Velogal's Blog

Friday, April 28, 2006


Caught the end of Stage 3 of the Tour of Romandie after I got back from spinning this morning. Nobody could figure out where Paolo Savoldelli was. Of all the most inopportune times, it seems that Il Falcon got the Swiss version of Montezuma’s Revenge, and ended up in the bushes beside the road for quite a while. He lost almost 12 minutes from the wrath of the stomach bug. Whether he’ll be able to start tomorrow is iffy... He looked like he really had a belly-ache when he came in...

In addition, Benoit and Jurgen Van Den Broeck both crashed in today’s stage, but got back on the bike to finish the stage....

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team for the Giro will be: Paolo Savoldelli, Tom Danielson, Eki Ekimov, Chechu Rubiera, Triki Beltran, Jason McCartney, Pavel Padrnos, Benoit Joachim, and Matt White. Sean Yeats and Lorenzo Lapage will be the DS...

Sending our best to Max Van Heesjwick with his knee injury... Seems that the accident during the Spring Classics left quite a hole in his knee that is taking a long time to heal... Unknown yet when he can return to racing.

Thursday, April 27, 2006


Exciting finish for Stage 2 of the Tour of Romandie - Chris Horner took the win and also the Leader’s Jersey. Paolo Savoldelli must have felt like Lance has felt a few times... Il Falcon was isolated with no Discovery teammates, and two Davitamon Lotto guys in the group: Chris and Cadel Evans. Chris put on the gas and sailed into the lead by something like 4 seconds. Tomorrow is some heavy-duty climbing. In the post-race interview, Chris said he was “weak” on the climbs today, so let’s see if he can hold the lead - Maybe not... Paolo is a climber as well as a no-holds-barred-descender.

I watched the race on Cycling.tv - Love their coverage.... Anthony does a great job of commentating. Tune in to cycling.tv for Stage 3 tomorrow....

Photo is one that I took at the Redlands Bicycle Classic - Oak Glen Finish in 2004, with Chris Horner in the Leader's Jersey.

Update on the dog abuse case: Peter Raap did a sneaky move of dogs to an unlicensed kennel he owns near Redding. The Shasta County Animal Officers received the tip and confiscated nine dogs from him. Where are the rest of the one hundred dogs? Ask Norma....

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Heads Up! OLN is now back on Dish Network... Yep - we can watch some cycling again... Click on the Link to read the press release....

Well, here is an update on the abused dogs in Cottonwood, CA. I received a note from the woman who started the Online Petition. Here it is:

Animal Control announced Monday that the caretaker of the 17-dogs found dead in a Cottonwood kennel, Norma Kehrer, has been cleared of any wrongdoing in their deaths. Kehrer is back at the kennel caring for the remaining dogs. But protesters think Animal Control should have seized the dogs as soon as they found out two of the dead ones were beaten to death. Protesters were quiet as they let their signs do the talking Monday afternoon. Nearly a dozen marched around the courthouse and the Sheriff's Department. The protestors don't think animal control is doing enough. Animal Control says they do checks as often as they can, but they only have one officer to cover the entire county. They visited the Cottonwood kennel on Monday where the dogs were found. Although Kehrer has been cleared and there are no suspects in the case, Animal Control does say they are trying to locate and interview several people of interest. The owner of the dog kennel, Peter Raap, had his license revoked last week. He has until May 20th to reduce the number of dogs he owns to five. When Animal Control visited the kennel, there were about 40 dogs left and they say they all were healthy.

And, I called Peter William Raap yesterday. Yes, I did. To my surprise, he answered his phone. He absolutely denies that any abuse occurred, and says that Norma Kerher is a fine woman who loves animals, and he trusts her totally with “his dogs”. Says that she has never been actually charged with animal abuse in the past, and that the one case where the dog was found chained in her yard, emaciated with infected eyes, was actually a dog she had rescued. Said a veterinarian wanted to put the dog down, but that she had taken it home to care for it. I said what about the other charges over the last ten or so years, and he said she had never actually been charged with anything.

Raap says that there were, indeed, two dogs beaten to death at his kennel, but nobody knows who did it, and he knows that Norma didn’t. He says he has a degree in dissection, and he did the autopsy of the two dogs, and they were severely beaten. Says he has no idea how it happened. He says that he observed Norma for eight months caring for horses and she is a wonderful woman who loves animals and was so good with the horses.

He says he and Norma are the victims of press hysteria and exaggeration. Says that the Redding Record Searchlight is out to get him, and so are the women who write the blog. He says that nobody had ever been out to inspect his kennel. (I kept calling it puppy-mill and he called it a kennel).

I asked him about the report from the two women who had reported animal abuse at the kennel a year ago to the Sheriff’s Dept. He said that the two women had never seen a kennel before and didn’t know what a kennel was like. He said that the size of his individual pens where larger that the law required. I asked him what about the feces all over the dogs, mothers and pups, and he said it was untrue. He made the women sound like they just dumb.

I asked him about the reports by an ex-worker, and he said she was lying. I asked him if he or anyone there had killed dogs by shooting them and he denied it. I asked him how he was going to comply with the license revoking that required him to only have five dogs. I asked him if he was going to kill any of the dogs. He said that almost half of them are already gone, and that he was tearing down the kennels as we spoke, and that he had leased the land to somebody else already. I asked him what he had done with the dogs and he refused to tell me. I again asked him if he had killed any of them and he said no. I asked him if he had leased the property to be another puppy mill and he said no.

I said that I had heard that a Rescue organization had offered to take the dogs and find good homes for them. He said that the women who wrote the blogs caused him to lose his kennel license and he would never, never give one of his dogs to them. I again asked him where the dogs were, and he refused to tell me. He again went back to his theme that he and Norma are being unfairly accused and that they have done nothing wrong and the kennel dogs were well-cared for.
________________

So, Peter William Raap talked to me for quite a while - never even asked who I was or why I was calling. I let him know that I did not believe him and that I don’t buy the story that everything in the press is lies, and I thought he was lying. He basically didn’t seem bothered one bit, and went back to what sounded like a well-rehearsed script. Either Peter William Raap is stupidly gullible or he is a pathological liar.

This entire story is sickening, and it looks like they will get away with it. Even more sickening, is that the scenario is repeated all over the US, with atrocious and appalling treatment of dogs in, who knows how many, puppy-mills. Hundreds or thousands? Animal protective services are understaffed and don’t want to get in the middle of any controversy - scared of being sued. In small towns, they know the puppy-mill owners and turn a blind eye. Or they are “understaffed” as in Tehama County, and just can’t seem to find the time to send someone out to check on crisis cases on a more frequent basis.

People - we all need to get involved with our local agencies and have a look at what is going on in our counties. Are there puppy-mills where you live? Are they consistently inspected by the animal protection agencies? What rescue organizations can you support both locally and nationally? Most of the time these tiny rescue operations are being manned by just a couple of dedicated animal lovers, spending their own time and money to save these helpless animals.

Get involved, donate a few bucks each month. You and your family stay home from one movie a month and, instead, send the money to a local organization. Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world, they have no voice - they have no choice.... Call, write, speak out for them....

Monday, April 24, 2006

Heads-Up to anyone who cares about animals, wherever you live. An Online Petition has been started to demand that Tehama County Officials protect those defenseless dogs that live in the Hell-Hole that Peter William Raap calls a kennel in Cottonwood, CA.

Please, please click on the link and sign the petition. It will only take a couple of minutes of your time.... We have no doubt that Peter Raap will reduce the number of dogs in his filthy, feces-covered kennel by killing them.

Kathy, the person who started the petition has a network that is willing and able to take the dogs and find homes for them. Peter William Raap has not responded to her email offers to rescue those poor dogs, many of them pregnant mothers or puppies.


Photo is Janez Brajkovich at training camp - Bravo for him as Best Young Rider at the 2006 Tour of Georgia. And 5th in General Classification....

The Discovery Pro Cycling Team was outstanding in Georgia - Number One Team in the GC, Tommy Danielson was 2nd in GC, Popo was 3rd in the GC, also won the Most Aggressive Rider Jersey. Janez Brajkovich was 5th in GC and won the Best Young Rider Classification, and Jason McCartney won the KOM Jersey. Jason was an outstanding rider in Georgia, but knows that his Giro job is to work for Il Falcon, Paolo Savoldelli. BTW - The Discovery team had five riders in the top twenty GC.

My vote for Sportsman of the Year goes to Tom Danielson, for outstanding sportsmanship at the Tour of Georgia. He’s in second spot by four seconds, final circuits of the final stage, and the race leader, Floyd Landis flats. What does Tom do? Take advantage of Floyd’s bad luck and go for the win? A wheel change, even a teammate’s wheel, takes longer than four seconds. But, No - Tom Danielson goes to the front and slows everybody down. Is that reminiscent of somebody else - Tyler Hamilton - slowing the peloton at the Tour when Lance fell?

Danielson said it would have been "cheap" to take advantage of the Floyd Landis’ wheel change. "I saw him flat," Danielson said. "I was maybe 15 riders behind. I rode to the front and immediately everyone slowed down." Added Danielson: "I was in the same lead position last year. I wouldn't want anyone to attack me in that cheap situation. ... The race was over yesterday."

Bravo, Tom, you are a real champion and we are proud of you .....

I think Lance had a new show last night, but I haven’t listened to it yet. I was down at the Pinnacles shooting photographs all day yesterday and came home late in the evening....

Saturday, April 22, 2006


OMG - Was that an epic finish on Brasstown Bald or what? I was tearing my hair out not being there! Tom Danielson and Yaroslave Popovich and Floyd Landis, battling it out on the steepest part of the climb. All three are climbing heroes! Same time finish for Tom and Floyd, but Tom pips him for the stage win. Floyd retains the leader's jersey, and, barring any mishap, will likely take the Tour of Georgia...

Popo takes a third, and Jason McCartney again took off on a solo flight during the stage. Whew... What a race! Those guys rode their hearts out today... Three cheers for them all...

As many of you know, I am passionate about the health and welfare of animals, and often become involved in causes of animal abuse or neglect. So this post will be off-topic of cycling to tell you about a most horrific and appalling case of animal abuse here in California. In fact, it is in Northern California, where I was born and raised. It is another puppy-mill horror story of 17 dogs dying, and over 100 dogs, emaciated and covered with feces in the kennel in Cottonwood, California. The puppy mill is in Tehama County, and the scum-bag kennel owner lives in my area, in Los Gatos. The horrible, appalling conditions were reported to Tehama County Sheriff’s Department and Tehama County Animal Control Services over a year ago, by two women who went there to buy a puppy, and nothing was done. Nothing.... Nothing to help these suffering animals. An absolute disgrace to Tehama county.

A veterinarian’s autopsy showed two of the animals were beaten to death. And, by the way, the woman who was hired to run the kennel has been charged with animal abuse several times in the past twelve years. And, according to Beau Beauregard, the Assistant Director of Tehama County Animal Services, the kennel will NOT be shut down. The low-life puppy mill owner will, at this own discretion, have to get rid of dozens of animals and keep only five to likely suffer the same mistreatment until they die.

One previous employee said that sick animals were taken out into the field and shot. I suspect that will be the fate of all but the five animals that Peter William Raap of Los Gatos will keep in his filthy, disgraceful puppy-mill in Cottonwood, CA. Who is going to oversee how this scumbag gets rid of all these animals? Nobody..... Who is going to monitor how the kennel is run and how animals are treated in the future? Nobody....

Here’s the press release, and you can follow the Link to Pet-Abuse.com to read all the sickening details of this case. Remember, revocation of license does not mean that the kennel will be shut down by the County.

Kennel Press Release (posted on nbc11.com)
POSTED: 11:03 am PDT April 21, 2006
UPDATED: 11:05 am PDT April 21, 2006
Media Release
Date:4/20/2006
To: Local Media Outlets
From: K. "Beau" Beauregard, Assistant Director of Tehama County Animal Services
RE: Kennel Owner Doesn't Contest Revocation
Cottonwood, CA- Today Tehama County Department of Animal Services was notified by Mr. Peter Raap, he would not contest the agencies proposed revocation of his kennel license. April 10, 2006, Mr. Raap was notified the department had taken steps to revoke his kennel license, because he had employed Ms. Norma Kehrer, as an animal caretaker, at his Cottonwood California dog kennel. Kehrer was convicted of animal abuse in February 2005 in Shasta County. Tehama County Code authorizes the department to revoke a kennel license when the owner has employed a person who has been convicted of animal abuse in the last five years. Raap was given ten days to respond to the notification. Raap will not be allowed to apply for a new kennel license for two years. Terms of Kehrer’s probation indicate she is not to own any animals for a period of three years. Animal services have sent their case to the Shasta County District Attorneys office for their review and possible charges against Kehrer for violating her terms of probation.


Rapp was given 30 days to reduce the number of dogs at his Cottonwood kennel to five, to comply with the county code.

“At the end of the 30 days, our department will inspect the kennel to insure Mr. Raap has complied with the departments order. If he has not, he will subject himself to a citation for operating an illegal kennel, and possible impoundment of any dogs in excess of five”, said K. “Beau” Beauregard, assistant director of animal services.

The case involving the deaths of the 17 dogs at Raap’s kennel continues to be investigated, although no suspects have been named. Beauregard asked anyone with any information regarding the death of the dogs to contact the department at 530-527-3439.


____________________________

Contact info if you want to speak out about this:
Give good ole Beauregard a call at Tehama County Animal Regulation - 1830 Walnut Street - Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 527-3439
Tehama County District Attorney Office - 444 Oak Street, Room L - Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 527-3053
Shasta County District Attorney's Office to demand that Norma Kerher be prosecuted: (530) 245-6300
Better yet, let the lying puppy-mill owner know what you think about him: Peter William Raap in Los Gatos - 408.358.3364

Friday, April 21, 2006



Wow! What a finish today in Stage 4 of the Tour de Georgia. Jason McCartney was the hero of the day, in my book, staying out for so damn long with those climbs, and then attacking again near the end. And Freddie Rodriguez put his money where his mouth was, predicting that he was the best climber/sprinter and that he would take the stage. And so he did. Popo, Yaroslav Popovich, was third and Masseo Tossato was second.

Great riding today, Jason!

Thursday, April 20, 2006


So Yaroslav Popovych took off like a shot and won Stage 2 of the Tour de Georgia. Good time to do it with Lance in the team car with Johan. Wonder if Lance being in the car was the reason for this official action: “7. Team Director BRUYNEEL, Johan, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team is fined Chf 200 for breach of regulations of vehicle movement during the race. The second team car is not allowed within the front caravan except to replace the first car that has either stopped or advanced to riders off the front.” You know, I can just almost hear Lance telling Johan: To Hell with it, let’s get up there.....

I think it is always interesting to read the General Notes from the Officials after the races, for instance after Stage Two, here they are:
1. There is a correction to the results of Stage 1. Rider 25 GUTTIEREZ CATALUNA, Jose Enrique, Team Phonak Hearing Systems was involved in the crash in the final 3 kilometers of Stage 1 and is credited with the same time as the main field.
2. Rider 82, BLACKGROVE, Heath, Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team is fined Chf 50 and penalized 20 seconds for sheltering behind a vehicle for an extended period of time. Regulation 12.1.040.19.2.2.
3. Rider 7 MCCARTNEY, Jason, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team is fined Chf 50 for non-regulation breakdown assistance. Team Director BRUYNEEL, Johan, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team is fined Chf 200 for non regulation assistance. Regulation 12.1.040.20.2.
4. Rider 27 STALDER, Florian, Phonak Hearing Systems is fined Chf 200 and forfeiture of prizes for failing to attend the official ceremony for Best Young Rider. Regulation 12.1.040.36.
5. Rider 16 PEDERSON, Martin, Team CSC is fined Chf 100 for covered numbers. Regulation 12.1.040.5.
6. Rider 18 VANDBORG, Brian is Team CSC is fined Chf 100 for covered numbers. Regulation 12.1.040.5.
7. Team Director BRUYNEEL, Johan, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team is fined Chf 200 for breach of regulations of vehicle movement during the race. The second team car is not allowed within the front caravan except to replace the first car that has either stopped or advanced to riders off the front..
8. The following teams are warned for wearing articles of clothing not conforming to regulation 1.3.029. This states that riders must wear rain capes or vests that are transparent or look like the team's jersey: Team CSC; Prodir-Saunier Duval; Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team; Phonak Hearing Systems.

The UCI fines are always in Swiss francs (Chf), no matter where the race is held, so 200 Chf is about $156.55 USD. After every race, there are always these kinds of fines - the officials watch everything and never hesitate to levy fines to the teams..

As winner of Stage Two, Popo will now have the advantage of starting last in today’s Stage Three, 40km ITT - he’ll start at 1:06 pm Eastern time. He’s not too shabby at time trials, so he just might stay in the leader’s jersey...

And, I saw in VeloNews that Davis Phinney was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Tuesday night in Denver. Davis is from Colorado and graduated from Boulder High School. He certainly deserves that award!

The pic is from training camp,and no, Popo doesn't ride with his eyes closed - he was posing for the individual team shots. I have some funny "outtake" shots of the guys posing for the team pics...

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006

this is an audio post - click to play

Sunday, April 16, 2006



This image has nothing whatever to do with cycling - I'm working this morning on this series of shots that I took of an incredible Mexican dance group called El Grito La Cultura in San Jose. These kids are continuing their cultral heritage through dance. They are so full of life and love of the dance - wonderful to see.

I just did a podcast about Amstel Gold, so have a listen. I don't know what happened to the music that I usually use for an intro and extro, but I'm too busy/lazy to re-do the entire podcast. For those of you who don't have Premium Channel of cycling.tv, they say you can go to www.wcsn.com to see a live-streaming video of the highlights of Amstel Gold. I haven't tried it yet, so you're on your own there...

Friday, April 14, 2006


Wanted you all to read this Press Release about my friend, Andy Anderson in Bangor, Ireland. Andy has been a strong supporter of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and of my fansite for five or six years. Andy is one of the good guys in this world, and wants to tell his story in order to help other guys facing the same diagnosis.

Andy was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer - Choriocarcinoma - on May 16, 2000 and had surgery the next day. He was on intense chemotherapy from May 29 to August 17, 2000. Andy wrote about his cyber meeting with Lance on my Unofficial Lance Armstrong Fan Club site a few years ago. Click on the Link to read his story.

BANGOR CANCER SURVIVOR HONOURED WITH BENCH IN HIS HOME TOWN

Cancer Research UK is honouring Bangor cancer survivor, Andrew Anderson, with a dedicated bench in one of his favourite spots in his home town.

In a twist on the usual plaque dedications on public benches which are normally placed in memory of a loved one, the engraving on Andrew's bench reads: "Andrew Anderson loved sitting here. And still does thanks to research into cancer."

Andrew's bench is one of a series of benches being placed around the country to tie in with Cancer Research UK's Being Here campaign and will be a poignant celebration of the increasing number of people surviving cancer through advances in research. The campaign features TV, radio, print and poster advertisements telling cancer survivors' personal stories to highlight advances in cancer research and aims to raise over £6.5 million for the charity over the next five years.

Fifty-six-year-old Andrew, a keen cyclist, was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer in May 2000 testicular cancer in May 2000. When diagnosed, his cancer was so advanced that Andrew was treated with surgery the next day, and two weeks later began four cycles of chemotherapy, which were completed the following August.

It is Andrew's hope that his story will raise general cancer awareness, especially among men. This is why he works with his local cancer research committee, Cancer Research Northern Ireland, in various fund-raising efforts. Now retired, he hopes to be able to provide cancer counseling to those currently suffering. Andrew believes that there is something very powerful in a cancer survivor talking to people who have received news that they have cancer and giving them hope, and he knows what it's like first hand.

Andrew says, "Quite simply, I'm living proof that cancer research works! Nearly six years ago, at the age of 50, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive and malignant form of testicular cancer. Had I been diagnosed when I was 25, a more common age to have this type of cancer, there would have been no treatment, no cure. Thanks to cancer research a 95+% mortality rate for testicular cancer in 1974 has been turned into a 95+% survival rate today. That's why I support Cancer Research UK."

Professor Alex Markham, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, says: "Survival rates in the UK have improved for nearly all cancers and the number of people who are free from cancer following treatment is higher than ever before. Like Andrew, the majority of successfully treated patients now go on to enjoy long periods of good health and in many cases will be cured.

"Research funded by Cancer Research UK has contributed significantly to this progress. We hope that people will be inspired by Andrew's story to donate money to our ongoing work and help us find even better ways of preventing, detecting and treating cancer.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org

Wednesday, April 12, 2006


As some of you know, I market a line of high couture (ahem) items based on the graphic that I created for my Podium Girl Gone Bad website and zee leetle PGGB book. So ....drum roll please.... I want you to meet my favorite (well, actually, my only) model - Her name is Bette Davis and she appears frequently on the podium for Velo Girls Cycling Team. Bette Davis is the beloved team mascot. Mais Oui, she had to have zee PGGB doggie tee shirt!

Should you be lusting for zee naughty PGGB thong, camisole, spaghetti tank, cap, pillow, doggie tee, clock or other ridiculous items, click the Link to my leetle shop at Cafe Press.

If you wish to start a Bette Davis fan club, you’ll have to talk to her owner, Holly. Thanks, Holly, for the pic of this Podium Girl Gone Way Bad!

Monday, April 10, 2006


This pic is from the 2006 Sea Otter Classic Amateur Road Race, down in Fort Ord, CA. We had about 700 riders competing on the 10.5 mile course, in numerous categories. They started on the track in Laguna Seca, and finished near the top of Barloy Canyon ( a real tough finish), after completing anywhere from six to ten laps.

I was the Road Coordinator for the Sea Otter event this year, and I had the most outstanding volunteers down in Fort Ord. They were parents and students from La Mesa Elementary School in Monterey, and I have to say that these folks are awesome. Their volunteers all show up - they show up early and stay late, and all with the greatest attitude.

The La Mesa parents and kids who worked the Neutral Feed Zone were absolute heroes - they pitched in and got the bottles to the riders under very challenging circumstances. They were there from 7:30 am until almost 7 pm on Saturday, filling and handing out hundreds of bottles to the weary racers. They are the best... If you are in a race, at whatever level, remember to say thanks to those volunteers who make the race happen and receive very little glory for their hard work...

And yet another injured racer on the Discovery Channel Team, and you know by now that it is George Hincapie. That is the worst damn luck, and is obviously a bummer for his Tour de France training.. And, of course, we will be reading lots about the controversial Paris Roubaix DQ of Leif, Vladamir and Peter Petegem, while allowing Tom Boonen do the same thing, and stand on the podium. Even Boonen says he really got fifth place....

Friday, April 07, 2006

This pic is the line waiting to do the dirt today at the Sea Otter. Have a listen to my new podcast to hear everything you want to know (almost) about Sea Otter numbers...



Here's a shot from the Dirt Jumping practice area yesterday. Sea Otter was hopping, for a Thursday. I wandered around the Sea Otter Village Expo, and it is just the Best this year. Anybody and everybody in the cycling world has a booth there - Awesome! You gotta come to the Sea Otter this year!
I'll be working the Amateur Circuit Race on the Laguna Seca racetrack all day today..

I want to send positive and healing thoughts to Saul Raisin and his family. I'm going thru a similar thing with a member of my family, so I know how scary and anxious they must feel. All my best to them....

Thursday, April 06, 2006

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Tuesday, April 04, 2006



Bummer - we have two more Discovery Channel Team guys on the injury list. Both Roger Hammond and Michael Barry got eaten up by the crappy riding conditions at Tour of Flanders. Michael has three broken vertebrae and a concussion - he hit a guardrail and flew over it, landing on his face and crunching his back. He'll be out for several weeks. Here's his website to send good wishes Michael Barry .

Roger Hammond got knocked off his bike and hit a sharp, ugly cobblestone with his knee - really hard. You can visit his site and send him a note Roger Hammond . Here's what Roger says on his website: Thanks to everyone that has sent good wishes after my crash yesterday. I'm pleased to say it is not as bad as first thought. I hit the corner of a cobble stone as I hit the ground. The impact split the skin leaving a rather large hole just below my knee. An x-ray showed nothing was broken and the surgeon was able to open the wound and visually check the tendons around the knee hadn't been damaged, the whole process made me feel a bit worse than I already felt. So all in all, to have been able to walk away with 'only' 14 stitches and a very sore knee was a bit of a relief. I'm not sure how long it will be before I'm back on the bike but I hope it won't be too long. The wound isn't on the kneecap itself, hence it shouldn't be troubled by any bending of the knee, though at the moment that is very painful to test! I will keep my site updated with my progress. Once again thanks you all for you concern! .

Here's an article from the UK Guardian by Roger Williams about the crash (Yes, the Brits love Roger!):

Hell holds no fear for hard man Hammond

The last time I saw Roger Hammond, just over 18 months ago, he was walking away from the finish of the Olympic road race in Athens, exhausted but smiling, having finished a highly creditable seventh after riding his bike round the Acropolis for six hours in temperatures approaching 40C (104F). Britain's best male road-racing cyclist is a hard man who spends the winter winning cyclo-cross events, but on Sunday his agony eclipsed even the pain of a losing Boat Race oarsman as he lay by the side of a narrow road in Belgium with a large hole in his leg.

Eurosport's cameras caught the sight of Hammond's spectacular fall during the Tour of Flanders, and its microphones captured his howls of pain. The sequence of brutal climbs that provide the climax to cycling's equivalent of the Grand National had barely begun when a chain reaction within the peloton knocked him over; his leg landed on the sharp edge of the cobbled verge, opening a wound which went down to the shinbone.

Yesterday, after a few hours in hospital, he was counting his 14 stitches and wondering whether he would be fit to rejoin the Discovery Channel team in time for the next one-day classic, the Paris-Roubaix - dubbed the Hell of the North - this Sunday. "Luckily," he said during a phone conversation, "the stitches are below the knee, on a part of the leg that doesn't actually stretch when you're pedalling. The wound was so big that the surgeon could look inside to check that the tendons weren't damaged. Now I've got to wait and see whether the bone is badly bruised."

No sport, not even boxing, demands as much resistance to pain and suffering from its participants as cycling. As we saw three years ago, when Tyler Hamilton rode through most of the Tour de France with a broken collarbone, they tend to respond with acts of heroism. If Roger Hammond isn't there when the field sets off on Sunday, you can bet it will be because someone has strapped him to his sick-bed.

Thanks to The Guardian for the courtesy of this news blurb...

Monday, April 03, 2006



Rain, rain, rain pouring from the downspot on my roof. My area of California broke a record with 25 days of rain in March - previous record was in 1906.

Head on over to my podcast to hear what's new in the cycling world of Velogal...

Saturday, April 01, 2006


I thought you might like to read the Discovery Channel Team Report that was sent by PJ Rabice last night. The pic is a shot that I took of PJ during the Amgen Tour of California. PJ is a cool guy who has taken the place of Dan Osipow. Most of the DC Team press releases that you will read on other cycling sites, with other people’s bylines, will actually be from PJ. But on this blog, he will get full credit.... The latest report, as written by PJ, but without the photos that he sent:

The Discovery Channel has continued to show their strength over the past two weeks of racing. In Spain, at the stage race Castilla y Leon, Egoi Martinez started off a good week for the team with a third place podium finish in stage 1. Yaroslav “Popo” Popovych quickly followed suit by winning the stage 2 Time Trial beating out teammate Jason McCartney by only 1 second. Manuel “Triki” Beltran went on to impress the team in the uphill finish of stage four by finishing 2nd while teammate Jose Luis “Chechu” Rubiera rounded out the week finishing 3 overall on general classification. Team Discovery also captured the overall Team classification win.

While the riders racing in Spain have many of their big objectives later on in the season, the guys racing in the battle ground of northern Belgium have been honing their fitness as they prepare for the team’s first major objectives of 2006, the Spring Classics. At the Three Days of DePanne, a 3-day four-stage event, the Discovery Channel Team flexed their muscles against the world’s best heading into the Classics. Leif Hoste took the prize for overall “tough guy” by not only winning stage 1 in a three man sprint but also winning the stage 4 individual Time Trial as well as the overall race victory. His victory overshadowed the stellar performances of teammates George Hincapie and Stijn Devolder who took second and third respectively in the stage 4 Time Trial, with Hincapie also finishing fifth overall. The team also won the overall Team classification. And for me, well, I was lucky enough to arrive in Belgium on Thursday and watch the race on TV and then later that evening share in a glass of champagne with the team upon their return to the hotel in Kortrijk. Stijn Devolder and soigneur Geert Tibergijn both commented on how Leif’s win corresponded with my arrival in Belgium. Coincidence???

In a quick sidebar, I have a story for those of you wondering what the guys do with some of their race trophies and prizes. At about 10pm Thursday night, after a celebratory dinner, the guys had a hunkering for something sweet. What to do? Well, why not dig into Leif’s massive stage 1 chocolate trophy, or at least what was left of it. Apparently the hotel staff had also enjoyed some of it too- Leif had given them the green light to “help themselves." Not to worry, there was more than enough to go around. The excessive chocolate consumption even kept Aussie Matt White up a bit later than he hoped and apparently woke him up a bit early the next morning as well. "Whitey" explained to me as I walked into breakfast at 7:45am that, “I just couldn’t sleep mate. I don’t think Jolly Roger- his nickname for roommate Roger Hammond- appreciated me making a racket either. That chocolate was really good though, huh?” Oh well, so goes life on the road as a professional cyclist. But he was right, the chocolate was amazing.

Welcome to Belgium
The countryside of Northern Belgium and France is truly a special place and it will play host to three of the biggest races of the season over the next week- Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem & Paris-Roubaix. The weather here is more unpredictable than anything I have ever seen living in the northeast, specifically Lake Placid, NY, where the weather drove me crazy at times.

In Belgium, one minute it’s sunny and the next there’s driving rain and 30mph wind. And when you combine weather like that with really narrow roads, climbs of 10+% on cobble stones that are over 200 years old, well, what you have is a very long day of bike racing known as the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders). Luckily for us, the Discovery Channel Team has guys like Hincapie, Hoste, Devolder, Hammond, Ekimov, Barry, White, and Gusev who seem to love races like Flanders or at least pretend to love it. These “tough” guys will lead the team into battle this Sunday at the Tour of Flanders and are feeling very confident about their form.

In a major Belgian newspaper this morning the headline read “Discovery Is Stronger Than Quickstep”, a quote from Leif Hoste after winning the Three Days of DePanne. For those of you not in the know, Quickstep is the team of World Champion Tom Boonen who has shown amazing strength and form this season winning seemingly any race at will. After Hoste took some gentle ribbing at breakfast from staff and teammates about the quote he proclaimed, “Well, we are stronger”, a point which no one in the room seemed to refute and brought about a short silence. This to me was the sign of a confident, but not cocky, group of riders. A lot of things can happen over the course of a 6 hour bike race and these guys know it, but their relaxed attitude and gaunt faces, are a very good sign.

Who Needs Rest?
So what do a group of guys do after four hard days of racing? Well, this group of guys enjoyed a relaxing breakfast, sipped on coffee and applied an extra layer of nutella to their morning bread before getting ready for their 10:30am ride. The morning’s ride was an easy spin along the canal for some, with others opting for the rollers due to, you guessed it, some sudden rain that rolled into Kortrijk. The rain however didn’t dampen the guy’s spirit as you can see from this picture taken just prior to the ride. For the record, I don’t ever recall seeing Matt White without a smile.

After their ride the guys enjoyed some lunch and a visit from Sports Director Johan Bruyneel who was in town for some meetings. Following a few good laughs the guys headed for massage and some rest, or as George Hincapie told me, “I’m going to rest my way to fitness” followed up by a big smirk.

What to expect on Sunday
On my way to the Discovery Channel Team’s Cycling Service Center today I was driven by a staff member up the final two climbs of Sunday’s race. The first of the final two climbs begins at 242km (149 miles) into the race and if racing your bike that far doesn’t scare or hurt you, then the climbs of the Muur and the Bosberg will surely do it. These are not just ordinary climbs either. These are steep, cobbled, narrow climbs that are slippery on the driest of days and will loosen your fillings.

Take today for example when Eki decided to venture over to Sunday's Koppenberg climb, solo (because he’s Russian and tough), to see what the cobbles looked like this year. Upon returning to the hotel he explained to the guys while they ate lunch, “I got up about half way the first time before slipping. Then I went back down an up a second time and, oh man, I almost made it, but 10 meters from the top I had to put my foot down. After that I just walked my bike the rest of the way.” And this was on a day when Eki said the cobbles were completely clean. Yikes!!

Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s race you can rest assured that the Discovery Channel Team is ready for battle, and all the challenges that the narrow, cobbled roads of Belgium will bring.

PJ