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Versus and Tour Tracker schedule live Tour of California coverage:
Broadcast times


Mario Cipollini on Tour Tracker in 2008

The Amgen Tour of California goes live in 2009.

Versus has announced it would be broadcasting live from the 9-day race that rolls out Feb. 14-22. Meanwhile, the online videostream at Tour Tracker, at right, is returning for those at work who might not be able to get away from the computer.

The VS. broadcast team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will be heard everyday during the race, now in its fourth year. This is the 3rd year that VS. has broadcast the bicycle race, and the first time with live coverage every day. Here's the schedule: …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/26/versus-and-tour-tracker-schedule-live-tour-of-california-coveragebroadcast-times/

Ride with Tour of California bike racers across the Golden Gate

Interesting in tailing the pro cycling peloton across the Golden Gate Bridge during the 2009 Tour of California?

It will only cost you $500, a donation that will go to bicycling programs in the City of Sausalito.

The Golden Gate Bridge will be closed to traffic as the peloton leaves Sausalito on Feb. 16 for the race to Santa Cruz. It's part of the neutral start, so the peloton won't be racing across the scenic span.

The cyclists on the VIP ride will trail the cyclists past the adoring crowds certain to line the bridge for the historic event. Organizers say this is the first time the bridge has been used for a bicycle race…

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/26/ride-with-tour-of-california-bike-racers-across-the-golden-gate/

Achieving long-distance bicycling success in “The Ride of Your Life”

David Rowe says he was taking the leap from recreational cyclist to ultra long-distance cyclist when he rode the arduous Torture 10,000 century in Oregon a few years ago.

He wasn't surprised by the length or elevation gain — more than 13,000 feet. What surprised him was seeing so many sag wagons filled with the bikes of participants who had thrown in the towel.

“It was clear that they didn't think about what they were getting into.”

So David set out to write the recently published eBook “The Ride of Your Life.” It covers an aspect of cycling that doesn't get the attention it deserves — mental preparation …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/25/achieving-long-distance-bicycling-success-in-the-ride-of-your-life/

The Ride of Your Life cover

Aligning heart and mind for success in long-distance cycling. Ebook. Find at RoadBikeRider.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/25/the-ride-of-your-life-cover/

Allan Davis wins Tour Down Under; Armstrong's return a success

As the laps clicked by in the final stage of the Tour Down Under on Sunday, Lance Armstrong demonstrated that he had plenty of gas in the tank by attacking the peloton and briefly riding at the head of a breakaway.

He then dropped back and let the sprinters take over the battle for the stage win, which was taken at the line by Italy's Francesco Chicchi of Liquigas as Graeme Brown's foot came out of the pedal.

Australia's Allan Davis, above, finished safely back in the peloton, comfortable that his 25-second lead earned in three stage victories was good enough to win the Tour Down Under …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/25/allan-davis-wins-tour-down-under-armstrongs-return-a-success/

Allan Davis wins Stage 5; Armstrong attacks but doesn't dominate

After losing touch with the race leaders on the final climb, Allan Davis fought back to the front of the peloton on Stage 5 and scored a hat trick at the Tour Down Under on Saturday in Australia.

The Aussie's time bonuses from three wins virtually assures him the championship when the 6-stage bicycle race ends Sunday.

Lance Armstrong battled to make a bid for the lead on Stage 5's second climb up daunting Willunga Hill and stayed near the front of the race. But if you want to know how things have changed since Armstrong last raced in the peloton, picture this scene:

As Armstrong leads a group of 10 riders struggling to catch the five cyclists up the hill, friend and former teammate George Hincapie and two others zoom out of the group and catch the leaders, leaving Armstrong and the others behind …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/24/allan-davis-wins-stage-5-armstrong-attacks-but-doesnt-dominate/

Commuter bicycle design contest winner

The Bicycle Design blog has announced the winner in its “commuter bike for the masses” design competition, and it's the ThisWay bike designed by Torkel Dohmer.

Blogger James Thomas came up with the idea of a contest to ferret out some bicycle designs that would coax non-cyclists out of their cars and onto the bike lanes for commuting to work.

The lightweight bike would be made of composite materials and hydro-formed aluminum with built-in LED lights in the front and back powered by a battery that recharged by solar cells. There's also space for a briefcase on the back. And it has a roof …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/23/commuter-bicycle-design-contest-winner/

Winning commuter bike concept

Torkel Dohmer won the commuter bike for the masses design concept contest at Bicycle Design blog.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/23/winning-commuter-bike-concept/

Volunteers parked thousands of bikes for inauguration

If the Guinness Book of World Records had a category for “bicycles parked by volunteer valets,” the Washington Area Bicycle Association would surely top the list.

The group set up free bike valet parking for the Barack Obama inauguration in the frigid temperatures on Tuesday and racked 2,040 bicycles.

Most importantly, no one lost a bike. Even a missing helmet was eventually recovered.

Of the two lots, the one at 16th Street was by far the busiest. Volunteers parked 1,127 bicycles at that location, which required them to create an overflow lot with crowd-control fencing. The Jefferson Memorial lot stored 827 bikes. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/23/volunteers-parked-thousands-of-bikes-for-inauguration/

Allan Davis wins sprint, keeps lead in Tour Down Under

Australia's Allan Davis remained in control of the Tour Down Under after Stage 4 on Friday. The cyclist for Quick Step beat Thursday's winner Graeme Brown in the final sprint and held onto the race leader's ochre jersey for a third day.

Whether his dominance will survive two trips up Willunga Hill — the tour's toughest climb — on Saturday remains to be seen.

Some are saying that if Lance Armstrong, who sits 39 seconds out of 1st in 38th place, has any chance at all, it will be on the two climbs up Willunga on Stage 5. But other cyclists, like Aussie Stuart O'Grady in 4th place, are in a better position to make winning time on the stage …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/01/23/allan-davis-wins-sprint-keeps-lead-in-tour-down-under/