The failure of his body that day was clear as day, and to see him reach deeper and deeper within just to finish the stage was something to remember. Then to watch him be rushed away in the team car looking like a broken man is vivid image to me. But he emerged to the media an hour or so later and was already laughing and saying he wouldn’t quit, he’d fight on. He’d already had some food, he was feeling better, just like all do who hit the wall and then begin to recover. I just don’t think he was sitting there with some patches on his balls, juicing up for the next day’s ride.

Then came Stage 17 on Thursday, and I will always regard that day as an epic one in my cycling history. I enjoyed seeing his fighting spirit, I enjoyed seeing his team manager work with him from the car, I enjoyed seeing the peloton convince themselves there was no way he could hang on so they wouldn’t bother to chase, I enjoyed Floyd’s rage filled fist pumping the air as he crossed the line. I loved the way message boards buzzed all day about his remarkable comeback and the pure love of cycling I felt all day long. I can still feel the same appreciation for Floyd today that I felt on July 20th. I really can still feel it.

I just don’t think Floyd had gone back to his hotel room after dinner on Wednesday night, cracked open the beer and the Jack Daniels and said to Axel, “Let’s call up your daddy. Let’s tell him we’re going to attack. Oh, and by the way, I’m going to cheat, too, so tell him to put some money on me.” I just don’t think he doped up so much that his T/E ratio went nutso and so did his brain because he forgot he’d be tested if he won the stage, but went on to win it anyway. I just don’t think he was willing to throw fifteen years of loving the bike down the drain when he had absolutely no way to know he’d get the time back and win the Tour at that point, but he undoubtedly knew he could be busted and lose his livelihood. And I just don’t think he would stand proudly on the top podium of the Tour de France with his daughter Ryan standing in front of him, knowing he could be busted for cheating and have her young life forever changed because he was a worthless cheater.

So I believe him, and I’ll stick by him until the case is finally closed months from now. And if he’s stripped of his title and branded a doping cheat I will know I made an error in judgment on this day when I decided to remain in his court. But today, TODAY, I feel better for continuing to believe in the good nature and good upbringing of Floyd Landis and I sincerely hope this works out for a man who has given me many delightful cycling memories.

(Note: this interview was originally conducted on Thursday evening, June 29th, European time, and updated late Friday afternoon, June 30th. Update is noted in transcript below.

Daily Peloton: What’s the atmosphere like there in France, Chris? Are you going to have anyone to race against?

Chris Horner: Who knows?! The atmosphere is weird. It’s almost turning into a Salem Witch Hunt. It’s hard to know what is true and what isn’t. First you hear one team is being kicked out, then another. Then they say everyone is in…right now things are just coming up all the time. You have no idea what’s true and what’s not.

Yes, it seems almost every hour there is a news flash. We haven’t even had time to digest the last news and here comes something new.

It’s a freaking witch hunt. That’s all it is. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that some cyclists are involved, but if it’s to the degree that they are trying to make us believe it is, well maybe they are just trying to sell newspapers or get people to log on line. It seems like they should be giving names or shut up about it.

I guess we could start a list of names of people not on the list….

Right! Something! But honestly before I even got here I figured whoever did the investigation over in Spain waited on purpose for the Tour de France to roll around to get maximum publicity on this thing and do exactly what they are doing right now. Things are being written and said right now that might not even be true. If there are names listed on a list, why isn’t that considered an official list?

I bet they let some people start and then yank them mid-way through the Tour. I hate that. I think that’s wrong.

They want to do that! The Tour doesn’t want to do that, let me be clear. The Tour wants those named to be out right now. But I honestly think that whoever is running the investigation in Spain want riders to start in France and then for riders to be kicked out so they get more publicity.

But if that happens, it changes the entire dynamic of the race.

Especially if it happens later in the race. If riders are kicked out later it could affect who wins the Prologue, it could affect who ends up standing on the podium.

Don’t we love cycling?!!

(We both laugh.)

So how has your training been going? I know you’ve been working hard.

I’ve had good training. Just eating, sleeping and bike racing. That’s all!

You haven’t been living out of your car again have you?!

No, no, I have a house in Spain, but I haven’t been there much. I’ve been training with a friend in the northern part of Spain. I had to travel a bit to do that, but it’s better for my head to be with someone else than training by myself for three weeks. The form is good, though. Now I just want to start.

Can you look back to a year ago when it was your first Tour? Are you feeling more settled? More confident?

Definitely more confident, as I’ve spent more time in Europe this time. Last year when I came over I had just a very short spell before I broke my leg and went back to the States. I didn’t get back over until the Tour of Suisse, which went well. So I was wondering if good form just magically appeared, which is never the case, it always comes back. But I was thinking here I was going to the Tour, what if….but it was good in the Tour, too. So I finished that year and have had this whole year, so it’s good. I feel confident what I can and can’t do in the field with my fitness level being where it is. Now I’m looking forward to the big mountain stages, whereas before I was thinking, “I don’t know if I want to get involved in the big mountain stages!” Then I got in it and I knew I could do it. So the confidence is not even an issue anymore.

How is Robbie (McEwen) feeling?

As far as I know everyone is good. We trained together today and no one was complaining about any injuries. I think the only guy who had any injuries was me because I crashed last week, but I didn’t break anything. I just had some road rash and tore up my finger nail, that was about it. I hit some oil in a round-about.

How about Cadel (Evans)? Is he good? You’ll be riding for him?

Yeah, yeah, he’s my roommate and he’s doing good.

Will you be looking for any stage wins for yourself, or is this all for Cadel?

Certainly if the opportunity comes up I would try to do something. But realistically, on paper, unless things change during the race, looking after Cadel is going to be my first objective, and helping Robbie out in the sprints will be my second. Maybe in between some of the mountain stages something can happen. In general those are the main objectives. You have to get down to a third or fourth objective before I am going for a stage win for myself.

Do you have any concerns about the three Alps stages, those three hard days in a row?

No, not at the moment. That’s a long ways away. Before I can worry about any stages I want to know exactly how much form I’ve got. My last race was the Dauphine. I can tell from my training rides I’ve got form, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s just a matter of finding out if it’s just at a good level or at a really high level.

Can you tell me what impresses you most about riding in the Tour? What images come to mind as you’re there?

The most impressive thing is the amount of spectators. It’s unbelievable. The first few days you are riding through a wall of people for 100 miles. Literally on the first few stages there are people all along the route for 100 miles. I remember last year I was having some sort of tunnel vision happening as I was just seeing colors going by me the whole time. There was never any real length of time where there wasn’t color flashing by my eyes. That’s the most impressive thing, I think.

Chris, every time I see you or hear you talk now you just seem incredibly happy.

Well, I’m with a good team, I’m where I want to be in life, doing what I want. Only thing that would be nicer would be to do all of this in the States, but you just can’t do it. Honestly that’s the only thing that would make my life better because I’d have my family and my kids near me the whole time. If you want to do the best bike racing in the world, this is where you need to come. So when you’re at it, you might as well enjoy it.

It was lots of fun seeing you race in Tour of California last February. I hear they might announce the 2007 route during the Tour de France.

That was a good race. The organization did a great job with that race. And the timing of the race is perfect for all the Americans to come back, and bring some good European riders too.

I know you need to get some sleep, so take care and have a great ride at the Tour!

UPDATED: JUNE 30th, after the announcement of top riders who are banned from this year’s Tour

Daily Peloton: Hello again, Chris. Can you fill us in on what the atmosphere is like around you now?

Chris Horner: At the hotel we’re staying at, no problem. T-Mobile is over at a small hotel in a little town. I feel sorry for those people. Not just the team, but the people of the town, too. That area is packed! They’ve finally closed down the entire street. They’re about 10 km away from us, so it’s quiet where we are. I don’t know where CSC is staying, but I hear there are a lot of press around Bjarne. We’re staying with Lampre and Francaise des Jeux, so no one scandalous is by us. It’s pretty mellow for us, except for having conversations like this with you. And of course with the team when we sit down, we say, “Oh, this guy’s gone, this guy’s gone.”

How did you get the news?

I got it from our director. He verified the names that were gone from the Tour. I guess maybe ten guys so far. A lot of top ten guys from last year.

Well I guess it just got easier for some Americans to get on the podium.

(Laughs) I think it just opened up the win for a lot of different guys.

So it’s business as usual for you. You look forward to the start in the morning.

Yep. But I think some strategies will change now. When you take those two riders out (Basso and Ullrich), realistically we now have guys on this team that can win the Tour de France.

Right. You can be more aggressive in your approach to the Tour.

Exactly. No longer is the situation can we follow and drop Ullrich or Basso? We’ll have guys actually saying, “If I attack, I can win the Tour!”

You can create situations now, and your team has the power and brains to do it.

Absolutely. The first time I heard about it, I started thinking about how we should hold back another guy for the mountains, stuff like that.

Well your Tour just got a lot more exciting!

Exactly, it did!

That’s cool. Not too cool for those sitting in the airport, I guess.

That’s their own problem! They can solve their own problems. If all of this is true, then it is what it is. No fault of mine! But maybe some good comes out of this. If you look at it as a whole, of course it is bad for cycling right now. But the Tour de France is going to be very exciting now, which should bring a positive side to things. Of course it’s always bad when it’s just happened.

Well, Chris, you have a great, great ride tomorrow in the Prologue. It’s really shaping up differently now, and I think it will be incredibly exciting to watch. Tear if up, Horner!

The 2006 Giro d’Italia had lots of exciting moments and plenty of fireworks. But one quiet pat on the back, urging a fellow cyclist to take a well-deserved win spoke volumes to me about the character of Mr. Voigt. I want to nominate him for something big….

I suppose that all cycling journalists have their favorite riders. I know in my head I carry a list of cyclists that I admire, a list of ones I want to interview, ones I want to see race, and ones I’d love to leisurely talk to over dinner and wine. For me, I have one such rider that appears on all the lists in my head, and that rider is Jens Voigt.

A few months ago I had the extreme pleasure of meeting and talking with Jens. I set the interview aside afterwards, almost like I had a little secret I wasn’t quite ready to share just yet. I decided to hold off publishing the interview until Jens did something special in the season, as I presumed he would. On Stage 19 of the 2006 Giro Jens Voigt handed me the perfect opportunity to share this conversation.

Daily Peloton: To start with, I want to ask you about your kids. I know you like to talk about them.

Jens Voigt: Oh yeah, I love them. Of course I do, they’re my kids! They’re all good. And I want to point out that my four kids are all with the same woman! And we are still married! And we are still happy! That doesn’t happen very often anymore these days.

DP: Jens, when we watch you race, you always come across as such a strong, aggressive rider. You are always attacking, attacking, attacking. Has that always been your style of racing?

Jens: Yeah, always. You have to look at what you are, realize what you can do. I can’t beat Petacchi in a sprint, and I can’t beat Lance Armstrong on a hilltop finish. So what is left for me? I learned to go with my abilities and to work them to the maximum. People might say that my attacking style is stupid because I have such a small chance of winning. But that small chance is so much bigger than no chance, sitting in a bunch and waiting to get butchered by the sprinters. So I would rather go with my small chance than have no chance at all.

When I was a neo-pro I used to room with Chris Boardman and I learned things from him. He would say to try to win, even if you might lose. But if you don’t try, you’re not going to get anywhere. I just keep that in my mind, and even if you only win one out of ten tries, that is one more than zero out of ten. Thank God not everyone thinks like this or there would be 150 people attacking all the time. This is the way I am, and I can get rid of my energy this way and I always like it.

Do you think you have to change this style if you are selected for the Tour team and the idea will be to give 100% to Ivan? Or will you still be given opportunities to try for something for yourself?

I guess….no, not “I guess,” I am sure, that this year I have to change. This year it will be like the teams for Lance Armstrong. There will be one chief and eight Indians. Not five chiefs and four Indians. You need people to work. People ready to sacrifice everything they have for their captain. I will be with Ivan unless Bjarne tells me we need to create some pressure and he tells me to attack, so then I go. Maybe if things get wrapped up early then we can get some stage wins as a bonus, like last year for Savoldelli and George Hincapie. Actually I was really happy for George. I’ve known him for so long and he’s such a good rider, and worked so hard for Lance for seven years, so that was really a nice win for him. So if anything comes along, that will be a bonus. But at the beginning of the Tour we will have eight helpers and Ivan.

But you’ll be ready in case your chance comes to go.

Yep! I’ll be ready!

CSC is becoming well-known for their pre-season Boot Camps. What do you think of these camps and what do they do for the team?

The camps are good. I couldn’t do all of the exercises this time because I had a crash last year and had surgery on my shoulder. There is a metal piece in there and some screws now. So I had to be careful. It was a longer camp but less brutal. But since it was longer, it still wears you out. Since you sleep at 2 degrees with rain dripping on you in the forest it just kills you. Someone has to be awake throughout the night to tend to the fire so it doesn’t go out and it doesn’t burn down the entire forest. You get military gear, backpack, food rations. Those food rations are so terrible. All I can say about them is that they will keep you alive. Nothing else. They taste terrible.

The first part of the camp is the physical part. Then it’s all about working together as a team. Then there is a part about overcoming your fears, like crawling through dark tunnels, holding a snake, stuff like that. The snake was terrible for some people. They didn’t give us the biggest ones; they didn’t want to get us killed!

I always think this camp has a big effect on us. People always say we have great team spirit, but for us it’s not just a facade. We live up to that spirit. We really try hard to live up to that all year long. We enjoy seeing each other perform well and win. We’re always ready to sacrifice to help somebody else. On our team everyone is always ready to take one more step to please the other one. It’s not like someone says, “No, you take two steps and I’ll wait for you.” No, everyone does one step. As long as we keep this system going we create a stable community. Of course if someone tries to flick the system then it won’t work. But we try to create a really strong unit. Boot Camp doesn’t make us go faster at all. But it makes us go better! In the end when a crisis comes up and we have to work together, that’s what gives us the winning edge. That’s one of our secrets.

When I came to this team, Bjarne had already been doing the Boot Camps for two years. He told me he wanted to create the best team in the world and that meant we had to find new ways. So maybe people laugh about us doing the camps, but in three years time down the road when people realize what team building did for us and they decide to follow us, we already have the advantage of those three years and are moving ahead to the next thing. Some people might be laughing, but some people might be thinking maybe we’re on to something.

Do you feel Bjarne brings out the best rider within you?

I will say that Bjarne has this almost magical ability to get the best out of every single rider. Whatever is their best, he brings that part out. I don’t know how he does it. Just like when we are training. He rides in the car, but he isn’t just waiting for hours to pass. He is watching all the pedal strokes of the riders and he makes individual decisions for each rider: “This rider looks tired, he needs to take time off. This one looks good, he needs to do one hour more. This one has trouble at home, we need to keep his spirits up and watch out for him.” Things like this create a really complete picture of everybody. They know the status of everyone’s abilities, and the status of their minds.

You’ve been a professional for quite awhile now. How do you continue to motivate yourself? I know you’ve had great wins and successes in your career, but am wondering as you get older is it harder to find that motivation to continue?

Well, I’m old school. So my motivation isn’t just to win, but to be good. I like to race from my heart. I don’t really plan things ahead of time. I don’t look around and say, “Well the sun is shining, it’s a nice day, I think I will attack.” Sometimes it just feels right. And I like what I do. I have the best job in the world. I mean, I get paid to hurt other people!! How much better can it get? You know when I attack and hurt other people, well, that gives me pleasure! I like to look back and see their faces (distorted in pain). I like that!

I think being part of this team helps with motivation too. Of course every now and then you need a little success to keep yourself going. But I turned professional late and I still feel young in my head. I still have some good years in me and motivation is not a problem. I have at least two more years with CSC and maybe I will go another year after that. I think maybe I would like to end my career with this team. To go anywhere else after being here would be going backwards, really different. I don’t think other teams can compare.

Do the German fans still give you grief for what they decided was your attack on Jan Ullrich in the 2004 Tour?

No, that was a one day thing. I was on a climb, so I wasn’t going that fast so people could run 100 or 200 meters beside me and I will tell you they screamed everything possible in my ear. I couldn’t go fast enough to not hear it. So I had a lot of time to think. I figured I could go away and hide or go out in the open and explain myself. So since my way is to go out and attack, I just can’t wait. It poisons me inside to keep it in. I need to get it out. So that day I grabbed the first cameraman I could find and said, “Hey look, I’ve got to make this statement.” I said it’s just not right. In 2000 I helped Ullrich win an Olympic medal; I sacrificed myself there. I didn’t betray anybody. I signed on the dotted line to work for CSC and they have my loyalty. It would be bad if I was not loyal to my teammates, or my captain Ivan Basso. It’s not a national thing. And Jan was more than fair about that. He expressed to the press that I had not done anything wrong; that I did what was absolutely right and professional. If I had not done that, the next day Bjarne would have told me he didn’t need me anymore, that I was not reliable. “You’re fired!” So that’s all good now. I guess I had to educate a few people.

You were quite animated after the Time Trial up Alpe d’Huez in 2004. As you were riding up did you ever have second thoughts about being there? Were you worried about your safety?

No, I was just hurt very deeply that day. Until then I had always only had positive press. People like me and I didn’t get bad things said about me. But that day people were shouting at me and booing me. It was hurtful. I thought after all these years I’ve tried to walk a straight line and then one day something happened that turned things around. I also realized that Lance Armstrong went through that every single day in the Tour de France. How strong does he, and his team, have to be to put up with that? It’s not fair. It’s not a war. It’s just a bike race!!

Can you tell me about the day you wore the Yellow Jersey in 2005 and what it meant to you?

Last year I was really sharp from the start of the Tour. I was like a loaded spring just waiting for Bjarne to let me go. Every day I would say, “Bjarne, Bjarne, can I go today?” and he’d say, “No, you stay in the peloton with Ivan.” Next day, “Bjarne, Bjarne, can I go?” Same answer. One day Bjarne said, “Everyone stays with Ivan….except Jens, he can go today!” I was just hopping up and down. I was so focused on the escape. But I paid a high price for that. Last year the Yellow Jersey didn’t bring good luck to many wearers except Lance. Zabriskie wore it and he crashed out. I had it and I went out with a big bang. Only Lance can take the pressure, apparently!

After watching Stage 19 in yesterday’s Giro and seeing Voigt make the gesture for Juan Manuel Garate to ride ahead and take the stage win, I had a big smile on my face knowing that Jens Voigt stays true to himself and his beliefs as to what is right and what is fair. We’ll remember his pat on Garate’s shoulder, urging him to take the well-deserved win, long after we’ve forgotten the name of the stage winner. Congratulations to Jens, Ivan Basso, and all of CSC for a job well-done at the 2006 Giro d’Italia.

Helping Floyd realize his potential is DS Rene Savary

Prior to today’s start I was able to catch up with Directeur Sportif Rene Savary as he waited for the stage to start.  I had run into Rene all week and had been impressed with the calm demeanor of this man as his team stepped up to the plate and delivered the goods for team leader Floyd Landis.

DS Rene Savary rides with his team

Daily Peloton:  Congratulations, Rene.  I can’t believe how strong Floyd was yesterday on Brasstown Bald.  He was facing attacks from everywhere and he still hung on to the jersey.

Rene:  Yeah.  He did his job.  The team was so motivated to help Floyd because they could see he could get it.  And at the end he did it.  It’s just so great for the team, and the team is so excited.  The team has risen up with Floyd’s spirit.  They are all so motivated now.  It’s so good to work with him because everybody knows what he has to do and you can also see they want to do it.  It’s so impressive.  And they can do much more than they usually can do just because they can see that Floyd will deliver at the end. 

But I always say, even the last day on a normal day, we still have to cross the finish line, but I think we can really do it.  This will be a great success for the team and for Floyd.  This will already be the third stage race win for him this year, and not many riders can say they have won three stage races one after another.  And I see how much he has grown since last year.  He just made a step forward like he had to in order to be a big champion and a real leader. 

He’s stepped into the role, hasn’t he?

Yeah, yeah, we’re so happy with Floyd.

How pleased were you with your team’s performance yesterday?  I know you still had some teammates there with Floyd at the bottom of the climb. 

I am extremely pleased.  We were much stronger than last year.  We had a little bit of a confused team that wasn’t able to assist Floyd as was necessary.  But this year we had the perfect team and we did perfect team work.  We didn’t have any trouble defending after Floyd took the jersey in the Time Trial.  And just everything went well.  We had no accidents and everything went well. 

We have such a good opportunity now to say thanks to the ones who put on this race.  They have done a good job.  We never had trouble with security or traffic on the race course, or whatever.  You know, anything can happen.  Everything was well organized so it’s been a pleasure to ride here.

How did you feel your younger riders handled the race?  At the beginning of the race you told me some of them were young and still gaining experience, so how do you think they did and how did they hold up on the grueling stage to Brasstown Bald?

Absolutely.  Johann Tschopp is a very young hopeful rider.  He is also a very good climber and he showed it yesterday.  He was always present on the side of Floyd.  Also Florian Stalder, a Swiss rider.  He did a great job as well.  They gained invaluable experience in how to ride with a real race leader.  It’s something else to do a race and just ride for yourself or your team.  It’s a different thing to do it for the race leader.  This is an experience they will never forget. 

The Gutierrez Brothers:  I’ve got your back, bro!

And the Gutierrez brothers were amazing!

Oh, yes, about those two riders, you can say they are no longer the young ones but they are the riders that are the solid rocks on the team with big experience.  Enrique was already a champion.  He has won a lot of stages in races and has had a big name.  It’s a good thing to have him here.  Also Robbie Hunter.  He has huge experience about how to ride a race and how to read a race.  He knows exactly what is going on.  He’s our captain on the road.  He takes the responsibilities so Floyd can just ride the race. 

Robbie Hunter, the captain on the road

Any ambitions for Robbie today, or is the plan just to deliver Floyd safely to the line?

We’ll see.  We think it will be a bunch sprint at the end, and if it’s not too much work we might try for something.  But a lot of teams have not gotten a stage win and I think we have many ambitions from those teams today.

How was your phone call to Andy Rihs last night to tell him how Floyd and the team were doing?  I bet he wishes he were here.

Oh, it was just great.  And he was so happy.  Also John Lelangue is so happy.  It’s just a great thing.  The riders say they missed having Andy here.  He’s such a good soul, and a very positive person.  To have a chief like him  behind you is just really helpful and makes our job much easier.

Andy Rihs and Floyd share a moment in the 2005 Tour de Georgia

Please tell him we missed him this year.  And Rene, fabulous job here at the Tour de Georgia.  Congratulations!

We’ve been to the mountain…AGAIN!!

The weather changes a lot on Brasstown Bald. One year it’s blazing hot. The next it’s snowing. And this year it was a combination of both, with early morning showers and bright blue skies and warm sunshine in the mid-afternoon. But one thing never changes and that is the high caliber of racing we experience year after year when the cyclists head up the grueling HC climb to determine the outcome of the race. This year’s race to the top was certainly a shining moment in American cycling, as Floyd Landis (Phonak) managed to hold on to his leader’s jersey despite the double-whammy attack Discovery Channel riders Tom Danielson and Yaroslav Popovich kept hurling his way.

I stood on Brasstown Bald just below the barriers marking the last 400m. It’s very steep in this entire section, with the nastiest hairpin curve I think I’ve ever seen. A good crowd was on hand waiting for the cyclists, and back down in the parking area the Jumbrotron was hooked up and people were enjoying viewing the race prior to it reaching the final climb. People in my area had a race radio, and I had the start list and the race profile, so we were exchanging information and following the race since we were up above the TV screen.

The crowds were enthusiastic, even cheering loudly as the sun came out, but saving the biggest cheers of the day for the heroic efforts of the peloton as they came one by one up the winding road of Brasstown Bald. Cowbells, slappers, big waving hands, chalk lettering on the road — it was all there just like on the climbs in Europe. And when the first riders came through, it reminded me of being at the Tour de France last summer.

Popovych was a maniac driving in front of Landis and Danielson. He had a gap when he went by us, and he looked possessed as he hammered up the climb. But you could see Landis was not too concerned about him. Danielson sat on his wheel and Floyd kept looking back to watch for the jump. You could see on his face that the day had been hard. But then, everyone’s faces reflected that. Floyd’s attentiveness was what was so evident, as he kept looking over his shoulder to judge Danielson’s next move, determined not to lose the jersey on this climb as he’d done last year.

Cesar Grajales (Navigators) came through just behind the first three riders for a fine fourth place finish today, and his spirits have to be high since the weather conditions were not to his exact liking. He looked strong as he pumped by me, sweat streaming down his face, determination written all over it. He was riding with great form today; I hope he’s proud of his effort.

Justin England (Toyota-United Pro) improved on his placing the year, moving from 13th to 7th, and it was with great joy that I announced his name to the crowd near me and we screamed encouragement to him as he continued upward. He is such a fluid climber and exhibits a quiet strength as he goes about his business moving up the climb. Close behind him was teammate Chris Baldwin, who also had a fine day, capturing fifteenth place. Toyota-United Pro Cycling has to be proud of their boys.

Riders continued to pull through for thirty minutes or so; it was hard to determine how long it took. Some of the later riders were really struggling with the climb, but if it was a rider I knew, the group of men around me would give them a push. One would start running up the hill along side the rider, pushing as he went, and then change places with a guy a little further up who would take over pushing for a little while longer. One guy gave so many pushes he finally said to me, “I hope you don’t have any more friends coming up this climb!”

As we all headed back down to our cars, we saw that Mariano Friedick and Ivan Dominquez (Toyota-United Pro) had managed to meet up with some of Ivan’s Cuban friends. “These are my people!” he yelled at us, and then posed for a smiling picture, the long day in the saddle already a memory.

I’m sitting back in my hotel now, thinking back on the day, thinking about the magic one feels when watching a climb in cycling….and all I can think to say is that I’ve been to the mountain and it was good. Very good. Damn good, in fact.

Cesar Grajales jumped out of the pack and became a shining climbing star at Brasstown Bald in 2004

One of my fondest memories in cycling was the climb to Brasstown Bald in 2004. It was my first time to sit out on a climb for seven or eight hours, meeting people and making friends prior to the cyclists hitting the climb. That day had a surprise rider attacking at the bottom of the climb and carrying the lead all the way to the finish, in front of the likes of Lance Armstrong, Jens Voight and Chris Horner. The winner at Brasstown Bald that day in 2004 was Columbian climbing sensation Cesar Grajales, riding that year for the local crowd favorites, Jittery Joes. I spoke with Cesar about that epic day.

Daily Peloton: I saw you win at Brasstown Bald two years ago. That was incredible that day! What was that like for you?

Cesar: For me that was amazing. It was the turning point for me when I began to realize what a good climber I am. It was the first time I had the opportunity to race against big names. It was the first time I thought about riding in Europe. I just need the opportunity. It’s very difficult to jump to a ProTour team.

DP: But you’re jumping a little bit at a time.

Cesar: Yes, in 2004 I rode for Jittery Joes, that’s when I won at Brasstown Bald. Then I moved to the Navigators and we do some races in Europe. I’m getting more and more experience every year. At first it was hard for me to race criteriums, but I’ve practiced now and I can be in the top ten. No problem. Another difficult thing for me is dealing with the bad weather. Now I am learning to deal with that too. I live in Athens, Georgia, and the weather is good. But it’s hard for me in the cold weather. My director’s have worried about me in the past when there was wind and cold but I am learning to adjust and get better results in the bad weather.

I’m 32 years old, but I’m new in the sport. I rode on a mountain bike until 1996. I rode on a team in Columbia. We don’t have a professional mountain bike club. So later I came to the United States and was able to switch to the road and join the Jittery Joes team.

What a great team for you to start with. It seems like they would treat you like family.

Yes, they gave me a great opportunity. It was also good for them because the results I got brought more attention for them.

When you won at Brasstown Bald, your name and your team name were all over the papers and cycling magazines. Plus you beat Lance so it was a really big thing.

Yes! To beat Lance when he had the winner’s jersey on his back, it was good!

That had to be your best day on a bike.

Oh, yes. I didn’t realize that until last year when Lance retired. After watching him in the Tour and how he dominated everyone, I was thinking that I had been great that day on Brasstown Bald!

How much did you plan out your attack that day? I know that ride was in your backyard, so to speak, and you’d probably ridden that climb many, many times, but did you know exactly where you were going to attack, or did you just feel the race that day?

The thing is everybody from Athens and the people around me, even Chris Horner, told me I could win. In Redlands I had done a climb that was really steep. I had dropped everybody. And it was the first time I saw Horner get a little worried. So that day at Brasstown Bald I was feeling good. The day before Lance had tested everybody on one of the hills. He had done an attack on one of the hills. Just to see who could go. Only four riders could go with him. Later Chris tried the same thing, and again only four riders. So I thought it looked pretty good for Brasstown Bald.

When we hit the steep section I saw that half of the group dropped off and we were just ten riders. I started asking myself when I should attack. I thought I needed to put some time into the riders, so at 3.5 km to go I was thinking that would be a good place. I wanted to jump, but I kept thinking about it, and then I finally went. No body went. But then Bobby Julich went and the race just spread out.

We were up high on the climb, just below the parking lot. A race marshal near us had a race radio. When we heard your name come over the radio we weren’t sure who you were but we loved the Jittery Joes, so we were shouting and screaming. Then when you came by and were all alone, it was very exciting. The crowd was going wild. And it was a long time before the rest of the group came by.

People were really happy for me. I think people were excited that someone from a very small team could have such big results. I was there with some big names.

I don’t think you could have been competing against any bigger names, Cesar! Who else could you have added to that elite group?

(Laughs) Yes, yes, I guess so.

That was such a fabulous day in racing. We were so happy to be there on the side of that mountain and see it unfold.

I was talking to Bob Roll awhile back and he said that was the best moment in American cycling. I was hoping to move to a European team after that, so I waited for a team to call me. But I didn’t know I needed to get an agent and contact the teams, telling them I was interested. So I did finally get an agent and that’s when I moved to Navigators.

I had some trouble last year getting a visa to go to race in Europe. I had to go back to Columbia to get the visa, and I didn’t get it, but I’d wasted all that time traveling to try to make it happen. All that was before Tour of Georgia in 2005. So it was stressful and I wasn’t on my bike training.

And then there was the weather last year.

Oh yes, the weather was terrible. It was so cold. The worst thing was that the day before Brasstown Bald, the day we’d gotten hailed on, I just couldn’t get warm, even with a jacket. Then the day of Brasstown Bald it was cold again. It just wasn’t for me last year.

Well, we’re hoping for warm weather too, because it’s freezing to stand out there all day waiting for you. I guess we should be happy we weren’t on a bike, but let’s hope for sunshine next time!

He’s the US TT Champion and I was in the car behind him…sweeeet!

It was the day of the Time Trial at the Ford Tour de Georgia, and a fine day of racing was certainly on hand. Today’s stage began near the Civil War Battlefield at Chickamauga, and on hand to greet the cyclists were re-enactors in full Civil War costumes, complete with muzzle-loaders and cannons. As the riders rolled down the start ramp onto the course, each start time was honored with a cannon firing or a gun blast. I think it’s safe to say this was a first for most of the riders.

I ran into Phil Liggett for the second day in a row, and asked him if he’d found his Jelly Bellys the previous day and he hadn’t managed to snag them, so I took him over to Karen and Paul William at the Jelly Belly bus. They drive the bus all over the country, passing out Jelly Belly’s and letting people know about the cycling team. “Hi Karen, this is Phil Liggett, and he’d love some Sports Beans!” I said…..there was no sign of recognition. I looked at Phil and his face lit up with a smile, “It’s lovely when that happens.”

Over at the Toyota-United Pro compound, I said hi to Mariano as he, Ivan and Health were warming up. With a long time trial most of the boys warmed up on the trainers for around 40 minutes. I asked Mariano how he would pace himself for today’s ride. “I just like to ride at my threshold, and then pick it up some near the end to get a good result. This course doesn’t really suit me, and there are several hard days in the mountains ahead of us, so I will probably have to back it off some. In the days to come I’ll be helping Justin and Chris as much as I can, or just staying near JJ and Ivan to keep them safe.”

As the boys warmed up, DS Frankie Andreu briefed them on the course. Teammate Justin England had ridden the course ten days ago and emailed all the team with a preview on the course. Warning them of the frequent rollers and technical turns, Frankie encouraged them to ride hard and stay safe while on the course.

It was time for Chris Baldwin to ride out, and I had the shot-gun position in the team car. As Chris rolled down the ramp and we gunned it onto the course, over the race-radio came the report, “Top finishing time at this point is 59:07, rider #82.” Chris’ teammate Health Blackgrove was the current leader as Baldwin began his ride.

Harm Jansen was driving the car (and writing down the times, and answering the phone, and listening to the radio, and yelling out the window to his rider, and…) and watching Baldwin’s form as he began the curves. “Come on Chris! Inside! Take the inside!” Chris peddled on, showing good power and a steady rhythm. Up the hill, never out of the saddle, just the constant turning over of the pedals, on and on. Holding his body still, Chris cranked out the miles. A few minutes into the ride there was a knarly descent that had all of us in the car hanging on to the hand holds and letting out little gasps as we rounded the curves at a speed not even close to that of Baldwin.

Baldwin catches his minute man from Phonak. The riders barely look at each other.

Harm’s phone rings. He’s getting reports from the end of the course, where DS Frankie has followed Justin England. Harm writes some time splits down, and yells out the window. Teammate Blackgrove is no long the course leader. Faster and faster riders are coming through. Big crowds are at the 25k climb and we hear lots of cowbells and fans yelling “Go Chris! Go Toyota!”

Chris moves on, still riding confident and strong. His cadence maintains a steady rhythm. “He’s doing good!” Harm smiles as he watches his rider. Chris’s splits look good, and he’s riding steady on the bike.

“Ride your own race, Chris,” Harm yells out the window. He tells us in the car he likes the way Chris looks, he likes the movement Chris is showing. We can’t ride up next to our rider, plus Baldwin has on a TT helmet, so Harm taps on the horn a lot and continues to yell, “Going good, Chris, you’re going good!”

Harm gets a phone call. Another Toyota-United rider has had a mechanical. JJ Haedo needs a new bike. He has to switch to his rode bike, which he rides for the rest of the race. “I’m so glad we had somebody behind JJ. We don’t want these guys to be left alone. We worked out the logistics, this worked out perfect.”

Baldwin passes another rider, and the team cars try to move up behind the proper rider. The road is two-lane, but there is plenty of width. Chris holds off Zabriskie, but Dave finally passes as we see the “15k To Go.” But when he passes, he doesn’t leave Baldwin behind. Chris keeps his pace and continues his race. Harm yells more encouragement out the window, telling Baldwin to ride his own race. “You’re going good, you’re going good. Steady! Steady, Chris, you’ve got it.”

We see sweeping vistas as we descend into the Tennessee River Valley. The Comm 3 car tells the team cars to stay in the right lane, which isn’t too easy to do as we take the curves as fast as possible to keep up with Chris. All of us in the car laugh at the wild ride we’re on, but it’s an easy ride compared to the one Chris is putting in.

Baldwin pedals on. He’s having a great day on the bike. Harm checks with the referee to be sure Chris is keeping the proper distance from Zabriskie so he doesn’t get a time penalty. The referee says he’s doing fine, no problem. Chris manages to pass Zabriskie at one point, but soon Dave goes by again. He’s not shaking off Baldwin.

Eventually Chris finds himself along the Tennessee River and the finish line is in sight. Zabriskie finishes just in front of him and has the best time at that point. Baldwin comes in right behind with a great time of 55′55, in a fine seventh place. It was a great ride for Chris Baldwin, one worthy of the stars and stripes he currently wears as the U.S. Time Trial Champion.

He wasn’t yet the winner when we sat down for breakfast, but he was sounding pretty confident on this morning prior to race start

Pass the coffee, Floyd!