Team RadioShack?s Sophomore Season: Plenty of Reason for Excitement in 2011

The racing?s well underway in the 2011 ProTour season, and it?s clear that Team RadioShack (TRS) means to make its mark during its sophomore campaign. With the team?s well-known founder, Lance Armstrong, announcing his retirement after this year, and already concluding participation in international races for the season, there?s plenty of opportunity for the [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack%e2%80%99s-sophomore-season-plenty-of-reason-for-excitement-in-2011/

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Getting Away From It All -- In Crowded Holland


This week's Bike Overnight comes from Friedel Grant, who says this about herself: "I launched into bike touring with my husband on a tour around the world. We pedaled 48,000 kilometers through 30 countries before settling down to ride bikes in the Netherlands. I write about bike touring on my website, Travelling Two (though, with the recent birth of Luke, that may change to Travelling Three)."

Of her most recent Bike Overnight, Getting Away From It All -- in Crowded Holland, Friedel writes, "It's not easy to get away from the crowds when you live in one of the world's most densely populated countries. But if you know the right places, you can escape from the city to your own little bit of nature even in the Netherlands -- and for free!

"Last fall we did just that. With the essentials on board, we started cycling toward what we think is one of the best-kept secrets in the country: a paalkampeerterrein. What's that? Loosely translated, the name means 'pole camping site,' and there are about 30 of them across the country. The name comes from the fact that these simple tenting sites (don't count on water or a toilet) are marked only by a wooden pole. There's no cost to use them and they're usually set in a wooded area or other nature reserve. Only cyclists and walkers can use them, and we've fallen in love with a few particularly scenic ones.

"Our favorite paalkampeerterrein so far is just off a quiet bike path in the middle of the Dutch countryside. Across a narrow bridge is a small patch of land surrounded by water and trees, and with just enough space for three tents. A true hidden getaway. With only a few cows to keep us company, we cooked and laughed the night away at our own private campsite."

Be sure to read Friedels's entire Bike Overnight at BikeOvernights.org. While there, also check out the archives of Bike Overnights and Photos of the Week. Our recent weekly photo selection, published March 23 and featured below, comes courtesy of Carry Porter from her post North of the Border: Cycling with Sasquatch.

BikeOvernights.org Photo of the Week, 03.23.12.

Top photo by Friedel Grant.

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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Mac also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to more than 44,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/03/getting-away-from-it-all-in-crowded.html

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Freire Has Stage Victory Invalidated at Basque Tour

Just when you think you?re witnessing one of the least interesting stages of the summer, a 179-kilometer (111-mile) up and down grinder in the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, with the predictable break away being dangled on a 2-minute string by the big named teams who will inevitably bunch it over the last climb to [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/freire-has-stage-victory-invalidated-at-basque-tour/

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Amgen Tour, Levi Just Misses TT, Horner Keeps Lead

The winner of the last 3 Tours of California, Team RadioShack?s Levi Leipheimer, who is also the winner of its last 3 time trials in the city of Solvang, just missed his fourth victory in this year?s TT to Garmin-Cervélo?s David Zabriskie by 13 seconds. Levi looked very strong on the first parts of [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/amgen-tour-levi-just-misses-tt-horner-keeps-lead/

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Tour de Suisse ? Levi Leipheimer Laughs Last

The 9-Day, 1,245.9-kilometer (774+ mile) 75th edition of the Tour de Suisse is now in the record books. Traveling through some truly beautiful country, great old cities, serious alpine climbs, 3 countries, and numerous tricky switchbacks and tight turns, Team RadioShack?s members had not been setting many headlines. Sure there were some excellent performances, Andreas Klöden and Levi [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-suisse-levi-leipheimer-laughs-last/

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Meet Adrian Durran ? Bike Science South East?s Head Bike Fitter

We’re pleased to announce the opening of another regional Bike Science fitting studio. Bike Science South East in Tunbridge Wells opens on January the 3rd 2012 (the same date as Bike Science North East in Darlington). Here, we introduce Tunbridge Wells head bike fitter Adrian Durran. Adrian has been involved in triathlons and cycling since 2005. [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2011/11/16/meet-adrian-durran-%e2%80%93-bike-science-south-east%e2%80%99s-head-bike-fitter

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Amgen Tour of California ? The Day After

The only thing bad about the Amgen Tour of California, with it’s beautiful scenery, world-class competition, excellent organization and stage selection, is that every year…it has to come to an end.  For a rabid cycling fan, the worst day of most big stage races is the day after it’s concluded.  You wish it could go [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/amgen-tour-of-california-%e2%80%93-the-day-after/

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More Wall Photos


As I wrote last week, walls have always fascinated me. It boggles my mind to imagine how many walls I've leaned my bike against. And the closer I get to a wall, the better I like the view. The photo above is from a temple in Luang Probang, Laos. I gazed up at this wall long enough to put a crick in my neck that lasted for days.

Many walls can look mundane from a distance. Their beauty is revealed only upon closer inspection. As in this wall in Colombia.

Or this one in Venezuela.

But there is always an exception. This photo reveals a not-so-spectacular wall of green. That is, until you step back.

When we rounded a corner in Madrid, the green wall literally took our breath away. The building to the left is CaixaForum, a post-modern art gallery.

The green wall is an art installation by French botanist Patrick Blanc secured to the wall of an adjacent building. A garden hanging in the air in one of the largest cities in Europe.

As much as I like walls. This is the only wall I've wanted to visit on a daily basis. I miss this wall. I want one in my city. And I promise not to lean my bike against it.

Photos: Laos, Colombia, Venezuela, Spain by Willie Weir

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS appears on Friday afternoons. Willie Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His latest book Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist will inspire you to hit the road and just might change the way you approach bicycle travel. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can read about their local adventures and life without a car at http://YellowTentAdventures.com/.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/03/more-wall-photos.html

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