Ciao Zabel & Bettini

Two great champions hangin' em up. The landscape of the pro peloton wont be the same.

Le Menage a Trois d'Astana

There's Trouble Afoot at the Cirlce "A"

So Contador's not too happy with Lance's possible return to Bruyneel's side. I don't blame him. Add Levi to the mix (hell, Klodi too) and things get complicated quickly. It'd be like coming home, seeing your lovers' ex walking around in your pajamas as they move their stuff into the spare room.

To help my boy Johan out, I've sent him the following info I got from AskMen.com. I've "edited" it a little to fit the Astana scenario...

TFW's Rules for a Happy Team

1)Establish the rules:
Having a plan and sticking to it goes a long way in make sure everyone walks away satisfied.

2)Be as giving as you can:
Lance & Alberto- "Hey Levi, need help with that mussette?"
Levi- "YOU BETCHA!"

3)Keep yourself busy:
What to do when your teammates are up the road.

4)Be careful with penetration:
Nothing beats a penetration problem liked aged tubulars. Hope Johan has some old stock.

5)Be safe:
Make sure to thank the team in the post race interview. Don't want to get shanked back at the team bus.

I guess we'll get more info when Lance holds his press conference tomorrow. For now, Lance is amped, Alberto is pissy and Levi is trying to figure out why AC is calling him a wheelsuck. This is going to be a fun winter.

Tales from the Crip

Crashing sucks. Crashing hard sucks more. I did one of these in my prep of the SF GP. Enjoy.



2 Broken clavicles.
Cracked rib.
2 hematomas on my hip.
Skin removal on my knee.

During a motorpacing session, I had a pedal strike that caused me to highside. Everything went all "Matrixy" once the pedal hit. I felt it, but no big deal, that stuff happens, but then the ass of the bike came around a little further than I was expecting. In that nano-second I had my first, "Hmm, that's not good" thought. As soon as my rear wheel touched the ground and the bike stood up, heading left, I knew it...

"Oh Sh!t".

Right knee hit the top tube, weight shifed to the left and kapow. Felt my head hit (THANKS YOU GIRO FOR MAKING SOME BADASS MELON PROTECTORS), everything went all white for a split second and then I looked back. I'd taken a flyer off the front of the motor and wasn't sure how much distance I had going into the turn. The last thing I wanted was to get run over.

When I tried to get out of the road, I had my second "Oh Sh*t" moment. I couldn't move my arms. Crap.

There I was, in a heap, in the middle of the turn with my teammate coming up fast behind me in his car. Luckily I had some distance and he saw me and stopped.

It took me a little while to get my breath and to try to get up. My teammates helped me to my feet and then I walked the half lap back to the car. Thought about just going home, but something wasn't right with my shoulders. I'd never broken my clavicle before, so I didn't have anything to measure it against. They just felt wrong. I couldn't move either of them, though the right was a little more mobile than the left.

A few hours in the ER for xrays and wound care and then I was back to the house for some R&R.

So, it's back on the trainer soon and back to the blogoshere. BTW- I've got a bone to pick with Chris Carmichael and his Greg LeMond baggin'.