VeloVeritas

Will the Vuelta be Scandal-Free? (0)

A Clean Vuelta?

I hope so, but let’s look at the facts:

The Spanish sports papers quote Oscar Freire; “Rabobank want a stage win in Holland” and I’m sure all the other teams want the same, but the Dutch bank have spent a lot of money bringing La Vuelta a España to Holland for the race start.

About Iñigo and Gerard (0)

Sunday, I did my hour on the bike this morning; had my shower, washed me vest and hat – time to amble down to the newsagents to pick up The Observer.

Just to see the prologue result in print; there might even be a paragraph or two, but no – “nada.”

As far as the press goes, there’s the Tour and the Olympics – and drugs, of course.

La Vuelta a España, in Holland? (1)

La Vuelta a España in Holland!

So, La Vuelta a España started on Saturday in the Dutch town of Assen, joining in with the other Grand Tour by starting outside its borders. The Spanish Tour has done this once before, but it was still on the Iberian Peninsula; Lisbon in Portugal.

Anyway, here are my (rhetorical) questions: Why did it start in Assen? And why have an opening TT on the motor racing circuit?

Two Outa Three (0)

Fabian Cancellara – I got that one right; and I said that Tyler Farrar would be right up there, as Meat Loaf would say; “two outta three ain’t bad!”

Tom Boonen in second was a surprise; it’s good to see him back.

I like Boonen, I don’t condone his cocaine use – he’s meant to be a roll model – but he’s young, full of fun and human.

Politics and Cycling (0)

I did a Vuelta preview for Pez the other day; I mentioned the Castillan (Spanish), Basque, Catalan and Galician languages.

But Al Hamilton has put me right; “Spain has five languages registered at the EU; Castillano, Basque, Galician, Catalan and Valenciano.”

It reminded me of what they say about Belgium; “there’s no such place as Belgium.” It’s a conundrum, that diversity is what makes Spain the country it is.

Is the Vuelta too hard? (0)

La Vuelta; have you seen the parcours ? Brutal !

In my opinion, too hard; if it was Italy or Spain they’d engineer it to suit the characteristics of the ‘home boy,’ but in España it’s one for the mountain men – maybe they forgot that Alberto wasn’t riding; that we may have seen the best of Carlos; that Valverde will have a bad day and that José Manuel Fuente and Luis Ocaña have left us (God rest their souls).

One of a Certain Breed (0)

Vino’s back!

Richard Pestes’s reaction was;

“I’m still aghast at the arrogance of that guy.. ”

And whilst I can understand the PezMeister’s outrage, we have to take a minute to try and put ourselves inside the mind of the little Kazahk.

From Ireland to Peebles via Spain (0)

“B & Q car park, Livingston; got me diet Coke and tuna roll, time to settle down and read about Russell’s great win in Ireland. I scan “The Guardian” sport section three times – no dice.

But we do get one sentence in “On the web” – ‘Lance Armstrong was among 56 riders to withdraw from the Tour of Ireland’s rain-hit final stage.’

Poor old Lance; and good to see that cycling has really entered the mainstream of sports coverage.

Cones Stop Play! (0)

There was sunshine on Bishopton, a car park full of riders and shiny bikes – not sure about the guy on the fixed Dolan, though – lots of marshals, pieces to feed the five thousand, the requisite scout hall strip; and – the council cutting the verges down on Westferry.

Therefore – no dice, all go home.

It’s easy to be a smarty pants, but shouldn’t it be on the race organisers ‘tick box list’ to check with the local council?

On the Way to the Scottish TTT (0)

I’ve achieved an ambition today – I’m sitting in John Anderson’s Six Million Dollar Man pick up truck.

John and I are up front, unfortunately we don’t have Daisy Duke in the back; just an out of sorts Dave Martin – never mind.

We’re en route the TTT champs at Bishopton, last week I was aboard the Velo Ecosse car – which has got me to thinking about bike shops.

“Boy Racer” by Mark Cavendish (0)

Boy Racer steps behind the scenes of the Tour de France. It unmasks the exotic, contradictory, hysterical and brutal world of professional cycling from the compellingly candid viewpoint of someone right in the thick of it.

Written off as ‘fat’ and ‘useless’ in his youth, Mark Cavendish is now cycling’s brightest star.

Big Scores in Belgium (0)

The score may have been Dunfermline 1 Queen of the South 2 at East End Park, the other night, but in Flanders just now it’s Guy 24, Mario 22.

That’s Guy Smet on 24 wins and recent VeloVeritas interviewee Mario Willems on 22.

The ‘Good Old’ Comic? (0)

Thursday – “Comic Day;” back in 1982 or ’83 I was desperate to get my paws on it to read about ‘Lloydy’ winning the “25.”

I’d bought a Telegraph on Monday morning, so I knew the first six, but that was all. There was no VeloVeritas, back then.

I can still remember my impassioned plea to the newsagent when he told me it wasn’t in; “but you don’t realise how important this is, I need to see that magazine!”

Beaten by a Late Goal (1)

I was at the football last night, I took my son to see Dunfermline v. Queen of the South.

At half time, the old guy next to us said of a one-nil down Dunfermline; “difficult to see where the goals are going to come from.”

Very astute, sir.

Joe Parkin – Still Racing, But Just For Fun! (0)

“A Dog in a Hat,” has to be one of the best books about pro cycling ever written.

Author Joe Parkin took some time to talk to VeloVeritas about life, bike racing, his next book-yes, and Lance!