The Psycho Cyclist!

Hincapie: Boonen is beatable : "George Hincapie will lead Discovery against an on-form Tom Boonen on Sunday, and he told Eurosport his team's formula for Flanders victory."

Tri newbie! - 3/31/2006 : "Well I had a pretty good week of training. I'm not going to do anything this evening...other than just eat (a lot) and veg on the couch. Need to rest a bit for the weekend. Swimming is feeling stronger, runs are good although my shins are a bit sore.....but just a little. There will sure be sore after tomorrow. I'll go for my morning run tomorrow and get in 13-14 miles then after I get back, I'll jump in the pool and and do 2X1760 yards for my 2 miles. That ought to do me for the day. Bike: 1h 20s 30.00 miles 29.83 miles/hr"

Flanders06: The Way Of The Cross : "Message by Jered GruberFormer Flanders winner Andrea Tafi once said 'Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross.' Indeed, the Tour of Flanders has rightly established itself as arguably the toughest of the Classics - offering everything up to the hopeful winner: wind, cobbles, length, tough roads, oh, and 17 bergs."

Killer Koppenberg proves unclimable : "Big name riders staking out Sunday's Tour of Flanders have been unable to climb the Koppenberg, with its 25% maximum gradient."

Hoste leads Discovery sweep : "In the final stage, an 11.5km time trial, Leif Hoste led a Discovery Channel sweep of the podium to win the Three Days of La Panne."

Bike 2208.00 Mi - 85h 44m 55s Pace: 25.75 Mi/hr Run 183.20 Mi - 22h 24m 40s Pace: 7m 20s Mi Swim 19074.23 Yd - 8h 10m Pace: 2m 34s /100 Yd

Freire back for Basque Tour : "Three-time world champion Oscar Freire, who opted out of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, will return for the Basque Tour."

Feeling like a pro bicyclist for a day : "Gary Fallesen Staff writer - No matter how good the riders might be that line up alongside him here - and Brian Hurwitz acknowledges that 'there's a lot of great talent in Rochester' - it'll never match the ..."

Thrills and spills in De Panne Stage 3 : "Dutchman Steven De Jongh won the 119km Stage 3 of The Three Days De Panne while overall leader Bernhard Eisel crashed in the finale."

Eisel wins stage, takes overall lead : "After finishing second in the opening stage, Austria's Bernhard Eisel won Stage 2 of La Panne Wednesday to take the overall lead."

Wednesday's EuroFile: Petacchi will ride Flanders; Olson classics bound; Hondo gets green light :

Ullrich return delayed : "Jan Ullrich, who was schedule to make his 2006 debut in next week's Circuit de la Sarthe, will instead return at the end of April in Romandy"

Hoste braced for Boonen : "Leif Hoste aims to defend his leader's jersey against the likes of Tom Boonen."

Alessandro Petacchi's Colnago : "Tech feature: Alessandro Petacchi's Team Milram Colnago Extreme C2 Prototype, March 29, 2006 A special chassis for the Ale-Jet engine Alessandro Petacchi has never been one of those riders who can just hop ..."

No spring classics for Backstedt : "2004 Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt will miss the entire classics season due to a tendon injury."

My turn again. I get so busy at work and posting from other news portal that I forget to post my own musings. Well I guess that I have to go back to the weekend. Saturday...it was a tad nippy, about 40*F so I just rode about 42 miles and called it a day. I REALLY wanted to swim, but it’s just to cold. Saturday night I had other family obligation so no ride with Carmen....bummer! Sunday, a little better, but still too cold for swimming but I did run after I rode. That ride was good; I met up with my friend Rusty and several other folks and hammered about 50 miles. But the best...I was able to go out with Carmen for a quick ride. On the way back...we had a pretty strong head wind so she decided to hammer a bit to get home faster. I swear she looks like a kid on her bike....it actually quite adorable. Anyways...that was fun and another great memory to have. Monday....swam. Oh yeah, it was cold still, about 57*F. I was crazy, but I got about 1000 yards in before I had enough. ...

Hoste takes La Panne lead : "Leif Hoste pipped Austrian Bernard Eisel and Belgian compatriot Gert Steegmans to win stage one of the Three Days of La Panne on Tuesday."

Flexibility training: Cycling stretches : "What if there was a supplement that increased recovery and circulation, improved biomechanics in running, biking and swimming and prevented injuries? No such supplement exists, but a regular stretching routine can offer the same benefits."

In Flanders Fields: A Historical Perspective : "Message by Graham R. JonesThe Ronde van Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelegm, and Paris-Roubaix make up the opening week of the big Northern Classics. These ancient races have created as many heroes as they've destroyed, and can only truly be understood in person. We offer this humble attempt to explain why..."

Boonen Belgian Cycling's Future : "Message by Graham R. JonesAs Winston Churchill once stated, if you want to predict the future, study history. In nature there are natural rhythms and cycles. Since World War II Belgium has produced a truly great champion every decade and Tom Boonen’s recent successes set good odds that he is the future of Belgian cycling."

La Panne: Slippery when wet : "It may be a warm-up for Sunday's Tour of Flanders, but the Three Days of La Panne no stroll through park."

Van Petegem: No recipe for shedding Boonen : "When he did the Tour of Flanders-Paris-Roubaix double in 2004, Peter Van Petegem accomplished a formidable feat. Then came Tom Boonen."

EuroTrash Monday! : "Message by Jered GruberThe final tune-ups are nearly done - only the Three Days of De Panne remains between Sunday's Ronde, the World Series of Classics riders is barely a week away. This final Monday in March we've got a slew of stanky stories: Boonen, Freire, HealthNet in Redlands, and much, much MORE!!"

No Giro for Landis : "Phonak have announced a change of plan for recent Paris-Nice winner Floyd Landis who will now skip the Giro d'Italia."

Sunday's EuroFile: Basso takes Criterium International; Friere repeats at Brabantse Pijl :

Basso times Criterium to perfection : "Italian Ivan Basso of CSC won the Criterium International cycling race with a second-placed finish in the afternoon time-trial on Sunday."

Freire grabs Fleche Brabanconne :

Landis will take a pass on Giro :

Two on the trot for in-form Freire : "After winning a stage on Tirreno, Oscar Freire won the Brabantse Pijl Sunday for the second year in a row."

Freire: Make it a double : "After a strong start in 2006, three-time world champion Oscar Freire aimed to retain his Brabantse Pijl title on Sunday."

Criterium International Results - Stage 2 :

Basso takes control : "Already second on Saturday, Ivan Basso won Stage 2 of the Criterium International Sunday morning, taking the reins ahead the afternoon ITT."

Health Net, Team Lipton dominate Redlands criterium :

Team Type 1 RAAMs Diabetes: Update : "Message by Jered GruberLast time PEZ spoke with Phil Southerland and Team Type 1, he was planning to tackle RAAM with a team of diabetics to raise awareness and over $1 million dollars (!) for diabetes research, education, and aid for current diabetics. What was once a far-fetched scheme is rapidly falling into place… We asked Phil just how they’ll do it…"

Team Type 1: The Pieces Come Together : "Message by Jered GruberLast time PEZ spoke with Phil Southerland and Team Type 1, he was dreaming up the nearly ridiculous idea of doing RAAM to raise awareness for diabetes and with a goal to raise over 1,000,000 dollars for diabetes research, education, and aid for current diabetics. A few months on, and what was once a far-fetched scheme is rapidly falling into place."

Dekker wins soggy start to Critérium International :

Astarloa's pain, Dekker gain : "As stage favourite Igor Astarloa slipped in the wet finale, Erik Dekker not only avoided going down with the Spaniard, he took the win."

Criterium International Results - Stage 1 :

Basso along for the ride : "After finishing a strong eighth overall in Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour de France hopeful Ivan Basso heads north for the Critérium International."

Saturday's EuroFile: Dekker takes CI opener; Boonen wins in Belgium :

Well it’s Friday and I have had a good week of working out. Been in the pool A LOT! This morning I went out for a quick run and ran 9 miles in 1 hour and 2 minutes.....still under a 7 min/mile....something like 6.95min/mile which I’ll take. Here are the weeks totals: Bike 60.00 Mi - 1h 58m 40s Pace: 30.34 Mi/hr Run 16.00 Mi - 1h 49m Pace: 6m 49s /Mi Swimming 5000.00 Yd - 1h 55m Pace: 2m 18s /100Yd Saturday, I’ll ride about 40 miles and swim about 2000Yd (1.13 miles), Sunday I’ll ride about the same, but I’ll follow that by about a 5 mile run. Sunday, hopefully I will be able to ride with Carmen. The weather will be sunny, but cool and windy so that ride might be questionable. But I feel great..nothing is sore or injured! Lets prey it stays that way!!

"Good morale in cycling comes from good legs." -Sean Yates

"Machines don't break records. Muscles do." -Lon Haldeman

Vino takes first win of the year : "Alexandre Vinokourov won his first stage-race with new team Liberty Seguros, clinching the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon with a final stage win."

Friday's EuroFile: Vino' sets his goals; Tough day in Normandie :

Thursday's EuroFile: Vino' pads lead in Spain; Cunego scores win, jersey in Italy; Mancebo debuts at CI :

EuroTrash Thursday! : "Message by James HewittA multifaceted medley of ‘le monde’ in this Thursday’s EuroTrash: Vuelta Award Ceremony Postponed, Tasty Win For Napolitano, Surgery For Klöden, Ullrich - The Drama Continues, Pozzato For Flanders, Critérium International, Weekend Preview and Davies: As Good As Gold..."

21rst Vuelta Castilla y Leon Stage 3 : "Acosta attacked at 800 meters with such speed that he quickly gained 4 seconds and unsuspecting peloton led by the sprinters teams and held his gap to the finish line denying the sprinters the victory."

Okay...it’s time to get back to blogging by workouts. Well Monday, I took the morning off but I did swim that evening for about 30 minutes of lap after lap. I probably did 1000 yards. Tuesday, I rode the bike for 30 miles in 58 minutes for a 30.1 mph pace...not too bad. That evening I got back into the pool and swam 1500 yards in 32 minutes...also not too bad. Then to top it all off, this morning I got up and went for a run, and I ran 7 miles in 47 minutes for a 6.43min/mile. So all in all a few good workout days!! I feel great...still a bit sore from the race on Sunday...but I feel strong! I want to pick up the mileage and time a bit more now and work up to the Olympic distances.....then on to half irons....

Photo Gallery :

"Never use your face as a brake pad." -Jake Watson

Ullrich trains for Giro test : "Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich will use the Giro D'Italia as a springboard for his Grande Boucle bid the team said on Tuesday."

Discovery Channel Team Report :

PEZ-Clusive Test: BMC SLC01 : "Message by Richard PestesAnother world’s first look from the Pez-Crew – this time the completely re-designed 2006 BMC SLC01 ‘Pro Machine’ – the 100% carbon fibre frame made from Easton’s 'CNT“ Carbon Nanotube Technology is stronger, stiffer, and lighter than before… but how’s the ride? Here’s what PEZ Sez…"

Lance Armstrong To Drive Indy 500 Pace Car : "Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will be the pace car driver for this year's Indianapolis 500, 6News reported Tuesday."

Tuesday's EuroFile: Popovych, McCartney go 1-2 in Spain; Vino takes lead; Petacchi slates appearances : "null"

Edo wins Castilla y Leon opener :

Pippo wants more : "Young Milan-Sanremo champion Filippo Pozzato is already looking to future successes in the upcoming northern classics."

Bob Roll launches biking blog : "The slightly twisted cycling commentator for Outdoor Life Network since 2000 is a former bike racer and author."

EuroTrash Monday! : "Message by Jered GruberIt seems more and more that the youngsters are in fact inheriting the big time earlier - how else do you explain Tom Boonen, Alejandro Valverde, Damiano Cunego, Thomas Dekker, and of course Filippo Pozzato? Ah yes, this fresh Monday we've got a tasty concoction of youth and rejuvenation: Pippo Wins, Hondo returns, Ballan impresses, and much MORE!"

"Cycling-the sport of the centry-mechanization which, together with the marvelous nature of man, triumphs over time and space." -La Gazzetta dello Sport Thanks for the book Carmen!

So today is the day...the first tri of the season. I awoke at 4am, not too early for me, and drank my coffee and loaded up the ol’ car. I arrived nice and early and was able to get a good spot in the transition area and organized my stuff. Met a few people and chatted a while before out 6:45 meeting by the swimming leg of the race. The Olympic started at 7am and the sprinters...me...started at 7:45. After the Olympic started I got in the water and warmed-up until the start. Once we started...I got kicked, elbowed, swam over under and all over and I had a hard time getting it a rhythm. But that is what I expected..yet I still managed to finish and get out of the water. Running up to T1, I found myself off course but not a big time water and I got in...wetsuit off....shoes check, helmet...racing number belt....off I go. Once I got on the bike and started peddling I felt much more at ease about the race. The stuff that I was nervous about was now over. I’m a good cyclist and r...

The weekend started really relaxing. I decided to take the day off from training and just spend the day with Carmen. I got up at my normally insane time of 4:30 am...but then crawled back into bed about 6am. I cleaned my bike and made sure that I had everything that I needed for my race tomorrow. Later on in the afternoon, Carmen and I went on “our” ride together and feed the squirrels. It was a great time eventhough I think that squirrels were hiding. But all in all a very nice and relaxing day.

Well I did my first tri for the season and I finnished 9th overall ans 2nd place for my age group. I'll post times when I get them...but I smoked the cycling couse. I passed up everyone that I saw... Running was great too! I have to A LOT more swimming though. I probably could have placed top 3 over all if it wasn't for the swimming....but the season is early. A great day, a great race followed by a great steak as a treat! More photos... http://spaces.msn.com/anthonyp/photos/?_c02_owner=1

Pozzato king of the Poggio : "Filippo Pozzato shocked Quick Step teammate Tom Boonen with a breakaway at the Poggio to win Milan-Sanremo in front of Alessandro Petacchi."

Dutchman Dekker wins Tirreno-Adriatico : "Dutchman Thomas Dekker puts on the overall leader jersey on the podium after winning the seventh stage of the 41th edition of the Tirreno/Adriatico cycling race Dutchman Thomas Dekker, of the Rabobank team, won ..."

A Quick Step to Sanremo : "Paolo Bettini will line up for Quick Step on Saturday for the Milan-Sanremo classic alongside team-mate and World champion Tom Boonen."

Pinarello Paris Carbon FP Debuts at Milano-San Remo : "null"

In it for the long haul : "Milan-Sanremo may belong to sprinters but glory will not be theirs before proving their worth on the long haul across the Italian coastline."

Petacchi declares intent : "Even with four-time winner Erik Zabel riding by his side, Alessandro Petacchi says he is Milram's leader as he attempts a Primavera repeat."

Axel Merckx interview : "An interview with Axel Merckx , March 17, 2006 Nearing an end, but motivation high Part of the Phonak eight for Milan-San Remo, the son of cycling's best-ever rider is considering retirement."

Museeuw, others face trial in doping scandal : "Belgium's former world champion cyclist Johan Museeuw and 10 others implicated in a doping scandal are to face trial, prosecutors said Friday."

HI CARMEN! HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=photos/2006/news/mar06/boonen/bonnen_coppi : "Boonen breaks the bank to take Bici d'Oro"

2006 Paris-Nice Video Highlight : "Floyd Landis won more than Paris-Nice on Sunday. He secured the trust and confidence of his Phonak teammates as they look confidently toward this summer's Tour de France."

I haven’t written personally in my blog for a few days...I guess the usual is going on and nothing really new. I kind of tapered down my training to give my body a break before my next race. I’m still working out twice a day, but the intensity has decreased. Actually I feel guilty...but I know that I need to. I’ll be grateful come race day. My swimming endurance is doing good...I think that I’ll be ok. The run and bike won’t be an issue. I’m already eyeing a half-ironman in November.

Cyclist prepares for the Commonwealth Games : "Cyclist prepares for the Commonwealth Games - Photo Thursday March 16, 10:27 AM Cyclist prepares for the Commonwealth Games A cyclist trains at the velodrome in Melbourne, Australia as he prepares for the ..."

Thursday's EuroFile: Hincapie takes a pass on MSR; So, too, does Di Luca :

EuroTrash Thursday! : "Message by James HewittDekker’s New Doc, Oscar For Boonen, Lampre Satisfied With Tirreno, Merckx: Floyd Can Win The Tour, Commonwealth Games Kick-Off, Oenone Wood VIP At Vélo Classic Tours, Bettini Back For Milano-SanRemo, Who Is Luigi Cecchini? Great River Energy Renews Sponsorship and the Plat du Jour!"

Indy 500 Pace Car Wheel Handed To Lance Armstrong : "Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will be the pace car driver for this year's Indianapolis 500, 6News reported Tuesday."

The Primavera sprint-off : "Tom Boonen and Alessandro Petacchi are gearing up for a final sprint battle in Saturday's Milan-Sanremo, as both come off of season highs."

Milano-Sanremo: The 2006 PEZ Preview : "Message by Jered GruberLa Primavera, La Classicissima, Milan-San Remo, Milano-Sanremo, whatever you prefer to call the first of the five monuments in cycling - MSR is a big deal, and if you're from Italia, or you're a sprinter, it's next to the Holy Grail. Ever seen a grown man cry? If an Italian wins La Primavera, the odds are very good."

Wednesday's EuroFile: Horner a go for Tour; Bettini a go for MSR... and so is Petacchi :

Two top-ten finishes at Tirreno-Adriatico : "Two Americans produced top-ten finishes today in this weeks 41st annual Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy. George Hincapie placed eighth and Tom Danielson placed tenth in the General Classification"

Sprint win boosts Petacchi's morale for Milan-San Remo : "Alessandro Petacchi's stage win on the final day of Tirreno-Adriatico on Tuesday was a timely morale booster for Saturday's Milan-San Remo race."

CSK Test: Little Bike, Big Attitude : "Message by Charles ManantanFrom the land of the Giants (er Giant… etc), a small manufacturer is making a dent in what might seem as David versus Goliath form. Taiwan is basically the center of cycle production for the world now, but there’s a bit of a rebel in the mix. PEZ gets a crack at CSK."

Get a leg up: Three supercharged early-season cycling workouts : "Even if you're not entirely sure how to build on last year to achieve your potential, have no fear -- because right now is the perfect time to make crucial gains that will boost the cycling leg of your triathlon. Try these early-season drills."

Bettini set to race Milan-Sanremo : "Paolo Bettini will take part in Saturday's Milan-San Remo after recovering from the injuries that forced him out of the Tirreno-Adriatico."

Dekker wins race, Petacchi stage : "Thomas Dekker maintained his 14-second lead over Joerg Jaksche to win the Tirreno-Adriatico as Alessandro Petacchi claimed the final stage."

Tirreno Adriatico Stage 7 : "Tirreno Adriatico Stage 7 San Benedetto del Tronto Rabobank led the charge into the finishing circuit this morning and let the sprinters teams of Milram take the lead to the finish in the last 4 kms."

Petacchi's last chance : "Twice second in this edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, Alessandro Petacchi embarks on his last chance for a stage win before Milan-Sanremo."

Monday's EuroFile: Ullrich sets spring plans :

Bertagnolli wins sixth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico : "The Cofidis rider attacked in the final kilometer of the uphill finish and held off the chasing peloton."

Ullrich to start in Sarthe : "Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich will start his season next month in the Circuit de la Sarthe, according to his T-Mobile team."

Phonak suspend rider after positive A-test : "Switzerland's Phonak cycling team has suspended rider Sascha Unweider following a positive A-test for high levels of testosterone."

Now it’s my turn to blog my own stuff. The weekend was great! I had a couple of great workouts and a couple of great rides with Carmen. First, Saturday I decided to do a mock tri. So I got everything I needed and put it all in my garage and went to the pool and swam 1000 meters, then I got my bike out of the garage and rode 48km at a 36.8 kph pace then I put my bike back into the garage and ran a 5K. Felt pretty good. I’m still worried about the swim. I’m not sure if I can go from not swimming to a triathlon in 2 weeks but we’ll see. Anyway, later that afternoon, Carmen and I went out on out mountain bikes and rode another 7 miles. That actually was a tough ride for Carmen. The wind was coming strait out from the north (headwind) at 15mph, but she did it. Very proud! Coming back was fun with that tail wind. Sunday, I decided to go down to a local park and swim in the lake. The water was really silty. I’m sure that not too many people have swan in it in a while. After my swim, I took of...

25 teams for Milan-San Remo : "25 teams take part in next Saturday's 96th edition of Milan-Sanremo, the first major classic of 2006."

EuroTrash Monday! : "Message by Jered GruberRolling merrily along to Milano-San Remo, which is now under one week away, the lines have been drawn, knives, battles axes, and swords have been sharpened. The waiting game begins. People gotta eat though, so this fine Monday morning, the EuroTrash has been specially prepared for maximal nutritional value: Boonen compensates, Paris-Nice to Floyd, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tyler Hamilton racing, and much much MORE!"

Cancellara Wins Time Trial : "Cancellara Wins Time Trial By the Associated Press SERVIGLIANO, Italy -- Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland won the fifth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico cycling race Sunday, a 12.4-mile individual time trial."

Hamilton won't go down without a fight : "Boulder - Three-ring binders sit on Tyler Hamilton's desk, forming a near-total eclipse of the wall behind it."

Yellow feels so Nice! : "Markus Zberg won the bunch sprint in a five-man breakaway in Paris-Nice stage 7 while Floyd Landis won the overall event."

Photo Gallery :

Thorburn, Blackgrove take TTs at Central Vallley Classic :

Kashechkin climbs to stage triumph : "CANNES, France -- Andrey Kashechkin broke clear on the last of the eight climbs to win the 179km sixth stage of the Paris-Nice race on Saturday."

Landis hangs on to Paris-Nice lead : "American Floyd Landis took a tentative step towards winning his first Paris-Nice race Friday after surviving the tricky fifth stage won by Spanish climber Joaquim Rodriguez."