Tag: Amgen Tour of California

Alberi rosa

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 5 Comments
Looks kind of like Italy. Or not.
Looks kind of like Italy. Or not.

I managed to find a little pink on my ride yesterday, in the late Ed Burke’s old neighborhood next to Palmer Park.

It was a typical May day in Bibleburg — start the ride wearing two long-sleeve jerseys, leg warmers, wool socks, long-fingered gloves and a tuque, finish wishing you’d left all that winter crap at home. And this was a 90-minute ride, mind you. More of the same today, with temps in the mid-40s, 76 percent humidity and more rain in the forecast.

Meanwhile, big props to Aussie Matt Lloyd (Omega Pharma-Lotto), who soloed to victory in today’s Giro stage after shelling break-mate Rubens Bertogliati (Androni). And chapeau to Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions), who scored the red jersey.

I lent a hand to the live coverage over at VeloNews.com today,  but the real heavy lifting commences tomorrow. After a full shift in the VeloBarrel on Saturday it’s full-tilt boogie starting Sunday, when we have the Amgen Tour of California and the Giro running concurrently. I won’t have a day off until a week from Tuesday. Good times.

Benvenuti ad Amsterdam

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 11 Comments

What is this, the Giro d’Netherlands? How does one tour Italy beginning in Amsterdam? I suppose if you smoke enough hash in the red light district you might come to think you’re in Italy, but wouldn’t the windmills and wooden shoes spoil the illusion?

Today marks the kickoff to three very long weeks indeed in the VeloBarrel. The Giro starts today, followed by the Amgen Tour of California on the 16th, and VeloNews.com has a twitchy WordPress-based website (much like this one, only a money-maker) and a staff that you could fit into a Smart car, laptops and all. So don’t be surprised if posts during May are mostly short and pointlessly vitriolic.

Come to think of it, I guess it will be business as usual around here. God help us all.