As you may have heard by now, cycling.tv has partnered up with OLN to provide live-streaming video coverage of the Giro during the week. The news release says, “Cycling fans will be able to watch the Monday through Saturday stages of the Giro d’Italia, without commercial interruption for only $19.99. Sign ups will begin on April 3. All video will include English commentary and will appear in an OLN video player powered by Cycling.TV”. I sure wish they would do the same for Le Tour!

I had a look at the cycling.tv site, and that’s where you’ll sign up and view the Giro on a screen that is titled OLN International TV. I was hoping it means that this coverage won’t be strictly North America (as OLN TV is), so that all of you can see the Giro on cycling.tv, but when I went to pay up, it said USA only. Bummer...

And be sure to remember to turn off your pop-up blocker before trying to access the payment window. All the registry and payment screens are pop-up. After I turned off the pop-up blocker, I had to refresh a few times and finally put the narrow step payment page on my allowed list, but then I used my PayPal and it was a snap...

Well, Leif Hoste was the shining star at De Panne, and so was the Discovery Channel Team. Isn’t it great to see some other names on the podium this year? My dear old grannie had a saying about a person keeping their light under a barrel, (or something like that), and I think many DC riders will now start to shine...

I just finished writing this press release for the 33rd Annual STBikes Cat's Hill Classic, so I'll let you have a read. The pic is from the 2005 Cat's Hill race. As you see, we're so laid back that you can even wear your longjohns to race...

2006 STBikes Cat's Hill Classic Criterium

Something old and something new for 2006 STBikes Cat’s Hill Classic Criterium this year on Saturday, May 13, 2006. This annual cycling criterium in Los Gatos, California, is legendary for the merciless, leg-punishing climb on Nicholson Avenue. The short, but brutal, 23% grade of Cat’s Hill is daunting to elite riders as well as amateurs. How many laps can your burning legs and lungs last?

For thirty-two years, contestants have valiantly challenged this formidable and intimidating race course. The Men’s Pro/1/2/Espoir category will race on the demanding one-mile course for an hour and a half, climbing the merciless Cat’s Hill about forty times. The Women’s 1/2/3 category will challenge the Cat’s Hill for an hour of lung-searing laps.

The Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club, recently named the number one amateur cycling club in the USA, has presented the Cat's Hill Classic Bicycle Race continuously since 1974. The STBikes Cat's Hill Criterium, totally a volunteer project of the Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club, is one of the oldest grass roots cycling races in the US. The list of famous riders participating in this races reads like a Who’s-Who in the history of the cycling world.

Los Gatos cycling fans proudly saw local talent on the podium in 2005. Los Gatos resident Jackson Stewart of Kodak Gallery/Sierra Nevada won the Men’s Pro/1/2 Espoir, with Zach Walker of McGuire/Langdale Pro Cycling standing in the second spot. Zach Walker lives on the race course, and knows the Cat's Hill hurt very well.

New for 2006 STBikes Cat’s Hill Classic will be cycling action for very young cyclists. With their on-going commitment to promote cycling for Juniors, the Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club is adding a Kid’s Race for the 5-9 age group. This is a fun ride with medals for all the kids who enter the 0.2 mile event, which starts at 12.30 pm. Two wheels or three wheels, helmets are required, and parents must sign a liability waiver before the ride begins.

Another new feature this year will encourage folks to ride their bikes to the race. The Cat’s Hill Classic committee has arranged for the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition to provide free, secure bicycle parking during the event. The SVBC provides secure bike parking for many local events in the South Bay Area.

The Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club has selected the new and local, non-profit Cycle ReCyclery program as the designated charity for 2006. Cycle ReCyclery is a non-profit bicycle repair and donation service founded by Derek Beck, a senior at Bellarmine College Preparatory. Cycle ReCyclery accepts donations of quality bicycles that are in need of reconditioning, restores the bicycles at the Cycle ReCyclery shop in downtown Los Gatos and donates them to local non-profit groups or individuals who qualify based on a needs assessment.

More than 700 amateur and professional riders are expected to compete on the demanding one-mile course that starts at the corner of Tait and Nicholson Avenues in Los Gatos. The route is a clockwise loop that includes the incredibly steep 23% Cat’s Hill climb, plus six brutal 90-degree turns along the race course. Race lengths range from three to forty laps, depending on age and ability classifications. For more information, go to the website www.catshill.org.

The STBikes Cat's Hill Classic is held under USA Cycling (USAC) permit and is part of both the prestigious Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series (LAJORS) and the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association (NCNCA) Premier Series.

Heads Up! This is from a press release that I just received...

HP and AMD are sponsoring a promotion to donate as much as $25,000 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research. Photos uploaded to LIVESTRONGPC.com will be used to form a collage aimed to empower and inspire those living with cancer.

Participants are asked to upload either color or black and white images in .jpg, .tif, .bmp, or .gif formats. For each photo uploaded and accepted, $1 will be given to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (up to $25,000). At the conclusion of the promotion, a check for up to $25,000 will be given to the foundation.

There is no charge for you to upload a photo, so feel free to take a moment out of your day to help others LIVESTRONG.

Leif Hoste takes the win for the first day of Driedaagse van De Panne. Leif is riding realy well this year, with a second in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, a second in the Tirreno-Adriatico ITT, and a fifth in the E3 Prijs.

So many of the DC guys ride so well and so hard, and are the quiet heros of the team. Guys like Roger, Stijn, Jurgen, Benoit, Gennady and Pavel. Good on them, and three cheers, too.

Here’s a Heads-Up - I just subscribed to the Premium Channel of Cycling.tv so I can see some of the Spring Classics. Here’s part of an email from them:

Coming Up this weekend Live action on Cycling.tv Free and Premium Channel:

E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Saturday March 25
· Brabantse Pijl – Sunday March 26
· Three Days of De Panne (March 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th - 2 Stages)
· Gent – Weevelgem – Wednesday April 5
· Amstel Gold – Sunday April 16
· Fleche Wallonne - Wednesday 19th April

Plus the Tours of Romandie, Suisse and the Criterium Dauphine Libere. 33 Days of Live Cycling Before the end of June.

Many of these races are Premium Channel Exclusive. Plus exciting news to come next week about another 30 days of live Pro Tour Racing!!!

It’s easy to subscribe and especially if you have PayPal. It’s 19.99 in GB pounds, which is about $35 and change here in the US. I’m happy to pop the bucks to support anybody who shows cycling races. I’m tied to the Dumb Dish satellite tv, so I’m not gonna be able to see any of the OLN cycling stuff this year...

Unfortunately - I’m not going to be at Redlands Bicycle Classic this year - first time in five years that I’ve missed it... Bummer....

Here's a Heads-Up, and thanks to Burt. Cycling.tv will do freebie showing of Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, the 22nd (tomorrow morning real early) and the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen on Saturday, the 25th. Check their morning start times for your local area. Love that cycling.tv ...

Funny story - I received a copy of Samuel Abt’s new book, “Up the Road” in the mail last week from VeloNews. I couldn’t figure out why they sent it, and the note said it was for my review. So I thought it was kinda odd that they would want me to review Sam’s book - it’s usually magazine and newspaper writers who review books.

Well, last night I finally got around to having a look at this very cool book. It's a fascinating compilation of articles that Sam has written since the early 80’s - about the goings-on in the cycling world thru the eyes of an insider. These are his favorite articles that tell the story of the Tour.

Well, I took a look at the Table of Contents and was totally surprised to see the title “Super Fan” in Part Three. It’s a story that Sam wrote about me in 2003, the year that I was having a blast being just a fan, not particularly a serious photojournalist at the Tour. I remember he and James Startt stopped along the Tour route to talk with me a few times, while I was standing there with my Go Lance banner. Which generated lots of interest from the other bystanders, trying to figure out if I was a Somebody or not... Not...

OK - now for the Monday morning Lance Armstrong Sirius Faction radio report: Matthew McConaughey was the guest, but he was more like the interviewer, and added welcome substance and content to the show. Lance told him they could say or swear anything they wanted to because they are on satellite radio and nobody is listening, anyway.

Lance has lost his Blackberry and is pretty desperate to get it back - sounds like he may have lost it in Austin. So if you find it, call Capital Sports Entertainment office in Austin - I think there is a generous reward awaiting you...

Matthew said “Failure to Launch” generated something like $48 mil ( I can’t remember, or care, over what period of time) - they talked movie dollar numbers. Cost $35 mil to make and with publicity, etc , something like $50 mil.Lance said that Matthew just plays himself in all his movies - teased Matthew that he doesn’t really act, he is just himself, but gets paid for it.

Matthew selected the songs and they played “Boys of Summer”, the original version by Don Henley. Matthew said it made him think of his younger days when all he got was green lights.... Lance joked about Matthew staying in the world’s baddest Airstream in an RV park in Austin, and how they did some late-night playing drums and partying there.

They talked about Matthew’s signature JKLS - Just Keep Living Strong.... Matthew asked Lance what life is like now that he is no longer in cycling competition - that when he was cycling it seemed that cycling life was black-and-white... winning was everything. Lance agreed that winning was everything during the Tour and he hated the idea of losing. Said it would be the Walk of Shame to come to the dinner table and see his team looking at him if he lost... Said it was a powerful motivator to him to not let those guys down who gave everything they had each stage to help him win. He said that in cycling, “We got our hate on in order to win” and what he hated was losing.

Lance and Matthew continued to talk about life now being difficult to navigate - not B&W now, but shades of gray and also multi-colored. Lance said that now, in the cancer community and in an example with Luke, he's learning to stay in the gray - being more tolerant. Like giving Luke his space and letting him decide when to give up his training wheels.

They also talked about kid’s competitive teams and the concept of not keeping score... Neither Lance or Matthew were for that idea - said that kids need how to learn to win in life. Lance said that Luke just finished his basketball season, and Matthew joked that he bet Lance kept score on who won the games....

They talked a lot about sports and Texas winning - (sorry - I lost my concentration there - I didn’t know there were other sports than cycling ... just joking)

Matthew told the story that he’s told on several TV talk shows about his brother, Rooster, having a baby boy and naming him Miller Lyte McConaughey... Higgs and Lance said that next week will be a re-run, and they ended with something from AC-DC, I think. Nah - I just remembered - they closed with Waylon Jennings - Long time Gone....

Thanks to everyone for their comments about my well-wishes for Sheryl's breast cancer treatments. I don't have any inside info about her diagnosis or treatment. But to me, Cancer Is Serious... I don't think any cancer diagnosis should be minimized or taken lightly, nor should radiation treatments.

The body's response to radiation differs with each individual, but you can go to the Link below to see what The American Cancer Society says about radiation treatment in the breast and chest area. It does not apply to everybody, but you don't know ahead of time what is going to happen with you during treatment.

Radiation is toxic, people - it destroys.... And the body fights against the toxic radiation at the same time it is fighting against the cancer cells. Getting one's breast radiated thirty-three times may not have only a "minimal discomfort" result for many women and men. Radiation, down the line, usually means real fatigue.... The strongest of the strong sometimes wear down and wear out...

Yes, let's not forget that men get breast cancer, too. Go here to my LAFC site to read Michael Hayes Samuelson's poem Close The Door When You Leave about his breast cancer. I bet this poem speaks for Sheryl and many, many other cancer survivors. I know it does for me....

Check out the Velonews link at the bottom of the post for more info about the UCI/USA Cycling/Boulder charity event stuff from last post.

Also, OLN has announced four new events for their weekly Sunday line-up of major cycling races: the Tour of Flanders, the Ford Tour of Georgia (with Discovery Channel as one of the sponsors), Dauphine Libere and Tour de Suisse. Check your local listing for Cyclysm Sundays on OLN, with Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll...

And my very best positive thoughts and vibes to Sheryl Crow as she begins her long rounds of radiation therapy.

I am posting parts of a mailing that I just received from Deirdre Moynihan of the Tyler Hamilton Foundation. This posting is NOT about Tyler or his situation, so let’s not start up that debate here. This is about the UCI and USAC prohibiting licensed Pro Cyclists from riding in unsanctioned charity events. I was stunned to read this. It impacts so many fundraisers around the country where Pro team member rides with the public to raise funds for vital and worthy causes.

This means that someone like George Hincapie cannot ride in any of the LiveStrong Rides across the country, or join in with the top-fundraisers at the select Ride for the Roses this year. Think of how many riders have shown up at charity events in 2005 - events to raise funds for cancer, breast cancer, MS, diabetes, junior development, velodrome - you name 'em - there are dozens and dozens of fundraising events involving pro cyclists.

I was at a fundraiser this last Fall for the Team Swift Junior Development Team in Santa Rosa - both Chris Horner and Freddie Rodriguez showed up and rode with the kids and supporters. George Hincapie rode with the Ride for the Roses cyclists last October. Levi Leipheimer rode in a public ride with a bunch of kids at the Cougar Mountain Classic last year... If Lance was still on Discovery Team, he couldn’t ride in his own LAF rides!

Enforcing Rule 1.2.019 for charity rides and rides that promote cycling in any way just seems unbelievable to me. It is totally counter-productive for promoting cycling in the US. And, yes, the rule says that a National Federation may grant special exemptions - but that adds a whole layer of bureaucratic paperwork for a small organization, and presents problems with early scheduling for the pro rider, and with advance publicity for the charity.

If you want to express your opinions, the contact info for both the UCI and USAC is in the following press release.

Boulder, Colorado March 15, 2006 In November 2005, the Tyler Hamilton Foundation joined forces with Denver Boulder Couriers events to help promote cycling in Colorado. By supporting DBC events, the THF is able to promote the sport of cycling across all levels of ability. The first event is the long standing preseason Boulder Tradition, Criteriums @ Stazio series which began March 5 and is scheduled to continue each weekend through May. A portion of the proceeds from the Criteriums @ Stazio and three additional road races in April will help the THF support the mission to empower people through cycling.

Given the time of year, and in an effort to be as inclusive as possible, the organizers of these events decided back in November that each of the races would be unsanctioned. This would allow those who were not yet strong enough to be part of an organized team, or able to afford a racing license to be invited to come and participate in scheduled events that included all levels of racing from young children up to seasoned professionals. In addition, Criteriums@Stazio series will be taken over in 2007 by the city of Boulder, so it was appropriate to lay the groundwork.

On March 5, 2006, Tyler Hamilton pulled on his THF kit, got on his Parlee Z3c, and joined in the event by participating in the final criterium of the day. He was joined by other professional cyclists from Boulder happy to support a good cause and participate in a great training series before the racing season begins. Together they inspired the young juniors who waited to see them ride and encouraged future participation by both spectators and beginner cyclists. The day was a complete success, as THF and DBC were able to accomplish their goal of spreading enthusiasm for the sport.

Unfortunately, THF and DBC have not been able to build on the momentum from March 5th. This wonderful charity series has become somewhat controversial in the days since. Media reports promoting the success of the event prompted the international governing body for cycling, the UCI, to contact the event organizers and inform them that they would enforce the following rule that prohibits UCI licensed professionals from participating in the event:
Rule 1.2.019 :
No License holder may participate in an event that has not been included on a national, continental, or world calendar or that has not been recognized by a national federation, a continental confederation or the UCI. A national federation may grant special exceptions for races or particular events run in its own country.

Historically, the UCI has not flagged participation in charity events nor has the USAC enforced any penalties on UCI licensed holders for their participation in unsanctioned charity events. To do so, would impact the livelihood of the cyclists and the event promoters, as well as the good work of many charities across the country. It would also impact cycling on a local level across the country, if professional cyclists risked being suspended for up to one month and fined 100 Swiss Francs for supporting a charity or local ride.

Despite his belief that he has been wrongly banned, Tyler Hamilton has been respectful of the process throughout his recent ordeal. His participation in the Criteriums@Stazio and the upcoming road races in April are in support of the Tyler Hamilton Foundation’s mission to promote cycling. It is unjust and unfair that any cyclist be penalized for participating along with him and in these events.

This recent development affects all cyclists, and stands to jeopardize a long standing tradition of fund raising through cycling. Do not let local events that make difference in the lives of so many, young and old throughout our country be threatened. Do not stand by while cyclists who've done no wrong are threatened with suspensions. Let your voice be heard. Here is how you can help:

· Send a letter to the USAC advocating for all unsanctioned charity events throughout the country. Let them know you support the efforts of the professional cyclists that participate. Let them know you believe in promoting cycling in the USA and need their help to do so. One the major activities of USA Cycling ensure the ongoing development and safe participation in the sport of cycling. They have not accomplished that goal through this recent action and they need to hear from their constituents.

Gerard Bisceglia, USAC Chief Executive Officer Email: gbisceglia@usacycling.org Phone: 719-866-4603
Sean Petty, USAC Chief of Staff Email: spetty@usacycling.org Phone: 719-866-4783
Jim Ochowicz: USAC Board President Email: jochowicz@tweisel.com Phone: 415.364.6947
Mailing address: USA Cycling, 1 Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Photo is George Hincapie riding with cancer survivors and LAF supporters in the 2005 Ride for the Roses. If you look carefully, you will see Jim Ochowicz of USAC in the grey LiveStrong jersey riding with them to show his support for the LAF.

This kid's podium photo op was at the Saturday outdoor LiveStrong Expo at the 2005 Ride for the Roses. I saw some adult-size kids poking their faces thru the cutouts for a photo, too....

So speaking of LiveStrong, everyone on the mailing list has received the Lance note about contacting your US Senator or Representative to urge them to support funding for cancer research. Clink the Link below to go to the LiveStrong page where you can enter your information, and the email will be automatically sent to the appropriate political person in your area. I did, and shortly thereafter, I received an automated email response from Senator Barbara Boxer.

If you don't live in the US, then maybe you have friends who do, so please send this info to them. We've all been touched by cancer in many ways, so Lance and the cancer community need your help to strengthen the efforts to persuade Congress and the Prez to commit to the funding for major cancer research efforts.

Here’s a pic of Chris Brewer (www.thepaceline.com) interviewing Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll before the start of Stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California. We were in Sausalito, right beside the sign-in area. I’m sure that you can find the interview on the Paceline.

Well, Lance is in Canada, touring with Bill Clinton. It’s interesting to read what the news releases say - In Ottawa, 5,000 people attended the Power Within conference. They paid from $230 to $2,000 per ticket, and the crowd went crazy over Clinton. In Saskatoon, for the same Power Within conference, I read that the ticket prices were slashed due to poor sales...

If so, then Clinton and Armstrong are not the only ones - there’s a big conference at Moscone Center in SF, featuring Donald Trump, Anthony Robbins, Suzy Orman and the Rich Dad, Poor Dad author. How to be a Millionaire Like We Are, or How To Be Filthy Rich, or something like that.... Anyway, I saw on TV this morning that ticket sales are lackluster, so they have slashed the prices for their conference, too. You can see and hear The Donald for only $99.

As I said in my audio post yesterday, for Discovery Channel to agree to sponsor the Tour de Georgia is a huge score for the race organizers. They must feel like they’ve won the lottery. I haven’t seen whether DC is sponsoring for one year only, or have made a longer commitment. I have always been hoping that Discovery Channel would step up and sponsor the now extinct SF Grand Prix. Who knows, maybe there’s a chance it will happen in the future.... Would be a great way for DC to develop a presence on the West Coast.

Par-tay, Par-tay... Team CSC celebrates their First in the Team Classification in the 2006 Amgen Tour of California, with two magnums of Korbel champagne and a check for $8k. They didn’t waste all the bubbly on the crowd...

Monday morning Lance Armstrong Sirius Faction Radio Report. Another live show, from Austin, with Andy Roddick as guest. The guys were watching the Academy Awards while doing the show. Lance and Higgs recapped the week - Lance was in Santa Rosa for the Stage finish. He said that he rented a car and did a solo road trip thru Mendocino, Arcata and Eureka. (During the Amgen Tour, I was talking with Dave Letteri - I said , “How’s my main man doing?” Dave just whipped out his cell phone and called Lance to find out. I heard him, very surprised, say to Lance, “What are you doing in Arcata?”) What Lance was doing was just getting away for a while. He said he loved running thru the Redwoods - that he could have run for miles and miles. But, before that, Lance had taken the kids up to Tahoe for some skiing. Lance said that snow is not this thing - he’s a beach kinda guy. Give him warm sunshine and cold beer.

Lance said that right before his California trip, Sheryl had called him with her cancer diagnosis. Lance said he was devastated - that her diagnosis news was worse than his own because he was so powerless against something that so affected someone he cares about. But he says the cancer was discovered so early that her prognosis is real good, and she is strong. He said she will be back doing her Tour and he will be in the front row for her first show.

Lance talked about riding with Johan for one stage of the ToC, and it was rather boring. Said that they shot the Discovery Channel commercial on Monday and Tuesday after the race ended, and it poured rain on them the first day of the shoot. Then good weather for the shooting on Tuesday and the team had to fly out and race almost immediately in Europe.

They did a silly running bit about somebody telling them that they needed a “chick” on the show, so they sent Andy’s friend, Sam, out on 6th Street to find a chick to bring back to be on the show.... Never happened. They talked a bit with Andy about how he started his tennis career at age 7 and turned Pro at age 17. Lance was impressed that Andy has the fastest recorded serve - 155mph.

They talked about some drunk guy who stalked them in a sushi restaurant, and sat down at their table, pestering them. I guess Lance, Higgs and Andy were trying to be nice, but the guy pushed them too far when he followed them to 6 - they had him thrown out. He protested all the way, saying he was their friend. Of course, it wasn’t hard to get some help at 6 - Lance’s friend, College, is one of the owners, and Lance is a financial backer of the club.

They took a call and the gal asked about Lance’s dog that had the heart surgery. Lance said the dog is OK, but he is living in Los Angeles (at Sheryl’s, I assume). Also, ah-hem - Lance pointed out that Bode Miller didn’t win anything at the Olympics.... (Yes, it’s true, Lance never forgets if somebody does him dirty, or stabs him in the back.)

Lance and Higgs will be in Canada all this week - Prez Clinton will appear also. Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver are some stops there. Lance and Higgs frequently commented that they didn’t think anyone listened anymore because of all the re-runs. Sounds like maybe now we will hear more consistent live shows...

It’s taking some getting-used-to whenever I see Tony Cruz in his new kit. I took this shot while the Toyota United Pro Team was getting ready for the Amgen Tour of California Stage Two start in Martinez. Stephanie, the soigneur, was working on Chepe Garcia’s legs - check out that tan line...

Stephanie has been with the Postal/Discovery team pretty often here in the States. Before that, I think she was with Saturn. I was telling her a while back about when I first went to the Cascade Cycling Classic - maybe 1999 or 2000 - and the NutraFig raggle-taggle team guys asked me to do the Feed Zone for them. They had no support team and no money - they traveled to the races in a beat-up old van. I felt sorry for them - I totally knew nothing about the long stage route around Bear Mountain or whatever it was. I didn’t know quite how to feed, but I said yes - what the Hell - they were obviously pretty desperate. They gave me a rather smelly team vest (you have to wear the team jersey or vest when you feed) - it was like size XS and I most certainly am not. They gave me several bottles and asked me to not give them to any other rider and to pick up the empties and save them. They didn't have any money to buy new ones....

I didn’t even have a race bible or route info, so I jumped in my car and tried to follow Stephanie in the Saturn team car, going backwards along the open traffic route to get to the Feed Zone. She didn’t know that I was frantically following her, and I’m telling you, that gal drove like a crazy woman. I drive really fast, myself, but she was hitting 90 and passing everyone of the poor, unsuspecting tourists on the highway. And I am keeping her in sight and having to do the same. I am sure we scared the bejeeezus out of a lot of people. We just had to get there in time. On a long, hard, hot stage like that, you just gotta be there to feed those guys or they are gonna bonk and suffer.

Stephanie took a wrong turn, and of course, I followed. After a couple of miles, she screeched into a U-turn and I did, too. She looked at me like, who the Hell are you and what are you doing? I, of course, wasn’t in a team car... We took off like a shot again - it was just hell-bent-for-leather all the way. Long story short - we made it in time, and then had to do it all over again to get to the second Feed Zone. That was my introduction to the crazy, frantic world of being a team support person. I loved it.....

Just updated my CyclingMedia.com webpage with some cycling photos - you may have seen them before, but check out the flash presentation.. Click on the Link to get there....

The USPS team staff holds the banner that Floyd Landis' family brought to the 2004 Tour de France. See the post below...

Here’s a shot of Floyd Landis and his daughter on the Podium in Redondo Beach, at the end of the 2006 Amgen Tour of California. Floyd lives in Southern California, so he had quite a hometown crowd packed into the masses and throngs of cycling fans along the route. Floyd is a devoted father, a real family man.

Floyd’s family is Amish - he is from Lancaster, PA. Floyd was raised with no television in the house - the first time his mother watched the telly was to see Floyd in a cycling race - the Tour, I think. Floyd’s family came to the Tour in 2004, while he was still a Postie. Floyd’s two sisters wore the traditional Amish headgear, wore dresses and Nike tennis shoes. Sort of Traditional Amish meets the Tour de France. His family are all wonderful, friendly people.

I have great photos of his family around the team bus during the second rest day in Trois Chateaux. They brought a huge five or six foot good luck banner from Farmersville. I’ll put up a second shot of the banner with the Postie wrenches, soigneurs and Dirk Demol holding it.

The story is that Floyd rode his bike late every night after he got off from his job at a local grocery store. He would ride in the freezing cold and come home practically frost-bitten. Floyd originally rode a mountain bike and was a champion rider. He converted to road in 1998, and moved to Southern California for the great training rides in that area. I’m sure the weather there had nothing to do with it... Uh huh...