Saturday, November 22, 2008

Off Season




Looks like the outdoor cycling season could be done, Hard core folks will still perservere!
For those looking to continue with some activity.
Running, Spinning, Cross training.
Feel free to post some of your thoughts or exercise schedules.
Others may be interested to join you.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get your vote in for 2008 OSB member of the year. Deadline is today.

Anonymous said...

Apparently, cabbies in TO do not like cyclists either...

Cyclist loses leg in alleged road rage attack

By Rosee Woodland, BikeRadar.com

A cyclist in Toronto has had to have his leg amputated after a row with a cab driver allegedly turned nasty. Police yesterday said the cyclist lost his leg after a cab reversed and pinned him to a utility pole.

It's understood people heard arguing before the sound of a loud collision and then someone screaming for help as a vehicle sped off. Police who rushed to the scene at 2:30am found the man lying in a pool of blood, with his right leg barely attached. His $5,000 cycle was lying nearby in pieces.

The 36-year-old later had to have the leg amputated at a city hospital.

Toronto police Detective Constable Paul Strangways told local paper The Star the cyclist had "a very long road to recovery." Strangways said. "He's still getting treatment for a fractured pelvis and eventually will have to learn to deal with a prosthetic."

The original call to police was followed three hours later by a call from a cab driver who said a cyclist had attempted to rob him at the scene.

However, after questioning the man for more than three hours, officers have since told local reporters that no robbery took place. They linked a Beck taxi with damage to its rear trunk, bumper and tail light to the crash.

Police said in a news release that Sultan Ahmed, 38, of Maple has been charged with:

Criminal negligence causing bodily harm
Dangerous operation causing bodily harm
Fail to stop at scene of accident bodily harm
Obstruct peace officer
Aggravated assault
Assault with weapon

It is understood the alleged weapon described in the charge sheet is Ahmed's taxi.

Sergeant Tim Burrows told the Ottawa Citizen that Toronto police have charged motorists with using a vehicle as a weapon on previous occasions. "Common? Yes and no," he said. "We had a very similar case in 1995. It's not unheard of."

The incident happened on November 14, but because the cyclist had to undergo three operations and was heavily sedated, it was some time before police could get a clear picture of what happened.

Ahmed was due to appear in court today.

Anonymous said...

(GOP) Garage of Pain will commence on Tuesday Dec. 2nd. 6pm at Turbo-ville. I have been in contact with some of you and will set-up an email list. If interested please blog or send me a note rudi3@rogers.com and i'll add you to the list.

Last day in river today.

Anonymous said...

Oh how I've missed Troy... I guess I'd better start training. I can't be caught wussing out on those squats again.

Anonymous said...

Things that make you go Mmmm….
Was at a work luncheon banquet today and met up with a person from Presque Isle Maine, and he told me the Biathlion center in Fort Kent is open with 6" of natural snow.
Wax em is ya got em.

Anonymous said...

See you on Tuesday...at 5:30?

Anonymous said...

First GOP of season Tuesday Dec 2nd. Video starts at 5:50. Bring your own towel.
Troy is in da House!!!

Anonymous said...

Get the shop vac ready!

Anonymous said...

AUSTIN, Texas - Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France, marking the first time he will compete in that race and the Giro d'Italia in the same year.

"I'm committed to riding for the best guy," Armstrong said Monday, acknowledging the taxing schedule could leave him riding in a supporting role in France.

The Giro runs May 9-31, and the Tour begins July 4.

With such a quick turnaround between two gruelling races, the seven-time Tour champion acknowledged his body might not perform at the same level it did when he won his last Tour in 2005.

"If you've been away for three or four years, it would be silly for anybody to think I could pick up where I left off," Armstrong told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Tenerife in the Canary Islands where Astana is training. "I can tell you I feel better than ever, I feel stronger than ever on Dec. 1. How that translates to racing, we'll have to see. Mentally, in terms of motivation, this feels like 1998-1999 to me."

Armstrong's decision to ride gives the powerhouse Astana team a superstar lineup in France, including 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador. He missed last year's race because Astana was barred from riding for previous doping violations. Also riding with Astana is Germany's Andreas Kloeden, American veteran Levi Leipheimer and top support rider Yaroslav Popovych. Astana is considered by far the strongest multi-stage team.

"We'll abide by the same code that I do: cycling is team sport, while we'd all like to win," he said.

The 37-year-old stunned the cycling world in September, when he announced he was ending his three-year retirement. He said then his goal was to race in the Tour but stopped short of a guarantee.

Reached by telephone, French anti-doping agency chief Pierre Bordry would not comment on Armstrong's decision but did say "he will be treated like everyone else" when it comes to drug testing.

Jonathan Vaughters, Armstrong's U.S. Postal teammate during the 1999 Tour win and now Garmin Chipotle's sporting director, said he was not surprised by the news.

"I never considered it a realistic possibility he wasn't going to do the Tour," Vaughters said by telephone. "It's the biggest race in the world. Why wouldn't he want to do that?"

In recent interviews, Armstrong revealed worries about his personal safety while riding in the open roads of France and through the throngs of fans that pack the route.

The Tour has its own police force to guard each stage and ensure safety, and French police paid particular attention to Armstrong's safety when he was riding. In recent years, organizers have taken additional steps to protect riders.

Armstrong dismissed any potential threats Monday: "It's not going to keep me from going and doing my job, and it's not going to keep me from spreading my message."

He has dedicated his comeback to raising awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and his global fight against cancer.

"I'm happy with the record (seven wins). I'm training hard and trying to be as competitive as possible," he said. "The main objective is the message of the foundation. That's the first priority and if we ride moderately well, it helps get the message out."

He's scheduled to return to elite racing Jan. 20 for the Tour Down Under in Australia. That's also when the drug-testing program he's arranging with Don Catlin, America's top anti-doping expert, will be in place.

But no race provides a stage similar to the Tour.

"The Tour is the biggest bike race in the world; we need it to tell this story on the biggest stage," Armstrong said. "There's a mutual respect there, it hasn't always been mutual love. We need them, they need us."
Your Call

Anonymous said...

Cross Training News Flash

This just in. As hard it is to believe, this reporter has it on good authority that Adam "No Doubt" Douthwright actually dropped Bubbles on an early morning run! That's right, he dropped her like a sack of potatoes, like a bad habit. Bubbles could not be reached for comment but has been heard making excuses like not having been to bed on time the night before.

Anonymous said...

Uh oh, she's going to make us pay now.

Good to be back at the GOP Tues night. Thanks for hosting Turbo, I enjoyed the pain very much. It was a nice break from the renos.

Anonymous said...

Yeah No doubt was telling me last night i was hesitant to beleive him but now that the roving reporter has confirmed it...
It a good thing bubbles doesn't read the blog, cause i'm sure she would have a rebuttle.
Great spin last night adam. Just what the legs needed.

Cookie said...

Give It Up

As we plunge into worldwide recession, odds are you're not getting that $5,000 carbon bike for Christmas.

Likewise, the cyclists on your list probably shouldn't expect much more than a 6-pack of energy gel or a re-gifted, neon-pink Scooby-Doo jersey.

But there's no reason to let foreclosure, job loss and economic meltdown spoil your holidays. (Can you tell I believed in Santa till I was 14?)

Here are some no-cost gift ideas for everyone in your life, including -- ahem -- yourself:

For your bike mechanic:
A signed and dated contract to always clean your bike before bringing it in for repairs, and to never mention how much less you could pay for something online.

For your long-suffering partner:
A certificate committing you to 10 -- okay, 5 -- cycling-free weekends per year, to include any or all of the following: chores; trips with said partner to the opera and/or NASCAR race; quality time with the rug-rats while partner pursues his/her own ridiculous obsession.

For your non-cycling friends:
A notarized pledge to never mention within their earshot: (a) how much your bike weighs and costs, (b) how hard you rode today and why your watts-to-kilogram ratio is so awesome, or (c) how you know for a fact that Lance will win this year's Tour, baby.

For your riding partners:
A blood oath stating that you will not attack right after someone completes a pull into a headwind. Further, that you will point out all road obstacles in a timely fashion. And further still that you will show up for 8 o'clock rides at 8 o'clock.

For you:
A rain check for a $5,000 carbon bike in Christmas 2009, because you are going to be really, really good all next year.

Anonymous said...

Hey cookie, Great entry
I suspect you pasted this from elsewhere. The scary part is how well it fits to most us in the fraternity.
One Mold, with two wheels!

Anonymous said...

Well, just returned from a course in Halifax and thought... I'll read the blog to see what my "friends" have been up to in my absence.

It is clear to see that in the midst of my coaching, supporting AND dealing with early morning whining (from both my running partners) about the pace, the length of the route, the number of hills and how someone is slowed down by his DOG no less, that one sudden, unexpected, and might I add UNUSUAL burst of energy has been misconstrued as athletic prowess!! Stay posted for how our runs go this week...

On a more supportive note, while running in Halifax, I ran into Heather Doucet. It was great to see her!! She is doing well, feeling well and loving Halifax.

Cookie said...

Bubbles: I..uhhh...don't think I can make it out running this week. I've got a...thing...I have to do.