Shijie Monday

Written by: Jason Yan
Date: Sun Jul 18 2010

Welcome to Shijie Monday, where you find your weekly cycling news around the globe...

Bike Pure Initiative

Bike Pure is encouraging cycle stores throughout the world to embrace the organization’s anti-doping principles by supporting their local riders or teams through the sale of the Bike Pure headset spacer, produced by Token Products. Cycle stores can obtain the headset spacers free of charge (all Bike Pure asks is that shipping costs are covered) and sell them in their store. Money raised will be used to support the store’s nominated local rider or team. These riders and teams would also become role models for Bike Pure, committed to our core values of honesty and integrity.

The 'Support a Future Champion scheme' builds a relationship between cycle stores and emerging local champions, encouraging the cycling communities to support their local independent cycle stores to build grassroots support for ethical cycling. Participating cyclist(s) cannot self nominate and participation should be agreed between the cycle store and a local cycling club/coach. The individual will be deserving and uphold Bike Pure's philosophy of honour and sportsmanship.

Tour de France Updates - Hugs And Kisses?

Mmm! Maybe it’s easier to be effulgent about an adversary when he is down and possibly out? On Mondays rest day Alberto was overjoyed by the Spanish football team winning the World Cup and was photographed wearing the national team’s jersey. He remarked that his pollen allergy wasn’t a big problem and shouldn’t bother him in the Pyrenees. On the subject of his ex-teammate; Lance Armstrong he had this to say: “Nobody has ever seen him like this in the past. I've watched the stage on TV last night and I've thought about the career he accomplished. I still admire him. I admire him maybe even more now than before." So, not quite a love letter, but maybe a start?

Cadel Evans finishes Stage 9 with a broken elbow, Photo @Velonews

Evans The Elbow!

Cadel Evans; World Champ and wearer of the Yellow jersey after stage 8 and over the rest day was looking good until...disaster struck on stage 9. Cadel had been riding with a broken elbow that he had sustained early on in stage 8 and was suffering for it, especially on the Col de la Madeleine. The sight of him in tears with team mates and management told the story of disappointment. The brave Aussie will battle on and said it was a good sign that he was able to finish stage 10 to Gap.

But he said that scans to check whether any bones have been displaced in his elbow could decide whether he continues the race.

Tour Non-Starters

Spanish based Russian; Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) has been riding with a fractured bone in his hand since he crashed on stage 2 to Spa. He couldn’t hold the handlebars and with more mountains to come he had to give up. He thinks he should be OK for the Vuelta.

Simon Gerrans (Sky) had also been riding with a fracture since stage two, an X-ray has shown that he has a broken arm and has had to call it a day. His Twitter was quite philosophical: “What's harder than racing an Alpine stage of the TdF? Racing an Alpine stage of the TdF with a broken arm."

Broken, But Not Out!

Well, there a quite a few in this department, but the newest is Garmins Robbie Hunter with a broken arm. After the stage he went to hospital for an X-ray to discover the break. His arm didn’t affect his use of Twitter as he explained: “So got a small fracture on the head of the radial bone up in the elbow area. rays can't show any muscle damage so I'm gonna start tomorrow.” He has also riled some people with another comment “waiting for xrays to be done. couple pretty nurses... but I got the ugly duckling to help.#not my day!”

He and Charles Wegelius didn't start stage 11.

Headbutt, Out!

Australian Mark Renshaw has been thrown out of the Tour de France for trying to headbutt rival Julian Dean during a bunch sprint finish to the end of the 11th stage, race officials said.

Renshaw, the lead-out man for stage winner Mark Cavendish, was shown by television pictures trying to headbutt the Garmin-Transitions rider from New Zealand three times in the final 400 meters of the home straight.

How Is Tom Boonen?

Not too good! As consequence from his recent crash in the Tour de Suisse, Tom Boonen underwent an operation to his left knee for a lesion in a pre-patellar band. The operation was performed on Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. at the Herentals clinic by Doctor Claes’ medical staff.

Health Tip
What are the signs of potentially fatal heat stroke? ycling physician Gabe Mirkin (who lives in steamy Florida) gives the following advice: "Heat stroke, when the body temperature rises so high that it 'cooks' the brain, is the most common cause of death during hot weather sports events. As your temperature starts to rise, your muscles burn and feel like a hot poker is pressed against them. Next you become short of breath and the air you breathe feels like it is coming from a hot furnace. Stop exercising and cool off because if your temperature rises further, you will develop brain symptoms such as dizziness, headache, blurred vision or ringing in your ears. If you press on, you can pass out and die. The ideal treatment for a person who collapses from heat stroke is immediate immersion in cold water." Read our article on Hydration so you don't die . . .

Tech
Campagnolo has lightened and otherwise improved its down-line Centaur and Veloce component groups for 2011. They're still 10-speed but share more of the performance and ergonomics of Campy's top-line 11-speed Super Record group.

Product recall: All 2010 Redline Conquest Cyclocross bicycles and framesets. The fork legs can separate from the crown and cause the rider to lose control. The bikes and frames are painted yellow and black and made of aluminum with an aluminum fork. About 330 were made in Taiwan and sold in U.S. bike shops from July 2009 through May 2010 for about $1,400 (bicycle) and $400 (frameset). Owners should stop riding the recalled bikes and frames and contact a Redline dealer for a free fork replacement. See photo and info at redlinebicycles.com.

Quotes of the Week

Lance Armstrong admits that he is out for this year's Tour de France, Photo @Velonews

"Obviously the Tour's finished for me, but I can try and win stages, try and help the team, really try and appreciate my time here, and the fact that I'm not coming back" -- Lance Armstrong after being involved in 3 crashes, bonking and losing almost 12 minutes on Sunday in the first mountain stage.

"I wouldn't feel at ease at the start line tomorrow if I'd not had a massage, had a few beers and then had to take on some mountains." -- Johan Van Summeren of Garmin-Transitions on the threshold of the Alps.

"We have to say we were disappointed at having to spend so much money pursuing Mr. Landis, but you can't say that's something which should stop you from listening to him." -- David Howman, director of the World Anti-Doping Agency, confirming that the investigations of Floyd's accusations of organized doping by several top pros and team officials has been broadened to include the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Subpoenas are being issued.

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