Thrilled to bits about Steve Cummings win in the Vuelta today. Just the kind of stage win he deserved, over the line alone having done his share in a super strong breakaway. Great that he was able to take his chance to grab something for himself.
Flip was seeing Jody Cundy miss out on a gold in the paralympics after not being awarded a restart. If ever there was a nailed on favourite. Team GB is certainly paying in karma of that mens team sprint win!
Friday 31 August 2012
Thursday 30 August 2012
Left of the Dial
Off to meet Croydon Radio on Saturday. Really looking forward to seeing what they get up to. They seem to have a good link up going with Croydon Waterstones and getting writers in. I heard about them through twitter. It is funny how the two oldest forms om mass communication Radio and Book seem to be adapting so well to the digital age through podcasts and Kindle.
Not so much vroom form Froome
Feeling pretty glum that the Vuelta looks like it is slipping away from Chris Froome. Maybe, hopefully I will be proved wrong. I so hoped his reward would come in Spain. In truth he would have gone into the Tour with his best form and he was flying then, so understandable that by the end of August he is not quite where he would want to be.
Setting aside my disappointment about Chris, it has been the most exciting Vuelta I can remember. Great route so far and the top four have made it a real battle. Maybe we should have time bonuses back in the Tour de France. Seems to be making for really aggressive racing.
Setting aside my disappointment about Chris, it has been the most exciting Vuelta I can remember. Great route so far and the top four have made it a real battle. Maybe we should have time bonuses back in the Tour de France. Seems to be making for really aggressive racing.
Saturday 25 August 2012
Jamilia
Pushed by the Croydon Waterstones book group I have just finished Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov. Set out on the Steppe during the second world war, it is a beautiful poetic love story. What is striking is what it does not talk about.
I believe it was originally published in the mid 50's. If a modern western writer was writing this story it would be difficult not to write about Communism, the collective farms, Stalin. Of course a writer in the CCCP at the time could not do this and hope to get published (or live?!). So the story has a fascinatingly different texture. In a wonderfully economic style Aitmatov maps the power structures in village and family life, how it tries to cope with the young me away at the war.
I feel I have been taken to a world a millions miles from my own, but one where all the normal human rules apply.
I believe it was originally published in the mid 50's. If a modern western writer was writing this story it would be difficult not to write about Communism, the collective farms, Stalin. Of course a writer in the CCCP at the time could not do this and hope to get published (or live?!). So the story has a fascinatingly different texture. In a wonderfully economic style Aitmatov maps the power structures in village and family life, how it tries to cope with the young me away at the war.
I feel I have been taken to a world a millions miles from my own, but one where all the normal human rules apply.
Time Trialling - Stuck in the slow lane
We are in a golden age of cycling in Britain. There has been a recession beating growth in bicycles sales. British Athletes dominated the velodrome since 2008 and now we can boast, the current Mens World Road Race champion, Tour De France Winner, a silver in the Women's Olympic road race, and the gold in the mens time trial.
On the back of this time trialling is thriving, with events full, and new one springing up all the time. New faces are getting their first taste of racing every week. Apart from they arn't and time trialing isn't.
A couple of weeks ago, in the glow of Wiggins Olympic triumph the KCA 50 had fewer than 50 starters on a nice warm if slightly breezy morning. Last week on a decent course less that 40 riders contested the Old Ports 25 on what was a float morning. This weekend the Sussex CA 25 has fewer entries than last year.
This defies logic. What is preventing this branch of our sport taking flight?
On the back of this time trialling is thriving, with events full, and new one springing up all the time. New faces are getting their first taste of racing every week. Apart from they arn't and time trialing isn't.
A couple of weeks ago, in the glow of Wiggins Olympic triumph the KCA 50 had fewer than 50 starters on a nice warm if slightly breezy morning. Last week on a decent course less that 40 riders contested the Old Ports 25 on what was a float morning. This weekend the Sussex CA 25 has fewer entries than last year.
This defies logic. What is preventing this branch of our sport taking flight?
Friday 24 August 2012
The Lance Goodbye
It is an outcome that gives nobody what they really want, so it is probably a fair compromise. Lance gives up official claim to all his titles and is banned for life from a sport he has already retired from twice. In exchange he cannot be forced to ever talk about or answer any allegations of doping again.
My view is that on the balance of probablity he was using EPO throughout his tour winning years. But my view is worth no more than the next cycling fan along.
But even if this is true he is still a remarkable man and a remarkable athlete. Plenty of celebrities pay lip service to charity work. Armstrong's relentless use of his experience of cancer and his fame to spearhead work that will help many others sets him apart. He is clearly a driven, hard, difficult man. A man for whom winning is not simply an ambition.
Does that make doping ok? No but.....
Lance did not invent EPO, it was in wide spread use well before his post cancer prime. US Postal did not pioneer systematic doping as a team, Festina were ahead of curve on that one. He was not the first 'Patron' to bully the hell out of the peleton, step forward Jacques Anquetil. And he did not get to choose his era. Who should those seven vacant Tour De France titles go to? Ullrich? Basso? Pantani?
As Roger Hammond said reflecting on his own career 'I wish I had been starting out a few years later.'
One has to accept that in certain era's certain things were done. Should we seriously consider stripping Coppi, Anquetil and Merckx of the titles won using amphetamines? Should we draw a line under the years 1996 to 2005? If we have turned a page them maybe we should.
Lots of writers are talking of a page being turned. There is evidence that this is true. Sastre, Evans and Wiggins are generally considered to have won clean. We should not let our optimism run away with itself. This is good evidence that the old ways linger, Contador returning from his 2 year ban, Frank Schleck staring down that barrel of one.
Where next? At this years Tour De France there were flickers of the next generation of grand tour champions. It is in their hands.
My view is that on the balance of probablity he was using EPO throughout his tour winning years. But my view is worth no more than the next cycling fan along.
But even if this is true he is still a remarkable man and a remarkable athlete. Plenty of celebrities pay lip service to charity work. Armstrong's relentless use of his experience of cancer and his fame to spearhead work that will help many others sets him apart. He is clearly a driven, hard, difficult man. A man for whom winning is not simply an ambition.
Does that make doping ok? No but.....
Lance did not invent EPO, it was in wide spread use well before his post cancer prime. US Postal did not pioneer systematic doping as a team, Festina were ahead of curve on that one. He was not the first 'Patron' to bully the hell out of the peleton, step forward Jacques Anquetil. And he did not get to choose his era. Who should those seven vacant Tour De France titles go to? Ullrich? Basso? Pantani?
As Roger Hammond said reflecting on his own career 'I wish I had been starting out a few years later.'
One has to accept that in certain era's certain things were done. Should we seriously consider stripping Coppi, Anquetil and Merckx of the titles won using amphetamines? Should we draw a line under the years 1996 to 2005? If we have turned a page them maybe we should.
Lots of writers are talking of a page being turned. There is evidence that this is true. Sastre, Evans and Wiggins are generally considered to have won clean. We should not let our optimism run away with itself. This is good evidence that the old ways linger, Contador returning from his 2 year ban, Frank Schleck staring down that barrel of one.
Where next? At this years Tour De France there were flickers of the next generation of grand tour champions. It is in their hands.
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