Luckily for IMBA’s trail-building and advocacy efforts, the fundraiser did not rely on the accuracy of its contestants. For example, VeloNews advertising executive Nathan Forbes missed the target three consecutive times. Eyes on the target, Nathan.
From Banshee Bikes and Bell Sports to WTB and Xtracycle, more than 120 companies exhibited their wares at Outdoor Demo in the two days preceding Interbike. In the desert heat of Boulder City, just east of Las Vegas, thousands of bike shop owners and their crews wandered from pop-tent to pop-tent, scoping out the latest and greatest to take out for test rides on the singletrack and roads. Most of the bikes and gear on display fell within the standard confines of road and mountain. But, being a bike show, there is always some tomfoolery afoot, and the odd vendor hawking a unique product.
The UCI's world time trial and road championships are slated to begin on Wednesday in Mendrisio, Switzerland, but riders from all over are already plying the roads in preparation.
Photographer Casey Gibson spent Tuesday on the time trial course as riders tested their legs and adjusted their bikes for two days of racing against the clock.
Elite women and U23 men will race Wednesday, with the elite men taking center stage on Thursday.
Road racing begins Saturday with the elite women and U23s, and the elite men’s road race wrapping up events on Sunday.
When American Tejay Van Garderen rolls out of the start house at the under-23 world time trial championship on Wednesday in Mendrisio, Switzerland, he’ll do so as a medal favorite. The Colorado native, who spent 2008 and 2009 riding with the Rabobank Continental Professional team and will join Columbia-HTC next year, is fresh off a second-place overall finish at the Tour de l’Avenir (the “tour of the future”), the under-23 stage race run by Tour de France organizers ASO and viewed by many as a precursor to future grand tour contenders.
Alejandro Valverde faces an uncertain future following his breakthrough win at the Vuelta a España on Sunday in Madrid. Known as El Imbatido (the unbeaten one) since his amateur days, Valverde finally won a grand tour after finishing second, third, fourth and fifth in the Vuelta. But the victory that should lead the way to more success could simply be an empty triumph ahead of what is anything but clear sailing for the 29-year-old Spanish rider.
A Body Paint leg’s edge is no ravel-prone cut edge; it’s the fabric bolt edge, with 50mm of 43% elastic for grip.
The Hive offers two different leverage-gain links, one of 1.3 (shown) another of 1.4 for Dura-Ace levers.
Edge will lace its 45mm Clincher rim to DT Swiss 240S or 190S (ceramic bearing) hubs with DT Aerolite spokes.
Castelli’s Body Paint engineered-knit single-panel bib shorts have almost no seams.
I was amazed to see the expansion of Las Vegas’s bike trail system; you can rely on bike paths most of the 40km from The Strip to Boulder City, the site of Interbike’s pre-show Outdoor Demo. The trail is longer than that, even, meandering down to Lake Mead, much of it in drainage sluices for a skate-park-like ride. It then continues unabated along the lake in a giant complete loop back on itself to eastern Las Vegas. Amazingly progressive, it is an enormous investment in bicycle infrastructure.
Patrick Lefevere, the general manager of QuickStep, said Tuesday he is in "constant contact" with Alberto Contador, discussing the possibility that the Tour de France winner might ride for the team in 2010. "For now we are waiting,” Lefevere told the Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen. “We really have to see if the Union Cycliste Internationale takes any action on the ProTour license of the Astana team. If the team’s license is revoked, there is a good possibility that we can recruit Contador."
Without further ado, here's some nuts and bolts — and the fun stuff — from day-one of Interbike's Outdoor Demo in Bootleg Canyon outside Las Vegas..
Rabobank ProTour team member Bram de Groot will compete at this week's CrossVegas cyclocross race in Las Vegas, the event organizers announced. The race organizers say the Dutch rider’s appearance will mark the first ever by a Rabobank rider in a U.S cyclocross event. de Groot also will attend the Interbike Outdoor Demo on Tuesday to visit with Giant bicycle dealers. Giant sponsors Rabobank. The 35-year-old de Groot has been a member of the Rabobank team since turning pro in 1999.
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of the Mud and Cowbells Road Diary. Part one found the author in Durango for the Singlespeed World Championships, where he witnessed the winners drinking the night before, then getting tattooed after the race.