The FredCast Cycling Podcast - Bicycle Podcast for Endurance and Recreational Cyclists

In a brilliant display of strategy and tactics, George Hincapie (USA) took over the lead of the Tour de France today, even though today’s 184.5km Stage 1 was won by Jimmy Caspar (FRA) of the Cofidis team.

Although Hincapie said that the day’s strategy did not include going after intermediate sprints (and therefore time bonuses), he saw an opportunity in the final sprint (just 9 km from the finish) and went for it. In doing so, the time bonus he earned was enough to put him in the yellow jersey at the end of the day.

The stage victory went to Jimmy Caspar who won the final sprint over better-known sprinters like Tom Boonen (who wasn’t even in the top 10 finishers today), to just beat out famous sprinters Robbie McEwen (AUS) and Erik Zabel (DE).

The man who started the day in yellow, Thor Hushovd (NOR), got a bit too close to the fans in the last 50 meters or so of the race. He was cut on his right arm by one of the promotional give-aways and had to be taken away in an ambulance. Nevertheless, he will race again on Monday.

So at the end of today’s stage, here is how the General Classification stacks up:

1. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery 04h:18′
2. Thor Hushovd (NOR) Credit Agricole +:02″
3. David Zabriskie (USA) CSC +06″
4. Sebastian Lang (DE) Gerolsteiner +06″
5. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse D’Epargne-Illes Balears +06″
6. Stuart O’Grady (AUS) CSC +06″
7. Michael Rogers (AUS) T-Mobile +08″
8. Paolo Savoldelli (ITA) Discovery +10″
9. Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak +11″
10. Benoit Vaugrenard (FRA) Francaise de Jeux +11″

The world of cycling did not end yesterday with the announcement that several big-name contenders for the yellow jersey would not ride in this year’s Tour de France. Instead, we were treated to a fantastic 7.1km individual time trial through the streets of Strasbourg, France.

Credit Agricole’s Thor Hushovd (NOR), normally known as a sprinter set a blistering pace and although Team Discovery’s George Hincapie (USA) came close to beating his time, he fell short by a mere fraction of a second. Meanwhile, another pre-race favorite, Phonak’s Floyd Landis (USA) missed his starting time, thereby losing his rhythm and at least 8 or 9 seconds, a margin which could have meant victory for him in today’s stage.

Tomorrow is Stage 1,   184.5km stage from Strasbourg to Strasbourg (including a quick jaunt into Germany). This stage is mostly flat with one small Category 4 climb (Cote de Heiligenstein) at 101km.

At the end of today’s stage, here are the standings in the general classification:

1. Thor Hushovd (NOR) Credit Agricole – 7.1km in 8’17”
2. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery at 01″
3. Dave Zabriskie (USA) CSC at 04″
4. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner at 05″
5. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse D’Epargne-Illes Balears at 05″

The cycling world was stunned this morning when it was learned that pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso will not (repeat: will not) be allowed to race in the 2006 Tour de France. The T-Mobile and CSC riders have now been implicated as having been involved in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal about which I’ve talked on the show for the past several weeks.

Ullrich, along with teammate Oscar Sevilla and team manager Rudy Pevenage were suspended by T-Mobile earlier today, while Basso was banned from this year’s Tour by the organizers of the race.

According to Cycling News, the Spanish Radio station Cadena SER has released a list of 58 professional cyclists implicated in Operacion Puerto. The list includes people who have already been implicated in doping scandals such as Roberto Heras and Tyler Hamilton, a large number of riders from Astana-Wurth (formerly Liberty Seguros), as well as Ullrich, Basso and others.

This is a huge development and will certainly throw the entire peloton into confusion. With the two potential leaders now out of the race, it opens the door for riders such as Landis, Leipheimer, Salvoldelli, Hincapie and others.

I’ll be recording the podcast this evening, so stay tuned . . .

Hello Fellow Freds.

Yes, the rumors are true. I am back from my vacation. Now I just need another week to get caught up! You can expect an episode of The FredCast to appear before the start of the Tour de France. “See” you on the podcast!

In the meantime, please use the new script on the left-hand side of The FredCast home page to vote for the podcast at Podcast Alley. Thanks to listener Ray for the excellent script!

David

Hello Fellow Freds!

This is just a quick note to let you know that I will be on vacation starting on June 16th, so there will be no FredCast during the week of June 19, and possibly no FredCast during the week of June 26. I do promise to produce another show prior to the start of the Tour de France on July 1.

Thanks for your patience while I take my family on a well-deserved vacation.

Of course, if you happen to find yourself in the British Virgin Islands and you see a Moorings catamaran called Catywampus, please dinghy on over. I’d love to meet you and have a drink (or two) together.

While I am gone I hope you ENJOY YOUR RIDES!

David

For the week of June 5, 2006

In this show’s news: Armstrong cleared of doping charges, Dauphine Libere results, preview of Tour de Switzerland, Simoni faces the music over Giro/Basso comments, Liberty Serguros becomes Astana Wurth and more!

In the feature section: Listener Helen on cycling as therapy, Review of Mountain Bike Maintenance and Repair DVD, Fantasy Tour de France, YouTube Bicycling Videos, and a couple of shout outs.
Podsafe Cycling Music: Ocean by Zach Ashton

You can listen to the show directly by clicking here, you can subscribe to it in iTunes, or you can use the RSS feed in whatever pod catching client you use.

Show Notes are available HERE.

For the week of May 29, 2006

In this show’s news: A new doping scandal rocks the cycling world, Ivan Basso wins the Giro d’Italia, Results from the Volta Catalunya, Ullrich & Riis make their TdeF predictions, Apple and Nike partner on performance hardware, and much more!

In the feature section: How to create elevation maps without a GPS, Matt Troxler pushes silver, Cycle2Max site, activebody.org, four upcoming rides, and a bushel of shout-outs!

Podsafe Cycling Music: Guess She’s Right by Sonny Combs and Kitty Cat Rodeo

You can listen to the show directly by clicking here, you can subscribe to it in iTunes, or you can use the RSS feed in whatever pod catching client you use.
Show Notes are available HERE.

Listener Neal sent in a great tutorial on creating elevation profile maps without the use of a GPS. The instructions are contained in Show #19 and its show notes. The accompanying tutorial files can be found in the following locations:

Screen Shots (showing how to set-up each of the programs mentioned in the tutorial)

• Climbing Analysis
• GPS Visualizer
• GPS Bable
• Topo Fusion

Sample Google Earth (kmz) Files (these are the “before” files)

• Horner
• Reach The Beach

The Resulting Elevation Profiles (these are the “after” files)

• Horner
• Reach The Beach

Thanks, Neal!