clean as a whistle

always a winner

I think we've seen this outcome before... running out of fresh victory salutes so Cav now opting for the tried and tested 'point to the sky' celebration.

the prince and the vuelta

A great ride by Cunego today. Always a favourite rider of mine, I had in recent years resigned myself to the fact that his Grand Tour days were over. Maybe he won't ever repeat his Giro win of 2004 but for today, at least, he's back!

at the races

real deal

I mentioned in my last post the plethora of new bikes that have that hand-built look to them so I thought it only right and proper that I showed a few photos of some real hand-built machines. These are all crafted by frame builder Ira Ryan out of Portland, OR and are, simply put, works of art. Works of art that enjoy mile after mile of tarmac, grit and gravel that is.

globe bikes

I posted a photo of Trek's new 'city' bike a while ago, and here is the Specialized version. Seems like both companies have been inspired by the growing popularity of hand-built bikes, or at least bikes that look as they have come from a small, sweaty workshop instead of an impassive factory line . As with the Trek models, I like how these Globe bikes look and while their website copy is pretty painful (I haven't figured out what a "competitive urban assault" is just yet, but apparently their fixed-gear model, called Roll, is more than ready for one), I'm a believer in the more affordable and practical bikes available the better.

the curious case of...

Inigo Cuesta. Forty years young. Sixteenth straight Vuelta. Inspiring.