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Bicyclists in the 37th annual RAGBRAI rolled out of Council Bluffs on Sunday morning to begin their 442-mile trip across the state.
Participants didn't have to go far to dip their wheels in the Missouri River to begin their trek. Crews pumped a spray of river water onto the deck of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge so cyclists could just roll through it.
The grand-daddy of all across-state bicycle rides, getting its start in 1973, this one boasts 10,000 registered bicyclists and many more (as many as 5,000) who are just along for the ride ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/20/2009-ragbrai-starts-rolling-down-the-road/
Who is the leader of Team Astana? Without a doubt, it's Spain's Alberto Contador.
The 2007 Tour de France champion accelerated out of the chase group on the final climb of Stage 15 on Sunday to take the yellow jersey and quash any discussion about whether he or Lance Armstrong leads the team.
Armstrong was in front of the leader's group at the base of the Category 1 climb to Verbier, but could only watch as first Contador, then the Schleck brothers, Carlos Sastre, Bradley Wiggins, and others rode away. Armstrong finished in 9th place on the stage.
After eight days in the yellow jersey, Rinaldo Nocentini gave up the overall lead to Contador who now leads by 1:37 over No. 2 Armstrong…….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/19/a-change-in-yellow-jersey-at-tour-de-france-astana-leadership-issues-resolved/
Spain's Alberto Contador of Team Astana
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/19/alberto-contador-4/
American cyclist George Hincapie missed the yellow jersey by 5 seconds on Saturday as he joined a breakaway that didn't get to the finish line quite fast enough.
The Columbia rider moved up 27 places to 2nd behind Rinaldo Nocentini.
Hincapie was the highest placed cyclist among the 12 that led Stage 14 for most of the day. In fact, he was the yellow jersey “on the road” as the margin back to the peloton grew to more than 6 minutes.
But the 12 couldn't work together as they neared the finish in Besancon and jockeyed for their stage win. With about 6 miles to go, Serguei Ivanov attacked and drove to a solo victory ahead of 11 others.
After the race, a clearly disappointed and bitter Hincapie ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/18/holy-hincapie-george-misses-yellow-jersey-by-5-seconds-in-stage-14-at-tour-de-france/
Within 5 seconds of Yellow Jersey at Tour de France.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/18/george-hincapie-4/
As a boy growing up in Houston, one of Walter Cronkite's jobs was as bicycle delivery boy for a drugstore.
In an interview with Playboy magazine in 1973, he talked about that job playing a part in his understanding of the terrible prejudice in the city at the time:
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/18/bicycle-quotes-walter-cronkite/
Cervelo's Heinrich Haussler found Friday's Stage 13 to be a lucky stage for him as he survived a day-long breakaway in the 2009 Tour de France to win the bike race to Colmar.
The day's rain seemed to dampen the contest for the yellow jersey. For the 6th straight stage, there was no change in the overall classification as Rinaldo Nocentini continued in the lead.
Levi Leipheimer's unfortunate withdrawal because of a broken wrist suffered in a crash on Thursday led to the only major change in the standings, as everyone below him moved up one spot.
Saturday's 124-mile stage from Colmar to Besancon has a couple of Category 3 climbs, so it's doubtful that the rivals like Nocentini, Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins or the Schleck brothers will attempt anything….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/17/stage-13-lucky-for-all-day-breakaway-at-tour-de-france/
Wins stage
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/17/heinrich-haussler/
American cyclist Levi Leipheimer withdrew from the 2009 Tour de France on Friday with a broken wrist.
He suffered the break on Thursday's run-in to the finish in Vittel. Since the crash occurred within 3 kilometers of the finish line, the rider on the Astana team didn't lose any time.
Leipheimer was sitting in 4th place in the overall battle for the yellow jersey, 39 seconds behind the leader. I'm sure he'll be sorely missed by teammates Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, who sit in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
Team manager Johan Bruyneel said the team will have to change its tactics over the last week with Leipheimer gone …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/17/leipheimer-abandons-tour-de-france-in-4th-place/
Denmark's Niki Sörensen brought home a solo breakaway victory at the Tour de France on Thursday on a day that many thought would see a fifth stage victory by Columbia's Mark Cavendish.
Although the 131-mile route from Tonnerre to Vittel sported several small climbs, Stage 12 was well-suited to the sprinters in the peloton.
In fact, several early attacks by riders were pulled back by the peloton. It wasn't until relatively late in the race — with 50 miles behind them — that a 7-man breakaway finally escaped. ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/16/soloing-to-stage-12-win-at-tour-de-france/
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