There certainly isn't any shortage of cycling news, though. It's like silly season in NASCAR when all the teams play musical chairs.
From Team Discovery: Levi Leipheimer is going to join the team next year and Viatchslav "Eki" Ekimov is going to retire and become part of the team management. Can't comment on the Levi deal, but I have to say that I wondered if Eki was retiring when the peloton let him go ahead for a few minutes in Paris on Sunday and he, uncharacteristically, waved to the crowd. He's been an absolute force through a great cycling career, which included 15 Tours de France. Wow.
Rumor has it that the guy who was fired from T-Mobile by fax (that's bad...), Jan Ullrich, may be in talks with Discovery, too. Although, he was in Bonn talking with his current/former team today. Stay tuned on that one...
It's also been rumored that Discovery would like to re-sign the 2006 Tour de France Champion, Floyd Landis. Although, I think I saw somewhere that iShares (Phonak) may have scooped him up for another year.
And a few Tour DAY France tidbits in wrap-up:
Thor Hushovd won bookend stages in Le Tour. That's just cool. Congrats to him.
Classiest moment of the race? Oscar Pereiro giving Floyd Landis a hug after the last time trial, knowing he was giving over the yellow jersey to the man who would win the race. You don't see that in sports too often.
And then there is "Our boy Floyd", as Reva dubbed him the first week of the Tour. I'm still in awe at what he accomplished and how he did it - all with a bum hip. A lot has been said about Floyd's family, where they live and how he grew up this last week but no matter what religion, these are some proud parents, as well they should be. It looks like their son might be rubbing off on them just a little bit, too.
Floyd did a lot for OLN's ratings, too. Viewership jumped 77% on the night Floyd won in the mountains. Um...Wow!
As for Floyd's looming hip surgery and the questions about whether or not he will be able to come back to racing. Here's what Floyd has to say about that:
"I'm looking at this as just another challenge," he said.
"Just like the bad day I had in the mountains.
I see this the same way. If it affects people's
judgment of whether I'll be as valuable later,
they'll have to wait and see. A lot of people
predicted a lot of bad things when I had
the bad day. I would take a lesson
from that if I were them."
After what he accomplished during the last mountain stage, does anyone want to doubt him? No? I didn't think so.
Again, Bravo Floyd. You made the Tour amazing. Thank you.
Lastly, welcome back to Tim and Cubbie. Tim was at his national sales meeting for the end of the Tour and we all missed his comments and insight. He reports that the meeting went well and he's now back. Congrats, Tim. I know you put a lot of work into your presentations. Glad you are back.
Miss Cubbie has returned from France and is sorting through all her photos, getting ready to post them on bobroll.com. I'll let you know when they are up and ready for viewing, but in the mean time she shared her favorite today. Thanks for all the 'inside scoop' texts and photos! Good to have you back, too, Cubbie.
Just some cycling tidbits for today. Thanks for stopping by.
Miss Cubbie has returned from France and is sorting through all her photos, getting ready to post them on bobroll.com. I'll let you know when they are up and ready for viewing, but in the mean time she shared her favorite today. Thanks for all the 'inside scoop' texts and photos! Good to have you back, too, Cubbie.
Just some cycling tidbits for today. Thanks for stopping by.
4 comments:
I'm feeling the link love here...
What a race this year. Man, I really dig this silly sport.
Floyd rocks.
Cubbie is a nut.
Donna and Reva are hilarious spazs.
This is how I feel after football season each year too! But, lucky for me there are only 38 days, 21 hours, and 7 minutes until "It's Football time in TENNESSEE!!!" Really, everyone should hear that in Neyland stadium at least once.
Anyway, it is a change to get out of the routine of watching Le Tour everyday. Every free moment online looking at sites, reading the blogs, and emailing like a fiend. What fun!
Floyd does rock! He is awesome & I am so glad he didn't give up. What an amazing show of fortitude. And Pereiro's actions made me tear up....what a beautiful sight to see a friend happy for another even at his own expense. That is the human spirit at its best.
Until the next tour....
Yeah, Floyd re-upped for another year with Phonak.
Good move for Levi and Disco both -- Disco has an American for their publicity machine next year, and Levi gets that additional exposure to an American audience. I see "Gerolsteiner" and I think of vitamins for old people.
I like Jan Ullrich, but he's "tainted" now with suspicion -- would it be good for Disco to take him? Hard to say.
Rubbing off -- I don't know as much about the Mennonites, but Amish (especially children and teens, but adults too) frequently use bikes for transportation when they're not using the horse and buggy.
(I've had Amish at my home, have visited an Amish home, and eaten out and gone shopping with Amish -- very very interesting experience).
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