Lance Armstrong

I watched the Tour Down Under like a hawk. I couldn't miss Lance Armstrong's return to the pro peleton. Watching Lance race reminded me why he is the greatest athlete in the world. Since he's been out of cycling I'd forgotten about the cyclist Armstrong and could only remember the celebrity Armstrong. The Lance who has articles in People Magazine and TMZ. Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under Lance surprisingly jumped away with young Australian hope Jack Bobridge. It was an agressive move that made me jump off the couch as I recognized the black helmet. On Stage 3 the heady Armstrong recognized the head wind and made the front group with Micheal Rodgers and Stuart O'grady. As soon as he got in the group he started working. It was great to see Lance working in a breakaway that he wouldn't have touched during his tour years. On stage 5 Matty Lloyd jumped from the bunch over Willunga Hill and Lance acelerated from the peleton like he used to on the Alp against Jan Ullrich. He quickly closed the gap to the break.

It's early in the year and Lance would be the first to tell you that. But if you watched any of the Tour Down Under you understand what I'm talking about. Lance just makes cycling exciting. It's like watching Micheal Phelps. You can actually believe and root for him because he almost always comes through. He changes the sport and brings it to a new audience.

I wonder if Downtown JB is attending WMB tomorrow.....

Taco Tuesday Time Trial / MSU Cycling

Taco Tuesday Time Trial Series had a short but intense history. Just like Rolling Thunder it was the brainchild of Pimpo (bet you didn't know that). Phil said why don't we do an unofficial time trial and then eat tacos and listen to Hot Chip. That year we had just a mangy crew. Kayak, and Mary were out there along with a few other none cyclists. Phil wore his used Prime Alliance skinsuit. Baby Defries was the first ever rider to lay down a TTTT time. The whole Missoula crew has thrown down a time, from Toby to Marzullo to Nacho to Nylene. SAK won the series one year. Halp's thrown down, Dale's rode his cross bike and even KG and Clark put times up. TTTT is back...........

Good point brought up by MSU Nathan on my last post. MSU Cycling doesn't get too many shoutouts on Mtcx.com. I'll replay my favorite memory and favorite MSU riders of all time. My favorite memory is from the 2006 UM crit. It was held at Fort Missoula and it just so happened Andy Schultz and Ben Kneller entered the men's A race. They pulled every lap of the crit. I guess you could argue that neither of them won or even placed in the top 3, but it was an impressive show of strength. What made it that more impressive was that the day before Kneller had soloed off the front in the road race to take the win. I've got a couple favorite MSU riders. Maybe I'm bias because I raced with these guys the most. Pip Bell, a tall, built rider who could sprint with the best of him. I still remember when we raced B's one year and this tall dude showed up in an all black kit. He destroyed. Pip was a class act, and a super strong rider. We suffered in the cold and rain in Walla Walla one year......I'll never forget it. My second favorite MSU rider is Grahm Meng "Dynasty." Dynasty was my dog during the 2007 road season. He had some of the funniest race commentary/strategy I've ever heard. One thing is for sure Dynasty is one nasty rider. I could never put my finger on Dynasty's road cycling strenghs....he was just always there, and seemed to have the legs to follow the moves. I liked how was and continues to be stronger then people anticipate. Last year at Grizzly Triathlon the dude was flying on the bike.

Top Ten Montana Cycling Performances I've witnessed

Apologies in advance and to all the amazing riders and performances that happened before my time. I know there were some good ones. I wish I'd been racing for all the Herzig, Proctor, Brink, Rankin, Wehyrich, Longmire, and TJ chronicles....or seen the Jason Hobson solo attacks. I know there's some amazing stories out there.....Also props to all the MT Lady racers (you all deserve your own list). I kept this list to dudes only.

10. Phil Grove Taco Tuesday Time Trial Record. TTTT is a tradition we have at UM Cycling. Phil put down the course record one nasty Tuesday evening. It will never be broken....he was breathing fire....

9. Bill Martin winning the Butte 100 after getting lost. Bill is just nasty on the mtb and the longer the better. To win the Butte 100 that year you needed some all around skills......orienteering, endurance, and perserverance. (I wasn't there for this one, but it was a really unique impressive performance)

8. Doug Dale puts himself so deep in the red at the Thunder. Doug stays with Mully all race long. Although he finished 2nd to the better man that day I've never seen someone get so deep in the chamber.

7. John Curry soloing the last lap of the Tour of the Bitterroot to hold off the field. GAS threw attacks out all day, and JC finished his team's effort off with a super human performance.

6. Ben Parson's win at Cow Country. A road racing newbie goes from cat 5 to cat 3 in a couple months. His win at Cow Country was a great spectacle of teamwork (with Butterfield in the break..all day), but quite the performance from the young gun, with little road experience.

5. Brad Morgan's solo victory in the Helena dirt crit. He held off the field for more then 2/3 of the race. Arguably the strongest Montana cross field of the year. On the finishing stretch the head wind was miserable. I don't know how he did that.....

4. Josh Tack spends half the day in a break at Bearmouth, gets reeled in, then proceeds to follow the winning move and the win the 5 up sprint. He said he was going to be aggressive....

3. Ben Kneller solos to victory in the Rocky Mountain Roubaix. Everyone thought he was some MSU dude. He snuch off the front and never looked back. It was the start of the business casual legend.

2. Frank Gonzalez wins the State Championship in one of the great cross battles of all time. John Curry v Frank the Tank all season and it comes down to a 100 meter sprint on dirt. Frank takes it.....cool as ever..

1. Clint Muhfeld lapping everyone and there mother at the inagural Rolling Thunder. Yes, it was a short course, but at that time there was no one who could touch Mully.


Honorable Mention

-Adam Jensen at the Tour of the Bitterroot road race finding a gear that others didn't have.

-Phil Grove putting up the fastest Pattee Canyon Hill Climb time in 15 years.

-Bob Presta in every Wednesday Night cross race this year.

-Dave Hartman 24 hours of Rapelj......I think he was on a single speed in a cow pasture for 24 hours....think about that

So, who will create the next Montana Legendary Performance. It could be you.......

Rachel Lloyd Breaks Free

Rachel Lloyd took 5th in today's World Cup in Milan. The North American ladies are the real deal. The World Championships could potentially have Compton, Gould, and Lloyd in the top five. That is bannanas......

So, is the latest post on "That's what she said about your bike." I like the list....but let me come back with something spicy.....

I wonder what Pimpo is doing right now......