Image of the Day: French Alpes

Picture of the Day - Mont Blanc, France

The cold weather has come to Colorado and soon more snow. I was in the mood for this photo today from a trip in 2007 to Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France. Especially since I had planned to go on a 10th Mountain Division Hut Trip in two weeks with a friend, but instead I am resting and reading this book: The Last Ridge, about the men of the 10th Mountain Division. 

Here are a few older photos of previous Hut Trips in Colorado with friends over the years. The Hut System here is Colorado is a fantastic place to be with friends, I have lots of fond memories. I look forward to another trip this Spring.

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Bison and Bear

Picture of the day

I live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, when I saw this photo I thought, this is exactly why I don't ride on snowy roads in winter - you never know what could be heading your way. Sadly we recently experienced a sad and tragic injustice involving a hit and run between a car and a cyclist in Avon, Colorado (which has me feeling ashamed that the city of Avon was awarded a Stage Start in the upcoming Quiznos Pro Challenge - and I personally think they should CHANGE THAT NOW!).

That horrible incident aside, we have made some headway in cyclist safety in the past year. The hard working folks at Bicycle Colorado recently succeeded in passing a 3 Feet to Pass law. Of course a law is only as good as it's enforcement. Drivers still remain to be educated and penalized when they harm cyclists.

I am now going to admit that this past summer I reported a cyclist for unsafe behavior after repeatedly witnessing the same cyclist nearly injure runners and children, and screaming at drivers in my local park. I subsequently received 4 phone calls from the police department and city over the complaint. Wow, that sure got a response. I have always felt it was my responsibility to follow the laws and set a good example as a cyclist, or the driver I offend could take their anger out on the next cyclist, and possibly cause them harm. 

Sadly drivers do cause harm to cyclists all too frequently and those cyclists have done nothing wrong. The cyclist Steven Milo who was recently injured in the hit and run in Avon was on vacation, riding a rented bike along the side of the road, he was a husband, father of two, son, brother, friend and surgeon. Why don't drivers make the connection that cyclists are real people physically vulnerable on the highways where cars can kill? I was so appalled that Martin Erzinger, the driver of the vehicle in Avon, fled the scene of the hit and run without stopping, thought first to report the damage to his car, and never seemed to feel much remorse during or after he struck Milo and left him on the side of that road. 

I would like to believe this was a one-off incident, but at this point I'd much rather take my chances with an oncoming bison and grizzly, than with individuals like Erzinger who seem to care so little about others. I certainly have no concern for his future, but I do have a concern about the example this case sets for other drivers. 

About the photo at the top: Alex Wypyszinski, a retired professor and amateur photographer, shot this amazing photo of a grizzly bear chasing down an injured bison when he stopped to take photos of geysers in Yellowstone National Park in May, where he works at a post office in the park during the summers.

More details of the accident:  The Explainer: Is having a Mercedes an affirmative defense?

Post post 12/19/10: The Explainer: Thoughts on Erzinger and why I won’t boycott Vail By Charles Pelkey Published Dec 18th 2010

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Recommended Reading: Ask Nick

A great new Column at VeloNews.competitor.com

I've been reading the new Ask the Mechanic column at VeloNews.competitor.com written weekly by Mechanic Nick Legan, it is really good. The column is a quick simple read and offers some interesting insiders scoop on questions you've always wanted to ask a professional bike mechanic who works with the ProTeams. The first 4 columns are:

• Week 1: Ask Nick: Mechanically inclined racers, mystery clicking, ProTour bike washing techniques and more
• Week 2: Ask Nick: Questions about classics gear, crashes on carbon bikes and lined-up handlebars
• Week 3: Ask Nick: Rider positions, helmet changes, and Euro team bike racks
• Week 4: Ask Nick: Do ProTour mechanics use torque wrenches? Who maintains pro bikes in winter?

If you have a highly intriguing question for Nick Legan, you can email him (his email is on the VeloNews website at the top of this page).

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Cycling Veterans

Wounded Warrior Rides 

It is Veterans Day today in the USA. A day to either publicly or privately acknowledge the young men and women in our country who have chosen a life of service. Sometimes their lives are forever changed by injury. No matter your political view, the sad tragedy of a life changed by injury should resonate with all athletes. 

There is a program to help injured soldiers regain their mobility and confidence called the Wounded Warrior Project. The project's mission is To honor and empower wounded warriors by offering advocacy, counseling, support for caregivers, employment-assistance services, adventure challenges, and sports programs. 

One of the sports programs offered is cycling. They provide the soldiers with equipment and the incentive of organized rides to raise further money for the program. Recently my parents witnessed one of the Wounded Warrior cycling events in California. They said it was very moving to see the able-bodied riding next to the wounded soldiers.   

What is a Soldier Ride? "Soldier Ride is a Wounded Warrior Project initiative that provides adaptive cycling opportunities across the country to help wounded warriors restore their physical and emotional well-being. While Soldier Ride has inspired spectators for years, the experience is now open to everyone, allowing the public the opportunity to ride alongside our warriors as they convey a positive message of recovery."

Read more about the project in recent articles on:

ABC News: Soldier Ride: Wounded Warriors Bike Across New York

PedalPushers: Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride

PezCycling: The Wounded Warrior Project: Soldier Rides 2010!

Wounded Warrior Project provides equipment and support to participating injured service members at no cost to the warrior. Soldier Ride raises funds for Wounded Warrior Project programs and initiatives. I was interested, if you are, here are the links for donating money or donating your time. Opportunities to volunteer abound, read more about Volunteering at the Soldier Ride. The Soldier Ride in Denver was in August this past year, it is going on my calendar for 2011.

Mountain Stages of the Giro d'Italia 2011

Review of the Mountain Stages of the Giro by Pez Cycling

The organizers of the Giro d'Italia have planned an amazing Giro this year, but I'm wondering who will be riding it? Cadel Evans and Ivan Basso have both stated this week that they are targeting the Tour de France and may not be riding in the Giro in 2011. It remains unknown if Sastre's new team Geox will be awarded a UCI ProTeam license in 2011, that leaves Nibali. Last year I think I enjoyed watching the Giro more than the Tour de France, probably because I watched every day of the Giro and less of the TDF because I was in France. Still, I really like the Giro. I enjoy the scenery and the stages, the tradition and how exhausting it is for the athletes.

PezCyclingNews.com is a cycling news and at times travel blog. Yesterday they came out with a good review of the upcoming climbs of the 2011 Giro d'Italia: PEZ Previews Il Giro'11 Corsa: Stages 10-15  Tuesday, November 09, 2010  4:23:58 PM PT, by Jered Gruber

Read an earlier blog post by PedalDancer.com about the best climbs in the 2011 Giro d'Italia and  2011Tour de France at: The best climbs in Europe Thursday, October 28, 2010 

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15,000+ views and counting

Legs glorious legs

PedalDancer.com is now 7 months old, and has been counting visitors for 6 months. I have always been fascinated with the idea of fast twitch muscles versus slow twitch muscles, and just how important genetics is in determining a cyclist's ability to ride a bike fast. The difference between the legs of a sprinter, a time trialist, and a climber become obvious when you see the legs of the best in the world. To celebrate 15,000 pageviews, let's play GUESS WHOSE LEGS of cycling:  all Photos by © by PedalDancer.com

Whose legs? 

Tom Boonen's legs (Sprinter - fast twitch, strong)

Whose legs? 

Mark Cavendish's legs (Sprinter - fast twitch)

Whose legs? 
 

David Zabriskie's legs (Time Trialer, look at those ankles compared to his upper thighs)

Whose legs? 

David Millar's's legs (Time Trialer)

Whose legs? 
 

Bert Grabsch's legs (Time Trialer, nice hamstrings)  

Whose legs? 

Sébastien Rosseler's legs (time trialer) (this picture I did not take)

Whose legs? 
 

Manuel Quinziato's legs (U23 Time Trialer, morphed into an All-rounder)

Whose legs? 

Jens Voigt's legs (All-rounder)

Whose legs? 

 Alessandro Ballan's legs (Spring Classics rider)

Whose legs? 
 

George Hincapie's legs (All-rounder)

Whose legs? 

Chad Beyer's legs (This is what a 5'10" 136 lb (61kg) cyclist looks like) - he does it all.

Whose legs? 

Ivan Basso's legs (Climber and Grand Tour winner)

Whose legs? 

Chris Horner's legs (Climber)

Whose legs? 

Carlos Sastre's legs (Climber and Grand Tour winner)

Whose legs? 
 

Andy Schleck's legs (Climber - long and lean!)

Whose legs? 

(Ha! sorry, couldn't resist) (Team Manager) climber Jonathan Vaughter's legs  

Whose legs? 

PedalDancer's legs (I'm a woman, and a I'm-out-there-all-day-longer, is that a category?) What are you?

All pictures above by © by PedalDancer.com

ENDURANCE Elite endurance athletes have up to 80% slow twitch fibers which allows them to cycle for a long time at medium speeds. These athletes usually are quite light and don’t have much of a sprint. SPRINT Elite track sprinters can have up to 70% fast twitch muscle fibers enabling them to accelerate really fast and reach very high maximum speed but they can only hold the speed for a short period of time. They are usually heavier and very muscular. 

Do you want more legs - - -  
The legs that powered the tour Cycling legs at the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.  
And more at More legs of the Tour of California

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USA Pro Cycling Challenge Map of Cities

Map of the Host Cities of the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge (formerly Quiznos Pro Challenge)

Here is a rough map I drew up highlighting the locations of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge ProTeam Tour. The exact road route of the tour in Colorado has not been announced, but I can guess at the general direction of the route. In coming months I will write up some information about the towns and the mountain passes that will be included in the Tour.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge - map of Colorado within the USA

USA Pro Cycling Challenge - map of the cities of the Tour within the state of Colorado

USA Pro Cycling Challenge - rough map of the general route between Host Cities

The 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stages
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August 22 - Stage 1, Prologue time trial, Colorado Springs
August 23 - Stage 2, Salida to Crested Butte, mountain-top finish
August 24 - Stage 3, Gunnison to Aspen, mountain stage
August 25 - Stage 4, Vail, time trail, former Coors Classic stage
August 26 - Stage 5, Avon to Steamboat Springs
August 27 - Stage 6, Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge
August 28 - Stage 7, Golden to Denver

02/27/11 Update: more route information is now provided on the PedalDancer.com USA Pro Cycling Challenge Page, (located at the top of the blog) I took some semi-educated guesses at routes and information about each stage.

To read all other PedalDancer.com posts about the USA Pro Cycling Challenge please click here: related stories about QPC 2011. For the official USA Pro Cycling Challenge Website 

06/06/11 Update: 

OFFICIAL ROUTE ANNOUNCED:

PEDAL DANCER BLOG POSTS ABOUT USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE ROUTE

Monday, June 6, 2011 Route Maps of 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge 
Monday, June 6, 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge announces route

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Host Cities

Trailer for Quiznos Pro Challenge (this race was renamed to USA Pro Cycling Challenge on April 5th)

On the official website of the new 2011 Quiznos Pro Challenge (it is not called the Tour of Colorado, but we are all calling it that anyway) you can view the trailer presentation of the host cities for stage starts and finishes of the UCI ProTeam Race in August 2011.

http://quiznosprochallenge.com

A Cycling Fan in training

Kenny's excellent adventures

My nephew Kenny took up road cycling 5 years ago when he became a triathlete. He is now a much better triathlete (a Pro), and a much better cyclist. Along the way he also became a fan of professional cycling. Learning the ropes from his Aunts (Aunt Suz, Aunt Me) and Uncles (Uncle Straw, Uncle Pete), Kenny has been having lots of fun. It has also taught him to be more open in speaking to fellow athletes and fans at his own competitions. I give you Kenny, the next generation:

and some other guys:

 

Mark Cavendish

 

Jens Voigt

Chris  McCormack - okay he deviated to a triathlete

Johan Bruyneel

 

David Zabriskie

Kenny is only beginning his career as a cycling fan, there will be much more to come ....

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