This will be for therapy as much as anything else to cope with last night's rain out of the crit series.  Keep a close eye on the official crit series page for timely updates on any changes.

Climbs and descents are marked on Cadel's top tube
Ignorance is not bliss when climbing at the Giro.  Here's one way for you remember where the climbs are and what the landscape is like afterwards.  If you race long enough in this region then you become intimately familiar with all the race courses.  However, if a course map is provided on a race you've never done then you definitely want to study where the difficult sections are located. 

2010 Paris-Roubaix Espoirs results
Considering Taylor Phinney's success over the last two years and coming off another victory at P-R then it's only a matter of time before this happens.....

Phinney open to joining Armstrong
This kid appears to have a good head on his shoulders and obviously good at saying the right thing.  We all must remember he's still just a kid and will likely make a few mistakes, as kids do, but it is exciting to see his maturity level is as high as his cycling talent.  If I'm not mistaken our very own diarist Nathan Brown, a teammate of Phinney on Trek-LIVESTRONG, was also a starter in the P-R race Phinney won for the second time.

This opportunity is a similar process we all go through in cycling, which is deciding when it's time to upgrade to the next level.  I strongly believe it's better to gain as much experience as possible in the level you're at before upgrading.  Victories are a great indicator of future adaptabilities to the next level, but it's important to gain experience in as many different scenarios as possible to prepare yourself for what will surely be a difficult transition.  Each time we move to the next level there's usually an adjustment period; results are harder to come by, the durations and distances are longer, the speed is higher, attacks are more fierce, and the mental approach to handle it all requires greater toughness. 

If you upgrade too soon it can be exciting to rub elbows with such talented racers, but it can be overwhelming to the point where your development is hindered.  Phinney is young enough to where he can be patient and make the leap only when he's ready to physically and mentally handle the jump.  Anyone with talent can usually handle one race or one opportunity, but it's the ability to repeat that over and over that separates the men from the boys.

Ride of Silence Nashville - Channel 4 video
In case you missed out on joining us for this year's ride you can see the local news coverage provided by WSMV.  This was the second year in a row they have reported about the Ride of Silence, which cannot be said of any other news organization in Nashville.  Thank you WSMV!

Digging deep at collegiate nationals
Read this if you want to get an idea of what it's like to be a collegiate cyclist and what they go through at the national championship.  I was there of course with my Cumberland University cycling team and can attest to this kind of story many times over.  Most, if not all, of the kids are early in their development as young adults and lack life experience that prepares them for such a big event.  Many of the stories are similar to this one, and it's after getting through it they become stronger and more confident in all areas of life.  The program Missy races for is one of the best in the country, Fort Lewis College; so if she's thinking this then just imagine what others are thinking at less developed programs.  I got to spend a great deal of time with Matt Shriver, the coach of Missy's Fort Lewis team, while we were at nationals.  Yep, he's the same guy who finished 3rd at the Leadville 100 last year behind winner Lance Armstrong and Dave Wiens in 2nd.  Not to mention he also got a lot of camera time in the successful race movie "Race Across the Sky."

Lees-McWho? Small schools rule college cycling
The Associated Press was in Madison, WI while we were there and put together this article about small schools in collegiate cycling.  You will want to remember the name Carla Swart for the future too.  She's the most successful female collegiate cyclist in all disciplines, and I'm sure has had to build an extra closet just to store the countless national championship jerseys she has won (which is around 20!)

Bulldogs sign four riders, add track and cyclocross to program
I am determined to round out our program at Cumberland by competing in all four disciplines within collegiate cycling.  Thus far we have only competed in mountain biking and road racing.  This is a big step for our program, which allows us to recruit cyclists who are multi-disciplined as well as help us to slide higher in the annual team rankings.  Our goal is to compete in all four national championships to earn team points for the rankings, gain more visibility because of it, and thereby attract more high quality student-athletes desiring the collegiate cycling experience. 

Cumberland University Adds Cyclocross and Track Teams
We received some publicity for CU Cycling in Cyclocross Magazine because of the program changes.  It's exciting for us to get this kind of recognition!

Catchers just don't miss a beat
I have referred to my former life in baseball quite a bit on this site without a whole lot of explanation.  However, this article by Tim Kurkjian of ESPN explains the position quite well and brought a big smile to my face for the spot on recognition he gives it.  The only other thing I have ever come across to resemble the life is the movie Bull Durham with Kevin Costner; yes, it's a pretty accurate portrayal of the life in the minor leagues.  The sub-title of the article is highly appropriate, especially the pain part. 

I especially love this quote, "He just wants to play. He just wants to win. That's it."  This sums me up in a lot of ways.

Bradley Wiggins was stopped for a pre-race interview
Well yeah, of course he's gonna stop and talk!

Sports Fan's Dilemma: Trusting An Athlete Today
Frank Deford sums it all up well for his weekly opinion on NPR, but we still must go with the truth as we know it today until news and proof proves otherwise.  You'd enjoy listening to the audio version more to gauge the voice inflections as Deford shares not just his thoughts but his emotions as well.

Pretty Boy Floyd
This is an opinion of Floyd Landis by professional cyclist Adam Myerson of Team Mountain Khakis.  It is well worth reading and should give you an idea of what is likely on the mind of other professionals in his position.  Plus, read the comments and Adam's responses to a few of them. 

I have talked to enough personal friends within the domestic professional cycling scene to know there are many of them who are quite skeptical of their fellow competitors.  Often times their skepticism isn't unfounded, but rather is grounded in knowledge of some truths they've been made aware of through their colleagues.  Nobody really wants to be a whistle blower and bring down the house.  Change must start and come from within the rank and file, or it'll take a generation of athletes for attitudes and outcomes to change for the good.

Anthony Galea thickens the steroids plot
This could become the next big PED scandal.  More progress can be gained by authorities and governing bodies if more energy is invested into going after the pushers.  If you think the sport of cycling is fearful of the sponsorship repercussions you can multiply that by tenfold for someone like Tiger Woods and the NFL.  The smoke is seen through the athletes and the fires are found in doctors.