Tour of California photos

Want to see some of the behind-the-scenes images from the T of C? Click the headline, above.

Tour of California surprise

The surprise team so far at this year's Tour of California is the Slipstream squad. Slipstream's Jason Donald sits in second place overall, just one second behind Discovery's Levi Leipheimer after three days of racing.

Two of the Slipstream riders have pretty deep roots in this part of the world. Click on the headline above to see their story in the Marin Independent Journal...and find out what "Vive Il Sogno" means.

Basso, Bettini...and babes!

Friday night in Sausalito was the big gala presentation for this year's Tour of California bike race. I was fortunate to be asked by a friend to be the "token guy" at a table full of girls. Oh...OK!

I positioned myself, and the girls, directly in the line of fire...all of the teams exiting stage left had to come right past us. It's amazing the kind of access you can get if:

1. You have a camera

2. You're wearing a tux

3. You are with attractive women

OK...number three is the real key to all of this. As one of the girls told me, "It's amazing where you can go, and what you can get, when you have boobs."

Yes, dear...it is.

If you want to see all of my photos from the evening, click on the red headline above.

Must be talkin' to an Angel

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've already seen "The Specialized Angel" blowing kisses to the world's best bike racers.

Being the tenacious journalist that I am, I had to know more. So, for all of you who've been wondering about the face behind the feathers, click the link above for a look at my story that went up on Pez Cycling News today.

The next great cyclist from Marin?

The lead sports story in today's Marin Indepdent Journal is a feature that I wrote on Tyler Brandt, a 16-year-old cyclist from Drake High School. He could be the "next big thing" to come out of this county.

If you want to read the entire story, and see all the photos, click the headline above.

Life can change in an instant!

I had a real wake-up call today. I was about 23 miles into a 25 mile ride, cruising along, heading for home in San Rafael. I was feeling good today...the sun was out, the rain had stopped, it was getting warmer, and I had "good legs".

A big double-long truck, hauling rocks from the quarry in San Rafael, went around me. I did my best to keep up with him, and I able to tuck into his slipstream for a while.

We were coming around an easy right-and turn, just east of San Rafael High, and all of a sudden I could hear the sound of rocks and gravel hitting the inside wheelwells of a car. I looked over to my left, and saw that a silver car was trying to come around me and the big truck.

The driver of car moved too far to the left, into the "marbles" along the side of the road. He started to swerve, and the back end of his car stepped-out and banged into the guard rail that separates the east and westbound lanes. That sent him violently to the right...he was spinning directly in front of me, and headed toward the truck.

Somehow, the driver managed to crank the wheel to the left, which caused the whole car to do a 180 right in the middle of the road. The force of that move was so violent that it snapped off the front left wheel of the car. The car ended up gong backwards over the median, flinging body and suspension parts along the way, until it came to a rest teetering on the median.

The car was creamed, but thankfully, the driver appeared to be ok. Probably head and neck injuries, but other wise OK.

It's now been a couple of hours since this happened, and the gravity of the situatuion is starting to sink in. Holy crap...I could have been killed. It was just like everyone says...the whole scene moved in slow motion, and I felt like I was watching from a distance, instead of being right in the middle of it all.

Had the car turned a bit more to the right, or spun-out at a different angle, I would not be here writing this. My God, how quickly things can change.

A big-damn difference...

...between today and yesterday. This is what it looked like on Saturday in San Rafael...rainy, crappy...and a really bad day to ride a bike:

Less than 24 hours later, this is what it looked like today in Napa...bright, sunny...perfect for riding:

This, my non-California friends, is a prime example of why I live and work in this part of the world.

Aaahhh!

Ride...and eat...like an Italian!

My friend Fabio Flagiello is going to be leading rides from Risibisi, his restaurant in Petaluma. It's 40+ miles of riding, and a full-on Italian brunch after. The details are below. Check it out:

Risibisi Ride
Mangia to Ride…..Ride per Mangiare
Original Italian Way
Saturday,
03/03/2007

Program

8.30am Cappuccino, Espresso, Cornetti, Pane al Cioccolato

9.00am Si Parte, Right on Time….. Andiamo

A Meta’ Fermata in Pasticceria…….Bakery Stop

12.00pm A Casa per Mangiare……Back to the Restaurant

12.30pm Pranzo e’ Servito…. ….Lunch is Served

Menu’

Soup of the Day
Or
Green Salad
-------------------------
Frittata alla Bettini
Spicy Sausage, Roasted Bell Peppers, Spinach, Dry Provolone Cheese

Crespelle alla Moser
Scallops, Shrimp and Crab folded with Leeks and Mushrooms Country Potatoes

Fette di Pane alla Saronno
French Toast, Mascarpone and fresh Strawberry

Lasagne alla Cipollini
Meat Lasagna, Bechamelle Sauce and Parmigiano Cheese

Bistecca alla Gimondi
Top Sirloin Steak, French Fries, Grilled Tomato, Balsamic Reduction
---------------
American Coffee

$25 per person plus tax and gratuity
No bike shoes in side the restaurant, no jokes

154 Petaluma Blvd. North
Petaluma, CA 94952

707-766-7600

Fast Freddie is the Focus of the Latest IJ Column

Click the headline above to read my latest cycling column in the Marin Independent Journal.

And watch this space for future news on an October fund raiser for the Fast Freddie Foundation.

Zabriskie gets PEZed

Yeah, that's me giving aero positioning tips to Dave Zabriskie. OK, so he IS the guy with the most perfect TT position on the planet...he beat Lance in the '05 Tour TT, and he was second in the worlds last year. Yeah, and I look like freakin' Quasimodo on a bike.

Get over it!

Tom Danielson on PEZ

Discovery Channel cyclist Tom Danielson was in Marin County recently, and I got a chance to sit down with him and chat about a variety of topics. The story was posted on Pez Cycling News this week...click the title in red, above, if you want to read the whole thing.

One bit of news that was left out of the Pez story...Tom tells me that he intends to win the overall title in the upcoming Tour of California. Stay tuned.

...and yes, that is mountain bike guru Gary Fisher in the leather suit along side Danielson. Don't they make a lovely couple?

Colts, baby!

OK, I'll admit it...I have a minor football addiction. I've had it since I was a small boy. Heck, if you grow up in Nebraska, your possible addictions are kinda limited:

1. Football

2. Ditch weed

3. Barnyard animals

I think I chose the lesser of the three evils.

So, why "Colts, baby"? Well, when I was doing TV play-by-play for the University of Nebraska football team back in the early '80s, Gene Huey was the team's receivers' coach. Thanks to a few long road trips, and short nights, Gene and I became pals. Our paths have diverged...I moved to California, and he eventually landed as the running backs' coach for the Indianapolis Colts...but we've stayed friends through the years.

Get the connection?

Gene is now the longest-serving assistant coach in the history of the Colts, and I'm really pleased that he finally gets a chance to coach in the Super Bowl. He is truly one of the greatest humans on the planet (not to mention a helluva coach...just ask Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James).

So, as we wind-up the hype machine in advance of the Indianapolis vs. Chicago Super Bowl in Miami, I simply say...Go Colts!

It's about damn time.

First Marin IJ Column

The debut edition is up today. If you want to see the whole thing, with photos, click on the link above. If you want just the words, and no pictures, read on:

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Bob Cullinan: No time for cyclists to hibernate in winter

Staff Report
Marin Independent Journal


COLD WEATHER and cycling are mortal enemies. The recent run of record low temperatures has kept most Marin bicycles indoors, either on a trainer or just hung up in the garage. For many recreational riders this is a good excuse for an offseason break, but some local teams are already in serious training mode.

The Marin-based Proman-Paradigm women's cycling squad will head to training camp this weekend, under the direction of Giana Roberge. She has seen success as both a championship rider and team director, and she'll be working with the team all year.

Team director Nicola Cranmer has put together a group that could contend for national honors. The team has expanded from 10 to 15 riders for 2007, and they plan to attack all types of competition this season - everything from track and time trials to criterium and road racing.
Shelly Olds, 26, is the Proman woman to watch.

"She's the one that we've built our team around," Cranmer said. "The goal is to have Shelly race at the Olympics. Maybe not 2008, but more likely in 2012."

Last year, in only her second season of racing, Shelly placed eighth at both the track and cyclocross elite nationals.

The first test for Olds and her Proman teammates will be Santa Rosa's Apple Pie Criterium on Feb. 10, followed by the Cherry Pie crit in Napa on Feb. 11.

And, for the record, the pros are not immune to the pains of the cold weather. Proman rider Emily Zell wiped out on an icy patch of road in San Anselmo this week. She's a bit bruised and battered, but she should recover in time for training camp.

Pedal with a pro

You have two chances to rub shoulders with some real-live pros in the coming weeks. PedalFest 2007 is Jan. 25 in San Francisco. They call it, "a way to fight cancer with pedal power." Cyclists pay $5 to ride for five minutes on a stationary bike, and the corporate sponsors kick-in an additional dollar for each mile that a rider covers in those five minutes. All of the donations will go to the Breakaway from Cancer Initiative.

PedalFest runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Union Bank main branch, 400 California Street. CSC team pro Dave Zabriskie, one of only five Americans to ever wear the yellow leader's jersey in the Tour de France, will be on-hand to see how many miles he can cover in just five minutes. Other pros riders may participate, too.

Fast Freddie returnsEarly next month, three-time national champion Fred Rodriguez will be in Mill Valley to talk about his career, his plans for 2007, and his Fast Freddie Foundation.
Rodriguez is competing in Australia's Tour Down Under this week as a member of the Predictor-Lotto squad. The team was formerly known as Davitamon-Lotto, but the parent company of their primary sponsor decided to promote another one of their brands on the team uniform this year.

So, what is Predictor? It's a pregnancy test kit, marketed primarily in Europe. Along with the new name, the team has new colors this year, too. Their 2007 outfits are a lovely shade of pink. Freddie has promised to bring one of the new team jerseys with him to Mill Valley next month, and he may even sign and auction it off for charity.

The event is set for 7 p.m., Feb. 2 at the Mill Valley Community Center (Blithedale and Camino Alto). Admission is $10, but it's free for all Marin Cyclists members. There are only 80 seats, so it's first come, first served. E-mail monique@jefftse.com to reserve your spot.


Don't try this at home

More and more pros are coming to this area to train in the offseason. Italian cyclist Andrea Peron has been a teammate of both Lance Armstrong and Ivan Basso, but now that he's retired from the CSC team, Peron is here in Marin at least once every month.

Last week, he was cruising along in Novato, but his bike chain was rattling, so at a speed of 20 miles per hour, Andrea calmly leaned over and adjusted the little thumb screw on the back of his rear derailleur. This is a contortion that only a seasoned pro would dare to try. One little slip and he'd have lost a finger in the gears, and probably crashed into the curb.

Peron told me that he rides more than 20,000 miles per year, so the bike is really like an extension of his body. And he thinks nothing of making a move like this.


Deer meets bike

If you've ever ridden some of the more rural roads of Marin, you've probably seen countless animals on and off the route. Squirrels, skunks, turkeys and even full-grown deer are a constant concern to bike riders.

So, what happens if you hit a deer while you're going more than 30 miles per hour on your bicycle? Hunter Ziesing found out the hard way last month. You may know Ziesing as the brains (and the bucks) behind the local Z-Team cycling squad.

He was cruising along the road at 31.1 mph, when a deer darted out right in front of him. He couldn't avoid the animal. Ziesing broke two vertebrae, two ribs, and bruised a kidney, leaving him in a wheelchair after the accident.

"Me, the deer and the bike rolled like a snowball going down a mountain - almost comical," he wrote in an e-mail.

The good news: Hunter will recover. The bad news: The deer, and the bicycle, will not. Hunter is back on his new bike, bruised and battered, but that won't keep him away from the sport and his team. His mates have a new nickname for him - Deer Hunter. Ouch.


Bob Cullinan is a San Rafael-based free-lance writer, photographer and marketing consultant. His goal every year is to put more miles on his bike than on his car. Contact Bob and read his online blog at http://alert-the-media.blogspot.com/

Column like I see 'em

Beginning this Sunday, I'll be starting a new column for the local Marin Independent Journal newspaper. The column will cover cycling events, pro and amateur news and gossip here in Marin County, California. I'll re-post the columns as soon as possible on this blog. If you have any suggestions/results/criticism/input, feel free to send along any and all thoughts.

iPhone? I dunno

So, Apple rolled-out their new phone thingy in Tuesday. OK, it looks great, and it has all the functions and gizmos that you'd want in a phone/PDA/music player...but...but...unless I'm missing something, none of the big cell phone companies announced that you can use this techno-toy on their networks. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

My current Palm Treo 600 has been a good, reliable device, but it's starting to REALLY piss me off. Like today...I got two calls while I was driving up 101, and both times, I could not answer the damn phone! It's not the cell service that's bad...it's my phone that sucks. I guess I've sat on it one-too-many times, and it's now getting it's revenge.

I'd love to get my hands on the new iPhone. I obviously need a new cell phone, and my digital music player (a Sony Walkman NW-E3) was lost on a recent airplane flight. So, the thought of combining both devices into one is really attractive...but I can't wait. I'll be searching eBay for a new Treo 650 and an iPod Mini. If I can get 'em both for under $400 total, I'll probably do the deal today.

Pedaling with the pros

Last week I rode with Andrea Peron, a recently-retired member of the CSC team. Peron has been a teammate of both Armstrong and Basso, so he can basically kick my ass whenever he wants. But thankfully, he took it easy on me.

The most amazing part of the ride...we were cruising along, and his chain was rattling. So, at a speed of somewhere btwn 20 and 25 mph, he calmly leaned over and with his gloved hand, adjusted the little thumb screw on the back of his rear derailleur. OHMYGOD...talk about bike control.

Check out the photo...and kids...do not try this at home.

This, my friends, is what separates the pros from us mere mortals!