I was out and about on Saturday morning giving the new bike a spin………….Yep, thats right – a new bike.  Picked up a few weeks back from the by now closed Avanti Lifecycle bike shop on Kensington Road. If you haven’t heard, Chris is retiring.

All the best Chris.

The new bike – a Scott Solace 15.

The below photos are not my bike, but exactly the same colour.

Have a look at the seat stays.

It took me a few weeks to get my head around the fact the brake bridge has been designed out to give the seat stays more flex for more comfort.

In the few weeks I’ve had it, it feels good across the lumpy Adelaide Hill roads.

Still getting used to the 28mm tyres and the 11-32 cassette. I’ll probably swap it our for an 11-28 some time over the next few months. Maybe.

Loving the disc brakes. I took it down a few of the steeper hills around the Adelaide Hills last Saturday morning and I found descending with discs down Corkscrew, Cherryville and Pound was simply the best I’ve ever felt.  And I don’t mind saying that having a few extra gears to get back up, specifically Cherryville, was, dare I say it, a pleasure.

For those that got out on Saturday morning, it was bloody freezing, but the views looking down into the valleys onto the floating mist banks was superb – the below photo is looking down towards then Gorge from atop the Corkscrew.

And then looking back up.

This is what cycling in the Adelaide hills is all about.

_________________________________________________

Tour de France

Starting this weekend is the 102nd Tour de France, starting with the Grand Départ from the Netherlands and then spending two days in Belgium before heading into France.

Some of the distinctive stages of this years race are:

A MINI PARIS – ROUBAIX
The peloton will have its share of cobbled portions during stage 4 between Seraing and Cambrai. There will be seven sectors over a distance of 13.3 kilometres.

MUR AND MÛR
Two final climbs will spice up the first week of racing. First of all, the climb up the Mur de Huy (1.3 km at 9.6%), which is the traditional finish of the Flèche Wallonne, where stage 3 will end.

Then, the climb up the Côte de Mûr de Bretagne (2 km at 6.9% with some passages at 15%), known as the Alpe d’Huez of Britanny and already on the course in 2011, where the finish of stage 8 will take place.

STAGE	TYPE	DATE	START AND FINISH	DISTANCE	DETAILS
1	Individual time trial	Saturday, July 4th	Utrecht / Utrecht	13.8 km
2	On-line	Sunday, July 5th	Utrecht / Zélande	166 km
3	On-line	Monday, July 6th	Anvers / Huy	159.5 km
4	On-line	Tuesday, July 7th	Seraing / Cambrai	223.5 km
5	On-line	Wednesday, July 8th	Arras Communauté Urbaine / Amiens Métropole	189.5 km
6	On-line	Thursday, July 9th	Abbeville / Le Havre	191.5 km
7	On-line	Friday, July 10th	Livarot / Fougères	190.5 km
8	On-line	Saturday, July 11th	Rennes / Mûr-de-Bretagne	181.5 km
9	Team time trial	Sunday, July 12th	Vannes / Plumelec	28 km
–	Rest day	Monday, July 13th	Pau
10	On-line	Tuesday, July 14th	Tarbes / La Pierre-Saint-Martin	167 km
11	On-line	Wednesday, July 15th	Pau / Cauterets – Vallée de Saint-Savin	188 km
12	On-line	Thursday, July 16th	Lannemezan / Plateau de Beille	195 km
13	On-line	Friday, July 17th	Muret / Rodez	198.5 km
14	On-line	Saturday, July 18th	Rodez / Mende	178.5 km
15	On-line	Sunday, July 19th	Mende / Valence	183 km
16	On-line	Monday, July 20th	Bourg-de-Péage / Gap	201 km
–	Rest day	Tuesday, July 21st	Gap
17	On-line	Wednesday, July 22nd	Digne-les-Bains / Pra Loup	161 km
18	On-line	Thursday, July 23rd	Gap / Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne	186.5 km
19	On-line	Friday, July 24th	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne / La Toussuire – Les Sybelles	138 km
20	On-line	Saturday, July 25th	Modane Valfréjus / Alpe d’Huez	110.5 km
21	On-line	Sunday, July 26th	Sèvres – Grand Paris Seine Ouest / Paris Champs-Élysées	109.5 km

This year experience the three legendary climbs of the penultimate stage ending in L’Alpe d’Huez.

With its 13.8 km ascent and its famous 21 bends, the real Alpe d’Huez will be the final showdown of the 2015 Tour with the summit finish of stage 20 on the eve of the finish on the Champs-Élysées.

_____________________________________________

LA NUIT DU TOUR DE FRANCE – L I V E  O N  T H E  B I G  S C R E E N

SAT 25th JULY | 8:30pm-1.30am | THE REGAL THEATRE | KENSINGTON PARK

Guest Speakers including the renown Gabriel Gate.

Lucky Door prizes to be won including a return economy flight to Paris flying Singapore Airlines with 2 nights accommodation at Hotel du Nord et de l’Est and Eurail pass, weekend stay for 2 at the Adelaide Hilton (incl breakfast), a Nespresso coffee machine, a 3lt bottle of Wirra Wirra in a wooden box, full leader kit from the Oceania Tour donated by the UCI, Cycling Australia cycling pack, DVDs, books and bottles of French perfumes.

Silent auction for SBS advertising and a signed cycling jersey.

Cost $35 includes souvenir wine glass (filled with Wirra Wirra wine), supper and Nespresso coffee.

Plus the opportunity to purchase additional wine and snacks.

All profits go to Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Any further enquiries contact Barney Habel, SBS Media on 0419 690 259 or Hugh Chevrant-Breton, Singapore Airlines on 0438 740 033

______________________________________

The Lion

The lion was (note the word was) the mascot of longtime Tour de France title sponsor Crédit Lyonnais. According to French sports magazine L’Équipe, the bank has been handing out the fluffy lions at the Tour since 1987.

Forty-five of the little guys attend the Tour each year, with one distributed to each day’s winner and the rest closely guarded to avoid loss or (zut alors!) theft.

__________________________________________________________

The Contenders

This years race, at face value, looks like it will be an absolute cracker. The fab four are there, in good form, and supported by a good team.

And sitting just outside the fab four are the likes of Tejay van Garderen and Thibaut Pinot  who are progressing nicely, and on any given day can match it with the best.

Throw in Romain Bardet, Alejandro Valverde’s cohabitation with Nairo Quintana is interesting and Joaquim Rodriguez who could be riding his last Tour de France on a course that suits him.

Looks like it will be a cracker.

What do the bookies say? The latest odds are:

GC

• Chris Froome                                  13/8
• Nairo Quintana                                9/4
• Alberto Contador                             4
• Vincenzo Nibali                               9/2
• Thibaut Pinot                                  22
• Mikel Landa                                    33
• Tejay Van Garderen                       28
• Joaquim Rodriguez                        33
• Alejandro Valverde                         50
• Romain Bardet                               66

KoM

• Nairo Quintana                                4
• Pierre Rolland                                13/2
• Christopher Froome                       10
• Alberto Contador                           11
• Julian Arredondo                           11
• Joaquim Rodriguez                       16
• Thibaut Pinot                                 20
• Romain Bardet                              22
• Ryder Hesjedal                              20
• Steven Kruijswijk                           25

Team

• Astana Pro Team                              13/5
• Team Katusha                                   14/5
• Team Sky                                          14/5
• Tinkoff-Saxo                                      3
• Bretagne Seche Environnement       7/2
• AG2R La Mondiale                            21/5
• Movistar Team                                   21/5
• Trek Factory Racing                          29/5
• Orica Greenedge                               34/5
• Team LottoNL Jumbo                        34/5

___________________________________________

Pain Assessment Chart

I’m halfway through series 3 of Breaking Bad on Stan – yeah I’ve already seen it all before, but that was watching the old fashioned way on free to air tv over something like 5 years, and during that time I missed some. So, I started again.  Anyway, the point is this – in episode 7, Hank attacks Jessie who ends up in hospital with a rather messed up face, and in one scene Jessie is seen staring at a pain assessment chart – like the one below.

I haven’t seen a cycling pain assessment chart, so I thought I’d look at some of the past and present cyclists on the UCI pro tour scene and see if I can develop a cycling pain assessment comparison, so here goes.

I thought this would be easy, but it wasn’t. Some were more difficult than I thought. There are quite a few poker faces in the field, and others that were just plain difficult to read.

I’ve placed the photos from lowest to highest pain levels, but not attempted to put a score against them. You’ll get the gist.

Cadel Evans

Thomas Voeckler

Alberto Contador

Chris Froome

Vincenzo Nibali

Mark Cavendish

Lance Armstrong

 ____________________________________________

I’m introducing a new segment into Wednesday Legs – WL Cyclist of the Week

The first Cyclist out of the blocks is Dave Solari, owner of Zecca Bar and Kitchen in Hutt Street.

Dave is a former cyclist who, in 1985, became the first cyclist in history to be crowned national champion in two different countries.

He was Australian Junior pursuit champion and Italian Champion. Solari had duel citizenship and represented Italy at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and nine World track Championships.

He collected two bronze medals in 1986, a bronze in 1989 and silver in 1990, 91 and 92. Solari also won eight Italian National track championships as well as representing Italy on 158 occasions. Solari was Australian Champion in 1985 and 1992.

I sat down with Dave over a coffee (well, over several emails, but coffee sounds better)

What are you currently riding?

BMC. A gift from my old team mate and close friend, Fabio Baldato. Current team director of BMC racing team

What bike do you covet?

BMC Impec Lamborghini Limited Edition

 How many bikes do you own?

4

How do you store your bikes?

I store them hanging in 2 different sheds.

What cycling specific tools do you have in your “bike shed”?

None anymore!! When I was competing I had all the Campag track tools you could get.

Do you do all your own maintenance or do you use a LBS? If so, which one?

These days I don’t ride as much as I like, so very little maintenance is required. If it is required I take it to Norwood Parade Cycles who have looked after my bikes for 30 years. Phil Mittiga is, in my opinion the best bike mechanic going around.

What is your pet hate about cycling?

Riding in the wind, rain and cold!!!

What do you love about cycling?

Physical benefits and sense of freedom. When I was competing at world and Olympic level it was the adrenaline you got from competing against the worlds best.

Other than yourself, who is your favourite cyclist?

Francesco Moser. I was lucky enough to train with him on numerous occasions.

What is your fondest cycling memory?

Fondest memories are all World Championships and the 1988 Olympics I competed in.

What is your favourite post ride coffee spot?

Zecca bar & kitchen on Hutt st of course!!! (thats David below)

Finish this sentence “When I’m on my bike I’m…..”

FREE!!!

If you could ride anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Italy. Having lived there for over 15 years, I trained on very beautiful roads.

What is your favourite training route?

In Adelaide, up the Gorge rd and then around the Barossa.

What is the biggest cycling lie you have told your partner?

That the BMC Lamborghini Limited Edition doesn’t cost much!!!! (€25,000)

What would you like your partner to buy you for your next birthday?

The above bike!!!!!

Is there a local cycling outfit/company/person that you would like to plug?

Phil Mittiga at Norwood Parade Cycles. When I started in 1980, he looked after me and continued to do so every year when I came back here during the European off season. I had many top mechanics in the Italian National team and I can honestly say Phil is top notch.

Thanks Dave, definitely some great memories.

If you’re around Hutt Street, pop in, say g’day to Dave and try out his excellent food (zeppoles if you’re lucky enough to grab them) and coffee.

I’m looking forward to receiving more feedback over the coming months as we roam around the bike sheds and cycling minds of our Wednesday Leggers.

till next time

tight spokes

iPib