Reminder, Tour of the Basque Country this week

[MattTuck]

I thought about a post complaining about the snow we got yesterday and the fact it was 12 degrees this morning, but then wanted to look at the glass half full.

Thanks to modern technology, I can watch a race that is happening in the Basque country of Spain, LIVE (like, literally as it is happening, minus a few seconds of buffering), while sitting in my office, doing work. I hear the stories about guys who had to wait months to get magazine recaps of races, or had VHS tapes of races mailed to them, so they could watch them weeks later. I'll ride outside next week, and enjoy the fruits of our connected world.

:banana::hello::banana::hello::banana::hello::bana na::hello::banana:

[guido]

And I thought I had a good reason to be cranky about 17 degrees this morning...

[livingminimal]

The only excuse to wear a hat and not a cap on the podium is this race.

[kramnnim]

Where are the "Team Sky is boring" guys? Too busy chasing kids off their lawns, perhaps. Lol.

[MattTuck]

Where are the "Team Sky is boring" guys? Too busy chasing kids off their lawns, perhaps. Lol.

haha, well said.

[sandyrs]

Nothing like an Astana vet whose performance jumped precipitously last year and a rider who took a "leave of absence" for "abormal blood levels" storming up a mountain to lend credence to Sky's clean image, though...

[MattTuck]

Nothing like an Astana vet whose performance jumped precipitously last year and a rider who took a "leave of absence" for "abormal blood levels" storming up a mountain to lend credence to Sky's clean image, though...

Oh, you want clean AND exciting riders?

We're not in 2001 anymore ;)

[kramnnim]

I guess we should point fingers at poor Wilco, too.

[MattTuck]

Today's profile.

http://www.cyclingfans.net/2016/images/2016_tour_of_the_basque_country_stage5_profile.jpg

[ultraman6970]

Contador looks good this year. As pointed before, Kelderman is climbing strong too.

Landa was dropped yesterday so who knows what sky will do, the guy that havent done to much as the one from cannondale, dry season for them.

[acorn_user]

I really enjoyed yesterday's stage. That was a strong escape group, and then that last minute attack by Steve Cummings was a nice piece of opportunistic riding :)

[sandyrs]

Mikel Landa must have seen my comment and said to himself "an insignificant internet forum participant is onto me! gotta look bad in today's stage!"

;)

[ultraman6970]

Hehehe... the climbs are short and steep, probably landa does better in long and steady climbs, if thats the case makes sense what happened to him, either way this kid needs to shine as he never been allowed to shine.

[MattTuck]

magnus wondering out loud what Etixx is doing. lol.

[mhespenheide]

Where are the "Team Sky is boring" guys? Too busy chasing kids off their lawns, perhaps. Lol.

I don't think I quite realized how much I don't like Contador until this race, when I find myself rooting for Sky to beat him...

[numbskull]

Saw this regarding a young American, L Craddock
http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/04/news/craddock-confirmed-with-pais-vasco-ride_401944

Puts some additional interest into tomorrow's short time trial.

[numbskull]

Alas, in the short TT, Craddock lost 1:30 on the leaders and dropped to 25th. Still, a good showing by the kid to be within 20-30 seconds of Quintana and others before the time trial.
Hope he gets a shot in the bigger Tours.

[MattTuck]

I thought this was an interesting insight into the human side of racing. It isn't all Sagan having fun on the podium that makes these guys 'humans' as opposed to robots. Peter Stetina talks about what it's like to go back to a race that ended his way of life...

Article (http://www.cyclingnews.com/blogs/author/peter-stetina-my-comeback-trail-leads-through-pais-vasco/)

If I had hit anything else besides my leg I probably would not be here today. It was a career-threatening injury. This is what many of my doctors have told me; sometimes with a particular break such as mine, the leg is amputated. I’m confident that my top form will come back one day, but the jury is out on ever being back to having a normal lifestyle. I don’t think I’ll ever be running a five-kilometre race in the off-season again, there’s also a knee replacement in my future, and playing soccer with my future kids someday is out the window.

[kramnnim]

I don't think I quite realized how much I don't like Contador until this race, when I find myself rooting for Sky to beat him...

Contador! :banana: