THE LATEST EQUIPMENT

By Neil Browne, ROAD Magazine

The Tour de France is only behind the Olympics and World Cup soccer in the terms of eyeballs watching. So the Tour has become a showcase for sponsors to unveil new products. All the big teams are either on new bikes, aero clothing, or new components and the Astana team is no different.

Behind the scenes Trek was working on a new lighter, stiffer version of the Madone. And just prior to the Tour, Trek announced the new version of the Madone - the 6.0 series. A professional rider always wants a lighter and stiffer frame. Trek delivered. By redesigning the seat mast, the fork and eliminating the alloy bottom bracket cups, along with a new process for joining tubes and the method of creating the tubes, has eliminated 150 grams from the frame module. With almost a third of a pound shaved off it can be a concern that the frame becomes flexible. But as we have seen with Contador's explosive attack on stage 7 that was definitely not the case. He was cranking so hard he needed to freewheel around the uphill switchback, not the sign of a power-wasting flexible frame. But it is important to see empirical data to back up the feelings from the riders that the new frames were stiffer. Trek claims that because of the asymmetrical design of the steerer tube the fork is 30% stiffer yet 15% more compliant over the 2009 version of the fork. The seatmast has been simplified with a one-bolt clamping mechanism as well as a new shape design which shaved off 30 grams. While the Madone road bike got a redesign, the time trial bike got revamped. This was years in the making and necessary to stay competitive from a marketing standpoint. The time trial has become a marquee event and you need to show that your product and the your technology is the fastest available. Trek's TTX is designed by a car buff and used vehicle aerodynamics as a template to create a frame that is slippery in the wind. While UCI has restricted aerodynamics to a 3:1 ratio, the TTX is an 8:1 ratio. The tubes are pointed and then the tail is abruptly cut off, or truncated, to produce what the auto industry calls the Kamm effect. With all the design changes Trek states that they removed 200 grams and made the frame 17% laterally stiffer than the previous TTX frame.

Trek wasn't the only one tweaking their products for the Tour. SRAM is the component supplier for Astana and while their Red road groupo didn't have any mechanical changes it did have cosmetic alterations. The Red groupo normally has a slash of red on the levers, but for Armstrong and for any SRAM sponsored riders that wore the yellow jersey, the lucky rider had the opportunity to add a bit of yellow “flair” to their machine. Yellow wasn't the only color that SRAM accented their groupo with. White, in honor of Alberto Contador, was also a color accent to honor how he had won the white jersey as best U-25 rider in the 2007 Tour. And with millions of people watching on televisions around the world, it's important to let people know what group your sponsored rider is using. Adding a splash of color attracts that desired attention. According to SRAM's marketing director, Michael Zellman, the cosmetic changes required anywhere from 40 to 50 man-hours to complete. With that much effort being spent, there needs to be a pay-off in regards to attention garnered. While the road group didn't get any mechanical or structural changes, the R2C time trial bar-end shifters were modified with the input of Armstrong. In fact the prototype shifters called the Bullet had the state of Texas outlined on the shifter. The R2C lever was part of SRAM's “Black Box” project and had been on the drawing board for months. While mechanically there were no changes, SRAM did machine 25 grams off of the time trial rings because, as we all know, a lighter bike is a faster bike.

Not to be out done Giro has come out with a brand new helmet called the Prolight for all their sponsored riders including the Astana boys. Tipping the scales at a mere 175 grams Giro didn't compromise when it comes to safety or ventilation. The Prolight has 25 Windtunnel vents which Giro states blows air across the head keeping the rider cool – very important for those upcoming Alp stages. Ventilation is an important feature, however safety still needs to be paramount when it comes to helmet design. By using In-Mold construction the helmet’s polycarbonate shell is fused with the EPS liner making the shell a structural part of the helmet. This creates an ‘exoskeleton’ that allows the helmet to be lighter, more durable, and better ventilated than traditional designs.

While the athletes have been training all this season to be on peak form for the Tour de France, so has equipment sponsors. From lighter weight and stiffer frames, color coordinated groupos, and better ventilated helmets, Astana has some of the finest equipment available, which was all displayed in winning fashion!

LOOKING AT THE THREE GRAND TOURS

By Neil Browne, ROAD Magazine

If you follow competitive cycling you know that every July is the equivalent of the Super Bowl,World Series and Wimbledon all wrapped into one swirling ball of chaos, athleticism, and at times controversy. Of course I'm talking about the Tour de France.

The Tour de France is just one of the triumvirate called the Grand Tours: the Giro d' Italia in May and the Vuelta de Espana in September. But why is the Tour de France considered the most prestigious of the three? For one the Tour de France has history on it's side and has always been in July. Bike racing got it's start in France and depending on who you talk to, the bike was invented in France as well. Also timing has everything to do with it. Summer in France is typically glorious. There is never a problem to attracting a crowd to watch anything outside during the summer months. But let's take a closer look at the two Grand Tours that receive much lesser attention!

Considered the most beautiful of the three is the Giro d' Italia. With stages that course through the Alps and Dolomites, along the blue Mediterranean coast, and in this year's edition a start in Venice, what's not too love? Unfortunately this beauty is lost on the riders who are forced to navigate through narrow towns and at times even narrower finish lines. And while the Tour follows a script of a week for the sprinters followed by the mountains and time trials, the Giro marches to its own drummer. The opening stage of this year's Giro was a short time trial and then just three days later the peloton was in the mountains. Classically the Giro has had a reputation among journalists as a race that requires a certain type of climber in order to be successful. Personally I don't subscribe to that theory. If a rider is motivated, like an Italian rider normally is, than it is not unusual that they do well. It is rare in today's modern professional cycling a rider who is looking to peak for the Giro doesn't go into the Tour expecting much in the way of results. Often a rider peaks for the Giro and reloads again for the Vuelta. Such is the case with Ivan Basso. He was looking to peak for the Giro, skip the Tour, compete in the Vuelta and contest the World Championships. Second place finisher Danilo DiLuca is also following that plan. The Team Astana Giro team went with the purpose of gaining racing form after a series of injuries. For Armstrong it was also a chance to honor a race that he had never participated in before.

The Vuelta is, rightly or not, the least regarded of the three and in the not too distant past was actually earlier in the year. But in an attempt to organize the racing calendar in a more logical manner it was bumped to the end of the season. Now often or not it is used as a training camp for those with an eye to the upcoming World Championships. But that's not to say that it doesn't hold any prestige. Spanish riders hold this Grand Tour in great esteem. And if a rider's season has been marginal, the Vuelta is a place to shine and make sure there is a signature on a contract for next year. And like the Giro, the Vuelta- the youngest of the three Grand Tours- breaks from tradition. Often the stage finishes are hard scrabbles up sinuous mountain roads. Much to the chagrin of team mechanics last year's race included an uphill time trial stage on a dirt road. The terrain is not just spiky mountains, but often rolling terrain through desert like conditions, followed by long transfers for the riders. Those days are brutal with dinner and massage not coming till the evening. But that has to be expected when the stages don't start until the late mornings or early afternoons. And once racing begins no one is in a hurry to start racing right from the gun. The pace is more social and gradually ramps up to a crescendo of cheering Spanish fans.

All three Grand Tours are import ingredients in the recipe that is the professional cycling season. The Giro is fast and chaotic, the Tour is the respected elder of the group following a proven formula of success and the Vuelta is the spicy kick in the tail to end the season.

Talking with Levi

Two stage races and two wins for Levi Leipheimer. After taking victory at the Amgen Tour of California next up he was scheduled to compete in the Paris-Nice. However he discovered that he had fractured his sacrum in his stage 3 crash, scraping plans for competing. Once he had healed up and was race ready, Leipheimer took the line in the Spanish race Castilla y Leon. Johan Bruyneel didn’t think that Leipheimer would heal up to be a threat to the overall in the Spanish race. Astana had an all-star line up which included Contador and Armstrong. However that race took an unfortunate turn of events for the Astana team. Armstrong broke his collarbone in stage 1 of Castilla putting his chances of a first time entry into the Giro at risk. While the team took a hit with Armstrong unable to compete, Leipheimer stepped up and won the time trial solidifying who the leader on the team was for this race. Contador than became his super-domestique. I talked to Levi once he had returned home to Santa Rosa to get in some quality training before his next race, the Giro d’ Italia. We discussed Castilla y Leon, having three leaders on the same team, the possibility of doing the Hour Record and my influence of persuading Lance to race in Greenville.

ROAD: You bounced back from fracturing your sacrum to winning the Castilla y Leon. Was that a surprise to you?
Yeah it was. The fracture wasn’t that bad. I was able to finish the Amgen Tour of California with it. I took it pretty easy after the Tour of California and recovered. Unfortunately I missed Paris-Nice because it would have been risky to crash on it again. The silver lining was that I was on form for Castilla y Leon.

ROAD: Amongst the media it was seen as Castilla y Leon was going to be a showdown between yourself, Contador and Armstrong. How was the vibe between you three?
It’s a lot different from what you read about in the media. It’s what Lance always says, the media love to write about it and it makes sense. One guy has won the Tour, another has won it before and they’re on the same team. The only way I can explain it is in t

he way we raced. You could see that Alberto was very professional and committed. He destroyed everyone on the climb for me.

ROAD: Lance’s stage 1 crash must have been an, ‘Oh crap” moment.
Yeah. It was about 25 kilometers to go and the road had gone from super-narrow to ridiculously-narrow. The road was rough. It was nervous all day, especially at the end. I was at the very front at that moment and I heard Sean Yates say something like, ‘Lance is off’ or ‘Lance is out.’ I asked him what he meant but the radio reception was bad and I didn’t find out till after the stage that he had crashed and broke his collarbone. It was a big shock.

ROAD: The time trial was a pivotal moment for you in this race. Were you expecting to be performing so well at this point?
No. It was a bit of a surprise. I felt pretty good on the first stage and thought I would get better on the second day. I was looking forward to it, but I didn’t expect to win.

ROAD: Going into the Giro do you have any pressure on you?
No, definitely not. I’ll take it day by day. I think it will be a big work load for the Tour and a take it as it comes approach. It’s quite a different race and I’m not sure it’s my kind of race. It’s really technical and you could lose 20 seconds here, 20 seconds there. I’m not sure if I’m used to that type of racing. I’ve only done the Giro once before. I’ll play it by ear. I think the most important thing is to not kill myself too early because the Tour is only a month after that.

ROAD: You’ve had these two wins in the early season. Are you concerned that your form is coming too quickly or do you think you are still only 80% of what you think you could be in July?
I think it is impossible to say what percentage form you are at. I’ve always read quotes from riders that say they are 70% and I’ve always wondered how they can tell. I guess you can look at your numbers (watts). In a three-week long stage race it depends more on how you come into it and how things change during the race. I got into shape to win the Amgen Tour of California, I still had the form to win Castilla y Leon and it’s not a matter of still going up from there. It’s more a matter of recovering and doing more training and staying in shape. You need to balance how hard you are pushing in races and how hard you are pushing with training along with recovery.

ROAD: Is that what you are doing now in California?
Yeah, because I don’t have another race till the Giro and I wanted to come back home. I train much better here.

ROAD: Let me throw a random question at you: The Hour Record? You’ve been time trialing really well.
I don’t know. I’m aero. I can stay in my position for a long time. I don’t know the details of it. I’ve ridden on a track before, but never raced on one. It’s an interesting idea. Maybe Steve Hed will help me out.

ROAD: Is the USPRO in Greenville a possibility?
Yeah I would like to go. Definitely. Maybe I’ll get Lance to go.

ROAD: Why not? Tell him I said he should do it. I carry a lot of influence with him.
I will tell him that. I’m not joking.

Posted by Neil Browne | Category ROADnews

RIDING WITH LEVI

By Neil Browne, ROAD Magazine

“Do you want to ride with Levi?” It was Astana’s media relations guy asking me what I assumed was a rhetorical question. At the time Levi Leipheimer was the two time winner of the upcoming Tour of California, a Grand Tour podium finisher, and a decent enough guy. All I had to do was be at Levi’s house before the start of Astana’s training camp, which was being held in his hometown Santa Rosa, and I would be pedaling alongside one of the best ProTour riders. By the time I realized what I was getting myself into, I already had a plane ticket to Santa Rosa.

 

Riding with a professional cyclist is much like being friends with a trained bear -- everything can appear fine on the surface and they can actually be quite friendly, but you just don’t want to provoke them. So I never go in with the attitude that I’m going to impress the rider with my amazing cardiovascular capacity. I’m going to suck wheel instead as often as possible and try to keep the conversation rolling.

 

Once at Levi’s house with photographer Al Crawford, I got the low-down on what the day’s ride was going to be. According to Odessa, Levi’s wife, Levi had scheduled an easy day in the saddle consisting of just a couple of hours at a low heart rate. I breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Once kitted up, Leipheimer’s bike dorkness started to surface. We were both riding Trek Madones, but mine was the Project One with a few personal touches that clearly caught his eye. One was a Trek saddle bag that mounted cleanly under the saddle and attached to the seat mast. This bag was met with some visible bike-envy. I told him that I’d seen the bag on Horner’s rig and thought it worked great. The other was the stick-on clear Trek logo frame saver that prevents the housing from rubbing off the frame’s paint. “I don't have one of those.” Sometimes the coolest things are the smallest. I had him right where I wanted.

 

Once we started to ride it was apparent that Levi was going to keep his word and keep the ride mellow. Al hopscotched in front of us snapping photos as we rolled through the flat countryside of Santa Rosa. What also became apparent was that Levi was not a big talker, so we rolled along and Levi would not say much of anything. I would break the silence with a ridiculous comment about something equally ridiculous, and I think he was just humoring me by answering. About halfway through our ride a cyclist appeared in front of us wearing a BMC kit. It was Levi’s training partner Scott Nydam. Like Levi, Scott was looking to take it easy and just get prepped for the Tour of California. Suddenly the conversation became a little more animated as Scott has a unique sense of humor which Levi seems to understand. I took the tail-gunner position and stayed out of the way -- I know my place in the food chain, and I’m fine with being a bottom feeder.

 

As we clicked off the miles I could see why Levi calls Santa Rosa home. The country roads were quiet and varied from rolling to hilly, depending which direction you wanted to ride. While the terrain could be humbling, the scenery made it worthwhile. We rode underneath a canopy of trees and alongside vineyards. After a couple of hours Scott pulled off to ride home and we continued back to Levi’s home. True to his word, it had been an easy ride.

 

The following days were spent at the Astana training camp conducting interviews and not having a chance to ride our bikes while the team pounded out the miles. Since then, the Astana team has racked up the victories both domestically at the Tour of California and Tour of the Gila, and internationally in Europe. The foundation had been laid and now we are all waiting to see if that hard work is going to pay dividends in July at the Tour de France.

THE RACE RADIO DEBATE

By Neil Browne, ROAD Magazine

Race radios are a relatively new piece of equipment in a sport that is over a hundred years old. The radio was first introduced by the Motorola team because, well, the title sponsor produced them. But beyond the obvious sponsorship tie-in the radios allowed the director in the team car to point out road hazards and relay information without having to lean on the horn and blast their way up to the rider. And before you could say “10-4, over and out” the entire professional peloton had a radio tucked into their middle jersey pocket with a cord leading up to the ear. And today at your local race it's not too unusual to see a few riders with a radio piece firmly planted into an ear.

This year's Tour de France race radios have been excluded from stages 10 and 13. This is not the first time the UCI has taken a rather harsh stance with technology. Time trial bikes must be able to fit within a measuring jig to determine their race legality. In an age when almost the complete bike can be made from aeronautical strength carbon fiber, the UCI rules do not allow riders to race a bike under 15 pounds for safety concerns. I've heard reliable rumors that back in the day when bikes were weighed, ice was place in the seat tubes as ballast and then over the course of the stage it melted and ran out the bottom bracket. Others cleverly used the weight restriction to show that their bike was so light that they had to add very visible weights to the top tube to bring it into compliance. Cross-country mountain bikes are now approaching that weight restriction because composite materials are stronger. However this year it is race radios that are being limited on what is now a trial basis.

Why the brief exclusion of race radios on just these two days? For several years the idea of eliminating or at least limiting the use of radios has bounced around the halls of the UCI like a loose ping pong ball. This year the idea caught traction with the ASO, the owners of the Tour de France, and they decided to implement the no radio rule in a very limited manner. This idea was not so well received by modern day directors or riders. Directors stated the obvious that the radios were in fact partially for safety. They could alert riders of upcoming road concerns without continually driving up and down the bunch. Information could also be relayed in the same manner without causing a traffic jam worthy of a southern California freeway. But those against the radios seem to harken back to the “good old days” of poring over a stage map on the hood of the team car, sticking a moist finger in the air to determine wind direction and planning a race strategy. Some of the old guard are even quoted as saying that the radios were attached to race directing gigolos. Wow! But lets take a look from their side of the fence. Having a radio piece continually stuck in a rider's ear takes away from the spontaneity to make decisions. The rider becomes too dependent on what the director is saying from the team car. While getting directions from the director via the radio is instantaneous, the rider is the first one to see the action go down and will have learned by this point in their professional career what moves look dangerous and what doesn't. I have sat in enough team cars to know that the team car is not always the first one to know what is going on. And yes, in some of the bigger races the directors can watch the race live on the in-car televisions, but that is often aimed at a marquee rider or the break up the road, not necessary their rider. The good rider becomes a good rider because he has learned how to read a race. The ones who can't often self-select themselves out of the bike racing gene pool. It's that simple - Darwin in action. Others wring their hands and cry out that the sanctuary of the pre-race team meeting will be forever ruined and perhaps directors will now send out 140 character Tweets to riders. “The race starts at noon be at bus by 11 to pick up bikes & clean kits. Also work together. Lead out Mark. Check ur Facebook pg 4 updates.” As any sun burned race journalist will tell you team meetings still occur before every race, and sometimes right up to sign-in making it a challenge to get that all important pre-stage quote of how the legs are doing. Another factor to consider is that the roads in most cases are not improving and are in fact deteriorating. Also with more traffic on the roads than ever before, there are now more cars parked on the sides squeezing the lanes even smaller. These types of road hazards need to be communicated during the race for the safety of the peloton. Stage 4, the team time trial, was no better example of how important a radio can be. With the numerous turns a rider needs all the assistance he can to be able to navigate through the course safely. And even then there were still numerous crashes.

The experiment of excluding radios for two stages is, on the surface, interesting. However the rider's safety must be thought of and if fewer accidents can be prevented by the use of these than so be it.