Latest news: [Wallstreet Journal]

REVEL, France — In 2007, Alexandre Vinkourov retired after testing positive at the Tour de France for blood doping. The 36-year-old Kazakh rider returned this year. He didn’t want to end his career “that way,” he said.

On Saturday, Mr. Vinokourov broke cleanly from the pack with five miles left and streaked home with his first stage win since his comeback. “Winning a stage in the Tour de France is like winning a world championship,” he said.

Temperatures on the 122.5-mile stage between the small towns of Rodez and Revel in the south of France were only in the seventies on Saturday, a relief to riders who have pedaled 1,568 miles, often in mid-nineties heat, since July 3. “The guys needed a break,” said Matthew White, director of the Garmin-Transitions team.

Three riders broke early and lasted around 100 miles in front. That’s considered a victory of sorts because it earns those riders’ sponsors time on TV. “It was a good break, we worked well together,” said Sylvain Chavenel, one of the three riders.

However, the three were unable to resist the winds that always handicap men in groups of only three or four. The pack caught up, and the game was on.

Each of the 22 teams in the Tour has one clear leader. It is a big story when two riders on the same team are contending for a title, as Alberto Contador and seven-time-winner Lance Armstrong did on Astana last year. Mr. Contador won the Tour and Mr. Armstrong finished third, but the situation led to bad blood and the American leaving the team.

On Astana this year, Mr. Contador is the unquestioned general. That leaves riders like Mr. Vinokourov to occasionally compete for stage wins on days when he has legs and motivation.

He almost triumphed on Friday, but Mr. Contador had broken from his rival Andy Schleck and needed space to try to gain more time. Mr. Vinokourov grudgingly ceded his place to his captain and got only third place.

That didn’t deter the Kazakh on Saturday. He accelerated on an ascent and left the pack behind. “I was very tired, but not in my head,” he said. He expertly handled the subsequent long descent and crossed the finish line with both arms raised in triumph.

Thomas Voeckler, the French national champion, tried to follow but failed. Sprinters Marc Cavendish and Alessandro Petacchi turned it on at the end and finished second and third.

Mr. Schleck held onto the leader’s yellow jersey, 31 seconds ahead of Mr. Contador. Samuel Sanchez of Spain is third, two minutes, 45 seconds back.

Mr. Armstrong, who in this Tour has endured a damaging puncture, bad crashes and doping allegations by former teammate Floyd Landis, suffered yet another mishap when he fell in the warm-up ride, bruising and scraping an elbow. He is far out of contention, in 36th place, over 25 minutes back. The top-ranked American is still his RadioShack teammate Levi Leipheimer in 6th place.

The Tour now heads into the imposing Pyrénées mountain range for four of the last seven stages. Mountains almost always determine the Tour winner because margins of victory there are almost always higher than on the plains.

The first of these, on Sunday, features two mammoth climbs toward the end of the 115.3-mile stage. “Him and me, we know tomorrow is the next battle, and it will be a hot one,” said Mr. Schleck, speaking of Mr. Contador.

[Write to John W. Miller at john.miller@dowjones.com]

Be sure to track the tour everyday with the Wall Street Tour Tracker: (Click below)

I am sending this email to you on behalf of Larry Donaldson who is out of town at his daughters graduation. bekindtoCyClists was just informed that the proposed Bike Ban for areas along the frontage road of IH37 and Valero Way was placed on the agenda of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee meeting for this coming Monday.

It appears that the Bike Ban may only be a discussion item on the agenda but we at bekindtoCyClists will be attending this meeting to voice our strong opposition to this proposed Bike Ban. The meeting is Monday, June 7th at 2:30pm, City Hall, Sixth Floor. City Hall is located at Leopard and Staples North of the County Courthouse.

While I realize that this meeting is during the workday, please try to attend and voice your opinion on this proposed Bike Ban. As further information becomes available, you will receive it from Larry. This email will also be sent to STARRS members so some of you may receive duplicate notices.

American cyclist Floyd Landis has admitted to systematic use of performance-enhancing drugs and accused seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong of involvement in doping, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for doping but had always denied cheating, sent a series of e-mails to cycling officials and sponsors acknowledging and detailing his long-term use of banned drugs, the newspaper said.

Landis also admitted to doping in an interview with ESPN.com.

Landis also accused American riders Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie and Armstrong’s longtime coach, Johan Bruyneel, of involvement in doping, the Journal reported.

Armstrong is currently competing in the Tour of California and couldn’t be reached for comment. Neither could Bruyneel, Leipheimer or Zabriskie.

Read more . . .

As the city takes another step towards a safe passing ordinance to give bicyclists more room on the road, the Traffic Engineering Department is looking into complaints and a possible ban on cyclists on other roads. The problem is the areas they plan to ban go right through a regular cycling route.

“This is our main regular route,” said cyclist Larry Donaldson, “We take this road to Nueces River and back out to Lamar Park which is about 42-43 miles.”

It’s a route Larry Donaldson is very familiar with. He leads a large group of Corpus Christi area cyclists in the area around up river road weekly. He says there’s one thing each rider must have and that’s safety.

“We stay to the right we ride in a safe pack group, especially on this road,” he explained.

But some truck drivers, disagree and they’ve brought their complaints to the city’s traffic engineers. We couldn’t find any specifically opposed to cyclists in Corpus Christi. But, truck driver Chris Prevatt has had problems maneuvering around cyclists before.

Read more . . .

It’s something local cycling groups having been pushing for since late last year. They’ve collected hundreds of signatures in a petition. Recently the proposal was presented it to the Corpus Christi City Council. At first the Corpus Christi Cycling Club was pushing for a six foot passing zone which is already in place in many cities like Austin. However, after having trouble getting an ordinance passed, they’re now pushing for a three foot wide lane. They want the city to widen all bike lanes and make it a crime for cars to park or veer into that area. This is especially important in areas like Ocean Drive where an accident nearly killed one cyclist last year. The cyclists groups say this would make the roads safer for runners, joggers and pedestrians as well. Avid cyclist Eric Esparza said, “It is very dangerous. If anyone every goes down Ocean Drive, they’ll see there’s a white line on each side for cyclists. Some time there are cars parked in the lanes. Where are they going to go, in the open lane for cars.” Cyclists believe expanding the lane and cracking down on motorists who cross the line will end up saving lives. The big question if passed is how to enforce the law.

See report at Kiii 3 news

We have updated some ride start times, primarily the Monday recovery ride at Stripes/Yorktown, that will now start at 6PM.  Also, the Wednesday Night Hammerfest will also move to 6PM beginning Wednesday, April 26th, 2010.  Enjoy and ride safe.

A recent message from concerned Corpus Christi Cycling Community:

Okay guys, we need some help here. The vehicle is registered to Mark Wessels at 2822 Panay Dr. We aren’t sure as to what to do. Here’s what happened:

March 24th- Wayne, Norma and myself were pedaling down Sante Fe at 5:15 Wednesday near Texan when a silver jeep floors the accelerator, jerks over in front of us, at the same time pretty emphatically giving the bird. Nothing new to us right?

One week later- March 31st- We are within a block of the same area at approximately the same time. The traffic was not an issue. We were not holding anyone up and cars were rather spread out. The SAME vehicle, as he is passing, locks the brakes, smoking the tires, slides over into the front of us. This action was so abrupt that another vehicle almost rear ended him. It appeared that he may reverse his vehicle to ram us. Then we thought he may be exiting the car for an altercation. The man is going literally berserk in the car, jumping and gesturing. He then speeds off.

Upon arriving at La Mar Park we learn that the same vehicle ran Joe Steele off of the road (Ocean Dr.), with gestures and the whole bit.

What bothers me is that he is escalating in actions and this being our second altercation with him, I believe we were targeted.

Now what? I call 911 and the officer on duty tells me that unless struck, there’s not a thing they can do. Officer LT. Tom Nichols told me that they would talk to him, but after 2 attempts, I am unable to find out if that actually happened.

So here we go. Wednesday is near. Will he run us down this time? What are we to do for protection? Do we hide by taking the back streets? This is where we need help. We thought maybe it would be a good idea to have someone follow in a car to prevent being hit from the back. Do you think one of our policeman cyclists would consider riding with us? Any ideas?

I would appreciate it greatly if you guys would forward this to all in our group so they may be aware of this guy. Also, if there is any feed back as to doing something legally to this guy from our police friends or attorney friends, we need to stop him.

Thanks, Ken Ham

by Al Kline

Fayetteville is a small town, smaller than most. When you drive in on 159 or 955, you cross a railroad track and boom, you take a right then a left and you’re in the town square. Bed and Breakfast cubbies littered every street corner. The day we arrived, all the streets were quiet and it almost seemed ghostly in its presence. I was soon to realize the cycling ghosts of past continue to circle the town year round’.

It’s a peaceful place, until one weekend in March when cyclists from all over Texas converge on a most interesting stage race. Just past the square, is an old-timey dance hall that is instantly converted into race headquarters, toilet-stop and breakfast/lunch corner. Surrounded by big oak trees right next to a baseball field, the folks at SWCC certainly know how to put on a quality race.

The 2010 Fayetteville stage race will be remembered for its inclement weather. We knew the storm was coming, but we all hoped it would suddenly pass, or only sink its teeth into that “other” race category. Every rider was hoping to dodge the bullet that would inevitably single out everyone in this most epic race weekend. No one escaped mother natures’ fury on Saturday.

This was my first stage race and I was eager to throw my racing legs over the saddle and get in a little training ride before the big race on Saturday. The stage race is broken down into a road race in the morning, time trial in the afternoon followed by another stage race the following day. We arrived on Friday to get a good look at the time trial course. Luckily, I had a race veteran with me on the trip, so he showered his race wisdom on me and gave me tips from how the course rides on race day to how to pick out little rocks from my tires between each stage. Like an old episode of Kung Fu, I was the grasshopper and he the master. It also kind of reminded me when I took a trip to Europe once with my parents, and they showed me all the hot spots in town that would put a trip organizer to shame. But this was much more.

First we drove the course by car then jumped on our bikes and headed down the 6.6 mile course as a warm up. Here a right, look for that one at the end of the white picket fence. Here comes the toughest hill on the TT course. Then another right, just over that hill. Then the winding road, a right, a left another right, then a sprint to the finish. Should we do it again, yes. The sun was out, we were all smiles. We began to see some other riders. The town was coming alive. This day the wind was into us going out and behind us coming home. The conditions would be frustratingly opposite on race day as a wet cold front would wreck havoc on the entire racing field the following day. It would soon drop temperatures from a cool 60 degrees to low, wet 40’s. Winter had certainly not left Texas yet.

The morning we arrived at the stage race the weather was just starting to turn south. The winds kicked up to Corpus-like gusts of up to 30 and 40 miles per hour. Those poor cat ones, we thought. Hell, they can tough it out. I entered the 35+ cat 4/5 race and was ready on the line. I would ride for Team ALS and was happy to see another team mate as we worked our way to the front line. I was told by the cycling gods how imperative it was to get to the front of the starting line in this road race. The center line rule was in place, and sometimes where you start in the pack can be where you finish. As we began our race, a two loop course with rolling hills, the winds and rain only worsened. I lost the first break-away on what I called “heart break hill”, then kicked it into gear and soloed until I got caught by a second group. The rain pelted my face and it began to get cold. I removed my racing glasses because the rain came down so hard, I couldn’t see. It was like riding in your car with the wind shield wipers going so fast, you still can’t see. All you can do is slow down. I began to see stragglers out on the side of the road, waiting for wheels. The number of people flattening was epic in itself. I must have seen 10 riders huddled on the side of the road, shivering into a stupor. Luckily, I didn’t stop riding or flat, so I finished in a bunch and quickly looked for my chaperon and went back to the hotel for a hot shower. That was the best hot shower I had experienced in quite some time. My team mate finished in the top 3, and we were thrilled. I finished in the top 20 and was happy with my first attempt at a stage race. I knew that afternoon, if I could put the hammer down in the time trial, I would move up some spots.

We arrived to the time trial gate on time to find out there was a 30 minute delay. The weather was dryer that afternoon, but was getting colder by the minute. It was now in the 30’s and shivering came into play. I warmed up really good and my time had come. I was tired after the road race that morning, but an extra shot of adrenaline kept me excited. The roads were now drying and I felt good. The count down . . . 5. .4. . 3. . 2. . 1, and I’m off. The first section of the course was downhill and wind behind. I glanced at my speed, 30, 35, 38, wow, I’m flying, not much effort. However, the winds were so gusty, I kept control of the bike in an effort not to blow over. I see a rider in the distance, I’m gaining, gaining, then pass him. I know that’s got to be humiliating. Then came the first right turn and the hill. The winds are straight across, I’m going to work. I climb, I jump out of the saddle to keep up my speed. I crest the hill and gain speed. 20 . . . 25 . . . 30 , I see another rider, I’m gaining, I pass another rider half way to the next turn. I know this is the turn to the finish. Only a few miles to go, but this section is dead into the wind. I think: If I can maintain 18 MPH into this stiff headwind, I may do some damage. I give it a go. It gets harder, the legs get a little heavy, then my first hill into the wind. I slow, damn, but I’m still in my tuck , so I get out and kick it up a gear to try and maintain my 18. It gusts to 30, then 40 MPH. My bike shakes. I see another rider on the side of the road. I’ve passed 3 people, just keep it rolling. I get to the first few turns and the hills are now gone. I give it my all and finish. I find out later, I finished 10th, only a few seconds off the winning times. My team mate also finished strong and was leading at the end of day one. We survived. An epic stage race is two-thirds done. I’m pumped. I move up to 13th place overall.

That evening I wined down and we eat at the Bistro 108 in La Grange. What a place! Dining doesn’t get much finer. The steak was medium rare and just melted as I consumed bread, steak and then more bread. I figured I would replenish the 4000 plus calories I burned out on the road today. The weather is now behind us. If I can ride and finish these last two stage races, I can probably ride in just about any condition a race can throw at me. A sense of accomplishment ran right through my bones. I finished off my meal with coffee and cake to celebrate.

The next day was gorgeous. The skies had cleared, it was sunny and cool 41 degrees when we woke. I arrived at the race about an hour before and began my warm up. I set up the trainer because it just felt too cold to ride at that moment. Unfortunately, my rear wheel began to shred on the trainer, so I frantically changed the tire on my back wheel with 15 minutes to spare before the start. I was unable to sign in while I was changing the tire, so I was docked a 15 second penalty before the start. We made it to the starting line and realized both me and my team mate were penalized 15 seconds. However, even the 15 second penalty wouldn’t change the outcome of the day. We had our sites set for an epic GC win for our team. My team mate and I talked a little before the race and my goals were clear: keep up the pressure and never let the pack take control. This stage would see three laps around the course. In the first lap, we had some wind help, so I decided to throw in my first break, and it was a good one. Reaching speeds up to 40 MPH, I broke the pack apart. My team mate latched on to a group of four or five riders to finally catch our break away. I had three to four riders in my break away, so we tried to keep the pressure up. It was a bold move, but we held true to our goal, we controlled the race. Unfortunately, when we reached the winds and the stiff headwind, the group failed to continue a rotation and a pack of twenty of so riders caught our group of ten. I continued to place some pressure on the group and provide some needed wind break for my team mate. The finish was in our sites and we finished in a pack sprint. The results, team ALS won our category race and I made a few more friends that day. Despite the adversity and foul weather on the first day, it was the perfect ending to my first stage race. Fayetteville is more than just a small town in my mind. On one weekend in March, Fayetteville is the Capitol of Texas and the center of cycling.