TdF Stage 4 ? Shoot Out at Mur-de-Bretagne

Many thought that today?s 173-km (107.5-mile) 4th Stage going from Lorient to the short but steep ramp up the Mur-de-Bretagne had Philippe Gilbert?s name written all over it. This is exactly the type of course that the current dominant Belgium national champion has built his reputation on. And given his latest form, winning just about [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-4-%e2%80%93-shoot-out-at-mur-de-bretagne/

cycling events 2011

Popping Champagne

Things I learned about popping champagne. Just in case you are ever in that situation.  I have never actually popped a bottle of champagne on a podium until last weekend.  Sure they give you beer, jerseys, flowers, kisses, and antlers…but not always champagne.  It turns out “sprinters” have that opportunity much more than other types of riders.  Crits are known for champagne.  Time trials?  Let’s be honest…I am stoked for $20 and a T-shirt. I sabered the top off a champagne bottle once.  That is an excellent party trick.  Yet,...

Source: http://alisonstarnes.com/popping-champagne/

cycling training camps

Muravyev Rides Strong at Three Days of De Panne

Team RadioShack?s Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ) made his presence felt in the opening stage of the 35th running of the Three Days of De Panne, staying with a 4-man breakaway that somehow kept clear of a peloton loaded with expectant sprinter?s teams. Dmitriy crossed the finish line 3rd behind the winner Omega Pharma-Lotto?s André Greipel (GER) [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/muravyev-rides-strong-at-three-days-of-de-panne/

padded cycling shorts

Team RadioShack Line-up in Denain and Amstel Gold Race

Team RadioShack Line-up in Denain and Amstel Gold Race Grand Prix de Denain (France), 14/04/2011 Riders: Sam Bewley, Philip Deignan, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Nelson Oliveira & Jesse Sergent Director: Dirk Demol Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands), 17/04/2011 Riders: Philip Deignan, Ben Hermans, Markel Irizar, Geoffroy Lequatre, Sérgio Paulinho, Gregory Rast, Jesse [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-denain-and-amstel-gold-race/

cycling clothing

Etape Cymru 2012

This year’s Etape Cymru didn’t come with a large “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT” banner but it probably should have done because it was, and if it hadn’t been, after last year’s disastrous event, I wouldn’t have been doing it.  However it’s been taken over by Human Race, who also ran this year’s Dragon Ride, and so [...]

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/etape-cymru-2012

schwinn indoor cycling

Wining and Dining in Australia's Barossa Valley

 

This week's Bike Overnight story was penned by Louise Sensi (left, in red and orange jersey) of the Clare Valley in South Australia. Louise writes beautifully about a winter cycling-and-wine-tasting trip she and Kerstin, the "Swiss Mountain Goat," made in the wine-abundant Barossa Valley.

"Leaving the car behind is a fantastic and slightly self-righteous sensation," Louise writes. "In Auburn we leave the southward-leading rail trail and strike out on a secondary road for another 7.5 miles west into Saddleworth. The road west quickly takes us up and over the hills that define the Clare Valley, and beyond those hills the rolling sheep pastures stretch out in a seemingly infinite fashion.

"...  The hills grow perceptibly as we broach the lip of the Barossa Valley itself, and what else to do here except stop for lunch at a bakery and then escape a passing weather front by sampling the fine wines of Torbreck. I am quickly won over by their Grenache, but it is a Muscat called ?the bothie? which is packed into our saddlebags -- its smaller size and weight making it today?s winner." 



Louise goes on to describe a riding day that dishes up a little bit of everything, weather-wise. Then, finally: "With the rain front mercifully crossing our path while we were happily sipping, the wet roads and quickly darkening day find us pedaling somewhat harder towards our hotel in Tanunda. We arrive, 58 miles from home, with numb fingers and toes to a less-than-warm reception by hotel staff; I suspect this impression has much to do with the much more enthusiastic reception we often experienced while traveling by bike in the States.

"I have to admit that I initially thought we should have spent this evening camping, in the true spirit of outdoor adventure. But with the heater switched on and a big bath full of steamy hot water waiting, I am very glad to leave the rapidly dropping temperature outside and slowly and deliciously defrost my happy but weary body."

The next day, content but tired, the pair pedals towards home. 

"The wind and cold team up against us again; I tuck myself in behind the Swiss Mountain Goat and try to stay with her. The kilometers steadily click over, but we still must stop to refuel, this time with a traditional Swiss snack, ?Schoggi und Brot,? or chocolate and bread. Take a stick of really good quality chocolate and a fresh bread roll; using a (hopefully) clean finger, make a hole through the center of your bread, insert chocolate, and eat! It?s all about quality in Switzerland, and this little surprise package can be a quick gourmet delight if the quality is there.

"We are still 15 miles from home when the short days of winter start to bite. Riding out on these country roads at night is unsettling; there is no street lighting and the roads are narrow, rolling, and currently undergoing roadwork."



Learn how the story ends, and read more about Louise and Kerstin's gustatory adventures, at BikeOvernights.org. There you can also scroll through our archives of posted stories and Photos of the Week -- including this week's image, which comes from the July 30, 2012, post by Byron Rushing, Atlanta to Stone Mountain Park.


BikeOvernights.org Photo of the Week, 09.14.12.

Top 3 photos by Louise Sensi; bottom photo by Byron Rushing.

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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to nearly 46,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/wining-and-dining-in-australias-barossa.html

skinsuit cycling

Levi Comments: Radioshack?s Leader in Tour de France

There has been plenty of speculation in the media and among fans regarding which Team Radioshack rider will lead the team in it’s efforts in the upcoming Tour de France. Even though Lance Armstrong is no longer riding professionally, the team still have several profiles who would fit the bill. In an recent poll on [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/levi-comments-radioshacks-leader-in-tour-de-france/

womens cycling shorts

The knee bone?s connected to the thigh bone?

Ok, apparently I’m falling apart…  My IBS has been off on one, my knee is as previously described (geknackert!) and now my delightful children have returned to school, picked up a whole new wave of unfamiliar germs, and in caring and sharing fashion, passed a cold from one to the other to me…  Odd, since [...]

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/the-knee-bones-connected-to-the-thigh-bone

skinsuit cycling

Popping Champagne

Things I learned about popping champagne. Just in case you are ever in that situation.  I have never actually popped a bottle of champagne on a podium until last weekend.  Sure they give you beer, jerseys, flowers, kisses, and antlers…but not always champagne.  It turns out “sprinters” have that opportunity much more than other types of riders.  Crits are known for champagne.  Time trials?  Let’s be honest…I am stoked for $20 and a T-shirt. I sabered the top off a champagne bottle once.  That is an excellent party trick.  Yet,...

Source: http://alisonstarnes.com/popping-champagne/

oakley cycling