Sunday, February 22, 2009

Leipheimer wins Tour of California -- again

For the third straight year, Levi Leipheimer is the champion of the Amgen Tour of California. That's not a big surprise, given he took over the lead Monday and had the Astana team to protect him. One of his teammates, of course, is Lance Armstrong, who rode in support of Leipheimer during this race and finished 7th overall.

David Zabriskie was second overall, 36 seconds behind Leipheimer. Michael Rogers finished third.

Mark Cavendish was the top sprinter, Jason McCartney was the King of the Mountain, and Robert Gesink was the top young rider. Not surprisingly, Astana won the team competition.

The 96.8-mile final stage in San Diego County today featured aride up snowcapped Palomar Mountain, where the cyclists reached the 5,123-foot level on a two-lane highway with 21 switchbacks. Frank Schleck won the stage.

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments 7:35 PM

Landis briefly in the limelight

For the most part, Floyd Landis has been sitting back in the shadows of the Amgen Tour of California. Going into today's final stage, he's is 32nd place, 10 minutes and 26 seconds behind leader Levi Leipheimer.

While most eyes have been focused on Leipheimer and Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, who's in sixth place 1:46 behind and riding in a supporting role for Leipheimer, Landis briefly jumped into the limelight Saturday during a post-stage press conference.

The New York Times noted Landis is looking forward to the final stage Sunday, which includes an ascent of Mount Palomar, which had served as a training ride for him near his home in Temecula. The Times noted he answered some of his questions with "the sort of self-deprecating humor that added to Landis’s charm."

“I’ve never raced up it before,” Landis said. “My experience usually involves having a burrito at the bottom. I’m not going to be able to do that.”

Landis refused to answer questions about his past, which includes being stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title because of positive tests for banned substances. To read the full transcript of Landis' remarks, go to VeloNews.

Another American cyclist whose career was tainted by doping allegation, Tyler Hamilton, isn't faring well this race. Hamilton is in 95th place -- out of 97 riders -- and he's 49:25 behind Leipheimer. Hamilton has been riding in support of his Rock Racing team.

"I have a little bit different perspective on things," Hamilton told the Denver Post. "I'm just enjoying it, when before I didn't enjoy it as much. I'm 37 years old. I turn 38 in less than two weeks. Maybe this is my last Tour of California, so I'm going to enjoy it."

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments 1:41 PM

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Gerry Frierdich update: A mixed bag

I have good news and news that some may see as troublesome about my friend Gerry "Chief" Frierdich. I'll start with the good news, but I hope you'll read on about developments in the court case against the driver of the vehicle that struck Gerry's recumbent bike.

Pat Colle, of Jerseyville, Ill., was the winner of the second of two Bacchetta recumbent bicycles that were raffled off to raise money for Gerry's ongoing recovery. Gerry pulled Pat's name from a pool of hundreds of raffle tickets during a Feb. 7 mouse race benefit in Belleville. According to Gerry's CaringBridge site, Pat bought the winning ticket from me back in January during the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's Midwest Bike Expo & Swap Meet in Collinsville.

Congratulations, Pat! Have fun riding your recumbent on the backroads of Jersey County!

As regular readers of this blog know, Gerry was paralyzed from the chest down on Aug. 17, 2007, when his recumbent was struck by a pickup truck on South Green Mount Road in Belleville. Gerry has made a lot of progress since then. The court case involving the person accused of driving the truck has not.

Keith Joseph McCoy, 24, was charged in late 2007 with two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, a felony charge in Illinois. The case has sat in St. Clair County Circuit Court with little action being taken since then. Hearings, including one that had been scheduled for today, continually have been delayed.

The hearing was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 31 in Courtroom 409 of the St. Clair County Building in Belleville.

The only motion, other than routine motions for discovery information, that has been filed is one by McCoy's attorney, Richard Sturgeon, asking that McCoy's statements to Belleville police be suppressed. The motion contends that when police took a statement from McCoy immediately after the accident, that he was not advised of his constitutional right to remain silent, even though he was not free to leave the scene and that he was a suspect.

The motion also contends police made promises to McCoy to obtain a statement, but the motion does not detail the promises. To date, St. Clair County prosecutors have not filed a written answer to the motion.

Having covered the court system in Madison County back in the 1980s and early 1990s as a reporter and having first-hand experience with the system after the stabbing death of my brother, Wes, in 1996-97, I can say cases get delayed frequently for a variety of reasons.

While I'll continue reporting facts on the court case here, I really can't play the role of an advocate and voice opinions on an issue so close to home. While I avoid editing stories about Gerry as part of my job at the Belleville News-Democrat -- I'm much too close to Gerry and his fundraising efforts to edit the stories -- I still have to handle them as part of my role as a page designer. It's probably for the best that I stick to the facts here.

Labels: advocacy, Belleville, Gerry Frierdich, St. Clair County

Roger 1 comments 7:11 PM

Hooray for the sun!

It's good to see the sun out today for Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California as the cyclists make their way from Merced to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, but still a distance from the glory of Yosemite National Park. I remember the stretch of California 140 the cyclists are on now from my visit to Yosemite in 2004, when I took a bus from Merced to Yosemite.

Unfortunately, the weather has almost been as big of a story as Levi Leipheimer's effort to win a third straight Tour of California or Lance Armstrong's strong fourth-place showing.

The San Jose Mercury News noted the sogginess has led some to suggest switching the event to spring. A window has opened in April or May with the recent cancellation of Tour of Georgia, one of three major U.S. tours. But moving the Tour of California to spring would force a scheduling conflict with many of the world's best cyclists. It would dilute the field and diminish the tour's prestige.

"One of the most important races in the world should be in North America," said Andrew Messick, president of event owner Anschutz Entertainment Group. "That's our journey."

The wretched weather also has played havoc with Versus' coverage of the event. For three straight days, the race's fix-winged aircraft carrying the communications and broadcast technology couldn't fly. As a result, Versus hasn't been able to provide the expansive live coverage it had planned.

On top of that, it slowed the rides down so much that the race wasn't finished when Versus broke away to NHL coverage at 6 p.m. Central Time. That drew an angry response from Armstrong on his Twitter site.

"I heard from lots of folks that Versus cut off Tour of California coverage for hockey. Lame!" Armstrong wrote.

Sadly, it's proof cycling still has a long ways to go on the American sports scene.

Labels: cycling, television, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments 1:58 PM

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

2009 St. Louis World Naked Bike Ride

For those of you who love to ride in the buff -- or as bare as you dare or as the St. Louis Police Department lets you -- St. Louis' version of the World Naked Bike Ride will take place Saturday, Aug. 15. Last year's event, the first time the WNBR had taken place in St. Louis, drew about 300 people.

The goals of the event are to promote alternatives to motorized transportation and to promote a healthy self-image.

In case you need a reminder, here's what's considered lewd and indecent conduct in St. Louis: "The exposure of one's genitals, buttocks, vulva, pubic hair or the female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola."

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 8:57 PM

Five years of blogging!

It's hard to believe, but Roger Kramer Cycling: The Blog Page is 5 years old today! The rest of the Roger Kramer Cycling site marks its 8th birthday in April, but I think the blog deserves its own celebration because it's the most-read page on this site.

I think the blog has come a long way since its early days. If you look at the posts from February and March of 2004, I often drifted away from cycling. These days, for the most part, the blog is a clearinghouse for cycling items, although I still allow the blog to drift from time to time. For example, the most-commented post I've done remains the tribute I wrote in June 2006 about my late brother, Wes Kramer.

I monitor visits to my site, and I find lots of people still search for the lovely ladies I've written about from time to time, including Jana Ireton, the original Specialized Angel who made her debut during the 2006 Tour of California. I also get a lot of hits for people who are looking for Kristin Armstrong, the former wife of Lance Armstrong, and the Ditty Bops, the eclectic folk group who rode their bikes across America during their 2006 Bicycle Tour.

Not surprisingly, the blog gets heavy traffic the week of the Tour of Missouri, and I'm hoping to improve my coverage of the event this September will more photos and stories from the scene.

Not surprisingly, the cause I'm most proud of having supported on the blog is the effort to raise money for paralyzed Belleville cyclist Gerry Frierdich. I've known Gerry ever since 1991, when I first began working at the Belleville News-Democrat and he was working part time in the pre-press department while trying to establish himself as a professional photographer. Although he would eventually leave the paper, I would come across him regularly during Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society Wednesday Evening Rides. Although Gerry has a long way to go, Gerry's drive and determination have allowed him to make major strides. I'm glad to have played a role in getting the word out, and I'm grateful for the support the cycling community has given him since the August 2007 accident.

I'm looking forward to another five years of blogging, and thanks for sharing the road!

Labels: Web site

Roger 0 comments 10:15 AM

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Cardinals pitcher rides his bike to work!

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright -- who helped lead the Cards to the 2006 World Series title with his relief pitching -- is riding his bike to work while the Cardinals are in Spring Training in Jupiter, Fla.

Because of copyright concerns, I'm not showing the full photo by St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer Chris Lee here, but you can see it here: STLToday.com.

It's hard to believe, but we're only about a month and a half away from the start of the regular season. Play ball!

Labels: bicycling, St. Louis Cardinals

Roger 0 comments 1:52 PM

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Tour of California 2009

In a matter of hours (3:30 p.m. Central Time), the Amgen Tour of California gets under way with the 2.4-mile prologue. Cycling broadcaster Phil Liggett has ranked it "as the fourth or fifth biggest race in the world,'' and who am I to doubt him!

Clearly, the vast majority of eyes will be upon Lance Armstrong, who is racing for the first time in the United States since ending his retirement, But Armstrong insists he will be riding in support of Astana teammate and two-time defending Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer.

The eyes also be on a group of former dopers, including Ivan Basso, Tyler Hamilton, David Millar and Floyd Landis, who won the 2006 Tour of California before later that year stripped of his Tour de France championship. The San Jose Mercury News likens the field to the "equivalent to inviting Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and Alex Rodriguez to play ball."

But it's possible the winner could be someone like defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre, defending Tour of Missouri champion Christian Vande Velde and American cycling legend George Hincapie.

I'l try to cover the race the best I can from 2,000 miles away, but I suggest you follow some of the links on the right side of the page to get up-to-date coverage from people who are there. You also might want to follow California-based blogs such as Cyclelicious to get the inside story. You also can watch it on Versus, which is airing the Tour of California with nearly the same frequency as it does the Tour de France. (Note: The times listed on the Versus schedule are Eastern Time.)

The Tour of California site is offering a live tracker of the event, and you can watch the race for free at Cycling TV.

Labels: cycling, Lance Armstrong, racing, Tour of California

Roger 0 comments 12:37 PM

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Guess who's finally going on RAGBRAI?

I've been on plenty of the Midwest's great weeklong bicycle rides -- West Shoreline Tour, TRIRI, GOBA, etc. -- but I haven't done the granddaddy of them all.

Until this year, that is.

I will be doing this year's version of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, better known as RAGBRAI!

I signed up today through the St. Louis-based Touring Cyclist bicycle store chain, and it's a good thing I did. I called Touring Cyclist's main office and asked if there were still spots, and owner Donald Humphries had an ominous message for me:

"I don't mean to pressure you," he said, "but I only have two spots left and I've had six people call today."

Make that one spot. I immediately filed out the application form, which I've had for several weeks and put off filing out -- procrastination is one of my worst traits -- and went up to the Touring Cyclist shop in Fairview Heights, Ill., to make a down payment.

There's still time to sign up for RAGBRAI. The paper registration deadline is Sunday, and the online registration deadline isn't until April 1. However, fellow cyclists who have done RAGBRAI have told me going with a group is the way to go to avoid prolonged luggage searches and long shower lines.

Touring Cyclist had room for 57 people, and I'm No. 56. That definitely beats the heck out of being No. 58!

Dawn Weber, the manager of the Fairview Heights shop, always has been amazed that I've never done RAGBRAI, given the number of other weeklong rides I've done in 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces. Frankly, I have too. It's not been for a lack of trying, but I've never been able to get that week off work because of our vacation seniority system until this year.

I'm really looking forward to RAGBRAI. I just hope the vandals who plagued last year's ride by throwing tacks on the road stay home, or better yet, behind bars.

Labels: bicycle rides, Iowa, RAGBRAI

Roger 1 comments 6:48 PM

Biking/walking and the Economic Recovery Bill

The League of American Bicyclists, in conjunction with the America Bikes coalition, is calling of people to tell their lawmakers to support bicycling and pedestrian projects in the Economic Recovery Bill. On Tuesday, the Senate passed its version of the bill, which is considerably different from the House version. Here's what LAB has to say:

The House and the Senate have each passed their own version of the Economic Recovery Bill, aimed at creating jobs and stimulating the economy. Both bills include billions for transportation infrastructure, but only the House bill includes funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the Transportation Enhancements program.

The House Bill includes approximately $1.35 billion for Transportation Enhancements of which 50-60% is traditionally spent on bicycle and pedestrian projects. The Senate Bill does not explicitly include Transportation Enhancements, so its unclear whether this funding will be in the final bill.

This week there will be a conference committee where several members of the House and several members of the Senate will work together to reconcile the two bills. Conferees need to hear that Transportation Enhancements are important to stimulating the economy, creating green jobs, and moving us towards a sustainable future.

Please call your Senators and Representative and urge them to tell the Conferees to support Transportation Enhancements in the Economic Recovery bill.

The LAB alert also includes a box in which you can get the phone numbers for the representative and senators who represent you and ask them to support the projects.

Roger 0 comments 11:50 AM

Friday, February 06, 2009

Close call

Thursday morning, I went to the eye doctor's office for what I thought was a routine exam to confirm what I already knew, that it was time to get bifocals.

The ensuing four hours were far from routine.

In addition to the normal vision tests I've been doing since junior high, the folks at Belleville Optometry also did a retinal scan. When the doctor came in and decided he needed to do a blood pressure check, I was concerned.

It turned out that the retinal scan showed signs of elevated blood pressure. Instead of fitting me with glasses, he told me to get to an emergency room or urgi-health center immediately. After four hours of tests and medication at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, my blood pressure was down to where it needed to me.

During my four hours there, I was incredibly calm. I knew I had dodged a bullet, given my dad died 13 years ago from a massive stroke. I also knew some aspects of my life have to change -- now! So here's what I have to do:

• Get out on the bike or the walking trails more often. Last year was an incredibly busy year. Planning for The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Ride and the move of the Tour de Stooges from Lebanon, Ill., to Highland, along with bad weather, kept me off the bike during the spring. Teaching publication design at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the incredibly long time I had to spend preparing for class -- the first class I ever taught -- cost me lots of great cycling time in the fall. I'll have more time for cycling and walking this year. We're not doing the Gerry ride this year, planning Tour de Stooges will be much easier this year since we're established in Highland, and if I return to SIUE to teach the publication design class, I'll be spending much less time on class preperation.
• Eat healthier food and eat less of it. Since God gave me a body better suited for being an offensive lineman than an elite cyclist, I've struggled with my weight all my life. I also tend to eat out way too much. I have to modify my eating habits to shed those pounds.
• Relax more. Designing the front page of a daily paper is a stressful job because of the daily deadlines and last-minute news stories, among other things. I need to develop some stress-reduction techniques to calm myself down.

I think we caught the problem early enough so I can do something about it. I'm confident I can lick this thing.

Oh, and as for the glasses, I am indeed getting a pair of bifocals in the next couple of weeks.

I got to go. I've got some exercise to do!

Labels: personal

Roger 0 comments 11:18 AM

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Will Cycle for Charity

A new group in the St. Louis area is promoting cycling for charitable causes.

Will Cycle for Charity is a nonprofit group of St. Louis cyclists who are donating their time and skills for St. Louis-area charitable organizations through cycling events.

Will Cycle for Charity will put on its second event, Wheels of Glory II, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Atomic Cowboy nightclub. The doors open at 5 p.m., registration starts at 7 p.m., and indoor bicycle racing begins at 8 p.m. Here's the press release as written by Carrie Zukoski:

Who: Will Cycle for Charity, competitors and fans

What: Wheels of Glory II: indoor bicycle races

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Races start: 8 p.m. --– ?

Where: Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester, St. Louis, MO 63110

Why: Many worthy charities exist in the region. Will Cycle for Charity, a new, all-volunteer group hopes to engage the cycling community in fun, inexpensive fundraisers for some of these organizations with ongoing events. Proceeds from this event and others will be donated to various local organizations. For more information, visit http://www.willcycleforcharity.com.

Details: Participants pay $5 to race against the clock and each other, two at a time. Two trainer bikes are set up with timers with a large video screen in front that depicts a racing scene for the cyclists to race against.

A portion from next week's event will go to a children's charity in the St. Louis area. After the races, DJ Ashley Vulture will provide entertainment from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Labels: advocacy, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 2:55 AM

Kinky Llama delivers "toys" on a bicycle

Anthony Mikrut, aka the Kinky Llama, has found a niche for himself in Chicago.

The Kinky Llama, a purveyor of adult goods that promises one-hour delivery—by bicycle, no less — to most places in Chicago. Mikrut, 33, told the Chicago Tribune that his company has been around for 21/2 years and that, despite the recession, he's busier than ever.

"I think people like to have a little fun when they're not having the best time in the market," he told the Tribune.

After you view the video above, go to the Tribune article to learn a bit more about the Kinky Llama's business.

Labels: bike messengers, Chicago

Roger 0 comments 2:31 AM

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Money sought for bicycle/pedestrian projects

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is targeting Sen. Claire McCaskill in its effort to get divvy some of the money in the proposed economic stimulus bill to bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Why Sen. McCaskill? Because she expressed to MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh
that she thinks there is little support for bicycling and walking outside the big cities.

"The economic stimulus plan under consideration by Congress includes about
$30 billion for roads and highways," Brent wrote in a recent newsletter. "But there is a good chance that little or no money will be included for improving roads for bicycling and walking -- when we know federal and state funded roads are often the biggest dangers to walking and bicycling in Missouri."

Brent goes on to say: "You know that federal transportation funding and policy is one of the biggest reasons Missouri communities are unsafe/unfriendly for bicycling &
walking. Think of the state and federal highways where you live -- are they the best for bicycling and walking, or the worst?"

Last year, I reported that Missouri received a D from the MoBikeFed for its overall bicycle/pedestrian environment. Last year, I also reported that the League of American Bicyclists ranked 28th among Bicycle Friendly State; Illinois ranked 8th.

In case you want to contact the senator, you can reach her through the MoBikeFed's Web site. Of course, you're welcome to contact Missouri's senior senator, Christopher "Kit" Bond as well. Illinois residents can contact Sens. Richard Durbin and Roland Burris, and people in other state can contact their lawmakers. You can find a list of all the senators and links to their Web forms here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri, trails

Roger 0 comments 12:37 AM