Cycling:

Riding With Lance, August 16, 2005
President Bush and cycling champ/hero Lance Armstrong will go mountain biking together this weekend on Bush's Texas ranch. How cool is that? (And yeah, I know Lance isn't a big fan of the war in Iraq. So? He's still a champion, a patently American hero and a true inspiration to millions. I wouldn't pass up a chance to go riding with him, or with the President.)...

The Bike Rider in Chief, August 16, 2005
Bicycle racer and USA Today reporter Sal Ruibal goes pedal-to-pedal with the Mountain Bike Rider In Chief.His escapades on the bike have been well documented: an over-the-handlebars crash here at the ranch and a wet-pavement wipeout in Scotland that injured a pedestrian policeman. But the truth about the Biker-in-Chief is that the man can really ride. Over the course of a two-hour Tour de Crawford, Bush humbled every rider in Peloton One with a strong...

Power Cycles, July 29, 2005
How much power does it take to finish the Tour de France? A lot, says Wired......

Tour de Williamson County, July 25, 2005
If you are a Nashvillian who likes to watch bicycle racing and are despairing now that the Tour de France is over, Lance Armstrong is retired, and the best thing coming up on OLN is five-year-old reruns of Survivor, perhaps you should make plans to watch some local bike races live. Like, perhaps, the Allanti Cycling Classic, including a road race and a time trial in and around scenic Leiper's Fork, and the Bike Pedlar...

"Vive le Tour. ... Forever.", July 25, 2005
It's the first day of a new era in the sport of pro cycling as Lance Armstrong is now officially retired after celebrating his record seventh straight victory in the Tour de France yesterday on the Champs-Elysee in Paris. AP sports columnist Jim Litke says Lance chose the right moment to retire.PARIS - He stood stock still, right hand covering his heart, and listened to his national anthem being played along the wide boulevard of...

"It was never going to be enough against Lance Armstrong.", July 23, 2005
Germany cyclist Jan Ullrich rode a great time trial today in the 20th stage of the Tour de France, but Lance Armstrong bested him by 23 seconds in the 55-kilometer individual race against the clock, winning the stage and securing his seventh win in the world's toughest sporting event. Ivan Basso's excellent showing maintained his position in second place in the overall race, which concludes tomorrow in Paris. Good coverage here from an LA Times...

"You enjoy yourself when you know it's almost over.", July 23, 2005
The New York Times looks back at yesterday's 19th stage of the Tour de France, and forward to the now-inevitable conclusion: Lance Armstrong in yellow for a seventh straight year.Lance Armstrong smoothly moved a day closer to his coronation and retirement while spending a quiet Friday afternoon in the countryside as the Tour de France followed a script as inflexible as that of a Kabuki drama. "You enjoy yourself when you know it's almost over,"...

"Five more hours in my career as a cyclist", July 22, 2005
Lance Armstrong retained his lead after today's 19th stage of the Tour de France. Saturday's individual time trial is now the final test in his storied career....

"A love for the event and a hatred for losing the event.", July 21, 2005
Lance Armstrong is a virtual lock now to win his seventh Tour de France, after today's 18th stage.Armstrong, who is retiring at the end of the race, defended his large lead in Thursday's stage, won by Marcos Serrano of Spain. Armstrong finished more than 11 minutes back in a group of four with Ivan Basso of Italy, Jan Ullrich of Germany and Cadel Evans of Australia. They broke away from other riders with bursts of...

"It keeps getting better.", July 20, 2005
Lance Armstrong claimed his 79th yellow jersey Wednesday at the Tour de France in a stage won by his Discovery Channel teammate Paolo Savoldelli. Armstrong is now tied with the great French cyclist Bernard Hinault. Only Eddy Merckx, with 111, has won more yellow jerseys (meaning he finished 111 stages of the Tour de France in the overall lead in the race.Savoldelli's victory in the 17th stage, the longest this year, was the third for...

"There was no chain on the bike." , July 19, 2005
When a cyclist says "there was no chain on the bike," what he means is the ride felt effortless. Unless of course the chain has really fallen off the bike. For Lance Armstrong, the chain stayed on the bike, but the pedaling felt unchained and Tuesday's 16th stage of the Tour de France, the final tough mountain stage, was, Lance said, his best day yet in the 21-stage, three-week race. Lance Armstrong, right, trailed by...

The Races Within, July 18, 2005
Here's a pretty good story on the Tour de France that explains well all the little races within the big race....

"I'm in shock.", July 17, 2005
Lance Armstrong extended his lead over every other rival in the 2005 Tour de France except Ivan Basso, while loyal teammate George Hincapie won Sunday's 15th stage, the toughest of this year's Tour with five mountain climbs. Hincapie, who has been Lance's cycling teammate for about 20 years, becamee only the eighth American rider ever to win a stage of the fabled race. More on today's stage and Hincapie's victory here, and Lance talks about...

"You either fight back or run away.", July 16, 2005
Lance Armstrong used the Tour de France's first day in the Pyrenees Saturday to widen his lead over his rivals, gaining more than a minute on the rider in second place. Sunday's 127.7-mile stage will cover six mountaintops."Tomorrow's no cakewalk," Armstrong said. "It's the queen stage, the hardest day in the Tour." After a day off Monday, festivities in the Pyrenees end Tuesday with two small climbs plus the first category Marie Blanque and the...

"We can handle the Pyrenees with seven guys.", July 14, 2005
Lance Armstrong moved another race stage closer to capping his brilliant career in professional cycling with a record seventh win in the sport's ultimate race, the Tour de France, keeping his lead during today's 12 stage. However, Lance' lost one of his eight Discovery Channel teammates, Manuel Beltran, who crashed during today's race. Beltran is a strong climber. A French rider won today's stage - on Bastille Day. Nine stages - including three with severe...

"He was not on our list of priorities", July 13, 2005
Lance Armstrong enters the the second half of the 2005 Tour de France, his last professional cycling race before retiring from the sport, in first place after a strong ride in a tough Alpine mountain stage that saw him maintain his lead. As he heads toward a record seventh Tour win, Lance says he is optimistic about the future of U.S. cycling. And Lance's coach Chris Carmichael explains why the mountain stages are so crucial...

"Today, I had good legs.", July 12, 2005
Lance Armstrong once again leads the Tour de France after smashing most of the field in the 10th stage, which concluded with a 13.8-mile climb in the Alps. Lance has now worn the yellow jersey of the TdF leader 72 times, and is on pace to pass legendary French rider Bernard Hinault, second all time with 78. Armstrong, who will retire at the end of this year's Tour, won't catch the great Eddy Merckx on...

"We need to have it at the end.", July 10, 2005
Lance Armstrong is now in third place in the Tour de France today in the ninth stage of the 21-stage race. German rider Jens Voigt now leads after joinging a small group of riders on a long breakaway from the main pack and sustaining the breakaway to the end of the stage. Neither Voigt, nor the second-place rider, is not considered a major threat to win the entire three-week race. In the overall standings, Armstrong...

"There's nothing guaranteed in the Tour de France", July 10, 2005
Lance Armstrong maintained his lead after the eighth stage in the Tour de France Saturday, though he had to battle back against several challenges on the race's first real mountain stage....

"One week down, two to go.", July 08, 2005
Lance Armstrong continues to lead the Tour de France after today's seventh stage. His closest rival, Alexandre Vinokourov, is 62 seconds back. For the uninitiated, a rider can win the TdF without ever winning any of the 21 stages, by completing the whole three-week race in the shortest overall time. The race leader is the rider with the lowest time, not the rider who has won the most stages. The race is heading toward the...

"It Wasn't Pretty", July 08, 2005
Lance Armstrong retained his overall lead after yesterday's sixth stage of the Tour de France on a rain-soaked day marked by a spectacular crash of numerous riders in the final kilometer of the stage. Lance was not involved in the crash. Sports Illustrated's Austin Murphy has a very good column on yesterday's stage, and why Alexandre Vinkourov - not Jan Ullrich - may be the biggest threat to Lance winning a record seventh-straight TdF....

"Respect", July 06, 2005
Here's another example of how Lance Armstrong, for all his imperfections, is a class act, a winner and a hero....

"It's always nice to be in yellow.", July 05, 2005
Lance Armstrong leads the Tour de France after stage four, the team time trial, though his Discovery Channel team may chose not to defend the lead during the next few flat stages....

"Two seconds on Lance isn’t a lot...", July 04, 2005
Lance Armstrong remains in second place, two seconds behind the race leader, after the third stage of the Tour de France, though it's a good bet he'll be in the familiar yellow jersey of the race leader after Tuesday's team time trial stage....

"The faster I pedal, the faster I can retire", July 03, 2005
Lance Armstrong remains in second place, a mere two seconds behind the race leader, after the second stage of the Tour de France today....

Game On, July 02, 2005
Lance Armstrong's final Tour de France kicked off today - with Lance crushing all of his main rivals in the opening stage time trial. It's a long way to Paris - three weeks and 2,230 more miles to go to Paris where, three weeks from tomorrow, it is hoped, Armstrong will cap his phenomenal career with a seventh victory in the legendary race. Lance is doing a daily podcast during the TdF, though it's only...

Seven?, June 13, 2005
Six weeks from yesterday Lance Armstrong will retire from professional cycling. Here's hoping he's wearing yellow, for winning a seventh straight Tour de France, when he does. And here's hoping they have the Outdoor Life Network available on the TVs at the Polynesian at Disney World the final week of this year's Tour. Lance finished fourth in the 700-mile Dauphine-Libere stage race, a tune-up for the Tour, and is considered the favorite to win the...

Lance Is In For Seven, All Is Right With The World, February 16, 2005
Lance Armstrong will race in this year's Tour de France, and attempt to win it for a record seventh consecutive time. The 92nd edition of the Tour de France will start July 2 in the Vendee region of France on the Atlantic coast and finish three weeks, 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) and 21 stages later on the Champs- Elysees in Paris. HobbsOnline will be TdF-blogging heavily during that time....

Will He Go For Seven?, January 21, 2005
The world's best bicyclist will decide in April if he's going to go for a record seventh-consecutive win in the grueling Tour de France in July. My money is on "yes." Competition is in Lance Armstrong's DNA. If he thinks he can win, he'll race. And Lance Armstrong always thinks he can win. Here's a more complete story from the Austin American-Statesman, though free and slightly obnoxious website registration is required....

Six, July 25, 2004
If it was a movie, no one would believe it....

TdF Update: No More Gifts, July 22, 2004
Lance Armstrong won again today in the Tour de France in spectacular fashion, taking today's 17th stage with a final sprint and catching German cyclist Andreas Kloden just 25 meters from the finish line to win by half a bike length.With an amazing sprint finish, Lance Armstrong won his third stage in three overpowering days Thursday at the Tour de France, pulling even further ahead of his outclassed rivals as he marches toward a record...

TdF Update: Lance Smashes Last of His Rivals, July 21, 2004
Lance Armstrong now has no rivals left in the Tour de France. None. Not after catching Ivan Basso and then leaving him behind in an amazing performance in today's 9.6-mile individual time trial up the steep mountain climb to the L'Alpe d'Huez ski station....

TdF Update: Lance Leads, July 20, 2004
Lance Armstrong is now the leader of the Tour de France, after winning stage 15 of the 21-stage race. Ivan Basso appears to be the only rider capable of hanging with Armstrong. If Basso can't match Lance in tomorrow's individual time trial, a climb up the very steep l'Alpe d'Huez, the race may very likely be, essentially, over....

TdF Update, July 18, 2004
I'm enjoying the weekend - catching up on yard work, spending time with the family, and watching some of the Tour de France. Not blogging much again until Monday (in case you haven't noticed me being gone!) The Tour continued today with a mainly flat stage won by a rider I've never heard of. Lance remains in second place in the overall race, 22 seconds behind Thomas Voekler. The best assessment of the overall race...

TdF: Tyler Drops Out, Lance Wins Stage, July 17, 2004
Tyler Hamilton, one of the few riders considered capable of beating Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, has dropped out of the race midway through today's stage. Last year, Tyler rode the entire race with a fractured collarbone, winning a stage and finishing fourth overall. UPDATE: Lance won the stage, and put serious time gaps between himself and all of his rivals save Ivan Basso, who - just like yesterday - kept pace with...

TdF: Lance Climbs Mountain, Standings, July 16, 2004
As expected (see my previous post) Lance Armstrong indeed did gain time on the overall leader of the Tour de France during today's mountainous 12th stage - and, as a bonus, gained time versus his main rivals for the overall race win. Here's an AP story that explains it all rather well....

TdF Explained, July 16, 2004
Today's 12th stage of the Tour de France, under way as I type this, could go a long way toward deciding whether Lance Armstrong or another rider wins the overall race. The reason: it's the first stage with seriously challenging mountain climbs....

TdF: The Easy Part is Over, July 13, 2004
The easy stages are over, the hills and mountain stages are next - where Lance Armstrong is expected to take over the Tour de France, or lose it. The last French cyclist to win the race, Laurent Fignon, thinks Lance is virtually unbeatable. By the way, Lance isn't the only member of the U.S. Postal team winning multi-stage bike races....

TdF: Lance Falls to Sixth. And That's Good, July 08, 2004
After driving the U.S. Postal "Blue Train" to the race lead yesterday (photo above), Lance Armstrong was happy to surrender the race lead and the yellow jersey today to Thomas Voeckler, one of a group of five riders who broke away from the main pack just seven miles into today's 125-mile fifth stage and finished 12:36 ahead of the main pack. Armstrong is now in sixth place, 9:35 behind the race leader. But none...

TdF: Lance in Lead, July 07, 2004
Lance Armstrong is back in the yellow jersey as the leader of the Tour de France after his U.S. Postal team won the team time trial today on rain-slick roads in convincing fashion. Before today's stage, Spanish rider Iban Mayo, expected to challenge Lance in the mountain stages, admits his chances of winning the overall race are slim following his crash yesterday. Among other riders considered to have a legitimate shot of defeating Lance, Jan...

TdF: Unstoppable? Non., July 06, 2004
Wired magazine takes a look at "the hardware that makes Lance Armstrong an unstoppable cycling machine." Ah, but all the high-tech hardware in the world doesn't matter if the cyclist pedaling it isn't very very good. And, ah, all the high-tech hardware in the world doesn't matter if there's a crash and Lance is injured too badly to continue, or falls several minutes behind. I, too, am impressed by the technology, but in the end...

TdF: The Lance Effect, July 06, 2004
Earlier today I wrote about the Tour de France and effect that Lance Armstrong's success is having on bike sales. For me, the Lance effect is a little different. I was into cycling long before I ever heard of Lance Armstrong, though I chose the brand of my latest bike indirectly because of Lance - he's the only rider in the Tour to ride an American-made bike, and it's made by Trek, and they've made...

TdF: Lance Cobbles Together Another Good Day, July 06, 2004
State 3 of the Tour de France is in the books and Lance Armstrong had another good day, avoiding crashing on two rough cobblestone sections while Iban Mayo, considered a legitimate contender for winning the overall race, crashed and fell another 3.48 behind Armstrong. Mayo now trails Armstrong by 4:23 in the overall standings. Other main rivals Tyler Hamilton and Jan Ullrich are much closer, though... Lance, who trails the race leader by just 16...

TdF: Lance Second in Prologue, July 03, 2004
Lance Armstrong sent a message with his strong start in the Tour de France prologue today. But there's a lot of hard racing ahead over the next three weeks. Go Lance!...

Tour de Technologie, July 01, 2004
Here's a fascinating story about the technology and data-sifting that goes into developing the bikes Lance Armstrong rides in the Tour de France.Saving the 32-year-old Armstrong as little as 10 watts of energy over the course of a 120-mile stage of the Tour will speed his trip by one minute. Not much? Last year, in his record-tying fifth Tour win, he edged German rival Jan Ullrich by 61 seconds after 2,125 miles of racing....

The Fire Inside, June 29, 2004
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Ford has written a really excellent profile of Lance Armstrong on the eve of Lance's attempt to win a record sixth straight Tour de France.Armstrong rides hardest when he is mad, when he is challenged. It is acknowledged among those who know him best that he would not have climbed the finish to Luz-Ardiden so well had he not fallen. "When he got off the tarmac, the first thing I did...

A Nice, Leisurely, 2,958-Mile Race, June 22, 2004
The Arizona Republic profiles two local teams of cyclists participating in a cross-country bicycle race called the Race Across America. Each coed team of eight is currently racing relay-style non-stop from San Diego to Atlantic City, N.J., a 2,958-mile trek across 14 states. I'd love to do it. I always thought RAAM was just an event for solo riders - insane gonzo extreme-sports-challenge-loving solo riders. I didn't know there was also a division for corporate...

Tour de France Coming Soon To A Theater Near You, June 19, 2004
The Tyler Hamilton Foundation announced Friday that it will host a live viewing of stage 13 of the Tour de France on movie screens across the United States. Scheduled for Saturday, July 17, 2004, the nationwide fundraiser's two lead sponsors are Outdoor Life® Network and Regal CineMedia™. The event will be presented in nineteen Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres, and marks the first time that U.S. cycling fans will be able to view a live...

Cycling Bloggage, June 17, 2004
If you're into cycling and interested in the upcoming Tour de France, there's a variety of new posts over at Open Road. Click here and read and scroll....

Q&A With Lance, June 14, 2004
Cycling News has a very good interview with Lance Armstrong, who will try to win an unprecedented sixth straight Tour de France starting in about three weeks. And yes there will be a lot of cycling-related bloggage hereabouts over the next several weeks. But don't worry - I'll still be keeping a blogger's eye on all the usual things I keep my eye on around here....

The Next Lance Armstrong?, June 03, 2004
Is 18-year-old triathlon champion Taylor Tolleson of Pacific Grove, Calif., "the next Lance Armstrong?" Absolutely not....

Countdown to TdF, June 02, 2004
If you're a cycling fan like I am, you're anticipating the start of the Tour de France, a month from tomorrow. Here's a Nike video featuring five-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong, who'll be going for an unprecedented sixth straight win. Also, here's a photo update on Lance winning the final stage of a five-stage race considered a tune-up for the Tour....

Bike-Rider-In-Chief, May 31, 2004
Today's New York Times takes a look at the bike-riding habits of President Bush and John Kerry.When George W. Bush fell off his mountain bike and banged up his face the week before last, the world took modest note of the president's new hobby. What it did not know was that over the past three months the 57-year-old chief executive, sidelined from the fast track with runner's knee, has become so consumed by mountain biking...

Huh, May 19, 2004
A bicyclist beat a motorist to work Tuesday , in a four-mile race during morning rush hour, and it makes the news....

Espresso on Wheels, May 18, 2004
I love the American entrepreneurial spirit. Somebody has merged two of my favorite kind of businesses into one great business....

Where I'd Like To Be Right Now, May 18, 2004

On the Open Road, May 10, 2004
Ernst Blofeld writes about cycling Big Sur over at the Open Road blog. With photos. Lots and lots of photos from the beautiful coastline of California. Open Road has been read by more than 800 900 different people this month - not bad at all for a start-up blog about a niche topic like cycling. Incidentally, I'm still looking for more contributors to the blog, so if you're into cycling and want to blog about...

The Street Rises Up to Greet Kerry, May 03, 2004
Glenn Reynolds wants to know why I'm not writing about John Kerry's bike accident over at my new cycling-related blog, Open Road. It's a fair question. Open Road isn't meant to be political - so I'll comment here on Kerry's mishap. I chuckled when I saw the picture of Kerry in his day-glo yellow riding jersey, looking for all the world like a guy who wishes he was a Frenchman leading the Tour de France....

The Pedaling Aussie, May 02, 2004
Tim Blair - and his pithy commenters - have some thoughts about the Aussie journalist who is bicycling across the United States....

You Never Forget, May 02, 2004
Road a bike for the first time in five years today - just a test cruise around the neighborhood. Learned a few things. 1. The Trek 2100 I just got is a sweet, sweet bike. 2. At 39 years (for four more weeks) I am very out of shape. Not overweight - just under-powered and lacking in endurance. Argh. And starting the cycling season two months late. I've got a lot of roadwork to do......

Of Bike and Blog, May 01, 2004
I just took delivery of a Trek 2100 today. Having not ridden a bike in almost five years, blogging will be extremely light for the remainder of the weekend. P.S. Please be sure to visit my new cycling blog, Open Road, which will also soon feature contributions from other blogger/cyclists....

Lance Armstrong, All-American, March 28, 2003
American cyclist extraordinaire Lance Armstrong, who has won France's signature bicycle race four times in a row now - something akin to a French football team winning the Super Bowl - has issued an intelligent statement regarding the Iraq war. In my opinion it's not really the place of an athlete to take a position here. And I do think there should be a strong deliniation from sports, war, diplomacy, and politics. I am getting...