"All Downhil from Here"

This is a pretty well written post about Lance Armstrong... most of which I've been saying for awhile now. But maybe the writer puts his words into a less hostile tone than I usually do... Regardless - it's pretty good.

Read it here

You Tell 'Em...

Do it, Contador!

BIG WINNER!

Apparently this is Alberto Contador's new signature move... he's done it about every day of the Vuelta this year, but I need to investigate if this move was a part of his winning Tour de France or Giro d'Italia...


But, needless to say - HE WON!! 3 Grand Tours in 15 months... Congrats! (Now move teams and smoke Lance next year!)

Contador still...

He's still in the lead. Blah Blah Blah. Someone needs to do something radical. Like Levi. HAHA

That's all I have to say about the last few days.

Stage 16 > Ponferrada - Zamora

Not much changed today over all in La Vuelta - but my boy Tommeke won!!




Oh - and Contador is still in the lead.

Contador Dominates

In Stage 13 (San Vicente de la B. - Alto de L´Angliru) of the Vuelta, Alberto Contador asserted some dominance and won the stage, and took over the general classification and put the Golden Fleece on his back.

Stage 14 (Oviedo [you've heard of it if you've seen Vicky Christina Barcelona] - E. E. Fuentes de Invierno) was more of the same with Contador winning in fine form again, not to mention looking pretty sure of himself...


Stage 15 (Cudillero - Ponferrada) went to David Garcia Dapena of Spain, and Contador held onto his lead...

Let us not forget that there is still about a week left to this race, and ol' Levi Leipheimer is a little over a minute behind Contador. But, he's his teammate - so be assured that Levi will be discouraged from acting against Contador - so expect a podium similar to the 2007 Tour de France. Levi making way for Contador.

If he keeps it up, he'll join the elite club of the few who have won all 3 tours... eat it, Lance. Lance Armstrong was too good to do something like that...

Stefan Schumacher

In more trading around news, Stefan Schumacher is leaving his now defunct Gerolsteiner team and is moving to Quickstep. Apparently Bettini was none too happy about it.

But I don't like Schumacher, and I like Quickstep, so I'm not really either.


I hope their helmets can contain his abnormally huge skull.

Thor Hushovd

So this may not be breaking news (the article I read it from was dated two days ago) - but it's new to me.

Thor Hushovd has joined the Cervelo TestTeam, as well as Carlos Sastre. But Thor was the surprise... wow. That should be fairly interesting next year. Hopefully the team won't have any problems getting into big races - I would miss Thor too much.

Vuelta Update, So Far

So - we've all missed half of the last, but not least Grand Tour - so here's a Vuelta update:

Stage 1 > Granada - Granada (TTT)
Winner: Liquigas
Overall: Filippo Pozzato
For the record: The Tour needs the Team Time Trial back... due to its pure awesomeness.

Stage 2 > Granada - Jaen
Winner: Alejandro Valverde
Overall: Alejandro Valverde

Count how many times this happens (won't be much - leading a Grand Tour that is)

Stage 3 > Jaen - Cordoba
Winner: [My Man] Tom Boonen
Overall: Daniele BennatiTom Boonen with a little Tour redemption

Stage 4 > Cordoba - Puertollano
Winner: Daniele Bennati
Overall: Daniele Bennati

Stage 5 > Ciudad Real - Ciudad Real (TT)
Winner: Levi Leipheimer
Overall: Levi Leipheimer

Stage 6 > Ciudad Real - Toledo
Winner: Paolo Bettini
Overall: Sylvain Chavanel

Stage 7 >Barbastro - Andorra (Naturlandia - La Rabassa)
Winner: Alessandro Ballan
Overall: Alessandro Ballan

Stage 8 > Andorra (Escaldes - Engordany) - Salardu Naut Aran/Pla de Beret
Winner: David Moncoutie
Overall: Levi Leipheimer

Stage 9 > Vielha/Mijaran - Sabinanigo
Winner: Greg Van Avermaet
Overall: Egoi Martinez

Let us note that Damiano Cunego finished 5th. Nice try, Little Prince.

Stage 10 > Sabinanigo - Zaragoza
Winner: Sebastien Hinault (It's that famous name)
Overall: Egoi Martinez

Stage 11 > Calahorra - Burgos
Winner: Oscar Freire
Overall: Egoi MartinezStage 12 > Burgos - Suances
Winner: Paolo Bettini
Overall: Egoi Martinez

VUELTA, BABY!

Okay, so for all my friends who don't know anything about cycling - the Vuelta a Espana is currently happening... The Vuelta is the 3rd and final Grand Tour of the year (which also includes the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France). It's three weeks, all around Spain, and it's a little more than halfway through.

My sisters and I have done our predictions, as we do every year for the Tour, for the Vuelta for the first time. It's a points competition, and somehow I am smoking them both with 569 points, to their 467 and 442.

I picked for the Overall:
Alberto Contador
Carlos Sastre
Damiano Cunego (who is a letdown like usual)
Alejandro Valverde
Syvain Chavenel

I also had some good picks for KOM and Sprinters, so that's most likely where my points are coming from.

Currently the race just finished up Stage 12 and is heading into a rest day tomorrow, and Egoi Martinez (One of my KOM picks) is sitting pretty in the Golden Fleece.