‘Tour de France 2011 – the Official Game’ for Android and Blackberry

The Official Tour de France Game for Android and Blackberry

The Official Game of the Tour de France: The global standard for cycling games, is now available to all Android and Blackberry users!

According to the description on the Android Market:

Become the team manager for your favorite team and then become a legend as you lead your team to victory!

Manage the peloton and deal with breakaways, climbs, accidents, loss of form, and more. TAKE CONTROL and take part in the most realistic virtual Tour de France ever seen! Choose the correct racing strategy and the best tactical plans. Expose the weaknesses of your competitors, and attack with your team in full force!

Tour de France 2011 – The Official Game: The best way to experience the race!

Game features include:

iRudyProject

Rydon's from Rudy Project

Walking through AW Cycles about two months ago, I bump into this familiar looking girl. When she spoke, the South African accent gave it away and I knew immediately who it was. Gila Joffe. The last time the two of us met was on a trip to France in July 1992. We went there to race our bikes and to see the Tour de France. On our last day in France, Gila, myself and a few other of the guys spent over eight hours on the Champs-Élysées waiting for the riders to come in for the final stage of the Tour. If my mind serves me correctly, it was Olaf Ludwig that took the stage that day. That was over 18 years ago. And now the two of us meet up again, and in a different country. We spoke for a while and scheduled to meet up for coffee a few days later.

So when we meet up Gila and I had a good catch up on the old times and also told me of her new ventures here in the UK. The first being iRudyProject and the second ICE ID.

• iRudyProject is a UK online store dealing with all Rudy Project sunglasses and helmets. Being online, Gila is able to offer some pretty cool prices that don’t break the bank at all.
• ICE ID is also an online store that rivals that off Road ID. It is a wearable In Case of Emergency Identification product. Currently there are 5 different forms, Wrist ICE, Shoe ICE, Ankle ICE, MEDI ICE (medical alert bracelet) and a DOG TAG. The ICE ID range allows everyone no matter what their choice of outdoor activity to find a comfortable, stylish way to carry their ID at all times.

After our meeting Gila gave me a pair of Rudy Project Rydon’s with ImpactX photochromatic clear lens to wear when I go out riding. I’ve tried them out a few times and will be posting another blog piece on here of my experience with it. Make sure to look out for it.

Cycle Show 2010: Sylvain Chavanell’s Eddy Merckx EMX-5

Some more from the 2010 London Cycle Show. This time it’s from Eddy Merckx and his top of the range, EMX-5. These two machines on show came direct from the Tour de France, from the Quick Step team.

One show was the combo yellow/green EMX-5 from stage winner, as well as Yellow Jersey and Green Jersey winner, Sylvain Chavanell. Add to this was the polka dot coloured EMX-5 won by King of the Mountains jersey winner from the same stage, Jerome Pineau.

Here are their frames for you to admire:

Quick Step's Sylvain Chavanell's yellow/green Eddy Merckx

Jerome Pineau

Just had to get a picture of the new Eddy Merckx logo

Team Sky – new professional British road cycling team

BSkyB has announced the creation of a professional British road cycling team, Team Sky, to be managed by Great Britain’s Olympic performance director Dave Brailsford CBE.

Team Sky will build on the principles that make British riders a consistent success on the track and will support Sky’s work as Principal Partner of British Cycling, fuelling the sport from grass roots to elite level.

And the team will expect results. Team Sky wants to create the first British winner of the Tour de France, within five years. It also aims to inspire people of all ages and abilities to get on their bikes, through the team’s positive profile, attitude and success, and add further support to competitive cycling in Great Britain.

Team Sky will have a core of British riders, coaches and support staff and its HQ will be in Manchester, home to the GB cycling team. It will compete from the start of 2010, throughout the calendar, with the objective of gaining an invitation to the Tour de France. The race schedule will include the Tour of Britain, a chance to showcase the team on home ground.

An initial squad of around 25 riders will be recruited during the 2009 calendar year. They will be supported by a team of coaches, technicians and support staff from across the cycling world, many of whom work throughout the year with British elite and developing riders. Team Sky will now start to recruit key personnel and approach commercial partners to support the new team.

Since becoming Principal Partner of British Cycling last summer Sky has used its relationship with millions of homes to encourage families to get out and ride in order to help their health, their fitness and the environment. The Sky Sports London Freewheel in September brought more than 50,000 recreational riders together to ride traffic-free streets in the heart of London.

Sky is also working with British Cycling to develop a range of inspiring events, to make cycling fun, easy and accessible to all, which will be announced in the spring.

Does this mean that Mar Cavendish (Columbia-Highroad) , Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream), and David Millar (also Garmin-Slipstream) will be bought out of their current team contracts to join this new team?

Wind tunnel Lance

Lance Armstrong and Steve Hed

Looks like Lance is getting back into the swing of things in preparation for the 2009 racing season. A media event was arranged to mark the occasion at the San Diego Air & Space Technology Low Speed Wind Tunnel where Lance showed off his new black Livestrong skinsuit and Nike shoe covers. Not forgetting his new Giro aero helmet and his ever-present Oakly sunglasses too.

Representatives from equipment suppliers Trek, SRAM, SRM and Giro were there on Armstrong and longtime aerodynamic consultant Steve Hed’s request. For more info and pictures on this, visit Bikeradar.com

Cycling’s Bad Blood

Don’t you love books that make you analyse the subject, whilst stirring emtions and evoking various conflicting thoughts within you? Well, that’s exactly what I got when I read this book.

What the book did do was allow me to recall my achievements, and disappointments, as a young competitive cyclist back in 1990-1996. All the trophies, the medals, the winner jerseys and provincial colours for excelling in a sport I love. This is something that would make any child, or person for that matter, want more. Who wouldn’t? And you would do what it took to make sure you kept getting it all, if not more than before. Now i’m not saying it meant we would take drugs, but what I do mean is that it would make you train harder and longer than your nearest competitor.

I have to say I am lucky in that I was never involved in or took any drugs to help me progress further in the sport I love. But my racing years were, as indicated in the book, at the time when drug use in the professional ranks of the sport was starting to increase dramatically. I remember back then reading US cycling magazine, Winning, in which there was an article on this newly developed form of EPO that was completely undetectable. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), this drug could only be afforded by those professional teams that had the cash to splash as the costs to administer it were so extremely high.

However, I did have a friend who raced in two age groups above mine. He was a track racer and was undoubtedly the best sprinter we had in South Africa. Built like a brick shithouse, he could snap a steel frame in two (no jokes!). But he was also one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. Now, he always openly admitted using testosterone in the off-season. I never saw him use the stuff and always wondered if it was just mucho speak at the track to try and instill fear into his rivals. I suppose I will never know.

Anyway, back to the book. It’s a very interesting book. Well, I say that because as a person who has never had access to the professional world of cycling (but did come into contact with it), this book scratches below the surface of it all and brings further insight into it. Now I’m not talking about the nitty gritty of what training they do, who talks to who, but more along the lines of what happens behind closed doors, and how small and close the community of professional cycling really is.

The blurb on the back of the book says:

We all want to believe in our heroes. That’s why Jeremy got into cycling. But what happens when you can’t? When you’ve seen too many positive dope tests, when you’ve been lied to too many times, when your sport is destroying itself from within?

Bad Blood is the story of Jeremy Whittle’s journey from unquestioning fan to Tour De France insider and confirmed sceptic. It’s about broken friendships and a sport divided; about having to choose sides in a war against doping; about how galloping greed and corporate opportunism have led the Tour De France to the brink of destruction. Part memoir, part devastating espose of a sport torn apart by drugs and scandal, Bad Blood is a cautionary tale, a love letter to one man’s past, and a warning to professional sport’s future.

This blurb gives a very good summary of this extremely well writen 234-page book, which includes references about Philippe Gaumont, David Millar, Lance Armstronga and Operation Puerto, to name but a few. More importantly, the book draws attention to the Omerta that has reigned within this sport and shows the downfalls of those who challenged it. After reading this book you can truly understand why Jeremy feels the way he does and why he has lost his faith in this spectacular sport with men that have superhuman capabilities.

This book is very much needed, if anything, to help us understand what people will do to try and achieve at the highest levels in the most demanding sport in the world. More importantly, it will also help the sport on its way to cleaning up its image and ridding itself of all the drugs and scandals. In order to fight it, we need to understand it.

In writing this book Jeremy is challenging the Omerta. I think it’s time we all do!

On a side note, as much as Jeremy’s vision of heroes has been tarnished by the cheats and scandals that have rocked this sport, I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy. I’m holding on tight to my dream of heroes, legends and untold glory. I know this book carries some truth to it, if not all of it. However, I lost my way with cycling back in ’96. Eight years ago, I discovered the love for it again and I’m not about to give up on it now.

Cycle 2008: The bikes that make us watch in awe!

Here are some of the bicycles ridden by our heroes, whether it be at the Olympics or Tour de France. They can all be seen at Cycle 2008 in London which is currently taking place this weekend.

Carlos Sastre's Cervelo R3SL

Mark Cavendish's Giant TCR Advanced

Theo Bos' Koga Miyata Kimera

Shanaze Reade's Redline Flight Pro

Magnus Backstedt's Felt F1 Sprint

Christian Ven Velde's Felt DA

…and last but definitely not least, Paul Manning’s team issue bike that he rode in the team pursuit to claim gold at the Beijing Olympics.

Paul Manning's Gold winning team issue Olympic bike

For more pictures of Cycle 2008, check out the following links:

- Cycle 2008

- The coolest bikes in the world

- The new Shimano electronic Dura-Ace Di2

EPO Positives – for the Good of Cycling

Cycling again made headlines in the world of sports today. Following some new test procedures,the anti-doping agencies are now going back to old samples and re-testing them. The riders caught out are two-time stage winner in this year’s Tour de France, Stefan Schumacher, and Italian cyclist Leonardo Piepoli, who also took a stage.

Both cyclists have been caught for using the banned substance CERA (Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator). So far, three riders from this year’s Tour have now tested positive for CERA; Ricco, Piepoli and Schumacher.

Now I’m sure you are asking – “why is this good for cycling?” Well, Cycling Weekly sums this up particularly well. Reporter Nigel Wynn writes:

…these latest Tour test results - Leonardo Piepoli and Stefan Schumacher’s positives for EPO variant CERA – are a sign that the sport is cleaning up, and not just from the obvious fact that two more dopers have been nicked.

How? I’d like to think that Piepoli and Schumacher – along with Riccardo Ricco, who failed the test for new EPO variant CERA during the Tour itself – are the dregs of the druggies. A last, tar-laden splutter from a smoker giving up on the fags and clearing their lungs of muck.

Sure, it’s painful that the name of cycling is again associated with drugs and doping, but it’s part of a long and drawn out process of wiping out the cheats. And it’s working.

What’s great is that this latest batch of positives has come from a test that wasn’t fully implemented during the event itself. The anti-doping agencies are now going back to old samples and re-testing them when new test techniques are developed.

No longer are the dopers one step ahead – the message is clear. You may think you’re getting away with it now, but what will happen in a few months’ time?

It should make riders who think they’ve got the latest undetectable super-drug think twice.

Teams now dismiss riders at the very whiff of a doping scandal. Event organisers and national federations are not scared of making sure positive riders are banned. Clean riders are unafraid to speak out.

What was needed is now happening – a shift in the culture of professional cycling as a whole.

I have to agree with that – a shift in the culture of professional cycling as a whole is now taking place. And I am in full support of it.

If you are in support of this change, then join the campaign being spearheaded by Cycling Weekly and Cycle Sport – I Support Drug Free Sport.

Cycling’s week that was!

Wow! That’s all I can say about this past week. Besides the fact that I’ve been snowed under with my day job (yup – something has to pay the bills), the world of cycling has surely continued to make some noise. Working as a PR for one of the world’s biggest technology and services companies, making noise is something I know how to do. But this week, cycling did not disappoint with two big announcements.

First up, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has formally announced his return to the professional circuit  after a three-year absence.

According to Lance himself:

“I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. … It’s now time to address cancer on a global level.”

There were many rumours making their rounds in the run up to his announcement. The most prominent was that Lance was going to be buying out ASO. Needless to say, this wasn’t true, but it did sound quite reasonable at the time. Especially that it would give him the world-wide reach he would need to get his message out in the fight against cancer.

One rumour, or theory I should say, that did resonate with me, and one I still believe would make a lot of sense is one that was put forward by the Fat Cyclist. The theory was that instead of joining a team, Lance would be forming a new one – Team LiveStrong. With a team branded ‘not to sell a product or company, but to raise money and awareness to fight cancer’, Lance would have a much bigger impact. On top of that, would Tour organiser ASO turn away a team explicitly created to fight cancer, led by the greatest Tour rider ever? Methinks not.

Come to think of it, maybe this could still be part of the plan – the long term plan? The short term plan could be to get back in to the world of cycling, just as he has announced, and to start raising the awareness for the campaign. A year or two on, then ramp up activities and launch Team LiveStrong. This theory has legs and one I think could definitely make its appearance. So keep an eye out for it, and remember, you heard it here first.

Secondly, on Friday the UCI and Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) decided to call it a truce on their 4-year feud. As I’ve mentioned before in a previous post, the two organisations needed to sort themselves out for the greater good of the sport.

UCI chief, Pat McQuaid: “This agreement marks the start of a new, postive era for the whole cycling family.”

McQuaid also said the UCI would now be proceeding with proposals to re-organise an elite cycling calendar. With 2011 earmarked as the likely date for a real, new beginning for all parties, there will be no Pro Tour ranking next season. Instead there will be a ranking system that takes into account the results of all UCI races.

Let’s just hope that this bitching between the two groups is over and done with. If cycling is ever going to gain the respect it needs at this crucial point in its growth curve, then these two organisations need to show the maturity and leadership qualities that we empower them with!

Last but not least, on Friday I received my press pass for Cycle 2008, the UK’s leading cycling show, which is taking place in early October (9th – 12th to be exact). Am looking forward to walking around the halls at Earls Court and checking out all the new products coming to our shores. So look out for my upcoming posts on this event.

Well, that’s all for now. Let me know your thoughts on the Lance theory. Also, let me know if you are going to be at Cycle 2008.

Lance to buy Tour organisers Amaury Sport Organisation…?

Lance Armstrong

A rumour, started in Australia over the weekend, has it that the real reason behind Lance Armstrong’s return to the world of cycling next year is so that he can buy Tour organisers Amaury Sport Organisation.

SMH give their reasons behind this as (if it was true):

Were Armstrong to own ASO, it would give him a huge European-based sporting arm through which he could promote the Lance Armstrong Foundation and expand exposure for his own personal sponsors.

It is worth noting that ASO, whose revenue in 2006 was €150 million ($263m), does not just own the Tour.

It also owns nine other races – including the Tour Qatar and Tour du Faso in Africa – the Dakar car rally, Paris marathon and half-marathon, the French Golf Open and the R.I.D.E international equestrian event in Normandy. The return of Armstrong to racing after a four-year hiatus – let alone if he won – would also reinforce the Armstrong branding that he virtually had on the Tour during his reign as champion, and would cement it as its future figurehead.

And if such a deal pains the French, should not the blame be pointed at ASO’s owners for giving up a national icon?

If it sounds absurd, there have been a number significant events that hint at such an outcome.

American ownership of ASO would strengthen the bridge between it and the US-based Anschutz Entertainment Group which organises, among other events, the Tour of California.

Furthermore, the event already supports two cancer charities and has been listed by Armstrong as one of the races he will compete in next year. A relationship already exists between ASO and AEG, too.

Last year, they settled on a marketing partnership deal.

The prospect of an Armstrong-UCI coalition involving UCI vice-president Verbruggen also carries weight. The Dutchman appears available. He stood down as an International Olympic Committee member on August 24.

The UCI also announced during the Olympics that it had met with the Amaury Group to settle a long-standing dispute with the tour organisers over the official sanctioning of races.

But did they discuss more?

Nothing was said by the UCI then about a possible ASO takeover. Nor has it been since. But, interestingly, no tour executives were present at those talks, or at the UCI press conference in Beijing.

Recent whispers also hint that several ASO executives may soon be leaving. Such a scenario would leave Australia, South Africa and other countries in the southern hemisphere as the next frontier for the Armstrong-UCI ticket.

The gain for the UCI is its association with Armstrong, while for Armstrong, it would allow him to take his fight against cancer worldwide.

Which is, after all, the reason he says he is getting back on the bike.

Now this all makes huge sense to me. Plus, even if it turns out to be wrong, it’s still not a bad idea for Lance to consider.

However, as expected the UCI have already countered this claim. Contacted by Cycling Weekly, UCI president Pat McQuaid dismissed the whole idea of an Armstrong-UCI-Verbruggen takeover of the Tour as something that: “never was and never will be a possibility. In fact, it’s so far removed from the truth that if it were closer to the date I would consider it an April Fool’s Day joke. It’s just not true”.

Ah well, it still makes for interesting reading and a ‘potential’ future prospect that sounds rather exciting.