Everything so far, 2014

So, it's been a while since I posted something.  Apparently when I get busy, writing a blog doesn't bubble up to the top.  Well, "busy" is a strong word.  Sure, there was work, but I've also managed to watch 3 seasons of American Horror Story, the first season of Arrow, and binge watched Orphan Black like a champ.  Speaking of which, go watch Orphan Black.  Like, now.  Come back and finish reading this later.

Anyways, hereafter lies some words spilling out of my brain on to the keyboard about what's happened so far in pro cycling.  The biggest and saddest news as far as I'm concerned is at the bottom (see, that's called a tease).

Bayern Rundfahrt
Teehee.  Ok, still not mature enough to say Rundfahrt.  Moving on.

Classics
Does cycling 250km on medieval cobbled streets sound like fun to you?  It shouldn't.  But this is basically what it means when they talk about "classics" or "monuments".  Single-day, long, painful races.  And apparently, it's fun to the man they call Spartacus, as Fabian Cancellara has finished on the podium in every one of these butt-numbing adventures that he's finished since 2010.  Go Fabian!

Maybe that's why he does it...

Tour of California
I'm sorry, AMGEN Tour of California.  US Pro Cycling Challenge may not be a real winner of a name for Colorado's professional race, but I'm happy to not have the title sponsor part of the name of the race.
Moral of the ATOC story this year is that Bradley Wiggins is back from his victory tour that he apparently took all last year, and is certainly in form.  He won in impressive fashion, and leaves me wondering how much he'll want to be working for Chris Froome in the TdF... Team Sky's got some super-star egos to massage.
Also from the ATOC, Boulder's own Taylor Phinney had quite an impressive win on the second to last stage, soloing to victory from over 20km out.  But more on him in a minute.

Giro d'Italia
I really did intend to do a whole thing on the Giro, cycling's 2nd biggest race, but here we are with 3 stages to go (out of 21), so instead... let's talk Stage 16 controversy!

For real though, this doesn't call for neutralization??

At the race director's discretion, and especially when rider safety is a concern, a race may change routes or be neutralized (meaning everyone is chill and stays together and goes slow).  On the blizzardy descent of Stelvio, leading to the final climb of the day, race officials radioed that the riders should stay in groups and follow a moto down the pass.  At least partway.  What followed was confusion over whether or not the descent was neutralized, leading to Nairo Quintana (and several others) breaking away, and Quintana eventually taking over the pink leader's jersey.  With 2 hard stages to go, this may not be THE decisive stage of the tour, but Quintana's got 1:41 on 2nd place Rigoberto Uran and 3:29 on Pierre Roland.  Drama!
(Side note: Quintana, Uran and Rolland are all on my fantasy Giro team.  No, for real)

Another note on this, and another something I've been thinking about a dedicated blog on... Rider welfare.  The indecision on calling it here is the real problem, because there is no way those conditions were safe.  Cyclists are abused.  There shouldn't have been confusion, because the UCI or the race director should've have called it well ahead of last km of the climb.

Taylor Phinney
If you've read my writings before, you know I have a soft spot for Taylor Phinney.  Boulder-born and raised, crazy hair, shoe fetish, and apparently teaching himself how to twerk late at night.  Not to mention clean, like REALLY clean, and adamant about the sport cleaning itself up.  He's the energy pro cycling needs, especially here in the US.  There's better riders, but not many who engage people the way he does.
And he was on point this year, too.  Having won the GC in the Tour of Dubai (granted, it was a stage 1 TT and 4 days of coasting), a big stage in the ATOC, and claiming his 2nd national TT crown, he was poised for something big.  And then, during the US Nationals Road Race, he crashed, breaking his tib/fib and injuring his knee.

He was hoping to debut that TT victory jersey next month at the famous Criterium du Dauphine and get selected to his first TdF squad (which was a very real possibility, given his popularity and marketability).  Sadly, these plans are all currently derailed, and it'll take some help to get to sport that new US Champ jersey before someone else takes it away next year.
Worst part?  It sounds like it was the fault of a motorcycle on the course.  Taylor is a master descender, and although Tommy D describe getting passed by Taylor at "Mach 10" right before the crash, the man can control a bike.  Fellow victim, and sporter of awesomely geeky glasses, Lucas Euser, is the only real witness to the events, and said the motorcycle ahead of them was indecisive and slow, and forced them both in to dangerous situations.
All that aside, I end this not with his sad face, but with a collection of Taylor victory faces.  He'll be back.



Parting Thoughts
Are you done with Orphan Black season 1 yet?