Broken bones

Off season is finally over. Those long months after the Worlds lay behind us, actually I believe they went past rather fast. I believe Twitter helped the days go by with lots of discussions and news.

Breaking bad
Along with racing season comes the less fortunate episodes, more specifically where cyclists get injured due to falls and crashes. Now, this is something PRO cyclists don't like to think about, even talk about. They suppress these thoughts, avoiding them as best as they can. I understand them perfectly, it's hard to do a job descending down a mountainside doing 90 km/h on thin tyres having that in the back of their mind. Nervous chatter in the team bus before difficult races says it all, no need to discuss the matter more. Coaches and road captains do what they can prior to the race to get the riders maintain focus.

Pain is a part of a cyclist's diary, we all know that. Pain from climbing a mountain is one thing, from breaking a collarbone and withdraw from PRO racing for a period of time is something entirely else. What is the most common injury a cyclist is exposed to? Leg? Collarbone? Knee? No, it is actually the face, at least according to this site. About 20% of all cyclists' injuries occur to the face. Remember Jens Voigt's face after that horrible crash on stage 16 in the Tour 2009? Here you see the result some days later. That's why we wear helmets...

For cyclists it's never a good time to break the collarbone. Last year Team Sky's Kurt Asle Arvesen crashed within the neutralised zone at the Tour of Qatar, before the stage of that day had started, breaking his collarbone. What a tragic day to the team as well as to him personally. When a cyclist break the collarbone that early in the season, the rest of the season will be affected. For some it could be a good thing if you have the possibility to win the Worlds, but in Arvesen's case, he missed most of the Classics program. Good thing he's back this season with a vengeance.

The famous Italian rider Fausto Coppi broke some bones as well during his super strong career:
Collarbone x 2, pelvis, shoulder blade and a displaced vertebrae were the most serious injuries he experienced.

Fränk Schleck broke his collarbone on stage 3 in this years Tour de France, effectively putting him out of the game for some time. The Saxo-Bank riders and fans watched in horror as these scenes were all over the news that day. Many cycling news agencies said after the crash that under no circumstances would Andy Schleck be able to go for yellow now. Don't know about you but I found this year's Tour to be exciting right to the very end.

The Tour Down Under starts in a few days. Let's hope that the riders stay safe and avoid the worst episodes. The season is long, but the hard work they have done during the autumn will be lost, and new goals for the season will need to be set if they break their collarbone.

How fast is Farrar

We seen the sprinters thunder towards the finish line, all elbows and teeth. Great fun listening to commentators like the legendary Phil Ligett and Paul Sherwen, insisting that the riders move at a speed of 60-70 km/h. The peloton gain about one minute per km on the break away when the finish line is close. I love seeing those nervewrecking marvellous scenes when the peloton roars and swallow a small break away when it is only 400 metres to go. That's some calculation by the different Sport Directors. What a disappointment to the riders in the break away, being alone for 150 km only to be catched just before the line. They will not have a easy day next day, having given all they've got on the bike to stay clear from the peloton.

How do the sprinters train to accomplish that speed? It certainly takes it turn on the sprinters, being able to actually sprint after 185 kilometres and 5, 5 hrs on the bike. Sprinters are normally shorter and more bulky than other riders. As a result they struggle if there are some climbs in the race. Not many knows that sprinters does not get carried to the finish line; in order to sprint they need to give away their capacity to climb, which in return gives them no easy days on the bike.

Here's how Tyler Farrar trains his ability to reach his top-end speed, normally sprinters do these after some hours on the bike as well.

Via TGTProCycling

Crystal ball

Everybody has written about their best cycling moments of 2010. Therefore, I see no point in repeating it. Not that I don't have an opinion about it, but all the great moments have been debated and on various blogs and cycling news sites already.

Instead I am going to do something I usually don't; predict the future (with a little twist):

- Gilbert quits spring season early to focus on the Tour - wins two stages
- Mark Cavendish wins five stages in the tour, green jersey to Sagan
- Tom Boonen great in the classics, glued on Cancellara's wheel for a change
- Then Breschel, EBH and Hushovd win G-W, RVV and R-B respectively
- The Giro becomes spectacular and Basso secures his win once more
- Riders participated in the Giro is knackered and do very bad in the Tour as a result
- Brailsford finally sees Arvesen's qualities as road captain and sends him to the Tour
- Hesjedal makes GC top five in the Tour - Vaughters celebrates in a blue argyle suit
- Richie Porte takes second in the Tour
- Andy Schleck took "101- how to change his gear while climbing" and wins the Tour
- Contador wins the Vuelta 2011, the only country he's allowed to compete in.
- Cancellara makes the World TT his as last year
- Cav wins the Worlds

By this time next year we'll see. Just don't run to your bookie yet...

Your choice

Climbing. Rolling hills. Rise from the saddle and hammer your pedals as hard as you can. Higher, always higher. These words make some people sick and some shiver with excitement.
It is something every cyclist at some point have to deal with; whether to be a cyclist or give in to the pain and crawl back to the place we came from. Sounds like I'm the hardest of nails but in fact I'm not. As a matter of fact, I'm not especially good at climbing. However, I like what they do with me as a cyclist and as a man. What I do know is that ups and downs are what we all deal with in our daily lives, and since cycling to me is almost a metaphor for how you face your life, that's how it is. You can not control what lies ahead of you, but you can decide how you will encounter what you meet.

We all know it is impossible to win any of the Grand Tours without possessing the ability to climb well. The capricious mountains tower above you and present you with a choice. You can effectively endure the effort and cope with the pain or you can roll over and walk away while trying to tell yourself you'll be back another day.

The ability to get over a hill is not reserved the Grand Tours. How many times have Ronde van Vlaanderen been settled up the Muur? It's not like the Muur is somewhat similar to the famous mountains in the Tour or Giro with is length of only 475 meters but if you are present at Vlaanderens mooiste, the look on the riders' faces says it all. Like mentioned above, pain is invertible. It is not necessarily bad for you, and there is a huge difference in being in pain and being injured.

2011 has presented us with a clean set of drawing sheets. Whether your choice is based upon principles or on joy, you have a possibility to do exactly what you expect of others. To be a part of an extraordinary league of people - a complete rider. I know I will.

It is your journey. Grab it. With both your hands.