The new 2012 range from Lake Cycling

The new customisable Lake CX401

My friend Martin, from Todays Cyclist, popped around the other day for a cup of coffee and a chat. He’s a great guy and it’s always good to see him. While here he showed me the new 2012 range of Lake Cycling shoes that he had in his bag of goods.

Lake CX401

The first pair he had to show me was the new customisable CX401. These are the top range of shoes available from Lake. As you can see from the picture above and below, these shoes just look awesome. But it doesn’t stop there. Its features include:

Jens Voigt – what legends are made of

Jens Voigt descends the Peyresourde Pass on a loaner bike after a crash shattered his own (Robin Wilmott)

On stage 16 of this year’s Tour de France, Jens Voigt showed us what legends are made of. About 2km’s into the descent of Peyresourde Pass, he blew his front tyre and he went down.  This crashed almost forced him out of the Tour for a second year in a row.

To make matters worse, the first team car was behind Andy Schleck, and the second had decided to go up ahead to hand out water bottles at the foot of the next climb. As a result Jens had no bike as his was shattered from the front wheel blow out.

According to Jens:

So then the broom wagon pulled up and was like, “Do you want to just get in?” And I said, “Oh no, I don’t need YOU!” But there I am with blood spurting out my left elbow and no bike. Finally, the race organizers got me a bike, but it was this little yellow junior bike. It was way too small for me and even had old-fashioned toe-clip pedals. But that is the only way I could get down the mountain, so I had to ride it for like 15-20 kilometers until I finally got to a team car with my bike.

Then, I still had to get up to the grupetto. All I can say is that that desperate times need desperate measures, but I got up there. And once I did it was grupetto all day long.

Needless to say, I had plenty of time to come up with a fitting book of the day. It’s from the Disk World series by Terry Pratchett. In it, the protagonist is Conan the Barbarian, who is a 70-year-old who has just survived everything. At one point he, and his other old warrior friends capture this village, but then they find that they are surrounded by an army of tens of thousands, and his only reaction is, “Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!” And that’s the way I was today when I was lying on the ground. I just thought, “Oh no, I’m going to Paris this year, I’m going to Paris. There’s just no way you are going to get me out of this race for the second year in a row!”

This just goes to show what a legend the man is becoming! No matter what bike he was riding, no matter what his circumstances were, he decided not to give up. You have to admire that?!

BBC Olympic Cycling TV schedule

After some crafty search manoeuvres on the BBC site, I have managed to find the entire TV schedule for the cycling events at the Beijing Olympics. For obvious reasons, these sites and times will only apply to UK-based viewers. Click the links for more information on the various channels.

9 August

04:00 -10:30 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Men’s Road Race
Live coverage of the men’s road race.

04:00 -10:30 (Freeview One)
Men’s Road Race
Live coverage of the men’s road race.

15:30 -16:30 (Satellite and Cable Five)
Men’s Road Race
Highlights of the men’s road race, the first cycling event of the Games.

16:30 -17:30 (Freeview One)
Men’s Road Race
Highlights of the men’s road race, the first cycling event of the Games.

21:30 -22:30 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Men’s Road Race
Highlights of the men’s road race.

21:30 -22:30 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Men’s Road Race
Highlights of the men’s road race.

10 August

07:00 -10:30 (Satellite and Cable One)
Women’s Road Race
Live coverage of the women’s road race.

07:00 -10:30 (Freeview Three)
Women’s Road Race
Live coverage of the women’s road race.

16:30 -17:30 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Women’s Road Race
Highlights of the women’s road race.

16:30 -17:30 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Women’s Road Race
Highlights of the women’s road race.

22:00 -23:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Women’s Road Race
Highlights of the women’s road race.

13 August

04:30 -06:15 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Women’s Time Trial
Live coverage of the women’s time trial.

04:30 -06:15 (Freeview One)
Women’s Time Trial
Live coverage of the women’s time trial.

06:30 -10:15 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Men’s Time Trial
Live coverage of the men’s time trial.

06:30 -10:15 (Freeview One)
Men’s Time Trial
Live coverage of the men’s time trial.

17:30 -18:30 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Women’s Time Trial
Highlights of the women’s time trial.

17:30 -18:30 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Women’s Time Trial
Highlights of the women’s time trial.

18:30 -19:30 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Men’s Time Trial
Highlights of the men’s time trial.

18:30 -19:30 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Men’s Time Trial
Highlights of the men’s time trial.

14 August

01:00 -02:00 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Women’s Time Trial
Highlights of the women’s time trial.

02:00 -03:00 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Men’s Time Trial
Highlights of the men’s time trial.

15 August

18:00 -19:00 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Highlights: Track Events
Highlights from the track events, including the men’s team sprint.

18:00 -19:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Track Events
Highlights from the track events, including the men’s team sprint.

16 August

00:00 -01:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Track Events
Highlights from the track events, including the men’s team sprint.

09:30 -12:30 (Satellite and Cable Four)
Men’s Individual Pursuit, Men’s Points Race and Men’s Keirin
Live coverage of the men’s individual pursuit, the men’s points race and the men’s keirin.

09:30 -12:30 (Freeview Three)
Men’s Individual Pursuit, Men’s Points Race and Men’s Keirin
Live coverage of the men’s individual pursuit, the men’s points race and the men’s keirin.

20:30 -22:00 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Highlights: Men’s Individual Pursuit, Men’s Points Race and Men’s Keirin
Highlights of the men’s individual pursuit, the men’s points race and the men’s keirin.

20:30 -22:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Men’s Individual Pursuit, Men’s Points Race and Men’s Keirin
Highlights of the men’s individual pursuit, the men’s points race and the men’s keirin.

17 August

03:00 -04:45 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Men’s Team Pursuit and Men’s and Women’s Sprints
Live coverage of qualifiers in the men’s team pursuit and the men’s and women’s sprints.

03:00 -04:45 (Freeview One)
Men’s Team Pursuit and Men’s and Women’s Sprints
Live coverage of qualifiers in the men’s team pursuit and the men’s and women’s sprints.

07:15 -09:00 (Satellite and Cable Six)
Pursuit and Sprint Qualifying
Coverage of the men’s team pursuit qualifying and the men’s and women’s sprint qualifying.

09:30 -11:45 (Satellite and Cable One)
Men’s and Women’s Sprint Final
Men’s and women’s sprint final, men’s team pursuit, and women’s individual pursuit final.

16:00 -17:30 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Pursuit and Sprint Qualifying
Highlights including the men’s team pursuit and men’s and women’s sprint qualifying.

16:00 -17:30 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Pursuit and Sprint Qualifying
Highlights including the men’s team pursuit and men’s and women’s sprint qualifying.

18 August

09:30 -12:00 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Day 10
Live coverage, including the men’s team pursuit and women’s points race final.

09:30 -12:00 (Freeview Two)
Day 10
Live coverage, including the men’s team pursuit and women’s points race final.

17:00 -18:30 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Highlights: Day 10
Highlights, including the men’s team pursuit and women’s points race final.

17:00 -18:30 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Day 10
Highlights, including the men’s team pursuit and women’s points race final.

20:30 -22:00 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Day 10
Highlights, including the men’s team pursuit and women’s points race final.

19 August

09:30 -12:45 (Satellite and Cable Four)
Men’s and Women’s Sprint and Men’s Madison
Live men’s and women’s sprint heats and finals and the men’s madison final.

09:30 -12:45 (Freeview Three)
Men’s and Women’s Sprint and Men’s Madison
Live men’s and women’s sprint heats and finals and the men’s madison final.

18:30 -20:00 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s Sprint and Men’s Madison
Highlights of the men’s and women’s sprint heats and finals and the men’s madison final.

18:30 -20:00 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s Sprint and Men’s Madison
Highlights of the men’s and women’s sprint heats and finals and the men’s madison final.

20 August

00:00 -01:30 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s Sprint and Men’s Madison
Highlights of the men’s and women’s sprint heats and finals and the men’s madison final.

02:00 -06:00 (Satellite and Cable Four)
Men’s and Women’s BMX
Live BMX, featuring the men’s and women’s seeding runs and the men’s quarter-finals.

02:00 -06:00 (Freeview Three)
Men’s and Women’s BMX
Live BMX, featuring the men’s and women’s seeding runs and the men’s quarter-finals.

18:00 -19:00 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s BMX
Highlights of the BMX, featuring the seeding runs and the men’s quarter-finals.

18:00 -19:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s BMX
Highlights of the BMX, featuring the seeding runs and the men’s quarter-finals.

21 August

00:00 -01:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s BMX
Highlights of the BMX, featuring the seeding runs and the men’s quarter-finals.

02:00 -04:30 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Men’s and Women’s Finals
Live coverage of the men’s and women’s BMX cycling finals.

02:00 -04:30 (Freeview One)
Men’s and Women’s Finals
Live coverage of the men’s and women’s BMX cycling finals.

18:00 -19:00 (Satellite and Cable Two)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s Finals
Highlights of the men’s and women’s BMX cycling finals.

18:00 -19:00 (Freeview One)
Highlights: Men’s and Women’s Finals
Highlights of the men’s and women’s BMX cycling finals.

22 August

08:00 -10:15 (Satellite and Cable Four)
Women’s Mountain Bike
Live coverage of the women’s mountain bike race.

08:00 -10:15 (Freeview Three)
Women’s Mountain Bike
Live coverage of the women’s mountain bike race.

17:30 -18:30 (Satellite and Cable Three)
Highlights: Women’s Mountain Bike
Highlights of the women’s mountain bike race.

17:30 -18:30 (Freeview Two)
Highlights: Women’s Mountain Bike
Highlights of the women’s mountain bike race.

23 August

08:00 -10:45 (Satellite and Cable Four)
Men’s Mountain Bike
Live coverage of the men’s mountain bike race, with Liam Killen riding for Britain.

08:00 -10:45 (Freeview Three)
Men’s Mountain Bike
Live coverage of the men’s mountain bike race, with Liam Killen riding for Britain.

15:00 -16:00 (Satellite and Cable Six)
Highlights: Men’s Mountain Bike
Highlights of the men’s mountain bike race, with Liam Killen a medal chance for Britain.

20:00 -21:00 (Freeview Three)
Highlights: Men’s Mountain Bike
Highlights of the men’s mountain bike race, with Liam Killen a medal chance for Britain.