The Vuelta begins today.

Be sure and watch the Vuelta unfold on one of these great sites:

Velo News

SteepHill

Cycling News

La Vuelta official site

The Schleck brothers, Denis Menchov, Tyler Farrar, David Millar, David Zabriske and Mark Cavendish will lead an all-star cast at the 2010 Vuelta a España, which clicks into gear August 28 in Sevilla.

Andy and Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank), Tour podium-man Menchov and sprinting ace Cavendish are among the confirmed headliners for the Vuelta, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer.

Javier Guillén, director general of the Vuelta, said the 2010 edition will have a “magnificent level of participation.”

“We doubt Contador will come. He’s just finished the Tour, which was very hard for him,” Guillén said. “History has shown us that it’s difficult for the Tour winner to come to the Vuelta, even though Carlos Sastre did it (in 2008), something that we’re still grateful for.”

Other big names expected to start include Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Filippo Pozzato (Katusha).

I know, I know. Le Tour just finished. But I am already excited for this year’s Vuelta. It starts Sunday, August 28. The Schleck brothers, Denis Menchov and Mark Cavendish will lead an all-star cast. Still hoping Contador joins them at the start line.

In 2010, the Vuelta a España will be celebrating its 75h Anniversary.

Over these past 75 years, the world and cycling have changed a great deal. That first edition held 75 years ago had 14 stages, almost all of which were over 250 kms long. What is to be the 75th “Platinum” edition will have 21 stages averaging 170 kms. A considerable difference aimed at being a spectacular event with shorter stages and fast-paced dashes to the finish line.

And the show will be getting off to a start in Seville, against the backdrop of the La Maestranza Bullring. On August 28th, a Vuelta as none ever before will be getting under way. A night-time team time trial through Seville’s most emblematic areas will be welcoming racers, sponsors, technical personnel and numerous spectators gathering to once again follow this excitingly vibrant events of three-week Spanish race.

Six summit finishes, two of which are newcomers to La Vuelta, will be crowding fans along the shoulders of the roads to greet the passing peloton. Xorret del Catí, where Alejandro Valverde earned himself the yellow jersey last year, Andorra’s Pal Pass, Peña Cabarga, which will be on the course for the second time, and Lagos de Covadonga will all be providing the enjoyment of great finishes just as in the past. The new finishing points in Cotobello in Asturias and the “Bola del Mundo” in Madrid, will be joining in with these icons to make the history of La Vuelta a España even greater yet.

Other heart-stopping finishes will be at the finish in Malaga with its Gibralfaro Castle, in Murcia with the Cresta del Gallo a few short kilometers from the finish line, Vilanova i la Geltrú in Catalunya with the new Rat Penat climb. All of these finishes, in conjunction with the 46-kilometer time trial in the homeland of the Ribera del Duero wineries will be shaping a Vuelta which – if last year’s edition amazed us – promises not to leave anyone indifferent.

* 11 flat stages
* 8 mountain stages
* 1 team time-trial stage
* 1 individual time-trial stage
* 6 summit finishes
* 2 rest days
* 14 km. team time-trial
* 46 km. individual time-trial stage

Follow the Vuelta here.

This might just be my new dream bike. I call it the, “DreamBikeCondoSaver.”

I figure with the camper bike, I wont have to pay rent. I can live where I want every night and now I have to go to the gym to shower so my core workouts will have to happen daily. Watch it Cavendish I might produce 2,000,000 watts in a sprint after a year of pedaling this thing.

If someone makes a 29er or Cyclocross version, I am definitely sold. This way I can take my portoplace down any road.

To see all the photos go: http://www.kevincyr.net/index.php?/project/camper-bike/

-DSheek
Money Saving 2010

I have been peeping new gear for 2010 from the Eurobike trade show on sites like BikeRumor. And I found the perfect road bike bar and stem combo for you sprinting freaks like my good buddy Andy Brazelton.

So one understands the humor in this let me make a long story short…
I visited Andy in Colorado (CO) last month. We were on a 4.5 hour ride, tired, and pedaling into a head wind back into Boulder, CO to finish our ride. All I could think about was how tired I was, eating real food, and having a soda. We were finally into the flat lands, close to downtown, when Andy decides to shout out, “Cavendish!” and he threw down a full blown sprint flying past me.

But, I forgot to mention the reason this sprint was so awesome. It is not Andy’s love of the greatest sprinter in the world or the fact that we were so tired that his effort could have been funny. It was the fact that we were on a busy road with two college girls sitting in the grass to our right and a group of gardener’s working, one with a leaf blower which turned off from Andy’s shouting. Everyone, probably even people in cars, turned or stopped what they were doing to look at the freak who was screaming as he sprinted down the street.

I hope this translates well because I still laugh a few times a week thinking of the fear in everyone’s faces as Andy threw down a sprint like the god of thunder.

To see more pics from Eurobike go to: Bike Rumor

-DSheek
Next time you are on a ride surprise someone with your “Cavendish!”

Tour of Ireland
August 21 -23, 2009
www.tourofireland.ie

112 top cyclists from all over the globe are heading to Ireland to contest the third edition of the Tour of Ireland professional cycle race,
21st to 23rd August takes place over three gruelling days, covering 576km of challenging roads with breathtaking scenery.

The race line up features the two biggest names in World cycling. Seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (Astana) arrives in Ireland in his comeback year fresh from this year’s French Tour where the former cancer sufferer showed that he can still battle with the best. Ten times Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia-HTC) is the young protagonist looking to add to his stage race victories.

The entire race will be broadcast on Versus. More info the Versus TV schedule: www.versus.com/nw/article/view/81678/?tf=tdf_article.tpl

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Below are the named rosters of a few of the top teams in 2009 Tour de France which begins on July 4 in Monaco.

Astana, (Kz)
* Alberto Contador Velasco, (Sp)
* Levi Leipheimer, (USA)
* Miguel Moreira Paulinho Sergio, (P)
* Gregory Rast, (Swi)
* Haimar Zubeldia Agirre, (Sp)
* Yaroslav Popovych, (Ukr)
* Dmitriy Muravyev, (Kz)
* Andreas Klöden, (G)
* Lance Armstrong, (USA)

Columbia-Highroad, (USA)
* Mark Cavendish, (GB)
* George Hincapie, (USA)
* Tony Martin, (G)
* Mark Renshaw, (Aus)
* Michael Rogers, (Aus)
* Maxime Monfort, (I)
* Kim Kirchen, (Lux)
* Bernhard Eisel, (A)
* Marcus Burghardt, (G)

Garmin-Slipstream, (USA)
* Tyler Farrar, (USA)
* Daniel Martin, (IRL)
* Danny Pate, (USA)
* Bradley Wiggins, (GB)
* David Zabriskie, (USA)
* Christian Vande Velde, (USA)
* David Millar, (GB)
* Ryder Hesjedal, (Can)
* Julian Dean, (NZ)

Saxo Bank, (Dk)
* Fabian Cancellara, (Swi)
* Stuart O’Grady, (Aus)
* Frank Schleck, (Lux)
* Nicki Sørensen, (Dk)
* Jens Voigt, (G)
* Chris Sørensen, (Dk)
* Andy Schleck, (Lux)
* Erik Larsson Gustav, (S)
* Kurt-Asle Arvesen, (N)

Silence-Lotto, (B)
* Cadel Evans, (Aus)
* Greg Van Avermaet, (B)
* Charles Wegelius, (GB)
* Johan Van Summeren, (B)
* Sebastian Lang, (G)
* Thomas Dekker, (Nl)

A few months ago it became clear that we would be near the tour during our trip to Europe. We are back now and here is what it was like to see the end of stage 8 of the Tour de France 2008, in the pouring rain. First off, on July 11, the night before we wisely figured out that it would be hard to get a taxi from where we were staying in Cassis, France to its train station a short 5 km away. At 5 in the morning – no one in France is awake.

Now it was only 5 km from our hotel but it was all uphill and with our bags – walking was not going to happen. So we found a cab driver the night before and he gave us number for a cab driver for the next morning. When we rang him in the morning – he was a bit surprised, we understood that even with the language difference. But considering that it was free to get into town from the train station and he charged us 15 euros – well, he won. So we arrive at the train station in Cassis at 6 AM, wait 20 minutes, train for 30 minutes to Marseille, wait two hours, train for four hours to Toulouse. We arrive after 1 PM and it’s pouring. Luckily the hotel was across the street.
We quickly change into our warmest clothes and walk the 9 blocks to where the stage is going to end. We are getting near soaked and it is 2:45 PM. I grab my wife a Tour poncho and we wait – for the Grand Caravan (the sponsors cars and parade).

It is raining so hard the cars race by with little fanfare and few freebies.

We push ourselves as close as we can get. The north side of the street is fenced off. VIP this, VIP that. On the south side of the street you can get right up on the gate, but once you get to the finish line, you are stopped by a grand stand for sponsors. The below picture shows a VIP area across from where we stood.

At 5:05 the race came by at full speed. We were about 60 yards from the finish so they came by so fast that one picture was all I got.

It was awesome. The last rider crossed over at 5:29 and we shuffled over to the stage where they present the jerseys. Congrats to Mark Cavendish.

We had been traveling and in the rain all day and were toast but luckily we got an amazing meal at Restaurant L’Entrec�te, Toulouse which is a steak house. It was filled with locals – always a good sign.

Matt Smart
outsideallday contributor

In case your out of the loop VeloNews.com has a page dedicated to each of the stages along with the overall results.

To view the page go to:
http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/tour/standings

Stage 14 highlight video:

Lastly, Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia is most likely not going to continue racing and will abandon after stage 14. Click here to read more.

To date, I’ve watched over 40 hours of the Tour. Pathetic or awesome, you decide. I vote for awesome, Julie votes for the other.

Andy B
outsideallday.com